Nowadays, learning Braille (盲文) is something of a dying art. With thousands of computer programs and other media now available, fewer kids are learning to read Braille and most of them are learning to read by listening. In the United States, less than 10% of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind are Braille readers. However, learning Braille offers students much more than just a way to get information. Listening to information does not teach students how to spell or write well. These skills are better taught by actually reading. This is particularly true when we know that Braille users often are more independent, have a higher level of education and better employment opportunities. Learning to read and write Braille requires lots of practice, which can become dull. This is what the company Lego, which is making Braille Bricks to help blind students learn to read and write, is dealing with. We strongly believe the Bricks can help increase the level of interest in learning Braille.
Instead of the grid (网格) of raised dots normally found on top of Legos, Braille Bricks use the dot groups of the Braille alphabet. This allows the bricks to be “read”, but they still click together like normal Legos. Braille is often written with a special machine called a Brailler. If a student makes the wrong letter using the Brailler, it can’t really be fixed, since the letter is punched (打孔) into paper. Legos, on the other hand, are lots of fun to play with. If a student makes a mistake, fixing it is as easy as moving or changing a brick.
The company is trying the Bricks out with teachers and blind students in schools. Teachers report that students enjoy the Bricks and quickly invent games and fun ways to use them. On Lego’s new Braille Bricks, which are planned to hit commercial stores in the near future, Braille is also translated into numbers and letters allowing parents and educators to follow along.
1.What has made Braille used less in recent years?
A.The lack of its actual use.
B.The hard learning process.
C.The application of digital technology.
D.The decline in the number of the blind.
2.What does the author stress about Braille in Paragraph 1?
A.Its replacements. B.Its improvement.
C.Its shortcomings. D.Its importance.
3.What can we say about Lego’s Braille Bricks?
A.They are new reading systems.
B.They help the blind in a fun way.
C.They work like a special machine.
D.They come from the Braille alphabet.
4.What does the company expect of its Braille Bricks?
A.They’ll reach the consumers soon.
B.They’ll teach blind students new games.
C.They’ll lighten the burden on teachers.
D.They’ll be translated into other languages.
The village of Hallstatt in Austria is a collection of appealing old buildings grouped at the edge of Lake Hallstatt, surrounded by the towering Dachstein Mountains. In summer, the mountains are green and the village is lovely. In winter, it’ s like something out of a snow-covered fairy tale. Hallstatt’ s popularity first began when it became a World Heritage Site in 1997. It increased more in 2006, when a Korean TV program shot a show in the village. Soon, Hallstatt began to get more visitors from Asia. But the number of visitors really exploded after the release of Disney’s movie “Frozen” in 2013. Millions of “Frozen” movie fans think Hallstatt is the inspiration for the fictional village of Arendelle, the main village in the movie. With “Frozen 2” released, it has only made it more popular. The number of visitors who arrive here each day is huge — up to 10,000 visitors. Last year around 19,344 busloads of tourists arrived.
Local people think it’s a catastrophe. With the number of visitors mentioned above a day, that’s over 12 tourists for every person in Hallstatt. One man said his mother was woken up one day, to find tourists in her bedroom. The government thinks the town would be just fine with about one third fewer visitors each year. Starting this year, Hallstatt will begin a program to limit the number of buses bringing visitors here. But villagers also admit the fact that before the tourist boom, people would leave Hallstatt to find work and that many people rely upon the tourists for their jobs now.
Hallstatt may be easy on the eyes, but it’s opposite on the wallet. Hotel rooms can cost between $350 and $450. Oh, and it costs over one dollar to use the public bathroom here. Even toilets can be good business — as long as they aren’t frozen.
1.What plays the most important role in making Hallstatt world-famous?
A.Its lovely weather.
B.The hit movie.
C.Its beautiful architecture.
D.The Korean TV program.
2.How many local people are there in Hallstatt?
A.About 800. B.About 7,000.
C.About 12,000. D.About 18,000.
3.How do the villagers respond to the tourism?
A.They depend on it completely.
B.They hope it stays away.
C.They find it environment-friendly.
D.They are in a dilemma about it.
4.What does the author really want to indicate about Hallstatt in the last paragraph?
A.It is easy for tourists to get there.
B.Tourists can make business there.
C.Be ready to pay before going there.
D.It is freezing cold sometimes there.
Now, at ten, Selah Schneiter has become the youngest person ever to climb the 3,000-foot-high Nose route of El Capitan, topping out above Yosemite Valley. Selah was unaware she was breaking a record at the time.
“El Cap was the mountain my wife Joy and I first climbed together,” Mike, Selah’s father, said. “We fell in love while climbing the route over four days.” After the couple married, they returned there to climb. They took Selah on her first trip to Yosemite when she was only two months old.
