海口市琼山华侨中学2019届高三第五次月考英语试题
考生注意:
1.本试卷分第Ⅰ卷(选择题)和第Ⅱ卷(非选择题)两部分,共150分。考试时间为120分钟。
2.作答时请将答案写在答题卡上,写在试卷上无效。
第Ⅰ卷
第一部分 听力 (共两节,满分30分)
第一节 (共5小题;每小题1.5分,满分7.5分)
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题, 从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项, 并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后, 你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1. What does the man mean?
A. The woman should wait until it stops raining.
B. He will drive the woman home.
C. He will go for a walk with the woman.
2. Where does the conversation take place?
A. In a photo shop. B. At the airport. C. At the post office.
3. What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?
A. Teacher and student. B. Employer and employee. C. Mother and son.
4. How much does one ticket cost?
A. $1.40. B. $4.30. C. $8.60.
5. What do the two speakers think of the newcomer?
A. Humorous. B. Careless. C. Energetic.
第二节 (共15小题;每小题1.5分,满分22.5分)
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题,从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项,并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前,你将有时间阅读各个小题,每小题5秒钟;听完后,各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听下面一段对话,回答第6和第7两个小题。
6. Why was Don scolded?
A. He misplaced the reports. B. He forgot to type letters.
C. He didn't hand in his reports.
7. Who was to blame for the trouble?
A. Don. B. Don's boss. C. Don’s secretary.
听下面一段对话,回答第8和第9两个小题。
8. Where does the man know about the operation?
A. From the woman. B. From Nick. C. From a barber.
9. Why does Nick feel great?
A. He won a million dollars. B. He changed his hairstyle.
C. He doesn't suffer from pain.
听下面一段对话,回答第10至第12三个小题。
10. What is people's third fear?
A. Death. B. Divorce. C. Giving a presentation.
11. How did the woman in the front row feel about the man's words?
A. Pleased. B. Angry. C. Embarrassed.
12. According to the man, what caused the trouble?
A. He didn't provide good products.
B. He didn't know about American culture.
C. He didn't have a correct attitude towards beauty.
听下面一段对话,回答第13至第16四个小题。
13. What does the woman want?
A. Dark brown clothes. B. Some saucepans. C. Country-style tables.
14. Who saw the products yesterday?
A. The woman's neighbor. B. The woman. C. Mr. Cliffe.
15. What does the shopkeeper tell the woman?
A. All the products are 50% off. B. What she wants were sold out.
C. The new styles will come tomorrow.
16. What will the woman do?
A. Wait for 5 minutes. B. Go to another shop.
C. Go shopping tomorrow.
听下面一段独白,回答第17至第20四个小题。
17. What was the first magazine called?
A. The Tattler. B. The Review. C. The Critics.
18. What was the first magazine mainly focused on?
A. News events. B. Philosophical essays. C. Domestic issues.
19. What was Daniel Defoe?
A. A priest. B. An editor. C. An official.
20. What did Daniel Defoe do?
A. He once stayed in prison. B. He visited the King's castle.
C. He added poetry to The Review.
第二部分阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题; 每小题2分, 满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项( A、 B、 C和D)中。选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
A vacation with your family is fun but loaded with responsibilities. If you are planning with your family, then you should keep certain things in mind to make your travel stress free. We bring tips to keep in mind while travelling with your family, which will ensure your travel free of hassle.
REACHING EARLY
Take off early from home. Reaching a few minutes earlier will save you the trouble of standing in long queue or rushing for departure. Keep your essentials with you. Carry your passport, tickets and other check-in documents on you. Best way of doing so is to carry it in a waist wallet. If you are travelling with kids, carry their food or juice bottles for the journey. Do not always rely on the food provided to you on board. Also carry the diapers and wet tissues in a carry bag.
PLANE TIPS
Check in early. In case you don’t check in 30minutes prior to the departure, your seats will be reassigned. In case of a delayed or cancelled flight, call the client servicing department of the airline. Calling them is quicker than standing in a line. In case of delayed flights you will be offered lunch or dinner free of cost by the airline.
