1 . Studies say that people nowadays have more free time than ever before. Then why doesn’t it feel that way? These days, our free time is usually spent watching television, using computers or communicating on our phones. To really help us increase our energy levels, it is important to use our free time wisely.
Set up your goal.
Think about what you want to achieve in your free time. Do you want to get fit, get creative or simply relax? Don’t worry about what you should do. Just think about what will make you feel more satisfied.
Set a date.
Plan when you are going to enjoy your free time, and treat it in the same way as anything else on your calendar (日历). If something else more important comes along you can choose whether or not to postpone it, but never cancel (取消) it!
Do what you want.
Many people worry too much about their free time activities. They want to do things that will make their friends surprised, or help them get a better job. But free time isn’t about that. It is about doing an activity for fun, so don’t let outside pressures influence your choice.
You’ll really know you’re using your time wisely if what you’re doing helps other people. So find out what’s going on in your community (社区) and lend a hand. Visit the elderly or help out in a children’s club. If socializing is not your thing, why not volunteer for a wildlife organization?
1. How do people usually spend their free time these days?| A．Staying with family. | B．Using computers. |
| C．Chatting face to face. | D．Studying in groups |
| A．Whether the goals are good for others. |
| B．Whether the goals are difficult to finish. |
| C．Whether the goals are things we should do. |
| D．Whether the goals can make ourselves feel satisfied. |
| A．Look at . | B．Deal with. | C．Put off. | D．Take part in. |
| A．We shouldn’t worry too much about other things when choosing a free time activity. |
| B．We should not consider others’ feelings when doing something with them. |
| C．We should join in free time activities that are good for our own development. |
| D．We should discuss our free time activities with friends and family. |
2 . Emest Owusu was 13 in 1980 when he was given the opportunity to appear in the audience of a BBC show, and ask Thatcher how she felt about being called the Iron Lady. This encounter re-emerged in a BBC’s programme recently.
At the time of their meeting, Owusu was on free school meals, living on a public estate in Brixton, south London, where he and his sister were being raised by their mother Rose, a struggling hairdresser.
Now 57, Owusu looks remarkably similar even with a greying beard. But his life has been transformed. The father of three is a human resources director, and the first black captain of the Addington golf club in its 110-year history. As a black guy, it is about breaking the glass ceiling.
Speaking in its clubhouse, Owusu describes his rise in social status (地位) as a “Thatcherite Journey”. And he says it began by asking the woman herself. “To this day it still has an impact. My confidence changed from that sliding-door moment. Something about her connected with me.”
Thatcher told Owusu she enjoyed being called the Iron Lady. “I think it’s rather a praise, don’t you?” she said, “Because so often people have said to me if you’re in your job you’ve got to be soft and warm and human, but you’ve got to have a touch of steel.” Owusu recalls the moment, “I just remember her eye contact. She was answering me, not the camera. She welcomed the question saying you’ve got to be firm in this world. And that stuck with me.”
After the show was broadcast, Owusu said he became “a little hero in Brixton for a good three months”. Owusu added, “It all gave me extra confidence. Doors might not have opened so quickly. It was one of those key moments to make you do things maybe you wouldn’t otherwise have done.”
1. What do we know about Owusu when he was 13?| A．He met with Thatcher twice. |
| B．He joined a famous golf club. |
| C．He hosted a BBC’s programme. |
| D．He lived at the bottom of society. |
| A．Turning point. | B．Important decision. |
| C．Social status. | D．Remarkable achievement. |
| A．Others’ treating him equally at work. |
| B．Others’ voting him a hero in Brixton. |
| C．Thatcher’s efforts to preserve his dignity. |
| D．Thatcher’s faith in the necessity of toughness. |
| A．The Art of Dialogue | B．The Power of Confidence |
| C．A Life-changing Meeting | D．A Status-improving Tale |
3 . The world is full of fascinating destinations. We are here for you, providing a private tour to suit your particular needs and help you enjoy a great travel around Austria.
Time
June to August is the busiest time of the year with crowds of tourists and lower room availability. If you want to avoid the crowded tourists, the best time to visit Austria lasts from April to May and from September to October. During these months, the weather is pleasant, better for enjoying outdoor activities such as sightseeing, biking, hiking and adventures. Winter is also a great time to visit since the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are held everywhere, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Cities
Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck are three must-see cities that shouldn’t be missed in your Austria tour packages. Vienna, the capital city of Austria, is famous for its lively art. Salzburg is also a great region where you can enjoy amazing views of the Eastern Alps. It’s also the birthplace of the famous composer Mozart and the film setting for the Sound of Music. Innsbruck, another significant place for sightseeing in Austria, is known for its mountainous backdrop and lots of natural beauty. There are also some. worthy medieval(中世纪的)towns to visit, such as Bad Ischl, Durnstein, Hallstatt, etc.