First asked if she’d try the Nose, she declined. Then, she began to think about it more, and last year she felt that she was able to make it to the Nose. However, accomplishing the seemingly impossible climb requires more than simply deciding to go for it. Over the winter, Mike and Selah prepared for “the big one”.
When it came time to climb, Selah and Mike were joined by Mark Regier, a long-time family friend who had been part of the El Cap team when Mike and Joy met. He was also the chief witness of their wedding. Doing such a climb with a ten-year-old, Regier considered it seriously. “Being a father myself, I must look after her well,” he said. At first he doublechecked everything she did, but after a while he was sure Selah knew what she was doing. Then they set off.
When it came to the exposure, Selah showed fortitude. “It wasn’t that frightening,” she said. “Although when it got really exposed it can be a little scary.” She admitted to getting nervous under The Great Roof, but she calmed herself and was comfortable being so high.
Eventually, she and her companions completed the 5-day climb successfully.
1.What can we know about Mike?
A.He encouraged Selah to set a record.
B.He’s had a long history with Yosemite.
C.He helped Selah decide to climb El Cap.
D.He came across Joy at Regier’s wedding.
2.How did Mark Regier feel at first about Selah’s climbing the Nose?
A.Amused. B.Confident.
C.Cautious. D.Encouraged.
3.What does the underlined word “fortitude” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Scare. B.Relaxation.
C.Pride. D.Courage.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Small Climber, Big Outcome
B.Selah Was a True Climber at Ten
C.Selah Schneiter, a Born Climber
D.Life Means Enjoying Climbing
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
It’s the largest children’s museum in the world. Here, kids and their parents can learn about dinosaurs, ancient Greece, outer-space objects, and much more. In 2018, the museum opened the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience, where kids can play while learning about the history and culture of sports.
Apollo Mission Control Center
In 1985, it was regarded as a National Historic Landmark. Work began in 2017 to restore it to perfect condition. And now you can visit it firsthand, learning about the engineers, flight controllers, and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the moon landing a reality. The team at the center hosts events about space every day of the year, for kids as young as 4.
Deichman Biblo Toyen
It is one of the coolest libraries. This striking library for only children aged 10 to 15 was designed to inspire. With many colorful exhibits and surprises, each section offers visitors a perfect experience. For those who have just come with a good book to read, there’re plenty of comfortable spots to do so.
Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center
Since it opened in 2018, it has helped kids and other visitors understand and appreciate the food on their tables. It partners with nearby Grotegut Dairy Farm (奶牛场), which bridges the gap between the center and real-world dairy operation. Visitors can take a bus tour of the farm to see it in action. And when any of Grotegut’s cows is ready to have a baby, it’s brought to Farm Wisconsin’s birthing center, where visitors are able to watch it all. But there’s no guarantee that a birth will happen during your visit.
1.What can be learnt about Children’s Museum of Indianapolis?
A.It has a large collection of ancient works.
B.It encourages children to play more freely.
C.It concerns children’s sports education.
D.It’s based on Apollo Mission Control Center.
2.What can visitors do in Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center?
A.Milk the cows.
B.Have outdoor experiences.
C.Make cheeses.
D.Feed a baby cow.
3.Which is meant to inspire kids to read ?
A.Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
B.Apollo Mission Control Center.
C.Deichman Biblo Toyen.
D.Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center.
假定你是李华，校报英文版以“对高一新生说”为主题征稿，邀请学长给下学期入学的新生提出一些学习和生活上的建议，请你以书信的形式写一篇稿件，要点包括：
1.你对高中学习生活的感受；
2.你对高一新生的建议；
3.你的祝福。
注意：
（1）词数100左右；
（2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
根据下列各句句意、单词的首字母及汉语提示，写出该单词的正确形式，并把完整单词（含首字母）写在答卷上。
1.At first, we didn’t feel we b______ (属于) here, but now we are attached to the land we live on.
2.I r______ (推荐) the movie for the whole family.
3.Her sisters, Felicie and Adelaide, are nasty and t______ (对待) Beauty as a servant.
4.The soil contains materials to keep the natural b______ (平衡) of the area.
5.The media should r______ (尊重) famous people’s privacy.
6.I was a millionaire, but I was a______ (意识到) there were a lot of hungry people in the world.
7.Perhaps their f______ (失败) is because of their low EQ.
8.To get tickets, you have to b______ (预订) in advance.
9.After a long d______ (延误), the plane finally took off.
10.Good job candidates must show a f______ (灵活的) approach to problems.
11.If you work hard, you will o______ (克服) this problem.
12.Exercise is highly b______ (有益的) to health.
13.We are all g______ (感激的) to you for what you did for us.
14.I've been learning English for 10 years, and I can speak English f______ (流利地).
15.Don’t h______ (犹豫) to ask me if you have any questions.
