1 . Research has shown that playing music to keep your mind busy while showering, taking a walk or travelling to school could affect your ability to think outside the box and come up with artistic or inventive things to do. By comparison, experts say being bored can lead to daydreaming plus the birth of new ideas.
Listening to music while taking a shower or going for a walk takes away from time that could be spent thinking about yourself and your life — the perfect time to let your creative juices flow, happiness expert Gretchen Rubin said. “You need this open-searching time for new ideas to bubble up,” she said. “This is why people get ideas in the shower or in the middle of the night — it’s a downtime (休息) where then the brain creates its own fun,” Ms Rubin added.
A recent study by psychologists showed the same process at work. In the research, groups of people were given a dull writing or reading task. They were then asked to complete a creative task. Researchers found the boring writing and reading activities led to increased creativity — meaning being bored made the mind entertain itself with something creative and fun.
So, is it best to get rid of the bath-time playlist? A lot of people said the research was a real mood killer. One said, “Sometimes I need the music to drown (淹没) out all the thoughts I don’t want to think.” Another commented, “Many people have too much going on in their heads. That’s why they listen to music in the shower, so they can actually relax. What do we have to have ideas about? Why can’t we just enjoy the things we love?” But other listeners said they liked having quiet time while travelling home at the end of the day.
1. What negative effect might listening to music during routine activities have?A.Limiting creativity. | B.Causing forgetfulness. |
C.Decreasing happiness. | D.Reducing awareness. |
A.give up | B.come out | C.get up | D.cheer up |
A.They can destroy interest. | B.They can lead to more pressure. |
C.They can delay action. | D.They can promote new ideas. |
A.The Benefits of Music for Relaxation | B.The Role of Boredom in Boosting Creativity |
C.The Debate over Music’s Role in Relaxation | D.Finding Creativity While Showering |
2 . Tailor your own summer break in Chengdu! This tour includes close contact with the giant pandas.
DAY 1 ChengduTransfer via: plane—your arrangement
Activities for today: Airport to hotel transfer
Upon arrival at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, you’ll be warmly greeted and escorted to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
DAY 2 ChengduTransfer via: private vehicle
Morning 7: 30 pick you up from your hotel and drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Later, watch the film at Panda Museum to know the pandas’ daily life, baby pandas getting birth, etc. After a happy time with the pandas, drive back to Chengdu downtown area for a leisure walking in the Jinli Old Street, where you can enjoy all kinds of local snacks and the traditional artifacts (手工制品). Then visit Wuhou Temple to learn some stories about the Three Kingdoms.
DAY 3 ChengduTransfer via: private vehicle Morning around 8: 30 pick you up from your hotel, and drive to visit Qingyang Palace which is a Taoism temple with a history of more than 1, 000 years. Then visit Du Fu Thatched Cottage, the former residence of the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (712—770 AD), now a park and museum in honour of him. After a hearty Sichuan-style lunch, drive to visit Chengdu Songxianqiao Art Market, where you will find Chinese old paintings, unique Shu Brocade and Embroidery (刺绣), bamboo products and antique stuff, etc. Have the wonderful taste of the vegetarian dishes near the Wenshu Temple for dinner. Then drive back to your hotel.
