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. |
2 . Need a Job This Summer?
The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs. The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program.
Not a student? Go to the government website to learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills, find a job or start businesses all year round.
Jobs for YouthIf you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province, you could be eligible(符合条件) for this program, which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training.
Who is eligible: Youth 15-18 years old in select communities(社区).
Summer CompanySummer Company provides students with hands-on business training and awards of up to $3,000 to start and run their own summer businesses.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15-29, returning to school in the fall.
Stewardship Youth Ranger ProgramYou could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer.
Who is eligible: Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire, but not turning 18 before December 31 this year.
Summer Employment Opportunities(机会)Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program, students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service, its related agencies and community groups.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15 or older. Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability.
1. What is special about Summer Company?A.It requires no training before employment. |
B.It provides awards for running new businesses. |
C.It allows one to work in the natural environment. |
D.It offers more summer job opportunities. |
A.15-18. | B.15-24. | C.15-29. | D.16-17. |
A.Jobs for Youth. | B.Summer Company. |
C.Stewardship Youth Ranger Program. | D.Summer Employment Opportunities. |
3 . Researchers say they have translated the meaning of gestures that wild chimpanzees (黑猩猩) use to communicate. They say wild chimps communicate 19 specific messages to one another with a “vocabulary” of 66 gestures. The scientists discovered this by following and filming groups of chimps in Uganda, and examining more than 5,000 incidents of these meaningful exchanges.
Dr Catherine Hobaiter, who led the research, said that this was the only form of intentional communication to be recorded in the animal kingdom. Only humans and chimps, she said, had a system of communication where they deliberately sent a message to another group member.
“That’s what’s so amazing about chimp gestures,” she said. “They’re the only thing that looks like human language in that respect.”
Although previous research has shown that apes and monkeys can understand complex information from another animal’s call, the animals do not appear to use their voices intentionally to communicate messages. This was a significant difference between calls and gestures, Dr Hobaiter said.
Chimps will check to see if they have the attention of the animal with which they wish to communicate. In one case, a mother presents her foot to her crying baby, signaling: “Climb on me.” The youngster immediately jumps on to its mothers back and they travel off together. “The big message from this study is that there is another species (物种) out there. that is meaningful in its communication, so that’s not unique to humans,” said Dr Hobaiter.
Dr Susanne Shultz, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Manchester, said the study was praiseworthy in seeking to enrich our knowledge of the evolution of human language. But, she added, the results were “a little disappointing”.
“The vagueness of the gesture meanings suggests either that the chimps have little to communicate, or we are still missing a lot of the information contained in their gestures and actions,” she said. “Moreover, the meanings seem to not go beyond what other animal convey with non-verbal communication. So, it seems the gulf remains. ”
1. What do chimps and humans have in common according to Dr Hobaiter?A.Memorizing specific words. | B.Understanding complex information. |
C.Using voices to communicate. | D.Communicating messages on purpose. |
A.It was well designed but poorly conducted. |
B.It was a good try but the findings were limited. |
C.It was inspiring but the evidence was unreliable. |
D.It was a failure but the methods deserved praise. |
A.Difference. | B.Conflict. | C.Balance. | D.Connection. |
A.Chimpanzee behaviour study achieved a breakthrough |
B.Chimpanzees developed specific communication skills |
C.Chimpanzees: the smartest species in the animal kingdom |
D.Chimpanzee language: communication gestures translated |
4 . Journey Back in Time with Scholars
Classical Provence(13days)Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence,France,with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience.
Southern Spain(15days)
Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges,but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks,Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo,Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture.
China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days)
Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities,temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills,waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai.
Tunisia(17days)
Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga,the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata,uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches.
1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain?
