I was recently surfing the Internet when I came across a collection of strange beach photos where everyone had a cloth wall surrounding their little patch of sand. I had never seen anything like it before, and I was intrigued. So I started Googling all sorts of phrases that might throw light on the mystery of Polish beach separators.
I found a site on Poland’s affairs that actually covered this “phenomenon（现象）” quite exactly. According to the site, beach separators have been a part of Polish beach-going culture for a long time, but have recently been getting a lot of attention online, after foreign tourists started posting photos on social networks.
Beach separators vary in size according to the size of the group. You’ll see tiny ones only surrounding the space around a single beach towel, and giant ones separating a large part of the beach. They weren’t designed to protect their users from prying（窥探）eyes. It’s no secret that strong winds are very common on the shores of the Baltic Sea, so they were originally meant to allow beach-goers to enjoy sunbathing without having their belongings blown away, or sand blown in their faces.
However, in recent years, people have begun criticizing them. During the summer, beach separators are placed so close to each other that a person can hardly pass between them, let alone（更不必说）find a place to put their own beach towels. This creates a problem for foreign tourists unfamiliar with them, who just want a place to lie down on the sand. And thus they can easily create all kinds of conflicts（冲突）due to the lack of space. For example, some people leave the beach for hours but leave their separators in place, to make sure that their space doesn’t get occupied by someone else.
Having visited a fair number of seaside resorts（胜地）across Europe, I admire that I have never seen anything like this before.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “intrigued” in Paragraph 1?
A.Amused. B.Satisfied.
C.Interested. D.Encouraged.
2.What do we know about the beach separators?
A.They are a special tradition in Poland.
B.They are man-made scenery in Poland.
C.They are a temporary phenomenon in Poland.
D.They are becoming popular around the world.
3.Why do the beach-goers set up separators?
A.To have a good sunbath. B.To attract others’ attention.
C.To keep themselves in private. D.To protect themselves from thieves.
4.What are beach separators blamed for?
A.They cause plenty of garbage. B.They take up too much space.
C.They fail to function properly. D.They look strangely out of place.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.A new Polish attraction. B.Big challenges on the beach.
C.Beach space separators in Poland. D.An unforgettable journey to Poland.
I was in the garden with Augie, my grandson, watching the bees. “How do they make honey?” Augie asked. “Actually, Augie, I don’t know,” I replied. “But, Grandmom, you have your phone,” he said. For Augie, holding a smartphone almost means knowing everything.
During my childhood I was crazy about a powerful device（设备）that transports the user to an alternate reality. I spent most of my waking hours on it, unaware of the world around me. The device was, of course, the book. Over time, reading hijacked（控制）my brain, as large areas once processing the real world adapted to processing the printed word. As far as I can tell, this early immersion（沉浸）didn’t prevent my development, but it did leave me with some illusions（幻想）– my idea of romantic love surely came from novels.
Many parents worry that “screen time” will damage children’s development, but recent research suggests that most of the common fears about children and screens are unfounded. There is one exception: looking at screens before bed really disturbs sleep, in people of all ages. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) used to recommend strict restrictions（限制）on screen exposure（暴露）. Last year, the organization examined the relevant science more thoroughly and changed its recommendations. The new guidelines emphasize that what matters is content and context, what children watch and with whom.
New tools have always led to panicky（紧张不安的）guesses. The novel, the telephone, and the television were all declared to be the End of Civilization, particularly in the hands of the young. Part of the reason may be that adult brains require a lot of focus and effort to learn something new, while children’s brains are designed to master new environments naturally. New technologies always seem disturbing to the adults attempting to master them, and transparent and obvious – not really technology at all – to those children like Augie.
When Augie’s father got home, Augie rushed to meet him and said in excitement. “Daddy, Daddy, look,” he said, reaching for my phone. “Do you know how bees make honey? I’ll show you…”
1.What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
A.To introduce a topic. B.To present an argument.
C.To clarify（表明）the author’s writing purpose. D.To give information on main characters.
2.What can be learned about the author?
A.She had an unhappy childhood. B.She was interested in reading novels.
C.She was addicted to an electronic device. D.She paid much attention to the real world.
3.What does the AAP probably advise people to do?
A.Limit children’s screen time. B.Don’t chat online with strangers.
C.Don’t stare at a screen before bedtime. D.Guide children on their screen devices.
4.In the author’s opinion, why do adults react to new things differently from children?
A.They don’t want to change.
B.Their learning ability decreases with age.
C.They have no desire for the dynamic world.
D.Their learning methods differ from children’s.
5.What might be the author’s attitude to “screen time”?
A.Doubtful. B.Supportive.
C.Disapproving（反对的）. D.Contradictory（相互矛盾的）.
I arrived in this beautiful Spanish island at the start of September, full of enthusiasm and eager to start work as an English teacher. I sorted all the necessary paperwork out and moved into a flat of my own within the first couple of days. Great! Or so I thought. As 4 am and at several intervals after that, I was rudely awoken by the cock that lives opposite me. Fantastic! I now have 5 extra alarms every morning.
In the following weeks, I also started to notice a trend. Things in my flat started to break at the rate of one object per day, like the hot water, bowls, cups, shower, doors or glass shelves. Yes, I am clumsy（笨拙的）but things just fell apart. If it wasn’t broken, it would either be dirty or missing. Using my washing basket for the first time was pretty disgusting. When I took out my clothes, they were swiftly followed by a hundred or so bugs that were living in the bottom.
