1 . We know it can be hard to put your phone to bed before you sleep. However, if you’re trying to improve your sleep, you really should ditch your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Luckily, our experts can help.

Scientific evidence suggests that the blue light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer, and TV suppresses (抑制) your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙) that plays an important role in your sleep cycle. Melatonin release in the evening helps you relax before bedtime. A 2013 study that analyzed technology use and sleep patterns with data from a National Sleep Foundation poll found that using devices like phones was tied to more sleep disruption than electronics that aren’t interactive.

Many of us use the excuse that our mobile devices serve as our wake-up calls, or keep them nearby to use meditation apps. If you want to use your phone as an alarm, consider setting it a couple of hours before you turn in for the night, and then setting the phone itself to bedtime mode for the rest of the evening.

Here’s another groundbreaking idea: You could get a real alarm clock. After reviewing them at Reviewed, we recommend the Sharp Dream Caster. Not only is it easy to set a wake-up time, the clock includes white noises and rain noises to help you sleep, plus a number of volume settings to pick what works best for you.

But an alarm clock won’t help you avoid doom-scrolling through social media. Take things a step further by avoiding using electronic devices. You can try reading a book (one made of paper), taking a bath or drinking a cup of chamomile tea.

Finally, if you want to keep up your meditation practice screen-free, consider the Morphée. It looks like a little music box and comes with a variety of breathing exercises and soundscapes to help you get to sleep.

1. What does the underlined word “ditch” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Set aside.

B．Pick up.

C．Show off.

D．Turn to.

2. What may be caused by the suppression of melatonin?

A．Relaxing yourself before bedtime.

B．Sleeping less than you normally would.

C．Adapting to your sleep cycle more easily.

D．Reducing the pressure from screen use.

3. Why is the Sharp Dream Caster recommended?

A．It is sold at a lower price.	B．It can predict a heavy rain.
C．It is controlled by cellphone.	D．It helps put your eyes together.

4. What is suggested for better sleep according to paragraph 5?

A．Making the best of the eco-friendly products.

B．Making a change according to circumstances.

C．Establishing a bedtime routine without electronics.

D．Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.

2 . More people than ever are interested in learning to speak Chinese. The challenge that many face is finding the best resources to learn this new language. Fortunately, there are 4 amazing tools that can make learning Chinese much easier.

HelloTalk

This is an app that connects anyone interested in learning a foreign language to a native speaker who is willing to engage in conversation with learners, and help them practice and master their new language. It includes a voice-to-text feature that is perfect if you cannot understand your conversation partner. The text- to-voice feature that is included helps you to learn the proper pronunciations.

iTalki

No tool is going to take the place of one-on-one interaction(互动) with a real person. This is why iTalki is one of the most popular online language learning systems. If you join the iTalki community, you will be connected with an instructor who is a native speaker. They will work with you one on one to improve your vocabulary and conversational language skills.

FluentU

FluentU has made a wide variety of videos for your viewing pleasure. Each one is in Chinese and is a real-world movie or video. With FluentU, you can interact with the videos, pause and get pronunciation and definition information. In addition to this, there are quizzes(小测验) added to the videos to help you evaluate your own progress.

Pleco

This mobile app was designed specifically to help users learn Chinese. It includes an OCR reader that can be used to scan(扫描) Chinese language characters for translation, the ability to translate Chinese words from other apps and web pages, a document reader and an audio translator. It also comes with several dictionaries and the ability to create flashcards.

1. What’s the advantage of iTalki over other tools?

A．Providing one-on-one instruction.	B．Providing various learning videos.
C．Providing the text-to-voice feature.	D．Providing interesting playing games.

2. What do HelloTalk and FluentU have in common?

A．They offer the most famous learning tools.	B．They record your learning process directly.
C．They help you improve your pronunciation.	D．They provide you with various funny videos.

3. Which tool can translate Chinese words from web pages?

A．HelloTalk.

B．iTalki.

C．FluentU.

D．Pleco.

3 . As I walked onto the soccer field I had a knot(结) in my stomach. I was too shy to _________ the year before but decided to go for it this year.

When the coaches came, I felt as if I was going to pass out. With no _________ ability I began to wonder why I was _________ here. Everyone immediately took a ball and began to _________. I stood there, not knowing what to do. My friends came over to _________ me a few quick moves and drills. I had fun and _________ enjoyed playing. Every other girl on the team was far more skilled than I. The moment I _________ that to myself, I was fine.

This _________ has stuck with me all through high school. Without _________ it, I learned a valuable lesson about myself. __________ I tried out for the soccer team, I always wanted to be __________ at everything. Previously(以前), I would do anything to achieve the high __________ I set for myself. I was so stressed out over schoolwork that I never had fun. I decided it was time for a (n) __________.

