It is 1971.Sally with Josh and Martin,her two brothers,discovers a massive whale stranded (搁浅) on the beach near their home.The three children________their sweaters into the cold sea water and rush back to wet the________ animal.Realizing the urgency,Josh runs for help and people gather to________.Though they do all they can,it becomes clear that their efforts are________Sitting by the whale,Sally tells him he’s ________ and beautiful, and that she will________him no matter what happens next.As Sally talks to him,the animal lets out “a deep_________like the wind off the ocean” and dies.
The Stranded Whale is a ________book for children carrying a(n)________life lesson about accepting the ________ of one's power.
Master storyteller Yolen and illustrator (插画家) Cataldo have________an honest picture of human weakness that is moving.Yolen________sets her story in 1971,when the lack of cell phones would delay the________of both helpers and broadcasters.This adds to the________because so much time is lost.Cataldo's paintings________ gentle and soft colors,providing vast________ views and conveying the children’s helplessness.
The ending is________.Sally expresses the irony to herself when________with a medal by the community. “So,the whale died and we were heroes.”________they have made great efforts to rescue the whale,Sally and her brothers learn that not all living creatures can be saved.This is an important truth for ________.
1.A. squeeze B. dip C. throw D. dive
2.A. dangerous B. deserted C. dying D. deadly
3.A. respond B. fight C. witness D. charge
4.A. worthwhile B. in vain C. at loss D. awarded
5.A. patient B. considerate C. strong D. cautious
6.A. save B. pity C. understand D. miss
7.A. sigh B. cough C. scream D. yawn
8.A. drawing B. picture C. reference D. writing
9.A. easy B. bitter C. strict D. strange
10.A. failures B. mistakes C. limits D. shortcomings
11.A. foresaw B. made up C. took up D. created
12.A. wisely B. especially C. randomly D. usually
13.A. message B. transfer C. arrival D. protection
14.A. sorrow B. fun C. excitement D. tension
15.A. avoid B. adjust C. compare D. employ
16.A. seashore B. island C. country D. outdoor
17.A. touched B. realistic C. abstract D. comforting
18.A. replied B. provided C. presented D. related
19.A. As long as B. As though C. If only D. Even though
20.A. children B. animals C. writers D. illustrators
There is no sound worse than an alarm clock first thing in the morning.Some of us are the type to jolt out of bed with a smile.1. While I have a love-hate relationship with mornings,I have found that there are indeed ways to make mornings a little more bearable.
Mentally plan out your day.
One way to combat the morning blues is to mentally plan out your day right when you wake up to prepare yourself for the day.Give yourself at least one little thing to look forward to each day.2.
Meditate.
Meditation (冥想) will clear your mind and relax your body.Even just ten minutes of focused mental thought can completely clear your mind.3. Of all of them,I like Headspace best,which provides 10-minute sessions that leave you feeling relaxed,and ready to have a great day!4.
People say “look good,feel good.” If you have your outfit ready in advance,you are more likely to feel confident and mentally prepared for the day.Whether it’s a pair of jeans or a sweater,pick out clothes that you feel great in.
Go with a friend or classmate to breakfast,school,etc.
5. Sharing the first moments of the day with others will fuel your mind and let you ease into your day. Also,having a regimented (受管制的) morning routine with others will help ensure that you are on-time for school and that you have a reason to get up in the morning.
A.Put on your clothes for the night.
B.Lay out your clothes the night before.
C.Others love to exercise in the morning.
D.Mornings are best when you have good company.
E.However,for others,mornings are the worst enemy.
F.It can even be a cookie of your favorite taste on the lunch break.
G..It’s easy with the availability of apps and YouTube guided exercises out there.
Following the crowd may not always be in a person’s best interest.But new research suggests that teens who go along with their friends may end up healthier as adults.
