BE A GOOD TOURIST
Tourism can be both good and bad. Yes, it brings in money for the local economy and creates lots of jobs for locals, but it may also bring some problems.
1. Tourists have used paint, rocks, or even keys to write on the Luxor Temple in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Stonehenge in the UK, memorial stones at the bottom of Qomolangma, and many, many other places. Thousands of tourists sites are being destroyed by tourists who “love them to death”. 2. If you want to leave a mark on the world, do it by changing someone’s life with kindness and love. Pass kindness along to future generations, not destruction.
Another big problem in some places has been tourists disturbing the local people and life. 3. For example, Chiang Mai University in Thailand and Yonsei University in South Korea have great numbers of tourists visiting their campuses and walking through their libraries and other public areas, taking pictures of students and disturbing their studies. I have three words for tourists like this: please be considerate. 4.
The number of problems from tourists is endless: walking in large groups without considering others who need to walk by, crossing roads without observing local traffic laws, and many more. The only way to solve the issue of the terrible tourist is to make sure that you are not one! 5. Remember, whenever you step outside your country’s borders, you are representing your country to the rest of the world.
A. Just think from other aspects.
B. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
C. Have fun in a way that does not disturb others.
D. Be the best, kindest, most polite tourist possible.
E. I have three words for people like this: please stop it.
F. One growing problem is tourists who want to prove that they have visited someplace.
G. Some tourists wander around and take pictures of local people without asking for their permission.
I arrived in my Chinese classroom, ready to share my vast knowledge and experience with the 75 students who would be my English Literature class. Having taught in the USA for 17 years, I had no worry at all about my ability to plant in my students enthusiasm for the literature of my mother tongue.
I was really shocked when the monitor shouted “Stand up” and the entire class rose as I entered the room, and I was somewhat confused and anxious about how to get them to sit down again, but once that embarrassment was over, I quickly calmed down and launched into what I thought was a fact-packed lecture, sure to gain their respect-perhaps even their admiration. I went back to my room radiating that rosy glow (光泽) that comes from a sense of significant accomplishment.
My students kept journals, however, and as I read them, the rosy glow was gradually replaced by an overwhelming sense of frustration. The first journal said, “Our literature teacher didn’t teach us anything today. Perhaps her next lecture will be better.” Heartbroken, I read journal after journal, each expressing a similar theme. Didn’t teach them anything? I sketched the entire philosophical framework of thought AND laid the historical background for all the works we’ll study in class.” I complained, “How can they say I didn't teach them anything?”
Determined to clear myself, I dug out all my reference books, adding background material to my next lecture, researching into the sociological setting and even the psychological state of the author. After the second class, I eagerly opened the journals, expecting enthusiastic reviews at last. Again, I was crushed by their continuing comments that I was going too slowly without giving meaningful details.
More determined than ever. I dived into sources of criticism, deciding to devote more time to the texts by providing summaries of all the interpretations I could find of each work. This material would give my students ample information for drawing their own conclusions about the work’s meaning, “Our teacher seems confused about the real meaning of the works,” the journals said. “One minute she gives one interpretation; the next minute she gives another. Then she asks for our opinions. We’re the students. She’s the teacher. She should tell us what the works mean.”
It was a long semester, and it gradually became clear to me that my ideas about education were purely Western, and that Chinese ideas differed significantly. I thought a teacher’s job was to raise interesting questions and provide enough background so that students could draw their own conclusions. My students thought a teacher’s job was to provide accurate information as directly and concisely as possible. Americans wanted to interpret and experience. The Chinese wanted to master and memorize.
1.How did the writer feel before he began his teaching in China?
A.Worried. B.Confident.
C.Disappointed. D.Confused.
2.What might be the reason why the writer was shocked when the monitor shouted “Stand up”?
A.The students intended to scare their new foreign leacher.
B.The students refused to stand up before their new foreign teacher.
C.The writer was a little shy and felt embarrassed when he entered the classroom.
D.The writer didn’t know much about the Chinese classroom and that was totally unexpected.
3.What does the writer mean by saying “determined to clear myself” in Para. 4?
A.He wanted to better understand the students’question.
B.He wanted to prove his ability in teaching the course.
C.He was a little bit angry with the students.
D.He was very disappointed with himself.
4.Which of the following might the writer agree with?
A.Chinese and Western ideas about education are slightly different.
B.A teacher’s job is to make students think and have their own opinions.
C.Teaching is to provide accurate information directly and clearly.
D.Both Americans and the Chinese tend to draw conclusions by themselves.
Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats are disappearing.
The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas. The major danger for migratory birds is development. Building and paving have covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another.
For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic. It flies all the way to Australia and New Zealand. The problem, according to investigators, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don't have a safe place to eat and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. "They simply perish along the way," says one of the scientists.
Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds.
"Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,’’ one of the scientists says.
The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopover areas for birds that pass through their boundaries.
For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.
