Zigfried, a little mouse, blew his breath on the frosty window of the farmhouse and rubbed it to see the outside. Still nobody came. Maybe today, he thought 31 . It was only a few days before Christmas and he was watching for a miracle (奇迹).
This farmhouse had been 32 too long. It needed a family. Zigfried’s 33 made a noise. He realized that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. He jumped from the windowsill (窗沿), grabbed a 34 from his home, and went next door to Farmer Mike’s.
Farmer Mike’s house had been a great place for the little mouse 35 the farmer married a wife who had a cat. Zigfried 36 when he thought of it. He looked around cautiously as he 37 into the room where grain was stored and was quite 38 as he filled his bag with wheat. He was turning to leave when suddenly he 39 a hot breath about his ear. His heart beat 40 , and without thinking he started to run and luckily 41 the cat’s paws (爪子).
The next afternoon Zigfried heard some good news: a 42 family would be moving into the farmhouse soon. Zigfried’s granny would arrive on Christmas Eve to 43 with him. He hoped that the family would come before his granny came. Before long, a car came 44 the road leading to the house, with butter sandwiches, cheese and chocolate.
Zigfried’s Christmas miracle did arrive!
The house came 45 the next few days. Zigfried 46 every single hour of them. 47 , the day before Christmas when he was drinking hot chocolate with a 48 smile at the door of his home, he heard the 49 of the children of the family about what they might get for Christmas. What? A cat? The 50 froze on his face； his mouth fell wide open. After a long while, he at last found his voice: “Hey! Whose Christmas miracle is this?”
A．carefully B．excitedly C．hopefully D．proudly
A．shabby B．noisy C．messy D．empty
A．mouth B．nose C．stomach D．throat
A．bag B．stick C．bowl D．coat
A．although B．until C．whereas D．unless
A．leapt B．sniffed C．trembled D．withdrew
A．broke B．marched C．paced D．stole
A．curious B．nervous C．pitiful D．sensible
A．took B．released C．felt D．drew
A．strongly B．irregularly C．slowly D．wildly
A．escaped B．seized C．rubbed D．scratched
A．close B．happy C．new D．young
A．celebrate B．communicate C．compete D．compromise
A．across B．from C．off D．up
A．alive B．loose C．open D．still
A．counted B．enjoyed C．missed D．wasted
A．However B．Instead C．Moreover D．Therefore
A．bitter B．forced C．polite D．satisfied
A．introduction B．discussion C．comment D．debate
A．blood B．smile C．tear D．sweat
Tips for Planning Your Indoor Garden
Plants bring life and color into the home and require little in the way of maintenance. Follow these simple tips and your plants should thrive(茂盛).
Look for the best ______ in the house for each plant, and don’t be afraid to try different locations until you find the best spot.
If a room seems too dark to maintain a healthy plant, don’t be ______. Most indoor plants originate in tropical and subtropical areas, and they can grow ______ in dim environments. The ideal place is in front of a large window ______ east or west., filtered if necessary through a net scrim curtain.
If you have a plant that thrives ______ lots of sun, place it on a windowsill facing north or northeast. ______ the wetness level of the soil regularly and inspect the leaves to make sure they are not being______. At the slightest ______ of withering(枯萎), move the plant towards the middle of the room.
Water poured ______ onto the soil may flood, or not ______ the pot plant’s roots. ______, water plants bottom up by standing them in a dish and filling the ______ with water. For this method to ______, all pots should have holes in the ______ through which the water is absorbed.
Water your plants only when the potting mix ______ dry to touch-over watering is often the ______ of indoor plant death. Check by pushing your finger into the ______; if it comes out without any trace of soil on it, start watering. Remember that plants may need more frequent watering in summer.
Most indoor plants ___ from an occasional spraying(喷雾) of water. Make sure the water is at room temperature and use a spray bottle. Spraying is particularly beneficial if you live in a centrally heated or air-conditioned house ______ the air can become very dry.
Feed your plants with small amounts of fertilizer. The fastest and simplest solution is complete liquid fertilizer in the recommended ______ , usually every two to four weeks-check the label.
