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 . Everyone needs help sometimes. People depend on one another. That's why communities have special people ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.
For example, what would we do without a community fire station？ If a home catches on fire,as the Jackson place did last week, it might be burned down and people get hurt…or worse. We're so lucky to have firemen to come to save people and put out the fire, safely. If the fire station hadn't come so fast, the Jacksons might have lost everything.
And what about our local police who protect our families, our homes and valuable things?The police have helped so many families this past year, especially saving people and pets and protecting our houses and other things after the heavy rains.
Think about all the other service workers we have in this community, We have people who collect waste and rubbish and keep our community sanitary, We have road workers who put up and repair traffic signs and fix holes in the streets to protect not just us, but our cars! And where would this community be without the teachers in our school and the doctors, and nurses in our community hospitals?
Think again about what we eat every day; think again about what we wear every day. We cannot produce them, but we use them all the time. We get a lot from all these tireless workers who keep our community running. We need these people in the community. We depend on each other. Let's support each other and help each other. Only in this way can we make our community a better place.
1. What happened to the Jacksons last week？| A．Their pets were lost. | B．Their car was badly burnt. |
| C．Their house caught on fire. | D．Their valuable things were stolen. |
| A．Firemen | B．Doctors | C．Road workers | D．Local police |
| A．Clean | B．Safe | C．Quiet | D．Busy |
| A．Did the writer make us laugh? |
| B．Did the writer want us to do something？ |
| C．Did the writer tell us about how to become a teacher? |
| D．Did the writer teach us what to do when a fire breaks out? |
| A．Policemen Save People's Lives | B．People Depend on Each Other. |
| C．Service Workers Do Important Jobs | D．Workers Keep Community Running |
3 . In class, students are sharing their dream jobs.
Jacob: I'd like to be a mountain-climbing guide for several reasons. Number One, mountain climbing is very exciting. Mountain-climbing guides get to climb tall, dangerous mountains, right? Number Two, I enjoy working outdoors and helping others. Number Three, mountain-climbing guides travel widely and meet many fun people.
Fred: My choice is to be a vet（兽医）. Why? I like animals. Animals bring a lot of joy to our lives, but they ask for little in return. I also enjoy helping animals and their owners feel better. Pet owners are happy when their pets are well. Finally, vets get to work with other people who like animals.
Anne: Ha, my dream job? An accountant （会计）! I think it's interesting. I'm good at numbers, you know, and I also like helping people manage their money. Good accountants are well paid, and I want to manage my own money, of course. But the most important of all, accountants mostly work alone, and I like to work alone.
Jessica: I'd like to become an animator（动画片制作者）and make films like Toy Story, Shrek, and Cars. You see, I love drawing and I love working on computers. I'd like to help people relax and enjoy their life. Animators can make a lot of money, too.
1. Jacob's dream job is to be .| A．a vet | B．an animator |
| C．an accountant | D．a mountain-climbing guide |
| A．The job is interesting. | B．The job is well paid. |
| C．She is good at numbers. | D．She likes to work by herself. |
| A．They enjoy working outside. | B．They enjoy offering help to others. |
| C．They hope to meet fun people. | D．They hope to make a lot of money. |
4 . Everyone needs friends, and if you fail to make friends, you should examine yourself and see if there is something wrong with your personality.
Maybe you have social faults which drive away your new acquaintances(相识的人). Whatever your social faults may be, look at them honestly, and make a real effort to correct them. By doing this, things can be better. Besides, to be friendly, you must feel friendly. Cheerfulness is the basis of friendliness. A cheerful person smiles. A smile is a magnet which draws people. Smile at someone and you are almost sure to get a smile in return.
When communicating with each other, a friendly person does his best to make a stranger feel at home, wherever he happens to be. Put yourself in the other person's place and make him feel welcome. And try to remember names. It makes your new acquaintances feel happy when you call them by their names. It gives them the feeling that they have made an impression on you and that must mean something to them because you remember them.
Sometimes, if you do not agree with other people on a certain matter, you should try to be as friendly as possible. Do not argue, but discuss. You always lose friends if you argue too much. If you want to be a friendly person, remember to think of others, and do not insist on (坚持) your own "rights". People who refuse to consider others have few friends.
At last, don't treat people only according to their social position. Really friendly people respect everyone at all times.
1. What can we learn about those who fail to make friends?
| A．They always try to make a stranger feel at home. |
| B．They remember the names of new acquaintances. |
| C．They discuss things with others rather than argue with them. |
| D．They insist on their own "rights" and fail to stand in others' shoes. |
| A．surprised | B．happy | C．angry | D．excited |
| A．that is attractive | B．that is used by students |
| C．that is not useful | D．that is not so easy to get |
| A．Thinking of others can help you to make more friends. |
| B．Making friends has something to do with your personality. |
| C．Cheerful smiles can make you friendly in the eyes of others. |
| D．Friendly people treat others according to their social positions. |
| A．how to correct the social faults | B．how to build good personality |
| C．how to make friends with others | D．how to get help from strangers |
5 . We are excited when we reach our goals，and at that moment we laugh，clap，even are over the moon. Without doubt，good results make us joyful. However，we cannot always get what we want and be the winner all the time. Some people can't help doubting: “Are our efforts in vain？”
The answer is “No”. We should remember that we are not only measured by how many goals we've reached，but how we acted，which means，process is also important.
