If you are planning to study in the United States, you need to consider several factors. Everyone has different opinions about where the best places to live in also; the best places to live are not always home to the best schools. Finally, many schools specialize in different areas of study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, is a great school for computer science and technology-based fields of study, However, if you want to study oceanography, your interests may be better served by attending school in a place that is on a coastline or near the ocean.
Now I am sure that you know which schools are considered the best in the country. So I will tell you about which states I believe are the best to live in.
California is a nice state. Northern California specifically has very good weather. Los Angeles in southern California is another story though. Life in LA is full of excitement and fast, and sometimes—dangerous. As for me, I enjoyed the history and culture. The weather is not as perfect as California, but it is still quite nice. My favorite area of America is the Mid-west. Middle America, I think, is home to the true American sense of values. In addition, there are many good universities there.
Also, you need to think about your likes and dislikes and then research the various states. You like sunshine and hate snow? Then you probably won’t like the Midwest or even the Northeast. Open space, nature and peace and quiet? Then you should stay away from America’s larger cities. Are you interested in government? Then Washington D.C. is the only place for you. Whatever you decided put some thought into it. The place you live could be the difference between a great study abroad experience and a state of great suffering on earth. From the first paragraph we can conclude that in the U.S.A. __________.
all colleges and universities lie in big cities
all colleges and universities lie in beautiful places
famous colleges and universities lie in nice places
famous colleges and universities may not lie in nice places What should be considered first if you want to study in the U.S.A.?
A. The climate. B. The scenery. C. The study condition. D. The living condition. If you study in Middle America, you can probably _______.
find the best universities
feel the real character of the nation
meet the most famous professors there
face more difficulty From the last paragraph of this passage we can get to know that ________.
Washington is the largest city in the U.S.A.
Washington is the political center of the U.S.A.
you can’t find sunshine in the Midwest
you can’t find any universities out of big cities in the U.S.A.
Mr. Eckerd at the end of the street was a different fellow with a different kind of house. He let kids from the neighborhood come to see his house, but only if they had written permission from their parents, and if he’d already spoken to the parents before.
What made it so different? He shared his home with rescued animals that the county couldn’t keep. He had the permission to have things like monkeys, large cats, and other strange creatures. His house had the ivy(常春藤)-covered brick wall and the iron gate across the driveway. Once you went inside, the hedges(树藤)lining the driveway were carved into the shapes of animals. There were other pretty plants on the grounds, too.
The old brick house held a lot of surprises. The double doors with the lion’s head door knockers opened into a large flat entryway. In the wooden board walls all around, there were fish tanks with colorful fishes. The ceilings were painted with scenes of plants and rare animals. Room opened off from there. Continuing down the hall, you came to a large courtyard, which had been caged in, partly open to the sky .A large group of tiny monkeys shook up and down trees. You had to walk through a caged tunnel into other parts of the house. They called out to whoever walked in, hoping for treats of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Behind that, the hall continued to a room full of snakes and lizards. It felt like a desert in that room, so dry and hot. It was not everyone’s favorite room, but it certainly was interesting. The final room was actually out back, and definitely not something to miss. It was much like a large glass bird cage or a greenhouse. It was there that you would usually find Mr Eckerd on a bench next to some carvings of jungle animals. He was watching the Bengal tiger that wandered back and forth inside the cage.
Mr. Eckerd’s house was the strangest and most unique place in town, a place very well worth seeing.What was different about Mr. Eckerd’s house?
| A．It was big and frightening. |
| B．It was full of flowers and gardens. |
| C．It had wild animals inside and outside. |
| D．It was an amusement park. |
What kind of live animals was NOT at Mr. Eckerd’s house?
| A．Fish | B．Snakes and lizards. |
| C．Monkeys. | D．Elephants. |
What exhibit or animal room seemed to be the least popular for most people?
| A．The tiger. | B．The monkeys. |
| C．The birds. | D．The snakes and lizards. |
According to the story, ______seemed to be Mr. Eckerd’s favorite animal at his house.
| A．The tiger. | B．The monkeys. |
| C．The birds. | D．The fish and reptiles |
All over the world people enjoy sports, Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when "their" player or team wins.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for(参加) them. Football, for example, has spread(展开)around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many love to skate or ski (滑雪) in Japan, Norway or Canada.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. Sports help to train(培养,训练) a person’s character(性格,品格). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(胜不骄，败不馁).Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?
| A．Because they are healthy. |
| B．Because they are happy. |
| C．Because they want to live longer. |
| D．All the above. |
Why do some people get excited when they watch a game? Because
| A．their favourite team wing |
| B．they win the game |
| C．they get the good news |
| D．they can’t help themselves |
Which of the sports has a long history?
| A．Water-skiing. | B．Basketball. |
| C．Volleyball. | D．Long jump. |
Why do people from different countries often become friends after a game together?
Because
| A．they train their character in the game |
| B．they understand each other |
| C．they are friendly to each other |
| D．they help each other |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew (摄影组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry, “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise?” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew were out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay(海湾)。 Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir.” They said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio(摄影棚)。 “ All right,” the director explained, “ now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of minute, the director suddenly put his face in the hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out ______________.
| A．to watch a beautiful sunset |
| B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to film a scene on the sea |
| D．to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset
Because he was angry with his crew
Because it was his secretary’s suggestion
Because he wanted to get a scene of sunsetThe director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because___________.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands __________.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D． because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine. |
When I was 12, all I wanted was a signet (图章) ring. They were the "in" thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday, my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it. I was in heaven.
What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being "replaced". We'd been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the " new" stuff (东西) we got was really just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring. My ring was new.
Then, only one month later, I lost it. I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually, I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later, we sold the house and moved away.
Years passed, and a couple of moves later, I was visiting my parents' when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday, nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. " You'll recognize this one," she said, smiling.
Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside. The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations, which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom, they found the ring. As it had my initials carved into it, they realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother. And it still fits me.The underlined word "in" in the first paragraph probably means "_____".
| A．fashionable | B．available |
| C．practical | D．renewable |
When she got the ring back, the writer was about _____.
| A．13 years old | B．15 years old |
| C．26 years old | D．28 years old |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer's family moved several times. |
| B．The writer never stopped looking for her ring. |
| C．The writer's ring was cleaned up by the new house owner. |
| D．The writer lost her ring in the morning when she took it off. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My New Ring | B．Lost and Found |
| C．Lost and Replaced | D．An Expensive Ring |
Rent（出租）a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first ￡4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger ? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment (around ￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof. Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?
| A．On Letpark. | B．On Roomspare. |
| C．On Grashpadder. | D．On Roommateeasy. |
If you want to use energy for free, you have to_____.
| A．sign an agreement with the government |
| B．pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment |
| C．sell the roof to some energy companies |
| D．keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years |
For whom the text most probably written?
| A．Lodgers. | B．Advertisers. |
| C．House owners. | D．Online companies |