If you love eating and drinking for free and are looking to make some money, there’s a job that suits you. A new type of service allows people to hire(雇佣) others to enjoy their favorite foods.
Chinese media recently reported on an increasingly popular service that people can go online and hire others to enjoy certain foods and drinks, and ask them to provide video evidence of them eating or drinking the said treats. People should pay from two to nine yuan for the service besides the cost of the food.
Pearl milk tea(珍珠奶茶) is a particularly popular service, as the chewy (耐嚼的) balls and tea drink is so popular these days. There are also some people who want to pay the one who wants to eat fried chicken or hot pot for them. The trend(趋势) has spread to other areas such as selling videos of pet owners feeding their animals and people watching TV series for others. One person in Harbin even offered to sell photos of buyers’ names written in the heavy snow.
So why would anyone pay a total stranger a treat rather than enjoy it themselves? Well, clearly, the online service is so cheap that some people simply do it because of boredom. Some sellers explained that most customers buy their service because they’re hungry at night while they’re on a diet. Eating and drinking by others may help customers reduce the desire(欲望) and avoid high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other health problems, sellers said. While others get satisfaction in watching others enjoy their favorite treats.
This service has garnered a lot of attention on social media. Although it’s not exactly a get-rich-quickly job, there are quite a lot of people willing to do it for the free treats alone. Some people describing it as their dream job.
1. How much money does it cost to consume certain foods and drinks besides the cost of the food?(no more than 5 words)2. Why would some people pay someone to eat or drink for them? (no more than 15 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 5? (1 word)
4. Why do some people describe the job as their dream job? (no more than 10 words)
5. What’s your attitude towards hiring others to consume tasty food? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
At the opening ceremony (典礼) of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, everyone was amazed by the Malan Flower Children’s Choir (合唱团). The song moved people around the world. The choir was named after Malan Village. Deng Xiaolan taught music there for 18 years. Sadly, Deng passed away soon after this great performance, leaving behind her beloved village and the children she taught.
Deng Xiaolan was born in a small village in Hebei Province in 1943. She learned the violin and singing when she was young. She joined the school band after entering Tsinghua University, and she also taught her colleagues to play the violin after graduation. She worked in Beijing until she retired(退休). In 2004, the 61-year-old woman started volunteering to teach music in Malan Village.
Deng’s arrival (到来) brought changes to the children in the village. They fell in love with music. They would sing together in the morning, at noon, and at dusk (黄昏). Their beautiful voices went along with the birds’ songs and the wind through the trees. Some of the children went to college to study music and even became music teachers later. To let the children experience the beautiful views of our capital city, she even paid for their trip to Beijing. She led them to the Palace Museum, the Tiananmen Square, and so on. They opened their eyes to the outside world as well.
Teaching music in the village for such a long time was not easy for Deng, but she believed that music could make children healthier and happier. “In the last 18 years of her life, mum devoted (奉献) most of her time and energy to music education for children in Malan Village, which brought her great joy and made her life more meaningful. Her hard work had a big effect even though she’s no longer with us, ” said her daughter.
1. Is Deng Xiaolan still alive?2. When did Deng Xiaolan start volunteering to teach music in Malan Village?
3. What changes did Deng’s arrival bring to the children?
4. Do you think it’s necessary for the old people to volunteer in the way like Deng Xiaolan’s? Why or why not?
It was a hot summer day, with the sun shining brightly, and all I could think about was cooling down with my favorite ice cream. I decided to make a quick trip to the newly opened ice cream shop close by, eager for a midday treat.
As I stepped inside, the variety of flavors in the shop caught my eye. Although they were tempting, I ordered my preferred flavor in a con e for an immediate treat and chose two cups of chocolate ice cream to take home for my family. Enjoying my cone, I found perfect relaxation in its cool sweetness. I admired the shop’s attractive display of ice creams, each more colorful and inviting than the last.
Now that my to-go order was ready, I headed to the payment count er to settle the bill. There, I encountered an unexpected situation: the cashier, possibly distracted by the day’s rush, had forgotten to include the two cups of chocolate ice cream in my bill.
Faced with a moral (道德的) dilemma, I found myself at a crossroads: on one side was the simple path of paying the bill and overlooking the mistake; on the other, the act of pointing out the error. I knew if I didn’t bring the billing error to his notice, the cost of my ice cream would be charged against his salary.
At that moment, I made up my mind and approached the counter to point out what he had missed. His first shock gave way to great gratitude as he realized the financial loss I had saved him from. His repeated thanks and visible relief warmed my heart. The smile of relief on his face made me smile too.
Leaving the ice cream shop, I felt really happy and satisfied. It reminded me of how good it feels to do the right thing instead of just taking the easy way out. The experience was not just about ice cream; it proved the value of doing what is right, ensuring the joy that comes from acts of honesty and kindness.
