1 . While at the National Broadcasters Convention (大会) recently, one of the speakers, Sam Haskell, told a story that was such a beautiful example of
When Sam was nine, a
Young Sam was
Time went by and the ad was no longer on television, but Sam
Sam’s mom had a huge smile on her face. His dad — who’d made fun of him for his dream — stood there in
Young Sam learned a valuable lesson that day about
And it all
| A．effort | B．kindness | C．faith | D．creativity |
| A．television | B．newspaper | C．radio | D．magazine |
| A．connected | B．helped | C．called | D．visited |
| A．donate | B．pay | C．find | D．receive |
| A．doubtful | B．convinced | C．excited | D．proud |
| A．laughed at | B．agreed with | C．turned to | D．asked about |
| A．already | B．hardly | C．still | D．even |
| A．passing | B．coming | C．leaving | D．returning |
| A．dreamed | B．calculated | C．planned | D．suggested |
| A．shock | B．silence | C．sorrow | D．pain |
| A．stored | B．identified | C．selected | D．arranged |
| A．working for | B．preparing for | C．relying on | D．believing in |
| A．changeable | B．possible | C．useful | D．special |
| A．decision | B．behavior | C．concern | D．future |
| A．moved | B．developed | C．started | D．completed |
2 . Part of the reason American shoppers are so attracted to wholesale (批发) shopping is their belief that it not only prevents waste but can save time and money, providing more value for the dollar. However, recent research suggests that the opposite may be true.
Victoria Ligon, an expert on consumer sciences, studied food purchasing habits of consumers and found that people tended to buy too much food and waste more of it than they realized. “The problem is that people are not shopping frequently enough,” Ligon said. “People are very price sensitive at the grocery store, but tend to overlook the cost of unused and wasted food at home.”
A common practice is to visit different stores for different items on a grocery list. “But people tend to overbuy at each of the places,” Ligon said. “People are not planning for the next day, but planning for the next week or two.”
“In theory, planning a week or more in advance sounds ideal. But given the reality of many people’s lives, this is challenging to do well,” Ligon said. “All of our food promotions are designed to get people to buy more. We believe it’s cheaper if we buy more now, but we rarely take into account how much we throw out in the end.”
Ligon noted shifts in the grocery industry that appear promising to help customers reduce food waste. Examples include cost-effective delivery services such as Amazon Fresh and Google Express, which allow consumers to purchase food items when they want to consume them, also reducing their need to frequent so many different stores. However, the study resulted in another troubling finding: The majority of people involved in the study had no idea that they were buying too much and wasting so much.
“When you read advice about reducing waste, it usually centers on what people do after the food is purchased,” Ligon said. “But more importantly, shop on a more frequent basis, so that you are only buying what you are going to consume in the short term.”
1. What do people often ignore when buying food in large quantities?| A．How good the food is. | B．How much the food costs. |
| C．How often they should shop. | D．How much will be wasted. |
| A．It is worth trying. | B．It is not practical. | C．It takes great effort. | D．It is not good for health. |
| A．Food prices are lowered. | B．Food waste is prevented. |
| C．Food consumption is reduced. | D．Food purchasing can be done at home. |
| A．Shop More, Buy Less | B．Shop Wisely, Eat Wisely |
| C．Eat Cheaply or Expensively? | D．The More You Shop, the More You Waste |
3 . Daylight Saving Time (DST), when people set their clocks one hour ahead of standard time in the spring, was first introduced in America as a way to conserve electricity. Now, the time-shift still takes place across most of the US. Is it really helpful for farmers? Here’s how farmers feel about it.
Humans might have alarm clocks to adjust, but animals don’t. There’s clear evidence that the shift is a problem for animals such as cows, who don’t tolerate changes to their schedules. One farmer in Utah wrote to tell us that DST is “nothing but a pain. My chickens and cows only know when the sun comes up and goes down. Having to adjust our work schedules twice yearly does nothing for us.”
One goat farmer in North Carolina told us that his goats are upset over the time change. In order to help his goats deal with the time shift, he moves their feeding and milking schedule incrementally. A change of a few minutes per day over the course of a week is a lot less noticeable than a full hour jump all at once.
Many farmers’ responses covered the chaos of changes to schedules, losing sleep and difficulty with getting children to go to sleep when it’s still light outside. One farmer in California put it like this: “The cost of changing twice a year, in terms of resetting every appliance (电器), car and communication system you own, and all the people that will show up early or late for work, appointments and meting... it’s enormous.” His solution? He just works by the sun.
