I am Steve. I was born and grew up in South Wales. My favorite place to play was out on the hills where my imagination had plenty of space to expand (拓展).
My family moved out of Wales when I was thirteen. I went to a new school. One of my subjects was French. Because I had never learned any French, my teacher told me to sit in the corner and write anything I was interested in. That’s the time I started writing, just for myself, and I’ve been writing ever since.
I have always loved BIG IDEAS, and so I enjoy writing fantastic stories. And I also write horror (恐怖) I think they are like the old fairytales (童话故事) ，and can teach you important things.
I am in my forties on the outside, twelve on the inside. I like rock music, Indian and Chinese food, and I enjoy drinking. I live in a small village with my wife Mary, ducks, cats, goats, hens and lots of rabbits. If you’d like to find out more about me and hope to buy any books, go to www. showkett. freeserve. co. ukWhen he was 13, the writer ________.
| A．wrote lots of poems | B．moved out of Wales |
| C．sold many story books | D．became a famous singer |
He liked playing out on the hills because he could ________.
| A．expand his imagination | B．learn French |
| C．listen to stories | D．buy some books |
Maybe the writer is ________ years old now.
| A．12 | B．22 | C．32 | D．42 |
According to the passage, the write keeps _______
| A．cats, hens and pigs | B．ducks, goats and rabbits |
| C．hens, rabbits and dogs | D．rabbits, pigs and cats |
From the passage, we can learn that the writer ________.
| A．lives in a big city with his son | B．likes eating Japanese and Indian food |
| C．lives in the countryside with his wife | D．introduces a nice book to us |
Have you ever had an embarrassing（尴尬的）experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony:
My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool secondary school. One morning my alarm clock didn't ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn't go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn't understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry:
The most embarrassing experience I've ever had, happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favourite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife's hand. There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face. I hadn't taken my wife's hand. I'd taken the hand of a complete stranger!
James:
My wife and I had decided to buy a new house, and I'd made an appointment to see our bank manager. I'd never met him before. I went into town in my car and I was lucky enough to find a parking space outside the bank. I'd just started reversing(倒车) into the space when another car made its way into it. I was irritated! I opened my window and shouted at the man in the car. He ignored me and walked away. It took me twenty minutes to find another place. As soon as I had parked the car, I rushed back to the bank. I was ten minutes late for my appointment. I went to the manager's office, knocked and walked in. The manager was sitting behind his desk. He was the man who had taken my parking space!The students began laughing when they saw Tony_______.
| A．wearing a wrong shoe | B．carrying an alarm clock |
| C．looking down suddenly | D．rushing into the classroom |
Henry was embarrassed because he_______.
| A．slapped the woman in the face |
| B．took the hand of a complete stranger |
| C．heard his wife screaming in the street |
| D．knocked over some watches in the shop |
James went into town to_______.
| A．put money in the bank | B．look for a job |
| C．meet the bank manager | D．buy a new car |
The underlined word "irritated" probably means "_______ ".
| A．angry | B．impolite | C．worried | D．embarrassed |
Once upon a time, an old woman had two large water pots. Each hung on the end of a pole(杆子)which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect, From the river to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. And the other pot was always full. The perfect pot took pride in its talent. But the poor cracked pot felt sad for its own disadvantage.
One day by the river the cracked pot said to the woman, "I feel bad about myself, because the crack in me causes water to come out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled and said, "Why are there flowers on your side of the road, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your crack. So I planted flowers on your side of the road, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my house, There would not be this beauty without you. Each of us has our own cracks. But the cracks make our lives so interesting and beautiful."
So, to all the cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the road!If each of the two pots could be filled with 20 kilos of water, the woman would probably get _______ kilos of water from the river to the house.
| A．10 | B．20 | C．30 | D．40 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The woman preferred the perfect pot to the cracked pot. |
| B．The cracked pot felt more talented than the perfect pot. |
| C．There were beautiful flowers on both sides of the road. |
| D．The old woman decorated her house with some flowers. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Everyone has a talent. |
| B．A true friend is hard to find. |
| C．Success never comes easily. |
| D．Mistakes improve our learning, |
请认真阅读下面短文，并根据短文内容回答问题。
Dear Helen,
Thanks for your last letter. Yes, I’m enjoying myself on my exchange program in France. It’s even better than I thought it would be. I was a bit nervous before I arrived here, but there was no reason to be. My host family are really nice. They go out of their way to make me feel at home. And you wouldn’t believe how quickly my French has improved! I’m very comfortable speaking French now. Although I still make lots of mistakes, it doesn’t make me worried as it used to. My biggest challenge (挑战) is learning how to behave (表现) at the dinner table. As you can imagine, things are really not the same as the way they are at home. For example, you shouldn’t put your bread on your plate. You should put it on the table! I thought that was very strange at first, but now I’m used to it. You shouldn’t eat anything with your hands except bread, not even fruit! (You have to cut it up and eat it with a fork.) Another thing is that it is very rude to say you’re full. If you don’t want any more food, you should just say, “It was delicious.” Also, it’s rude to put your hands in your lap. You should always keep your hands, but not your elbows (肘部), on the table. I have to say, I find it difficult to remember everything, but I’m gradually getting used to things and don’t find them so strange any more.