Scientists have known that close friendships help boost health.That’s true for both teens and adults.The finding inspired Joseph Allen,a psychologist at the University of Virginia,and his team to study whether experiences during teen years would influence adult health.So they followed 171 teens,starting when the kids were just 13.They interviewed each one every year for five years,and also spoke to these teens’ closest friends,who provided additional information about the quality of their friendships.The same 171 people were interviewed again at ages 25,26 and 27. This time,the questions surveyed each person’s overall health.When the researchers analyzed the data they found a strong connection between a teen’s behavior and adult health.Teens who had close friends grew up to be the healthier adults.Whether teens held back their feelings or expressed them to a close friends also influenced later health.Those who held back were more likely to be sick as adults.The connection held up even after the scientists accounted for other possible influences on health.Weight,family income and drug use were all examined.So were mental health issues,such as anxiety and depression.And in these people,such other factors did not explain adult health as well as teen friendships did.
Going along with the crowd may have benefits,says Allen,but there are also drawbacks.Teens who are more independent tend to do better at school and work.And peer pressure may lead some kids to engage in risky behavior, such as smoking,drinking or using drugs.Dealing with it is an ongoing challenge,Allen acknowledges.“Finding the right balance is the key.Teens shouldn’t lose heart for not finding this easy.”And,he adds,“Parents need to be understanding about the pressures teens face.”
1.Where can you probably read this passage?
A. Science fiction B. Health column
C. Fashion magazine D. Entertainment newspaper
2.We can learn from Allen’s study that _________.
A. many other factors have a greater influence on adult health than teen friendships
B. mental health issues have nothing to do with adult health
C. the same 171 teens were interviewed each year from 13 to 27
D. the teens who couldn’t express themselves grew up to be unhealthier
3.According to what Allen said,we can know that _________.
A. in order to do better at school,teens should not follow the crowd
B. though it’s challenging for teens to deal with peer pressure,they should not give up
C. teens will engage in smoking,drinking or using drugs when facing peer pressure
D. parents should understand their teens and stop them going with friends
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. There is nothing bad for teens to follow the crowd.
B. Close friendships are the most important for people’s health.
C. Teen friendships may turn out healthier adults.
D. Adult health is only influenced by teen friendships.
The popular TV program Readers has prompted more people in China to practice reading aloud in booths (亭) set up in big cities across the country.
As the latest TV show to help people's love for literature recover,CCTV program Readers invites people from all walks of life to read aloud their favorite poems,essays and books,or even personal letters they wrote to their loved ones.Just as the weekly show has been well-received,its reading booths,equipped with professional recording devices and cameras,have become instant hits.
A crowd of more than 200 people were pictured lining up outside the Shanghai Library at 11 am on March 4 – the first day of the booth's opening to the public in Shanghai.The deadline for registrations was brought forward to 2 pm instead of the scheduled 5:30 pm,as the number of waiting readers continued to grow.Some waited more than nine hours for a try-out in the booth,according to library management.
"There is an old photo in the late 1970s capturing people lining up outside the Shanghai Library before it opens. If that was a spring of reading in Shanghai,now I think another spring has arrived again," library manager Zhou Deming,told the Shanghai-based The Paper.
The reading booth is the only one of its kind in the city of economic center at the moment,but more are expected to be put into use in the coming months,according to the library's website.
The Readers program has also led to booths in other cities including Beijing,Hangzhou,Guangzhou and Xi'an to appeal to more people to read and share their life stories.
With the recent boom of culture-themed TV shows such as Readers and Chinese Poetry Competition,some are optimistic that this will help the country love literature and reading again in general.
1.CCTV program Readers aims to _________ .
A. teach people what to read
B. attract people’s attention to CCTV
C. invite people to read aloud in the booth
D. arouse people’s fresh enthusiasm for reading
2.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that _________ .
A. Some people waited for a long time to read in the booth
B. March 4 was the first day of the opening of Shanghai Library
C. On March 4,200 people read in the booth
D. The time for registrations was lengthened for three and a half hours
3.The passage mainly tells us that _________ .
A. Many people line up to read aloud in reading booths
B. More reading booths will be set up in the future
C. Readers has become popular all over China
D. Readers has inspired more people to read aloud in reading booths
When I was a boy we used to live across the road from a big hill with huge oak trees growing out of it.When winter arrived,thick,heavy snow would fall,and my two brothers would grab their sleds heading over to the hill for a day of fun.I remember watching them with envy because I was still too small to go sledding.Finally,one winter I was considered big enough and joined my brothers as they carried their sleds up the long hill and prepared to ride down it.
