The house was quiet. Of course it was, for everyone was napping on that steamy summer day._________I would hear my little brothers screaming and playing and my older sisters chatting on their cell phones, but on that day, everything was_________. The only sound I heard was the air conditioning________to keep the rooms cool. I was ______and tried to think of something to do. Then the doorbell rang, and my life_________forever.
Because I was the only one________, I went to the door and answered the bell. There he was - a________man holding out an envelope sealed in plastic. "Sign please," he________. The afternoon sun hurt my eyes, and I tried to find the x that required my_________. I thanked the man and stepped back into my cool living room.
Slowly I walked to the sofa and ________down. I turned the packet_________in my hands a few times, then gently began opening it, careful not to__________anything that might be important. Inside was a letter, a letter containing my future. The university entrance exam________had arrived! As soon as I saw who the letter was from, I started_________. Thank goodness that I was sitting down.
I opened the letter and___________the contents. I read the first_________over and over again. "We invite you to join our university's engineering program with a full scholarship." "I did it!" The cry of_________was enough to wake up everyone in the house._________minutes my father, brothers, and sisters________me in the living room and congratulated me on my accomplishment. That day was the day that changed my life. It was the day that proved to me that___________I worked hard enough at something, I would get rewarded.
1.A.Rarely B.Actually C.Normally D.Immediately
2.A.wrong B.still C.well D.smooth
3.A.struggling B.waiting C.refusing D.stopping
4.A.bored B.excited C.moved D.pleased
5.A.failed B.stayed C.started D.changed
6.A.alive B.awake C.away D.asleep
7.A.police B.cleaning C.sales D.delivery
8.A.forced B.warmed C.requested D.begged
9.A.signature B.address C.number D.date
10.A.lay B.bent C.went D.sat
11.A.down B.out C.over D.up
12.A.find B.notice C.tear D.miss
13.A.essays B.results C.evidence D.decisions
14.A.sweating B.crying C.smiling D.napping
15.A.deserted B.explored C.wrote D.filled
16.A.letter B.envelope C.paper D.line
17.A.joy B.sorrow C.disappointment D.fright
18.A.Above B.Behind C.Without D.Within
19.A.left B.surrounded C.sent D.helped
20.A.although B.unless C.if D.till
The One-minute Trick that Will Instantly Improve Your Handwriting
If you can't read your own notes, you're probably using the wrong body part to write.
Handwriting- much less neat handwriting- is quickly becoming old-fashioned in this digital age of communication.
1.. According to a study, American smart phone owners send an average of 4,735 texts each month. Texters aged 18 to 24 alone send about 67 texts every day. What's more, learning how to type has now taken precedence (优先权) over handwriting in some schools.
With less time spent holding an actual writing instrument, it's no surprise that your handwriting might be suffering. Luckily, there's a way to improve your handwriting instantly.2..
Most people move only their fingers when they write, essentially drawing each letter. But when you keep your fingers and wrist still and put your whole arm into each stroke (一笔), the result is smoother and clearer writing.
3.. Notice how even your shoulder gets involved. These are the same motions (动作) you should be using when you write on paper4.. This lost art in our fast-paced modem world will also improve the control you have over your penmanship.
It may take some time and more practice to get used to, but once you do, you'll be able to make handwritten notes much nicer to look at. Bonus:5.. And it is the pain and injury one experiences from looking down to use a smart phone or other devices too much.
A.Make an effort to slow down
B.Try to write as clearly as possible
C.Now, it is all about the text message
D.Practice by writing big letters in the air
E.The trick involves the body parts you already use to write
F.Text neck, though it may sound trendy, is most certainly a real issue
G.Choosing pens over keyboards can save you from an unpleasant case of text neck
Reducing class size has traditionally been seen as an important way to improve a student's educational experience.
Many public opinion studies have shown that both teachers and parents favor small class size. Teachers who go on strike are often seeking lower classroom numbers among other better working conditions. Many often believe that smaller classes would permit teachers to give more personal attention to their student. This can theoretically lead to improved academic results for student.
