【推荐2】When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation. I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.
“We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were on holiday.” I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays”, because the Spanish word for “holidays” is said “vacaciones”. So they did not go to house where the sign outside said “VACANCIES”, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to houses where the sign said “NO VACANCIES”, because they thought this meant people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels.
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word “DIVERSION” means “fun”. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word “DIVERSION” on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole.
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris when someone offered me some more coffee, I said “Thank you” in French, I meant that I would like some more, however to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that “Thank you” in French means “No, Thank you”.
1. The author’s Spanish friends wanted advice about _______.

A．some funny English stories

B．finding places to stay in England

C．driving their car on English roads

D．going to England by car

2. The author suggested that they stay at “bed and breakfast” because _______.

A．it would be convenient for them to have dinners and live

B．it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels

C．they would be able to practice their English in the house

D．there would be no problem about finding accommodation there

3. “NO VACANCIES” in English means _______.

A．no free rooms	B．free rooms
C．not away on holiday	D．they don’t live

4. If you see road sign that says “Diversion” in England, you will _______.

A．take the road and you will be excited

B．have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself

C．find that the road is blocked by crowds of people

D．have to take a different road

【推荐3】On Nov.18th,1908, three men went up in a balloon. They started early in London. The headman was Augusta Gaudron, and the other two men were Tannar and Maitland. They had a big balloon and they were ready for a long way.
Soon they heard the sea. They were carrying the usual rope, and it was hanging down from the basket of the balloon. At the end of the rope they had tied a metal box. This could hold water, or it could be empty. So they were able to change its weight. It was for use over the sea. They were also carrying some bags of sand.
After the sun rose, the balloon went higher. It went up to 3,000 metres, and the air was very cold. The water in the balloon became ice. Snow fell past the men's basket, and they could see more snow on the ground. The men tried to throw out some more sand; but it was hard. They tried to break the icy sand with their knives, but it was not easy. The work was slow and they were still falling, so they had to drop some whole bags of sand. One of them fell on an icy lake and made a black hole in the ice.
At last they pulled the box into the basket. It was still snowing; so they climbed to get away from the snow. They rose to 5,100 metres! Everything became icy. They were so cold that they decided to land. They came down in Poland heavily but safely. They had travelled 1,797 kilometers from London!
1. Three men flew in balloon ________.

A．for nearly 1,800 kilometers

B．to another city

C．to visit Poland

D．more than a century ago

2. The metal box was used for ________.

A．carrying the bags of sand

B．keeping drinking-water

C．carrying ropes of the basket

D．changing weight

3. When the balloon went up higher, ________.

A．the temperature of the balloon began to fall

B．They saw the sun go down

C．They made a hole in the basket with their knives

D．They could see a black hole on the ground

4. Which of the following is NOT true?________

A．The three men started their journey before the sun rose.

B．The balloon began to go up when they threw bags of sand out of the basket.

C．When they pulled the box into the basket, the balloon began to climb up.

D．The three men had to land because they felt cold.

【推荐2】Traditionally, the number of meaningful social relationships one can maintain is around 150. This concept finds its roots in the natural development of the human brain. However, in the digital age, where our social connections extend far beyond the geographical boundaries (界限), we easily create more connections with the help of the rising online platforms. Then, a question arises: Does the digital age rewrite the rules of social connection?

A study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking explored the effect of social media usage on the size of social circles and the closeness of relationships. The researchers found that more time spent on social media made for a larger number of online “friends,” but not a larger number of offline friends. Further, the findings were not linked to feelings of closeness towards online or offline friends.

Another study from the European Journal of Information Systems studied the link between social media usage and “social overload” — the feeling that too much of the energy for socializing is being used up by online relationships. The authors found that social media usage directly contributed to the experience of social overload, related to digital tiredness and dissatisfaction with social media.

