Summer holiday was coming, and I could not wait to join my grandparents on a trip to the desert. We lived in Chicago, far from the burning sand. I wasn't ____ the heat because we would be ____ in my grandparents’ new recreational vehicle (野营车). It’s called an RV for short. This would be their third trip in it and the first one to the ____.
After several days of seeing amazing places, including the Grand Canyon, Grandpa ______the RV in an area set up just for campers and RVs. The park was near a ____ and dusty riverbed. The weather was sure ____ where we were.
We were eating dinner inside the RV when suddenly we ____ a park manager shouting, “Pack up and get to ____ ground! A flash flood(山洪) is coming!”
Grandpa shook his ____, “A flood? Not here.” He pointed at the burning sand outside our windows. The hot air ____ from the sand was like snakes squirming(蠕动) in the heat.“That ____ must have spent too much time in the sun today!”
Out the front window of the RV, I could see other people ____ folding up chairs and umbrellas they had set up outside. They were taking the manager’s ____ seriously.
Should we? Grandpa noticed them, too. He thought for a while and ____ his computer. A warning rolled across the ____. “Anyone near White Gully should ____ higher ground at once. Flash floods are on their way!”
“This is White Gully! Hurry up, Kayla, "Grandpa shouted and ____ his chair. He headed for the driver's ____. Grandma hurried outside to fold up chairs and ____ back. I had never seen her move so fast!
___ we drove away from the riverbed, I looked out of the window. In the far distance, a dark wall was rushing toward us. What a terrible experience!
1.A.interested in B.surprised at C.bored with D.worried about
2.A.travelling B.standing C.studying D.gathering
3.A.desert B.wood C.lake D.mountain
4.A.repaired B.parked C.bought D.discovered
5.A.dry B.colorful C.cold D.wet
6.A.cold B.warm C.hot D.cool
7.A.imagined B.heard C.caught D.prevented
8.A.further B.cleaner C.bigger D.higher
9.A.head B.hand C.shoulder D.leg
10.A.escaping B.sinking C.rising D.flowing
11.A.traveller B.car C.river D.manager
12.A.quickly B.carefully C.hopelessly D.easily
13.A.promise B.warning C.joke D.lie
14.A.played with B.handed in C.showed off D.turned on
15.A.road B.wall C.board D.screen
16.A.point at B.move towards C.give up D.care about
17.A.fell out B.looked back on C.jumped out of D.got off
18.A.entrance B.room C.door D.seat
19.A.talked B.looked. C.rushed D.flew
20.A.As B.Until C.Unless D.Though
How to Continue a Conversation in English?
It is not always easy to keep a conversation going in English. 1.Or maybe you are afraid that your pronunciation is not good. Here are some tips for you to continue a conversation in English.
Listen and follow up
2. Listen to the other person carefully, so that you can ask a follow-up question. For example, let’s say the other person tells you, “I just got back from a trip to California.”You can follow up with a question using Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How.
● Where did you go in California?
● What was your favorite place there?
● How was the food there?
3.
If you want to keep a conversation going, it’s a good idea to ask questions that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ If the other person asks you a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, try to give a longer answer to help keep the conversation going. For example, a friend might ask, “Hey, have you seen the new Star Wars movie?” You could just answer, “No, I haven’t.” Or, you could say more. 4.
Be brave and practice often
5.If your pronunciation is a little different, the other person will still understand your message if you try speaking slowly and clearly. When you are traveling in an English-speaking country and have some free time, be brave and speak in English with someone who does not look too busy. You may make a new friend.
A.Try to ask different questions
B.Avoid simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions
C.Do not worry about your pronunciation.
D.You might not be sure about what to say.
E.First, remember the importance of listening.
F.Sometimes, you get nervous, so your conversation ends quickly
G.You could answer: “No, but I plan to see it soon. How about you?”
More than half of the food produced in Canada goes to waste. A shocking new study has shown that the level of food waste is far worse than previously thought, at 58%. Of that, about 85% of food waste is due to food processors. This differs from earlier studies, which criticized families for driving food waste and said they were responsible for 51% of food waste.
