【推荐1】The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2014. The followings show how we have tried to make your life better.
Transport
☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.
☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.
☆50 per cent of city busstops have been upgraded.
Communication
☆Broadband cable is now available to all parts of the city.
☆All of the new Government buildings are smartwired for better computer service!
Medical Facilities
☆The new stateoftheart Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.
☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been employed from overseas.
☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.
Education
☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2014!
☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.
Protection and Security
☆Extra police now patrol（巡逻）the tourist areas.
☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.
Entertainment / Recreation
☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.
☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.
1. What is the purpose of the changes in Silver City?

A．To satisfy all the needs of the citizens.

B．To make public service improved.

C．To better the citizens’life.

D．To meet the needs of the Silver City Council.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Travel books are provided in the new library.

B．More bus lines and stops are bought in Silver City.

C．Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D．There are more police officers on duty now.

3. The public notice is from _______.

A．the community	B．the local government
C．the Silver City Library	D．a travel agency

【推荐1】Student Competition

BEDTIME STORY

Prize: Other awards                      Region: Asia

Eligibility（报名资格）: Open to everyone        Deadline: 2021-04-15

We all have grown up listening to bedtime stories from our parents and grandparents. However, today’s children have lost interest in the bedtime stories that were an important part of childhood. StoryMirror presents an opportunity to share your bedtime stories through this contest which aims to bring back the culture of telling wonderful stories to children. Top 3 winners in story & audio would get $500 from StoryMirror Shop.

EUROPEAN FASHION AWARD FASH 2021

Prize: Cash             Region: Europe

Eligibility: Students            Deadline: 2021-04-20

The European Fashion Award FASH 2021 is awarded with € 5, 000, the special award with € 1, 000. The Europe-wide competition is aimed at particularly talented students from all design disciplines in the three categories of students, bachelor, master and doctor, In addition to designers, graduates（from May 1, 2020）from the fields of garment technology, product development or design engineering can apply.

ONLINE ART COMPETITION

Prize: Other awards            Region: Global

Eligibility: Open to everyone            Deadline: 2021-04-25

GLAD（Global Learners Academy of Development）is organizing an Online Art Competition on the theme Corona Virus for Children from 6 years to 18 years. The children can participate by sending any picture along with the details such as Name, Class and School, City, and Country. Each student can send only one entry（参赛作品）per competition. Paintings must be the student’s original creative work and should be closely related to the theme.

BIEA STUDENT STEM COMPETITION

Prize: Cash            Region: Global

Eligibility: High school Students            Deadline: 2021-04-30

The competition theme is on developing solutions to collecting plastic waste from waterways. One winning team will receive 5000 pounds towards their school science lab. The Stem Competition is organized by the British International Education Association for students under the age of 18. It aims to develop talent in science, technology, engineering, and maths（STEM）.

1. What is the purpose of the StoryMirror story contest?

A．To raise kids’ ability to listen to stories.

B．To bring back the habit of storytelling.

C．To let kids learn to write stories themselves.

D．To memorize the wonderful childhood days.

2. Which competition offers a special award?

A．The online art competition.

B．The bedtime story competition.

C．BIEA student STEM competition.

D．The European fashion award FASH 2021.

3. What is NOT allowed in the online art competition?

A．The participant hands in only one painting.

B．Parents do the painting instead of their children.

C．The participant’s artwork is about Corona Virus.

D．The participant sends his/her work earlier than April 25, 2021.

【推荐2】University Shotokan Karate Club

Learn Karate — self-defense and fitness

The university karate club was founded in 1962. All grades from beginners to advanced are welcome. The classes are suitable for both men and women and several women have obtained their black belt.

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY

6.00—8.00 p.m.

WEAVER HOUSE GYM

FIRST LESSON FREE

Hardly any of us have experienced real violence, but, over the last few years, attacks on innocent people have increased. Each of us has some ability to defend ourselves, and by learning a form of self-defence, we are not only increasing that ability, but also doing something to build our own sense of respect. Karate will show you a lot of simple and effective techniques to protect yourself, giving you increased self-confidence.

Far too many people think martial arts (武术) are about violence. Martial arts training is based on a lot of respect, self-discipline, self-control and non-violence. We learn basic etiquette, courtesy and tolerance. Good manners and consideration for others are expected at all times.

