1 . Nostalgia (怀旧) has become increasingly common in our current climate of unexpected, fast-paced change. More and more people are turning back with longing for what feels like simpler, sweeter times. They collect cassette tapes, manual typewriters even decades-old video games.
Is it a mistake to get too obsessed with the past? Some psychologists warn that too much devotion to the so-called good old days is an escape from reality; it can indicate loneliness or that a person is having a difficult time coping in the present. Psychologist Stephanie Coontz argues that nostalgia distracts us from addressing the problems of modern life and contributes to anxiety, depression, insomnia etc.
But new studies suggest that a modest dose of nostalgia is not only harmless, but actually beneficial. They suggest it helps strengthen our sense of identity and makes us feel more optimistic and inspired. It is also a tool for self-discovery and memories are a psychological immune response that is triggered when you want to take a break from negativity. Interestingly, those happy memories can be particularly beneficial both to kids in their teens and to society’s elders. Recalling our childhood reminds us of “the times when we were accented and loved unconditionally,” says Krystine Batcho, a psychologist. “That is such a powerfully comforting phenomenon, knowing that there was a time in life when we didn’t have to earn our love.” Nostalgia can transform even the most ordinary past into legends which warms the heart and the body. Let’s not forget that nostalgia has been a source of inspiration to innumerable American writers. Mark Twain recalled his boyhood, writing, “after all these years, I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then: The white town drowsing in the sunshine of a summer’s morning.”
So go ahead, daydream a little about your best childhood friend, your first car, a long-gone family pet. As Dr. Sedikidessays, “Nostalgia is absolutely central to human experience.” But at the same time, keep these words of wisdom from the great inventor Charles Kettering in mind as well: “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”
1. What did some psychologists in paragraph 2 probably agree?| A．Nostalgia can cause some mental problems. |
| B．Nostalgia makes us devoted to the present life. |
| C．Nostalgia shows you are trying to get rid of loneliness. |
| D．Nostalgia helps us cope with the difficult time we are going through. |
| A．It can enable us to know ourselves better |
| B．It can bring us some comfort when we recall |
| C．We are likely to gain attention if we recall the happy childhood |
| D．We can sometimes break away from negativity with happy memories |
| A．The reasons why we should avoid nostalgia. |
| B．The great changes nostalgia will bring to you. |
| C．The bad memories that always stick around you. |
| D．The bad influence of too much devotion to nostalgia. |
| A．People tend to be lost in nostalgia. |
| B．People actually benefit from nostalgia. |
| C．Childhood memories influence present life. |
| D．There are some periods when people look back. |
2 . Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Founded in 1899 as the country’s first museum specifically made for children, today’s BCM is comprehensive, with a permanent collection of 30,000 objects, including musical instruments, masks and dolls. Kids love the interactive World Brooklyn, a small cityscape lined by stores where children can pretend to be working grown-ups.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Looking for interactive art that welcomes curious minds? Then head to Inside Art, the current show up at CMOM, which lets your little ones climb in and over and all around the exhibits. It’s ideas like this that make the 40,000-square-foot so special. Learning about culture, history and science is a pride for kids aged six and under. CMOM also hosts classes—like Gross Biology for kids who are interested in insects—all designed with the latest child-development research in mind.
DiMenna Children’s History Museum
The hands-on displays at this kid-focused arm of the New York Historical Society transport children back through 350 years of US history, with a special focus on NYC. Children are encouraged to climb around and interact with exhibits that highlight the lives of kids who grew up to become famous doctors, athletes and political figures. Little New Yorkers can get in on sing-alongs and crafts. Other family programs include cooking classes, games and story hours.
Staten Island Children’s Museum
Staten Island Children’s Museum nurtures creativity. It offers hands-on experiences like the Block Harbor (plenty of blocks to play with!), larger-than-life games like Connect Four and Dominoes, and even the opportunity to climb through a human-sized anthill or play firefighter at Ladder 11, so you'll find immersive fun around every corner. Don’t forget to stop by Green Living Room powered by the wind energy where the kids can learn about ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
1. Who is most likely to be the target reader of this article?| A．Scholars. | B．Teachers. | C．Parents. | D．Children. |
| A．Brooklyn Children’s Museum. | B．Children’s Museum of Manhattan. |
| C．DiMenna Children’s History Museum. | D．Staten Island Children’s Museum. |
| A．It provides children with real life working experiences. |
| B．It allows children to immerse themselves in observing ants . |
| C．It gives lessons on how to develop children’s creativity. |
| D．It raises children’s awareness of environmental protection. |
3 . What's on your travel list? I've consulted several travel experts to find out some places worth visiting.
Where ： New Orleans, Louisiana
Chosen by： Natalie DiScala is a writer and editor at johnnyjet. com, covering travel trends? products and family travel.
Why： New Orleans is known for its music and food—not to mention the festivals. It has about 130 festivals each year so there's really no bad time to visit. Bourbon Street is the obvious choice for food, drink and jazz and it's definitely a must-visit location, especially for first-timers to the city.
Where ： Vail , Colorado
Chosen by： Becca Ingle is an active family travel blogger. She is the founder of BeccaIngle, com, where you can read all her travel guides.
Why： Vail is the perfect destination for families and travelers looking to find almost everything in one central spot. Stay at the amazing Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail to be steps away from Vail Village, a popular town with special heated stone streets for strolling（漫步）,restaurants and bars, coffee shops, ice-skating, a movie theater and a bowling alley.
Where： Hudson Valley, New York
Chosen by： Devorah Lev-Tov is a food and travel writer who regularly writes for The New York Times , Afar, Conde Nast Traveler , etc.