Like most high school students, my __________ with more responsibilities and worries, began to change as I got older. Balancing school and sports has not been easy. But through it all, I have become a __________ person. No longer do I __________ that I have to be perfect. Although my athletic ability doesn’t __________ a ticket to universities, I have other good __________ that make me important. Knowing that I have put 100% __________ into everything I do and am honest with myself, I am completely __________ with the person I am.

1.

A．give up

B．pass by

C．try out

D．walk away

2.

A．logic

B．sports

C．language

D．communication

3.

A．just

B．even

C．never

D．always

4.

A．warm up

B．make up

C．calm down

D．turn around

5.

A．ask

B．pass

C．show

D．throw

6.

A．nearly

B．really

C．hardly

D．partly

7.

A．kept

B．expressed

C．proved

D．admitted

8.

A．match

B．activity

C．experience

D．performance

9.

A．checking

B．realizing

C．practicing

D．considering

10.

A．When

B．After

C．Unless

D．Before

11.

A．quick

B．clever

C．perfect

D．pleased

12.

A．speed

B．record

C．position

D．standard

13.

A．break

B．escape

C．change

D．holiday

14.

A．life

B．team

C．friends

D．coaches

15.

A．better

B．kinder

C．warmer

D．quieter

16.

A．beg

B．feel

C．pretend

D．imagine

17.

A．add

B．buy

C．deserve

D．promise

18.

A．ideas

B．attitudes

C．creations

D．qualities

19.

A．effort

B．money

C．brain

D．trust

20.

A．happy

B．strict

C．careful

D．patient

4 . PART-TIME EDITOR

KHOU has an immediate opening for an experienced, energetic part-time editor. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced team environment, we want to hear from you!

Duties

Edit videos for daily news coverage, special projects, and sweep period pieces. Provide video material to our website as needed. Gather professional videos and audio when necessary. Perform other duties in audio and video production as assigned.

Job Requirements

※ College degrees with previous newsroom experiences preferred.

※ Ability to determine good audio and picture quality; ability to edit with continuity and creativity on non-linear systems.

※ Must be tean-oriented, have a positive attitude, and posses good computer skills and strong communication skills.

※ Must be able to work a flexible shift and occasional overtime.

About US

KHOU has been one of the top-rated broadcasting companies in Texas for over two decades. For more than 60 years, KHOU has been a leader in local journalism, information and community involvement. KHOU continues to grow and connect with new audiences in our community by covering news stories and participating in community events that support our “KHOU Stands for Houston” brand.

1. What does the work in the advertisement include?

A．Make up feature stories.

B．Put on performances in live shows.

C．Prepare video material for the website.

D．Collect all videos and audio that can be got.

2. Who has the qualification for the job mentioned in the advertisement?

A．A student who is studying in a middle school.

B．A student who has never done relaled work.

C．A person who knows nothing about audio quality.

D．A person who has job-related experience and can work a flexible shift.

3. When did KHOU begin to lead local journalism?

A．20 years ago.	B．40 years ago.
C．60 years ago.	D．80 years ago.

5 . Our English literature teacher Miss Linda was new to teaching. But she always did her best to make learning fun and pleasant. But the thing that truly solidified her spot as my favorite teacher was that for every student’s birthday she would give us a personalized notebook.

It was just a simple small notebook, but she had filled the first page with her own words which made me realize how good a person I was. As a teenager who had a terrible home life, it made all the difference in how I acted the rest of the year.

In a session of English class, we were discussing a passage we had read. One student Jack made a point. Miss Linda basically said Jack was wrong. The next day, after we took our seats, she said, “Before we begin, I was thinking about what Jack said yesterday. Let’s take a look at that again. My knowledge is limited in this field where you are definitely better than me.” She repeated Jack’s point and encouraged discussions among students. After the discussions, it became apparent that Jack’s point really held water. I was impressed by Miss Linda who acknowledged her mistake publicly.

After class, I had to purchase some red punch cards to get lunch at school. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that much money to purchase enough cards. Miss Linda noticed I often skipped meals and brought an extra sandwich to me in private. She not only offered me the food which I desperately needed, but also the self-respect which I valued as a teenage boy. Also, she never criticized any students in public, which really made her popular among students.

1. What might be included in the personalized notebook?

A．Students’ test scores.

B．Students’ advantages.

C．Miss Linda’s blessing.

D．Miss Linda’s own thoughts.

2. Which statement about Jack is true?

A．Class discussions proved Jack’s point is right.

B．Jack proved his point by himself.

C．Miss Linda agreed with Jack’s point at first.

D．Jack was more knowledgeable than Miss Linda.

3. Why was Miss Linda enjoying popularity among students?

A．She always made learning fun and pleasant.

B．She gave each student a notebook for his birthday.

C．She had the courage to admit her mistake.

D．She paid attention to students’ dignity.

4. Which of the following can best describe Miss Linda?

A．Humorous and open-minded.	B．Generous and strict.
C．Caring and modest.	D．Determined and warm-hearted.