How to Excel in Poetry Writing

If you are serious about your poetry, then you should consider the suggestions presented here.

1. Many poets have also used these tips to make poetry publishing possible in their life.

Write Every Day. It is important that all writers write every day. 2.You should remove all distractions so that you can be focused during this time. Many writers will set realistic goals for themselves as to how many words they will write each day or at least a specific amount of time when they have to write. You don’t have to write about anything specific as long as you are writing something.

Join a Writing Group. You can fine-tune your craft even more by joining a writing group or community. 38. 3. There are thousands of writing communities that you can join. You should get involved in writers’ discussions and should trade your work with other writers for review and critique. By doing this you will receive valuable feedback and will also learn a lot by reviewing the work of other writers.

Challenge Yourself. One of the best things that you can do and that can actually help you greatly with poetry publishing, is taking part in contests that are designed for novice poets. 4. You can easily find these contests online and can commit yourself to taking part in them.

Most of these contests have a strict structure and rules that must be followed.  A challenge like this is a great way to truly push yourself as a writer. 5.Some contests offer cash prizes while others offer publication of the winning pieces of poetry in the contest.

A.With the use of the Internet this is an easy task.

B.Many of these poetry contests even offer prizes!

C.You can turn to others for help in writing poems.

D.Read your poetry after finishing it in no time.

E.Set aside a specific amount of time for writing.

F.These ideas have assisted many writers in getting serious about writing.

G.There are thousands of poetry contests conducted every year.

    I recently came in contact with celebrity magazines. My family isn’t one to give money for pictures of skinny, drunk celebrities with paragraphs about their relationships and shopping cart times. Thus, I was excited to finally get a chance to read about other people’s attractive yet troubled lives.

Right away I noticed how each magazine seemed to be a copy of the other. They had headlines and pictures that were almost the same. Still, the pictures of perfectly constructed faces with cute designers outfits going on with their daily lives made me read on.

Wait, celebrities taking their dogs for walk? Spending an afternoon at a park? All of these things seemed so ordinary—things my own family and I do together often. I suddenly realized how unextraordinary the people in these magazines were. They are simply normal people who happen to have a cool job and much money. For some reason, pictures of them doing things like buying milk at the store appeal to millions of readers. Then, when these regular people mess up, their mistakes is painted onto hundreds of newspapers and internet sites.

What if every time we made a mistake, it was made public? Have you ever failed a test? Imagine seeing pictures of you on the front of a newspaper with headlines like, “Regular Schooling Isn’t Enough”. You’d be embarrassed. Now, I’m not necessarily taking the celebrity’s side. I’m more realizing the fact that these people we were crazy about are just ordinary human beings with many photographs following them around. Role models? I’d think not. Personally, I’d rather look up to people in any community who have accomplished a lot instead of an ordinary person walking his dog in Berverly Hills.

1.What do we know about the author’s family?

A.They admire celebrities very much.

B.They often buy celebrity magazines.

C.They are not interested in celebrities.

D.They are curious about the life of celebrities.

2.What does the author think of celebrities?

A.They live happy life.

B.They seldom do usual things.

C.They deserve people’s admiration.

D.They are just ordinary people like us.

3.Who is most likely to be the author’s role model?

A.Celebrities who live ordinary live.

B.Common people who do great things.

C.Extraordinary people who accomplish a lot.

D.People who make great contributions to communities.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A.To describe the actual life of celebrities.

B.To ask us to be realistic about other’s mistakes.

C.To show people’s different attitudes towards celebrities.

D.To advise us to have a right attitude towards celebrities.

    If you live in Shanghai, you might have to take a "lesson" in sorting garbage, as the city recently introduced new garbage-sorting regulations. It’s now required that people should sort garbage into four categories, namely recyclable, harmful, dry and wet waste. However, if people fail to sort their garbage properly, they can be fined up to 200 yuan. More cities are introducing similar regulations, following the practice in Shanghai. By the end of 2020, garbage-sorting systems will have been built in 46 major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shenzhen, reported People’s Daily.

According to a study by the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, over 90 percent of the public believe that garbage sorting is important for the protection of the environment. However, garbage sorting is still a big problem in China. Only 30 percent of participants said they think they are adequately sorting their trash, the study noted.

