When Luca first heard of the Island of Inventions, he was still very young. But its wonders sounded so incredible that they were forever burned in his memory. From that moment, he never stopped searching for clues which might lead him to the island. He read hundreds of adventure books, histories, volumes of physics and chemistry, even music.

Over time, he pieced together his idea of what the Island of Inventions was like. It was a secret place, where all the great wise men of the world would meet to learn and invent together. Access to the island was totally restricted. To join, you had to have created some great invention for humanity. Only then could you receive the special invitation — which came with directions to the island.

So Luca spent his youth studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were something he didn't understand, he’d seek others to help him. Soon he met other young inventors and he told them about the Island of Inventions. They too dreamed of one day receiving an invitation letter.

As years passed, the disappointment of not receiving their invitation made Luca and his friends work harder and co-operate more. They would meet in Luca's house, share their ideas and build new machines. Their inventions became known throughout the world, and improved the lives of millions.

But still, no invitation came.

They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing every day, trying to come up with more and better ideas. Fresh young talent joined their group, as more inventors dreamed of getting to the island.

One day many years later, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man named Roberts, who had written to him, asking him to join the group. Luca started telling the man of the wonderful Island of Inventions, and of how he was sure that some day they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor interrupted: “You mean this place isn’t the Island of Inventions? Isn't the letter you sent me the real invitation?”

It was only then that Luca realised that his dream had become true in his very own house. No island could exist which would be better than where he was now. No place of invention would be better than what he and his friends had created. Luca felt happy to know that he had always been on the island, and that his life of invention and study had been a truly happy one.

1.Why did Luca and his colleagues probably never receive an invitation to the island?

A. Their ideas were not considered worthy enough.

B. They were too concerned with acquiring fame.

C. The organization had already broken up.

D. The island was not a real place.

2.What did Luca learn at the end of the story?

A. The island of inventions did not exist.

B. He had wasted most of his life.

C. He had unknowingly built his own dreamland.

D. He finally would receive his invitation.

3.Which of the following best describes Luca?

A. Aggressive. B. Trusting.

C. Creative. D. Easy-going.

I was blind, but I was ashamed of it if it was known. I refused to use a white stick and hated asking for help. After all, I was a teenage girl, and I couldn’t bear people to look at me and think I was not like them. I must have been a terrible danger on the roads. Coming across me wandering through the traffic, motorists probably would have to stop rapidly on their brakes. Apart from that, there were all sorts of disasters that used to occur on the way to and from work.

One evening, I got off the bus about halfway home where I had to change buses, and as usual I ran into something. “I’m awfully sorry,” I said and stepped forward only to run into it again. When it happened a third time, I realized I had been apologizing to a lamppost. This was just one of the stupid things that constantly happened to me. So I carried on and found the bus stop, which was a request stop, where the bus wouldn’t stop unless passengers wanted to get on or off. No one else was there and I had to guess if the bus had arrived.

Generally in this situation, because I hated showing I was blind by asking for help, I tried to guess at the sound. Sometimes I would stop a big lorry and stand there feeling stupid as it drew away. In the end, I usually managed to swallow my pride and ask someone at the stop for help.

But at this particular evening no one joined me at the stop; it seemed that everyone had suddenly decided not to travel by bus. Of course I heard plenty of buses pass, or I thought I did. But because I had given up stopping them for fear of making a fool of myself, I let them all go by. I stood there alone for half an hour without stopping one. Then I gave up. I decided to walk on to the next stop.

1.The girl refused to ask for help because she thought_________.

A. she might be recognized

B. asking for help looked silly

C. she was normal and independent

D. being found blind was embarrassing

2.After the girl got off the bus that evening, she_________.

A. began to run

B. hit a person as usual

C. hit a lamppost by accident

D. was caught by something

3.What was the problem with guessing at the sound to stop a bus?

A. Other vehicles also stopped there.

B. It was unreliable for making judgments.

C. More lorries than buses responded to the girl.

D. It took too much time for the girl to catch the bus.

4.Finally the girl decided to walk to the next stop, hoping__________.

A. to find people there

B. to find more buses there

C. to find the bus by herself there

D. to find people more helpful there

完形填空

阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从1-20各题所给的四个选项(A,B,C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time ________ in many ways.

Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a ________ _ meaning to the event. It is not a _ ________ to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, _________ he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that something is urgent and ________ immediate attention.

The same meaning is ________ telephone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he may think it is a _________ of life or death. The time chosen for the call ________ its importance.

In social life, time plays a very ________ _ part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the _________ to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But this is not _________ in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far ________ because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be _________ .

