Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship(学徒期)as a union painter and dry waller(筑墙工). On Friday morning, she was thanking God she had it.
On Thursday night, while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter, nephew and two nieces in her sister’s apartment, she smelled smoke and realized the apartment building was on fire. When her 4-year-old granddaughter Ilean Garcia began saying, “We’re going to die, ”she knew she had to act.Pina,39, first sealed the door, and then told all four children to get on the floor. After calling 911, she told the children to start singing and promised them all treats as soon as they reached safety. “I said, ‘OK, we’re going to lie down and we’re all going to play a game,’” Pina said. “We all started singing our ABCs and 123s.I was just trying to make it fun.” Pina patiently waited, and a few minutes later, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies (治安官的助手) arrived. Pina, Ilean,8yearold Gabriel Parga,5-year-old Aubreyana Parga and 4-year-old Meriyah Parga were all trapped on the second floor as flames filled the first story. Pina did the only thing she could. She opened the window and dropped the children, one-by-one, into the arms of the sheriff’s deputies about 15 to 20 feet below. “I just needed to keep the kids calm so they wouldn’t be afraid，”Pina said.“I was deathly afraid inside，but I couldn’t let them know that.”[Not long after dropping the children out of the window, firefighters arrived with a ladder and rescued her. Ten people were treated at the scene for suffering smoke, but nobody was seriously injured.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A big fire without serious injury
B. A babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire
C. A brave babysitter
D. How to save children in a fire
2.What did Lisa Pina do before she called 911, in order to prevent the fire?
A. He sealed the door
B. She opened the window of the second floor
C. She had children start singing
D. She let children get on the floor
3.What do we know according to the passage?
A. The fire didn’t cause any injury
B. Lisa Pina was not the last one to be rescued
C. The children were sent to hospital after the fire
D. During the fire Lisa Pina pretended not to be afraid at all
China has more than 30 intangible cultural heritage recognized by the UNESCO, including paper-cutting, the Dragon Boat Festival, Peking Opera, acupuncture(针灸)and so on. The organization adopted a decision that China’s “The Twenty-Four Solar Terms” (二十四节气)should be put on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016 in Ethiopia.
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms, knowledge of time and practices in agriculture, starts from the Beginning of Spring and ends with the Greater Cold, moving in cycles. It developed through the observation of the sun’s annual movement in China. In ancient time, the method of tugui, earth sundial(日暑), was used to measure the shadow of the sun for determining the solar terms.
The Twenty-Four Solar Terms came into being and developed in close relationship with Chinese agricultural production. At the initial stage of agricultural development, people began to explore the seasonal rules in the agricultural production to meet the needs in seeding, harvesting and other activities. Gradually, they formed the concept of “seed in spring, grow in summer, harvest in autumn and store in winter”. During the spring and auturmn periods, the agricultural production was highly influenced by the seasonal changes, thus forming the concept of Solar Terms.
As a traditional Chinese knowledge system of time with a history of thousands of years, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms clearly expresses the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature. Created by Chinese ancestors, it have functioned as a complete set of weather calendar(日历)to guide the agricultural production in China. It has also been introduced into North Korea, Japan and other neighboring countries and still used in Japan. The Chinese heritage has provably influenced the people’s way of thinking and behaving and will continue to be an important carrier of Chinese cultural identity.
1.According to the first two paragraphs, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms_________.
A. was used to measure the shadow of the sun
B. has not been listed as one intangible cultural heritage of humanity
C. is the best intangible cultural heritage recognized by the UNESCO
D. repeats from the Beginning of Spring to the Greater Cold every year
2.We can learn from the text that _______in China in the past.
A. the Twenty-Four Solar Terms only influenced spring and autumn
B. agricultural production highly influenced the seasonal changes
C. people cared about the changes of weather just for fun
D. the Twenty-Four Solar Terms had something to do with agriculture
3.We can infer from the text that the Twenty-Four Solar Terms_________.
A. is part of traditional Chinese culture
B. is strongly influenced by North Korea and Japan
C. is hard to explain
D. is an agricultural calendar merely used in China
Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistake is the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”
Kids reflexively(条件反射地)shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over(呆滞),and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound they never take it back.”
Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés(陈词滥调)to justify your actions, we weaken our position.
Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions.’”
Betty, who lives in Missouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching(布道).”
This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t being asked for them.
1.The purpose of the passage is to __________.
A. compare two ways of parents communicating with their kids
B. explain why kids won’t listen to their parents
C. give parents advice on how to communicate with their kids
D. introduce kids’ reaction to the communication between them and their parents
2.Which of the following statements is NOT right?
