英语提高练习十八
阅读理解
A child genius is someone who at a very early age shows extraordinary skill in one or more areas. Emily Bear is such a child. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House, world-class shows, and on an album (唱片集) produced by Quincy Jones — all before the age of eleven.
Most children at Emily Bear’s age are playing video games or getting together with friends for a weekend of movies and fun. But the young performer is instead directing her attention to her music. You can find her preparing for her next television appearance, writing songs, performing in public or sharing the recording studio with famous musicians. Among them is Quincy Jones, who worked with Emily on her new album “Diversity.” Emily says working with Quincy Jones was one o f the most exciting events in her life.
Emily Bear was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She was already singing and playing the piano when she was two years old. At the age of six, she was invited to play the piano on the Ellen DeGeneres television show. Her performance was such a hit that she was invited back to the show five more times.
Emily Bear is in high demand to play at performing arts centers around the world and has become quite a world traveler. She said, “I love traveling. I’ve seen China and Italy and France and London and Switzerland and Vienna. Actually, we’re going with Quincy this summer to Switzerland for the Montreux Jazz Festival.” The young musician composed(作曲) all of the songs on her new album “Diversity.” This includes the song “Q”, which she wrote in honor of Quincy Jones.
Although her life is very busy, she still enjoys getting together with friends, watching movies and answering fan mail.
21. The writer mentioned Emily’s performing at such places as the White House
to____.
A. show she is a child genius
B. tell her daily life and work
C. describe how busy she is
D. introduce what her childhood is like
22. What’s the difference between Emily and those of the same age?
A. She can play video games.
B. She has no friends to play with.
C. She lives a more active life.
D. She puts her heart into music.
23. Emily travels around the world to____ .
A. go sightseeing
B. accompany Quincy
C. give performances
D. receive advanced studies
24. On what purpose did Emily write the song “Q”?
A. To advertise her new album.
B. To draw Quincy’s attention.
C. To show respect to Quincy Jones.
D. To introduce Quincy to the world.
B
When I had breast cancer I had to have chemotherapy (化疗). The hardest part of that entire experience was losing my hair. It was like having a tattoo(纹身) across my forehead that said “chemotherapy patient.” I am a very active and athletic person, so to have people looking at me with pity as if I was an invalid was very hard to take. Of course they never said anything, but if I got in an elevator. Everyone looked away because they didn’t know what to say. But I didn’t blame them.
The best compliment I ever received was when I was at work one day, wearing my scarf over my bald head, and a UPS guy came in to deliver a package. He looked me right in the eye and said, “So, are you on chemotherapy?” I said, “Yes, thank you for asking. You are the first person to actually acknowledge that fact.” It felt so good to be talked to like a “real” person, w ithout any pity, just the facts. I asked him what made him decide to say something, and he told me that a woman he worked with had just gone through the same thing several months before.
I had some joke business cards that said my job title was “Supreme Commander of the Universe”, so whenever this same UPS guy came to deliver a package, he would also say, “Hey, Supreme Commander, how is it going?” Then my company moved to a new location, and since that time I hadn’t seen the UPS guy-Bryan- in probably two years.
I went to answer my door at home one day, and there was Bryan with a package. Small world. “Hey, Supreme Commander, long time no see!” he said. He sees so many people all day long, every day, delivering packages but he remembered me after two years. What a great compliment! Of course, I remembered him, too, because he was the only person who could see me during that time when I was “the invisible woman.”
24. Why did the author say “It felt so good to be talked to like “real” person”?
A. Because her friends didn’t realize the fact that she got sick before.
B. Because her friends didn’t want to talk with her since she had cancer.
C. Because her friends treated her as a patient.
D. Because her friends were afraid of infection.
25. What can be inferred from the third paragraph?
A. It was the author’s cancer that helped her to be remembered by a stranger.
B. The UPS guy had become a good friend of the author’s.
C. The guy was very polite.
D. The author didn’t want to be remembered for her cancer.
26. W hat was the author’s attitude towards her cancer?
A. Surprised.
B. Regretful.
C. Positive.
D. Depressed.
27. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The author experienced something miserable after she had cancer.
B. The author got a great compliment that a stranger remembered for her cancer.
C. the author became strong and positive after she was ill.
D. The author recognized that she was not a normal person any longer.
根据短文内容，从选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，有两项为多余选项。
Change is scary. 36 It can go hand in hand with the fear that we might hurt someone else if we think about ourselves. The truth is that you’re so much more courageous than you give yourself credit for and far stronger than you realize. Here are some ways that you can use to help yourself make the process of creating change more manageable.
