What time is it? There are many ways you can find out the time. You may have a watch on your wrist (手腕). You can look at a clock on the wall. You can listen to the radio, watch TV or ring a number on the telephone to get the time. But do you know the history of how people tell the time?
It has not always been easy to know the time. A long time ago people looked at the sun to tell the time. They could tell the time of the day by looking at the sun in the sky: morning, afternoon or evening.
Around the year 1400, people began to use the hourglass(沙漏). It’s made of glass with some sand in it. It’s wide at both ends, but narrow in the middle. The sand ran from one end to the other in one hour. At the end of every hour, people turned the glass over and began again.
Hundreds of years later a machine called clock was invented. After that people made small clocks, so that they could carry them in their pockets. Then, during World War Ⅰ men started wearing their watches on their wrists. It was more easily to tell the time. Now almost everyone wears a wrist watch.
The history of telling the time | |
| People could tell the time by | |
| Around the year 1400 | People used the hourglass which was made of glass with some sand in it. The sand took an |
| After 1400 | People |
| During World War Ⅰ | People wore watches on their wrists. It was |
There are long rivers, and there are famous rivers. The Nile is the world’s longest and most famous river. It runs 6,650 kilometers. Crocodiles and hippos live in its waters. Pyramids built by Egyptians rise along its banks.
The main branch of the Nile, the White Nile, starts just about Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh-water lake, in east central Africa. Then it flows to the north. At Sudan’s capital, another great river called the Blue Nile joins the White Nile. Together, they form on every powerful river. Then it goes through Egypt’s famous Nile Valley before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
Ancient Egypt, the first great African civilization, started along the banks of the Nile more than 5,000 years ago. Ancient Egypt ruled the Nile Valley for thousands of years. Great pyramids and temples were built on the banks and we can still visit them today.
Without the rich farmland along the banks of Nile, there might be no ancient Egyptian civilization. Every year, the Nile flooded its banks. The flood waters covered the banks with a rich soil. The Nile’s banks were easy to farm and produce crops.
The Nile also made a perfect highway for boats. The river runs north, but the wind on the river blows south. To go south, boaters put up sail to catch the wind. To go north, they took the sails down. Ancient people traded along the river for hundreds of miles.
The Nile—the longest and most famous river in the world | |
| Where does the Nile flow? | *The white Nile is the main branch of the Nile. It starts above Lake Victoria and then *The Blue Nile joins the White Nile at the *Then the Nile goes through the Nile Valley. Finally |
| The Nile’s long and rich banks. | *Ancient Egypt started along the banks of the Nile more than 5,000 years ago. Its people built pyramids and temples we can still visit today. *Every year the Nile flooded its banks. The floodwater covered the banks with a rich soil. Rich farmland *The Nile made a perfect highway for boats. To go south, boaters put up sails to catch the wind. To go north, they took the sails down. Ancient people |
Travelling is a very good activity. When you get tired of your work or study, and when you have free time, you can go to a beautiful place to enjoy the beauty of nature or other cities. You can breathe fresh air, meet different people and make friends with them. It’s good for your health to do so.
But sometimes, travelling is not an enjoyable thing. For example, the weather can be changeable. There may be rain when you travel. You may catch a cold or be ill while travelling. Then you will have trouble. The worst thing is that the thieves may steal (偷) your money. All these may happen to a tourist.
When you go on a trip, you must get everything ready. Firstly, you must have clear information about the weather. Secondly, ask a friend to go with you so that you can help each other. Thirdly, you must be careful everywhere and try not to cause accidents. If you do this, you will surely enjoy your travel.
| Title: | |
| Advantages （优势） | You can enjoy the beautiful view of the nature. There will be a lot of fresh air around you. It can make you |
| Disadvantages （劣势） | Sometimes it may be You may be in trouble because of rain. The worst thing is that you will be stolen some money. |
| Firstly, you should know about the weather clearly. Secondly, you must invite somebody to go with you. Thirdly, do everything | |
4 . Xi’an celebrated the first-ever China Hanfu Day on April 18. A There were shows which were held by people wearing traditional Chinese clothing—Hanfu. Hanfu fans from all over China gathered there to take photos and put them online for a Hanfu photo competition which ①_____ (持续) until May 18.