According to Xinhua News Agency, it’s partly because many people lack the willingness to sort their own waste. In the past, some previous garbage regulations didn’t give clear fines for people who failed to sort garbage. "It’s a must to have a legal guarantee to promote garbage sorting." Liu Jianguo, a professor from Tsinghua University, told China Daily. He also added "the importance of the new regulations in Shanghai is to change the past voluntary action into compulsory action for everyone"

Aside from China, many other foreign countries have also introduced garbage-sorting regulations. In Japan, waste sorting has become a basic survival skill, reported Xinhua. There is a fixed time for disposal of each kind of garbage and littering can result in high fines and even jail time. In Germany too, people are asked to sort waste into specific categories, reported HuffPost. For example, in Berlin, people have yellow bins for plastic and metals and blue bins for paper and cardboard.

1.What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A.Poisonous waste belongs to four categories in sorting.

B.People will be fined not less than 200 yuan.

C.All the cities use the same regulations as Shanghai.

D.Shanghai works as a pioneer in garbage sorting.

2.Which statement is true according to the passage?

A.Garbage-sorting system have been built in 46 major cities.

B.Not all the public attach importance to garbage sorting.

C.People aren’t fined clearly if they fail to sort garbage now.

D.People may be put in prison because of littering in Germany.

3.What can be inferred from Liu Jianguo’s words?

A.He thinks highly of the legal regulations in garbage sorting.

B.The sorting action should be changed from compulsory to voluntary.

C.Legal guarantee is a must to promote garbage sorting.

D.There is a growing concern over garbage sorting worldwide.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.Shanghai Puts Garbage-sorting Into Practice

B.Regulations Are of Great Importance

C.Garbage Is Hard to Recycle Appropriately

D.Cities Get Serious About Waste

Women are friendly．But men are more competitive．Why? Researchers have found it's all down to the hormone oxytocin （荷尔蒙催生素）．Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently．

"Women tend to be social in their behavior．They often share with others．But men lend to be competitive．They are trying to improve their social status," said Professor Ryan．

Generally, people believe that the hormone oxytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interactions （互动） such as falling in love or giving birth．

But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during negative social interactions such as envy．

Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship．

Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37．Half of the participants（参与者）received oxytocin．The other half received placebo （安慰剂）．

After a week, the two groups switched with participants．They went through the same procedure with the other material．

Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions．Then they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions．The questions were about telling friendship from competition．And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions．

The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better．

Professor Ryan thus concluded: "Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's abilities to better distinguish different social interactions．And the behavior differences between men and women are caused by biological factors （因素） that are mainly hormonal．"

1.What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text?

A.Placebo． B.Oxytocin．

C.The gesture． D.The social status．

2.What can we learn from Professor Ryan's previous experiment?

A.Oxytocin affects our behavior in a different way．

B.Our body lets out oxytocin when we are deep in love．

C.Our body produces oxytocin when we feel unhappy about others' success．

D.Oxytocin improves our abilities to understand people's behavior differences．

3.Why did Professor Ryan conduct the recent experiment?

A.To test the effect of oxytocin on the ability to recognize social interactions．

B.To know the differences between friendship and competition．

C.To know people's different abilities to answer questions．

D.To test people's understanding of body language．

4.The author develops the text by______．

A.explaining people's behaviors

B.describing his own experiences

C.distinguishing sexual differences

D.discussing research experiments

Chinese Language and Culture Summer Camp in China

Shanghai is the city which will present you how modernization meets tradition, and how western culture dances with eastern civilization. So it offers a best place for you to participate in Chinese language and culture summer camp.

Interactive Chinese Lessons

Our Chinese courses focus on developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a well-balanced way, while each has its own focus. The teaching materials we use, offering 12 levels of classes, are written specially for our program. For beginners, speaking and listening abilities will be stressed while for advanced level students, the course will develop in depth their skills on Chinese characters recognition, long paragraph reading and writing, as well as fluent conversation.

Small Size Classes

Our students come from all over the world, mostly between 11 and 17 years old, having different Chinese levels. They will accept level assessment (评估) on the first day of camp, and be placed into different groups according to their language fluency. In a small-class setting each student can receive individual attention from teachers and achieve best studying result.

Traditional Culture Courses

We provide various culture courses to help students to develop interest in traditional Chinese culture, which will benefit their language learning. The culture courses include: Calligraphy, Traditional brush painting, Chinese Kong-fu, Tai-chi, Paper-cutting.

Day Camp

Day camp is designed for participants who have a host family in Shanghai. Day camp runs from Monday to Sunday between 8:30 and 17:00.

