近日，是否要在中学进行英语口语考试的话题引起了学生们的热议，某中学生英语报也举办了以“Spoken English Test in Middle Schools”为主题的征文活动，请你根据下面所提示的内容，用英语写一篇短文向该报投稿。
1．简要介绍你们班同学目前英语口语水平；
2．说明你对中学英语口语考试的态度，并给出至少两个支持（或反对）的理由。
注意:
1. 词数120左右。短文的开头已给出（不计入总词数）；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Recently there has been a heated discussion among students about whether it’s necessary to have spoken English test in middle schools.
Art is an important part of education, not only on its own but in the rest of education as well. However, in this information age, advanced technology in school has gained more attention than art. Sometimes when the school has a tight budget, it is usually art rather than technology that becomes the first thing to be cut.
Anyway, the significance of art can’t be ignored. First of all, in school it can help students develop a variety of life skills such as communication skills, problem-solving skills and self-expression skills. Secondly, for high school students, those who are involved in arts classes can have higher test scores. Besides, for some students, art seems to be motivation for coming to school because it’s a subject that they can outshine, which eventually balances their educational experience.
New technology surely offers many benefits to some aspects of education, making teaching and learning easier and more effective. For example, technology simplifies tasks that take much longer to do, like conducting research or finding information. But advanced technology has bad effects such as the risk of being overweight, tiredness and even potential mental health problems, while art doesn’t. On the other hand, unlike art, no technology can develop students’ critical (批判的) thinking skills and a creative mind, both of which can help them to find successful careers after they graduate. Furthermore, no technology can help students to learn to bear responsibility, develop their imagination and increase their confidence.
Generally, art should not be replaced with advanced technology in schools and the last thing to be cut out of school curriculum.
Title | Should Technology 1. Art? |
Situation | Technology has attracted more2. than art In schools, which is in danger of being cut. |
The3. roles that art plays in school | ● Developing 4. life skills ● Improving academic performance ● Serving as 5. for attending school |
Advantages of art over technology | ● Causing less health problems ● Developing critical thinking and 6. ● Helping students take on 7. ● Developing imagination ● Making students feel more 8. |
9. | Art should be no doubt 10.on the school curriculum. |
For the first time, researchers have discovered that some plants can kill insects in order to get additional nutrients. New research shows that they catch and kill small insects with their own sticky hairs near the roots and then absorb nutrients through their roots when the insects are killed and fall to the ground.
Professor Mark Chase, of Kew and Queen Mary, University of London, said: “The cultivated (改良的) tomatoes and potatoes still have the hairs. Tomatoes in particular are covered with these sticky hairs. They do trap small insects on a regular basis. They do kill insects.”
The number of these carnivorous plants is thought to have came up to 50 percent and many of them have until now been wrongly regarded as among the most harmless plants. Among them are species of petunia（矮牵牛）, some special tobacco plants and cabbages, some varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, etc. Researchers at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, which carried out the study, now believe there are hundreds more killer plants than previously realized.
It is thought that the technique was developed in the wild to get necessary nutrients in poor quality soil – and even various plants grown in your vegetable garden still have the ability.
The researchers, publishing their finding in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, said: “We may be surrounded by many more murderous plants than we think.” “We are accustomed to thinking of plants as being immobile and harmless, and there is something deeply frightening about the thought of meat-eating plants," they added.
1.Tomatoes and potatoes kill insects to _____.
A. get more sticky hairs
B. make themselves grow better
C. make their roots stronger
D. avoid falling down to the ground
2.The word “carnivorous” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _____.
A. fast-growing
B. harmless
C. insect-killing
D. nutritious
3.The insect-killing technique of vegetables is developed most probably through _____.
A. evolution of species
B. helps from other garden plants
C. artificial cultivation
D. nutrients preserved in rich soil
4.The text is probably taken from _____.
A. a student book
B. a science fiction
C. a scientific repot
D. a bulletin board
This message is to inform all the children that Santa's post office in Himmelpfort, Germany, is open to receive your holiday wishes. That means you can mail your letters to Santa about 6 weeks sooner than that last year. Santa knows you've been good and wants to make sure he and his helpers receive your wish list earlier.
Eight post offices are organized across Germany to answer all letters children send. This year they plan to receive over 250,000 letters. Though the letters fly from over 80 different countries, Santa and his helpers can understand and make sure to answer all the letters.
In 1984, two children from Berlin sent their wish lists to Himmelpfort after spending vacation there. Their letters were answered by postal employees and later Himmelpfort increased its helpers to meet the needs of increased mail traffic. Year after year, Santa and his crew use an eco-friendly powered vehicle to collect the thousands of letters he receives from young boys and girls. The great news for this year is that if you come to the beautiful town of Himmelpfort, you can drop off your letter and visit Santa in person, from Tuesdays to Thursdays until Christmas Eve.
