PISA is not the same as pizza, although both words are pronounced the same by Chinese. Pizza, of course, is the tasty Italian dish of crispy bread topped with many wonderful flavors. PISA, on the other hand, is just a test, a reflection of the knowledge you learn in school. And how could that possibly be as flavorful as pizza?!
PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment. It’s a test taken every three years by fifteen-year-olds worldwide. It tests students’ ability in math, reading and science. Last year’s results were just released and they show that Shanghai students are ranked number one in the world. Yes, that’s right! Shanghai students are the best in the world!
Shanghai students are the best because they are also the hardest working. No other students in the world put in as many hours of study, homework and test taking as Shanghai students. And few others feel the stress of schoolwork like Shanghai students.
That’s why the Shanghai education authority is encouraging students to step away from their books from time to time and take up hobbies or join clubs. Schools are setting aside time and providing facilities so that students can follow some personal interests such as photography, art, singing and dancing. They want students to have a little more flavor in their lives.
Doing well on the tests like PISA is important, but developing yourself as a whole person is also important. There is no end to the flavor you can add to pizza, and there should be no limit to the amount of flavors you can add to your own life.
1. Is PISA pronounced that same as pizza by Chinese?__________________________________________________________
2. What does PISA stand for?
__________________________________________________________
3. How often is PISA taken?
__________________________________________________________
4. What did the last year’s results show?
__________________________________________________________
5. Why is the Shanghai education authority encouraging students to step away from their books?
__________________________________________________________
6. Is it a good idea that schools are setting aside time and providing facilities for the students? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________
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Scott and Molly are interested in Hi-tech (高科技) products. They are reading a magazine article about Hi-tech fashion.
A Talking Handbag
It’s 8:00 a. m. and you are running out of the door. Just when you close the door, your backpack or purse suddenly says, “Wait! You forgot your keys!” A talking purse or backpack? Yes, it’s true. This “smart” bag can “talk” to your accessories (配件). If you forget your keys or drop your wallet, for example, the bag will tell you.
How does it work? There’s a “smart chip (芯片)” in the bag. You put other chips on your phone, wallet or keys. Then the bag and the accessories can “talk” to each other, and you.
The Hug Shirt
You are in Beijing and your mother is in London. You call her every day. But now with ad special shirt and a cell phone, you can also send her a virtual (虚拟) “hug”. How? You start by text messaging your mother. She is wearing her Hug Shirt in London and it receives your message. Suddenly she feels pressure on her arms: her shirt gets warm, and she can feel your heart beating. just like a real hug! To receive the virtual hug, you mother has to wear the Hug Shirt.
Smart Clothes
These clothes change color while you are wearing them! Is it hot outside? Your jacket changes from dark to a lighter color to protect you from the sun. These smart clothes also never get dirty!
1、2 题完成句子；3～5 题简略回答问题。1. Scott and Molly are
2.
3. What does your mother have to do to receive a virtual hug?
4. What can Smart Clothes do while you are wearing them?
5. In this passage, we learn about 3 Hi-tech products. Which do you think is the best? Why?
The game of Go (围棋) is one of the four most popular games in Chinese culture. It is not only a competitive event of the mind, but also a board game of entertainment.
Go was created in China more than 4,000 years ago. Now many people around the world has shown great interest in it, too. Moreover, Go is still used as a way of cultural exchange among the people in many Eastern and Western countries today.
A game of Go has many meanings for real life. It represents a square world of round pieces in black and white. There are 181 black pieces and 180 white ones in total. While the board is fixed, the pieces can be placed in millions of different ways, just as life in the real world may take many turns. The proper placement of each tiny Go piece is nearly the same as how one might solve a difficult problem in life.
Go carries deeper cultural and competitive meanings. Different from chess and Chinese chess, in the game of Go, the players do not wipe out (消灭) each other’s pieces. Instead, they simply try to win a larger share of space while allowing the other side some space. The one who forces the other side into a dead corner wins the game.
A modern Go talent in China once believed that the final purpose of the game was to achieve peace. Instead of fighting as enemies, the two players work together and play an excellent game.
A Game of Wisdom and Peace | |
Introduction | ·Go is a kind of ·It brings people both thinking and entertainment together. |
| ·Go was created over 4,000 years ago in China and people throughout the world has shown great interest in it now. ·Today, Go still plays an important | |
Importance | ·The proper placement of Go pieces is ·Compared with chess, Go is more meaningful in culture and ·The real purpose of Go is to work together and achieve peace between two sides. |
There are different kinds of gift shops. And giving small gifts is a common way of showing how much we care for someone, even if there is nothing special. So, how do you choose a perfect gift for your friends? To find a right gift, you can do three things.
Know the person’s interests
You should find out what your friends like most and then buy those kinds of gifts. If they love books, you should learn about the writers they like. If they love travelling, you can get some postcards. By buying something that reflects（反映）the person’s interest, you can be sure they will like it, and this will help build the relationship.