Day camp package includes:

Chinese classes in the mornings

Lunch

Culture courses, field trip and sports activities in the afternoons

Others: Textbooks, studying materials, camp life souvenir

Day camp package NOT includes:

Accommodation

Daily pick up and drop off

Breakfast, dinner

Field trip is optional.

1.What is one of the summer camp’s features?

A. Its teaching materials are regular and common textbooks.

B. Every participant in the camp has to finish 12 levels of classes.

C. Beginners attend the class stressing characters recognition.

D. Students are placed in groups that meet their language fluency.

2.The summer camp’s traditional culture courses don’t include ________.

A. Traditional brush painting    B. Chinese Kong-fu

C. Traditional Chinese cooking    D. Paper-cutting

3.Which of the following descriptions about the day camp is TRUE?

A. Everyone who attends day camp will receive a camp life souvenir.

B. Participants in day camp can have breakfast, lunch and supper there.

C. Field trip is an activity that everyone is supposed to participate in.

D. Day camp is designed for participants who live in the summer camp.

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1.What is the main purpose of the loud noises?

A.To warn people outdoors to get inside.

B.To get people’s attention inside their homes.

C.To inform people without radios about danger.

2.Who decides to turn on the system?

A.Local media. B.Local officials. C.The national weather service.

3.Where does the speaker advise people to go after hearing a warning?

A.To a window. B.To a public shelter. C.To the middle of a building.

4.What is the main topic of the talk?

A.A weather report.

B.A warning system.

C.The safety steps in bad weather.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What will the woman have for breakfast?

A.Juice and bacon. B.Noodles and fruit. C.Just coffee with no sugar.

2.What information is on the container?

A.The low amount of fat.

B.The amount of real juice.

C.The percent of vitamin C.

3.How much sugar should women have per day?

A.Twenty grams. B.Twenty-five grams. C.Forty grams.

4.What food might the man like best?

A.Yogurt. B.Vegetables. C.Noodles and bread.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What will the woman do?

A.See a doctor. B.Post some letters. C.Withdraw some money.

2.Where is the doctor’s office?

A.Near the bank. B.Near the post office. C.Near the supermarket.

3.What is the woman happy about?

A.Going downtown. B.Finishing some tasks. C.Spending time with the man.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What does the woman plan to do?

A.Rent an apartment.

B.Have a business meeting.

C.Meet her wedding organizer.

2.How late will the woman be for her appointment?

A.Five minutes. B.Ten minutes. C.At least fifteen minutes.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What is the man mainly talking about?

A.Silences. B.Japanese culture. C.Interesting facts.

2.How does the woman feel in the end?

A.Annoyed. B.Satisfied. C.Curious.

What’s the probable relationship between the speakers?

A.Husband and wife. B.Salesman and customer. C.Interviewer and interviewee.

How has the bar changed?

A.It is cleaner.

B.It has new owners.

C.It doesn’t serve sunflower seeds.

How many pieces will the man eat?

A.Six. B.Four. C.Two.

Where does the conversation take place?

A.At a shop. B.At a restaurant. C.At a concert.

What does the man want to do?

A.Watch films. B.Visit his brother. C.Have dinner with the woman.

假定你是李华，想利用课后时间提高一下自己的英语口语水平，你对美国的一个远程在线英语口语课程比较感兴趣，请写封邮件，询问有关情况。内容包括：

1. 课时和费用；

2. 教师的情况；

3. 报名方式。

注意： 词数100左右；

Dear Sir / Madam,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Lihua

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号 (∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Our school sports meeting finally came to an end last Friday. Tiring but cheerful, we made it a success. I can say it’s best one I have ever been taken part in. The opening ceremony was a feast for the eyes. To begin with, the headmaster makes a speech. Then came various performance, including singing, dancing and kung fu. Besides, students dressed up as dolls, and that they wanted to show was confident and talent. When the teachers’ shows began, the students were crazily. As a class photographer, I took pictures of such many brilliant moments, which, with doubt, meant a lot to all of us.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

There are many great destinations in the UK, one of1.is the South- West of England. The most popular regions surrounding the South-West2. (be) the counties of Devon and Cornwall. They are by the coast and known for having some of3.sunniest weather in the UK.

In the heart of the South-West, Dartmoor National Park4.(vote ) the UK's favourite in 2016. There are plenty of breathtaking walks to choose from which will lead you5. (discover) Dartmoofs ancient and rugged (崎岖的) charm!

