1 . The end of the school year was in sight and spirits were high. I was back teaching after an absence of 15 years, dealing with the various kinds of "forbidden fruit" that come out of book bags. Now was the spring of the water pistol.
I decided to think up a method of dealing with forbidden fruit.
"Please bring that pistol to me," I said. "I'm going to put it in my Grandma's Box."
"What's that?" they asked.
"It's a large wooden chest full of toys for my grandchildren," I replied,
"You don't have grandchildren," someone said.
"I don't now." I replied. "But someday I will. When I do, my box will be full of wonderful things for them."
My imaginary Grandma's Box worked like magic that spring, and later. Sometimes. students would ask me to describe all the things I had in it. Then I would try to remember the different possessions I supposedly had taken away—since I seldom actually kept them. Usually the offender would appear at the end of the day, and I would return the belonging.
The-years went by, and my first grandchild Gordon was born. I shared my joy with that year's class. Then someone said, "Now you can use your Grandma's Box." From then on instead of coming to ask their possessions back, the students would say, "That's okay. Put it in your Grandma's Box for Gordon."
I loved talking about the imaginary box, not only with my students but also with my own children. They enjoyed hearing about all the forbidden fruit I had collected. Then one Christmas I received a surprise gift—a large, beautifully made wooden chest. My son Bruce had made my Grandma's Box a reality.
1. What was the author's purpose in having the conversation with the students?| A．To collect the water pistol. | B．To talk about her grandchildren. |
| C．To recommend some toys. | D．To explain her teaching method. |
| A．The student's parent. | B．The maker of the Grandma's Box. |
| C．The author's grandchild. | D．The owner of the forbidden fruit. |
| A．They went to play with the baby. | B．They asked to see the Grandma's Box. |
| C．They made a present for Gordon. | D．They stopped asking their toys back. |
| A．She enjoys telling jokes. | B．She is a strict and smart teacher. |
| C．She loves doing woodwork. | D．She is a responsible grandmother |
2 . Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.
" I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open," said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
" As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. " We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added, "and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars. "
9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.
"It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. " There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. "
1. One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to _____.| A．program the opening hours of a bar |
| B．supply you with a picture of the future |
| C．provide information about your surroundings |
| D．update the maps and GPS in your smartphones |
| A．develop rapidly | B．get round quickly |
| C．appear immediately | D．go over automatically |
| A．necessary for teenagers | B．attractive to New Yorkers |
| C．available to people worldwide | D．expensive for average consumers |
| A．may have a potential market | B．are as common as smartphones |
| C．are popular among young adults | D．will be improved by a new technology |
3 . Name-calling, teasing, pushing and fighting—whether you have experienced it or not, the chances are that these are the things that appear in your mind when you hear the word “bullying”. Yet, many of us know little about the serious, lasting harms bullying could cause.
If you’ve watched 13 Reasons Why, you’ll understand the impacts that bullying can have. The second season of the popular US teenage drama was released on May 18. It tells the story of Hannah Baker, a high school student who takes her own life after she’s picked on by fellow students, while others stand by and do nothing to help her.
One of the important messages audiences could get from the show is to treat people with kindness and respect. “It teaches us that every single thing we say and do has an impact on others,” news platform Odyssey noted.
Some may think 13 Reasons Why exaggerates (夸大) the seriousness of school bullying, but according to the US National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 20 percent of US students were bullied in 2016, and only 36% of this group reported it.
NBA player Gerald Green opened up about being called “alien hands” during his teenage years due to his big hands. “Being bullied was embarrassing,” he said. “I still remember shying away from crowds and walking around with my hands in my pockets to evade the attention from my peers.” To get away with the teasing, he found his motivation by playing basketball and making a career out of it. But not everyone is so lucky to discover a release.
According to statistics released by the US government, if someone prevents a bully, there’s a 57% chance that the bullying will stop within 10 seconds. So if you ever witness bullying, consider stepping up and supporting the victim. As US actor Brandon Flynn, who stars in 13 Reasons Why, said, “Just because you’re not the one getting bullied, it doesn’t mean it’s not your problem.”
1. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?| A．To add some background information. |
| B．To encourage eyewitnesses to take action. |
| C．To introduce a new topic of the discussion. |
| D．To give people advice about dealing with bullying. |
| A．Bullying isn’t a problem in many schools. |
| B．School bullying can’t cause too much pain. |
| C．Only a few people are concerned about bullying. |
| D．Many people who’re bullied choose not to seek help. |
| A．Attract. | B．Focus. |
| C．Avoid. | D．Keep. |
| A．It overstates school bullying. |
| B．It was first shown on May 18. |
| C．It is mainly about school bullying. |
| D．It shows few people can report bullying. |
4 . It is well known that male humpback whales(座头鲸)are skilled singers.Their songs are thought to attract females in high frequency sounds while to compete with other males in low frequency sounds.Research led by the Wildlife Conservation Society has now made a new discovery.
The study looked at the songs of two humpback whale populations, based on sound recordings collected from 2013 to 2018.One group was based in the South Atlantic, off the coast of Gabon, and the other in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.Analysis of the recordings showed that the two groups picked up musical ideas from each other and borrowed phrases and themes into their latest song.This suggested that the males from the two groups came into contact with each other over the five years and shared songs.
To uncover this musical cooperation, researchers recorded the songs and transcribe them into more than 1,500 individual sounds and patterns, or song units.They found that the units were composed into larger phrases, which were then repeated to form themes.These themes were sung for hours at a time, or even days.By 2018, both populations have been singing largely the same songs.
"This similarity in the songs shows that these two populations come into closer contact than other southern populations, explains Dr Melinda Rekdahl, leading author of the study.As well as being an interesting phenomenon, she explains that those songs allow even greater insight into the workings of the humpback whale populations.
