1 . Have you ever heard of Pi Day? You may think it is all about having pies. That’s only partly right. Pi Day is actually about maths! Every year on March 14th, maths lovers and scientists celebrate Pi Day to honor the special number π (3.1415926…).
Pi Day is a young international festival. It was founded in 1988 by Larry Shaw. He worked at the Exploratorium, a museum of science and technology. He linked (联系) March 14th with π and celebrated his very first Pi Day with a pie party. Later, the celebration became a yearly tradition at the museum and more visitors joined in. In November 2019, Pi Day was designated (指定) as the International Day of Mathematics by UNESCO, an international organization.
There are many kinds of celebrations of Pi Day. Some people choose to memorize as many digits (数字) as they can, while some take part in a Pi parade, enjoying delicious pies and dancing to music. Besides, people use a writing style called Pilish to celebrate Pi Day. In a Pilish sentence, the number of letters in each word matches the digit of π. The first word has three letters, the second has one letter, the third has four letters, and so on. An engineer, Michael Keith, even wrote a book called Not a Wake by using Pilish.
Pi Day is a day of discovery and joy, reminding us of the importance and beauty of mathematics in our lives. Let’s celebrate the mathematical wonder of π!
1. Pi Day is a day to ________.| A．enjoy delicious pies with family |
| B．honor the special number π |
| C．visit museums of science and technology |
| D．celebrate the important numbers in maths |
| A．To introduce how Pi Day was founded. |
| B．To remember when Pi Day was set up. |
| C．To explain where Pi Day was celebrated. |
| D．To discuss who Pi day was designated by. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
What do you think of celebrating Christmas Day in China? Christmas Day is very popular in China, especially for young people. Should Chinese people celebrate Christmas Day? 60% people think that we should not take Christmas so seriously, 10% think everyone should celebrate Christmas.
Some people think celebrating Christmas Day can help them understand western culture better. Some people think it is a great holiday to have a good time with their families and friends. During Christmas Day, they can meet friends, go shopping, watch movies and go to different parties.
But I have different ideas. China has its own holidays, such as the Spring Festival, Double Ninth Festival and Mid-Autumn Day, so we don’t have to celebrate holidays from other countries. Some people spend a lot of money celebrating Christmas Day. People buy lots of gifts for their friends and families, but this is not the best way to show their love.
1. Who likes Christmas Day better in China?2. How many reasons are listed for celebrating Christmas Day?
3. What’s the writer’s opinion about celebrating Christmas Day?
4. Which Chinese festival do you like best? Why? (Write 30 words or more.)
3 . 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. |
4 . Tea culture is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. With social development and progress, tea not only plays an important role in pushing the development of the economy (经济的发展), but also becomes a necessity in people’s lives. If you are a tea lover, there are four basic steps you should take in choosing suitable tea.
1. Watch. Good or fresh tea is bright green in color and in a close shape, but poor tea is loose and dull. The leaves should also be dry.
2. Smell. Good tea, especially fresh tea, has a pleasant smell while poor tea smells sour.
3. Taste. You can taste the leaves by chewing them carefully. Good tea leaves have a fresh mellowness (醇香) with a little bitterness and a lasting sweet after taste. Bad tea doesn’t taste good and has a dark color.
4. See the infused (冲泡过的) tea leaves. If the tea is good, the infused tea leaves should be even without impurities (杂质).
After you buy good tea, keep it in a dry, cool place and avoid direct sunlight. It’s best to put it in a dry can.
根据短文内容完成表格中所缺的信息(每空不超过3个单词)。
| Important Functions (功能) | Pushing the development of the economy. |
| How to keep tea | In a dry, cool place and |
| How to choose good tea | Watch: Bright green in color and in a close shape. Smell: Taste: Having a fresh mellowness with a little bitterness and See the infused tea leaves: |
5 . What do three hearts, eight arms and one huge brain add up to?
An octopus is a creature that can do amazing things. Octopuses are very clever. As they don’t have teeth or sharp claws to defend (保护) themselves, they have ever learnt a few tricks to get out of dangerous situations. Do you know how they do that?
They often hide themselves in the sand on the bottom (在……底部) of the ocean floor. Some octopuses like to stay in more shallow water where there are rocks. Because octopuses have very soft bodies, they can hide themselves into small spaces between the rocks to get rid of enemies.
The octopus is like a chameleon (蜥蜴) because it can change the color of its skin to match the sand. This color change happens in less than a minute.
Another way an octopus can protect itself is by shooting ink (墨汁). It can shoot ink into the water. The ink forms a cloud to blind its enemies. It’s like a magician doing a disappearing act.
