It’s not often a tomato is described as so sweet ‘whenever people see it they just want to hug it’—but this was no ordinary piece of fruit.

The heart-shaped tomato was grown by the retired worker, Rod Matless, who said he was surprised when he noticed it in his field. Mr Matless, 69, who had a heart attack a few years ago, was so taken aback by the fruit that he decided to sell it and donate(捐赠) the money to the British Heart Foundation. The 64g tomato was bought for £16 on eBay by a woman from Wales—who said she planned to give it to someone special.

Mr Matless, of Wymondham, near Norwich, said: ‘I spent a couple of days thinking about what to do with it and I wasn’t really sure, but this seems like a good use. I hope it will do someone somewhere a bit of good’. He added: ‘It’s very sweet—whenever people see it they just want to hug it.’ But with the tomato’s freshness a key factor(因素), Mr Matless was up against the clock to send it to its new owner before it went bad. He said: ‘I didn’t want to send someone something horrible(特别糟糕的). I probably could have raised a bit more money with more time but I was worried about it.’

‘It will certainly make a nice present for a loved one. I hope that they like it and I’m glad I got to help. It’s all been very good fun and I’ve really enjoyed growing this very special tomato.’

1.We can learn from the text that the tomato grown by Rod Matless ________.

A.is very big B.is very sweet

C.is very special D.is good for health

2.The underlined part “taken aback by” in Paragraph 2 means ________.

A.happy about B.nervous about

C.surprised by D.frightened by

3.According to the text, the main problem for Rod Matless was ______.

A.how to advertise the tomato

B.how to keep the tomato fresh

C.how to get a good price for the tomato

D.how to find a good owner for the tomato

4.What is the main purpose of the text?

A.To advise people to eat tomatoes.

B.To introduce a heart-shaped tomato.

C.To encourage people to buy Rod Matless’s tomato.

D.To describe a kind-hearted person—Rod Matless.

Over the years, many cities and states have tried to put a tax(税) on sugary drinks. Last week, Berkeley, California succeeded. The city in northern California will charge a penny-per-ounce tax on most sugary drinks. The tax is expected to raise more than $1 million every year to fight against obesity(肥胖).

Makers of sugary drinks are against the tax. They say picking out one product will not solve the obesity problem in America. They also argue that a tax is an attack on personal freedom. “Families should be able to make the choice for their kids without the government stepping in,” said Chris Gindlesperger, a spokesperson for the American Beverage Association(美国饮料协会).

Gindlesperger says that the fight against obesity is more successful when the government partners with industry. He shows how the beverage industry worked with President Bill Clinton’s administration is the 1990s. They introduced water, milk, and fruit juice into a large number of schools, which took the place of sugary drinks. More recently, the beverage industry listened to First Lady Michelle Obama’s suggestion that labels(标签)on sugary drinks be clearer. Containers of up to 20 ounces will show the total calories on the front.

Some people say a tax is a surefire way to help reduce obesity in the U.S. “There is clear evidence that taxes result in less consumption(消费) of sugary drinks,” says Dr. Rachel Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She points to Mexico as an example. The country put up a tax on sugary drinks in January, and sales have already dropped by 10%. What’s more, sales of healthier drinks have increased. Bottled water sales are up by 13%. Milk sales are up by 7%.

Another purpose of the tax is to raise money to fight childhood obesity. Money will be used to build playgrounds, create educational materials, and increase the sales of the healthier foods. “We’ve already helped reduce obesity to some degree,” says Dr. Johnson. “I’m confident that we’re going to see even bigger progress soon.”

1.In the 1990s, sugary drinks in many schools _________.

A.were charged a penny-per-ounce tax

B.were not as popular as they are today

C.were replaced by water, milk, and fruit juice

D.were not more than 20 ounces per bottle

2.The underlined word “surefire” in Paragraph 4 can best be replaced by “_________”.

A.good B.stupid C.strange D.new

3.Why does Johnson talk about Mexico?

A.It is her favorite country.

B.She likes Mexican sugary drinks.

C.She tries to show a tax can help a lot.

D.It produces all kinds of sugary drinks.

4.What is the purpose of this text?

