How to Improve Your English
Define your learning objectives early: what do you want to learn and why? Make learning a habit. 1. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, and so on) for 10 minutes each day than to study for 2 hours once a week.
Choose your materials well. You will need reading, grammar, writing, speaking and listening materials—beginners can use a basiclevel English guide, and then move on to an advancedlevel English guide. 2. It will make learning more enjoyable—thus more effective.
Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. 3.
4. Learning English together can be very encouraging. You can find friends to speak English on the Internet.
Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you use the language. You should practice what you are learning by employing it actively.
Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn't mean that the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. 5. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.
Be patient with yourself. Remember that learning is a process—speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!
A. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource.
B. Try to learn something every day.
C. Practice speaking what you are learning aloud.
D. In other words, don't just study grammar.
E. Find your own interests.
F. Choose articles that relate to what you are fond of.
G. Find friends to study and speak with.
When a leafy plant is under attack, it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983, two scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.
Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked .It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbours react.
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty. They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turned. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.
In study after study, it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The damage is usually more serious on the first plant, but the neighbors, relatively speaking, stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.
Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t a true, intentional back and forth. Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate(亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on.
1.What does a plant do when it is under attack?
A.It makes noises. B.It gets help from other plants.
C.It stands quietly D.It sends out certain chemicals.
2.What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in paragraph 3?
A.The attackers get attacked.
B.The insects gather under the table.
C.The plants get ready to fight back.
D.The perfumes attract natural enemies.
3.Scientists find from their studies that plants can ________.
A.predict natural disasters
B.protect themselves against insects
C.talk to one another intentionally
D.help their neighbors when necessary
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The world is changing faster than ever.
B.People have stronger senses than before
C.The world is more complex than it seems
D.People in Darwin’s time were imaginative.
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn't a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to hear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, then he asked, “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That's just for you，” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feel hurt. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.” Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I've never had a better piece of advice.
1.What did the father do after he had heard his daughter's complaint?
A.He agreed with her “enemy”.
B.He let her continue to put up with her “enemy”.
C.He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her.
D.He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said.
2.Which of the following can we know from the passage?
A.The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty.
B.The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard.
C.The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last.
D.The writer is grateful to her father.
3.Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
A.Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend
B.The Best Advice I've Ever Had
C.My Father
D.My Childhood
Teen Art Show
Do you want to see your artwork displayed alongside other teens’ artwork?Don't miss your opportunity! Showcase your paintings,sculptures,photographs and artworks at the Environmental Educational Center.The show will provide an opportunity for artists to network,provide feedback and become a resource for others.
Activity fee: $25
Night Fishing
Escape the night and join us as we fish at Desert Breeze Park.No experience needed.We will provide the fishing poles,transportation,the bait,help you catch a fish and best of all,teens 14 years and under do not require a license to fish.
Location: Desert Breeze Park
Activity fee: $22
Overnight Snow Trip
Join the City of Chandler in an exciting new trip!We will travel up to Camp Tontozona and enjoy great food and a campfire in the early evening.Snow play will be the highlight as we explore the snow-filled meadows（草地）of Woods Canyon Lake and sled down small hills in the area.You will be responsible for your own ski/snowboard equipment.
Location: Camp Tontozona
Activity fee: $30
Paintballing
Come out and play paintball with all your friends!Join the City of Chandler as we go to Tempe Indoor Paintball. This is a great way to join in the fun of playing paintball for a low,low cost.All equipment is included.Please wear old clothes because clothes can get dirty easily!
Location: Tempe Paintball
Activity fee: $28
1.What can people do in Desert Breeze Park?
A. Meet with famous artists. B. Play with snow.
C. Play paintball. D. Go fishing.
2.What is special about Paintballing?
A. It costs the least. B. It might make your clothes dirty.
C. People can play with friends. D. People will enjoy a campfire.
3.In which activity should people take their own ski equipment?
A. Overnight Snow Trip. B. Teen Art Show.
C. Paintballing. D. Night Fishing.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What did the speaker use to do?
A.He watched TV a lot.
B.He stayed home and did homework.
C.He played sports with his classmates.
2.What kind of books does the speaker read now?
A.Textbooks. B.Storybooks. C.Cartoon books.
3.What does the speaker think of doing homework with his friends?
A.He can chat with them.
B.He can learn a lot from them.
C.He can concentrate on study.
4.What does the speaker want to be in the future?
A.A teacher. B.An engineer. C.A writer.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the Greens going first?
A.To the man's house. B.To the subway station. C.To the bus station.
2.Why are the Greens going to Washington?
A.To see Tommy's grandparents.
B.To go on a trip.
C.To attend a meeting.
3.What day is it when the conversation takes place?
A.Friday. B.Saturday. C.Sunday.
4.What can we learn about Tommy?
A.He misses his grandparents.
B.He'll stay in Washington for a month.
C.He is always slow.