So, it does make sense that many states are looking to get rid of DST. If the measures were introduced to save energy, the time shift could generate savings for governments. However, it’s debatable if DST is even an energy saver anymore. One study found that, after Indiana introduced DST, there was an increase in electricity use, resulting in an added cost of $9 million.
Whether states keep Daylight Saving Time or decide to get rid of it, it’s clear that it will make little difference to farmers. As one reader told us: “We’re up with the sun and down with it, no matter what the clock says.”
1. How does DST affect farm animals?| A．It disturbs them. | B．It frightens them. | C．It makes them forget time. | D．It causes them physical pain. |
| A．Eventually. | B．Constantly. | C．Immediately. | D．Gradually. |
| A．Start their work late. | B．Pay no attention to time. |
| C．Pay no attention to clocks. | D．Do their best to save energy. |
| A．It lasts too long. | B．It’s a waste of time. | C．It’s not natural. | D．It’s not well organized. |
4 . National Student Poets Program
The National Student Poets Program, the nation’s highest honor for young poets creating original work, is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Poetry Foundation, and the Academy of American Poets. Annually, five students are selected for one year of service, each representing a different geographic region of the country. The Program believes in the power of youth voices to create meaningful changes, and supports them in being heard.
HOW TO APPLY
The first step to becoming a National Student Poet is submitting poetry to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. High school students who receive a Gold National Medal in poetry can apply for the National Student Poets Program.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Each year, National Student Poets act as youth poetry ambassadors, bringing poetry to their communities through individual service projects, April Poetry Month readings, and a variety of other opportunities, such as national poetry conferences and festivals.
As part of their Year of Service, each National Student Poet creates a community service project, letting more people in their regions know about the Program and making them concerned with issues and themes that hold special significance for the Poet.
1. How often are National Student Poets selected?| A．Once a year. | B．Twice a year. | C．Every two years. | D．Every five years. |
| A．Those who want to learn about poetry. | B．Those who won a national poetry contest. |
| C．Those who promote poetry in their regions. | D．Those who act as youth poetry ambassadors. |
| A．In their schools. | B．In their communities. | C．All over the world. | D．All over the country. |
5 . Just this morning, my 11-year-old son shared with me a “really sad dream”. Keep in mind that this is from a boy who watches very little war news, who rarely hears his parents talk of war, who has no relatives personally involved in the war. The dream went something like this:
All the fifth-grade boys from his school were soldiers in the war. Dylan and my son were on the Ukrainian side. Alex and others were fighting together with the Russians. These and other friends were found on both sides of the conflict, but none of them wanted to kill each other. They were actually trying to help and protect one another. Then a Russian soldier who was not someone the boys knew attacked Dylan. Alex and Andrew tried to warn Dylan and stop the attack, but it was too late. Dylan died. And it was very sad.
Besides the emotional power of the distant war expressing itself in my son’s life, what impressed me about his dream was that there were good people fighting on both sides. Is that an 11-year-old’s myth, or could it really be true? I affirmed (肯定) his concern for all the people directly involved in the war, all of which was pretty much in line with what the experts advise.
My son doesn’t get much news exposure from television, vastly preferring kid entertainment when he has a choice. And that’s. just as well. In fact, limiting children’s media exposure to war is one of the key suggestions the experts make.
However, there are questions and concerns. For weeks, my son has been praying daily that we will not go to war. Now he prays the war will end soon, and that people will not get hurt or killed. A few days ago, he voiced the almost casual question, “Will the war come to Oklahoma?” I answered no, and we agreed that we are fortunate to be far from the war. And yet, I think my son already understands that disaster — including the intentional horror of terrorism — can happen anywhere, like New York, Washington or even Oklahoma City. But still, that’s hardly the same as living with a daily personal fear or expectation of war reaching your home.
Tonight I kissed my boy goodnight and put him to bed, as again he prayed that God would help the war to end soon. I wonder how many more nights he will have to say that prayer…
1. Which of the following word can best describe the war in the boy’s dream?| A．Expected. | B．Natural. |
| C．Unrealistic. | D．Boring. |
| A．Keep children from TV viewing. |
| B．Stop thinking too much about the war. |
| C．Show concern for whoever suffers from the war. |
| D．Encourage children to be concerned about the war. |
| A．Uncertain when it will come to an end. |
| B．Fearful that it will come to Oklahoma. |
| C．Worried that it will cause more deaths. |
| D．Fortunate that it hasn’t affected her family. |
| A．To show how the war affects a kid. |
| B．To show what the war is like in a kid’s dream. |
| C．To show what a kid should do to stop the war. |
| D．To show what attitude a kid should take to the war. |
6 . It was my 28th birthday, and I was seriously depressed.
