1 . When 4-year-old British Prince George started his first day of school in September, 2017, Chinese language was on his course.
And he wasn’t alone. According to a report in September, about 51 percent of UK parents want their children to learn Chinese, as it’s believed to be one of the most useful languages to know.
In fact, the popularity of Chinese drove the UK government to launch the Chinese Excellence Program in September last year. Its goal is to make at least 5, 000 British state middle school students speak Chinese well by 2020.
The language has become the second most spoken foreign language in the US, after only Spanish (西班牙语),with over 2. 1 million speakers, according to a survey.
Many US famous people such as Facebook founder (脸书创始人) Mark Zuckerberg and Obama’s daughter,Malia Obama, study Chinese as a second language.
So far, 67 countries and regions (地区) have included Chinese in their national course, so why are so many countries crazy about learning Chinese?
One reason could be that as China continues to develop quickly, Chinese is increasingly becoming a useful tool for people’s personal and professional growth. “I think everyone believes that China will be the next great superpower (超级大国)... even if it' s not a superpower like America. It still has an important influence in the future,” said Aisling.
McCaffrey from Canada, who studied at the Renmin University of China, “Learning Chinese is the best way to make sure that you can be part of that growth.”
This opinion was shared by former (前任的) British Prime Minister David Cameron, who urged(呼吁) British students to learn Chinese to “seal (抓住) tomorrow’s business deals” in 2013.
1. Why do UK parents want their children to learn Chinese?| A．Chinese is on the course. | B．Princess George starts to learn Chinese. |
| C．The UK government sets up the program. | D．Chinese is one of the most useful languages. |
| A．Malia Obama | B．David Cameron | C．Prince George | D．Mark Zuckerberg |
| A．Aisling McCaffery is from Canada. |
| B．Learning Chinese is the best way to be famous. |
| C．There are more than 2.1 million Chinese speakers in the US. |
| D．67 countries and regions have included Chinese in their national course. |
| A．The ways to learn Chinese well |
| B．The increasing number in learning Chinese |
| C．Why learning Chinese has risen around the world |
| D．The relationship between language and development |
2 . China is a nation with a rich culture in handwriting. “Even though the computer is widely used today, Chinese people should not forget the skill of writing with hands,” said a Chinese government official(官员).
Nowadays, the computer has become a very useful tool to help people to write. As people use computers more often than before, many people have forgotten how to write Chinese characters (字). People often make a lot of mistakes in writing.
At present, China is trying to help pupils and teachers to improve their writing with the help of information technology. With the technology, it is hoped that teachers can write their teaching contents (内容) on the blackboard and students can respond by writing, too.
The Chinese character test shows that nowadays, many college students’ handwriting has become worse. Many college students do not know how to form words or sentences in Chinese character in the right way. Not only kids, many adults also have met the same problem. They might be able to tell the general form of a certain character. However, if you ask them to spell out the character in detail ( 详 细 地 ), they can’t. On the other hand, they can easily type out the character on a computer.
In the national language teaching course, we can solve this problem with the use of certain technologies. Actually, besides technology, there is a lot that we can do. For example, we may ask students to finish their homework by writing with hands instead of typing.
1. People often make a lot of mistakes in writing Chinese characters because_____________ .| A．they are using too much English |
| B．Chinese characters are too difficult to write |
| C．they use computers too often and many people have forgotten how to write them |
| D．the country forgets to stress the importance of the Chinese writing |
| A．By punishing people who can’t write correctly. | B．By controlling people’s use of computers. |
| C．By asking them to write everything with hands. | D．By using information technology. |
| A．reply | B．repair | C．accept | D．copy |
| A．they don’t know how to write a Chinese character in the right way |
| B．they only know how to type out the character on a computer |
| C．they can write correctly with the help of information technology |
| D．they don’t know how to make up words or sentences in Chinese characters correctly |
| A．Computers are harmful to our handwriting. |
| B．How we can write good Chinese characters. |
| C．Chinese people should not forget the skill of writing with hands. |
| D．Don’t forget our mother language. |
| ORBIS ORBIS is a charity（慈善组织). It helps the people who can’t see. The doctors and nurses in the charity fly to the poor places all over the world to help blind people. But they need lots of money to do this, so the doctors at ORBIS hope that more and more people can raise money for them to support their work. |
| Detroit Public Radio One way you can help Detroit Public Radio is by volunteering your time during one of the station’s fund raising（筹款的）events, such as WDET’s Pledge Drive. We’re always looking for volunteers to help the station. |
| UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergence Fund (UNICEF) was set up on December 11, 1945 to help children in poor countries. It helps make the world a better place for children. People can help UNICEF by doing the volunteer work. |
| Taichung PAWS Anyone with an interest in helping animals out is welcome to join us, whether（不论）you want to volunteer for a short time or a long time. If you love animals, please join us! |
| A．The old. | B．The young. | C．The deaf. | D．The blind. |
| A．A kind of car. | B．A fund raising event. |
| C．A radio station. | D．A children’s hospital. |
| A．Taichung PAWS. | B．Detroit Public Radio. | C．UNICEF. | D．ORBIS. |
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HOLDING A KNIFE AND FORK
1. Hold your fork in your left hand, tines (尖齿) downward.
2. Hold your knife in your right hand, an inch or two above the plate.
3. Use your fork to lift food to your mouth.
At informal (非正式的) meals, the dinner fork can be held with tines upward.