IF TRAVELLING BY CAR
Stack your car with extra jumper cables, flashlights, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, and thermal reflective blankets. Plan ahead, unknown difficulties are unavoidable. Carry a map with you even if you have a GPS installed in your car. Do not always rely on technology.
WHILE STAYING
If you are travelling with babies or kids, make sure your room is free of danger. While staying at a resort or hotel room, make sure you keep security measures in mind. Double lock the room and check for any entries other than the main.
21. When travelling with your kids, ______.
A. you should set out a few minutes earlier
B. you may as well take some food for him
C. you may waste much time for departure
D. you should have to carry your waist wallet
22. If you meet with a delayed flight, ______.
A. you have to stand in a line for a long time
B. you will easily change your flight ticket
C. you will be offered meals free of charge
D. you have to make a plan ahead of time
23. The underlined word “hassle” in the 1st paragraph means “______”.
A. trouble B. delight C. program D. imagination
24. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Means to take when travelling with your family.
B. Proper time to enjoy your family members.
C. Pleasures to share with your family members.
D. Things to keep in mind on a family vacation.
B
A few months ago I decided that I was going to treat myself to a 4-day getaway from Los Angeles and visit Chicago. I got a free airplane ticket, but had to pay the hotel in cash, which 1 really couldn't afford. I found a travel website where a discounted 3-night stay was purchased from a recently opened hotel.
About three weeks before the trip, I had to regretfully cancel and only then realized the room, while transferable (可转手的) to another person, couldn't be changed to a later date and wasn't refundable. For the next two weeks I tried selling it on Craig's list with no success. Five days before the "big weekend", I gave up trying to get any money back and decided I'd contact some acquaintances who live in Chicago and offer someone a free "staycation". After trying a handful of people, all of whom already had their own plans! I was determined to have the room not go to waste.
That's when it suddenly occurred to me that I was looking at the rooms in the wrong way. Instead of viewing them for vacation purposes, surely there must be a way to put them to good use, and that was when the idea that some sort of shelter might be able to use it. I eventually found one whose focus is aiding victims of domestic violence. This particular one was willing to listen to my out-of-left-field story and made it easier to transfer the rooms. The shelter was working with a desperate woman and her daughter, who were fortunately able to make use of the room. I was later told by the shelter “they had a blast”.
25. We can learn from paragraph 1 that the author______.
A. had a light budget for his holiday B. bought his flight using credit cards
C. planned to go on business in Chicago D. employed someone from a website
26. What was the author's first choice when he realized the situation?
A. Making the trip himself. B. Doing a favor to a friend.
C. Complaining to authority. D. Getting his money back.
27. What did the author finally do with his room reservation?
A. He sold it to someone on vacation. B. He donated it to needy strangers.
C. He put it off to a later holiday time. D. He used it for domestic violence.
28. From the underlined sentence in the last paragraph, we can infer that______.
A. the author was unhappy with the result
B. the program was shocked by the event
C. the women were grateful for the room
D. the shelter was asking for more rooms
C
It’s such a happy-looking library, painted yellow, decorated with palm-tree stickers and sheltered from the Florida sun by its own roof. About the size of a microwave oven, it’s pedestrian-friendly, too, waiting for book lovers next to a sidewalk in Palm Beach Country Estates, along the northern boundary of Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s a library built with love.
A year ago, shortly after Janey Henriksen saw a Brian Willias report about the Little Free Library organization, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that aims to promote literacy and build a sense of community in a neighborhood by making books freely available, she announced to her family of four, “That’s what we’re going to do for our spring break!”
Son Austin, now a 10th-grader, didn’t see the point of building a library that resembles a mailbox. But Janey insisted, and husband Peter unwillingly got to work. The 51-year-old owner of a ship supply company modified a small wooden house that he’d built years earlier for daughter Abbie’s toy horses, and made a door of glass.
