When you’re not at home,many worries may start to crowd your mind.Did I turn the coffee maker off?Did I lock the door?Are the kids doing their homework or watching television?With a smart home,you can quiet all of these worries.
A smart home is a home with a communication network.This network connects devices(装置),such as lights and TV sets,and allows them to be controlled from far away through electrical wiring,mobile phone communication or WiFi over the internet.
More and more people may start to consider owning a smart home,because it makes life much more convenient.It can help keep your room at a certain temperature.It can record what happens inside the home and send the video to your phone.When you are on vacation abroad,you can use a smart home controller to switch on or off the electricity when necessary.Some smart homes can receive a visitor,allowing him to come in and offering him a drink.They can even feed the cat and water the plants.
Besides,smart homes are easy to fix.Most smart home technology and devices are wireless and can be set up with a minimum of tools,using only the guiding information.When a problem appears,you can deal with it yourself without paying a professional.
However,for home-users,the smart home technology is far from perfect.It can be rather expensive to own the technology and the devices.Also,because the smart home system(系统)allow its owner to get home information from anywhere,it leaves the home easy to be attacked by hackers(黑客),who may secretly use or change the information in the system.
Now,many scientists are excited at the future of smart home technology.Imagine being able to get fashion advice from your mirror,or receive food shopping suggestions from your refrigerator.While there are others who worry that those smart devices will make people lazier and lonelier.Whatever it is,one thing is for sure---smart home technology will change the way we live and work.
1.According to the passage,nowadays a smart home can lock the door through ______________.
A.electric lights B.mirror technologies
C.mobile phones D.shopping programs
2.The third paragraph of the passage is mainly about _________.
A.the steps to use smart systems
B.the prices of smart programs
C.the advantages of a smart home
D.the tools for setting up smart devices
3.Which of the following is TRUE about a smart home according to the passage?
A.Smart homes can’t help feed pets nowadays.
B.Smart homes costs a lot of money at present.
C.You can’t control your smart home in other countries.
D.It’s hard for hackers to get information from smart homes.
4.What’s the writer’s opinion according to the passage?
A.People will become less happy in the future.
B.People’s life style will be different in the future.
C.Mobile phones are the most important in smart homes.
D.Smart homes are much better than other smart systems.
The village of Hengly was going to have the Bean Olympics.It was a competition to see which kind of bean would grow the fastest and tallest.Everybody was excited.They couldn’t waited to show their best plants.
Cassie knew clearly which bean she would choose for the competition,for her family had planted a special “family bean.”It was a flat bean that her greatgrandparents had brought from Sicily.Her grandmother planted the beans every year and served them at many meals.Cassie was sure they would be unbeatable beans.
However,the plan did not work out that way.Although Cassie’s bean plants looked healthy with beautiful purple flowers,they did not grow as fast or climb as high as any of her neighbors’.These people chose beans from seed(种子)stores.Their beans had wonderful names like “Rocket” or “Top Crop.”One type was even named “King’s Bean.”That was the bean Ivan planted,and his plants climbed almost to the top of the fence.Cassie’s plants were just near the middle of the fence.
On the day of the competition,Cassie was disappointed that her beans were in last place.Ivan laughed at hr beans and said she could win a prize for the slowest,shortest beans.
The organizer,Mr.Williams,handed out medals for the fastest-growing and the tallest beans plants.“Now there remains only one final test,and it is just as important:the taste test.”
Mr.Williams cooked the beans from each competitor and chose five experienced villagers as judges(裁判).
Cassie was nervous.Would her family beans lose another time?
After the judges tasted the beans,Mr.Williams counted the results.“We have a winner,” Mr.Williams announced.“The judges all agree that Cassie’s beans are the winner.”
Cassie grinned at this unexpected result.Many of her neighbors,even Ivan asked for her seeds.They were all in favor of the good-tasting beans even though they didn’t grow fast or very tall.
1.Cassie’s beans were from _____________.
A.the organizer B.seed stores
C.her neighbors D.her family
2.Cassie won the prize for ____________.
A.the tallest beans B.the most delicious beans
C.the most beautiful beans D.the fastest-growing beans
3.What does the underlined word grinned probably mean in the passage?
A.smiled widely B.left silently
C.nodded quickly D.sang sadly
4.What is the topic of the passage?
A.The experience of growing beans.
B.The tallest bean in the competition.
C.The history of a special family bean.
D.The bean competition in Hengly Village.
Is it fair for restaurants to ban(禁止)little eaters?In Monronroeville,a local restaurant,McDain’s,recently decided to ban young children.Alice Roseman,its manager,says kids have bad manners and make too much noise.Other people,however,say the rule is hard to accept.Since it has become a hot topic in public,we caught several local people talking about it.
YES There is no law stopping restaurants from banning young children.Restaurant owners should be allowed to ban them.Kids often run around and cause problems for waiters and other customers. ----Kate Barker Kids always cause a mess,but the parents refuse to do anything about their kids’ behaviors.Although kids may be at the center of their parents’ universe,they aren’t at the center of everyone else’s. ------Mike Vuick Adults sometimes want to talk and enjoy their dinner,but they can’t if a child is crying and running all over the place.That’s why sometimes parents don’t like eating at home.They wish they could have a good meal in the restaurants without kids’ noise. ------Dale Levitsky |
NO Banning kids from restaurants is a bad idea.If kids were banned,many restaurants would lose business.Even if restaurants gave customers the chance to buy take-away meals for their kids,many families would probably still not eat there. --------Nicholas Song Restaurants owners who ban kids think all children are wild and rude.But that’s not true. Most children’s eating behaviors are good enough.Even though some kids do have bad manners,banning is not a right way to teach them.I think how a society treats its children is important.After all,all kids are people,too. ------Elliott Hall |
1.The restaurant in Monronroeville refuses ___________ to eat there.