I was a newly divorced mom,
I hadn’t lived in Utah (犹他州) long and I was still
The next morning, I awoke before the kids and began to make breakfast. I heard
His words suddenly
I looked wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the presents. “Happy birthday” my son cried. “I
I hugged my son and daughter and told them how
| A．raising | B．employing | C．training | D．assisting |
| A．clinic | B．park | C．kindergarten | D．restaurant |
| A．turning to | B．referring to | C．looking forward to | D．adjusting to |
| A．operation | B．divorce | C．birthday | D．leaving |
| A．carelessness | B．hopelessness | C．heartlessness | D．homelessness |
| A．legs | B．arms | C．fingers | D．toes |
| A．curious | B．elegant | C．bright | D．amusing |
| A．noises | B．songs | C．laughter | D．explosions |
| A．yell | B．smile | C．dance | D．rest |
| A．convinced | B．hit | C．embarrassed | D．confused |
| A．defeating | B．poisoning | C．affecting | D．ruining |
| A．Hiding | B．Faking | C．Squeezing | D．Putting |
| A．lived | B．existed | C．sat | D．lay |
| A．ahead of | B．above | C．behind | D．beneath |
| A．flowers | B．presents | C．cards | D．dolls |
| A．scared | B．annoyed | C．loved | D．surprised |
| A．amused | B．excited | C．lucky | D．ambitious |
| A．expensive | B．ridiculous | C．delicate | D．thoughtful |
| A．exchanged | B．purchased | C．rented | D．stolen |
| A．reflected | B．copied | C．repaired | D．painted |
7 . It’s about time somebody destroyed that old myth (神话) about childhood being the happiest period of your life. Childhood may certainly be fairly happy, but its greatest moments can’t compare with the joy of being an adult. Who ever asked a six-year-old for opinion? Children don’t have opinions, or if they do, nobody notices. Adults choose the clothes their children will wear, the books they will read and the friends they will play with. Mother and father are kind but complete dictators (独裁者). This is an adult world.
You must have heard these words about how happy it is to be a child. But which adult would honestly change places with a child? Every movement you make, every thought you think is observed by some adults. Remember how gentle pressure was given to you with words like “if you don’t do as I say, I will...” I’m sure you will never forget!
Even so, these are only part of child’s trouble. No matter how kind and loving parents may be, children often suffer from terrible and illogical fears since they can’t understand the world around them. They often have such fear in the dark or in the dreams. Adults can share their fears with other adults while children have to face their fears alone.
But the most painful part of childhood is a period when you begin to go out of it, the period when you go into adolescence. Teenagers start to be against their parents and this causes them unhappiness. There is a complete lack of self-confidence during this time. Adolescents pay much attention to their appearance and the impression they make on others. They feel shy, awkward and clumsy. Feelings are intense and hearts easily broken. Teenagers experience moments of great happiness or black despair. And through this period, adults seem to be unkind than ever.
What a happy time it is to grow up. Suddenly you get your balance; the world opens up before you. You are free to choose; you have your own place to live in and your own money to spend. You do not have to ask approval for everything you do. You are no longer laughed at or punished by heartless adults around you. And if sometimes you are laughed at, you know how to deal with it. You can simply tell other adults to go to hell: you are one yourself.
1. Based on the passage, the reason why childhood is not the happiest time is that ________.| A．kids can’t get enough love from their parents |
| B．kids are not happy at school |
| C．parents are often too strict with their kids |
| D．kids don’t have enough freedom |
| A．The fears are terrible and illogical. |
| B．They can’t figure out the surrounding world. |
| C．They can’t share their fears with adults. |
| D．They simply can’t help feeling frightened. |
| A．They start being against their parents. |
| B．They care about what others judge them. |
| C．They feel shy, awkward and clumsy. |
| D．They are more sensitive than ever. |
| A．To further support the author’s argument. |
| B．To encourage teenagers to quicken their pace to grow up. |
| C．To offer some hope to teenagers. |
| D．To set teenagers a target. |
8 . For those of us who have ever been to Ocean Park, the best part was probably seeing the beautiful and friendly dolphins. And the luckier people among us may have even had the chance to swim with these amazing creatures. At the same time, however, we can’t help but think that these animals would be happier in the wild, rather than be forced to perform for humans in captivity (圈养).
According to a recent study though, we needn’t think like that. The study, which was published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, was led by scientist.
As the first of its kind, the study’s aim was to look at captivity from the animals’ point of view, according to BBC News. Over the course of three years, Clegg and her team put together a series of experiments to figure out how captive dolphins felt about their lives. “We wanted to find out what activities in captivity they like most,” she told BBC News.