After adding the library’s final touches, the family hung a signboard on the front, instructing users to “take a book, return a book,” and making the Henriksen library, now one of several hundred like it nationwide and among more than 2,500 in the world, the only Little Free Library in Palm Beach County.
They stocked it with 20 or so books they’d already read, a mix of science fiction, reference titles, novels and kids’ favorites. “I told them, keep in mind that you might not see it again,” said Janey, a stay-at-home mom.
Since then, the collection keeps replenishing(补充)itself, thanks to ongoing donations from borrowers. The library now gets an average of five visits a day.
The project’s best payoff, says Peter, are the thank-you notes left behind. “We had no idea in the beginning that it would be so popular.”
29. In what way is the library “pedestrian-friendly”?
A. It owns a yellow roof.
B. It uses palm-tree stickers as decorations.
C. It protects book lovers from the sun.
D. It stands near a sidewalk.
30. Janey got the idea to build a library from ______.
A. a visit to Brian Williams
B. a spring break with her family
C. a report on a Wisconsin-based organization
D. a book sent by one of her neighbors
31. The library was built ______.
A. like a mailbox B. on the basis of toy horses
C. by a ship supply company D. with glass
32. What can we infer about the signboard?
A. It was made by a user of the library.
B. It aimed at making the library last long.
C. It marked a final touch to the library.
D. It indicated the library was a family property.
D
Visitors worry that London is an expensive city but there really are so many free
things to do here. The following ideas should get you started.
All of London's major museums are free, but most offer some special exhibitions for a fee. My favorite is the Museum of London where you can learn the history of London from Roman times to today. And I love the Geffrye Museum which shows English domestic interiors and helps bring to life what it was really like to live in London.
I regularly hear people tell me the Queen Mary's Rose Gardens in Regent's Park is their favorite spot in London, and who am I to argue? I would also recommend St. James's Park as it offers one of the best views of Buckingham Palace. Hyde Park is enormous and Kensington Gardens nearby includes the ever popular Diana Memorial Playground and the Peter Pan Statue.
No visit to London is complete without seeing this military tradition. The Queen's Guard in London changes in the Forecourt inside the gates of Buckingham Palace at 11.30am every day in the summer and every other day in the winter. Get there early and view the spectacle from outside the front gates.
Trafalgar Square is one of Britain's greatest visitor attractions and was designed by John Nash in the 1820s and constructed in the 1830s. This iconic square has many sights to see including Nelson's Column and the National Gallery. It is both a tourist attraction and the main focus for political demonstrations. Every December, Norway donates a marvelous Christmas tree, to thank Britain for liberation from the Nazis.
33. Where can visitors find the Peter Pan Statue?
A. in Regent's Park. B. in St. James's Park.
C. in Hyde Park. D. in Kensington Gardens.
34. Which of the following descriptions is True ?
A. The Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens is in Buckingham Palace.
B. Trafalgar Square is both a tourist attraction and a place for political demonstrations.
C. The Queen’s Guard changes inside the gates of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 am every day.
D. In the Geffrye Museum visitors can learn the history of London from Roman times to today.
35. The writer wrote the passage to ________.
A. compare some free places in London.
B. advertise some free places in London.
C. recommend some free spots in London.
D. expose some free places in London.
第二节(共5小题;每小题2分,满分10 分)
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
What A Real Leader Does
Is a leader merely a manager? What should we expect from our leaders? 36
Yes, we do need leaders. On our own, we lack the vision, direction, and strength to reach our goals. We were all in need of guidance when we were children—even the cleverest child could not possibly be expected to make certain crucial decisions. Once we become adults, with the capacity to reason for ourselves, we are facing so many pressures of daily survival that we rarely find time and energy to focus on life’s larger issues. And when we do, our emotions and subjectivity limit our vision and our movement.
37 When we are occupied with our self-interest—petty or great, a leader sends out a wake-up call, alerting us to seek the true priorities in life.
