Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born Agatha May Clarissa Miller in Devon, England in 1890, the youngest of three children in a conservative, well-to-do family. Taught at home by a governess and tutors, as a child Agatha Christie never attended school. She became skillful at creating games to keep herself occupied at a very young age. A bashful child, unable to adequately express her feelings, she first turned to music as a means of expression and, later in life, to writing.
In 1914, at the age of 24, she married Archie Christie, a World War I fighter pilot. While he was off at war, she worked as a nurse. It was while working in a hospital during the war that Christie first came up with the idea of writing a detective novel. Although it was completed in a year, it wasn’t published until 1920, five years later.
“The mysterious Affair at Styles” gave the world the unique Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian police officer who was to become one of the most enduring characters in all of fiction. With his waxed moustache and his “little grey cell,” he was “meticulous (careful to do things correctly), a tidy little man, always neat, orderly and a bit absurd.”
Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Poirot. Among the most popular were” The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”(1926), “Murder on the Orient Expredd”(1934), and “Death on the Nile” (1937).
Another of Christie’s most well-known and beloved characters was introduced in “Murder at the Vicarage” in 1930. Miss Jane Marple, an elderly single in the old- fashioned English village of St. Mary Mead, solved all manner of mysteries with intense concentration and instinct.
Christies ultimately (finally)became the acknowledged Queen of the Golden Age. In all, she wrote over 66 novel, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels using the pen name Mary Westmacott. Several of her works were made into successful feature films, the most notable being Murder on the Orient Express (1974). In short, she is the single most popular mystery writer of all time. In 1971 she was awarded the high honor of becoming a Dame of the British Empire.Which of the following is the correct order in which the events happened?
a. Agatha became a Dame of The British Empire.
b. Agatha worked as a nurse
c. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published.
d. Murder on the Vicarage Express was published
e. Murder on the Orient Express was filmed
f. Archie Christie went to the front as a fighter pilot.
| A．f-b-d-c-e-a | B．f-b-c-d-a-e |
| C．f-d-b-c-a-e | D．f-d-c-b-e-a |
What does the underlined word “bashful” probably mean?
| A．Shy | B．Conservative | C．Stupid | D．Sensitive |
Mary Westmacott is_________________.
| A．Agatha’s governess |
| B．the name of Agatha’s novel |
| C．another name for Agatha |
| D．the heroine of Agatha’s novel |
Which of the following is NOT true about Hercule Poirot?
| A．He was once a policeman |
| B．He paid much attention to details |
| C．He sometimes seems rather foolish |
| D．He solved mysterious with a sixth sense |
In Agatha Christie’s life, What were the most popular novels that she wrote?
A; biography B. detective novel
C. romantic fiction D. science fiction
As anybody with children knows, dining out with kids is an entirely different experience from dining out with friends. If the restaurant offers crayons (蜡笔), puzzles or toys of some sort, it takes a lot of the stress out of dining out with kids. Here, in no particular order, are our pick of top restaurants for kids.
The Olive Garden
The Olive Garden is a family favorite, especially because of the kids menu, crayons, and activity books. My daughter believes this famous Italian food chain has the “best pizza ever” on its kids menu. The kids also get to indulge in the famous Olive Garden bread --- a favorite for kids of all ages.
The Silver Diner
The Silver Diner, which has locations in New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia, gets a nod for featuring one of the most fun kids meal containers --- a heavy-duty paper car --- as well as old-fashioned, table-side jukebox selectors (点唱机选择器).The menu wins too, both for its breadth (范围) of choices, and for the number of them that are healthy.
Legal Sea Foods
The kids menu for popular seafood chain Legal Sea Foods is extensive (详尽的) and features the most choices from the sea of any kids menu we’ve seen. The original Boston Harborside restaurant has a small children’s menu, but its other locations all have 12 kid’s choices, including a pricy (昂贵的) One Pound Lobster (or 1/2 pound), Wood-Grilled Fish of the Day, and Popcorn Shrimp selections.
Ground Round
This restaurant chain was a favorite of children growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, as it served popcorn and peanuts before the meal instead of bread, and let kids throw the peanut shells on the floor. There were also cartoons and silent movies shown during dinner. Ground Round has changed with the times, but they still have delectable (美味的) offerings for kids.What makes the Silver Diner different from the other restaurants for kids ?
| A．Its great pizza and variety of activity books. |
| B．Its fun kids meal containers and jukebox selectors. |
| C．The popcorn and peanuts served before the meal. |
| D．The way its menus change with the times. |
Which of the following restaurants might interest those who like eating lobster?
| A．The Olive Garden. | B．The Silver Diner. |
| C．Legal Sea Foods. | D．Ground Round. |
Who is the article intended for?
| A．School teachers. | B．Parents with kids. |
| C．Travelers to the US. | D．Restaurant managers. |
The underlined word “indulge in ” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _____.[
| A．be crazy about | B．be tired of |
| C．be good for | D．be surprised at |
Apple Inc. released the Apple Watch on March 9 in San Francisco, US., which is a simple rectangular (矩形的) shape with a range of stylish and useful wristbands.
