Dear Kate,
My first stop in London was Buckingham Palace. Kings and queens and their families have lived in Buckingham Palace since 1837. Queen Victoria made Buckingham Palace her home in 1837. But it was not big enough for all her guests. More importantly, it was not big enough for all the children she planned to have, so she made the palace bigger and bigger.
I saw a parade at Buckingham Palace this morning. It's called the Changing of the Guard. It's fascinating. The guards wear interesting uniforms with red coats and tall hats. Since 1660, the kings and queens of England have had these special guards to protect them.
The ceremony(仪式) lasted about 45 minutes. The new guards marched to the palace with a band to replace the old guards. They did this in a colourful ceremony with music. It's interesting that they played both traditional music and popular songs. The Changing of Guard takes place in front of Buckingham Palace every day in spring and summer, and every two days in autumn and winter.
I went to the Houses of Parliament after I saw the Changing of the Guard. What are the Houses of Parliament? Well, I guess the country's leaders meet there to discuss important decisions.
Next to the Houses of Parliament stands a tall clock tower. Most people call it Big Ben. You know what? The name Big Ben does not refer to the clock tower. Big Ben is actually the 13-ton bell inside it!
Take care!
JudyWhat's the most important reason for Queen Victoria to make her palace bigger and bigger?
| A．She wanted to have big meetings there. |
| B．She had more and more guests. |
| C．She planned to have a lot of children. |
| D．She wanted it to be more famous. |
Which is NOT true about the Changing of the Guard?
| A．The guards wear red coats and tall hats. |
| B．The ceremony lasts less than an hour. |
| C．The guards played different kinds of music. |
| D．The ceremony was held in the Palace. |
In winter if you miss the Changing of the Guard ceremony on Wednesday, you may watch it ____.
| A．on Thursday | B．on Friday |
| C．only next week | D．only next month |
The underlined word "replace" most probably means_______.
| A．替代 | B．问候 | C．看望 | D．检查 |
How many places of interest does Judy talk about?
| A．Five. | B．Four. |
| C．Three. | D．Two. |
Hi Sam! Sorry I haven’t emailed recently— I’ve been revising for my exams. I have finished them now and I have got some time to relax and some money to spend on going out. Last weekend, I went to see a great film called Yes Man. If you haven’t seen it, you must go! Jim Carrey plays the main character and it’s very funny--and also quite encouraging. It’s based on a book by Danny Wallace which is also called Yes Man. I read the book a few months ago and that’s hilarious, too – I really laughed out loud!
The book is a true story about what happens to the writer, Danny. Basically, he found that he was doing nothing all the time, just worrying about things and complaining about his life. He wasn’t seeing his friends much, so he was lonely and bored. Then one day, he was on a bus in London when he sat down next to a man. The man was a stranger, but they started talking. Danny told him about his boring life and the man just gave him three words: ‘Say “yes” more.’ And for Danny this was a turning point in his life. Those three words influenced everything he did. At that moment, he made a decision: ‘I will say “yes” to everything!’ And he wrote a book about what happened to him in the next year or so. Three years later, the book was made into a hit film.
The film is based on the book although there are some differences. First, it’s set in the US instead of England. Secondly, the main character is based on Danny, but he called Carl in the film. And what’s more, he doesn’t meet a man on a bus. His turning point comes when he goes to a self-help class and they advise him to say “yes” more.
In the film, Carl succeeds in changing his life and doing lots of crazy things: he has flying lessons, he learns to speak Korean and he rides a motorbike with no clothes on! The storyline isn’t very strong. It’s quite weak, I suppose, but all Carl’s stories are very interesting— especially because Jim Carrey is a very funny actor.
I’m really interested in the film because there’s a serious message, too. I believe in making the most of life and I’ve decided I’m going to be more positive. I’ve decided I’m not going to stay at home so much. I’m going to do more things, see my friends more and everything. Actually, that’s why I’m emailing you! It would be great if we could meet up soon. Let me know when you are free.
