When many of us take a vacation, more than anything, we seek to relax. We spend long, lazy days on a beach chair or in a hammock (吊床). But too often, we return home, very very tired.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Come home refreshed after an active trip! And you won’t be too tired!

Active vacations are often the most relaxing ones of all. We don’t expect you to take up jogging or backpacking. Rather, we ask the sedentary (惯于久坐不动的) vacationers to spend two to four hours a day doing things, such as walking in city streets, going to a zoo or biking beside the ocean.

These kinds of activities aren’t just good for your physical health. They improve your mental health and even your spiritual health. And they make vacations memorable and worthwhile.

Here are some fresh ideas to make your vacations as pleasurable as they are active and healthy.

◆A walk at dawn or dusk can make you feel or look young again. Try to make this a daily thing that is done regularly.

◆Don’t allow yourself to spend all your time sitting in front of the water.

◆Many of us spend a large part of our vacations on the road, either getting to and from our destinations, or using the car for sightseeing. But no matter how beautiful the scenery is, great memorable vacations don’t happen in a car seat.

1. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To introduce the relationship between vacations and health.

B. To show us how to make our vacations relaxing.

C. To tell us where we should go for our vacations.

D. To explain to us why vacations can sometimes be boring.

2.What does the underlined word "refreshed" in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. In low spirits. B. Pleasant or cool.

C. Feeling less tired. D. Feeling regretful.

3.In the last paragraph, the author seems to advise us .

A. to go on vacation by car

B. not to spend too much time on the road

C. to go camping to get close to the nature

D. to get out of the car for sightseeing

My parents moved to Mississippi when my brother and I were small children, and we were separated from our Oklahoma grandparents by some 600 miles. This geographic distance allowed us to only visit our grandparents once a year, either at Christmas or during summer vacation.

Most of my classmates lived near their grandparents, and I would routinely hear stories of extended families(大家庭) regularly spending time with one another, fishing at "grandpa’s" house or going over to "grandma’s" for her famous fried chicken. We were disappointed that we did not get to spend more time with our grandparents, but our love for them remained deep and strong.

We always expected a road trip to Oklahoma. We would count the days, and when the day came, the entire family would pile into our car at four o’clock in the morning. Crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana, the landscape(风景) changed. Crossing the Red River in Oklahoma, we were in a foreign world.

Every trip to see my grandparents can’t be without bringing delight. We jumped out of the car in their driveway to be met with bear hugs. My grandparents wanted to know everything about their grandchildren, and we would sit for hours and tell story after story. Grandma had a meal planned, and you could bet she fixed her grandsons’ favorite foods. Of course the best part of the visit was that we were able to do whatever we wanted without punishment from our grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa always had presents for us, neat scenic trips planned and lovely surprises, such as the time we got to go to a local restaurant and eat the world’s largest hamburger.

1.The family don’t visit the grandparents often because .

A.they seldom have a vacation

B.they have a bad attitude to them

C.they are all busy with their work

D.they live far away from each other

2.When hearing his classmates’ stories, the author .

A.often felt deep sorrow

B.would call his grandparents

C.felt a bit jealous at heart

D.would feel sorry for his poor life

3.Whenever the author and his brother met their grandparents, they .

A.were full of great excitement

B.found they were in a foreign world

C.shared cooking skills with each other

D.seemed not to be familiar with each other

4.What can we infer from the author’s story?

A.Distance can’t break the bond of love.

B.Physical separation hurts the heart deeply.

C.Distance leads to the most beautiful scene.

D.Family life is filled with love and understanding.

Many of us mistakenly believe that it’s wrong to think we have many good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self-criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed(有缺点的)?

If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn’t like you might be fearful, shallow, busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.

Don’t take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. For all the factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least as many factors that will work in your favor with someone else.

You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don’t mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people looking for loyalty, fun, sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior because you don’t have much money or you don’t drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason that you don’t have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.

The point is that you can focus on anything and believe it’s the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.

1.According to the author, plays an important role in making friends.

A.admitting your shortcomings B.self-criticism

C.modesty D.confidence

2.If you are not liked by a person, .

A.you should find the reason in yourself

B.you’d better talk with the person face to face

C.you may not be the one to be blamed

D.you and that person misunderstand each other

3.We can learn from the third paragraph that .

A.your good qualities may turn out to be your flaws

B.your weaknesses may also be your strengths in some way

C.your negative qualities cause a person to reject you

D.you’ll have few friends if your flaws are more than your good qualities

4.Which of the following is true according to the author?

A.It is important to lose weight.

B.It is easier for a wealthy person to make friends.

C.Inner qualities are more important than physical appearance.

