If you can’t wait until the summer for your sunshine fix，why not fly off on a winter break? Here are some great deals for all budgets．

1．ST LUCIA

The beachside resort(度假勝地)of St James’s Club in Morgan Bay is fairly quiet—the local market is nearly 5kin away—but it has six bars，six restaurants and four outdoor pools. There are plenty of watersports，you can travel through the rainforest，go on a jeep trip or enjoy dolphin-Spot-ting. Average temperature in March is 27℃．

THE DEAL：A seven-night stay with flights from Gatwick for 1，429pp．From March 1.

2．GOA

With an average February temperature of 26℃，scenic Goa makes for a warm winter get away. In the village of Arpora，the Resorte Marinha Dourada is a 10-minute walk from the clear beach—the hotel provides transfers for guests．Alternatively，relax by the outdoor pool and have a drink at one of the hotel’s two bars. A visit to Arpora’s lively Saturday night market is also recommended. Go bird-watching，beating on the lake，or fishing．

THE DEAL：10 nights’ bed and breakfast with flights from Manchester for 1，157pp．From February 18.

3．DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Bayahibe is a beautiful fishing village on the shores of the Caribbean and it is also the Dominican Republic’s premier scuba-diving destination．There are around 20 dive sites just off its coast. Enjoy golf，spas，watersports and large outdoor pools．If you simply want to relax，the Catalonia Gran Dominicus hotel is right on a pure white sandy beach，complete with palm trees. With average February temperature of 28℃，it’s the perfect escape．

THE DEAL：A seven-night stay with Gatwick flights for 1，403pp. From February 20.

4．SOUTH AFRICA

February is summer in South Africa，with average temperatures in the mid-20s℃. If you fancy chilling out in the sunshine，the Southern Sun Waterfront hotel has a large outdoor poo1. But it is also in the heart of the city，which makes it easy to explore its many historic attractions. Take a cable car ride up Table Mountain，or a short boat trip to Robben Island，where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner.

THE DEAL：10 nights for 1，662pp，with Heathrow flights. From February 18.

1.If you are only available in March，which resort should you choose?

A．ST LUCIA B．GOA

C．DOMINICAN REPUBLIC D．SOUTH AFRICA

2.What’s the price for the deal including underwater exploration?

A．￡1，429pp． B．￡1，157pp．

C．￡1，403pp． D．￡1，662pp.

3.What do these resorts have in common?

A．The same average temperature．

B．The outdoor pools.

C．The local markets．

D．The clear beaches．

“I honestly have no idea how that cat got up there．It’s a hundred—foot—metal pole．There’s no way he climbed that thing，”Jim said to the worried woman．It wasn’t even her cat，but she was passing by and saw it．immediately calling the fire—station to come to save it．Jim saw a lot of strange things as a fireman，often sad or upsetting things，but this was new.

“I suppose we could get the blanket and see if we can convince the poor cat to jump down· But he doesn’t really look too scared…”Jim said to the woman．

“Dave，get over here!” Jim called over his shoulder to the fire truck driver．Dave walked over and looked where Jim was pointing．

“How’d he get up there?”

Jim shrugged，similarly puzzled．“Do you suppose we could get the blanket and convince him to jump?”

Dave shrugged in response．“I don’t see why not．”

Jim looked up at the black mass on the top of the flagpole，the American nag waving proudly beneath him．It was definitely a cat，and he regarded the people gathered below as if they were his subjects(臣民)and he their king，his yellow eyes scanning his surroundings with apparent disinterest．

When the blanket was spread out below the cat，Jim and Dave began striking the flagpole．The cat looked down，and then gazed into the sky as if it were looking for something．Jim and Dave followed his gaze．Suddenly，out of the clear sky，appeared a dark figure．The figure swooped(俯沖)low toward the flagpole．It was an eagle! As it got closer，the cat leaped down the pole swiftly onto the ground，and then got lost in the bushes．

Jim，Dave，and the old woman were left with their mouths open．They all agreed it was the best way to get it down．

1.Why did the woman call the fire station ?

