My family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota last year, where the average winter temperature is around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Once summer ended, everyone went inside to play ice hockey. I’d been on the ice only a couple of times when I was much younger. When I’d fallen and broken my wrist during my second lesson, I’d decided never to put on ice skates again.
Ben, the friend I made in the new city, volunteered to teach me to skate. Even though he was very patient, I was so embarrassed by my clumsiness that I began to make up excuses for not skating.
One day I discovered a faster route home. It took me past a large frozen pond. I noticed a woman teaching a young girl to skate. The girl was attempting to jump and spin in the air.
Over and over, she pushed off the ground with the toe of her skate. And over and over, she landed hard on the ice.
After I had been watching the girl practice for about a week, one afternoon she suddenly lifted off the ground, spun in the air, and landed on her feet!
The next day I bought myself some brand new skates. Every day on the way home I stopped at the pond and wobbled onto the ice, right next to the girl who had landed her jump. As she perfected her twists and tricks, I taught myself to glide and turn. It was hard being a beginner, and when I fell I had to fight the urge to simply give up. Instead, every time I went down, I just picked myself up and started over again. Soon I was able to keep my balance and skate more confidently. In just a few weeks, I was actually ready to practice the speed skating, fast stops, and quick turns needed for ice hockey. When I was finally ready to show Ben my newfound skating ability, he told me I should join the local hockey league. I tried out and was chosen for a team. By the end of the season, I was part of a winning team.
1.What can we learn about the author?
A.He learned skating from the girl.
B.He preferred ice hockey to skating.
C.He had once given up learning skating.
D.He moved to a new city without summer.
2.Why did the author mention the girl on the pond?
A.To prove the girl was skillful.
B.To suggest the girl inspired him.
C.To show the girl was a quick learner.
D.To explain how he came across the girl.
3.According to the last paragraph, the author’s training was________.
A.easy and basic B.hard but rewarding
C.boring and tiring D.strict but interesting
4.What does the story mainly tell us?
A.All roads lead to Rome.
B.One is never too old to learn.
C.One good turn deserves another.
D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
Fun STEM Things to Do Over Winter Break
Winter break is just around the corner. We’re here to fill the time with fun projects and outings for all ages! Each of these activities is fun enough to pull your kids off the couch and away from the games.
An educational field trip
Ages: All
Spending a couple of weeks in the house can make anyone crazy. Why not take your kids on an educational field trip? Local children’s museums or science and technology museums will be a hit. These museums provide opportunities for hands-on exploration, so your kids will be able to interact with STEM subjects, instead of just watching them.
Many of them offer discounted tickets on certain days. Read the fine print online to see if you can visit for less.
Science experiments at home
Ages: All
Science experiments aren’t just for school. In fact, your kids could probably spend the entirety of their winter break exploring science with nothing more than objects you’d find around the house. For younger kids, making frozen bubbles is a great way to explore the scientific process. Teens can look to a list of 15 age-appropriate experiments for inspiration.
Start building
Ages: All
There’s no better way to explore engineering principles than to start building! Gather up any number of household objects—plastic cups, LEGO blocks, straws—and start building. If you want some suggestions for what to build and how to build it, Google is your best friend.
Electrical engineering
Ages: 14–18
Light up your holiday season with one of our handy guides. In the past, we showed readers how to create a Tech-o-Lantern costume, and those same principles could be used to create other light-up projects. We also created a simple guide for creating a light-up holiday card and that’s perfect for Christmas.
We hope these fun STEM activities will keep your kids happily occupied over winter break.
1.Who is this passage probably written for?
A.Parents. B.Teachers.
C.Camp organizers. D.School leaders.
2.If you want to make a thank-you card with lights, you may prefer _________.
A.Electrical engineering B.Science experiments at home
C.Start building D.An educational field trip
3.The winter break STEM activities _________.
A.are organized outdoors
B.need to be done with family
C.are free to children of all ages
D.give children hands-on experience
I looked out at the smiling faces in the school auditorium. The applause filled my ears. I had really done it!
