Cooking should be considered as art just like any other activity which requires skills and knowledge. It is often said that students are supposed to learn scientific facts as well as how to prepare meals. The following will explain why cooking should be taught in schools.
Cooking is an important skill in life.
Schools are supposed to teach knowledge to the students so that they can lead successful independent lives when they are out of school. Also, they can step into the world knowing how to make a living.
Cooking helps discover future career.
When schools offer cooking lessons, students will show an interest in it and might take cooking as a career. This will give them the chance to perfect their basic skills and be creative in the kitchen.
Cooking avoids wasting money.
One of the main reasons why cooking should be taught in schools is that the students always use a lot of money to buy ready-made food, while in the real sense they could prepare a nice meal with less cost by buying the required ingredients.
Cooking betters math learning.
Schools do not just teach how to prepare delicious meals. Students are also taught to follow the instructions in a standard when mixing ingredients. If it is, ‘add 1/4 spoon of salt,’ students should only add that amount. So there is no more or less.
Cooking Should Be Taught in Schools. | ||
| Opinion | Students should learn scientific knowledge and cooking skills. | |
| An important skill in life | ·Students can lead independent lives ·Students can depend on themselves for basic living after graduation. | |
| Discovering future career. | ·Students might be ·Students can perfect their basic skills and be creative in the kitchen. | |
| Students can prepare nice dishes with less cost. | ||
| Bettering math Learning | Students are taught to follow the instructions | |
Music is a big part of our lives. But some US schools have cut music classes in recent years. For example, Chicago public schools hurt arts education when it fired（解雇）over 1, 000 teachers. Among them, 10 percent of the teachers taught art or music, according to The Washington Times.
In fact, this is not just a problem in the US. In other countries, such as China and the UK, music classes are not thought to be as important as other subjects like science, math and history. That’s because music is not seen as a very important life skill, and it isn’t tested. Many students are busy with schoolwork, so parents and students choose to focus on（专注于）subjects that are tested more often.
However, music education is very important for all students. Music helps with math and science. Students learn to count and how to divide. Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn’t. Students can learn a lot about languages through music. Many songs are written in other languages. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. Students can also learn about art. Some famous pieces are written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists as they’re playing the music.
Music education brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex（复杂的）patterns. Students have to sense what every other musician does at every time.
Students also learn plenty of cooperation（协作）of body parts through music. It is not as simple as it looks. For example, when playing the piano, people see music notes and decode（解码）them in their brains. They also use their fingers to make sounds.
| Music Education | |
| Fact | Music is thought to be |
| Music is not seen as a very important life skill. It isn’t tested so parents and students | |
| The writer’s opinion | Music education is important for all students. |
| Importance | Music can help students improve their Music brings higher thinking to our children. Music helps students’ body parts |
We all know that reading books builds a bridge between our life and the unknown world. In our country, people read books at any time. They enjoy reading books even when they’re on a break at the beach, or relaxing from a hike. Good reading habits lead you to a lifelong love of books. Here are some tips on how to develop good reading habits.
Choose the books which suit you. In most middle schools, teachers give students a reading list every few weeks. Most books are easy to read, like youth novels. The students themselves can also buy books which they’re interested in or the best-selling books.
Reading in short periods. 15 minutes after getting to school, 15 minutes while waiting for friends, 15 minutes before going to sleep. Then you can read books for about five hours every week in total.
Talk about your reading with your family or friends. This helps you have a better understanding.
How to | |
| What to read | 1. Read the books which 2. Read the books that you’re interested in. 3. Read the books which can be the best-selling. |
| 1. Read after getting to school. 2. Read while waiting for friends. 3. Read before going to sleep. The | |
| Who to talk with | Talk about your reading with your family or friends. This helps you |
4 . The topic of China’s “slash youth”(斜杠青年) has become hot on social media recently, drawing attention to the different pursuits(追求) of the younger generation.
The slash youth means those who refuse to be accepted by just one personal identity(身份). They like to present themselves as different identities, such as a nurse and model, a teacher and excellent singer, and an engineer and band player. Rather than comfortable life, they pursue meaningful achievement.
A different career can make them develop new experiences and talents. What’s more, they can get other people’s recognition(承认) and they can have a sense of satisfaction themselves.
