In the four months since I last posted articles on my blog，I’ve been spending a lot of time studying Chinese.I wanted to pass the HSK.From the beginning of my program，the HSK was the end goal of my Chinese learning this year.Luckily，I passed it and now I have one and a half months to go home and stay with my family.
It’s really exciting to learn Chinese in an environment where I can study very fast.What’s more，I can see my own progress in different ways.When I got here eight and a half months ago，I only knew a few of the 150 words tested in the HSK 1.However,until now,I’ve taken and passed the 2500word HSK 5.
I remember a time around January.I thought my Chinese had reached the point where I was comfortable in my daytoday conversations.So my progress would slow down greatly.However，it turned out that I was totally wrong.The conversations I can have now far surpass(超过) the ones I was having in January.
Today I hit a languagelearning landmark(里程碑) that was particularly exciting for me:I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Chinese.It might not seem that exciting，but it was for me because it’s the first full book I’ve read in Chinese.And it’s the third language I’ve read Harry Potter in.I’m especially proud because I spent about seven months reading the first 35 pages,but in the last month and a half,I managed to read about 150 pages.My next challenge is to read a novel written by a Chinese author，rather than one that I’ve already read many times in English!
Hopefully，I’ll be able to keep up my languagelearning progress over the next month and a half，because I know I’ll probably never have another opportunity to learn a language like this.
Do you want to learn a new language？If you do，go to the country where people speak it and learn it from the locals.
1.What do we know about the author when she first came to China?
A. She didn’t want to learn Chinese.
B. She took the HSK 1 immediately.
C. She was extremely poor at Chinese.
D. She just knew 150 words tested in the HSK 1.
2.Why does the author say she was totally wrong in Paragraph 3?
A. Because she didn’t really know how to learn Chinese.
B. Because she could learn better in a Chinese environment.
C. Because she was uncomfortable in her day to day conversations.
D. Because she made rapid progress in her day to day conversations.
3.What does the author want to show by mentioning reading Harry Potter?
A. She could read books really fast.
B. It’s good to learn through reading.
C. She learned the Chinese language quickly.
D. The Harry Potter books are worth reading.
4.What does the author’s Chinese learning experience mainly tell us?
A. We should learn a language through travelling.
B. Learning a second language is really important.
C. The Chinese language is not so difficult to learn.
D. The language learning environment is important.
John Michael Thomas, 14, Florida
When John Michael Thomas decided to honor his friend and classmate Elizabeth Buckley, who died from cancer, he remembered how much she loved peacocks(孔雀).
He wanted to build a lifesized peacock fountain(喷泉) in Elizabeth’s favorite park in the city. He thought it could be a place for people to relax and be inspired.
John Michael raised $52,000 to build the fountain.
Barrett England,13,Utah
The wheels began to turn for Barrett England when he heard about Karma Bike Shop, a place where young people can earn a free bike by reading and performing community(社区) service.
Barrett visited Karma’s owner with his idea: He would collect and repair used bikes and donate(捐赠) them to the shop.
He expected to get about 10 donated bikes. In the end, Barrett received 39.
Zachary Blohm,15, Wisconsin
The 25yearold playground at an elementary school near Milwaukee, Wis., was so small that only 70 of its 575 students could play on it at a time.
That’s when Zachary Blohm saved the day:He and some volunteers built a huge playground.To raise money, Zac planned Tshirt and bake sales, sold tickets and more. He held monthly moneyraising events for more than a year. Overall, he collected $130,000—enough to finish his project.
Jack Zimmerman, 16,New Jersey
For some people, finding a meal is as simple as opening the refrigerator. For more than 366,000 hungry kids in New Jersey, it’s not that easy.
That fact didn’t sit well with Jack Zimmerman, who organized a drive to lessen childhood hunger in his state. His goal: create 40,000 packaged meals that could be donated to those in need.On game day, Jack and his volunteers started their work. After the final count, the team had packaged 47,124 meals—well above Jack’s goal.
1.The peacock fountain was built in a park________.
A. to inspire people B. for the love of animals
C. in memory of a teenager D. to encourage a cancer sufferer
2.What did Barrett do for Karma Bike Shop?
A. He donated bikes to it. B. He repaired bikes there.
C. He helped it win customers. D. He offered a reading service there.
3.What do the four people have in common?
A. They’re top students. B. They care about others.
C. They like various public activities. D. They’re money raisers for the poor.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What subject is added this year?
A. Comedy. B. Mystery. C. World travel.
2.Who is Jenny Paige?
A. A children’s author. B. A short story writer. C. A writer of travel books.
3.What will happen to the first prize winners?
A. They will have a chance to travel.
B. A $2,000 prize will be given to them.
C. Their stories will be published in a magazine.
4.When is the deadline?
A. September 1. B. September 25. C. October 1.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman doing?
A. Selling CDs to the man.
B. Helping the man choose CDs.
C. Looking for some new music.
2.Why doesn’t the man want to buy New Country by Benny?
A. He doesn’t like Benny. B. He has got one. C. He dislikes country music.
3.What does the man think of boy bands?
A. They’re gifted. B. They’re creative. C. They’re untalented.
4.What will the man do next?
A. Choose more CDs. B. Go to the woman’s house. C. Listen to his new CDs.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the woman want to do this summer?
A. Work in a hospital. B. Study at school. C. Go back home.
2.Where is the man thinking about going this summer?
A. To Australia. B. To Canada. C. To Italy.
3.What does the woman advise the man to do?
A. Complete school first. B. Get more experience. C. Find a part-time job.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the man’s opinion about Literature?
A. It is hard. B. It is helpful. C. It is interesting.
2.What subject does the woman like most?
A. Photography. B. Art History. C. Geography.