With social media platforms rising, one’s ability to connect with people challenges the traditional concept. The brain, used to manage a limited number of relationships, now fights against the difficulties of dealing with a large number of digital connections, leading to a less attention and feeling investment (投入) in a relationship. And the online shallow connections can not develop meaningful, lasting relationships that stand the test of digital distance.

Therefore, in the digital age’s social whirlwind, instead of drowning (淹没) in a sea of weak interaction (互动), choose to engage in meaningful conversations and focus on the handful of relationships that truly fit your heart. Hug the beauty of face-to-face connections, allowing the richness of human interaction to flower beyond the digital world. By doing so, we create digital and physical spaces that truly improve our well-being.

1. Why did the author mention the traditional concept in the first paragraph?

A．To tell a story.	B．To develop the topic.
C．To show his sincerity.	D．To give an example.

2. What can we learn from the first study?

A．Online relationships were closer.

B．Spending more time online improved one’s health.

C．Social media usage had no effect on one’s social circles.

D．The large online social circles didn’t mean the large number of offline friends.

3. What was the disadvantage of engaging in too many relationships?

A．It resulted in one’s less attention to a relationship.

B．It caused the brain to break down and damaged the health.

C．It led to expression errors when one socialized with friends.

D．It developed shallow connections that stand the test of distance.

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the last two paragraphs?

A．It is a good choice to give up online connections completely.

B．Face-to-face connections are time-consuming and meaningless in digital age.

C．It is a must to merely concentrate on the few relationships truly fitting your heart.

D．It poses a challenge for the brain to deal with large numbers of digital connections.

【推荐3】There are many ways to travel within a city. We can walk, cycle, or take a bus. But no matter which way we travel, we have to stick to the route(线路) the city planners laid down for us.

Parkour practitioners (跑酷爱好者), however, see the city in a completely different way. To them, there are no fixed routes. There are no walls and no stairs—since they jump, climb, roll and crawl to move across, through, over and under anything that they find in their path. The city is their playground.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it—there are 100,000 people taking part in parkour today in the UK alone, according to the Guardian—and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger: It trains coordination and balance. So the organization is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024.

But parkour practitioners themselves don’t seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as “a lifestyle”, wrote the website NextSportStar. “It’s a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport.”

Indeed, many do parkour just to “escape the daily routine and experience the city in different ways”, wrote reporter Oli Mould on The Conversation. They see parkour as a way to express themselves through relaxing moves and creative routes while freeing themselves from the pressure.

It’s great that the FIG wants to develop new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.

1. How do the parkour practitioners do parkour?

A．They move on as they wish.	B．They plan the way themselves.
C．They run faster than others.	D．They stick to certain routes.

2. Why does the FIG want to add parkour to the Olympics?

A．It’s a special way of life.	B．It draws their attention.
C．It’s good for people to keep healthy.	D．It needs some rules and instructions.

3. What is the author’s idea on parkour?

A．It is more formal than other sports.	B．It helps people to be creative.
C．It’s worth adding to the sporting event.	D．It calls on people to work as a team.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A new sports competition	B．Parkour practitioners
C．Training in a different way	D．Making the city their own

【推荐1】Jumping Clay

Grades: K-2

[Time: 3: 25 pm—4: 25 pm Tuesday, Jan 16, 23, 30 and Feb 6, 13, 27 (No class 2/20)]

Explore the Arctic and Antarctic in this creative hands-on workshop! Each student will create their own 3-D polar display including the landscape and animal such as polar bears, penguins and whales while learning about basic shapes and color mixing. Jumping Clay is an air-drying polymer clay that is 100% safe and non-toxic (无毒)! Beginners welcome! All materials included. Cost: $90

Vacation Destination

The ERfC Vacation Destination Center is located at Enfield Street School, 1318 Enfield Street. Vacation Destination is open from 7: 00 am-6: 00 pm on the following days this school year:

▪ December 26-29, 2018

▪ February 20, 2019

▪ April 9-13, 2019

▪ June 25-29, 2019

A variety of theme-based activities are provided throughout the day and include enrichment and recreational activities such as sewing, sports＆games, arts＆crafts and science activities. Daily fee: $45

ERfC Counselors in Training Team for High School Students

Students in grades 9-12 who are looking to develop leadership skills are encouraged to join the ERfC CIT Team. High school students will gain experience working with children in different age groups, discover new strengths, and learn team-building skills. Training is provided and summer opportunities will be available. Contact Melissa Shea at mshea@erfc.us.

