Do you want to make a difference in your community? The Verizon App Challenge can get you started. The first step is to think of a problem in your community. The next step is to create an app that can solve the problem.
Group of five to seven students in middle school or high school, led by a teacher, can enter the contest. First, teams will compete on a local level. Teams that make it to the next round receive $ 5,000 for their schools. Finalists present their app ideas to judges in a live web conference. Next, the judges pick national winners. The top eight teams receive an additional $ 15,000 for their schools, and each team member receives a Samsung tablet. Plus, the winning teams get the chance to bring their app to life.
A group of six girls from Los Frenos, Texas won the second annual Verizon App Challenge. They came up with the Hello Navi app concept, short for “hello navigation”. The app was designed to help visually impaired (受损的) students navigate (导航) their school. Do you have an app idea that could help solve a local issue? The deadline to register (登记) is November 24. Find more information and register your team at verizonfoundation.org/appchallenge.
Here are some tips from the Verizon Foundation to get you started:
Get your team together for a brainstorming meeting. Write out all the ideas that conic to mind. Don’t ignore challenges. Accept the idea that you can solve a problem that exists in your community. Ask family, friends and people in your community to share their thoughts about problems that they want to see solved.
1.If you want to take part in the Verizon App Challenge, you must .
A. design a problem-solving app
B. bring the app you created to life
C. work together with seven classmates
D. present convincing views on a local issue
2.How much will the winning team earn in all for their schools?
A. $ 5,000 B. $ 15,000
C. $ 20,000 D. $ 120,000
3.What can we learn about the “hello navigation”?
A. It was first made public in Texas.
B. It won the second prize in the last Verizon App Challenge.
C. It mainly benefited those with poor sense of direction.
D. It aimed to help those with poor eyesight.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
A. To promote a problem-solving app.
B. To call on more students to enter the contest.
C. To share some efficient ways of solving problems.
D. To introduce how to contribute to your community.
Some people like modem art, while others say that is rubbish. But a cleaner who works in the Tate Gallery in London isn’t able to tell the difference. The woman, whose name isn’t known, mistook a work of art by the German painter Gustav Metzger for a bag of rubbish, and threw it out with other bags. The plastic bag, which contained pieces of paper and cardboard, was later recovered outside the gallery, but the artist thought that it was too damaged to be put on show again. 78-year-old Mr Metzger explained that the exhibit, which he said was a copy of a similar work he had created in 1960, was meant to show that all art is temporary and “finite” (有限的).
Embarrassed officials at the museum said that they had to call a meeting with cleaners to explain which things should not be touched. They would not say whether Mr Metzger would be paid any compensation for the incident. However, to make absolutely sure the same thing would not happen again, they decided to cover Mr Metzger’s work every evening with a colored cloth. In this way the cleaners arriving after the gallery had closed to the general public would realize they should not touch it.
This is not the first time that museum cleaners have had trouble distinguishing exhibits from rubbish. In 2001, in another London gallery, a cleaner threw away a work by the well-known British artist Damien Hirst. It was an arrangement of empty beer bottles, coffee cups, and overflowing ashtrays, which were meant to indicate the chaos in the life of an artist.
However, cleaners don’t always throw things away—sometimes they clean them! This was the case with a dirty bath, which was on show in a gallery in Germany. Without asking what the bath was doing in the gallery, the cleaners simply scrubbed it clean.
1.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Cleaners mistake modem art for rubbish
B. Modem art shouldn’t be cleaned
C. What makes a great work of art
D. Cleaners don’t always throw things away
2.The officials of the museum covered Mr Metzger’s work so that .
A. the visitors couldn’t get close in the evening
B. they could get recovered soon
C. the cleaners wouldn’t make the same mistake
D. they would return to normal
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. People have different opinions on modem art
B. Mr Metzger would be paid much compensation
C. A work of Damien Hirst was thrown away by a cleaner in 2001
D. Some modem work is about artists’ chaos of their life
4.The last paragraph is written to show that .
A. cleaners often make exhibits as clean as possible
B. cleaners can’t always differ exhibits from rubbish
C. exhibits are usually difficult to clean
D. exhibits are not always so beautiful
The Grand Palace
If there is one must-see sight without which no visit to Bangkok would be complete, it s the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782 and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government, the Grand Palace of Bangkok continues to have visitors in awe of its beautiful architecture and complicated details, which is a proud salute (致敬) to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, the state departments, and even the mint (铸币厂). Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.
Important Notes about the Grand Palace
A strict dress code applies. The Grand Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand’s most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no lank lops). If you’re wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks, in other words, no bare feet. Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly (a deposit is required).
Opening Hours: Daily 8:30-15:30
Location: Na Phra Lan Road, Old City (Rattanakosin)
Price Range: Tickets sold from 8:30-15:30 and cost 500 baht! One ticket includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.
1.What makes the Grand Palace an important landmark?
A. Its convenient location.
B. Its cheap price of the tickets.
C. Its excellent guides and service.
D. Its splendid history and architecture.
2.Who can be allowed to enter the Grand Palace?
A. Edward wearing shorts and sandals.
B. Cathy wearing a T-shirt and a short skirt.
C. Tom wearing a sweater, jeans and sports shoes.
D. Anne wearing a long dress with bare shoulders.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. Visitors can enter the Grand Palace every day.
B. The Grand Palace has nothing to do with the Thai King.
C. Clothes for improperly dressed people are sold at the gate.
D. You can’t visit Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall with your ticket.
假如你是李华，是某报英语专栏“Heart-to-Heart”的一名编辑。近期，你收到来自高中生Sarah的求助信如下。请根据来信内容，给Sarah写一封回信。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Li Hua,
As a freshman in high school,I badly need your help with my sleep problem.The school rule goes that for every dormitory（宿舍）,students are only allowed（被允许）to keep the lights on before 10:40 p.m.So we should all go to bed after 10:40.However,one of my roommates（室友）often washes her clothes as late as 11:00 p.m.,and some others even turn on their flashlights（手电筒）to do homework.The noise and the light really make it hard for me to fall asleep（入睡）,I want to tell them to stop it,but I worry it will harm our relationships.What should I do?
Yours,
Sarah
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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短文。短文中共有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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
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。
Mom and Dad went back home from vacation a day earlier as expected,and they couldn't wait to surprise their two sons.However,what disappointed them greatly was that the house was in total（完全的）mess,with dirty dishes in the sink and garbages lying everywhere.What was worse,their dog Spot looked like he was starving.Mom and Dad were sure Daniel,which had been left in charge of the house,was to blame.Before Daniel can explain,Dad shouted angry at him.He said that such behavior should not be tolerated,but Mom added that Daniel could not be trust.Daniel felt so upset that he ran into his room.“Why didn't they ask me what had happened?Didn't I deserve a chance to defend for myself?I hate them!”Daniel thought to herself.
Examinations are of great1.(important) in Chinese schools and universities,so millions of the students take part in them every year.Almost all the students2.(teach) from an early age to understand the nature of examinations.It is true that some students can pass an examination3.(easy) than others,although it doesn't mean they are better with their study.
Quite a few students are afraid of examinations though they master4.they have learned very well.Sometimes the fear of examinations comes from pressure.
People think pressure is good for students5.it can make the students6.(try) harder and make some school work more challenging.But too much pressure may even cause diseases7.will influence students’ academic performance badly.
No student succeeds8.hard work.If one spends little little9.(work) on their lessons every day,they can't expect10.good result at the end of the term.Developing study skills can get students to learn better and to pass examinations with ease if they understand the lessons and the work involved.
