假设你是育才中学学生会主席李华。你校将举办一次英语演讲比赛(speech contest)，希望附近某 大学的外籍教师Smith女士来做评委。请参照以下比赛通知给她写一封信。

英语演讲比赛

主题：人与自然

时间：6月15日下午2:00-5:00

地点：501教室

参赛选手：10名学生

联系人： 李华（电话：44876655）

Considering Australia' s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous ( 同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.

However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city settlers and the country people. Almost 90 percent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve images of colonial heritage, but on the whole the impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country' s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have "ridden on the sheep' s back" , a reference to wool being the country' s main money earner. However, it is no longer dominant ( 主宰的) . Much of Australia' s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a modest sense of humor.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia' s liberal postwar immigration policies led to a flowing of survivors from war-torn Europe. The emphasis has changed in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a "mixture of nations" and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is reasonably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

1.What does the writer mean by saying "It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents." in the first paragraph?

A. Australians speak Standard English with no local accents.

B. You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C. The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D. There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B. The Australian economy counts on sheep exports.

C. The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

D. The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

3. We can infer from the passage that ____.

A. nothing about Australia' s colonial part in modem cities can be seen by visitors

B. tourism and wine making resulted in fast development in rural communities only

C. immigrants from Europe have brought racial problems

D. Australia' s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

4.This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s_______________.

A. society B. economy

C. racial problems D. history

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(不多于3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式按序号填写到短文后的相应位置。

Once, in a lovely garden lived the most beautiful butterfly in the world. She was so pretty, and had won so many beauty competitions1. she had become very proud. One day, a naughty cockroach (蟑螂) got fed up with her showing off, and decided【小题2 】(teach) her a lesson.

She went to see the butterfly, and in front of everyone she told her that she wasn’t really that beautiful, and that the butterfly only won the competitions2. the judges had been paid. In3.(real), the cockroach was the most beautiful.

The butterfly was angry and told the cockroach, “I4.(beat) you in a beauty competition, with whichever judges you choose.” “OK, I accept. See you on Saturday,” answered the cockroach, and left5.waiting for a reply.

That Saturday everyone went to6. beauty competition. The butterfly arrived completely confident of victory until she saw7. the judges were: cockroaches, worms, beetles. All of them8.(prefer) the ugliness and bad smell of the cockroach.

The butterfly was left sobbing and 9.(disappoint), wanting never to enter another beauty competition in her life. Fortunately, the cockroach forgave the butterfly for her pride and they became friends.

______ is known to us all is that the old worker, ______ life was hard in the past, still works hard in his seventies.

A. As; whom B. What; whom

C. It; whose D. What; whose

When asked about their opinions about the schoolmaster, many teachers would prefer to see him step aside ________ younger men.

A. in terms of B. in need of

C. in favor of D. in praise of

—Are you going to invite Jack to our party?

—No, but he’s welcome to come along, ______ that he behaves himself.

A. concerning B. considering C. regarding D. providing

Idioms often use a number of words to represent a single object, person or concept, ______, and it is easy to misunderstand what you read or hear spoken.

A. among other things B. on the contrary

C. by all means D. above anything else

The government has taken measures to______the high prices of daily goods to keep the market stable．

A. put down B. tear down C. hand down D.bring down

―Well, my daughters take great interest in most of the food on the menu.

―Thanks. _________?

―Salad, fried fish, chips and orange juice, please.

A. Shall I take your order B. At your service

C. What to follow D. Can I help you