A couple often went shopping together. They both liked teacups. One day they saw a beautiful teacup in a store. As they picked it up, it suddenly spoke.
"I haven't always been a teacup. Once I was red clay(陶土). My master rolled(揉,搓) me over and over and I shouted, but he only smiled."
"Then I was placed on a rolling wheel and suddenly I went around and around. ' Stop! ' I cried, but the master only nodded."
"Then he put me in the oven( 烤炉). I had never felt so hot. I could see him through the opening and I could read his words, 'Not yet.'"
"Finally the door opened, and he took me out and put me on a shelf. Then he brushed me and put me back into the oven. This time it was twice as hot. I begged. I cried. I could see him through the opening shaking his head, saying, 'Not yet.'"
"Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I was ready to give up, but the door opened and I was taken out and placed on a shelf. Later he handed me a mirror and said, 'Look at yourself. ' I said, 'That can't be me. It's beautiful! ' "
" 'I want you to remember, ' he said, 'if I had just left you without rolling, you'd have dried up. If I had stopped rolling you around on the wheel, you would have been out of shape. If I hadn't put you in the oven, you would have broken. If I hadn't brushed you all over, you would not have any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that oven for the second time, you wouldn't be kept for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first started with you.'"
a It was put into the oven for the first time.
b. It was put on a rolling wheel and went around.
c. The master took it out and brushed it all over.
d. It was put back into the oven again.
e. The master rolled the red clay over and over.
How do we know the time? A clock, a watch or a mobile phone can help us. However, many years ago there were no clocks and knowing the time was not so easy. Over the centuries people have developed different ways of telling the time.
About 5,500 years ago, the Egyptians invented the sun clock. This was a tall stone building. Its shadow (影 子 ) showed the movement of the sun, so people were able to know midday. About 3,500 years ago, the Egyptians made sundial( 日晷), another kind of clock, to tell the time. It was smaller than the sun clock and could let people know the time for half a day. On cloudy days or at night it was impossible to tell the time with a sun clock or a sundial. Water clocks were the first clocks not to use the sun. The idea is simple. Water flows (流动) from one bottle to another. When the water reaches certain level, it shows the hours. The Egyptians used water clocks about 3, 400 years ago. These clocks were popular in the Middle East and China. But they failed to make people know the exact time.
In the 13th century, the mechanical clock was invented. This was more exact, but it was expensive to make one. Over the next few centuries it was developed. For example, springs (发条) were added around 1500. This enabled people to get the correct time and allowed clocks to be smaller. In 1927, the first quartz clock was developed. Clocks became cheaper to build. It's also cheaper for ordinary people to own a clock. People began depending on them more and more to run businesses, markets and so on. More recently, in 1956, came the digital clock. And nowadays satellites send our mobile phones the time to the exact second.
There has been a lot of progress in timekeeping. Clocks are always changing but some things never change. Many of us still have trouble getting out of bed on time and not being late for school or work.
(①=paragraph 1 ②=paragraph 2, …)
提示:(1)What did you use to be?(2)What are you like now?(3)How do you feel about these changes?
要求:(1)包括以上内容要点,可适当发挥,使短文连贯、通顺;(2)80词左右,标题和开头已给出,不计入总词数.D
Some Changes in My Life
How time flies!It has been two years since I entered the middle school.
We all know that teeth are important to us. Children under 6 years old have 20 baby teeth. From 6 to 13,they lose their baby teeth one by one. Then permanent teeth (恒牙) begin to grow. Between the ages of 17 and 25,some people grow wisdom teeth (智齿).
Teeth are important to everyone. Healthy teeth help us eat enough food to grow. They help us speak clearly. And yes,they help us look good.
Do you know how to keep our teeth strong and healthy?We should brush our teeth at least twice a day,in the morning and before bedtime. Brush up and down on every tooth,and brush for at least two or three minutes every time. And get a new toothbrush every three months. At the same time,we can't eat too much sweet food,drink too much cola,or eat snacks before going to bed.
Take care of our teeth,and we will enjoy a better life with them.
The growth of teeth | Children under 6 havebaby teeth. Children begin to grow permanent teeth when they are 6﹣13. Some people growwhen they are 17﹣25 |
The importance of healthy teeth | They help people eat enough food, and look good |
How to keep teeth strong and healthy | Dos ◆Brush teeth at least twice a day. ◆Change a toothbrush every. Don'ts ◆Never have too much sweet food or cola. ◆Neverbefore bedtime. |
There is nobody in the world who is the same as you.
You are unique(独一无二的)!(每个人)is different from others.That is good because it makes the world an(interested)place.
Some people are taller(比)you and others are shorter than you.Maybe your hair's color is the same as your friend's,but maybe it is longer than(she)or his.I'm sure you have some friends who are(smart)than you.And you also have some friends,who are as(better)at sports as you.
What do your friends look like?Do you(都)like to finish your homework?Do you want to wear the same clothes every day?I think in some ways you are the same,but in many other(way)you are(difference).
So say(大声地)to the world,"I am who I am﹣﹣I'm unique!"
1 American families like to have a2 in summer.Summer is a good season for vacation.It is often hot in July and August.
3 do not go to school in those two months.Some people like 4 at home,read books,or watch TV.Many5 take their lunch to eat at a place with many trees or a nice lake.
Some people have 6 time and money to travel to other countries like France,Japan and Australia.They usually fly to these countries.Many families travel7 car or train to see8 places in their own countries.Their 9 cities are New York,Chicago,Miami,San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Not everyone10 to go to busy cities.Some families travel to mountains or beautiful valleys(山谷).
Yesterday was Saturday. Mr. King 1 his family to the People's Park in the 2 . They got up early and had 3 quickly. After that they went to the park 4 car. It was nine o'clock when they got there. There were many 5 in the park. Lily 6 the hill in the middle of the park. Lucy flew a kite 7 some other children. Mr. King and his wife were tired after five days' 8 . They sat under a tree and had a 9 . The King family had a 10 time there.
Being outgoing is good for your life. Those who are more outgoing like to meet lots of people and have more fun in life. In fact,being outgoing is not so hard as you think. Even shy people can be outgoing.
You can start becoming outgoing with your best friend or a group of friends. But the real challenge(挑战) comes when you meet strange(陌生的) people or new friends. Smile more,and usually they will return(回以) your smile. In this way,you may have some talks.
Start a talk. Just a simple "Hello" or "How is it going" is a good start. If you want to make interesting talks,you should read news in the newspapers and prepare(准备) your views(观点),or surf the Internet for new information and then keep that in mind.
The easiest way to become more outgoing is to go out. This is also the most important step. Go to a park,beach,club,party or any other place that you think can be fun,and you may make new friends there.
There are 45 students in our class. I have made a survey,36 students say they like to exercise. Most boys play basketball together twice a week. But girl think basketball is difficult for them,they'd like to play volleyball together twice a week. My friend,Tonny,is good at running. He runs fastest(最快) in our class. He runs for 30 minutes on the playground every evening before he goes to bed. Is it interesting?Grey is good at swimming. He goes to the swimming club three times a month in winter and three times a week in summer. So he's pretty healthy. Some of my classmates have good eating habits. They eat both meat and vegetables. 70% of them drink milk every day. 15 students say they drink milk three or four times a week. But some students like to eat junk food,especially Sally. What's worse (更糟糕的) is that she doesn't like to exercise,so she is very fat. She always says "I'm going to lose weight tomorrow. "