Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning.

But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy.

The most common wrong strategy is this:You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.

There are two main schools (流派) of thought on sleep patterns. The first is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep.

If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need. Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times.

The solution for me has been to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 am), but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight. Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm.

However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.

1.According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ________.

A.people who stay up until the next morning

B.people who feel sleepy in the morning

C.people who get up early in the morning

D.people whose productivity is the highest in the morning

2.Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?

A.Because he/she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early.

B.Because he/she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right.

C.Because he/she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early.

D.Because he/she was told the high relationship between success and rising early.

3.The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ________.

A.asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits B.getting up early occasionally

C.pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping D.going to bed after midnight

4.The passage is mainly about ________.

A.how to have good sleep

B.how to become an early riser

C.wrong strategies for getting up early

D.main schools of thought on sleep patterns

    Sport is not only physically challenging , but it can also be mentally challenging . Criticism (批评) from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes . Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has suggested that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable .

The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself .The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware ,at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a flaw ( mistake ) in themselves.

Coaches and parents should also be careful that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting , young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game , many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout .

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph ?

A.Mental stress should be reduced . B.Sport should be made less competitive .

C.Stress should be made less. D.Sport can be mentally challenging .

2.According to the passage , young people like sport because         .

A.it can help them learn more about society

B.it enables them to criticize themselves

C.it can provide them with valuable experiences

D.it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves

3.According to the passage , parents and coaches should       .

A.enable children to enjoy sport B.help children to win every game

C.train children to deal with stress D.understand the meaning of sport

4.The author’s purpose in writing the passage is       .

A.to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout

B.to persuade young children not to worry about criticism

C.to stress the importance of encouraging children

D.to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement

    Kites have been around for a long time. The Chinese invented kites over 2000 years ago. A determined man named Mo Zi had an idea as he watched hawks(鹰) fly. He spent three years making a wooden hawk “kite”. It broke after one flight! Mo Zi and his Chinese friends did not give up. Soon they perfected the art of creating kites.

Kites became part of many Chinese festivals. Pictures of kites were also on vases and in paintings. But kites were meant to fly in places other than China! Marco Polo visited China in the 13th century and brought kites back to Europe with him. Europeans loved them, and the art of kiting “took off”!

Many kites have stories behind them. One Chinese novel, called Journey to the West, was written around 1400 AD. In the story, a priest(僧侣) traveled with three students. One student was a monkey. The second student was a man with pig ears. The third student was a former river monster. These characters often appear on Chinese kites. Another splendid(壮观的) Chinese kite is the dragon kite. A dragon kite is made of many round discs strung together. Often the dragon is bright red, with fat horns and white teeth. The dragon is the king of beasts in Chinese myths. It represents goodness, even though it looks scary. Two kinds of kites have pictures of birds on them. One kite is called the phoenix(凤凰) bird kite. The phoenix bird symbolizes peace. Another kite shows the redheaded crane(鹤).The crane represents happiness, good fortune, and a long life.

Kites come in all shapes and sizes. Flat or bowed kites have a simple shape, such as a diamond or a rectangle(长方形). Delta(三角形) kites are triangular. Rokkaku kites are six-sided and often bear a striking image. Sometimes these kites “fight” each other until one kite drops from the sky. The other kite then wins the “battle”.

1.Who introduced Chinese kites to Europe?

A.A foreigner from Europe. B.Three students in Journey to the West.

C.The priest in Journey to the West. D.A Chinese artist.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.The novel Journey to the West mainly talks about the art of kiting.

B.The characters in the novel Journey to the West are often painted on kites.

C.The dragon kite represents happiness, good fortune and a long life.

D.A phoenix bird is a main character in the novel Journey to the West.

3.Which statement expresses an opinion rather than a fact?

A.Kites became part of many Chinese festivals.

B.There are many different kinds of kites.

C.The dragon kite is the most splendid Chinese kite.

D.Kites were invented 2000 years ago.

    I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.

Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. "But the desk," she said again, "is for Elizabeth."

I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed in action. But as a young girl. I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was "too emotional (易动感情的)". But she lived "on the surface (表面)".

As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.

My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace ---- it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

But the present of her desk told me, as she'd never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside ---- a photo of my father and a one-paper letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.

"In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words."

1.The passage shows that_________.

A.Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B.Mother was too serious about her daughter in words

C.Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

D.Mother wrote to her daughter in careless words

2.The underlined word "gulf" in the passage means_______.

A.deep understanding between the old and the young

B.different ideas between mother and daughter

C.free talks between mother and daughter

D.part of the sea going far in land

3.What did Mother do with her daughter's letter asking for forgiveness?

A.She had never received the letter.

B.For years, she often talked about the letter.

C.She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D.She read the letter again and again till she died.

4.What's best title of the passage?

A.My letter to Mother B.Mother and children

C.My Mother's Desk D.Talks between Mother and me

Taking Chances

My mother recently read me a speech she had made at a local high school， hoping to ____ my endless quest for answers to everything．

Ever since I was very young ，  __________of making mistakes ， I've asked countless times，"What should I do？" I don't remember clearly when I__________ only to do things the "right" way，and made "doing it the right way" my motto．

However， sometime during my high school years， I __________ ． Maybe it was when I decided to try for the lead in "Beauty and the Beast．" Never mind that I would have to memorize _______and rehearse movements ， I would take the chance that I might ___________． On the day of tryouts， my heart was pounding；my hands were _________badly when I got up to sing．But when I opened my mouth ， the sound was loud and __________． I reached for the high notes that sometimes were _________ my reach． I was trying to do my best even though I might fail．_______ I didn't!

The audition  （试镜） was definitely an ___________part of the process ． I realized that if I wanted to live life to the fullest， I had to take_________．

Now ， I do take these chances ， with baby steps ， every day ； voicing my opinions in class discussions or debates，_________ for a high note in church choir， riding my horse over a three ﹣foot jump．

Three years ago， I broke my back when I fell from my horse．The __________meant I couldn't try out for basketball， which I loved． And， the day I __________ out for track was the first day my doctor allowed me to do any physical activity at all． The coach didn't take me， so I started running with my mom ． No stop ﹣watches ． No cheering crowds ． I didn't _________the track team， but I didn't fail， either．

I have finally learned to ___________myself ， like taking a tough science course ． And I have come to realize that even though my parents， friends and teachers don't always have the__________ to "What should I do？"， they will be there to _________me when I try．

"Life is learning to deal with Plan B，" my mother __________ in her speech． But I now know that the Plan A's I make for my life will become easier and easier with every chance I take．

1.A.seek B.satisfy C.excite D.tolerate

2.A.afraid B.aware C.certain D.free

3.A.afforded B.agreed C.promised D.decided

4.A.survived B.learned C.changed D.quitted

5.A.lines B.texts C.lessons D.roles

6.A.stay B.leave C.fail D.join

7.A.hurting B.shaking C.suffering D.struggling

8.A.powerful B.gentle C.innocent D.distant

9.A.against B.within C.outside D.beyond

10.A.Otherwise B.Thus C.But D.Therefore

11.A.ordinary B.independent C.additional D.important

12.A.chances B.turns C.measures D.sides

13.A.looking B.waiting C.hoping D.reaching

14.A.event B.injury C.disease D.experience

15.A.worked B.tried C.looked D.held

16.A.visit B.admire C.make D.take

17.A.help B.enjoy C.push D.save

18.A.answer B.approach C.response D.access

19.A.teach B.watch C.trust D.support

20.A.planned B.stated C.expected D.discussed

假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。你们班上个月开展了一次以“阅读名著，再现经典”为主题的活动。请根据以下四幅图的先后顺序，给校刊“英语园地”写一篇英文稿件，记述你和同学参加此次活动的全过程。