1. What did the author decide to do to make himself feel cool? (no more than 10 words)2. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 2? (1word)
3. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4? (no more than 10 words)
4. What made the author feel a deep satisfaction? (no more than 5 words)
5. What do you think of the author? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
4 . The literature teacher entered the classroom and, with a smile on his face, said, “Hello, fellows!” Then he placed his notebook and books on his desk before stepping to the blackboard and picking up the chalk. Then he wrote down: “Who do I want to be?”
While reading the question, all of a sudden, I remembered what my grandmother said. Every time she scolded me, she would ask, “When are you going to become a person?” When I told my friend Firoz about these words, he burst into laughter.
Remembering my grandmother’s question and anger, I quickly covered my lips with my hand to hide my smile from the teacher’s eyes. But to be honest, I really had a dream deep in my heart. I wanted to explore outer space.
Our literature teacher had already announced that we would write an essay on an open topic. He wrote the topic on the board and took his place.
Most of my classmates had their heads bent over their blank papers. Some raised their heads and stared at the white ceiling, others scratched at the back of their notebooks. Baba Morad was biting his lips thought fully. Firoz was looking around. Part of my mind was busy searching for an essay topic, while the other was wondering whether dreams and wishes for the future are the same things.
My eyes wandered outside through the large glass window and stared at the sky where a bird was flying. I gathered my thoughts and began to write my essay, filling up the back and front of three white sheets.
Once again, I read my writing from the beginning to the end and was satisfied with the way I created it and the greatness of my desire. I looked around at my classmates, some of whom had finished their work, and some were writing, and then I looked outside.
The teacher, who had a long, dry stick in his hand to beat us sometimes, was walking around in the classroom. At the same time, walking under the watchful eye he would collect the essays of those who had finished writing.
1. 根据语篇内容填写表格（每空不限词数）| Where | In the classroom |
| Who | I, the literature teacher, other students |
| What | 1. The literature teacher asked students to 2. I remembered what my grandmother said. Every time she scolded me, she would ask 3. The dream deep in my heart is to 4. I began to write my essay, 5. At the same time, the teacher would |
按情节推进，用完整句子回答问题。
2. What did the teacher do after he collected students’ essays?
3. How did the classmates react to the author’s dream? Give your reasons?
4. How did the teacher judge the author’s dream and how did the author feel?
Balancing Trees and CO2
Tree planting used to be regarded as an effective means of reducing climate change. Perhaps it’s time for us to rethink this practice. Trees pull CO2 from the air. This effectively removes CO2 from the atmosphere. But trees only hold onto CO2 as long as they’re alive. Once they die, trees decay (腐烂) and release that CO2 back into the atmosphere.
Recent studies have found that trees around the world are growing faster than ever. The rise of CO2, mainly due to burning fossil fuels, is probably driving that rapid growth, said Roel Brienen, a forest ecologist at the University of Leeds, UK. High levels of CO2 are increasing temperatures, which in turn speeds tree growth in those areas, he added.
The faster trees grow, the faster they store carbon. It seems like good news. However, it is known that fast-growing tree species, in general, live shorter lives than their slow-growing relatives.
In order to see whether the growth-lifespan trade-off (生长与寿命之间的权衡) is a universal phenomenon, Brienen and his colleagues analyzed over 210,000 individual tree ring records of 110 tree species from more than 79,000 sites worldwide. They found that, in almost all habitats and all sites, faster-growing tree species died younger than slow-growing species, and even within a species, the trade-off between growth and life span held strong.
The team also created a computer program that modeled a forest and tweaked (微量调整) the growth of the trees in this model. Early on, it showed that “the forest could hold more carbon as the trees grew faster”, Brienen reported. But after 20 years, these trees started dying and losing this extra carbon again. “We must understand that the only solution to bringing down CO2 levels is to stop emitting (排放) it into the atmosphere,” said Brienen.
1. What does “this practice” in Para.1 refer to?2. Why are trees around the world growing faster than ever?
3. Read the following statement, underline the false part of it and explain the reason. The team has found that the faster trees grow, the faster they store CO2, and the longer lives they live.
4. Please briefly present what you can do in daily life to reduce the emission of CO2.（about 40 words）
1. Why do people write poems?
2. Are poems good for our life?
3. What can we get from poems?
4. What have you learnt from the reading passage?
1. What are they doing?
2. What do you think is necessary for bird observation?
Back when I was in my twenties, I worked in an office in Philadelphia. I spent my day there crunching (运算) lifeless numbers. The job was really boring. However, it had its happy moments, like when I received a hard-earned promotion (晋升).
It was different on Tuesdays. On Tuesday nights, I walked to a nearby center to my “another job”. It was a world apart from my job during the day. I would make my way to a large room where I was greeted by shouts of excitement—“Miss Maggie is here!” This enthusiasm came from a group of kids who were all mine to teach. On these Tuesday nights, I taught volleyball for athletes of the Special Olympics.