DAY 4 Chengdu/ExitTransfer via: plane—your arrangement
Activities for today: Hotel to airport transfer
1. Where can you learn about history on Day 2?A.At Wuhou Temple. | B.On Jinli Old Street. |
C.At Giant Panda Breeding Base. | D.In Qingyang Palace. |
A.Chengdu Songxianqiao Art Market. | B.Wuhou Temple. |
C.Qingyang Palace. | D.Du Fu Thatched Cottage. |
A.With a temple visit. | B.With a museum tour. |
C.With airport transfers. | D.With art market shopping. |
A.A reminder. | B.A report. | C.A test. | D.An advertisement. |
3 . In the heart of Sprinkletown, young Sammy had eyes bigger than his stomach, when it came to sweets. His mom had set a
One evening, determined to conquer(攻克) this mountain, Sammy plotted a
As dessert time
Instead of scolding, Sammy’s mom turned the
Sammy learned that day not just the
A.strange | B.clear | C.big | D.beautiful |
A.house. | B.tree | C.wall | D.mountain |
A.plan | B.game | C.event | D.joke |
A.challenged | B.approached | C.appeared | D.passed |
A.therefore | B.besides | C.however | D.instead |
A.eat | B.show | C.share | D.cook |
A.potatoes | B.moment | C.sport | D.plate |
A.fish | B.chicken | C.rice | D.greens |
A.importance | B.lesson | C.memory | D.happiness |
A.carried out | B.stuck to | C.brought out | D.focused on |
Using Computers and the Internet in Schools
Nowadays, computers and the Internet are very important in schools. They help students learn in new and exciting ways. Here is a closer look at how schools are using technology to help students.
In many classrooms, every student has a computer or a tablet. They use these devices to look up information quickly and to learn about new topics. For example, if they are studying about the rainforest, they can watch videos, read articles, and even take virtual tours of rainforests around the world. This makes learning more fun and interesting.
Teachers are now using special programs on their computers to make learning more fun. They can create quizzes that students take on their tablets. These quizzes give instant feedback, so students know right away what they got right and what they need to study more. Teachers can also find games and activities online that match what they are teaching in class. This way, students can practice math, spelling, and other subjects in a way that feels like playing.
Homework and projects are also changing because of technology. Students can now work on group projects without having to be in the same room. They use online tools to share documents, create presentations, and talk about their ideas. This helps them learn how to work with others, even when they are not together. Teachers can check on their progress easily and give advice or help when needed.
A. Learning with Videos and ArticlesB. Working Together While Apart
C. Learning While Having Fun
D. Having Fun in Playing Online
劳动实践 | 1. At home, cook dishes, wash clothes and tidy rooms... 2. At school, clean the classroom and playground with my classmates... 3. In the community, work as a volunteer to help the old or disabled... |
劳动收获 | 1. learn some basic life skills... 2. get a strong feeling of satisfaction... |
发出倡议 | ... |
(1)词数80左右(标题和开头已给出,不计入总词数);
(2)可适当发挥,以使行文连贯;
(3)文中不能出现真实姓名、学校等信息。
Labor is Glorious
It’s well known that labor is glorious.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Forests are like a big, green blanket that covers the Earth.
Imagine forests as huge gardens that take in bad air and change it into good air for us to breathe. They are very important because they are home to more than half of all the animals and plants we know.
But, forests are in danger because of cutting down trees and clearing land for farms or buildings.
In short, forests are very important for our planet. They help keep the air clean, are homes to many animals and plants, and make Earth a beautiful place.
7 . On New Year’s Eve a teenager escaped from a house fire, all thanks to the heroic actions of the family dog, Macho.
Nicole Evans, a mom, received a sad call while out of town, learning that her house was on a big fire. Macho, sensing danger, took action and woke up Nicole’s teenage son. Griffin, around 5: 30 a. m. , warning him of the fire.
“He just kept going at him and then he just gave him a light bite, a couple of them, and woke him up. And Griffin said, ‘What’s happening?’ And as soon as he turned around, there was just no doubt he had to go. He had to go quickly, ” Nicole told WFLA News. “It was probably the worst experience of my life not to be with the person you love the most while something’s happening to them that you can’t do something about,” she added.While the cause of the fire is still under investigation(调查), the family has completely lost their home. Although they lost a lot, Nicole praised the value of Macho’s quick thinking. “All those things are just things, and some of those things do matter. They do. but in the end, it’s all replaceable(可替代的). Griffin’s not replaceable, and my dog is not replaceable. There are no better results than this,” she expressed.
