1 . A study of 3,884 students from primary schools to colleges found that examinations made 83.1 percent of primary students anxious, and more than 40 percent of high school children were out of sorts （身体不适）because of stress and anxiety.
Moreover, 75 percent of the high school respondents admitted that they had problems talking to their parents and more than 55 percent of them found it hard to associate with other people, according to the study.
It is not difficult to conclude that our children are not happy.
Today's kids are coming home from school weighed down with backpacks full of books and worksheets. They are spending hours at desk at night, seldom going outside to play and getting to bed late.
How can this be a good thing?
Homework is eating away children's time to play freely with neighborhood kids - and more importantly, their time to sleep.
Homework can enrich the education process. But like all things, too much of it may dampen （减 少）a student's enthusiasm for learning. To raise cheerful, contented and well-mannered children, parents need to put in a lot of time and effort. Their eyes should go beyond their children's preparations for tests. Children need a break too. So let them be in control of parts of the day.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．High school students suffer more than primary school students. |
| B．Most of the students have no problem talking to their parents. |
| C．The teenagers suffer from heavy workload. |
| D．The students are not happy at home. |
| A．They have to take their backpacks. |
| B．They have to stay up late. |
| C．They have to eat more. |
| D．They have more time to play outdoors. |
| A．They should spend more time with their children. |
| B．They need to ask their children to work hard. |
| C．They should not care about their children's test results. |
| D．They need to give children more free time. |
| A．Negative. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Uncertain |
2 . You might have noticed that the ringing sound of basketballs was almost like the beat to a song. But did you know that it could be taken seriously as music?
The music group STOMP has taken everyday objects and turned them into instruments. The music it has created is a hit all over the world.
STOMP was formed by British musicians Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. They met in the early 1980s when they were both working as buskers, the British term for street performers. Cresswell and McNicholas were part of a busking group called Pookiesnackenburger that became very popular throughout Britain.
Cresswell was a drummer (鼓手) for the group. Because they performed on the street, he could not set up a traditional drum set. Instead, he wore one drum that hung around his shoulders. To be able to make different sounds, Cresswell began beating on everyday objects that he could find during performances. This creative drumming led to the idea for STOMP.
STOMP made its first public appearance at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre in 1991. The performers used one-of-a-kind instruments, such as empty water bottles, basketballs, and matchboxes to create music. Wearing overalls and T-shirts, they danced around on a stage made to look like a closed warehouse (仓库). STOMP was a great success, winning many theater awards and drawing huge crowds (人群).
In 1994, STOMP came to the United States and played at the Orpheum Theater in New York City. Years later it is still playing there! To celebrate its ten-year anniversary (周年纪念), the then New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg renamed the street outside the theater STOMP Avenue.
STOMP has now toured all over the United States and most of the world. One reason STOMP is so popular is that anyone can enjoy it. There are no words or story. People from all cultures can understand it, no matter which language they speak.
1. What makes STOMP a special music group?| A．There are few words in its music. |
| B．It usually performs in warehouses. |
| C．The performers wear special clothes. |
| D．It uses everyday objects as instruments. |
| A．It was created in 1980. |
| B．It was formed in Britain. |
| C．It was named after a street. |
| D．It was part of Pookiesnackenburger. |
| A．Luke Cresswell. | B．A busking group. |
| C．Steve McNicholas. | D．Michael Bloomberg. |
a. STOMP began performing at the Orpheum Theater.
b. STOMP began performing at the Bloomsbury Theatre.
c. Michael Bloomberg named a street STOMP Avenue.
d. Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas worked as buskers.
| A．d-b-a-c. | B．d-a-b-c. |
| C．b-a-c-d. | D．b-a-d-c. |
3 . It’s November now and Christmas is on the way. What would be a better way to spend time with your loved ones than sitting down to watch some classic Christmas movies?
1. The Grinch (2000)
This is a Christmas must-watch. It was originally (最初) a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss, which I would suggest reading! It’s the story of a green monster (怪兽) who wants to destroy Christmas but who in the end discovers the power of love. I promise it’s a great film with plenty of laughs along the way.
2. Love Actually (2003)
While this is not a personal favourite of mine, people in the UK love this film. It features (由……主演) famous actors and actresses such as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. It might be a little difficult to follow, but the heart-warming story makes it worth watching.
