现今，我们的很多学校都在开展 Pad 教学实验。你的英文笔友 Peter 想了解你的 Pad 课堂学习 情况，请根据以下提示，以初中生李华的身份给他写一封邮件，告诉他，你利用 Pad 在课堂上学习 什么内容，如何学习，以及你的感受。
提示词语：I-pad, technology, fast, convenient, share, upload, download, personal
提示问题：
What do you learn at class by I-pad？
How do you use it for your study?
What do you think of this kind of class?
Dear Peter,
How is it going? I’m glad to hear from you.
Yours, Li Hua
三年来，你的学校一定组织过很多有意义的外出参观活动，让你和同学们开阔了眼界，体验了快乐，增进了友谊。《英语学习报》现正举办 My School Trip 征文活动，请你根据下面的提示问题，向大家介绍一次你所参加的外出参观活动，说一说大家去了哪，做了什么，以及你的感受。
提示词语：learn from, fantastic, experience, enjoy, exciting
提示问题：
Where did you go on the school trip?
What did you do on the trip?
How did you feel about the trip?
My School Trip
某英文网站正在开展以“我最喜欢的中华传统节日”为主题的征文活动。假如你是李华，请你用英语写一篇短文投稿，谈谈你最喜欢的传统节日是什么，节日里你通常都做什么，以及你为什么喜欢这个节日。
提示词语：festival, get together, enjoy, moon cakes, harvest time
提示问题：
● What’s your favorite traditional festival?
● What do you usually do during the festival?
● Why do you like it?
There are many traditional festivals in China. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There are many traditional festivals in China. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假如你是李华，即将结束在美国的交换学习，回国前你想给住家妈妈Sarah写封感谢信，告诉她你什么时候回国，为什么感谢她，以及你的感受。
提示词语： help, care, communicate, drive to hospital, own family
提示要点：When are you going to leave?
Why do you want to say ‘thank you’ to her?
How do you feel?
Dear Sarah,
I’m writing to deliver my thanks to you.
Thanks again for taking care of me so well.
Yours,
Li Hua
阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。
Football
Ancient Chinese, Roman and Egyptian writings help you know about games played by kicking a ball. We also know that in the twelfth century, in some English towns, on certain days of the year, hundreds of young men would kick a ball around the streets. Unluckily, fight often resulted. People were hurt and even killed. In 1314, such games were not allowed because they were too dangerous.
The game we now know as football developed in England in the early nineteenth century. Football was played in many schools and clubs as early as 1823. These schools and clubs often had different rules, but in 1863, the Football Association or FA was created, and standard rules were agreed for everyone to follow. These are the rules that many parts of the world use for football today. In 1871, a cup was given for the best English club, called the FA Cup. Football soon spread across the world.
In the United States and Canada, however, a different type of football game developed, where the football players could pick the ball up and carry it. The ball is also in a different shape. In American football there is also more violent contact (激烈交锋) between players, who have to wear special clothing to protect themselves.
Football is now certainly the most popular game on earth. Why is that? One reason may be that it’s a simple game. All we need is a ball, and a few things to mark the goals. It’s a more relaxed game which can be enjoyed by just a few people of any age, on any piece of ground or even in the street. Another reason may be that it allows people to show their special skills. Some footballers become very rich and famous, like David Beckham. For this reason, many young people dream of becoming football stars and getting very rich. Television too has made football more popular. Millions of people can watch international matches such as the World Cup, which is held every four years.
1.What helps you know about games played by kicking a ball?
2.Where did the football game develop in the early 19th century?
3.When were the football standard rules made for everyone to follow?
4.Why do American football players have to wear special clothing?
5.Why is football now the most popular game on earth?
Language in crisis
Today, almost 80% of the people in the world speak only 1% of its languages. Every 14 days a language dies. By 2100, half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth today may disappear.
Why do languages die?
Throughout history, the languages of dominant (统治的) groups have spread while the languages of native cultures have become extinct. This happens because of government language policies, or because the dominant language becomes more useful in everyday life.
Why is language important?
Studying different languages increases our understanding of how humans communicate. Language is also an important part of culture. Words that describe a particular cultural practice might not have meaning in another language.
Native groups often have a deep understanding of local plants and animals because they have lived close to nature for thousands of years. We could discover important things, such as treatments for illness, by studying these languages. Many endangered (濒临灭绝的) languages aren’t written down. When the last speakers of a language die and their language becomes extinct, their stories, songs, and other important information are lost, too.
Which languages are disappearing?
Central South America has some of the world’s most endangered languages. The Kallawaya people speak a secret language that has details of thousands of medicinal plants. Today, fewer than 100 people speak it.
In Central and Eastern Siberia, almost all of the native languages are endangered. Many Siberian languages now have only a few elderly speakers.
Oklahoma has the highest number of native languages in the United States. One of these, Yuchi, may be unrelated to any other language in the world. However, during the early 20th century, government schools punished students who were heard speaking it. In 2010, only five elderly members of the Yuchi tribe could speak their native language.
How are languages being saved?
Native cultures around the world are using modern technology to help keep their endangered languages and cultures alive. Communities are creating dictionaries and libraries by using pictures, video, and audio to record the traditions of the last speakers of their language. If the younger generations don’t speak and understand the words and stories of their ancestors (祖先), the language will die. And when the language dies, part of the culture dies, too.
1.The underlined word “extinct” probably means ______.
A. selling out B. dying out C. speaking out D. putting out
2.How are the native languages in Central Siberia and Oklahoma similar?
A. Both of them are secret languages.
B. Fewer people can speak them today.
C. They are both unrelated to other languages.
D. They are both spoken mainly by young people.
3.To save a language, it is most important for______ to learn it.
A. young people B. parents
C. scientists D. dominant groups
4.What does the writer want to tell us in the passage?
A. It’s necessary to study more languages.
B. It’s good for people to speak the same language.
C. Preventing the loss of the world’s languages is important.
D. Protecting languages is more important than protecting culture.