A study on “slash youth” published in the China Youth Research magazine talks about the background of this phenomenon(现象): with part of modern society’s usual organization and stability norms(稳定的规范) are broken, flexible labor(灵活的劳动力) markets has appeared. Young people also face the difficult time of self-development, including the sense of powerlessness, lost sense of value in the job, which forces them to re-find the meaning of work.
“The slash life shows that our society is changing better and better in some ways, and it welcomes everyone’s self-development,” said Shi Yanrong, an associate researcher from Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences. “Young people no longer have to depend on work and money for their sense of self-development. They would like to create their own identities.” The researcher added that against the background that people have different interests and are willing to pay for these interests nowadays, the slash life of the youth would drive the growth of a new economy(经济) and its development.
| Slash Youth | |
| Definition （定义） | The slash youth have more than one personal identity and hope to make meaningful achievement instead of living |
| Different careers can make them develop new experiences and talents. Different careers can make other people recognize them. Different careers can make them feel | |
| Background | Part of modern society’s usual organization and stability norms are broken, flexible labor markets has appeared. Young people have no |
| Influence | As our society changes better and better, it welcomes everyone’s self-development. Young people would like to create their own identities because they no longer have to depend on work and money for their sense of self-development. The slash life of the youth would get a new economy to |
5 . DNA is the whole “map” of the human body. It is something that all humans have, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our parents, because we get some of their DNA to make our own.
People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Mr. Mendel discovered why we look similar to other people in our family. It is because of small things called “genes” in our body. In 1953, two scientists, Watson and Crick, found out that those small parts are real messages. They are written in the DNA with a special language.
In 1961, another two scientists found the first “word” that they could understand in that language. It shows how DNA tells the cell （细胞） to build its parts. So far, scientists have found all the words in the DNA map, but we do not understand what they all do. By understanding what just one “word” means, we can help to save people from several illnesses. So the more we understand, the more doctors will be able to do.
Most people hope that this will help to make better medicine to help sick people. Other people worry that when we learn more “words” and find out more information, we will use it in the wrong way, just to make people more attractive, or stop sick people getting jobs.
根据短文内容，请用完整句子回答下列问题。
1. Why do we look like our parents?
2. What did the two scientists find in 1961?
3. How can we help sick people if we understand more “words” in the DNA map?
4. What does the underlined word “They” refer to?
5. What can we know from the last paragraph?
6 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar(阴历) divides the year into 24 solar terms(节气). Lichun, the first of the 24 solar terms, lifts the curtain(窗帘) of spring. After that everything turns green and is filled with energy. People clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer. Here are some things you might not know about Lichun.
As a solar term, Lichun entered people’s lives in the Spring and Autumn period. At that time, there were eight solar terms. According to some experts, the 24 solar terms were used for the first time in books during the Western Han Dynasty, when people set Lichun as the Spring Festival.
Wearing fabric swallows(织成的燕子) is a custom in some areas in Shaanxi. Every Lichun, people like to wear a swallow made of colorful silk on their chests(胸部). The swallow is a sign of spring and a symbol of success, wealth and happiness.
In China, it is said that the egg can be set upright on the first day of Lichun. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand on the first day of Lichun, he will have good luck in the future.
In many parts of China, people follow the custom of “biting the spring” on the first day of Lichun. They eat spring pancakes, spring rolls(春卷) and so on.
Complete the chart according to the passage with only one word for each blank.Lichun | |
Facts | It is the Everything turns green and is The daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer. |
| It appeared in the Spring and Autumn period. It was | |
Customs | People like to wear a swallow made of colorful silk on their chests. If someone can set the egg upright, he will be People eat spring pancakes, spring rolls and so on. |
Did you know that years have their own colors? Pantone Color Institute is an organization that gives companies advice about color. And every year, it picks one that represents trends(趋势) in international culture.
This year, Pantone’s color is a bright shade of green that it calls “greenery”. Greenery makes people think of nature and growth. The color represents hope of changing one’s life for the better or care for the environment.
Red, orange and yellow are considered “warm” colors while blue, green and purple are “cool”. But greenery has elements(元素) of both; it’s green, but it also includes a lot of yellow. This makes it able to go well with many other colors.
Pantone’s researchers start choosing the color of the year about nine months before the year begins. They look for a color that is already being used more and more often. To decide the color of the year, they look beyond fashion and home decorating. They study art, movies and lots of other things. They pick one color they expect to stay popular and announce their choice in December for the following year.
