Question: Which program is in Guinness World Records as the world’s longest running TV quiz show? Answer: “It’s Academic.”
“It’s Academic” is a Saturday morning program for high school students. The show has been broadcast in the Washington area for fifty years. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton competed on the show when she was a teenager. Teams from local schools are questioned about subjects like history, literature, math, science, religion, politics and sports.
Sophie was a TV producer in the 1950s. She started “It’s Academic” after local school officials asked her to create a program that showed outstanding students.
The show’s host, 84-year-old Mac McGarry, who has hosted “It’s Academic” since the beginning, says, “When we first started, the young people from various countries were not evident so much. Now, each program presents young people from all over the world, at least descendants (后裔) from people all over the world.”
Mac McGarry said, “Every time I look up, I see people who are just seventeen years old. And I think, ‘Well, I must not be growing older at all. They are full of enthusiasm. I really have to become more active to keep up with them.’” More than 20,000 students have appeared on the show. Mac McGarry has asked more than 200,000 questions and gotten more than a few funny answers.
Kelly Reeder led the team from Rockville High School in Maryland last year. Her school has won the championship on “It’s Academic” several times. She says, “We have put in a lot of effort over the years. It’s a really huge honor to end up on the A Team. My friends who are on ‘It’s Academic’ think it’s cool that I’m the captain of the A Team, but my friends who are not on ‘It’s Academic’ think it’s kind of funny.”
1.We learn from the text that “It’s Academic” .
A. was started half a century ago
B. was produced by Hillary Clinton
C. is broadcast across the US every week
D. is a TV show based on Guinness records
2.Sophie created the program originally to .
A. pick out outstanding students
B. focus on students’ schoolwork
C. attract more TV viewers
D. accomplish a given task
3.In Paragraph 4, McGarry mainly wants to say .
A. the show was not popular at first
B. they overcame difficulties in the beginning
C. the teams in the show are quite different now
D. the show becomes the longest running TV show
4.By saying “I must not be growing older at all”, McGarry means that she .
A. will have to retire soon
B. hopes to go on with the work
C. feels younger together with teenagers
D. worries about her health condition
Claude Monet is surely one of the most famous French artists of all. Monet was particularly interested in the effect of light and would paint the same scene in different lighting conditions or times of the day. For example, he painted around 20 versions of the Rouen Cathedral from dawn to dusk. His most famous paintings include his Water lilies series.
The paintings of Paul Cézanne had a lot of influence in the development of 20th century art, including Cubism (立体派) and Fauvism (野兽派). Cézanne is one of the most famous French artists and is known as a “post-impressionist”, which was similar in some ways to impressionism but also broke away from some of its limitations. Famous French paintings include his Bathers and Mont St Victoire series.
Henri Matisse was one of the most important famous French artists of the 20th century. He was considered one of the leaders of the Fauvist movement. He had a long and varied (多样化的) artistic career, painting in different styles ranging from Impressionism to Abstract. In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with cancer and was forced into a wheelchair. But this didn’t stop him completing the amazing Chapel of the Rosary in Vence.
Degas is probably one of the most fascinating of all the famous French artists. He is known as one of the founders of Impressionism, but his paintings were also influenced by classicism, romanticism, and realism. His style is definitely very unique. He was a prolific (多产的) artist, producing over one thousand works. He is best known for his paintings of ballet dancers.
1.We can know that Claude Monet painted about 20 versions of the Rouen Cathedral .
A. within one day B. using the same colors
C. at different places D. in different lighting conditions
2.Which style does Bathers most probably belong to?
A. Impressionism. B. Post-impressionism.
C. Romanticism. D. Abstract.
3.During Henri Matisse’s long artistic career, he .
A. painted paintings of different styles
B. did his most famous paintings after 1941
C. painted in the style of Fauvism most frequently
D. spent most of his time painting in a wheelchair
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A. Degas’ works all belong to Impressionism
B. Degas’ works were influenced by many styles
C. it’s not easy to tell Degas’ paintings from other artists’
D. Degas’ paintings influenced classicism, romanticism and realism
Shyness equals (等于) losing opportunities, less pleasure and fewer social connections, but there are ways to make it a thing of the past.
When I was fifteen, I was shy. I remember an attractive girl trying to talk with me. My shyness made me focus on me instead of her. I heard my own voice but not hers and I thought about what I was trying to say instead of what she was trying to say.
