Many students have hobbies, such as reading, painting, g1. vegetables and looking after animals. Some hobbies are relaxing and others are a2.. Hobbies can make you grow as a p3., d4. your interests and help you learn new skills.
David Smith is a student, and one of his hobbies is writing. During the summer of 2010, he spent four weeks at a summer camp. As well as the usual a5., such as sailing and climbing, there was a writing class. “The teacher was a writer, and she asked us to talk about our lives and tell interesting stories. Then she e6. us to write about our e7. at the camp.
Back at school, David w8. a story about the life of a sixteen-year-old boy and it came out as a book in 2012. Many young people love his book, and as a result, David has become a s9. young writer.
David has been very lucky because his hobby has brought him p10. and success. But writing is not his only hobby. He is also interested in many other things. “I like playing volleyball too,” says David. “I spend some of my free time playing volleyball for my school team. Maybe I’ll write about my volleyball team in my future books.
阅读与表达(问答式)
Today, young people spend about six hours a day in front of a TV or a computer and less than four minutes playing outdoors. It is not healthy for the mind and the body when time spent using technology replaces outdoor time.
Some health experts(专家) call green time "vitamin G". Kids who don't get outdoors much are likely to have trouble in school. Doctors believe that is because being outdoors excites the mind more than sitting around indoors. Even those who usually spend a lot of time outdoors notice a difference when they don't get green time. Madelyne P., 14, says, "I feel more tired when I don't get outdoors."
Researchers believe the positive(积极的) effects of green time come from the physical activity in pastimes such as hiking or boating. Exercise produces brain chemicals that improve learning, mood, and sleep. It also improves learning by increasing connections between nerve cells that are important in learning and memory. Some schools hold classes outside for those reasons. Student Hannah Smith, 18, says she believes the outdoors helps her focus and gets her to learn. Learning in a forest sparked her interest in art and photography, too.
Even doctors are helping give their patients a dose of vitamin G.Miller writes "park prescriptions(处方)" for her patients because,she says, "being outdoors is good for health." She finds that when she gives patients park prescriptions, they are likely to continue with them.
Getting outdoors can be simple, just like calling together your family for a picnic lunch. All it takes is five minutes or more of green time. Get outside, and get your vitamin G!
根据短文内容，完成下列小题。
1.Do young people today spend more time in front of a TV than playing outdoors?
2.What do some health experts call green time?
3.Where do the positive effects of green time come from?
4.Why does Miller write "park prescriptions" for her patients?
5.What does the passage mainly tell us about vitamin G?
Nearly all kids have had the same experience. They are eating in a restaurant with their parents. They finished the spaghetti minutes ago. Now, they are bored. Their little brother is kicking them under the table. He is also complaining about the desserts(餐后甜点). Yet their parents are still eating and talking…and talking…and talking.
“Be patient.” One parent says. “We’ll have dessert soon.”
All kids know what happens next. After dessert, their parents drink coffee. Then they talk some more. Again, the children must wait. They have been in school all day and would rather be running and playing. Instead, they must sit in a chair and stare at a wall.
Going to a restaurant doesn’t have to be this way. Many restaurants say they are “family-friendly”. Family restaurants, such as fast-food restaurants should play areas for children. At these restaurants, almost every play area is a big room full of climbing equipment. The room is usually, packed with happy kids. Parents can eat while the children play. Everyone is happy.
The real problem begins when families want to eat a fancier meal(大餐). The parents don’t want to hurry through the meal but talk to each other. They do not have bored children pestering(烦扰) them about leaving. That’s no fun for kids either. For them, going to a nicer restaurant means just one thing: sit still and be quiet.
On family blogs across the Web, dozens of parents post the same question all the time; are there any nicer restaurants with play areas for kids? Research shows that some nicer restaurants do have play areas. In warmer cities, it is easier for restaurants to build play areas outside. For example, at one restaurant kids can sail tiny little motor boats in a small, shallow pond. Parents can sit on a beautiful yard and watch the kids play. Some nicer restaurants even have indoor play areas. Research also shows that these restaurants serve more than just burgers, chickens and fries.
So, it’s possible for a restaurant to provide both food and a place where kids can play. These restaurants seem to be popular, too. For some, families must have reservation days in advance. For others, families might be forced to wait in long lines. Clearly, quality food and safe play areas are both good for business.
1.Why do children get unhappy at the restaurant?
A. Because they can’t join in their parents’ talk.
B. Because the dessert isn’t served in time.
C. Because they can do nothing but wait.
D. Because the food there isn’t delicious.
2.What is the real problem mentioned in the passage?
A. Children don’t like eating fancier food.
B. Not many nicer restaurants provide play areas.
C. Parents don’t trouble to comfort their bored kids.
D. People have to wait for seats in nicer restaurants.
3.What conclusion can we draw from the research?
A. It’s common for nicer restaurants to provide good food and play areas.
B. Building play areas is more difficult for restaurants in colder cities.
C. Serving more kinds of foods may help restaurants to make more money.
D. It’s possible for restaurants to find a balance to make both happy.
4.What does the writer mainly want to tell us?
