People have been making and flying kites for about 2,000 years. 1.Some historians believe it the ancient Chinese may have started kite flying 2000 years ago. It is still a popular hobby in China, Japan and Korea and in other countries of the Far East where beautifully decorated appear in different colors.
2.Simple kites are made by crossing two sticks and covering them with paper or cloth. Then you attach a string at the end. More expensive kites have frames made of fiberglass, plastic or aluminum. The name comes from a graceful bird called kite.
3.A flat kite is the oldest and simplest type of kite. It flies because air flows over and under the kite's wing. The pressure under the wing helps the kite lift into the air.
4.Early scientists sent kites up into the air to measure temperature at different heights. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to prove that lightning was a form of electricity. He attached a metal key to the string of a kite. When lightning hit the kite, electricity passed down the string and Franklin got an electric shock. It was a very dangerous experiment that you shouldn't copy.
Kites were also used to develop airplanes. The Wright Brothers experimented with kites before they flew the first airplane. 5. In World War I the Germans developed a large kite that could transport people to a submarine. Kites were also used to carry radio signals over long distances.
Today most people fly kites as a hobby. Kite festivals are organized in many cities in all parts of the world.
A. Kites are made in many different sizes, colors and shapes.
B. flying kites is great fun and it is easy if you know some secrets.
C. Kites have also been used in experiments.
D. No one knows for sure who invented the kite.
E. In Japan families fly fish kites on Children's Day, May5th.
F. Stories of kites were brought to Europe till the end of the 13th century.
G. In the past, kites were sometimes used to take pictures in wars.
Cycling or even walking in city areas can be a little dangerous, thanks to the fact that one is sharing the road with vehicles that are increasingly getting larger and heavier. A recent study proves that of the 1.27million people that die in road traffic crashes each year, about half are walkers, motorcyclists and cyclists. Now there may be a solution that could provide at least some help to protect this helpless group---an airbag!
If you are worried that this safety measure will involve you taking around a heavy package or worse still, wrapping yourself inside an ugly plastic bag, the bag is fitted not on the human, but on the outside of the vehicle. And, while there are several versions of the idea in the works, the one most recently unveiled by Dutch car company TNO, seems to be the most advanced and ready to go into production.
In the works since 2011, the airbag covers only the lower part of the windshield. This will provide the much needed buffer(缓冲)between the person’s head and the pane of glass he/she would otherwise meet.
The chain of events leading to an airbag cause are quite simple---A camera fitted beneath the rear-view mirror monitors the vehicle’s closeness to a walker or cyclist. Any contact with either one of them sets off the sensors in the car’s bumper and quickly blows up the airbag. In addition to that the sensors also set off the car’s automatic brake, reducing the chances if an even worse injury.
In tests conducted using a model, the success of not getting injured after being hit by a car travelling at about 40km/h was about 50-50! While not perfect, it will still result in reducing the number of deaths by a huge amount.
With TNO ready to license its technology to car makers and many more companies trying to develop similar concepts, we would not be surprised if outer airbags become a standard feature in every car pretty soon.
1.Why does the airbag cover the lower part of the windshield?
A. To protect the windshield from being destroyed.
B. To make the vehicle look beautiful.
C. To reduce the weight of walkers.
D. To prevent people’s head crashing on the glass.
2.The fourth paragraph is mainly about__________.
A. how the airbag works
B. where the airbag is fixed
C. why the airbag is safe
D. what the airbag is made up of
3.The writer thinks the airbag of TNO____________.
A. perfect
B. practical
C. expensive
D. useless
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Airbags are a new standard feature in cars.
B. Airbags are much safer for drivers now.
C. Airbags are practical for walkers and cyclists.
D. Airbags are a solution to higher car accident rates.
In the late 1950s, a Russian geneticist called Dmitry K. Belyaev attempted to create a tame (驯化的) fox population. Through the work of a breeding programme at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics at Novosibirsk, in Russia, he sought to find the evolutionary pathway of tame animals. His test subjects were silver-black foxes, a melanistic (带黑色的) version of the red fox that had been bred in farms for the color of their fur.
He selected the animals based on how they responded when their cage was opened. About 10% of the foxes displayed a weak “wild-response”, meaning they were docile around humans. Those that hid in the corner or made aggressive voices were left in the farm. Of those friendly foxes, 100 females and 30 males were chosen as the first generations of parents.
When the young foxes were born, the researchers hand-fed them. They also attempted to touch or pet the foxes when they were two to two-and-a-half months old, for strictly measured periods at a time. If the young foxes continued to show aggressive response, even after significant human contact, they were thrown away from the population—meaning they were made into fur coats. In each selection, less than 10% of tame individuals were used as parents of the next generation.
By the fourth generation, the scientists started to see dramatic changes. The young foxes were beginning to behave more like dogs. They wagged their tails and “eagerly” sought contact with humans. By 2005-2006, almost all the foxes were playful, friendly and behaving like domestic dogs. The foxes could “read” human hints and respond correctly to gestures or glances.
1.What do we know about Belyaev’s breeding plan?
A. It explains how red foxes were bred.
B. It focuses on how tame animals evolved.
C. It explains why pet foxes became popular.
D. It concentrates on why tame animals disappeared.
2.How did he choose his test foxes in the experiment?
