1 . Sing the Language You’re Learning
How can you remember a song from your childhood to this day? Why do your teachers use songs to teach you English? It seems there is a scientific reason for this.
Researchers are now studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. They find that remembering words in a song is the best way to remember even the most difficult language.
“Singing could be a new way of learning a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things when they are used in a catchy and meaningful way”, said Dr. Karen Ludke. The findings may help those who have difficulties learning foreign languages. On his blog, Dr. Ludke writes, “A listen-and-repeat singing method can support foreign language learning, and opens the door for future research in this area.”
Many language teachers know the value of using music and singing. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington, D.C. depends heavily on songs in teaching Chinese. She says, “I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids usually we use the music. Not only does it work, but it is fun for kids.”
“Sometimes, I think if I were taught English that way, maybe I could speak much better English than now,” Hua Zhuying adds.
Our brain likes music, especially for remembering. So, if you’re still struggling in learning a language, why not try singing it out ?
1. According to the passage, the best way to remember a foreign language is to ________.| A．read and write more |
| B．listen to the teacher carefully |
| C．copy the words many times |
| D．remember words in a song |
| A．艰涩难懂的 | B．悦耳易记的 |
| C．枯燥乏味的 | D．震耳欲聋的 |
| A．using the listen-and-repeat singing method |
| B．listening to all kinds of famous music |
| C．writing songs with the language |
| D．reading the lyrics again and again |
| A．is interested in writing English songs |
| B．teaches children English by using music |
| C．teaches Chinese in an American school |
| D．is a researcher in a language school |
| A．many researchers realize the importance of language studying |
| B．your brain remembers a language better if you sing it |
| C．many language teachers know the value of famous music |
| D．you will never learn a language well unless you can sing |
2 . Sharing Wall
| Dear readers, Where do you usually read books? Please share your ideas. Thank you! | |
In a tree. Perhaps it seems a little strange. But for me, it's really a good place. You can listen to the singing of birds and the green leaves around make you peaceful. David | At home. East or west, home is the best. Home is the warmest place in the world. You can lie on the sofa or just sit on the floor. Quietly, you can enjoy reading books like talking with good friends. Anna |
In the reading club. After reading a good book, maybe you can't wait to share it with your friends. It's really amazing to talk about a good book. Everyone has his own ideas about the book. You can learn more by sharing a book. Peter | In a coffee shop. The taste of coffee smells so nice! On sunny days, you can enjoy the sunshine through the window. On rainy days, you can listen to the sound of rain. Also, you can watch different people pass by. They may walk into your book and become part of it. Linda |
1. You can most probably see the sharing wall __________.
| A．in the reading club | B．at home |
| C．in a coffee shop. | D．in a tree |
| A．Anna | B．Linda | C．David | D．Peter |
| A．listen to the singing of birds |
| B．enjoy the sunshine or the sound of rain |
| C．talk about good books after reading them |
| D．lie on the sofa or sit on the floor |
| A．Peter thinks he can learn more by sharing a good book. |
| B．Anna enjoys reading at home. |
| C．David thinks a library is the best place to read books. |
| D．Home is the warmest place in the world. |
| A．where to borrow books | B．how to share books |
| C．how to make friends | D．where to read books |
3 . What can you do to help yourself get out of stress or worry? If you're an artist, you keep making art. And if you have never considered yourself an artist, now is the time to take up an artistic hobby such as drawing or painting. It is never too late to start. Everyone can do it. If you can hold a brush or crayon, you can create art.
Creating art heals（治愈）not only the mind and spirit but also the body since all of these are connected. As you draw or paint, your breathing slows, your blood pressure lowers, and your mind lets go of daily problems. This slowing down allows you to fully experience the moment.The process not only relaxes you but also brings a feeling of joy, increasing your energy and enthusiasm （热情）for life.
Making art also allows you to play, freeing you to find out and try out new materials and methods. It also lets you express pleasure by seeing beauty where others may not. Creating art provides you a special chance to express your anger or upset, as well as your personal ideas.
