The Return of the Champions
“The atmosphere here at Rio de Janeiro is electric! If China wins this point, they will walk out of the stadium with an Olympic gold medal. Zhang Changning serves. Over the net, Popovic dives for the ball. She only just reaches it...and it’s sent straight back to her by the Chinese spiker Hui Ruoqi. Popovic can’t get the ball back this time...and that’s it! It’s over! It’s gold for China! Look how the crowd has gone wild. You can see the joy and pride on the faces of the Chinese fans. And there we see the Chinese players embracing, with tears of happiness in their eyes...It’s a dream come true for China! The Chinese women’s volleyball team is Olympic champion once again!”
The Chinese women’s volleyball team holds a very special place in the nation’s heart. In the 1980s, the team burst onto the international volleyball scene with several major world titles, and an amazing threeset victory over the United States in the final of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. They became national heroes overnight. There was gold once more at Athens in 2004. But winning gold in Rio paints the most vivid portrait of the team’s competitive spirit.
In Rio, the Chinese women’s volleyball team needed all of its fighting spirit after it was assigned to the “group of death”，where it faced several strong opponents in the group stage matches. Despite reaching the quarterfinals as the fourth team in the group, with just two wins in preliminary matches, they were not going to give up. Every single member of the team gave their all to the fight, including Hui Ruoqi who had had heart surgery less than five months previously.
Their perseverance paid off with an epic comeback against the defending champion Brazil in the quarterfinals. Next, the Chinese team defeated the Netherlands in the semifinal matches, having lost to them in the preliminaries. At last，showing a strong will and the steeliest nerves, they played a close match against Serbia to seize gold in the final.
But fighting spirit alone was not enough to guarantee victory. Strong team spirit also contributed greatly to their success. Cooperation between team members is essential. If each individual does her job and works well with others，then the end goal can be achieved. In fact, strong team spirit is more important than the skills of individual players. Zhu Ting, named Most Valuable Player at the Rio Olympics, also identified this as the special ingredient in the team’s success: “Teamwork is the key to China's victory. Thanks to my teammates’ hard efforts, I had the opportunity to show my spiking skills.”
Together, the Chinese women’s volleyball team has fought their way through ups and downs. Led by wellknown Chinese volleyball player and coach Lang Ping, they have continued to aim high. Lang is only too aware that as soon as a team steps off the victory podium, they need to start from zero to prepare for new challenges ahead. In this way, the team begins its journey to the next Olympics.
1. What does “electric” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Competitive. | B．Amazing. |
| C．Nervous. | D．Challenging. |
| A．Because they just defeated two teams. |
| B．Because they met defending champion Brazil. |
| C．Because they met several strong opponents in the group stage matches. |
| D．Because many players appeared on the scene for the first time. |
| A．The Chinese women’s volleyball team got over many challenges. |
| B．The team should start from zero and prepare for the new success. |
| C．The team was led by the wellknown coach Lang Ping. |
| D．The team begins the new journey to the next Olympics. |
| A．The strong members of the Chinese women’s volleyball team. |
| B．The encouragement we feel from the Chinese women’s volleyball team. |
| C．The process of Chinese women’s volleyball team winning the championship. |
| D．The powerful position of Chinese women’s volleyball team in people’s mind. |
Three Days to See
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.
Now and then I have tested my seeing friends to discover what they see. Recently, I asked a friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods what she had observed. “Nothing in particular,” she replied.
How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worthy of note? I who cannot see find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch. If I can get so much pleasure from touch, how much more beauty must be revealed by sight. And I have imagined what I should most like to see if I were given the use of my eyes, say for just three days.
On the first day, I should want to see the people whose kindness and gentleness and companionship have made my life worth living. I do not know what it is to see into the heart of a friend through that “window of the soul”, the eye. I can only “see” through my fingertips the outline of a face. I should like to see the books which have been read to me, and which have revealed to me the deepest channels of human life and the human spirit. In the afternoon I should take a long walk in the woods and intoxicate my eyes on the beauties of the world of nature. That night, I should not be able to sleep.
On my second day, I should like to see the pageant of man's progress, and I should go to the museums. I should try to probe into the soul of man through his art. The things I knew through touch I should now see. The evening of my second day I should spend at a theater or at the movies.
The following morning, I should again greet the dawn, anxious to discover new delights, new revelations of beauty. Today I shall spend in the workaday world, amid the haunts of men going about the business of life.
At midnight permanent night would close in on me again. Only when darkness had again descended upon me should I realize how much I had left unseen.
I who am blind can give one hint to those who see: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind. And the same method can be applied to the other senses. Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird, the mighty strains of an orchestra, as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow. Touch each object you want to touch as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail. Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never smell and taste again. But of all the senses, I am sure that sight must be the most delightful.