The first few trips I rode with one of my brothers and had the time of my life.It was so exhilarating when the wind whipped across my face as I flew down the hillside on the wooden sled.Near the end of the day I was overjoyed too when my oldest brother decided to let me try riding the sled all by myself.I climbed on it full of excitement and lay on my stomach.Then with one big push my brother sent me down the snowy hillside.I was doing pretty well too until I hit an old stump hidden by the snow and went off course,straight towards one of those big oak trees.My heart pounded in my chest and I could hear myself screaming.At the last possible second I rolled off and the sled crashed into the tree.I could hear my brothers running down the hill yelling,“You have to steer（操控）! You have to steer!”
Sadly,that wasn’t the last time I failed to steer when some obstacle knocked me off course in my life.Many times problems,troubles,and my own failures have sent me crashing into the trees of anger,frustration,and despair.I am still learning that life isn’t always safe sledding.I am sti l learning that it is up to me to steer myself back to love,back to kindness,back to goodness,and back to God.
Life is a trip,but no one ever said it was a smooth ride.Steer well then.Steer straight.Steer your soul towards the light and the love we are all meant for.
1.What do we know about the author when he was very young?
A. He lived on a big hill with huge oak trees on it.
B. He was frightened to go sledding with his brothers.
C. He longed to go sledding with his brothers.
D. He carried his brothers’ sleds as they went sledding.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “exhilarating” in Paragraph 2?
A. delightful B. Terrifying C. ordinary D. violent
3.Why did the author fall off his sled?
A. Because his sled crashed in an oak tree.
B. Because he lost control of his sled.
C. Because his brother pushed it so hard.
D. Because the hillside was snowy.
4.What does the author mean to tell us?
A. Losing control of a sled can be dangerous.
B. Courage and determination can change one’s life.
C. Life can be controlled by one himself.
D. Life is a mystery full of coincidences.
Artificial intelligence,or AI,has been applied in a wide range of fields to perform specific tasks,including education,finance,heavy industry,transportation,and so on.
Education
There are a number of companies that create robots to teach subjects to children ranging from biology to computer science,though such tools have not become widespread yet.Advancements in natural language processing, combined with machine learning,have also enabled automatic grading of assignments.AI has also led to an explosion in popularity of MOOCs,or Massive Open Online Courses,which allows students from around the world to take classes online.
Finance
Use of AI in banking can be tracked back to 1987.Banks use artificial intelligence systems to organize operations,maintain book-keeping,invest in stocks,and manage properties.Also,systems are being developed,like Arria,to translate complex data into simple and personable language.There are also wallets,like Wallet AI,which monitor an individual's spending habits and provides ways to improve them.
Heavy industry
Robots have become common in many industries and are often given jobs that are considered dangerous to humans.Robots have proven effective in jobs that are very repetitive which may lead to mistakes or accidents due to failure in concentration and other jobs which humans may find degrading.
Transportation
Today's cars can have AI-based driver assist features such as self-parking and advanced cruise controls.AI in transportation is expected to provide safe,efficient,and reliable transportation while minimizing the impact on the environment and communities.
Toys and games
Companies like Mattel have been creating AI-enabled toys for kids as young as age three.Using proprietary AI engines and speech recognition tools,they are able to understand conversations,give intelligent responses and learn quickly.AI has also been applied to video games,for example video game bots,which are designed to stand in as opponents where humans aren't available or desired.
1.Which is true about AI and education?
A. Robots have been widely used to teach children.
B. AI has been used to grade students’ homework.
C. AI has enabled more students to receive education at school.
D. Education was the first field where AI was used.
2.Which can be inferred from the passage?
A. Arria can help people understand complex data.
B. Wallet AI can help people make more money.
C. Robots’ jobs are considered dangerous to humans.
D. Robots can help people concentrate.
3.From the last two paragraphs we can know that_______.
A. Today’s drivers needn’t learn to park their cars
B. AI ensures safe,efficient,and reliable transportation
C. AI-enabled toys is designed to improve kids’ intelligence
D. Video game bots can fight against you in video games
4.What is the passage mainly about ?
A. The latest progress in AI. B. AI is of great use.
C. Some applications of AI. D. AI is used in all fields.