Here is an example. Fruits are delicious. It takes trees a long time to bear them. In the process of growing，trees have to suffer from bad weather，insect bites and also intentional destructions（故意的破坏）from human beings. So it is with us. Our life is like a journey. At the beginning，we set a goal，dreaming of it every night，but we should never forget that we spend most of our time on the journey. Unfortunately，many people only complain about the failure and then give up hope. In fact，it is the failure that teaches us to be brave and stand on our own.
I myself deeply believe that only those who experienced a lot can own the highly-valued characters，only those who adventured（冒险）can have the chance to succeed. It is said "No pain，no gain." We are still young，still full of energy，so why are we afraid of failure and why do we hesitate（犹豫）to take an adventure？
Young men，let's forget results，leave out pain，and just look forward and don't miss any chance on the journey！
1. Reaching our goal will make us __________.| A．laugh at others | B．get over the moon | C．set another goal | D．forget our effort |
| A．值得 | B．益处 | C．高效 | D．徒劳 |
| A．No pain，no gain | B．People will suffer a lot in life |
| C．It's hard for a tree to bear fruits | D．We should grow trees to get good fruits |
| A．have gone through a lot | B．work very hard |
| C．believe that things will be better and better | D．believe in themselves |
| A．Stand on Our Own | B．Process Is Also Important |
| C．Don't Doubt Yourself | D．Failure Is the Mother of Success |
Many birds live comfortably in Zhalong Nature Reserve all year round, while some only stay there for a short time. There are many fish in the wetlands, and the birds can easily catch them for food. Zhalong has long been called “the home of the crane”. There are 15 crane species (物种) in the world. 8 of them are in China and there are 6 species in Zhalong area. It is an important living area for the rare red-crowned cranes. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world. Every spring and summer, red-crowned cranes lay and hatch (孵化) their eggs in Zhalong.
Some people want to change the wetlands for farms and buildings. More and more birds are in danger because they do not have enough living space. Many of them died. The Chinese government wants to protect these endangered birds, and they can be safe in Zhalong.
Every year, a lot of tourists go to Zhalong to watch birds. This year, members of our Bird-watching Club are going to study the different kinds of birds in Zhalong and the changes in their numbers. But many people do not understand the importance of the wetlands. We hope this information will help them understand and make them actively take action to protect wildlife.
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
1. What does the underlined word “ideal” mean?
| A．Perfect. | B．Dangerous. | C．Busy. | D．Expensive. |
| A．All birds stay in Zhalong Nature Reserve all year round. |
| B．There are eight species of red-crowned cranes in Zhalong. |
| C．The number of the world’s red-crowned cranes is small. |
| D．Every winter red-crowned cranes hatch eggs in Zhalong. |
| A．attract more visitors to pay a visit to Zhalong Nature Reserve |
| B．ask people to take action to protect wetlands and wildlife |
| C．prevent people from watching birds in Zhalong Nature Reserve |
| D．make people around the world know the Birdwatchting Club |
7 . As an English, I can speak three languages—English, German and French, so do you think the British people are very good language learners? The fact is that they aren’t.
Some statistics (数据) from the survey done by the European Commission (欧盟委员会) showed that 62% of the British people only speak English. 38% speak at least one foreign language and 18% speak two or more. Compared with the British people, 56% of the people in other European countries speak at least one foreign language and 28% speak two or more. From this you can see that the British people are famous for not speaking foreign languages and that they are not good language learners in Europe.
And the survey also showed that English is the most widely-spoken foreign language. Many European people can have a conversation in English. That’s why my people don’t think it is necessary to learn a foreign language.
In Britain, students are not required to learn a foreign language. That means learning a foreign language is only an option at school. In UK schools it is common for children to start learning a foreign language at 11 and many of them give it up at 14. So why don’t students continue learning foreign languages at school? Because they think it is more difficult to get good marks in languages than in other subjects such as science or history.
To solve this situation, the British government is looking for different ways to improve language learning at school. One way is to start learning it at a much younger age. Another one is to give school children more choices.
Changing the British attitude (态度) to learning foreign languages may be a hard task but the government decides to try!
