Do you like music? Have you ever heard of luk thung?
The start of luk thung
Luk thung is a popular kind of music in Thailand. It comes from the countryside of Bangkok and people often call it “Thai country music”.
The history of luk thung
Luk thung first appeared in the early 20th century and later spread across the country. You can now hear it in many places in Thailand.
The spread of luk thung
One of the most famous luk thung musicians was Suraphol Sombatcharoen. He helped to make luk thung spread across the country. He wrote more than 100 songs! He was famous enough for many people to still remember him today.
Thai migrant workers(农民工)also helped to spread luk thung across Thailand. They usually left the countryside to work in the cities. These workers didn’t leave everything behind though. They brought luk thung with them! As a result, many luk thung performers were from the countryside, and many of their songs were about countryside people living in the city.
The changes of luk thung
Luk thung has changed over time. At first, luk thung was slow, and it was also quiet. Many luk thung songs showed people’s feelings. Now, luk thung shows are exciting. Luk thung performers wear colorful clothes, and they even dance. Also, they play luk thung with different instruments.
Title: | |
It comes from the countryside of Bangkok. | |
The history of luk thung | It appeared in the early 20th century |
The spread of luk thung | Suraphol Sombatcharoen: He wrote over one hundred songs. He was |
Thai migrant workers: They came to the cities to work and brought luk thung with them. | |
The changes of luk thung | At first, luk thung was slow and quiet. Now luk thung shows are exciting. The performers wear colorful clothes and even dance. Also, they use |
2 . Israeli company Watergen has produced a machine that creates clean water out of air. The machine is called GENNY. It’s small enough to be used in a home or an office, but can create up to 30 litters (升) of water a day.
The water that GENNY produces is not only clean enough to drink, but also cleaner than tap water. GENNY takes air in and passes it through a filter (过滤器) to take away dirt (灰尘). The filter is powerful enough to work even in areas with high air pollution. The air then passes through a space where it is heated, cooled and changed into water vapor (水蒸气). The water is passed through several more filters, and minerals (矿物质) are added to make it healthier and better-tasting. When the water is ready for people to drink, ▲ . It is healthier for people to breathe.
As a company, Watergen tries to provide drinking water for people who do not have safe drinking water at home. Last year, it gave away lots of products to people in Brazil, Vietnam, etc. It also tries to help the environment by asking people to use as few plastic water bottles as possible. People can put the water from GENNY into reusable bottles to cut down the use of plastic bottles.
Watergen’s technology is sure to help many people around the world, as well as help take care of our planet.
1. GENNY can create clean water out of ________.| A．sea water | B．air | C．minerals | D．tap water |
| A．cleaner | B．cheaper | C．lighter | D．dirtier |
| A．GENNY sends out some dirty air | B．GENNY creates lots of clean water |
| C．GENNY sends out fresh and clean air | D．GENNY throws away a lot of rubbish |
| A．The filter can’t work well in polluted areas. |
| B．GENNY can’t help protect the environment. |
| C．We can’t find GENNY in Brazil or Australia. |
| D．GENNY can create up to 30 litters of water a day. |
| A．A powerful filter. | B．A machine called GENNY. | C．Healthy minerals. | D．Safe drinking water. |
The new school year has come. Are you ready to put down your tablets(平板电脑) and phones and pick up spatulas and brooms(锅铲和扫帚)?
According to the new curriculum standard(课程标准), primary and middle school students will have at least one course every week to learn how to do basic household chores(家务), such as cooking and cleaning. It is necessary.
Labor(劳动) education will become an important part of schooling.
Take cooking as an example. The first and second graders will be encouraged to take on basic tasks such as washing and preparing vegetables. The third and fourth graders will be taught to make some cold dishes, boil eggs and heat up steamed buns, baozi, etc. Students in fifth and sixth grades will learn to cook two to three quick and easy dishes, such as scrambled eggs with tomato and fried eggs. Middle school students will be required to learn to cook three to four main dishes independently for lunch or dinner.
There are undoubtedly many benefits(益处) of learning cooking as a skill. As you learn to cook, you are getting a powerful tool to take control of your own health. You can also create lots of great memories in the kitchen, and feel a sense of achievement. More importantly, learning to cook prepares you for the future. If you can cook, you are able to live a healthier and more independent life.
Parents welcome the cooking courses with open arms. They believe that the courses will provide their children with a chance to experience life.
