The experiences that go with moving make many kids feel nervous and worried. This is perfectly normal but don’t let these emotions overrun your thoughts! You will soon get used to your surroundings and find new friends at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult. However，as you begin the moving process，keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house，school，and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent！If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long time，don’t despair.
Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write them letters. Also，thanks to the Internet，it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technologies. With your parent’s permission，you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle（记载） all of your new experiences. Include your thoughts，tales of your new adventures，even pictures of new friends，your new house，and new town. Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation（培训） program where a student already established at the school shows a new student around for their first week. This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age，high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens .“I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience，especially if you are into your junior high or senior year. Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives. Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases，and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment(怨气)．”However，Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy，there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you deal with the change.
1. Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Education experts. | B．School teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Students. |
| A．Staying in contact with old friends. |
| B．Expressing yourself when it is possible. |
| C．Forming good habits at school. |
| D．Keeping positive about your new school. |
| A．many parents seem to care little about their children |
| B．teens can easily be attached to their friends |
| C．parents should communicate with the school teachers |
| D．teens tend to behave rudely in a new school |
| A．What a new school is like. |
| B．Why parents move with their children. |
| C．How parents and the school can help the children. |
| D．How children can express their anxiety. |
Still, the firefighter's first words "You need to come up here to the Stillwater River" made me catch my breath, and his follow-up words gave me relief: “ Your son is OK. ”
When I got to the river, I immediately saw the firetruck, ambulance and Anton, wrapped with a towel about his shoulders, sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine.
I hurried over to him. "You OK?" I asked.
“Yeah,” was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation, I didn't get it from my son, however, who tends to play his cards close to his vest.
The story was this: A woman was being swept under water. Hearing the cries, Anton and his friend Tyler, without hesitation, swam out to her, and brought her safely to shore.
In an age in which the word "hero" is broadcast with abandon and seemingly applied to anyone who make it through the day, I realized the real thing in my son. The teens are stubborn and self-centred, but that didn't mean they have no desire to do good.
Still shocked by my son's daring, I drove him home. Along the way, I tried to dig out some more information from him, but he had precious little to say. The only words he said were, “What's for supper?”
I spent some time alone that evening, thinking about the tragedy that might have been. The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story. But all he did was toast some bread, pull himself together, and head for the door to start a new day. Watching from the window, I was reminded that still water often runs deep.
1. Why did the mother allow her son to swim there?
| A．He was an excellent swimmer. |
| B．The water of the river is shallow. |
| C．He was old enough to swim. |
| D．The rocks can be of help if there's danger. |
| A．Anton is a boy fond of swimming with other kids |
| B．Anton is unwilling to tell others what he thinks |
| C．Anton always has a desire to help others |
| D．Anton seldom changes his mind |
| A．dangerous but interesting | B．meaningful but difficult |
| C．unexpected and courageous | D．awful and absurd |
| A．My Son, My Hero | B．Anton, A Silent Boy |
| C．A Good Deed | D．A Proud Mother |
Take the Rides of Your Life
Visit Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, to seek thrills "Even though it's located off the beaten track, experts regularly praise Cedar Point as the best overall theme park of the country," says U.S. News & World Report. The park calls itself the roller coaster capital of the world, and with 16 to choose from, it's hard to argue. It's open daily from May 10 through Labor Day; weekends only from Labor Day through November 2.
Tickets start at $ 48.99 per person if purchased online.
http://www.cedarpoint.com.
Wander Free on a Dude farm
Dust off your cowboy boots and ready your cowboy hats for a visit to this Rocky Mountains paradise. Located in Augusta, Montana, "The farm has everything an aspiring cowboy or girl could long for," says Sunset magazine, including hiking trails, fishing trips, campfires with sing-alongs, and, of course, horseback rides. The large farm operates from June through September; kids-only and adults-only programs are available.
Total cost starts at $ 1,360 per adult, $ 1,276 per teen, and $ 1,168 per child.
http://www.Triplejranch.com.
