1 . Americans love Christmas trees. The National Christmas Tree Association (协会) says more than 35 million of them were bought last year in the United States. In large American cities, many people buy trees that have already been cut. But many people drive to a tree farm and cut their own tree. Some buy trees online, and the tree is then delivered to their home.
It is said that 10.9 million artificial (人造的) trees were sold in 2012, compared to 24.5 million natural trees. The average cost of a natural tree was $40 and about $70 for an artificial one. Most Christmas trees are now grown on farms. The trees take six to ten years to grow to become Christmas trees.
Real trees are better for the environment, that is because as Christmas trees grow, they collect carbon dioxide and other gases while supplying (提供) fresh oxygen. The trees also protect water supplies.
Some people throw away their natural trees when the holiday season ends. But many people recycle them. There are many ways to do this. Christmas trees can be cut up to be used as fertilizer (肥料). They can also be cut and used to prevent the wearing down of soil. Artificial trees which come mostly from China can be reused for years. Families use them for an average of six to nine years before throwing them away.
1. How many trees were bought last year in the United States?2. Many people drive to a tree farm to buy trees online, don’t they?
3. How long do the trees take to become Christmas trees?
4. Why are real trees better for the environment?
5. Which do you prefer, a natural tree or an artificial one?
Some parents are used to doing almost everything for their children. They see their older children as babies! It can be a very common problem in China, where parents only have one child. Some parents care so much about the safety of their children that they are afraid to let them go anywhere or do anything by themselves.
In fact, no children really enjoy being looked after by their parents all the time. No parents would be happy knowing that. As a result of too much care, their children don’t know a thing about the world! Children need their own time to learn how to deal with problems. Too much care spoils their fun when they are growing up. And when suddenly they can’t depend on their parents, these children will be in big trouble!
It is nice that parents show their care and attention to their children. It is nice that children know that their parents’ care is the result of love, and it will be nicer if children let their parents know how much love they really need, and how much love is too much.
1. Are some parents in China used to doing almost everything for their children?2. What is the common problem in China according to the passage?
3. Do all the parents let their children go anywhere or do anything by themselves?
4. What do children need when they meet problems?
5. What will happen when suddenly children can’t depend on their parents?
6. Do you think your parents are doing almost everything for you? Please give an example.
3 . Growing up is hard for everyone. We all face lots of stress as teenagers. Now imagine facing all of that stress while being in the spotlight(聚光灯).
That's what Canadian singer Justin Bieber had to deal with as he grew up. He was first discovered by a music producer when he was just 13 years old. He became a superstar across the world after just a few years, selling millions of albums and touring the world. But at the time of his success, he also struggled (挣扎) with mental (精神上的) illness and drug abuse (药物滥用).
However, it seems that he has put these troubles behind him. Bieber recently wrote a post (帖子) on Instagram, admitting(承认) that growing up in the spotlight was quite challenging(有挑战的).
"I went from a 13-year-old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world... I made every bad decision you could have thought of and went from one of the most loved people… to the most hated person in the world, "he wrote. He credited (把…归功于) his wife, Hailey Baldwin, with helping him turn his life around.
Bieber is not the only one who has struggled with becoming famous at a young age, Actors Edward Furlong and Macaulay Culkin saw their lives take a downward (向下的) turn after they achieved success in Hollywood during their childhoods.
Why did they experience this? "Childhood is about finding out who you are and being able to relate to (与……相处) others, and those things are harder to learn when you're famous. That amount of public scrutiny (监视) makes it hard for kids to do that, ” psychologist (心理学家) Eileen Kennedy- Moore told USA Today.
1. Justin Bieber didn't have to deal with stress, did he?2. When did Justin Bieber become famous across the world?
3. What troubles has Justin Bieber put behind?
4. What did Justin Bieber thanked Hailey Baldwin for?
5. Why did Edward Furlong and Macaulay Culkin’s lives take a downward turn after they achieved success during their childhoods?
