Tips on Learning a New Language Before Travelling

Whenever you travel to a foreign place, it is helpful knowing a bit of the local language.1.But speaking the local language shows you care and it will help you mix with the locals easily. To learn a language, you do not have to take full time classes. You can follow some of the tips to pick up some basics quickly before that trip.

Practise. The more you study the language, the better.2.Think of it like learning an instrument or training for a marathon. The amount of time you'll need depends on the language you're learning, how often you practice and your learning style.

3.One good way to practise is to use the language you’re learning. And who is better to speak a language with than a native speaker who can train you better and correct your mistakes? Find one on the internet or in real life and strike a conversation with them. There are some free language exchange websites where you can find native speakers to practise with.4.

Download a language app. Your app store offers a vast amount of options for language learning. Apps like Google Translate, Duolingo, Bilingual or Hi Native can help you to learn languages quickly.5. But they are not necessarily the best choice if you're short on time and trying to master the basics. They can also help a lot when you're struggling to communicate while on vacation.

A.Speak to native speakers.

B.Constantly use the language.

C.You can also find a private class to attend.

D.Trips can help make the process fun and easy.

E.Learning a language doesn't happen overnight.

F.Those apps can help you learn the language effectively.

G.You may not know how to pronounce the words correctly.

    A computer program has been used to predict how people are feeling when they type.

In a study participants were asked to type a particular phrase and the program then estimated if they were happy, sad and so on. Surprisingly it was correct 70 per cent of the time, and the findings could lead to smarter artificial intelligence in the future.

The study published in the journal Behavior and Information Technology was carried out by researchers at the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh, reports Live Science.

In the research 25 people ranging from 15 to 40 years old were asked to retype two paragraphs from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. They also had to enter their emotional state every 30 minutes while doing their regular activities on the computer. This allowed the program an opportunity to understand how their emotions changed their typing style.

Moods tested were joy, fear, anger, sadness, hate, and shame. The result was that the program could identify(识别) a person' s mood correctly 70 per cent of the time. It was most successful in identifying joyfulness with an 87 per cent success ratio, while sadness was the least successful at 60 per cent. The researchers found that the participants were less likely to input (输人) data when they were in a bad mood, which may explain the inexactness of the second result.

However, the findings could have great importance for artificial intelligence, and it may allow computers to get along with us in a friendlier manner, “If we could build any system that is intelligent enough to communicate with humans that is, it can identify user emotions and change its behavior accordingly then using machines could be more effective and friendly.” the researchers wrote.

1.Who conducted the study?

A.Lewis Carroll. B.Islamic University of Technology.

C.Live Science. D.Behavior and Information Technology.

2.What were people asked to do during the research?

A.Input words and emotional state. B.Change their typing styles.

C.Change their feelings frequently. D.Show their natural feelings.

3.Why is the result about sadness not so correct?

A.People usually hide their unhappy feelings.

B.The program cannot recognize sadness clearly.

C.The program cannot calculate the data correctly.

D.It's more difficult to collect data when people are sad.

4.What's the importance of the research result?

A.It helps people develop smarter machines.

B.It helps people speed up their typing speed.

C.It will inspire similar studies on people's mood.

D.It clearly explains the relationship between mood and typing.

    When visitors to the Palace Museum feel a need to sit down for a cup of tea or find a bathroom without a long line, they soon will be able to turn to their smart phones for the information they need.

This modern day solution comes thanks to an agreement signed on Friday by the museum and Huawei Co., the telecommunication giant, to build a “smart network” using 5G technology. Under the agreement, 5G Wi-Fi signals will cover the Palace Museum, China's royal palace from 1420 to 1911, and the branch museum of the institution under construction in northwestern Beijing.

“It’s essential to always stay close to the latest technology to better serve the public,” said Shan Jixiang, former director of the Palace Museum. Shan said there is still much room for improvement in the handling of a huge number of cultural relics (文物)，such as when the priceless painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival is exhibited again in the future. When it was last exhibited in 2015, visitors stood in long lines until 3 am to get a glimpse. The museum ended up preparing instant noodles to serve the hungry visitors. “I don't want that scenario to reoccur," Shan said. “Our operation can be done in a more scientific way.

The new system will also make use of the closed--circuits television cameras that are set up all over the Palace Museum to safeguard the museum's precious relics. More than 1.86 million of them are housed at the museum, which recorded nearly 20 million visits from the public last year, topping all museums worldwide. “How can we make sure no single visitor who might have evil ideas threatens these treasures?" Shan said. “After adopting the internet of things, we can instantly detect any motion involving the artifacts to prevent such threats.”

The 5G network also will be used to improve remote consultation through webcams, which will facilitate conversations with overseas scholars to jointly find the best answers for restoration and preservation issues.

1.What do we know about the Palace Museum?

A.Its visitors won't have to queue up for the bathroom.

B.It has served as China's royal palace for over 500 years.

C.It will cooperate with Huawei to promote its management.

D.It will set up advanced television cameras for the purpose of safety.

2.What does the underlined word “scenario” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A.Disaster. B.Situation. C.Operation. D.Exhibition.