With so many people trying to be leaders these days, how do we recognize a true leader? To answer this question, we must step back and ask: 38
A true leader wants nothing more than to make people stand on their own, as leaders in their own right instead of trying to blind us with his or her brilliance, a true leader reflects our own light back to us, so that we can see ourselves anew.
The differences between a leader and a boss: A boss drives their employees, and a leader coaches them. A boss inspires fear, and a leader generates enthusiasm. A boss says “I”, and a leader says “we”. A boss places blame for breakdowns, and a leader fixes them. 39
Decide now, decide today. Are you going to be a real leader? Are you going to develop real leaders? 40 Remember, a leader with vision has a clear, vivid picture of where to go, as well as a firm grasp on what success looks like and how to achieve it.
A. A leader provides a new perspective, inspiring us to abandon our narrow field of vision.
B. This sense of urgency is just as important in a leader as a sense of vision.
C. And do we really need leaders in the first place?
D. Are you going to inspire and generate enthusiasm?
E. We have a CEO who can direct thousands of employees toward a single objective.
F. What is it that a leader is really trying to accomplish?
G. A boss knows how it is done, and a leader shows how it is done.
第三部分:英语知识运用(共两节,满分45分)
第一节 完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,从短文后面各题所给的四个选项(A、 B、C 和 D)中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Shirley Allen loved to sing and play the piano. She studied music in college and her __41_ was to become a concert pianist or blues singer. Everything__42_ when she was 20 years old. She became sick with what doctors__43_ was typhoid fever(伤寒)and she almost died. Doctors gave her medicine to help her get well, but the medicine__44_ her to become__45_ deaf. She could no longer hear the music which
she had always__46__.
Shirley would never give up playing the piano, __47_ she did decide to change__48__. She transferred to Gallaudet University and studied English. In 1964 Shirley graduated from Gallaudet and looked for__49_. She wanted to be__50_ and work full time .
For three years, Shirley worked as a clerk in Washington, D.C. __51_, in 1967 she was asked to work at Gallaudet University as a dorm supervisor(宿舍监管员). Shirley supervised young women who__52_ in the university during the school year. She also taught English. Somehow she found time to__53_ graduate school at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In 1972, Shirley received her M.A.degree.
Always__54_ a new challenge, in 1973 Shirley became a professor at National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), which__55_ deaf and hard-of-hearing students technical and professional training.
This__56_ woman became the first black deaf female in the world to receive her Ph.D. She made__57_ in 1992, when she received the highest __58_ in education from the University of Rochester in New York.
Dr. Shirley Jeanne Allen has traveled many roads and__59_ many rainbows searching for her dream. With courage and__60__, she never gave up.
41. A. job B. dream C. duty D. interest
42. A. disappeared B. stopped C. changed D. ended
43. A. thought B. agreed C. found D. said
44.A. allowed B. enabled C. encouraged D. caused
45.A. almost B. totally C. actually D. gradually
46.A. loved B. played C. performed D. remembered
47.A. and B. but C. so D. even if
48.A. attitude B. interest C. life D. career
49.A. information B. help C. a job D. an assistant
50.A. free B. happy C. confident D. independent
51.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Then
52.A. worked B. studied C. lived D. played
53.A. attend B. observe C. describe D. advertise
54.A. interested in B. ready for C. concerned about D. busy with
55.A. offers B. teaches C. pays D. promises
56.A. wealthy B. strict C. amazing D. beautiful
57.A. history B. excuses C. suggestions D. progress
58.A. proof B. certificate C. license D. degree
59.A. found B. followed C. watched D. appreciated
60.A. pride B. strength C. determination D. intelligence
第二节 (共10小题;每小题1.5分,满分15分)
阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(不多于3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow is 61 largest city. Scotland has 62 (rough) 800 islands, but people only live on some of them.