A.Historical monuments. | B.Fields of flowers. |
C.Van Gogh’s paintings. | D.Greek buildings. |
A.France. | B.Spain. | C.China. | D.Tunisia. |
A.White towns. | B.Underground cities. | C.Tile-roofed villages. | D.Rolling hills. |
5 . My mother is 92. Unless I have to be out of town, each week I take my mother to do her
Last week she walked up to the store, but when she went to pay for her groceries, she was
At this store, people
My mother was so
So, whoever you are, thank you for the random act of
A.exercise | B.housework | C.cooking | D.shopping |
A.reward | B.medicine | C.company | D.shelter |
A.return | B.collet | C.order | D.buy |
A.short | B.cautious | C.wrong | D.concerned |
A.aim | B.way | C.advice | D.reason |
A.weight | B.things | C.mask | D.glasses |
A.raise | B.add | C.bring | D.switch |
A.show up | B.call in | C.check out | D.sit down |
A.store | B.select | C.deliver | D.bag |
A.stranger | B.cashier | C.friend | D.doctor |
A.looked for | B.talked about | C.threw away | D.put back |
A.receipt | B.soap | C.cash | D.bottle |
A.asked | B.waited | C.cared | D.searched |
A.repay | B.trust | C.recognize | D.help |
A.luck | B.chance | C.gift | D.turn |
A.surprised | B.amused | C.touched | D.convinced |
A.in case | B.even if | C.as though | D.so that |
A.energy | B.money | C.space | D.time |
A.faith | B.courage | C.kindness | D.honor |
A.made her day | B.changed her mind | C.caught her eye | D.met her demand |
6 . Jenifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor's degree.
Mauer, of Edgar, Wisconsin, grew up on a farm in a family of 10 children. Her dad worked at a job away from the farm, and her mother ran the farm with the kids. After high school, Jennifer attended a local technical college, working to pay her tuition(学费), because there was no extra money set aside for a college education. After graduation, she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling.
Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own. She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves: nursing. She chose the UW-Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four-year degree close to home. She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids. Jenifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree: Her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills, and her 68-year-old mother helped take care of the children at times.
Through it all, she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors. Jennifer sacrificed(牺牲)to achieve her goal, giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study. ''Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers,'' she says. However, her children have learned an important lesson witnessing their mother earn her degree. Jennifer is a first-generation graduate and an inspiration to her family-and that's pretty powerful.
1. What did Jennifer do after high school?A.She helped her dad with his work. |
B.She ran the family farm on her own. |
C.She supported herself through college. |
D.She taught her sisters and brothers at home. |
A.To take care of her kids easily. | B.To learn from the best nurses. |
C.To save money for her parents. | D.To find a well-paid job there. |
A.Her health. | B.Her time with family. |
C.Her reputation. | D.Her chance of promotion. |
A.Time is money. | B.Love breaks down barriers. |
C.Hard work pays off. | D.Education is the key to success. |
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
8 . According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions(份), it's the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.
To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, 95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly(表面上)participate in a study about movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.
Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.
For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case, she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.
The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we're making decisions. If this fellow participant is going to eat more, so will I. Call it the “I’ll have what she's having” effect. However, we'll adjust the influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I'll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I'll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can't I?
1. What is the recent study mainly about?A.Food safety. | B.Movie viewership. |
C.Consumer demand. | D.Eating behavior. |
A.Big eaters. | B.Overweight persons. |
C.Picky eaters. | D.Tall thin persons. |
A.To see how she would affect the participants. |
B.To test if the participants could recognize her. |
C.To find out what she would do in the two tests. |
D.To study why she could keep her weight down. |
A.How hungry we are. | B.How slim we want to be. |
C.How we perceive others. | D.How we feel about the food. |
9 . For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
“It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚) shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement.” Of course, not only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”
1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?A.It promoted the sales of artworks. | B.It attracted a large number of visitors. |
C.It showed ancient Chinese clothes. | D.It aimed to introduce Chinese models. |
A.They are setting the fashion. | B.They start many fashion campaigns. |
C.They admire super models. | D.They do business all over the world. |
A.learning from | B.looking down on | C.working with | D.competing against |
A.Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
B.A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
C.Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
D.Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
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