To overcome shyness you need to learn to relax. This gives you the space to practice certain conversational skills. Relaxed socializing (社交) is so pleasurable. To start reducing your own shyness, I want you to absorb the following tips and ideas and start to put them into practice.
Focus your attention away from yourself. Notice what other people are wearing and make a mental note, listen to their conversation, imagine where they might live, and make a point of remembering names. Not only does this give you more to talk about, it also reduces social anxiety, leaving you feeling calmer.
Ask people open questions. Many people like to talk about themselves and will find you interesting if you find them interesting. Ask questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” response such as “What do you like about this place?’ rather than “Do you like this place?” Once they have answered, you can use add-on (追加) questions connected with the first such as “What other places do you like in this city?” Next you can express your views. This is a great way to get the conversation going.
Now I love meeting new people and suspect that my current social confidence would be unrecognizable to my fifteen-year-old self.
1. The author didn’t pay attention to what the girl was saying because .
A. her voice was very low
B. he was shy and nervous
C. he was attracted by her appearance
D. he wasn’t interested in her topic
2.To get rid of your shyness, you should .
A. pay much attention to yourself
B. find a beautiful girl to talk with
C. learn to talk to others in a relaxed way
D. ask people some interesting questions
3.It can be inferred from the text that .
A. people will notice our appearance if we focus on their looks
B. shy people will have no friends unless they change themselves
C. shy people may suffer a great deal and may be less happy
D. girls like to show off their voices in front of boys
4.Which of the following questions will the author probably advise us to ask?
A. What a lovely day, isn’t it?
B. Do you like playing basketball?
C. Do you think he will pass the exam?
D. Why do you find that English is hard to learn?
People with many different relationships use small talk. The most common types of people to use small talk are those who do not know each other at all. It is also common for people who are only acquaintances (熟人), often called a “friend of a friend”, to use small talk.
There are certain “safe” topics that people usually make small talk about. The weather is probably the number one thing. Sometimes even friends and family members discuss the weather when they meet or start a conversation. Another topic that is generally “safe” is current events, such as sports news and entertainment news. If there is something that you and the other speaker have in common, that may also be acceptable to talk about. Negative comments about another person not involved in the conversation are not acceptable because you cannot be sure who his friends are when you do not know a person well.
People make small talk just about anywhere. Most often, small talk happens in places where people are waiting for something. For example, you might chat with another person who is waiting for the bus to arrive. Some social events (such as a party) require small talk among guests who do not know each other very well.
The most common time for small talk to happen is the first time you see or meet someone. However, the next time you see each other, you might just smile and say nothing. Do not interrupt two people in order to discuss something unimportant, such as the weather. If someone is reading a book or writing a letter in a waiting room, it is not proper to initiate a conversation either.
1. The third paragraph mainly tells us .
A. how people make small talk
B. people like making small talk
C. why people make small talk
D. where people make small talk
2.What can we learn about small talk according to the text?
A. Small talk only happens between strangers.
B. When people feel lonely, they will start small talk.
C. Unpleasant comments about another person aren’t a “safe” topic.
D. Small talk only happens when people want to make friends.
3.The underlined word “initiate” in the last paragraph probably means “ ”.
A. end B. start C. control D. Avoid
书面表达
假设你是李华，是怀宁中学高二（11）班的学生，将参加学校举行的以“说普通话，写规范字”为主题的演讲比赛。请写一篇演讲稿交给语文老师。
注意：1.须重点突出“说普通话，写规范字”的必要性；
2.词数100左右；
3.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
4.开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
参考词汇：speak Putonghua use correct characters
Boys & girls,
May I have your attention please? My name is Lihua.
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处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧)，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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
Huaining Middle School, locating in the north of Gaohe town, holds a sports meeting in every one May. We all looked forward to it, for it is a time for us students to reduce stress and it always brings us lots of unforgettable memories. It usually lasts for three days, during whose time we have no classes. All the students go to the playground to watch or joining in games. The part I like most is the relay race. With race going on, our excitement grows. All of them yell out "come on" to the athletes, watching them competing aggressive. The most breathtaking moment is that the athletes are getting to the finishing line. Somebody can tell who is the winner until the last minute.
