Holiday gift buying can feel a little empty, when all of those endless lists, long lines at the shopping center and dollars spent lead to a 5-miute excitement of flying wrapping paper. 1.The following tips can help make gift giving more meaningful for both the giver and the receiver.
1.Know the person
The most important thing in the exchanging of gifts is that it shows you really know the person well, and you really care about them. 2.
2.Donate in their name
3.Research suggests that happier people give more to others, and that giving more makes people happier. Moreover, charity-related happiness is highest when people give in a way that promotes social connection. So, try giving to the less fortunate in someone’s name this holiday season.
3.Give handmade goods or hand-me-downs
4.A study suggests that people feel that homemade items show more love, and love is what they want to express to the gift receiver.
Family heirlooms(传家宝)may be another good girl option. A 2009 study found that when families hand down even a very depersonalized thing—money—through the generations, the symbolic value of the cash is greater than the numerical value alone.
4.Provide chances for participation
If there’s a golden rule of girls, though, it's this:5.People who receive experiential girls, such as concert tickets or a zoo membership, feel more connected to the girl giver than people who received material girls.
A. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
B. Give experiences rather than objects.
C. New and store—bought is not always best.
D. That is always beyond their expectation.
E. That means catering to another’s pleasure.
F. Giving gifts to friends or to charity is linked to happiness.
G. Start listing every person you plan to give a holiday gift
Back in 1969, it was the Apollo 11 crew who flew to the moon in a spaceship. When U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin stepped foot on the moon, they were the first. Meanwhile, their fellow astronaut Michael Coilins circled the moon in their spaceship, named Columbia.
When Armstrong and Aldrin were done with their walk，they returned to the command module, and back to Earth. That part of the spaceship is on view at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. But, if you cannot get to Washington，soon you will be able to see Columbia on your computer or your smartphone.
Digital scientists are scanning the inside of the spaceship. They are creating an online model, in three dimensions, or“3 D”. By looking at these photographs, you will be able to see outer space，the way the astronauts did. It will be like sitting in their seats.
Want your very own Columbia spaceship? You will be able to print a 3D copy of Columbia. Experts say anyone can make a life-sized model. But they expect most people to make smaller models of the 320×400 cm(11’X 13’)command module.
Scientists are using special 3D technology to scan the inside. They use cameras on long arms to take the photographs. The thousands of photographs taken will be combined with 50 laser scans.
What would it be like to sit inside Columbia and take a look around? All the images will be loaded into software that allows you to look around the module on a computer screen. The user will be able to see the Columbia both inside and out. The Smithsonian says that the 3D technology gives the user ways to see things they cannot see at the museum. And it will give information that even the museum curators(馆长)have not seen before.
“With the Command Module, no one has been inside since it came into the collection,” says Adam Metallo. Smithsonian 3D imaging specialist. “Now the information we capture can give anyone in the world a view of what it looks like inside this incredible piece of history.”
1.The author mentions moon landing of the Apollo 11 to_____________.
A. introduce the topic
B. honour the astronauts
C. mark the milestone event
D. draw attention to space research
2.According to the text，people_______________.
A. are advised to make a life-sized model
B. can clone a spaceship with 3D technology
C. will visit a copy of Columbia in the museum
D. can buy a copied Columbia spaceship in the museum
3.What’s the advantage of a copied spaceship?
A. It can attract more visitors.
B. It can help look far into the universe.
C. It makes 3D technology more popular.
D. It provides more knowledge than the museum.
4.What might be the best title for the text?
A. Apollo 11 Spacecraft lands in your smartphone
B. 3D technology, the new way to explore space
C. Landing on the moon, a milestone in space travel
D. An online model shows you how to land on the moon
“A good book might clarify something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn’t think possible. The Soul of an Octopus(章鱼)delivers on all three, ”the magazine New Scientist commented.
After writing about birds, pigs and tigers, US naturalist Sy Montgomery decided to choose these many-footed animals as the subject of her latest book, The Soul of an Octopus: a surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness.
“Here is animal with poisonous liquid like a snake，a beak(喙)like a parrot，and ink like an old-fashioned pen. It can weigh as much as a man and extend as long as a car, yet it can pour its baggy; boneless body through an opening the size of all orange. It can change color and shape. It has a tongue covered with teeth. It can taste with its skin.” Montgomery explained to the National Geographic on why octopuses inspired her.
What Montgomery is able to show in The Soul of an Octopus is that octopuses are creatures who exhibit personality, intelligence and emotion, despite having nervous systems completely different from our own. She uses different experiments to show that they possess consciousness as well as individual personalities. For example, based on her research, she finds out that Octavia, an octopus caught in the wild, is friendly and good at multi-tasking. And Kali, another octopus，who has been living at the New England Aquarium, is playful and loves exploring.
Montgomery is a good storyteller. Through her study of, and communication with, these extraordinary creatures she shares what she learns from both science and her experiences. Her skillful writing presents facts together with personal description, which makes the book very informative but easy to read.
1.Why is The Soul of an Octopus thought highly of ?