1. What do people usually think of the purpose of male humpback whales' songs?| A．To have fun. |
| B．To attract other fish. |
| C．To increase the population of their group. |
| D．To attract females and compete with other males. |
| A．They were born with those songs. |
| B．The researchers composed similar songs for them. |
| C．The male whales from the two groups learned singing from each other. |
| D．The male whales taught the females songs from the other group. |
| A．Change. | B．Describe. |
| C．Create. | D．Enjoy. |
| A．A Kind of Magic Whales. | B．Male Humpback Whales Share Songs. |
| C．The Biggest Ocean Animals. | D．The Workings of Humpback Whale Populations. |
Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many ways.For example,some birds become irritable(急躁的) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread.Other birds chirp(叽叽喳喳) and sing just before a storm.It seems they know they won’t get another chance for an hour or two.Birds also seek safe places before a storm.You will sometimes see birds settling in trees or gathering together on a wire close to a building.Pre-storm low pressure makes the air so thin that birds have difficulty flying.
It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime,rather than during the periods in the spring or autumn.Watch for other weather signs if you see this.If they fly in the wrong direction,they may be flying ahead of a storm.
By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature,we can become better prepared for any kind of weather.
1. The word “indicators” in Paragraph 1 probably means______.
| A．maps | B．services |
| C．signs | D．stations |
| A．make more noise than usual |
| B．fly in different directions |
| C．come down from tall trees |
| D．share a piece of bread |
| A．By feeling a drop in air temperature. |
| B．By noticing the change of wind directions. |
| C．By feeling a drop in air pressure. |
| D．By noticing the movements of other animals. |
| A．Signs of a Storm |
| B．Drops in Air Pressure |
| C．Animals’ Sharp Senses |
| D．Nature’s Weather Signs |
6 . New Zealand, which is a beautiful beach country, draws many people looking for a new life. Its cities are considered as some of the best places to live in the world, and with a population of only 4.4 million there remain plenty of untouched lands to explore and enjoy.
The big draw for modern-day visitors is the country's beautiful scenery and natural wonders. Sailing, surfing, hiking, camping and any outdoor activity you know can be done in New Zealand. With an increasing number of visitors arriving every year, environmentalists and the government are concerned about protecting the nature.
Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, with a population of 1.5 million. Known as the City of Sails, it sits on a narrow land between the Waitemata and Manukau Bays. The city's suburbs Lynn, Ellerslie and Meadowbank stretch form many miles along the coast. Its most popular places to live are Westmere, Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Meadowbank. These are the areas seeing the highest home prices in the country.
At the south of the North Island sits Wellington, the capital and diplomatic centre of the country, built in the hills above the Cook Strait that separates the North Island from the South Island. It has the country's best public transport, Metlink, and considers itself the coolest city in New Zealand.
“No matter where we live, beach culture has always been a big part of our culture,” said Shane Mason. “It's pretty common to leave town during the summer and spend Christmas and New Year at the beach.” “New Zealand is a good place to visit and a great place to live,” said Mason, who now lives in Berlin. “I've discovered there is no place like home.”
1. Many people move to New Zealand because _________________| A．they want to live a new life in the place fit to live. |
| B．it has a lot of beautiful scenery and natural wonders. |
| C．they want to explore and enjoy plenty of untouched lands. |
| D．it has a population of only 4.4 million. |
| A．Its rising population. | B．Plenty of untouched lands. |
| C．The increasing visitors. | D．Its rich natural resource. |
| A．Extend | B．Settle |
| C．Improve | D．Increase |
| A．its beach culture is the most unimportant culture. |
| B．she hopes to live in New Zealand for the rest of her life. |
| C．people seldom leave their homes to the beach. |
| D．she thinks New Zealand is the best place to live. |
There are now about 376 million people who speak English as their first language and about the same number who have learnt it besides their mother tongue. It is said there are one billion people learning English now and about 80% of the information on the Internet is in English.
Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? Should we celebrate the fact that more and more of us can communicate, using a common language, across countries and cultures? Or should we worry about the dangers of “mono-culturalism", a world in which we all speak the same language, eat the same food and listen to the same music?
Does it matter if an increasing number of people speak the same language? On the contrary (相反),I would have thought——although I have never accepted the argument that if only we all understood each other better, there would be fewer wars. Ask the people of India (where many of them speak at least some English) and Pakistan (the same situation with India)…
If we all speak English, will we then all start eating McDonald's burgers? Surely not. If English becomes more dominant (占主导地位的), it will kill other languages? I doubt it. When I travel in Africa or Asia, I am always surprised by how many people can speak not only their own language but also one or more other related languages, as well as English and perhaps some French or German as well.
When we discussed this on Talking Point a couple of years ago, we received a wonderfully poetic email from a listener in Ireland. "The English language is a beautiful language. Maybe it's like a rose," he said. "But who would ever want their garden just full of roses?"
Well, I love roses, and I think they make a beautiful addition to any garden. But the way I see it, just by planting a few roses, you don't necessarily need to pull out everything else. If more and more people want to plant English roses, that's fine by me.
1. By saying "Ask the people of India … and Pakistan" (in Paragraph 4), the author is trying to show that _____.
| A．speaking the same language doesn't necessarily bring peace |
| B．wars can destroy the relationship between two countries |
| C．English doesn't kill other languages |
| D．English is widely used in the world |
| A．The world | B．Family |
| C．Language | D．The Earth |
| A．it's very hard to plant many kinds of flowers in a garden |
| B．it's good for people from other countries to learn English |
| C．more and more people like to plant roses in their gardens |
| D．English is easier to learn than other languages |
| A．why English has become a global language |
| B．how many people in the world speak English |
| C．how people in the world learn English as a foreign language |
| D．whether we need to worry about English being a world language |