All the best, Adam
The underlined word hilarious in Paragraph 1 most probably means _____.
| A．simple | B．helpful | C．humorous | D．meaningful |
In Paragraph 3, there are_____ differences mentioned between the book and the film.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
Adam wrote this email mainly _____.
| A．to talk about what he was doing recently |
| B．to introduce the book Yes Man written by Danny to Sam |
| C．to advise Sam to watch the film Yes Man made in US |
| D．to talk about why and how he wants to change his life |
From the email we can infer (推断) that _____.
| A．Sam will love Yes Man as much as Adam does |
| B．Yes Man must be the most popular book in the US |
| C．Adam used to stay at home a lot before seeing Yes Man |
| D．Jim Carrey is now a very funny actor because of Yes Man |
One weekend in May 2015, over 48 centimeters of rain fell in Houston, Texas, USA. Soon the city was covered with water. The rising water rushed into the cars on the roads. There were 16 deaths that weekend.
Changing Weather
The weather is changing. Over the last few years, heavy rains have caused floods (洪灾) in Brazil, Pakistan, and Thailand. Droughts (干旱) have struck Russia and Australia. Heat waves have killed thousands in Europe. There are more different kinds of terrible wild weather all over the world. In 2011 alone, the bad weather caused the world to lose 150 billion dollars.
Warmer and Wetter
As more wild weather events happen, a worried world is beginning to ask questions like: What is going on with the weather? And why? Many also want to know: Is this natural, or are we to blame (责怪)?
The answer seems to be: a little of both. Wild weather is natural. This global (全球的) warming makes heat waves more likely to happen. The higher temperatures also cause more water to enter the air. This causes much more rain. Some scientists also believe global warming makes some storms stronger.
This means we’re likely to see more wild weather. “But we don’t have to just stand there and take it,” says Scientist Michael Oppenheimer. He and other scientists say we need to stop the Earth from getting warmer. We also need to be prepared, to do things that will help save lives.What is the purpose of the second paragraph?
| A．To give examples of wild weather events. |
| B．To guess how the weather will change. |
| C．To explain why the weather is changing. |
| D．To describe the weather events in 2011. |
Which of the following can be put in the blank in Paragraph 4?
| A．And wild weather happens more and more. |
| B．And nature also influences human activity. |
| C．But humans have already paid enough attention to the wild weather. |
| D．But most scientists agree human activity has made the Earth warmer. |
Which of the following would Oppenheimer probably agree with?
| A．It is too late to stop global warming. |
| B．Humans have nothing to do with global warming. |
| C．The weather will get better if we can stop global warming. |
| D．To find ways to keep our things safe is the most important. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A. In May 2015, there was a deadly flood in Houston, Texas, USA.
B. There are more kinds of terrible wild weather all over the world.
C. Many scientists believe global warming makes some storms stronger.
D. Global warming causes wild weather events and that makes people worried.
He was an old man who fished alone in a small boat on the sea and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish, the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone with another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his boat empty. The sail looked like the flag of failure forever.
The old man was thin with deep wrinkles (皱纹) in the back of his neck. His face was terribly brown because of the strong sunlight on the sea every day and his hands had the deep scars (伤疤) from dealing with heavy fish on the lines. But none of these scars were fresh. Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful.
“Santiago,” the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from the sea. “I could go with you again. We’ve made some money.”
The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him.
“No,” the old man said. “You’re with a lucky boat. Stay with them.”
“But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks.”
“I remember,” the old man said.
“It was papa who made me leave. I am a boy and I must follow him.”
“I know,” the old man said. “It is quite normal.”
“He hasn’t much faith (信心).”
“No,” the old man said. “But we have. Haven’t we?”
“Yes,” the boy said. “Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace?”
