Swimming and English Learning
Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English - speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, and try to catch every word.
Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important. When there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make.
Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
Easier said than done. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll learn English well in this way.
1. We should learn English by ________.| A．listening and speaking | B．reading and writing |
| C．A and B | D．swimming |
| A．Don't make mistakes. | B．Study hard. |
| C．Try not to speak English | D．Don't be afraid. |
| A．by train | B．on the radio |
| C．every minute | D．now and then |
| A．The author likes swimming. |
| B．The author prefers English learning to swimming. |
| C．English learning way is similar to swimming. |
| D．Swimming is easier than English learning |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We’ve heard of immersion (浸没) is one of the best ways to be fluent in a language. But, what do you do when you get stuck?
Don't worry. You can 100 percent be productive. You can hit all the points with these hobbies.
1. Watching TV with Subtitles (字幕)
You know that K-Pop group BTS? Well, the leader of that group is called RM. To be fluent in English, he watched the whole series first with Korean subtitles.
2. Book-to-Movie Adaptations (改编本)
Do you ever finish watching a movie and just love it so much that you would do anything to find out more details about it?
3. Music
| A．Some examples? |
| B．Create your own playlist. |
| C．I know the answer is yes. |
| D．This method is the easiest one. |
| E．It works similarly the other way. |
| F．The second time, with English subtitles. |
| G．That’s me about ninety percent of the time. |
【推荐2】Reading and writing are essential to learning. In fact, a new study now shows that writing by hand may help kids learn and understand letters faster. It also may help kids learn to read more quickly. Published in Psychological Science, the study found that handwriting allowed participants to take in several components of new letters they learned, helping them to potentially process the information more effectively.
During the research, the participants, who were all adults, were divided into three different learning groups: a handwriting group, a group that watched videos, and a group that typed responses. Each group was then introduced to Arabic letters and then had to reproduce them in different ways. Those in the handwriting group wrote the letters with a pen and paper. The video group saw the letters on the screen and had to identify them. And the group with typed responses had to locate the letters on a keyboard. The individuals in the handwriting group learned the information more quickly.
While the test was performed on adults, researchers believe the results can apply to children’s ability to learn letters, identify them, and perhaps read earlier. Children learn by using different learning styles: seeing, hearing, moving or touching. The benefit of using handwriting with these learning methods is that it brings the methods of learning information to get her in a way that strengthens understanding. Dr Wiley notes that writing is not necessary to learn to read. But the ability to connect everything being learned about the letters can be beneficial as children become readers. And handwriting can play a part.
In fact, many experts agree that computers and digital learning can be used to improve the educational experience and not to replace handwriting and that writing should be a part of the curriculum. “We should stick with some form of written practice. That’s what the evidence really shows,” Dr Rapp concludes.
1. What can we know from the findings of the new study?| A．Reading and writing are of great importance. |
| B．Writing faster may cause children to read faster. |
| C．Handwriting benefits children in more than one way. |
| D．Writing by hand is in fact harmful to children’s ability to read. |
| A．Computers. | B．Pens and paper. | C．Videos. | D．Recorders. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Handwriting shouldn’t be ignored. |
| B．Computers aren’t good for students at all. |
| C．Handwriting is a form of digital learning. |
| D．Handwriting should replace digital learning. |
【推荐3】A lot of people think that they are not good at learning a new language.
Good language learners look for opportunities to hear and use the new language outside of the classroom on a daily basis and consequently learn the language more quickly.
In addition, good language learners try different ways to make their message understood. For example, if they do not know the word for “laundromat,” they might say “the place where you can wash clothes.”
Finally, good language learners are prepared to take risks.
| A．Becoming fluent in a language takes time. |
| B．But we can learn a new language through looking up new words. |
| C．If that does not work, they might even try drawing it or acting it out. |
| D．Besides, good language learners use various ways to learn English words. |
| E．They understand that making mistakes is natural and is necessary to learn. |
| F．If they’re studying in a country where the language is spoken, this is easy to do. |
| G．However, we can learn from good language learners to become better at languages. |
【推荐1】Young male African elephants show calmer behavior when older, more experienced male elephants are around, according to a new study. Experts say the discovery could help to protect both elephants and humans.
Researchers from the University of Exeter, in south-west England and the charity Elephants for Africa studied the behavior of 281 male elephants (known as bulls) in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans National Park over three years. At between 12 and 15 years old, bull elephants leave the herd where they grow up and then spend much of their time either alone or with other males. Females, in contrast, stay with the herd they were born into.
