1 . What could well extend your life, and might assist you in the life to come? Answer: singing in a choir. It’s not a new discovery: there are endless studies on the subject.
But there was a specific angle to this latest study done by Oxford Brookes University researchers, which compared the collective experience of choral singing to that of taking part in team sports. Choirs apparently win hands down. And as someone who since childhood has used singing as an excuse to stay off the sports field, I take no issue with that.
In fact, I take no issue with any of these piles of research. The only thing I find annoying is that such an endlessly repeated truth results in relatively little action from the kind of people who could put it to good use. Not least, in government.
From time to time I get invited as a music critic to the launch of some program to encourage more collective singing among school-age children. Expert s like Howard Goodall usually turn up. Then, six months later, everything goes quiet.
The hard fact is that most state schools don’t bother much with singing. They say they don’t have the resources or the time. And even when a worthwhile singing project drops into their lap, they turn it down. I know a woman named Golda who’s been trying hard to organize a performance of Benjamin Britten’s The Little Sweep — perhaps the greatest work for young children to sing together. But has she found her local schools responsive? Sadly not: it was all too much trouble.
I got the chance to tour with a choir at age 11. It opened a world to which an 11-year-old from unfashionable parts of east London doesn’t generally get access. It spoke possibilities. All the physical and mental pluses are a happy bonus. But the joy of access to that world of music is what counts.
Just think: if we could finally get Britain’s children singing. we wouldn’t need university researchers. We’d just do it, and be all the better for it.
1. What does the underlined part “take no issue with” in Paragraph 2mean?| A．Feel confused about. |
| B．Make no comment on. |
| C．Get unfamiliar with. |
| D．Have no objection to. |
| A．Most children think little of singing. |
| B．Most children prefer singing to doing sports. |
| C．Most schools attach little importance to singing. |
| D．Most schools don’t have the money or the time to form a choir. |
| A．She couldn’t find a choir to join. |
| B．She failed to win local schools’ support. |
| C．Howard Goodall turned down her invitation. |
| D．The government was unwilling to provide resources. |
| A．Eye-opening. |
| B．Identity-awakening. |
| C．Soul-comforting. |
| D．Character-shifting. |
| A．To review the latest study on singing. |
| B．To advocate choir singing for children. |
| C．To recommend musical works for the young. |
| D．To compare the benefits of recreational activities. |
2 . For too many years now, the teaching of the English language in our grammar and high schools has been uninspiring, leaving an entire generation with only unclear ideas about how to write and speak clearly and well. Now The Handbook of Good English, a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to modern grammar, punctuation, usage, and style, puts the best available advice about writing and using the English language at your fingertips.
Intended to replace Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and a host of other desk-reference books on careful writing, The Handbook of Good English is organized for both rapid reference to check specific points and for leisurely study to improve personal and professional writing.
This comprehensive book explores syntax, punctuation, style, organization and tone. Edward D. Johnson does more than issue the rules; he gives examples, exceptions, and, more important, clear, easily understood explanations of why grammar has the rules it does. He also gives full attention to styling, the important matter of giving consistent treatment to numbers, abbreviation, generic terms, forms of address, foreign terms, etc., in good writing.
A special feature of this book is the combined Glossary/Index (词汇表/索引), arranged from A to Z, to give instant answers to the most commonly asked questions about misused words, phrases, and constructions, and cross-referenced to the text of a longer explanation is desired. For the novice, the professional, for anyone who cares about the language, The Handbook of Good English is the crucial guide to proper communication.
“The Handbook of Good English fills a real need for a basic and strict handbook of standard English grammar, punctuation rules and conventions of editorial styling. Because grammar has been taught so carelessly for the past 20 years, Johnson takes pains to explain reasons for and relationships between grammatical rules,” comments Booklist, a book-review magazine.
