Learning English takes a lot of hard work. Here are some tips to help you improve your English quickly, no matter how much or how little you already know.
If you’re in a class, you should attend class, do the homework and study as much as you can. Courses are good because they push you to learn. But even if you’re not in a class, it’s still possible to practice when you have free time.
Like any goal, learning a language is always easier and more fun if you have a reason to do so. Be sure to remain focused on that reason, since it will help get you through the times when learning seems hard.
You’re not perfect, so you’re going to make mistakes when you’re learning English. The sooner you accept this, the better. Now it will be much easier for you to communicate with others and get your point across. So how can you find language partners to communicate with? Well, use your classmates.
The Internet is a great tool for language learning. It’s common for people to use the Internet to practice their English skills these days. The Internet would probably be the closest thing to a magic program to learn English quickly. So take advantage of all the resources that we have available to us in this day and age!
There’s no shortcut to learn English well. Just keep working hard, and you’ll succeed in the end.
1. What should you do to make learning English easier and more interesting?| A．Make detailed plans. | B．Develop you own rules. |
| C．Set your own goals. | D．Correct your mistakes. |
| A．We can speak English fluently with your partners’ help. |
| B．The Internet plays an important role in learning English. |
| C．We are supposed to practice English as much as you can. |
| D．People can make mistakes when they’re learning English. |
| A．To provide some good English-learning examples for you. |
| B．To explain some practical skills to express yourself freely. |
| C．To describe the advantages of learning English with friends. |
| D．To introduce some good methods to improve your English. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
Everyone knows that light attracts insects. In ancient times, people questioned why winged insects buzzed around fire. An old saying describes this attraction as being, “like a moth to a flame” (飞蛾扑火). However, a recent study ends the long-believed idea that insects fly towards light because they like it. Biologists at Imperial College London have reported that insects are drawn to light because it helps with their directions when they are flying. The scientists said artificial (人造的) light actually can make some insects lose their way. Jamie Theobald, co-author of the study, said all our guesses about why insects fly toward light “might have been wrong”.
The scientists planned their research in a rainforest in Costa Rica. They put artificial lights under the canopy (林冠) and surveyed the creatures’ flying behavior. Insects usually knows their directions by the moon to fly in straight lines. However, around the artificial lights, the insects became confused and made arcs (弧) and strange patterns of flight. An entomologist said: “Natural sky light helps maintain (维持) proper flight but Artificial light can produce continuous turning around the light and trap an insect.” Artificial light badly influences an insect’s ability to find a mate, things for food, and protect itself against natural enemies.
1. What is ancient people’s attitude towards “a moth to a flame”?| A．Unconcerned. | B．Acceptable. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．Because they want to provide help for others. |
| B．Because they want to exchange their greetings. |
| C．Because they want to look for something to eat. |
| D．Because they want to make sure their directions. |
| A．To find a better way to catch insects. | B．To test a conclusion of their guesses. |
| C．To make new medicine to kill insects. | D．To stop insects from damaging the crops. |
| A．An old saying connected with insects | B．An adventure carried out in rainforest |
| C．Artificial light is dangerous for insects | D．Insects fight against their natural enemies |
Have you ever wondered why thinking too much makes you tired? A new study has found out some answers to this question. Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute looked at why mental (脑力的) effort makes us tired. They found that when people think a lot, the brain produces a chemical called glutamate (谷氨酸). Too much glutamate upsets the brain’s functions (功能). It means the brain tells the body it is tired and that it must rest. People who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a lot of thought probably feel more tired. A period of rest allows the brain to return to normal. This explains why a power nap is good for us. A power nap can be as short as 20 minutes, but can make us feel totally refreshed.
The research team looked at the behavior of 40 participants (参与者) in their research. Twenty-four of these had to perform challenging tasks. These included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that appeared. The other 16 participants did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks. The researchers scanned the brains of the participants. They found that the group who had the more difficult task had higher levels of glutamate in their brain. Study author Antonius Wiehler said: “It would be great to find out more about how glutamate levels are restored.” He asked: “Is sleep helpful? How long do breaks need to be to have a positive effect?”