To see if there were patterns in the way males behaved after leaving their herd, the researchers divided them into four groups: two groups of adolescents (aged 10-15 or 16-20 years old), and two groups of adults (aged 21-25 or over 26 years old). They found that the younger males were more likely to be aggressive towards non-elephant targets, such as other animals and vehicles when there were fewer older adult bulls to mix with. Connie Allen from the University of Exeter, who led the study, suggests this may be because the young bulls on their own are less experienced at identifying threats to their safety. That means they are more likely to become fearful, which makes them attack.
Allen said the research revealed an important role for older male elephants who have often been thought of as not very useful in elephant society. This mistaken belief has led wildlife authorities to allow some hunting of older males, reducing their numbers and their possible calming influence on younger bulls. In the area where the elephants live, 71% of people said they felt that elephants threaten their safety. The research suggests that having more older males could help with the problem.
1. How do bull elephants differ from female elephants?| A．They leave the herd. |
| B．They stay with the herd. |
| C．They behave violently. |
| D．They are more independent. |
| A．They protect their herd from danger. |
| B．They are too young to recognize threats. |
| C．They are frightened by non-elephant targets. |
| D．They are not protected well by older elephants. |
| A．Older male elephants are less important in elephant society. |
| B．It is reasonable to allow some hunting of older male elephants. |
| C．Older male elephants can help reduce elephant attack. |
| D．People’s safety is threatened by older male elephants. |
| A．Old Elephants Threaten People’s Safety |
| B．Old Male Elephants Keep Young Calm |
| C．Young Elephants Are More Aggressive |
| D．Bull Elephants Tend to Leave the Herd |
【推荐2】What will man be like in the future – in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.
1. The passage mainly tells us ________.| A．man's life will be different in the future |
| B．what man will look like in the future |
| C．man is growing taller and uglier as time passes |
| D．human's organs' functions will become weak |
| A．he makes use only 20% of the brain's capacity |
| B．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries |
| C．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time |
| D．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on |
| A．He will be hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
| B．He will have smaller eyes and will wear better glasses. |
| C．His fingers will grow weaker because he won't have to make use of them. |
| D．He will think and feel in a different way. |
| A．human beings will become less attractive in the future. |
| B．less use of a bodily organ may lead to its degeneration (退化). |
| C．human beings hope for a change in the future life. |
| D．future life is always predictable. |
【推荐3】A new UBC Okanagan study finds children not only get the benefits of working with therapy dogs — they enjoy it too.
“Dog lovers often have an assumption that dog-assisted therapy is going to be effective because other people are going to love dogs.” says Nicole Harris, who conduct this research while a master student in the School of Education. The research saw 22 children from the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club take part in a series of courses to help them build their social skills. Over six weeks, the children were accompanied by therapy dogs from UBC Okanagan as they completed lessons.
Each week the children were taught a new skill, such as introducing themselves or giving directions to others. The children would first practice with their given therapy dog before running through the exercise with the rest of the group. In the final time, the children — accompanied by their new furry friend and volunteer handler — would practice their new skills with university students located in the building.
“Therapy dogs are often able to reach children and help their growth in surprising ways. We saw evidence of this in the social skills of children when they were paired with a therapy clog.” says Dr John-Tyler Binfet, associate professor in the School of Education and director of BARK. “The dogs helped create a non-threatening climate while the children were learning these new skills. We saw the children practice and train their social skills with and alongside the dogs.”
“Findings from our observations suggested that dog-assisted social and feeling learning activities can provide unique advantages.” says Harris. “Our team saw that by interacting with the therapy dogs, the children’s moods improved and their engagement in their lessons increased.”
“Dogs have the ability to provide many stress-reducing and confidence-raising benefits to children.” says Harris. “It was really heart-warming to see the effect the program had on the kids.”
1. What is the purpose of the research in the text?| A．To get people to love dogs. | B．To help children be sociable. |
| C．To get a peaceful climate. | D．To improve children’s confidence. |
| A．A volunteer handler. | B．A university student. |
| C．A kid in the club. | D．A therapy dog. |
| A．Kids lx, gin to love dogs. | B．Kids are willing to help others. |
| C．Kids succeed in introducing themselves. | D．Kids attend their lessons more actively. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
Did you know that the Chinese built the largest canal in the world? Its length of 1,104 miles easily compares with a route linking New York and Florida. Connecting five river systems and four provinces, it ends at Beijing in the North and Hangzhou in the south. For this reason, it is officially called the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
In 486 B.C., the leader of the State of Wu, to transport goods to the northern areas of China, constructed a man-made channel using already existing waterways to link the Yangtze and Huai rivers. It was this channel that laid the foundation for the future longer Grand Canal. More than 1000 years later, Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty had the old canals rebuilt and connected to form what we know today as the Grand Canal.
Then in 1403,Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty transferred his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. In order to feed all those moving North, he had to transport grain from the south along the Grand Canal. To restore the Canal, more than 47,000 men were employed.
