What does the woman say about the Taj Mahal? 女士介绍了泰姬陵的什么信息？A. It looks older than expected.B. It is built of wood and bricks.C. It stores lots of priceless antiques.D. It has walls decorated with jewels.

阅读理解 (每小题2分,共40分)AAn Englishman, a Frenchman and a Russian were discussing happiness. "Happiness," said the Englishman, "Happiness is when you return home tired after work, yet find your slippers(拖鞋) warming by the fire.""You English have no romance," said the Frenchman. "Happiness is when you go on a business trip, meet a pretty girl who entertains(招待) you -then afterwards you part(分手)without regrets.""You are both wrong," said the Russian. "True happiness is when you are at home in bed and at 4:00 a.m., you hear a hammering at the door and outside stand the secret police, who say to you, 'Ivan ,Ivan, you are under arrest(逮捕)', and you say, 'Sorry, Ivan lives next door.'"51. The Englishman's happiness suggests that _______.A. he should have no time to warm his slippersB. he thinks it the most important to have slippersC. he enjoys the warmth of the familyD. he wants someone to warm his slippers52. What the Frenchman said means that _______.A. a man can be free to play with any pretty girl when possibleB. he wants to marry a girl he lovesC. the Englishman should have more romanceD. he is interested in going on a business trip53. The Russian thought that ________.A. both the Englishman and the Frenchman were not rightB. neither the Englishman nor Frenchman were wrongC. neither the Englishman nor the Frenchman were rightD. either the Englishman or the Frenchman were wrong54. The meaning of the Russian's words is that _______.A. he would like to have a good sleep at nightB. he will feel happy if his neighbor is arrestedC. he will feel afraid if anyone knocks at his door at nightD. he thinks it happiness to feel safe55. The best title for this story is "_______".A. How to Get Happiness B. Different Attitudes towards HappinessC. The Effect of Happiness D. The Importance of HappinessBBelieve it or not, if you do not use your arms or your legs for a long time, they become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, and few of us know that it is just his own fault.Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised.56. The main reason for one's poor memory is that ______.A. his memory is not often usedB. he does not use his arms or legs for some timeC. he can't read or writeD. his father or mother may have a poor memory57. If you do not use your arms or legs for some time, _______.A. you can't use them any moreB. they will become strongerC. they will become weak but they slowly become strong againD. they will become weak and won't become strong until you use them again58. Which of the following is NOT true?A. Your memory like your arms or legs, becomes weak if you do not give it enough chance for practice.B. Don't learn how to read and write if you want to have a better memory.C. A good memory comes from more practice.D. Your memory works in the same way as your arms or legs.59. Some people can't read or write, but they usually have better memories, because_______.A. they have saved much troubleB. they have saved much time to remember thingsC. they can't write everything in a little notebookD. they have to use their memories all the time60. Give the best title for this passage.A. Don't Stop Using Your Arms or LegsB. Strong Arms and Good MemoriesC. How to Have a Good MemoryD. Learn From the PeopleCToday, the paintings by Vincent van Gogh (梵高) are world-famous and worth millions of dollars but while he was alive, Vincent van Gogh sold only one painting. He was a lonely, unhappy man suffering from mental illness, and he died at 37.Vincent van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. His first connection with paintings came in 1869, when he got a job in the Goupil Gallery. He worked for this art dealer (经销商) in London and Paris for four years before he became a teacher in England for a short time. He moved back to France in 1877 and soon began to paint.Gogh was influenced by the famous artists that he met in Paris, where he