Time for Kids (TFK) gets the great news on the coolest toys for 2014 at the 111th American International Toy Fair.
What’s four days long, bigger than seven football fields, and filled with thousands of toys? It’s Toy Fair 2014!
Each year, hundreds of toy companies from across the country come together in New York City. All kinds of products are shown as a way to know what’s to come in the new year. This year’s trends (款式) include oversize toys. “In 2014, everything is really big and really out there,” says Adrienne Appell, a toy-trends expert.
Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere (西半球). Toy-store buyers go to the event to decide which toys they may want to sell during the holiday season. Members of the media, like TFK, go to the fair to report back on all the cool trends. Unfortunately, Toy Fair is not open to the public.
This year’s Toy Fair was the biggest in its 111-year history. More than 1,000 toy companies showed products from simple card games to high-tech robots. “Larger Than Life” was a Toy Fair favorite. This trend is all about big toys with a big play value.
Though it is all fun and games at Toy Fair, we saw lots of products making a push towards education, with STEAM. That stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. This trend includes word games. And of course, we saw some super cool, high-tech games. “Technology is always going to influence toys,” says Appell. “This year we saw lots of 3D games, and robots.”
To know more information about the event, click (点击) here to watch the video.
1. What can we infer from Toy Fair 2014?
A. Toys are becoming more educational than fun.
B. Robots are great favorites of buyers.
C. Big toys will be popular this year.
D. Simple card games will disappear on the market.
2. What’s special about Toy Fair 2014?
A. It is the largest. B. It is the longest.
C. It sells all of its toys. D. It’s held in New York City.
3.What’s the best title for the text?
A. Kids love toys
B. Toy-stores in New York City
C. Technology changes toys
D. Time for toys
4. The text is taken from a _____.
A. website B. newspaper C.magazine D. Textbook
New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple will get to ring in the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year in the U.S., in style with a fireworks display on the Hudson River set to music written by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun.
The display is part of the second annual “Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China” festival held in New York on February 5-10, 2016. The China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 announced this year’s events on November 18 at a press conference at the Lincoln Center.
The “Fantastic Art China” festival will feature a larger and more diverse series of artistic and cultural events across New York’s top cultural venues (地点) and landmarks, including the Lincoln Center, Empire State Building and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
This year’s theme focuses on exploring the complicated relationship between sound and image, said Professor Yu Ding from CAFA, who is also president of Fantastic Art China and in charge of the festival’s design. Lunar New Year, which celebrates the “Year of the Monkey” in 2016, is an opportunity to bring China’s modern art to mainstream America, and the festival serves as an innovative approach to establishing cultural exchange between China and New York City, Yu said.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun’s music is a new edition that will be featured at several venues, including a major art exhibition at the Javits Center, events at the Lincoln Center and the fireworks display on the Hudson, which will take place on the evening of February 6. Five barges (游艇) on the river will launch the fireworks designed by CAFA that will tell a story about celebration and conservation.
“We Chinese are fond of nature, so the best way to celebrate the Lunar New Year is to salute with the sounds of nature, such as sounds of water, stone and bamboo,” said Tan Dun at the press conference, “And it will be fun to use the music of water during the firework display.”
In addition to the fireworks, a special lighting show at the Empire State Building will illuminate New York City during the holiday.
Chinese New Year is being recognized as a public school holiday for the first time in New York. Children from the National Dance Institute, which represents 75 schools, will perform traditional Chinese dances at the Lincoln Center and the Javits Center. And, in celebration of the “Year of the Monkey” events will feature a conservation message about the endangered golden monkey in China.
1. The theme of this year’s celebration is centered on ________.
A. diversity of Chinese traditional festivals
B. relationship between sound and image of nature
C. endangered species and environment protection
D. cultural exchange between China and America
2.The coming “Year of the Monkey” is to be celebrated in New York by ________.
A. sailing on the Hudson River along with a new-year speech
B. holding a special concert at the Empire State Building
C. setting off fireworks and holding a special lighting show
D. taking a week off and organizing Chinese dance contests
3. What does the underlined word “illuminate” (in Para. 7) most probably mean?
A. Lighten. B. Surround.
C. Decorate. D. Broaden.
4. This passage is written mainly in order to ________.
A. compare some traditional festivals in China and America
B. attract visitors to America for the coming new-year celebration
C. strengthen the cultural co-operation between China and America
D. report celebration activities for the “Year of the Monkey” in New York
Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity (名人) chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver，according to a report from Oxford University.
The effect of the celebrity role models，who have given cooking a more manly picture，has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961.
According to the research by Prof.Jonatahn Gershuny，who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford，men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking，up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961.
Prof.Gershuny said，“The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend.There has been 40 years of sexual equality，but there is another 40 years probably to come.”
Women，who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking，now spend just one hour and seven minutes—a great fall，but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men.
