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 . 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. |
3 .
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 |
4 . In comparison to many closely-related species, the human child takes a long time to grow up and requires a high degree of parental investment(亲情投资). Human children need more time to reach maturity(成熟)than other closely-related species.
A new study finds that one reason is the large amount of energy that the brain requires as it grows.
Christopher Kuzawa, first author of the study, explained: “Our findings suggest that our bodies can’t afford to grow faster during the toddler(幼童)and childhood years because a huge quantity of resources is required to fuel developing the human brain. As humans we have so much to learn, and that learning requires a complex and energy-hungry brain.”
Data from the study shows that at the moment when children’s bodies are growing the least-on average, at four years old-their brains are using the highest percentage of glucose(葡萄糖). That means that 40% of the child’s total energy expenditure is being used by its brain.
The findings support the theory that children take so long to mature because of the energy-intensive task of growing a massively over-sized brain in comparison to the brain-to-body weight ratio of other species.
Kuzawa continued: “After a certain age it becomes difficult to guess a toddler or young child’s age by their size. Instead you have to listen to their speech and watch their behavior. Our study suggests that this is no accident.”
Body growth nearly stops at the ages when brain development is happening at a lightning pace, because the brain is using up the available resources.”
“The mid-childhood peak in brain costs has to do with the fact that there are a huge number of synapses(神经元突触), connections in the brain, at this age, when we learn so many of the things we need to know to be successful humans.”
1. Why does it take people so long to grow up?A.They need to store energy to grow later. |
B.They need time to adapt to their environment. |
C.Most of the energy is used for brain development. |
D.They need a high degree of parental investment. |
A.At about four years old. | B.At about two years old. |
C.At about one year old. | D.At about five years old. |
A.Why toddlers and children need plenty of resources. |
B.The reason why it takes human infants a long time to grow up. |
C.The reason why human infants are similar to other animals. |
D.Why the brains of people need a large amount of energy. |
A.age | B.their size |
C.listen to their speech | D.guess their age by listening and watching |
5 . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?
Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious (有营养的) and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren’t necessarily more nutritious, and they’re no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.
The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. “We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,” says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. “So consumers shouldn’t assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer.”
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn’t always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “Whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.” Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.
1. The new research questions whether organic food ________.A.should replace traditional food |
B.has been overpriced by farmers |
C.is grown with less harmful chemicals |
D.is really more nutritious and healthier |
A.organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease |
B.traditional food was grown with more natural methods |
C.both organic and traditional food they examined were safe |
D.there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food |
A.Organic chicken and pork. |
B.Organic milk and chicken. |
C.Traditional chicken and pork. |
D.Traditional fruit and vegetables. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Positive. | C.Unconcerned. | D.Approving. |
6 . A few weeks ago, I sat with a California farmer named Dave Ribeiro. I asked him what he wished more people knew about farmers. He smiled and said, “That we walk among you. We look like you and talk like you. We have advanced degrees and hobbies, just like you.”
Take Dave: He’s a young man with a music degree. And if you walked past him on the street, you’d never think, “There goes a farmer.”
Is someone like Dave who you picture when you think of a farmer? Probably not. I think that most people would picture a man in his overalls. I can tell you, that does not represent Dave or any of the many other farmers I have gotten to know.
Not only do we have to throw out our stereotypes of farmers, but farming as a whole doesn’t look much like it used to either. We recently sent a team out to see what modern farming looks like, and they found farmers to be completely different from our usual ideas about them and also came across them in some unexpected places.
In a parking lot in a neighborhood of Brooklyn, they met a new crop of young farmers who are trying to bring fresh greens closer to eaters in the city by growing them in high-tech indoor vertical farms. In a Florida field under the flight path of an airport, they discovered farmers with university degrees growing algae (藻类) that might someday fuel our cars. And in a modern farm in California, they observed how farmers are using technology to take the best possible care of their animals.
These farmers all spend their days in very different ways — none of them looks like the stereotypical farmer we have in our mind — but they’re all working on new ways to feed our planet. Not only do we need to change our idea of what farming looks like, but we also need to change our view of where solutions can come from. Feeding all of us is going to take all of us working together.
