1 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee. In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法) to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
| A．A news report. | B．A science report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．Children’s literature. |
2 . Organic food is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as nonorganic food. Some parents and pet owners pay up to 200 percent more for organic food while some people think organic food is a waste of money.
There is one main difference between organic and non-organic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides (杀虫剂). This makes sure that the products are natural.
Some people think “organic” means “locally grown”. At the beginning, this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren’t enough organic materials. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.
Is organic food more nutritious? This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems, such as cancer. Many health experts disagree. Few studies prove that organic food prevents health problems. Health experts worry more about bacteria. These can come into contact with organic and non-organic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully.
Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money? This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.
1. Which is the NOT the advantage of organic food for most people?| A．safe. | B．cheap. | C．healthy. | D．tasty. |
| A．Reduce the use of pesticides． | B．Wash the food very carefully． |
| C．Grow organic food on your own. | D．Buy large companies’ products． |
| A．It is more nutritious. | B．It tastes better． |
| C．It contains more fat． | D．It has more bacteria． |
| A．A chemistry paper． | B．A restaurant menu. |
| C．An advertisement． | D．A health magazine. |
3 . Need a Job This Summer?
The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs. The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program. Not a student? Welcome to the government website and learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills, find a job or start businesses all year round.
Jobs for Youth
If you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province,you could be eligible (符合条件) for this program, which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training.
Who is eligible: Youth 15-18 years old in select communities (社区):
Summer Company
Summer Company provides students with hands-on business training and awards of up to$3,000 to start and run their own summer businesses.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15-29, returning to school in the fall.
Stewardship Youth Ranger Program
You could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer.
Who is eligible: Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire, but not turning 18 before December 31 this year.
Summer Employment Opportunities (机会)
Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program, students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service, its related agencies and community groups.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15 or older. Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability.
1. If you are 15, which program can’t you apply to?| A．Jobs for Youth |
| B．Summer Company |
| C．Stewardship Youth Ranger Program |
| D．Summer Employment Opportunities |
| A．It requires training before employment. |
| B．It offers the disabled job opportunities. |
| C．It provides awards for running new businesses. |
| D．It allows one to work in the natural environment. |
| A．Magazine. | B．Textbook. |
| C．Newspaper. | D．Website. |
4 . Designing a winter coat that transforms into a sleeping bag for people living on the streets would have been enough for most folks to sit back and revel（陶醉）in a kind deed done well. Others would call it good if they managed to take the attempt a step further by creating jobs for homeless people to sew the garments.
But Veronika Scott, the founder of the Empowerment Plan, wants those achievements to be just two of many stepping stones on the path to dreams fulfilled for single parents struggling to provide homes for their kids. Her vision has grown far beyond the design-school project thought up five years ago, when she was a 21-year-old student and people on the streets started calling her”the crazy coat lady”. Now The Empowerment Plan, is a fully developed business that has provided convertible（可变的）coats to more than 20,000 globally, given jobs and education to more than 40 parents, and helped move more than 80 children out of shelters.
Scott said she’s proud of the sleeping-bag coat she designed, but her main goal is getting people to the point where they and their families would never need one. That means locking past merely giving homeless parents jobs, but also helping them gain the education and skills needed to leave. The Empowerment Plan after a couple years and pursue their dreams.
Scott’s drive comes from her own upbringing as the scared child of parents who both struggled with unemployment and addiction. “The Empowerment Plan was a way of creating something I wish my own family had had growing up: an employment opportunity that would allow them to stabilize and get the financial stability they never had.”
Scott wanted to show parents and their kids “that living in a homeless shelter isn’t a defining （定义性的）characteristic, nor a life sentence.” Her employees all have been able to move into permanent housing with their children within the first four to six weeks of working for The Empowerment Plan, she said.
1. What is The Empowerment Plan's final aim?| A．More sleeping-bag cut can be produced. |
| B．The homeless can own a permanent house. |
| C．The project can cover all the homeless people. |
| D．Homeless families can stand on their own feet. |
| A．Homeless people's suffering. | B．Her enthusiasm for design. |
| C．Her background of growth. | D．Upsetting social problems. |
| A．Ambitious and earning. | B．Cooperative and generous. |
| C．Proud and patient. | D．Creative and demanding. |
| A．Fun lifestyles. | B．Latest News. |
| C．Diverse Cultures. | D．True Stories. |