注意：词数不少于60。

提示词：微信朋友圈 WeChat Moments

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假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。你的英国笔友Jim作为交换生目前正在上海学习。在给你的邮件中曾提到他对中国特色服饰文化很感兴趣。你得知今年十月将在北京举办 “中国服装艺术，创意设计”文化周活动，请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：

1. 时间、地点、参加人员；

2. 主要活动安排；

3. 询问对方的意向。

注意：1. 词数不少于50；

2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Jim,

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

    A study revealed that, in most occasions, the outcome on a given task can be improved when two people have helped each other instead of working on their own. As early as 1624 John Donne has already popularized the phrase “No man is an island”. And this is especially true, be it in the workplace, in doing scientific research, or working in events. One of the benefits of cooperation is that people can pool together their skills and wisdom towards a common aim. Because of this, they have a higher chance of being more successful. 1.

Teamwork promotes diversity. The very nature of teamwork requires a group of people from various backgrounds to come together and share their thinking. 2. This level of diversity generates cultural understanding, increased communication through collective knowledge of approaches and a larger resource of opinions.

3. Working within a team helps us to create an environment which inspires collective knowledge, resources and skills. Consequently, this allows us to pick some ideas and to reflect on our own way of thinking. Teamwork also encourages self-improvement because it helps us to expand our horizons and make better use of our own intrinsic capabilities. And since self-improvement helps us in seeking better ways to perform our role within a team, it improves both the efficiency and productivity of the team as a whole.

Completion of task becomes easy. Each member has unique skills to help with the project. 4. For example, you may ask one person to do research, another to take charge of social media marketing, and another to look after delivery. Teamwork can get the most of each person’s strengths.

5. For instance, tackling about climate change by researchers who come from different disciplines (学科) could potentially lead to ground-breaking researches. In the traditional research world, one researcher pursued a theme over several decades. However, academia is fostering a fresh research culture, whereby academic works advance through the creation of interdisciplinary research.

A.Teamwork encourages healthy competition.

B.It promotes peer learning and self-improvement.

C.So a task can be assigned based on a person’s skills and expertise.

D.There are many benefits we can gain out of teamwork and cooperation.

E.The seeds of creativity and innovation spring from the exchange of ideas.

F.As a result, different opinions and problem-solving methods can be formed.

G.Cooperation has several benefits including shared risk, resources and knowledge.

    Sometimes, when looking at the things that have been lying around for a long time in our lives, we probably realize that those items may be useful to others. With the development of the internet, online communities have figured out a way to generate profit from the sharing of those underused assets. Using websites and social media platforms that facilitate the buying and selling of second-hand goods, it is now easier than ever for peer-to-peer sharing activities to take place. And this is what we call sharing economy.

One of the things consumers appreciate when using or working in the sharing economy is the flexibility. It offers services to people when and where they want them. For those who don’t care for traditional office work, sharing economies do not require professional working environments, so there is no need to put yourself in an atmosphere that unfits for your personality. It allows people to choose flexible atmosphere to work remotely instead of in one physical office space.

A sharing economy helps consumers to earn money by renting out underused goods or resources. For example, you can rent out a home using Airbnb, expensive tools from one’s garage, cars, or even sharing the groceries before going on a holiday. All of these provide a way for items to be resold and repurposed instead of just thrown away. Therefore, it helps to reduce waste and make or save money for the provider and users.

But the sharing economy is not without criticisms. The sharing economy is developing faster than existing regulations or ongoing supervision. One downside is that in many cases there is a lack of regulation to check the products and services exchanged during these deals. Unlike formal companies, unregulated individuals do not follow certain regulations and this can lead to poorer and inconsistent quality of goods and services and a higher risk of fraud. For example, hotels are inspected to assure quality, whereas some apartments for short-term rental online are not. The digitally-driven peer-to-peer nature of the sharing economy services sometimes doesn’t match well with certain regulations, which on the other hand, helps keep the provided services more affordable.