Santa does not currently have an e-mail, Twitter or a Facebook account. He believes in old-fashioned communication. So get out your paper and write your wish list. Just make sure your letter is clear so you can receive an official response, send your letters to:
Santa
Christmas Post Office
Himmelpfort, Germany 16798
1.This year Santa and his helpers _____.
A. are eager to receive more wishes
B. keep traveling around 80 countries
C. are able to receive kids’ letters earlier
D. answer most of the letters from kids
2.From the 3rd paragraph, we know that _____.
A. post offices send kids all the presents they ask for
B. children from Berlin like spending holidays in Himmelpfort
C. Santa uses a powered vehicle because of the heavy mail traffic
D. children can visit Santa in the flesh before Christmas Eve this year
3.Santa doesn’t have social communications online probably because he _____.
A. is not sure about the online security
B. trusts traditional ways of communication
C. prefers official and formal letters
D. thinks written letters are clearer than e-mails
4.This text is intended for _____.
A. tourists coming to Himmelpfort
B. teenagers preferring writing letters
C. parents preparing for Christmas
D. children planning to write to Santa
More than half a century ago, there were 4, 000 drive-in movie theaters in the United States, and watching a movie from your car was a popular way to spend an evening. But with the number of drive-ins reduced to just a few hundred, outdoor movie has been popping up across the nation. Going to an open-air theater has become a modern summer pastime for an increasing number of movie fans.
In recent years, outdoor movie screenings have come up in parks, vacant lots and shopping malls around the nation. On average, about 1,000 people attend each movie night. It attracts a lot of young professionals, young workers and residents nearby. For some, the outdoor movies bring back the memories of the drive-in theaters of their youths. But for the majorities, they think it is comparable to the atmosphere of drive-ins, as they can bring friends, food, good wine, and watch the movie together.
The returning of Americans’ love affair with outdoor movies makes Stephen Bastas ever busier. His seven-member crew sets up screens in various locations mostly in the Washington area every day throughout the summer. They are doing pretty well and they hope to continue the trend. And it looks like they are going to. That’s because many fans say there is nothing like watching a movie on a breezy summer evening under the stars.
1.In the first paragraph, the author tries to tell us _____.
A. outdoor movies attracts more movie-lovers
B. summer brings back more drive-in movie fans
C. drive-in movie theaters have already disappeared
D. watching a movie from your car is becoming more popular
2.Most people choose to go to an outdoor movie mainly because they can _____.
A. have snacks before the movie
B. cheer up with young friends
C. bring back good old days
D. enjoy the casual atmosphere
3.From the text, we can learn that Stephen Bastas is most probably _____.
A. a movie maker
B. an outdoor movie fan
C. a movie director
D. an open-air theater operator
4.How does Stephen Bastas feel about the future of outdoor movie?
A. Optimistic. B. Amazed
C. Worried. D. Disappointed.
Dogs and cats are not for students who live in the dormitory. Just think about the noise, the smell and all that wild behavior—chewing on whatever they can get their teeth on, or knocking over the trash can. But don’t feel sad. There are smaller and less destructive pets to make your dormitory life colorful.
Betta fish
They make great pets with their big personality and astonishing colors, ranging from bright red, dark blue to lemon yellow. Unlike many fish, most bettas react to their owner’s presence and become more active when they are nearby, which is unusual in the fish world.
Chinchillas
Without bad smell, about the size of a rabbit and with fur so dense that they can’t get pests such as fleas(跳蚤), the friendly creature originally from the Andes Mountains in South America makes an ideal indoor pet. Chinchillas are very social animals, so if you only have one, you will become its family. In cold winter days, in a glace at this fury pet in a dorm will bring you a lot of warmth.
Land hermit crabs
In a society where owners are often asked “Are they tasty?”, land hermit crabs are among the most unlucky animals commonly kept as pets. But they are easy to care for, inexpensive and fascinating to watch. And the fact that they don’t cause any allergic reactions makes them perfect for college dormitories.
Red-eared sliders
If you’re interested in a lifelong friend, a red-eared slider makes a wonderful pet. If well cared for, they can live for around 40 years. But there are a couple of things you should know. Red-eared can grow to an adult size of up to 30cm! So you may need a larger tank quickly. In addition, you will need to provide UV lighting, water heater, and a swimming area and a basking (晒太阳) area. Housing a red eared slider is not easy.
1.All the dormitory pets mentioned in the text are _____.
A. active and allergic
B. quiet and peaceful
C. colorful and tasty
D. small and smelly
2.Which of the following is not true about these creatures?
A. Bettas are active and rich in colors.
B. Chinchillas are originally mountain animals.
C. Land hermit crabs are allergic but tasty.
D. Red-eared sliders need more care from the owner.
3.If you want to keep the pet as long as possible, you’d better choose _____.
A. Betta fish
B. Chinchillas
C. Land hermit crabs
D. Red-eared sliders
4.The text is mainly to _____.
A. introduce the best way to keep pets
B. offer useful tips for choosing pets
C. inform students of lifestyle of pets
D. recommend some dormitory pets
