Phew! I'm so glad the day is over. I'm really tired, but my first day at school went well.
First of all, we met outside the school building.I was very nervous because my primary school only had 300 pupils but in the middle school there are about 1,300.What a difference! The older pupils are really big.I felt so small waiting there in front of the school.
The head teacher came out and told us to go into the school hall.Then he called our names out to tell us which class we were in. My class teacher is called Mrs. Black. She took us to our classroom.It's on the 5th floor.We aren't allowed to use the lift! I couldn't believe it.
We spent all morning with Mrs.Black looking at our timetables.Everyone in the school had a different timetable.I'm worried that I'll forget my timetable and go to the wrong room.
Lunchtime was OK. I had salad, fish and fruit, which was quite good, and then I went to play football with some of the other boys. They were all friendly and I don't think it will take me long to make friends.
After lunch we started lessons. I had maths and then history, where we started to learn about ancient Greece.That looked interesting.I have to do some homework tonight to find out how the ancient Greek people lived, so I'm going to do an Internet search and look it up in the library.
So far so good.I am quite looking forward to tomorrow, even though I've got science. I hate science!
Yours,
Jason
1. Why did the head teacher come?
| A．To give the pupils a timetable. | B．To tell the pupils which class they were in. |
| C．To show the pupils how to use the lift. | D．To take the pupils to their classrooms. |
a．Jason looked at his timetable. b．Jason went to the school hall.
c．Jason started his lessons. d．Jason played football with some boys.
| A．c a b d | B．a c b d | C．b c a d | D．b a d c |
| A．Jason didn't realize the new school was smaller than his primary school. |
| B．Jason was lucky enough to have someone else in the same class. |
| C．Jason thought it unbelievable, for they are not allowed to use the lift. |
| D．Jason didn't think the boys were friendly when playing football. |
| A．Terrible. | B．Disappointed. | C．Worried. | D．Good. |
2 . In Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, you can find Jamey Turner playing an unusual musical instrument, the glass harp（竖琴）. A glass harp is made up of different sized drinking glasses, each filled with water.
Turner makes music by running his fingers over the tops of the glasses. By doing so, each glass makes a different musical sound. Visitors to Alexandria like what they see and hear. They thank Turner by leaving a dollar or more in his box for donations. Jamey Turner is 78 years old. Turner became interested in playing the glass harp at the age of six, when he heard his father playing with a glass of water at the dinner table. He has been playing it for 50 years.
Today Turner puts together his instrument by placing 60 different glasses on a wooden soundboard. He holds the glasses in place with rubber bands, which keeps them from breaking. He then adds different amounts of water to each one to create different musical notes. Adding or taking away just a little water will change the sound. Adding water to a glass will make a lower sound. The smaller bowls of water produce a higher sound, while the larger ones produce a lower, deeper sound.
Turner always uses low-priced glass because it sounds better than costly crystal(水晶) and he has more control over the sound. Before buying new glasses, he will test them in stores. He decides if they produce the right sound by rubbing his finger over the top of them.
The glass harp was popular 300 years ago when composers like Wolfgang Mozart wrote music for the instrument. There have been about 400 pieces of music written just for the glass harp. But Turner plays all kinds of music, even popular music from China. Few people play the glass harp these days, but Turner says he sees videos of people experimenting with the instrument on YouTube. He hopes the next generation will continue making its music.
1. What do visitors think of Jamey Turner's performance?| A．Boring. | B．Attractive. | C．Special. | D．Common. |
| A．By beating the glasses in different parts. | B．By placing the glasses on a wooden board. |
| C．By adding or reducing water in the glasses. | D．By holding different glasses with rubber bands. |
| A．Little music is written for the instrument. |
| B．People are trying to play the instrument online. |
| C．Few people are playing the instrument these days. |
| D．The instrument cannot produce some beautiful sounds. |
| A．Making Music by Playing Glasses | B．Special Sounds from Glasses |
| C．Devotion to Playing Glasses for Fun | D．Fingers over the Tops of the Glasses |
3 . The Lake District Attractions Guide
Lowther Castle & Gardens
Unique historic restoration project;130 acres of wild gardens dating from the 17th century to explore,and a beautiful architectural castle ruin,period summerhouses,panoramic lakeland views. and wild play areas.Restored stable courtyard cafe,gift shop and gallery.
