For years, it has been said that newspapers are dying. Every year brings more news of closing. But why is the situation so terrible for newspapers?
Newspapers have a long history. The first newspaper was printed in the 1600s. Their most successful period is in the early 20th century.
With the appearance (出现) of radio and TV, however, newspaper circulation (发行量) began to fall. By the mid-20th century, radio and TV had become so popular that people no longer had to depend on newspapers for news.
Afternoon newspapers were the first to fall. After work, more and more people turned on TV instead of opening a newspaper. That was because TV could provide news that happened a short time ago. It’s true that newspapers couldn’t compete with TV on speed, but they could provide in-depth (深入详尽的) reports that TV news could not.
But newspapers suffered another heavier blow (打击) in the 1990s. With the appearance of the Internet, tons of information became free. Many newspaper readers realized that they could read news on the Internet.
So will newspapers die in the future? Many newspapers are now making changes. Some are going digital. Some are going farther and taking the industry to places it has never been to. After all, people still want the news. If newspapers disappear completely, there will be nothing to take their place.
1. What made the newspaper circulation fall?2. Why did more and more people watch TV instead of reading a newspaper?
3. How are newspapers now making changes?
4. Where would you like to get news, from TV, the Internet or newspapers? Why? (Write 30 words or more.)
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In the same way that humans have a need to communicate, animals have it to send and receive messages as well. This communication may be to tell others where food is or to show feelings such as happiness, sadness, or anger.
But how do animals communicate? According to a study carried out in 1898 by a scientist called Char, there are usually three ways for them to communicate.
For example, if a monkey notices a snake, it will give an alarm call for the other monkeys to climb into the trees. If the monkey notices an eagle, it will send loud noise to tell other monkeys to get close to the ground. Dolphins have a special way that works as a whistle for it to communicate. This whistle is similar to the singing voice of humans! The second way seems quite different. Those with a pet dog will easily know how a happy dog happily moves its tail. A cat that feels it is in danger will stand with its back high. Bees also work like this. They will dance in groups to tell other bees where the food might be. Another type of animal communication takes place among some certain animals. For example, elephants and giraffes will touch their friends if they like each other. Horses also touch their noses together as a sign that they are comfortable with one another.
It is truly amazing to discover the nature’s secret and exciting for us to take a step closer to the animal world. More and more countries have put much money and effort into further research on this. At the same time, plenty of different voices are appearing. Is it really necessary to waste so much money on something that may be meaningless to us humans? ________
All in all, every coin has its two sides. We shall wait and see what this change can bring us in the future.
1. Do animals have the need to send messages to each other?2. When did Char carry out his study on animals?
3. According to the passage, how do animals communicate with each other?
4. Please finish the missing part in Paragraph 4 to make it complete (at least 20 words).
任务A：补全1-3题的信息。每空限填一词。
任务B：根据文章内容，用一句话回答4题。不超过15个词。
Many people think dreams are full of messages that may not be clear to us common people. But if we think about what is going on in our lives, we can usually come up with an answer. Let’s look at some of the most common dreams. What are the meanings of these dreams?
Falling
You’re falling, falling, falling... and then you wake up. This dream is said to mean you are afraid of something or worried about something. Another explanation is that you may experience failure in something. Maybe you’re not doing well in school or work.
Taking an exam (or forgetting that you have one)
You suddenly realize you have to take an exam at that very moment. You might be running here and there to find your classroom. Scientists say this dream may mean you’re being tested about something or maybe you are facing a difficult problem.
Flying
Dreaming that you are flying means you are on top of things. You can control the things that matter to you. It may also mean you have confidence in yourself and think no one and nothing can beat you.
Trying to run, but going nowhere
You’re trying to run, but either of your legs won’t move or you simply aren’t going anywhere. Some scientists think this dream means you’re trying to do too many things at once and can’t catch up or move forward.
The meanings of the dreams
Descriptions of dreams | Answers to dreams |
| Falling | * You have something to be ________ of or worry about. * You may fail in something like school or work. |
| Taking an exam (or forgetting that you have one) | * Maybe you’re being tested about something. * You may face something ________. |
| Flying | * You’re able to control what matters to you. * You believe in yourself and think that you can beat anyone and anything. |
| Trying to run, but going nowhere | * You’re trying to do too many things at the same time and it stops you from ________ forward. |
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4. What do you usually do if you feel worried?