(Excerpts from “Three Days to See” by Helen Keller)
1. How did Helen feel when her friend told her she observed nothing after a long walk?| A．Unbelievable. | B．Pleased. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Interested. |
| A．To stay up throughout the night. |
| B．To take a long walk in the woods. |
| C．To see the people who have helped her a lot. |
| D．To see books which have revealed much to her. |
| A．Helen loves darkness and silence. |
| B．Helen is only stricken with blindness. |
| C．Helen wishes people to suffer from diseases. |
| D．Helen thinks healthy people ignore too much. |
| A．It turns out that people with disabilities are more imaginative. |
| B．The author looks forward to only three days of normal vision. |
| C．We should take what we have for granted, not cherish too much. |
| D．It is not lack of beauty in the world, just the eyes finding beauty. |
CHEMICAL VERSUS ORGANIC FARMING
Chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers have been in widespread use in farming since the middle of the 20th century. When they were first introduced, many farmers welcomed them as a great way to fight crop disease and increase production. Over time, however, what some scientists have found is that their longterm use can sometimes harm both the land and people’s health.
For example, pesticides can damage the land by killing not only harmful bacteria and insects, but also helpful ones. In addition, these chemicals can stay in the soil and underground water sources for a long time. This affects the crops grown on the land and, in turn, the animals and humans who digest them. Many people worry that these chemicals may make them ill and even cause cancer. In fact, some pesticides like DDT have been prohibited in most countries because of the damage they cause to people and the environment. As for chemical fertilisers, crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition. They may look beautiful on the outside, but inside there is usually more water than essential minerals, and they often have less flavour as well.
As an alternative, some farmers have switched to organic farming, and many customers have turned to organic food when they shop at the local grocery. Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. Organic farmers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease through natural means. For example, many organic farmers use natural waste from animals as fertiliser. This makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals. It also keeps the air, soil, water, and crops free of chemicals.
Organic farmers also use many other methods to produce rich soil. They often change the kind of crop grown in each field every year. For instance, they may grow corn or wheat in a field one year, and then grow beans there the next. Why different crops are grown is that they put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready for the next batch of crops. Organic farmers also plant diverse crops that use different depths of soil to help keep it rich. For example, peanuts grow on the ground’s surface, but many other vegetables put down deep roots. The goal of using different organic farming methods is to grow good food while avoiding damage to the environment or to people’s health.
Some people would prefer to stop the use of manmade chemicals in agriculture entirely. What keeps them from doing so is the fact that chemical farming serves the high demand for food around the world. Organic farming is nowhere near able to meet that need. Therefore, there is still a long way to find a suitable solution that puts sufficient food on the dinner table while keeping people and the environment as healthy as possible.
1. Why did many farmers welcome the introduction of chemical farming?| A．They can fight crop disease and increase production. |
| B．They harm both the land and people’s health. |
| C．They can help produce rich soil. |
| D．They are not expensive. |
| A．Pesticides can damage the land. |
| B．Chemicals can stay in the soil for a long time. |
| C．Pesticides can kill harmful bacteria and insects. |
| D．Chemicals may make people ill and even cause cancer. |
| A．It helps put important minerals back into the ground. |
| B．It can avoid damage to the environment. |
| C．It can help increase output. |
| D．The writer didn’t tell us. |
| A．Organic farming cost us a lot of money. |
| B．Organic farming can meet people’s need. |
| C．Chemical farming brought us huge profit. |
| D．Chemical farming helps serve the need for food. |
教材原句：For example, pesticides can damage the land by killing
例如，农药不仅可以杀死有害的细菌和昆虫，还可以杀死有益的细菌和昆虫，从而破坏土地。
HOW DO I KNOW MY STUDENTS?
As an educator, people often ask me how I know what is going on in the minds of my students. Many students are quite shy and don't speak all that much. At the same time, in a classroom of more than forty students, it is hard to have many oneonone conversations with each person. So, how can I really know what makes each student tick?
My answer? I look at their body language.
It is easy to recognise when students are interested in a lesson. Most tend to look up and make eye contact. When I make a joke, they smile. When I talk about something difficult, they look confused. I know when students are really interested, however, because they lean forward and look at me. People have a tendency to lean towards whatever they are interested in. So if a student has his head lowered to look at his watch, it implies he is bored and just counting the minutes for the class to end. If two friends are leaning their heads together, they are probably writing notes to each other. Of course, not everyone who looks up is paying attention in class. Some students look up, but there is an absence of eye contact. Their eyes barely move, and they always have the same distant expression on their faces. It is as though they are asleep with their eyes open.
