Which of the following can be taken as the first paragraph of the Expository Essay on the topic of"Elections in USA"?（）

The Ultimate Chess Game

Ideally, the ultimate chess game would be between the two highest rated chess programs, which can even kick the world champion to the curb (which is possible right now). However, I will be writing from personal experience rather than hypothetical situations and world champion matches.

I had been a passionate and obsessed chess player in high school. More time was spent on chess than my studies. I would stay up late at night, studying chess games and playing against my twin brother, while during the day, I attended the high school chess club. At that time, chess meant almost everything to me.

After playing on one of the best high school chess teams in Washington state, I thought I was ready for the big time: the Washington State Chess Open. In the Open, there were grandmasters and local legends that I dreamed to beat and to become. I knew I had to train harder than I ever had done to be able to compete with them. I did not have a grandmaster handy to train with, so I downloaded a chess computer program that I thought was about as strong as me or a bit stronger. It had the rating of 2000 elo points, which is about expert strength, or that of a candidate master. I believed myself to be that strong on my good days, and one of my strengths was my self confidence in light of turmoil on the board.

I set up a 5-game match between this computer program and I. In my quiet room in the town of Woodway, with a chess board in the middle of the room, and a chess clock on the table to simulate the time control I would play in the Open, I kept a laptop on another table to host the chess program. Each time I started a game, I made sure I had everything set up and that I was mentally prepared for it. I was doing opening preparation before the games, and constantly studying other aspects of chess as well. I was treating this match as a sort of chess boot camp.

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The above text is not complete without the four options below, but which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

My First Job

Everyone’s first job is special. There are a couple of reasons for this: the experience is burned in one’s memory, it gives you the practice needed to fulfill other positions, and it teaches you about the value of money. Of course we do jobs around the house when we are young, like cleaning dishes, vacuuming, and doing laundry, but working for others for money gives off a different feeling.

When I was about sixteen years old, I wanted to buy albums from my favorite bands, but I did not have any money. My parents were not the type of people to give money to me out of nowhere, or even for work done at home. I had to find work in order to purchase the music I wanted.

So, I inquired as to who could give me work around town. I lived in the town of Woodway, which was relatively small, with no street lights, and hardly any population. But my neighborhood, Twin Maples, had enough people, especially elderly people, that needed help in their yards. I went to the oldest person I knew in my neighborhood, Mrs. Hudson. She was over eighty years old, and could not tend her garden anymore. She had flowers, a grass lawn, and some tomato plants. I knocked on her door, building up enough courage to ask her for work. She answered that indeed she needed help in her garden. She did not discuss the amount of money I would get for the work.

My first job was to pull out weeds. I got down on my knees with foam protectors and began to pull out weeds one by one in her front yard and backyard. After this tedious task, I mowed her lawn—front and back. That was it for my first day, and it took me about two hours. I asked her much I would get paid, and she said, “I will give you $5 an hour. I don’t know much people are paid these days, anyways.” It was less than I thought I would get paid, but at least I had a job.

After getting that $10, I walked the few miles to the supermarket at the top of the hill, above the Puget Sound. I went to the electronics section of the supermarket, and bought an album from the band “Tool,” which was extremely popular at that time. It was dark and richly-layered alternative rock music with sinister lyrics: the type of music teenagers enjoy.

The above text is not complete without the following four options, but which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

Playground Memory

In elementary school, I had many experiences that garnered memories. I was often bullied on the playground during recess because of my skinniness and height. The larger boys saw me as a target for their ego to inflate. They might have had problems at home, or were bullied themselves, and were projecting their frustrations on me.

Anyways, after being locked in a locker, put headfirst into a toilet, punched and pushed around, called names, played jokes on, and other abuse, I finally had enough. I cracked. I could not psychologically take anymore hurt and punctures to my self-esteem.

A day or two after my birthday, I was on the school basketball court, shooting hoops. My mother had given me a basketball as a gift, and I was reveling in the fun of this new sport. But as expected (though I did not think about it at the time), another child started to bother me. He came up to me, and without a word, took the basketball out of my hands as I was dribbling. I was so shocked and emotionally tied to that gift that without a moment’s notice, I punched the kid in the face. I knocked him down and he immediately ran away crying. I never asked if he was playfully taking the ball from me, but I had had enough bullying in my day to react strongly to such an action.

Apparently, the boy went to the principal and reported my violence. I was called to the principal’s office during my next class, and walked in with my own form of ethics. The boy had been a bully, and he deserved a repercussion. However, the principal and I did not see eye to eye, naturally. He called my mother about the incident, and she was surprised that I would do such a thing. I had always been the quiet kid, playing with toys by himself, or tagging along with other children as more of a witness than a major participant. No one’s mother expects their child to punch someone, but it happens for certain reasons. In my case, I had been dominated by my classmates for years, and that pent-up anger and shame resulted in a violent action.