The canal soon became the economic lifeline of the empire. Grain was not the only trade goods transported North on the waterways. Salt was another, as well as wine and tea. Goods traded from the North included cotton, wool, coal, flour, precious stones, and dried meat. At times, more than 120,000 soldiers and officers were needed to operate the almost 12,000 ships that annually travelled the Grand Canal.
With the expansion of the railway system in the mid-1800s, the Grand Canal became less and less important to traders. Today, few goods are transported along its waterways. Still, the current South-North Water Transfer Project proves that the Chinese government still sees the Grand Canal important to the welfare of China. The aim of this costly project is to divert huge amounts of water every year from the Yangtze River to the drier regions in the north.
1. What is special about the Grand Canal?| A．It can date back to the Sui Dynasty. |
| B．It has a history of less than1, 000 years. |
| C．It runs from New York to Florida. |
| D．It is the longest canal across the world. |
| A．It was first constructed to convey officers. |
| B．It was employed for wars by Emperor Yongle. |
| C．It used to transport goods between south and north. |
| D．It is now carrying more goods than the railway system. |
| A．Transfer. | B．Recycle. | C．Conserve. | D．Clarify. |
| A．A diary. | B．A magazine. | C．A novel. | D．A biography. |
【推荐2】In a cold winter, a couple had to move out of their big house because of bankruptcy（破产）. The husband worked day and night but with no care of his wife. So she thought, “He doesn’t love me any more, he just thinks about his work.”
One day, she wanted to take a shower, but her husband stopped her at the door. “Let me take it first, OK?” “Why not let me take it first?” she asked. “I’m tired, dear. You take it later. OK?” She was very sad.
On a rainy day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer. After a few minutes, her eyes were full of tears... it was his diary: Today, I was quite sad. She asked me why I was always taking the shower first, and I said I was tired. She was unhappy. I wasn’t as rich as before! We moved to the small house and it was very cold. I found that if one person took the shower first, the bathroom could get a little warmer. So I always rushed to the bathroom first. When she took the shower, the bathroom could get warmer, at least 1℃. I can’t give her more, but at least I can give her 1℃ love.
1. The woman thought her husband didn’t love her because _________.| A．he didn’t buy her beautiful clothes | B．he didn’t have enough money |
| C．he always worked with no care of her | D．he had another woman |
| A．she felt sad by her husband’s words | B．the rainy day made her sad |
| C．her eyes were hurt by the computer | D．she was moved by her husband’s diary |
| A．he was tired and wanted to sleep earlier | B．he wanted to make the bathroom warmer |
| C．he wasn’t as strong as before | D．he couldn’t stand the cold winter |
【推荐3】Are your kids interested in science and technology? Help them sign up for any of the following programs, and your kids will thank you more than enough.
Science is Beautiful Arts Contest
Location: Canada
Project Type: Arts
Grade Level: 11-12
The “Science is Beautiful” arts contest is open to Canadian students in grades 11-12. Both individual and group entries are accepted. But there is a limit of one submission per individual or group. There is no restriction on the type of submission — your artwork can consist of photographs, sculptures, poems, songs or any other medium that allows you to share the beauty of science!
Tomatosphere Action Project
Location: Across Canada
Project Type: Data Collection
Grade Level: 10-12
Tomatosphere is a program that uses the excitement of space exploration to teach the skills and processes of scientific experimentation and inquiry. Participating classrooms compare the germination rate (发芽率) of tomato seeds which have been exposed to a space-like environment with that of a control set of seeds.
DNA Barcoding (条形编码) at the Toronto Zoo
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Project Type: Student Science Club
Grade Level: 7-12
DNA technology is in use right now to preserve and catalogue life’s biodiversity through a Canadian invention: the DNA barcode of life. This colourful barcode is already being used to fight the greatest crime of our lifetime — the loss of biodiversity. By adding information to a few exhibits at the zoo, high school students can witness the power of biotechnology in solving global issues.
Dandelion (蒲公英) Project
Location: Ontario
Project Type: Data Collection
Grade Level: 11
This dynamic and hands-on program focuses on studying evolution of a species available all around us: the dandelion. Students will actively make observations, generate predictions, design experiments, collect and analyze the data and communicate their findings.
1. The "Science is Beautiful" arts contest mainly sets a limit on _____.| A．the type of the artwork submitted |
| B．the number of the artwork submission |
| C．the ability to express the beauty of science |
| D．the number of the participating group members |
| A．Science is Beautiful Arts Contest. |
| B．Tomatosphere Action Project. |
| C．DNA Barcoding at the Toronto Zoo. |
| D．Dandelion Project. |
| A．By doing some practical activities in person. |
| B．By learning about the history of dandelions. |
| C．By asking experts about dandelions’ details. |
| D．By referring to previous studies on dandelions. |
【推荐1】The Art Museum of Chicago
•Visiting time
The museum is open daily 10:30 am - 5:00 pm. The museum and its shops are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Highlights (亮点）of the Art Museum
•American Art
Discover how artists have expressed many aspects of the American experience through the rich variety of this collection.