returned to live in 1886. He did not stay long in the French capital. He was attracted by the vivid(鲜艳的) colors of the countryside and, in 1888, he moved to Aries, a small town in the south of France. There, he painted his most famous paintings, using strong brush strokes(画笔的笔触)and bright colors. Vincent van Gogh mainly painted landscapes (风景画), but he also produced portraits (肖像) of local people, such as the doctor and the postman.It was around this time that Vincent van Gogh began to show signs of mental illness. In 1889, following an argument with another artist, he cut off his own ear. For a time, he lived in a mental hospital in Saint Remy. In 1890, Vincent van Gogh moved to a town called Auvers. For two months, he painted feverishly(狂热地). Then, one day, he went into the fields with a revolver(左轮手枪)and shot himself. He died from his wounds the next day.61. Living in Paris helped Vincent van Gogh to be a better artist because .A. he began to make money thereB. he met some famous artists thereC. he got well again after being illD. he found many beautiful scenes there62. What’s the right order of the following events?a. Vincent van Gogh moved to a town called Auvers.b. Vincent van Gogh met some famous artists in Paris.c. Vincent van Gogh cut off his own ear.d. Vincent van Gogh got a job in Goupil Gallery.A. d b c a B. d b a c C. a c d b D. d a c b63. Which of the following is TRUE about Vincent van Gogh?A. He liked to paint using bright colors.B. He never painted people.C. He was quite rich because his paintings were valuable.D. He began painting in his early childhood.64. What’s the main reason for Vincent van Gogh’s death?A. No one bought his paintings.B. He used up all his inspiration.C. He had mental illness.D. He died by accident.65. This passage is mainly about .A. Vincent van Gogh’s paintingsB. Vincent van Gogh’s deathC. Vincent van Gogh’s illnessD. Vincent van Gogh’s lifeDMaybe you have known that pearls grow inside oysters (牡蛎), but would you ever think to look for diamonds (钻石) inside an ostrich (鸵鸟)? Well, a hunter once shot an ostrich and discovered, to his great surprise, that the big bird had swallowed (吞) some diamonds. How could such a strange thing happen?Like many other birds, the ostrich swallows small stones that stay inside its “gizzard”. The gizzard is a bird’s second stomach. The small stones help to digest(消化) what they eat, because birds don’t have teeth. The bird simply had expensive taste in rocks, for it used the diamonds to digest its dinner.Diamonds and stones aren’t all that an ostrich will swallow. If there are no stones around, it will eat just anything. Sadly for ostriches in zoos, this can be a fatal habit. To swallow anything it sees has caused the death of many吸收ostriches. Cruel or careless people often throw things into the bird’s living space. They throw keys, coins, and even large objects. The ostrich swallows them without hesitation (犹豫). Coins can be the worst. Inside the ostrich, they will cut open the bird’s gizzard from the inside. When one young zoo ostrich died, 484 coins weighing more than eight pounds were found in its gizzard.66. According to the passage, what is the function of “gizzard”?A. It can help an ostrich to store water.B. It can help an ostrich to store food.C. It can help an ostrich to find food.D. It can help an ostrich to digest food.67. What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph 2?A. The diamonds were expensive food for the ostrich.B. The ostrich preferred the taste of the diamonds.C. The ostrich liked to use the diamonds to digest food.D. The ostrich just took the diamonds for ordinary stones.68. What may lead to the death of the ostrich?A. Rocks. B. Coins. C. Diamonds. D. Small stones.69. The last paragraph is mainly to __________.A. introduce an interesting habit of the ostrichB. give a brief introduction of a kind of birdC. call on the public to care more about the food given to the ostrich in the zooD. inform the readers of the eating habit of the ostrich70. The underlined word “fatal” has a similar meaning to “______”.A. kind B. good C. deadly(致命的) D. hateful

