The United States has all sorts of geography, from deserts to beaches, mountains to flatlands. These conditions help create all sorts of weather: hot, wet, dry, mild and so on. Sometimes all in one day!

1. But others have dry air, so the heat does not feel so bad. In winter, parts of the country get cold and snowy while others stay warm and sunny. This is the difference between, for example, New York City on the East Coast and Los Angeles on the West Coast. Yet even the East Coast has its warm places in winter, like Florida.

2. The Pacific coast has smaller temperature changes, and calmer conditions, than along the Atlantic. Weather in the central and northeastern parts of the country is affected by cold air from Canada and warm air from the Caribbean. 3. The hurricane season is, officially, from June to November. The weather service says the United States gets more severe weather than any other country.

You know, we do not mean to scare you with all this talk about bad weather. The country also has lots of really nice weather. If you ever plan a trip to the United States, just be sure to read the local weather reports. 4.

A. Conditions can change quickly in a short period of time.

B. That way you can get prepared for whatever the weather may bring.

C. To know about the local weather conditions.

D. Hurricanes are ocean storms that strike mainly in the Southeast.

E. The oceans affect weather along the coasts.

F. In summer, some areas get very hot and the air is very wet.

G. The winter is warm in Florida.

Internet data shows that younger adults have become the main audience crazy about changing their appearance. Once the world of the female in her fifties, plastic surgery(整形手术) has become the focus of the younger Internet users.

The recent death of Stephanie Kuleba, an 18-year-old high school cheerleader who died as a result of plastic surgery, brought our attention to the fashion of becoming a more “ideal” body among teenagers. In fact, search data confirms this phenomenon. One of the most popular sites visited from the search term “plastic surgery” is the official site of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (www. plastic surgery. org). Over 25% of the visitors, which is up from 19.6% two years ago, fell within the 18 to 24 years old.

Plastic surgery has become an American obsession (痴迷). Checking other countries, such as the UK and Australia, the 18 to 24-year-old’s being interested in plastic surgery is an obvious US phenomenon. Unlike the other groups who visit sites related to diseases and keeping healthy, younger Internet users rush to sites that deal with personal appearance, such as those focused on body-building, weight loss and skin-care, and obviously plastic surgery.

While television on surgery may be driving the interest of a younger audience, one factor appears to be a key in preventing such teens from changing their bodies: the failing U.S. economy. There has been a decline in all plastic surgery topics over the last year. While older age continue to search for information on procedures such as liposuction(抽脂), it’s younger Internet users who in tough economic times are focusing on improving their outer beauty, though at a discount price.

1.Why does the author mention the death of the 18-year-old cheerleader?

A. To show cheerleaders pay more attention to their appearance.

B. To warn people that plastic surgery is not as safe as it is said to be.

C. To prove the fact that people will pursue beauty at any cost.

D. To draw attention to the issue of young people having plastic surgery.

2.While young people are surfing on the Internet, they are very interested in____________.

A. how to be physically and mentally healthy.

B. how to make themselves look young.

C. how to prevent and cure diseases.

D. how to have more attractive appearance.

3.What may affect young people’s decision on whether to have plastic surgery?

A. The safety of the operation

B. The total expense of the surgery.

C. The need for having the operation.

D. The results of the surgery.

When one loves one’s Art, no service seems too hard.

Joe was a man with a genius(天才) for art. Delia did things in six octaves(音阶) promisingly.

Joe and Delia became in love with one of the other, or each of the other, as you please, and in a short time were married – for (see above), when one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard.

They began housekeeping in a flat. It was a lonesome(无人迹的) flat, but they were happy; for they had their Art, and they had each other.

Joe was learning painting in the class of the great Magister – you know his fame. His fees are high; his lessons are light – his high-lights have brought him fame. Delia was studying under Rosenstock – you know his reputation as a disturber of the piano keys.

They were mighty(非常地) happy as long as their money lasted. 

After a while, Art flagged(减退). Everything going out and nothing coming in, money was lacking to pay Mr. Magister and Rosenstock their prices. When one loves one’s Art, no service seems too hard. So, Delia said she must give music lessons to make the ends meet.

For two or three days she went out looking for pupils. One evening she came home overjoyed.

“Joe, dear,” she said, cheerfully, “I’ve a pupil. And, oh, the loveliest people! General – General Pinkney’s daughter Clementina – on Seventy-first street.”

“That’s all right for you, Dele,” said Joe, “but how about me? Do you think I’m going to let you work while I play in the regions of high art? ”

Delia came and hung about his neck.

“Joe, dear, you are silly. You must keep on at your studies. It is not as if I had quit my music and gone to work at something else. While I teach I learn. I am always with my music.”

“All right,” said Joe. “But I may sell some of my pictures as well.”

The next few weeks, they both busied themselves with their own business and brought back a ten, a five, a two and a one – all legal tender notes – and laid them beside each others’ earnings.

One Saturday evening Joe reached home first. He spread his $18 on the table and washed what seemed to be a great deal of dark paint from his hands.

