Sally Ride was born on May 26th, 1951, in California. She started to play tennis at the age of 10 and became a good tennis player. But later, she thought she was not good enough to become a successful tennis player and then gave it up.
At the age of 22, she got a doctor’s degree. She was looking for a job when she read about NASA’s call for astronauts. More than 8,000 people wanted to join in the space program, but only Sally and other thirty-four other people were accepted.
After joining NASA in 1977, Sally Ride accepted training. She enjoyed flight training so much that flying became her favorite hobby. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space on the shuttle Challenger ( STS-7)（挑战者号航天飞机）. Her next flight was an eight- day task in 1984 on Challenger ( STS41-G ).
Sally Ride retired from NASA in 1987, then started an Internet-based NASA project. Sally Ride has received many awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, the Woman’s Research and Education Institute’s American Woman Award.
1.When was Sally Ride born? ( no more than 7 words )
_____________________________________________
2. How many people were accepted in the space program? ( no more than 4 words )
___________________________________________________________
3.What happened to Sally Ride in 1983? ( no more than 13 words )
____________________________________________________________
4. What did Sally Ride do after she retired from NASA ? ( no more than 7 words )
_____________________________________________________________
Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily so, however. Anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here’s how.
1).Plan your time carefully. When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. Don’t forget to set aside enough time for entertainment. A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems, but it will force you to realize what is happening to your time.
2).Find a good place of to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space, which may be a desk or simply a corner of your room, free of everything but study materials. No games, radios, or television! When you sit down to study, concentrate on the subject.
3) Make good use of your time in class. Listen to everything the teachers say. Really listening in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.
4). Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Review the important points that your teacher mentioned in class. If you know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day, read that material. This will help you understand the next class. If you do these things regularly, the material will become more meaningful, and you will remember it longer.
5). Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. They help you remember your new knowledge. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t be over worried.
There are other methods that might help you with your studying. You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.
How to become a better student
General methods | How to | Advantages |
Plan your time carefully | Make a list | Force you to realize1. is happening to your time |
Make a 2.
| ||
Find a good place to study | Free of everything but Study3.
| You can4. on the subject |
Make good use of your time in class | Listen to everything the teachers say | Really listening in class means5. work later. |
Taking 6.
| ||
Study regularly | 7. your notes | Help you8. it better, remember it longer |
Read the new material | ||
Develop a good attitude about test | Don’t be 9. worried | Remember your new10. |
We are all busy talking about and using the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way, computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first, the Internet was only used by government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals, and banks were allowed to use it too. However, computers were still expensive and the Internet was difficult to become cheaper and easier to use. Scientists also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get-on-line and millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mails is more and more popular among students.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life.
1.The Internet has a history of ______ years.
A. more than 40 B. less than 30
C. more than 60 D. more than 50
2.Scientists set up a new network system to ______.
A. make the computer cheaper B. use the computer widely
C. make the computer go well D. develop new software
3.When did the Internet begin to be used in hospitals?
A. In the 1960s. B. In the 1970s.
C. In the 1980s. D. In the 1990s.
4.In the 1960s, if one computer in the network broke down, the whole network ______.
A. still worked B. stopped to work
C. stopped working. D. began to work
5.The best title of the passage is ______.
A. How to Surf the Internet
B. How to Use the Internet
C. When was the Internet set up
D. The History of the Internet
When the musical sound rings you, you immediately reach for your pocket ready to have a chat. But although you probably use it all the time, have you ever thought about the manners related to talking on the phone? If you haven’t, here are some tips to guide you.
●Always give the person you are calling plenty of time to get to the phone before you hang up. If the person who answers is not the one you want, give your name and ask if you may speak to the person you want.
●Think about the time you call people. Try not to call too early in the morning (before about 9:00) or too late at night (after about 9:30). Also try not to call at mealtimes.
●If you go by plane to visit your relatives at Christmas, remember to follow airline instructions. Cell phone must be turned off as soon as the plane doors are closed and remain so until the doors open again on arrival.
●When you’re face to face with someone, do not talk on the phone. It is rude to be on the phone when a waiter is trying to take your order in a restaurant, or when you are returning the shoes you have just been trying on in a shop. Finish any face-to-face business before taking a call. Continuing to use the phone while nodding to the person in front of you is quite impolite.
●When in a restaurant with your friends, keep phone conversations short. Make a call only if it is important. Practice speaking in a low voice. If no one turns to your way, you’ve got it.
●If you go to a theatre, a concert or a cinema, consider the other people around you. Check that your phone is “off” before you enter. If you are expecting a very important call, put your phone on “vibrate”(振动) and run for the exit as soon as you feel it. If you forget both “off” and “vibrate” and your phone rings, don’t answer it, turn it off straight away.
1.Which is TRUE according to the passage above?
A. You may call people anytime you like.
B. You may talk loudly on the phone at dinner in the restaurant.
C. You may keep on talking on the phone while greeting somebody.
D. You may call people as soon as you get on the plane, but not after the doors are closed.
2.We may infer from the tips that ______.
A. some people didn’t pay much attention to manners while making cell phone calls.
B. You must hang up quickly if the person you are calling is not the one you want.
C. calling people too early or too late is not polite.
D. almost everyone has got a cell phone.
3.What does the underline sentence “… you’ve got it.” mean in the passage?
A. You have succeeded in making a call without disturbing others.
B. You have made the phone call short and interesting.
C. You have got the message you are waiting for.
D. You have made a phone call secretly.
4.From the tips given above, we can decide the writer must agree with the opinion that ______.
A. like the saying “clothes make a man”, nowadays cell phones make a man
B. as the old saying goes, money talks, nowadays cell phones talk
C. the way we use the cell phones tells what we are like
D. we are what cell phones we use
5.From the tips given above, how do you consider the other people around you at a theatre?
A. Talk with them and make friends with them.
B. If you forget both “off” and “vibrate” and your phones rings, answer it immediately.
C. If it is an important call, you can answer it on your seat.
D. Check that your phone is not turned on before you enter.
A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders: Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British English and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly! There are some differences between British and American English. There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “have a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British English and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British English, “color” and “honor” are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling, and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language.
1.According to the passage, a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that___.
A. British English cannot understand him
B. American people cannot understand him
C. the grammar is too hard for him
D. the spelling is too hard for him
2.American English and British English are different in ________.
A. spelling B. pronunciation
C. grammar D. all of the above
3.What is not mentioned (提及) in the passage?
A. Whether there are differences between British English and American English.
B. Whether British and American English are one language or two.
C. How the differences between British English and American English came about.
D. How important the differences are.
4.Most ________ say “ Do you have a watch?”
A. British people B. Americans C. children D. teachers
5.According to this passage, British people and Americans have ________ difficulty in understanding each other.
A. little B. much C. some D. great
Travel is a very good activity. When traveling, you can relax 1. , forget your tiredness or troubles, and have the energy to take on the new tasks waiting for you.
But sometimes traveling is 2. an enjoyable thing. For example, the weather can be changeable. If you can climb a mountain, it may rain suddenly. You may be caught in the rain and may catch a cold. The worst thing is that you may have your money stolen3. you may have an injury. All these terrible things are4. can happen to you.
Therefore, when you are going on a trip, you 5. make a good preparation6. , you must have clear information about the weather. Secondly, you should choose7. good companion (同伴) so that you can help each other. Thirdly, you must be careful enough and try to avoid accidents. 8. you do this, you will surely enjoy your travel.