D.If you are not beautiful enough, try to improve your physical beauty.

We know music is very important in our daily life. Today most stores, stations, restaurants and other places play music. Do you notice music playing at any of these places when you go somewhere? You might even hear music in an office or on a farm.

Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave. They think that the sound of western classical(古典的) music makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend even less.

Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. Some restaurants play fast music during meal time. This makes people eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money in this way.

Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.

Next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might influence the way you do things.

1.According to the text, scientists believe that music can .

A.create different feelings for us

B.help us to develop good habits

C.develop our interest in money

D.influence natural environments

2.Which type of music below can make people work faster?

A.Light music. B.Rock music. C.Sweet music. D.Soft music.

3.The habit of listening to music can make a student .

A.slow in action B.care about manners

C.fresh in mind D.worry about studies

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A.Music in Restaurants B.Good and Bad Music

C.Types of Music D.Music and Behavior

I believe the very nature of writing is to set the writer free, not to impress readers. I encourage my students to write freely. By now we taste the good of free writing and enjoy it very much. And I imagine you may have tons of questions about free writing. First, how to improve my logic? 1.The power of writing has to do with its emotion, and logic, and therefore we try extra hard to be logical — but this kind of forced logic is not something we can force on ourselves, or on our writings. When we let our emotional voice come out freely, our logical voice will also come out — that is the charm of free writing. Read your own free writings, you will find many free writings are quite logical indeed. You are not that illogical as you thought of yourself.

2.Yes, sometimes our ideas are boring, and sometimes we are boring people — so what? Who says we have to be amazing all the time? Let’s respect our human reality. The good thing we need to do is to continue to write patiently. Persistence wins the battle. Sometimes the idea may seem boring to us, but as we continue to write, something else will come up. 3.Our writing does not have to be immortal(不朽的) or amazing. Writing is just a way to express ourselves. Please don’t worship writing.

Now, what if my writing often shows my dark side that I don’t want to see at all?

4.As human beings, we all have our dark sides. What is the right way for us to become better people? To face them honestly or to hide them and pretend they never exist? Honesty is always the best policy. Our dark sides need to be expressed, and free writing is a perfect outlet. The miracle is, after you express yourself truthfully, you will have less negative emotions, be more at peace with yourself, and have more compassion(同情) for others. 5. Many of my students have experienced the healing effects of free writing. And I believe you will experience the same wonderful healing.

A. This is a very honest question.

B. Logic is only one aspect of writing.

C. Then, what if my ideas are boring?

D. And free writing is exactly the opposite.

E. We write to free ourselves, and also to free others.

F. Have you ever wondered why free writing sets us free?

G. Our goal is not to amaze people, but to express ourselves.

Once a young boy was walking with his father along a country road. When they discovered a very large tree branch by _____ , the boy asked his father _____ ,"Dad, do you think I could move that branch?"

His father _____ and said, "If you use all your strength, I’m sure you can." So the boy tried _____ to lift, pull and push the branch but he couldn’t move it.

Feeling _____ , he said, "Dad, you were wrong. I can’t do it."

His dad said, "Try again." This time, as the boy _____ to deal with the branch, his father joined him and _____ they pushed the branch aside.

"Son," the father said, "the first time you didn’t use all your strength. You didn’t ask me to help."

This is an important _____ . There are many things we can’t do _____ all by ourselves,

_____ that doesn’t mean we can’t get them done. We all are surrounded by _____ that can be worked together to help us _____ our goals including family, friends and faith. Sometimes we _____ to ask for help _____ pride or stubbornness. Sometimes we think it’s a sign of weakness to _____ we need a hand. And sometimes we don’t _____ think about asking for help. Whatever the _____ is, it’s a waste of time. It’s important that we learn to use all our strength that are _____ : this includes inner resources such as discipline, courage and love, and it also includes outer resources. Just as we should be ready to help others and we should be

_____ to ask for the help of others. It’s one of the great things about being human.

Few things in the world are more powerful than a(n) _____ push, a smile, a word of optimism and hope, a "You can do it!" when things are tough.

1.A.mistake B.nature C.order D.accident

2.A.proudly B.curiously C.sadly D.loudly

3.A.worried B.refused C.complained D.nodded

4.A.greatly B.slightly C.gradually D.naturally

5.A.surprised B.relaxed C.discouraged D.ashamed

6.A.promised B.attempted C.claimed D.agreed

7.A.slowly B.again C.fast D.together

8.A.lesson B.amusement C.decision D.advice

9.A.fortunately B.eventually C.regularly D.absolutely

10.A.and B.so C.but D.or

11.A.friends B.resources C.kindnesses D.difficulties

12.A.design B.score C.realize D.achieve

13.A.fail B.choose C.pretend D.need

14.A.instead of B.because of C.think of D.speak of

15.A.forget B.decide C.admit D.discover

16.A.even B.still C.already D.ever

17.A.strength B.matter C.help D.reason

18.A.available B.equal C.normal D.traditional

19.A.certain B.willing C.afraid D.likely

20.A.hard B.sudden C.positive D.obvious

语法填空

Happiness is like a pebble dropped into a pool to cause a circle of ripples. As Stevenson said, "Being happy is a duty."