3.What are the figures in Paragraph 4 intended to show about the Palace Museum?

A.It is better than any other museums. B.It has a rich collection of cultural relics.

C.It enjoys great popularity all over the world. D.It faces a tough challenge of protecting relics.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.A Feast for Museum Visitors B.A Revolution in Exhibition

C.A Protector of Cultural Relics D.A Connection Between Old and New

    I' m a seven year old girl but I understand that it is this fact, more than any other, that makes my family different: We don't go to school.

Dad worries that the government will force us to go but it can't because it doesn't know about us. Four of my parents' seven children don't have birth certificates. We have no medical records because we were born at home and have never seen a doctor or nurse. We have no school records because we've never set foot in a classroom. When I'm 9, I will be issued a Delayed Certificate of Birth, but at this moment, according to the state of Idaho and the federal government, I do not exist.

Of course, I did exist. I had grown up watching for the sun to darken, for the moon to drip as if with blood. I spent my summers bottling peaches and my winters rotating supplies.

I had been educated in the rhythms of the mountain, rhythms in which change was never fundamental, only cyclical. The same sun appeared each morning, swept over the valley and dropped behind the peak. The snows that fell in winter always melted in the spring. Our lives were a cycle—the cycle of the day, the cycle of the seasons—circles of lasting change that, when complete, meant nothing had changed at all. I believed my family was a part of this immortal pattern, and that we were, in some sense, eternal(永恒的). But eternity belonged only to the mountain.

All my father's stories were about our mountain, our valley. He never told me what to do if I left the mountain, if I crossed oceans and continents and found myself in a strange land. He never told me how I'd know when it was time to come home.

1.Why don't the kids in the writer's family go to school?

A.There are no schools nearby. B.They have delayed birth certificates.

C.The government doesn't know their existence. D.Their father doesn't want them to go to school.

2.What does the underlined word “cyclical” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A.Normal. B.Irregular.

C.Circular. D.Traditional

3.What does the writer try to express mainly in the last paragraph?

A.She wasn't prepared for her future life. B.Her father loved the mountain and valley.

C.She enjoyed listening to her father’s stories. D.Her father didn't want her to leave the family.

4.Where is this text most probably taken from?

A.An interview. B.An autobiography.

C.A play script. D.A news report.

    Whatever you want to do to help people in need the United Nations may have the ideal job for you. Competition for most positions in the UN is fierce, but with preparation and a little luck, you may land your dream job with the UN.

* Research career options (选择) at the UN.

First of all, visit the United Nations website to get a feel for the different types of work at the UN. Which areas interest you most? Are there areas you are already qualified for? Are there areas you would like to work in but for which you still need qualifications?

* Decide what staff category you want to pursue.

UN careers are divided into different staff categories, each of which requires a specific educational background and area of expertise. The categories are further broken down into jobs at different levels. Considering your skills, interest and experience, decide which category and level is proper for you.

* Make sure you have the required education and experience.

Each career option has specific education and experience requirements. Here are some requirements for many positions at the UN:

Fluency in English or French, the working languages of the UN. It's essential. Fluency in additional languages, particularly Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, or Russian, is helpful for most positions.

A bachelor's degree or higher. Most positions in the UN require at least a bachelor's degree. Many specialist positions require advanced degrees in specialty.

Work experience in a related field. Depending on the position for which you are applying, you might need anywhere from 1-7 years of work experience.

1.What should you do first before starting job application?

A.Decide what staff category you want to pursue.

B.Get the required education and work experience.

C.Learn about choices on the United Nations website.

D.Decide which type of work of the UN interests you most.

2.What is extremely important for positions in the UN?

A.Years of work experience. B.A doctor's degree.

C.Fluency in the working languages. D.A good knowledge of culture.

3.What's the purpose of the text?

A.To give tips on applying for jobs in the UN.

B.To explain the process of applying for jobs in the UN.

C.To cl for more people to apply for positions in the UN.

D.To introduce what jobs in the UN are open to application.

假定你是李华，你的家人想邀请你校的英国交换生Peter到你家聚餐。请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：

1．表明意图；

2．阐述邀请的原因；

3．告知时间、地点和乘车方式。

注意：1．词数100左右；

2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

As a saying go, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” However, it is necessary for us take exercise. By taking exercise we can get physically and mentally relaxing. At the same time, we can have a very well figure. If we don’t take exercise for a long time, we may easily fall sick.

Actually, I enjoy a various of outdoor sports, of which swimming in the sea is mine favorite. Because there are so many swimmer in swimming pool and the water is always dirty, I have a preference in swimming in the sea. Besides, I am also interested in playing the badminton.

    Never did I imagine I would land into a place that I used to dislike. However, my working here in Saudi Arabia has turned out to be a _________ I have learned many things about life.

One of those is _________. I had been very impatient for the years before I came here. _________, I had made wrong decisions and _________ many learning chances that life had offered me. When I _________ here, everything and everyone seemed completely different. I had to _________ different kinds of people from different countries with the _________ kind of personalities (个性) and attitudes. I couldn’t improve the situation but could change my _________—to be patient with everything and everyone. Gradually, found myself doing my job _________, enjoying every single thing. And I began to share feelings with my __________ here and everything turned out just __________.