In the South - West you will find plenty of attractive and often deserted6.(beach ), Some examples include Whitesand Bay in Cornwall and Woolacombe beach inDevon. If you don't mind the7.( slight ) cooler temperatures than other beach destinations in Europe, you are in for a real treat !

Apart from8.( surround ) by beautiful nature, the South-West is full of urban gems (精华). The city of Exeter in Devon has great centers, as well as lots of cafes9.pubs. Cornwall has its own treasures too-pretty villages and towns such as St Ives and Mousehole line the coastline, and make for the perfect locations to spend those10.(relax) summer afternoons !

    Christopher Garrett was an engineer with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. While serving in Afghanistan, Christopher was shot and ______. He was hospitalized and then medically ______.

Christopher was ______ to be returning home to his wife, Brittany, and was looking forward to getting back to normal life. Soon, ______, it became clear that “normal” was going to have a new ______.

Christopher’s ______ made things difficult. Things that had once come ______ to him-like mowing the lawn (修剪草坪) — now seemed almost impossible. Even still, Christopher was ______ not to let his injuries get the best of him. Even though he only had an old-fashioned, non-motorized push mower, he ______ to go out and mow the yard, working through the ______ until the job was done.

It was ______ for Brittany to watch her husband go through this pain. When she saw Christopher threw himself down on the ground in tears one day, she ran to him, thinking he was ______ an emotional breakdown. When she got out to the yard, however, she saw the ______ of Christopher’s tears Sitting in the yard was a(n) ______ riding lawn mower. Attached was a note: “I hope this ______ time for the things that matter most in your life. Thank you for your ______ and for my freedom. A grateful American.”

Though the Garretts have no ______ who left the mower in their yard, it is clear a neighbor had seen Christopher ______ and wanted to help. That person may never know just how much the ______ meant to the Garretts, but for this couple it was life-changing.

Christopher still has a long ______ ahead of him in the recovery process, but thanks to this generous stranger, the journey is now a little easier.

1.A. caught B. wounded C. trapped D. killed

2.A. recovered B. refused C. retired D. removed

3.A. fortunate B. disappointed C. happy D. unwilling

4.A. though B. therefore C. meanwhile D. instead

5.A. story B. direction C. result D. meaning

6.A. disability B. strength C. fear D. appearance

7.A. steadily B. quickly C. naturally D. easily

8.A. forced B. determined C. astonished D. persuade

9.A. continued B. preferred C. promised D. intended

10.A. hunger B. sorrow C. pain D. anger

11.A. embarrassing B. unusual C. annoying D. difficult

12.A. suffering B. imagining C. overcoming D. performing

13.A. source B. outcome C. purpose D. power

14.A. special B. ordinary C. strange D. new

15.A. takes B. saves C. occupies D. leaves

16.A. honesty B. service C. kindness D. attention

17.A. doubt B. question C. idea D. way

18.A. searching B. complaining C. struggling D. crying

19.A. note B. gift C. reward D. solution

20.A. life B. experience C. wait D. road

    Many of us are hardwired NOT to ask for help. We think it makes us appear weak. We think people will say no. we think we have to do everything ourselves.1.. We have to get over that, and there’s how:

Get over yourself

No one—and I mean NO ONE----got anywhere alone. You cannot and should not do everything yourself. You are not, in fact, always the best person for the job, or the “only” person who can do it. asking for help is sign of strength, not weakness. Asking for help clears space for you and frees your time and energy. 2..

Rebuild your thinking

Rebuild what it means to ask for help from “I am a weak, incompetent loser” to “I am strategically allocating my time to focus on what matters most.” Don’t focus on the fact that you can’t do something or don’t have the time.  3.. It’s a chance to connect, a chance to value a colleague, a chance to get something done faster or better, a chance to optimize your own time and talents.

4.

Asking for help is about tapping valuable resources to get the best outcome the most quickly with the fewest resources expended. That’s a fancy way of saying “get the right people for the job.” 5.. And the best way to do that is to know your colleagues, and proactively build relationships.

A.Know your colleagues.

B.Think about your colleagues.

C.Your energy can’t be wasted.

D.It’s a smart strategy.

E.It’s all about building the right team.

F.Instead, think about what you will gain from the ask.

G.Whatever the reason, we don’t ask for the help we need.

    Growing up can sometimes seem like a roller coaster. There are ups and downs and unexpected turns. Abuse or neglect by adult can make the ride even rougher. But being bullied(欺凌) by another child can leave especially lasting scars. That's the finding of a new study.