Karate is the practice of blocking and striking techniques for the purpose of self-defence, health and self-development. Karate exercises the entire body. Techniques are practised on both sides of the body. Therefore, muscle imbalances do not occur and the strength, coordination, flexibility and agility of both sides of the body are improved. Regular training in Karate improves the body’s physical endurance and flexibility. It also helps concentration and produces the mental calm and assurance that come from knowing we can defend ourselves.

Karate has many benefits but they do not come easily or overnight. Training requires ongoing commitment and hard work. Some of you will give up, but a few of you will get your black belt.

1. What can be learned about University Shotokan Karate Club?

A．More men than women have been its members.

B．It tests members to see what level they are at.

C．Members don’t need to pay for the lessons.

D．It offers 4 hours of lessons every week.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements about Karate is true?

A．It focuses as much on self-defence as on attack.

B．It makes people healthy physically instead of mentally.

C．It cultivates people’s respect for themselves as well as for others.

D．It involves people’s arm muscles more than body muscles.

3. The passage is mainly intended to _______.

A．inform readers of benefits of Karate

B．correct people’s misunderstanding of Karate

C．encourage people to get their black belt

D．attract readers to join the club

【推荐3】Why TFT is the best

Local Experiences

Our mission is authentic travel. We partner with local experts to create enriching experiences that teach teens to be savvy (有见识的) travelers. Every program is designed to be hands-on — emphasizing doing and feeling, in addition to just seeing, so teens discover what it means to live like a local in every country we visit.

Small and Diverse

Group sizes of 14-21 students allow us to travel comfortably and to make real connections to each other and the host community. Participants come from a mix of different states, regions, and countries. We also welcome solo travelers — 75% of our teens join us without a friend!

The Most Variety

We offer cultural exploration, community service, language, and photography programs to Europe, Africa, Latin America, Oceania, Asia, and North America. We have more programs in more destinations than any other teen travel company. With over 100 programs and 40+ countries to choose from, you’re sure to find a program that’s the perfect fit.

Check out what past travelers have to say about TFT and discover why we are the best.

“This is simply one of the best things we ever did for Ethan. That first trip opened him to a new world. Different cultures, food, diversity, sights, relationships, team building, confidence, independence … only a few of the positive gains for Ethan. Now, he is off to George Washington University with confidence, excitement, and an awareness for others for which we are so grateful. We are pleased and appreciative beyond words to be a member of the TFT family for a lifetime!”

1. What is TFT most probably be?

A．A youth travel organization.	B．An advertising company.
C．A cross-culture program.	D．A learning center for students.

2. Who’s Ethan in the text?

A．A tour guide.	B．An employee of TFT.
C．A university teacher.	D．A former customer.

3. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A website advertisement.	B．A newspaper report.
C．A textbook on tourism.	D．A geographical book.

【推荐2】McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box... These fast food companies have something in common. Can you spot it?

Well, besides all being fast food chains… They’re all red. And it’s not a coincidence. Color is one of the many companies use to connect with customers. And if swearing off fast food wasn’t hard enough; those colorful red logos might make it even harder to ignore.

Fast food companies all use the color red heavily in their logos, why? The answer goes back thousands of years.

The average human can see ten million colors, but red is special. It’s one of the first colors our ancient ancestors thought important enough to name. Back before alphabets and writing, early human languages were surprisingly uncolorful. There were words for “black” and “white” and “red”, but not much else. In fact, blue didn’t show up until thousands of years later in 200 A.D.

As a result, we have a deeper connection to red than any other color on the spectrum(光谱) and we react to it in certain ways that actually play to fast food companies’ advantage. For starters, researchers have found that red can arouse a sense of urgency. On top of that, it also has an innate(固有的) ability to whet our appetites. And when you pair those two together you’ve got the perfect recipe to attract hungry customers who want food, fast.

So that red logo isn’t just a welcoming sign; it’s a seduction(诱惑) for your brain. Now, it’s unclear why red makes us feel this way. But perhaps it has something to do with where the word comes from. Many ancient languages, including Hebrew and from tribes of New Guinea, first named red from their word for “blood.”