6. Would you like to be famous at a young age? Why or why not?
4 . While the country's leader has encouraged（鼓励）people to work hard and dream big, some young Chinese are happily resigned to being ordinary（甘于平凡）. It is clearly against the dream of the nation greatly. These young people are called "Buddhist Youth（佛系青年）", and they have held a lazy lifestyle. It is not accepted by most people anywhere.
"Life is quite tiring," said 23-year-old Guo Jia, who believes being a Buddhist Youth means accepting the things you cannot change and going with the flow. In fact, this name has nothing to do with religion（宗教）. These people do something similarly, such as eating the same food every day, allowing their friends and relatives to make all the decisions, and showing no strong feelings about almost everything. They want nothing because they expect（期待）nothing.
As for me, I can't agree with their idea. I think we need to live with a clear purpose（目标）and dream. Only in this way can we live a meaningful life. The value（价值）we live to the people around us is important. So work hard and go up to the place that you can get to. Sunny days will welcome you every morning.
Pressure（压力）from the society is necessary. It can surely push us to learn more and become abler. That is the truth of life!
1. What kind of lifestyle have Buddhist Youth held?2. How old is Guo Jia?
3. Is the name "Buddhist Youth" related (有关) to religion?
4. Who makes ail the decisions in the life of Buddhist Youth?
5. Why should we live with a clear purpose and dream according to the writer?
6. What do you think of Buddhist Youths?
Editor’s note: Nowadays, thanks to the Internet, taking online classes is becoming more and more popular. Some people say that they are a convenient way to study. While others worry that students may get distracted (分心的) by the Internet. What's your view on online education?
Online classrooms are helpful and useful. We may put our heart into learning when we are alone in front of a computer with no one to distract us. In addition, taking courses online also means we may have more time to operate a compute which is a good way to practice our computer skills.
Jack, 15
I love taking online courses. They give me a lot more choices and freedom. We can choose to learn whatever we exactly need and even preview the lesson we'll learn in classrooms. Also. Online classes enable people to study whenever and wherever they want, which is very convenient.
Julia, 16
I don't think online education is a good way to study. There are many bad or wrong things you know on the Internet, which may distract students from the courses they are taking. Also, unlike students who study in the classroom, students taking online courses have no one to tell them where they are in the whole learning process.
Ben, 16
I think the idea of taking online courses is crazy. It may increase our exposure(暴露) to computers, and the radiation(辐射) from them may do harm to the human body and lead to our eyesight getting worse. Also, looking straight at a computer for along time without exercising could be harmful to our health.
1. Some people think talking online classes is convenient, don’t they?2. Why does online learning make it easier to put our heart into learning?
3. Jack thinks online classes give him freedom. What example does he give to explain his view?
4. Why doesn't Julia think online education is a good way to study?
5. Ben and Julia are against online education for similar reasons, aren't they?
6. Do you think taking online courses is good or bad for us? Please give your reasons.
6 . The fridge is considered necessary. It has been so since the 1960s when packaged food list appeared with the label: “Store in the refrigerator.”
In my fridge-less fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthy. The milkman came every day, the grocer, the butcher, the baker, and the ice-cream man delivered two or three times each week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and surplus（剩余的）bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted, and we were never troubled by rotten food. Thirty years on food deliveries have ceased, fresh vegetables are almost unobtainable in the country.
The invention of the fridge contributed comparatively little to the art of food preservation. Many well-tried techniques already existed -- natural cooling, drying, smoking,salting, sugaring, bottling ...
What refrigeration did promote was marketing -- marketing hardware and electricity, marketing soft drinks, marketing dead bodies of animals around the world in search of a good price.
Consequently, most of the world’s fridges are to be found, not in the tropics where they might prove useful, but in the rich countries with mild temperatures where they are climatically almost unnecessary. Every winter, millions of fridges hum away continuously, and at vast expense, busily maintaining an artificially-cooled space inside an artificially-heated house -- while outside, nature provides the desired temperature free of charge.
The fridges’ effect upon the environment has been evident, while its contribution to human happiness has been insignificant. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself, invest in a food cabinet and turn off your fridge next winter. You may not eat the hamburgers, but at least you’ll get rid of that terrible hum.