Bullied kids face a high risk of mental health problems as teens and as young adults. Indeed bullied kids might be worse off than those who had suffered physical abuse or neglect, the study found.

Dieter Wolke works at the University of Warwick in England. Until recently, most studies of child victims focused not on bullying but on maltreatment, this psychologist says. Maltreatment includes physical or emotional abuse, neglect or other behaviors that can harm a child.

Wolke's team wanted to better understand how bullying's long-term effects compare to those due to maltreatment. They focused on 4,026 children in the United Kingdom and 1,420 more in the United States. Information about bullying and maltreatment was collected for American children to age 13.They collected the same information for British youth up to age 16. The researchers also gathered data on each individual's mental health as a young adult.

Among the Americans, 36 percent of bullied kids had mental problems later. Those problems included anxiety, which is a state of excessive worry. They also included depression. That is a feeling of hopelessness that can last a long time. Among kids who had been maltreated by adults, 17 percent later suffered mental health problems. That was less than half the rate seen in people who had been bullied as school kids.

In the U. K. group, the difference was less spectacular. Roughly 25 percent of the bullied kids reported mental health problems later, compared with about 17 percent who had been maltreated.

But however you look at it, the finding are disturbing, Wolke says. They show that bullied children have similar or worse mental health problems later in life. And that’s why he says schools, health services and other agencies must work together to end bullying.

1.According to the passage, which of the statements is TRUE?

A.Kids treated cruelly recover soon after they grow up.

B.All bullied kids have mental health problems.

C.Most kids with maltreatment experience tend to become violent adults.

D.Most studies didn’t pay much attention to bullying until recently.

2.How does the author support the theme of the text?

A.By providing research results. B.By stating arguments.

C.By explaining statistical data. D.By giving examples.

3.The underlined word “spectacular” in paragraph 6 could be best replaced by _______.

A.slight B.dramatic

C.specific D.similar

4.According to the text, what does Wolke suggest doing?

A.Taking good care of children.

B.Joining hands to stop bullying.

C.Keeping psychologically healthy.

D.Comparing different types of abuse.

    Most people love to lose themselves in a great book, maybe a classic novel, a modern storybook or a great work of history. But many people also live busy lives, and for them finding time to sit quietly and read is difficult, if not impossible. Fortunately, with the coming of the Internet and high-tech tools like the iPod, more and more people are making literature a part of their lives again.

A very special website now makes it possible for people to listen to books that they simply would not have time to read. The site is called Audible Inc., and it’s the best place to download audio (音频的) books. Over the past few years, hundreds of thousands of these books have been recorded. They include nearly every classic, as well as most newly-published ones. Most of these are read by voice actors who really bring the text to life.

Audible Inc. lets you easily and quickly download a book and load it onto your iPod or other MP3 players, or onto CDs so that you can listen in your car. The site is like Amazon, com, but for audio books. It includes thousands of recommendations (推荐) and customer reviews that are extremely helpful. The site lets you listen to a free piece of each book so you can tell ahead what the narrator (讲述者) sounds like. No wonder that most people who listen to an audio book for the first time are immediately attracted.

This is the perfect opportunity to find out what so many people know about audio books. But be careful — you may become attracted to audio books for life.

1.Who might be most interested in Audible Inc.?

A.People who have iPods. B.People who travel a lot.

C.Teenagers who love writing. D.Book lovers with little free time.

2.What does Audible Inc. offer people?

A.Free books. B.Books to listen to.

C.Books about history. D.Traditional paper books.

3.Why is a free piece of each book given on Audible Inc.?

A.To let people experience the narrative style ahead.

B.To introduce different styles of modern books.

C.To provide a chance to learn to narrate stories.

D.To meet the customers’ requirements.

4.What can we know from the last paragraph?

A.The author shows the benefits of audio books.

B.The author advises people to choose audio books.

C.The author stresses the great attraction of audio books.

D.The author warns people against addiction to reading.

    Ernest Gaines, the son of sharecroppers (佃农), was born in January 15, 1933 on the River Lake Plantation near the small village of Oscar, Louisiana. He attended school for kids more than five months out of the year. But that was more education than his family before him had received. He would say later in life that his ear for the stories of his elders was developed as he wrote letters for adults who couldn’t read or write.

In the late 1940’s, at the age of 15, his family moved to the northern California where he could do something that had been forbidden in the South: visit a library. Ernest later attended San Francisco State University. Then he returned to Louisiana in 1963, inspired by James Meredith’s bid to enroll in the then-all-white University of Mississippi. He took it as a sign that the South was changing and that he could be part of that change. “As I’ve said many times before, the two greatest moves I’ve made were on the day I left Louisiana in 1948, and on the day I came back to Louisiana in 1963,” he said.

