How is everything going?I feel【1】(terrible) sorry for missing the chance of【2】(answer) your letter in time. You know,I have been preparing for the final exams these days,so I forgot【3】(write) back.In your letter,you asked me【4】I would spend my summer vacation.Now,I am writing to tell you some details.

Totally,three things will make my summer vacation【5】(mean).To start with,doing a part-time job is my dream and I intend to work as a salesman because not only can【6】earn money by myself,but【7】it will broaden my horizons（視野）.In addition,it is a good【8】(choose) to visit some famous scenic spots【9】I will have a good time. What is more,doing voluntary work,I think,will make a great contribution to the society,which is able to enrich my life.

I apologize again for my mistake.【10】the way,what's your plan to spend your summer vacation?I am looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

In the middle of April, if you walk through Jinghong, 【1】 capital of Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan Province, 【2】 (chance) are that you’ll get very, very wet. The Dai people will be celebrating their water-splashing festival from April 15 to 17, marking the new year for the Dai ethnic minority.

Lonely Planet, one of the world’s 【3】 (large) travel brands, has described what happens: “People race around the streets of Jinghong and the surrounding villages, soaking （浸透） every person 【4】 sight with buckets of water. ”

【5】 (tradition), water would be collected and poured only on family members as a symbolic way 【6】 (ensure) good luck in the coming year. Dai people believe that the wetter you get, the luckier you will be.

Although water 【7】 (play) a vital role in the celebration, there is much more to the festival, especially during the first two days 【8】 water splashing is comparatively kept under control, according to Lonely Planet. People wear their best clothes, while older women in nearby villages 【9】 (dress) in special costumes. They gather with their families and visit Dai temple. There, they wash the statues of Buddha with water, a practice 【10】 (know) as “Bathing the Buddha.”

Tips for waiting in line

We’ve all been there — when lining up at the supermarket checkout counter, the lines next to us always seem to be moving faster than the one we are standing in. 【1】 . It has also offered tips on picking the fastest line.

●【2】

A cart (購物車) full of items doesn’t tell the whole story. Every person requires a fixed amount of time to say hello, pay, say goodbye and clear out of the lane. And that amount of time is an average of 41 seconds per person. 【3】 . This means if there are five people ahead of you, each with 10 items in their carts, the waiting time will be 355 seconds. But if there is only one person ahead of you, with 50 items in the cart, the waiting time is 191 seconds. You do the math.

● Study the customers

How many people are ahead of you is one thing, and who they are is another. 【4】 The items in their carts are also important. For example, four bottles of the same milk will definitely go faster than four completely different items.

● Go left

According to a research, around 90 percent of people are right-handed. 【5】 . So heading to the opposite direction — left — will give you a better chance of finding a faster line.

A. Choose a “snaky line”

B. Pick someone with a full cart

C. It means a majority of people tend to naturally go to the right

D. The person at the head of the line goes to the next available counter

E. On the other hand, the time that each item takes to be rung up is only three seconds

F. For example, if they are old people, they tend to move slower and delay the checkout process

G. Now The New York Times gives you some deep understanding into the math and psychology of queuing

Scientists do not completely understand why the speed of these stars is so high. But many believe the reason is that much of the universe is made of something called “dark matter”. Groups of stars called galaxies, such as the Milky Way, might even be made up of 90 percent dark matter.

How much something weighs depends on where it is. The same object weighs only half as much on Mars as it does on Earth and almost three times as much on Jupiter. So scientists prefer to talk about the mass (質(zhì)量) of something rather than how much it weighs, because mass does not change. They can work out the mass of galaxies by measuring the distance between them and the speed they move at.

Recently, Jorge Pearrubia, a senior academic at Edinburgh University, UK, and his team discovered something interesting: The mass of the Milky Way is only half as much as the mass of another nearby galaxy, Andromeda. This seems strange, and dark matter may explain why.

Finding out more about dark matter could help us understand how the universe began, but this is not easy. Lots of scientists with different types of expert knowledge are working on the problem.

We can’t see dark matter, it’s very difficult to measure and we can’t find out its mass. Unlike stars, dark matter doesn’t produce or reflect light. But we can make a good guess that it is there because of the way things move and the way light bends. Experts now think dark matter may be very different from the matter that we find on Earth. There may also be five times as much dark matter in the universe as ordinary matter.

【1】Something that weighs 15kg on Earth weighs about ________ on Mars and ________ on Jupiter.

