He has millions of students from all around the world. They listen to his classes online but never see his face on the screen. Salman Khan, 39, from the US, is the founder of the learning website Khan Academy.
Unlike other online courses that film teachers giving classes, Khan’s videos only use his voice and a digital (数码的) blackboard for writing. He says he doesn’t want a human face to distract students. Khan also makes his classes as short as 10 to 15 minutes so students don’t lose interest. They can also earn (获得) points from taking these classes.
These kinds of special courses make Khan Academy one of the world’s most popular online education websites. The courses are translated into more than 36 different languages including Chinese. About 80 teachers from the world’s top universities are now also teaching on the website. But all this started nine years ago with just one man－Salman Khan.
In 2006, Khan made homemade videos to help his seventh grade cousin with math. He posted the videos online and got thousands of views. This encouraged Khan to make more videos and create his own website Khan Academy.
As a Bangladeshi-American (孟加拉裔美国人), Khan understands that many kids, especially those in developing countries, cannot get a good education. He himself has three degrees (学位) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one from Harvard. He wants to use his knowledge to help more people. Thus, his courses are all offered for free.“Our mission is to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere,” he said.
Khan’s website has not only become very popular worldwide but has also won a lot of respect. Even Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is one of his fans. Gates donated over $1.5 million (9.6 million yuan) to support Khan and named him the “teacher to the world”.
1.From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that _______.
A. Khan Academy is an online education website
B. Khan’s courses film teachers giving classes
C. Salman Khan is from the UK
D. Khan’s classes are as long as 25 minutes
2.The underlined word “distract” means _______.
A. make uneasy B. cause unhappy C. seem unfriendly D. feel unlucky
3.Khan Academy was founded because _______.
A. Khan wanted to be a film teacher
B. Bill Gates donated over $1.5 million to support him
C. Khan wanted to help his seventh grade cousin
D. Khan wanted to help the many kids in developing countries
4.Bill Gates named Khan “the teacher to the world” because _______.
A. Khan’s website helps the teachers to travel around the world
B. Khan once got a degree from Harvard University
C. Khan’s seven grade cousin was not in the US
D. people all over the world can learn from Khan’s online classes for free
5.The best title for this passage may be _______.
A. Khan’s Cousin B. Teacher Reaches World
C. Online Education D. Khan and Bill Gates
It was Christmas Eve. When everyone went to bed，Bunny couldn’t fall asleep. He still couldn’t think of what he wanted as a special Christmas present. He wondered how Santa-Father Christmas would know what to bring him if he didn’t know himself.
As he was sitting up in bed, Bunny heard a big noise on the roof and a sound downstairs. It was Santa Claus, he realized. Bunny jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the stairs. He hoped to take a look at the old man before Santa left for his next stop.
By the time Bunny was at the bottom of the stairs, everything was silent again. Lots of presents were put under the Christmas tree, but Santa was gone. A little disappointed, Bunny turned to climb back upstairs when he heard a cry.
“Hello,”said Bunny.“Is somebody there?”
He was answered by another cry. Bunny looked around the big pile of presents to see what was making the noise. Right under the tree was a funny looking brown animal with big feet and sad eyes. It also had antlers（鹿角）on its head. Bunny almost mistook it for a dog.
“Are you a reindeer？”asked Bunny.
“Yes，”replied the brown animal with antlers. “My name is Ralph.”
“And you were pulling Santa’s sled（雪橇）？”
“I was until I got air-sick,”replied Ralph.“Santa had to leave me here and go on with the other seven reindeer.”
“Isn’t it a bit unusual for a reindeer to get air-sick？I mean, isn’t flying what reindeer are famous for？”
“Not me, I’m afraid．It makes me scared. I always feel sick when it comes to flying，”replied Ralph. “But everyone wanted me to pull Santa’s sled, so when it was my turn I gave it a try. I’m afraid I just wasn’t cut out for the job. Now I’m stuck here and I don’t know how to get back to the North Pole.”
“Well, if you like, you can stay with us as a friend,”said Bunny. As he made the offer, Bunny suddenly realized the special present he wanted from Santa was a new friend!
1.Bunny couldn’t fall asleep on Christmas Eve because _______.
A. he wanted to take a close look at Santa Claus
B. he was waiting for his special present from his father
C. he was thinking about what present to get from Santa
D. he was woken up by a noise on the roof of his house
2.The underlined phrase“cut out”probably means _______.