Less than 10 years later, in 1971, he published the novel that brought him attention, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman which told the story of a black woman born as a slave who lives long enough to witness the civil rights era. Ernest would later say that the fictional Jane was modeled after his disabled great-aunt, Augustine Jefferson, who could not walk, but was strong enough to raise a family. Another novel, A Gathering of Old Men, published in 1983, was made into a movie in 1987. He won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1993 for his novel A Lesson Before Dying. A number of his stories and essays were gathered in the 2005 collection Mozart and Leadbelly.

His permanent residence in Louisiana was a house that he and his wife built on land that was once part of River Lake Plantation. Ernest talked about his home, “If Auntie could sit here with me, or my stepfather who took me away from here, or my uncle George, who used to take me to those old beat-up bars in Baton Rouge — if I could, I’d just buy him a good glass of Gentleman Jack, and we could sit here and talk. Oh, I wish I could do that.”

1.How did Ernest benefit from writing letters for adults?

A.It inspired great love for writing in him.

B.It made him enter the university successfully.

C.It laid the foundation for his writing of his elders.

D.It promoted his communication with his families.

2.What can we know about Ernest from paragraph 2?

A.Ernest got the freedom of education in California.

B.Ernest’s departure and return influenced his life a lot.

C.James helped him apply to University of Mississippi.

D.Ernest’s experience in the South affected him greatly.

3.In which novel can you know about Ernest’s auntie?

A.Mozart and Leadbelly. B.A Lesson Before Dying.

C.A Gathering of Old Men. D.The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

4.What does Ernest convey in his words in the last paragraph?

A.He misses his relatives. B.He hopes to leave again.

C.He cherishes his childhood. D.He loves drinking and chatting.

    Leila’ s Hair Museum

Before the invention of photography, people kept memories of loved ones by creating mementos(纪念物)using human hair. In 1986, Leila Cohoon opened a museum in Independence,  Missouri, to show her collection of more than 2, 000 pieces of hair-based art collected over 30 years. Billed as the only hair museum in the world, it includes more than 400 braided hair wreaths(花环)and 2,000 pieces of jewellery dating back to the mid-1600s. “My museum is filled with other people’s families,” Leila says. “It tells a story. ”

International UFO Museum and Research Center

On July 7, 1947, a farmer discovered mysterious metallic debris(金属碎片)in his farm outside Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF)originally said it recovered a flying disc. The next day, RAAF changed its words: The object was a weather balloon.  Stories of a UFO and a government cover-up spread. Each year, 180,000 people check out the dirt from the UFO crash site, photos, and reports about the Roswell incident.

Museum of Bad Art

Not all art is created equal. After finding an oil painting in the rubbish in 1993—the now classic Lucy in the Field with Flowers—Scott Wilson started collecting bad art. Before long, he showed his finds at the Somerville movie theater. The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) gives the public a firsthand look at some of the world’s worst “disaster-pieces”. Popular paintings include Mana Lisa, Hollywood Lips, and Drilling for Eggs. “MOBA is always on the lookout for the best of the worst,” said co-founder Marie Jackson. “But what an artist considers to be bad doesn’t always meet our low standards. ”

Mutter Museum

Welcome to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—home to more than 5,000 brains, bones, and dead bodies! In 1858, Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter gave his collection of preserved body parts, and bones to the College Of Physicians to improve medical education, which led to the museum’s creation in 1863. Today, Mutter is the most famous medical museum in America, housing a wall of bones, and pieces of Albert Einstein’ s brain.

1.What is special about Leila’s Hair Museum?

A. It is full of family stories.

B. It houses the world’s greatest photos.

C. It holds collections from around the globe.

D. It was opened to remember Leila’s loved ones.

2.What can you find in the Mutter Museum?

A. Photos about the Roswell incident. B. Some of Albert Einstein’s brain.

C. 2,000 pieces of jewellery. D. Mana Lisa.

3.What do the four museums have in common?

A. They are newly-founded museums. B. They are art-centered.

C. They are unpopular among visitors. D. They are quite unusual.

假定你是李华, 现在英国，你想和你的同学们参观镇上的一次历史展览会。请你根据以下内容 给展览会的负责人写一封信，询问你想了解的相关信息。内容主要包括:

1.展览的内容；

2.展览开始和结束的日期；

3.门票是否有折扣。

注意：1.词数 80 词左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.已给内容不计入词数。

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

单词拼写

1.What percentage of the students in your school are a ______ to colleges?