The watch will be available in nine places, including the US, the UK and China, from April 24. The starting price is $349 (2,186 yuan).With six different designs and 30 or so wristbands, the gadget “sets the standard for smartwatches, in style,” agreed The Brisbane Times, “but more importantly, in functionality (功能性).” “With the built-in speaker and microphone, you can receive calls on your watch. I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old,” said Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook. In fact, anything you can do on the iPhone is there on the watch --- e-mails, text messages, airline boarding services, and directions from Apple Maps. Using a home security app, you can keep an eye on your home from a far place, or even open a locked door.
There are some features that have made Cook sure the watch is “our most personal device”. The watch taps you on the wrist to draw your attention to a message or a calendar reminder, and it can send a tap on the wrist to another Apple Watch wearer.
However, the watch can also do things that are just plain fun. You can send a real-time display of your heartbeat to another Apple Watch to “let someone know you are thinking about them.”
So far, though, the most impressive part of this new device is “the monitoring of the wearer’s health and fitness,” said AFP. It will even tap you on the wrist if you have been sitting down for longer than is good for your health.Which of the following features of the Apple Watch are mentioned in the article?
a. its price
b. its functions
c. its shortcomings
d. its shape and weight
e. when and where people can buy it
| A．abd | B．abe | C．bce | D．bde |
With an Apple Watch, you can ______.
| A．monitor your health and diagnose yourself |
| B．send a real-time display of your heartbeat to an iPhone |
| C．be reminded to move around if you’ve been sitting down for too long |
| D．receive emails, text messages and calls, and open a locked door for your neighbor |
How does the Apple Watch let wearers know there is a new message?
| A．The watch beeps. |
| B．The watch sends out music. |
| C．The watch changes its screen color. |
| D．The watch taps the wearer on the wrist. |
Which word best describes Tim Cook’s attitude toward the Apple Watch?
| A．Proud. | B．Modest. |
| C．Serious. | D．Cautious. |
Which city would you prefer to visit, London or Paris?London had welcomed 16.8 million foreign visitors in 2014, compared with 15.2 million visitors to Paris, according to a new report released by UK research firm Euromonitor International in January.
Boris Johnson, London’s mayor, is very proud.“With so many fascinating museums, the best theater scene in the world, more green space than any other European city, numerous top sporting venues , a low crime rate and much else besides, it is no wonder that people from all over the globe are flocking (蜂拥) to London in record numbers. These figures prove that London is without doubt the greatest city on the planet,”he told The Telegraph.
However, Paris’ mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is not as pleased. “London is in some ways a suburb of Paris,” she said.The Huffington Post used the word “bickering” to describe these back-and-forth insults (侮辱). It refers to arguments about unimportant things, like small children fighting over a toy, or lovers arguing over the TV remote.
France and Britain are separated only by the English Channel. For centuries, they fought over territory (领土).But in fact, Paris and London are very similar. Both are centers of fashion and the arts. Even their most famous landmarks are a little similar --- the Palace of Versailles outside Paris and Buckingham Palace in London, for example.
That’s the trouble – they’re as good as each other. As the Daily Mail put it: London and Paris are “head-to-head” in their battle for supremacy. In fact, visitors to these great cities love them equally.Hidalgo also wrote an article in The Telegraph, but changed her words slightly: “London is a suburb of Paris and Paris is a suburb of London.”Does this mean these two cities could one day “grow up”, stop bickering, and become friends.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．Paris welcomed more foreign visitors than London did last year. |
| B．Anne Hidalgo didn’t respond to Boris Johnson’s remarks about London. |
| C．Boris Johnson is too modest when talking about the characteristics of London. |
| D．The author thinks it meaningless to argue whether Paris is better than London or vice versa. |
The underlined word “bickering” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．jealousy | B．quarreling |
| C．embarrassment | D．misunderstanding |
In her article in The Telegraph, we can infer Anne Hidalgo_______ .
| A．showed an objective attitude toward London and Paris. |
| B．avoided comparing London with Paris. |
| C．displayed Paris’ beauty in many different ways. |
| D．defended her idea that Paris is better than London. |
Delvin Washington was having a difficult speech therapy (治疗). Over half a year ago, Washington was preparing for the biggest day of his young life ---graduating from high school. But on a cloudy day in May, he had a serious car accident. He survived, but his life changed forever. He recently began all-day physical rehabilitation (康复治疗). He is relearning almost everything, from the names of his best friends to simple physical tasks.