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By making a survey. | B．By raising a question. |
| C．By giving an example. | D．By explaining reasons. |
| A．The doctor that spends over six hours operating on a patient. |
| B．The housewife who spends three hours to do some shopping. |
| C．The boy who spends an hour playing computer games after school. |
| D．The student that spends three hours playing tennis with her friends. |
| A．more convenient | B．more interesting | C．more expensive | D．more difficult |
| A．Business. | B．Science. | C．History. | D．Culture. |
7th floor-Strawberries. 15th floor-Carrots. It sounds like you’re in the lift of a supermarket, but actually this describes a vertical farm (垂直农场)!
Vertical farming means growing plants on different levels in tall buildings. There is running water, and sunlight enters through glass windows with LED lights for plants that don’t receive direct sunlight at some points of the day. Also, farmers in vertical farms have controlled the temperature and humidity (湿度). So no matter what the weather is like outside, the plants can continue growing! It’s possible to grow crops (庄稼) all year round.
Vertical farming began as an idea at Columbia University in New York City in 1999. Dickson Despommier, a professor, challenged his students to come up with ways to feed the population of Manhattan by growing food in the city. One idea was to use rooftop (外屋顶) gardens, but that could only feed 2% of the population. Out of nowhere, Despommier suggested that people could grow plants in tall buildings in the city. Then vertical farming was born!
Today, vertical farming is a reality and it’s growing in popularity. As is known to us, the population of the world will become larger and larger, so we will need more food. Cutting down forests to grow crops would do harm to the environment, so vertical farms can be a solution.
Despommier says that a 30-storey 2-hectare (30层两公顷的) vertical farm can grow the same amount of crops in a year as a normal 1,000-hectare farm! In 2012, the world’s first commercial (商业的) vertical farm opened in Singapore. Today, there are many vertical farms around the world.
1. When you are in a vertical farm, you will have a feeling of ________.| A．staying in a forest | B．staying in the sun |
| C．being in a lift of a supermarket | D．being outside a tall building |
| A．a lot of LED lights | B．running water |
| C．comfortable temperature | D．depending on the weather |
| A．vertical farms are large enough to make food |
| B．the conditions in vertical farms can be controlled |
| C．it is cheaper for farmers to grow crops in vertical farms |
| D．using vertical farms to grow crops is meaningful and popular |
( ① = Paragraph 1 ② = Paragraph 2, …)
A． | B． | C． | D． |
 Eyes on the Robot At a concert in South Korea, a robot stood in the front and directed the musicians. It moved its arms quickly and smoothly (平稳地). The instruments were brought into the mix. The music grew louder and more exciting. How amazing it was! But can the robot take a human conductor’s (指挥) place? No, because it cannot hear! |
 Pick It Up! What a huge bottle on the grass! It is painted by Saype, an artist, with chalk and charcoal (炭笔). It is as large as three tennis courts. By painting this bottle, Saype hopes to make people respect (尊重) nature and reduce pollution. When you see a bottle on the ground, pick it up! |
 It’s a Real Bear Here Hello! I am Angela. I can stand on my hind legs like a human. Many people came to visit me at Hangzhou Zoo. They were surprised to see my gestures. Some even said I was a zookeeper in a bear’s skin. They were wrong, of course. I am a real bear! |
 Magic Hair What can we do with human hair cuttings? Micale can turn them into matted (编织的) squares (广场). These squares can then be used to absorb (吸收) oil. A kilogram of hair can absorb between seven and eight kilograms of litter (垃圾) oil. |
1. The robot can’t take a human conductor’s place because it can’t ________.
| A．hear anything | B．see conductors |
| C．move its arm quickly | D．play the instruments |
| A．introduce how he painted it |
| B．show he is good at painting |
| C．tell people it was hard to finish it |
| D．remind people to care for the environment |
| A．South Korea | B．Hangzhou | C．the grass | D．a concert |
| A．boring | B．relaxing | C．creative | D．painful |
6 . In the 1950s, scientists caught a shearwater (剪水鹱) on an island off the coast of Wales. They took it to the city of Boston, and set it free. Twelve days later it was back in Wales. Many birds share this gift for finding their way.
