There are many festivals in Guizhou Province. One of them is Dong New year, 1. falls in the eleventh lunar month after the harvest. In some villages, the festival 2.(take) place in the tenth month. Dong New Year is as 3.(importance) as the Spring Festival. In the days 4.(lead) up to the new year, the Dong people make new clothes, clean their houses, and make rice cakes. 5. the eve of the New Year, the prepare “cold dish” with bean curd and homemade vinegar. It 6. (give) as an offering to one’s ancestors. Dong New Year is 7. (usual) celebrated in many Dong villages in the area of Rongjiang in Guizhou Province. The exact date varies but falls during the period late October to early November. Public 8.(celebration) include the Lusheng Festival and water buffalo fighting.
Another one, Miao Sisters Festival, is celebrated from the 15th to the 17th day of the third lunar month calendar, when 9.(marry) women make a return to the homes of their mothers. At home, they prepare and eat 10. special kind of food, black rice cake. When they return to their own homes, they bring with them some of it and give it to their husbands as gifts.
Madeline’s grandma was going through a lot, so the little girl wanted to do something to cheer her up. She made her a special _________ and her grandma loved it!
Four years ago, Madeline’s grandpa _________ unexpectedly from heart failure. MawMaw, Madeline’s grandma, had a very _________ time coming to tears with losing her husband and her health began to _________. Her family were very _________.
Last year Madeline’s grandma received sad _________ just a few weeks before Christmas _______ her that she had lung cancer. She had quite a journey ahead of her and she would be alone for a lot of her _______.
Madeline wanted to find a way to _______ her sweet grandma’s spirits and help her not feel so __________. She thought hard for some time and finally had an __________. She asked to ____________ one of her grandpa’s old T-shirts. MawMaw was __________ about why she wanted it, but she did not ask. Madeline wanted to use the T-shirt to make a blanket for her grandma and ____________ it with her.
The whole ____________ stood around to watch MawMaw ____________ her blanket. She was so excited about the handmade ____________ that her sweet granddaughter had ______________ for her. But she was pleasantly surprised when ____________ that her husband’s shirt was sewn in. “Oh, Madeline!” She cried.
Then she covered the blanket around her. She was so __________ that she began to cry. Now when MawMaw goes to the doctor for her treatments, she will not feel all alone.
1.A. shirt B. blanket C. scarf D. overcoat
2.A. broke down B. turned up C. passed away D. got off
3.A. difficult B. special C. precious D. meaningless
4.A. jump B. decrease C. disappear D. fail
5.A. worried B. astonished C. thrilled D. confused
6.A. stories B. letters C. news D. legends
7.A. convincing B. reminding C. informing D. warning
8.A. operations B. treatments C. tests D. injections
9.A. award B. cure C. fill D. raise
10.A. alone B. asleep C. exhausted D. embarrassed
11.A. advice B. ambition C. impression D. idea
12.A. buy B. observe C. borrow D. design
13.A. concerned B. upset C. enthusiastic D. curious
14.A. share B. surprise C. repay D. bother
15.A. staff B. family C. team D. world
16.A. unlock B. decorate C. unfold D. wrap
17.A. gift B. product C. glove D. souvenir
18.A. made B. invented C. fetched D. bought
19.A. imaging B. seeing C. overlooking D. considering
20.A. saddened B. determined C. devoted D. moved
The Center for Humane Technology is made up of people who created many popular apps(软件)for big tech companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter. 1.
The center has started a movement called the Truth About Tech. Its purpose is to teach students, parents and teachers about the dangers of spending too much time on smart phones and computers.
According to studies on kids and technology, more than 95 per cent of primary school children spend time every day using a computer, or smart phone. About 78 per cent of teenagers check their phones every hour. 2. They are afraid that they may miss an important call or message during night.
3. For example, spending too much time online can cause people to put on weight and also influence how they feel. Many people become worried or nervous because they feel they aren’t having as much fun as their friends are. 4. They may also find it harder to make friends in real life.
5. They say that when big tech companies are designing tech tools for kids, they should think about what they would want for their own children.
A. These people are worth our respect.
B. Now they are telling kids to put their phones away.
C. Most students are forbidden to use a phone in class.
D. And more than half of them sleep with their phones.
E. Students may have a harder time paying attention in school.
F. Using phones or computers too much can cause some health problems.
G. The center also wants governments and tech companies to take steps to protect children.
At some point in life， many people suffer a mental problem． While most people get over it， for others it doesn't go away easily．
The World Health Organization （WHO） says that about 20 percent of children and teenagers across the globe suffer from mental illness． It's thought that the number of children and teenagers with mental illness around the world will increase by half by 2020． It will become one of the main causes of disease， disabilities and even death．
The reason for mental problems among young people may be the increasing pressure in life． Study and relationships have always caused huge stresses for school children． For instance， they experience school bullying（欺凌）and academic pressure．
In China， the picture isn't bright， either． About 30 million Chinese children and teenagers under the age of 17， or 10 percent of children and teenagers in China， have a mental health challenge， reported China Daily．
Also， according to China Daily， Chinese people don't seek help with their mental problems． They fear that others will think less of them if they admit that they are in trouble． Many Chinese people are ashamed of their mental problems and mental illness is taboo（禁忌）in any Chinese families．
In the UK， over three-quarters of young people believe their mental health problems have a social shame and a quarter of young UK people wouldn't ask for help if they developed a mental problem．
Young people who don't seek help for their condition may be creating problems for themselves in the future． If you feel something is wrong within you - seek help．
Feeling down？ Here are three things to try if you feel low．
●Go to a psychology teacher． The teacher will listen to you and offer help - for free!