But red’s bloody beginning has transformed over millennia. During medieval times, for example, red was worn by royals as a status symbol. And today, brides in many parts of China are still married in red dress.

In fact, red is one of the few colors today that cultures all over the world view positively. And it’s no wonder companies dedicate so much thought to their logos. After all, we’re a visual species. Despite having five senses, 80% of the information our brains process on a daily basis comes from our eyes.

1. What does the underlined word “whet” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．keep	B．reduce
C．activate	D．remind

2. What can we know about the color red?

A．It came earlier than all the other colors in human languages.

B．It used to be a color symbolizing high position.

C．Scientists have already figured out why it can make people excited.

D．It will enable customers to eat more food than ever.

3. What is the author’s purposes of writing this passage?

A．To draw people’s attention to the color red.

B．To explain the reason why fast food companies use red in their logos.

C．To encourage more fast food companies to use red logos.

D．To introduce the history of the color red.

【推荐3】When our Scottish puppy reached doggie adolescence, she suddenly stopped obeying my commands. Previously, if I called “come,” Annie would fly across our yard to my arms. Now, the 8-month-old gave me an aggressive “make me” look and ran the other way.

Our dog trainer advised us to stop complaining. “She's a teenager,” she said. Now, a new study is backing that up: Dogs, it says, experience an oversensitive period just like human teenagers. “There is abundant folk knowledge that the behavior of adolescents differs from younger or older dogs,” says Barbara Smuts.

Puppies bond with humans much as children do. “But owners often feel like they're failing when their puppies reach adolescence,” about 8 months for most dogs, says Lucy Asher. Like teenagers, adolescent dogs can disregard and disobey their owners. Indeed, teenage dogs are the most likely age group to land in U.S. shelters.

To see exactly how adolescence changes dog behavior, Asher and her team monitored 70 female dogs being raised as potential guide dogs. They asked caregivers to score the puppies on separation-related behaviors, like trembling when left behind. Dogs with high scores on this behavior entered adolescence earlier-at about 5 months, compared with 8 months for those with lower scores. Various factors cause human teenage girls with poor parental relationships to also enter adolescence at a younger age. Thus, similar to humans, dogs that have bad relationships with their caregivers see changes in their development.

According to Smuts, adolescent dogs that were stressed by separation from their caregiver also increasingly disobeyed that person, showing the insecurity of human teenagers.

Because of the similarity between adolescent pups and humans, dogs can serve as a model species for studying adolescence in humans, the scientists say. The temporary nature of dogs which disobey the owners may make us worry less when our pups suddenly get minds of their own.

1. The author's attitude towards his dog's misbehavior can be best described as     

A．tolerant

B．delighted

C．unsatisfied

D．indifferent

2. The underlined word “disregard” in paragraph 3 probably means?

A．run after

B．pay no attention to

C．bark at

D．defend against

3. What can we learn about adolescent dogs from the passage?

A．Many adolescent dogs like staying in American shelters.

B．Adolescent dogs will never follow their owners' instructions.

C．Adolescent dogs are fond of being separated from their caregivers.

D．Dogs having poor relation with their caregivers enter adolescence earlier.

4. What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Both young dogs and teenagers rely on their parents.

B．Many researches have shown young dogs are aggressive.

C．Adolescent dogs feel more anxious and frightened than teenagers.

D．Like human teenagers, dogs get difficult when they reach adolescence.

【推荐1】How to make a resume?

1.Format your text.

The first thing that a possible employer will see on your resume is the text. For that reason, it is very important that you make the right first impression. Choose a professional font in size 11 or 12. Times New Roman is the classic serif font(衬线字体), while Arial and Calibri are two of the better choices for sans-serif(无衬线字体). Even though sans serif fonts are more popular for resume, Yahoo cites Helvetica as the best font to use for your resumé.

Many individuals find that Times New Roman is a little hard to read on a screen. If you are emailing your resume, consider using Georgia instead for a more readable serif font.

You can use multiple fonts for different parts of your resume, but try to limit it to two. Instead of changing between fonts, try emboldening or italicizing specific selections of text instead.

The font size for your header and the introduction to a section may 14 or 16, but otherwise, you should choose 11 or 12.