As for（至于）the general lack of equipment in the house, there was no oven, tin opener, sharp knives or potato peeler. It turns out making a burger from scratch wasn’t the best idea. I have a small microwave and a grill（钻）. I thought the general understanding was never to put metal in a microwave but I went with it. Smoke soon started to appear. I was not quite sure if it was the burger or the grill but as soon as I opened the door, the electricity cut out. I spent the following 10 minutes in a dark, smoky room hunting for the power switch using the light from my mobile phone, which broke the week after and left me without a connection to the outer world.
Luckily, I’m now borrowing a phone and my luck has returned. No more things have broken (probably because there is nothing left to break). I’ve also realized that even if a flat looks pretty, it doesn’t mean its contents（内容）work. I am also learning how to adapt to life with limited, broken utensils（厨房用具）.
1.How did the author feel right after her reaching the island?
A.Excited. B.Nervous.
C.Confident. D.Exhausted.
2.What problem did the author have in the morning?
A.She often slept late. B.Her alarm failed to work.
C.She got some noisy neighbors. D.Her sleep was disturbed by a rooster.
3.What can we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
A.She was a very careful woman. B.She was quite satisfied with her flat.
C.Her flat was pretty old but comfortable. D.Her household articles（物品）were in poor condition.
4.What happened when the author was making a burger?
A.She was seriously injured. B.She made a terrible mistake.
C.She broke her phone accidentally. D.She suffered a sudden power failure.
5.What is the next mainly about?
A.Remaining optimistic. B.How to choose a nice flat.
C.Learning to live in a new flat. D.Why living abroad is not easy.
Activities in Cincinnati Museum Center
Movie Magic Camp
Everything is awesome at Museum Camp! Discover what happens behind the scenes of a movie. Learn how to make a storyboard, study movie magic secrets and create an animation movie（动画片）.
Admission: Admission Fee
Age Range: Grades 1-6
Category: Programs, Children, Education
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Inside a Viking（斯坦的纳维亚人）Home
Take a look at the inside of a Viking home.
Admission: Free to Members or with Museum Admission
Age Range: Early Childhood, Grades 1-6, Preteen, Teen, Adult
Category: Traveling Exhibits
Time: 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Parochial（教区的）and Private Schools History Session
Hear about the establishment of private, Catholic, Jewish and other independent schools in Cincinnati including the growth of early Irish and German speaking schools.
Admission: Admission Fee
Age Range: Adult
Category: Programs, History, Education
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Galaxy（星系）Explorers
Come to a camp that’s sure to be out of this world! Discover secrets of our solar system and learn about galaxies far away!
Admission: Admission Fee
Age Range: Early Childhood, Teen
Category: Programs, Science, Children, Education
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
1.What can we do at Movie Magic Camp?
A.Tell your favorite story. B.Listen to a wonderful story.
C.Learn how to make movies. D.Appreciate an animation movie.
2.What is special about Inside a Viking Home?
A.It is free to all people. B.It suits both kids and adults.
C.It is open in the early morning. D.It allows visitors to live in a house.
3.When can visitors learn about the history of some schools?
A.9:00 am to 4:00 pm. B.9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
C.7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. D.11:00 am to 12:00 pm.
4.Which activity would a science-lover probably be interested in?
A.Galaxy Explorers B.Movie Magic Camp
C.Inside a Viking Home D.Parochial and Private Schools History Session
5.Where is the text probably taken from?
A.A poster. B.A report.
C.A novel. D.A textbook.
It was many years ago. I was a________father on my way home to my wife and baby boy after spending all day________college classes. I had gone back to school to get a degree in education. I wanted to secure a________job that would help me to build a better life for my growing family. It was a two-hour round trip to the________, so every day I would pray for my 20-year-old car to________it all the way.
As I started down a lonely stretch of highway about 12 miles from my home I _____ a car parked along the side of the road with its emergency flashers________. A small woman was struggling to_______a flat tire. This was long before the age of cell phones________I knew that any other help might not arrive for a while. I________behind her car and offered to give her a hand. Her own hands were bruised（擦伤的）and________from struggling with the lug nuts（四方螺帽）and she had tears of frustration in her eyes. The lug nuts were rusty（生锈的）and________and the lug wrench（单向扳手）a little small, but after a while I got the flat off and the________tire on. As I said goodbye the little lady hugged me with tears of_____ this time. I waved and drove off a little embarrassed at her________. After all, it had just been one kind act.
It took me a lot of years after that to learn the true________of one kind act. One kind act can change the world. One kind act can teach more________than a million words. One kind act can save a lost soul and heal（治愈）a________heart.
Never pass up the possibility of using your own________to make this world a better place. Every day we are given the choice to be________or kind. Always choose to be kind.
1.A.great B.young C.lazy D.rich
2.A.preparing B.missing C.taking D.giving
3.A.teaching B.cooking C.driving D.writing
4.A.college B.hospital C.garage D.store
5.A.forget B.ignore C.get D.make
6.A.passed B.stopped C.noticed D.heard
7.A.out B.over C.on D.off
8.A.repair B.borrow C.buy D.change
9.A.and B.but C.though D.unless
10.A.set off B.pulled up C.showed off D.lay down
11.A.moving B.bleeding C.freezing D.shaking
12.A.shiny B.simple C.useful D.tight
13.A.spare B.worn C.clean D.cheap
14.A.pride B.regret C.pain D.relief
15.A.appreciation B.doubt C.expectation D.surprise
16.A.cause B.danger C.power D.pressure
17.A.curiosity B.love C.courage D.desire
18.A.light B.broken C.brave D.cold
19.A.kindness B.patience C.interest D.wisdom
20.A.tough B.busy C.cruel D.free
Intelligence doesn’t __________ mean success. You need to work hard as well.
A.honestly B.necessarily C.formally D.simply
