1 . For the first time in its history, the 18th Asian Games, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia from Aug 18 to Sept 2, 2018, had e-sports as an event.
Players from 27 countries and regions, including China and Japan, competed in six different video games, such as Hearthstone (《炉石传说》)and League of Legends (《英雄联盟》). E-sports events have appeared in the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023) as an official competitive program.
So does this mean that kids now have a new excuse to play video games?
Not exactly. For one thing, not everyone agrees that e-sports qualify as actual competitive sports. Some people believe sports should be more physical to count as “real” sports, the BBC reported. Second, not everyone who plays video games can become a professional (职业的) e-sports athlete.
Just like any other sports competitor, you need to have exceptional (特别突出的) skills, such as being able to quickly analyze a situation and think on your feet (反应迅速). “Only those who are top players in their games can become professional athletes,” said Wu Meng, 26, champion of the 2014 NetEase E-sports League.
And just like any other athlete, one has to put in a lot of hard work and training to compete in e-sports.
“Every day, I train for up to 15 hours, from 9 am to 12 am,” said Zhang Chi, 20, a player in China’s King Pro League. “It can be very tiring. Some players even seriously injure their back and shoulders,” Zhang added.
1. When did E-sports become an event at Asian Games?| A．In 2014. | B．In 2018. | C．In 2022. | D．In 2023. |
| A．China didn’t take part in the 18th Asian Games. |
| B．E-sports provide kids a new excuse to play video games. |
| C．It’s not easy to become a professional E-sports player. |
| D．E-sports players needn’t work as hard as sports players. |
| A．If you like playing video games, you can be an E-sports player. |
| B．If you are talented in e-sports, you will be a top player. |
| C．You have to be prepared for hard training if you want to become an E-sports player. |
| D．You have to injure your back and shoulders when you train to be an E-sports player. |
2 . Every year before Spring Festival, Zang Chaiyuan is super busy. The 26-year-old pastry chef (面点师) from Shandong works from morning to night as people from across the country order her huabobo (花饽饽).
This year, Zang’s huabobo, in the shape of a rabbit dressed in a lion-dance costume, is one of the most popular products. It is soft and cute.
Zang opened her own huabobo shop. Although her parents were against her decision, she stood her ground. “I found huabobo was usual for birthdays of local children and elderly people,” she said. Besides, she loved huabobo in her childhood. “My grandmother used to make huabobo for me in all kinds of shapes, which were very beautiful,” Zang said.
Zang first learned the basic skills from an experienced huabobo master and then practiced over and over again on her own. After many tries, she finally learned the skill.
She brings out new products from time to time. Her products have made their way to customers from cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. The huabobo has also earned her about 100 million views online. To let more people learn about huabobo, she hosts online and on-site pastry courses.
1. What kind of food does Zang Chaiyuan sell?| A．Noodles. | B．Dumplings. | C．Bread. | D．Huabobo. |
| A．They supported her. | B．They disagreed with her. |
| C．They were worried about her. | D．They didn’t care about her. |
| A．By herself. | B．From her parents. |
| C．From an experienced master. | D．From a cooking school. |
3 . Do you often compare yourself to other people? Whether it’s the number of goals you’ve scored at football or how many books you’ve read, it’s easy to compare yourself to someone else. It’s a natural behavior that helps humans learn from each other, live happily together and achieve more. However, it s not always helpful and you can find yourself fall in a comparison trap (陷阱). This is when you always measure yourself against others and base your feelings on how well they seem to be doing.
Comparison can make us feel good and bad about ourselves. “Comparing up” means seeing someone is better than you and using that to encourage yourself to aim higher and try harder. However, sometimes it can make you feel rubbish about yourself and undermine your confidence. “Comparing down” is when you see someone who seems like they’re not doing as well as you. This might make you feel you’re doing well, but it can also stop you wanting to improve.