Some students are amused by something else. They spend all their time looking anywhere but at me. Then again, some students' favourite activity is daydreaming. With their chins on their hands, they occupy themselves by staring out of the window or up at the ceiling. They are certainly interested in something, but who knows what. The main thing is reminding distracted students that they need to pay attention in class.
While it is easy to perceive when students are interested, bored, or distracted, it is sometimes much harder to distinguish when students are troubled. Students who are angry, afraid, or experiencing anxiety may have their arms crossed in front of their chests and their legs closed or crossed, like they are guarding their bodies. Students who are sad or worried will nearly always wear a frown. They may also hide their faces in their hands like they are embarrassed or ashamed. Some students act this way merel ybecause they are afraid of being called on by the teacher. However, if a student does not bother to brush her hair and her eyes are red from weeping, then I can infer that there are deeper issues at work. It could be that she is having serious conflicts with other students or at home. Whatever it is, I know I need to inquire and assess what is going on.
Ultimately, my duty is helping every student to learn. Their body language lets me know when to adjust class activities, when to intervene, and when to talk to students individually, so they can get the most out of school. Reacting to body language is an important component of being a teacher.
1. How can the writer know what makes each student tick?| A．By having oneonone conversations with each person. |
| B．By talking with some students. |
| C．By observing students' body language. |
| D．By asking them to write a letter to the teacher. |
| A．look up and make eye contact |
| B．lean forward and look at the teacher |
| C．lower their heads and look at their watches |
| D．smile when the teacher makes a joke |
| A．happy | B．excited | C．shocked | D．angry |
| A．A social magazine. | B．A science book. |
| C．A research report. | D．A health magazine. |
教材原句：
树木生长在浅水区，湿地是一个提供洁净水和产生氧气的天然系统，这使得湿地成为“杭州的绿色之肺”。
教材原句：
在这样一个如此美丽的和荒芜的地方使我感觉到活着真是太幸福了。
教材原句：Nevertheless,
然而，要让大多数新房屋开始使用这项新技术还需要几年的时间。
教材原句：All controls will respond to voice commands, so if you want to change your routine, you just say aloud
所有的控制都会对语音指令做出反应，所以如果你想改变你的日常生活习惯，你只要大声说出你想要的，家居系统就会遵照执行。
THE MAN WHO CHANGED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE
Albert Einstein, who is perhaps the greatest scientist in modern physics, is often considered one of the smartest men who ever lived. He made numerous contributions to the world, the most well-known being the general theory of relativity and the famous formula E=mc². Einstein was not only a genius; he was a courageous and kind figure loved by many people.
This gentle genius was born in Germany on 14 March 1879. When he was 16, he tried to enter university in Switzerland, but failed due to his low scores in the general part of the entrance exam, despite obtaining exceptional scores in maths and physics. After studying for another year, he managed to pass the exam, entering university in 1896 and graduating in 1900.
After two years of looking for work as a teacher, Einstein took a job as a clerk in the Swiss patent office. While working there, out of a strong passion for knowledge, he continued to study, earning a doctorate in physics in 1905. That same year, which was later recorded as a miracle year in science, he published four extraordinary physics papers. Following this, he gradually became famous throughout the world as the new Isaac Newton. After four years, he was able to quit his job at the patent office and enter research full-time at a university. In 1922, he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Circumstances changed in 1933, when Hitler came to power in Germany. Einstein, who was Jewish, found the doors of academic institutions closed to him. As a consequence, he had to flee Germany. After spending time in Europe, he finally took up a position as a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA. Following that, he continued to make great achievements in physics and mathematics.
To the public, he was seen as a slightly odd-looking but kind and funny man. He had a thick moustache and long white hair, which sometimes stood on end as though he had just received an electric shock. Although he was a genius, he sometimes forgot things, like his friends’ birthdays. But despite his peculiarities, he was loved by his friends and neighbors. There is even a story about how he helped a little girl who knocked on his door and asked for help with her homework. In fact, Einstein often encountered people on the street who would stop him and ask him to help explain things. After many such occasions, he finally started saying, “Pardon me! Sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein!”
On 18 April 1955, it was reported that Einstein had passed away, and the whole world mourned the great loss of a brilliant scientist.
1. What subjects did Albert Einstein like best in middle school?| A．Politics and geography. | B．Physics and maths. |
| C．English and art. | D．Chemistry and history. |
| A．In 1902. | B．In 1904. |
| C．In 1905. | D．In 1906. |
| A．Because of his explanation of the photoelectric effect. |
| B．Because of his courageous and kind character. |
| C．Because of his strong passion for knowledge. |
| D．Because of his fulltime research at a university. |
| A．He came to power in Germany. |
| B．He was forced to leave Germany. |
| C．He moved to Europe for his degree. |
| D．He refused to work as a researcher in the US. |