Cook up life skills |
The first and second graders will be encouraged to take on basic tasks such as washing and preparing vegetables. The third and fourth graders will be taught to make some cold dishes, boil eggs and heat up steamed buns, baozi, etc. Students in fifth and sixth grades will learn to cook two to three quick and easy dishes, such as scrambled eggs with tomato and fried eggs. Middle school students will be required to learn to cook three to four main dishes independently for lunch or dinner. |
As you learn to cook, you can take control of your own health, create lots of great memories in the kitchen, |
Parents believe that the courses will |
4 . If you’re looking for a new dining experience, Dinner in the Sky can make your next meal possible to forget!
With the help of a crane(起重机), people are lifted about 50 meters above the ground—long with their table, cooks and waiters.
The idea began in Belqium in 2006, when two companies worked together to create a special dinner for a group of young European cooks and restaurant owners.
The dinner was a success, and the organizers started receiving calls from all over the world’s people wanted to try it themselves. ________ and offer the experience to even more people.
Dinner in the Sky is now available in over 60 countries around the world—although it only has to be booked for a special event. Over the years, Dinner in the Sky has arranged (筹备) more than 5,000 events in a great many cities. All these events were unique (独一无二的) ,one of a kind.
The standard Dinner in the Sky table can hold up to 27 people. It weighs 3.4 metric tons (吨) and requires three hours to set up, as well as a space that’s large and strong enough to hold a huge crane.
While some people might worry about eating high in the air, the company says it’s very careful about safety, and has never had an accident.
1. Dinner in the sky can make you have ________.| A．a special event | B．an expensive dinner |
| C．two companies | D．a new dining experience |
| A．This let them lose lots of friends | B．This made them lazier than before |
| C．This brought them a lot of waiters | D．This gave them the idea to start a company |
| A．The crane can be put everywhere. |
| B．Dinner in the Sky requires 2 hours to set up. |
| C．People can book Dinner in the Sky for any day. |
| D．Dinner in the Sky has arranged more than 5,000 events in a great many cities. |
| A．6 | B．27 | C．50 | D．60 |
| A．price | B．food | C．safety | D．space |
In recent years, people have started a new trend(趋势) of “reading” books in China.
According to one report on Chinese people’s reading habits last year, around 32.7 percent of Chinese adults have the habit of listening to audio(音频的) books. So, just like having parents read bedtime stories to us when we were little, we are now reading by listening.
Some think this is good—people can finally put the books down when they read. They can get away from tables and chairs and read in a fun way. It’s great, it’s interesting, and it’s very cool.
“I think it’s entertaining(使人愉快的) —my kid can now learn in a fun way,” a young parent said. “I don’t have to worry about him having back problems like I did when I was a kid. And listening to audio books also takes some pressure off his eyes. So I’m all for it.”
But there are quite a number of people who hold a different opinion. They say this could work with adults, but it might be a bad idea for teenagers.
“People need self-control when listening to audio books, and we don’t see it in teenagers,” they said. “How can we know that whatever it says in a book can get into their heads and stay there? How do we make sure they are learning something when they listen?”
“We have been reading books in the old-fashioned(老式的) way for thousands of years,” an elderly scholar(学者) said. “Why not start listening for a change?
1. When have people started a new trend of “reading” books in China?| A．This year. | B．Since last year. | C．In recent years. | D．Long time ago. |
| A．students | B．Chinese adults | C．kids | D．young people |
| A．Cool. | B．Boring. | C．Relaxing. | D．Awful. |
| A．teenagers’ eyes |
| B．teenagers’ back problems |
| C．if teenagers are learning something when they listen |
| D．an elderly scholar won’t change the old-fashioned way of reading |
| A．Reading books is important. |
| B．Listening to audio books becomes popular. |
| C．Reading by listening is like reading bedtime stories. |
| D．Listening to audio books takes some pressure off his eyes. |
A different way of leaning is widely used in our English study. Before class, we make study plans first. Then we look up the new words, listen to the recording and read the text. When we meet problems we can’t solve by ourselves, we always write them down in our notebooks.
In class, we sit in groups to discuss the problems freely. The teacher always offers help when we need. After discussion, it’s time for us to give a report to the class. We also make conversations in pairs and practice a lot. It’s really good for our listening and speaking.
After class, we have less homework now so we can go to the library to read English books, magazines and newspapers. We can also surf the Internet for useful information.
In a word, we enjoy the new way of studying. We can make more progress in our study.
Information Card
| Main idea | ||
| Changes | Before class | We |
| We sit in groups to | ||
| After class | We | |
| Conclusion (结论) | In a word, we can make more progress in the new way. | |
The Earth is the only planet that we could live on. We can do a lot to change our lifestyle to help save the Earth. And little changes in what you do can make a big difference.