A.To ask kids to drink fewer sugary drinks.

B.To show how to fight childhood obesity.

C.To talk about different taxes in Berkeley.

D.To discuss if sugary drinks should be taxed.

Lots of people like a good fright at Halloween(万圣节). Yet, the most frightening thing of all about the night is that twice as many children are killed while out and about on Halloween compared to any other day of the year, according to a study by Safe Kids Worldwide. It can also be a worrying time for others, especially elderly people living alone. But many people think it’s just harmless fun.

But is it harmless fun?

Police forces across Britain are giving warnings about Halloween night. They are asking all those wishing to celebrate Halloween this year to respect those who don’t want to join in.

Some forces, like West Mercia Police, have produced “Sorry, No Trick or Treat”posters which can be downloaded from their website, and put up in windows. They want people to send them to the old or anyone who may be frightened by ghosts(鬼) knocking on their doors.

A spokesman said: “Children should not call on houses where the posters are put up, neither should they call on strangers, as this can put young people at risk and also make some house owners anxious, especially those who are elderly or living alone.”

The police want all trick or treaters to remember that disturbing other people or throwing objects at their homes or cars are all criminal offences(刑事罪). “What may start off as a bit of fun could end up with someone getting a criminal record,” they warn. “Parents may want to consider having a Halloween party at home, instead.”

Kent Police are warning young people never to go into the home of someone they don’t know—and to remember not to frighten people.

Warwickshire Police are also warning that tricks may seem like harmless fun but can cause trouble to others. They say behaviour such as throwing eggs can quickly cross the line between being anti-social and causing criminal damage. This can result in fines of £2,500 for small offences.

1.The study made by Safe kids Worldwide has found that _________.

A.kids are afraid of Halloween

B.Halloween brings people no fun

C.kids are involved in criminal offences

D.Halloween night puts some kids at risk

2.British police forces are making efforts to _________.

A.put an end to trick or treat

B.control anti-social behaviours

C.punish those who frighten others

D.make Halloween safe trouble-free

3.“Sorry, No Trick or Treat ” posters are designed to _________.

A.ask people to respect the elderly.

B.make some people free from harm

C.warn little kids to behave themselves

D.express disagreement with Halloween

完形填空

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

On one of those perfectly sunny grandma-babysitting days, we set off to play in a nearby park. Kids were the merry-go-round(旋转木马) and the swings. But what my four-year-old grandson was the tennis court(球场).

Two kids were riding their bikes in and out of the lines on the newly finished . Their parents sat on a bench just inside the gated entrance. The kids laughed as they one another.

A sign was clearly posted on the entrance—No Allowed.

Just beginning his reading lesson, my grandson knew the word “No”. He asked me what came next. I told him that the asked people not to ride bikes on the tennis court. He was just four years old, he could clearly see two kids riding their bikes where they shouldn’t be .

We watched for a little while and then he reached up to the gate. I thought that he wanted to watch the kids more clearly. , he walked straight over to the couple and asked if they________ what the sign said. Oh, what a four-year-old!

The man gave me an unfriendly look and then said that it didn’t matter.

I led my grandson away from the tennis court and told him that sometimes people don’t like ________ rules.

By now, those kids are probably in middle school. What they ________ on that tennis court could be impacting(影响) their lives today. I wonder whether those parents will ________ if their kids think that some rules don’t matter. ________ speed limits when they drive, or cheating on a test? Sometimes it’s the ________ things that matter the most.

1.A.enjoying B.choosing C.drawing D.passing

2.A.surprised B.moved C.attracted D.worried

3.A.road B.stage C.playground D.court

4.A.helped B.faced C.greeted D.raced

5.A.Tourists B.Photos C.Children D.Bicycles

6.A.never B.already C.seldom D.sometimes

7.A.games B.lessons C.words D.toys

8.A.family B.sign C.manager D.notice

9.A.but B.because C.since D.so

10.A.repaired B.offered C.refused D.allowed

11.A.close B.touch C.open D.paint

12.A.Once B.Instead C.Again D.Besides

13.A.knew B.heard C.minded D.doubted

14.A.simple B.proud C.brave D.busy

15.A.coldly B.happily C.softly D.kindly

16.A.making B.changing C.following D.breaking

17.A.lost B.saved C.learned D.found

18.A.care B.smile C.argue D.remember

19.A.Because of B.How about C.Just for D.According to

20.A.free B.hard C.little D.real

The Horn of Plenty is one of the largest natural health food stores within the Greater Hamilton area. We are big supporters of buying locally and we are here to tell you why it is so important for your family, the community and the environment.