Why：New Yorkers go to escape the city when they need a healthy close to nature and relaxation there. The 750-mile biking and hiking route links communities across New York State and links up to the Hudson Greenway Trails. The region was recently equipped with the famous Charlie Palmer Restaurant.
1. Who is the writer of johnnyjet. com?| A．Natalie DiScala. | B．Becca Ingle. | C．Devorah Lev-Tov. | D．Charlie Palmer. |
| A．Bourbon Street. | B．Four Seasons Resort. |
| C．Vail Village. | D．Residences Vail. |
| A．Visit big towns. | B．Enjoy riding bikes. |
| C．Watch the latest films. | D．Attend music festivals. |
Lots of foreigners don’t understand why so many Chinese people are sorrowful about Yuan Longping’s passing away.
This reminds me
Western scholars’ prediction of China back then was indeed analyzing China’s problems, but they failed
If they had had any knowledge of Yuan who worked devotedly for our country, they wouldn’t have made such pessimistic evaluations. Why did the Chinese people make
1. How many days is the man going to stay in the city?
| A．More than a week. | B．A week. | C．Less than a week. |
| A．The taxis. | B．The subway and buses. | C．The airport express train. |
| A．At a hotel. | B．At the airport. | C．At home. |
Charles Darwin was an English
Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shropshire, England. In 1831, Darwin boarded a ship
Darwin first presented his theory of evolution by natural selection (选择) in 1858 to explain how animals adapted to their environment to survive. The idea of evolution
1.表示歉意；
2.说明原因；
3.另约时间。
注意：1. 词数80左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Tom,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
A Long March-5 rocket,
China’s Chang’e-5 probe( 探 测 器 ) decelerated and entered the lunar orbit on Saturday,
After flying about 112 hours from Earth,
The probe performed the braking without incident and entered the lunar orbit
Chang’e-5 , which
Afterward, it will adjust the altitude and inclination (倾斜度) of its orbit around the moon. When the time is appropriate, it will land softly on the near side of the moon
9 . School rules
All students are expected to read and learn the School Rules. These rules aim to make each student aware of the value of self-control, orderliness and the need to develop a sense of responsibility for their own behavior and for the larger community of which they are a part.
Dress regulations (规定)
The school expects its students to wear their full school uniform correctly and with pride. It is our expectation that uniform and shoes will be clean and in good repair. Boys hair should be combed and of an acceptable length (not over the collar, ears or eyes), with no artificial coloring. Girls' hair should be of a natural color. Shoulder-length hair or longer must be tied back.
Punctuality (准时), absence and illness
All students must be at school on time. If late, the student must sign in the late book in the General Office. Parents are asked to inform the school if their child is absent by 8: 30 a.m. on the day of absence. A written note from a parent explaining the absence MUST be provided to the General Office the day after return.
Should a student be ill during school hours, he is to go straight to the School Medical Center The sister will then take appropriate action.
Safety
Proper behavior is expected within and around buildings and on the sporting field at all times.
Students are not to enter laboratories, language rooms, the Technics and music rooms until invited to do so by teachers.
The riding of bicycles or skateboards is prohibited along the front drive. Students riding bicycles must wear an approved bicycle helmet.
No knives, explosives or dangerous materials may be brought into the school or boarding houses.
Students are forbidden to interfere with fire safety equipment. An automatic fine will be imposed if this occurs.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones are not to be used from 8 30 a.m. to 3: 30 p.m. At these times, phones should be switched off. If you need to make contact with parents or other significant people, please contact Reception.
1. What shall a student do if he is late?| A．Ask his parents do come to school. |
| B．Write a note explaining his absence. |
| C．Write down his name in the late book. |
| D．Go straight to the School Medical Center. |
| A．One who brings a knife into a boarding house. |
| B．One who plays with the fire safety equipment. |
| C．One who rides a bicycle without a bicycle helmet. |
| D．One who goes into a language room without permission. |
| A．Parents. | B．Students. | C．Teachers. | D．School administrations. |
10 . The Bridge Home
By Padma Venkatraman
Runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive in the Indian city of Chennai, and it isn’t what they expected. The girls must depend on each other to survive until they meet two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul. As a team, they search around the city for food and shelter while making the most of a terrible situation.
Otherwood
By Pete Hautman
Best friends Stuey and Elly Rose share a birthday and a love of the woods near their homes. When playing in their favorite place deep in the woods, Stuey tells Elly Rose a story—a secret he has learned about his great-grandfather and hers. Something unexpected happens, and Stuey must work out how to repair the damage that was caused long ago.
Where the Watermelons Grow
By Cindy Baldwin
Della’s mama has been sick before. She has an illness that cause her to hear voices that aren’t there. But this summer, her mama seems worse. With daddy working hard to save the family farm from bad weather, Della believe that she needs to fix what’s wrong with mama.
Planet Earth Is Blue
By Nicole Panteleakos
Nova loves astronomy(天文学), an interest she shares with big sister Bridget. The space shuttle Challenger is days from launching(发射),and Bridget has promised to watch it on TV with Nova. But Bridget left their last foster (寄养的)home, and Nova is with a new family. Nova, who is autistic(患孤独症的)and doesn’t use words, hopes that Bridget—the only one who truly understands her—will find her way to Nova in time for liftoff.
1. What happens to Viji and Rukku?| A．They are homeless. |
| B．They are seriously ill. |
| C．They are lost in the woods. |
| D．They are separated from their friends. |
| A．The Bridge Home. |
| B．Otherwood. |
| C．Where the Watermelons Grow. |
| D．Planet Earth Is Blue. |
| A．Nova’s sister. | B．Nova’s teacher. |
| C．Nova’s classmate. | D．Nova’s neighbor. |
