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.)
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.)
4 . Wukong, Tiangong, Tianwen ... Do you know where the names of Chinese space programs come from?
Wukong, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer satellite (暗物质粒子探测卫星), is named after (以……而命名) Chinese superhero Monkey King. According to Journey to the West, Monkey King has a pair of sharp eyes (火眼金睛) which can tell the difference between good and evil (恶). The Wukong satellite is just as sharp-eyed as Monkey King to help scientists look for dark matter in space.
The name of the space station, Tiangong, means “Heavenly Palace”. In Chinese myths, this is the home of Tian Di. Now Tiangong Space Station is a home for Chinese astronauts in space. And China welcomes foreign astronauts to Tiangong so that they can work together.
Tianwen, China’s Mars missions (火星任务), gets its name from the poem Tianwen by Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is a famous poet from ancient China. In Tianwen, he had the questions about the sky, stars, nature, myths and the real world, showing his hunger (渴望) for truth. Perhaps the Tianwen missions will end up answering some of Qu Yuan’s questions.
If you look into more names of Chinese space programs, you will find that they all have beautiful meanings. We, the Chinese people, have a long-cherished (珍藏已久的) space dream. So the naming of Chinese space programs is taken very seriously.
1. What is the Wukong satellite used for?| A．Answering some of Qu Yuan’s questions. |
| B．Finding the difference between good and evil. |
| C．Helping scientists search for dark matter in space. |
| D．Welcoming foreign astronauts to the space station. |
| A．poems | B．fairy tales | C．sayings | D．diaries |
| A．Qu Yuan’s poem Tianwen | B．an ancient novel |
| C．ancient Chinese myths | D．Journey to the West |
| A．What Beautiful Names! | B．What a Cherished Star! |
| C．What Excellent Poems! | D．What a Long Journey! |
5 . Air is everywhere. Air is so important that we can’t live without it. Have you heard of the news that air is sold by villagers? It’s reported that villagers in some areas of Guangdong are putting their clear air to good use by selling it to tourists who live in heavy smog (雾霾).
At the weekend, people from big cities in the Pearl River Delta (珠江三角洲) come to the northern area of Guangdong, including the 1,417-metre-high Gold Mountain, which is famous for its clean air.
Villagers in the mountain sell air stored in plastic bags at prices from 30 yuan for a big bag to 10 yuan for a small one.
Zhi Chenglin, a Gold Mountain local person, was the first to come up with the idea after giving up his job in Guangzhou. He said he returned to his hometown because he couldn’t bear the air and environment in Guangzhou.
Several women from Guangzhou said they bought bags of air as a way to make more people pay much attention to the environmental protection when they returned home.
“We’ll analyse (分析) the air, make a comparison (对比), and tell friends how bad the air in Guangzhou is becoming,” said one woman.
In the past few days, 21 cities and counties of Guangdong province have been enveloped (笼罩) in smog.
Blue sky, white clouds, fresh air and clean water, we are looking forward to them.
1. Why do villagers sell air?| A．Because they use this way to make money. |
| B．Because there are tourists who meet environmental problems. |
| C．Because the air in Guangdong is the clearest in the world. |
| D．Because there are some of tourists advising them to sell air. |
| A．To show how clear the air in Guangdong province is. |
| B．To show the opinions from people about selling air. |
| C．To show the condition of current (现在的) environment. |
| D．To make more people pay attention to the environment. |
| A．Selling air is illegal (不合法的). |
| B．The villagers have made more money by selling the air. |
| C．The air in the village is better than Guangzhou. |
| D．The behavior of selling air is not accepted by some people. |
| A．Social cases | B．Environmental protection |
| C．Future life | D．People and nature |
| Wrapped up in new shoes Do your shoes fit? If not, Furoshiki Shoes could be a better choice. Furoshiki is a traditional cloth in Japan. People used it for wrapping, holding and carrying things. Italian shoemaker Vibram used it in a new way and made Furoshiki Shoes. The shoes have no laces (鞋带). You just need to wrap them around your feet and fasten with velcro (尼龙搭扣). They are pretty easy to put on. They look comfortable, too. |
| Want to go faster when you walk to school?Wear this pair of wheelson your shoes! Airtrick E-skates can easily be fastened to your shoes. Batteries inside give power to the skates. It can go for 10 to 15 kilometers after charging (充电) for 2 hours. There are four speed settings. The skates’ top speed is 28 kilometers per hour. |
| Put some beer in the soles of your shoes. A creative design can make you walk on beer! Recently, the Dutch beer company Heincken introduced new sneakers that have soles (鞋底) filled with beer. Designer Dominic used a special surgical injection (手术注射) to put beer into the soles. By wearing these special sneakers, people can get a special feeling as the beer flows inside the sole. They can enjoy a smooth and comfortable experience as they walk. |
1. Furoshiki Shoes ________.
| A．are made of cloth | B．look nice having no laces |
| C．are traditional shoes in Japan | D．are more comfortable than traditional shoes |
| A．Charging shoes | B．Powerful batteries | C．The fastest wheels | D．Get your need for speed |
| A．18 | B．28 | C．38 | D．48 |
| A．can fly like a bee | B．can always smell beer |
| C．will feel comfortable | D．will enjoy walking |
It’s easy to see the fun in buying a huge ice cream or going shopping with friends, but saving money can be even more exciting. That’s because saving creates chances and opens the door to all kinds of adventures.
