Everybody sleeps, but what people stay up late to catch or wake up early in order not to miss varies by culture. From data collected, it seems the things that cause us to lose the most sleep, on average, are sporting events, time changes, and holidays.
Russia’s late nights and early mornings generally correspond(相一致)to public holidays. On New Year’s Eve, Russians have the world’s latest bedtime, hitting the hay at around 3:30 a. m. Russians also get up an hour later on International Women’s Day, the day for treating and celebrating female relatives.
Similarly, Americans’ late nights, late mornings, and longest sleep fall on three-day weekends.
Canada got the least sleep of the year the night it beat Sweden in the Olympic hockey(冰球)final.
The World Cup is also chiefly responsible for sleep deprivation. The worst night for sleep in the U. K. was the night of the England-Italy match on June 14. British people stayed up a half-hour later to watch it, and then they woke up earlier than usual the next morning thanks to summer nights, the phenomenon in which the sun barely sets in northern countries in the summertime. That was nothing, though, compared to Germans, Italians, and the French, who stayed up around an hour and a half later on various days throughout the summer to watch the World Cup.
It should be made clear that not everyone has a tool to record their sleep patterns; in some of these nations, it’s likely that only the richest people do. And people who select to track their sleep may try to get more sleep than the average person. Even if that’s the case, the above findings are still striking. If the most health-conscious (注重健康的) among us have such deep swings(明显改变)in our sleep levels throughout the year, how much sleep are the rest of us losing?
1.What do we learn about the Russians regarding sleep?
A.They don’t fall asleep until very late.
B.They don’t sleep much on weekends.
C.They get less sleep on public holidays.
D.They sleep longer than people elsewhere.
2.The underlined word “deprivation” in the last paragraph but one means_______.
A.depression B.trouble
C.observation D.loss
3.Why do some rich people use a tool to record their sleep patterns?
A.They want to get more sleep.
B.They have trouble falling asleep.
C.They are involved in a sleep research.
D.They want to go to bed on regular hours.
4.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
A.It is important to study our sleep patterns.
B.Few people really know the importance of sleep.
C.Sleeplessness does harm to people’s health.
D.Average people probably sleep more than the rich.
Speaking of children--what child doesn’t like to jump around and act silly sometimes? Monkeys are also known for acting silly. So, when kids act up, parents or teachers may tell them to stop monkeying around. It means to do things that are not useful or serious, or to simply waste time.
Now, in the United States, children do not usually have monkeys as pets, but they do often have dogs. And dogs make most children feel happy. But for some reason, we use “dog” in a phrase that means to feel unwell. If you are as sick as a dog, you are really sick and will most likely stay home from work or school.
Besides, dogs and cats are also favorite pets here in the States. This next phrase combines cats and secrets to make a very common expression. Let’s say you know a secret, a big secret. And let’s say you tell it to people. You have just let the cat out of the bag! This idiom means revealing (揭示) a secret or telling facts that were previously (先前) unknown.
If you let the cat out of the bag, you spoil a surprise. So, if your friend is planning a big surprise birthday for another friend, don’t let the cat out of the bag by accidentally saying it in front of the birthday girl. Even though this is a very common idiom, the origin of “to let the cat out of the bag” is also unknown.
If you are doing an outdoor activity--such as hiking in the woods, or having a picnic in a park--what are some things that may disturb your good time? Bad weather could. And so could bugs! Crawling pests like ants, and flying ones like mosquitoes, could make your experience uncomfortable or annoying.
So, when we bug people we bother them so much that we affect their good time. This common expression is often said as a command: “Stop bugging me !”
1.According to the passage, “monkeying around” is considered _______.
A.silly B.wrong
C.proper D.happy
2.If you ask somebody to reveal a secret, you may use the phrase “_______”.
A.stop bugging me B.as sick as a dog
C.monkeying around D.let the cat out of the bag
3.What is the meaning of the phrase “stop bugging me”?
A.Don’t trouble me. B.Give up your good time.
C.Stop feeling annoyed. D.Don’t comfort me.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The names of animals in the English language.
B.The meaning of some English phrases.
C.The origins of phrases about animals.
D.The strange usages of some words.
Avi Wortis, known simply as Avi, writes historical novels. Historical novels mix historical facts with storytelling skills. These stories take place in the past. The main characters are not always real；they exist only in stories.
Avi decided to become a writer when he was a student in senior high school. This was quite a decision because he did not write well in school. He had a problem called dysgraphia, a writing disability. The problem caused people to spell words wrongly. Avi always enjoyed reading. He read many types of books as a child. Avi believed that reading is the most important activity for a person who wants to be a writer.
Avi also believes that strong characters make strong stories. He creates characters that can help to bring his ideas to life. His books often deal with questions about life. Writing stories lets him explore many sides of a subject. His favorite part is to make improvements in his writing. For him the hardest part is writing the first draft (草稿).
Avi’s first book was published in 1970. He has written more than 45 books ever since. Most of them are for youngadult readers. Besides historical novels, he writes comedies, short stories about adventures, animals and so on. Fighting Ground, which was published in 1984, is an example of Avi’s historical novels. This attractive story takes place during the American Revolutionary War.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 2 ?
A.How Avi developed characters. B.Why Avi liked reading.
C.How Avi became a writer. D.Why Avi decided to become a writer.
2.We learn from the text that Avi________.
A.published his first story in 1984
B.thinks reading is not the most important for writers
C.seldom changes his first drafts when writing
D.believes in the importance of good characters in stories
3.According to Avi, what’s the most difficult thing in writing?
A.Making improvements. B.Writing the first draft.
C.Finding an attractive character. D.Writing the first part of a novel.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To discuss how to become a writer.
B.To introduce a writer of historical novels.
C.To describe an important historical novel.
D.To show how a historical novel is written.
What’s On?
Electric Underground
7.30pm－1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract(合同)? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
Gee Whizz
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).
Simon’s Workshop
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
Charlotte Stone
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.
1.Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?
A.Jules Skye. B.Gee Whizz.
C.Charlotte Stone. D.James Pickering.
2.At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?
A.The Cyclops Theatre B.Kaleidoscope
C.Victoria Stage D.Pizza World
3.When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?
A.5.00pm-7.30pm. B.7.30pm－1.00am.
C.8.00pm-11.00pm. D.8.30pm-10.30pm.
假定你叫李华，在你校就读的来自美国的交换生杰克很想学习中国书法（Chinese calligraphy），想找一位中国书法教师。请给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 已为他找了一名教师李先生；
2. 简单介绍李先生；
3. 询问什么时候开始学习。
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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阅读下列材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Plastic is a huge problem for our planet. It is really 1. (challenge) to get rid of and a lot of it ends up in nature or in the ocean in particular. There, it is a threat 2. our animals and plants.
Now a company from the Netherlands, a small country in western Europe, says that it will use plastic 3. (find) in the ocean to build roads. Volker Wessels 4. (turn) the plastic into building blocks for the roads. They will be like puzzle pieces 5. fit into each other.
Not only will this be good for the environment, but also it will be good for the people who look after roads. If a part of the road 6. (damage), it will be easy to remove it and replace it with another piece. The company says that nearly any type of plastic can be used 7. (make) the road pieces.
Scientists 8. (work) on the project say that they are in the final stages of testing the materials for 9. (safe). They say that the first road built will be 10. bicycle path somewhere in the Netherlands.
