1 . You won’t need a passport for this trip around the globe, but you will need your favorite bookstore or library card. Reading stories from or set in other parts of the world is fun and helps kids appreciate other cultures. Go on a virtual vacation with these global reads. If you don’t know where to start, I’ve made a list of some of my favorites.
Sand Swimmers
by Narelle Oliver
Young wildlife enthusiasts know that Australia is full of fascinating creatures, especially in the strange and harsh desert region called the Dead Heart. In Sand Swimmers, Narelle Oliver combines science, natural history, and firsthand observations to uncover the unbelievably hardy species that live and thrive in this mysterious piece of Australian wilderness.
The Secret Kingdom
by Barb Rosenstock
The Secret Kingdom is a visually impressive biography of Nek Chand Saini, a village farmer who relocated to the city of Chandigarh after the 1947 partition of India. There, he gathered castoffs and small treasures to create a secret rock garden in the jungle — now a 40-acre sculpture garden open to the public. Rich watercolor illustrations capture the region’s natural beauty.
When Life Gives You Mangos
by Kereen Getten
A moving new middle grade novel, When Life Gives You Mangos centers the perspective of a young girl named Clara who lives on an island in Jamaica, a favorite place for tourists who throw around words like “exotic” about Clara’s home. Since last summer’s hurricane, though, the tourists are thinning out, and the biggest talk is about a new girl who’s moving to the island, whom Clara can’t wait to meet. A moving story about family, friendship, and resilience, it will also spark important conversations about traveling to others’ homes.
The Island of Horses
by Eilís Dillon
This classic adventure story, reissued in 2018, takes place off the western coast of Ireland on an island called Inishrone. Life on the remote island is anything but easy, but it’s all that friends Pat Conroy and Danny MacDonagh have ever known. Lured by the call of ghost stories, Pat and Danny set sail for the Island of Horses, a decision that launches them into a dangerous mystery. Come for the suspense, stay for the atmosphere: you’ll be able to taste the saltwater whipping through the air.
1. Which book has the related pictures inside?A.Sand Swimmers. | B.The Secret Kingdom. |
C.When Life Gives You Mangos. | D.The Island of Horses. |
A.Clara’s home was destroyed. | B.new girl will move to the island. |
C.The number of visitors is shrinking. | D.onversations about traveling will be sparked. |
A.The book was first published in 2018. | B.The story is set on the coast of Ireland. |
C.Life is hard on the remote island. | D.Pat and Danny went to the Island of Horses to look for treasures. |
假如你是李华,你的英国笔友Jack想了解在抗击疫情期间,你居家生活的情况。请参考下面提供的信息,写邮件向他介绍你的居家生活,并询问他居家生活的情况。
邮件的开头和结尾已为你写好,不计入总词数。
● take online courses, do homework and read books
● do some cooking, cleaning and washing
● do exercise, play games and watch news
● …
Dear Jack,
How is everything? In your letter, you asked me about what I was doing at home during the outbreak of Coronavirus.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best regards,
Li Hua
3 . No one dances like you. Your mom knows it. Your friends know it. Even computers know it. Now, before you get too excited, keep in mind that it doesn’t mean you’re a particularly good dancer. Only that the way you throw your arms in the air is entirely unique.
In fact, according to a recent study, the scientists, from a research center in Finland, discovered a computer could magically identify your moves to whatever type of music. “We actually weren’t looking for this result, as we set out to study something completely different,” lead study author Emily Carlson explained in the interview. “Our original idea was to see if we could use machine learning to identify which type of music our participants (参与者) were dancing to, based on their movements.”
Unexpectedly, they built dance-recognition software. Thus, you may say, they moonwalked into the discovery.
For their study, the researchers asked 73 participants to dance to various types of music—while computer software tried to determine what kind of music they were listening to. Was it Blues? Jazz? or Metal? It turned out the computer wasn’t so good at telling styles of music. It made the right guess only about one in three times. But it did surprise the researchers with its impressive ability in another aspect: it knew exactly who was dancing 94% of the time.