1. What does the author think of classroom English language teaching?| A．Engaging. | B．Time-consuming. |
| C．Creative. | D．Ineffective. |
| A．To list English words commonly used in daily conversations. |
| B．To provide advice on proper English communication. |
| C．To further develop the idea in The Elements of Style. |
| D．To highlight the importance of grammar learning. |
| A．Its diverse content. | B．Its unique organization. |
| C．Its publishing process. | D．Its target readers. |
| A．It has multiple glossaries for different users. |
| B．It has extensive references for further reading. |
| C．It has a section devoted to readers’ frequent confusions. |
| D．It adopts a conversational approach to explaining grammar. |
| A．Effective means of learning standard English. |
| B．A further recommendation for Johnson’s book. |
| C．An expectation of Johnson’s creation. |
| D．An introduction to the history of English grammar. |
3 . In recent studies we have been investigating mirror writing by typical 4-to 6-year-old children. The term is used because the characters — numbered and letters — are reversed (颠倒), yet are correct when looked at in a mirror.
For quite a long time, the mainstream views on the phenomenon were supported by the observation of left-handed children writing reverse characters, which was insufficient and misleading as right-handed children do so as well. Even today, left-handedness is often the favorite explanation of teachers when children produce mirror writing.
We find mirror writing works on both the cerebral(relating to the brain) and the behavioral level. The former has long been limited to the simplistic 1925 theory by Samue Ort on that one of the cerebral hemispheres (大脑半球) (usually the left) would correctly store the letters while the other would store them in a mirrored form. More recently, however, it has been shown that the brain doesn’t consider orientation (方 向) (left or right) when storing images, a process called mirror generalization.
This mirror generalization process, which can be very useful — for example, to recognize a face by both its left and right sides —leads children to know, from memory, the shape of the characters, but not their left / right orientation. It is important to note that the learning of the form of characters by children is mainly visual, and that children produce almost entirely horizontal mirror writing.
At the behavioral level, when children write the characters from memory, they must give them an. orientation. In countries whose primary languages are written in Latin characters —written from left to right — children tend to reverse mainly characters that face the left, such as 7 and q. However, when children are required to write from right to left, they instead reverse the right-oriented letters. This suggests that children usually orient characters in the direction of their. writing.
Our explanation is supported by analyzing tens of thousands of writing samples from more than a thousand children. Nevertheless, many parents continue to believe that mirror writing might be the indicator of a disorder such as dyslexia (读写困难), as doctors may still suggest that mirror writing by children is a sign of a developmental issue. Our research on typical developing children does not support such claims.
1. What does the author want to show by mentioning the left-handedness view?| A．The necessity of re-explaining mirror writing. |
| B．The role of teachers in addressing mirror writing. |
| C．The difficulty in adjusting children's handedness. |
| D．The challenge of writing faced by left-handed children. |
| A．It can recognize letters in a mirror forms. |
| B．It ignores the orientation during image storage. |
| C．Its ability to store visual images is quite limited. |
| D．Its left hemisphere is more active in storing letters. |
| A．Its pronunciation. | B．Its meaning. |
| C．Its orientation. | D．Its outline. |
| A．7, J and Z. | B．9, D and F. |
| C．6, B and R. | D．8, J and L. |
| A．Limiting children’s exposure to mirror writing. |
| B．Regarding mirror writing as something normal. |
| C．Encouraging children to overcome mirror writing. |
| D．Seeking professional advice on kid’s developmental issues. |
I used to hate old books. When I say “old books”, I don’t mean classics, though. I mean books with yellow pages, broken spines (书脊) and odd wood-like smells that you need to be careful not to break because they are already so worn down. One can assume that I didn’t own many old books. I had a few here and there that my parents had gifted me, but nothing too special.
In fourth grade, I was ready to venture into a new world of reading, one that went beyond the likes of children’s chapter books and juvenile (青少年的) topics. Just then, I found my parents’ old copies of the entire Harry Potter book series. Visually, my parents’ books were my worst nightmare. I remember thinking to myself that reading these books was out of the question. However, I eventually had to come to terms with the fact that if I wanted to read the books, I would have to read my parents’ copies. And so began the terrible journey of reading seven old books.
When it was time for me to read the final copy, I was kind of a changed woman. I still strongly disliked old books, but the plot of the entire Harry Potter series had attracted me so much that I had almost entirely forgotten what the books looked like. By the end, I had devoted an entire shelf in my room to the Harry Potter books.
Now, I love old books. I love how the covers are sometimes so worn down that you can barely read the title of the book, but you can understand what it’s about anyway. After all, an old book is a representation of generations of readers who have chosen to live in a specific fictional world because the story it contains is just that good. Old books have meaning, and I love how much they mean to me now.