Transportation
Austria has a wide rail network, connecting all its domestic cities and neighboring countries. Riding on comfortable trains is the best way to travel through the green valleys, the historic towns and the scenic villages.
1. When is Austria the most crowded with tourists?| A．From April to May. | B．From June to August. |
| C．From September to October. | D．From November to December. |
| A．Its art. | B．Its mountains. |
| C．Its filming. | D．Its medieval towns. |
| A．Taking a bus. | B．Taking a bike. |
| C．Taking a train. | D．Taking a boat. |
4 . Medha Pappula, an eight-grader at Brambleton Middle School, is using her skill set to solve a problem — bullying. She recently earned an award from National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) for her anti-bullying efforts in software development and animation (动画).
Pappula, 13, said she discovered that a classmate had experienced cyberbullying (网络欺凌), which was painful for her to learn about. “Even though I didn’t experience it, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even my worst enemy.” Pappula said.
Then she developed a program. “It takes a message, and then recognizes signs of bullying and gives a rating (评价) to the cyberbullying.” the teen said. “If the rating is high, the program can be used to carry out things like removing that message or reporting it.”
In addition to this program, the NBPC awarded Pappula for a three-minute animated video about Unity Day, which she created and shared on YouTube last October. Unity Day was started by the NBPC in 2011 to raise bullying awareness among school-age children. Schools encourage their students to wear orange on Unity Day, as it is a color that is connected with safety.
Pappula visited different websites to develop her animation skills several years ago. She spent more than a month creating her 2-D animated video using an animation software called Krita. The effort paid off, as nearly 6000 people have already viewed the “Unity Day” video on YouTube. Pappula hopes to continue to work with the NBPC and use her skills to lift those around her.
1. How did Pappula find cyberbullying?| A．It was her painful experience. | B．It was her worst enemy. |
| C．It shouldn’t happen to anyone. | D．It could be stopped easily. |
| A．Take a message. | B．Carry out bullying. |
| C．Recognize signs of bullying. | D．Give a rating to the cyberbullying. |
| A．She developed the skills herself. | B．She asked schools for help. |
| C．She learned from YouTube. | D．She developed Krita. |
| A．A Cyberbullying Experience | B．An Anti-bullying Software |
| C．A Bullying Prevention Center | D．An Anti-bullying Teenager |
5 . When my daughter Sara was in the fifth grade, she came to me with a problem. “Marcy hates me!” she cried “Because Kathy is my friend, too. She wants me to be her friend and nobody else’s. You talk to Marcy. You tell her that I want to be her friend, but I can have other friends, too!”
Oh! I looked at her for a few moments, wondering how I got into this mess (困境), when suddenly an idea came to me.
Picking up two baskets from the living room, I explained, “When everyone is born, he or she has a little basket, This little one here is yours. The big one is mine. As you grow，so does the basket. You can see your little basket is inside mine because when you were born, there were too many things you couldn’t do for yourself. I did everything you couldn’t do on your own.”
She nodded.
“Well, as you grew older and began to do some things on your own, I began placing a few more things in your basket. When you learned to tie your shoes, that went in your basket.”
She said softly, “I can tie my own shoes.”
“Right. As you grow older, there will be more and more things you must do on your own.” As I spoke, I gradually took her basket out of mine and handed it to her. “You will finally carry your own basket with things only you can do.”
She looked up at me and said, “I understand. There are some things that I have to do by myself because they are in my basket.”
1. What did the author feel when she heard her daughter’s problem?| A．Angry. | B．Happy. | C．Proud | D．Helpless. |
| A．She didn’t have a basket. | B．She couldn’t deal with(处理) her friendship. |
| C．She didn’t want her own basket. | D．Her mother was too hard on her. |
| A．The gifts given by God when everyone is born | B．Something that people use to keep vegetables |
| C．The growing abilities as you grow up | D．The friendship that needs repairing |
| A．Sara would talk to Marcy herself | B．Sara wouldn’t make friends with Kathy |
| C．Sara was too young to deal with anything | D．Sara managed to persuade her mother to help her |
6 . I had heard about VR (虚拟现实) being used in the classroom but didn’t think I’d ever try it. I actually got a VR headset (耳机) as a New Year present from my friend and started searching for apps online to see whether it could be useful in my classroom. I soon found a free app through Google Cardboard and knew I had a lesson!
