Bob Dylan, born on May 24, 1941, is an American songwriter, singer, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when his songs showed social unrest. Early songs such as Blowing in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changing promoted the American civil rights and anti-war movements.
Dylan’s songs include a wide range of political, social and literary influences. They challenged existing pop music conventions and appealed to the growing counterculture. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song, from folk, blues, and country to rock and roll, and to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, even jazz and the Great American Songbook. He has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been called the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but songwriting is considered his greatest contribution.
As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation (引言）for his influence on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
1.Which word best describes Dylan’s music according to Paragraph 2?
A. Various. B. Talented. C. Personal. D. Popular.
2.What is Dylan better recognized as?
A. A performer. B. A singer. C. An artist. D. A songwriter.
3.What made Dylan get the Nobel Prize?
A. His poems about music. B. His American song tradition.
C. His language style of the songs. D. His influence on America culture.
As the morning school bell rings and students rush in, teenagers in one classroom settle onto mats and meditation(冥想) pillows. They fail silent after the teacher taps a “singing bowl”.
These students are in a for-credit, year-long mindfulness class, which is meant to ease youth anxiety and depression and to prevent violence. For 90 minutes, three days a week, they practice a mix of yoga, sitting, and walking meditation, deep breathing, journaling, and non-judgmental listening.
Yoga and meditation have gained popularity among Americans in recent decades, supported by studies showing benefits to emotional, mental, and physical health. The centuries-old practices have roots in eastern religions, but Western culture has long focused on physical postures (姿势), breathing, and relaxation techniques.
Some people have greeted the move with less than enthusiasm. Last year, an elementary school in Ohio ended its mindfulness program after parents complained it was too closely linked to religion. But many school districts are reporting success. In Richmond, California, schools have reported drops in school problems among low-income, at-risk youths. The school district in South Burlington, Vermont, introduced a successful mindfulness course as part of a health and wellness program, and now administrators there have advocated mindfulness into K-12 curriculums.
Two years ago, Caverly Morgan developed the after-school mindfulness program teamed up with Allyson Copacino, who teaches yoga. After hundreds of students signed up, Principal Brian Chatard took note. The school was dealing with a student' s suicide (自杀), and few resources were available to address students’ emotional and mental health.
“High school is the hardest period of time for kids,” Mr. Chatard said. “You’ve got emotional changes, physical changes, and all the social pressures. It’s also the onset of mental illness for some kids, depression hits, and there’s the pressure of college and sports. All these things kids do is overwhelming without having a strategy (策略) to deal with it. ” And now schools all over the country are introducing the practices.
1.What do Western people value more about yoga and meditation?
A. Non-judgmental listening. B. Religious meaning.
C. Physical benefits. D. Journaling.
2.What can we infer about the mindfulness class?
A. It is supported by parents.
B. It relives pressure of students.
C. It mainly builds students up physically.
D. It improves students’ academic performance.
3.Who started the mindfulness class?
A. Administrators. B. Brian Chatard.
C. Caverly Morgan. D. Allyson Copacino.
4.What is Mr. Chatard’s attitude towards the program?
A. Supportive. B. Concerned. C. Doubtful. D. Reserved.
Discovering the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, an experience in Wonderlab will fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways. Come and enjoy yourself!
What to see
Spread across seven different zones, there' re loads of opportunities to get hands on with real scientific phenomena. Observe live experiments at our Chemistry Bar, see lightning strike before your eyes, play with forces on giant slides or travel through space under a canopy (苍穹)of stars. You can also take part in explosive science demonstrations led by our talented team of explainers. With 50 mind-blowing wonders of science to enjoy, Wonderlab is an experience unlike any other. Besides, a selection of shows will be performed daily in Wonderlab’s beautiful new show space. They are free of charge and last 20 minutes.
Tickets
♦ Day pass: ￡6 per person.
This ticket gives you day-long access to Wonderlab, perfect whether you' re planning a special trip to the Museum or simply passing through London and want to feed your curiosity.
♦ Annual pass: ￡10 per person.
For less than the price of two visits, give yourself a year packed full of wonder, curiosity and breathtaking experiences.
Opening times
Open seven days a week, 10:00 — 18:00 (last entry 17:15). Wonderlab will be closed on December 24，25 and 26 and will be open as usual from December 27.
During school holidays our opening hours are 10:00 — 19:00 (last entry 18:15). Please note that in peak periods ( from midday onwards) we are experiencing long queues due to the gallery' s popularity.
1.What can you do in Wonderlab?
A. Explore stars. B. Produce lighting.
C. Join in explosion shows. D. Do chemistry experiments.
2.How much should two visitors pay if they visit Wonderlab and enjoy the shows for one day?
A. ￡ 12. B. ￡ 20. C. ￡32. D. ￡40.
3.When can you enter Wonderlab?
A. 9:30 on December 23. B. 18:30 on school holidays.
C. 11:00 on Christmas. D. 10:30 on December 28.
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce Wonderlab.
B. To attract people to Wonderlab.
C. To explain how Wonderlab works.
D. To analyze why Wonderlab is attractive.
假如你是张萌，在刚结束的寒假里，你作为学校的交换生 (exchange student) 去美国Wilson Middle School学习，期间你结交了很多朋友，增进了对美国文化的了解。现请你代表你的学校，根据下列内容要点，给Wilson Middle School的校长写一封感谢信。
内容要点：
自我简介；
表示感谢（你的收获）；
希望多举办这样的活动；
欢迎该校师生来你校参观
注意： 1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 信的开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Headmaster,
My name is Zhang Meng____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes.
Yours sincerely,
Zhang Meng
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I’m more than happy to hear you. You told me you were having trouble learn Chinese and wanted some advices from me.
Firstly, why not to learn to sing Chinese songs? It’s a good way to learn Chinese and can make you feel relaxing. Secondly, you can make some Chinese friends. Although you get along well with it, they will help you to learn Chinese. Beside, it will be helpful if you watched some Chinese TV programmes and read some Chinese novels. Finally, joining a club is also the good way to learn Chinese. In this way, you will get more chances to practice Chinese.
I hope the suggestions will be useful.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
I was nine years old when I learnt to ride a bike. The bike was a birthday present from my uncle. You can imagine how 1.(excite) I was when I saw the bike, and I begged my uncle to teach me how 2.(ride) it right away. However, before I got on the bike, I felt 3.(extreme) nervous and l was afraid that l would fall off and hurt 4. (me).My uncle held onto the seat and helped me to get 5. the bike. While l was riding, he was running along beside me, holding the seat so I would not fall over. I was so 6.(grate) to him for his help.
As I was practicing, I became more and more confident. Then, I heard my uncle shouting, "You are riding it by yourself now!" I was both excited and scared. I was really riding by myself, but 7. if I fell off? Could I use the brakes to stop? As I was wondering about this, my uncle ran after me and got hold of the bike. I 8.(slow) down and came to a stop. My heart was still beating fast when I got off the bike.9.(late) that day, having learnt how to get on the bike and get off it, I felt like l was walking on air! I am still thankful to my uncle for teaching me to ride a bike on my 10.(nine) birthday.