A. suitable B. famous C. ready D. bad
3.From the article, we can learn that _______.
A. Ralph is a brown dog with antlers
B. Ralph is afraid of flying in the air
C. Bunny got a sled as a Christmas present
D. Bunny sent Ralph back to the North Pole
4.This article seems to tell us that_______.
A. Santa lives in the South Pole with his reindeers
B. Santa usually puts Christmas presents on the roofs
C. Santa uses dogs to bring children presents on Christmas Eve
D. Santa knows what presents children want without being told
5.The best title of this passage should be _______.
A. Christmas Eve B. Santa’s Sled C. A Reindeer D. Christmas Present
18thMarch
HeyJane,
Greetings from Valencia.It's a bit cold today but il isn't raining.We're staying at my friend's house.It's very beautiful because it's fiesta time. We're watching a street parade
now. People are wearing costumes and they are dancing in the streets.There's a human tower competition,too.People are climbing on top ol each other to make the highest tower to win.It's very exciting.
See you soon,
Emma
2nd February
HiSuzie,
Greetings from the world ssnow capital, Quebec. It's very cold and it's snowing to day but I'm having wonderful time.It's the Quebec Winter Carnival so everyone's excited.My aunt is showing me around.Some people are carving sculptures from snow.Others are iceskating. I can't wait to watch the night parade.
Take care,
Bill
1.Look at the pictures above and expressions below, which one matches most?
A. Picture A matches with “fiesta time”.
B. Picture A matches with “people climbing on top of each other”.
C. Picture B matches with “people wearing costumes”.
D. Picture B matches with “people are making a human tower”.
2.Where can we see the passages besides the pictures?
A. From cartoon movies. B. From advertisements.
C. From postcards. D. From adventure stories.
3.What’s the weather like in Quebec?
A. It’s cold and raining. B. It’s cool and raining.
C. It’s cold and snowing. D. It’s cool and snowing.
4.Who is staying with a friend?
A. Jane B. Emma C. Suzie D. Bill
5.Why is Quebec called the world’s snow capital?
A. Because people celebrate Winter Carnival every year.
B. Because people are making the highest human tower.
C. Because people are watching a street parade.
D. Because people are dancing in the streets.
WC, toilet, lavatory, bathroom, restroom, john — English has many_________ for the little room we all have to go to every day. Here are some of the words that_______ and explanations of their meanings.
Different countries use different words. In the US, in________ home, you will get ______ you need to go if you ask where the bathroom is. If you are in a shopping mall, you _______ ask directions to the restroom. US people also use the word john, which is named_______ the 19th century British inventor of the flush toilet (although he seems to have been called Thomas).
In Britain the most commonly used words are toilet and bathroom. But WC, which________ for water closet, and lavatory is also used. A public toilet is a public convenience. People _______ speak of the ladies and Gents (you see the words Ladies and Gentlemen above the ________ to public toilets)， ______ Men and Women are more common now. An older, now rarely used word in Britain is privy which is short for________.
Australians say loo ,_______ is quite popular in the UK. Canadians use the word can, New Zealanders bog, and South Africans want to go to the bathroom.
Where does the word toilet itself _______ from? Well, it’s from the French toilette — to wash ______.
People from_______ countries also use some humorous words，for example, throne(王座） to describe the toilet and throne room for the bathroom.
1.A. words B. names C. places D. titles
2.A. uses B. use C. is used D. are used
3.A. some B. anyone C. someone’s D. somebody
4.A. how B. what C. where D. when
5.A. would B. must C. should D. can
6.A. in B. for C. after D. at
7.A. stands B. writes C. says D. asks
8.A. sometime B. never C. sometimes D. some times
9.A. entries B. exits C. roofs D. walls
10.A. but B. and C. or D. as
11.A. pretty B. private C. plenty D. practice
12.A. whose B. what C. why D. which
13.A. is B. comes C. come D. change
14.A. me B. yourself C. us D. you
15.A. developing B. developed C. poor D. English-speaking
-- Hello, I’d like to go on a nature tour, could you tell me ________?
-- OK. Let me see
A. where I can go to B. where I can go C. where can I go D. where can I go to
--What a nice model ship!
--Thank you. It _____ me three days to make it.
A. cost B. paid C. spent D. took
