The benefits of Keeping a journal If you...

    The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn’t exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.

Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.

1.Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?

A. The British often enlarge the fact.

B. British jokes are connected with many different cultures.

C. British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries.

D. The British try to make out that something is less important than it is.

2.The author explains understatement by _______.

A. describing a process B. making comparisons

C. following time order D. using examples

3.Mr. Bean makes laugh by ______.

A. using his body movement and facial expressions

B. making jokes about others’ accent

C. copying how others behave

D. telling funny stories

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. British Humor in Comedy B. Humor in Different Cultures

C. Understanding British Humor D. Developing Your Sense of Humor

Internet time tied to teen depression(抑郁) symptoms

Spending time online is normal behaviour for teenagers. But too much Internet use by teens —or too little, for that matter —might be related to depression, a new study finds.

The findings, reported in the journal of Pediatrics, do not mean that the Internet is to blame. For one, teens in the study who spent no time online were also at increased risk of depression symptoms. Instead, the researchers say that both heavy Internet use, and non-use, could serve as signals that a teenager is having a hard time.

For the study, Dr Pierre-Andre Michaud and his colleagues at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, surveyed 7,200 individuals aged 16 to 20 about their Internet use.

Those who were online more than two hours per day were considered “heavy” Internet users,while those online anywhere from several times per week to two hours per day were considered “regular” users.

The teenagers also answered a number of health-related questions, including some standard questions about "depressive tendencies” that gauge(判定) how often a person feels sad or hopeless. Compared with regular Internet users, the study found, kids who were heavy users or non-users were more likely to be depressed or very depressed.

Among male teens, heavy users and non-users were both around one-third more likely to have a high depression score, compared to “regular” users. Among girls, heavy Internet users had an 86 percent greater chance of depression, while non-users had a 46 percent greater likelihood compared to regular users.

That was with factors like family income and any chronic health problems taken into account.

Since teenagers typically go online to contact with friends, the researchers speculate(推测) that those who are never online may be more socially isolated.

1.How long are those who are online per day considered “heavy” Internet users?

A. More than two hours. B. More than eight hours.

C. More than twelve hours. D. More than ten hours.

2.What’s the purpose of Dr Michaud and his colleagues’ study?

A. To know the actual number of teenagers online.

B. To know the actual time of teenagers online.

C. To know the influence of study online on teenagers.

D. To know the relationship between the Internet use and depression.

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “isolated” in the last paragraph?

A. Independent B. United

C. Separated. D. Capable.

4.According to the accounts of the sixth paragraph, what can we conclude?

A. Non-users of Internet aren’t likely to be depressed.

B. Among girls, heavy Internet users are more likely to suffer depression than regular users.

C. Heavy users will lead to death unless limited.

D. Non-users have more possibility to be depressed than heavy users.

    When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games, Brownie, in return, loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. we always felt better when she was around.

One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up(咬破)one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, ”Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.

Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet, she went everywhere with us . People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull her hair. she never barked(吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loves everyone.

Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.

1.What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?

A. Look at them sadly. B. Keep them company.

C. Play games with them. D. Touch them gently.

2.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie__________.

A. would eat anything when hungry B. felt sorry for her mistake

C. loved playing hide-and-seek D. disliked the author’s dad

3.Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?

A. She was treated as a member of the family. B. She played games with anyone she liked.

C. She was loved by everybody she met. D. She went everywhere with the family.

4.Some people got frightened by Brownie when she__________.

A. smiled B. barked

C. rushed to them D. tried to be funny

    You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American women to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exit today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers f pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Standford Law School in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona State Senator(参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the US Supreme Court（高等法院）. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison, But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. (抵制行动) It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movements.“the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” said Parks.

1.What is Jane Addams famous for in history?

A. Her social work B. Her teaching skills

C. Her efforts to win a prize D. Her background

2.What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?

A. Her lack of the training in law. B. Her little work experience in court

C. An unfair treatment to the women D. the poor financial conditions

3.Who made a great contribution to the civil rights movement in the US?

A. Jane Addams B. Rachel Carson

C. Sandra Day O’Connor D. Rosa Parks

假定你是李华，想邀请你的外国朋友Eric观看你校的中国民族舞（Chinese folk dance）的表演。请给他写封电子邮件，内容包括：

1. 表演的时间、地点；

2. 表演的内容。

注意：1. 词数100左右：

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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