1. The statement “In my fridge-less fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily.” suggests that ____.| A．the author was well-fed and healthy even without a fridge in his fifties |
| B．the author was not accustomed to fridges even in his fifties |
| C．there was no fridge in the author’s home in the 1950s |
| D．the fridge was in its early stage of development in the 1950s |
| A．Because people would not buy more food than was necessary. |
| B．Because food was delivered to people two or three times a week. |
| C．Because food was sold fresh and did not get rotten easily. |
| D．Because people had effective ways to preserve their food. |
| A．Inventors. | B．Consumers. | C．Manufacturers. | D．Travelling salesmen. |
| A．“Hum away continuously”. | B．“Climatically almost unnecessary”. |
| C．“Artificially - cooled space.” | D．“With mild temperatures.” |
| A．Neutral. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Compromising. |
There is such a generation; they are fresh, excellent and creative. Living in good conditions, they are born in the computer age, so they are main users of the Internet. They are the post-90s. And I am one of them. We are in a complicated era（时代）we are in an advanced era, and we are in a developed era. So sometimes many people can’t understand us. In their opinions, we are weak and not smart enough, and we are lost in the Internet every day. But, as far as I am concerned, the Internet has two sides, good side and the bad side, I believe that we have a sense of direction, we can take the right road and we won’t be lost. In fact, the Internet is the tool of study and life. It is really an ocean of information and a handy tool for communication. We can find almost everything we want. Baidu. Com. for example, may help us a lot. We can also communicate with whomever we like online. The most important point is that we can learn online. If you want to improve your English, post a question on BBS or enter a chat room. Many colleges and millions of students are now taking advantage of online learning programs. We want to show off ourselves and make new friends. Also, in the virtual world, we can show our true feelings. The Internet can shorten the distance between us and the world and increase our knowledge at the same time.
In a word, we can live our own wonderful life and purse what we like. In recent years, more and more things have showed our post-90s talent. Wenchuan earthquake showed our firmness and patriotism. In the Beijing Olympic Games more and more post-90s athletes won the gold medals. Besides, there are many such things, through which every Chinese can see our ability, a country becomes strong when the young grow strong. We are the post-90s, a bright generation. Although we are young, we have long-term dreams and a powerful sense of responsibility. One day, we will take charge of the world. The post-90s will make the tomorrow of our motherland more brilliant! Youth and enthusiasm, hope and future, this is our post-90s.
1. Why are the post-90s main users of the Internet?| A．They are fresh and excellent | B．They were born in the age of computer |
| C．They are in an advanced era | D．People cannot understand us |
| A．post-90s | B．post-90s pare |
| C．post-90s’ teachers | D．an expert who studies the post-90s |
| A．The writer thinks the Internet is quite good for students |
| B．The writer thinks the Internet is rather bad for students |
| C．The writer has no idea whether the Internet is good or not. |
| D．The writer thinks the Internet is useful as well as harmful |
| A．Because we can let others know the question | B．Because BBS is a teaching center |
| C．Because others online may answer the question | D．Because it is a popular job to post something online |
| A．prove his own ability | B．show that China is developing quickly |
| C．show that the post-90s are talented | D．warn other countries not to look down on China |
| A．The Post-90s Grow Great | B．A Big Problem of the Post-90s |
| C．The Story of the Post-90s | D．The Post-90s Are the Best |
Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own hometown of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.
1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?| A．Some of them are not attractive. |
| B．Most of them are too expensive to preserve. |
| C．They are more pleasing than modern buildings. |
| D．They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area. |
| A．Because historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. |
| B．Because new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. |
| C．Because people like following old ideas and do not like change. |
| D．Because people have to respect new architectural styles. |
| A．We should reproduce the same old buildings. |
| B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings. |
| C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in. |
| D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings. |
| A．Destroy old buildings | B．Put things in a different place |
| C．Choose new architectural styles | D．Respect people’s feelings for historical buildings |
| A．To explain why people dislike change. |
| B．To warn that we could end up with living in caves. |
| C．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings. |
| D．To argue that modern buildings an be built in historic areas. |
| A．Uninterested | B．Supportive | C．Neutral | D．Disapproved |
First time dog owners may meet many problems and get to know how to train their pets. Sometimes a puppy, or even an older dog, will chew their fingers or bite them. Even in play, this can really hurt. Unfortunately, many pet owners tolerate（容忍）this in a young dog. However, when the dog gets larger, it is not fun to be bitten by it. Training a dog never to place his teeth on human skin or clothing is an important lesson. From now on, if you feel your dog’s teeth while you are playing with him, say “Ouch”in a loud voice and move away from him. He will soon learn that when he bites, you will not play with him any more.