But one recent study suggests there is not much research-based evidence to support this idea. The researchers say the idea of smaller class sizes has been studied and debated for many years. However, they noted a lack of clear research to support class size reductions.
The study notes that one of the main problems with reducing class sizes is that it can have very high costs. Increasing class size is one of the most common ways school systems control education spending. Financial limitations make it very difficult for many schools to reduce the number of students in the classroom.
The teachers' goal was to examine the major research studies already completed on the subject. They especially centered on studies that tried to measure whether the smaller class size resulted in greater success for students.
'The researchers conclude that there is some evidence to suggest that reducing class size may lead to some improvement in a student's rending achievement. But they said "the effect is very small." They found just a 53-percent chance that a randomly selected test score from a student from a small class would be higher than the selected score of a student from a lager class. For mathematics achievement, the result was 49 percent. This led the researchers to conclude that there would be little benefit to math students in a smaller class size.
1.Why do some teachers prefer reducing class size?
A.They believe it may help improve students' academic performance.
B.It'll greatly better their working conditions.
C.They think it will bring much attention to their efforts.
D.It will offer them more time to relax.
2.What is the reason for increasing class size in many schools?
A.Making more profits.
B.Attracting more students to study.
C.Cutting down education expenses.
D.Handling the problem of a lack of teachers.
3.According to the text, reducing class size .
A.has nothing to do with students' scores
B.has a minor effect in some fields
C.has already led to greater academic success
D.isn't practical because parents object to it
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A.The Future of the Class Size Development
B.People's Preference for Class Size
C.The Cost of Reducing Class Size
D.The Little Influence of Reducing Class Size
Of late, the Chinese media have turned the spotlight on a woman named Li Ziqi, praising her for doing an excellent job of "telling China's story to the world". Li seems to have become an unofficial cultural ambassador showcasing China's history and culture.
Li, 29, lives with her grandma in a small village of Mianyang. She has been posting videos of her daily life on social media platforms since March 2016 to connect to the world.
Her popularity online can be proved from these figures: on YouTube, Li's "channel" has more than 7.61 million subscribers, and the figure is growing daily. On Sina Weibo, one of China's most popular social media platforms, she has more than 21.5 million fans. And each of her 104 YouTube posts has been viewed between 2 million and over 40 million times.
Technically, the fine quality of her cinematographic output is the most eye-catching feature. The stunning scenery of Li's village, her elegant yet confident way of getting jobs done, and the relaxing background music are all appealing to viewers. Culturally, what touches the heart of L's followers is the universal language of love, inner peace, caring for the family and love for nature. Many viewers find inspiration from Li's posts. Others , tired of their technology driven fast paced urban life, find comfort in her simple and tranquil life.
Ironically, Li has not been as well received at home as overseas. Some critics question whether she alone filmed and edited her early posts. A few even accuse her of showcasing the "backwardness" of China to foreigners, while some argue that her presentation of rural China is imaginary. And recently, a debate has started on whether or not Li is "exporting" Chinese culture abroad.
But the fact that Li single-handedly produced her early works has been documented and publicized And she cannot be blamed for having a small crew now that her filming and editing work has increased. As for "exporting culture", Li has never claimed the responsibility of spreading Chinese culture to the world. What she does instead is merely recording and presenting her lifestyle to make a living.
Li's popularity makes us reflect on what should be an effective way of "telling China's story" to the world and changing the stereotype image of China described in some Western media.
1.What's the purpose of the figures listed in paragraph 3?
A.To suggest that Li is more popular on Sina Weibo than on YouTube.
B.To show that Li is liked by a large number of netizens.
C.To explain why Li is praised by the Chinese media.
D.To persuade more netizens to subscribe Li's "channel" .
2.What does the underlined word "tranquil" in paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Complex. B.Tiring.
C.Peaceful. D.Touching.
3.Why does Li post her videos online?
A.To make a living. B.To export Chinese culture abroad.
C.To improve her skills in producing videos. D.To show her love for her grandma.
4.What might the author talk about next?
A.Effective ways to become an online celebrity. B.Possible reasons of Li's popularity.
C.Stereotype images of China in some media abroad. D.Useful methods to export culture.