1. Who did the old copies of the entire Harry Potter book series belong to?(no more than 5words)2. What does the underlined part “out of the question” in Paragraph 2 mean?(one word)
3. How did the author like the plot of the entire Harry Potter series?(no more than 5 words)
4. What does the author mainly talk about in the last paragraph?(no more than 10 words)
5. What kind of books do you like reading? Why?(no more than 20 words)
5 . A friend and I were having lunch and I asked about her son who was getting professional help for some behavioral problems he was having. Our conversation went like this: “There’s a good change in his attitude. He’s staying out of trouble, but I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.” she said. “It’s hard to trust him yet. He is doing things that he’s never done before, which is great. But I still need to supervise him just in case.”
I asked a couple of questions: “Have you told him how proud you are of how far he’s come? Have you thanked him for the things he’s now doing but never did in the past?” She said no. And because she’s a very bright woman she followed it up with: “I really need to say those things because I am proud of him and I am grateful for what he’s doing now. All I keep doing is looking at what he’s still doing wrong and getting on him about that. How’s he ever going to feel good about himself and continue to improve if I don’t acknowledge him for all his improvements and growth?”
“If I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, it will!” I just smiled and told her I loved her and that she’s a great mom. The conversation moved on to a new topic. It’s worth taking a look at your close relationships, especially with your kids and asking yourself: Do I spend too much time letting them know what they’re doing wrong? Do I ignore their efforts toward positive change? Do I still find ways to be unsatisfied with their behavior?
If you answer yes to any of those questions, you’re now the one who needs to do some changing. Never forget that people love to be acknowledged — not just for the big things but the little things, too. Appreciation and love are the driving force that keeps them wanting to do well and do something nice for others.
1. The author’s friend ______.| A．was already satisfied with her son’s behavior |
| B．was particular about her son’s attitude |
| C．was still worried about her son’s behavior |
| D．already fully believed in her son |
| A．favorable | B．negative |
| C．unconcerned | D．doubtful |
| A．If I keep waiting for kids to correct mistakes, they will. |
| B．If I keep waiting for kids to change positively, they will. |
| C．If I keep waiting for kids to wear the other shoe, they will. |
| D．If I keep waiting for kids to make mistakes, they will. |
| A．direct rejection and scolding |
| B．proper affection and admiration |
| C．blind love and appreciation |
| D．strict requirements and standards |
| A．A Dialogue Between Two Women |
| B．Are You Proud of Your Child? |
| C．Be Patient When You Are a Parent |
| D．One Major Thing Most Parents Forget to Do |
6 . Starting a daily running routine needs determination. Looking back on my old running routine, it wasn’t so much the passion that affected my sticking to a regular schedule — but it was the environment. There had to be no rain pouring down, there had to be not many people on the basketball court and the ambient (周围的) temperature had to be just right. Or maybe I was just making an excuse for myself not to get up at 5 in the morning?
I was quite successful at doing so when I was 15 and when it was summer. When I was overweight, I ate more snacks than the actual full meals in a day, and I hardly got off the sofa. One summer day, I decided that it was time to put a stop to the idea that I was just the fat kid. I didn’t want to put in that box anymore. There was a tipping point (临界点) where inspiration happened, and discipline (自律) just took over from there. I needed to make sure that I ran 10 laps of the park a day — this was the contract (契约) I made with myself that summer. And if I achieved that, I knew I’d be closer to my goal of being just a kid with normal weight.
Ten laps, six days a week — sometimes no breakfast, hardly a bite at dinner, one snack a day—this lasted two months. I’d lost over 30 pounds that summer, which was roughly a quarter of my body weight. Some days, I didn’t have the motivation. But the contract I made with myself kept reminding me — if I’d break it, would I even bother making future self-contracts anymore? There were sleepy days, and there were days when I should have rested my trembling knees, but discipline won over them all.