A. Kids don’t like any discussion at all
B. Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions
C. Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong
D. Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring
3.What does the underlined word “monologue’ in the first paragraph mean?
A. discussion
B. conversation
C. a speech by two persons
D. a long speech by one persona speech by two persons
4.Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?
A. Things related to children’s present life
B. Kids possible life in the future
C. Parents’ own experience
D. What parents have done to their own parents
5.In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should________.
A. tell their kids to listen carefully
B. set out their warnings directly
C. arouse kids’ desire to express themselves
D. list out as many examples as possible
Experience around food is about the place. The time and the people, and “the best meal” can be found in a fine dining restaurant or in a crowded street market. How can you recreate that special moment influenced by place and time? Travel is becoming the most popular reason to visit many places around the world. Here are the places that consistently excite the senses.
South of France
Markets with fresh fruits and vegetables and butcher shops are abundant. Regional(地区的)wines are excellent. And freshly baked French bread with French butter is what memories are made of. Take a chair in an ancient walled city for a meal with a view that you will never forget.
Barcelona
This bustling city filled with unique buildings is a city for lovers of history, architecture, and food. Kiosko Universal, a counter restaurant at one comer of the market, prepares some of the simplest and best food we’ve ever had. Give yourself a week to explore and see everything the city offers. The city is not to be missed.
Italy
It’s hard to choose one place or city to visit. Some of our favorite places include the coastal regions on the Adriatic and Tuscany. Friuli stole our hearts last year with its many unique wines, small artisan food producers, and influences fro neighboring countries like Austria and Germany.
Mexico City
From unbelievable food markets and casual street stands, Mexico City has become the place to travel for the food lovers. If you want to eat locally, order a Hurache, a street food specialty. All you will need is a local microbrew or Mezcal(龙舌兰酒)to wash it down.
1.Where can you taste delicious food while enjoying beautiful scenery?
A. South of France B. Barcelona
C. Italy D. Mexico City
2.What is Kiosko Universal?
A. A market B. A butcher shop
C. A restaurant D. A street stand
3.What do you need to help swallow Hurache when eating it?
A. Bread B. Beer
C. Juice D. Fruit
4.What do the four places have in common?
A. They are tourist attractions B. They have ancient buildings
C. They lie in Europe D. They are noted for tasty food
A new, first-of-its-kind study examines the connection between teacher burnout and students’ stress levels. Researchers from the University of British Columbia collected saliva (唾液) samples from over 400 elementary school children, grades four to seven, at 17 public schools. Cortisol (皮质醇) levels were then assessed from the samples as the hormone is commonly used as a biological indicator of stress. Correspondingly, teacher burnout was determined through survey results.
Investigators found that in classrooms in which teachers experienced more burnout, or feelings of emotional exhaustion, students’ cortisol levels were elevated (提升). Higher cortisol levels in elementary school children have been linked to learning difficulties as well as mental health problems. The study appears in the journal Social Science & Medicine. “This suggests that stress contagion (蔓延) might be taking place in the classroom among students and their teachers,” said Eva Oberle, Ph.D., the study’s lead author.
Indeed, the relationship between student stress and teacher burnout is a chicken and egg question. “It is unknown what came first, elevated cortisol or teacher burnout. We consider the connection between student and teacher stress a cyclical problem in the classroom.” Oberle said a stressful classroom climate could be a result of inadequate support for teachers, which may impact teachers’ ability to effectively manage their students. A poorly managed classroom can contribute to students’ needs not being met and increasing stress. This could be reflected in elevated cortisol levels in students.
Alternatively, stress could originate from students, who may be more challenging to teach because of increases in anxiety, behavioral problems, or special needs. In this case, teachers could feel overwhelmed and report higher levels of burnout.
“Our study is a reminder of the systemic issues facing teachers and educators as classroom sizes increase and supports for teachers are cut,” said Oberle. “It is clear from a number of recent research studies that teaching is one of the most stressful professions, and that teachers need adequate resources and support in their jobs in order to battle burnout and relieve stress in the classroom,” said University of British Columbia education professor Kimberly Schonert Reichl, Ph.D., the study’s co-author. “If we do not support teachers, we risk the damage of students.”
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假定你是李华，最近你发现有学生将共享单车停到了校园内并且上了私锁。请你就此现象，写一份倡议书发表在校英文报上，倡议同学们文明使用共享单车。
内容提示： 1. 共享单车带给人们的便利；
2. 如何正确使用共享单车。
注意: 1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：共享单车：shared bikes
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Li Hua