Open:Daily from 10:00 to 17:00(16:00 in winter).
Lakeland Climbing Centre
We are one of the UK's largest indoor aerial adventure Centres offering climbing and aerial activities for all the family(5 years +).Our award-winning Centre contains Kendal Wall(tallest wall in the country),awesome bouldering rooms,CrazyClimb and Skyline Indoor Aerial Adventure. Free car parking.Pre-booking recommended.
Open:Mon to Fri 10:00-22:00. Sat,Sun& BHa:10:00-19:00(10:00-17:00 May to Aug).
Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry
This atmospheric museum takes you buck through time to explore the story of the lake District and its inhabitants. Discover the unique traditions of the region through recreated period rooms and workshops lost trades to see how rural people lived,worked and played.
Open;Monday to Saturday and Summer Sundays.
10:30-17:00 Summer.10:30-16:00 Winter.
1. When is the Lowther Castle & Gardens open in Winter?| A．10:30-16:00. | B．10:00-16:00. | C．10:30-17:00. | D．10:00-17:00. |
| A．Buy some gifts in a gift shop. |
| B．Climb the tallest wall in the world. |
| C．Go on an indoor aerial adventure. |
| D．Explore the story of the inhabitants. |
| A．Lowther Castle&Gardens. |
| B．Lakeland Climbing Centre. |
| C．Skyline Indoor Aerial Adventure. |
| D．Museum of Lakeland Life &Industry. |
4 . People have different ways of dealing with a common cold. Some take over the counter medicines such as aspirin while others try popular home remedies(治疗) like herbal tea or chicken soup. Yet here is the tough truth about the common cold: nothing really cures it.
So why do people sometimes believe that their remedies work? According to James Taylor, professor at the University of Washington, colds usually go away on their own in about a week, improving a little each day after symptoms peak, so it's easy to believe it's medicine rather than time that deserves the credit, USA Today reported.
It still seems hard to believe that we can deal with more serious diseases yet are powerless against something so common as a cold. Recently, scientists came closer to figure out why. To understand it, you first need to know how antiviral drugs work. They attack the virus by attaching to and changing the surface structures of the virus. To do that, the drug must fit and lock into the virus like the right piece of a jigsaw(拼图), which means scientists have to identify the virus and build a 3D model to study its surface before they can design an antiviral drug that is effective enough.
The two cold viruses that scientists had long known about were rhinovirus(鼻病毒) A and B. But they didn't find out about the existence of a third virus, rhinovirus C, until 2006. All three of them contribute to the common cold, but drugs that work well against rhinovirus A and B have little effect when used against rhinovirus C.
''This explains most of the previous failures of drug trials against rhinoviruses,'' study leader Professor Ann C. Palmenberg at the University of Wiscons in Madison, US, told Science Daily.
Now, more than 10 years after the discovery of rhinovirus C, scientists have finally built a highly detailed 3D model of the virus, showing that the surface of the virus is, as expected, different from that of other cold viruses.
With the model in hand, hopefully a real cure for a common cold is on its way. Soon, we may no longer have to waste our money on medicines that don't really work.
1. What does the author think of popular remedies for a common cold?| A．They are quite effective. | B．They are slightly helpful. |
| C．They actually have no effect. | D．They still need to be improved. |
| A．By breaking up cold viruses directly. |
| B．By changing the surface structures of the cold viruses. |
| C．By preventing colds from developing into serious diseases. |
| D．By absorbing different kinds of cold viruses at the same time. |
| A．The surface of cold viruses looks quite similar. |
| B．Scientists have already found a cure for the common cold. |
| C．Scientists were not aware of the existence of rhinovirus C until recently. |
| D．Knowing the structure of cold viruses is the key to developing an effective cure. |
| A．Drugs against cold viruses | B．Helpful home remedies |
| C．No current cure for common cold | D．Research on cold viruses |
5 . American and Canadian ocean scientists are taking an unexpected opportunity presented by the coronavirus pandemic（冠状病毒大流行）. They are trying to discover whether Pacific Northwest whales benefit from the drop in boat traffic and underwater noise.
Stay-home laws have greatly reduced entertaining boat trips and ferry crossings this spring. Commercial（商业的）whale watching tours remain on hold. Large ships carrying goods continue to come and go less often. Noise and boat disturbance are considered main reasons for the decrease of the Northwest’s endangered killer whales besides reducing food supply and pollution.