A. 7.5 kg, 45 kgB. 30 kg, 45 kgC. 45 kg, 7.5 kgD. 5 kg, 30 kg

【2】The author mentions the masses of the Milky Way and Andromeda mainly to ________.

A. explain why the same object has a different weight on different stars

B. compare the distance between the Milky Way and Andromeda

C. show that studying dark matter could help to answer some scientific questions

D. support the idea that scientists prefer to talk about mass instead of weight

【3】Dark matter is difficult to investigate because ________.

A. it travels at a very fast speed

B. we can’t see where it is or measure its mass

C. it’s hard to measure the light it produces and reflects

D. it is much bigger than ordinary matter in size

【4】According to the text, dark matter ________.

A. could accelerate the speed of stars

B. could lessen the mass of objects in galaxies

C. makes up the entire universe and its stars

D. may help us identify the origins of the universe

Steve's Pizza

So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach,but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they'll tell you about Steve's.This is New York-style pizza,handmade with care and good ingredients（成分）.New branches of Steve's are opening elsewhere in Miami,all in non-tourist areas.

Opening hours: 11 am~3 am

Cattleman's Steakhouse

This place is 20 miles east of the city,but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here.The food is good,and the scenery is even better.Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch,where you'll see everything from rabbits to buffalo（水牛）,then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.

Opening hours: 5 pm~10 pm

Absolute Baking &,Cafe

The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts.Try the green chili on eggs—it's made from scratch,as are the organic（有機的）breads.Lunch includes salads,big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers.Don't miss a square of soft,fresh carrot cake.

Opening hours: 7 am~2 pm

Walt's Wharf

Everybody's favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA),Walt's packs them in on weekends.You can't make reservations for dinner (though they're accepted for lunch),but it's worth the wait for the tree fire-grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain's chairs.

Opening hours: 11 am~3:30 pm

【1】The new branches of Steve's Pizza are mainly intended for .

A. New Yorkers B. tourists

C. the locals D. foreigners

【2】Cattleman's Steakhouse offers the wonderful as well as good food.

A. wine B. view

C. discount D. service

【3】Which restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch?

A. Steve's Pizza. B. Walt's Wharf.

C. Absolute Baking &,Cafe. D. Cattleman's Steakhouse.

【4】In Walt's Wharf if you can't get fresh fish,you can eat .

A. the tree fire-grilled seafood and steaks B. New York-style pizza

C. fresh carrot cake D. grass-fed beef

A. nervously and embarrassingly B. nervous and embarrassedly

C. nervously and embarrassing D. nervous and embarrassed

【1】George didn’t find it difficult at all, but it was really a ______ (challenge) task for me.

【2】______ (blame) for the breakdown of the computer, Alice was in low spirits.

【3】Your statement is in conflict ______ the rest of the evidence.

【4】The town hall ______ (complete) in the 1800’s was the most distinguished building at that time.

【5】I keep my reference books near my desk ______ convenience.

【6】I’ve been told that the medical team,______ (consist) of five doctors, is to be sent.

【7】The West Lake is very beautiful and it is beyond ______(describe).

【8】He was surprised to find the room ______ (furnish) with modern equipment.

【9】Under the ______(guide) of the local guide, we had a tour of the small town.

【10】______ (lack) enthusiasm for sports, rejected the invitation to a football game.

1）個人的基本情況和申請理由；

2）你對申請項目的具體設(shè)想和項目經(jīng)費的使用計劃；

3）你的愿望。聯(lián)系方式：2016hope@icf.org

注意：1. 詞數(shù)100左右;

2. 可以適當增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

3. 開頭語和結(jié)尾語已為你寫好。

Dear Sir or Madam,

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Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

1.父母和我決定騎自行車族附近的農(nóng)村進行兩日游；

2.清晨7:00出發(fā)，進行釣魚野餐等活動；

3.放松身心，享受自然美景；

4.晚上住在叔叔家，第二天下午返回。

要求：1.詞數(shù)100左右；

2.開頭和結(jié)尾已經(jīng)給出，不計入總詞數(shù)。

Dear Ling Hua,

The National Day is over.We spent a happy 7-day long leave._______________________________________

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Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours,

Li Ming

1.自身優(yōu)勢；

2.平時英語學習情況介紹；

3.加入文學社后的打算。

注意：1. 詞數(shù)100左右；

2.可以適當增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫；

3.開頭和結(jié)尾已給出，不計入總詞數(shù)。

Dear Sir,

I’m writing to you about joining the English literature club. __________________________________________

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Yours,

Li Hua