There is no exact 1. (definite) of the word "happiness". Happy people are happy for all sorts of reasons. The key is not wealth or physical well-being 2. we find beggars, the disabled and so-called failures 3. are extremely happy.

Being happy is a sort of unexpected dividend(红利). But staying happy is an accomplishment, a triumph of the soul. It is not selfish to strive 4. it. It is, indeed, a duty to ourselves and 5. .

Being 6. is like an infectious disease. It causes people to shrink away from the sufferer. He soon finds himself alone and miserable. There is, 7. , a cure so simple that it seems, at first glance, ridiculous: if you don’t feel happy, pretend 8. (be)!

It works. Before long you 9. (find) that instead of annoying people, you attract them. You discover how deeply rewarding it is to be the center of a wider and wider circle of good will.

Then the make-believe becomes 10. reality. You possess the secret of peace of mind, and can forget yourself in being of service to others.

短文改错

Most students go to Internet bars play video games, that takes much of their precious time. Some students even stayed in Internet bars day and night, forgot their studies. No doubt these students will finally end up with their bright future destroy. Furthermore, some student log onto unhealthy websites accidental. And they are finally absorbed to the excitement of reading unhealthy stories or watching dirty videos. All these are harmful to the teenagers and if only this is not controlled or the use of the Internet is not properly guided, some of us will go the wrong way.

书面表达

某英文杂志正在进行主题为"如何正确对待网络信息"的征文活动，请你根据以下提示，用英语写一篇短文向该杂志投稿。

1. 网络信息的特点；2. 如何分辨信息的真假；3. 如何处理不同的信息。

注意： 1. 词数100左右(开头已为你写好，但不计入总词数)；

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

The Internet can be seen as a great source of information.

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Crazy Festivals

Mike the Headless Chicken Festival

In 1945, farmer Lloyd Olsen attempted to cut off the head of Mike, a chicken, so his wife could cook it up for dinner. However, the bird didn’t die and lived another year and a half, making regular trips to the fair, where people paid a quarter to see the amazing headless chicken bird.

Today, the spirit of Mike the headless Chicken is celebrated with a two-day May festival in Fruita, Colorado, which includes live music, a golf tournament（锦标赛）, and lots of tasty chicken.

Roswell UFO Festival

In the summer of 1947, a flying saucer(碟状物) crashed on a large farm outside the town of Roswell, New Mexico. The government says it didn’t come from outer space, but many top UFO researchers believe it did.

Knowing a good thing when it crashes in their backyard, the citizens of Roswell celebrate the even every July with a three-day festival that features a costume contest, a parade and other activities. Be careful, though ---- that odd little person next to you could be from another planet.

World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup

The rattlesnake, a poisonous American snake, severs an important function in nature by keeping small pets under control, but when their numbers grow too large, they can cause serious problems for farmers. That’s why every March the residents of Sweetwater, Texas, host a three-day festival to connect with the town’s annual rattlesnake hunt.

Visitors can learn about rattlesnakes, take a bus tour of their natural habitat, participate in a rattlesnake eating contest and so on.

BugFest

Every September, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh sponsors (倡议) a daylong festival that focuses on something most people try to avoid: insects.

Visitors can hold bugs that are not native, cheer on racing insects and learn about beekeeping. But the highlight for many is Cafe Insecta, where bugs are the main ingredient (食材) in a variety of tasty dishes.

1. Llord Olsen cut off the chicken’s head because ____

A. his family wanted to eat it.

B. he wanted to sell its meat at the fair.

C. his family wanted to celebrate a headless chicken festival.

D. he wanted to make money by showing a headless chicken.

2.The underlined word “odd” could be replaced by ____.

A. irregular B. unusual C. accessible D. scary

3.What’s the purpose of the World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup? ____.

A. To increase the local tourism.

B. To protect rattlesnakes’ habitats.

C. To control the population of rattlesnakes.

D. To introduce the importance of rattlesnakes.

4. Which of the following is the earliest festival of the year? ____.

A. Mike the Headless Chicken Festival. B. Roswell UFO Festival.

C. World’s Largest Rattlesnake Roundup D. BugFest