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A 108-year-old Message in a Bottle
On November 30, 1906, George Bidder dropped a bottle from a boat into the North Sea. The weighted glass bottle sank almost to the sea floor, and then it move slowly for 108 years and 138 days.
Its journey ended when Marianne Winkler found the bottle in 2015. Winkler was then on vacation on Amrum Island. She picked up the bottle when it was washed up onto the beach. She saw a piece of paper inside, but didn’t break it open. She could tell that the bottle was old. So she didn’t want to damage it.
Finally she got the piece of paper out of the bottle. She found that the paper was actually a postcard. On the back of the card there was this message: The Marine Biological Association（海洋生物学协会） would pay a shilling（先令） for the bottle. A shilling was a unit of money that was used in Great Britain before the early 1970s.
Winkler filled out the card and posted it. The association was surprised to get a postcard addressed to George Bidder, the president of the association from 1939 to 1945. The workers of the association searched on the Internet to find a shilling. They found one and sent it to Winkler as a reward.
The message in the bottle was the oldest ever re-discovered. For this reason Marianne Winkler got a place in “Guinness World Records”（吉尼斯世界纪录）. She broke the record for the oldest message in a bottle.
Winkler’s bottle was not the only one Bidder sent to sea. Between 1904 and 1906, he spent away more than one thousand bottles. He placed postcards inside them. The bottles were part of a research project to map currents（洋流） in the North Sea. This was the best method at that time. But whether the association could get the bottles back depended on the people who found them. The association reported that about 55 percent of the bottles were returned. They added that the experiment was a success as it showed the east-to-west flow of the North Sea’s currents.
1. How long did the weighted glass bottle move in the sea?
2.Did Marianne Winkler find the bottle in 2015?
3.What was in the bottle?
4.Who was George Bidder?
5.Why did Bidder drop bottles into the sea?
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Tips for Writing Better Articles
Many of us don’t spend a lot of time improving our writing skills. This can be a problem when we hand in our articles. Good writing skills will help us improve our grades and benefit us later in life. 1. .
Make good word choices. When we’re not sure which word is the right one for a sentence, look it up in a dictionary. Many of us choose words in a hurry and don’t take the time to decide if they’re proper. 2. .
Check facts. If we want people to believe what we write, we must make sure our facts are true. We should use dependable facts.
Rewrite. A common problem is that we don’t like to rewrite. In fact rewriting is the best way to find out and correct some mistakes, like grammar and spelling mistakes. 3. , though it takes more time and more work.
Read aloud. Sometimes it’s easier to find problem with spelling, word usage, and grammar when we read aloud. Reading aloud helps us not only find out our problems but also develop our writing.
4. . Preparing a list is necessary for writing a good article. Such a list includes: Is there a proper title? Have we explained every point? Are all the parts of the article included? This can help us to make sure that we have covered everything.
5. . But with a few simple steps, we can improve our writing skills and learn how to write better articles.
A. Prepare a list B. The following tips can be helpful C. Rewriting makes our writing better D. It is not easy to become a better writer E. Good word choices are necessary for good writing |
Should Children Be Allowed to Get Bored?
Children need time to stand and stare. They should be allowed to get bored to that they can develop their ability to be creative.
Children are expected by their parents to be reading a textbook all the time. However, research shows that it may hamper the development of their imagination, while boredom can give them opportunities to develop creativity.
Boredom is often linked with loneliness, but a writer named Meera Syal said boredom had helped here in developing her mind. She told researchers about her childhood. Having few things todo, Syal often talked with her neighbors. She also tried to do things like learning to bake cakes. “But importantly, I Thought and wrote a lot, because I was bored,” Syal said. She kept a diary, filling here time with short stories and poems she made up.
Grayson Perry, an artist, grew up in a family with little money. He enjoyed himself by making up stories, drawing pictures for his stories and reading many books in the library. Bored but free, he spent hours looking out of the window, watching the changing clouds and seasons. Perry filled up his free time with what he liked. He became creative, because he could think freely.
Dr. Belton is an expert on the effects of emotions on learning. “Boredom could be an uncomfortable feeling,” she said. “But some young people cannot deal with that boredom creatively. So sometimes they may break a classroom window, or drive a car out for a mad race.”
Usually, when children have nothing to do, they would turn on the TV, the computer, or the phone. Their time on these things has increased, yet they need to have time to think about their experiences through play or just watching the world around them.
It is this kind of thinking that can inspire the imagination. On the other hand, the TV or phone may cut short the thinking process. That can be harmful to the development of creativity. “For developing the ability to be creative,” Dr. Belton advised, “perhaps we need to stand and stare, and stay off-line from time to time.”
1. What does the word “hamper” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Slow down. B. Keep up with.
C. Go beyond. D. Give rise to.
2. The writer talks about Syal and Perry to .
A. stress the great differences between them
B. introduce a popular writer and a famous artist
C. suggest good ways of going through boredom
D. show effects of boredom on developing creativity
3. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Boredom provides children with space to think freely.
B. It’s much better for children to be busy than be bored.
C. Boredom helps children deal with difficulties properly.
D. It’s boring for children to think about their experiences.
Are You Right Handed or Left Handed?
Which hand do you use when write? About 8 to 15 percent of people are left handed. They often have to use tools that are designed for right-handed people. So it is difficult for left-handers to use most tools. If you are right handed, try this experiment: Take a knife with your left hand and try cutting a potato into pieces. Don’t be surprised if you feel awkward（别扭的）.