A．place B．time C．situation D．stage
A．fooled B．accepted C．explained D．understood
A．bad B．well C．easily D．quickly
A．meeting B．facing C．throwing D．reaching
A．on B．in C．for D．with
A．Research B．Check C．Prove D．Choose
A．protected B．prevented C．faded D．burned
A．signal B．point C．sign D．case
A．slowly B．carefully C．directly D．instantly
A．get B．reach C．extend D．spread
A．Still B．Instead C．Therefore D．Otherwise
A．soil B．plant C．bottom D．dish
A．work B．use C．show D．develop
A．middle B．bottom C．dish D．house
A．holds B．feels C．finds D．looks
A．effect B．occasion C．phenomenon D．cause
A．water B．pot C．soil D．hole
A．suffer B．benefit C．survive D．result
A．as B．if C．when D．for
A．kind B．quality C．amount D．form
Farming is moving indoors, where the sun never shines, where rainfall is irrelevant and where the climate is always right. The perfect crop field could be inside a windowless building with controlled light, temperature, wetness, air quality and nutrition. It could be in a New York high-rise or a complex in the Saudi desert.
The world already is having trouble feeding itself. Half the people on Earth live in cities, and nearly half of those-about 3 billion-are hungry or illfed. Food prices, currently increasing, are buffeted by dryness, floods and the cost of energy required to plant, harvest and transport it. And prices will only get more unstable.
Climate change makes long-term crop planning uncertain. Farmers in many parts of the world already are using water available to the last drop. And the world is getting more crowded: by midcentury, the global population will grow from 6.8 billion to 9 billion.
To feed so many people may require expanding farmland at the expense of forests and wilderness, or finding ways to completely increase crop output.
Gertjan Meeuws has taken the concept of a greenhouse a step further, growing vegetables and house plants in enclosed (封闭的)and regulated environments. In their research station, water flows into the pans
when needed, and the temperature is kept constant. Lights go on and off, creating similar day and night, but according to the rhythm of the plant.
A building of 100 square meters and 14 layers(层)of plants could provide a daily diet of 200 grams of
fresh fruit and vegetables to the entire population of Den Bosch, about 140,000 people. Their idea isn't to grow foods that require much space, like corn or potatoes.
Here sunlight is not only unnecessary but can be harmful. Plants need only specific wavelengths of light to grow. Their growth rate is three times faster than under greenhouse conditions. They use about 90
percent less water than outdoors agriculture. And city farming means producing food near the consumer, and there's no need to transport it long distances.
【选项】
A．The climate is worse and worse. B．The city people live a hard life. C．The world has difficulty feeding its people. D．The world's population is increasing fast.
A．The temperature is often changed. B．Sunshine is in great need for plants. C．Day and night depends on plants. D．Air quality is controlled by plants.
A．helps save sea water a lot B．is highly adaptable C．resembles greenhouse agriculture D．suits the production of corn
A．Development of indoor farming． B．Great Revolution in farming． C．Advantages of indoor farming． D．Sunless, rainless indoor farming．
Zhu Hengjun, a 52-year-old ginger(姜) grower, feels very depressed. Although he’s ______ with the decrease in his earnings compared with last year, he feels fortunate that he has _______ a contract with a processing company that ______ a competitive price. ______ he not done this, Zhu might have been ______ serious losses, in common with many other growers this year.
“I heard that a lot of growers have ______ losses this year. To be honest, I feel lucky because ______ I didn’t lose money,” said Zhu, from Zhangli Village in the city of Laiwu in East China’s Shandong Province.
Currently,70 percent of the area ______ with ginger in Laiwu is jointly developed by farmers and enterprise,______ the deputy head of this district.
Zhu ______ 6,000 kilograms(kg) of ginger produced on his 1,330 square meters of farmland to a local company ______ a price of 1.4 yuan (22 cents) a kg in mid-October. In doing so, he didn’t earn much money but ______ manage to balance his costs of around 8,000 yuan.
In recent years, Chinese farmers have often suffered from the severe price turbulence(动荡) that has ______ crops such as ginger, garlic and mung beans. The uncertainties have ______ them to seek new ways to avoid losses ______ by price fluctuations.
The price of ginger has ______ rapidly in recent years, prompting an increasing number of farmers to grow the crop. ______, in late October it fell by more than 70 percent, ______ with the same period in 2010.
In Laiwu, a major production base for ginger, farmers have ______ to form a targeted sales relationship with the processing companies as insurance against the ______ of fluctuating(波动的) prices.