The key to successful saving is setting a goal. Get a pen and paper, and write down how much it costs, then work out how much you can afford to save each week and how long it will take you to reach your goal. It’s important to be realistic (现实的) because you’ll soon get bored if you plan to save every single penny. Some weeks you might decide to save a little more than planned so that you can reach your goals even faster.
To avoid accidentally spending your savings, it’s a good idea to keep them separate from the rest of your money. You could do this by using a money box or a savings account (账户).
When you save your money in a savings account, you have the chance to earn interest (利息). This is money that a bank pays you for leaving the money there. Some parents set up a savings account because they want to put some money away for their kids’ future.
Once you konw about saving, you can set some more bigger goals. Perhaps you want to start saving for university, or you’d like to travel the world when you finish school.
If you’re new to saving, start off by thinking of some fun goals, like taking a vacation or going to a concert. Every penny you save brings you one step close r to reaching your goal—and what could be more exciting than that?
1. What is the key to successful saving?2. How could you avoid accidentally spending your savings?
3. Why do some parents set up a savings account for kids?
4. If you get pocket money from your parents every week, will you consider setting up a savings account or spending it on things you like? Why? Write 30 words or more.
8 . Being green means protecting the environment in our daily life. The best way to do this is buying green products. But how do we know if a product is really green? We need to think about everything of the product.
First, we should look at the materials of the products. Green products are made of natural materials. This is good for our health.
Second, where a product is made and where we buy it are also important. We should try to buy local products, especially food. We can order directly from local farmers. Buying from shops near our homes is also a good idea, because we can go there without driving a car.
Packaging (包装) is another thing we should think about. We should choose products that have glass, paper or other packaging that can be reused or recycled. We should also try to buy products that have less packaging or no packaging at all.
The greenest thing we can do is not to buy unnecessary products. We should only buy things we really need, like food and clothes. If we don’t need something, we should leave it in the shop. This saves money, reduces waste, and helps keep the planet healthy.
All in all, by buying green products, we can help make our planet a better place to live on.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what is the best way to be green?| A．To produce useful products. | B．To know how to be green. |
| C．To shop for green products. | D．To recycle used products. |
| A．it takes shorter time | B．it saves energy |
| C．the food is fresher | D．the food costs less |
| A．Buying only necessary products. | B．Not shopping for anything. |
| C．Shopping for important products. | D．Buying only food and clothes. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
9 . What’s your favourite school subject? Do you love maths? Does English interest you? Or are you more of a scientist? We all have favourite subjects, but what if you studied two or more together instead of learning about each subject separately? That’s exactly how some students in Finland (芬兰) are learning.
When students learn about topics such as world events, they study several subjects together. For example, in a course about World War II, the students study history, geography and maths. Learning about topics, not just one subject, helps students see several points of view. In another course, called “Working in a café”, students study English, communication skills and economics (经济学).
Finnish educators believe students learn better when they work in groups. Working together helps students develop their ability to communicate. At this point, students in Finland don’t spend their whole school day working in groups. They still attend regular classes and study some subjects separately. But Finland is serious about making changes to the school day and to how students learn.
Finnish schools are making this change, because they believe that working together to study topics is better and more challenging for students than working alone or studying only one subject at a time.
In addition, they feel that students who choose to study topics that they care about and to work together with teachers and other students become better learners. They also feel that students who learn in this way are better prepared for jobs.
1. How does the writer start the passage?| A．By comparing facts. | B．By listing numbers. | C．By asking questions. | D．By telling stories. |
①English. ②History. ③Maths. ④Geography.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．School s should have separate classrooms and hallways. |
| B．Recent changes in Finnish education are good for students. |
| C．Some students prefer to work alone and not in groups. |
| D．Most Finnish teachers like discussing with students. |
| A．Group Learning in Finland | B．New Learning Methods in Finland |
| C．The Most Popular Subjects in Schools | D．The Important Life Skills for Students |
In most parts of the world, many students help their schools make less pollution. They join “Environment Clubs”. In an environment club, people work together to protect the environment.
No-rubbish lunches. How much do you throw after lunch? Environment clubs ask students to bring their lunches in bags that can be recycled. The students try their best to make less rubbish.
No-car day. No-car day was first started by 34 cities in France on September 22nd, 1995. It was started to protect the environment. By now, more than 1,000 cities around the world have had a no-car day. In China, more and more people are taking part in the activity. The slogan for no-car day is, “If we drive for one less day, we can have one more nice day.” On a no-car day, nobody comes to school in a car—not the students and not the teachers!
Cars give pollution to our air, so remember: Walk, jump, bike or run! Use your legs! It’s lots of fun!
Turn off water! Do you know that some toilets could waste twenty to forty ml of water an hour? In a year, that will fill a small river! In the environment club, the members mend those broken toilets.
We have only one earth. Let’s work hard together to make our world cleaner and more beautiful.
1. What do the Environment Clubs ask students to do?2. How many cities around the world have had a no-car day so far?
3. Why do the club members mend the toilet?
4. What can we do to protect the environment? Share your ideas. Write 30 words or more.
