How to Have a Birthday Party
Birthdays come and go with each passing year, so how do you have a party that will always be memorable? A little planning and inspiration can get you started.
Pick a suitable theme. 1. Then choose a theme that suits them perfectly. You can go “all out” and make every aspect of the party theme-related, or you can try a lighter touch by including just a little theme-related decoration or food.
Plan ahead. Get your guest list made and your invitations out at least 2 weeks before the party. 2.
Plan your music. Make sure you have a way to play your tunes — whether that be just a set of speakers with a phone or music player, or a whole DJ setup.
3. Make sure you have a range of fast, slow, soft, and quiet songs on hand to fit the mood (情绪) at different times of the event and get your guests feeling celebratory.
Keep guests entertained. Provide lots of opportunities for social mingling (particularly for grown-ups),as well as “free play” for kids. But to really keep the celebration going, games always seem to be the hit of the party! 4.
Depending on your number of guests and their ages, you can even have several games running throughout the event. Balance your levels of activity so that there’s plenty going on throughout the party.
5. With kids’ parties especially, it is almost a certainty that things will not go exactly ording to plan. Be prepared by having extra games and activities, extra goody bags, and a rain plan ready.
A. Plan extra activities.
B. Expect the unexpected!
C. Background music really helps set the atmosphere.
D. Just remember, finger foods are best, particularly for young guests.
E. This way, you’ll know your group size and decide on the best place.
F. Consider the age, gender, interests and hobbies of the guest of honor!
G. There are great websites where you can find activities that tie into a particular theme.
The city-state of Dubai that is home to the world’s tallest building is fast improving its reputation as the city of the future. On May 22, Dubai officials added to their list of futuristic accomplishments with the introduction of the world’s first robot police officer.
Nicknamed Robocop after the 1987 action movie,the 1.7-meter tall humanoid (类人的) robot was introduced at the 4th annual Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference. First introduced in 2011 as REEM by Barcelona-based PAL Robotics, the robot was built to entertain guests at conferences and serve as an information booth at public places. However, the forward-thinking officials of the Dubai police force saw another potential application and partnered with the Spanish company to build a version that would help improve public safety.
Locals and visitors can get help from Lieutenant Robocop which is currently on duty at the Dubai Mall, using the touchscreen on its chest. Armed with technology from Google and IBM’s supercomputer Watson,the “policeman” can provide visitors with directions and other information regarding the mall in one of six languages, including Arabic and English and also accept payment for any fines, like parking tickets. It can also detect criminals with an 80 percent accuracy from 100-feet away and send the information real-time to command center through its camera eyes. While Robocop cannot physically protect people in trouble, an SOS button on its touchscreen can connect them to a human member of the Dubai police force instantly. When not assisting people or seeking out lawbreakers, Robocop brings smiles to people’s faces by posing for selfies or showering them with compliments.
Once the robot officer has been thoroughly tested, the Smart Services Department at Dubai Police plans to “hire” more Robocops to patrol (巡逻) other public areas and also act as receptionists at police stations.
1.Where does Robocop get its name?
A. From a movie. B. At a conference.
C. From a building. D. From Dubai officials.
2.What was the original purpose of Robocop?
A. To be officials’ partner.
B. To help guests in a company.
C. To serve in Dubai police stations.
D. To offer entertainment and information.
3.How can people communicate with Robocop?
A. By touching its screen. B. By paying some money.
C. By asking the mall for permission. D. By getting directions from a policeman.
4.How does Robocop react to lawbreaking?
A. It fines the lawbreakers.
B. It physically protects the victim.
C. It reports the situation to a policeman.
D. It sends an SOS message to the company.
A nice warm cup of tea a day might keep glaucoma (青光眼) at bay,according to new research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Risk of developing glaucoma — one of the leading causes of blindness around the world that currently affects nearly 58 million people — might be lowered by drinking hot tea daily. The disease causes fluid to build up inside the eye that puts pressure onto the optic nerve (视神经). Previous research said that caffeine (咖啡因) might prevent this build-up but the new findings showed that drinking decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee, iced caffeinated tea and caffeinated sodas had no effect on glaucoma risk.
In the new study, researchers looked at the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the 2005 — 2006 year of 10,000 adults and children. The data is from interviews with the patients, their physical exams and blood tests. That specific year also included eye tests for glaucoma in 1678 adults and showed that about 5% had the disease. Those patients were asked how many caffeinated and decaffeinated drinks they consumed during that year and how often. The results of the questionnaire showed that those who drank hot tea daily were 74% less likely to develop glaucoma than their peers who didn’t.
“Tea has long been recognized to have various chemicals that contribute to lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes,” the researchers said. But further study is needed to determine if things like the size of the cup,type of tea and length of brew (冲泡) time influence the results.