Your text should always be printed in solid black ink. Make sure to deactivate any hyperlinks (like to your email, address, and phone number) so that they don’t print in blue or another non-black color.

2. Set up the page.

Your page should have one-inch margins all the way around with 1.5 or 2 point line spacing. The body of your resume will be aligned to the left and your header should be centered at the top of your page.

3. Create your heading.

This is the section at the top of your resume which gives your contact information including your name, address, email, and phone number. Your name should be in a slightly larger size - either 14 or 16 point font. List your home and cell phone numbers.

4. Decide on a layout.

There are three general formats for creating a resume: chronological, functional, or combination. Your work history and the type of job you are applying for will determine the layout style you should use.

Chronological resumes are used for showing a steady growth in a particular career field. These are best used for someone applying for a job within their career-path to show an increase of responsibility over time.

Functional resumes are focused on skills and experience rather than job history. These are best used for someone who may have holes in their work history or who have gained experience from being self-employed for a time.

Combination resumes are, as it sounds, a combination of both a chronological and a functional resume. These are used to show off specific skills and how they were acquired. If you have developed a specific skill set from working in a variety of related fields, then this is the best resume option for you.

1. Which font does the author suggest considering the readability of the resume when checked online?

A．Georgia	B．Times New Roman
C．Calibri	D．Helvetica

2. What is the closest explanation of the word “chronological”?

A．arranged according to how important each item is

B．arranged according to when things happened or were made

C．be specific and concrete in the introduction of something

D．state various items in a detailed and separate way

3. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．the more colorful your resume is, the more appealing it will be

B．there is no need to tell employers where you obtain your specific skills

C．your name should be a little bit larger in size, aligned to the left

D．blue or other strange colors will appear on your printed resume if hyperlinks are activated

【推荐2】Most students, when asked about their ideal graduation gift, would probably reply, “A car”, or “Money for a deposit on a house”. Cai Kaiyuan, 21, made a different choice. As a graduation gift to himself, he decided to work as a volunteer teacher in a remote village in Tibet.
       Cai, a senior majoring in electrical engineering at Huan Railway Professional Technology College, originally planned to cycle from Sichuan to Tibet. During his journey, Cai’s idea for a different graduation gift to himself began to take shape. “I did not know beforehand what the journey would mean to me. I just want to gain a unique experience and have pleasure in appreciating the view there,” he said.
       It turned out cycling on a plateau was extremely challenging. And it has kept changing his outlook on life. Cai’s fingers even became frostbitten while cycling up a 5008-meter-high mountain, where temperatures often dropped to 18 below zero. At night, the ice covered the road and he fell off his bike three times. The lack of oxygen made him feel dizzy and weak. “At the most serious moment, I felt that my life was on the line.” said Cai.
       However, he also gained something unexpected. At Ya’an, a city in Sichuan, he met a group of tourists who are also university students. A girl called Wu Ling told him that she planned to work as a teacher in a primary school in Tibet after her journey. He was impressed by the idea as she looked slender and weak.
       It was not until he reached a family-run hotel in Shigatse that Cai’s spirits began to rise. The hotel manager’s two daughters enjoyed talking with him. The kids asked about his experiences on his trip, and showed him the beautiful local lakes. “They told me that they always liked to talk to guests, as they wanted to improve their Mandarin,” he said, “Their parents and many locals can only speak Tibetan.”
       Cai was touched by the girls’ story. Their situation is tough and the local people have little chance to learn Mandarin because the schools are short of teachers. “I want to do something to improve the situation for kids like them,” said Cai. His parents finally gave their agreement and his teachers also supported him.
1. According to the passage, Cai Kaiyuan’s graduation gift to himself is _________.

A．to have money for a deposit on a house

B．to travel by cycling from Sichuan to Tibet

C．to own a new car and marry a slender girl

D．to work as a volunteer teacher in Tibetan school

2. What words can be used to describe Cai’s journey to Tibet?

A．Unique and pleasant.	B．Challenging but rewarding.
C．Relaxing but unexpected.	D．Freezing cold and boring.