Many people have another bad habit. They tend to（倾向于）allow their pets to bite and hold on to clothing. Don’t let your dog do this to you. When he does something you want him to do, praise him and tell him he’s a good dog. You can also give him a treat at the same time he performs the good behavior（行为）. Eventually he will learn which kind of behavior is acceptable and which is not. Remember that reward is more effective than punishment（惩罚）. If you reward your dog when he does what you want him to, he will become very well-behaved. Also remember that puppies need to chew on something. So give him a tied stocking or an old shoe. If he chews the wrong thing, take it away while saying, “No”and give him something he can chew. If dogs are trained well, they will truly be your friends for a lifetime.
1. It is important for pet owners to train dogs .| A．not to place their teeth on human skin | B．not to chew an old shoe |
| C．to know how to play with another dog | D．to put their teeth on clothing |
| A．go on to play with him | B．tolerate this in a young dog |
| C．tell him to move away from you | D．say“Ouch”and move away |
| A．never play with their dogs | B．be too rough to their dogs |
| C．never give their dogs treats | D．allow their dogs to behave（举止）badly |
| A．punish him for any mistake he has made | B．praise him for his good behavior |
| C．let him do anything he likes | D．never give him anything to chew |
| A．return | B．reply | C．award | D．advice |
| A．Your finger. | B．Your clothing. | C．A tied stocking. | D．Human skin. |
Each and every year, during Chongyang Festival, citizens of China celebrate the elders in their families and communities. It’s a special tradition which is rooted in the deep value that Chinese culture places on honouring their elders.
Sadly, many of our aging population are seniors without sons, daughters or grandchildren to visit. While they may have great friends, they no doubt miss the tender and loving relationships unique to families. To fill this void（空虚）, many volunteers turned up on October 28 at nursing homes around the country in order to spend time with the residents. In some cases, they performed humble（谦逊的） gestures of kindness, such as combing their hair or washing their feet.
While the kind acts were appreciated, one embarrassing story out of Anhui province raised a valuable question. Reportedly, one old gentleman had his feet washed seven times during the day by different volunteers. Is this genuinely（真诚地） caring for the elderly? Many of the residents at the home said that those gestures do not make them feel cared for at all. Their family members or community volunteers may drop by for a few hours of token time, but soon they disappear back into their busy lives.
There is nothing we can give that is more valuable or appreciated than our time. While you may feel like there is barely enough time to care for your many responsibilities, might it be possible to spare just a moment as you walk home from school to sit with a senior who lives in your community? Just five minutes is not going to prevent you from getting your homework done, but it may totally change a day of loneliness into a day of joy for one old man or woman. Do you live far from your grandparents? Why not pick up the phone and let them know you’re thinking of them? Or maybe you could remind them of the “good old days” and mail them a short letter. Imagine their surprise and joy!
We live in a complicated（复杂的） and busy world, but kindness and caring is still a very simple thing.
1. People in China celebrate the elders at Chongyang Festival, don’t they?______________________________________________________________
2. Who appeared at nursing homes to spend time with the residents?
______________________________________________________________
3. How many times did one old gentleman have his feet washed during the day?
______________________________________________________________
4. Which gestures can make elders feel cared for ?
______________________________________________________________
5. What did the family members of the residents at the home do?
______________________________________________________________
6. Have you been to any nursing homes before? What did you do for the residents there?
If you haven’t, please tell us what you did for the elders around you in the past.
______________________________________________________________