“From a killer whale’s point of view, not having fast moving boats around might be quite beneficial,” said oceanographer Scott Veirs of Seattle, who is in charge of an underwater microphone network called Oreasound.
However, the decrease in sea traffic by the coronavirus pandemic may be short-lived, meaning archers have to act fast to document if the quieter seas make happier, healthier whales.
“We are all trying to remain ready,” Veirs said. “If the pandemic continues to affect boat traffic for the next couple of months, we’ll have a very rare activity when noise levels are reduced. I hope that happens, opportunity to observe killer whale activity when noise levels are reduced. I hope that happens.”
The population of killer whales in the waters of the U. S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern British Columbia has reduced to around 73. They use sound to hunt. locate and communicate, and noise from boat engines can affect the sound waves they make for echolocation（回声定位）. Other larger whales that live in Northwest waters communicate over longer distances in a frequency band（波段）that is almost the same with the low frequency noise made by large container ships.
Viers believes if we continue to not have any commercial whale watching and limit our entertaining boating, the killer whales would certainly experience less of noise disturbance with the boats.
1. What do killer whales benefit from the coronavirus pandemic?| A．Stricter laws on ocean pollution. |
| B．More whale watching tourists. |
| C．Reduced noise and boat disturbance. |
| D．Increased food supply. |
| A．The ocean traffic may increase before long. |
| B．The echolocation function of whales is damaged. |
| C．The frequency band whales use is similar to boats. |
| D．The population of killer whales drops too quickly. |
| A．The population of killer whales. |
| B．The frequency band killer whales use. |
| C．How killer whales use sound waves. |
| D．Why noise from boats affects the life of whales. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A news report. | C．A science fiction. | D．A travel diary. |
6 . Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and where he grew up. The property(房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world for over 250 years.
| OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun: 9:30am to 5:00pm 20 Oct to 19 Mar Mon to Sat: 9:30am to 4:00pm Sun: 10:00am to 4:00pm |
◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
◆Enjoy the traditional(传统的) English garden, planted with trees and flower mentioned in the poet’s works.
| ADMISSION: Adult ￡4.90 Child ￡2.20 Family ￡12.00 (2 adults + up to 3 children) |
The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map；nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ Walk).
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition Hall and the garden are accessible(可进入的) to wheelchair users.
The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace)
1. How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?| A．￡9.80. | B．￡12.00. | C．￡14.20. | D．￡16.40. |
| A．Behind the exhibition hall. |
| B．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. |
| C．At Windsor Street. |
| D．Near the Coffee House. |
| A．the House | B．the garden |
| C．the Visitors’ Centre | D．the exhibition hall |
7 . With a wide range of events taking place all year round, there’s always something to celebrate in Santa Cruz County. Here are top 4 events this week.
The Jazz Time: Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson takes us on a magical mystery tour of 100 years of jazz in 60 minutes with a great jazz band.
Veterans Memorial Building, 846 Front Street, Santa Cruz
Spotlight on the Symphony: Nigel Armstrong
Santa Cruz Symphony’s’ concertmaster (首席小提琴手), Nigel Armstrong, can’t get enough of performing in Santa Cruz County, and has agreed to share his great talent on violin with us.
Samper Recital Hall, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza
Spend the day in Oaxaca! Family-friendly food, music, crafts cultural festival. The entrance fee: $10, free for children aged 5 and under. Limited free parking at the county government center.
San Lorenzo Park, 137 Dakota Avenue, Santa Cruz.
Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir
Led by Linda Tillery, the Cultural Heritage Choir inspires us with exciting rhythms and great energy through different forms, such as stick, song, dance and story.
Cabrillo Crocker Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
1. Where would music history lovers prefer to go?| A．Veterans Memorial Building. | B．Samper Recital Hall. |
| C．San Lorenzo Park. | D．Cabrillo Crocker Theater. |
| A．$5. | B．$20. | C．$25. | D．$30. |
| A．The Jazz Time: Steve Wilson. |
| B．Spotlight on the Symphony: Nigel Armnstrong. |
| C．Vive Oaxaca Guelaguetza. |
| D．Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. |
8 . Welcome to Los Angeles. Here are some best things to do in Los Angeles (LA) with your kids.
