When I asked my daughter which item she would keep: the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said “the phone”. Personally, I could do without the phone, which makes me unusual. Anyway, the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1
The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not appear, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2
The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life.” says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Odey and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance (救护车) to save her.
Point 3
The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing amnager of Haha Dcutsch. Card Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are, where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4
The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says. “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near — but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”
Point 5
The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers at the same time on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line connected to the computer, we can access (存取) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.
1.How do you understand Point 1?
A.People don’t communicate without telephone.
B.People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.
C.People communicate more since telephone has been created.
D.People communicate more because of more traffic.
2.Which of the following best shows people’s opinion towards mobile phones?
A.Mobile phones help people deal with the things that happens suddenly.
B.Mobile phones bring convenience as well little secret to people.
C.Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged.
D.Mobile phones are part of people’s life.
3.Which points do you think improve people’s life?
a. Point 1. b. Point 2. c. Point 3. d. Point 4. c. Point 5.
A.c, d B.a, e C.a, e D.b, e
4.It is possible to talk to several complete strangers at the same time through ________.
A.the TV screen B.a fax machine
C.the phone line connected to the computer D.a microphone
5.The best title for the passage is ________.
A.Phone Power B.Kinds of Phone
C.How to Use Phones D.Advantage of Phones
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter (脑灰质). This is the area of the brain which processes (加工) information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles (肌肉).
The study also found the effect is great when the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr. Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals that in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure (结构) of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language.” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the relationship between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible (灵活的).” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and thirty-four. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
1.The main subject talked about in this passage is ________.
A.science on learning a second language B.man’s ability of learning a second language
C.that language can help brain power D.language learning and maths study
2.The underlined word “bilingual” probably means ________.
A.a researcher on language learning B.a second language learner
C.a person who can speak two languages D.an active language learner
3.In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to ________.
A.say language is also a kind of physical (身体的) labor
B.show that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language
C.show the importance of using the language when you learn the language
D.make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well
4.We may know from the scientific findings that ________.
A.the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is
B.there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn’t know a second language
C.the experience of learning a second language has bad influence on people’s brain
D.the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time
5.In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that ________.
A.learning a second language is the same as studying maths
B.early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in studying other subjects
C.Italian is the best choice for you as a second language
D.you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language
Five years ago, Chinese skater Wu Dajing introduced himself to the skating world by winning a silver medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games. At Pyeong Chang Olympics, Wu not only returned, but also made history.
On Feb 22th, 2018, Wu won the gold medal in the men’s short-track 500-metre race. He set a new world record with a time of 39.584 seconds. He also became the first Chinese man to take home an Olympic short-track gold medal. BBC said Wu’s win was “flawless”, because he was much faster than all of the other skaters.
“I didn’t give them a chance and I kept my speed from the start,” he told the media after the match.
But China’s short-track teams didn’t do well in general at the Games. Chinese skaters in the women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay and men’s 1500 metres all failed to take home the gold. Wu was China’s biggest hope, which put a lot of pressure on him. But he proved himself with his great performance.
Wu is now known as a highly talented skater. But things were not always that way. When Wu joined the national team in 2010, he was seen as almost “nothing” compared to gifted skaters like Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin, as his coaches said at the time. Their comments made him quite upset. But as the saying goes. “Winners never quit (放弃) and quitters never win”. Wu didn’t want to give up and worked as hard as he could. He practiced skating all year round. He even didn’t return to his hometown for the holidays for 10 years. “I believe in myself.” he told the media after his match at the Olympics.
1.People began to know Wu Dajing by the time he ________.
A.won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games
B.won the second place at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games
C.won a gold medal at Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games
D.entered the Pycong Chang Olympic Winter Games
2.What does the underlined word “flawless” mean?
A.common B.valuable C.perfect D.difficult
3.According to the passage, which of the following is RIGHT?
A.Wu won a gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games four years ago.
B.Wu broke the world record with a time of 39.584 seconds and made history.
C.Wu’s coaches placed great hope on his when he joined the national team.
D.Chinese skaters in women’s 500 metres, 3000-metre relay took home the gold.
4.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A.The national team and coaches thought Wu as a talented skater all the way.
B.Wu kept on practicing skating all year round even in the holidays for 10 years.
C.Zhou Yang and Fan Kexin were more and more hard-working on skating than Wu Dajing.
D.It is the hardwork, confidence and strong will that have made Wu a winner.
5.Which one might be the best title of this passage?
A.From Zero to Skating Hero B.The Dream of a Skater, Wu
C.Pycong Chang Winner Olympics D.Rising of China’s Bright Skiing Star
Everyone uses his or her own special words to show his or her ideas and feelings. Some of these expressions are ________ used for many years. ________ are popular for just a short time. Such an American expression is “Where is the beef?” It is used when something is not as good as it ________ to be. In the early 1980s. “Where is the beef?” was one of ________ expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone was using it at that time.
We all know “McDonald’s” was famous for a hamburger made ________ beef. ________ some businessmen saw it, they opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company called “Wendy’s” said its hamburgers were bigger than the ones sold by McDonald’s or ________. The company began to use the expression “Where is the beef?” to make people ________ that Wendy’s hamburgers were the biggest. The television showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread ________ covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. “Where is the beef?” She shouted in a funny way. The idea for Wendy’s hamburger restaurant was a ________. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression “Where is the beef?”
1.A.common B.commonly C.in common D.commons
2.A.Other B.The other C.Others D.Another
3.A.says B.said C.saying D.is said
4.A.popular B.more popular C.most popular D.the most popular
5.A.of B.from C.by D.in
6.A.Though B.Before C.When D.Because
7.A.someone else B.someone else’s C.anyone else D.anyone else’s
8.A.know B.knows C.knowing D.knew
9.A.who B.whose C.which D.why
10.A.succeed B.success C.successful D.successfully
I was always busy and had too many things to do. Whenever my daughter caused me to change my plans, I thought to myself. “We don’t have time for this.” So the two words I always said to her were: ________.
The other day, the two of us rule to a ________ near our home. After shopping I bought her an ice cream, and she sat down at a table happily admiring the ice cream in her hand. Suddenly a ________ look appeared on her face. “Do I have to eat it up in a hurry, Mum?”
I nearly cried when hearing this — the pains of a hurried life influenced my poor girl so deeply! As she looked at me waiting to know if she could ________ her time. I knew I had to make a ________. I thought of the times when I rushed my child through life. I began ________ what really matters in life…
“You don’t have to hurry, just enjoy it.” I said gently. Her whole face brightened and her shoulders ________. We sat side by side talking about things that interested us.
When she got to the last bite, she held it out to me. “I ________ the last bite for you, Mum.” she said ________. As the icy taste put out my thirst, I realized I just got the present of a lifetime. I gave my child a little time…and in return, she gave me her last bite and reminded me that things taste sweeter and love is easier to get when you ________ rushing through life.
1.A.Keep quiet B.Take care C.Hurry up D.Work hard
2.A.station B.school C.restaurant D.supermarket
3.A.worried B.tired C.satisfied D.surprised
4.A.waste B.take C.spend D.spare
5.A.mark B.plan C.wish D.choice
6.A.explaining B.forgetting C.discussing D.wondering
7.A.lifted B.relaxed C.turned D.raised
8.A.bought B.carried C.saved D.tasted
9.A.cheerfully B.calmly C.sadly D.wisely
10.A.begin B.prevent C.stop D.keep
— I didn’t do well in the last English exam. How about you?
— ________.
A.I’ll do better next time B.Me, too
C.Even worse D.I like English, though
