Dear headmaster, As president of Sullivan Junior High School’s student council, I have been chosen to write to you on behalf of the eighth grade class. We would like to propose an eighth grade promotion trip to Sea World in San Diego, California. We chose Sea World for several reasons. In science class, we have been studying oceans and the marine life. Going to Sea World would provide us with the opportunity to visit these creatures and to better understand their habitats. This could be a once in a lifetime experience for those of us who have never been outside Arizona. We will have lots of fun and learn at the same time. The close location of San Diego was also a factor in planning this trip. San Diego can be reached by bus in about six hours. If the buses leave Sullivan after school on Friday afternoon, we should arrive in California in time to have a late dinner and get settled into our hotel rooms before midnight. |
You may be asking yourself. “How will this trip be financed?” We are suggesting that the school host an “Oceans of Fun” night for family, friends, and community members for a small fee. The activities would be organized and supervised by eighth grade students. Some of our ideas for the night include a Surfer’s Snack Shop with homemade treats for sale, Pirate Pete’s Treasure hunt, and a short production of “A Whale of a Tale.” This would the best chance to show our ocean animal reports. Many of the eighth grade students have gone to school together since kindergarten. We believe that this trip would be a fantastic way to celebrate friendships. This trip may also be one of the last times we see our friends because students from Sullivan Junior High School attend four different high schools. We invite you to our next student council meeting on December 7, 2013, to discuss your thoughts and work out any concerns you still may have. Thank you for taking the time to consider our request for an eighth-grade promotion trip. Sincerely, Julie Martino |
1. Who has written this letter? What is she?
2. What idea has the author mainly expressed in Paragraph 4?
3. Why has the author written this letter?
4. Why does the author mention that many students have gone to school together since kindergarten in Paragraph 5?
2 . The silence of the Reference Library was broken only by the sound of pages being turned over. There were about twenty people in the room, most of them with their
Phillip had not been to this part of the library before. He
He had just sat down when he found the young lady assistant standing alongside him. “You
A.legs | B.hands | C.arms | D.heads |
A.jumped | B.ran | C.walked | D.danced |
A.afraid | B.confident | C.careful | D.certain |
A.when | B.until | C.because | D.although |
A.reach | B.control | C.pocket | D.balance |
A.looking | B.falling | C.bending | D.climbing |
A.little | B.strange | C.low | D.loud |
A.up | B.down | C.away | D.around |
A.held | B.picked | C.made | D.put |
A.fault | B.arrival | C.fall | D.limit |
A.may | B.must | C.can | D.would |
A.thought | B.picture | C.change | D.shock |
A.asked | B.provided | C.allowed | D.encouraged |
A.determined | B.expected | C.planned | D.refused |
A.relaxing | B.sharp | C.bored | D.kindly |
3 . To Their Own Beat
When Los Lobos perform in concert today, audiences in the thousands cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that the group started out as just another garage band playing popular rock-and-roll tunes from the radio, In 1974 four high school friends from East Los Angeles formed Los Lobos ( Spanish for “The Wolves” ) .
Like many garage bands, these friends might have simply gone their separate ways after high school. But the members of Los Lobos wanted to keep making music together. They decided to change their musical style and began focusing on traditional Mexican music that showed their tradition.
“We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Perez. “These guys (on the records) were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started trying to pick up on it. ”
The group put aside its electric guitars for the acoustic ones used in traditional Mexican music. For several years Los Lobos played at weddings or parties—any event that needed live music. They also landed a regular engagement (合同) at a Mexican restaurant.
By 1978 Los Lobos had made enough money to record their first album (唱片) , and they sold copies of it wherever they performed. They also returned to their electric guitars to get closer to a Tex-Mex sound, which is a mixture of traditional Mexican music, rock and roll, country music, and the blues. This new, louder sound produced one unexpected result: the group was fired from the restaurant.
But it didn’t matter that Los Lobos had lost their one steady job, because they had found a position that no other group took up. They had combined electric and acoustic instruments and blended (混合) musical styles in their own way. Steve Berlin joined the band in 1983 as the saxophone and keyboard player, adding to the band’s unusual sound.
“We didn’t so much want to recycle the music we’d grown up with as much as find the common links between it and all the other styles and sounds that were all around us,” Perez explains. “It became a mission ... bringing music together to bring people together. ”
In the 1980s Los Lobos gained the attention of several record companies. They were hired to perform on the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, which earned them a Golden Eagle Award. They have since earned many awards, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award. Their many records have been very successful, and they have toured the world.
