Learning a second language
Nowadays, more and more people are learning a second language. So why should we spend time learning a second language? 1.. Let us see.
Career
If your work involves regular contact with speakers of foreign languages, being able to talk to them in their own language will help you to communicate with them better.2. Knowledge of foreign languages may also increase your chances of finding a new job, getting a promotion or a transfer overseas, or of going on foreign business trips.
Travel
Being able to speak a foreign language, for example, the Japanese language, would benefit you greatly should you be traveling to Japan.3. If you are fond of tourism, then knowledge of the local language is a must-have to avoid bad experiences or discomfort.
4.
If you are a high school student who is interested in going abroad for further education, then you will have to learn the language of the country which you wish to move to. In some countries, being able to speak that country’s national language is a must for students wishing to pursue (继续) education there.
Personal growth
Learning a second language can help in broadening one’s horizons(视野). It can help in learning about the culture of that particular country.5. Not only can you enjoy different forms of art and literature relating to the new language, but you can also meet new people, make new friends and develop long-lasting relationships.
A. Education
B. Challenge.
C. Is it really worth it?
D. This will save you a lot of trouble.
E. It can help you to make sales and get good deals.
F. And it can open the way for new interests and hobbies.
G. Could you be required to study a particular language at school?
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs (暗礁) with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, compared with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Some new studies about animals.
B. People’s wrong ideas about animals.
C. Why the number of animals has dropped.
D. The importance of protecting animals.
2.According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep .
A. are less clever than rodents B. can find their home
C. can read maps D. are good planners
3.Which seems to have something to do with the number of butterflies?
A. The species of grass in grasslands. B. The species of trees in grasslands.
C. The number of flowers in grasslands. D. The number of animals in grasslands.
Is reading better than watching TV? I believe it is. Is reading better than playing video games? I’m not so sure if it is. If learning is important to you, but not necessarily so, and if pleasure is what you want, these activities can be pleasant in their own way. Reading might be better than many activities if you want to educate yourself and improve your chances of succeeding in your work.
If you’re serious about creating the habit of reading, what’s important is finding a time you can read every day-often that’s early morning or late at night, or both. For others, it might be during their lunch break. You only need to read for 10 to 20 minutes a day to form the habit. Then, you need to find a place that’s comfortable. Make sure it has good lighting, the temperature is nice and you’re in a good chair. Or you can find some place that you can reiax in without failing asleep, although there’s nothing wrong with a sleep.
Next, be sure to shut off the TV, Internet, cell phone, radio, or other music .Let reading be a quiet time. Mark an “x” on your calendar every day you read, and try to keep your unbroken “x”es going as long as possible. A habit is much easier to form if it’s something you enjoy, not something you are made to do. So make the time you spend reading a joy. I’ve been a lifelong reader, so the pleasure of a good book is one of my favorite things in the world. I love to lose myself in the world of a book.
1.The importance of reading depends on .
A. what you’re going to read B. why you want to read
C. where you decide to read D. when you begin to read
2.If you want to create a habit of reading, the first thing to do is to .
A. ask the writer for some advice B. find a comfortable place
C. make a proper time plan D. mark an “x” on the new calendar
3.While you are reading, you’d better .
A. make sure you are alone B. mark a big “x” in your notebook
C. find a good chair with good lighting D. be concentrated and quiet
4.Reading may become your habit more easily when .
A. it is something you enjoy
B. you don’t use Internet or cell phones
C. your unbroken “x”es last for a long time
D. you spend 10 to 20 minutes reading after lunch
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism (乐观), but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost-having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex (复杂的) for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles finally go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1.How did the author get to know America?
A. From her relatives. B. From her mother.
C. From books and pictures. D. From radio programs.
2.For the first two years in New York, the author .
A. often lost her way B. did not think about her future
C. studied in three different schools D. got on well with her stepfather
3.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A. She worked as a translator.
B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family.
D. She helped her family with her English.
4.The author believes that .
A. her future will be free from troubles
B. it is difficult to learn to become patient
C. there are more good things than bad things
D. good things will happen if one keeps trying
I know what you’re thinking: pizza (比萨饼)? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a. m. if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast (不吃早餐), and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don’t have time, others think they’re “saving” calories (卡路里), still others just don’t like breakfast food.
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking, R, D, who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers-it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always cat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it...you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
1.The word “leftovers” in Paragraph I probably means .
A. food remaining after a meal B. things left undone
C. meals made of vegetables D. pizza topped with fruit
2.What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.
C. There are some easy ways of cooking a meal.
D. Eating vegetables helps save energy.
3.According to the last paragraph, it is important to .
A. eat something for breakfast B. be careful about what you eat
C. heal up food before eating it D. eat calorie-controlled food
4.The text is written mainly for those .
A. who go to work early B. who want to lose weight
C. who stay up late D. who cat before sleep
假定你是学生会主席李华，你校将组织英语倶乐部成员本周六去迪士尼乐园(Disneyland)游玩。请你用英语拟写一个通知。要点如下：
1.出发时间、地点；
2.需要自备的东西；
3.游玩时的注意事项。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear English Club Members,
Our school will organize all of you to go to Disneyland to play.
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Please arrive on time and have a good time.
The Students’ Union