How do you escape comparison trap? If your feelings depend on what other people are doing, always stay with cheerleaders. Notice how people make you feel and spend time with friends who celebrate your strengths rather than compare themselves to you. If you follow social media (媒体) accounts that make you feel you are failing in any way, unfollow them. Find ones that make you laugh or show you lovely places instead. Finally, pay attention to your own achievements and how you can improve. The best person you can compete with is yourself.
Let’s make positive, healthy comparisons. Instead of trying to be the best aim to be your best. This means you value your own achievements and not someone else’s. Celebrate progress instead of the final result. It doesn’t matter if someone is better or faster than you, it’s how hard you try that’s important. Set some goals and pay attention to your progress. Instead of saying “I can’t do it”, say “I can’t do it yet”.
1. What is the purpose of comparing yourself to others according to the text?| A．To knock your confidence. |
| B．To learn from each other and achieve more. |
| C．To make others feel bad about themselves. |
| D．To stop you want to move. |
| A．Increase. | B．Build. | C．Weaken. | D．Get. |
| A．Competing with yourself is not necessary. |
| B．Your feelings always depend on other people. |
| C．We can follow the ways to escape comparison trap. |
| D．Friends can make you laugh and show you lovely places. |
| A．Valuing others’ achievements. | B．Celebrating your progress. |
| C．Trying to be better than everyone else. | D．Trying to be the best in everything. |
| A．Suggestions on “comparing up”. | B．Keys to stopping comparison. |
| C．Benefits of aiming high. | D．Ideas about making comparison. |
4 . You see advertisements (ads) every day. Ads try to persuade (说服) you to buy things or tell people about coming events for you to take part in.
How to write an ad? Before you write an ad von need to know your readers. What group people are you trying to reach?
Writing an outline (提纲) can make sure you include all the important information. Imagine your school is having a fair to raise money for a new playground. You want as many students as possible to come. Use words that will draw people’s attention. Keeping your sentences short will help your readers read your ad more quickly. You can make an outline like this:
| Sample Ad Outline Purpose of your ad: To persuade students to come to the fair Your readers: Students in our school Questions your ad will answer: What is the event? The Hillsdale School Fair. Why should they go to the event? To help raise more money for a new school playground. Where’s the event? The Hillsdale School Gym. When is the event? Saturday, April 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Words and phrases that are persuasive and get attention: “Share in the excitement!” “Don’t miss out on fun!” “Raise money for our school!” |
Now you have decided which words to use in your ad, you also need to choose a design (设 计) that will make your ad persuasive. Bold (加粗) letters and bright colors get people’s attention. Picking the right picture to appear on the ad is an important step. Don’t try to fit too many words and pictures into your ad. Try different styles until you work out which one is the best. Then do the final draft of your ad and bring the words and the design together! Look! What a good example it is!
Keep reading ads and practicing writing your own ads until you can be a good writer of ads!
1. What should you know before you write an ad?| A．The readers. | B．The words. | C．The pictures. | D．The design. |
| A．Because the sentences are long. |
| B．Because it doesn’t use bold letters. |
| C．Because it has as many pictures as possible. |
| D．Because it includes all the important information. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By showing a saying. |
| C．By giving a suggestion. | D．By showing facts with numbers. |
| A．Introduce the ways to raise money. | B．Explain how to write ads. |
| C．Give information about a school fair. | D．Describe the importance of writing ads. |
5 . Water plays an important role in keeping you healthy. This should come as no surprise. Much of your body is made up of water, after all. It keeps your body working properly. But did you know that too much water can make you die?
Water poisoning (中毒) happens when people drink too much water. This lowers the level of sodium (钠) in their blood to dangerous levels. When you have too little sodium in your body, a lot of things will go seriously wrong in your body.
Your brain may begin to swell (膨胀). You may get a headache, feel very tired and sick. You may even lose consciousness. In these cases, water poisoning can be deadly. You will need to go to a hospital immediately.
Protecting yourself from water poisoning may seem easy, however, this is easier said than done. For example, when you do exercise, you may have to drink a lot of water. It is important to balance the amount (量) of water. This can help you stay healthy whenever you are exercising.