3. Home Alone (1990)
This is one of my favourite films of all time and I would watch it all year round if I could. It tells the story of a boy, Kevin, who is left alone in his house when his large family forget to take him on vacation. While the family are away, burglars (窃贼) try to break into the house and Kevin must protect his home by setting traps. The trips, falls and traps will have you laughing out loud as you watch a 10-year-old boy outsmart two grown men.
4. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
You can’t have Christmas in an English-speaking country without watching this film. It’s not funny like Home Alone or The Grinch, but it is really touching. It’s about a man who says he is Santa Claus, but nobody believes him except a lawyer and a little girl. The storyline may seem a little childish but you can enjoy it at any age.
1. Which movie is based on a children’s book?| A．The Grinch. | B．Love Actually. |
| C．Home Alone. | D．Miracle on 34th Street. |
| A．It is his favourite movie. |
| B．It is funny and touching. |
| C．It is a little difficult to follow. |
| D．It is suitable for people of all ages. |
| A．All can make you laugh out loud. |
| B．All are newly-made movies. |
| C．All are related to Christmas. |
| D．All tell stories about kids. |
4 . People in Mayilattumpara，a village in southwest India，could not sleep at night. Because of habitat loss，wild elephants would enter their village to look for food，destroying crops and farmland.
The villagers tried to keep the wild elephants out with electric fences（电网），deep holes and plants believed to keep the animals away. They even tried beating drums（鼓），but nothing worked！
The repeated damage of crops led some villagers to stop farming. Luckily，last year villagers found what keeps the elephants away: honey bees. Elephants are afraid of loudly buzzing bees and their stings（蛰）.
An electric fence holding beehives（蜂巢）now runs along the border of the village. When elephants try to pass the 2. 5 kilometers electric fence，angry bees fly out and the elephants quickly run away. Protected by the bees，farmers have returned to growing their crops.
Roy works for Agriculture Technology Management Agency. He said the idea for the fence came from the work of an Oxford University researcher（研究者），Lucy King. In 2008，Lucy successfully tested whether honeybees would keep elephants away from areas in Kenya. Researchers in Tanzania had the same success. So，Roy worked with the farmers in Mayilattumpara to start the experiment.
Setting up the fence and beehives in a large farmland was not easy. The farmers needed to learn how to care for the bees and deal with the cost of keeping up the system. The results of this experiment have encouraged farmers from other areas to try similar projects. The officials also have been working to deal with trouble between humans and elephants by improving the elephants' natural habitat.
1. What was the real trouble of the villagers in Mayilattumpara?| A．They couldn't sleep at night. | B．They lost their habitats. |
| C．They were short of food. | D．They suffered from farmland damage. |
| A．Electric fences. | B．Deep holes. |
| C．Big fires. | D．Beating drums. |
| A．A local Indian farmer. | B．A university researcher. |
| C．An agriculture official. | D．An experienced beekeeper. |
| A．A health magazine. | B．A biology textbook. |
| C．A tourist guide. | D．A news report. |
5 . Smart Home Products for Living a Connected Life
What makes something a smart home product? Generally, it’s defined by its ability to connect to a Wi-Fi network, allowing users to interact（互动）with it from their smartphones.We’ve rounded up some cool, diverse offerings that you’ll love to have in your home.
Nest Cam IQ
walmart.com
$299.00
The Nest Cam IQ is a beautifully designed home security camera that can recognize faces. It can warn you if there’s a stranger in your home. The device also supports two-way communication via built-in microphones and a powerful speaker.
Logitech Harmony Elite
amazon.com
$249.99
The Logitech Harmony Elite is one of the best universal remote controls available on the market. It can control just about every piece of electronics you own（it supports over 270，000 devices！）in every room of your house or apartment, including TVs，streaming devices, and sound systems.
Apple HomePod
bhphotovideo.com
$349.00
The Apple HomePod has better audio quality than any other smart speaker available today. Available in white or space gray, the Siri-powered device also allows you to control a number of devices with your voice.
August Smart Lock Pro
amazon.com
$279.99
The August Smart Lock Pro is compatible（兼容的）with most locks. A mobile app allows you to manage access to the lock, check its usage history, and get informed when someone opens the door. You can control it and check on the state of your door with voice commands.