One scientist who is not involved in the report tells the Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes—like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use—could make a big difference.
1.What’s the major danger for migratory birds according to the passage?
A.They can’t find enough food along the way.
B.They have lost their way because of human development.
C.Human development has occupied their natural habitats.
D.They are sometimes struck by human diseases.
2.What do we know about bar-tailed godwits?
A.They fly from the Arctic south to Australia every year.
B.They can pick out good resting place along the way.
C.They have died out because of human hunting.
D.They have their conserved land in Australia.
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "perish" in Paragraph 3?
A.Continue. B.Die.
C.Settle. D.Migrate.
4.What suggestion does the scientist say to the Los Angeles Times?
A.Countries working together to protect the sea.
B.Protecting the original habitats for the migrating birds.
C.Reserving some land for the birds to rest along the way.
D.Planting some native plants for the migrating birds to use.
Are you more of a Botticelli or a Van Gogh?
A new feature in the Google Arts & Culture app reveals how a picture of your face may resemble a historical painting.
The app went viral this weekend after users discovered the entertaining feature that analyzes selfies and matches them to historical artwork. It pulls from Google's digital collection of artworks from museums around the world.
The feature rolled out to the app on iOS and Android last month. But users—even some big names such as Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, musician Pete Wentz, and actors Felicia Day and Kumail Nanjiani—shared their results on news feeds.
The app became the top downloaded iPhone app over the weekend, and landed in the top 10 on Android, according to analytics firm App Annie.
To find your fine art doppelganger(与某人外貌相同的人), open the Google Arts & Culture app and scroll until you see the "Is your portrait in a museum?" feature. Tap "get started"，and you'll be guided through the process.
It's currently only available in the U.S.
Google said the experimental feature uses computer vision technology to scan facial features and extract data to match with paintings. The company said it won't use data from photos for any other purpose but to match it with images in its catalog. It only stores selfies for the time it takes to find matches, Google said.
The selfie feature is similar to other apps that use matching technology to find lookalikes. Microsoft's What Dog app can identify and classify dogs based on photos uploaded to the app.
The Google Arts & Culture app is part of the Google Cultural Institute, which provides information about artists, scientists and historical figures from 1,000 institutions worldwide.
1.Why did the Google Arts & Culture app get so popular?
A.Because some famous people used it.
B.Because it can match selfies to some paintings.
C.Because it's more practical than entertaining.
D.Because it was the top download.
2.How can you find your fine art doppelganger?
A.By visiting Google's digital collection of artworks.
B.By analyzing your selfies.
C.By opening the app and following its guide.
D.By scrolling the screen of your smartphone.
3.What can you infer from the 8th paragraph?
A.The feature of the app has nothing to do with data.
B.Google stores selfies as commercial resources.
C.Selfies will be stored for a long time.
D.The users' selfies will not be abused.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.The Google Cultural Institute
B.Google app matches your face to a famous painting
C.What Dog app vs Google Arts & Culture app
D.How to find valuable historical paintings
The local dog park might be getting busier and cat cafés might be opening in every neighborhood, but do you know which traditional pet is the most popular around the world?
United States
The United States is home to the highest number of domestic (驯养的) dogs, cats, and fish, and Americans are more likely to treat their friends like humans. U.S. pet owners spend $50 billion a year on their animal companions, and 36% of dog owners have used some of that money to buy their pet a birthday present.
Russia
According to Russian tradition, keeping a cat as a pet is good fortunate, so it's no surprise the cat is Russia's most popular pet. In 2016, 57% of Russian households contained a cat, compared to the 29% that had dogs. On March 1, Russia celebrates National Cat Day as part of celebrations for World Cat Day.
Brazil
Brazils domestic bird population was about 19 million in 2013, while dogs held top rank at just over 37 million. Brazil has the highest number of small dogs per capital city in the world. The nearly 20 million small dogs are attributed to (归因于) a rapidly-growing middle class living in small urban apartments.
United Kingdom
Dogs and cats rank second and third in Britain, while fishes hold the top spot. It has been linked not only to the low maintenance (维护), but also to the fact that many other pets like dogs or cats are not allowed in some places.
1.Why are the figures mentioned in Paragraph 2?
A.To explain the importance of pets.
B.To show Americans growing wealth.
C.To explain why Americans have pets.
D.To show how Americans love their animal friends.
2.Where are cats regarded as the symbol of good luck?
A.In Brazil. B.In Russia.
C.In the United States. D.In the United Kingdom.
3.What are the most popular pets in the United Kingdom?
A.Dogs. B.Cats.
C.Birds. D.Fishes.
假设你是红星中学高三学生李华,你的美国笔友Jim 对中华传统文化很感兴趣，经常与你讨论这方面的话题。请你给他写一封邮件，谈谈你曾参加过的一次相关活动，内容包括：
1. 介绍活动内容；
2. 说明参加的理由；
3. 表达参加后的感受。
注意：1. 词数100 左右;
2. 邮件的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim，
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