Although the process of making art is the most important part, your finished product is significant too.Your painting or drawing will remind you of the lessons you learned while making it, and you may feel energetic just by looking at it.
If you don't know how to begin, here are some ways to start creating art. If possible, set aside a small table with your brushes and watercolors so you can get creative whenever you get inspiration. Without thinking much about it, just choose colors that you like and start painting with them, or cut pictures with those colors out of magazines and glue them down, combining（结合）them with paints. The act of enjoying the colors and working on the color combinations will give you something to focus on instead of the stresses of your daily life.
1. What do you need to do if you start making art according to Paragraph 1?| A．Ask a teacher for help. |
| B．Start as early as possible. |
| C．Be a young artist first. |
| D．Just have a brush or crayon. |
| A．It is good for our health. |
| B．It causes high blood pressure. |
| C．It's like playing games. |
| D．It helps us solve daily problems. |
| A．Expensive. | B．Useless. | C．Important. | D．Unexpected. |
| A．You must be very careful while choosing colors. |
| B．You can begin painting whenever you get inspired. |
| C．You can get brushes and watercolors for preparation. |
| D．You may use magazines to make color combinations. |
| A．To tell us how to be an artist. |
| B．To introduce the history of art. |
| C．To encourage us to make art. |
| D．To teach us how to choose colors. |
Shi Peng won the top prize in a college, students’ start-up (创业) competition for setting up a website to help children find playmates (玩伴).
Shi was brought up by his grandparents in a village in Hubei Province.
The website is set up mainly for pre-school children in kindergarten (幼儿园) and their parents. All the users of the website must use their real names.
As it gets more and more popular among children and parents, the website now holds many colorful online activities.
Ni Wufan is one of the professors in Shi’s university. He said, “
| A．This is to make sure that the children are safe. |
| B．I have some different opinions about Shi’s website. |
| C．The website is a great example of start-up projects. |
| D．He hardly had any playmates growing up as a child. |
| E．There’re many interesting online games for children to play. |
| F．Shi Peng did some research before he set up the website. |
| G．They include scientific tests and group games for children. |
5 . In Britain, Australia, Canada and a few other English-speaking countries, people don't stop celebrating when Christmas Day is over. They also celebrate the following day, known as Boxing Day. It is a popular day for giving additional（另外的）gifts. It has been celebrated for so long, but nobody exactly knows how it started.
Some people believe Boxing Day began in the Middle Ages. In those days: in some special places there were special collection boxes where people threw money for the poor.
The day after Christmas the boxes were opened and the money was counted. Then the money went to helping the poor in the area.
Others believe Boxing Day started about 300 years ago when some rich people had Christmas feasts (盛宴). They offered lots of food to their guests. Because many servants (仆人）were needed to make and serve the food, they could not celebrate Christmas with their families. To thank them, the rich people would put food into boxes for their servants to take home.
Now Boxing Day has become a public holiday in some countries. Some people spend the day boxing up old or unwanted things and donating（捐赠）them to the poor. Many people are active in helping service organizations(组织)like the Red Cross.
No matter how Boxing Day got its start, it's a wonderful time to donate things or give small gifts to people. By doing so, you cam make someone's holiday much happier.
1. From the first paragraph we know that Boxing Day ___________.| A．has a long history | B．is before Christmas Day |
| C．is celebrated in only three countries | D．is the day for buying gifts |
| A．unwanted things | B．food | C．old things | D．money |
| A．They took the food home. | B．They had Christmas feasts. |
| C．They made and served the food. | D．They celebrated with their families |
| A．to thank the rid people | B．to make the guests happy |
| C．to give people help or small gifts | D．to remember the old days |
| A．Christmas Day | B．Boxing Day | C．The Red Cross | D．The Middle Ages |
6 . Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. You look young. In 2035, many people can live to be about 150 years old. So at the age of 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents look the same age as you!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” can change the color and style as you like. You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but you hear the voice, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge remembers the information about the milk. It knows that the milk is not fresh. In 2035, every household appliance(家用电器) is like your secretary(秘书).
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend with your watch. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “All these things will come true, even better.” says a scientist.
