Essays for Early Writers

1   for the essay writers: For each essay, begin with a topic (focus) sentence that   2   the main ideas that you will be writing about. Then write at least four to five sentences that clearly explain the   3   of your essay. End the essay with a strong closing sentence that summarizes what you wrote. Check that your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct.   4   to use complete sentences and write neatly!

General Topics:

Book Report: Use this form to write a book report, noting the book’s name, author, main character,   5  ,and plot summary.

Movie Review: Review a movie. Include a description   6   the characters, the story, the scenery, and what you liked the   7   and the least about the movie.

A Veteran’s Story: Write a page about a relative or friend who was in the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, or National Guard. Who was this person, when did this person   8  , was it during a war, what did that person do during their service, and what are their recollections (回忆)of their service?

A Friend: Write about what being a friend means to you.  9   what friends do and how they behave with each other and with other people. What happens when friends disagree?

Improve the World: what you would do to improve the world? Think of actions you could take to help make the world a   10   place. June 23 is United Nations Public Service Day.

Instruments      B. Installments          C. Indications            D. Instructions

A. states          B. talks                     C. speaks                  D. says

A. object         B. words                   C. point                    D. purpose

A. Insure         B. Make sure             C. See to it that         D. Assure

A. setting        B. content                 C. people                  D. topic

A. with           B. for                       C. to                         D. of

A. best            B. more                    C. most                     D. better

A. study          B. serve                    C. do                        D. stay

A. Describe     B. Imagine                C. Review                 D. Report

A. clean         B. easy                     C. better                   D. neatly

Seeing a volcano erupt (喷发) is a wonderful experience, and you can really feel the beat by climbing to the summit(山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view. There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua. Giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.

Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua, a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua, you won’t miss the Pacaya-tour companies.

But climbing Pacaya is no easy job: it is 2560 metres high, and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements. As you climb, you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above. Steaming. Hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit; the McKenney Cone(火山锥). Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone, the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old, inactive summit.

Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano is plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(熔岩) and the darkening sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils, sending red lava over its sides, and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night. the burning lava quietly falls down tae side of the volcano. For you, too, it is time to get down .

68. What is the main purpose of this passage?

  A. To attract tourists to Pacaya.

  B. To describe the beauty of Pacaya.

  C. To introduce guided tours to Pacaya.

D. To explain the power of nature at Pacaya.

69. Antigua is a city      .

   A. where people can enjoy cultural festivals

   B. where the daring Pacaya tour starts

   C. that gives a close-up view of Paraya

   D. that is famous for its tour companies

70. Climbing to the McKenney Cone, people will     .

   A. walk directly to the active summit

   B. hear the continuous loud noise from above

   C. make greater efforts than to other summits

   D. see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions

71. Many tours are timed for people to      .

   A. get down the mountain in time when night falls

   B. avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone

   C. enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky

   D. appreciate the scenery of the 2560-metre-high mountain

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, tired.

       It doesn’t have to be this way.

       In fact active vacations are often the most relaxing of all. We don’t expect you to take up jogging(慢跑), or climbing. Rather, we ask the sedentary(久坐的) vacations among you to spend two to four hours a day doing things, such as walking in the city street, going to a zoo or biking along the ocean.

       These kinds of activities aren’t just good for your physical health. They improve your mental health, even your spiritual health. Here are some fresh ideas to make your vacations as pleasurable as they are active and healthy.

       A walk at dawn or dusk helps keep you young. Try to make this a daily habit of life when you’re away from home, and you will guarantee yourself both physical and spiritual refreshment.

      Don’t allow yourself to spend all your time sitting in front of water. Whether it is the ocean, a swimming pool, or a tree-lined lake, make sure you get into the water for swimming or games, or even walking. Merely standing in waist-high water is a good workout, thanks to the action of the water. And you’ll feel so much more active!

