Today we are going to talk about important transition words in English．We will focus on how to usetransition words to link ideas together．Some common transition words are and，furthermore，in addition to，not to mention，and in the same way．
We don’t always get a second chance to achieve our dreams．But some people are lucky，like Matthew McConaughey．Once almost unknown，the actor has recently found himself back on the list of the best actors in HollywooD． His new movie Interstellar is just another sign that his career reinvention has been an incredible success．“The film relies on McConaughey’s performance to hold together the emotional story of a father and his daughter against the background of space travel and the end of the world，”Forbes commenteD．
But only years ago，the Texas native was often the butt of jokes（笑柄）about being too handsome．In 1993，after meeting with director Richard Linklater，McConaughey starred in Dazed and ConfuseD． And a Hollywood career was born，mostly in romantic comedies．For a long time，the whole world believed McConaughey was just a handsome guy with comic talent．
But McConaughey stopped starring in that type of movie，and began to use his looks differently．Slowly he built up his reputation as a serious actor．In 2013，McConaughey was offered to play an AIDS activist in Dallas Buyers CluB． The role saw the normally muscular actor losing 50 pounds in order to appear sick．His performance won him an Oscar for Best Actor．
The actor gave thanks to someone he has always looked up to as a hero during his Oscar acceptance speech．When he was 15，the actor said，he decided that his hero would be himself in 10 years．But 10 years later，he pushed the deadline ahead another decade．Then 10 years later，another decade．“My hero’s always 10 years away，” he saiD． “I’m never going to attain that．That keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing．”Or perhaps constantly chasing the chance to be his own hero has given him a second chance to follow his dreams．
Why was McConaughey often the butt of jokes in his early career？
| A．He was limited to handsome roles． |
| B．He was unknown to the audience． |
| C．He played in romantic comedies． |
| D．He was handsome and emotional． |
What role won Mc Conaughey an Oscar for Best Ac tor？
| A．A caring father． |
| B．An AIDS activist． |
| C．A serious buyer． |
| D．A strong hero． |
What can we learn about McConaughey？
A． He was born in HollywooD．
B． He has become a hero of his own．
C． He wasn’t famous until recently．
D． He isn’t content with his achievements．
Which of the following can be the best title？
| A．McConaughey，a Romantic Comed ian |
| B．McConaughey，a Man Making a Hit |
| C．McConaug hey，a Man Daring to change |
| D．McConaughey，Handsome and Talented |
Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous (plant-eating) animals.
You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small insects (昆虫) and take their bodies as food.
The pitcher plant (猪笼草) is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher is covered with something sweet like honeydew(蜜露). Insects come to the plant to feed on the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on it. The inner wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it. They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant.Animals are divided into two kinds.
| A．carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals |
| B．herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals |
| C．carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals |
| D．meat animals and plant animals |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Tigers, lions and other meat-eating animals are called carnivorous animals. |
| B．Zebras, elephants and common farm animals are known as herbivorous animals. |
| C．All plants get food only from the soil. |
| D．It is something like honeydew in the pitcher that insects come to food on. |
From this passage, we can mainly learn that .
| A．Not all plants are carnivorous |
| B．All plants are herbivorous |
| C．Not all animals are carnivorous |
| D．Carnivorous plants can also be found |
The text mainly talks about ___________________.
| A．carnivorous animals | B．herbivorous animals |
| C．small insects | D．pitcher plants |
What kind of magazine can we find the text?
| A．Biology | B．Geography | C．Physics | D．Chemistry |
As I was leaving to meet Lynne，my roommate told me that I’d better take some money，but I didn’t listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me.
I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I’d been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed (尴尬) when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said，“Oh！I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate，please？” The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate.
In a few minutes he arrived with some money，but he couldn’t hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home.
Now，I think it’s funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs（习俗） are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country，you have to learn about their customs，too.Customs can be ________in different countries according to this passage.
| A．close to each other | B．entirely different |
| C．quite the same | D．very similar |
The writer’s roommate advised the writer to take some money with him to________.
| A．invite Lynne to dinner | B．pay for the table |
| C．share the cost of the meal | D．pay for the restaurant |
The writer and Lynne________.
| A．shared a successful dinner |
| B．had a talk for three hours |
| C．traveled to Saudi Arabia together |
| D．enjoyed their meal without talking |
Why didn’t Lynne pay the check for the writer?
| A．Because she thought it was natural for people to pay their own check. |
| B．Because she didn’t have the meal. |
| C．Because she wanted to embarrass the writer. |
| D．Because she didn’t have enough money with her. |
The roommate laughed all the way home because the writer________.
| A．was embarrassed when he couldn’t pay his breakfast |
| B．would not listen to him when he left the house |
| C．telephoned him to bring some books to him |
| D．hadn’t told Lynne the truth |
Dear Mr. Barton,
I am writing for the residents’ association (业主协会) to inform you of our feelings about your act. We’ve really had enough of you. Although we have tried to speak to you politely on several occasions, you have always answered with a stream of verbal abuse(辱骂).
