For years I wanted a flower garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, "Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."
Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.
I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean, no-frills budget.
Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on - and I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: "IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin."
Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments, a trellis (棚架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.
I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes - every time.
I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!
【小題1】By saying “Do you see a money tree outside .….,” the mother actually means “ ”
| A．Observation is the best teacher. |
| B．Seeing is believing. |
| C．The outsider sees the most of the game. |
| D．It is not easy to gain money |
| A．My flower garden | B．Marvin helps to realize my dream |
| C．Love in Michigan | D．Money grows on trees |
| A．wasteful | B．tight | C．absurd | D．helpful |
| A．divorced when she was young | B．not caring for her kids any longer |
| C．alone but not at all lonely | D．prouder with her garden than with her kids. |
科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學年重慶市高三10月月考英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice. According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords (聲帶) can heal.
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. “It’s a proud moment for all of us,” his wife told DNAIndia.com.
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity. But his record–singing for 80 hours straight–is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Granted , I’m not qualified to speak on the subject. I’ve got no world records to my name– and I never expect to have any. Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley (混合曲) of pop songs.
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure. He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades. The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake.
To all of these enterprising (有進取心的) souls I ask, simply, “What was it all for?”
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you became a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you–with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese.
After all, records are made to be broken.
1.From the text, we can learn that the author .
A．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ feat
B．feels it is a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures
C．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless
D．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords
2.Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to .
A．become an international celebrity
B．know all about Guinness record
C．practice a great deal
D．bear great stress for fear of injury
3.We can infer from the article that .
A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak
B．Burbure’ wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record
C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior
D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health
4.The author’s attitude to the Guinness world records mentioned in the passage is .
A．positive B．impressed
C．negative D．touched
5.What is the best title for the passage?
A．What Was the Point?
B．Records Are Made to be Broken
C．A New Indian Guinness Record
D．The Guinness Book Is Boring
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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆浙江省高一上學期期中考試英語試題 題型：單項填空
The general at last got a chance to visit the village _______ he used to fight, _____ he had been dreaming of for years.
A. that/which B. where/that C. in which/what D. where/which
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012屆河南省長葛市第三實驗高三上學期第二次考試英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解
Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family’s original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the time he was twenty-three, with his parents’money, he opened a small art gallery in Paris. By 1931, the money had been used up. Dior’s friends in the art gallery, asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing. His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft（手藝）.
In February,1947, Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection. He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac, who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions. Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fashion design.
The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust（胸圍）, usually with a low-cut neckline and a long full skirt. To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New look was a great success, for people were tired of tile extremely plain, wartime restrictive fashions.
It is said that dresses by Dior were “constructed like buildings”, but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged(投入) into the production of his new style. Dior’s revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion, rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance. A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948, followed by one in London. Considered as King of Couture（women’s clothing）for years, the Dior empire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery, jewelry, perfumes, men’s wear and on and on. More than 1,000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then.
His sudden death in 1957 when he was 53 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior. Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world, His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s.
1. Which of the following designs is close to Dior’s?
A. B. C. D.
2.According to the passage. in Dior’s life, he did NOT___________.
A. make creative fashion designs B. work in a diplomatic service
C. 1earn craft as his first job D. open a New Look House
3. We can infer from the passage that _________.
A. Dior and his supporter had different interests in business
B. Dior’s New Look had little influence on people then
C. Dior is only a brand of women’s fashion
D. Dior’s fashion was not accepted at first
4. What is probably the best title for the passage? .
A. The History of the New Look B. The Growth of the Dior Empire
C. An Expression of Freedom—Dior D.The Founder of the New Look-Dior
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012屆度北京一零一中高二第二學段模塊英語卷（必修6） 題型：其他題
七選五（共5小題；每小題2分，共10分）
根據短文內容，從短文后的七個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 band that wasn’t
Have you ever wanted to be part of a band as a famous singer or musician? Have you ever dreamed of playing in front of thousands of people at a concert, at which everyone is clapping and appreciating your music? Do you sing karaoke and pretend you are a famous singer like Song Zuying or Liu Huan? To be honest, a lot of people attach great importance to becoming rich and famous. 1
Many musicians meet and form a band because they like to write and play their own music. They may start as a group of high-school students, for whom practising their music in someone's house is the first step to fame. Sometimes they may play to passers-by in the street or subway so that they can earn some extra money for themselves or to pay for their instruments. 2 Of course they hope to make records in a studio and sell millions of copies to become millionaires!
3 It was called the Monkees and began as a TV show. The musicians were to play jokes on each other as well as play music, most of which was based loosely on the Beatles. The TV organizers had planned to find four musicians who could act as well as sing. They put an advertisement in a newspaper looking for rock musicians, but they could only find one who was good enough. They had to use actors for the other three members of the band.
4 So during the broadcasts they just pretended to sing. Anyhow their performances were humorous enough to be copied by other groups. They were so popular that their fans formed clubs in order to get more familiar with them. Each week on TV, the Monkees would play and sing songs written by other musicians. However, after a year or so in which they became more serious about their work, the Monkees started to play and sing their own songs like a real band. Then they produced their own records and started touring and playing their own music. 5 . The band broke up about 1970, but happily they reunited in the mid-1980s. They produced a new record in 1996, with which they celebrated their formal time as a real band.
A. In the USA they became even more popular than the Beatles and sold even more records.
B. The Monkees’ television show stayed on the air for years after the group broke up. .
C. However, there was one band that started in a different way.
D. But just how do people form a band?
E. Later they may give performances in pubs or clubs, for which they are paid in cash.
F. Most of us probably have our favorite performers, stars or bands, but many of us also want to discover new sounds and rhythms.
G. As some of these actors could not sing well enough, they had to rely on other musicians to help them.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年湖南省高二上學期第三次階段性測試英語卷 題型：單項填空
Tom looked at Jenny, tears ______ his eyes, and shouted out the words ______ in his heart for years.
A. filling; having hidden B. filled; hidden C. filling; hidden D. filled; hiding
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