1 . Depending on your view, the recorder (竖笛) is an instrument of “incredible functions” or a tool of annoyance that has bothered primary schools for too many generations. But now, it faces extinction, with one of the UK’s top music schools reporting an 80% decline in the number of young people playing it in the last 10 years.
The instrument’s future is so imperilled that the European Recorder Teachers Association is trying to bring it back to life again so it does not go the way of the lute. The ERTA argues that if the recorder was good enough for the Beatles, it has a place in modern music today. Tom Redmond, the principal of Chetham’s school of music in Manchester, said only three of its pupils practised the recorder, compared with 15 a decade ago. “More pupils were taking up the piano or other instruments,” said Redmond. “The ones that became really popular are the ones students spend more time playing alone. With the instruments being more socially or orchestral based, there has been a decline.”
Redmond also said that this problem extended “beyond the recorder itself” and was a mirror of the future of music. “Like removing any plant or animal from an ecosystem, removing the recorder has a huge ripple effect (连锁反应) beyond just the instrument. You need these instruments to create the inspiration for music, and without that, there is less excitement for it and to learn music,” he said. Chris Orton, a recorder tutor and chair of the ERTA, is leading the fight against the instrument’s extinction. He said, “The recorder is increasingly overlooked by students, and yet it has a rich history and incredible attractions. As well as making beautiful sounds, it’s an accessible instrument in that it is low-cost compared to other woodwind instruments, and it’s light and easy to carry.”
1. What does the underlined word “imperilled” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Bright. | B．Distant. | C．Confusing. | D．Endangered. |
| A．The piano is easier to learn than the recorder. |
| B．Music education is necessary for all students. |
| C．The recorder plays an important role in music. |
| D．Nature is a rich source of inspiration for musicians. |
| A．It needs to be improved. | B．It is very difficult to play. |
| C．It deserves more attention. | D．It is a top choice for students. |
| A．The Recorder is Heading for Extinction | B．Music is Increasingly Influencing the Youth |
| C．Technology Brings New Life to Instruments | D．The UK Fights Against the Recorder’s Fate |
1.休假学年的好处；
2.休假学年的弊端；
3.假如你有休假学年，你打算做什么?
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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The tourism phenomenon
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4 . Fast food chains have tried for years to appeal to customers who care about their health. They have added lighter food to their menus, such as salads and yogurt. Of course, the lighter food goes with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes.
Menus have changed over the past three decades. According to a recent study, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The study suggests the problem is getting worse. The fat, salt content and size of fast food meals are the problem. They are often the reason for the rising obesity (肥胖) rate among adults in the United States. The researchers found that the average main dish weighed more in 2016 than in 1986. It also had more calories and more sodium (钠). One expert said, “The restaurants have not done enough. The big picture is that there have been some positive changes, but they are small. Overall, the changes have gotten worse.”
The average fast food dessert had more calories in 2016. It also weighed more than the average fast food dessert thirty years earlier. Restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies to increase the amount spent on each order. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced “donut sticks” dusted with sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order 12 sticks for less than the cost of two single orders.
The researchers found that, over the 30 years, there were more calories in items like chips, soup, and French fries. Sodium content rose even though portion(一份) size did not grow much. When consumed together as a single meal, the study found that the average main dish and side order account for nearly 40 percent of a 2000-calory daily diet.
1. Why do fast food chains provide lighter food?| A．To match the fast food. | B．To attract more customers. |
| C．To reduce the cost of each meal. | D．To improve the health of customers. |
| A．They take in more calories from fast food. |
| B．They have little time to exercise regularly. |
| C．They eat much more dessert after every meal. |
| D．They eat fast food more frequently than before. |
| A．Showing the way of restaurants’ making cookies. |
| B．Presenting the popularity of restaurants’ new food. |
| C．Stressing the increase in restaurants’ food varieties. |
| D．Explaining the intention of restaurants’ adding dessert. |
| A．Fast Food Is Still Killing Us | B．Don’t Eat Any Fast Food Now |
| C．Try to Eat More Lighter Food | D．People Are Becoming Fatter and Fatter |
5 . Many people believe it is crucial to have gender equality in the workplace. But achieving equality means overturning centuries of social norms. Recent research by Oxford University suggests that sometimes it is women themselves who are limiting their career opportunities.