Fall at the Beach
Thanks to its almost perfect weather all through the year, a visit to the beach is one of the best things to do when in Los Angeles with kids. While they enjoy themselves nearby, you can simply relax and have a good rest in the sun.
Trip to Disneyland
A trip to the City of Angels with your little angels is incomplete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom. The joy they'll feel from being around all those Disney characters will light up your day, too.
Visit to the museums
If you want to turn your stay in LA into an educational one for your kids, you should visit the museums. Starting with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, or the California Science Center, or even the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena, you have many choices. I'm sure a visit to all these places will make your kids feel smarter.
Visit to the Universal Studios Hollywood
Your kids could get to see interesting things from some of the most popular movies ever. From the theme park of Jurassic Park to Wisteria Lane from the TV play Desperate Housewives, the Universal Studios Hollywood is a place that we all find wonderful.
1. The passage is written for those who ________.| A．will go on a business trip to Los Angeles |
| B．plan to have a trip to Los Angeles with their kids |
| C．want to educate their children by traveling abroad |
| D．are interested in the history and culture of Los Angeles |
| A．the Universal Studios Hollywood |
| B．the Magic Kingdom |
| C．the museums |
| D．the beach |
| A．children can learn a lot there |
| B．parents can take a rest there |
| C．it provides different sports equipment |
| D．it’s the best beach in the world |
9 . It feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation, it turns into an argument. We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly my mother will push the conversation into the Third World War. She’ll talk about my lack of bright future because I don’t plan to be a doctor. And much to her disappointment, I don’t want to do any job related to science, either. In fact, when I was pushed to say that I planned to major in English, she nearly had a heart attack.
“Why can’t you be like my co-worker’s son?” she shouts all the time. Her co-worker’s son received a four-year scholarship and is now earning 70,000 dollars a year as an engineer. I don’t know what to say except that I simply can’t be like Mr. Perfect as I’ve called the unnamed co-worker’s son. I can’t be like him. I am the type of the person who loves to help out in the community, write until the sun goes down, and most of all, wants to achieve something because of loving it, not because of fame or salary.
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major. I’ve seen my mother struggle (艰难) to raise me on her small salary and work long hours. She leaves the house around 6:30 am and usually comes back home around 5:00 pm or even 6:00 pm.
However, I want her to know that by becoming a doctor, it doesn’t mean I’ll be successful. I’d rather follow my dreams and create my own future.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 mean?| A．The author’s mother argued about something angrily with him. |
| B．The author’s mother expressed different opinions on the war. |
| C．The author’s mother liked talking with him but got angry easily. |
| D．The author’s mother quite disagreed about what to eat for dinner. |
| A．To tell the author to learn as hard as he can. | B．To persuade the author to become a doctor. |
| C．To encourage the author to receive a scholarship. | D．To ask the author to earn much more money. |
| A．Her plans for future. | B．Her need to control. |
| C．Her struggle with life. | D．Her poor knowledge. |
| A．The author will become an engineer as his mother wishes. |
| B．Being a scientist is sure to earn high fame and salary. |
| C．The author shows little interest in learning English. |
| D．The author may choose major according to his interest. |
10 . Whatever your age or interests, Buxton has something to see or do to make your visit truly memorable.
High energy
If you desire physical activities, you can choose activities from swimming to horse riding.
Explore the heights with Go Ape, the high wire forest adventure course, or journey under the earth at Poole's Cavern. And don't forget: we are surrounded by a natural playground just perfect for walking, caving, climbing and cycling.
High minded
Buxton is proud of its cultural life and you'll find much to suit all tastes with art, music, opera and the performing arts at Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Arts Centre and Green Man gallery. There are plenty of opportunities for the creative person to become involved, including workshops and events.
Keeping the kids happy
Children love the small train and playgrounds in the Pavilion Gardens and there’s plenty more to explore at the Buxton Museum. There's a new indoor play center, plus the special events and workshops, and others during school holiday periods
1. If you want to take an underground journey, which place is the best choice?| A．Poole's Cavern. | B．Pavilion Gardens. |
| C．Buxton Museum. | D．Green Man Gallery. |
| A．rides in small train | B．courses in modern arts |
| C．artistic and cultural activities | D．basic courses in horse riding |
| A．Poole's Cavern. | B．Pavilion Gardens. |
| C．Buxton Opera House. | D．Green Man Gallery. |