1. How does Dave describe today’s farmers?A.They often walk on the street. | B.They are leading a very busy life. |
C.They are similar to ordinary people. | D.They have little time to make friends. |
A.They usually wear overalls. | B.They have interesting hobbies. |
C.They are skilled at growing crops. | D.They know modern farming practices. |
A.To deepen connections among farmers. |
B.To study different technologies in farming. |
C.To report on the new developments of farming. |
D.To encourage farmers to use new farming methods. |
A.They all work in the city. | B.They all use high technology. |
C.They all do hard physical work. | D.They all work with universities. |
7 . Many people like traveling. Travel in Canada has become exciting as a number of lakes make it attractive. In fact, Canada has more lakes than any other country which contains fresh water. In addition to lakes, Canada has a number of beaches as it has a long coastline on its north, east, and west. Travelers from around the world come in large numbers to enjoy the sunbath on various beaches.
Niagara Falls lies on the border between Canada and the US. It is now popular for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Niagara Falls is most attractive during the summer season when the weather condition is charming and attractive. At the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the falls for several hours after dark and the whole scene becomes magnificent.
When traveling in Canada, travelers can enjoy doing the shopping in Toronto which is considered a leading city. It symbolizes the spirit of independence. Migrants from Europe, Latin America and Asia inhabit the place and make it a plural society. Ottawa, on the other hand, is the capital of Canada and center of political activities.
Vancouver is an enlightening city in Canada which was named after British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The city is a leading industrial place in Canada. Another tourist attraction in Canada is the capital city of British Columbia, Victoria. The city is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
Travel in Canada is being made easy because of a higher standard of transportation facilities. Besides, very few people know that Canada is a country with high wages per hour. In addition to a popular tourist destination, Canada is an economic powerhouse of North America, particularly in agricultural products. The Canadian dairy industry exports milk products around the world.
1. What attracts travelers most in Canada according to the first paragraph?A.Coastlines and sunbaths. | B.Lakes and beaches. |
C.Animals and plants. | D.Mountains and water. |
A.Canada and the US. | B.The beauty of Niagara Falls. |
C.The importance of the falls. | D.The hydroelectric power. |
A.It is the political center of Canada. | B.It displays the Canadian bravery. |
C.Its people come from different countries. | D.Travelers can buy something cheap there. |
A.To tell us a history story. | B.To compare Vancouver and Victoria. |
C.To remind us to keep him in mind. | D.To introduce the city of Vancouver. |
8 . Three months after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rebecca Sell, then 24, a photojournalist for Fredericksburg photographed a New Orleans couple worriedly examining water-spotted photo albums. As she took the photo, something within her clicked. “I told them I could take the ruined pictures, copy them and give them digitally restored photos,” she recalls. Although a bit sceptical, the couple agreed. Rebecca took their photos home, restored them and took them to the couple at their temporary home. “It felt so good to be able to do that for them,” says Rebecca.
When her editor, Dave Ellis, saw the photo of the couple, he suggested they go back and restore damaged photos for even more people. So in January 2006, with paid time off from the newspaper, the two set up a shop in Pass Christian. After posting a notice in the community newsletter, Rebecca and Dave received 500 photos in four days. For each, the pair took a new digital picture, then used high-tech software to erase water spots and restore colors. It just so happened that a popular website linked to Dave’s blog about the experience, and soon Operation Photo Rescue, as it came to be known, had emails from hundreds of volunteers, including photographers and restoration experts, eager to help.
Though the digital restoration is a painstaking process, mending irreplaceable family pictures means the world to victims like Emily Lancaster, 71, who took out piles of ruined photo albums after Katrina, never thinking the mess could be saved. But she just couldn’t bear to part with a few treasured pictures, including a portrait of her father, who had passed away, and a photo of her husband as a boy. Then she heard about Operation Photo Rescue. “I didn’t have a whole lot of hope they could fix them, but they did,” Emily says. “Almost every day I think about all the pictures I’ve lost. I’m so happy to have these two.”