1. Which country does the writer come from?| A．America. . | B．China. . | C．Britain. . | D．Egypt. |
| A．They are good language learners. |
| B．62% of them speak two or more languages. |
| C．They are famous for speaking foreign languages. |
| D．More than half of them only speak English. |
| A．science or German . | B．history or German |
| C．science or history . | D．German or French |
| A．a choice . | B．a game . | C．a mistake . | D．a conversation |
| A．Speaking English . | B．Foreign Language Learning in UK |
| C．Schools in UK . | D．Young English Learners |
| Writers Club Information: Do you enjoy writing? Join us! Saturdays 8:00 — 10:00 am. Telephone: 321-9649368 E-mail: cmacaleer@163.com |
| Country Life Market Our fruits and vegetables come in fresh every morning. Special prices for the first month. Opening hours: 7:00 am –10:00 pm Address: No. 8 Guangming Street Telephone: 010-62617788 |
| Looking for a Roommate(室友) I’m Alice. I have a house with 2 bedrooms. There are many things in it, like a TV, a washing machine and a fridge(冰箱). You only need to pay $200 for it each month. And it includes the cost of surfing the Internet, so you can bring your computer. There are two rules for you to follow: You musn’t make lots of noise in the house and you can’t keep a pet. Telephone: 239-5478603 E-mail: room.to.rent@tom.com |
| A．239-5478603 | B．021-5692335 |
| C．321-9649368 | D．010-62617788 |
| A．3 hours. | B．10 hours | C．12 hours. | D．15 hours. |
| A．a fridge | B．a computer |
| C．a washing machine | D．a TV |
| A．You can join Writers Club on Saturdays. |
| B．You can keep a pet dog if you live in Alice’s house. |
| C．If Jim wants to live in Alice’s house for one year, he should pay $2,400. |
| D．You can buy fresh vegetables in Country Life Market at 10:00 in the morning. |
| A．In a local newspaper. | B．In a novel. |
| C．In a science magazine | D．In a story book. |
9 . Most of us probably live without vegetables, but a world without chocolate? Now that would be hard! According to chocolate makers it could happen if we don’t act soon.
There are two main causes of the chocolate shortage—chocolate’s growing popularity and less production of cocoa, the plant from which chocolate is made. With more and more people in India and China loving chocolate, not much can be done about the first cause.
Therefore, the only thing we can do is to increase cocoa production. However, new plant diseases and little rain in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s largest producers, have reduced cocoa production by 40 percent in the past 10 years. What’s worse, many cocoa farmers in Africa and other cocoa-producing countries like Indonesia and Venezuela are changing to easier-to-grow crops such as corn or rubber. This way, the farmers can make more money.
To prevent more farmers from changing, researchers at the newly opened International Cocoa Control Centre, in the UK, are trying to create new cocoa plants that are stronger and faster growing. But first they must make sure the new plants are safe to grow. This takes a long time.
First, each new plant is stored at the Control Centre for six months to make sure it is healthy. It is then planted in the Centre’s fields, studied and tested for another two years. Only after scientists are certain that they’re disease-free, will the plants be sent to farmers in West Africa or wherever else they are needed.
To create new stronger types of cocoa, scientists at the Centre are combining the best parts from different cocoa plants. Though the world is facing a serious chocolate shortage, there is now hope!
1. The first paragraph tells us that______.| A．chocolate is healthier than vegetables |
| B．the world could soon be without chocolate |
| C．people love vegetables more than chocolate |
| D．it’s not necessary to eat so much chocolate |
| A．Venezuela and Indonesia. | B．Ivory Coast and Ghana. |
| C．Indonesia and China. | D．China and India. |
| A．can make them more money |
| B．need less rain to grow |
| C．can be planted more times each year |
| D．are not damaged by plant diseases |
| A．6 months. | B．12 months. | C．24 months. | D．30 months. |
| A．To introduce cocoa production to more countries. |
| B．To provide more chocolate for British people. |
| C．To produce stronger types of cocoa plants. |
| D．To make sure that cocoa is healthy to eat. |
After I came back home, I took out the paper quickly. It was the exam paper of my worst subject, History. I felt excited. My heart beat fast. I took out my History book and started working on the answer. I had never answered any questions so seriously.
On the day of the History exam, I went into the exam hall confidently. When the paper was sent to me, I dreamt of getting the highest mark in the whole grade and could not help smiling. "My History teacher always encouraged me to work hard and get better grades, but I let him down time and time again. This time I will give him a big surprise," I thought.
When the teacher said we could start, I turned the paper over. To my surprise, all the questions were different. Later I felt nervous. In the end, I almost left the paper undone. After the exam, I ran to the toilet, took out the paper and carefully read it from the top. Oh! It was last year's exam paper. I read all the questions but I hadn't read the date.
This is a lesson in which I know I have to put my feet on the ground. I regretted[doing such a silly thing. After that, I told my teacher the truth and I promised to be honest. From then on, I worked harder than ever before.
1. The writer went to the teacher's office to _________.
| A．take an exam | B．see his teacher |
| C．get his school bag | D．ask some questions |
| A．got high marks |
| B．did silly things |
| C．let his teacher down |
| D．left the paper undone |
| A．surprised | B．excited | C．nervous | D．crazy |
| A．Before he read all the questions. |
| B．As soon as he returned home. |
| C．Until he went into the teacher's office. |
| D．After he read the paper in the toilet. |
| A．I'm glad that I did very well in the exam. I gave my teacher... |
| B．After the exam, my teacher asked me to go to his office. My heart... |
| C．When I turned over the paper, I couldn't help smiling. My teacher... |
| D．I'm truly sorry for what I did. Everyone should be honest. I'll ... |