A. By appearance.
B. By color.
C. By reaction.
D. By flexibility.
3.What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
A. Smart foxes were used for testing.
B. The purpose of selection was unclear.
C. Friendly foxes were kept on testing.
D. The selection was not exact and thorough.
4.What is the distinguishing characteristic of the fourth generation foxes?
A. Behaving in a friendlier way.
B. Eating plants.
C. Having drooping ears.
D. Having shortened legs.
Many teens in high school want to try out for sports. A lot of them try out because they think it will make them popular or get them more dates. While this may seem like a silly reason, there are lots of other benefits to sports that your children may fail to notice.
With TV, movies, computers and video games becoming more and more popular, it has become so much easier for teens to be by themselves rather than going out with friends. Kids used to go hang out at the mall or drive around town; now they just sit at home. Getting your teens into a sport gives them a chance to go out and spend time with other people socially. While they may not find a new best friend, they will learn how to communicate with one another and work as a team and they’ll find something useful later in life.
More and more kids are becoming overweight. Joining a team sport will help teens get out and get some exercise without feeling pressured to lose weight or get in shape. What’s more, if your teens see that their physical condition is causing them to under-perform, they may be encouraged to do other activities to get healthy. By the time your children reach their teenager year, part of good parenting will be providing them with direction and encouragement and continuing to help them develop a healthy style of living.
These days, it’s becoming harder to show your teenagers that you love and support them. A great way to do this is by showing up to their game, helping them practice, and helping with team fundraisers. These are also great ways to spend time with your kids and talk to them.
You may think “but my teen isn’t good enough to make their school team”. There are plenty of other places besides school to play team sports. You can always check out “for-fun” teams. You could look into more unknown sports that you may not have thought of, did you know that bowling is a NCAA team sports If you do a little research, you’re sure to find something your teen will enjoy.
Team sports are a great way for teens to get out of the house, get moving, make friends, and even get a scholarship to college. So why not talk to them about getting into sports today
1.After joining a sport, children may___________.
A. lose weight without any pressure.
B. find little pressure in learning.
C. be forced to do some exercise.
D. be provided with good parenting.
2.What does the under lined word “this” refer to?
A. To help teens develop a healthy lifestyle.
B. To show love to your teens.
C. To enable teens to know more about new places.
D. To motivate teens to get healthy.
3.Why did the author write this passage?
A. To explain some non-competitive sports.
B. To encourage parents to join their children in sports.
C. To introduce the advantages of sports for teens.
D. To stress the importance of teamwork in sports.
Movie
Pete’s Dragon
Pete, played by Oakes Fegley, ventured into the water with his dragon pal, Elliot, in the new movie Pete’s Dragon. The film brought an animated dragon, Elliot, and his human best friend, Pete, together. Shooing it took a lot of imagination for Oakes Fegley, the 11-year-old actor who played Pete, and Oona Laurence, the 13-year-old actress who played Natalie. She discovered Pete and Elliot in the woods.
Kubo’s Great Quest(寻找)
The movie was about a young boy named Kubo, who live with his mother in a quite village in ancient Japan. After accidentally calling for a vengeful spirit from the past, Kubo set off on a heroic quest to find a magical suit of armor(盔甲) once worn by his father. Along the way, he gained two animal companions, Monkey and Beetle. Their journey was filled with magic, music, and the telling of many stories.
Ice Age: Collision Course
When the original Ice Age film was released in 2002, an animated herd of prehistoric animals took the world by storm. Fast-forward 14 years and the fifth movie in the Ice Age franchise(获特许经营权的企业)was hitting theaters. Ice Age: Collision Course followed those same beloved mammals that moviegoers have watched grow up. This time around, it isn’t global warming that threatened the herd, but a big planet that’s headed toward Earth.
Finding Dory
In Finding Dory, the forgetful blue tang, Dory, suffered from short-term memory loss. On Dory’s journey to reconnect with her mom and dad, she made some new friends.
1.How did Laurence control her emotions in the shooting of Pete’s Dragon?
A. By testing.
B. By seeing.
C. By imitating.
D. By imagining.
2.For what purpose did Kubo start his journey?
A. To search for an armor.
B. To obtain animal friends.
C. To know about Asian culture.
D. To learn about the American accent.
3.What was likely to destroy the herd in Ice Age: Collision Course?
A. A planet kissing Earth.
B. An alien invading Earth.
C. Worst floods happening on Earth.
D. Global warming happening on Earth.
4.What health problem did Dory have?
A. She had a long memory.
B. She had a head injury.
C. She had a terrible memory.
D. She had a shoulder injury.
假如你是李华。你看到美国留学生Sharon在网上发贴，希望有人能帮助她提高普通话(Mandarin)水平，她可以教英语作为回报。请根据以下提示用英语给她写一封电子邮件。
1．表达给她提供帮助的意愿；
2．说明你能胜任辅导的理由；
3．给出讲好普通话的两点建议；
4．提出你学习英语的具体需求。
注意：
1．词数100左右，开头语已为你写好；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Hi Sharon,
This is Li Hua. I learned from your post that you want to improve your Mandarin
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Yours,
Li Hua