To use VR in the classroom, you need two things: a smartphone that can download the app or video, and a headset. To find the actual videos we’d be watching, I searched through free VR apps like Orbulus, Trench Experience VR and Cardboard. I also found hundreds of videos on YouTube. The key is to find videos made with the 360 cameras. While they don’t give the kids a 3-D experience like the apps, they are still amazingly immersive (沉浸式虚拟现实的) when viewed through the headsets.
So far we’ve had three lessons. I first used the headsets with my seventh grade U. S. History class. The Trench app allows students to “walk” through a trench (战壕) during World War Ⅰ and learn about many of the tools used during that time. My second activity was working with the sixth grade Geography class. They used the headsets strictly as viewers to watch a 360 video taking them through a rocky landscape. My final activity was the most interesting one, according to the reactions (反应) of my eighth grade Civics students. I was able to find a White House 360 tour that was made a few years ago.
For the rest of this year, I plan to continue using apps and 360 videos in my classes. Next year I’m going to write to my boss asking for a 360 video camera so that I can begin to create my own VR field trips for the students.
1. When did the author get the idea of trying VR in her classroom?| A．When she was searching for apps online. |
| B．After she received a VR headset as a gift. |
| C．When she was having a conversation with her friend. |
| D．After she heard about VR being used in the classroom. |
| A．The kids. | B．The apps. |
| C．The videos. | D．The headsets. |
| A．Reactions of students in the Civics lesson are best. |
| B．Walking through a trench during World War Ⅰ scared the students. |
| C．Students experienced a rocky landscape in the U. S. history class. |
| D．A White House 360 tour made a few years ago was not suitable for watch. |
| A．Buy a 360 video camera. |
| B．Create 360 videos by herself. |
| C．Take her students on more field trips. |
| D．Try new teaching methods in her classes. |
7 . Being bored is no fun, especially at work. However, a recent study from the Research School of Management at the Australian National University suggests that boredom may have an unexpected benefit.
In a study, 52 participants (参与者) were given a boring task of separating red from green beans for 30 minutes, while another group of 49 participants was asked to create art projects with paper, beans, and glue. Then both groups were instructed to spend five minutes on a creative task. Surprisingly, the group that had performed the boring task produced a higher quantity and quality of creative ideas than the group that had taken part in the art project.
“Boredom is not necessarily terrible based on my research,” says the study’s lead author, Guihyun Park. “People want to get out of a boring state, so they tend to find novelty, which can lead to unique thinking and bring out creativity.” Moreover, it’s also worth noting that studies have found that not everyone experiences the same level of creative benefits from boredom. Researchers have discovered in one experiment that participants who are open to new experiences and driven to achieve specific goals are more likely to see positive effects from being bored.
Finally, Park admits that not every type of job allows a state of boredom, and it really can be detrimental to some important work. “I would say at safety jobs where you need to stay alert (警惕的) all the time, like police or safety guards, boredom will keep your mind wandering, which is really bad,” says Park. “Also, those jobs require less creativity but much attention to details instead; boredom won’t help much there.”
But for designers and anyone in a creative field, boredom is not something to fear, but to embrace (欣然接受). J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has shared how she would spend hours sitting on trains, letting her mind wander and coming up with new ideas for her stories. This boredom allowed her to tap into her creativity and imagination, leading to one of the most beloved book series ever.
1. What did the recent study find about boredom?| A．It inspires creative ideas. | B．It raises people’s patience. |
| C．It improves work efficiency. | D．It leads to negative feelings. |
| A．People who are afraid of change. |
| B．People who tend to focus on details. |
| C．People who are willing to try new things. |
| D．People who enjoy competing with others. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Harmful. | C．Necessary. | D．Challenging. |
| A．To show the power of embracing boredom. |
| B．To encourage people to stay bored in their daily life. |
| C．To prove the importance of creativity and imagination. |
| D．To explain the creation process of the Harry Potter series. |
8 . I’m interested in the Renaissance (文艺复兴), so I like visiting ancient Italian cities. Ferrara is called City of the Renaissance. When I learned about this city on the Internet, I decided to pay a visit to it.
