Looking for some inspiration or the “write” kind of ideas for your creative stories? To start with, some writers describe winter by using their five senses or their imagination. Others write on their favorite winter activity. Whatever you choose to write about, working on a winter story can always help to improve your writing skills. Now read the following story and see if it helps get rid of any icy writing block you’ ve been struggling with.
A Winter Adventure
Beep, beep. Beep-beep: the alarm clock rang. Slowly, I got out of warm bed down onto the wooden floor which the winter had thrown its cold upon. The bitter cold temperature penetrated （穿透）my socks and I hurried to put my feet in shoes.
Looking out of the window, I watched the white snow, soft and thick, drop onto rooftops and trees. Half an hour later, finishing the last of my hot chocolate, I prepared to enter the adventure that waited for me outside. I buttoned my jacket and fastened my boots. Hat on, I opened the door and was greeted by the winter coldness.
In the depths of winter, the early morning did not have the rush of the rest of the year. Most of my neighbours were put off by the cold, and stayed in bed until the sun had climbed higher into the sky.
Unseen by those who remained locked inside their homes, warm in their beds, I enjoyed being alone with the beauty of the wintertime. Those indoors were unable to appreciate the snow-scapes, ice crystals, frost and the crisp（清新的）breeze. For them, the coming of winter meant just the arrival of the cold.
Appreciation depends on contrasts. One cannot love the warmth of April if one has not known the freezing cold of winter. Later that year, the heat of the sun on my skin would be all the more wonderful for my memories of that cold morning and others like it.The underlined word “adventure” refers to____________.
| A．getting out of bed on the cold winter morning. |
| B．enjoying the loveliness of the winter outdoors |
| C．going skiing on the cold winter morning |
| D．throwing snowballs with friends. |
According to the story A Winter Adventure, most of the neighbours _________.
| A．didn’t work in winter | B．stayed up late in winter |
| C．missed the beauty of winter | D．enjoyed the seasons except winter |
Which of these statements is true according to the story A Winter Adventure?
| A．Of all the seasons, the writer loves winter most. |
| B．The writer regrets that he went out on the freezing cold winter morning. |
| C．The writer believes contrast makes our experiences of the seasons lovelier. |
| D．The writer values the autumn and summer more than the winter |
What function does the story A Winter Adventure serve?
| A．To share some winter thoughts with readers. |
| B．To show readers how to work on a winter story. |
| C．To inspire readers to take more exercise in winter |
| D．To tell readers how to appreciate the beauty of winter. |
Researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person’s shoes．“Shoes convey useful information about their wearers，’’the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality．
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style，cost，color and condition of someone’s shoes．In the study，63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study’s participants．Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes，and then filled out a personality questionnaire．
Some of the results were expected：People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes，and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people．However，some of the more specific results are strange enough．For example，“practical and functional’’ shoes were generally worn by more “pleasant" people，while ankle boots were more linked with ‘‘aggressive’’ personalities．The strangest of all may be that those who wore ‘‘uncomfortable looking” shoes tend to have “calm” personalities．And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them，you may suffer from “attachment anxiety"，spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance．There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal(主张变革的)types wearing “shabbier and less expensive” shoes．
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities，but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities．What does this text mainly tell us?
| A．The richer you are , the more expensive shoes you will wear. |
| B．Shoes convey false information about the wearer． |
| C．People’s personalities can be judged by their shoes． |
| D．People know little about their personalities． |
Which of the results is beyond people’s expectations?
| A．Wealthy people often wear expensive shoes． |
| B．Pleasant people like wearing uncomfortable shoes． |
| C．Aggressive people are likely to wear ankle boots． |
| D．Flashier shoes are typically worn by outgoing people． |
People suffering from“attachment anxiety” tend to
| A．wear strange shoes |
| B．worry about their appearance |
| C．have a calm character |
| D．become a political leader |
The author wrote the text in order to
| A．inform us of a new study |
| B．introduce a research method |
| C．teach how to choose shoes |
| D．describe different personalities |
When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette （礼节）of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders．Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels．
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience．When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors．Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky．Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia．Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up． Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead．Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color．Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away－an important point to remember when giving a birthday card．
Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela．If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time．When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker（调味瓶）． It's insulting to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible．Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks．According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab（戳） food with chopsticks．If you’re in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate．Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive （冒犯的）, not to mention unhygienic（不卫生的）．When sending a gift to your friend in Netherlands, you should avoid．
| A．sharp knives | B．red carnations |
| C．yellow flowers | D．long chopsticks |
In South Korea, writing a person's name in red is not accepted because．
| A．red often stands for violence |
| B．it shows that you're not friendly |
| C．it means that the person is dead |
| D．red is not a favorite color there |
What does the underlined word "insulting" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Admirable． | B．Challenging． |
| C．Rude． | D．Respectful． |
Where does this passage probably come from?
| A．a news report． | B．a tourist guide． |
| C．a museum guide． | D．a science book． |
Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences．Due to his old age，he was going bald，which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool．Therefore，biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool．
Unlike marine(海生的) mammals，which have a layer of blubber(鲸脂) to keep them warm，penguins depend on their waterproof feathers．Without them，Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water．
“He was cold：he would shake，”said Pam Schaller，a senior biologist．Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm．Then she got another idea：if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific，why not make one for Pierre?