Tonight in Thompsonville

Located at St. Patrick’s Hall, 64 Pearl Street, Enfield Join us for a free family dinner and a variety of family fun activities. In addition to a family dinner, evenings include hands-on educational activities designed for parents and children to enjoy together. Community providers attend to share information about health, nutrition, physical activity, education, and other services such as SNAP, Care 4 Kids, early childhood programs and out-of-school time activities.

1. What is the main purpose of Jumping Clay?

A．To guide children to protect wild animals.

B．To teach children to use clay materials properly.

C．To encourage children to improve their creativity.

D．To help children learn about the Arctic and Antarctic.

2. When can a child take part in science activities?

A．June 24, 2019.

B．April 12, 2019.

C．February 22, 2019.

D．December 30, 2018.

3. Which program suits a student who wants to run for monitor next term?

A．Jumping Clay.

B．Vacation Destination.

C．ERfC CIT Team.

D．Tonight in Theompsonville.

【推荐2】Covid-19 is not the only catastrophe that 2020 has brought. In parts of Asia and east Africa, swarms（成群）of locusts（蝗虫）have destroyed fields. Locusts are usually inoffensive, spread-out creatures that do not stay far from the place where they were born. But under the right circumstances, that is, a heavy rain and a following boom in plant growth, they can be gregarious. Millions of the insects gather in swarms which can fly more than 100km in a day.

In a paper published in Nature, Xiaojiao Gou and a group of other researchers clarify part of the biochemical system that drives that transformation. Dr Gou and her colleagues collected 35 chemicals acquired from the bodies and wastes of locusts. When tested, locusts were strongly attracted to just a chemical, one called 4-vinylanisole （4VA）. Scientists already know that swarming is a response to overcrowding, and Dr Gou and her colleagues found that 4VA production rose with population enlargement. Further investigation confirmed the odour receptor （气味受体）on the insects' antennae（触角）is sensitive to the chemical.

Humans have tried everything they can to deal with locust swarms, with mixed results. Man-made version of 4VA might be used to bait（诱捕）traps. If 4VA turns out to be a language that all locusts understand, then it may help humans persuade them to abandon their gregarious ways, and return to a peaceable life of being alone.

1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Flexible.	B．Starved.
C．Aggressive.	D．Gathering.

2. What did Dr Gou's group find?

A．Locusts can release 35 chemicals from their bodies.

B．4VA is one of the chemicals strongly attracting locusts.

C．4VA will be produced more when locusts' number increases.

D．The transformation of locusts affects the biochemical system.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Humans have got the methods of killing locusts.

B．Man-made version of 4VA will be introduced to market.

C．Scientists have had a new breakthrough to transform locusts' habitats.

D．It remains to be proved whether 4VA is a language that locusts understand.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The harm caused by locust swarms.

B．The ways to prevent locust swarms.

C．The process of locusts' transformation.

D．The finding of 4VA attracting locust swarms.

【推荐3】Volunteering means working for free to help someone else.Mrs.Obama says volunteering is very important.   "It should be part of everyone's life,"she says.

Many teens agree.They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference.These days,more teens volunteer than work for pay.Teens clean up parks,walk dogs at animal shelters,visit the elderly,and more.

Some cities—including Seattle,Chicago,and Washington,D.C.—require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate.The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities（社区）.

Many parents subscribe to the idea—they say volunteering helps teens build job skills.But most teens don't want to be forced to volunteer.They say they are busy.And they say volunteering is only fun if it's a choice.