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The above text is not complete without the four paragraphs below, so which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

Supply the missing paragraph：The following passage is incomplete with the ending paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

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Traveling to India for the First Time

As a 20-year-old college student with cash to spare, going to India was a dream. I had been listening to tons of Indian classical music, meditating, and loved Indian food. I daydreamed of the day I could step foot in India and see if for myself. They say there are two reactions when coming to India: either you hate it, or think it is the best place the world has to offer. After being there five times, it is still my favorite place to visit. But for now, I will talk about the first time I visited this land.

My father passed away when I was 18 years old, and I got some inheritance money (one year’s salary of my father’s work as a radiology manager in a hospital). With this money, I had enough money to travel to India and study music there at a music academy for Indian classical arts. I felt it was a way for me to go through the grieving process, and also a way to reach my dreams.

I was to stay in India for 10 months. Six months at the music academy, and four months traveling. The plane ride there was the longest I had ever been on. I remember it being about 24 hours long. I felt as if I entered a new dimension of claustrophobia and anticipation. But mostly, I was too hyped to go to India to care about the negatives.

I did not travel alone. I went with my brother and friend, but our connecting flights were different. This spelled trouble. My connecting flight from Moscow to India was delayed because of a blizzard. Figures, right? My brother and our friend got to India almost a day earlier than me. We did not have cell phones back then, so I had no way of reaching them. I would just have to wait until I got to academy to talk to them.

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The above text is not complete without the four options below, but which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

Near Death Experience

I was on vacation in Ganapatipule, which is a town on the coast on the west side of India, situated right on the Indian Ocean. I was with my long-time friend, Janu, and his mother, staying in a hotel for a few days. The vacation so far was the embodiment of relaxing: eating fresh mangoes, waking up late, dining out all the time (mostly fish curry), swimming a few times a day in the Indian ocean, and joking around with old pals.

Around three in the afternoon on a cloudless day, the beach on our side was empty of people besides my friend, his mother, and I. It was freeing to be alone on this vast beach, known to be a holy place among Hindus. Ganapatipule is named after the god Ganesh, and there is a famous Ganesh shrine near there where a Ganesh swayambhu (a sculpture erected from the earth itself in the form of a god) is worshiped. Bathing in the ocean around this area is supposed to cleanse people of their negativity and visiting the shrine also purifies individuals as well.

As I started to swim in the warm ocean, jumping over waves, I left my friends behind. I was wearing a white kurta, or a traditional garb for men in India, which was quite heavy in the water, but my feet was easily touching the ocean floor at all times. I usually washed my clothes by swimming in the ocean when I was there.

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The above text is not complete without the four options below, but which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

Unusual Vacation

Travelling has been a longtime passion of mine. Being a photographer, I find seeing unfamiliar places, meeting new people, and getting to know different cultures exceptionally inspiring. By the age of 32, I had already been to the majority of exotic places: the Emirates, Ethiopia, Turkey, India, Laos, Thailand, Japan, Egypt, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Cuba. So, when a friend of mine who was working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine invited me to visit him for a couple of weeks, I thought: “Why not?!” I did not know what to expect from Ukraine since I knew little about it. I usually studied up for weeks on the country that I desired to leave to, but I did not have enough time to indulge in this practice—the prices of the plane tickets shot up after a week or so. I knew that it would be an intriguing experience due to the spontaneous nature of my travel.

Ukraine turned out to be completely different from any place I had visited so far. A post-Soviet=Union country, it is still struggling to build a developed society. But being a photographer, I was far more interested in its nature, people, and sites than its politics. Ukraine appeared to be an attractive, even gorgeous country. Being slightly smaller than Texas, it is extremely diverse and is full of natural wonders that take your breath away. Kyiv, the capital city, appeared unexpectedly well-groomed, green, and wealthy. Lots of bridges across the Dnipro River, a great number of outstanding parks, a couple of botanical gardens, and many, many flowers everywhere you go. A lot friendlier than you would think. Next, we went to Western Ukraine with its own peculiar culture and atmosphere.

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The above text is not complete without the four options, but which of the following could be taken as the last paragraph?（）

Supply the missing paragraph:The following passage is incomplete with one paragraph missing. Study the following passage carefully and write a paragraph of about 100 words. Make sure that the tone and vocabulary you use are in unity with the passage provided.

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     Overall, it can be said that the disadvantages of changing jobs are the advantages of staying put, and vice versa. In my opinion, changing jobs every once in a while is of more benefit.

Supply the missing paragraph: the following passage is incomplete with one paragraph missing. Study the paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

After observing the daily activities of three different executive secretaries. 