2.These toys are a real b ______ at such low prices.

3.Consider carefully where your s ______ and weaknesses lie.

4.Facing such f ______ competition, he has to make every effort.

5.He a ______ to his girl friend for having kept her waiting.

6.He tried over and over and finally s ______ (成功).

7.Are you ______ (熟悉的) with the rules of baseball?

8.They ______ (探索) this desert region in 1923.

9.You have to ask for your teacher’s ______ (许可) to leave early.

10.They only have a ______ (有限的) amount of time to explain their idea.

    As a young man, Aaron was a skilled artist, a porter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a stomachache. Thinking it was some _______ disorder, neither Aaron nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the illness was actually severe and the boy _______ suddenly that night.

The son’s death could have been prevented if he had only _______ the seriousness of the situation! Aaron’s emotional health got _______  under the heavy burden of his guilt (内疚). What's worse, his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Aaron could handle, and he _______ alcohol (酒精) to help him cope. In time Aaron became an alcoholic (酗酒者).

As the alcoholism (酗酒) _______, Aaron began to lose everything he possessed — his home, his land, his art objects, everything. _______, Aaron died alone in a San Francisco motel room.

When I heard of Aaron's death, I reacted like most people who show no respect for one ending his life with nothing material to show for it. ''What a complete failure! '' I thought. ''What a _______ life! ''

As time went by, I began to reevaluate my earlier cold _______. You see, I knew Aaron’s now adult son, Ernie. He has a family and he is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his ________. I saw the free flow of ________ between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.

I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to ________ an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to ________ him. ''I'm really ________ by something, '' I said. ''I know your father was basically the only one to ________ you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person? ''

Ernie sat quietly and thought for a few moments. Then he said, ''From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Aaron came into my room every night, gave me a ________ and said, 'love you, son. '''

Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Aaron as a(n) ________. He had not ________ any material possessions to his son. But he had been a kind loving ________. He ________ one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.

1.A.common B.strange C.special D.unusual

2.A.cried B.died C.ached D.awoke

3.A.discussed B.questioned C.ignored D.realized

4.A.considered B.improved C.damaged D.examined

5.A.turned to B.referred to C.picked up D.gave up

6.A.decreased B.disappeared C.progressed D.approached

7.A.Finally B.Surprisingly C.Naturally D.Obviously

8.A.short B.wasted C.rich D.lonely

9.A.speech B.judgment C.words D.attitude

10.A.children B.friends C.colleagues D.pets

11.A.thoughts B.blood C.love D.time

12.A.hate B.hide C.change D.defend

13.A.meet B.interview C.call D.ask

14.A.embarrassed B.puzzled C.frightened D.harmed

15.A.visit B.teach C.leave D.raise

16.A.kiss B.gift C.book D.lecture

17.A.pity B.pride C.failure D.honor

18.A.presented B.left C.offered D.showed

19.A.husband B.adult C.artist D.father

20.A.found out B.left out C.left behind D.pointed out

    To joke around is to have fun with someone. To fool someone is to try to make them believe something that is not true. 1.

April 1st is known as the day to fool people with practical jokes, pranks or harmless tricks. 2. Some say April Fools' Day began as one big mistake.

Many centuries ago, people in the Western world used the Julian calendar. 3. However, when people began using the Gregorian calendar, the New Year was moved to January 1st. Those who forgot the change and tried to celebrate New Year's Day on the wrong date were teased and called ''April fools''. This is just one of the many theories behind the origin of April Fools' Day. 4.

The fool is a common character in art, music and literature. William Shakespeare is famous for his fools. And fools make for great pop songs. Fools are found in many words, expressions and proverbs. To be foolhardy means to do something that are too dangerous or risky. For example, it is foolhardy to hike up a mountain during a heavy snowstorm. If something is foolproof, it is planned or made so well that nothing could go wrong. 5.

''Look, I don't want to get into trouble. This plan of yours sounds risky. ''

''My plan is foolproof. Nothing will go wrong as long as you do exactly as I say. ''

A.Not even a fool could mess it up.

B.And that is the purpose of April Fools' Day.

C.They celebrated the New Year on April 1st.

D.Even a smart person can be a fool at times.

E.But the tradition remains the same—to fool someone.