1.What can we learn about glaucoma?
A. It can be cured by drinking hot tea daily.
B. It is a great threat to people’s eyesight.
C. It affects nearly 58 million people yearly.
D. It is caused by too much pressure on the eyes.
2.What did previous research find?
A. Drinking coffee reduces glaucoma risk.
B. Iced tea has no effect on glaucoma risk.
C. Caffeine does good to glaucoma patients.
D. Caffeine causes fluid to build up in the eyes.
3.How was the new study carried out?
A. By interviewing patients.
B. By testing participants’ eyes.
C. By handing out questionnaires.
D. By studying data from previous studies.
4.What does the underlined phrase “those patients” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The 10,000 adults. B. The 1,678 adults.
C. The 5% adults. D. The 74% adults.
I arrived at the address and sounded the horn(喇叭). After waiting a few minutes I sounded the horn again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift (换班), I thought about just driving away, but instead I knocked on the door. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause,a small woman in her .90’s stood before me. When we got in the cab,she gave me an address and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh,I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice (临终关怀医院). I don’t have any family left. She continued in a soft voice, “The doctor says I don’t have very long.” I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
For the next two hours,we drove through the. city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator, the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds, a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
As the dawn came, we got to the hospice. Two nurses came out to the taxi as soon as we pulled up. The woman was seated in a wheelchair in no time.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”
I drove into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. What if I had refused to take the run, or had sounded the horn once, then driven away?
1.Why did the author sound the horn twice?
A. He refused to take the run. B. He was about to drive away.
C. He had waited for a long time. D. He wanted to end his nightshift earlier.
2.Why did the woman ask the author to drive through the city?
A. To share her life experiences.
B. To take the shortest way to the hospice.
C. To review the important places in her life.
D. To show the author her former working places.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. The taxi driver was impatient.
B. The old lady could take care of herself.
C. The ride had a great influence on the taxi driver.
D. The nurses were unaware of the old lady’s arrival.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Being Patient B. The Last Ride C. A Kind Lady D. A Taxi Driver
Welcome to the UK National Parks
The United Kingdom has beautiful national parks. Try our quick guide for a handy introduction to each of the following four parks.
The Broads
The Broads, Britain’s largest protected wetland, is now home to some of Britain’s rarest wildlife.
Key areas of interest:
● home to over a quarter of our rarest wildlife.
● over 125 miles of waterways to explore
● gentle footpaths and cycle routes, fabulous fishing
● a Roman fort, medieval churches and traditional windmills
● the River Wensum runs right into the city of Norwich, just 2 hour from London
Lake District
The Lake District has inspired writers and visitors for centuries.
Key areas of interest:
● England’s largest National Park is now a World Heritage Site
● Scafell, England’s highest mountain
● 16 main lakes and many smaller tarns
● boat trips, sailing, boating and swimming
● less than 2 hour from Manchester
New Forest
It is a historic royal hunting forest, where you can enjoy the sight of ponies, cattle, sheep and pigs.
Key areas of interest:
● ponies, cows and pigs on the open forest
● ancient trees, some over 1,000 years old
● a coastline of sea creatures, like shingle, saltmarsh, lagoons and mudflats
● less than an hour from Southampton, Bournemouth and Salisbury
South Downs
Discover the world-famous white cliffs at Seven Sisters, rolling green and gold hills, ancient woodland and lowland heaths or explore “picture perfect” villages, traditional country pubs and flourishing vineyards.
Key area of interest:
● walk, cycle or horse ride the length of the national park on the 160 km South Downs Way national trail
● grasslands and woodlands rich in wildflowers and butterflies
● market towns and hidden villages
● just over an hour by train from London and a short bus ride from Brighton, Portsmouth, East Bourne and Winchester
1.Which park is listed as a World Heritage Site?
A. The Broads. B. Lake District. C. New Forest. D. South Downs
2.What will you see in New Forest?
A. Ponies, cattle, sheep and pigs. B. Some rarest wildlife.
C. Beautiful lakes. D. Churches and windmills.
3.What activity do the Broads and South Downs both offer?
A. Swimming. B. Sailing. C. Cycling. D. Horse riding.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How long should people put their burnt hands in cool running water?
A. About 20 minutes. B. About 10 minutes. C. About 12 minutes.
2.What should people do to bring down the temperature?
A. By keeping warm. B. By shutting the window. C. By taking a bath.
3.How should people deal with backache?
A. Lie down. B. Go to bed. C. Keep moving gently.
4.What is the speaker mainly talking?
A. Simple treatments for some situations.
B. Mistakes in first aid.
C. Cases calling for first aid.
