Grandparents who help out occasionally with childcare in their community tend to live longer than seniors who do not care for other people，according to a study from Berlin，Germany.
“Having no contact with grandchildren at all can negatively impact grandparents’ health. This link could be deeply rooted in our evolutionary past when help with childcare was important for the survival of the human species，”said Sonja Hilbrand，one of the researchers.
The findings are drawn from data on more than 500 people over age 70．Overall，after accounting for grandparents’age and general state of health，the risk of dying over a 20-year period was one-third lower for grandparents who cared for their grandchildren，compared with grandparents who provided no childcare．
Caregiving was associated with a longer life even when the care receiver wasn’t a relative. Half of a 11 childless seniors who provided support to friends or neighbors lived for seven years after the study began，while non-helpers lived for four years on average.
“Caregiving may give caregivers a purpose of life because they may feel useful for others and society．Caregiving may be thought also as an activity that keeps caregivers physically and mentally active，” said Professor Bruno Arpino．
Arpino noted，however，that caregiving is not the only activity that can improve health and that too many caring responsibilities can take away from other beneficial activities like working，being in social clubs，or volunteering．“Children should take into account their parents’ needs，willingness，and desires and agree with them on the timing and amount of childcare，” he suggested．
“It is very important that every individual decides for him／herself，what proper amounts of help’ means，”Hilbrand said，adding，“As long as you do not feel stressed about the intensity(强度) of help you provide you may be doing something good for others as well as for yourself．”
1.What is the caregiving study based on?
A. Human evolutionary history． B. Demand modern society．
C. Social contact between relatives． D. Data on many elderly people．
2.In Arpino’s opinion，childcare________．
A. is sure to keep old people away from illnesses
B. allows old people to live a more meaningful life
C. creates more job opportunities for old people
D. makes social activities inaccessible to old people
3.What does the underlined part “take into account” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Limit． B. Ignore． C. Favor． D. Consider．
4.What does the last paragraph tell us?
A. Grandparents can do anything in their own interests．
B. Grandparents should share more social responsibilities．
C. Proper amounts of childcare do good to grandparents．
D. Caregiving guarantees every grandparent a longer life.
Yacouba Sawadogo is an African farmer who has been travelling across the deserts for the last 30 years，using ancient farming techniques to fight the threatening deserts.
His story dates back to the 1980s when Africa suffered one of the worst droughts in its history．During that period，rainfall reduced by as much as 80％，killing almost all the plants．Most local people moved away to different places，but Yacouba stayed back．Instead of giving in to the violence of nature，he decided to take control and change the face of the land completely．
Unable to read and write，and with no access to modern techniques and tools，he started to employ an old African farming practice called “Zai”．The practice involves planting seeds in small holes filled with eco-friendly manure(肥料)．The holes fill up with and keep the water that falls during the rainy season．This provides moisture(水分) and nutrients for the growing plants during the dry periods．Also，the manure attracts ants，which help break up the soil further and increase its ability to take in water．
Within two decades of starting his revolutionary work，a forested area of about fifty acres came up on the land of the African desert．Yacouba featured in a documentary titled “The Man Who Stopped the Desert” through which he became known to the rest of the world．To the great joy and relief of Yacouba，what the documentary focused on was put into the re-establishment of local forests and a training program for the farmers who wanted to 1earn Yacouba’s technique．Today，“Zai” is being widely practiced in the region．
1.What does the text mainly talk about?
A. A training program for African farmers．
B. A documentary about an influential African farmer．
C. The serious situation of environment destruction in Africa．
D. An African farmer fighting deserts with old farming methods．
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Yacouba advertised his farming practice through the media．
B. Yacouba’s efforts have made a great difference．
C. Rebuilding forests is no tough job at a11．
D. Deserts no longer threaten Africa．
3.Which word can best describe Yacouba?
A. Determined． B. Knowledgeable． C. Curious． D. Creative．
After a long winter，spring is the ideal time for sightseeing and exploring London’s green spaces．
Explore London’s parks and gardens
Springtime is one of the perfect times of year to explore London’s parks and gardens，when the city’s Royal Parks will be blooming with flowers．Go and admire the rainbow of azaleas(杜鹃花) at Richmond Park or hire a deckchair in St James’s Park with a view of Buckingham Palace.
Enjoy the entertainment at a Spring Festival
There are a good many festivals and events held in London throughout spring．Make the most of the cultural exhibitions at the British Library Spring Festival, the Sundance Film Festival or the London Literature Festival；head to Shakespeare’s Globe，which hosts open-air Shakespeare performances from late April until early October．
Get active
Warmer weather means there’s no excuse for staying indoors，so go for a walking or cycling tour of London．Alternatively，walk the Thames Walkway，which follows the river all the way from central London into the countryside；make the most of London’s “Boris Bikes”，which are available for hire all around the city and are free of charge for the first half hour．If you’re really looking for a challenge，sign up for the famous London Marathon，held annually in April．
Take to the waters
Whether cruising(航行) along the Thames River，hiring a rowing boat in Hyde Park or riding a canal boat around Little Venice，there are lots of fun ways to get on the water in London．Held every year since 1829，the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race allows teams from England’s most famous universities to compete against each other，and draws huge crowds of watching people．
1.If you are interested in British culture，you are advised to ________．
A. visit Richmond Park B. row a boat in Hyde Park
C. attend the London Festivals D. walk the Thames Walkway
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. You can see Buckingham Palace from St James’s Park．
B. London’s Boris Bikes are free to use for a whole day．
C. Outdoor Shakespeare performances are held only in spring．
D. The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race has a history of over 200 years．
3.According to the writer，which of the following activities challenges you most?
A. Watching Boat Race． B. Joining in London Marathon．
C. Cruising along the Thames River． D. Cycling around London．
4.The writer wrote the text in order to ________.
A. introduce tourist attractions in London
B. stress the importance of exploring London
C. suggest ways to enjoy spring in London
D. show the beauty of spring in London
假设你是光明中学的高中生李华。你校拟选拔一些优秀学生，利用暑期到星光希望小学为学生辅导英语。你希望参加此活动。请根据以下提示，用英语给校评选组写一封申请信：
•对此活动的认识（如对本人、学校及社会的益处等）
•个人优势（如性格、独立生活能力、语言能力等）
•你的计划（如怎样进行辅导等）
注意：1.词数80词;
2.可适当加入细节，以使内容充实、行文连贯;
3.信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入词数。
参考词汇： 星光希望小学Xing Guang Hope School
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Li Hua from Class One, Senior One .__________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Yours Sincerely
Li Hua
1.说实在的，如果你能用现金支付我会非常感激（honest； appreciate）
__________________________________________________________________________
2.我们钦佩他对教学的投入，从他身上我们学到了很多（admire; devotion; 定语从句）
__________________________________________________________________________
3.他和女主人交谈得很开心。显然，他们对彼此很熟悉（familiar）
__________________________________________________________________________
4.他女朋友一直未原谅他的不守信，即便他已经道歉了（forgive; word; even though）
___________________________________________________________________________
5.我们的老师认为养成良好的学习习惯很重要，我们可以从中受益匪浅（attach; form; benefit）
__________________________________________________________________________
In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice-bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, 1. Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.
Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might 2. (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine 
various hardwoods and metal 3. (create) special design.
The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots, 4. (use) twigs(树枝) to remove it. Over time, 5. the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which 6. (gradual) turned into chopsticks.
Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, 7. lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the 8. (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and 9. (be) too violent for use at the table.
Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat 10. their hands.