Most migrating (迁徙的) birds fly between cold and warm places, partly to avoid the winter. Their trips are tiring and dangerous-fewer than half of first-time migrating birds make it back the next year. Small birds often fly at night, so they must stay over land and travel by day.
Some migrating birds seem to be born with a map that tells them where to go. Cuckoos,for example, can find the way without being shown. Other birds learn the way by following a group of birds and remembering landmarks, such as mountains and rivers. Landmarks based on smell and sound-such as the smell of a pine forest or the sound of crashing waves-may also help.
Experiments with homing pigeons tell us that some birds have a built-in magnetic compass (磁罗盘). This helps pigeons to find the way home from hundreds of miles away. But when tiny magnets (磁铁) are tied to their heads, they get lost.
Birds that migrate by day use the sun as a compass. They also have a built-in clock, to make up for the sun’s movement across the sky as the day goes. Snow geese migrate by the sun; when days grow longer, they become unable to stay quiet and want to set off on the long journey.
1. How does the writer start the text?| A．By telling a story. |
| B．By listing numbers. |
| C．By asking questions. |
| D．By giving an opinion. |
| A．Large birds migrate by riding on the rising warm air. |
| B．Cuckoos are born with the ability to find their way. |
| C．Magnets can lead homing pigeons to right places. |
| D．The snow geese set off on the migration when days grow longer. |
①warm air ②the sun ③smells ④a map
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．①④ |
| A．Science. | B．Sports. | C．Nature. | D．Health. |
7 . Do you like to start your day with a cup of coffee? It cheers people up and helps in burning fat. However, the hobby also brings problems. One study shows that about 50 billion single-use coffee cups are thrown away in the US every year, while another believes the number is closer to 130 million. Whatever the actual number is, it is clear that our use of coffee cups is bad for the environment.
Fortunately, some companies are trying their best to solve the problem. GaeaStar is one of them. It is trying to create single-use clay coffee cups to take the place of plastic ones.
The cups are suitable for both cold and hot drinks. They are made of clay, water and salt, so they will produce no waste. You even don’t need to throw the cups into a rubbish bin. You can simply throw them onto the ground and smash (粉碎) them. After all, they come from earth and return to earth in the same form. Recycling is no longer required.
In fact, the idea of using clay as a solution (解决方法) to the problem isn’t new. But GaeaStar connects it with new technology. Using 3D printers, it can make the cup in 10 seconds. Its CEO says that printing a clay cup uses 60% less energy than creating a plastic or paper cup. This is an example of how new technology brings old ideas back to life.
If you are interested in GaeaStar’s special cups, visit the Verve Coffee Shop in California!
1. The numbers in Paragraph 1 are mentioned to show ______.| A．the advantages (益处) of drinking coffee | B．the changes of coffee cups in the US |
| C．the problem caused by people’s love for coffee | D．the increase in the number of coffee drinkers |
| A．Luckily. | B．Hardly. | C．Especially. | D．Surprisingly. |
| A．Solutions to the problem of plastic pollution. |
| B．Examples of using technology to solve problems. |
| C．How GaeaStar uses 3D printers to make paper cups. |
| D．How GaeaStar connects an old idea with new technology. |
| A．www.travelers.com | B．www.techtimes.com |
| C．www.chinaculture.org | D．www.grammarbook.com |
8 . If you want to speak English well, you’d better speak a little English every day. As we know, the best way to learn any new language is just to speak it. It doesn’t matter if you only know five English words or if you’re really fluent (流利的). Here are some suggestions for you if you want to improve your spoken English.
Don’t wait until you feel “more comfortable” speaking in English. You won’t reach that level soon, so push yourself outside your comfort zone (舒适区) and start speaking English today. Don’t be shy. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your language skills improve.
Find an English speaker who is willing to spend some time speaking English with you. You may be available to offer them a language exchange. For example, they spend 30 minutes speaking English with you and you spend 30 minutes speaking your native language with them.