I couldn’t agree more with the scientist. I am looking forward to the new life.
1. How do “you” look in the mirror in 2035?| A．Young. | B．Fat. | C．Healthy. | D．Tired. |
| A．The watch. | B．The secretary. | C．The milk. | D．The fridge. |
| A．They run in the sky. | B．They don’t need gas. |
| C．They don’t need drivers. | D．They can talk with humans. |
| A．People won’t get old. | B．People don’t need to wear clothes. |
| C．People don’t need to have breakfast. | D．People can call their friends with a watch. |
| A．It will be as good as now. | B．It will be much better than now. |
| C．It will be as bad as now. | D．It will be much worse than now. |
In China, writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and ink stones are called the Four Treasures of Study. Among the high-quality (质量)treasures, the writing brush produced in Huzhou, the ink stick produced in Huizhou, the xuan paper made in Xuancheng and the ink stone made in Duanxi are the best-known.
The writing brushes can be used to draw the pictures on painted potteries (陶器). They are mainly made of the hair of animals. Those made of wool are called yanghao and those made of the weasel's(鼬) tail hair are called langhao. Their artistic effects (效果)in writing and painting cannot be copied by any other pens.
The ink stick is the pigment(颜料)used in writing and painting. The ink stick produced in Huizhou is of high quality. A story goes like this: Two famous skilled men Xi Chao and his son produced a kind of high-quality ink stick. As a result, the Emperor Li Yu in the Southern Tang Dynasty agreed to give them the family name "Li". From then on, the fame of the Li Ink Stick was widespread. In the Song Dynasty, its producing area was changed into Huizhou, and it was then called the Hui Ink Stick.
Paper is among the four great inventions in ancient China. The famous xuan paper appeared in the Sui and Tang dynasties. In Xuanzhou, Anhui Province where the xuan paper is produced, it's said that Cai Lun's pupil Kong Dan took the job of producing paper but failed to make perfect white paper. Later he happened to see the ebony (檀木)in the rivers. It was wet with the water and turned white. Then he used the bark (树皮)to produce the world-famous xuan paper.
The ink stone was already very popular in the Han Dynasty. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw the appearance of the Four Famous Ink Stones - Duan Ink Stone, She Ink Stone, Tao Ink Stone and Chengni Ink Stone. They can not only be used in writing and painting but also for admiration.
1. What are the writing brushes mainly made of?2. Why did Xi Chao and his son get the family name from the Emperor Li Yu?
3. What does it in paragraph 3 refer to (指的是)?
4. How did Kong Dan find the way to make the famous xuan paper by accident?
5. When did the Four Famous Ink Stones appear?
6. What's the title (标题) for the passage? (不超过10个词)
8 . Eight years ago, 1-week-old Diandian was left behind. When people found her in the reeds (芦苇) of a lake, she looked too weak to survive. Now she is the mother of three milu, thanks to the workers’ attention and care at the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve.
Li is the president of a milu conservation association in Yueyang and head of a local milu and bird rescue center, where 11 deer, including Diandian, have their families. Li and his workmates need to work extra hours to take care of the animals from March until mid-May. He remembers March 18 this year. He fed Diandian some fresh shoots and leaves for breakfast as usual, and moments later when he returned, a newborn milu was right beside her. Since it is her third baby and born in the third month of the year, people named it Sansan, referring to “three-three”. Li has developed a deep affection for milu and made up his mind to protect them. “As our country is paying more attention to environmental and wildlife protection, people are increasingly aware that milu are state-protected animals,” Li said.
Milu habitats (栖息地) are usually centered around water, and fishing equipment that used to be a threat to the animals is no longer seen in nature reserves. On May 27, a team of experts went to watch milu near Dongting Lake. It takes time and luck to meet one and count them especially when they live in the thick reeds that are 4 to 5 meters tall. The team leader Song, saw a milu for the first time when he was studying for his doctorate in zoology early in 2009. Since then, he has helped protect the habitats at Dongting Lake. As the flood season is coming, Song and his workmates will go around the lake area day and night to save deer in trouble, and provide feed for the animals when needed.