PLACING A KNIFE AND FORK
When taking a break, place your knife and fork on your plate near the center in the shape of V. The knife and the fork point toward each other
. 
When you finish eating, place the knife and fork parallel with the handles in the four o’clock position on the right of the plate.
CLEARING THE PLATES
At a formal meal, plates are cleared by a professional staff. But as most informal meals are served without help, the hostess clears the plates, often with the help of a guest or two. At a family meal, members clear their own plates.
1. How should you put food to your mouth when using a knife and fork?| A．With the right hand. | B．With the left hand. |
| C．With both of the hands. | D．With the help of a plate. |
| A．垂直 | B．交叉 |
| C．平行 | D．倾斜 |
| A．Clear your own knife and fork. |
| B．Sit and wait for a professional staff to clear the plate. |
| C．Leave as soon as you put down the knife and fork. |
| D．Help the hostess clear the plates and the table. |
| A．SCIENCE | B．INVENTION |
| C．TRAVEL | D．CULTURE |
It’s good to understand that you may not always agree with your friends. Perhaps they haven’t tried to get to know this boy. They may be judging (判断) him simply by his clothes or because he has different hobbies. Try not to let their opinions make you feel unsure of yourself. It’s up to you to decide who your friends are.
You can’t make Betty change her ways but you can control the way you react. Try to be polite and friendly to her and refuse to let her attitude (态度) make you sad or less confident. You’re free to give your opinion, just as she’s free to give hers. In time, she may understand that it’s OK for friends to have different opinions.
1. According to Dear Highlights, Tony should __________.| A．judge the boy by his clothes |
| B．stay away from the weird boy |
| C．take up the same hobby as the boy |
| D．avoid being influenced by his friends’ questions |
| A．He comes from New York. |
| B．He has trouble giving his own opinions. |
| C．He has no idea how to deal with his classmate. |
| D．He’s friendly to those who disagree with him. |
6 . Have you ever noticed the black and white bars on a book？Do you know what they are used for?
They are bar-codes（条形码）used in most products. If you go to a supermarket，you can see almost every product with a bar-code on it. Bar-codes have information about the product, such as name and production date.It's an easy and convenient way to know about the products. Just scan the bar-code and everything is clear.
The first use of a bar-code in a supermarket checkout system was on a pack of American Wrigley Company chewing gum in 1974.Beyond supermarkets, bar-codes are needed everywhere:for renting cars, for luggage checks on a plane, for parcels(包裹) you send. Life would be rather difficult without bar-codes.Most of our things would get lost in the post.
Bar-codes change as well.Bar-codes in the past were 1-D(one-dimensional空间), but now there are 2-D bar-codes,such as QR code.Since 2009, QR has been used on Chinese train tickets. People can enter stadiums,cinemas and theaters by holding certain types of bar-codes.
With these small codes, life is getting much easier for us.
If you find these bar-code things boring, a bar-code building might be more up your street. In St Petersburg, Russia, there is a building designed like a bar-code.It looks strange, but it's actually a shopping mall. There are games too. Bar-code Monsters is a mobile phone game. You have to scan bar-codes and find the monsters!
1. Bar-codes were first used in ________.| A．1974 in the UK | B．1974 in the US | C．2009 in China | D．2009 in Russia |
| A．复印 | B．展示 | C．描写 | D．扫描 |
| A．bar-codes are very useful in our daily life | B．our things will get lost without bar-codes |
| C．bar-codes make our life rather difficult | D．we can’t live without bar-codes |
| A．It looks like a bar-code. | B．It’s in St Petersburg, Russia. |
| C．It’s used as a shopping mall. | D．Its name is Bar-code Monsters. |
| A．From 1-D Bar-codes to 2-D Bar-codes | B．Why Bar-codes are Black and White |
| C．Small Codes that Make a Big Difference | D．What if the World Doesn’t Have a Bar-code |
7 . Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not so necessary , however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she does his or her best. Here are some tips to help you.
Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a plan of your time. First, design your time for eating, sleeping, dressing, etc. Then, decide a good, regular time for studying. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment(娱乐). A weekly plan may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.
Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials(资料). No games, radios, or televisions! When sitting down to study, pay enough attention to the subject.
Make good use of your time in class. Take advantage of class time to listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Be an active listener during your class. Avoid distraction. Listening carefully can help you take better notes, understand the material, and remember it at a later date.
Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to teach the next day, to read that material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be too worried.