You will get more chances to speak English if you live in an English-speaking country. You can practice by starting simple chat with the people you meet. You don’t need to care about what the conversations are about. Just open your mouth and speak English. Even saying hello to a shopkeeper or asking a stranger for directions is the chance you need.
1. What's the best way to learn a new language according to the text?| A．To do more exercises. |
| B．To memorize more words. |
| C．To try to speak it. |
| D．To remember the grammar. |
| A．Give an example. |
| B．List some reasons. |
| C．Tell a story. |
| D．Show numbers. |
| A．avoid making mistakes in English |
| B．spend 30 minutes speaking English every day |
| C．have more chances to practice English |
| D．choose the conversations you like |
| A．Health. | B．Education. | C．Film. | D．History. |
Do you like poems? What do you know about bamboo? Let’s read the poem Bamboo in the Rock by Chinese poet Zheng Xie.
竹石
(郑燮)
咬定青山不放松，立根原在破岩中。
千磨万击还坚劲，任尔东西南北风。
Bamboo in the Rock
(By Zheng Xie)
Upright stands the bamboo amid green mountains steep,
Its toothlike root in broken rock is planted deep.
It’s strong and firm though struck and beaten without rest,
Careless of the wind from north or south; east or west.
(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)
“Bamboo in the Rock,” is a Chinese poem by a man named Zheng Xie, often called Zheng Banqiao. He was born in 1693. Besides being a great artist and poet, Zheng was also a government worker during a time in China called the Qing Dynasty. He didn’t like the unfair things he saw happening in the government, so he started making art and writing poems about things like bamboo, which were easy to understand but had deep meanings.
His poem paints a picture of bamboo growing strong even though it’s in a tough spot, squeezed within rocks on a mountain. No matter what difficulties the bamboo faces, like bad weather hitting it from every side, it keeps standing up straight. The bamboo is a symbol of strength and determination because it remains firm and doesn’t break under pressure.
The poem is full of beautiful words about nature, but it’s also there to teach us something important just like the bamboo, people should stay strong and focused even when life is challenging. By facing hard times, we can build our inner strength, just like the strong bamboo.
Young people can learn a lot from this poem because it shows them the importance of staying strong and determined, even when things get tough. The poem reminds teenagers that tests and difficulties can help them grow even stronger. It is an inspiring message for them to remain brave during hard times and never give up, just like bamboo standing tall among the challenges.
1. What’s the name of the poem?2. Why is the bamboo a symbol of strength and determination?
3. How can we build our inner strength, just like the strong bamboo?
4. What do you think of bamboo and why do you think so?
10 . There are thousands of kinds of animals in the Amazon rainforest, each coloured differently. Most rainforest animals use their colours for survival.
Some animals use colour to protect themselves from their predators (猎食者). An example is the green iguana (鬣鳞蜥). Young iguanas are bright green and hide among the bright green leaves of the trees where they live. As they grow older, their colour becomes duller. Old iguanas live higher in the trees, where the colours all around are less bright.
Other animals are predators and use colours to hide from their prey. The boa constrictor snake (蟒蛇) is a good example. Some boas are grey or brown, and their colours help them hide on branches. The emerald boa is green and white, so it can easily hide in the leaves. A boa hides in a tree and waits for a bird to fly by. When one does, the boa grabs the bird from the air and then squeezes it to death before eating it.
Colourful frogs can be orange, red, or green. Their bright colours let everybody know where they are. The bright colour warns other animals that the frog is poisonous, so they stay away. These tiny frogs are very poisonous! One frog has enough poison to kill 100 people.
The colours of the rainforest are beautiful to us, but to the animals they are very important. They help the animals survive.
1. In which part of a magazine may we read this?| A．History. | B．Culture. | C．Arts. | D．Nature. |
| A．Bright green. | B．Dull green. | C．Grey or brown. | D．Green and white. |
| A．Some boas. | B．The emerald boa. | C．The bird. | D．Colourful frogs. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