Even after 30 years of making music together, Los Lobos continues to experiment with their sound. They never moved far away from their Mexican roots, however. They still include traditional music in their live performances, sharing their history—and their culture—with their fans.
1. Los Lobos recorded their first album after they_______.A.lost their job at a restaurant |
B.began playing acoustic guitars |
C.won an award for a film soundtrack |
D.added saxophone and keyboards to their sound |
A.Paragraph 1. | B.Paragraph 4. | C.Paragraph 6. | D.Paragraph 8. |
A.The way they recorded their first album. |
B.Their blending of different types of music. |
C.Their decision to play traditional Mexican music. |
D.The fact that they performed and toured the world. |
A.Music is best when played with traditional instruments. |
B.Music must be recorded to be passed down. |
C.Music should remain the same over time. |
D.Music can show many cultures. |
4 .
Greco-Roman Festival Friday, April 28th!You will be assigned to a group. As a member of the group, you will participate in at least ONE of the following activities. 1 Compete in an Olympic event. Sign up with your English teacher, and remember space is limited for each event, so don’t delay. See the list under “Olympic Events” below. 2 Make Greek or Roman food. Mrs. Jones has a list of actual recipes (配方) from ancient Greece and Rome. You may make American food, but be sure to give it a unique, mythological name. For example, call your chocolate cake “Zeus’s Delight.” This is a great way to practice your skills in the kitchen. (Please bring your food in a disposable container.) 3 Create a work of art for the museum. Be sure your artwork reflects ancient Greek or Roman culture. Artwork may include sculptures, paintings, mosaics, drawings, or models. The museum is a great place to show off your artistic talent. 4 Perform an original skit, song, or dance for the talent show. Rewrite your favorite Greek myth using modern language, or change the lyrics of a popular song to tell a Greek or Roman tale. Gather your creative energy and submit your ideas to your English teacher for approval. To try out, you must perform for a panel of teachers. This audition helps the teachers choose the BEST performance groups for the talent show, so be sure your group has rehearsed. 5 OLYMPIC EVENTS: ● Hercules Throw — Throw a football through a hoop 20 feet away. ● Three-Headed Race — Three people line up with touching legs tied. Then they run the distance of the gym. ● Toga-Barrow Race — This is like a wheelbarrow race while wearing your toga. (Runners grab partners’ feet Thursday, April 27th while partners walk on hands.) 6 Come to the Toga-tying Party Since the ancient Greeks should inspire your apparel for the event, feel free to attend the festival in a toga. Learn to tie your toga. Thursday, April 27th After school in the gym |
A.New recipes must be created. |
B.The best cook will win an award. |
C.Students can learn how to make chocolates. |
D.Greek or Roman names must be used for the food. |
A.Music. | B.Poems. | C.Words. | D.Styles. |
A.show students their choices |
B.find out the students’ talents |
C.train students in different ways |
D.persuade students to join in every activity |
Holidays are not necessarily for fun or rest. Doing something meaningful can also gain special pleasure. When the final bell rang, the students were reminded that there was no school on Monday—the Labor Day. “Enjoy your extra day off” said the teacher to her class.
An extra day off unsuited Kayla just fine. She loved breaks. She wanted to go out to play with her friends. When the school bus dropped Kayla off, she ran into the house happily.
“How was school, Kayla?” asked her mom.
“It was great, Mom. I am excited about no school on Monday.”
“You just started back to school two weeks ago. Already in need of a break, huh?” asked Kayla’s mom with a laugh.
Kayla slept in the next morning. Saturday was her favorite day of the week. I trained most of the day, so Kayla enjoyed playing videogames inside. On Sunday, her friends came over and they played basketball for several hours.
Then it was Labor Day, you know, the extra day off that Kayla was so looking forward to. But Kayla was awakened early that morning by her dad. He told Kayla that in honor of Labor Day, the family would be cleaning both inside and outside the house. Kayla couldn’t believe it. This was a holiday. A day when she was supposed to be enjoying freshly squeezed lemonade while playing in her tree house. As Kayla wiped here yes, she began to wonder if this was just a bad dream.
“Kayla, your breakfast is ready. We have a lot of work to do today. Let’s get a move on,” said Kayla’s mom. As she sat down at the kitchen table, Kayla asked her parents,
“Are you serious about working today? Isn’t Labor Day a holiday?”
“Yes, Kayla. It is,” replied her dad. “But your mom and I thought working hard today would make you appreciate why Labor Day was observed in the first place.”
注意:1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At first Kayla felt disappointed at her parents’ plan for the holiday.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________But things began to change as she was doing the chores.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Frozen in time, a 125-million-year-old mammal attacking a dinosaur. A 39-million-year-old whale, the heaviest animal that ever lived. The oldest known jellyfish, from 505 million years ago. Paleontology (古生物学) produces newsworthy discoveries.