In their introduction to the paper, the authors suggested that, “One of the most significant features of music is its tendency to make us move. The majority of people respond to hearing music with some kind of movement, from simply clapping to a beat to making complex (复杂的) dance movements.”
Of course, we don’t dance the same way to every song. That would be, well awkward. As the authors note, dance moves are changed according to the volume (音量) of the bass drum (低音鼓). Not only that but “the presence of kick drum uniquely related to the speed of head movements.” That’s a very technical way of suggesting that we dance to the music we’re given. The thing is, at the heart of the dance are movements—and whether they’re gentle taps or all out booty-shaking, they could function as identifiable biometric data (生物特征资料).
“It seems as though a person’s dance movements are a kind of fingerprint,” study co-author Pasi Saari noted in the paper. “Each person has a unique movement signature that stays the same no matter what kind of music is playing.”
1. What was the original idea of the research?A.To discover music features. | B.To recognize the dancer. |
C.To identify the type of music. | D.To tell dancers’ response. |
A.firmly supported | B.seriously reported |
C.unexpectedly made | D.unreasonably questioned |
A.dancing technique is decided by the given music |
B.the volume of drums may be determined by dance moves |
C.drum players’ head movements change the speed of playing |
D.dance movements could function as identifiable biometric data |
A.Is It Necessary to Carry Out Such Research? |
B.The Way We Dance Is Kind of like a Fingerprint |
C.The Tendency of Music to Make Us Move Is Complex |
D.Why Do People Dance in the Same Way to Different Music? |
4 . Indoor Skydiving
Have you ever dreamt of flying? Have you ever wanted to experience the excitement of skydiving, but didn’t want to jump out of a plane? Indoor skydiving has opened up a whole new world for you to try flying.
Indoor skydiving is an activity, simulating(模拟)the free fall of a skydive. That means you learn to fly in a column of air produced by a wind tunnel (风道) inside a limited area. Before flying, you need to wear certain equipment to protect you. And each of you is equipped with an instructor that helps you learn to control your body while flying. But you aren’t trained to be more aware in the sky as a normal skydiver.
To be an indoor flyer, you can be at all ages. Fear of height or lack (缺少) of experience won’t stop you from trying. The only real limitation preventing people from flying is weight limit. Countless physically challenged flyers have safely flown with the help of experienced instructors.
Although indoor skydiving gets its name from skydiving, the similarities between the two are actually very few. The one they are in common is in the sense that they both share the freedom of flying.
However, in traditional dives, skydivers usually step out of a plane from more than 10,000 feet high, while indoor skydiving just needs flyers to lean forward and lie on the air. Also, being an outdoor activity, skydiving depends on the weather. The wind, rain, or snow can cancel your plans to jump. Indoor skydiving removes this effect from the picture. Normally, a skydive lasts just between 45-60 seconds, but tunnels allow skydivers to fly longer and as much as they like.
While most people put skydiving in the must-do list, indoor skydiving is much more than that! What used to take skydivers tens of thousands of jumps and years of experience can be learned in a relatively shorter period of time. Skydivers could be trained at lower cost compared to being trained in the sky. Because people of all ages can fly, children are quickly becoming some of the most talented skydivers. Thus, all these will certainly benefit the development of skydiving.
1. What do indoor skydivers need to do before flying?A.Jump out of a plane. | B.Become aware of the sky. |
C.Produce a column of air. | D.Put on protecting equipment. |
A.Their age. | B.Fear of height. |
C.Their weight. | D.Lack of experience. |
A.The sense of flying. | B.The cost of training. |
C.The length of free fall. | D.The dependence on weather. |
A.The future of skydiving depends on children. |
B.Indoor skydiving is beneficial to skydiving. |
C.Fewer people show interest in skydiving. |
D.Indoor skydiving will replace skydiving. |
It was one of the hardest weeks in Michelle Burleson’s life. Her beloved 13-year-old dog, Budgie Lou, just died. There seemed to be nothing in the world that could reduce her pain until she heard a faint (微弱的) knocking on her door.
