A MENTORING (导师制）program is giving life changing opportunities to Banbury youth.
Young Inspirations was founded two years ago to provide mentoring sessions for students and unemployed young adults aged 11 to 21.
Alex Goldberg, the program’s founder, said： “We set up Young Inspirations because we wanted to give young people experiences which will potentially be life changing and broaden their outlook.” “We try to create work experience opportunities that will really make a difference to our youth. For example, we’ve secured internships (实习）with world-famous firms such as Honda.”
“At a time of funding cutbacks, schools are finding it more and more difficult to offer this kind of mentoring because of that. It is extremely important that these opportunities are available both to help youth with their school work and grades and to give them opportunities which may help shape their futures." Kieran Hepbum, 14, is one of a group of Banbury youth who has benefited from the program so far. In October the Banbury School pupil was accompanied by Young Inspirations staff to Paris where he was an observer at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Youth Forum(论坛).
The event was held for young people from around the world, to seek their views on how the future of youth and education should look. Kieran joined several hundred observers mostly in their
20s and was the only UK school pupil to attend the event. Kieran thinks the trip was a life changing experience. Before we left 1 didn’t quite know what to make of it but when we got there we didn 't stop、it was amazing” he said, “We went to three or four hours of debates each day and then did something cultural each afternoon.”
The main theme of the forum was how youth can drive change in political and public life. It dealt with issues(问题）such as drug abuse, violence and unemployment.
Kieran said： It has really helped me to improve my confidence and social skills as well as my school grades and I was voted most improved pupil at school in August.”
The Young Inspirations mentoring sessions take place each Friday in Banbury.For details visit www. younginsviratiom. com.
1.Why is The Young Inspirations mentoring program set up?
A.To provide youth with unique experiences
B.To train staff for world-famous firms
C.To equip the unemployed with different skills
D.To offer job opportunities to young adults
2."What does the underlined “that” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A.the shortage of money
B.the lack of support from firms
C.the effect of unemployment
D.the lack of opportunities
3.We can learn from the passage that .
A.the visit to the United Kingdom was amazing
B.the mentoring sessions are held every day except Friday
C.the youth have found a way to solve their problems
D.Kieran has made great progress in many aspects
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Alex Goldberg, Founder of Young Inspirations
B.Kieran, Banbury School Pupil to Paris
C.Young People Find a World of Opportunity
D.Debates Help Youth with Their Grades.
Do you ever pull your phone out of your pocket，thinking it is vibrating（振动），only to find that it isnˈt？This phenomenon，which scientists call"phantom（幻觉的）phone vibration"，is very common．Around 80% of people surveyed say they have imagined their phones vibrating when they were actually still．
So，what leads to this universal behavior？According to the BBC，the explanation lies in your brainˈs ability to discover signals from the outside world．When your phone is in your pocket，there are two possible states：it is either vibrating or not．Meanwhile，you also have two possible states of mind：the judgment that the phone is vibrating，or that it isnˈt．Ideally，you match the four states correctly．
However，sometimes your brain decides that the results of missing a call are more serious than a"false alarm"．Therefore，you become more sensitive（敏感的） to vibrations so that you donˈt miss anything． This is just like the fire alarm in your home---it can be annoying when it goes off in response to just a tiny bit of smoke．But thatˈs a small price to pay compared to a fire really breaking out because the alarm fails to alert you．Now，you might still ask：why canˈt our brains just make every judgment correctly without being too sensitive to false signals？The answer is that your brain bears a heavy burden every day．"You get a large amount of sensory(感觉的) information thatˈs coming from your eyes，ears and skin，and you canˈt deal with all that information all the time，"Michael Rothberg，a researcher at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield，US，told Live Science．
For example，the rustling（沙沙声）of clothing or the growling（咕咕声）of your stomach may both lead your brain to believe that they come from the vibration of your phone-it is like trying to hear your name being called in a noisy room．
So，perhaps you should just check your phone whenever you think itˈs vibrating．Itˈs not too much trouble to do that，is it？
1.According to this passage，phantom phone vibration ______ ．
A.is common among people with mental problems
B.can measure peopleˈs ability to collect information
C.happens when our brains react sensitively to false signals
D.helps our brains to make very quick and accurate decisions
2.Why is the fire alarm used as an example in this passage？
A.To show us the fire alarm is as sensitive as the phone vibration．
B.To help us understand the cause of phantom phone vibration better．
C.To tell us the phone vibration usually happens when a fire breaks out．
D.To convince us itˈs important to check our phones like checking a fire alarm．
3.According to Michael Rothberg，which is mainly responsible for phantom phone vibration？
A.A noisy background． B.A lack of much attention．
C.A heavy burden every day． D.An overflow of sensory information．
4.What does the author suggest we do about phantom phone vibration？
A.We should always fully believe our own sense of listening．
B.We should just check our phones whenever we think theyˈre vibrating．
C.We should ignore the vibration bothering when our phones are actually still．
D.We should think of the vibration carefully before we make correct judgments．
"Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?" Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining, Tori brags, "You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago."