If an octopus is being attacked(攻击), it can make itself look like a sea snake. It will bury (掩埋) itself in the sand except two arms. It will change the color of those arms to match a sea snake.
But what if there’s no time to escape (逃跑)? It can break off one of its arms. The arm will then change colors and move around the water. As the enemy starts chasing after the arm, the octopus can swim away quickly. Don’t worry, though. The octopus’ arm will grow back soon.
1. How many tricks for octopuses to get out of danger are mentioned in the text?
| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．It has three hearts. | B．It has eight arms. |
| C．It can make itself look like a snake. | D．It can change the color of its skin |
| A．Run after its enemy. | B．Break off one arm. |
| C．Fight with sharp teeth | D．Move around the water. |
| A．To describe what octopuses look like. |
| B．To explain how octopuses eat and play. |
| C．To show how dangerous octopuses are. |
| D．To explain how octopuses protect themselves. |
| A．On a train timetable. | B．In a guiding book. |
| C．On a movie poster. | D．In a science magazine. |
6 . The ocean is not a quiet place. This is partly caused by sea animals. They use sound to find what they eat, whom they play with, or which place they move towards. But noise from human activities is increasingly troubling the lives of ocean animals.
According to scientists, loud noise may increase mass strandings (大规模搁浅)of sea animals. Researchers recorded only five of these events in the first half of the 20th century. From 1950 to 2004, they recorded more than 1,200 mass strandings. This is perhaps because of the use of sonar (声呐) underwater. Another main reason of loud underwater noise is pile driving (打桩). Piles are supports for bridges, oil and gas producing areas. They’re driven deep into the floor of the ocean. Driving in a single pile can take several hours and as many as 5,000 hits. This process creates a lot of noise.
To restrain (抑制) that noise, some companies are making use of tiny bubbles (气泡). A single bubble is easily broken. However, the bubble wall can make pile driving quieter. The bubble wall is usually created in this way: A tube (管) is placed in a ring around a pile. Air is then let out through closely spaced openings on the tube. When the bubbles rise, they act as walls and take in some of the noise. Some more of the sound comes back and becomes stuck inside the wall. Such bubble walls are really helpful.
Other changes to pile driving can help as well. For example, people can take breaks in pile driving and let animals travel through.
Our noise in the ocean is causing big problems. But small changes in our behavior can make a big difference to animals’ lives in the world’s oceans.
1. What is troubling the lives of ocean animals according to the text?| A．The gas produced in the sea. | B．The food polluted by humans. |
| C．The noise from human activities. | D．The bubble walls made by some companies. |
| A．①② | B．③④ | C．①③ | D．②④ |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Nature. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
Do you ever feel no one really understands you? Well, “Pepper”, a robot could change all that. Pepper is the first robot to read human’s feelings. Using its emotional recognition (情感识别) functions, Pepper can react (反应) to people when it is close to them—making jokes, dancing and even singing in Japanese.
The man-like robot looks like a small girl. It is four-feet tall with a table computer set to its chest (胸膛). It has human-like hands, a girl-like body and baby-like voice. It was shown to curious (好奇的) people in Tokyo stores on Friday by Softbank, a Japanese robotics company.
Pepper can examine face expressions, human voice and signs, then make an answer. Pepper is designed to be a family robot, but it isn’t like Rosie who can do housework on the cartoon. Pepper is used at home or in the store, where we provide fun and entertainment (娱乐).
Pepper gets power from love inside a family. Not only is he making jokes, making them laugh, also it helps people when they are in trouble. In a natural accident, it can help make those people who are sad or lonely feel relaxed, encourage them or make them laugh.
Pepper was on sale in Japan for around $2,000 in February, 2015. For now, several Peppers are at Softbank stores in Tokyo for people to visit. The creators say before selling Peppers, they want the robots to store more knowledge, so it can get along better with humans.
1. Where was Pepper shown to curious people on Friday?2. What kind of robot is Rosie?
3. How much did a Pepper cost in 2015?
4. Do you think you’ll have your own robots at home in the future? Why? Write more than 30 words.
8 . People can’t see you when you’re speaking on the phone, but they can hear you. So, the way you speak is especially important. In fact, researchers have found that 80% of communication over the phone is through your tone (语气) of voice; and only 20% is from the words you use. Here are our top tips on how to speak over the phone.
Facial (面部) Expressions
Your facial expression can influence your voice. For example, if you smile, your voice will sound warm and friendly; if you have an angry look on your face, it can make you sound unpleasant.