The victims were carried in one by one, their paws and fur burned, suffering from lack of water and fear. Their caretakers bandaged their wounds and laid them in baskets with the only thing that was familiar -- the leaves of a eucalyptus (桉树) tree.
As catastrophic fires have burned more than 2 million acres in Australia, dozens of koalas have been rescued from smoky and burning trees and ashen ground. "They are terrified," said Cheyne Flanagan, clinical director of the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, the only facility of its kind in the world.
Koalas, unlike kangaroos, birds or snakes, do not flee from fires but instead climb trees to the top, where they can curd themselves into a ball for protection and wait for the danger to pass. But during high-intensity fires, such as those that have burned in recent weeks, the animals, conservationists said, are far less likely to survive. Even if the fire itself does not reach the tree top, the animals may overheat and fall to the ground, where they can be burned to death.
The suffering of the koala -- a national symbol of Australia -- has raised questions among conservationists and scientists about what it will take to preserve biodiversity in a country increasingly prone to intense fire, extreme heat and water shortage. While koalas have evolved to exist alongside wildfires, the animals are facing new threats not just from climate change but also from human development, which has affected local populations, impairing their ability to survive fires.
"We have these unique animals not found anywhere else on this planet, and we're killing them," Flanagan said. "This is a big wake-up call."
1.The description of the koalas in Para. 1 is to show .
A.koalas are quite lovely
B.the forests in Australia are severely burnt
C.global warming is becoming more and more serious
D.forest burning has put koalas into great danger
2.How do koalas react in face of forest fire?
A.They escape from fires as so0n as possible.
B.They climb to the top of trees for safety.
C.They curl themselves into a ball on the ground.
D.They wait where they're for the danger to pass.
3.According to the article, which of the following factors may NOT affect the preservation of biodiversity in Australia?
A.Global warming. B.Water shortage.
C.Intense fire. D.Extreme heat.
4.From Flanagan's words, we can learn .
A.koalas are not unique animals on the earth
B.people are killing koalas cruelly on purpose
C.measures should be taken to save koalas
D.people should wake up to preserve the earth
French Courses for Juniors & Teens in France
Atoll Juniors is situated in Nice and offers top quality French learning programs. Our language immersion (沉浸) programs for juniors and teens (9-17 years old ) take place in Antibes, Cannes, Biarritz, Nice, Paris, and Provence. We believe in making class a fun place so we learn songs, jokes, and talk about daily routines, cinema, etc. Our lessons are grouped depending on the level. We determine this on the first day with a placement test.
The 4 levels are
※ Beginner
※ Elementary: A1+A2
※ Intermediate: B1+B2
※Advanced: C1+C2
as determined by the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference.
We believe in the best technology for learning so our rooms are equipped with audio (音频的) and video equipment. Each student's progress will carefully be evaluated and noted on the individual certificate of as8cssment. Our cases have 15 students at most.
Programs:
Full Immersion French Program; Standard French Language Lessons; Intensive French Courses; DELF for Juniors.
Full Immersion:
Immersion with a host family is available in Antibes, Cannes and Biarritz. To stay with a family is to gain an understanding of France from the inside. You will be in a comfortable home and often sharing the everyday life of your hosts, sometimes even taking part in their family activities. Naturally, you will also attend lessons and take part in all the student activities and short journeys.
Accommodation:
Accommodation is also available on campus (校园) in Antibes, Biarritz, Nice and Paris. Each room is equipped to accommodate 2 to 4 students. It has good light and is enjoyable to spend time in. You will benefit from a private storage space ( locks for sale on campus). Each room also has a bathroom, either private or shared on the corridor (走廊), depending on the campus.
1.What will participants do on the first day of their lessons?
A.Take a test. B.Learn songs.
C.Have a guided tour. D.Visit audio and video rooms.
2.Where can participants stay with a host family?
A.In Nice. B.In Paris.
C.In Biarritz. D.In Provence.
3.What do we know about living on campus?
A.It is popular in Cannes. B.Six students share a room.
C.Each room has a shared bathroom. D.Private storage spaces are provided.