“When I heard the knock, I opened my back door, but saw nothing until I looked down to see a skinny little squirrel looking up at me”, Burleson told The Dodo.
“I noticed the squirrel was thin, so I found a handful of nuts and threw them on the patio (露台).”
She assumed that would be the end of it, but that same evening the squirrel returned. The frightened animal ran away when Burleson tried to approach her. But it didn’t take long for the two to establish a routine(常规).
“She showed up the next morning at sunrise and again at sundown, like clockwork every day,” Burleson said. “Her daily visits gave me something to look forward to.” Burleson named the squirrel Stymie. “We slowly started trusting each other more and more,” Burleson said. “At first, I was scared she might bite me or something, but she was always very gentle.”
Stymie began treating Burleson’s home as if it were her own, drinking out of Burleson’s old dog bowl and sleeping in the dog bed. “I lived at the beach so I would often leave the door open, but when I didn’t, she’d climb up to knock on the window outside my bedroom,” Burleson said. “There’s no way I would’ve felt better without Stymie showing up one day and putting a little joy back in my life.”
The little squirrel probably has no idea that she changed someone’s life forever. “She was a really great friend at one of the lowest points of my life,” Burleson said. “All I know is that animals are the best.”
1. How did Burleson feel the week before the squirrel came to her life?A.Painful. | B.Shocked. | C.Relaxed. | D.Hopeful. |
A.Michelle. | B.Budgie. | C.Dodo. | D.Stymie. |
A.Come for a second time. | B.Knock on the window. |
C.Sleep on the patio. | D.Eat the dog food. |
A.Squirrels are the best choice of pets. | B.Names mean a lot to squirrels. |
C.People find animals difficult to deal with. | D.Animals can change people’s life. |
6 . Milton Community Center
Milton Community Center provides a variety of programs and activities to improve the quality of life for young adults of different ages.
First and Goal Club | Date: March 17th—May 2nd | Ages: 12—14 |
First and Goal Club is a youth development program where students will have the opportunity to build self-confidence and grow as young adults. Here they will develop good healthy behaviors and improve working cooperation. | ||
Mid–winter Break Camp | Date: January 26th—January 29th | Ages: 13—15 |
Students will enjoy a fun and positive environment at Mid-winter Break Camp. They will go on educational and exciting trips, as well as joining in fun activities here at the Center. Students must bring lunch with them every day. | ||
iMatter | Date: April 24th—May 14th | Ages: 14—18 |
iMatter is designed to prepare the youth for their future life. This program will cover personal and professional improvement to get our young people ready for future jobs. Speakers from different work fields will come and speak about their walk of life. | ||
College Tour | Date: March 8th—June 4th | Ages: 16—18 |
Young adults will have opportunities to explore several colleges. Transportation will be provided from the Milton Community Center. Drinking water will be offered, but no lunch. |
For more information, please click here or visit http://miltoncommunity.com
1. First and Goal Club is designed for the age group of ________.A.12—14 | B.13—15 | C.14—18 | D.16—18 |
A.First and Goal Club | B.Mid–winter Break Camp |
C.iMatter | D.College Tour |
A.Go on educational trips. | B.Learn speaking skills. |
C.Get professional improvement. | D.Explore several colleges. |
A.On a website. | B.In a magazine. |
C.In a brochure. | D.On a noticeboard. |
7 . Music is something I could never live without. Without music, I was shy,
Every student wanted to be in the choir during high school. I chose show choir (dancing and singing). The other day I took part in the audition (试唱) held by the high school choir director. The audition went like this, introduction, song of choice and range check—“ding”—the director played a note on the piano which I had to match. I felt that I had done a(an)
“Have you seen the list? I got in!” one of my friends said.
“No,” I replied looking on the web page for the
I scrolled down, not my name, oh congratulations, I thought as I was looking through the show choir list. I found my
“Alice H.—alternate (替补).”