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is （a） not nice and （b） not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip （闲话）.I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor （传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the "in group". In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority （优越感）.
Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your "juicy story" might have.
1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to _________.
A.introduce a topic B.present an argument
C.describe the characters D.clarify his writing purpose
2.An important negative effect of gossip is that it ___________.
A.breaks up relationships B.embarrasses the listener
C.spreads information around D.causes unpleasant experiences
3.Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ____________.
A.provide students with written rules
B.help people watch their own behaviors
C.force school to improve student handbooks
D.attract the police's attention to group behaviors
4.What advice does the author give in the passage?
A.Never become a gossiper B.Stay away from gossipers
C.Don't let gossip turn into lies D.Think twice before you gossip
Listed here are four of the thousands of impressive museums around the world.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao，Spain
Built in 1997，the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of the newest in the world.It has transformed the industrial city of Bilbao into a travelers' desired destination.The beautiful architecture of the museum has provided a dramatic background for movies and commercials.
The Louvre in Paris，France
Probably the most famous Louvre also holds the most famous painting in the world，the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci.Crowds can be found any day surrounding the small，but mysterious painting of the smiling woman.But，the Louvre is much more than a home to the “Mona Lisa”．The Louvre is visited by more people each year than any other museum in the world.
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia，America
Just opened in its new downtown location in 2012，the Barnes Foundation is “unique”in that it is a completely reproduced display from one man's private collection.Dr.Albert C．Barnes started collecting art in the early 20th century and collected，among others，the largest number of original Renoir paintings in the world.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence，Italy
Walking on the marbled floors feels like stepping back in time.The building itself is a beautiful palace—like structure with frescoes(湿壁画) decorating the ceilings and walls.Viewers are bowled over(印象深刻) by the works by Botticelli，such as “The Birth of Venus”．Classic artworks from nearly 1，000 years ago describe religious events of the time.
1.Which of the following is the most popular?
A.The Louvre.
B.The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
C.The Barnes Foundation.
D.The Uffizi Gallery.
2.What makes the Barnes Foundation particular?
A.Its structure. B.Its collection.
C.Its location. D.Its history.
3.What type of writing is this text?
A.An activity poster.
B.An exhibition announcement.
C.An art show review.
D.A travel guide.
假定你是李华，你刚从伦敦的旅行回来，非常感谢好友Jack在此期间的帮助。得知他对中国的节日非常感兴趣，特别是今年的国庆节，请你写一封信介绍中国的国庆节。内容要点:
1. 感谢他的帮助；
2. 介绍中国的国庆节；
3. 欢迎他来中国。
注意:1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jack,
How is everything going?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes.
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。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(＾)，并在该词下面写出该加的词。
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。
注意:1.只允许修改5处，多者(从第6处起)不计分。
2.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
Three years ago I failed a important exam and become a student in an ordinary school. Although I felt disappointing at the shabby campus and the poorly-equipped classroom, but I found the teachers patient and considerate. Beside, I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere in class and decided to make the best of it. I worked hardly and got along well my teachers and classmates. Whenever I had difficulties, they were always available. Soon, I became one of the top student in my class, that greatly increased my confidence and got me motivated. My experience tells me that it is not what you are given but how you make use of it that determine who you are.