Fossils (化石), moreover, provide direct evidence for the long history of life, allowing paleontologists to test hypotheses (假设) about evolution with data only they provide. They allow investigation of present and past life on Earth. Flows of biological diversity, appearances of new life forms and the extinctions of long existing ones, would go undiscovered without these efforts. But the headlines over exciting new fossils greatly underestimate the true importance of paleontology. Its real significance lies in how such discoveries brighten the grand history of life on Earth. From its beginnings, more than three billion years ago, to the present day, fossils record how life adapted or disappeared in the face of major environmental challenges.
Paleontologists provide us with a unique vantage on modern climate change. They play an essential role in interpreting ancient environments, in reconstructing ancient oceans, continents and climates. Fossils provide key limitation on the climate models that are essential for predicting future climate change. And the fossil record gives important insights into how life will respond to predicted future climate conditions, because these have occurred before in Earth’s history.
In addition, paleontology has provided a fundamental contribution to human thought: the reality of species extinction and thus of a world that has dramatically changed over time. In documenting the history of life, paleontologists recognized that many extinction episodes could occur suddenly, such as the event 66 million years ago that ended the dinosaurs. The search for the causes of past mass extinctions started pioneering studies from across the scientific spectrum (科学界), focusing on potential future threats to humanity.
Not only do paleontologists know what happens to life when things go bad, they also know how long it takes for ecosystems and biodiversity to recover from these disasters, which can take far longer than modern humans have existed.
Paleontologists thus provide a unique perspective on the nature and future long-term ecological impact of the current human-produced biodiversity crisis, the so-called Sixth Extinction, and therefore the importance of protecting modern biodiversity. The very concept of a Sixth Extinction would not exist without paleontologists documenting the first five.
Paleontologists know that understanding life’s past is critical to anticipating and adapting to life’s and humanity’s future. Paleontology is important because it brings its unique and critical perspective to current challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and the environment. Paleontologists can predict the future because they know the past.
1. The first two paragraphs are written to _______.A.describe an event | B.raise a question |
C.present an opinion | D.make a comparison |
A.A positive effect. | B.A valuable suggestion. |
C.A quick decision. | D.A comprehensive view. |
A.Ecological recovery takes shorter than imagined. |
B.Past lessons can help to predict the future threats. |
C.Paleontologists can handle the biodiversity crisis. |
D.Fossil studies focus on the causes of mass extinctions. |
A.Paleontology: A Pioneering Study |
B.Paleontology: A History Recorder |
C.Paleontology Tells More About Nature Than Humans |
D.Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries |
Group-Chat Culture Is Out of Control
For better or worse, we might be in the Age of the Group Chat. In a recent survey, most people said they felt stressed out by group messages, which can feel like a part-time job.
Connection is wonderful. Grexts, short for group texts, have the feature of imitating the casual back-and-forth of a dialogue, and the result can be more dynamic and fun than a two-person thread. Having a chat going also means you have a space to share your updates throughout the day, a reminder that you’re part of something.
Some researchers call this “ambient(周围的) virtual presence”: Even when you’re alone, you’re not alone. One researcher compares this phenomenon to echolocation(回声定位), the process that some animals, such as bats and dolphins, use to locate objects: They produce a continuous sound and use the resulting echo to sense their surroundings. Humans might use technologies such as group chats in a similar way—as a call-and-response, taking in information about their social networks and locating themselves within those webs.
But taking in too many signals can be overwhelming. Professor Bayer argued that group chats can create a “waterfall type of effect”, where messages keep flooding in and adding up. Eventually, you’re underwater. Another researcher suggested that different chat members all bring their own personalities, communication styles, and expectations for group norms. Without a standard etiquette (礼仪), people have varied opinions about what degree of responsiveness is required—which can cause real tension.
Grext anxiety is hard to resolve because it isn’t just about the group-chat or even mobile technology in general; it’s about the tension between being our own person and being responsible to others. Ultimately, most of us do want connection, even if it involves some duties.
1. What is the feature of Grexts?2. How might humans use group chats like echolocation?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
▶Without a standard etiquette, people have different ideas about what messages should be answered.
4. Please describe how another mobile technology affects your relationship with others. (In about 40 words)
8 . I was in my home office on a cold Sunday when I heard a quick knock on the door. I
“Open it.” he said.
I opened it to find a yellow begonia (秋海棠). It occurred to me that it was Mother’s Day.