As the environment improves in and around Dongting Lake, China’s second-largest freshwater lake, the wetland has become cover once again for wildlife. “We will continue to protect these rare animals and their living environment,” Song said.
1. How was Diandian when she was found in the reeds eight years ago?2. Why do people call Diandian’s new baby Sansan?
9 . In the eyes of many foreigners, Chinese are the best hosts（主人）and the worst guests in the world. They’re not really bad guests, but because the guest-host relationship in China is much different than in some western countries, it appears they are not nice guests. And western host sometimes look rude（粗鲁的）in the eyes of Chinese guests.
In China, guests are almost like gods. Whenever I enter a Chinese person’s home, there is always fruit on the table for me, and someone is quick to bring me a cup of tea or water. In the west, generally the guest is not a god. Acting according to the host’s way of doing things is usual behavior for a guest.
My wife’s mother, a very kind elderly Chinese lady, doesn’t smoke. When I see some of her guests smoking in her house, as a non-smoker, I feel unhappy. Usually I want to stop them directly, but I must realize that in China, to be a good host, she must not do that. In most North American homes, if you are a guest, and the hosts are not smokers, you should not smoke in their house. At the very least, you could ask. “Is it OK if I smoke?” But, don’t be surprised if they say “No, you can’t smoke.” In our culture, if you smoke in their home, you are a bad guest, but if they do not allow you to smoke in their house, they are not a rude host.
Guests in China also have special habits. Some western people may not adapt to these habits very soon. Thankfully my wife is Chinese, so whenever we visit a Chinese family she tells me to buy them a gift. However, giving a gift to a host is not always necessary in my country. So, if you invite international guests to your house, don’t be too surprised if they don’t bring you a gift.
In China, you probably won’t need to change the guest-host relationship very much because you will probably only be the host, and Chinese are naturally very good hosts. If western hosts invite you to their house, try not to be too surprised if their style of treating you is not what you have expected.
1. Many foreigners think that Chinese hosts are the ________ in the world| A．best | B．worst | C．most natural | D．most different |
| A．buys some fruit | B．feels like a god |
| C．wants some gifts | D．takes a cup of tea |
| A．It’s OK if you smoke here. | B．Let’s smoke together. |
| C．Sorry, you can’t smoke here. | D．Smoking is a bad habit. |
| A．think back to | B．get used to | C．look forward to | D．keep close to |
| A．Foreigners should learn from Chinese. |
| B．Hosts must do things in the guests’ way. |
| C．Western hosts are always nice to guests. |
| D．People should understand cultural differences. |
10 . Sweden has seen a four-percent drop in the number of international air passengers. The air travel was down further, by nine percent. Meanwhile, the number of passengers who travelled by train jumped to a record 32 million last year.
The changes come as the Swedish- born action of “flight shaming” is getting support. More than ever, people are worried about climate (气候)change. They feel ashamed to use any kind of traffic that depends on fossil fuels(化石燃料). Nearly 23,000 Swedes have promised to go flight free. They have, instead, shown interest in “climate smart travel.”
“Flight shaming” has put pressure on airline to cut down on their greenhouse gas emissions(温室气体排放). Some of them have stopped using old and fuel-thirsty planes. The models they use now are lighter. Some airlines are also asking passengers to pre-order food. This helps to further cut down the weight of planes. As a result, much less fuel is being used now.
Richard Gustafson is the CEO of a Swedish airline. He also supports the “flight shaming” action. However, he doesn’t believe putting an end to flying is the only way out. Instead, airlines must take action to cut pollution. “The journey toward a cleaner world will be long,” Gustafson said.“One day, a scientist will invent jet engines that don’t depend on fossil fuels. I think those planes will appear in, say, 20 years’ time.”
1. 请将文中画线句子 “the number of passengers who traveled by train jumped to a record 32 million last year.”翻译成汉语。2. 根据短文内容填上合适的单词，每空不多于两个单词。
Last year in Sweden, the train travel became more
3. Please list two things that some airlines have done to support the “flight shaming” action.
4. 回答问题What does Gustalson expect to happen?