I’ll write soon and tell you more about life in France. Hope you’re having a good school year.
Yours,
Li YingWhere is Li Ying now?
What does Li Ying think of her host family?
How does Li Ying feel while she is speaking French now?
When can Li Ying eat things with her hands there?
Why do you want to go there if you have the chance to take part in an exchange program?
(请自拟一句话作答)
Once my father asked me to hold his hammer while he repaired something, so we could have some time to talk to each other.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, he called me every Sunday at 9 am. He was always interested in my life and how my family was doing, and I never once heard him complain about his own life.
Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day painting it for three days. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea and for me to hold a paint brush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy.
Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swingset (秋千组) for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea and talk to him. But again, I was too busy.
Four years ago, my father drove all the way from Denver to Topeka, with an eight-foot Colorado blue spruce (蓝叶云杉) in his trunk, so that my husband and I could have a part of Colorado growing on our land. I was preparing for a trip that weekend and couldn’t spend much time with him.
Then, one day, my father telephoned me as usual, this time from my sister’s home in Florida. We talked about the tree he had brought me, “Fat Albert”, but that morning he called it “Fat Oscar”, and he seemed to have forgotten some things. I had to get to church, so I cut the conversation short.
The call came at 4:40 pm that day: my father was in hospital in Florida with an aneurysm (动脉瘤). I got on a plane immediately, and on the way I thought of all the times I had not taken the time to talk to my father. I realized that I had no idea who he was or what his deepest thoughts were. I promised that when I arrived, I would make up for lost time.
I arrived in Florida at 1 am. My father had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk to me.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer arrived in Florida before her father passed away. |
| B．The writer didn’t find enough time to talk to her father all these years. |
| C．The writer noticed nothing unusual about her father’s health before he was put in the hospital. |
| D．The writer’s father brought them the Colorado blue spruce because it is an expensive kind of tree. |
How did the writer feel when she was rushing to the hospital where her father was staying?
| A．Hopeless. | B．Sorry. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Disappointed. |
Which words best describe the writer’s father?
| A．Honest and modest. |
| B．Strict and demanding (要求高的). |
| C．Talkative and positive (积极乐观的). |
| D．Caring and thoughtful. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．What a good father! | B．How busy I am. |
| C．Time keeps going. | D．My father and our family. |
We humans live in different parts of the world, but we have the same “mother”. She gives us everything we need in our daily life. She is our Mother Earth.
April 22 is Earth Day. The theme of this year is “Green Cities”.
A green city is a healthy and pleasant place for people to live, according to the United Nations.
A green city can get its energy from renewable (可再生的) sources like solar (太阳能的) and wind power. Also, it is connected by clean public transportation. Moreover, a green city is made up of facilities (设施) that can save energy and reduce waste.
Around the world, many cities and countries have done well to build themselves in a green way.
Chicago is well known for its green roof (屋顶) program. These roofs are covered with plants. The plants get a great amount of rainwater. Later, the water evaporates (蒸发) to help make the air cool and clean. So far, there are about 360 green roofs in Chicago, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Curitiba, Brazil, has great transportation. It opened the world’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 1974. BRT runs on special lanes. This makes sure that buses are on time even in traffic jams. With the help of BRT, the city has the lowest level of air pollution in Brazil. Today, many other countries have copied BRT, including China and Mexico.
Singapore is home to the first zero-energy building in Southeast Asia. Zero energy means a building is able to create more energy than it uses. Zero-energy buildings work with solar panels (板) mainly on roofs. These panels can make electricity which powers the buildings. By 2030, Singapore plans to build 80 percent of its buildings like this.The theme of Earth Day this year is “_______”.
| A．Green Roofs | B．Green Cities |
| C．Reducing and Recycling | D．Environmental Protection |
The article mentions that there is BRT in the following countries EXCEPT _______.
| A．Brazil | B．Singapore | C．China | D．Mexico |
From the passage, we learn that in the three cities _______.
| A．people are encouraged to grow plants on their roofs |
| B．special lanes are designed to solve traffic jams |
| C．people make good use of solar and wind energy |
| D．people are provided with a pleasant place to live |
The passage is mainly developed by _______.
| A．giving examples | B．explaining reasons |
| C．listing suggestions | D．showing different opinions |