Those driving forward the movement of paying college athletes are forgetting the reason one goes to college: to get an education.
In an era struggling for competitive balance, how would the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) keep from giving schools like Kentucky and Alabama even more of a competitive advantage than schools like Valparaiso and Florida Gulf Coast? The issue gets complicated when taking into consideration how the salary difference between different teams gets decided.
Even worse, imagine athletes just coming to college for the money. We call college athletes amateurs. Oxford's definition of amateur is "a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis." The keyword is unpaid. The history of the word "amateur" dates back to the French word "amator”, which means lover. Essentially, college athletes should be playing their sport for the love of the game, not the money that would be given to them.
Rules should not be made for the minority, and in this instance only two percent of athletes play professional sports. The expected career span of that two percent is 10 years, three and a half years in the National Football League (NFL). An astonishing 80 percent of retired NFL players go broke within three years of retirement, 60 percent in the NBA within five years. This is why the NCAA and its member institutions should apply a "stay and learn”, rule.
This rule should state that if athletes choose to come to college, they will get paid in scholarships that last the entire educational process and the athlete must stay in school until they earn a degree in the area of study they choose. That money from going professional is going to run out sometime, but the degree will always be there.
Look at college athletics for what it is and should always be, a high-pressure learning environment and an avenue to earn an education. A much more fun extension of the classroom if you will. After all, they are called student-athletes.
1.How can the salary difference influence college teams?
A.It is likely to promote cooperation.
B.It can increase their independence.
C.It can lead to more communication.
D.It will probably cause more imbalance.
2.Why does the author give explanations to the word "amateur”?
A.To give an individual comment.
B.To confirm the origin of the word.
C.To make the point more authoritative.
D.To provide an example for the argument.
3.How will college athletes benefit from the "stay and learn” rule?
A.Increase their earnings.
B.Get trained for scholarships.
C.Ensure themselves to get a degree.
D.Continue their professional careers.
4.What does the author mainly argue about in the text?
A.For money or for career?
B.A college education or not?
C.Going professional or being amateur?
D.To pay or not to pay college athletes?
Blue whales, the earth’s largest animals, call to others of their kind, though exactly what these cries communicate remains a mystery. But these sounds have begun evolving (演变). Since at least the 1960s, the pitch (音调) of Antarctic blue whales has downshifted. Scientists have theories as to why: all involving humans.
The deepening of their sounds is not unique. Many blue whales around the world have also dropped their pitch. In a study last year that analyzed more than 1 million individual recordings of whale calls, scale shifts were found across species, and among populations that don’t necessarily interact with one another. This is to say, whatever has caused the change doesn’t seem to have a specific geographic origin.
The underwater noises caused by ocean traffic and at-sea industries might seem a likely criminal. However, scientists have identified lowered pitches even across populations of whales that live in seas without major shipping routes.
One possible explanation for the change is the achievements of global conservation efforts. As their populations have grown, then, the whales may have decreased their volume because they are more likely to be communicating over short distances.
Last year’s study of whale calls also suggests a threatening reason for the drop in pitch, however. Perhaps whales don't need to be so loud because sound waves travel farther in oceans made acidic by the absorption of carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, meanwhile, may also indirectly influence whale voices in other ways. Recent study shows that, during the summer, the whales must use their top volume to be heard in the cracking ice — a natural sound increased by unnatural processes, as rising temperatures worsen ice-melt. So the impacts of a warming planet may modulate animal sounds even in remote places.
1.To what extent is whales’ pitch drop?
A.Across the species.
B.In the Antarctic Ocean.
C.Among some populations.
D.Within one million individuals.
2.What causes the evolving of whales’ pitch according to the text?
A.Less communication and more threat.
B.Protection efforts and acidic sea water.
C.Sharp decrease of whales’ populations.
D.Underwater noises by ships and industries.
3.What does the underlined word “modulate” mean in the last paragraph?
A.Produce. B.Damage. C.Balance. D.Change.
4.What can we infer from the text?
A.Man is the soul of nature.
B.Man and nature are in one.
C.Nature pardons no mistakes .
D.Nature has the final say over man.
I work at a grocery store in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood, which gets a lot of regulars. On March 12, the Quebec government announced to close all public places to stop the spread of the pandemic(流行病)of coronavirus.
The next day the store was the busiest I've ever seen. The six cash registers had to be kept open from 10 a. m. until close. It was nuts. I didn't have time to eat lunch, and whenever one of us on cash had to use the bathroom, we’d have to bring in a coworker off the floor to cover for us.
Since then, the atmosphere in the store has been different. Customers are mostly considerate, but whenever someone coughs or sneezes, everyone turns around to make sure that person sneezed into their elbow. I've even seen customers come in wearing some strange get-ups. One guy even came in with a plastic Walmart bag wrapped around his entire head, with a slit cut out for his eyes.