There are other methods that might help you with your study. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
1. In order to concentrate on your subjects, you should just keep________ on your desk.| A．everything | B．a radio | C．study materials | D．a book |
| A．playing | B．driving you mad |
| C．paying no attention | D．changing your mind |
| A．only list the time for sleeping | B．set aside enough time for entertainment |
| C．listen to their teachers carefully | D．remember their problems in learning |
| A．she solves all her problems now |
| B．she asks her mother to put games in her study area |
| C．she goes to some afterschool programs to review knowledge |
| D．she becomes less worried about tests |
| A．How to become a top student. | B．How to plan your time. |
| C．How to study English. | D．How to take notes. |
 If you have your own Acme Rocket Launcher, you can create and send up rockets that show off your personality and creativity. All you need is your Acme Rocket Launcher and a few simple household materials: ★a 500ml plastic cola bottle★scissors ★colored markers★poster board★glue What to do: Step 1Clean the cola bottle completely and allow it to dry. Step 2Use markers to draw three small triangles (三角形) and one large triangle on the poster board. Cut out the triangles. Step 3Roll (卷起) the large triangle so that two of its sides touch and it forms a rocket's nose cone. Glue the sides of the cone so that it holds its shape. Step 4Glue the nose cone to the bottom of the bottle to make the top of the rocket. Step 5Glue the smaller triangles to the other end of the cola bottle, around its opening. The triangles will be the tail fins. Follow the launching instructions included with your Acme Rocket Launcher and have a blast! |
| A．give instructions on making a rocket | B．introduce the Acme Rocket Launcher |
| C．show different kinds of rockets | D．encourage rocket drawing |
| A．It can be of any size. | B．It must be made of glass. |
| C．It should be clean and dry. | D．It needs to be filled with cola. |
| A．the cola bottle | B．the poster board | C．a small triangle | D．the large triangle |
| A．Sports News. | B．Job Wanted. | C．Do It Yourself. | D．Lost and Found. |
9 . South China Mall Shopping Coupons(优惠券）
Six Hours free parking
If you spend ￥100 or more in our stores, you will receive six hours of free parking. Take this coupon to the service desk on the fourth floor to stamp(盖章)!
Buy one, get one free
Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel's Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Hurry! Offer ends November 14.Offer limited to one per customer.
Win a ￥1,000 CD Collection
Win your choice of ￥1,000 worth of CDs from DJ Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Choose your own prize from our many kinds of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music.
10% Off
Show this coupon at the Book Store to get a 10% off on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children's books, novels and travel guides. You're sure to find something that you will enjoy.
Free soft drink
Buy any meal for at least ￥50 at Mike's Cafe, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best hamburgers and snacks in the mall. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service. You won't be disappointed!
Half-price movie tickets
Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesday or Wednesday, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only a half price. The latest movies are all here.
1. If you spend ￥100 or more in the store, you can get ______.| A．a free shirt | B．a free stamp |
| C．a free book | D．a coupon of free parking |
| A．shirts | B．meals | C．Children's books | D．movie tickets |
| A．Mike's Cafe | B．Daniel's Menswear |
| C．the Books Store | D．DJ Music Store |
10 . Curiosity (好奇心) is part of human nature. Children are known for wanting answers to many questions. Books and TV shows often depend on curiosity. People keep reading or watching because they want to find out what happens. But curiosity also provides many advantages.
Learning is the easiest if you have a real desire (渴望) for knowledge. Curiosity can create that desire when you want an answer to the question. Many of history's greatest discoveries were made by curious people. People wondered how things worked and how work could be done more effectively. Thanks to their curiosity, people now know far more about the world. Even if you don't plan to be an inventor or researcher, curiosity can still help you in the classroom. If you develop the joy of learning, classes will become more fun. Even if you're no longer a student, curiosity will make you knowledgeable and thus a good worker.
What do you do if you're not already curious? Luckily, curiosity is a skill that can be improved (提高). If you act like you're curious, you'll quickly start to actually feel curious. Often, the more you learn about a topic, the more interesting it becomes. As you learn about a topic, find information from as many ways as possible. Read books, listen to lectures and ask questions. Don't always get information in the same way. Instead, learn to appreciate the facts that different people know and ask a lot of questions. Remember, everyone knows something that you don't. Find out what that is, and ask about it. This lets you learn something and makes the other person happy by sharing their knowledge.
1. The children like to ask questions because ______.| A．they are born with natural curiosity |
| B．they don't know about the human nature |
| C．they are known for reading and watching |
| D．they don't want to find the answers by themselves |
| A．make your job difficult |
| B．make the class interesting |
| C．create more stories in history |
| D．develop a new kind of classroom |
| A．accept | B．refuse | C．hide | D．change |
| A．Showing others your knowledge. |
| B．Asking different people questions. |
| C．Getting the information in the same way. |
| D．Not acting like you're curious if you're not. |
| A．Share knowledge in the classroom. |
| B．Curiosity is a skill that can be improved. |
| C．Curiosity can make the other person happy. |
| D．Be curious and try to improve your curiosity. |