So, how much water should a person drink each day? For years, we have been told to drink two liters (公升) of water a day. But in fact, the actual amount needed is different for each person. Today, most doctors are telling people that they should drink water whenever they feel thirsty.
We can’t live without water. Neither can we live with too much water in our bodies.
Make sure you take the right amount of it each day—staying healthy is all about staying balanced.
1. What will a person feel when water poisoning happens?| A．The brain works well. | B．Tired and sick. |
| C．Hot and thirsty. | D．The body is larger. |
| A．body | B．life | C．confidence | D．feeling |
| A．High levels of sodium are good for our health. |
| B．We should protect ourselves by drinking more water. |
| C．We should only drink two liters of water a day. |
| D．We should take the right amount of water each day. |
| A．Rome wasn’t built in a day. | B．Don’t forget the well digger. |
| C．Every coin has its two sides. | D．There would be no life without water. |
| A．Can Water Poison You? | B．The Importance of Sodium. |
| C．We must Drink less Water. | D．We can’t Live without Water. |
6 . In North America, most students usually go to school by school bus or subway. In small towns and cities, walking is still popular. The yellow school bus is very convenient (便利的) because it takes students right to the entrance (入口) to the school. Students can also talk with their friends on it. But the bus is slow and is not always on time. The subway runs quickly. However, it is expensive and can be very crowded sometimes. And the stops may be far away from the school, so students often have to walk or take a bus from the subway stop to the school. Walking is good exercise for those who live close to school. But it’s no fun if you have a large backpack full of books to carry. It’s also unpleasant if (如果) the weather is either too hot or cold or wet.
1. In North America, most students usually go to school by ________.| A．school bus or subway | B．car or bicycle |
| C．taxi or car | D．boat or car |
| A．too expensive | B．slow and sometimes late |
| C．crowded and dirty | D．fast and big |
| A．close to | B．busy for | C．far away from | D．across from |
| A．令人不讨厌的 | B．令人不愉快的 | C．不健康的 | D．令人不忧郁的 |
| A．transportation (交通) | B．students | C．schools | D．subway |
7 . Every school has its own rules. Some rules are the same. But some are different. Here are some school rules.
● Strict Japanese rules
Many Japanese schools ask students to wear uniforms. Some schools tell students they can not go to the movies, leave home at night or play computer games at home on school days.
●________
At some schools in the US, students must wear a pair of indoor shoes at school every day. This can keep the school clean.
● No strange hairstyles in the UK
In some English schools, students can’t wear strange hairstyles. But the students can wear strange hairstyles in the World Cup years.
1. What can’t some Japanese students do on school days?| A．Watch TV. | B．Wear school uniforms. |
| C．Play with friends. | D．Leave home at night. |
| A．Beautiful shoes in the US. | B．Different shoes in the US. |
| C．Expensive shoes in the US. | D．Special shoes in the US. |
| A．Follow the school rules. | B．How strange these countries are. |
| C．School Rules in the World. | D．Don’t wear uniforms at school. |
8 . After 10 years of difficult talks, nearly 200 countries agreed to a new United Nations (UN) agreement to protect the world’s oceans. The agreement has been the first of its kind in 40 years. It plans to protect 30% of the open oceans by 2030.
Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth’s surface and are home to hundreds of thousands of different kinds of animals and plants. Healthy oceans are a very important part of a healthy planet. But the oceans are in trouble. Overfishing (捕捞过度) has had a terrible effect on many kinds of fish and other animals. Pollution from ships and other places has caused serious problems. In 1982, an agreement described the “high seas (公海)”, but it did not protect them. In these areas, all countries have the right to fish, send ships, and do research. The high seas cover about two-thirds of the ocean. But now people only protect 1. 2% of the areas.
Last December, over 110 countries agreed to protect 30% of their land and ocean areas by 2030. Without an international agreement, there was no way to make this goal meaningful for the whole ocean. The new agreement now makes this feasible.