The study surveyed 3,698 students from 63 schools and colleges across the UK . It found out that female students tend to choose “worthwhile” jobs, while male students often go after jobs that offer big salaries. Researchers noticed that secondary school girls said they were more willing to accept low-income jobs like charity work or museum positions, while boys focused more on getting high-prestige careers, reported The Guardian.
“Compared with boys, girls are more concerned about each aspect of job application. They are more interested in careers that offer job security, in a cause they ‘feel good about’,” Jonathan Black, director of the Oxford University Careers Service, told The Telegraph.
China faces a similar gender gap. This month, a poll by Chongqing Morning Post indicates that female college graduates care more about their working environment. As for male graduates, career prospects are more important. “This has the knock-on effect that girls may be self-limiting their choice of careers, especially because the types of jobs they seek often have informal entry processes, like getting an internship or doing unpaid work,” Black said.
1. What kind of job do girl graduates tend to look for?| A．Well-paid. | B．Promising. |
| C．Challenging. | D．Safe and easy. |
| A．Women’s self-limit in career. | B．Social gender discrimination. |
| C．Men’s attitude towards jobs. | D．Job application in the UK and China. |
| A．by comparison | B．by classification |
| C．by order of space | D．by order of time |
| A．Girls are fighting against restrictions in jobs. |
| B．There are not many jobs open to girls after graduation. |
| C．The gender gap in employment has narrowed recently in China. |
| D．Research in the UK shows that the gender gap exists in employment. |
Since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, home workouts
On video-sharing platform Douyin, Liu appears with his wife Wang Wanfei, even
Simple moves, fast-paced rhythms and energetic coaching, some fans say Liu’s workouts are
7 . Vienna, the capital of Austria, is graced by its wealth of art, music, museums and parks. But some locals are saying that the city’s charm is damaged by dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets.
Last week they came up with a solution. There is a citywide campaign(运动) telling dog owners to pick up after their dogs. That means they cannot leave a mess on city streets and in parks.
“We want to reach as many dog owners as possible to remind them of the rules,” said Ulli Sima, city councillor (议员) in charge of the environment. “We want to show them the easiest solution to the problem: put it in a bag and then in the next rubbish bin,” said Sima.
There are about 158, 000 dogs in Vienna. The city requires their owners to bag the pet’s mess when walking it outdoors. But it’s believed that only a few of the city’s dog lovers actually follow the rules.
Every day dogs drop between 5 and 10 tons of their waste around the city. Vienna spends 7 million euros every year just to keep the streets mess-free.
Loose enforcement(执行) is to blame.Dog owners say they pay 40 euros each year for their pets. But the city argues the dog license fee has nothing to do with cleaning up dog messes.
The fine for leaving a dog mess is high --as much as 72 euros. The rules, however, are seldom enforced.
City officials said that the campaign was not meant to be an attack on dog owners.
“The city does a lot for peaceful co-existence by establishing areas for dogs or providing bags for dog waste. But dog owners must do their part as well and accept these offers,” said Sima.
1. What would be the best title for the passage?| A．Dogs Have Rules Too | B．How to Keep Dogs |
| C．Dogs and the City | D．Keep the City Clean |
| A．made more attractive | B．praised |
| C．looked as | D．thought to be |
| A．Keeping dogs will be forbidden soon. |
| B．Dog owners will be fined next month. |
| C．More strict measures will be taken to keep the city clean. |
| D．Dog owners will be attacked. |
| A．no one requires them to |
| B．they don’t want to |
| C．they have paid 40 euros for cleaning up dog messes |
| D．the rules to fine for leaving dog messes are not strictly enforced |
