I picked up my two best friends and we were off on a road trip. I had just returned to America from a year abroad in China. So, naturally I wanted to take a trip to Canada.
Montreal, the second largest city in Canada, is a four-hour drive from my home in New Hampshire. We felt a thrill as we crossed the border into Canada. It was the first time that I had ever driven across an international border. We turned on the radio to try and find some Canadian stations.
After dropping off our bags at our hotel, we were immediately walking down the famous Saint Catherine Street. While we walked, two things surprised us: how cold it was and how well everyone dressed. The streets of Montreal are like a fashion show. Both men and women look like they stepped out of the pages of a magazine.
All of that fashion has to keep them warm since Montreal is so cold. Last year it broke the record for the most snowfall in North America. To hide from the cold we went into a diner because we wanted to order poutine, a very popular snack in Montreal. It is French fries covered in cheese and brown gravy (肉汁) . It is delicious.
However, we had a hard time ordering the dish since the official language of Montreal is French. It is actually the fifth largest French-speaking city in the world. But since almost the rest of Canadians speak English, plenty of people were there to help.
We spent the rest of the weekend going to many historical churches and monuments in Montreal. But at night we'd head to the very modern dance clubs and bars. Montreal is a city that sits between the past and the future and the traveller can choose whichever direction he wants to go.
Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness (荒野) . But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.
Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warning. An avalanche (雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.
But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go—to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City—its present population is 762.
Don't go to Kauai. Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands —Maui, Lanai, the Big Island —but leave Kauai for us. The weather in Kauai is so unpredictable that sometimes it rains all day —in fact, it's the second-wettest spot on the earth. Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical. But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else. You just can't control nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender to nature when you could be at a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?
So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys? Most of is 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked. Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find. While Hanalei is the most beautiful town you've ever dreamed of, you can forget about discos and clubs. Worse, it doesn't have one single four-star restaurant. What it does have is the original drive-through places where you pass by a rambutan tree (红毛丹树) , and pick a piece of fruit.
Shopping in Kauai? Forget it —unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls. Kauai is not about pampering. It's about going natural and finding the nature within you. It's a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, driving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach.
Don't go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there's only one road, which can be slightly dull. It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro (芋头) fields. You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 m. p. h.
If you're not interested in color, don't bother with Kauai, because that's what you get —red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green. It's like diving on land. Many people in Kauai believe that this is Lemuria —a lost island in the Atlantic. Can you imagine? Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty and want a different quality of life —what do they know, anyway? Forget about it —you're not going to like it. Go somewhere else. Leave Kauai for us.
Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an accepted and valuable part of your new neighborhood. The easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should.
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property (房产) neat, clean, and in good repair. By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help to improve the look and feel of the area.
Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously. When going for a walk, take along a small garbage bag. This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area.
If a neighbor is going to be out of town, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping. Let them know that you are there to help in any way that is acceptable, while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor.
By following the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciates.
A. In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone.
B. A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways.
C. Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior.
D. Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping.
E. Should you come across waste paper thrown out of a passing car, pick it up.
F. People tend to take pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and inviting.
G. Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly.
The most unforgettable thing during my long summer holidays last year, of course, is my trip 1 England. This was my first time to go abroad, so it really made me 2.
There were quite a lot of interesting 3 in England, such as Oxford. When we walked around Oxford, we saw quite a lot of ancient buildings on 4 sides of the streets. One of the most famous tourist 5 in Oxford is Christ (基督) Church. It's 6 one of Oxford University's 38 colleges. There is a huge hall in Christ Church, 7 was used as the dining hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter 8. I felt really excited when I heard this.
9 place that impressed me 10 during my trip was a place called Stratford-upon-Avon. It was a small town. Maybe you haven't 11 it, but I'm sure you have heard about William Shakespeare —the great man's 12. In Stratford-upon-Avon, I could 13 Shakespeare's Birthplace, Shakespeare Countryside Museum, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and a lot of places that are connected with 14.
I went to Shakespeare's Birthplace. It was the house 15 Shakespeare was born and 16 his early years. 17 sitting room, hallway (走廊) , bedrooms, and kitchen were furnished (布置) in 16th century 18. I also went to see the Shakespeare Exhibition. It illustrated (展示，说明) Shakespeare's life and career in both Stratford and London.
I really enjoyed this nice trip to England, 19 which I learnt a lot. I'm very happy that I could visit such an interesting 20. I want to go there again in the future.
A Trip Across Canada
After a quiz last autumn, Kuang crossed the continent eastward to Toronto to visit his schoolmate, the distance measuring (approximate) 5,000 kilometres.
His train started from Vancouver, a city (surround) by mountains. After confirming his baggage was aboard the train, Kuang settled down in his seat. Having a gift communication, he started chatting with another passenger. Their topics included the Canadian traditions, the prime minister and the (mix) of races. After a nice buffet at noon, he was pleased (find) that the scenery was impressive. He saw beautiful harbours in the distance, (wealth) urban areas and maple forests covered thousands of acres. He even managed to catch sight of an eagle (fly) upward over bushes. Kuang reached Toronto which lies (slight) near the border at a misty dawn. There was frost and the broad downtown streets were very quiet. Though it was early, Kuang phoned his schoolmate in a booth nearby at once rather than waited for him to come. They had good time together.
1）感谢李华订阅Reading A-Z；
2）向李华推荐公司刚发行的一个新项目Raz-Plus，建议他购买 (只要再付10美元，Raz-Plus 就可以多提供1 500本分级读本) 。
注意：
1）词数80左右 (开头和结尾不计入总词数) ；
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。
参考词汇：项目program；分级读本a leveled reader
Dear Li Hua,
My name is Sophie, a clerk in Reading A-Z.
Yours sincerely,
Sophie
Last weekend, I went to Mark's new house nearby a forest for a little get-together. After lunch when I was chatting with him and his wife Cody, he asked me, “Hey Tom, have you ever ben to a secret spot?” Before I could even finish saying no, Cody and Mark were already at the door with their jackets on. And the next moment we were heading out into the forest with a camera, a fishingnet and a plastic bucket (桶) .
We walked through the forest along a path by a small river. Breathing the fresh air, we three talked and laughed all the way.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" Someone suddenly shouted from behind. Mark and Cody's eyes immediately widened, and without a word they started running. I had no choice but to follow them, getting my shoes wet and dirty with mud. We probably ran for about 10 minutes before Mark and Cody slowed down. I stopped to catch my breath and asked. “Who was that?”
Mark replied, "The most annoying neighbor ever. If he caught up with us, there's no telling what could happen. He is always making fun of us. I dislike him." We kept walking on for a few more minutes. Then a beautiful lake appeared before our eyes. "Wow! Amazing!" I shouted and could hardly hold back my excitement. The lake was large and the water was deep and blue, looking so peaceful with tall trees around it.
注意：
1）所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2）至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3）续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4）续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Looking around, we saw a rubber boat floating by the shore.
Paragraph 2:
"Help! Help! Help!" I was so frightened and cried for help.
