Five steps to better handwriting
Some kids love handwriting, but others hate when it’s time to put their pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? 1. Here are five steps that really work!
Get a great grasp
Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. 2. Hold it in place with your thumb, and your index (食指) and middle fingers.
Let the lines be your guide
Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are the right size and proportion (均衡). 3. Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.
Slow down
If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it’s hard to control where you stop and start your letters.
Lower the pressure
4. That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try easing up and don’t hold the pencil too tightly.
5.
Lots of games require you to write or draw pictures. So even though it’s not schoolwork, you’re still using the skills you need to control your pen better.
A.Play games
B.Ask for more advice
C.So “a” should be half the height of a capital “A”.
D.You’ve been writing since you were a little kid.
E.Some kids press down really hard when they write.
F.The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.
G.The best way to hold a pen or pencil is to let it rest next to the base of your thumb.
El Nino, a Spanish term for “the Christ child”, was named by South American fisherman who noticed that the global weather pattern, which happens every two to seven years, reduced the amount of fishes caught around Christmas. El Nino sees warm water, collected over several years in the western Pacific, flow back eastwards when winds that normally blow westwards weaken, or sometimes the other way round.
The weather effects are both good and bad, which are felt in many places. Rich countries gain more from powerful Nino, on balance, than they lose. A study found that a strong Nino in 1997-98 helped American’s economy grow by 15 billion, partly because of better agricultural harvests: farmers in the Midwest gained from extra rain. The total rise in agricultural incomes in rich countries is greater than the fall in poor ones.
But in Indonesia extremely dry forests are in flames. A multi-year drought (干旱) in south-east Brazil is becoming worse. Though heavy rains brought about by El Nino may relieve the drought in California, they are likely to cause surface flooding and other disasters.The most recent powerful Nino, in 1997-98, killed around 21,000 people and caused damage worth $36 billion around the globe. But such Ninos come with months of warning, and so much is known about how they happen that governments can prepare. According to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however, just 12% of disaster-relief funding in the past two decades has gone on reducing risks in advance, rather than recovery and rebuilding afterwards. This is despite evidence that a dollar spent on risk-reduction saves at least two on reconstruction.
Simple improvements to infrastructure (基础设施) can reduce the spread of disease. Better sewers (下水道) make it less likely that heavy rain is followed by an outbreak of the disease of bad stomach. Stronger bridges mean villages are less likely to be left without food and medicine after floods. According to a paper in 2011 by Mr Hsiang and co-authors, civil conflict is related to El Nino’s harmful effects—and the poorer the country, the stronger the link. Though the relationship may not be causal, helping divided communities to prepare for disasters would at least reduce the risk that those disasters are followed by killing and wounding people. Since the poorest are least likely to make up for their losses from disasters linked to El Nino, reducing their losses needs to be the priority.
1.What can we learn about El Nino in Paragraph 1?
A.It sees the changes of water flow direction in the ocean.
B.It takes place almost every year all over the world.
C.It forces fishermen to stop catching fish around Christmas.
D.It is named after a South American fisherman.
2.What may El Ninos bring about to the countries affected?
A.Agricultural harvests in rich countries fall.
B.Droughts become more harmful than floods.
C.Poor countries suffer less from droughts economically.
D.Rich countries’ gains are greater than their losses.
3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To introduce El Nino and its origin. B.To explain the consequences of El Nino.
C.To show ways of fighting against El Nino. D.To urge people to prepare for El Nino.
One morning a few years ago, Harvard President Neil Rudenstine overslept. For this busy man, it was a sort ofalarm: after years of non-stop hard work, he might wear himself out and die an early death.
Only after a week’s leave—— during which he read novels, listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach—— was Rudenstine able to return to work.
In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Amazingly, within this world there is a universal but silly saying: “I am so busy.”
We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax—— this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing is with strength, the quiet giving us wisdom.
How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week—— for followers of some religions—— for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world.
Rest is s spiritual and biological need; however, in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, we may feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us permission to stop work. In fact, “Remember the Sabbath” is more than simply permission to rest; it is a rule to obey and a principle to follow.
1.The “alarm” in the first paragraph refers to “_______”.
A.a signal of stress
B.a warning of danger
C.a sign of age
D.a spread of disease
2.According to Paragraph 4, a successful person is one who is believed to _______.
A.be able to work without stress
B.be more talented than other people
C.be more important than anyone else
D.be busying working without time to rest
3.Some people feel guilty when taking time to rest because they _______.
A.think that taking a rest means lacking ambitions
B.fail to realize that rest is an essential part of life
C.fail to realize that religions force them to rest
D.think that taking a rest means being lazy
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.We should balance work with rest.
B.The Sabbath gives us permission to rest.