Another problem is related to safety concerns. Most sharing economy platforms are based on trust, as well as ratings by guests and hosts. But sometimes it happens that one uses a car, or rents an apartment and it is totally different than one imagines. After all, we have heard some unpleasant tales of guests and hosts.

The sharing economy definitely has its lovers and haters. Many are not ready to switch to that model, where others are already using more than four platforms in their daily lives.

1.What makes peer-to-peer sharing activities easier?

A.The convenience of the network.

B.The development of community.

C.People’s keeping underused things.

D.People’s demand of second-hand goods.

2.The example in paragraph 4 is used to show        .

A.sharing economy services are more affordable

B.short-term rental apartments are cheaper than hotels

C.the current rules can’t regulate the quality of online business

D.apartments rental online can’t ensure the safety of the guests

3.What is the author’s attitude towards sharing economy?

A.Supportive. B.Neutral. C.Disapproving. D.Doubtful.

4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?

I: Introduction  P: Point  Sp: Sub-point (次要点)  C: Conclusion

A. B.

C. D.

    While gazing at an airplane passing thousands of feet overhead, or when you are just about to board a flight at the airport, have you ever noticed that the majority of airplanes are white? Sure, some have decorations and names in different colors, but the base color behind those add-ons is almost always white.

Now, thinking of your summer wardrobe, which has at least a couple of white items, be it a T-shirt, a pair of pants, or a skirt. The main reason people prefer white on a hot day is its particular ability to reflect sunlight. The color white is a terrific reflector of sunlight, and reflects almost all the light that falls on it, unlike other colors, which absorb some of the light. So, just like clothing, aircraft producers use white paint to keep airplanes cool. It minimizes the heating as well as the potential harm from solar radiation. Planes have some parts made from plastic, carbon fiber, and fiberglass. Those things in particular need the most protection from the blazing sun.

The next reason for painting planes white is even more practical. It’s just cheaper to have white-colored plane. You see, all airplanes start out white when they’re made. But what if an airline decides to paint theirs, say, bright yellow? An additional layer of paint will add more than 1,000 pounds of weight to the aircraft. The paint on a Boeing 737 weighs 180kg and on a Boeing 747 is around 500kg. Weight increment means the increase of fuel burnt, and that can get pricey. Most airlines want to avoid the higher cost.

When flying at high altitudes, exposed to various atmospheric conditions, colored airplanes tend to fade, and thus require a lot of paint jobs to maintain their artistic appeal. A white-colored airplane, on the other hand, doesn’t appear significantly different, even after spending a considerable amount of time in the air.

Besides, airplanes are regularly inspected for cracks and any other form of surface damage for obvious safety reasons. Nothing works better than white when it comes to spotting a crack on the surface, as the crack is almost always darker than white. Plus, a white plane is easier to spot visually in the event of a crash or any other mishap, especially at night, or in a massive body of water.

Additionally, a study published in Human-Wildlife Interactions found that the paint job does make a difference to birds: “This finding suggests that a whiter airframe would stand out more against the sky from the perspective of the flying bird’s visual system.” According to ABC, approximately $300 million dollars’ worth of damage to planes is caused by birds each year. There you have it: Planes are white to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible, with the added bonus of hitting by fewer birds.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Colored airplane is easier to spot when in the event of a crash.

B.White color can absorb some of the light and make the plane cool.

C.White paint can decrease the possible damage of the sun radiation.

D.Colored aircrafts do not fade easily and maintain the color for a long time.

2.The underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refers to        .

A.the aircrafts B.white-colored plane

C.most airlines D.the increase of fuel burnt

3.Why does the author mention the birds in the last paragraph?

A.To introduce how the birds’ visual system works.

B.To show the cost of an airplane is quite expensive.

C.To state white plane is more obvious to flying birds.

D.To stress how serious damage birds can do to planes.

4.The main purpose of this passage is to        .

A.inform and explain B.discuss and clarify

C.analyze and advise D.compare and evaluate