His friends and family have given him a lot of support. While Washington lay in a coma in hospital, friends and family filled his room during visits. They celebrated his 18th birthday in July while he was still unconscious.Two days after Thanksgiving, eight friends from high school visited Washington at his home. The friends looked through photos on Facebook, showing them all to Washington. As he sat in his wheelchair, friends asked him to recognize the people in the photos, helping him recover his brain.
Washington’s popularity doesn’t come from nowhere. He was determined to become a police officer after college and behaved like a respectable police officer at school.His high school principal (校长), Eric Markinson, said Washington was always a gentleman. “He was incredibly gracious (和善的) and incredibly helpful,”he said.
His accident has damaged Washington’s brain. It has caused his left side, from his face to his feet, to all but shut down. His personality has also changed. The serious police-officer behavior is gone. He laughs a lot and smiles when he sees children, his mom said.
Now Washington is working hard on all-day rehabilitation. So far, he has made tremendous (巨大的) improvement, said his therapist Lindsay Sims.“I try to live as independently as possible,”Washington said slowly but firmly.What happened to Delvin Washington last May?
| A．He started to make improvements in his speech therapy. |
| B．He was seriously injured in a car accident. |
| C．He graduated from high school with good grades. |
| D．He suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. |
What can we know about Washington’s friends?
| A．They helped Washington make up for the lesson s he had missed. |
| B．They worked together to collect money for Washington on campus. |
| C．They helped Washington realize his dream of becoming a police officer. |
| D．They regularly visited Washington and helped him with his rehabilitation. |
Which word can best describe Delvin Washington?
| A．strong—willed | B．energetic |
| C．pessimistic | D．depressed |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．Washington’s friendship with his friends. |
| B．Washington making great efforts to achieve his dream. |
| C．What makes Washington so popular at school. |
| D．How Washington is recovering his brain. |
“Itis a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas,” said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.
AuntEmmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didn't spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.
“Thegifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give,” said Aunt Emmy gently, “nor the best, either.”
“Oh,I know it’s nicer to give something of your own work,” agreed Clorinda, “but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other.”
“Thatwas not what I meant,” said Aunt Emmy.
“Whatdid you mean, then?” asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.
AuntEmmy smiled.
“Supposeyou think out my meaning for yourself,” she said. “That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don’t think Icouldexplain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: ‘The gift without the giver is bare’.”
“I’dput it the other way and say, ‘The giver without the gift is bare’,” said Clorinda. “That is my predicament(窘境) exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I’ll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender’s store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know.”
“Won’tyour aunt miss you terribly?” said Aunt Emmy gravely. “Ithink she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “But of course you must decide for yourself, dear.”
“Well,I must say bye-bye and run home.” Clorindalived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn’t really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.
Clorindapuzzled over Aunt Emmy’s meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. OnChristmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy’s. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.
“I’vecome to tell you all about it,” she said. “AuntEmmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn’t think Icouldgive some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give.”
“First,there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I’ve never gone except when I couldn’t help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn’t had such a nice time for years. ”
“Thenthere was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn’t forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn’t. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness.”
“Igave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn’t going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I’ve decided so.”
“Yourgifts have been real gifts, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them.”
“Ididn’t forget you, Aunt Emmy,” she said, as she unpinned the paper.
Therewas a rosebush. AuntEmmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.
“It’sas sweet as yourself, dear child,” she said tenderly. “And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You’ve found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven’t you, dear?”
“Yes,thanks to you, Aunt Emmy,” said Clorinda softly.Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because ___________.
| A．She had to leave Aunt Mary |
| B．She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy |
| C．She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts |
| D．She had no time to make a proper decision |
Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”?
| A．A gift is valued by the mind of the giver. |
| B．Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver. |
| C．You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts. |
| D．Think twice before you give gifts to somebody |
What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?
| A．Passion | B．Sympathy | C．Kindness | D．Company |
What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?
| A．respectfully | B．confidently |
| C．secretly | D．willingly |
Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?
| A．cute and joyful | B．kind-hearted and emotional |
| C．optimistic and wise | D．gentle and reserved |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Special Christmas | B．Clorinda’s Gifts |
| C．Aunt Emmy | D．Clorinda’s Choice |
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