         I have come to realize that these secretaries must possess a wide variety of skills to do their jobs effectively. Among their most essential skills are the ability to communicate, an acute sense of organization, and an intimate knowledge of different types of office equipment.
        Communication skills include both oral and written communication, for executive secretaries must represent their supervisors in many different business situations. Orally,  they are required to speak effectively on the telephone，which means using proper words and an effective tone. They must also be able to greet and converse intelligently with each of their supervisor' s clients and transmit his or her instructions accurately and concisely. Their written skills comprise a detailed knowledge of the rules of grammar and a familiarization with sentence structure. Duties in this area would include taking notes at meetings and translating rough notes into accurate and readable prose. It is obvious, then,  that executive secretaries must master a broad range of oral and written communication skills before they can represent their supervisors properly.
         Another important skill that executive secretaries must have is a keen sense of organization. The day-to-day responsibilities that test this skill would be arranging transportation and accommodations for their supervisor's out-of-town visitors, keeping his or her appointment calendar up to date, and arranging staff meetings and conferences, both inside and outside the building. But perhaps their most important skill, which comes under the general heading of organization, is the ability to set priorities. Since they are given a number of various duties, some requiring immediate action, they must make judgments that provide for their supervisors' time restrictions. In this way they ensure that their supervisors do not waste time dealing with unessential information. 

          Finally, because modern business offices use the latest audio-visual and electronic equipment, executive secretaries must have "hands-on"  knowledge of this equipment. Making overheads, setting up projectors, and using photocopiers are some obvious examples, but they must also be familiar with video display equipment and word processors. Their skills in accessing and transmitting information effectively will depend on their keeping up with the latest information technology which, in turn, will increase productivity and lower costs. 

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Supply the missing paragraph: The following passage is incomplete with one paragraph missing. Study the following passage carefully and write a paragraph of about 100 words. Make sure that the tone and vocabulary you use are in unity with the passage provided.

     Finally, the anxiety of dating is greatly lessened with cyber-dating. Traditionally, men take the lead in dating. They are the ones who have to ask a woman out on a date. They have to risk rejection. It's no better for women, however. Many women still wait for a man to ask them out first. Then, if they don't want to go out with him, they have to let the man down gently. While it's true that sometimes with cyber-dating men still get rejected and women still reject, you experience this in the privacy of your own home. Moreover, you never have to see the person again because you have never met! It's the perfect solution.
     In short, if you are looking for someone to date and even marry, you should go online and post your profile on a dating website. It's convenient, safe, and worry-free.

下列短语中哪个不能表示learn?

Supply the missing paragraph:The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

以下单词或短语哪一个不能表示跟although同样的意思?

以下单词哪个不能表达happy的意思?

以下哪个短语不能表示not的意思?

以下形容词与短语同义对应不正确的是?（ ）

The following passage is incomplete with one body paragraph missing. Study the passage carefully and write the missing paragraph in about 100 words. Make sure that your tone and diction are in unity with the passage provided.

Write an outline: Read the following passage carefully and compose a “topic outline” for it.

         Last year alone, more than one million children in the United States chose home-schooling over traditional education. This stunning figure was released according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Home-schooling is a recent development in education. Not long ago, it was considered too radical by many education experts. Nowadays, it is legalized in every state and more than one million children have undergone home-schooling and many more parents are seriously considering home-schooling.
         The interesting thing was: What prompted such a change? There have been many recent surveys to suggest that parents are getting impatient and fed up with our public schooling system. It is seen as being superficial with no real-life skills being applied and taught.
         Parents are also concerned about the negative publicity often portrayed in news. Examples are school students taking drugs in schools, abusing fellow students physically and even students bringing guns and knives to schools. Parents are concerned about the negative peer influences that these students have on their children.
         Home-schooling offers an opportunity to end all that and allows parents to bring up their children in a natural and loving environment. It is especially important in the early years of a child’s development (between three to twelve years old ) as this is the period where they are prone to negative influences and peer pressure and cannot differentiate what is right and what is wrong. Home-schooling helps to protect them from such negative influences.
         Another benefit of home-schooling is that it is an inevitable bond between the child and the parents. The parents and the child spend more time together forming a unique bond. The bond gets stronger as time passes and later you will find that you can connect with your child better than you never thought before.
          Parents can also have better control over the kind of moral and religious beliefs that a child should have. Parents can impart their moral values and beliefs to their children easily since they spend more time together.
          So what is stopping parents from adopting home-schooling? For one thing, home-schooling requires a lot of time and money. For most families, both parents need to be working full-time to support the family. Many home-schooling families are dependent on one parent for the income. The other parent has to devote full-time to home-schooling the child. Therefore in some cases, it is not possible to adopt home-schooling unless you are financially stable.
          The other interesting phenomenon is that more and more home-schooling support groups are appearing in the neighborhood. They help to guide and support each other. Some home-schooling support groups have even gone online. If you do decide to go home-schooling, find a home-schooling support group in your area.

以下关于insist的用法错误的是?