It seems that Shanghai students are not as happy as they should be. That’s what an article in a local newspaper said some time ago.
The paper did a survey of some students and asked them if they were happy. 60% of the students said they were happy, but almost 40% said they were unhappy! However, when the paper asked deaf students the same question, almost 90% said, yes, they were happy. It’s pretty surprising when you think about it. Those students who have a disability are happier than those “healthier” classmates or schoolmates.
When I asked my students if they were happy, most said yes, but they also said they had a lot of pressure: too much homework, not enough freedom, not enough money. And some worry about the future, such as getting a good job, and finding a good husband or wife. Clearly, some students handle this pressure better than others, and the deaf students seem to handle (处理) the pressure best of all. They don’t let it get them down.
I can only imagine why this is. Maybe it has a lot to do with “overcoming adversity (战胜逆境)”. The deaf students have already had to deal with a big problem in their lives. They can’t hear, so talking to other people is very difficult, if not impossible. To communicate with others, they’ve had to learn sign language. After learning to “sign”, they’ve found new friends and they’ve also found the joy that comes with “overcoming adversity”.
We can all learn a lesson from these deaf students.
1. The survey in the passage is done by a newspaper in ________.A.England | B.Beijing | C.Shandong | D.Shanghai |
A.The number of unhappy students is larger than that of happy ones. |
B.Almost 90% students said they were unhappy. |
C.All the students who have a disability are happy. |
D.Most deaf students feel that they are happy. |
A.teacher | B.doctor | C.reporter | D.Nurse |
A.让他们下来 | B.写下他们的名字 | C.使他们沮丧 | D.使他们振作起来 |
A.they can’t hear anything |
B.they found joy that come with “overcoming adversity” |
C.it is difficult for them to communicate with others |
D.it is impossible for them to talk to others |
School uniforms are common in primary and secondary schools in many countries. Here’s a list of countries below.
In Brazil, students wear uniforms in private schools. But in public schools, students don’t have to wear uniforms although they might have one. In general, the uniforms are a pair of blue pants and a white T-shirt with the school symbol printed on it.
School uniforms are used in Cuba. All students wear school uniforms with the color as a symbol of grade level. Children also wear scarfs because they are young pioneers.
Japan introduced school uniforms in the late 19th century. Today, school uniforms are very common. Many boys wear white shirts, short pants and caps. Girls’ uniforms might include a gray pleated (褶) skirt and a white blouse.
In Singapore, all students must wear uniforms. Though the colors are different from school to school, the normal uniform for boys is short or long pants, with a shirt (often white), while girls wear white pinafores or skirts.
1. In Brazil the school symbol is on the T-shirt.2. In Cuba a student wears the scarf as a symbol of grade level.
3. A Japanese girl’s uniform is a white skirt, long pants and a cap.
4. In Singapore students usually wear white shirts or skirts.
5. On the school day, a student doesn’t wear the uniform. He probably comes from Brazil.
How do you get your pocket money? And how do you spend it? Let’s see the different answers from a Chinese boy and an Australian boy. Li Meng is a Grade 1 student in Beijing and James Wardley is in a secondary school in Melbourne, Australia.
Where do I get my pocket money?
Li Meng | James Wardley | |
From | parents: 20 yuan Selling old newspapers:20 yuan | Working in a local supermarket as a cashier (收银员) |
Total | 40 yuan a week | 95 Australian dollars a week |
How do I spend it?
Li Meng | James Wardley | |
Food and drinks | 15 yuan for breakfast, 6 yuan for Coke and other drinks | Lunch on the weekdays, pizzas on the weekends |
21 yuan a week | 20 Australian dollars a week | |
For fun | 3 yuan for newspapers or books, 4 yuan for playing with classmates | Going to the cinema with friends |
7 yuan a week | 15 Australian dollars a week | |
Telephone | 360 yuan for a phone card that can last about one year | The mobile phone bill |
About 1 yuan every day | 10 Australian dollars a week | |
Total | 35 yuan a week | 45 Australian dollars a week |
*Note: 1 Australian dollar≈6.5 yuan
1. James Wardley usually goes to the cinema for fun.
2. James Wardley gets his pocket money by working.
3. James Wardley can save 45 Australian dollars a week.
4. The writer mainly wants to tell us that it is hard for boys in Australia to get pocket money.
5. Li Meng spends 50 yuan a week on a telephone card.
4 . When my cousin Julia eats chocolate, she feels bad, because many people tell her chocolate has much sugar, and it can make one fat. But Julia says she loves chocolate. If she starts eating it, she can’t stop.