Read both sides of the debate and decide.

Yes

●Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.

●Many cities and towns need help.Volunteers can help keep important programs going.

●Not all teens will volunteer if it isn't required.Schools should require students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.

No

●Most teens are already very busy with classes,homework,jobs,and sports.Forcing them to do more isn't fair.

●It should be up to each person.Helping out doesn't feel as good if you have to do it.

●Finding a volunteer job isn't always easy.Students shouldn't be kept from graduating because of something they can't control.

1. It is known from the text that in Washington, D.C.______.

A．high school students won't graduate if they don't volunteer

B．every one would like to volunteer

C．finding a volunteer job is not difficult

D．volunteering is a must for college school students

2. What does the underlined phrase "subscribe to" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Correct.	B．Like.
C．Devote.	D．Revise.

3. What does the No side think of volunteer jobs?

A．They are not as important as students' homework.

B．They won't help teens prepare for their adult life.

C．Students shouldn't be stopped from graduation because of them.

D．They waste students' precious（宝贵的）time.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Whether volunteering is good for students.

B．Who are best to do volunteer jobs.

C．What kind of volunteer jobs students should do.

D．Whether students should be required to volunteer.

【推荐1】The name sounds funny but the idea is no joke: it’s a personal toilet called the pee-pool, Anders Wilhelmson, a Swedish architect, is the inventor of the pee-pool.
He became interested in the idea of sanitation after taking part in a research project on the social and political development of cities. One of the most common problems he found in developing countries was the lack of toilets. He wanted to do something to help, so working with others, he started the project in 2005, and the next year started a company called Peepoolple.
The toilet is a single-use bag made of environmentally friendly plastics. The inside is treated with urea(尿素), a chemical commonly used as fertilizer. The hotter the weather, the more quickly the waste turns into what is needed by plants. The sanitation process can be as soon as a couple of hours or as long as two to four weeks, you can just bury it in a pot and grow whatever you like.
The company expects to start selling the bags in August in Kenya and Bangladesh, but it is just beginning production and sales in Nairobi now. Full production could reach about half a million bags a day and people may be able to buy the pee-pool in countries Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc.
The United Nations says more than two and a half billion people around the world do not have good sanitation. Many have no choice but to use the outdoors, which is not only bad for the environment, but also harmful to people’s health. Each year, poor sanitation leads to three fifths of those people getting an infectious disease which on average causes one out of 1,000 patients to die.
Jack Smith, the founder of the World Toilet Organization, says “This is quite an unacceptable situation given the fact that we are living in the modern world, and strangely, many of them own televisions, phones but have no toilet.”
1. What was the original purpose of Anders Wilhelmson in starting the company?

A．To protect the local environment.

B．To earn a lot of money from the project.

C．To do research on the social development.

D．To help solve the problem of lack of toilets in developing countries.

2. What can be learned about the pee-pool from the passage?

A．It can be used over again.

B．Its sanitation process doesn’t last long.

C．It works better in summer than in winter.

D．It should be buried in a pot after being used.

3. In which place can people buy the Pee-pool now?

A．Nairobi.

B．Kenya.

C．Sweden.

D．Bangladesh.

4. The fifth paragraph is written mainly to tell us that ________.

A．poor sanitation may cause many problems

B．many people don’t care for the environment

C．many people get ill from using the outdoors

D．quite a number of people die from poor sanitation

5. The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph probably refers to ________.

A．the outdoors being damaged

B．many places being short of toilets

C．many people having TVs and phones

D．many people getting an infectious disease

【推荐2】Israeli company Watergen has produced an device (设备）that generates (产生) clean water for drinking out of air. The device, called GENNY, is small enough to be used in a home or office but can generate up to 30 liters（升）of water a day. The water that GENNY produces is not only clean enough to drink, it’s also often cleaner than tap water.