A．Because the pole was on fire．

B．Because her cat was missing．

C．Because she felt it was strange．

D．Because she wanted to save the cat．

2.What does the underlined word “him” refer to?

A．The cat． B．Jim． C．The king． D．Dave．

3.What did the firemen plan to do at first?

A．To strike the pole． B．To spread the blanket．

C．To shout at the cat． D．To shrug helplessly．

4.Who saved the cat?

A．An eagle． B．The firemen．

C．The cat itself． D．The people around．

This Monday，the nation will start to celebrate Presidents’ Day，just seven days before George Washington’s birthday．Everyone agrees that day is a holiday，but is it just to celebrate George Washington’s Birthday? What about Abraham Lincoln? Some government offices call it Presidents’ Day．Others say the holiday is officially Washington’s Birthday．Confused yet?

George Washington was elected the country’s first President on April 30，1789．Soon after，Americans began publicly celebrating his birthday．Presidential historians say the actual date of George Washington’s birth is February 11，1732．But a change in the calendar system 20 years later shifted all dates，making Washington’s birthday February 22，which is now well accepted．In 1879．Congress made Washington’s birthday an official federal holiday．It was the first federal holiday to celebrate an individual’s birthday．In 1968，Congress passed the Monday Holidays Act，which moved the holiday to the third Monday in February．The new law did not change the holiday’s name．It was still called Washington’s Birthday，even though some lawmakers wanted to call it Presidents’ Day to include Abraham Lincoln，whose actual birthday is February 12．

Many people argue that the holiday should celebrate all past Presidents．They feel Lincoln should be honored for his role in preserving the nation during the Civil War and helping to free slaves．Others feel the holiday should only honor Washington．the country’s first President．They say shifting the focus away from Washington would mean future generations of kids would not know about the Father of Our Country．

Laws have been introduced in Congress over the years to require use of the term “George Washington’s Birthday．”but none of those laws have been passed．Meanwhile，many state governments and school districts now use the term “Presidents’ Day．”Many stoles also use it to promote holiday sales．

Should the holiday honor Washington，Washington and Lincoln，or all past Presidents? Write to emailbag@timeforkids．com and tell us what you think．

1.The President’s Day was originally designed to honor______．

A．George Washington B．Abraham Lincoln

C．a(chǎn)ll presidents D．the Civil War

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A．Washington’s Birthday is the same as Lincoln’s．

B．The change in the calendar system was not wise．

C．The new act changed the holiday’s name．

D．This Monday is the third one of this February．

3.What’s the main argument about this holiday?

A．When to celebrate the holiday．

B．How to celebrate the holiday．

C．Which president to honor．

D．Where to celebrate the holiday．

4.What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Why people celebrate President Day.

B．The history and debate behind Presidents’ Day

C．To celebrate Presidents’ Day or not

D．Colorful activities on Presidents’ Day

Sometimes，you just can’t help it．Maybe you’re watching a sad movie，or thinking about the friend who moved away．Next thing you know，your eyes are watering，and you have tears running down your cheeks．Why do people cry when they are emotional? What are tears? Scientists are working hard to find the answers to these questions．

Ad Vingerhoets is a professor of psychology at Tilburg University，in the Netherlands．He is one of the few scientists in the world who have studied crying．According to Vingerhoets，there are three types of tears．Basal tears are the first type．They lubricate(潤滑)the eyes and act as a protective barrier between the eye and the rest of the World．Next are reflex tears．They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them．Finally，there are emotional tears. “These are released in response to emotional states，”explains Vingerhoets．“Especially when we feel helpless．”

Scientists believe that crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other．“Humans are very complex social creatures，”says Lauren Bylsma，a professor at the University of Pittsburgh，in Pennsylvania．“It seems that tears serve to arouse help and support from others，’’She says．“Another reason we weep is that humans have the longest developmental period of almost any animal．It takes a long time to grow up．”

Vingerhoets agrees．“I think that the reason why humans shed tears(流眼淚)has something to do with our childhood，”he says．“That’s the time when we are stir dependent on adults for love and protection and care．The major advantage of emotional tears is that you can target them at a specific person．”Vingerhoets says this ability to target someone could have come in hand in prehistoric times，when humans were living among dangerous animals．Crying could attract predators(捕食者)．Tears were a safer way to get attention．In this case，it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help，”he says．

Vingerhoets and Bylsma do frequent studies to better understand why humans cry．According to Byhma，there is still much more to discover．“It’s surprising，”she says，“how much we still don’t know．”

1.Which of the following is reflex tears?