Chocolate is popular all over the world. People like chocolate with ice cream, cakes, and cookies. Most Americans like milk chocolate, and most people in England like dark chocolate.
Is chocolate really bad for health? The new study shows that chocolate is good for us. The study shows chocolate has many vitamins(维生素). One vitamin can help us feel happy. Feeling happy is important for health.
Good chocolate doesn’t have much sugar. “I eat a little chocolate at a time, and I enjoy it!” says Tara Berish, another chocolate lover.
Chocolate not only tastes good, but also smells nice. Girls like it very much. On Valentine’s Day(情人节), chocolate is always chosen as a present. People will send chocolate to their lovers.
1. How does Julia feel when people tell her chocolate has much sugar?A.Happy | B.Good | C.Bad | D.Unhappy |
A.milk | B.cakes | C.ice cream | D.cookies |
A.studies chocolate | B.eats much chocolate |
C.hates chocolate | D.likes chocolate |
A.health | B.happiness | C.love | D.life |
A.Chocolate is very popular all over the world. |
B.Chocolate can sometimes make us feel happy. |
C.All chocolate has much sugar. |
D.Eating a little chocolate is good for health. |
5 . 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 worldA.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. |
6 . Every year, in late March or early April, a boat race takes place on the Thames River, England. This boat race is an event between the two most famous and also the oldest universities in Britain – the Oxford(牛津大学)and the Cambridge(剑桥大学).
The idea for the boat race between the universities came from two friends – Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his friend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. They decided to set up a boat race between the two universities. On March 12, 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford first.
When the first boat race took place in a small town by Thames, eight students from each university became the competitors. Crowds of twenty thousand traveled to watch. It was so exciting. And the Oxford was clear winners. Later on, not only did the students from the two universities take part, but also some social groups attended the event. By 1845, with the small town becoming too crowded, the boat race had moved six miles up to the village – Putney. From 1856 on, the race has been held every year except war years. This boat race is considered to be “the world’s oldest sporting challenge”.
The race is four and a quarter miles in just 20 minutes and the competitors often face difficulties. It usually takes six months for the two teams to prepare for the big days. In the past, the Oxford was mostly the winners. But things have changed from 1993 on. The Cambridge has won more.
根据短文内容,判断正(T)误(F)。1. The boat race takes place between the Oxford and the Cambridge.
2. On March 12, 1829, Oxford sent a challenge to Cambridge first.
3. Eight students from each university became the competitors of the first boat race.
4. From 1856 on, the boat race has been held every year with no stop.
5. It usually takes six months for the two teams to prepare for the boat race.
Cold air. Snow. Short days. We are in winter now.
Winter is a cold season.It comes between autumn and spring.For us, the winter months are usually November, December and January. In China, winter is the time between the beginning of winter and the beginning of spring. But, this is the time that the southern part of the earth,has its summer. Justimaginewhen we are playing with snow, Australian kids are enjoying ice cream!
In winter, we can do some activities.
Put on a holiday play and try acting. Ask your cousins or classmates to your house and make beautiful clothes and write a play. Act it out for your family. Play around. Go outside and enjoy yourself. Make a snowman with your friends. If you really have to stay indoors, clean your room and decorate it. You will find a lot offun.
1. 将文中划线句子译成汉语。2. 根据文章内容,用英语回答问题。
①Which are the winter months in China?
②Which season is it in Australia when we are playing with snow?
选择:选出划线单词意思。
3. imagine ______
A.想像 | B.发明 | C.移动 |
A.兴趣 | B.乐趣 | C.玩具 |
①
②
8 . Everyone has a family name. In China, the family name is different from that in English countries. In English countries, the family name is the last name. Do you know how English people get their family names? And what do they mean? English people usually get their family names in these ways.