The study was carried out by Martin Hooch, the leading expert on food waste and the author of several previous studies on the subject. Reflecting on the study’s findings, Hooch said, “It means stopping criticizing consumers. Sure, consumers are part of the problem, but they’re not the problem.”
In the past, Hooch didn't master good data, particularly from the private factories, but relied on numbers collected by the food industry for purposes other than tracking(追踪) waste. This time, however, Hooch worked directly with companies at all stages along the food production chain and interviewed over 700 experts in the industry. Clearly he found it hard to believe what he was seeing.
This is what they found: Food processing causes 34% of food waste. This is followed by production, which causes 24%. Next is manufacturing at 13%, then hotels and restaurants at 9%. Families cause only 14%, and market sales 6%. This should be a serious wake-up call for Canadians who would do well to examine their own food supply chains. Food waste is costly, not only in terms of dollars wasted, but also in resources like land, water, and so on. To be using these resources and wasting the product is totally irresponsible and unnecessary.
To make matters worse, when food is thrown into rubbish cans, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2). At Canada’s rate of food waste, that's like adding 12 million cars to the road. It seems that the food industry needs redesigning. Therefore, let’s hope the government takes action.
1.What did earlier studies say about food waste in Canada?
A.Food waste was better than expected.
B.Food went bad when it was processed.
C.Most of the food was wasted on purpose.
D.Families were to blame for food waste.
2.How did Hooch do his study on food waste this time?
A.By studying data from the industry.
B.By tracking the whole production chain.
C.By collecting advice from experts worldwide.
D.By drawing a conclusion from the previous studies.
3.Why does food waste have an effect on the environment?
A.Because it is harmful to the trees.
B.Because it pollutes the soil around it.
C.Because it gives off unpleasant smells.
D.Because it produces more greenhouse gas.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Canadians don’t like to save food for future.
B.More than half of the food is wasted in Canada.
C.Families are mainly responsible for food waste.
D.The food industry is better redesigned in Canada.
May 14 marks the beginning of National Smile Month in the UK. The campaign is organized by the Oral Health Foundation to promote(普及) dental(牙齿的) health. The Foundation hopes that a month of smiling across the nation will make people think about the importance of brushing their teeth regularly, cutting down on sugary foods, and making regular appointments with the dentist.
The British, in fact, have a reputation for bad teeth. The Internet's Urban Dictionary has an entry(条目)for “ British Smile”, defining it as “Any smile with bad teeth”. On the other side of the Atlantic, however, the “Hollywood Smile” gets its name because American movie stars are so proud to show off their sparkling beautiful teeth.
But what about smiling in the UK in general? Do the British smile a lot, or do they look sad all the time? It's said that the British practice the “stiff upper lip”, meaning that they don't often show their emotions; they neither smile nor cry. But this is false: A British person likes to smile as much as anyone else.
As far as smiling in Britain is concerned just like everywhere else, it all depends on the situation. For example, you wouldn't expect anyone to smile at a funeral(葬礼). But if you were at a party of any kind, you'd find everyone smiling from ear to ear. However, smiling is sometimes not allowed under some circumstances(情形). For instance, since 2005 Britain hasn’t allowed smiling in passport photographs. At other times, for example at work and school, you simply smile when it's natural to smile.
So the British are no more and no less likely to smile than anyone else. But smiling is good for you, no doubt about it, even if you do have a few bad teeth. And smiling is good for those around you too. This alone makes National Smile Month a great idea. As the essayist William Hazlitt wrote, “A gentle smile, a kind word, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles”.
1.Why is National Smile Month held in the UK?
A.To promote the health benefits of smiling.
B.To build a more friendly society through smiling.
C.To attract people's attention to dental health.
D.To teach people how to protect their teeth.
2.What does the underlined word “sparkling” refer to?
A.aging B.loose
C.smelly D.shining
3.What can we learn from the article about smiling in the UK?