In the north of Scotland it is light until 11:30p.m. in summer and in winter you can sometimes see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, 63 are spectacular lights in the sky. Energy from the sun 64 (turn) the Earth’s sky green, red and other colors.
At public and 65 (culture) events you can often hear traditional Scottish music and see traditional Scottish dancing. Pipers play music on bagpipes, a Celtic wind instrument with pipes and a bag. Pipers and dancers usually wear kilts, a traditional skirt 66 (wear) by men and women. Scots are music lovers, 67 (enjoy) all types of music from folk 68 rock and pop. And festivals like “The Edinburgh Festival” or concerts like “T in the Park” are very popular.
The most popular sport in Scotland is football. Another popular game, golf, 69 (invent) in Scotland in the Middle Ages. The famous Scottish Highland Games are a(n) __70 (combine) of culture and sport and Highland Games are celebrated all over the world.
第四部分 写作(共两节,满分35分)
第一节 短文改错(共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处,每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:把缺词处加一个漏符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Last weekend, my class went camping by a lake. It was unforgettable experience.
It took them three hours to reach the place. After that, we had a whole day of interested activities. During the day, we went fishing. Some of my classmates are very good at fishing, so we caught a lot of fish, with that we then had a barbecue. The fish tasted deliciously. In the evening, we held up a singing contest. We had a lot of funs.
After the camping, we all felt tired, so we really had a great time. I hope we will go camping again at the near future.
第二节 书面表达(满分25分)
假设你是李华,暑假你随学校组织的访问团去美国中学参观访问,并与纽约州长岛市Newcomers High School 的学生Tina成了好朋友。期间,Tina带你参观了她的学校并介绍了校史,还请你品尝了美食。回国后,你打算给Tina写一封信,主要内容如下:
1. 表达你的感激之情;
2. 赞叹该校美丽的环境和课堂的生动活跃;
3. 邀请对方来中国;
4. 表达祝愿。
注意:
(1)可适当加入细节,以使行文连贯;
(2)词数:100左右(开头已给出,不计入总词数) 。
Dear Tina,
How are you? I am now back in China.______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
海口市琼山华侨中学2019届高三第五次月考英语试题
英语科答案
听力 (共20小题,每小题2分,满分30分)
1—5 BCCBA 6—10 CCACC 11—15 BBBAB 16—20 CBCBA
阅读 (共20小题; 每小题2分, 满分40分)
21-24 BCAD 25-28 ADBC 29-32 DCAB 33-35 DBC 36-40 CAFGD
完型填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
41-45 BCADB 46-50 ABDCD 51-55 DCABA 56-60 CADBC
语法填空(共10小题;每小题1.5分,满分15分)
61. the 62 .roughly 63. which 64. turns 65. cultural
66. worn 67. enjoying 68. to 69. was invented 70. combination
短文改错(共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
Last weekend, my class went camping by a lake. It was^unforgettable experience. It took
an
them three hours to reach the place. After that, we had a whole day of interested activities.
us interesting
During the day, we went fishing. Some of my classmates are very good at fishing, so we caught
were
a lot of fish, with that we then had a barbecue. The fish tasted deliciously. In the evening, we
which delicious
held up a singing contest. We had a lot of funs.
删除 fun
After the camping, we all felt tired, so we really had a great time. I hope we will go camping
but
again at the near future.
in
书面表达(满分25分)
Dear Tina,
How are you? I am now back in China. I had a wonderful time in America, which I will always treasure.
First, I’d like to express my thanks for your hospitality and kindness when I was in America. It was so nice of you to show me around your school and introduce its history to me. Besides, the delicious food to which you treated me impressed me deeply. Your school is amazing in that it has not only a beautiful campus but also lively classes. Hopefully you can come to China some day and I have the chance to repay you in the same way.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Yours,
Li Hua
听力材料
Text 1
W: I have to get back home before noon. But, the heavy rain makes the road muddy and difficult to walk on.
M: Can I give you a lift?
Text 2
M: I’d like to send this letter to Chicago by EMS.