Dig for Dinosaurs
Most kids （and adults） love dinosaurs, and to make their wildest dreams come true, head to Fruita, Colorado. The Museum of Western Colorado offers Dino Digs for children ages five and older. You can choose from one-, three-, and five-day expeditions. "Imagine how your child will feel when she helps unearth the fossilized（化石） bones of ancient species," says Outside magazine. It lasts from May to October.
Digs start at $ 125 per person.
http://www.museumofwesternco.com.
Surf Sand Dunes
Swap your snowboard for a sand-board, and head to Sand Master Park in Florence, Oregon. Real Simple recommends learning the basics at this private dune park, "which offers board rentals and lessons ---- often taught by world-champion sand boarders." Then you can hit the "slopes" to test your skills. From March to June, and September to November.
Rentals for a sand-board start at $ 10 per day; lessons start at $ 45 an hour per person.
http:/'www.sandmasterpark.com.
1. What is special about Cedar Point?
| A．You can visit Cedar Point on weekends. |
| B．It has 16 roller coasters for you to choose from. |
| C．You can help unearth the fossilized bones of dinosaurs. |
| D．It offers lessons taught by world-champion sand boarders. |
| A．Take the Rides of Your Life |
| B．Wander Free on a Dude farm |
| C．Dig for Dinosaurs |
| D．Surf Sand Dunes |
| A．A science fiction. | B．An adventure storybook. |
| C．A travel magazine. | D．A theme park advertisement. |
4 . A bargain is something offered at a low and advantageous price. A more recent definition is: a bargain is a dirty trick to force money out of the pockets of silly and innocent people.
The cost of producing a new—for example—toothpaste would make 80 p the proper price for it, so we will market it at £ 1.20. It is not a bad toothpaste, and as people like to try new things it will sell well to start with; but the attraction of novelty soon fades, so sales will fall. When that happens we will reduce the price to £ l. 15. And we will turn it into a bargain by printing 5 p OFF all over it.
Sometimes it is not 5 p OFF but l p OFF. What breathtaking rudeness to advertise l p OFF your soap or washing powder or whatever! Even the poorest old-age pensioner ought to regard this as an insult(侮辱), but he doesn’t. A bargain must not be missed. People say one has to have washing powder(or whatever)and one might as well buy it a penny cheaper.
The real danger starts when unnecessary things become “bargains”. Many people just cannot resist bargains. Provided they think they are getting a bargain they will buy clothes they will never wear or furniture they have no space for. Once I heard of a man who bought an electric saw as a bargain and cut off two of his fingers the next day. But he had no regrets: the saw had been truly cheap.
Quite a few people actually believe that they make money on such bargains. A lady once told me: “I’ve had a lucky day today. I bought a dress for £120, reduced from £400; and I bought a beautiful Persian carpet for £600, reduced from £900.” It will never occur to her that she has actually wasted £720. She feels as though she had made £ 580. She also feels, I am sure, that if she had more time for shopping, she could make a living out of it.
Some people buy in large quantities because it is cheaper. Once a couple bought enough sugar for their lifetime and the lifetime of their children and grandchildren. They thought it a bargain not to be missed. When the sugar arrived they didn’t know where to store it —until they realized that their toilet was a very spacious one. So that was where they piled up their sugar. Not only did their guests feel rather strange whenever they were offered sugar to put into their coffee, but the toilet became extremely sticky.
To offer bargains is a commercial trick to make the poor poorer. When greedy fools fall for this trick, it serves them right.
1. Which word best describes the language style of the passage?| A．Polite. | B．Foolish. | C．Humorous. | D．Serious. |
| A．Good quality. | B．Low price. | C．Newness. | D．Curiosity. |
| A．It’s a gift for poor people. | B．It’s an offense to shoppers. |
| C．It’s a bargain worth trying. | D．It’s a real reduction in price. |
| A．Bargains are things people don’t really need. | B．Bargains are often real cheap products. |
| C．Bargains help people make a living. | D．Bargains play tricks on people. |
5 . Food festivals around the world
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane（赛道）. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy（辛辣）,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!
La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!
