The Value of Education
I have just started my job as an English Language Assistant in the Parisian suburbs. I was_________by how rich Paris really is. The_________of the buildings and the large amount of luxurious(豪华的)monuments completely_________the city's rich reputation. I was also very surprised at how_________the suburbs are: in the UK, traditionally, the suburbs are the_________part of a city，but here it is the complete opposite.
The schools that I_________in are located just outside of Paris and are not as_________as the ones in the centre of the city. However, the_______here are so eager to learn my language.
For my first lesson I_________some postcards and souvenirs to____________my pupils what my hometown is like in the UK. They were so____________by my postcard of my town's____________and my souvenir of the Welsh dragon. For us in the UK, a postcard of a castle is not necessarily the most exciting thing but, for these pupils it____________real-life magic and mystery. I realized that in their suburb there are no castles or famous monuments. All those things____________to Paris.
One of the teachers told me that despite the____________that these children live only four kilometers from Paris, some of them have never been there throughout their entire lives. I____________a chance for them to discover another world.
I never____________, until my job in France, just how____________education really is. For these children it represents a(n)d____________to do something different; it represents hope for their____________and that is priceless.
1.A.impressed B.encouraged C.delighted D.frightened
2.A.history B.color C.appearance D.architecture
3.A.enjoy B.represent C.ruin D.acquire
4.A.different B.large C.quiet D.beautiful
5.A.dirtiest B.poorest C.richest D.easiest
6.A.study B.play C.stay D.teach
7.A.poor B.wealthy C.clean D.far
8.A.people B.farmers C.pupils D.workers
9.A.brought in B.took in C.asked for D.gave up
10.A.give B.show C.instruct D.explain
11.A.touched B.moved C.inspired D.excited
12.A.scenery B.advantages C.mountain D.castle
13.A.meant B.practised C.lost D.explained
14.A.survive B.belong C.allow D.happen
15.A.habit B.effort C.fact D.disadvantage
16.A.spoiled B.kept C.offered D.provided
17.A.proved B.admitted C.knew D.realized
18.A.convenient B.valuable C.practical D.simple
19.A.symbol B.plan C.opportunity D.picture
20.A.families B.academics C.abilities D.futures
How to Find Something You Like to Do
Finding something you enjoy doing can improve the quality of your life and reduce your stress levels.1.It can also help you make friends or even provide a purpose in your life. Then how can you find something you like to do?
2.Some hobbies, such as albums and gardening, can take up a lot of time. Other hobbies, such as video games or reading, can be done at your own pace and do not require any extra time.
Research the hobby or activity you would like to get involved in. Find out how much time and money you will need to devote to starting and continuing the activity. For example, some sports-related interests might require special equipment.3.Your local library or phone book should also have information on hobbies and activities in your area.
Talk with other people who are involved in some of the activities you are interested in.4.Ask if you could follow them to a meeting or spend some time with this person while he is involved in his hobby to see if it is something you would enjoy.
5.Challenge yourself to try a new activity you are interested in for a week or so. Allow yourself to learn about the hobby and determine whether you will enjoy the activity or not.
A. Think about how a hobby benefits you.
B. A hobby can connect you with other people.
C. Take a chance on a hobby and see if you enjoy it.
D. Think about how much free time you can devote to a hobby.
E. You can find information about hobbies and interests on Find My Hobby's website.
F. You can get first-hand knowledge by interviewing someone about a particular hobby.
G. It is easy to decide whether a particular hobby is right for you.
Technology is forever changing the way we get our news. Many people now get a lot of their news on electronic devices, instead of traditional media, such as newspapers, television or radio. Now, there is a new way we get the news: computer-created news readers.
Recently, China's Xinhua launched (推出) the world's first AI news presenters with the Chinese search engine Sogou. The news readers created by machine learning technology are based on two real-life newsmen. One is able to present newscasts in English; the other, in Mandarin Chinese.
One Xinhua's report said machine learning was used to examine video images and sounds of the two newsmen, which look and sound like real people.
Some machine learning experts said the system showed off China's latest progress in voice recognition, text-to-speech technology and data analysis. But several experts suggested that the term AI does not correctly describe abilities of the robotic news readers.
On social media, many Chinese noted that the AI presenters did not seem real. People blamed them for not being more lifelike. Others wondered about the effects robots might have on employment and workers. Some people argued that only low-level jobs requiring heavy labor will be easily replaced by robots. Others praised the technology as a way for companies to make money from low-cost labor machines.
Some businesses have experimented with similar technology for possible use in news operations. Britain's BBC recently released a video that used machine learning to make it look like one of its news readers speaking different languages. The London-based company that developed the system says its goal is to "remove the language barrier" for many different kinds of video across the Internet.
1.What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 1?
A.Introduce the topic of the text.
B.Summarize the different opinions.
C.Add some data about the AI presenters.
D.Compare different ways of getting news
2.What is the machine learning technology used to do?
A.To keep AI presenters from making any mistakes.
B.To make AI presenters speak more fluently.
C.To ensure images and sounds are like real persons.
D.To bring newscasts up to date every hour.
3.What are some people worried about when AI presenters were launched?
A.Robots will eventually replace human all over.
B.Robots may threaten some people's employment.
C.Robots may endanger most people's health.
D.Robots will rule over the world in the end.
4.From the last paragraph we know that______.