A.People can’t smile when taking passport photos.
B.British people are less likely to smile than others.
C.People are encouraged to smile all the time at work.
D.British people often hide their true emotions with a smile.
4.What does the author think of National Smile Month?
A.It lasts too long. B.It is a wonderful event.
C.It fails to achieve its purpose. D.It should be promoted around the world.
Betty Friedan is often called “the mother of the modern women’s liberation(解放) movement” Her famous book The Feminine Mystique changed America. Some people say it changed the world. It has been called one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century. Betty Friedan was born in 1921 in Peoria, Illinois. She attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, one of the country’s best colleges for women. She finished her studies in psychology(心理学) in 1942.
In 1957, Friedan started a research that was to have far- reaching(深远的) results. Most women in her class did not work outside their homes after graduation. Friedan thought women could give a lot to society if they had another identity besides being housewives. She talked to other women across the country, met with experts about the questions and answers and combined this research with surveys and examples from her own life. The result was her book, The Feminine Mystique, published in 1963. The book attacked the popular idea of the time that women could only find satisfaction through being married, having children and taking care of their home. Friedan believed that women wanted more from life than just to please their husbands and children. The book said women suffered from feelings of lack of worth. Friedan said this was because women depended on their husbands for economic(经济的), emotional and intellectual support.
The Feminine Mystique was a huge success, which has been sold more than three million of copies and reprinted in a number of other languages. The book helped change the lives of women in America. More women began working outside the home and more women began studying traditionally male subjects like law, medicine and engineering.
1.What’s The Feminine Mystique mainly about ?
A.women’s equal rights B.women’s studies
C.women’s political position D.women s marriage
2.According to Friedan, which of the following statement is True?
A.Women only wanted to please their husbands and children.
B.Women can’t find satisfaction in other ways besides family.
C.Most women in her class worked outside their homes after graduation.
D.Women relied on their husbands for economic, emotional and intellectual support.
3.What is the main reason for the book 's popularity?
A.It influenced women’s life greatly.
B.It was written by a famous woman.
C.It has been prepared for many years.
D.It was a result of long research in society.
4.Which column may the passage belong to in the newspaper?
A.Education B.Story C.People D.Life
Keeping the kids busy over the school holidays can be discouraging and cost parents a lot. But we’ve found some cheap and cheerful ways to enjoy family time this Easter from free days out to fun-filled theme parks which won’t cost us much. We’ve done the homework so you can get started on having a great time.
Theme Parks
♦ Save from 10% to 25% off the price of tickets for Legoland in Windor by booking in advance online. A family of four can save up to ₤45.90 on a one-day ticket, paying ₤137.70.
♦Book seven days in advance and save ₤43 off the price of a family of four tickets for Drayton Manor Theme Park. Call 0844-472-1950 or book online and you’ll pay ₤65 on the day.
♦ You can pick up a family of four ticket for a day at Alton Towers in Staffordshire for ₤43.80 off the day price.
♦ Save ₤16 off the price for a family trip to The Making of Harry Potter by buying a family ticket (two adults and two children) online. Family of four ₤101, compared to ₤117.
Activities
Students looking for a cut-price trip to see the animals can save 15% off the ticket price at Bristol Zoo and pay ₤12.71 rather than the full adult price ₤14.53. Teens should show their identity as students.
Freebies(免费赠品)
Let your kids discover what it’s like to be an animal on the African Plain in the ocean. Or, they can learn to love leaf beetles（甲壳虫） or become a scientist for the day at the Natural History Museum in London.
1.Which of the following theme parks can save you most on Easter Day?
A.Alton Towers. B.Legoland in Windsor
C.Drayton Manor Theme Park. D.The Making of Harry Potter.
2.How can tourists enjoy a cut-price trip at Bristol Zoo?
A.By showing their birthdays and birthplaces.
B.By showing their family addresses
C.By showing their driving licenses.
D.By showing their students’ cards
3.Who is the text mainly intended for?
A.The students. B.The scientists
C.The families D.The kids