An alternate? Was my audition that
A year passed, I was at a restaurant that also held karaoke to the customers. My parents begged me to go up and
A.quiet | B.kind | C.clever | D.brave |
A.Dance | B.Music | C.Sports | D.Drawing |
A.happy | B.sorry | C.useful | D.nervous |
A.new | B.extra | C.amazing | D.boring |
A.discussed | B.kept | C.written | D.posted |
A.results | B.idea | C.plans | D.letter |
A.class | B.name | C.form | D.age |
A.easy | B.great | C.hard | D.bad |
A.helped | B.developed | C.disappeared | D.returned |
A.learn | B.speak | C.sing | D.listen |
A.spirit | B.energy | C.trust | D.courage |
A.cheered | B.waited | C.paid | D.called |
A.money | B.hope | C.time | D.work |
A.make | B.show | C.give | D.break |
A.so | B.but | C.or | D.for |
要求:
1. 语句流畅, 书写规范。
2. 包含提示内容, 并可适当发挥。
3. 词数 100 左右, 首句已给出, 不计入总词数。
4. 文中不能出现人名、地名等真实信息。
Advantages | Disadvantages |
方便(convenient);24 小时营业; 不用排队。 | 看不见物品;容易受到欺骗(be cheated); 不能享受和朋友一起购物的乐趣。 |
Shopping online is quite popular in our daily life now.
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9 . There are many international organizations which work to save and protect endangered species(物种)and natural environment. If you would like more information about any of the organizations listed below, you can write to the addresses given.
1. If you want to learn more about the organizations, you can ________.
A.call them | B.write them a letter |
C.visit them | D.send them an e-mail |
A.reduce pollution | B.defend rainforests |
C.protect ocean animals | D.save endangered birds |
A.Friends of the Earth | B.World Wide Fund For Nature |
C.Greenpeace | D.BirdLife International |
A.Environmental Protection Organizations |
B.Global Traffic Problems |
C.Endangered Animals |
D.Natural Beauty |
10 . People today are not unfamiliar with term such as "going eco-friendly" and "sustainable lifestyle". However, there exists a group of sceptics(怀疑论者)who believe that going eco-friendly is merely a fad(一时的风尚). I disagree with this viewpoint, Going eco-friendly is not merely a fad and it does, in fact, change the beliefs and attitudes of people.
The long-term presence of environmental organisations shows the efforts that people have made towards going eco-friendly. Organisations such as World Wildlife Fund advocate people to go eco-friendly. The high involvement of the organisations and the participants is thus a strong indicator that going eco-friendly is not merely a fad but a trend that can last decades.
Another strong indicator is the emergence of sustainable products in many industries, such as organic produce and electric vehicles. The consumer demand, coupled with eco-conscious(环保意识的)businesses, is behind the sharp increase in such products. This shows a shift in the beliefs and attitudes of people towards adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Thus, it seems quite certain that going eco-friendly is not merely a fad.
While some people who broadcast their eco-friendly practices are criticised for just hoping to project an eco-conscious image, there are a number of celebrities who have been practising the zero-waste lifestyle for years. For those who do so for years, and not mere days or months, it is indeed a commitment that can only come with a true change in beliefs and attitudes towards caring for the earth.
The call to save the earth looks set to stay. With the development of technology and the appearance of many platforms advocating going green, people are more willing to change their beliefs and attitudes when they can learn about and appreciate the positive impact of the work of different environmental organisations and individuals. It is hoped that these effects will go a long way in ensuring that our planet will remain a suitable place to live in.
1. Why does the author mention World Wildlife Fund?A.To appreciate its environmental efforts. |
B.To encourage people to go eco-friendly. |
C.To evidence the universal recognition of going green. |
D.To highlight the difficulty in changing people's attitudes. |
A.Sudden disappearance. | B.Sharp increase. |
C.Gradual development. | D.Limited application. |
A.It may discourage people from sustainable lifestyle. |
B.It may boost the business of organic produce. |
C.It will be used to project an eco-conscious image. |
D.It will promote environmental awareness. |
A.To prove going eco-friendly a lasting trend. |
B.To popularize the eco-friendly products. |
C.To offer strategies to go eco-friendly. |
D.To advertise for eco-friendly platforms. |