W: Is there anything valuable in it?
M: Nothing valuable, just a photograph.
Text 3
W: Promise me—promise me you won't put me in one of those old people's homes, will you? You wouldn't abandon me like that, would you?
M: No, of course not. We’ll look after you ourselves.
Text 4
W: Here's a 10-dollar bill. Give me two tickets for tonight's show, please.
M: Sure. Two tickets and here’s $1.40 change.
Text 5
W: I like the newcomer.
M: Me too. He does have a good sense of humor.
W: Yes, he plays harmless jokes on everybody even including himself. And with his presence, all of us feel cheerful and energetic.
M: No wonder he is so popular.
Text 6
W: Is it true that Don got into some trouble at work last week?
M: Yes, he did.⑥He was scolded for not turning in his sales reports, ⑦but his secretary went to explain for him.
W: What was she able to do?
M: ⑦She helped him out a great deal by admitting that she had misplaced the reports that he gave her to be typed.
W: ⑦So, it was her fault, not his.
M: ⑦Right.
Text 7
M: I came across Nick at the bookstore yesterday. He looked great, but I noticed that he had a slight limp when he walked.
W: ⑧I guess you didn't know that he had an operation on his knee.
M: ⑧No, I didn’t. How’s he feeling?
W: ⑨He says he's feeling like a million dollars now. Apparently the pain in his knee is all gone.
M: ⑨It’s good that he's feeling so wonderful. It must be a refreshing change not having to put up with all that discomfort.
Text 8
M: Did you know that ⑩making a presentation is third only to death and divorce in a list of people's top fears?
W: Really? It’s unbelievable.
M: I can understand that. I had a terrible time in the USA once.
W: So?
M: I was giving a product presentation to a large group of buyers in San Francisco. And I just said “My beautiful assistant Terasa will take your orders at the end of my talk.”(11)And this woman in the front row said “She is beautiful?” and all the other women began to shout.(11)And then she said that I was a pig and there was no way she would buy anything from my company. So of course some other women said the same as her. Well, of course (12)I should have known that it would cause trouble saying something like this in the USA.
W: Yeah, you have to be really careful.
Text 9
M: Yes, madam? Can I help you?
W: Oh yes, please, but you're just closing, aren't you?
M: Well, yes, madam. The shop shuts in five minutes.
W: (13)I won't keep you long then. It was about some saucepans you had in your window last week.
M: Last week, madam? I really can’t remember which ones you mean.
W: Oh, they were lovely! Dark brown color, country-style you know.
M: That's strange. I don't recognize any of the ones we had from that description. Are you sure they were in the shop?
W: Oh, you must know the ones I mean. They were in a sale. A real bargain. Reduced to a quarter of the original price.
M: I'm afraid the sales are over now, madam, (15)and I know we sold out of all the saucepans.
W: I don't think you did, you know.(14)At least, my neighbor, Mrs. Cliffe, told me she saw some here only yesterday.
M: Well, it's all new stock in the window now. Er, well, madam, we were just closing.
W: Yes, yes.(16)Well, I will come by tomorrow.
Text 10
W: Moving away from newspapers, let's now focus on magazines.(17)Now the first magazine was a little periodical called The Review and it was started in London in 1704.It looked a lot like the newspapers of the time, but in terms of its contents it was much different. Newspapers were concerned mainly with news events but (18)The Review focused on important domestic issues of the day. Now, in England at the time, people could still be thrown in jail for publishing articles that were critical of the King. That is what happened to Daniel Defoe. He was the outspoken founder of The Review.(19)Defoe actually wrote the first issue of The Review from prison. You see, (20)he had been arrested because of his writings that criticized the policies of the Church of England, which was headed by the King. After his release, Defoe continued to produce The Review and the magazine started to appear more frequently, about three times a week. It didn't take long for other magazines to start popping up. In 1709, a magazine called The Tattler began publication. This new magazine contained a mixture of news, poetry, political analysis and philosophical essays.