Half an hour later Delia arrived, her right hand tied up in a shapeless bundle(束) of wraps and bandages(绷带).

“How is this?” asked Joe. Delia laughed, but not very joyously. “Clementina,” she explained, “insisted upon a Welsh rabbit(一种奶酪) after her lesson. In serving the rabbit she spilled a great lot of it, boiling hot, over my wrist. Nothing serious, dear.”

“What time this afternoon did you burn your hand, Dele?”

“Five o’clock, I think,” said Dele. “The iron – I mean the rabbit came off the fire about that time.”

“Sit down here a moment, Dele,” said Joe. “What have you been doing for the last few weeks, Dele?” he asked.

She braved it for a moment or two with an eye full of love and stubbornness, but at last down went her head and out came the truth and tears.

“I couldn’t get any pupils,” she wept. “I got a place ironing shirts in that big Twenty-fourth street laundry(洗衣店). A girl in the laundry set down a hot iron(熨斗) on my hand this afternoon. I think I did very well to make up both General Pinkney and Clementina. What made you ever suspect that I wasn’t giving music lessons?”

“I didn’t,” said Joe, “until tonight. And I wouldn’t have then, only I sent up this cotton waste and oil from the engine-room this afternoon for a girl upstairs who had her hand burned with a smoothing-iron. I’ve been firing the engine in that laundry for the last few weeks.”

“And then you didn’t …” said Delia

And then they both looked at each other and laughed, and Joe began:

“When one loves one’s Art no service seems …”

But Delia stopped him with her hand on his lips. “No,” she said – “just ‘When one loves.’”

1.What can we know about the couple from the story?

A. They both became famous for their talents in art.

B. They turned out to be working at the same laundry.

2.What qualities of the couple’s are best conveyed in the story?

A. intelligent and economical B. faithful and romantic

C. considerate and giving D. hardworking and loyal[

3.Which of the following does NOT give readers a clue(线索) that the couple were telling white lies?

A. Delia said she must give music lessons to make the ends meet.

B. Joe washed what seemed to be a great deal of dark paint from his hands.

C. Delia’s right wrist was tied up in a shapeless bundle of wraps and bandages.

D. “The iron – I mean the rabbit came off the fire about that time” said Dele.

4.Why does the author repeat “When one loves one’s Art no service seems too hard.”?

A. To reveal the theme of the story.

B. To explain the author’s writing purpose.

C. To indicate the sad mood of the story.

D. To assist with the development of the story.

5.What can serve as the best title of this story?

A. A Service of Love B. A Service of Art

C. No Art No Love D. The Love for Art

I still remember the first day of fourth grade. Later that day, my teacher read us a chapter from The Witches by Roald Dahl. Instantly, I was impressed by Roald Dahl’s clever and amusing style of writing, as well as the complex details of his story. It was as if the writing had flown off the paper and been illustrated (插画) into a picture book. To this day, I consider Roald Dahl my hero because of his exceptional play of words that has led me to understand the power of writing.

Through writing, Roald Dahl was able to show readers the wonderful but mysterious path of life. He shared with others the strong feelings of great success, joy, tragedy and violent anger. Reading his books is often like riding emotional roller coasters, where one moment, you are alongside the characters, laughing at their foolishness, but the next moment crying for their mistakes.

I remember when I first read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a classic novel about a penniless family whose son, Charlie, found a golden ticket that changed their lives. The story was centered on how anyone has the chance for success, but unfortunately also the chances of letting their ego(自我) override their moral values (道德价值).Through Roald Dahl’s carefully planned plot, Charlie showed me the childish joys of life are often overlooked, when they are actually the foundations for success. He showed me the bitter realities of life, where sometimes, others will move on without you. But mostly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened my eyes to the world of reading -- where there would always be a character by your side, guiding you through your own life journey.

Although I have never met Roald Dahl personally, I was able to understand and gain insight (洞察) into his personality through the characters he developed in his novels. Roald Dahl used his understandings to skillfully strengthen the characters’ thoughts and actions. Roald Dahl is my hero. He is able to put lifelong lessons and his brilliant imagination into a simple novel that can be understood by anybody.

Roald Dahl’ s writing is admirable not only because of his attractive and interesting stories, themes and characters, but also because of the great efforts he put into developing, his unique and individual style of writing.

1.What can we learn about Roald Dahl’ s writing?

A. It’ s full of illustrations.

B. It’ s humorous and vivid.

C. It’ s difficult to understand:

D. It’ s intended for adult readers.

2.What can we infer about Roald Dahl from Paragraph 2?

A. He enjoyed riding roller coasters.

B. He often created stupid characters.

C. He was easily affected by others’ feelings.

D. He could arouse strong emotions in readers.

3.What do we know about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

A. It deeply influences the author.

B. It talks about Charlie S weaknesses.

C. It s based on Roald Dahl s experiences.

D. It’ s Roald Dahl’ s most successful novel.

4.What does the author say about the characters Roald Dahl created?

A. They have strong beliefs.

B. They have simple thoughts.

C. They reflect Roald Dahl’ s inner world.

D. They are developed from Roald Dahl’s friends.

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