In the past, people thought it was strange to use the left hand. Young students looked down upon their left-handed classmates. Some children were even punished for using their left hand to write. But these days parents and teachers have accepted that. In almost every school in the world, left-handed students can use their left hand to write.
What causes people to be left handed or right handed? Experts have searched long and hard on this. They conclude（得出结论） that left-handed people are left handed for the same reason that right-handed people are right handed. One out of every ten people just is a left-handed people are right handed. One out of every ten people just is a left-hander. It’s simply like the color of our eyes – some people have brown eyes, while some others have black eyes.
However, may researchers think that left-handers and right-handers are different in some aspects. Right-handers are more talkative and outgoing than left-handers. Many right-handed people understand spoken words better. For example, after they listen to directions to a supermarket, they can find it easily. Right-handers are good at organizing people, too. They are also better basketball guards. Just ask Yao Ming.
Research shows that left-handers are creative and artistic. Many famous performers, like Jim Carrey and Paul McCartney, are left handed. Many left-handers learn better visually（在视觉方面）. In art, both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were left handed. In music, Ludwig van Beethoven was left handed. In science, you find Newton and Einstein. The left-handed people are also really good at tennis and other single sports.
If you prefer one hand, but you are still good at writing with the other, you are mixed. Research shows mixed-handers can remember everyday things better than other people. What did you eat for lunch two weeks ago? If you’re mixed handed, you can probably remember.
1.If right-handers cut up potatoes with there left hand, they will .
A. get hurt B. give up cutting
C. feel awkward D. change their tools
2.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A. Causes of being left handed.
B. Encouragement to left-handers
C. Punishment for using the left hand.
D. Changes in opinions on left-handers.
3. According to the passage, right-handers .
A. learn better visually
B. are good organizers
C. are better at single sports
D. give clear directions to others
4. From the passage, we can learn that left-handers .
A. may be more talkative and outgoing
B. are ordinary people like right-handers
C. might remember everyday things better
D. no longer need to use right-handed tools
From Nobody to Somebody
Brian was a funny student. He loved watching comedies（喜剧） best and hoped to become a comedy actor one day.
When he heard about the talent show to be held at this school, Brian decided to take part in. He had never acted on stage（舞台） before, and he was very excited. But some students laughed at him. “You are not funny but silly,” Ken, one of his classmates, said to his face. “No one will like what you do,” another boy also said to him, loudly.
Brian couldn’t understand why they were so unkind to him. For a moment, he thought about giving up the show. But he remembered how much his friends liked his jokes, and also his teachers said he was very funny. So he decided to prepare for the show.
Brian did a great job at the talent show. Everyone loved his performance, and he won the first prize! His teachers and friends were proud of him. Even so, Ken told Brian that he was not funny, and that he would never be successful. Brian didn’t understand why Ken said so, but he realized that it had nothing to do with him. He confidently continued to work towards his goal.
As the years went on, Brian met more people like Ken. “you’ll do a terrible job,” they said to him. Luckily, most people encouraged him and some helped him to become even funnier. He got a lot of opportunities to perform in movies. He was even invited to appear on television. His fans thanked him because his comedies made them feel good when they were unhappy.
Now Brian is a big comedy star! He is doing what he loves best. He never feels stressed like those unkind people, and he laughs all day long!
1.What did Brian love best when he was a student?
A. Going to school. B. Helping classmates.
C. Watching comedies. D. Meeting new friends.
2. Brian decided to prepare for the show because .
A. his friends liked his jokes
B. he was invited by a TV station
C. he wasn’t busy acting in movies
D. Ken was expecting his performance
3.After winning the first prize, Brian .
A. began to understand Ken
B. became a teacher of acting
C. encouraged others to join him
D. continued to work towards his goal
4.Brian’s fans thanked him because his comedies brought them .
A. success B. happiness C. luck D. pride
The Blog of Rosie |
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The Weekend By Rosie | June 6, 2016 Hi! I’m on vacation here in London… and it’s fantastic! On Saturday I was in the British Museum for three hours. On Sunday I visited Tower Bridge. Where were you over the weekend? Tell me your news! | |||
| DISCUSSION | ||
| Sophia·9:30 Glad you’re having a great vacation. I was in the Summer Palace in Beijing on Saturday. I was there for a flower show. It was amazing! And there were lots of people. But on Sunday it was rainy and I wasn’t very well. I stayed in bed for a whole day. ● Replay ● Share | ||
| Steve·10:10 It was cloudy the whole weekend in Paris. On Saturday I was at a football game with my classmates. It was exciting! On Sunday I was at the shops with Ann for four hours. ● Replay ● Share | ||
| Jack·11:00 I wasn’t at home over the weekend. On Saturday I was in Scotland for a trip. It was a lovely, warm day and I had a picnic with friends. It was great! Sunday was boring. It took me five hours to get back home. It was a long journey. ● Replay ● Share | ||
| Kate·11:20 On Saturday I was at Heathrow Airport. I met a friend there and we talked together for two hours. I was very happy. On Saturday I was in Sydney for a concert. It is winter in Australia. And it was windy and cold! ● Replay ● Share | ||
1.On Saturday Sophia was .
A. in the Summer Palace
B. in the British Museum
C. at Tower Bridge
D. at Heathrow Airport
2. What was the weather like when Steve was in Paris?
A. Rainy. B. Warm. C. Cloudy. D. Cold.
3. How long did it take Jack to get back home?
A. Two hours B. Three hours
C. Four hours D. Five hours
4. Kate was in Sydney for .
A. a picnic B. a concert
C. a football game D. a flower show