Some family names come from the places of their homes. If a man lives on or near a hill, his family name may be Hill. In England, people’s family name may be Wood or Lake, because they live near the woods or the lake. Some family names come from a person’s job. If a person is a cook, his family name may be Cook. And many people get their family names from their fathers’ first names. For example, if you see the name Jackson, you can know he is the son of Jack.
1. In the passage, how many ways can English people get their family names?A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. | D.Five. |
A.Hill | B.Wood | C.Lake | D.Cook |
A.place | B.job | C.country | D.school |
A.Jack’s father | B.Jack’s friend | C.the father of Jack | D.the son of Jack |
A.English People | B.Chinese People | C.Family Names | D.Hills and Lakes |
9 . It’s quite common for us to eat too much junk food. Just putting one delicious snack (零食) in your mouth makes you want more. And now, scientists have worked out why we do this.
A research (研究) team from the US looked at the brains (大脑) of mice to see how their brains control (控制) their eating behavior. They found a set of special neurons (神经元) and named them “peri-LC neurons”.
These neurons play a role in deciding if the mice will go on eating after having a snack or not. The neurons fired (传递信号) less than usual while the mice were eating or drinking. If the neurons were stopped from firing at all, the mice would eat even more. This makes a cycle —— the mice eat and drink, the neurons fire less, the mice then feel like eating and drinking even more, and so the neurons goes on.
Of course, there are other neurons that make us feel full and stop eating. But this finding can help scientists begin to answer why it’s so easy to overeat. And by further studying these neurons, they may also find new ways to work out problems such as obesity (肥胖) and diabetes (糖尿病).
根据短文内容,选择最佳答案。
1. What did the scientists research?
A.Why people eat too much junk food. |
B.What health problems people have if they eat too much snacks. |
C.How mice’s brains work differently from our brains. |
A.stop firing | B.fire more than usual | C.fire less than usual |
A.圆圈 | B.发展 | C.循环 |
A.The findings might help solve health problems. |
B.The research might help people control their neurons. |
C.Peri-LC neurons can make people feel full. |
10 . Smartphones, iPads and computers are keeping children and teenagers awake at night — even when they’re not in use, according to a new research. The researchers say that technology devices (设备) are causing kids to sleep less and influencing the quality (质量) of their sleep. As a result, they can have trouble staying awake the next day.
After studying children and teenagers aged 6 to 19, the researchers found a strong connection between the use of technology at bedtime and poor sleeping. The reason is not just that kids are staying up too late with their devices. Using a computer can overstimulate (过度刺激) the mind and emotions (情绪), the researchers say. A smartphone or an iPad also sends out a light that influences the body’s natural timing. All these can lead to poor sleep quality. And many kids could be at risk. According to the research, 72% of all children and 89% of teenagers have at least one device in their sleep environment. Most of these devices are used near bedtime.
Many kids get less sleep on school nights than they should. According to the National Sleep Foundation, kids aged 6 to 13 should get between nine and eleven hours of sleep a night. Getting enough sleep is especially important for learning subjects like math and foreign languages.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises kids to stop looking at screens at least half an hour before bedtime. This helps their brains slow down and gets their bodies ready for sleep. The AAP says bedrooms should be “screen-free”.
If you can’t help picking up a technology device at bedtime, try these relaxing activities instead:
Keep a diary: Writing your thoughts on paper can clear your mind.
Try a mind exercise: Close your eyes and count backward from 100 to 1.
Just relax: Breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Sweet dreams!
根据短文内容,选择最佳答案。
1. What is the result of the new research?
A.Technology devices put kids in danger. |
B.Using technology devices at bedtime causes poor sleep. |
C.Kids spend too much time on technology devices. |
A.By catching a kid’s attention. | B.By making noises. | C.By sending out a light. |
A.English | B.history | C.science |
A.Kids aged 6 should get at least 11 hours of sleep a night. |
B.A few teenagers use at least one technology device in their bedrooms. |
C.Kids should stop using technology devices at least 30 minutes before going to the bed. |
A.improve sleep quality |
B.make good use of technology devices |
C.avoid using technology devices at bedtime |