A. Cities need to help develop restaurant business.
B. Children are supposed to be much more patient.
C. Restaurants are supposed to give kids some space.
D. Parents need to care more about their kids when eating.
After wandering around in the city for a long time, Tom finally found himself standing in front of the palace. He looked through its golden gate, hoping to take a look at a real prince. There were some guards standing at both sides of the gate. Tom, dressed badly, was moving nervously past them when he suddenly caught sight of a well-dressed boy who was followed by several servants. He was no doubt the prince!
Tom was excited. He wanted to get close to the prince and have a good look at him.
However, a guard saw him and stopped him rudely.
The young prince, whose name was Edward, was angry with the guard for his rudeness. He asked the guard to open the gate and took Tom to his room in the palace.
The two boys became good friends. They even exchanged their clothes after Tom told Edward that he had dreamt about dressing like a prince. As they stood side by side in front of a great mirror, they were surprised to find that they looked almost like twins!
The two boys were in each other's clothes when Edward suddenly noticed a bruise on Tom's hand. He soon realized that it was caused by the guard who had stopped Tom rudely. In a moment, the young prince ran out of the room. He decided to punish the guard.
However, the guard didn't realize that the prince was in Tom's old worn clothes. He hit Edward heavily on the ear and threw him out of the palace.
1.Why did Tom look through the gate of the palace?
A.To talk with the guard. B.To ask for a place to live in.
C.To have a look at a real prince. D.To live in the palace.
2.When Tom was stopped, Edward got mad because of .
A.the bad manners of Tom B.the strict rules of the palace
C.the uncomfortable words of the king D.the rude behavior of the guard
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Edward and Tom were twin brothers.
B.Edward was kind, caring and friendly.
C.Edward was tired of living in the palace.
D.Tom wanted to be a real prince.
There is a famous English saying “You are what you eat”, and it means what you put in your mouth will become part of you. Many experts (专家) use it to tell people it’s important to have a good eating habit. For example, too much sweet food makes a person overweight. To avoid being fat, kids are told to keep off sweet food. However, a team of American scientists have discovered something new about eating sweet food.
“When we say some people are ‘sweet’, we mean they are kind and friendly to us. Perhaps this word can help us learn more about people’s feelings and acts.” said Brian Meier, a scientist from the study team. “Taste is something we experience every day. What we have done is to find whether we can know someone’s character and behavior depending on their taste.”
In one of their experiments, college students were asked questions about their character — whether, for example, they were soft-hearted or not. Then they were asked to make a list of their favorite food. According to their answers, the scientists found that the students who liked sweet food were nicer.
In their another experiment, the scientists found that people who preferred sweet food such as cookies and chocolate were more willing to help other people in need, and those who ate non-sweet food such as chips weren’t. For example, people with a sweet tooth were more likely to volunteer to clean up their city, visit sick children in the hospital and so on.
The result of the experiments is that people’s helpfulness or being nice has something to do with their taste for sweet food. So eating sweet food is a useful way to make people nice and helpful. Next time, try some ice-cream.
1.The underlined word “it” refers to ________.
A.the sweet food B.the eating habit
C.the American team D.the English saying
2.According to the result of the experiments, sweet food makes people ________.
A.overweight B.excited C.relaxed D.friendly
3.It can be learnt from the passage that ________.
A.scientists asked college students questions about their future
B.scientists told college students not to eat sweet food
C.people with a sweet tooth are more willing to help others
D.people’s character has nothing to do with their taste
A cup of coffee is a good way for many people to start their day. It can also pass on kindness.
Manyang Kher used to be a Sudanese child refugee(难民). When he was three years old, his village was burnt in the war. He was separated from his parents and never saw them again. He became one of the 20,000 young Sudanese who had to leave their home for Ethiopia’s Gambella area. He lived there as a refugee for 13 years.
When he was 16, Kher went to the United States. While he was in college, he started a program to help the refugees. Now, he owns a coffee company (公司) called 734, which is a part of his program. The company has helped more than 200,000 refugees living in the Gambella area till now. Kher said, “I know the difficulties and pains they face every day. You see kids die from hunger. You see kids dying of illnesses. You see kids running away from the refugee camp to find a place to be home, but die on the way.”
Eighty percent of the money made by the coffee company is used to send more of the children to school. And, as Kher explains, the money helps refugees to help themselves. For example, a cup of 734 coffee can also buy one fishing net(网) for a refugee. They can fish for themselves.
Kher sells the coffee online and to coffee stores. Megan Murphy owns a coffee store in Washington, D.C. She serves 734 coffee in her store and people love it. The coffee tastes delicious, so it’s a win-win on both sides.
1.Kher left his home when he was three years old because ________.
A.his parents opened a store B.his village was burnt in the war
C.he had to move to the US D.he lost his home in an earthquake
2.Kher helps the refugees by ________.
A.making fishing nets B.offering coffee to them
C.starting a program D.sending them back home
3.We can infer from this passage that ________.
A.Kher sells his coffee both online and to coffee stores
B.you’re helping the refugees when enjoying 734 coffee
C.coffee from Megan Murphy’s store tastes delicious
D.Megan Murphy is one of the refugees in Gambella