There were three kinds of experiment : one in which the dolphins were let alone, one in which toys were added to their pool, and one in which a human played with the dolphins.
It was found that of the three types of experiment, the dolphins seemed to enjoy playing with humans the most. “Their leaping from the water during training and their curious approaches to the edge of the pool appeared to be enthusiastic,” wrote BBC News science correspondent Victoria Gill. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean dolphins are happier in captivity than they are in the wild.
According to wildlife and nature platform One Green Planet, being raised in captivity could actually be harmful to dolphins. “By being born into captivity, they will never learn the skills necessary to survive in the wild. This means that any animal that is born in captivity can never be sent back into the wild,” it wrote on its website.
But while this may be true, at least it seems that captive dolphins still enjoy happy moments with humans.
1. In what way is Clegg and her team’s research special?| A．The research lasted for over three years. |
| B．Live dolphins were studied in this research. |
| C．Scientists tried to view things from dolphins’ perspective. |
| D．The research was conducted in a dolphinarium. |
| A．From dolphin’s behaviours. | B．From dolphins’ noises. |
| C．From statistics of the research. | D．From BBC’s reports. |
| A．Dolphins would be badly treated. |
| B．Dolphins could never return to nature. |
| C．Dolphins could die in a short time. |
| D．Dolphins would be forced to perform. |
| A．Casual. | B．Concerned. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Positive. |
9 . More than I realized, Dad has helped me keep my balance.
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was severely crippled (瘸腿的) and very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. As we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.” Our usual walk was to or from the subway, which was how he got to work. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building. He went to work sick, and despite terrible weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride for him.
Unable to engage in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. He liked to go to dances and parties, where he could have a good time just sitting and watching. On one unforgettable occasion a fight broke out at a beach party, with everyone punching and shoving. He wasn’t content to sit and watch, but he couldn’t stand unaided on the soft sand. In frustration he began to shout, “I’ll fight anyone who will sit down with me!”
I now know he participated in some things indirectly through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he “played” too. When I joined the Navy, he “joined” too. And when I came home on leave, he insisted that I visit his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, “This is my son, but it is also me.” However, those words were never said aloud.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him. He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I think of him when I complain about small things, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”. At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.”
1. When the author was seen with his father, he felt ________.| A．annoyed | B．awkward |
| C．amused | D．astonished |
| A．he was ignored by other people | B．he was made fun of |
| C．he was looked down upon | D．he was unable to participate |
| A．He wanted to comfort himself. | B．He was quite proud of his son. |
| C．He convinced his son to replace him. | D．He wanted to make his son accepted. |
| A．Good qualities. | B．An ability to stand steadily. |
| C．A habit of working hard. | D．A motivation to be outstanding. |
Jul 1-Jul 30, 2018
Location ： Several locations tn New York
The Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York City is the city’s most popular jazz festival and focuses on bringing big-name artists to small crowds and up-and-coming acts to the public. The event takes over 15 places across the city and includes Questlove, Michael Bolton and Aretha Franklin.
Grant Park Music Festival 2018
Jun 14-Aug 19, 2018
Locations: Jay Pritzker Pavilion, South Shore Cultural Center, & Harris Theater for Music and Dance | 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois
Listening to classical music is said to improve your intelligence. Whether that’s true or not, the Grant Park Music Festival will provide you with free, classical music, and you’d be smart to attend. The music at these concerts will leave you begging for more. It’s free to attend, so come and enjoy some great music with your family and friends.
Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays 2018
Jun 21-Jul 26, 2018
Location: Lake Park | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Energy is way too contained (被压抑) in an indoor music place. Let that energy go where it wants through a series of outdoor concerts with Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays. Wednesday is no longer the most boring day of the week. This time, there’s something fun to do. A list of live music acts has made the middle of the week something to look forward to.
YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs (合唱队) 2018
Augl0-Aug 22, 2018
Locations: Washington National Cathedral | 3101 Wisconsin AVE NW Washington, DC
YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs in Washington gives students the rare opportunity to perform in the Washington National Cathedral, a famous historic place. The festival is a showcase of student choirs (唱诗班) from all over the local professional orchestra.
1. What can people enjoy at the Blue Note Jazz Festival?| A．Performances by famous singers. |
| B．Lively performances by public. |
| C．Performances by artists from 15 countries. |
| D．High quality performances with free admission. |
| A．Blue Note Jazz Festival |
| B．Grant Park Music Festival |
| C．Lake Park Friends Wonderful Wednesdays |
| D．YouthCUE Festival of Youth Choirs |
| A．New York. | B．Chicago. |
| C．Milwaukee. | D．Washington DC. |