Ever since you moved in three months ago, you have shown very little consideration for the other residents of this building, though many residents expressed their unhappiness with you. For the past six weekends, you have held very noisy parties, which have not finished until early the next morning. As you know, most of the people here are elderly or have very young children, and the noise keeps them awake all night. You don’t have to be so noisy, do you? Last weekend the situation deteriorated when two of your friends fought with each other on the first floor. The fighting was so bad that the police had to be called. What’s more, your friends left the stairs in a terrible state --- they even broke two windows on their way out! We feel that we can’t bear this type of act.
We strongly demand that you pay for this damage to the window soon. If you don’t and you carry on being a nuisance(令人讨厌的人或物). We will kick you out! Legal steps will be taken if necessary.
Yours sincerely What does the writer feel?
| A．Excited | B．surprised | C．Angry | D．Happy |
What does the word “deteriorated” mean?
| A．Changed | B．Improved | C．Moved | D．Worsened |
What is the main purpose of the letter?
| A．To ask Mr. Barton to leave the building for the peace. |
| B．To inform Mr. Barton of the noise he made. |
| C．To talk about what Mr. Barton did. |
| D．To give a warning to Mr. Barton. |
Why were the police called?
| A．Because Mr. Barton broke two windows. |
| B．Because Mr. Barton made too much noise. |
| C．Because Mr. Barton’s friends fought. |
| D．Because Mr. Barton beat a child and an old man. |
What is true according to the letter?
| A．Mr. Barton paid no attention to the others’ unhappiness. |
| B．Mr. Barton never replied to the others’ unhappiness |
| C．Mr. Barton always said sorry to those unhappy with him. |
| D．Mr. Barton never apologized to the other residents. |
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little and will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may come across many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.Open education allows the students to ______.
| A．grow as the educated | B．be responsible for their future |
| C．develop their own interests | D．discover subjects outside class |
Open education may be a good idea for the students who ______.
| A．don't enjoy learning | B．worry about grades |
| C．do well in a traditional classroom | D．are responsible for what they do in life. |
Some students will do little in an open classroom because _____.
| A．there are too few rules | B．they hate activities |
| C．open education is similar to the traditional education | D．they worry about the rules |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Some traditional teachers do not like it. |
| B．Many teachers do not believe in open education. |
| C．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms. |
| D．The teacher’s feelings and attitudes are important to the students. |
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
| A．Open education is a really complex idea. |
| B．Open education is better than traditional education. |
| C．Teachers dislike open education. |
| D．The writer thinks that open education is a good idea in practice. |
No one doubts that students should study languages, maths and science in high school, but some may object to the idea that they should study art and music as well. To them, these subjects are useless for students’ future and are not worth the time and effort. In my opinion, however, it is necessary for middle school students to study art and music.
Art and music are a precious culture legacy（遗产）, which bring us pleasure and enjoyment. Have you ever been deeply moved by Beethoven’s famous Fifth Symphony（第五交响曲）? Have you ever been fascinated by the colorful starry night produced by Vincent Van Gogh in his paint? Have you ever longed for the moving love between the Butterfly Lovers when you hear this well-known Chinese melody（曲调）? Art and music are not only images and sounds, but something beyond them. They are the products of passion and human wisdom（智慧）.
Art and music help make students more creative. Artists and musicians are considered the most creative people in the world. It is because art and music sharpen their senses and provide a different perspective (视角) for them to see the world. Many great scientists benefited from art and music. Einstein, the greatest physicist in the 20th century, as well as an excellent violin player, is a good example.
Enjoying art and music is also a good way to relax. Middle school students, who typically carry heavy burdens of study, will definitely（明确地）benefit from it.
To sum up, art and music should absolutely be included in the middle school courses, for they can bring students pleasure and relaxation.According to the author, people who think art and music are useless for middle school students __________.
| A．don’t understand the value of art and music |
| B．don’t know the history of art and music at all |
| C．never benefit from artists and musicians |
| D．know little about the trend of future education |
In paragraph 2, the author tries to argue that __________.
| A．Beethoven is one of the greatest musicians |
| B．art and music help express people’s emotions |
| C．art and music are precious pictures and sounds |
| D．art and music bring people joy and quality life |
The example of Einstein is used to __________.
| A．show the importance of creativity |
| B．prove that scientists are creative |
| C．encourage students to study art and music |
| D．provide students with a new way to see the world |
Which of the following is an effective way for middle school students to study?
| A． Relaxing themselves regularly while studying. |
| B． Attending concerts during holidays or after school. |
| C． Avoiding too much homework by studying art and music. |
| D． Listening to music while studying language, maths or other subjects. |
Which of the following is used to support the writer’s opinion?
| A．Art and music help people become scientists. |
| B．Art and music provide people with more opportunities. |
| C．Art and music are beneficial to students in other subjects. |
| D．Art and music are helpful to make students creative learners. |