1. What do we know about the author’s past running routine?| A．It was made by the author’s parents. | B．It mainly depended on the environment. |
| C．It referred to many people at site. | D．It failed in the end. |
| A．The author didn’t live a healthy lifestyle. |
| B．Summer is a season for people to be fat. |
| C．Good eating habits could make one put on weight. |
| D．Getting up late made him a fat kid. |
| A．He felt looked down upon when he was fat. |
| B．He couldn’t find a right word to describe his size. |
| C．He made up his mind to achieve his goal of losing weight. |
| D．He was too fat to find the right size of clothes or shoes. |
| A．My Running Routine Was Affected by the Environment. |
| B．It Was Unpleasant to Be Overweight. |
| C．I Made a Contract on Running. |
| D．Discipline Helps Achieve My Goal. |
7 . There has been a recent wave in Hollywood where studios take popular animated (动画的) films and “improve” upon them by changing them into live-action remakes. The thought that live-action movies are better because they follow the laws of the natural world degrades the style of animation.
The beauty of animation is that its use of caricatures (漫画) and exaggerations (夸张) reflects an amazing amount of creative depth in characters stories that reality cannot. Looking at the bigger picture, it becomes clear that the true purpose of Disney’s ever growing list of live-action remakes is not to comment on the value of animation, although it indirectly does, but a quick way to take advantage of nostalgic (怀旧的) fans.
For evidence, look no further than Disney’s 2019 The Lion King live-action remake, a retelling of the 1994 animated classic. It broke several box office records, raking in a whopping $543.6 million globally in box office sales alone. However, in comparison to the original, the audience satisfaction with the remake decreased greatly on Rotten Tomatoes. This is similar to the the remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Dumbo, Aladdin, and the countless other live-action remakes Disney has produced within the last 5 years. This means that Disney no longer needs to come up with new and original content because they can make a big profit just by taking beloved stories and remaking them.
In fact, Disney looks at itself as a business, and therefore considers making a profit as one of their main aims.
The problem with this mentality (心态) is that, while Disney makes a huge profit, audiences, artists, and art suffer. They may no longer create new stories or art styles, but rather serve as money-making machines that require directors to produce the same stories with a fresh coat of paint every 10 years or so. If this cycle continues, artists will be held back from creating new lovable characters and stories full of creativity. The feeling of nostalgia when we see old Disney films could possibly never happen-to newer generations if this cycle does not stop.
1. What does the author think of live-action remakes?| A．They slow down Hollywood development. |
| B．They’ve failed to become a popular art form. |
| C．They are poor at showing the beauty of nature. |
| D．They destroy the artistic expression of animation. |
| A．It bases its stories on reality. | B．It uses many special effects. |
| C．It explores characters fully. | D．It brings back fans’ memories. |
| A．To tell us Disney has given up its originality. |
| B．To show Disney has focused more on making money. |
| C．To prove too many remakes have been produced. |
| D．To show audiences have high expectations of remakes. |
| A．It reduces Disney’s incomes. | B．It demands more from directors. |
| C．It hurts new-generation audiences. | D．It causes artists to be less creative. |
After being evacuated (疏散) from her Florida home following Hurricane Michael. Amber Gee was attempting to get an idea of the destruction left behind when she discovered a sign of trouble. As reported by ABC News, Gee was using NOAA’s interactive aerial map (交互式航拍地图) to check the damage done to her and her family’s homes when she spotted the word “H-E-L-P” spelled out in the yard.
The NOAA website allows those impacted in the hurricane to get a look at specific streets or homes by zooming in on (用变焦距镜头拉近) aerial imagery of the affected area. According to ABC News, Gee was looking at one of these photos when she noticed a cry for help spelled out in wood in the front yard of her grandmother’s Bay County home.
Though her grandmother had evacuated, several other family members, including Gee’s uncle and his wife, had stayed behind. After spotting the message, Gee alerted (向……报警) Bay County Emergency Services, who went to the house and rescued those who were trapped in the residence.
“Apparently, they had to cut through a lot of downed trees to get there,” Gee told ABC News. Her uncle, Ernest, had reportedly used wood from one of those trees to spell out the message.
After the rescue, Bay County Emergency Services posted the incident on their Facebook page, writing, “This is an incredible story of how people are working together in this situation. Someone from another county was using the mapping app to check property in rural Bay County and noticed the word ‘help’ spelled out in the grass in wood. That person immediately contacted us and sent the picture and we dispatched emergency workers.”