A.BBC has removed the language barrier in newscasts
B.BBC's news readers can speak different languages
C.BBC shows interest in Xinhua's AI news presenters
D.BBC has done similar experiments as Xinhua does
Bill Bowerman was a track coach.He wanted to help athletes run faster. So he had learned how to make running shoes. He had also started a shoe company with a friend. It was 1971. Running shoes at the time were heavy. They had spikes(鞋钉)on the sole(鞋底). The spikes tore up the track and slowed down runners.
To make a lighter shoe, Bill tried the skins of fish. To make a better sole, he wanted to replace the spikes. Bill look through his wife Barbara's jewelry box. He hoped to find a piece of jewelry with an interesting pattern. He would then copy the pattern onto the new soles. Nothing worked. Bill was stumped. Then, one Sunday morning, Barbara made Bill waffles(华夫饼)for breakfast. Bill watched her cook. He studied the cross pattern on their old waffle iron.
Inspiration(灵感)hit.
The pattern on a waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for. The squares were fatter and wider than sharp spikes. The pattern would help the shoes grip (抓牢) any surface without tearing into it.
When Barbara left the house, Bill ran to his lab. He took the liquid chemicals that, when mixed, would harden into the sole of a shoe. He poured the mixture into the waffle iron and the Waffle Trainer was born.
Bill's company put the Waffle Trainer on the market in 1974. It was a huge hit. Maybe you've heard of that company called Nike. And today it's worth around $100 billion.
It was the waffle iron that had changed the course of Bill's life and helped turn Nike into a well-known name. Today, the waffle iron is kept at Nike headquarters. It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the toughest problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places，even the breakfast table.
1.What was wrong with the running shoes before the Wattle Trainer was made?
A.They were easily worn out. B.The spikes hurt runners' feet.
C.The spikes were sharp and heavy. D.They were too expensive.
2.What does the underlined word "stumped" in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Inspired. B.Defeated.
C.Satisfied. D.Doubted.
3.What can we say about the birth of Waffle Trainer?
A.It was made quite by accident. B.It was invented by Bill's wife.
C.It was based on many lab tests. D.It was supported by another company.
4.What can we learn from Bill's experience?
A.Where there's a will, there's a way. B.Good is rewarded with good.
C.Two heads are better than one. D.A misfortune may turn out a blessing.
I have recently moved to Hamburg in Germany and have always heard that Germans just wear jeans or some strange clothes. Since I have moved here though, I have found this to actually be completely false and I think I would prefer it if they did just wear jeans, so I could do the same!
Hamburg is a very big shopping city. Apart from H&M, New Yorker and Mango, I have found a New Look and a new Topshop have recently just opened. These shops are quite popular shops in the UK and sell clothes which are always considered as very "fashionable".
Another thing I am really struggling with, as well as trying to be fashionable, I am trying to find the right clothes for the weather. I have found in Hamburg one minute it is nice and sunny but the next minute it is throwing it down with rain! One day it might start off really rainy and cold but by lunch time it is sunny and really hot, so wearing a coat is not practical.
In general, however, I think it has also got cold here very quickly and it already feels like the winter that I am used to. I frequently go out in my winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf while many other people are still only wearing jeans or leather jackets. I don't understand how they do it as I am always freezing. Is it better to blend(使混合)in with fashion or be warm? I think I would rather be warm and maybe look like a bit of a banana in a huge coat rather than be shivering all day.
What do you think? Clearly I am missing something here as I seem to be the only one struggling over these fashion decisions.
1.When the writer was in Hamburg, she found Germans .
A.care more about what to wear B.don't always wear jeans
C.like wearing fashionable clothes D.like wearing jeans
2.Shopping in Hamburg is very .
A.difficult B.funny
C.exciting D.convenient
3.We know the weather in Hamburg is .
A.changeable B.comfortable
C.rainy D.lovely
4.What does the underlined word "shivering" probably mean?
A.wandering B.searching
C.shaking D.watching
VOLUNTEER
Kenya Community Development Project
Greenheart Travel's volunteer program in Kenya allows you the special chance to work alongside the Maasai community helping them to receive a good education, income activities, food safety and basic resources such as water. As a volunteer in Kenya you will have the chance to learn about the interesting Maasaiway of life in order to work within their special cultural and social environment.
How You Will Make a Difference
*Help schools get necessary supplies
*Help with building houses
*Volunteer in the hospitals
*Help with watering crops
*Help women's groups with finding new markets to sell their crafts
*Organize youth sports
*Help with chicken farming.
Cost Details
Prices: 2 weeks: $142 4 weeks: $218 5 weeks: $249 6 weeks: $286 8 weeks: $357
9 weeks: $392 10 weeks: $416 11 weeks: $464 12 weeks: $500
A Great Opportunity For:
Seniors/ Retirees/ Groups /Professionals
Language Needed
English(fluent)
Skills Needed,' Experience
No experience required.
Detailed Location Information
Volunteer must be 23 years of age or older.
***Meals are not included, but volunteers can buy food at the market and cook at the volunteer house.
1.We can know that the Maasai .
A.may not have enough drinking water B.are good at making money
C.are usually well educated D.pay more attention to their world
2.What will a volunteer do for the Maasai?
A.Buy necessary things for schools. B.Help build houses for the local people.
C.Help women sell their crafts at the market. D.Train the young people to become players.
3.According to the text, volunteers .
A.have to speak the local language B.must be teenagers or older
C.must have the rich experience in volunteering D.have to pay for meals themselves