1. In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must .| A．wear various formal clothes |
| B．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane |
| C．kick or throw their cheese |
| D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos |
| A．In New Mexico. |
| B．In the Caribbean. |
| C．In Australia. |
| D．In China. |
| A．three days |
| B．seven days |
| C．less than three days |
| D．more than seven days |
| A．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. |
| B．More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| C．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| D．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina. |
6 . Thanksgiving time came and all the relatives were gathered around the long table, or seated behind TV trays. The television was on and some folks were watching it while talking with one another. Something on television got their attention and one of the adults said, “Listen at it!” Someone else replied. “Well, if that don’t beat all.”
Simple phrases were spoken by folks whose language was simple and brief. They had several idioms that were just as colorful phrases and words that brightened the room and warmed the conversation. In school we were taught to speak differently. The way our relatives spoke was discouraged. Sometimes our parents would say things we weren’t taught in school. They’d often correct themselves, as if getting rid of a mistake. Of course we learned some of their phrases and used them. They were comfortable words to pronounce, familiar.
Our father’s side of the family was from Arkansas and Oklahoma and they spoke with the accents native to their birth states. Their voices musical and often high, it was easy to pick up that effect in our own speech and at school my brother and I were often teased for the way we spoke. Our mother’s side of the family came from Illinois and they had a tendency to talk fast. They had an accent, too, and my brother and I added that to our own speech, confusing the kids at school all the more. Our father’s side of the family loved to laugh and have a good time. Our mother’s side of the family was more serious about how they took life in; their joys more silently experienced and enjoyed. It was a rich picture of culture and it gave my brother and me a colorful view in life.
Thanksgiving holiday was always an easy comfortable going day. It was the first real holiday of the season when everyone came together in one place, and a good time was spent happily together by all.
1. From the text we can know that ___________.| A．parents were worried that their relatives might affect their kids’ language |
| B．parents tried to avoid affecting their kids with their dialects |
| C．parents didn’t allow their children to speak dialects |
| D．parents thought the language taught in school was the best |
| A．the language used by his father’s side of the family was fast |
| B．his mother’s side of the family spoke in a high voice |
| C．English taught in school is different from that used in daily life |
| D．the writer and brother were laughed at at school because of their poor English |
| A．They had relatives from different parts of Europe. |
| B．There were many mistakes in their language. |
| C．They added some dialects in their speeches. |
| D．Their speeches were lively and colorful. |
| A．He liked them very much. |
| B．They should be used everywhere. |
| C．They should be taught in school. |
| D．They were not accepted by others. |
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2, 3 and 4 of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones 3 and 4 often offer larger accommodation in a less crowded area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground.
Meal Plans Available
♢Continental Breakfast
♢Breakfast and Dinner
♢Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal（谷物类食品），bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by dessert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host’s permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much.
1. The passage is probably written for________.
| A．hosts willing to receive foreign students |
| B．English learners applying to live in English homes |
| C．travellers planning to visit families in London |
| D．foreigners hoping to build British culture |
| A．Physical training. | B．Medical care. |
| C．Free transport. | D．Rooming cleaning |
| A．The business centre of London is in Zone 1 |
| B．Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2. |
| C．Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre. |
| D．Accommodation in the city centre is not provided. |
| A．To experience a warmer family atmosphere. |
| B．To enrich their knowledge of English. |
| C．To enjoy much more freedom.. |
| D．To entertain friends as they like |
8 . Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of their programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness, Public Speaking.
After my speech, I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speaker, faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was not only appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After delivering is successfully, I became more confident .l said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plant, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the passage？| A．Practice Makes a Man a Better Speechmaker |
| B．Public Speaking Makes a Man Embarrassed. |
| C．Principal Provides the Best Chances. |
| D．Spoken English Develops in Malting Speeches. |
| A．he disliked the idea of giving a lecture |
| B．he had got a high fever before that |
| C．he regretted accepting the invitation |
| D．he feared he couldn't perform it properly |
| A．Unlucky opportunities. | B．Negative ideas. |
| C．Curious views. | D．Happy comments. |
| A．Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty. |
| B．Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud. |
| C．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
| D．Necessity is the mother of invention. |
Chelsea is not alone. In a recent survey by Kids Health£.org, more than 70% of kids aged 9 to 13 said they worry about tests. It’s no wonder. Across the United States, public schools give more than 250 million standardized tests each year.
