1 . For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, N.Y., today is speech day, and right now it’s Chris Palaez’s turn. The 8-year-old is the joker of the class. With shining dark eyes, he seems like the kind of kid who would enjoy public speaking.
But he’s nervous. “I’m here to tell you today why you should … should…” Chris trips on the “-ld,” a pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher, Thomas Whaley, is next to him, whispering support. “…Vote for …me …” Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion, Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.
A son of immigrants, Chris stared learning English a little over three years ago. Whaley recalls (回想起) how at the beginning of the year, when called upon to read, Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom.
Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience. What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes. “It takes a lot for any student,” Whaley explains, “especially for a student who is learning English as their new language, to feel confident enough to say, ‘I don’t know, but I want to know.’”
Whaley got the idea of this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president. The answer broke his heart. Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast (夸耀) about themselves.
“Boasting about yourself, and your best qualities,” Whaley says, “is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident.”
1. What made Chris nervous?A.Telling a story. | B.Making a speech. |
C.Taking a test. | D.Answering a question. |
A.Improper pauses. | B.Bad manners. | C.Spelling mistakes. | D.Silly jokes. |
A.help students see their own strengths |
B.assess students’ public speaking skills |
C.prepare students for their future jobs |
D.inspire students’ love for politics |
A.Humorous. | B.Ambitious. | C.Caring. | D.Demanding. |
On our way to the house, it was raining
We were first greeted with the barking by a pack
When they were free from work, they invited us to local events and let us know of an interesting
3 . Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit(联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many people while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000, Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number(中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the worlds languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
1. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?A.They developed very fast. | B.They were large in number. |
C.They had similar patters. | D.They were closely connected |
A.Complex. | B.Advanced. |
C.Powerful. | D.Modern. |
A.About 6,800 . | B.About 3,400 |
C.About 2,400 | D.About 1,200. |
A.New languages will be created. |
B.Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages. |
C.Human development results in fewer languages. |
D.Geography determines language evolution. |
4 . Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s “me” time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half(53 percent) have breakfast alone and nearly half(46 percent) have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?” Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he’s on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction(交流). “I reflect on how my day’s gone and think about the rest of the week,” he said. “It’s a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn’t feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?A.Food variety. |
B.Eating habits. |
C.Table manners. |
D.Restaurant service. |
A.To meet with her coworkers. |
B.To catch up with her work. |
C.To have some time on her own. |
D.To collect data for her report. |
A.He makes videos for the bar. |
B.He’s fond of the food at the bar. |
C.He interviews customers at the bar. |
D.He’s familiar with the barkeeper. |
A.The trend of having meals alone. |
B.The importance of self-reflection. |
C.The stress from working overtime. |
D.The advantage of wireless technology. |
There are several reasons why school uniforms are good idea. First of all, uniforms help the school look smart. The students feel that they belong to a particular group. When every pupil in the school wears the uniform, nobody
But can uniforms help improve school standards? The answer
School uniforms are
6 . Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens
Visitor InformationHow to Get to Holker
By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.
By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.
Opening TimesSunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.
Admission ChargesHall & Gardens | Gardens | |
Adults: | £12.00 | £8.00 |
Groups | £9 | £5.5 |
Producers: Market 13th April
Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.
Holker Garden Festival 30th May
The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.
National Garden Day 28th August
Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.
Winter Market 8th November
This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.
1. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?A.20 minutes. | B.25 minutes. |
C.45 minutes. | D.90 minutes. |
A.£12.00. | B.£9.00. |
C.£8.0 | D.£5.50 |
A.Producers’ Market. | B.Holker Garden Festival. |
C.National Garden Day. | D.Winter Market. |
7 . No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own
I learned this lesson from a(n)
It was a tradition for the school’s old team to play against the
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little
Six months after suffering our
From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can
Winners are made, but born.
1.A.luck | B.tests | C.efforts | D.nature |
A.experiment | B.experience | C.visit | D.show |
A.operating | B.editing | C.consulting | D.coaching |
A.successful | B.excellent | C.strong | D.new |
A.cheer for | B.prepare for | C.help with | D.finish with |
A.believe | B.agree | C.describe | D.regret |
A.realize | B.claim | C.permit | D.demand |
A.reacting to | B.looking for | C.depending on | D.caring about |
A.decision | B.attitude | C.conclusion | D.intention |
A.pride | B.culture | C.fortune | D.relationship |
A.leaders | B.partners | C.winners | D.learners |
A.rewards | B.vacations | C.health | D.honor |
A.risked | B.missed | C.considered | D.practiced |
A.defeat | B.decline | C.accident | D.mistake |
A.relax | B.improve | C.expand | D.defend |
A.shame | B.burden | C.victory | D.favor |
A.chances | B.thrills | C.concerns | D.offers |
A.surprise | B.serve | C.interest | D.affect |
A.encouraged | B.observed | C.protected | D.impressed |
A.honestly | B.individually | C.calmly | D.differently |
8 . When it comes to lowering blood pressure, studies have typically shown that aerobic (有氧的) exercises are best. Recent research suggests another type of physical activity is worth including as an effective tool to prevent and treat high blood pressure.
Exercises that engage muscles without movement, such as wall squats and planks, may be best for lowering blood pressure, according to a large study published in July, 2023 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
This type of training is known as isometric exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Isometric muscle action happens when muscles contract but do not visibly change length, and the joints involved don’t move, facilitating stability of the body. Isometric exercises can be done with weights or without, just relying on the body’s own weight.
“These findings provide a comprehensive data-driven framework to support the development of new exercise guideline recommendations for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure,” said study coauthor Dr. Jamie O’Driscoll in a news release.
The researchers looked into randomized controlled trials that had reported the effects of exercise interventions, lasting two or more weeks, on blood pressure between 1990 and February 2023. From a review of 270 trials with 15,827 participants, the researchers found that among HIIT (high intensity interval training), isometric exercise, aerobic exercise, dynamic resistance training and a combination of the latter two, isometric exercise led to the greatest reductions in blood pressure.
It’s also important to note that there are other lifestyle changes as well as exercise that can benefit your blood pressure. These include keeping to a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, cutting down on salt, not drinking too much alcohol and ensuring that you continue to take any prescribed medication.
More research is needed to determine exactly why isometric exercises might be better for lowering blood pressure than other types of training, the authors said.
1. What does the underlined part “isometric exercise” in paragraph 3 refer to?A.Exercise that is done with extra weights. |
B.Exercise that involves visible muscle contraction. |
C.Exercise that focuses on stability of the body. |
D.Exercise that engages muscles without movement. |
A.By providing statistics. | B.By interviewing experts. |
C.By doing experiments. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.Exploring the reasons for its effectiveness. |
B.Demonstrating its influences on mental health. |
C.Assessing its suitability for different populations. |
D.Determining its long-term impacts on blood pressure. |
A.The benefits of aerobic exercises. | B.The best exercise for blood pressure. |
C.The effects of various types of exercises. | D.The importance of keeping a healthy lifestyle. |
9 . Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an acceptable and valuable part of your neighborhood . the easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should.
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产) neat, clean, and in good repair.
Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously,. When going for a walk. Take a small garbage bag.
A.In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone. |
B.A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways. |
C.Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior. |
D.Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping. |
E.Should you come across waste paper thrown out of a passing car, pick it up. |
F.People tend to lake pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and inviting. |
G.Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly |
The Communist Party has made great progress in reducing China’s pollution, but
Sandstorms used
Since 2000, the Chinese government