●Call 800-800-1100． It's the number of a hotline run by the Mental Health Research and Prevention Center． The line is open 24 hours a day．
● Tell your parents and visit the hospital if the situation gets out of control．
1.According to the WHO， about ______ of children and teenagers worldwide experience mental illness．
A. 10 percent B. one fifth
C. 30 percent D. three quarters
2.Chinese people don't ask for help with their mental health probably because ______ ．
A. they think less of their mental problems
B. they fear that they may get into trouble
C. they are ashamed to admit having mental problems
D. they are unwilling to avoid their mental illness
3.School children with mental health should try the following three things EXCEPT ______ ．
A. consulting their teacher
B. calling a hotline for advice
C. communicating with their parents
D. hiding their mental illness from others
4.What is the purpose in writing this article？ ______
A. To analyze the major causes of young people's mental illness．
B. To describe the current situation of young people's mental health．
C. To encourage young people to deal with their mental problems properly．
D. To introduce mental problems to Chinese young people．
When I was 3 years old, I was found to be deaf in my left ear and have a small problem in my right. Being hard of hearing has been difficult, but I’ve never lived in a state of self-hating sorrow.
Imagine being able to shut out all sounds as you lay your head down to sleep by simply rolling over onto one side. That’s my reality when I sleep on my “good ear”, and it even makes me feel like a superhero sometimes.
People call my deaf side my “bad ear”, but when I wear my hearing aid, I have access to a range of features(特征)that some other deaf people don’t.
In cinemas, for example, with one click of a button I can enjoy a whole film as though it were whispered to me from the mouths of the actors.
Having a hearing aid hasn't always felt good, however.
On the first day I got my aid, when I was 8, I took it to school for show-and-tell. As I explained how it worked to my classmates, a boy yelled out, “Aren’t those for old men?”
At that moment, I felt different. It took a long time for me to get over that sense of being so unlike my peers(同龄人).
But it’s not just choolkids who can make us deaf and hard-of-hearing people feel like burdens(负担).
Every video on social media that lacks subtitles, for example, means an entire community of deaf people is unable to enjoy it.
Completely deaf people are excluded from enjoying many movies too, as subtitles in cinemas are almost impossible to find.
And with hearing aids costing around $2,500 each, it can be hard for many people to afford to be able to listen to the things that others take for granted.
As for me, I can listen to music, enjoy films, and catch conversations – I’m lucky.
I’m deaf, but I can still hear everything. I’ve been blessed with wonderful life experiences.
1.The author once feel diferent from his peers because __________.
A. He can’t hear anything
B. He was laughed at by his classmates
C. He couldn’t enjoy without subtitles
D. He could shut out all sounds when sleeping on his “good ear”
2.Deaf people may have the following burdens EXCEPT _________.
A. being unable to afford hearing aids.
B. being unable to enjoy videos without subtitles
C. being embarrassed in front of their peers
D. being blessed with wonderful experiences
3.What does the underline pharse “are excluded from” probably mean?
A. are prevented from B. are limited to C. are separated from D. are reduced to
4.What is the author’s attitude toward his hearing difficulty?
A. It was a tough reality and caused him a lot of trouble.
B. It was a time of great sorrow and made him feel sad.
C. It gave him a chance to experience something special.
D. It helped him to live in his own world without sound.
Josh Hill, a biology teacher at Mar Vista High School in California, US, often gets sick after swimming in the ocean at Imperial Beach in California.
He and a group of students are raising awareness(意识)about water pollution by taking weekly water samples(样本)of the ocean and publishing their results online.
Every Thursday, Hill and his students collect water from the ocean. Students then take the samples to their school and test them for levels of bacteria. Usually, samples closer to the border have higher levels of bacteria, Hill said.
“Water quality is usually the worst at the southern end and it increasingly gets better,” he said.
Hill collects the samples on Thursdays so that students can publish the results on the Surfrider Foundation’s website in time for the weekend. The Surfrider Foundation has give Mar Vista lab equipment and promote the students’ results on its site.
Most of Hill’s students grew up in Imperial Beach. Many have gotten sick from the water or know someone who has.
Cameron Bell, 17, who is currently applying to college, wants to pursue a STEM career. He appreciates the fact the he can get lab experience at school. “Our research really impacts our community because it’s keeping people safe,” he said.
On a recent Thursday morning, Anthony Gass, 15, collected some samples. Before he got into the water, his classmates helped him put on waterproof(防水的)clothes and tie a rope around his waist to protect him from the onrush of water.
Hill said the protection probably wasn’t necessary, but that it was better to be safe than to be sorry. “We just want to make sure we protect the students,” he said.
1.What did Josh Hill and his students discover after checking the water samples?
A. Water quality at the northern end isn’t poluted.
B. Water nearer to the border is bless polluted.
C. Water pollution is getting worse and worse.
D. Different levels of bacteria are found in the water.
2.What can we learn about Bell?
A. He is now applying for a job in college. B. He doesn’t want to have a career in STEM.
C. He thinks that their research is meaningful. D. He isn’t grateful for his research experience.
3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The results of the students’ research are not published online.
B. Many students in Imperial Beach get sick due to the water pollution.
C. Very few safety measures are adopted in students’ research work.
D. Mar Vista High School is not equipped with modern science labs.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. US students’ research on water pollution. B. Severe ocean water pollution in the US.
C. US students’ tests for water resources. D. Tips on how to reduce water pollution.