Why do kids have to take so many tests? The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law requires that students in grades 3 through 8 be tested each year. The law’s goal is for all students to be at grade level by 2014. Students must pass the tests and meet other requirements or their schools may be shut down.
The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan wants to change NCLB. But that doesn’t mean he favors getting rid of tests. Duncan believes tests should be used mainly to evaluate kids’ strengths and weaknesses. Tests, Duncan says, should not be used to punish kids or their schools for failure.“The goal is to focus on great teaching and learning,”Duncan said.
Under NCLB, each state sets its own standards for students to meet. The result, Duncan says, is that states are making the tests easier. To fix this problem, 48 states are now working together to create common standards. “I want to set a high bar for kids, ” Duncan says, “so they’ll be in great shape to achieve their dreams.”
Like them or not, tests are here to stay. So how can you handle test nerves? Schools are teaching students to relax through deep breathing and stretching (伸展运动) . In Oakland, California, Principal Zarina Ahmad of Piedmont Avenue Elementary leads her students in a cheer to get them excited about learning.
“Kids are under high pressure,”says Ahmad. “There has to be time for kids to be kids. Still, we need tests to help us assess what students have yet to learn.”
1. The underlined part “the butterflies in my stomach” can be replaced by .
| A．nervous | B．guilty | C．exciting | D．proud |
| A．is focusing on teaching methods in schools |
| B．is requiring schools to make the tests more difficult |
| C．is trying to make schools be responsible for students |
| D．aims to evaluate kids’ strengths and weaknesses by means of tests |
| A．it’s possible to get rid of tests |
| B．schools have no good way to deal with students' stress |
| C．tests help assess what students have to learn |
| D．schools are aware of students’ stress caused by tests |
| A．Why kids are more stressed than before? |
| B．Kids’ tips for test success |
| C．How to deal with test stress |
| D．Put kids to the standardized test |
According to a new report from the US Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), tons of food is wasted each year, largely because people don’t fully understand what expiration dates, or “use-by dates”, actually mean.
Food dating was introduced in 1970s because customers wanted more information about the things that they were eating. When they first showed up, use-by dates were only supposed to indicate freshness because producers wanted their products to be tasted in their best conditions.
But the truth is that these dates aren’t related to the risk of food poisoning or food-born illness, according to Time News. However, most customers misinterpreted use-by dates and related them to the safety of the food, and they still largely do now.
Eggs, for example, can still be eaten three to five weeks after purchase even though the use-by date is much earlier. When their use-by dates pass, strawberry juice may lose its red color and biscuits may lose their crunch (松脆的口感), but they are not harmful.
“It’s a confusing subject, the difference between food quality and food safety,” said Jena Roberts, vice president of National Food Lab, a US food testing company. “Even in the food industry I have colleagues who get confused.”
This is why scientists are calling for a standard explanation to be printed following the use-by dates. “We want this to be clearly communicated so customers are not misinterpreting the date and contributing to a lot of waste,” said Dana Gunders, a staff scientist with the NRDC.
But this won’t be a mistake that is easy to correct since people have believed it for so long. Another problem is that the quality levels of different foods change differently-some are still eatable long after their use-by date while others are not.
As a result, food industry officials are now thinking of changing the use-by date to a date indicating when food is most likely to throw away.
1. According to the text, use-by date was first intended to ________.
| A．reduce the waste of food |
| B．show whether the food was fresh |
| C．show the safety of food |
| D．give a warming of food poisoning |
| A．Most customers understand what use-by date mean. |
| B．Biscuits can’t be eaten when not as crunchy as they were bought. |
| C．“ Use-by dates” have existed for more than 50 years. |
| D．Even after their use-by dates pass, some food are still safe to eat. |
| A．Most consumers often misunderstand use-by dates |
| B．use-by dates are not helpful or reliable |
| C．more consumers get worried about food safety |
| D．the quality level of different foods changes differently |
