How has technology helped communication? 1. It’s unbelievable to look back and see how much easier communication has gotten over the years. Communication tools offer one of the most significant examples of how quickly technology has changed.
2. However, to connect with someone in society today, nowadays you have many more good choices at your fingertips. You can send them a message on social media, text them, video chat, email, or put a call through.
These new methods can help you keep in touch with loved ones, especially if you’re aging in place or living alone. Video chat helps caregivers check on seniors who may not need continual check-ups in person. Social media is a great way to keep in touch in general. You are even allowed to see what your loved ones are doing through the photos and updates they post.
Who hasn’t heard of Facebook, Twitter, or Skype?3. Even if you don’t use these platforms, they’re a part of everyday life and not going away anytime soon. Regardless of your location, messages via social media get delivered on these platforms at the same rate and speed whether the recipient is right beside you or on the other side of the globe. You can also send voice messages through these platforms, and it is delivered in nanoseconds.
Communication has even progressed beyond mobile devices and personal computers. We can now send messages through tablets, voice assistants, smartwatches, and more. The smartwatch is a relatively new technology that owns almost all the features of smartphones in a convenient touch-screen watch. You can receive notifications (通知), track your activity or set alarms.4.
A. They’ve become household names.
B. Smartwatches can also serve as a way to communicate.
C. Paying bills has also become simpler thanks to technology.
D. You can even call and text directly through these wearable devices.
E. Writing a letter or finding a phone used to be the best way to communicate.
F. The development of technology has made communication really fast and convenient.
Earthquakes usually happen on the edges of large sections of the Earth’s plates. These plates slowly move over a long period of time. Sometimes the edges, which are called fault lines, can get stuck, but the plates keep moving. Pressure slowly starts to build up where the edges are stuck and, once the pressure gets strong enough, the plates will suddenly move causing an earthquake.
Generally before and after a large earthquake there will be smaller earthquakes. The ones that happen before are called foreshocks. The ones that happen after are called aftershocks. Scientists don’t really know if an earthquake is a foreshock until the bigger earthquake occurs.
Shock waves from an earthquake that travel through the ground are called seismic waves (地震波). They are most powerful at the center of the earthquake, but they travel through much of the earth and back to the surface. They move quickly at 20 times the speed of sound.
Scientists use seismic waves to measure how big an earthquake is. They use a device called a seismograph (地震仪) to measure the size of the waves. The size of the waves is called the magnitude.
To tell the strength of an earthquake scientists use a scale called the Moment Magnitude Scale or MMS (it used to be called the Richter scale). The larger the number on the MMS scale, the larger the earthquake. You usually won’t even notice an earthquake unless it measures at least a 3 on the MMS scale. Here are some examples of what may happen depending on the scale:
4.0-Could shake your house as if a large truck were passing close by. Some people may not notice.
5.0-If you are in a car, it may shake. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Windows may break.
6.0- Items will fall off shelves. Walls in some houses may crack and windows break. Pretty much everyone near the center will feel this one.
7.0- Weaker buildings will collapse and cracks will occur in bridges and on the street.
8.0- Many buildings and bridges fall down. Large cracks in the earth.
9.0 and up- Whole cities flattened and large-scale damage.
1.If a 5.0-magnitude earthquake hit your area, what might happen?
A.Your house might shake violently. B.People might feel no shaking at all.
C.The family photo may fall off the wall. D.There might be cracks everywhere on the street.
2.What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph2?
A.It’s still hard to tell foreshocks from main earthquakes.
B.Scientists can’t exactly measure the strength of an earthquake.
C.People may ignore foreshocks when an earthquake is not so strong.
D.The earthquake won’t cause any damage unless it reaches 9.0 MMS.
3.The writer explains the concepts concerning the earthquake by .
A.listing examples B.giving explanations
C.making comparisons D.offering data
4.The passage is written mainly to .
A.enrich people’s knowledge of self-rescue in disasters
B.stress the importance of earthquake rescue
C.issue early warnings before an earthquake
D.present facts about the earthquake
Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40,000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics’ soul: “We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original.”
Most relics have to rely on tourist fees for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: “We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surrounding of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value.”
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum Dang Quoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, “The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival-related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government.”
Nguyen Thi Minh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: “This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations. Creative restoration (修复) must be based on previous (先前的) values.”
Experts have called for a systematic (系统的) guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
1.Where is the passage most probably taken from?
A.A government survey. B.A research paper.
C.A newspaper report. D.A travel guide.
2.Which of the following is not the reasons for the damaged relics in Vietnam?
A.Human activities. B.Poor building materials.
C.War influence. D.The passing of time.
3.It can be inferred from paragraphs 4-6 that to preserve relics, the government should .
A.turn to the UNESCO for financial help
B.improve the scenic value by raising tourist fees
C.encourage the community to join in the rescue work
D.make full use of the money raised by the local people
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Guide the Community in Proper Behaviors
B.Replace the Ruined Construction with a New Style
C.Hundreds of Relics in Vietnam Are In Ruins
D.Experts Call for a Systematic Way to Preserve Relics
A ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small island.
The two survivors, also good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other choice but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they divided the land between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree beside him and he ate its fruit. The other man’s land remained barren (贫瘠的).
After a week, the first man was lonely so he prayed for a wife. The next day, another ship was completely destroyed, and the only woman survivor soon became his wife. On the other side of the island, there was still nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship. In the morning, he found a ship at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island behind, because he considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”
“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”
“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”
“Tell me,” the first man asked with great curiosity, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”
1.It can be learned from the passage that .
A.the men prayed for each other selflessly
B.the first man was a reliable and devoted friend
C.the men got along well with each other on the island
D.the men stayed separated to test the power of their prayers
2.What does the passage imply about the second man?
A.He lost his chances since he was not brave enough to show his needs.
B.His wife was another survivor sent by God to keep him company.
C.He lost heart in trouble so he deserves no God’s blessings.
D.It was his prayers that helped his friend get out of trouble.
3.What does the underlined word “rebuked” in paragraph 9 most probably mean?
A.Ignored. B.Requested. C.Criticized. D.Recognized.
4.What is the message conveyed in the story?
A.Helping others is more important than helping yourself.
B.Our blessings are the fruits of our prayers alone.
C.A life without a friend is a life without a sun.
D.A friend in need is a friend indeed.
假定你是李华，从网上获悉某国际青少年志愿者组织正在全球招募暑假志愿者。请用英语写一封100词左右的电子邮件申请参加。
主要内容如下：
1. 写信目的； 2.自我介绍； 3.希望获准。
Dear Sir or Madam,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
阅读表达
Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there are more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.
Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.
Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will benefit you at work and in family life.
Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松).
Playing sports builds self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.
Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you—both on and off the field!
1.What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)
2.List three advantages that exercise can give you when you are in school. (no more than 6 words)
3.In your opinion, why are sports good for your health? (no more than 20 words)
4.What does “they” refer to in Para. 5? (one word)
5.What can lift your mood while playing sports? (no more than 15 words)