The new agreement tries to turn 30% of the high seas into protected areas by 2030. It also says that activities planned for the high seas must first be examined to see what kind of influences they might have on the ocean environment. Businesses in some countries hope to make a lot of money by getting valuable things from the bottom of the sea. Other businesses hope to find plants or animals in the ocean that could lead to new discoveries and new medicines.
Many of the disagreements were about how valuable things would be shared between rich countries and poor ones. Poor countries wanted to make sure that the valuable things would help everyone, not just people in rich countries.
1. How many countries agreed to a new United Nations (UN) agreement to protect the world’s oceans?| A．Nearly 20 countries. | B．Very few countries. |
| C．Most countries in the world. | D．Just a few countries. |
| A．The problems oceans face. | B．Some ways to protect oceans. |
| C．Different kinds of ocean creatures. | D．People’s different ideas about oceans. |
| A．Awful. | B．Painful. | C．Possible. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．The new agreement only tries to protect fish. |
| B．All countries will stop fishing in the high seas. |
| C．Valuable things from the oceans will go to rich countries. |
| D．Many countries have paid attention to protecting the oceans. |
| A．The importance of healthy oceans. |
| B．Overfishing and pollution in the oceans. |
| C．A new agreement to protect the open oceans. |
| D．Disagreements between rich and poor countries. |
9 . Lots of kids have headaches from time to time. Most headaches will go away after you resting or sleeping. When you have headaches, the first thing you should do is asking mom or dad for help. Lie down in a cool and quiet room and close your eyes. Put a cool cloth across your forehead (额头) or eyes. Take some exercise or listen to some music to relax yourself.
You should go to a doctor when a headache is very painful (疼痛的), when a headache doesn’t go away easily, when you can’t see clearly, when headaches happen once a month or more.
A doctor can help you and your parents find out why you’re getting headaches and help you stop them from happening so often. Sometimes exercises or changes (改变) in diet (饮食) or sleeping habits are very helpful. A doctor can also use medicine to control headaches.
If you have a headache, sometimes relaxing is just a good way. Other times, you should go to see a doctor. You, your parents, and your doctor can also do something to help.
1. When you get a headache, the first thing you should do is ________.| A．sleeping | B．taking some exercise |
| C．asking your mom or dad for help | D．listening to some music |
| A．as soon as you feel tired | B．when you can’t see clearly |
| C．when nobody is staying with you | D．when there is no medicine at home |
| A．Playing computer game | B．Lying down and closing your eyes |
| C．Relaxing yourself | D．Putting a cool cloth across your forehead or eyes |
| A．what a headache is | B．different kinds of headaches |
| C．medicine for headaches | D．how to help with the headache |
| A．Parents don’t know how to be away from the headaches. |
| B．Kids should always ask the doctors to help with their headaches. |
| C．Most headaches will go away after you resting or sleeping. |
| D．Kids needn’t go to a doctor when headaches happen once a month or more. |
10 . In the school, there are three kinds of bullies (恃强凌弱者); those who call you bad names, those who hit you for fun and those who ask you for money.
If there’s a bully calling you bad names, you’d better tell your friends. If you always stay with your friends, they won’t come near to you. If a bully wants to hit you, run away from him/her!
Some young students want to make a team to fight bullies. But that is not a good idea. And it’s very dangerous. You may get hurt. So it’s best to run away from them. If you are strong enough, you can stop a bully by yourself. But remember to use your head, not only your hands. If you’re not strong enough, you should tell your friends, teachers or your parents.
Bullies usually hurt young students on their way to school or home. You’d better stay with your friends, so they will not have a chance to hurt you.
1. Bullies will not ________.| A．call you bad names | B．hit you for fun | C．ask you for money | D．help you to study |
| A．call the police at once | B．run away from him/her |
| C．fight with him/her | D．make friends with him/her |
| A．Making a team to fight bullies is not a good idea. |
| B．Bullies usually hurt young students in the classroom. |
| C．Use your head, not only your hands. |
| D．There are three kinds of bullies in the school. |
| A．What are school bullies? | B．Why should we stop school bullies? |
| C．How to protect ourselves from school bullies? | D．How to make a team to fight bullies? |