The concept of buying locally is simple: buy food produced, grown, or raised as close to your home as possible. Not only will your food be fresher and tastier, but you are helping protect the environment and are supporting businesses within your community and reducing pollution.

Better for the environment

Sustainability (持续性) and global warming are such hot topics at the moment, and many people want to do their bit to help support a healthier environment. Small action carried out by many people can make a big difference. Most materials in an average North American meal have traveled about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate. To cut out a big part of this travel would greatly reduce not only pollution from transportation and refrigeration but also customers’ expenses as well.

Taste and nutritional content

Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested. Because they are picked at the height of ripeness (成熟) and travel only a short distance to the market, their freshness, nutrition, and flavor are kept. Produce trucked in from far away may lose both taste and nutritional content.

Community and home values

When you buy direct from a farmer or buy locally-grown foods, you are engaged in a time-honored tradition between a grower and an eater. You also help keep dollars within your community.

1.It can be inferred from the third paragraph that ___________.

A. global warming is the most serious problem now

B. North American food is rich in various kinds of materials

C. the increased cost of transporting food is passed on to the customers

D. most people support buying locally

2. Locally-grown fruits and vegetables taste good mostly because___________.

A. they are picked when they are fully grown

B. they are not polluted by chemical fertilizer

C. they can be harvested at any time

D. they are sent to the market at a high speed

3.According to the author, when you buy locally-grown foods ___________.

A. you can see how fruits and vegetables grow

B. you will contribute to protecting the environment

C. you will become much healthier and prettier

D. you are making money from your community

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. The way to keep your food tasty and healthy.

B. The popularity of the Horn of Plenty.

C. The importance of protecting the environment.

D. The benefits of buying locally.

A classical guitarist was excited to hear from New York City police that his valuable guitar had been found. It disappeared almost a year ago when he got out of a cab and forgot to take the guitar with him. Laurence Lennon, 44, said he was running late that day. He was talking to his manager on his cell phone when he dashed out of the taxi. He said that he gave the driver $ 60 and told him to keep the change. He walked through the front doors of the concert hall still talking on the phone to his manager.

Upon discovering his loss, Lennon used his cell phone to call the police. The policewoman asked him for the name of the cab company, the number of the cab, and the name of the driver. He said that she had to be kidding.

She told Lennon that he could file a missing items report at the police station or online. Lennon asked for the online address. She told him that finding the guitar might take a couple of years—finding guitars was not as important as finding murderers and marijuana smokers. Then she told him to have a nice day.

“This year has been depressing,” said Lennon. “I had to put off the recording of two new CDs. I've been using borrowed guitars. And I was losing hope of ever recovering my guitar.”

Lennon was reunited with his $ 100,000 musical instrument yesterday. The case and the guitar had been discovered in the corner of a coffee house only two blocks from where Lennon had lost it in the first place. Lennon had offered a $ 10,000 reward for its return. He said he would give the reward to the coffee house owner, who had informed the police.

1.It can be inferred from this reading passage that________.

A. Lennon couldn't give any useful information about the driver and his cab

B. Lennon gave the driver much more money than what was actually needed

C. Lennon was too busy talking to his friend to remember to pay the cab driver

D. Lennon used to work at the concert hall in New York City

2. The policewoman told Lennon________.

A. not to worry about the guitar

B. to have a nice day in New York City

C. to wait with patience

D. to find the cab driver and talk to him

3. Which of the following is the most important according to the policewoman?

A. Finding a lost guitar. B. Finding the cab driver.

C. Enjoying one's own life D. Finding murderers.

4.The underlined word“depressing”can be best explained by“________”.