“But···but I’m not a mother.” I said,
My dad smiled, “Well, some special people aren’t mothers. but I think they
Later, I called to thank him and we got to talking a lot. That’s when he let me in on his little
“She laughed
When asked why, he added, “I already know about the importance of being
I realized my dad was making a difference in people’s lives.
A.fell | B.waited | C.raced | D.looked |
A.shaking | B.pulling | C.holding | D.collecting |
A.annoyed | B.confused | C.worried | D.disappointed |
A.deserve | B.decide | C.promise | D.pretend |
A.celebration | B.joke | C.secret | D.excuse |
A.faith | B.courage | C.appreciation | D.kindness |
A.coldly | B.excitedly | C.proudly | D.nervously |
A.kept | B.spent | C.predicted | D.brightened |
A.present | B.healthy | C.patient | D.humorous |
A.Depressed | B.Inspired | C.Terrified | D.Astonished |
9 . As higher education leaders dive deeper into the conversation on Digital Transformation and Education 4.0, they are also learning how to incorporate the Digital Twins realm concept into their curricula, because Digital Twin technology can serve the university of the future.
A Digital Twin is a virtual representation of a real object or system which is updated from real-time data and uses machine learning, simulation (模拟), and reasoning to help decision-making. In other words, a Digital Twin can create a highly complex virtual model which is the exact replica of a physical thing. Connected sensors on a smart campus can collect data in real time. This data is used to create a map onto the virtual model, thus creating a Digital Twin of a campus. When school administrators look at the Digital Twin, they can see crucial information about how the real campus is doing.
The applications for Digital Twin technology do not stop there. Students and faculty can benefit from using the technology as well. For example, hybrid classrooms have become more and more common nowadays. Digital technologies have accelerated the transition into the university of the future. Digital Twin technology, one of the trending technologies related to Industry 4.0, helps faculty create simulation models based on course requirements.
Digital Twin technology makes the ultimate immersive learning experience possible. By using a Digital Twin, students can learn highly engaging tasks which can be too dangerous, complex, or expensive for the classroom. Rather than hands-on laboratory dissection of a physical frog to learn animal science or having to wait for available human organs in the health science lah, medical students can use the virtual twin of an animal or human organs for their study.
The complexity of chemistry or microbiology requires students to be totally engaged. By using Digital Twins in a Virtual Reality simulated learning experience, faculty can achieve a maximum level of engagement helping each student learn abstract concepts in their own unique way and much faster. By running simulations, students can better explore system behavior under different conditions, understand failure and develop an understanding of system sensibilities as well as how changes in the system parameters (参数) and external disruptions make an impact on the results.
Some universities, such as Stanford and Copenhagen School of Marine Engineering, have incorporated Digital Twin technology into their teaching curricula, applying it to disciplines like architecture and engineering as they believe they are the reality of the industry. Overall, this enhances student motivation, accelerates understanding, and improves the overall learning experience. Moreover, the industry encourages universities to incorporate educational Digital Twins in automation to give students the initial understanding of tools and skills they will need in their future.
1. It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that Digital Twins ________.A.remain a concept | B.are virtual copies of real objects |
C.represent future education | D.can operate campuses remotely |
A.Education 4.0 facilitates the development of Digital Twins. |
B.New technology poses potential threats to college teachers. |
C.Digital Twin technology in higher education is on the horizon. |
D.Virtual classrooms have grown in popularity under Industry 4.0. |
A. | B. | C. | D. |
10 . When I tried out for the football team during the summer before 9th grade, I never imagined how important this sport would become in my life. Football is a
In the first year, I played on the defensive line. This was an amazing
In September, during my junior year, my name was mentioned in the local newspaper as the key defensive lineman on the team. After playing a fantastic season, I was given the
In this sense, the world of football has taught me an important life lesson:
A.tough | B.popular | C.typical | D.dynamic |
A.set | B.control | C.test | D.require |
A.mistakes | B.adventures | C.accidents | D.injuries |
A.performance | B.position | C.moment | D.advantage |
A.with | B.over | C.through | D.into |
A.valuable | B.lost | C.extra | D.regular |
A.pride | B.choice | C.name | D.honor |
A.Unfortunately | B.Similarly | C.Happily | D.Gradually |
A.practices | B.tryouts | C.seasons | D.operations |
A.But | B.Or | C.So | D.And |
A.examined | B.changed | C.provided | D.completed |
A.shoulder | B.hand | C.leg | D.foot |
A.explore | B.avoid | C.love | D.support |
A.Knowledge | B.Belief | C.Experience | D.Opinion |
A.enjoyable | B.possible | C.sensible | D.responsible |