Find out if the person has a problem
Gifts can be cheap things. They can be something that the person needs most. And as presents should be a surprise, don’t ask your friends what they need. Listen to them carefully as they may talk about their problems. Also, you can look around and find out what problems they may be facing.
Give them an experience（经历）
Gifts don’t have to be things you can touch. They can be experiences that the person would enjoy. For example, if a friend loves a music group, you can take him or her to one of their shows. It will be a surprise and they will never forget it.
No matter what you gift, care is more important than anything else.
| People give presents to | |
| Know what the person is | Find out the person’s A right present is |
| Find out if the person has a problem | Presents don’t have to be Be a |
| Give them an experience | Gifts can also be something you can’t touch. |
| In a word, care is the most | |
Sagarika Sriram was 10 years old when she started reading newspaper stories. One story was about sharks. They had plastic in their stomachs. Sagarika knew she needed to do something. First, she joined a group. It organized clean-up activities in Dubai. That’s her home city. “The group helps me understand what a person can do and how I can really make a difference.” she says.
Then Sagarika created Kids for a Better World. Its goal is to fight climate(气候) change. It has brought together nearly 10,000 youths. They come from all over the world. Kids for a Better World is for people aged 8 to 16. It teaches them about what they can do to deal with climate change. They can grow food or plant trees. They can collect recyclables. “This is the information which can help change our future.” Sagarika says.
Dubai is a desert big city. Growing up there has made Sagarika understand the need for action.
Her city faces the risks of rising temperatures and less water supply. She believes young people can bring attention to these environmental challenges.
Sagarika is all about small actions. But she has big plans. She’d like to go to college in California. While she’s there, she’ll continue being an activist. She’ll also be running Kids for a Better World, She hopes to encourage others to fight for a greener planet.
1. How old was Sagarika Sriram when she started reading newspaper stories?2. Where is Sagarika Sriram’s home city?
3. What is the goal of Kids for a Better World?
4. What risks does Sagarika Sriram’s city face?
5. Will Sagarka Sriram continue being an activitist when she goes to college?
Today's farmers markets have roots（起源）in history. The earliest farmers markets go back about 12,000 years! This is when farming first started. Famers would meet to trade their extra crops（额外的农作物）. Today's famers markets are a bit different. Farmers sell their crops directly to shoppers.
Farmers markets are good for farmers. When farmers sell crops to grocery stores（食品杂货店）, they share the money. When they sell to shoppers they keep all the money. Also, farmers get to know the shoppers. This is good for business. People start shopping from the same farmers again and again. Farmers markets are good for shoppers. They can buy healthy crops. The crops come from nearby farms. It does not have to travel far. This means they are fresher. They taste better.
Farmers markets are good for communities（社区）. Farmers do not travel far to the markets. This means less air pollution from trucks. Shoppers are likely to stop in other nearby shops, too. This is good for the businesses. Farmers markets are a good meeting place for neighbours. They also link（连接）people from the country and the city. This gives the farmers and shoppers a sense of community.
Questions 86-90: Answer the following questions according to the passage above. 根据上面的短文内容，回答下列问题。
1. When did farming first start?
2. How do today's farmers sell their crops?
3. Will people shop from the same farmers when they get to know each other?
4. Where do the crops in farmers markets come from?
5. What do you think is the main advantage of farmers markets?
【推荐3】The most unusual museum in London is the Science Museum. In most museums, there’s no shouting and no running, and you aren’t allowed to touch the exhibits. But the Science Museum is different… because it’s noisy ! People talk about what they can see and do there, and some of the machines are noisy as well. Visiting the Science Museum is fun and it’s a great way to learn about science because you can work things out and try out ideas.
When I visit the Science Museum, I go to the Launch Pad. This is my favorite room because you can do physics experiments. For example, if you want to fill a bag with falling sand, you have to move a kind of truck on wheels into the correct position. I also go to the Rocket Show. You can learn how we travel into space and back again.
Then I go upstairs to the Human and Nature room. You can compare your speed with animals there. You hear a noise and push a button. If you aren’t fast enough, the lion catches you! I’m faster than all my friends, but the lion still catches me.
You can do a lot of things in this museum, but you have to obey some rules as well. For example, you mustn’t take photos of the exhibits in the museum. But you can buy postcards of them in the museum shops.
Above all, the Science Museum is free. That means you can drop in for a few minutes or you can stay as long as you like – it’s open every day, from 10 am to 6 pm. So if you ever go to London, make sure you visit the Science Museum. It’s my favorite museum in the whole world.
1. Where does Tony go first when he visits the Science Museum?2. What can you try out in the Human and Nature room?
3. How much does it cost to go in the Science Museum?
4. How long can you stay at the Science Museum?
5. What does the writer think of the Science Museum?
