The Advantages of Hobbies
Hobbies provide entertainment and a chance to continuously learn something new and develop a skill set.1.
Hobbies are praised as a key to stress reduction. Becoming lost in the mental concentration or physical action which you are deeply interested in helps you shift focus from the parts of life that are stressful.2.And in turn you are more peaceful when working on other work.
3.Many people set goals with their hobbies that provide them satisfaction when these goals have been achieved. These goals can be simple, like improving a golf score, writing a certain number of pages for a novel each day or seeing an entire collection of classic films.
Hobbies provide a sense of community when you meet other people who enjoy similar activities.4.More populated cities typically have numerous clubs or groups for people to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about a particular hobby. Becoming a member of one of these organizations allows greater growth within your hobby, as well as a chance to make new friends.
Having a hobby can develop a talent that makes a person feel proud and satisfied. For example, a tennis hobby developed at a young age can lead to a career as a professional athlete one day.5.For example, writer Vladimir Nabokov also collected butterflies, which allowed him to do better in his chosen fields because he used learned skills from one to improve the other.
A.Focusing on something enjoyable can calm the mind.
B.Hobbies also provide a sense of achievement.
C.Some hobbies affect other aspects of your life.
D.There are a variety of hobbies.
E.They also provide many other social and health benefits.
F.Having a hobby increases the chances to interact with like-minded people.
G.Some hobbies containing physical activities offer an enjoyable way to stay healthy.
A long-term American study shows the importance of early education for poor children. The study is known as the Abecedarian(初步的) Project. It involved more than one-hundred young children from poor families in North Carolina.
Half of the children attended an all-day program at a high-quality childcare center. The center offered educational, health and social programs. Children took part in games and activities to increase their thinking and language skills and social and emotional development. The program also included health foods for the children.
The children attended the program from when they were a few weeks old until the age of five years. The other group of children did not attend the childcare center. After the age of five, both groups attended public school.
Researchers compared the two groups of children. When they were babies, both groups had similar results in tests for mental and physical skills. However, from the age of eighteen months, the children in the educational child care program did much better in tests.
The researchers tested the children again when they were twelve and fifteen years old. The tests found that the children who had been in the childcare center continued to have higher average test results. These children did much better on tests of reading and mathematics.
A few years ago, organizers of the Abecedarian Project tested the students again. At the time, each student was twenty-one years old. They were tested for thinking and educational ability, employment, parenting and social skills. The researchers found that the young adults who had the early education still did better in reading and mathematics tests. They were more than two times as likely to go to college or to have completed college. In addition, the children who received early education were older on average, when their first child was born.
The study offers more evidence that learning during the first months and years of life is important for all later development.
The researchers of the Abecedarian Project believe their study shows a need for lawmakers to spend money on public early education. They believe these kinds of programs could reduce the number of children who do not complete school and are unemployed.
1.The Abecedarian Project has lasted ______.
A. almost one year B. about five years C. more than 20 years D. no more than 15 years
2.What do we know about the people who had been in the childcare center, compared with those who hadn’t?
A. They were more likely to go to college. B. They had children earlier．
C. They had the same results in tests. D. They are less sociable．
3.According to the passage, The Abecedarian Project__________.
A. involves children from rich families
B. doesn’t provide food for children
C. offers foreign teachers to help improve children’s language skills
D. studies the importance of an early education for poor children
4.What is NOT sure about the Abecedarian Project after reading the text?
A. How important early education is for poor children.
B. What the children learned at the child-care center.
C. How many children are involved in the Abecedarian Project.
D. Whether lawmakers will spend money on public early education.
The City of Christchurch, New Zealand was struck by a 7.1magnitude earthquake on the early morning of Saturday, September 4,2010.
No tsunami alert was reported. The country's army troops were on standby to assist victims and disaster recovery operation. New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key, flew to the affected area to inspect and assess the situation of the damaged city. The Prime Minister said that the full assessment of the damages would possibly take months to know the severity of damages. Based from his assessment on what he saw in the area, it could cost at least 2 billion New Zealand dollars or US$1.4 billion for reconstruction.
“An absolute miracle that no one died，” Prime Minister John Key said. Two were seriously injured from this quake and thousands of local residents were awakened after being shaken at 4:35 a.m. of that Saturday.
There were people trapped inside the damaged buildings but fortunately none were reported dead from the rubble of the damaged buildings.
“We're all feeling scared—we've just had some significant aftershocks，” a survivor told TV One News. “Tonight we're just people in the face of a massive natural disaster, trying to help each other and we're grateful we haven't lost a life.”
GNS Science reported 29 aftershocks within the 14 hours after the quake, with strength from magnitude 3.7 to 5.4.
New_Zealand_is_no_stranger_to_earthquakes. The country experiences more than 14,000 earthquakes a year—but only about 150 are felt by people.
“Many buildings here were built with earthquake protection measures. However, in most cities in developing countries, people build how they want to and there're no building controls to force them to build to a higher standard that's safe，” Andrew Charleson, an architecture professor at Victoria University of Wellington told CNN.