Volume (音量)
If you speak too loudly, you could sound angry. And if you speak too softly, it’ll be difficult to hear you. So, but not so loud that you’re shouting.
Pace (速度)
The pace of your voice is how quickly you speak. And this can show how you feel. For example, an angry person might speak faster than normal. Or a downhearted (沮丧的) person might speak very slowly. Try speaking a little more slowly than normal. This will make you sound confident, and it’ll make it easier for the other person to understand you.
Gestures (手势)
Gesturing can influence the tone of your voice. When you gesture, you bring more air into the lungs (肺), which can make your voice sound warmer. Gestures are also useful to help you stress the right words or even find the words you need. The best thing about gesturing during a phone call is that no one can see what you’re doing, so you can gesture as wildly as you like!
Movement
If you’re feeling nervous, stand up and move around. It will reduce the nervousness in your body and help your voice to sound more confident.
Pauses (停顿)
Using pauses every now and then can help you to slow down. This will make you sound more confident and in control. Also, if you pause after giving some new information, it’ll give the other person time to understand it. At the same time, listen to how the other person uses pauses. They could tell you something about the speaker’s feeling. For example, when a speaker is really angry, he might use pauses and say, “I…am…so…angry…”
1. What’s the percent of telephone communication is from the words you use? ________| A．20%. | B．40%. | C．60%. | D．80%. |
| A．Gesture wildly. | B．Move around. |
| C．Raise their voices. | D．Make facial expressions. |
| A．The speaker can show he is friendly. |
| B．The speaker can tell more information. |
| C．The listener will feel confident and in control. |
| D．The listener will have time to understand the words. |
| A．How to control the speed of your speech. |
| B．Different good ways of talking on the phone. |
| C．Reasons of making gestures while talking. |
| D．How to improve communication among friends. |
When you’re a teenager, it seems that every time you say “I want to …”, someone answers “No, you can’t”. Also, no part of your life is safe from the prying (窥视的) eyes of your parents.
A 15-year-old girl, Debbie says, “My dad always wants to know where I am, and what time I’m going to be home.”
Most parents do that. Do they have to know everything? They should give us more freedom. Young people further complain that their parents do not respect them. When something goes wrong, more parents just don't believe in their children. Without asking why, they think their kids are wrong. And not many parents allow their kids to choose for themselves. Yes, it is true that your parents sometimes treat you like a little child. But remember that not too long ago you were really a child. Your parents still remember those childish mistakes that you used to make. They want to protect you though you do not want them to do so.
So, if you want to get more freedom, please try to understand your parents and do not lie to them. Try a more friendly way. If you want them to allow you to stay out late, don't just say, “All the other kids can stay out late.” Tell them as much as you can about what you want to do and where you'll be and why it's important for you to stay out late. Then they might just say “yes”.
1. Who always wants to know where Debbie is?2. What do young people want to get from their parents?
3. What do young people further complain according to the passage?
4. If your parents don’t allow you to play with your friends outside on weekend, what should you do? Write 30 words or more.
Nowadays, life has become very busy, and you feel like your timetable is always different from your parents’. Maybe you are too shy to show your love to your parents by saying “I love you”. How about doing it quietly? Here’s some advice.
Leave notes
Most of you have probably had little notes from your parents in your lunch bags. What about leaving a note for them in the fridge, on the computer screen...? They’ll be happy to see it.
Give an unexpected gift
Have you got gifts from your parents on your birthday? Why not give them some special gifts but not tell them first? An unexpected present is a moment of joy for the receiver and giver, and it doesn’t have to be anything expensive. Some of their favorite food, a book, which you know they’ll enjoy...for a few dollars, you have the perfect way to say “I love you”.
Do the housework
If your parents usually clean the kitchen, why not do it and surprise them? If you normally have to clean your bedroom, get it done without being asked. Find little ways to make your parents’ day smoother and let them know they mean a lot to you.
Give a shoulder or foot rub(按摩)
Everyone is under too much pressure. Perhaps your parents often have aches and pains because of work. A shoulder rub or a foot rub is a wonderful way to tell them “I love you”.
How to | |
| •If your parents find your notes in the fridge or on the computer screens, they’ll be happy. | |
| Give an unexpected gift | •You’d better give your parents some gifts without •You may give them special things rather than expensive things. |
| Do the housework | •You can do the housework without being asked. •Find little ways to make your parents’ day smoother so that you can let them know they are |
| Give a shoulder or foot rub | •This may be a wonderful way to tell your parents “ |
