I recently posted a picture on Facebook from the movie Mad Max, a film where two groups race through the desert in steampunk vehicles, and wrote, “Actual picture of my way to work today.” It was meant to be a joke because of the sandstorms in Beijing, but one of my friends from back home thought it was real.
I couldn’t imagine how they could think that is actually what China is like. China has so many more conveniences and advantages than the West, and many of my friends agree. “I don’t know how I will be able to deal when I go back home,” said a friend who is about to end her gap year in Beijing. “I’ve become so spoiled in China.”
China seems to be leading the way in innovation(创新) and convenience for daily life. Back home I could never shop, pull out my phone and scan a QR code to pay.
There have been rumors of starting bike sharing in my hometown for years with little success while bike sharing suddenly appeared in Beijing overnight. I just step outside and scan a code, and I am on my way.
Going out to eat with a group of friends back home was troublesome for both the group and the servers. Splitting bills and swiping(刷) 10 different cards or making change for each person in the group can be a pain. But with China’s WeChat, you can quickly send your friends your part of the bill.
The list goes on…
When I first arrived in Beijing, I was dead set on leaving in a month. That month has come and gone. Now, when someone asks me when I’m coming back, I think to myself, “Who knows?”
While my friends think I am riding through the desert on a motorbike, I am actually taking a Didi for what is the equivalent of $5 in the US.
With all the conveniences and technology here, I may never want to go back.
1.What’s the function of Paragraph 1?
A. To introduce a movie. B. To introduce the topic.
C. To tell an interesting story. D. To show the weather in Beijing.
2.How did the author feel when he first came to Beijing?
A. He didn’t want to stay long. B. He couldn’t stand the weather.
C. He never wanted to go back home. D. He was amazed at the bike sharing.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. China is the first country to start bike sharing.
B. The author has become used to mobile payment in China.
C. People always use WeChat to pay when eating out in the US.
D. The author’s friends all know the convenience of living in China.
4.What does the text intend to tell us?
A. Bike sharing has spread all over China.
B. Foreigners have misunderstandings of China.
C. Life in foreign countries is not as easy as we thought.
D. Technology has brought much convenience in China.
Smartphones, tablets and smart watches are banned (禁止) at school for all children under 15 in France. Under the ban students are not able to use their phones at all during school hours, including meal breaks.
“I think it’s a good thing. School is not about being on your phone,” Paris mum Marie-Caroline Madeleine told AFP. “It’s hard with kids. You can’t control what they see and that’s one of the things that worry me as a parent.”
There is no law like this in Australia, but some Australian schools have banned phones.
McKinnon Secondary School in Victoria introduced a total ban in February and Principal Pitsa Binnion said this has been a success.
McKinnon students still have a Chromebook to use in every class for day-to-day learning but they’re not allowed to use social media. Ms Binnion said at first “teachers cheered and students moaned (抱怨) ,” but now they’re seeing the advantages. “They come to school and they’re not allowed to use phones at all during the school day, including lunch breaks,” she said.
“It’s been wonderful in terms of students communicating with each other at lunchtime and not looking at their screen,” she said.
Ms Binnion also leads by example and doesn’t use her mobile phone in school. “I think anyone can do it if we’ve done it.”
Not everyone agrees with the bans. Western Sydney University technology researcher Dr Joanne Orlando wrote in online magazine The Conversation earlier this year that Australia should not ban phones in schools because it’s important to educate kids to live in the age they are raised in.
“A good education for students today is knowing how to use technology to learn, communicate and work with ideas,” she wrote. “Banning students from using smartphones is a 1950s response to a 2018 state-of-play.”
1.Why did Madeleine welcome the ban?
A. School is for studying. B. Kids behave badly nowadays.
C. Teachers find it hard to control kids. D. Her kids depend too much on phones.
2.What can we learn about the ban in McKinnon Secondary School?
A. Some teachers were against it at first.
B. Students can now see the good of the ban.
C. Students can use their phones at lunch beaks.
D. Teachers have stopped using phones at school as well.
3.What does the underlined word “Chromebook” in Paragraph 5 probably refer to?
A. A book. B. A notebook.
C. A learning website. D. A kind of computer.
4.What does Dr Joanne Orlando think of banning phones in schools?
A. It will disconnect parents and kids. B. It will cause kids to communicate less.
C. It will prevent kids being tech-minded. D. It will make education go back 60 years.
Anjali Mishra is a rising junior at Sunset High School in Portland, Oregon. At 17, she is president and founder of her school’s UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) USA club, and a member of UNICEF’s national council (委员会). She also volunteers her time in different communities.
How did Anjali develop such a passion (热情) for helping others? When she was a freshman, she had an experience that greatly changed her attitude. She was invited to a cousin’s wedding in India.