As I entered this large room one Tuesday night, I noticed that Brian was sitting in the corner by himself, as usual. He came from a family that treated him badly. Unfortunately, this caused him a lot of anger and sadness.
As the other kids started to exercise, I walked over to Brian and sat down. I said hello, but he gave me only an angry mumble (咕哝) in return.
I gave Brian a gentle pat and told him that we’d love to have him join us. Once the kids had warmed up, I began my lesson. As the lesson progressed, Brian came out of his corner. Nervously, he approached me and asked if he could play. I put my arm around him and replied with an enthusiastic yes.
Working with Brian each week, I knew I had to be patient, and this experience taught me a valuable lesson. Finally, I became friends with Brian. I knew that I had to stay positive and make sure he knew that I was there for him no matter what happened.
1. When did the writer feel pleased in her office? (no more than 10 words)2. What is the meaning of the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?(no more than 10 words)
3. What did the writer teach the children? (no more than 5 words)
4. Why did Brian often feel angry and sad? (no more than 10 words)
5. What kind of teacher do you think the writer was? Why? (no more than 20 words)
Hi there, Aunt Joan!
How are you? Mum said you asked how I was doing, so let me tell you about my life here.
As you know, I’ve been in China for around a month now. I want to study in a local university, which is why I took those after-school Chinese classes. I decided on China because it’s a fast-developing country with trade links all over the world. Studying here could be useful in finding a good job in trade or business. What’s more, Chinese culture is really interesting, so choosing to come here was a no-brainer for me! Having said that, China isn’t like I thought it might be. I thought it would be quite old and traditional, but in many ways, the cities are just as modern as back home in Vancouver, only with lots more people! There’s so much more food to try, too, and it’s all delicious! Everywhere I go, I see restaurants and snack stalls — it seems to be a big part of their culture. Food here is very reasonably priced, so it’s great for my budget. The people I meet are all very welcoming towards me as a foreigner, and I even seem to be a point of interest! However, hardly anyone speaks English in my area, so it can be a bit overwhelming at times. But I guess that’s why I’m here — to learn.
Right now, I’m studying every day for my HSK exam (a Chinese language qualification). But I also get a chance to explore the city. I usually get up extra early each morning to enjoy a freshly made breakfast on the street, and then I often visit a park. There’s a lot of traditional culture still alive in China. The parks are full of people playing traditional instruments, playing Chinese chess, and even writing calligraphy on the ground with giant paintbrushes!
My long-term plan is to take a degree course here. But it all depends on my expenses, so I intend to find some work first. I’m staying in a hostel (招待所) dormitory right now, but I’ve put an ad online to find a friendly Chinese family for a home-stay. That way, my Chinese will improve much faster, especially my written Chinese, which I find the most difficult to grasp.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope you guys can visit China sometime!
Take care!
Jim
1. What is the author’s purpose in taking after-school classes?(no more than 6 words)2. Why did the author decide on China? Give two of the reasons.(no more than 18 words)
3. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 2?(1 word)
4. Why is Jim looking for a home-stay?(no more than 5 words)
5. What kind of person do you think the author is? Please explain.(no more than 20 words)
| Dear headmaster, As president of Sullivan Junior High School’s student council, I have been chosen to write to you on behalf of the eighth grade class. We would like to propose an eighth grade promotion trip to Sea World in San Diego, California. We chose Sea World for several reasons. In science class, we have been studying oceans and the marine life. Going to Sea World would provide us with the opportunity to visit these creatures and to better understand their habitats. This could be a once in a lifetime experience for those of us who have never been outside Arizona. We will have lots of fun and learn at the same time. The close location of San Diego was also a factor in planning this trip. San Diego can be reached by bus in about six hours. If the buses leave Sullivan after school on Friday afternoon, we should arrive in California in time to have a late dinner and get settled into our hotel rooms before midnight. |
You may be asking yourself. “How will this trip be financed?” We are suggesting that the school host an “Oceans of Fun” night for family, friends, and community members for a small fee. The activities would be organized and supervised by eighth grade students. Some of our ideas for the night include a Surfer’s Snack Shop with homemade treats for sale, Pirate Pete’s Treasure hunt, and a short production of “A Whale of a Tale.” This would the best chance to show our ocean animal reports. Many of the eighth grade students have gone to school together since kindergarten. We believe that this trip would be a fantastic way to celebrate friendships. This trip may also be one of the last times we see our friends because students from Sullivan Junior High School attend four different high schools. We invite you to our next student council meeting on December 7, 2013, to discuss your thoughts and work out any concerns you still may have. Thank you for taking the time to consider our request for an eighth-grade promotion trip. Sincerely, Julie Martino |
1. Who has written this letter? What is she?
2. What idea has the author mainly expressed in Paragraph 4?
3. Why has the author written this letter?
4. Why does the author mention that many students have gone to school together since kindergarten in Paragraph 5?