F.Fools also find themselves in many proverbs.

G.But how did this tradition begin?

    Attending a live musical performance in a huge sports center with lots of supporters of the musician is exciting. Even in a theatre, a skilled performer can provide a great show. Here in the U.S., a very different kind of performance space is gaining in popularity.

Singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick is getting ready to play a show. It is something she does most nights in bars, and other small spaces across the country. But tonight, the setting is even smaller. Ms. Emerick will play for a few people in Kristina Shulz's home.

Ms. Shulz has been holding such performances in her home for about four years. As many as 30 people have attended past shows. The crowd is usually a mix of family, friends and neighbors. But some strangers might show up, too. The performances are listed on house concert websites. ''We've done rock, we've had blues, we've had pop, folk...pretty much anything...anything we’ll have here. '' she said.

House concerts have become an importance part of Annalise Emerick's earnings. ''I can play a bar for 100 dollars, but I can play a house concert and if there are 50 people and they all paying $20 I’m having a great night. And they're all buying CDs. It’s amazing. ''

Ms. Emerick says house concert audiences tend to make more supportive fans. They follow her career, buy her new releases, and go to her shows when she is in town.

''There's just a totally unique experience as opposed to playing like a coffee shop or a bar or something like that where people are usually there, but you don’t always know if they're there for you. ''

Charlie Dahan teaches music management courses. He used to organize shows for artists. Mr. Dahan says house concerts can be financially risky for artists.

''The downside for the artists is that most house concerts don't pay guarantees. In fact, most house concerts by law are not allowed to charge admission. Most of them can only do a suggested donation.'' On the other hand, he says house concerts can help fill an artist's performance calendar and build a loyal following.

Annalise Emerick says she has played in some homes so often the owners have become close friends. And that's been really nice for her.

1.All of the following about the house concerts in Kristina Shulz’s home are true EXCEPT ______.

A.Some strangers might attend the concerts.

B.Many kinds of music have been played in the concerts.

C.The performances are listed on house concert websites.

D.The concerts have become an important part of her income.

2.What does “a totally unique experience” refer to?

A.People come just for your music. B.People come to drink coffee.

C.People are paying much for your music. D.People are buying your CDs.

3.In Charlie Dahan’s opinion, house concerts ______.

A.should charge admission

B.should do more donations

C.bring uncertain income

D.help artists make friends

4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A.The advantages of house concerts B.The popularity of house concerts

C.Ways to get royal fans for artists D.Ways to fill an artist’s calendar

    Even as a bush fire threatened the rural Australian community, Gary Wilson and his partner Julie Willis decided not to flee their wooden house.

The two had a home full of baby kangaroos to protect. More than 10 of the baby kangaroos — called joeys — stayed safe inside fabric pouches (育儿袋) that hung in the couple's living room. Each piece of cloth looked like the opening in which mother kangaroos carry their young. Wilson and Willis have taken care of wild animals before. Recently, full-grown kangaroos and other wildlife that had left their care long ago came back to the house in search of protection as the fires grew nearer. ''We had too many animals in the house and around the house so we really couldn't go, '' Wilson said. ''We decided we were going to stay and fight. '' Their home is now surrounded by burned land and vehicles.

Wilson and Willis defended their home with fire extinguishers (灭火器) and water pumps. Their house also had a special device on top that sprayed water on hot ashes falling on the roof.

Good preparation and good luck helped the building stay safe. And the animals have survived. But the fire killed two of Wilson's neighbors. ''It was a horrible thing. '' Wilson said.

Willis said, ''It's not until after the fires when it really hits you how close you were to dying... ''

While Wilson and Willis usually care for joeys that are rescued after their mothers are struck by vehicles, they are now welcoming an increasing number of fire orphans.

She said, ''We didn't have children ourselves; this is what we spend our time doing. We think it's worthy — a worthy cause — looking after our babies no matter what they are... ''

1.We can learn from the passage that ______ .

A.Wilson and Willis took care of kangaroos only

B.Wilson and Willis decided to leave their wooden house

C.Wilson and Willis made pouches for baby kangaroos

D.Wilson and Willis had to look after their own babies

2.The underlined phrase ''fire orphans'' refer to ______.

A.firefighters who come to help them

B.special devices which help put out the fire

C.baby animals whose mothers get killed in the fire

D.neighbors whose houses are burnt in the fire

3.Where is the text probably from?

A.A news report. B.A journal.

C.A textbook. D.A guidebook.