A lot of my coworkers have left to avoid a public-facing job during the pandemic. Grocery store workers across Canada are putting their health at risk every time they come in to work, but a lot of us are still making close to minimum wage. I realized that I feel more exhausted than normal even though I'm working the same hours.
There still have been some moments of kindness in the midst of the chaos. I've overheard people talking on the phone who sounded as though they were organizing grocery deliveries for those stuck at home. And this past weekend a very nice lady thanked us for continuing to work. I know everyone is worried, but it's uneless having the same scary conversations day after day. Instead, tell us a funny anecdote, or about Homething nice. We'll appreciate the distraction, and you'll make our day just a bit brighter.
1.What does the author intend to show by " It was nuts." in paragraph 2?
A.The goods were in short supply.
B.The store was having a big sale.
C.The cashiers complained about their work.
D.The locals rushed to do shopping like crazy.
2.What does paragraph 3 convey about customers?
A.They like to shop here in disguise.
B.They are panicky about the disease .
C.They are more friendly to each other.
D.They have taken proper preventive measures.
3.Which of the following best describes the author?
A.Optimistic. B.Talented. C.Ambitious. D.Efficient.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.It is not work but worry that kills
B.Helping others is helping ourselves
C.Moments of kindness shine in a time of chaos
D.Here is what it's like working in the pandemic
Summer vacation is the perfect time to catch up on all that reading you couldn't do during the busy school year・Here are some of the best YA books to read this summer.
◆Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
More than anything, Spensa wants to become a pilot and defend her planet against the frequent attacks from alien starfighters ・ When she discovers the wreckage （残骸）of an old battleship, she realizes that her dreams might be within reach.
◆ Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Put on your crime-solving cap and get swept away in this thrilling novel about a girl, a boy, and a string of unsolved murders・ As threats and clues pile up, you'll be burning the midnight oil trying to finish the book before dawn.
◆Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
The five Dunbar brothers haven't seen their father in eight years. When he reappears and asks for help building a bridge, only the middle brother, Clay, agrees to go with him. Unforgettable and touching, it is a must-read story .
♦If I'm Being Honest by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
In an effort to win her boyfriend back, Cameron decides to become a nicer person and make up for people she's hurt. Loosely based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, this is a delightfully sweet and positive tale of self-discovery, and true love.
1.Who may be interested in Skyward?
A.Pilots on battleships. B.Fans of outer space.
C.Peace keepers. D.Planet defenders.
2.Which book is probably a detective story?
A.Skyward B.Two Can Keep a Secret
C.Bridge of Clay D.If I'm Being Honest
3.What is special about If I'm Being Honest?
A.It is a work of joint authors.
B.It is one of Shakespeare's plays.
C.It mainly talks about being honest.
D.It appeals to readers feeling hopeless.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Jenny was the only child in her home. She had a quarrel with her mother that afternoon and she ran out of the house angrily.
She couldn’t help crying sadly when she thought of the scolding (指责) from her mother. Having wandered aimlessly in the street for hours, she felt a little hungry and wished for something to eat, but it was not possible for her, since she had nothing with her. She stood beside a stand for a while, watching the middle-aged seller busy doing his business. However, with no money in hand, she had to leave。
The seller behind the stand noticed the young girl and asked, "Hey, girl, you want to have the noodles?
“oh, yes…,but I don't have money on me...” she replied.
“That’s nothing. I'll treat you today,” said the man, “come in.” The seller brought her a bowl of noodles, whose smell was so attractive. As she was eating, Jenny cried silently.
“What is it?” asked the man kindly.
“Nothing, actually I was just touched by your kindness! ” said Jenny as she dried her tears， “ Even a stranger on the street will give me a bowl of noodles, while my mother, drove me out of the house. She showed no care for me. She is so cruel compared to a stranger! ! ”
Hearing the words, the seller smiled, “Girl, do you really think so? I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you thanked me a lot. But it is your mother who has raised you since you were a baby. Can you number the times she cooked for you? Have you expressed your thanks to her?”
Jenny sat there, speechless; she remembered mother’s familiar face and weathered hands. “Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel thankful, but I have never thanked my mum for what she has done for me.”
On the way home, Jenny made up her mind to make an apology (道歉) to her mother for her rudeness as soon as she arrived home.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150词左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Approaching (走近) the doorway, Jenny took a deep breath.
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Paragraph 2:
A gentle touch on her hair called her mind back.
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假定你是李华，你想参加学校举办的英语诗歌朗诵比赛，请你给外教Mr.Smith发一封邮件，请他帮你选一首诗，并给予指导。内容包括：
1.请求帮助；
2. 主题必须是爱和友谊；
3.期待回复。
注意：1. 词数不少于100；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mr.Smith,
How is everything going?
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Yours,
Li Hua