A．pleased B．anxious C．worried D．disappointed
A．signed B．sighed C．resigned D．designed
A．supplies B．provides C．offers D．extends
A．Has B．If C．Had D．Did
A．faced B．facing C．undergone D．experienced
A．endured B．bore C．suffered D．experienced
A．at most B．as well C．at least D．in fact
A．planted B．grew C．planting D．growing
A．as for B．as to C．according to D．in spite of
A．purchased B．sold C．bought D．shopped
A．in B．for C．with D．at
A．doesn’t B．did C．has D．had
A．effected B．affected C．been influenced D．infected
A．argued B．made C．urged D．forced
A．causing B．producing C．caused D．taken
A．raised B．risen C．arisen D．decreased
A．However B．Still C．Otherwise D．Whereas
A．to compare B．compared C．comparing D．was compared
A．expected B．sought C．refused D．attempted
A．benefit B．harm C．danger D．risk
A LESSON FROM A FROG TALE
A group of frogs were jumping through the woods when two of them fell into a deep hole. All of the other frogs______ around the hole to see what could be done to help their ______. When they saw how deep the hole was, the rest of the group ______ that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the hole that they should prepare themselves for their fate（命运）, because they were as good as ______.
Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all their ______. Some of the frogs shouted into the hole that it was ______, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that ______ if they had been more careful.
The other frogs continued ______ shouting that they two should save their ______ and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs ______ jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of hopeless ______ they were quite tired.
Finally, one of the two frogs followed the calls of his fellows. Disheartened, he lay down at the ______ of the hole, and died as the others looked on in helpless sorrow. The other frog continued to jump with every bit of energy he had, ______ he was completely worn out.
His companions began a new shouting to him to accept his fate, stop the pain and ______ die. The frog jumped harder and harder and, wonder of wonders, finally jumped so ______ that he sprang from the hole. ______ , the other frogs celebrated his unbelievable freedom and then gathering around him and asked, “Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?” ______ their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were ______ him on. What he had got as ______ inspired him to try harder and finally succeeded.
This simple story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouraging words can ______ someone up and help him or her make it through the day.
A．jumped B．hung C．rushed D．gathered
A．relatives B．companions C．neighbors D．families
A．agreed B．added C．quarreled D．doubted
A．alive B．dead C．awake D．calm
A．mind B．skill C．strength D．courage
A．harmless B．endless C．careless D．hopeless
A．action B．situation C．direction D．competition
A．sorrowfully B．painfully C．carefully D．helpfully
A．time B．resource C．energy D．supply
A．stopped B．continued C．avoided D．started
A．climb B．wait C．fight D．effort
A．top B．edge C．bottom D．side
A．while B．however C．therefore D．although
A．worn B．tired C．cried D．torn
A．great B．well C．far D．high
A．Please B．Satisfied C．Amazed D．Amused
A．Looking B．Reading C．Seeing D．Checking
A．cheering B．praising C．persuading D．supporting
A．treatment B．entertainment C．achievement D．encouragement
A．hold B．lift C．bring D．build
Sheri Straily never knew how far life’s highway could take her ______ her dream for her children helped her find out...
Growing up, Sheri ____ thought for a moment that she’d ______ it to college. Instead, she took a job driving a tractor trailer. ______ years passed, Sheri fell in love，married and had three children. ______ she wanted to be close to home，she ______ to a desk job at the trucking company.
But one day after work, while Sheri was ______ her kids playing, she began to think, “I want them to achieve so much，but how can I afford to give them the ______ they’ll need, like college?”
Then it came to her：she was the one who needed ______ first.
“______ for it，”her husband encouraged her. So Sheri enrolled at the University of Denver’s Women’s College, ______ let her take all of her classes on weekends，so she ______ still work.
Though Sheri loved her ______, she missed home. Sheri would stay at home on weekends. ______ make the two-hour trip to school. “I wish I were home with Steve and the ______,”she’d think. But Eric，eight，Ryan，seven，and Kristin, five, ______ their mom all the way.“______ do your best,” they said.
Sheri did，getting straight A’s as she entered a ______ in business administration. Now she is attending the University of Denver Law School on a merit scholarship.
“It hasn’t been ______,”wrote Sheri, “but it’s ______ for me and my family.”
A．after B．before C．until D．once
A．never B．just C．ever D．even
A．hit B．make C．admit D．have
A．Since B．With C．While D．As
A．Because B．For C．Therefore D．Thus
A．asked B．returned C．switched D．sought
A．finding B．noticing C．seeing D．watching
A．opportunities B．money C．jobs D．career
A．school B．college C．help D．assistance
A．Go B．Search C．Get D．Come
A．that B．where C．which D．as
A．could B．must C．should D．may
A．teachers B．studies C．classmates D．job
A．rather than B．other than C．as well as D．less than
A．kids B．relatives C．husband D．parents
A．opposed B．backed C．agreed D．liked
A．Rarely B．Just C．Still D．Never
A．degree B．work C．job D．interview
A．difficult B．unusual C．ordinary D．easy
A．rewarding B．interesting C．moving D．demanding
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