Do you know when basketball was invented?
Basketball is a much-loved and active sport that is enjoyed by many for fun and exercise. It is over 100 years old and is played by more than 100 million people in over 200 countries. It is believed that the first basketball game in history was played on December 21, 1891. Then in 1936 in Berlin, it became an event at the Olympics.
Basketball was invented by a Canadian doctor named James Naismith, who was born in 1861. When he was at college, he was asked to invent a new game that could be played indoors during the long winters. Dr. Naismith created a game to be played on a hard wooden floor. Dr. Naismith divided the men in his class into two teams and taught them to play his new game. Players on the same team must worked together to get the ball in the other team’s basket. At the same they need to stop the competing team from getting the ball into their own basket.
Today, the popularity of basketball has risen around the world, with many young people dreaming of becoming famous players. In China, you can sometimes see people playing basketball in parks, schools and even factories. Basketball has not only become a popular sport to play, but it has also become a popular sport to watch. Although America’s NBA games are the most famous, the CBA games are becoming more popular in China. The number of foreign players, including Chinese players, in the NBA has increased. There are also more and more foreign players in the CBA. Many young people look up to these basketball heroes and want to become like them. These stars encourage young people to work hard to achieve their dreams.
1. The date when the first basketball game was played:2. The time and place that basketball became an event at the Olympics:
3. Aspects (方面) of basketball mentioned in the passage:
4. Two professional basketball groups mentioned in the passage:
5. The influence of these basketball heroes on young people:
【推荐1】The Internet has changed our life a lot. Can old people keep up with the times? Let’s enjoy the following stories.
Xing Yuxi, 12, Chongqing
The Internet has influenced (影响) the old people in my family a lot. My grandfather is a “nerd” now. He asked me to teach him how to play the popular video game King of Glory (《王者荣耀》). I’m surprised that he shows a great interest in this! He talks to family members on WeChat every day. He tries to learn other new things as well. So, as we can see, the Internet can help elderly people.
Sun Zhenyao, 13, Anhui
My grandmother has been using a mobile phone designed for old people for a long time. She thinks that the Internet is useful. She can see mobile navigation (导航) to find her way. She wants to get a smartphone so she can learn more. Still, she doesn’t trust cashless payment (无现金支付) apps like Alipay. While I enjoy shopping online and paying for things with Alipay, my grandmother still prefers to use cash and buys everything in the supermarket.
Wen Jiayi, 13, Sichuan
Smartphones have made a big difference in my grandma’s life. In the past, newspapers and TV programmes were her only way to get information. But now, she can listen to the news through all kinds of apps on her mobile phone. Sometimes, she even plays mobile games for fun. Thanks to the Internet, my grandma now has a colourful life.
More old people are using smartphones to | |
| Examples | Stories |
| Xing Yuxi’s grandfather | ●He is ●He ●He tries to |
| Sun Zhenyao’s grandmother | ●She is now used to ●She still prefers to pay in |
| Wen Jiayi’s grandma | ●Smart phones have greatly ●In the past, she can only get ●But now, her life is more |
Karlsson, a Swedish teacher at Beijing Union University (BUU), has lived in China for over 15 years. The seeds (种子) of his China journey were sown when he joined in a program for East Asian studies at Lund University in Sweden in 1997. Back then, cellphones and the Internet hadn’t yet come into wide use. Learning Chinese meant using textbooks, heavy dictionaries and audio tapes. He would read the dictionary carefully for hours to understand a one-page Chinese article.
“In those days, it was a real challenge,” he said.
In 2006, with a high score in the official Chinese language test, he won a scholarship for a five-week summer program at Beijing Language and Culture University.
After finishing the study program, Karlsson was offered a Beijing-based job as a market researcher. In 2008, the year Beijing succeeded in hosting the Summer Olympic Games, he got married. In the next year, he started to teach business at BUU.
Life in Beijing has been a wonderful adventure (异乎寻常的经历), especially as a witness to the great achievements China has made. It has offered him many chances for personal growth. Today, thanks to high-speed broadband and 5G, he can connect with students at BUU’s partner universities in Russia, Montenegro or Mexico while riding on the Beijing subway.