You’re likely to see greenery a lot. When you do, let it encourage you to enjoy nature and start something new.
| Title: Greenery, the Color of the | |
| Who picked the color? | An organization |
| What is the color like? | It includes both green and yellow, so it goes It represents hope of changing for a better life or care for the environment. |
| Pantone’s researchers start choosing it early each year. They look for a color that is already getting more and more popular. They do a lot of research in different areas before they make the | |
Active listening is needed when communicating with others. It has an effect on your relationships and your work. How to be an active listener? The following suggestions may help you.
It’s impolite to break in when someone is speaking. Don’t express your thoughts immediately. Wait for a second, so that the other person can finish his sentences.
Make sure that you listen with your eyes, heart and ears. To hear what other people are really saying, you also need to listen to what they’re not saying.
Ask questions. To be an active listener, you can also show your interest in what he is saying, and you want to know more. By doing this, you can develop friendship with the speaker.
Active listening can help you truly understand what people are saying in conversations.
How to be an active listener | |
| Importance | Active listening has an |
| Suggestions | Wait Listen with your eyes, Show that you are |
| Active listening can help you truly | |
9 . After appearing as a special event at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, Wushu, widely known as Chinese Kungfu, will make its first appearance as an official (官方的) sport at the 4th Youth Olympic Games in 2022.
It’s a long-awaited breakthrough（期待已久的突破）for the International Wushu Federation (协会) (IWF), which made applications to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2001, 2008 and 2011, but failed. The first two applications were refused at the very beginning. The third application made it to the final voting for taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but missed out once again.
Over the years, both the International Wushu Federation and Chinese Wushu Association (CWA) have done a lot to make improvement with strong support from the State General Administration of Sport of China (中国体育总局). The Administration not only offers technical (技术的) support, often sending experts or teachers to help their Wushu training camps, but also generously provides a great deal of Wushu equipment (设备) for free.
Every year, many local Wushu groups are sent abroad to put on Wushu shows, trying to improve the influence of Wushu in foreign countries. Through their continuous efforts. Wushu has become widely popular across the world, especially among young Wushu fans. Studies show that, today, about 120 million people are attracted to Wushu around the world.
China got Wushu accepted as an official Olympic event successfully in January, 2020, which helps to make it more international quickly.
A total of 48 athletes from across the world will compete in four Wushu events: men’s and women’s Changquan and men’s and women’s Taijiquan.
News: Wushu Is Included in Youth Olympics | |
News lead | ●Wushu will |
News body | ●Efforts made to spread Wushu and enter it for the Olympic Games: ＊IWF made applications to IOC three times but didn’t ＊In order to improve the situation, IWF and CWA have done a lot with the technical support and ＊Through continuous efforts like putting on Wushu ＊Wushu was accepted as an official Olympic event successfully in January, 2020. ＊48 athletes from across the world will join in the |
Think I Can: How to Push Yourself to Success
“Because I can” is magic. It pushes us past our comfort zones（舒适区域）. It gives us a reason to do the things that we think we can’t. Here are a few ways to use this positive thinking in your own life.
Be More Active
Whether it is to go home or go to work, climb the stairs instead of taking the lift. Whether it is to go shopping or watch a film, ride a bike instead of driving a car. Break the “I’m tired” or “It is too hard” or “It is too far” cycle. Increasing your activity level will be good for you.
Try Something New
It is easy for us to make excuses for why we shouldn’t try something new. Maybe you think it is out of your comfort zone. Maybe it seems too difficult. Or maybe, it is just inconvenient（不方便的）. Remember that you can try something new. It will help you to move past something bad and discover something new about yourself and possible new interests.
Increase Your Willpower（意志力）
Saying “No” to our favorites can be challenging. However, developing strong willpower, whether it is in response（反应）to our favorite chocolate cake or to over shopping, is something that we can all benefit from. Next time you want to do something you might regret, you have the will power to say “No”.
Speak Up
Often, we meet something that troubles us or makes us unhappy. We have a voice “because I can” in our minds. Talking with your loved ones, such as your parents and friends about how you feel, what you need and what you are thinking about can help you get on well with them and form deeper relationships.
Title: How to Push Yourself to | |
| Be More Active | Increasing your activity level will be good for you, such as |
| Try Something New | It is easy for you to make a/an |
| Increase Your Willpower | You have to Next time you want to do something you might regret, remember you can say “No”. |
| Speak Up | Say “because I can” |