China Hanfu Day is on the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is said to be the birthday of the Yellow Emperor. In ancient China, this day was also called Shangsi Festival (上巳节). B
Hanfu is the traditional clothing of the Han people who lived in China before the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of about 3,000 years. C And it has changed greatly so far. However, some of its main characteristics remain. For example, there are two parts that overlap (交叠) on the front, which is called “jiaoling”. Another main characteristic of Hanfu is that it usually uses ribbons (系带) instead of buttons (纽扣).
China is becoming a ②_____ (lead) country in the world, so the Chinese people feel more confident about Chinese traditional culture than ever before. D
根据短文完成下列各项任务。
任务一
1. A Hanfu has two parts that overlap on the front, which is called “jiaoling”. Picture ________ gives the best description.
A． | B． | C． | D． |
3. 段落三中划线部分单词的汉语意思是________。
| A．面料 | B．体系 | C．配饰 | D．特点 |
任务二
4. 根据①处括号内所给汉语在横线填入一词。
5. 用②处括号内所给单词的适当形式填空。
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” |
6 . Nowadays, WeChat is becoming more and more popular in the world. No matter where we are, on the light train, in a coffee shop, even in the street, we always find people using WeChat around us.
According to some people, there are lots of reasons for the popularity of WeChat. First of all, it is easy to use. You can log in to it with your phone number and start a conversation by tapping the Speak button. In addition, WeChat is a wonderful platform for people to share a great deal of information. Meanwhile, using WeChat, you can also have group chats, pay, play online games, send lucky money or find new friends nearby to talk to.
On the other hand, some people argue that although WeChat benefits us a lot, it has some drawbacks. When using WeChat, people may forget time and some may even get addicted(上瘾) to it, which will affect their study or work. At the same time, spending too much time on the screen does affect eye health, which may cause trouble. Worse still, people may give away their personal information while using it, which may lead to crime.
As far as I know, everyone should use, WeChat within limits. I insist that we shouldn’t spend too much time on it. And it’s very important for us to protect ourselves when we use it.
WeChat—the most popular way of | ||
| Passage outline | Supporting details | |
| Introduction | Wherever you go, you can find people using WeChat around you. | |
Main body | *You can use it *You can share plenty of information on the platform. *You can also have group chats, pay, play online games, send lucky money and so on. | |
| Disadvantages | When people use it *they may forget time. *they may even lose themselves in it. *they may have *they may give away their personal information. | |
| Conclusion | It’s | |
7 . Friends are an important part of our lives. We spend time with them, have fun together, and share our opinions, feelings and even secrets. Life would be boring without friends. Friends influence who we are, help us learn, support us in good and bad times, and care for us even when we are not happy.
Often, we have many happy moments with our friends. We need someone to share things with to make them more enjoyable. Being lonely for long periods of time is not a great feeling. That is why it is important to spend time making friends and nurturing (维持) a close group of friends.
It is important to have a friend to talk to, whether it is about a sad or happy subject. In good times, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate with someone. It is also important to have someone support you if you have just had an unpleasant experience. Friends are important pillars (中心人物) of support.
Friends teach us important lessons. No one person is the same. As time goes by, we learn to respect one another’s differences. This acceptance of others’ differences is important as we meet more and more people in our lives such as new family members, neighbors and new friends.
| Life would not be | We can |
| If you | |
What can help us when we fail?
Don’t make yourself stop trying
A baby learns to walk not by walking. but by falling. He doesn’t give up until he learns to walk. You can do something new successfully if you keep trying. Sometimes, you may feel sad because you don’t make much progress.. But if you give up, your progress will come to an end.