3. The underlined phrase “on the line” in the third paragraph means “ ____________”.

A．in a dilemma	B．making a phone call
C．at risk	D．very painful

4. The purpose of writing this passage is to ____________.

A．tell us about an unusual graduation gift

B．introduce a dangerous journey to us

C．give advice on how to travel to Tibet

D．encourage us to be a teacher in Tibet

5. Which of the followings is NOT the reason for Cai to make his decision?

A．He met Wu Ling and was impressed by her plan.

B．His parents and teachers persuaded him to go to Tibet.

C．He was moved by the kid’s desire to improve their Mandarin.

D．A lack of teachers makes the local people have little chance to learn.

【推荐3】Understand the Economic Concept of a Budget Line

The term “budget line" has several related meanings, including a couple that are self-evident and a third that is not.

The Budget Line as an Informal Consumer Understanding

The budget line is an elementary concept that most consumers understand intuitively without a need for graphs and equations—it's the household budget, for example.

Taken informally, the budget line describes the boundary of affordability for a given budget and specific goods.

Given a limited amount of money, a consumer can only spend that same amount buying goods. If the consumer has X amount of money and wants to buy two goods A and B, she can only purchase goods totaling X. If the consumer needs an amount of A costing 0. 75 X, she can then spend only 0. 25 X, the amount remaining, on her purchase of B.

This seems almost too obvious to bother writing or reading about. As it turns out, however, this same concept——one that most consumers make many times each day with reflecting on it—is the basis of the more formal budget line concept in economics, which is explained below.

Lines in a Budget

Before turning to the economics definition of “budget line" , consider another concept: the line-item budget. This is effectively a map of future expenditures, with all the constituent expenditures individually noted and quantified. There's nothing very complicated about this； in this usage, a budget line is one of the lines in the budget, with the service or good to be purchased named and the cost quantified.

The Budget Line as an Economics Concept

One of the interesting ways the study of economics relates to human behavior generally is that a lot of economic theory is the formalization of the kind of simple concept outlined above— a consumer's informal understanding of the amount she has to spend and what that amount will buy.

In the process of formalization, the concept can be expressed as a mathematical equation that can be applied generally.

A Simple Budget Line Graph

To understand this, think of a graph where the vertical lines quantify how many movie tickets you can buy and where the horizontal lines do the same for crime novels. You like going to the movies and reading crime novels and you have $ 150 to spend. In the example below, assume that each movie costs $ 10 and each crime novel costs $ 15. The more formal economics term for these two items is budget set.

If movies cost $ 10 each, then the maximum number of movies you can see with the money available is 15. To note this you make a dot at the number 15 (for total movie tickets) at the extreme left-hand side of the chart. This same dot appears at the extreme left above "0" on the horizontal axis because you have no money left for books—the number of books available in this example is 0.

You can also graph the other extreme—all crime novels and no movies. Since crime novels in the example cost $ 15 and you have $ 150 available, if you spend all the available money crime novels, you can buy 10. So you put a dot on the horizontal axis at the number 10.

You'll place the dot at the bottom of the vertical axis because in this instance you have $ 0 available for movie tickets.

If you now draw a line from the highest, leftmost dot to the lowest, rightmost dot you'll have created a budget line. Any combination of movies and crime novels that falls below the budget line is affordable. Any combination above it is not.

1. Which sentence about the budget line is NOT TRUE?

A．It is a limitation of affordability for a given budget and specific goods.

B．Most costumers will be confused with this concept because of its complex.

C．It is the effectively a map of future expenditures.

D．It can be expressed as a mathematical equation.

2. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us any concept can be expressed as a mathematical equation.

B．To help us figure out the meaning Budget Line.

C．To tell us we should budget before we buy goods.

D．To give an instruction of drawing a budget Line.

3. Assume that each movie costs $ 10 and each crime novel costs $ 15, you have $ 150.Which is RIGHT according to this passage?

A．The maximum number of movies you can see is 10.

B．The maximum number of crime novels you can buy is 15.

C．You can buy 7 crime novels and see 5 movies.

D．You can buy 7 crime novels and see 4 movies.

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Are we really know the economic concept of a budget line?

B．The Budget Line as an Economics Concept

C．The Budget Line as an Informal Consumer Understanding

D．The Complex Concept—Budget Line