1. What can the Nest Cam IQ help you do？| A．Properly use your smartphone camera |
| B．Control electronics with your voice. |
| C．Check the locks of your house. |
| D．Keep your home safe. |
| A．Nest Cam IQ. |
| B．Apple HomePod. |
| C．August Smart Lock Pro. |
| D．Logitech Harmony Elite. |
| A．Technology. |
| B．News. |
| C．Society. |
| D．Education. |
6 . Six months ago, Jack came to China to study. He has heard that Yangzhou is famous for its gardens. And he plans to visit some gardens in July, so he has collected information about them online as follows:
The Slender West Lake, named National AAAAA Tourist Area in 2010, includes the Great Rainbow Bridge, the White Pagoda, Five-pavilion Bridge, the Twenty-four Bridge, the Small Golden Hill and so on. The best time to tour the Slender West Lake is in March. During the visit to the park, the boat travels on the water and visitors travel in the picture. Ticket: Mar.—May. ￥150; Other months ￥90 Time: 8:30—17:00 Bus: No. 4, 5, 6, 17, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87357803; 0514-87370091 |
Ge Garden, one of the four top famous Chinese gardens, got its name from bamboo. The bamboo in the garden forms the green scenery. The centre of the garden is well-known for man-like hills. Four seasons can be experienced here at a time. Ticket: Mar. —May. ￥10; Other months ￥30 Time: Mar. —May. 7:15—18:00; Other months 7:15—17:30 Bus: No. 8, 30, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87935285 |
He Garden, the most famous garden in the late Qing Dynasty, is known for its long double-way corridor (走廊), which is regarded as the earliest footbridge. Ticket: Mar. —May. ￥40; Other months ￥30 Time: 7:30—17:15 Bus: No. 19, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87900345; 0514-87222353 |
1. How much will a ticket cost Jack if he visits the Slender West lake?
| A．30 yuan. | B．40 yuan. |
| C．90 yuan. | D．150 yuan. |
| A．The long corridor. | B．The green bamboo. |
| C．The man-made hills. | D．The boat travelling. |
| A．He can take a No. 19 bus to GeGarden. |
| B．He can visit the Slender West Lake at 8:00. |
| C．He can call 0514-87935285 for further information of HeGarden. |
| D．He can call 0514-87900345 to know more about HeGarden. |
7 . How do kids behave when there are no adults around？Donette Mabes from New Jersey says，"You never really know because you're not watching them all the time. "
Donette had always just thought her son was a troublemaker-until recently，when 13-year-old Gavin Mabes and some middle school friends arrived at a skate park. The park was empty except for little Carter Brunell，who was there with his mother celebrating his fifth birthday.
Carter is on the autism spectrum（自闭症）. Big groups of older kids can make him nervous，so his mom，Kristen，was fully prepared to get him out of there. But she wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Gavin led the way and the others followed. The only surprise was that Gavin didn't start trouble. He started a friendship. "Gavin is just going around with Carter and making him feel special. And the rest of his friends then started singing Happy Birthday to him，"Kristen said，“That really blew me away，because I just saw the kindness in the world. And I wanted Carter to have a good birthday. ”
It was such a great birthday, and such a kind deed, even the local police department responded. They decided to hold a pizza party for them. But here's the best part: Since their first meeting, Gavin and his friends have continued to play with Carter.
As for the moms, this was the sweetest moment. Knowing your kid treats others kindly is better than seeing your kid treated kindly by others, even when you're not watching. "I was just so proud of him. He's good," Donette said.
1. Why did Carter go to the skate park?| A．To go skating with his friends. | B．To play with Gavin and other friends. |
| C．To attend a pizza party there. | D．To celebrate his birthday with his mom. |
| A．frightened me | B．surprised me |
| C．troubled me | D．upset me |
| A．Seeing their kids treated kindly. | B．Seeing their kids treating others kindly. |
| C．Seeing their kids playing happily. | D．Seeing their kids doing well in school. |
| A．An act of kindness made a boy's birthday special. |
| B．How kids behave without adults around. |
| C．Carter was polite and kind to others. |
| D．Mothers were proud of their sons. |
8 . Whether you are a beginner，middle-level or advanced leaner，we have a course to fit your needs. We offer more than 50 courses and best of all，you don't have to leave your home！There are no scheduled course times in our online classrooms. Our self-paced，online classes are open the whole day.