“My mom kind of forced me to go,” Anjali says. “When I saw children on the street, I realized how lucky I was as a child. I was able to get whatever I wanted, and my every need was satisfied.”
Anjali asked herself: “What can I do to help? UNICEF stood out to me because it’s always on the front lines helping children in need.”
After starting a UNICEF club at her school, Anjali noticed that the community responded actively. She took things a step further by applying to UNICEF’s national council.
“UNICEF really liked my work,” she says. “Out of 3,000 applicants, they chose 6 high school students to be on the national council, and I was one of them.”
As a member of the council, Anjali helps organize high school UNICEF clubs around the country and provide resources so that the clubs can manage themselves.
The teen also founded an organization called “Activists United.” Members educate people on the dangers of guns. Anjali encourages other kids to start local clubs and organizations, too. “It takes a lot of effort, but you can get it done if you’re passionate,” she says.
1.Why did Anjali go to India?
A. To be a volunteer. B. To see her mother.
C. To spend a holiday. D. To attend a wedding.
2.What has led Anjali to set up the UNICEF USA club?
A. Her mother’s suggestion. B. Her volunteer experience.
C. The situation faced by poor children. D. The encouragement from her cousin.
3.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A. 3,000 applicants. B. UNICEF officers.
C. 6 high school students. D. Founders of UNICEF’s national council.
4.What does the organization “Activists United” do?
A. It educates people on gun safety. B. It raises money for children in need.
C. It helps kids start local organizations. D. It provides support for UNICEF clubs.
Ai-Petri Bridges, Crimea
The views of the Crimean coast from the top of 1,234-metre high Ai-Petri Mount are amazing. The hanging bridges built in recent years can reach the top of the mount. If just walking across the bridges is not dangerous enough, it also happens to be one of the windiest places in the world. It is said that the bridges blow from side to side as wind speeds reach 170 kilometres per hour for 125 days of the year. It’s also very foggy (多雾的), so you may not be able to enjoy the views!
U Bein Bridge, Myanmar
This five-metre-high, 1.2-kilometre wooden footbridge does not look as dangerous as the others, but do not be fooled. It was built in the 1850s and it’s certainly feeling its age! Some of the old wood is not as strong as it used to be. It is easy to lose your footing. Although there is no handrail (栏杆), large numbers of tourists cross it every day. When the tourists arrive in the evening to watch the beautiful sunset, this bridge could become the most dangerous of them all!
The Trift Bridge, Switzerland
At 100 metres high and 170 metres long, this is one of the highest bridges in the world. Built in 2004, the bridge is hidden among the high Swiss Alps. You wouldn’t have wanted to walk across the bridge before its repair in 2009. But if you have the courage to cross this bridge, you’d better do it quickly!
The Hussaini Hanging Bridge, Pakistan
In the mountainous area of Northern Pakistan, the Hussaini Hanging Bridge helps travelers cross the Borit Lake. However, you will not feel too confident when you get close to this bridge. It’s one of the oldest bridges in Pakistan and many locals use it every day to travel to work and school ——imagine losing your homework over the side of this bridge! It’s made from rope, with a few pieces of wood that have large gaps (空隙)between them. Step carefully!
1.What can we learn about U Bein Bridge?
A. It’s very popular at sunset. B. It’s very safe for people to cross.
C. It’s the oldest bridge in the world. D. It’s made from rope with some old wood.
2.Which of the following can be crossed to go to school?
A. U Bein Bridge. B. Ai-Petri Bridges.
C. The Trift Bridge. D. The Hussaini Hanging Bridge.
3.What do the bridges mentioned in the text have in common?
A. All are kept in good condition. B. All have a history of one century.
C. All require plenty of courage to cross. D. All are the highest in their country.
每年十一月的第四个星期四是美国的感恩节。假设你是李华, 今天是2018年11月22日感恩节，此时你已经在高考中取得了优异成绩并在理想的大学里学习。请给过去的你自己写一封信。
内容：1. 回顾你在高中阶段的成功或失败；
2. 感谢那个曾经勤奋刻苦百折不挠的你自己。
注意：1. 词数100字左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear me, November 22, 2018
How time flies! It’s Thanksgiving Day again. I am writing this letter to thank you.
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Wish you greater success in your future life.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。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。
注意：1.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分；
2.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
3. 答题符号、格式要规范：
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。
Patience is of great importance in our daily life. Once I waited a bus to come at a stop. 30 minutes passed,but no bus came. Both upset and annoyed, I decided to walk on feet. But no sooner had I left when the bus arrived. I thought if I had waited for one more minute, I would have caught one. If I chose to take a next bus, I would have to wait for other 30 minutes. Only then do I realize my problem. Being impatient will possible waste all the effort that we have put it in. Now whenever I am close to lose my patience, I’ll think of this experience.
