ㅤLiving in Iowa and trying to become a photographer specializing in landscape（风景） can be quite a challenge ，mainly because the corn state lacks geographical variation.
ㅤAlthough landscapes in the Midwest tend to be quite similar，either farm fields or highway，sometimes I find distinctive character in the hills or lakes.To make some of my landscape shots，I have traveled up to four hours away to shoot within a 10﹣minute time frame.I tend to travel with a few of my friends to state parks or to the countryside to go on adventures and take photos along the way.
ㅤBeing at the right place at the right time is decisive in any style of photography.I often leave early to seek the right destinations so I can set up early to avoid missing the moment I am attempting to photograph. I have missed plenty of beautiful sunsets/sunrises due to being on the spot only five minutes before the best moment.
ㅤOne time my friends and I drove three hours to Devil's Lake，Wisconsin，to climb the purple quartz（石英）rock around the lake.After we found a crazy﹣looking road that hung over a bunch of rocks，we decided to photograph the scene at sunset.The position enabled us to look over the lake with the sunset in the background.We managed to leave this spot to climb higher because of the spare time until sunset.However，we did not mark the route（路线）so we ended up almost missing the sunset entirely.Once we found the place，it was stressful getting lights and cameras set up in the limited time.Still，looking back on the photos，they are some of my best shots though they could have been so much better if I would have been prepared and managed my time wisely.
（1）How does the author deal with the challenge as a landscape photographer in the Midwest？＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
By teaming up with other photographers. |
| B． |
By shooting in the countryside or state parks. |
| C． |
By studying the geographical conditions. |
| D． |
By creating settings in the corn fields. |
（2）What is the key to successful landscape photography according to the author？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Proper time management. |
| B． |
Good shooting techniques. |
| C． |
Adventurous spirit. |
| D． |
Distinctive styles. |
（3）What can we infer from the author's trip with friends to Devil's Lake？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
They went crazy with the purple quartz rock. |
| B． |
They felt stressed while waiting for the sunset. |
| C． |
They reached the shooting spot later than expected. |
| D． |
They had problems with their equipment. |
（4）How does the author find his photos taken at Devil's Lake？ ＿＿＿＿＿
| A． |
Amusing. |
| B． |
Satisfying. |
| C． |
Encouraging. |
| D． |
Comforting. |
"Everybody loves a bargain．" One person’s useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain．That is why so many Americans do not throw things away．They put them outside their houses．They put on a "For Sale" sign．And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale.
The sellers put a paid announcement in a local newspaper．It tells, when and where the yard sale will take place．These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn．Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house．Then they sit all day in the sunlight—like tired guests at a party—waiting for someone to take them home．
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale．Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else．Cooking equipment is also popular．So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs．
Then there are objects called "white elephants"．A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless．It may be an electric light shaped like a fish．You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it．To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy．
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect．It may be old toy trains, for example, or paintings of dogs．Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before．Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special．They might buy an object simply because it costs so little. They enjoy negotiating（谈判）over prices, even if they really do not need the object．Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought．What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
| A．Things people no longer use． | B．Things of great, value． |
| C．Things out of season． | D．Things of beauty and joy． |
A white elephant refers to something _____．
| A．that can cause a feeling of pain |
| B．disliked by the owners while appreciated by others |
| C．that looks like a golden fish |
| D．sold at the lowest prices in the old newspaper |
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
| A．It is held outdoors． | B．It may not be held on a cold day. |
| C．It can last for a whole day． | D．It is usually held with a party． |
Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no difference. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.
Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.
First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.
But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.
Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in. The purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day |
| B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day |
| C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day |
| D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day |
On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.
| A．watching a movie | B．making visits |
| C．having a big meal | D．watching football |
Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?
| A．He is too thankful to say a word. | B．His mind is on the food before him. |
| C．He feels too excited to speak. | D．He is shy to speak in public. |
The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．chat with others | B．make a hole |
| C．mix things up | D．start eating |
The UK has a wellrespected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing．
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life．
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect（前景）of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nervewracking（令人头痛的）. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here is some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
●Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette（礼节）. Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
●Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
●Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves their room.
●Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits．Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage？
| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities． |
| B．It’s a good idea to have a doorstop. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week． |
The underlined word "recruits" in the last paragraph refers to__________．
| A．courses | B．freshers | C．neighbors | D．challenges |
We can infer from the 4th paragraph that ．
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy？
| A．To pass the busy university life． |
| B．To help make friends with other freshers． |
| C．To show yourself a drinker as others． |
| D．To pass the time in a happy way． |
It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"
Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles (控制台 ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices
Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found.
The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.
Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.
Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You’ve got to work on it. "
Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.
With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. "Why do children spend more time in using electronic devices?
| A．Because more electronic devices are available to them. |
| B．Because electronic devices are more exciting than before. |
| C．Because they have less other activities. |
| D．Because they have less homework to do. |
It is known from the passage that ____.
| A．Brandon Blanco feels very annoyed about his late-night text |
| B．the teenagers using mobile devices have increased by 30% in the past five years |
| C．Cheryl Olson is not surprised about kids' increasing use of mobile devices |
| D．most experts think teenagers should not use electronic devices for their studies |
Which of the following is an example of multitasking according to the passage?
| A．Watching TV while using the computer. |
| B．Talking on the phone while staying with others. |
| C．Playing video games on the Internet. |
| D．Listening to music while relaxing. |
According to the passage, Victoria Rideout would probably agree that ____.
| A．kids should do homework while surfing the Internet |
| B．kids should do homework in a place without disturbance |
| C．kids should spend more time on homework |
| D．kids should have more homework than before |
If you have ever been discouraged(受挫) because of failure(失败), please read on. Usually, achieving(实现) what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
“What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors.
“We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” one of the brothers answered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders（蜘蛛）, worms and a lot of insects. He removed the lid（揭开盖子） and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors who were laughing at them. Then he said quietly and confidently, “Even if we don’t dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!”
Their goal was far too difficult, but it made them dig. And that is what a goal is for—to make us move in the direction we have chosen. In other words, it sets us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, “Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!” And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.The writer told us the story to ________ .
| A．advise us to treats（对待） our failures fairly |
| B．persuade us to make an aim for our lives |
| C．encourage us to learn from the two brothers |
| D．prove that failure helps us make achievements |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Failure is the mother of success |
| B．When there is a will, there is a way |
| C．No pains, no gains |
| D．Joy in the journey |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Digging a hole all the way through the earth is impossible. |
| B．The writer thinks that the two brothers will reach their goal one day. |
| C．A goal is something that makes us want to dig holes. |
| D．Everyone can succeed if he sets a practical goal. |