Second is the value of __________. My world back home has mostly made the __________ of my attitudes, personalities and beliefs. It has __________ me the person that I am now. Yet, I should __________ the way people here have lived their lives. I may not like their culture or __________ but that doesn’t make them any __________ and still they deserve my respect.

The most __________ and wonderful experience I have here is the joy of living contently. I have been living in this foreign place for two years and I have been __________ how to live a simple life, how to __________ the kind of life I have right now.

1.A.test B.challenge C.blessing D.experience

2.A.love B.patience C.wisdom D.ambition

3.A.Unfortunately B.In return C.By accident D.Consequently

4.A.witnessed B.missed C.provided D.replaced

5.A.paused B.finished C.rested D.got

6.A.pick out B.look for C.deal with D.come across

7.A.strangest B.clearest C.strictest D.nicest

8.A.attitude B.promotion C.situation D.theory

9.A.sincerely B.anxiously C.cautiously D.happily

10.A.parents B.neighbors C.colleagues D.enemies

11.A.fine B.legal C.equal D.casual

12.A.trust B.respect C.manner D.justice

13.A.dreams B.bases C.plans D.steps

14.A.offered B.considered C.made D.found

15.A.accept B.judge C.permit D.use

16.A.transportation B.food C.performance D.tradition

17.A.less B.different C.worse D.better

18.A.ambiguous B.significant C.abnormal D.unbearable

19.A.required B.called C.warned D.taught

20.A.tolerate B.remember C.appreciate D.organize

    There are a lot of benefits to staying physically fit. You’ll have more energy, you’ll look great, and you’ll notice improvements in your health. 1. However, if you focus on exercise, you can make a lot of healthy physical changes.

Find the time. Exercise is one of the most important aspects in staying (or becoming) fit and healthy. 2. Try scheduling your exercise the same way that you schedule other appointments and work. You’ll be more likely to stick to it if it’s on the calendar (日历).

3. You will see the most benefits from exercise if you do it regularly. One good way to make you stick to it is to pick a form of exercise that you enjoy. For example, if you like swimming, make it a point to swim twice a week.

Go outdoors. It is really good to work out at a gym—without air conditioning and televisions. But scientists report that exercising outdoors, at least part of the time, can have more benefits. 4.

Be social. If you join other people in your exercise routine, you’ll see a positive influence in your results. 5. If you schedule an activity with a friend, you are less likely to cancel than if you were only cancelling on yourself.

A.Make it a habit.

B.Enjoy your exercise.

C.Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to stay in great shape.

D.In a word, it is absolutely good for you to stay physically fit.

E.Finding a workout partner can help you to stick to your exercise.

F.The road or sidewalk challenges your body in ways that gyms can’t do.

G.Experts recommend that you should be active for at least 30 minutes per day.

    Genetic modification (基因改良) dates back to ancient times, when humans influenced genetics by selectively breeding organisms (培育生物) according to an article by Gabriel Rangel, a public health scientist at Harvard University. When repeated over several generations, this process leads to great changes in the organisms.

Dogs were likely the first animals to be purposefully genetically modified, with the beginnings of that effort dating back about 32,000 years, according to Rangel. Wild wolves joined our hunter-gatherer ancestors in East Asia, where the aggressive canines were kept in the household and bred to become docile and easier to get along with. Over thousands of years, people bred dogs with different desired character and physical characteristics, eventually leading to the wide variety of dogs we see today.

The earliest known genetically modified plant is wheat. This valuable crop is thought to have originated in the Middle East and northern Africa in the area known as the Fertile Crescent, according to a 2015 article published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Ancient farmers selectively bred wheat grasses beginning around 9000 B. C. to create improved varieties with larger grains and hardier seeds. By 800 B.C., the cultivation (培养) of improved wheat had spread across Europe and Asia. The continued selective cultivation of wheat resulted in the thousands of varieties that are grown today.

Corn has also experienced some of greatest genetic changes over the past few thousand years. The main crop was changed from a plant known as teosinte, a wild grass with tiny ears and only a few seeds. Over time, farmers selectively bred the teosinte grasses to create corn with large ears bursting with seeds.

Beyond those crops, many of the fruit and vegetables we eat today, including bananas, apples and tomatoes, have experienced several generations of selective raising, according to Rangel.

In 1973, researchers also modified bacteria to be used as drugs. In 1982, human insulin (胰岛素) made from genetically engineered bacteria, became the first genetically engineered human drugs approved by the FDA.

1.What does the word “docile” in paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A.Gentle. B.Loyal. C.Smart. D.Ambitious.

2.How did the ancient farmers try to improve wheat?

A.Through selective cultivation. B.By editing its genes constantly.

C.Through mixture with teosinte. D.By planting it in large numbers.

3.What can we infer about genetic modification?

A.It is rarely seen in daily life. B.It was quite difficult to accept.

C.It is hardly influenced by humans. D.It played a role in medical field.

4.From which section of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?

A.Health. B.Lifestyle. C.Science. D.Agriculture.