The city has a certain charm, but I find it isn’t as great as other Italian cities like Verona, let alone Venice or Rome. The Michelin Green Guide gives it two stars, which is right.
I first visited the city centre. The Cathedral and Castello Estense are at the heart of the city. Both have striking appearances. I visited the Cathedral first. Castello Estense is also worth visiting, which owes its name to the powerful Este family. It was built with bricks and surrounded by a moat (护城河). At the lower levels, the history of the city and the Este family are told through displays, and in another part the ceilings are shown through mirrors on the ground.
In the north, we can appreciate the Renaissance extension of the town, with straight streets and monumental houses. The famous Palazzo dei Diamanti lies here. When I was visiting it, it started to rain, so after taking a few photos quickly, I cut my visit there short. It had been raining for a few days. When the rain ceased, I went to visit the historical centre and the Renaissance buildings.
After leaving there, I visited several other interesting places such as palaces and the narrow streets of the downtown. After four hours in Ferrara I left by train to Mantua. There I had a much better time.
1. Why did the author pay a visit to Ferrara?| A．Because it is related to the Renaissance. | B．Because it is full of charm. |
| C．Because it is a very famous city in Europe. | D．Because it is strongly recommended by a website. |
| A．Subjective. | B．Reasonable. | C．Unacceptable. | D．Unbelievable. |
| A．It came from the historical buildings. | B．It originated from the straight streets. |
| C．It was named after the powerful Este family. | D．It was connected to the surrounding moat. |
| A．The writer thought Ferrara was as great as Venice. |
| B．The writer visited Palazzo dei Diamanti for a long time. |
| C．The writer was much more satisfied with the tour in Mantua than in Ferrara. |
| D．The writer was disappointed with the visit to the Cathedral and Castello Estense. |
9 . Once upon a time, a boy was walking through the countryside when he saw, among some
The boy thought that it must be the doorway to heaven, and that it would be fun to see what was up there. So he
Just when he was about to
No longer was the boy just
The boy traveled up the rainbow, filled with joy, knowing that only with sincere and heartfelt (衷心的) desire could one ever open the door to heaven.
1.| A．people | B．clouds | C．woods | D．bricks |
| A．smiled | B．succeeded | C．disappeared | D．returned |
| A．continued | B．stopped | C．started | D．proved |
| A．Therefore | B．Meanwhile | C．However | D．Furthermore |
| A．heavy | B．beautiful | C．tall | D．sharp |
| A．tried | B．regretted | C．begged | D．liked |
| A．give in | B．give up | C．give out | D．give off |
| A．surrounded | B．ordered | C．watched | D．taken |
| A．sang | B．built | C．cried | D．spoke |
| A．clue | B．message | C．tip | D．answer |
| A．happy | B．curious | C．worried | D．anxious |
| A．manage | B．discover | C．promise | D．repair |
| A．set down | B．turned down | C．cut down | D．sat down |
| A．describe | B．create | C．put | D．pick |
| A．partly | B．directly | C．smoothly | D．suddenly |
10 . A children’s choir (合唱团) from the snowy highlands of Tibet recently
The Qomolangma Children’s Choir was
When journalists met the choir on Saturday, the children were
Geng Muyao was the choir’s
Including children from all over Tibet, the choir primarily shows Tibetan folk culture. Though the members are
| A．explained | B．described | C．brought | D．improve |
| A．set up | B．take up | C．make up | D．turn up |
| A．gain | B．lift | C．study | D．teach |
| A．disablity | B．talent | C．activities | D．benefit |
| A．turning in | B．taking in | C．varying in | D．participating in |
| A．recording | B．training | C．representing | D．playing |
| A．information | B．communication | C．preparation | D．guidance |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Moreover | D．Beside |
| A．museums | B．sites | C．campuses | D．locals |
| A．instrument | B．branch | C．decoration | D．button |
| A．living | B．working | C．getting | D．standing |
| A．annoying | B．frightening | C．exciting | D．shocking |
| A．broadened | B．widened | C．strengthened | D．deepened |
| A．expressed | B．depressed | C．impressed | D．pressed |
| A．gradually | B．especially | C．slightly | D．finally |
| A．instructor | B．professor | C．manager | D．performer |
| A．viewed | B．recommended | C．agreed | D．noted |
| A．admitted | B．supported | C．inspired | D．observed |
| A．fond | B．tired | C．short | D．full |
| A．young | B．dynamic | C．capable | D．ambitious |