GENNY takes air in and passes it through a filter（过滤器）to remove dust and dirt. The filter is powerful enough to work even in areas with high air pollution. The air then passes through a chamber where heating and cooling cause steam in the air to cool and become water again. This water is then passed through several more filters, and minerals are added to make it healthier and taste better. Finally, the water is stored in a tank where it is continually running to keep it fresh.

A larger model, called the GEN-350, can produce up to 900 liters of water per day. The GEN-350 is now being used in hospitals that previously did not have a reliable source of fresh, clean water. Watergen has also developed an emergency response vehicle (ERV) that can carry a GEN-350 unit wherever it is needed. In addition to the GEN-350, the ERV carries a portable (便携的) generator that supplies electricity for the GEN-350.

Watergen’s ERV is designed to bring water to people who are suffering from the effects of a serious earthquake, fire, flood or other situations. Once such incident occurred in Northern California in 2018. A fire started at a camp site and spread quickly over a wide area, destroying many thousands of acres of trees and many homes. The town of Paradise, California, was hit particularly hard. One of Watergen’s ERVs was driven to Paradise, where it provided water for its citizens and rescue workers.

1. What does the article point out about Watergen’s devices?

A．They’re made in numerous countries.	B．They’re available in different sizes.
C．They cost less than they did years ago.	D．They’re very difficult to operate sometimes.

2. According to the article, what happens inside GENNY’s tank?

A．The water is transferred to plastic bottles.	B．The bacteria in the water are destroyed.
C．The quality of the water is carefully tested.	D．The water is kept moving at all times.

3. What can Watergen do using its ERV?

A．Respond to natural disasters.	B．Put its competitors out of business.
C．Make more money for the company.	D．Deal with customer’s complaints.

4. What happened in California in 2018 in the last paragraph?

A．Crops were harvested just in time.	B．Watergen used its device in firefighting.
C．Entire forests burned to the ground.	D．Seasonal storms relieved dry weather.

【推荐3】Kobe Bryant, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978, was a professional basketball player, nicknamed "Black Mamba" or "Little Flying Man ". He played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his NBA career from 1996 to 2016.

In 1996, Kobe Bryant entered the high school and then began his legendary NBA career. On behalf of his school, Kobe Bryant won many basketball games and got a very high total score. He broke the record of the southeast of Pennsylvania that Chamberlain had created and maintained for 38 years, which made Jerry West, the Lakers vice president, think highly of him. After Kobe Bryant became the dunk（扣篮）champion in the All-Star Game in 1997, his career took off. From 2000 to 2002, he and his team won the NBA championships for three years in a row.

Kobe Bryant maintained a lot of NBA personal records. He once got 81 scores in a game, the second highest single-game scoring in the NBA history. In the 2007-2008 season, he received the title of Most Valuable Player, which is the highest honor for NBA players. After that, he and his team continued to attain lots of remarkable achievements, including two NBA championships from 2009 to 2010.

Unfortunately, on January 27, 2020, this great man and other eight persons were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. Kobe Bryant was then only 41 years old. Those who loved him all mourned the death of him. Though we have lost a superstar, his mamba spirit will live on. We will always remember his immortal（不朽的）words, "I know the appearance of Los Angeles at four o'clock in the morning every day."

1. How did Kobe Bryant catch Jerry West's attention?

A．He was recommended to Jerry West.

B．He created a new basketball total score record and maintained it for 38 years.

C．He broke the basketball total score record of the southeast of Pennsylvania.

D．He became the dunk champion in the 2007-2008 season.

2. How many NBA championships did Kobe and his team win in all?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. What can we infer from Kobe's immortal words in the last paragraph?

A．Kobe deeply loved Los Angeles.	B．Kobe enjoyed the sunrise of Los Angeles.
C．Kobe practiced very hard every day.	D．Kobe didn't want to be noticed.

4. In which section of a magazine may this text appear?

A．Sport.

B．Science.

C．Education.

D．Health.