In the five years since Katrina, Operation Photo Rescue has collected thousands of pictures ruined by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes. Volunteers make “copy runs” to disaster areas across the country to gather damaged photos from survivors; operating costs are covered by donations. “It’s great to be able to give people some of their history back,” says Rebecca. “One person told me that thanks to us, her grandmother got to see her photos again before she passed away. Moments like that remind me why I do this.”
1. From Paragraph 2, we know that Dave and Rebecca ________.A.quit their jobs in 2006 |
B.inspired volunteers to join them |
C.spent four days mending the photos |
D.made their work known in their newspaper |
A.Excited. | B.Hopeless. | C.Satisfied. | D.Sceptical. |
A.Surviving Hurricanes | B.An Act of Generosity |
C.Saving Memories | D.A Lucky Couple |
9 . By now, we are all aware that social media has had a tremendous influence on our culture, in business, on the world-at-large. Social media websites revolutionized the way people communicate and socialize on the Web. However, aside from seeing your friend’s new baby on Facebook, or reading about Justin Bieber’s latest conflict with the law on Twitter, what are some of the real influences?
Social networks offer the opportunity for people to re-connect with their old friends and acquaintances, make new friends, share ideas and pictures, and many other activities. Users can keep pace with the latest global and local developments, and participate in campaigns and activities of their choices. Professionals use social media sites like LinkedIn to enhance their career and business development. Students can work together with their peers to improve their academic and communication skills.
Unfortunately, there are a few downsides too to social networking. If you are not careful, immoral people can target you for cyber bullying and disturbance on social sites. School children, young girls, and women can fall victim to online attacks which can create tension and suffering. If you are a victim of cyber bullying, do not take it lying down, but try to take appropriate legal action against the attacker.
Many companies have blocked social networks as addicted employees can distract themselves on such sites, instead of focusing on work. In fact, studies show that British companies have lost billions of dollars per year in productivity because of social media addiction among employees.
Also, what you carelessly post on the Internet can come back to trouble you. Revealing (泄露) personal information on social sites can make users vulnerable (易受伤害的) to crimes like identity theft, stalking, etc. Many companies perform a background check on the Internet before hiring an employee. If a potential employee has posted something embarrassing on social media, it can greatly affect their chances of getting the job. The same holds true for our relationships too, as our loved ones and friends may get to know if we post something undesirable on social networks.
Social media has its advantages and drawbacks as each coin has two sides. It is up to each user to use social sites wisely to enhance their professional and social life, and exercise caution to ensure they do not fall victim to online dangers.
1. Paragraph 2 mainly shows that social networks ________.A.help students finish their homework | B.offer professionals good chances |
C.benefit users in various ways | D.guide users to make right choices |
A.forbid the use of social networks during work time |
B.avoid posting embarrassing information |
C.refuse to hire potential addicted employees |
D.take legal action against the attackers |
A.share experiences in using social media | B.remind people to wisely use social media |
C.provide some advice on social problems | D.raise public awareness of social problems |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
10 . Painting
The art of creating pictures using colors, shapes and lines is called painting. Museums and galleries show the paintings of professional artists. But painting is also a popular form of entertainment and creative expression.
Painters can use their art to express devotion to a religion, to tell a story, to express feelings and ideas, or simply to present a pleasing picture. Religious paintings often show a god or a scene from a sacred text. Other common subjects have been famous legends and events in history, as well as scenes from daily life. Artists also paint portraits (肖像), or pictures of people.
Some kinds of paintings do not focus on people. In landscape (风景) paintings, the focus is on scenes from nature. Artists also paint still objects such as fruit and vegetables.
A.These works are called still lives. |
B.These works can communicate a special feeling. |
C.Humans have been making paintings for thousands of years. |
D.People of all ages create pictures using a variety of materials. |
E.Cave paintings generally show animals that early humans hunted. |
F.The design of a painting is the plan of its lines, shapes and colors. |
G.Sometimes artists make portraits of themselves, which are called self-portraits. |