Some experts have named these men in aprons as “Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)”，who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay，Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley－Whittingstall，Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.
“I was married in 1974.When my father came to visit me a few weeks later，I was wearing an apron when I opened the door.He laughed，” said Prof.Gershuny.“That would never happen now.”
Two－thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week，even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table.Prof.Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table—with many “family meals” in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room，and shared by family members.“The family meal has changed a lot，and few of us eat—as I did when I was a child—at least two meals a day together as a family.But it has survived in a different format.”
1.What is one reason behind the trend that men spend more time cooking than before?
A.The improvement of cooks'status.
B.The influence of popular female chefs.
C.The change of female's view on cooking.
D.The development of sexual equality campaign.
2.What does the author think about the time men and women spend on cooking?
A.Men spend more time cooking than women nowadays.
B.Women spend much less time on cooking than before.
C.It will take 40 years before men spend more time at the stove than women.
D.There is a sharp decline in the time men spend on cooking compared with 1961.
3.How did Prof.Gershuny see the family meal according to the passage?
A.It has become a thing of the past.
B.It is very different from what it used to be.
C.It shouldn't be advocated in modern times.
D.It is beneficial to the stability of the family.
4.Which is the best title for the passage?
A.The Changes of Family Meals
B.Equality between Men and Women
C.Cooking into a New Trend for Men
D.Cooking—a Thing of the Past for Women
Christmas，Easter and Birthday parties can be difficult times for grandmothers and parents as they rush around trying to arrange the perfect celebration or making everyone as happy as possible! What's better than a birthday party that makes your grandchild smile throughout or a celebration that impresses relatives and close friends?
That is why Granny Look has supplied in this section，one of the most comprehensive guides to making these special occasions that happen perhaps once a year a real success.
From a selection of Advent Calendars to party planning or Christmas－stocking fillers we have all the possibilities covered so that your children and grandchildren will really have a memorable time with attractive gifts and original ideas.
Bring that festive spirit to all those traditional days，and ensure you are always ready for any possibility. Granny Look's extensive links are bound to make every special occasion an entirely different experience from the year before and allow everyone to feel entertained and content.
CHRISTMAS－STOCKING FILLERS
LOOK no further！！ Granny Look helps the family to prepare in time for FATHER CHRISTMAS. Give SANTA CLAUS some ideas.He can fill all the children's Christmas－stockings with goodies! Unique Christmas gifts for children－stocking fillers.
A Granny Look favorite!
ADVENT CALENDARS
All children love the build－up to CHRISTMAS! What is better than choosing one of Granny Look's selection of Advent Calendars! Here you will find a list of websites to buy traditional or fun Advent Calendars for children at Christmas time.
A Granny Look favorite!
BIRTHDAYS
LOOKING for a SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT? Explore Granny Look's selection of PRESENTS，PARTY PLANNING，PARTY TOYS and PARTY GAMES for your Children and Grandchildren's BIRTHDAYS.
Plan and organize the KIDDIE'S PARTIES ahead of time！！
Don't forget the PERSONALISED INVITATIONS!
CHRISTMAS
LOOK and BOOK now！！ Granny Look's selection of CHRISTMAS GIFTS for children.
Some guides to “What's on in your area”...for the kids.PANTOS，SHOWS，THEATRES...at Christmas time!
UNIQUE Christmas gifts for Children.Spend QUALITY TIME with your Children's Children this FESTIVE SEASON!
1.From the text，we know that “Granny Look” is .
A.a person who guides you to make your yearly celebration a real success
B.a magazine that helps the family to prepare for special occasions
C.a company that sells all sorts of products on the Internet
D.a website that helps you to prepare for special occasions
2.The purpose of the text is .
A.to make children have a memorable holiday
B.to show you how to shop on the Internet
C.to give you some information about Granny Look
D.to introduce some goods
3.You will fail to find any information at Christmas when you need .
A.Christmas cards B.fun Advent Calendars
C.Christmas gifts D.tickets for theatres
书面表达
假如你是李华，最近你所居住的城市（北京）的雾霾严重影响了人们的生活。请根据写作要点给报社写一篇稿件反映这一问题。
写作要点：1. 雾霾带来的危害。
2. 你的建议。
注意：词数100左右。 参考词汇:雾霾 smog
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Frank joined the army after middle school. He did quite well in everything besides shooting. One day, the new soldiers were practiced shooting. Frank performed poorly while the rest was doing quite well. After he had shot at the target nine times but had not hit once, the officer shouted, “I had never seen such a fool! Don’t waste away your last bullet! Go behind that wall and shoot yourself with it!” Frank went behind a wall, and a few seconds late the sound of a shot was heard by the officer and the other soldier. “Heavens!” the officer said. “ Has that silly man real done so?” He ran behind the wall anxiously, only find Frank standing there straight, saying, “ I’m sorry, but I missed again.”