Just a few months earlier I would never have ______ myself acting in a play in front of two hundred people. But when the time came, I got up on stage and ______ one of my greatest fears. I found a new person inside me, a much more ______, outgoing person who had been hidden all along, just waiting for the opportunity to come. If not for my teacher, Mrs. Sather, I might never have found that ______.
I was extremely ______. I had friends, but it just wasn’t in my personality to be very outgoing, even when I knew someone well. I was even ______ with strangers.
One day, Mrs. Sather ______ that our class was going to perform a play. “I need someone to play the lead part of Dorothy,” she said. “Anybody want to try?” A few ____ hands shot up—mine, of course, was not one of them.
After class Mrs. Sather came to join me. “Dallas, I was thinking you would be the person for Dorothy. But I was ______ you didn’t raise your hand.”
Was she ______? Me, the lead? I was ______ just thinking of standing on stage in front of a lot of people.
“Dallas, you’re great at ______ things, so you won’t worry about lines. And you have such a sweet personality. Perfect for Dorothy!” She said.
Mrs. Sather stared into my eyes as if seeing my inner self locked away inside. “I’d love you to give this a ______ for me. But if you really don’t want to, I won’t make you. It’s your ____.” Mrs. Sather wanted me in this role. She ______ me. I realized it was time to ____ my shy cloak (披风).
Fast-forward through five months of practicing, we were ready. ______, I was as nervous as I had ever been. I proved to myself that I could do it in practice, ______ could I prove it to everyone else when it really mattered?
“It doesn’t matter how you do tonight,” said Mrs. Sather, ______ reading my thoughts when she came backstage for a final check. “You have already shown yourself how wonderful you are.”
At the end of the play, when the audience stood and applauded, I knew they were not just cheering for my performance that night, but for the performances they knew would come in later years because of my newfound ______.
1.A.praised B.agreed C.pictured D.remembered
2.A.expressed B.faced C.discussed D.shared
3.A.energetic B.daring C.generous D.sincere
4.A.story B.method C.solution D.opportunity
5.A.shy B.slow C.curious D.patient
6.A.colder B.calmer C.quieter D.happier
7.A.realized B.repeated C.found D.announced
8.A.firm B.excited C.powerful D.friendly
9.A.surprised B.annoyed C.amused D.embarrassed
10.A.objective B.crazy C.reliable D.nervous
11.A.ashamed B.regretful C.doubtful D.terrified
12.A.analyzing B.observing C.memorizing D.predicting
13.A.plan B.try C.guess D.promise
14.A.choice B.destination C.suggestion D.interest
15.A.reminded B.challenged C.trusted D.shocked
16.A.throw off B.keep off C.knock off D.call off
17.A.Therefore B.Otherwise C.Instead D.Still
18.A.but B.so C.or D.and
19.A.in case B.ever since C.as if D.even though
20.A.popularity B.ambition C.advantage D.confidence
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
A cheerful panda 1. (call) Bing Dwen Dwen has been chosen as the Olympic mascot for Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. The new Olympic mascot will serve as an ambassador (大使) for winter sports, 2. (bring) joy to those who participate in and watch the Olympic Winter Games. “Bing” means ice and symbolizes purity and strength. “Dwen Dwen” relates to children and means 3. (honest), health, liveliness and loveliness. The mascot represents the strength and willpower of athletes and will help to promote the Olympic spirit.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Reading as a teen leads to success. When teens read more than just their classroom assignments, research clearly shows that they generally do 1. (good) in school. First of all, the extra reading 2. (enlarge) their vocabularies. And teens 3. read more serious literary works gain skills in handling complex ideas. Besides, teens can educate 4. (they) in any area of life they are interested in if they are good at reading. Plus, reading also helps them expand their horizons as they learn more about people and the world.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
I never believed in lucky coins. But one day as I was mowing the lawn (修剪草坪), I noticed a shiny object some five yards away. I stopped the machine to go and see 1. had caught my eye. Just as I bent over to pick up the object, the machine exploded behind me. I 2. (stand) there, frightened but unhurt. I 3. (save) by the shiny object—a coin. I now believe in lucky coins and stop to pick them up whenever I see them.