•Impressionism: Monet, Degas, Renoir and More
Learn about the color and excitement of late 19th-century life as you view one of the most admired collections of French Impressionism in the world.
•Hidden Histories
Hear stories about artists and their artworks that may be overlooked or under-appreciated for one reason or another.
•For families with children
It is free for kids under 14 and Chicago teens under 18, and the Art Museum is the perfect place for an outing with the whole family. Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games.
1. When can you visit the museum?| A．On Thanksgiving Day. | B．On Christmas Day. |
| C．On April Fool’s Day. | D．On New Year’s Day. |
| A．A 19- year-old Chicago student. | B．A 13-year-old girl. |
| C．A 17- year-old Chicago girl. | D．A 9- year-old pupil. |
| A．Tell stories about artists and their artworks. |
| B．Learn about the color and excitement of 18th-century life. |
| C．Discover how artists have expressed the African experience. |
| D．Pay a visit to the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center. |
【推荐2】Years ago, I was so confident, and so naive(幼稚的). I was so sure that I was right and everyone else was wrong.
Unfortunately I was lucky and got successful, so that kept me blind to my weak points. I sold my company, felt ready to do something new, and started to learn. But the more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew and how lucky I had been.
I’d start to make things, but then saw how stupid I was, so I stpped. I lost all confidence. I spent a few years completely stuck.
Finally, some new ideas helped:
Learning without doing is wasted. If I don’t use what I learn, then it is pointless! How terrible to waste hundreds of hours spent learning, and not turn them into action. Like throwing good food in the trash: it’s wrong.
This isn’t about me. How I feel in this moment doesn’t matter－it will pass. Nobody is judging me, because nobody is thinking of me. They are just looking for things to improve their own life. The public me is not the real me anyway, so if they judge my public personality, that’s fine.
The work is the point, and my work is special. If I can do something that people find useful, then I should. It doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or not, as long as I enjoy it.
So I’m glad my old confidence is gone. Now I aim(以……为目标)to make my work my little contribution to the world－just special and useful.
1. I lost all my confidence when______| A．I got successful in my career. |
| B．I Learned more than before. |
| C．I sold my company. |
| D．I realized I knew little. |
| A．learning by using. |
| B．learning is wasting time. |
| C．learning by spending hours. |
| D．learning is pointless. |
| A．Because he is a unique person in his company. |
| B．Because he can gain confidence by helping others. |
| C．Because his aim is to be special in the world. |
| D．Because his old confidence is gone. |
【推荐3】Ian Mercer doesn’t set an alarm clock. The former Microsoft senior manager doesn’t check the weather, either. He doesn’t turn on lights, water the yard, or adjust the thermostat ( 恒温器 ). He doesn’t open the curtains, answer the phone, or call his children for dinner. There’s something unique about Ian’s home. He has programmed it to do all these things for him.
Ian doesn’t live in a typical home or have a typical lifestyle. He spent over a decade designing the systems that feature in his unique home. He bought a home automation software package and then improved it.
Now there are 79 sensors and monitors, and 48 light switches in his home. Lights turn on automatically in rooms with people in them. Even being out, Ian can also control his home remotely using voice commands or his phone in any location. That is only the beginning of what this home has been programmed to do.
It connects with online calendars, caller ID, online weather services, online address books, and email, among other things, to get Ian through his day. For example, if there is a meeting in Ian’s calendar, it will wake him up, open his bedroom curtains, start and set his shower to his desired temperature. It also informs Ian about traffic conditions.
There is plenty more this home has been programmed to do. It keeps him updated on his favourite sports teams and scores. It even monitors online activity to check that Ian’s children are doing their homework. The “dinner’s ready” command stops operation of their computers and TVs. This is easier than asking his children to shut them down.
Ian’s home is unique. Most homes are not this smart, but soon more homes will be technologically advanced.
1. What makes Ian’s home unique?| A．Having more furniture than usual. |
| B．Being programmed with smart software. |
| C．Creating a traditional atmosphere for Ian. |
| D．Working automatically without Ian’s order. |
| A．He invented the home automation software. |
| B．He devoted years to improving the systems. |
| C．He is seeking to control his home remotely. |
| D．He failed to monitor his children’s homework. |
| A．Smart homes are future trends. |
| B．Ian’s home is far from satisfaction. |
| C．Technology of the smart home is too expensive. |
| D．Homes smarter than Ian’s can be found everywhere. |