patrolvt. 宣称;断言v. 割;修剪v. 巡查;巡逻v. 首次登台;初次露面

While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modern practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the significant events of the past.结构分析: 本句while引导的是个让步状语从句,翻译成“虽然,尽管”,状语从句里用了as…as(与…一样)这个词组,主句的主语是most practice,谓语是动词短语conform to(符合),宾语是代词one,指代前面的名词definition,that引导的是个定语从句,修饰前面的one。定语从句里用了动词短语see…as(把…看作是),因此后面的attempt应该是个名词,后面又接了两个不定式做其后置定语。核心词汇:While(虽然,尽管;当…时候;而);as…as(与…一样);conform to(服从,遵守);modern practice(现代实践);see…as…(把…看作是);recreate(再现,重现)

For decades, Canadians have strived to work hard and save diligently to retire early. At least, that's been the goal. However, those times may be changing as Generation Z (Gen Z)enters the workforce. Some members of Gen Z, particularly those now in their late teens and early-to-mid-20s, seem to be taking a more measured (慎重的)approach to work and money, given the rapidly rising cost of living and an unstable economic environment. They may also be the first generation to normalize people working into their 70s and 80s, as people are living longer and requiring more retirement savings. Still, Gen Z appears to be coping well by embracing a trend known as "soft saving". Soft saving is an offshoot (分支)of the "soft life" trend, driven by Gen Zers who prefer to focus on the quality of life with less stress. The renewed culture of thrifting (淘旧货)is a prime example. Gen Z may see things like thrifting as a way to improve their quality of life in the future by making spending decisions that help the environment today. In some ways, this lifestyle could be a by-product of the socioeconomic shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed how most people work and live. Gen Zers seek a balance between the two. You can see how this same philosophy is shaping how this generation approaches work. Many embrace the blending of in-office and remote work as a way to improve their quality of life. However, prioritizing the quality of life over work and savings doesn't mean they aren't thinking about tomorrow. As they save money and find effective new ways to lower their spending, they are considering using those funds wisely. Setting up a pre-authorized transfer to their investment account, for example, could help them put aside extra money each month to help them enjoy more financial freedom over the long term. As their goals shift over time, a soft saving strategy and the financial habits they're developing today can become the foundation to manage their financial needs in the future. (1) According to the passage, what does the concept of "soft saving" refer to?() A Balancing life quality and financial goals. B Saving a large amount of money for retirement. C Saving money by second-hand shopping. D Working in retirement age to make more money.

ctions:Fill in the blanks in the following passage by selecting sultable words from the word bank.Each word can be used only once.-|||-A) crisis B) vertical C) salvation D) piecing-|||-E hug F)permanent G)deemed H] weary-|||-l) cash-strapped J) scramble K) plight L)aborting-|||-M) monitoning N short-term O)proximity-|||-This 5250 000 papeine(水管)project will hning water from a rock quarry(采石场)seven miles away to Groesbeck In a peaceful state park in central Texas workers are busily 16)-|||-__ together masswe yollow pipes that spell 17) __ for this caty The pipes run along a park road,wind their ways belween trees cross a-|||-street to avoid an anoent graveyard, 18) __ a hill and then land at a treatment plant-|||-Without it what everyone fears most would come true The water would stop running By Tuesday - the date that state officals 19) __ the drought (干旱)-|||-said the town would run out of water, finally sucked dry by drought But it is only a sx-month supply That s enough time The mayor hopes to find a 20) __-|||-soluton-|||-"We will do anything, anything short of hauling water,"He sand-|||-The towns in danger across Texas are finding 21) __ solutions to water supply problems brought on by the drought, some just in time to avord a 22)-|||-__ But tinding a pemanent solution is tnicky and in many cases,expensive That makes the 23) __ of finding water doubly difficult Even if they-|||-could find a fix they also have to 24) __ to find the cash to pay for it-|||-They hope that is long enough to find and complete longer-tarm projects, many of which these 25) __ communites had delayed for years

The company is engaged in an epic struggle for survival.n. 史诗；叙事诗a. 抒情的a. 双边的a. 艰巨的；史诗般的

Satellite communications are so up-to-date that even when ________ in the middle of the Pacific, businessmen can contact their offices as if they were next door.A. glidingB. cruisingC. pilotingD. patrolling

Life really should be one long journey of joy for children who are born with a world of wealth at their tiny feet. But experts on psychological research now believe that silver spoons can leave a bitter taste. If suicide (自杀)statistics are a sign of happiness, then the rich are a miserable lot. Figures show that it is the rich who most often do away with themselves. Dr. Robert Coles, an internationally famous doctor, is the word's top expert on the influence of money on children. He has written a well-received book on the subject, The Privileged Ones, and his research shows that too much money in the family can cause as many problems as too little. “Obviously there are certain advantages to being rich,” says the 53-year-old doctor, “such as better health, education and future work expectation. But most important is the quality of family-life. Money can't buy love.” It can buy a lot of other things, though, and that's where the trouble starts. Rich kids have so much to choose from that they often become confused. Their parents' over favoring can make them spoiled. They tend to travel more than other children, from home to home and country to country, which often makes them feel restless. “But privileged children do have a better sense of their positions in the world,” adds Mr. Coles, “and they are more self-confident.” Today's rich parents perhaps have realized that their riches can be more of a burden than a favor to their children. So they do their best to ensure that their families are as rich in love as they are in money. 12. What does the underlined word “silver spoons” in Paragraph 1 refer to? A. Long journeys B. Tiny feet C. Great wealth D. Kitchen tools 13. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 1? A. Life is one long journey of joy for rich children B. Many rich people often suffer from unhappiness C. Poor people never feel miserable in life D. Rich people are happier than poor people 14. What is the book The Privileged Ones most probably about? A. How money affects the wealthy people... B. How rich people deal with their money C. Why the rich should help the poor D. What are the advantages to being rich 15. According to Dr. Robert Coles, what is the most important to guarantee a happy life? A. Good health B. Good education C. Good jobs D. Good family-life