Make change into small bite size pieces. 37 Remember that as long as you attempt to take regular practice towards your goal, such as eating more healthily every day, or walking twenty minutes a day, you’re heading in the right direction to make changes.
From a habit of keeping a diary every day. Writing a journal every night before
going to bed can effectively help you cope with the emotional impact of the change process. Go to grab a pen or pencil and remember a journal is not for being neat and tidy with good spelling. 38
Rest is essential to success. Have a rest and take timeout to build your energy.
39 if we don’t give ourselves time to rest, we just end up burning out by the constant striving and worry. As we don’t have the energy to keep going, we have to give up!
40 Just accept it! I’m sorry to say that unless some people are really secure in themselves and truly happy in their own life, they’re never going to like your changes. This has nothing to do with whether they love you or not. They are just for self-preservation! Therefore, giving them a little time to adjust and get used to it.
A.No one else is going to like your changes.
B.Don’t try to eat the elephant in one sitting.
C.It is a step into the unknown.
D.Keep repeating your small steps over and over again.
E.It’s not being lazy to have timeout.
F.It’s a private place where you can speak out your inner thoughts.
G.Creating change is about building your character.
完形填空
Christmas is a time when everyone is expected to be joyful. Most people try to put on their best smiles to give the impression that they are really happy, 41 when they have little children who believe in the magic of Christmas. They believe that Santa will come down the chimney with 42 gifts for them.
But Christmas or not, life goes on. Good things happen 43 not-so-good ones. It 44 on Christmas of 2009. I woke up early and gathered my children and husband to sit down by the Christmas tree to open the gifts. The kids were 45 .
After the ceremony, I decided to 46 my emails to see if I had mail from my 47 overseas. The only email I had was from my sister, but I was not 48 for the news I was about to receive. She said that she had been diagnosed with a terminal 49 and that she had little time to live. I tried to speak, but 50 failed me. I was 51 terribly.
My husband realized something was wrong. After 52 to find the right words, I said 53 to him: “How do you deal with grief on Christmas morning?” The 54 in my heart was so great, and the memory of that Christmas morning remains 55 in my mind. And five months later she 56 .
After that, every Christmas morning 57 me of her death. In the following years
I didn’t want to 58 Christmas because it reminded me that I couldn’t call her to
59 her a merry Christmas. Now, I have tried to turn Christmas morning into a memorial of the good 60 we had together, and every Christmas morning I set aside
a moment to honor her.
41. A especially B. frequently C. fortunately D. finally
42. A familiar B. funny C. generous D. boring
43. A as well as B. other than C. instead of D. except for
44. A applied B. meant C. continued D. happened
45. A disappointed B. excited C. angry D. frightened
46. A check B. change C. receive D. cover
47. A class B. community C. school D. family
48. A grateful B. prepared C. celebrated D. eager
49. A trouble B. fear C. burden D. disease
50. A words B. messages C. expressions D. ideas
51. A falling B. shaking C. standing D. striking
52. A whispering B. struggling C. battling D. requiring
53. A confidently B. honestly C. politely D. softly
54. A pain B. shame C. emotion D. doubt
55. A cautious B. limited C. vivid D. cruel
56. A passed away B. gave away C. turned away D. carried away
57. A informed B. convinced C. reminded D. accused
58. A report B. celebrate C. describe D. imagine
59. A bother B. demand C. wish D. declare
60. A lessons B. discussions C. manners D. times
阅读下面材料，填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
California grocery stores and drugstores began offering customers (reuse) shopping bags to obey a new state law. In addition _ the usual paper and plastic bags available at checkout counters, the law now requires that grocery stores should use reusable bags while ___ (provide) in-store bins for _ (recycle) used plastic bags. The law targets the 19 billion plastic bags that end up in landfills or _ (litter) across the state. Plastic bags account _ __ 90% of all shopping bags at California checkout counters, _ are frequently blamed for the ____ (die) of sea life. Most reusable bags (offer) are made of polypropylene, a durable and washable material. The new bags cost between 99 cents and $2.
短文改错:增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线划掉
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改的词。
Patience is of great important in our daily life. Once I waited a bus to come at a stop. 30 minutes past, but no bus came. Both upset and annoyed, I decided to walk on feet. But no sooner had I left when the bus arrived. I thought if I had waited for one more minute, I would have caught it. If I chose to take a next bus, I would have to wait for other 30 minutes. Only then do I realize my problem. Being impatient will possibly waste all the effort that we have put it in. Now whenever I am close to lose my patience, I’ll think of this experience.