A. It is themed with a many-footed animal.
B. It mainly explores consciousness and wonders.
C. It compares octopuses with birds, pigs and tigers.
D. It offers new knowledge and changes your viewpoints.
2.Octopuses impress Montgomery greatly because.
A. they have unique physical functioning
B. their liquid can be used as good ink
C. they behave more like snakes and parrots
D. their body can be shrunk to the size of an orange
3.What does Montgomery think of octopuses according to Paragraph 4?
A. They are friendly with each other.
B. They are similar to humans in a way.
C. They communicate with humans well.
D. They have different nature from humans.
4.Which of the following best describes the book?
A. Vivid but unreal. B. Scientific and readable.
C. Boring and ridiculous. D. Interesting but fictional
“There’s a mother in PICU(儿童重症监护病房)who wants to talk about a kit she received,” the nurse told me. “Something about it made her cry.”
I’ve been a child-1ife specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital since 2000. I help families understand diagnoses and treatment plans and manage the ups and downs that come with caring for a sick child. Tough talks with parents are part of the job, which still makes me feel nervous.
The kits the nurse was talking about were something I had recently introduced to the hospital: Comfort Kits from Guideposts. They were supposed to make a child’s experience here easier, not upsetting.
When I came across the kits at a conference. I fell in love with them. A treasure box of items designed not only to entertain kids, but to comfort and inspire them. There’s a coloring book, a stress ball, a CD of relaxing music, a hairy star named Sparkle, a journal and much more. I really believed these kits would help kids. I wished I hadn’t been mistaken.
At the patient’s room in PICU I saw a little girl, sleeping soundly, surrounded by tubes and machines. My eyes met her mother's. The kit was open on her lap and tears were running down her cheeks.
“I'm Shannon. I manage the Child Life Department.” I said. “I'm sorry if the kit upset you .It’s a new item…”
The mother shook her head. “This has been one of the worst days of my life .I felt so scared and alone. Then I was handed this box. I know it’s for my daughter, but it's just the comfort I needed. I wanted to say thank you.”
With that I knew Comfort Kits belonged here. We’ve been using them for almost three years now. Each child who’s admitted to the hospital receives one. Every day I see kids coloring, journaling, playing with Sparkle.
But as this mom showed me Comfort Kits aren’t just for kids. The hope they bring, which can be in short supply in hospitals sometimes, is felt by the whole family.
1.The author introduced Comfort Kits to the hospital to_________.
A. relax nurses B. benefit sick kids
C. comfort parents D. cure kids of diseases
2.Why was the girl’s mother crying?
A. She was moved to tears. B. She felt alone and scared.
C. She couldn’t wake her kid. D. She worried about her kid’s illness.
3.The closest in meaning to “which can be in short supply in hospitals sometimes” is_______.
A. kits are in great need in hospitals
B. there may be lack of hope in hospitals
C. parents are often in low spirits in hospitals
D. medical supplies are not enough in hospitals
4.What’s the author's attitude towards Comfort Kits?
A. Disappointed. B. Excited.
C. Nervous. D. Confident.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition
Henley Street, Strafford-Upon-Auon Tel: 01789 204016
Shakespeare’s Birthplace Was the childhood home of William Shakespeare. Take a step back in time and see what life was like for the young Shakespeare growing up in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The house has been exactly furnished, and includes both original and copy items similar to those which would have been there in the house when Shakespeare was a boy. Beautiful painted cloths hang on the walls, brightly colored fabrics fill the rooms and his father’s glove workshop has been recreated. At the back of the house is a beautiful garden containing many plants，herbs and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays.
The neighboring exhibition shows Shakespeare's life and focuses on many rare local items connected with him, as well as a copy of the first edition of his collected plays published in 1623.
◎Limited disabled access
◎Many restaurants close to Shakespeare’s Birthplace
◎Town center parking
◎Gift shop
◎Allow at least 45 minutes to visit the house and the exhibition
Adult£6.70 Child £2.60 Family£15.00 | ||||||
| Summer | Mid | Winter | |||
| Jun--Aug | Apr—May Sep---Oct | Nov----Mar | |||
| Open | Last Entry | Open | Last Entry | Open | Last Entry |
Monday--Saturday | 9:00 am | 5:30 pm | 10:00 am | 5:00 pm | 10:00 am | 4:00 pm |
Sunday | 9:30 am | 6:00 pm | 10:00 am | 5:30 pm | 10:30 am | 4:00 pm |
1.What can we see in Shakespeare’s birthplace?
A. Old furniture. B. Ancient restaurants.
C. Colored gloves. D. Shakespeare’s plays.
2.How much would they pay if a couple with their two children visit the exhibition?
A. ￡18.6. B. ￡15.
C. ￡13.4 D. ￡5.2
3.What is the deadline to enter the exhibition on Friday in July?
A. 6:00 pm. B. 5:30 pm.
C. 5:00 pm. D. 4:00 pm.
假定你是李华，你校打算成立Fans英语俱乐部，想邀请外教Smith参加，请你给Smith写封邀请函，内容包括：
1.成立俱乐部的目的；
2.活动时间、地点及安排；
3.邀请加入。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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