C.It is silly for anyone to say “I am busy.”
D.We should be available to our family and friends.
My husband David was waiting at the door when our daughter Laura and I pulled in the driveway. It wasn’t like him to be home so early. The disbelief on his face told me that something was up.
"Do you still have a job?"
"No. Redundant," he answered, looking away from me.
"OK. We’ll figure it out," I replied calmly.
I actually had no idea how we were going to figure it out. I immediately started to think of how we’d cut costs and who we should start to get in touch with. That night, after David had fallen asleep, I cried myself to sleep, and frequently sobbed in the shower in the days that followed.
I knew the loss of David’s income would have great effect on us. He had worked for the same insurance company for twenty-one years and was our main income. I work at home caring for Laura, and my freelance(自由职业者的)income is uncertain. We have debts, and job hunting takes time.
Still, I was more concerned about my husband’s emotional state than our financial situation. David’s sense of identity was tied to his job. He called his parents to tell them about losing his job, but didn’t say a word to anyone else for weeks. He told me that he felt like "a failure".
It was tough for me to watch David struggle with unemployment. One night a couple of weeks after he lost his job, David woke me just before midnight, sweating, pacing the bedroom floor and saying he felt funny. We spent the night in the emergency room waiting to see if he had a heart attack. Thankfully, it was just a serious anxiety attack. It was then that I knew I needed to do more to understand what my husband was going through. Here is what I learned from my own experience—and from talking to experts—on how to support your spouse through a job loss.
1.Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word "Redundant" in Paragraph 3?
A.A piece of cake. B.Out of question.
C.My treat. D.Out of employment.
2.What did the writer do about her husband’s situation at first?
A.She always remained calm and gave him advice.
B.She appeared calm when in fact she was worried.
C.She began to write about her husband’s situation to the newspapers.
D.She went to consult some doctors.
3.What can we know about David?
A.He was fired by the company he had worked for twenty-one years.
B.He never thought himself "a failure" even when jobless.
C.He was aware of the family’s financial situation.
D.Upon leaving the job, he suffered a heart attack and had to consult the doctor.
4.What will be talked about in the next part of the passage?
A.What the writer did to help get some income.
B.How David suffered from the heart attack and the treatment.
C.How the writer supported David to get through the jobless period.
D.Why the insurance company fired David.
If you are dreaming of visiting one of those picture-perfect European towns filled with old-world attractiveness and scenic beauty, here is a look at the most beautiful small towns in Europe.
Manarola
Manarola, Italy, is filled with rainbow-colored homes along the Mediterranean (地中海) coast. This attractive fishing town is famous for its unbelievable wine, and the paintings. There are no cars here, no traffic lights, or traffic noise. You can drive to Manarola, but you will have to park just outside the town and then take a shuttle bus or walk in on foot.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, is a fascinating mountain town, once two separate towns, one Roman and the other Teutonic. The 1936 Winter Olympics forced them to become one, though the two sides still have different characters. The town dates back to 15 AD, filled with narrow streets lined with historic three or four-story buildings painted with religious scenes (宗教场景).
Marsaxlokk
The energetic trading port of Marsaxlokk, Malta, was built in 900 BC. Today, this picture-like town is the main supplier (供应地) of fish to the island nation that sits in the Mediterranean Sea. It has no modern buildings to ruin its attractiveness. With such quiet surroundings, including the traditional fishing boats, it is a particularly charming (迷人的) place to visit.
Port Magee
In a country filled with beautiful towns, Port Magee, is a standout, sitting on the southwest coast of Ireland. This seaside fishing town has a row of brightly colored buildings along with a rich and colorful history. At The Bridge Bar, you will find live music many nights of the week along with nice food and a fine glass of beer.
1.In which town are tourists not allowed to go sightseeing by car?
A.Manarola. B.Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
C.Marsaxlokk. D.Port Magee.
2.Marsaxlokk is attractive for______.
A.wine and paintings B.religious scenes
C.fishing boats and old buildings D.rich history and live music
3.Manarola and Port Magee are perfect choices for tourists who ______.
A.prefer enjoyment in an old coastal fishing town
B.want to stay on a Mediterranean island
C.have special interest in traditional fishing boats
D.need to be refreshed in a mountain town
4.You may find this passage on a __________.
A.newspaper B.tourist guide
C.scientific magazine D.geography book
假如你是李华，在过去的一周你在英国参加中学生文化交流活动。在此期间，你一直住在英国好友Peter家里，现在已经回国。请你根据以下要点给他写一封感谢信。要点包括:
1. 表达感激之情；
2. 回忆各种收获；(参观、学习、生活等方面)
3. 发出邀请。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.信的开头与结尾已为你拟好，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
I’m writing to
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
