Dear friends,
As we can see, the environment around us is getting worse other than better. Our life and health have affected greatly. The earth is our home, but we have a duty to take care of it, not only for ourselves but for future generations. Fortunate, more and more people have become aware of this problem. Many effectively measures have been taken by the government to deal with them.
As a student, I think we should do what we can improve the environment. First, go to school on feet or by bike as often as possible. Second, turn on the lights and other electrical appliances before leaving the room. Third, never throw rubbish here and there.
It’s time that we do something to protect our environment.
The benefits of keeping a journal (日志)
If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. 1. Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.
◆ It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down? 2. But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I’m away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.
◆ It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve gotten. 3. You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.
◆ 4. After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.
◆ It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it. 5. In the end, you will expand your ideas.
A．I often experienced that myself.
B．It trains you to express your thoughts.
C．It allows you to see your progress over time.
D．Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.
E. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.
F. And to be honest, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it.
G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
There is no question that teenagers need rules, which is often not a difficult thing for parents to give. What can be more challenging is giving teenagers their freedom. It can be difficult to draw the line between the two. However, some issues cannot be changed by discussion and require firm rules. For instance, rules should be established concerning driving the family car.
I will admit that I have no problem coming up with rules. To me they make life easier and they leave no room for questioning. What can be more difficult, however, is giving my teens their freedom. I guess there are really two primary reasons for this. One is that I sometimes am afraid to give them freedom. The second is that I’m not always so sure what the freedom should be.
It helps that I have a husband with whom I can discuss these problems. We talk about them, give our thoughts and then we come up with an agreement. Sometimes one of us might be more unwilling but we know that there comes a time when we really do have to learn how to let go of the reins (缰绳) a bit.
If we try to make life have nothing but rules, we are more likely to see our teen’s rebelling (反抗). They need to know that while we do have certain expectations, we also trust them to begin making their own choices and decisions. How else can they do that unless they are given the space and room to do it?
It’s really all about balance and I will be the first to admit that it can be a challenge to carry out. However, it is a necessary part of growing up. Yes, teens definitely need rules but they also need freedom.
1.According to the text, we can infer that the writer________.
A．refuses to give her children freedom
B．finds it difficult to make rules
C．doesn’t have a good relationship with her children
D．has trouble in giving freedom to her children
2.According to the writer, only rules without freedom will make the children _______.
A．strong-willed B．rebellious C．weak D．independent
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．Rules are difficult to make for parents.
B．Rules and freedom are similarly important.
C．We should give children freedom as much as possible.
D．Rules are more important than freedom.
4.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
A．Problems. B．Children. C．Rules. D．Reasons.
You are walking along a lane and never know what you will find. It might be a shop selling oil paintings, or a place where you can buy Dutch cheese. One thing is for sure, you will end up by a canal.
Welcome to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
The year 2013 will be a good time to explore Amsterdam as the city has a lot to celebrate: the famous canal ring will turn 400 years old. Amsterdam will also celebrate the 160th birthday of Dutch painter of the Van Gogh museum, home to the biggest collection of the artist’s colorful works.
The famous canal ring is a trademark of the city. With more than 100 kilometers of canals, it is no wonder that Amsterdam is called the ‘Venice of the north’. But unlike the Italian town, where boats were originally used for transport, the canals in Amsterdam were mainly used for defense in the 17th century. Today ferries on canals offer a different way to explore the city.
But to truly experience Amsterdam, you can’t miss the city’s historic museums and monuments, among which Van Gogh museum is the most famous one. It holds 200 paintings, 700 letters and 500 drawings by the artist. Another famous museum is Anne Frank’s house. Anne Frank became famous around the world because of a diary she left explaining her and her family’s experience as a Jewish girl during World War II, hiding out in a house hoping that she would not be captured by German Nazis.
Amsterdam is small enough to walk or cycle almost anywhere, but it is rarely dull. Best of all it combines its glittering past with a rebellious edginess.
1.Which of the following is TRUE of the canals in Amsterdam?
A．They had to be rebuilt after years of use.
B．They protected the city in ancient times.
C．They were built to provide transport for the city.
D．They are the main theme of Van Gogh’s paintings.
2.In the passage, Amsterdam is described as a city _____.
A．that can be explored by foot
B．that is completely built on water
C．that has two historic museums in all
D．that is famous for its modernization
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A．People get lost easily in Amsterdam.
B．Van Gogh spent his life time in Amsterdam.
C．Many Jews in Amsterdam were caught by Nazis.
D．Taking a ferry ride is the most popular activity in Amsterdam.
Harvard University named historian Drew Gilpin Faust as its first female president on Sunday, ending a lengthy and secretive search to find a successor to Lawrence Summers.
The seven-member Harvard Corporation elected Faust, a noted scholar on History of the American South and dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, as the university’s 28th president.
“This is a great day, and a historic day, for Harvard,” James R. Houghton, chairman of the presidential search committee, said in a statement. “Drew Faust is an inspiring and accomplished leader, a superb scholar, a dedicated teacher, and a wonderful human being.”
Her selection is noteworthy given the heated debates over Summers’ comments that genetic differences between the sexes might help explain the lack of women in top science jobs.
Faust has been dean of Radcliffe since 2001, two years after the former women’s college was combined into the university as a research center with a mission to study gender issues.
Some professors have quietly groused that the 371-year-old university is appointing a fifth president who is not a scientist. No scientist has had the top job since James Bryant Conant retired in 1953; its last four have come from the fields of classics, law, literature and economics.
Faust is the first Harvard president who did not receive a degree from the university since Charles Chauncy, a graduate of Cambridge University, who died in office in 1762. She attended the University of Pennsylvania.
“Teaching staff turned to her constantly,” said Sheldon Hackney, a former president of the University of Pennsylvania and historian who worked closely with Faust. “She’s very clear. She has a sense of humor, but she’s very strong-minded. You come to trust in her because she’s so solid.”
1.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A．Harvard named its first female president.
B．History of Harvard University changed.
C．Debates on female equality ended.
D．Drew Gilpin Faust, a famous woman historian.
2.Which is NOT true about Drew Gilpin Faust?
A．She is the 28th president of Harvard University.
B．She is a famous scholar from the American South.
C．She isn’t a graduate from Harvard University.
D．She was head of Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
3.The underlined word “groused” in the 6th paragraph means____ .
A．approved B．commented C．complained D．indicated
4.This passage probably appears in a____ .
A．biography B．personal letter C．research paper D．newspaper report
A device that stops drivers from falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months.
The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20% - 40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue.
Driver Alert is based on a computerized wristband. The device, worn by drivers or pilots, gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel. A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between the sound the driver’s response.
Tiredness is directly related to a driver’s response time. Usually, a watchful driver would take about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy.
In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver’s response continues to slow down, the sounds become more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible.
The device has been delivered to the department’s laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months’ time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year.
1.According to the text, Driver Alert ______.
A．aims to reduce tiredness-related accidents
B．has gone through testing at laboratories
C．aims to prevent drivers from sleeping
D．has been on sale for 12 months
2.How should a driver respond to the sounds from Driver Alert?
A．By sounding a warning. B．By touching the wristband.
C．By checking the driving time. D．By pressing the steering wheel.
3.We can learn form the text that the driver needs to stop for a break when his response time is ______.
A．about 400 milliseconds B．below 500 milliseconds
C．over 500 milliseconds D．about 4 minutes
4.When the driver gets sleepy while driving, Driver Alert ______.
A．moves more regularly B．stops working properly
C．opens the window for the driver D．sounds more frequently and loudly