This course teaches you the basics that you need to know and gives you the skill you need to start creating your written works of art. You'll learn about writing novels, poems and even plays. It doesn't matter if you're already writing or if you want to learn more about it so you can start.
Course Number: 9770561
Course Type: Basic
Instructor: Dana Kristian
This course provides you with the tools and information you need to improve not only the speed when you read, but your understanding and focus as well. Speed reading will also provide you with useful tools that you can use when you have trouble in reading.
Course Number: 7550418
Course Type: Middle-level
Instructor: Stephanie Val
This course is about both vocabulary and language. Over 900 frequently used English vocabulary words are taught and each lesson is broken down to include basic English language ideas to improve proper sentence development. All is supported by several examples and exercises.
Course Number: 8900182
Course Type: Basic
Instructor: Carol Smith
This course will provide you with a review of the grammar and writing skills necessary when you take any high school or college test, or with your everyday writing and communication in your work.
Course Number: 7550403
Course Type: Public Education
Instructor: Henry Brown
1. How long does the middle-level course last？| A．7 hours. | B．10 hours. |
| C．14 hours. | D．15 hours. |
| A．Dana Kristian. | B．Stephanie Val. |
| C．Carol Smith. | D．Henry Brown. |
| A．Creative Writing for Beginners. | B．Speed Reading 101. |
| C．Basic English Speaking Skills. | D．ABCs of English Grammar. |
9 . China Train Guide
Quick Guide on China Train Travel
If you’re looking for an affordable and comfortable way to get around China, train travel is the way to go. Getting train information and cheap train tickets has never been easier. Online train ticket booking makes it easy for travelers to look through China’s train timetable, compare train fares, and look for ticket availability. Once you’ve found a suitable train, you can book online and pick your tickets up at the train station or get them delivered to your home or hotel. Train tickets can be booked online a minimum of 35 minutes and a maximum of 60 days before departure.
How to choose train types
When you’re buying China train tickets online, you’ll notice that the journey duration differs depending on which type of train you choose. China train types can be recognized by their letter codes G, D and C trains are high-speed trains, while Z, T and K are slower or overnight trains. China’s high-speed trains run between Chinese provincial capitals and first-tier Chinese cities. G trains (high-speed trains, standing for gāotiě) are China’s bullet trains—the fastest trains with a maximum speed of 400 km／h. Tickets for these trains are the most expensive.
How to buy train tickets
Unless you can read Chinese, there are only two ways to make train reservations in China:
—Online train ticket booking with a travel agency (up to 60 days before departure).
—At the train station／local ticket agency with your passport (up to 58 days before departure).
How to read train tickets
When reading your train ticket, please take note of the Chinese characters and Pinyin printed next to your departure / arrival city. Directions (North, South, East, and West) appear in Pinyin (Bei, Nan, Dong, and Xi), not English. Please make sure you are going to the correct train station.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．It’s difficult to get train information in China. |
| B．You can get on the train without tickets after booking online. |
| C．Traveling by train in China is not very expensive. |
| D．Train tickets online are available at any time within 60 days before you leave. |
| A．G trains | B．Z trains | C．D trains | D．Overnight trains |
| A．Native tourists. | B．Travel agencies. | C．Businessmen. | D．Foreign travelers. |
10 . For centuries, dolphins have got our admiration, and it is easy to see why. They are beautiful, cute and smart sea animals. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. It is said that dolphins are the world’s second brightest creatures after humans and have many brain features related to intelligence. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.
1. Dolphins are different from many other animals because they _____.| A．live in groups |
| B．have large brains |
| C．are warm-blooded |
| D．have their own language |
| A．Its nose. | B．Its ears. | C．Its jaw. | D．Its eyes. |
| A．He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B．They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C．He was seriously wounded. |
| D．They wanted his help. |
| A．dolphins are friendly and clever |
| B．people are cruel to animals |
| C．Jack is different from other dolphins |
| D．dolphins should be protected by law |