Meanwhile, Gee says she is thankful that she was able to use the mapping tool to get her family to safety. “The hurricane has turned everything upside down everywhere. Some were more fortunate than others. I’m just happy that everybody is safe and sound and, hopefully, soon we will all get through this together and recover from this storm,” she said.
1. What did Gee use the mapping app to do? (no more than 12 words)2. Who can look at the NOAA website’s aerial photos of the affected area? (no more than 5 words)
3. Who spelled out “Help” to cry for help? (no more than 5 words)
4. What does the underlined word “dispatched” in Para. 5 probably mean? (one word)
5. What lesson can you learn from this story? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
9 . Whether you’re considering gap time directly after high school, during college, or a mid-career break, taking a year off is a great opportunity to learn through new experiences, grow beyond your comfort zone, and get out of your ordinary routine.
If your hunger to travel the world, meet new people, and experience new adventures can no longer be ignored, a gap year program is a great opportunity to volunteer abroad, teach abroad, intern abroad, or attend a language school. Whether you’re attracted by a quick tour across country borders on multiple continents, or a long-term stay in a near or distant city, the best way to spend your gap year is completely up to you!
Gap years are becoming increasingly common for students and young professionals. In fact, many find that when applying for jobs, their gap year experience helps their resume stand out among a sea of qualified candidates.
Because of the popularity of gap years, potential gap year travelers have tons of questions like: Is taking a gap year possible?
• Who takes a gap year?
• How much does a gap year cost?
• How can I make the most of my gap year?
• When is the best time to take a gap year?
• Will a gap year affect my college applications?
• What are the pros and cons of a gap year?
• Am I too old to take a gap year?
• Are there gap year jobs available?
Here at Go Overseas we have detailed information to help you have a year of meaningful growth through exploring your interests, passions, and curiosities, as well as supporting your desire for experiential learning, either locally or abroad. Go through gap year program listings and reviews, read through expert gap year advice and ideas, and decide how to get the most out of your gap year.
1. What do you know about the gap year?| A．It is not worthwhile. | B．It mainly suits school students. |
| C．It does more harm than good. | D．It contributes to a new routine. |
| A．People who have only been on the job for a year. |
| B．People who always want to learn a new language abroad. |
| C．High school students who are tired of sitting all day long. |
| D．People who want to achieve work-life balance in the long run. |
| A．It makes little difference to them. |
| B．It makes their resumes look more authentic. |
| C．It makes their potential employers confused. |
| D．It increases their chances of being hired. |
| A．To draw the attention of new gap year travelers. |
| B．To show the difficulties that a gap year traveler may meet. |
| C．To reflect what people might want to know about taking a gap year. |
| D．To explain why people should take a gap year into consideration. |
| A．A travel guide. |
| B．A guide to career choices. |
| C．An advertisement for taking a gap year. |
| D．Suggestions for having a wonderful school life. |
10 . Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease which leads to shaky hands and slow movement, and there is no cure. Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art that combines (结合) slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation, may be an effective means of reducing the suffering. Recently, the researchers say that those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications (并发症) and better quality of life than those who didn’t. Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson’s.
The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. One group of 147 people practised regular Tai Chi while another group of 187 did not. The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group on measurements of symptoms (症状), movement and balance. This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group. At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.
Prof. Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology and neuroepidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, called it “an important study”—the positive effects on aspects of motor (运动的) and non-motor functions are impressive — but said there were limitations in its design, and more tests were needed.
“We already recommend Tai Chi, as well as other forms of exercise, but understanding which forms of exercise are most beneficial is an important goal to improve the long-term management of patients,” he said.
1. Why was the study conducted?| A．To find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. |
| B．To improve the sleep quality of Parkinson’s patients. |
| C．To remove the misunderstanding of the previous studies. |
| D．To research the benefits of Tai Chi for those with Parkinson’s. |
| A．Concentration problem was lower in the Tai Chi group. |
| B．The disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group. |
| C．Patients in the non-Tai Chi group continuously fell down. |
| D．Back pain and dizziness were relieved in the Tai Chi group. |
| A．Tai Chi should be given more preference. |
| B．Finding the most beneficial exercise is of importance. |
| C．It is unnecessary to do more related studies. |
| D．Improve the long-term management of patients is impossible. |
| A．Confused. | B．Doubtful. | C．Positive. | D．Worried. |