Walk or ride a bike to work or school instead of driving. Driving pollutes the air. Driving less saves money and energy. You can also take the bus or train. If you can’t travel by public transportation, consider buying an environmentally friendly（环保的）car.
Eat less meat. Meat-based diets（肉食）need more land, water and energy to go on. Animals need more space and use more resources（资源）than plants. Factory farming pollutes the area around, and spreads chemicals and waste into nearby rivers or lakes. So meat may be not safe for us to eat.
Buy environmentally friendly products. Do not support companies that pollute the Earth. Buy things in large amounts（数量）to save more gas than buying in small amounts. Buy things with fewer materials for packing to reduce waste. Buying local food can reduce transportation costs.
Reduce your overall energy use. Make your clothes dry outside on a clothes line instead of using the dryer. If you need some fresh air in the room, open the windows instead of using the air conditioner. Take shorter showers and reduce the amount of water in your home.
Ways to protect the Earth | What to do |
| Walk, ride a bike or take public transportation to save money and energy. Buy an environmentally friendly car. | |
| Eat less meat | Don’t |
| Buy environmentally friendly products | Go shopping in the companies that don’t pollute the Earth. Buy things in large amounts and with Try to buy |
| Reduce energy use | Don’t use dryer to make clothes dry. Take shorter showers to reduce the amount of water. |
Reading is very important. World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It encourages people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor great writers.
Many countries celebrate World Book Day. On that day, millions of school children can buy books at a much lower price than usual in any bookstore in England. It has been done every year since 1998. World Book Day is also celebrated in China. Young people should spend more time reading. Books can not change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading.
Reading helps us become more knowledgeable and smarter. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading gives us information about other cultures and places in the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English. We all know that it is difficult to learn everything in the classroom, for example, the ways English people are living and working today can be learnt by reading.
Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the outside world. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time reading every day.
1. When is World Book Day?2. What can the students do on that day in England?
3. Did people celebrate World Book Day in China?
4. Why does World Book Day set up?
5. What’s the passage mainly talking about?
A “line” shaping the capital
A 7.8-kilometer “line” has influenced Beijing for hundreds of years. It is the central axis（中轴线）! It’s like the backbone of the capital city. It may become a UNESCO World Heritage site（世界遗产地）.
The central axis lies in the center of Beijing. It runs from Yongding Gate in the south to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the north. It cuts the city into two parts—east and west. Along the axis, there are many important buildings: Tian’anmen Square, The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and many others.
The building of Beijing’s central axis started in the Yuan Dynasty (1271—1368) and went on in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Today, modern buildings lie along the extended（延展）line of the axis, like the National Stadium and Beijing Daxing International Airport.
The central axis shows important ideas in traditional Chinese culture. Ancient people saw the center of places as important. They usually put the royal palaces in the center of the cities. Other buildings were built around the center. It was to achieve balance, order and symmetry（对称）.
1. The central axis of Beijing is about ________ .| A．seven point eight meter | B．seven point eight kilometer |
| C．seven point eight meters | D．seven point eight kilometers |
| A．背部 | B．肩部 | C．骨头 | D．脊梁 |
| A．in the south | B．in the north | C．in the cast | D．in the west |
| A．in the Yuan Dynasty | B．in the Ming Dynasty |
| C．in the Qing Dynasty | D．in the Tang Dynasty |
| A．balance | B．order | C．kindness | D．symmetry |
It is easy to know if a person is resting. But do fish rest? The answer is “Yes”. Do you want to know if a fish is resting? Here are some ways.
◆Watch what a fish is doing
Fish may not look like they are resting, but they do have their own ways of getting some rest. Most fish will slow down while they are resting. Some fish move at the bottom of the water. Some move slowly near the top of the water.
You can know some fish are resting because they stay in one place. However, other fish never seem to stop moving. For example, some sharks keep swimming so that they can breathe in the water. Although these sharks are always swimming, they may still be resting. They have a special organ(器官) in their body. It allows them to keep their body moving while they are resting.
◆Watch how a fish reacts(作出反应) to things
When a fish is resting, it will react much more slowly. If you have a pet fish at home, try giving your fish some food when it is resting. The fish will spend more time noticing the food than it does when staying awake.
Title: | |
| Most fish will slow down while resting. When some fish are resting, they stay in one place. Other fish never seem to stop moving. Some sharks keep swimming in order to The sharks are always swimming, | |
| Watch how a fish reacts to things | When a fish is resting, its reaction will be |