Schaller designed the suit，which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers．
“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps．and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable．”she said．
One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit，but in fact，they accepted his new look．He swam freely and got along with others well，although he was the only penguin with a black stomach．
Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers，but” certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”．
Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back．Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of____．
| A．not having a layer of blubber |
| B．having few feathers due to old age |
| C．having no wetsuit |
| D．others penguins rejecting him |
The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from__________.
| A．total invention | B．the use of wetsuit on humans |
| C．the use of heat lamp | D．waterproof feathers． |
Schaller followed Pierre in order to see____________________．
| A．whether other penguins would reject him |
| B．if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit |
| C．if the wetsuit kept warm |
| D．whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering |
The best title of the passage is____．
| A．Wetsuit for An old Penguin | B．Old Penguin Getting Bald |
| C．Unwilling to Swim | D．Strange Look of Pierre |
If you were to walk up to Arthur Bonner and say, “Hey, Butterfly Man,” his face would break into a smile. The title suits him.，and he loves it.
Arthur Bonner works with the Palos Verdes blue butterfly, once thought to have died out. Today the butterfly is coming back — thanks to him. But years ago if you’d told him this was what he’d be doing someday, he would have laughed, “You’re crazy.” As a boy, he used to be “a little tough guy on the streets”. At age thirteen, he was caught by police stealing. At eighteen, he landed in prison for shooting a man.
“I knew it had worried my mom,” Bonner said after he got out of prison. “So I told myself I would not put my mom through that pain again.”
One day he met Professor Mattoni, who was working to rebuild the habitat(栖息地) for an endangered butterfly called El Segundo blue.
“I saw the sign ‘Butterfly Habitat’ and asked, ‘How can you have a habitat when the butterflies can just fly away?’” Bonner recalls. “Dr. Mattoni laughed and handed me a magnifying glass (放大镜), ‘Look at the leaves.’ I could see all these caterpillars(蝴蝶的幼虫) on the plant. Dr Mattoni explained, ‘Without the plant, there are no butterflies.’”
Weeks later, Bonner received a call from Dr. Mattoni, who told him there was a butterfly that needed help. That was how he met the Palos Verdes blue. Since then he’s been working for four years to help bring the butterfly back. He grows astragalus, the only plant the butterfly eats. He collects butterflies and brings them into a lab to lay eggs. Then he puts new butterflies into the habitat.
The butterfly’s population, once almost zero, is now up to 900. For their work, Bonner and Dr. Mattoni received lots of awards. But for Bonner, he earned something more: he turned his life around.
For six years now Bonner has kept his promise to stay out of prison. While he’s bringing back the Palos Verdes blue, the butterfly has helped bring him back, too.When he was young, Arthur Bonner _______.
| A．broke the law and ended up in prison |
| B．was fond of shooting and hurt his mom |
| C．often laughed at people on the streets |
| D．often caught butterflies and took them home |
Bonner came to know the Palos Verdes blue after he _______.
| A．found the butterfly had died out |
| B．won many prizes from his professor |
| C．met Dr. Mattoni, a professor of biology |
| D．collected butterflies and put them into a lab |
From the last sentence of the text, we learn that raising butterflies has _______.
| A．made Bonner famous | B．changed Bonner’s life |
| C．brought Bonner wealth | D．enriched Bonner’s knowledge |
The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.
Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time._______, our world is becoming much smaller.
| A．Because of the rise in pollution |
| B．Thanks to science development |
| C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night |
| D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year |
Hundreds of years ago, life was __________ it is today.
| A．much easier than | B．as easy as |
| C．much harder than | D．as hard as |
Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” means _______.
| A．rubbish(垃圾) | B．noise pollution |
| C．air pollution | D．water pollution |
Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution because _______.
| A．it makes much noise |
| B．it makes us angry more easily |
| C．it makes our rivers and lakes dirty |
| D．it’s bad for all living things in the world |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. |
| B．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does. |
| C．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people living on the earth. |
| D．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2. |