“Why not?” the old man said “Between fishermen.”In the story the old man was the boy’s _____.
| A．grandfather | B．friend | C．boss | D．host |
The word they in Paragraph 2 refers to (指的是) _____ of the old man.
| A．the hands | B．the scars |
| C．the eyes | D．the wrinkles |
The old man refused the boy to go fishing with him again because _____.
| A．he wanted to fish by himself |
| B．he could really understand his parents |
| C．the boy asked for some money |
| D．the boy had already learnt how to fish |
From the story we can know that _____.
| A．the old man was always full of hope |
| B．the boy’s parents believed in the old man |
| C．everyone laughed at the old man’s bad luck |
| D．the boy was worried about the old man’s health |
| 1. Posted by: Monica, Canada April 24 10.41 |
| Black bread with honey— A friend of mine stayed in a hotel in India and the manager gave this to her for stomachache. It really works. Just take a piece of bread and toast it until it’s black. Then put honey on the bread and eat it. It doesn’t look good, but it can really help. So if you get stomachache, try this remedy (治疗法). |
| 2. Posted by: Norma, USA April 24 9.25 |
| An onion—If you get a high temperature, use an onion. It sounds strange but it helps. Cut one large onion in half and tie the half an onion to the bottom of each of your feet. You shouldn’t wear socks of course! I use this on my kids and it works every time. The remedy came from a relative from down south. |
| 3. Posted by: Hell, Australia April 23 18.03 |
| A wet teabag—Here is my tip for toothache. You should put a wet teabag on the sore tooth. I always have a wet teabag in the fridge so it’s there when I need it. |
| 4. Posted by: Lameed, England April 23 16. 15 |
| Salt water—When I was a child, I got a lot of headaches and my grandmother always did this for me. Put a few drops of warm salt water in your ears. Don’t use really hot water. Do this three or four times for both ears. Then lie down and close your eyes for about ten minutes. |
The topic of the postings (帖子) is _____.
| A．school problems | B．home remedies |
| C．food and drink | D．outdoor sports |
_____ gave a tip for toothache.
| A．Hell from Australia | B．Norma ’s kids |
| C． A friend of Monica’s | D．Lameed’s grandmother |
According to the postings, you can _____ if you have a headache.
| A．tie half an onion to your feet |
| B．put a wet teabag on your head |
| C．eat a piece of bread with honey |
| D．drop warm salt water in your ears |
The story took place in a small town in winter. One day a man met an old lady standing by an expensive car. It was clear that her car broke down. So he stopped his old truck and got out. Although he was smiling, the old lady was worried. “Is he going to hurt me?”
The man could see that she was frightened, so in his friendliest voice he said, “I’m here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car to get warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.” It took Bryan about fifty minutes to fix the car. The lady felt quite thankful and she asked how much she should pay him.
But Bryan wanted no money. ①对他来说，帮助别人很正常。He said, “If you want to repay me, next time you see someone in need, just give out your friendly hand.”
After saying goodbye, the lady continued down the road till she reached a small café. She stopped for something to eat. As the pretty waitress stood next to her, the lady noticed she was nearly eight months pregnant (怀孕). ②Although she looked tired, she still served the customers with a smile on her face. As the old lady was going to pay the $10 bill, she remembered Bryan’s words.
The old lady paid one hundred-dollar bill. But when the waitress returned with the change, the lady was gone. On the table she saw a small note. Her eyes were filled with tears when she read it, “Somebody once helped me the way I’m helping you. If you want to pay me back, continue being kind to others. ” Under the note were nine more $100 bills.
Was the old lady an angel? The waitress was so excited that she called her husband to tell the story. “Bryan…Bryan Anderson my dear… you’re not going to believe what has happened… ”
Love needs to be passed on. Everyone can be an angel.
请根据短文内容完成下列任务。Did the old lady believe in Bryan at the beginning of the story? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________请将划线句子①翻译成英语。
___________________________________________________________________________请将划线句子②翻译成汉语。
___________________________________________________________________________请根据短文内容将句子补充完整, 使句子意思连贯。
The waitress found__________________________ and ___________________________on the table
when she returned with the change.What have you learned from the story? (with one sentence)
____________________________________________________________________________
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