A. making people unfortunate

B. making people feel sad

C. making people losing money

D. making people losing good luck

Having a great collection of books at home doesn’t really mean that you are a person who has a passion for literature and reading. It can be a family inheritance(继承) or it can be just to impress people around you about the fact that you are a person of culture. On the other hand, there are many persons who cannot afford to buy books, because some of them are quite expensive, but they usually go to libraries and spend hours reading something that interests them a lot, or just borrow books to read at home.

From my point of view, literature is very important in our lives from several points of view. For example, reading is a means of gaining culture and enriching our knowledge in different areas of activities. It can help us have a great imagination and it makes things easier when it comes to making compositions on different themes. It gives you the possibility to speak about science, even if you don’t work in this field, or you can express your opinion about a political aspect, just because you have read something connected to that.

Secondly, literature offers us the possibility to enter the world of imagination, and to leave apart the real one for a couple of hours. We come to meet kings and queens many years ago, dream in the world of the rich or imagine how life will be in the future. Sometimes, we identify ourselves with the characters in the stories we read and they can give us some clues to solve our problems and how to react in certain circumstances.

To conclude, I would like to say that literature is the perfect means to enrich our culture, to express correctly and have a rich vocabulary, to be able to interfere(干涉) in conversations in different fields of interest and to really be considered an erudite person.

1. The people who are fond of literature are those that _________.

A. go to libraries on weekends

B. buy expensive books in the bookstore

C. keep many books in their studies

D. have much interest in reading

2.We can learn from the third paragraph that _________.

A. we can bring kings and queens back to life

B. what we read can be useful in our daily life

C. it is very good for us to stay alone for some hours

D. we can make friends with the people in the stories

3.The underlined word “erudite” in the last paragraph probably means_________.

A. hard-working B. enthusiastic

C. learned D. creative

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To advise readers to like reading.

B. To explain the true meaning of reading.

C. To tell readers how to read a book.

D. To tell readers who has the real passion for literature.

完形填空,阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

With his leg lame(瘸的)and his teeth uneven(参差不齐的), the boy almost thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world. ________ did he play with his classmates, and when asked to answer questions, he always ________ his head without a word.

One spring, his father brought home some young trees. ________ of his children would plant a young tree and he promised, “Whoever ________his young tree best shall get a favorite gift.” The boy certainly wanted to get his father’s gift. ________ he seeing his brothers and sisters watering the trees, an idea ________ him: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never ________ it.

Several days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was ________ to find that not only did it not die, but also grew so many fresh ________ . Compared with those of his brothers and sisters, his appeared greener. His father kept his ________, bought the little boy one of his favorite ________ and said that from the tree he planted, he would surely become an outstanding botanist(植物学家)when he grew up.

From then on, the little boy slowly became ________ and confident. One night, he suddenly ________ that his biology teacher once said that plants ________ grow at night. Why not go to see his tree?

When he came to the courtyard, he found his father was working near his tree! Instantly he ________ : his father had been secretly ________ his small tree! He returned to his room, with tears ________ in his eyes.

Decades passed. The little boy didn’t become a botanist. ________ , he became the U.S. president. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.

________ is the best nourishment(滋养品)of life. ________ it is just a bucket of water, it can make the tree of life grow well!

1.A. Seldom B. Ever C. Still D. Often

2.A. held B. lowered C. raised D. covered

3.A. Both B. None C. Each D. Every

4.A. likes B. protects C. watches D. grows

5.A. And B. But C. Before D. So

6.A. arranged B. remained C. defeated D. struck

7.A. attended to B. appealed to C. adapted to D. turned to

8.A. disappointed B. frightened C. surprised D. amused

9.A. leaves B. roots C. branches D. seeds

10.A. agreement B. balance C. word D. opinion

11.A. trees B. gifts C. toys D. flowers

12.A. satisfied B. certain C. independent D. optimistic

13.A. remembered B. believed C. repeated D. knew

14.A. voluntarily B. hardly C. recently D. generally

15.A. reminded B. wondered C. understood D. admitted

16.A. cutting B. watering C. decorating D. growing

17.A. falling B. welling C. dropping D. crying

18.A. Instead B. Besides C. Moreover D. Therefore

19.A. Father B. Water C. Disability D. Love

20.A. So long as B. If only C. Even though D. Now that

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