A．Tears when eyes are dry．

B．Tears moved by a story．

C．Tears released when crying．

D．Tears when dirt gets into eyes．

2.What’s the function of tears according to Bylsma?

A．It helps human develop longer．

B．It helps humans attract predators.

C．It helps arouse attention．

D．It helps people to be independent．

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Emotional tears are better than reflex tears．

B．Basal tears are a type of protective barrier．

C．Tears helped frighten predators away．

D．It’s easy to understand why humans cry．

4.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Why people shed tears． B．When people shed tears．

C．How people shed tears． D．Where people shed tears．

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容。從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項，選項中有兩項為多余選項。

The days when a cellphone was used for nothing beyond calling and texting are gone．Today，we turn smart phones into magical machines with apps that transform them into musical instruments or business machines or video players．But it turns out that we are only searching the surface．Who knew that smart phones would make pretty good satellites? 1.

Smart phones forecast the weather

Networking expert Open Signal has discovered something interesting：the sensors in Android phones designed to measure battery temperature，light，pressure and 80 on can be used to generate surprisingly accurate weather reports．2.

Smart phones save the rainforests

Detecting illegal logging(盜伐) may sound like a novel app，3. ：in Indonesia，the non-profit organization Rainforest Connection’ wants to use donated Android phones to detect illegal logging．As New scientist reports，“The phones are equipped with solar panels specifically designed to take advantage of the brief periods when light reaches the forest floor．Their microphones stay on at all time，and the software listens for the sound of a chainsaw(鏈鋸)．”

4.

Researchers at the university of Illinois have developed an iPhones app that turns the phone into a fully featured mobile medical lab that uses the phone’s camera to detect proteins，bacteria，viruses and other organisms．

Smart phones drive cars

Google’s self-driving cars carry around $30，000 of high-tech hardware and sensors，but students at Australia’s Griffith University think they can get the job done with a single smart phone． 5.

A．but its a serious business

B．Here are some uses for smart phones the makers probably didn’t imagine．

C．so it can be used to detect the sound of a chainsaw

D．It has been used in many fields

E．Get enough phones involved and you will have a weather sensing network

F．Smart phones serve as mobile medical labs

G．They have built a model that relies mainly on the phone’s camera and built—in GPS

完形填空

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

I was coming back from home late at night in a‘Sharing’mini van(廂式貨車)．In Hydera- bad，India，it is a cheap and quick form of ．The van driver picked up as many as 13 people at times in a vehicle which is for the transport of 8．So our van was very ．

Making her way to the f the van，a school girl with a bag the driver to stop．While getting down，she slipped and fell．None of us it，as it was dark outside．The driver was for her to pay．It was then that we saw that the girl was on her by the side of the road．Another passenger and l got down and held her up．

Even in ，she held up a note and asked us to pay the driver．The other passenger took the note and paid the driver．My was a few hundred meters away．As a girl， I knew I’d get off and stay with her in the ．So I paid up the driver for and he drove away with the other passengers．

I neither her nor did I know what to do．But I was there，giving some words to another girl in pain. I asked her to stand for a few while．I then looked for a place for her to sit．Then I 58 her friend and waited there．She was rushed to a nearby clinic later．Before leaving，she thanked me for and we hugged goodbye．

The night breezes were blowing upon my cheek as I walked home，with a feeling of relief．

