Pottery is the name given to all kinds of useful or artistic objects made from clay. Pottery can be plates or water pots or baskets. Pottery can be large or small, fancy or plain. Pottery is part of the large family of ceramics（陶器）.Ceramics are synthetic materials. For example, bricks and tiles (瓦片) are both ceramics.
How is pottery made? First, a potter takes some clay. Clay is a soft, red material from the earth. It looks a little like red dirt, but it's very different. Clay is thick and rich. Wet clay can be worked into any shape. When the clay dries, it will keep that shape. The potters takes some clay and pushes and squeezes（挤压）it until it is soft and smooth. After that, the clay can be shaped into anything. There are several ways to shape clay. Sometimes potters use their hands. Sometimes they use a special wheel. They place the clay in the center of a round, flat wheel. The wheel moves very fast, and the potter shapes the clay.
After the potter has shaped the clay, it can be decorated(装饰). Potters use glaze, which is a kind of paint, to decorate their work. Some glazes are very simple. Other glazes have beautiful colors and designs. The glaze is not just beautiful. It is also useful. The glaze makes the pottery smooth and waterproof. Potters also make some decorative lines and designs on the surface. After it is decorated, the clay must be baked, or fired, in a special oven.
Baking the clay at very high temperature makes it hard and strong. Firing also makes the glaze stick to the pottery. When the firing is over, the potter carefully removes the pottery from the oven and lets it cool slowly. If it cools too quickly, it could crack and break.
Since pottery is waterproof, it is very popular for dishes. You can find examples of pottery in almost any home. But pottery can also be found in museums. Some pieces of pottery are valuable and beautiful pieces of art.
1.It is possible that ceramics are materials of _______ .
A. metal B. plastic C. wood D. earth
2.The word "waterproof" means _______ .
A. 能盛水的 B. 防水的 C. 溶解于水的 D.吸水性强的
3.Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Plates, water pots and bowls are all examples of pottery.
B. Wet clay can be made into anything of different shapes by the hands or a special wheel.
C. The clay becomes smooth and waterproof because of the glaze.
D. After the firing in high temperature, pottery is easy to break.
Americans are about an international sporting event now taking place in the United States. It is the biggest women's soccer in the world, the World Cup. The game Americans call soccer, is known around the world as . And more and more Americans are learning to it. Only in the last 35 years, large numbers of young Americans have become in soccer. Baseball and basketball are still popular professional sports, American boys and girls love to play soccer.
The United States Soccer Federation is the major soccer in the country. It says more than eighteen million people play soccer in the United States. This means that Americans play soccer than any other sport.
, more people in the United States are watching soccer, too. They are attending the 3rd Women's World Cup games that are in several American cities. 460,000 have been sold for the three-week contest that will end July tenth.
Women's soccer teams from 16 nations are . Americans are closely the progress of the United States' Women's World Cup team. And the team is already setting . On June 19, the American team Denmark in the opening game. Almost 79,000 people watched the game at Giant Stadium near New York City. That is a world record.
One of the most popular players the American team is 27-year-old Mia Hamm. She became well known in 1996 when the United States women won the soccer medal at the Olympic Games, defeating other teams. Experts say Mia Hamm can play soccer better than woman in the world. She has scored more goals than any man or woman ever to play international soccer. Mia Hamm is a to many young American girls. Television say that at present thousand million people around the world are watching the game on television.
1.A. careless B. worried C. excited D. anxious
2.A. happiness B. event C. team D. incident
3.A. baseball B. football C. volleyball D. basketball
4.A. hate B. love C. give up D. played
5.A. interested B. disappointed C. satisfied D. surprised
6.A. and B. although C. so D. but
7.A. player B. event C. game D. organization
8.A. more B. less C. many D. fewer
9.A. In the past B. In the future C. just now D. At present
10.A. played B. to be played C. being played D. playing
11.A. tickets B. teams C. records D. players
12.A. taking place B. taking off C. taking part D. taking in
13.A. seeing B. watching C. thinking D. hoping
14.A. marks B. records C. points D. scores
15.A. beat B. hit C. won D. lose
16.A. in B. from C. on D. at
17.A. gold B. silver C. copper D. \
18.A. others B. the other C. other D. any other
19.A. player B. writer C. hero D. singer
20.A. broadcasters B. directors C. players D. spokesman
After they _______ stars in their own country, the Beatles _______ the United States.
A. had become; touredB. have become; toured
C. became; toured D. became; had toured
Almost _______ of the students in this class wear glasses, that is, _______ of them.
A. two thirds; 60 percent B. two thirds; 60 percents
C. two third; 60 percent D. two third; 60 percents
There was no good news still, and as time went by, he got _______ .
A. disappointed and disappointed B. disappointing and disappointing
C. more and more disappointed D. more and more disappointing
-I have driven for so long, and now I want to have a rest.
- _______ . _______ to drive.
A. No; It's my turn B. Yes; It's your turn
C. Go ahead; It's your turn D. Go ahead; It's my turn