The meaning of time _________ from place to place in the world. _________, misunderstandings often arise between people from different cultures that ________ _ time differently. For example, promptness (准时) is ________ greatly in American life. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as ________ or not fully responsible. In the US, no one would think of keeping a business partner _________ for an hour; it would be too rude. A person who is five minutes late is _________ to make a short apology.

1.A. wastes B. runs C. travels D. communicates

2.A. precious B. ridiculous C. special D. rare

3.A. deal B. custom C. problem D. duty

4.A. whenever B. though C. once D. while

5.A. requires B. escapes C. pays D. gives

6.A. compared with B. covered with C. devoted to D. attached to

7.A. matter B. story C. game D. view

8.A. reduces B. ignores C. stresses D. doubts

9.A. different B. significant C. small D. equal

10.A. plan B. wish C. gift D. invitation

11.A. useful B. true C. clear D. grateful

12.A. on time B. at length C. by chance D. in advance

13.A. forgotten B. remembered C. canceled D. opposed

14.A. rushes B. separates C. varies D. keeps

15.A. Meanwhile B. Thus C. Otherwise D. Besides

16.A. make B. kill C. treat D. save

17.A. valued B. complained C. seized D. influenced

18.A. helpless B. desperate C. impolite D. unlucky

19.A. working B. waiting C. approaching D. thinking

20.A. expected B. forced C. refused D. blessed

Below are the best four applications(应用,网络用语app) to help you organize your closet—and trust us, there really is something for everyone.

Closet

If you're looking to create your own digital closet, then this app is for you. Closet helps you categorize your outfits and keeps you up­to­date on what you've already worn.

PROS(优点): Very simple and user­friendly. Great for helping you look at your own closet without feeling overwhelmed.

CONS(缺点): No social interactions.

Pose

The app makes things insanely easy for the indecisive shopper. So if you're debating whether or not to buy something, you can get a second opinion. The app also gathers photos of items that you wish to buy and items you already own, so they are all in one spot.

PROS: When you sign up, you fill out a short survey that helps identify your personal style and subsequently finds people with similar taste that you can follow for inspiration.

CONS: The phone application is more visually appealing than the actual website.

Stylitics

It allows you to categorize your clothes by color, brand, pattern and more. And if you're wondering whether you have already worn an outfit, simply check your style calendar.

PROS: The app comes with a “Today in Fashion History” tip so you can brush up on your style knowledge.

CONS: You can't view your style profile using the app yet unless you log on to the site.

Walk in My Closet

If you're browsing the Internet, looking for something to buy, you can instantly add the item to your virtual(虚拟的) closet so that your wish list items are all in one place. Besides sharing your closet with other users, you can also sell items you no longer want.

PROS: The “Moodboard” is a great way to gather inspiring looks that you like from other users and fashion experts.

CONS: The luggage feature, which allows you to prepare outfits for an upcoming trip, is only available on the site; it would be useful if it were on the app.

1.Which of the following is designed for people who often hesitate when buying clothes?

A.Closet. B.Pose.

C.Stylitics. D.Walk in My Closet.

2.What can we learn about Walk in My Closet from the passage?

A.It is a simple and user­friendly app.

B.It helps you confirm your personal style.

C.It combines both shopping and organizing your closet.

D.It requires you to log on the site to view your style profile.

3.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A.about the four best fashion apps to help organize your closet

B.how to use these fashion apps

C.that everyone can find their own personal style

D.that we should share our closet with friends

Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms. Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job. They are in many ways just like archaeologists (考古学家) digging up the physical history of people and events. The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind.

The English language, in particular, is a great field to explore history through words As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words. This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily. For example, "English" words such as kindergarten(from German), croissant(from French), and cheetah(from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings. So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore.

Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries. No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, like the great detective Sherlock Holmes. What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words.

One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK. Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day. Even its spelling is not entirely consistent-unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word.

Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source. It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840. His nickname was Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known. It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source. Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the initial source. However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked.

1.The author mentions the words like "croissant" in Paragraph 2 to indicate?

A. words have changed a lot in the two languages

B. what English-language etymologists are exploring now

C. English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages

D. the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people

2.The underlined word "pursued" in Paragraph 4 means ?

A. looked upon B. dug up

C. put in D. set down

3.We can learn from the passage that etymologists

A. discover the possible origin of words

B. help detectives to solve mysterious murders

C. write interesting stories for some newspapers

D. explore the English language as well as the recent events

4.What is the main purpose of the passage ?

A. To present the history of English words

B. To explain the procedure of an etymologist's job

C. To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots.

D. To teach readers how to distinguish English and non-English words

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