A.kids B.pets C.men D.women
2.Dale Levitsky thinks parents sometimes don’t like eating at home because _________________.
A.they are too busy
B.they dislike doing the dishes
C.kids are too noisy
D.restaurant food is more delicious
3.Who thinks it is wrong to ban kids?
A.Alice Roseman B.Kate Barker
C.Mike Vuick D.Nicholas Song
4.Which of the following opinion is mentioned in the passage?
A.Children waste too much food.
B.Not all kids have bad behaviors.
C.Boys make more noise than girls.
D.Restaurants needn’t help parents.
The most interesting festivals around the world
Contents Introduction.....................................1 ＊Baby Crying Day......................2 ＊Cheese--rolling Festival ............................................4 ＊Color Throwing Festival .................................................6 ＊Fish Swallowing Festival ................................................8 ＊International Pillow Fight Day ............11 ＊International Twins Festival ................13 ＊Raincoat Festival ......................15 ＊Roswell UFO Festival ..................16 ＊Tomato Festival........................18 ＊Water Fighting Day...................19 ＊Wife Carrying Festival..............20 ＊World Bodypainting Festival .............22 | International Pillow(枕头) Fight Day International Pillow Fight Day is held every April around the world---from Amsterdam,Budapest,to New York.It has been celebrated since 2008.Hundreds of people go out with their pillows hitting each other’s face,back and chest.People dress up as superheroes and animals,laughing and fighting. The festival used to be a game to release (释放)energy and stress.Nowadays besides bringing fun,International Pillow Fight Day has become a way to quickly collect pillows for the homeless.In 2014,about 2,000 pillows were collected for the poor in Bronx and Brooklyn. Rules:Bring your own pillows and don’t hit anyone without a pillow or with a camera. The Guinness World Record:The latest record of the largest pillow fight was set on October 27,2013 in Chicago,with 4,500 pillows and 3,813 people. ----11---- |
1.The International Pillow Fight Day was first celebrated in _________.
A.2000 B.2008 C.2013 D.2014
2.The latest Guinness World Record of the largest pillow fight was set in _______________.
A.Chicago B.Amsterdam C.Budapest D.New York
3.You may read about ______________ on the Page 19.
A.Baby Crying Day B.Color Throwing Festival
C.Water Fighting Day D.World Bodypainting Festival
My parents always told me that I couldn’t dance, because it was a girl’s sport. But I never gave up my dream of becoming a dancing star. I practiced secretly, learning form books, movies, and shows. However, without my parents’ support, that ______ seemed all but impossible to reach.
One summer, my little sister Maggie was going to dance lessons. I immediately asked _____parents for permission(允许)to take her to the lessons. What a _____chance to learn dancing!
One afternoon, I was practicing a new dance in my room, when Maggie walked _____.
“What’s the matter, Maggie?” I stopped ______.
“Denis, you are a great dancer! Can you help me?”
“What is it?” I wondered.
“There’ll be a dancing performance in my school, ____ the boys think I’m slow,and none of them wants to be my partner. ____ you dance with me for it?” She looked at me anxiously.
“You can be a good dancer!” I encouraged her. “Let’s show those people that they have been ___all along.”
In the following months, we ____ every evening, hiding from my parents. I was having a fantastic time and ____Maggie improved a lot.
Finally came the big day.I became ____ when I heard my parents would come to watch the performance. As the ____began,I took a deep breathe and tried to calm down. We moved perfectly, shining with pride. From the cheering of the crowd,I was sure we had ____.
My heart was beating wildly when I saw my ____ coming towards me. He put his hand on my shoulder. “Well done, son. Though it is hard for me to admit it, you really looked like you ____ this stage(舞台).Go for it and make us proud.”
I’d been waiting for this moment for so long. I knew that the road ahead wasn’t going to be easy, but I wouldn’t give up.I wanted nothing more in life than to dance.
1.A. line B. dream C. answer D. message
2.A. my B. your C. his D. her
3.A. similar B. funny C. good D. strange
4.A. out B. away C. through D. in
5.A. drawing B. dancing C. singing D. writing
6.A. but B. or C. so D. if
7.A. Need B. Must C. Could D. Should
8.A. sad B. lazy C. sorry D. wrong
9.A. chatted B. rested C. slept D. practiced
10.A. first B. soon C. never D. seldom
11.A. shy B. bored C. nervous D. angry
12.A. music B. lesson C. meeting D. party
13.A. arrived B. finished C. succeeded D. regretted
14.A. father B. mother C. sister D. classmate
15.A. took away B. paid for C. fell into D. belonged to
--Shall we go to Alberta for the summer holiday?
---_________. It’s one of the world’s cleanest cities.
A.Sounds great B. Not at all
C. You’re kidding D. You’re welcome