Understand the power of optimism(乐观)
Optimism can open you up to more possibilities than usual. To be optimistic(乐观的) means to believe something good will always happen. Kids don’t ask whether they can do something or not because they know they can.
Learn to depend on yourself first, then others
Those who are independent can deal with problems and stress more easily than those who aren’t. And you should be more confident to be independent.
Don’t look back
Adults spend too much of their lives looking back. There’s nothing back there to see. A baby wouldn’t learn to walk if he kept looking behind himself while trying to move forward. Spend just 10 percent more of your time looking forward and you’ll find yourself in a better situation.
Failure(失败) is a part of life since the earliest moment of life. It’s a normal and natural part of life that is neither bad nor good-- it’s just how we learn. So the question isn’t whether you want to fail or not, but how quickly you can accept your failure. Just learn something from it and try again.
Things to do when we fail | |
| Don’t make yourself stop trying | If you keep trying, you can |
| Understand the | If you keep optimistic, you will have more possibilities and you will be followed by something good. |
| Depend more on yourself | Problems and stress can be |
| Look | You just use 10 percent more of your time to look forward for a better situation. |
| Conclusion (总结) | It’s normal and natural to fail in our life. Failure is just our ways of |
9 . You must hear about earthquakes, but do you know what to do before, during and after an earthquake? Here are some ideas for you:
Before an earthquake. It’s important to prepare yourself and your family. All family should know how to shut (关闭) gas, water and electricity and remember some useful telephone numbers.
During an earthquake. It’s important to stay calm. If you’re indoors, quickly move to a safe place, such as under a strong desk or strong table. It can protect yourself from falling things.
If you’re outdoors, move to an open area like a playground, not near buildings, bridges and trees. If you’re driving, stop the car as soon as possible and stay in your car.
After an earthquake. Once the shaking stops, don’t run out of the building at once. It’s better to leave when it’s safe. Check around you and help the people in trouble. If your building is badly broken, you should leave it.
What to do in time of the | |
Before an earthquake | Don’t forget to turn Remember some useful telephone numbers. |
During an earthquake | Stay calm. Move to a safe place can Move to an open area and away from buildings if you’re |
After an earthquake | Leave broken buildings |
10 . When we say someone is in a blue mood. It means he or she is unhappy or sad. Are you feeling a little blue? Here are some fast and easy ways to cheer you up.
Do exercise.
When you exercise, your brain gives out a chemical called Endorphins(内啡肽). This chemical makes you feel happy. That is why exercise is good for you.
Have a talk.
If something or somebody is troubling you, don't quarrel(争吵) with other people to relax yourself. It is a good idea to have a heart-to-heart talk with a friend or a family member. Tell them your feelings. A chat is a useful way to make you feel better.
Have some hobbies.
For example, playing pop music, drawing something or listening to your favorite music will make you smile. Act like an artist. Draw, paint or make something. Being active and creative makes you feel more satisfied and less nervous.
Laugh more
Laughing is the best way to improve your moods. Children laugh about 400 times a day. Adults only laugh about 20 times a day. What happens? Experts say if we laugh more, we will be happier and healthier.
Think positively.
Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful scene or a time. Never think about anything terrible that you can't change. What's more, leave your flat and go outside. Sunshine and fresh air are good for you. Be a kid for a day. Play games, watch comedy movies or read jokes online.
Ways to cheer you up | |
Do exercise | ●It is good for you to do exercise. ●The chemical your brain |
Have a talk | ●Don't quarrel with others to ●Having a heart-to-heart talk can make you feel better. |
Have some hobbies | ●Doing your favorite things will make you smile. ●Being active and creative makes you feel more satisfied and less |
Laugh more | ●We will be happier and ●Children laugh 400 times a day. |
Think positively | ●Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful scene. ●Leave your flat and go |