“When you open your eyes to these great projects, it is impossible not to want to be part of them or at least support them somehow,” he said.
Although he was busy on teaching days, Karlsson applied for a full-time scholarship at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. In 2022, at 44 years old, he got his Ph.D. in economics. “I am quite interested in blockchain technology, and I know that China is quickly becoming the leader in blockchain applications outside the cryptocurrency space. So, I always write my articles in this area,” he said.
“There is always time to follow your dreams unless you decide to give up,” he said. “Taking on seemingly impossible challenges and also helping those around you are what makes life worth living.”
请将答案写在答题卡上1. Who is Karlsson in this passage?
2. How did Karlsson learn Chinese in Sweden?
3. When did Karlsson start to teach business at BUU?
4. What has offered Karlsson many chances for personal growth?
5. What can you learn from Karlsson’s experiences? (请自拟一句话作答)
【推荐3】DIY is very popular now. Yang Chen works for a computer company in Beijing. Though he enjoys his work, it is hard to relax after work. One day, when he saw many toy dogs in a shop, he had an idea. “I can make things and relax myself.” Then he began to make model planes, model ships and something else. The things he made by himself didn’t look as beautiful as those in the shop, but he liked making them. Now his bookshelves(书架) are full of many kinds of things that he makes. They are very beautiful and his friends like them very much.
More and more people are like Yang, making things by themselves. Though making things with our own hands may take much time, some people enjoy doing it very much. In the past DIY was different. Most people lived a poor life. They had to use their own hands to make many things. Washing the wall or making clothes was part of life because there was no choice. If you wanted something to be done, you had to do it yourself. And if you needed something, you made it yourself. But now DIY has different meanings.
1. Does Yang Chen work for a computer company in Beijing?2. What are on Yang Chen’s bookshelves now?
3. Why do people enjoy making DIY now? (two reasons)
【推荐1】Look! This is a map of my new school. It is very big and beautiful. All the buildings are new.
The school gate is on Yannan Road. Near the gate, there is a library. On the left of the library, there is a dining hall. In the middle of the school, there is a garden. It is between the classroom building and the sports hall. Where are the computer rooms? Sorry, there isn't a science building in our school. The computer rooms and the science labs are in the classroom building. There are 18 classrooms in the building. Behind the classroom building is the playground. After class, I often play games there with my good friends.
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“Internet addiction (瘾)” was once used to describe young people who spent too much time watching videos or playing games online. But today, an increasing number of the old are becoming victims (受害者).
According to a report on the Internet use of China’s elderly people last year, 38.6% of people aged 60 or over were Internet users. And some surveyed elderly people spent at least 10 hours on the Internet every day.
Phone overuse could lead to the higher risk of many diseases like cervical spondylosis (颈推病). Besides health problems, elderly people’s phone addiction also brings family problems. For example, their adult children often get upset when they stay up late playing with the phone or shop online blindly.
Why do old people depend heavily on mobile phones? It’s because they have lots of spare time and they wish to communicate with others.
Though it’s natural for the elderly to meet their spiritual needs through the smart phone, they should limit their time on the Internet and get regular rest at night. Adult children should go home more often to talk with their parents and reduce their sense of loneliness and encourage them to do healthy activities.
1. What’s the main idea of this text?2. How long did elderly people spend on the Internet every day according to the report?
3. What problems could phone overuse lead to ?
4. Why do old people depend heavily on mobile phones?
5. What can we do to help the elderly in our families to have a healthier life?
【推荐3】When we play a game with our classmates or friends, we usually need to make some rules first. I think it’s very important to have rules.
There are lots of rules in my school. We have to get to school on time. We have to wear the school uniform on Mondays and Thursdays. We can’t run in the hallways. We can’t fight. I think it’s very good to have rules at school.
We have to follow traffic (交通) rules. We can go at green lights (灯) and have to stop at red lights. The traffic rules make us safe (安全的).
When we take a car or sit next to the driver, we have to wear the safety belts (安全带). Also, little children need to take the back seats. The car rules make us safe, too.
Complete the chart according to the passage with only one word for each blank.
Rules | |
Wear the school uniform on Mondays and Thursdays. | |
| Traffic rules | Go at green lights and |
| Wear the safety belts. Little children take the back seats. | |