1.A．1ife B．transport C．a(chǎn)ctivity D．communication

2.A．designed B．bought C．organized D．powered

3.A．heavy B．noisy C．crowded D．a(chǎn)wkward

4.A．driver B．window C．door D．seat

5.A．guided B．suggested C．a(chǎn)dmitted D．signaled

6.A．noticed B．managed C．recognized D．stood

7.A．caring B．reaching C．waiting D．planning

8.A．back B．knees C．feet D．own

9.A．immediately B．doubtfully C．naturally D．a(chǎn)nxiously

10.A．silence B．surprise C．vain D．pain

11.A．patient B．helpful C．generous D．secret

12.A．home B．stop C．car D．school

13.A．dark B．rain C．wind D．van

14.A．himself B．herself C．myself D．itself

15.A．ignored B．persuaded C．promised D．knew

16.A．a(chǎn)nxious B．sorrow C．comforting D．satisfying

17.A．up B．straight C．still D．out

18.A．found B．phoned C．brought D．saw

19.A．company B．support C．bravery D．convenience

20.A．hard B．happily C．willingly D．gently

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當(dāng)?shù)膬?nèi)容(1個單詞)或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。

I was living a life in my screen and hardly noticed what 1. (be)around me．I was always checking the time and thinking of future2. (plan)．My thought was：“Who’s going to text me now? What will I do next?” My bedtime routine was usually centered 3. one thing：my phone．4. I went to sleep，I browsed through news websites and checked my emails．When I woke up in the middle of the night．I did the some thing．The problem with this was that I felt anxious every night．

So when my friends invited me 5. (go)for a long weekend camping without the cell service，I thought this was 6. (exact)what I needed．Here’s how 7. (keep)away from my phone for 48 hours changed me and my way of life．

Without my phone，I 8. (fall)asleep listening to the songs of frogs and crickets．In the morning，I woke up energy．Sitting by the river，riding a bike，or singing the old songs，I 9. (true)enjoyed what I was doing．

I felt free without my phone at weekend camp，10. changed me completely．I listened to what my body wanted instead of what my phone was telling me to do．

短文改錯

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處錯誤。每句中最多有兩處。錯誤涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號(∧)，并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線(＼)劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下劃一橫線。并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：

1．每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞：

2．只允許修改10處，多者(從第11處起)不計分。

This morning I saw off my aunt at railway station．There were many passenger in the waiting room．I saw an old lady crying sad because she had lost her ticket and not able to afford another one．I was thinking about helping her when a man come up to comfort her．Then he bought her a ticket with his own money．The old Lady was so moving that she could hardly say a word．She grasped his hand and asked for his name or address．But he only smile and said，“It’s my pleasure．”Then he left away quickly．I was greatly moved by such a man he warmed others with his love．

書面表達(dá)

假如你是李華，你的美國朋友Jamie發(fā)郵件告訴你他對中國傳統(tǒng)文學(xué)非常感興趣，但是在閱讀時遇到了很多困難，比如很多漢字不認(rèn)識，讀不懂文章的意思等等，希望得到你的幫助。請用英文給Jamie回郵件。

內(nèi)容要點如下：

1．表示理解并給予安慰；

2．提出建議并說明理由。

注意：

1．詞數(shù)100左右：

2．可以適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫。信中不能出現(xiàn)本人相關(guān)信息。

When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a neighbor who was nicer than anyone else in the neighborhood. When Dr. Gibbs was happy, he was planting trees. And his life’s goal was to make it a forest.

Dr. Gibbs had some interesting theories about planting. He talked about trees that weren’t watered would grow deep roots in search of water. So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak (橡樹) and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with the rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs died a couple of years. Every now and then, I walk by his house and look at the trees that he planted twenty-five years ago. They’re very strong now.

I planted a couple of trees a few years later. I watered them regularly and took good care of them. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake their leaves and branches.

The funny thing about those trees of Dr. Gibbs was that difficulty seemed to help them in ways comfort and ease never could.

1.What was Dr. Gibbs’ life goal?

A. To save more lives. B. To build a forest.

C. To make a lot of money. D. To study plants.

2.One of Dr. Gibbs’ theories about planting was that ______.

A. he often talked to the trees

B. he kicked the trees heavily

C. he never watered the trees

D. he buried the leaves around the roots

3.What does the writer mainly want to tell us?

A. Trees are not as weak as we think.

B. Difficulty is necessary for growth

C. Planting trees is good for the environment.

D. We should listen to others’ advice.