       Many of us spend a large chunk of our vacation 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. Frequently get out and stretch, walk, picnic, shop, visit, and have fun. It’s important for your health and energy, and it makes traveling a lot more active and interesting

The idea in the text is mainly to _______.

A. suggest ways to make vacations relaxing

B. suggest places for relaxing vacations

C. explain the reasons for having vacations

D. explain the relationship between vacations and health

Which of the following can be considered as a form of exercise?

A. Sitting by a lake.             B. Standing in water.

C. Staying in a car.        D. Enjoying beautiful scenery.

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

A. have vacations frequently         B. get out of the car frequently

C. go on vacations on foot            D. stay in a car seat

 阅读下面相关信息介绍，并按照要求匹配信息。

首先请阅读下面的旅游路线信息。

Here is a selection of the tours organized for the coming year.

A. 8 days mountaineering trip --- climb Yunnan’s third highest peak, the Haba snow mountain. This is ideal for people loving adventure. You need to be fit and healthy.

B. 8 days cycling tour from Qiaotou Town--- visit the spectacular Tiger Leaping Gorge. It is a leisurely tour suitable for anyone who is reasonably fit and healthy. No previous cycling experience is necessary and all our routes are on flat land.

C. 8 days river rafting—white water adventure on the Yangtze from the old town of Lijiang. This adults-only tour is exclusively for good swimmers, physically fit.

D. 10 days rainforest trek--- spend 5 days in the forest and meet the local people. This is a walking tour and no previous experience is needed, just a curious mind and an interest in traditional cultures.

E. 10 days horse trekking tour—visit authentic Tibetan villages of Shangri-la. The ultimate horse-riding experience in a spectacular mountain environment. This trip is for confirmed riders only. Don’t expect three-star hotels on this trip

F. 7 days camping--- backpacking is the top activity at this camp, including classes in backpacking stove operation, back country first aid, water purification, and map and compass skills.

请阅读下面有出游意向的人的要求，然后匹配出相应的路线。

46. The Smiths: a family of four, including parents, a sixteen-year-old son and a thirteen-year-old daughter, who are looking for a fun holiday. All four are good riders.

47. Mr. and Mrs. Green: a retired couple who are reasonably fit and who want to find out more about ethnic minorities’ cultures.

48. A group of four young adults: they are into all extreme sports and looking for something with plenty of excitement. They are more interested in the scenery than in the life of the locals.

49. The Simpsons: a family of five including a ten-year-old girl. They have many different interests and they are looking for a relaxing holiday.

50. Robert and Lisa: a honeymoon couple who want the holiday of a lifetime. They are both sporty types and love water sports.

人名                                路线

46 .The Smiths                          A. 8 days mountaineering trip

47 .Mr. and Mrs. Green               B. 8 days cycling tour from Qiaotou Town

48. A group of four young adults         C. 8 days river rafting

49. The Simpsons                     D. 10 days rainforest trek

50. Robert and Lisa                    E. 10 days horse trekking tour

F. 7 days camping

After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery beyond the glass rather than see it?

That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included an armful of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily. What’s worse, after I had read several pages on my own, the words slipped off the page into inky pools.

However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.

In my room, Mom’s voice competed with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people’s challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.

True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious (珍贵的) gift from a mother to her child.

1.Why did the author and his parents keep silent on their way back home from hospital?

A．They all wanted to have a good rest.

B．The author didn’t do well in the exam.

C．What the doctor said made them worried.

D．They focused on the scenery along the road

2.How did the author manage to get high marks?

A．By being confident

B．By listening carefully.

C．By getting help from his classmates.

D．By reading as many books as possible.

3.We can learn from the text that    .

A．the author’s sight recovered finally

B．reading made the author more sensitive

C．the author’s mother didn’t work to look after him

D．reading made the author not worry about his sight

4.Which of the following could be the title of the text?

A．My eyesight trouble                     B．An unforgettable experience

C．With ears wide open                     D．About Mother’s love