1. Where was Nicole Evans when the fire started?A.At home. | B.At work. | C.At the store. | D.Out of the town. |
A.By barking outside. | B.By calling the police. |
C.By biting lightly. | D.By pulling him out. |
A.She was relieved about being saved. | B.She regretted. being careless. |
C.She was thankful for her saved house. | D.She valued lives over things. |
A.Macho’s awareness. | B.The fire cause. |
C.Time of the incident. | D.The effect of the fire. |
Nowadays, many kids enjoy eating junk food, even though it is not good for their health. Many people have started
Eating too much junk food can lead to several health problems. This includes obesity and other diseases
We all know that eating unhealthy food does harm
9 . I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet unrelated to boring housework and raising little kids. At 65, George had recently retired and was seeking a rewarding hobby for his golden years. For both of us, painting was “it” and we met at a local painting class. Thus we began a friendship until the day he died.
George took to painting with an awe-inspiring (令人惊叹的) level of passion and commitment, even changing the spare bedroom of his home into a studio. How I envied him, as in my own home and I had neither the space nor the funds for such a luxury. His painting equipment was comprehensive. George housed many of these items in a red metal tool box. For about six years George and I studied together through various units until we finished the course.
Some years passed and George was about 80 years old. One day, he rang and told me that he was giving up painting and giving away all his “stuff”. “I can’t paint, I don’t know why I ever thought I could,” he said. He was mistaken about his painting ability because he had turned out some wonderful works. However, George had decided he was through with painting, and no amount of talking could persuade him otherwise. “You have the best talent and are most likely to use it,” he said. That was why George left all his painting equipment to me. After considerable persuasion, I accepted this precious gift on condition that he could get it back at any time. He never did, of course.
I still use much of his equipment today. As I paint, I often remember George, his big personality, generous spirit and unfailing encouragement. The most treasured item is the red tool box, still in good shape.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to?A.A desire to create. | B.A hobby to kill time. |
C.An escape from chores. | D.A chance to make fortune. |
A.George once created some fine paintings. |
B.George didn’t like his painting equipment. |
C.George always wanted to give up painting. |
D.George misunderstood the author’s painting ability. |
A.To admit his own failure. | B.To give his painting tools to the author. |
C.To ask the author a favor. | D.To make an explanation. |
A.A lesson from My Old Friend |
B.Inspiration for Art from My Partner |
C.Nice George: An Artist with Great Passion |
D.A Red Tool Box: A Bond Between Two Friends |
10 . Imagine you’re in a sci-fi (科幻小说) world, and you video-call your friends. You might see them in a three-dimensional(3D) way or in holograms (全息影像). Although this isn’t possible in real life yet, researchers recently made holograms easier to create, said a new study.
To take a 3D photo of a person, most hologram technologies need special cameras. They record how the person looks from different angles under different lights. This information makes the hologram look lifelike. However, holograms can’t be widely used because they are difficult to make.
The researchers from Chiba University in Japan made a new computer program. It can turn normal pictures we take into 3D holograms.
Their program used a technology called deep neural networks (深度神经网络). First, it receives information from an image taken by a normal camera. It then predicts the depth of things in the image. For example, in a 3D photo, the background should be deeper than the person.
With all the information, the program creates a 3D hologram. But it can look strange at first. The program will then check the hologram to fix problems and make it look more real.
The program can be used to create holograms in VR headsets (头显设备). For example, a user sends a picture, and the other user can see the “real” look of it in 3D. If it’s used in cars, drivers can see information, such as road signs, in 3D. This makes it easier for the drivers to see and thus makes sure that they won’t miss important information.
In the future, when holograms become more common, they can also help doctors. Medical students can learn quickly by looking at 3D images of the human body, and doctors can better understand a patient’s illness.
1. What does the new program make use of to create a hologram?A.A normal picture. | B.A special camera. |
C.Recordings from different angles. | D.Recordings under different lights. |
A.more natural | B.more expensive | C.easier | D.more predictable |
A.They make driving more enjoyable. |
B.Drivers will find road information easily. |
C.They will help predict dangers and traffic. |
D.Drivers needn’t mind the cars behind. |
A.Doctors make no mistakes with holograms. |
B.Patients won’t suffer with holograms. |
C.We can live in a 3D world. |
D.Holograms might be used in the medical field. |