1.How many people were killed in the New Zealand earthquake on September 4, 2010?
A. 250,000. B. 29. C. 2. D. 0.
2.After the earthquake, all of the following occurred EXCEPT that ________.
A. a number of aftershocks broke out
B. army troops were there to help
C. no people were injured or killed
D. the full assessment of the damages can't take in a short time
3.What does the underlined sentence mean?
A. Earthquakes break out frequently in New Zealand.
B. The earthquakes breaking out in New Zealand are very strange.
C. The earthquakes breaking out in New Zealand are unusual.
D. Earthquakes rarely hit New Zealand.
4.What's the main idea of the passage?
A. No one was ever killed in earthquakes in New Zealand.
B. A massive earthquake struck the city of Christchurch of New Zealand.
C. New Zealand has strict laws to guarantee the buildings' safety.
D. A miracle happened in the terrible earthquake.
Jim Denevan is an amazing artist whose work is admired by all, but owned by none — that’s because all of Jim’s art is created on an unusual canvas(画布)— the soft sand. He sometimes spends days working on a piece, only to see it washed away by the sea or a storm and that is just the way he likes it.
Denevan discovered his artistic talents about ten years ago, when he was wandering aimlessly on the beach with a stick. He ended up drawing a 12-foot-long fish. Since then, Jim has traveled over 1,800 miles while creating over 600 pieces of sand art.
Over the years, his drawings have become bigger, but the tools he uses haven’t changed — All he needs is a stick, a garden rake (耙子)and most importantly, his lively imagination!
Just like any good artist, Jim is quite particular about the “quality” of his canvas, sometimes walking for miles, looking for perfect sand. His latest piece of work, which is also the world’s largest freelance (自由职业的)drawing, was created in the desert sand of Nevada. It took Jim three trips, eight days and over 100 miles of walking to create this 3-mile work of art. It took the storm just one night to destroy it! However, Jim says he actually enjoys watching the waves or rain, wash his paintings away.
Jim’s art has become very popular over the years and was even the topic of a documentary named “Sandman” in 2015. Jim Denevan is not just about art in the sand — he is also an excellent chef and founder of an organization called “Outstanding in the Field”, whose mottois to celebrate food at its source. Accordingly, group dining events are held outdoors on farms, with the diners being treated to a delicious meal. The events, which are held in different farms throughout America, are always sold out the minute the schedule is announced.
1.What do we know about Denevan?
A. He used to be a chef.
B. He has a talent for creating sand art.
C. He puts his work on show regularly.
D. He showed artistic talents at a very young age.
2.It can be learnt from the passage that ___________.
A. Denevan walks a lot to complete his work
B. it is not hard for Denevan to find suitable sand to draw on
C. it usually takes long for the storm to destroy Denevan’s work
D. Denevan is very particular about his drawing tools.
3.Which of the following can best describe Denevan?
A. Generous. B. Kind-hearted. C. Imaginative. D. Traditional.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Denevan loses his interest in art soon.
B. Denevan is also popular as a chef.
C. Being a happy chef is Denevan’s final goal in life.
D. Denevan’s fame helps him with his chef job.
Off the Beaten Cart Path
The best-selling travel book which includes over 200 new places of interest, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It includes over 1,000 of the United States` most must-see destinations
Cover price: $ 30.00 Our price: $ 19.80
Parents
The most popular magazine for parents who want to raise smart and loving children. It has child development guidance, advice on your child’s health and safety, and the best way to encourage your child’s learning
Cover Price: $ 26.00 Our price: $ 12.60
Best Weekend Projects
The projects are chosen from 80 special ideas to create an unusual living space. They are practical, as well as creative. They will improve your home and yard and can be made on weekends. And the most important of all, they are easy to follow.
Cover Price: $ 17.95 Our price: $ 13.90
Lucky
The shopping magazine with the best buys, and the fashion tips. You’ll need them before you go to the stores. What makes Lucky really special is that it gives you the information you need before anyone else has it.
Cover Price: $ 18.50 Our Price: $ 15.50
1.How much can you save to buy a copy of Best Weekend Projects now?
A. $ 3 B. $ 4.05 C. $ 10.2 D. $ 13.4
2.Which book can give you some advice on shopping?
A. Lucky B. Parents
C. Off the Beaten Cart Path D. Best Weekend Projects
3.Who may like the book Off the Beaten Cart Path most?
A. Ladies loving shopping
B. Parents with new-born babies
C. Persons loving traveling in America
D. Husbands wanting to improve their home
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How many people will travel to Europe?
A. 2. B. 3. C. 4.
2.How long will they travel in Europe?
A. For 8 days. B. For 9 days. C. For 10 days.
3.How will they go to Southern France?
A. By train. B. By plane. C. By bus.
4.What does the speaker want to do in Switzerland?
A. Go diving. B. Enjoy sunshine. C. Go hiking.
