Five steps to better handwriting
Some kids love handwriting, but others hate it when it’s time to put pen to paper. Maybe they are worried about their handwriting. Are you one of them? 1.Here are five steps that really work!
Get a great grasp
Try this — hold your pencil at the top and try to write your name. Pretty hard? But when you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. 2.Hold it in place with your thumb(拇指), and your index and middle fingers.
Let the lines be your guide
Lined paper is your friend! Those lines can help you create letters that are of the right size and proportion (比例). 3.Also be sure to fill up the lined space completely. Those capital letters should be from the bottom line to the top one.
Slow down
If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. If you rush, it’s hard to control where you stop and start your letters.
Lower the pressure (压力)
4.That makes it harder to make the smooth lines. Try relaxing and don’t hold the pencil too hard.
5.
Lots of games need you to write or draw pictures. So even though it’s not schoolwork, you’re still using the skills you need to control your pencil better.
A.Play games
B.Ask for advice
C.You’ve been writing since you were a little kid.
D.So“a”should be half the height of a capital“A”.
E.Some kids press down really hard when they write.
F.The best way to hold a pencil is to rest it next to the base of your thumb.
G.The good news is that just about everyone can improve their handwriting.
You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1,1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1.What is Jane Addams well-known for in history?
A.Her efforts to win a prize.
B.Her lack of proper training in law.
C.Her social work.
D.Her community background.
2.What is the reason for O’Connor’s being turned down by the law firm?
A.Women’s being looked down upon.
B.Her little work experience in court.
C.Her lack of proper training in law.
D.The poor financial conditions.
3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the US?
A.Jane Addams.
B.Rachel Carson.
C.Sandra Day O’Connor.
D.Rosa Parks
4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?
A.They are highly educated.
B.They are pioneers.
C.They are truly creative.
D.They are peace-lovers.
With around 100 students scheduled to be in that 9:00 am Monday morning lecture, it is no surprise that almost 20 people actually make it to the class and only 10 of them are still awake after the first 15 minutes; it is not even a surprise that most of them are still in their pajama’s(睡衣). Obviously, students are terrible at adjusting their sleep cycles to their daily schedule.
All human beings possess a body clock. Along with other alerting systems, this governs the sleep/wake cycle and is therefore one of the main processes which govern sleep behaviour. Typically, the preferred sleep/wake cycle is delayed in adolescents, which leads to many students not feeling sleepy until much later in the evenings. This typical sleep pattern is usually referred to as the “night owl” schedule of sleep.
This is opposed to the “early bird” schedule, and is a kind of disorder where the individual tends to stay up much past midnight. Such a person has great difficulty in waking up in the mornings. Research suggests that night owls feel most alert and function best in the evenings and at night. Research findings have shown that about 20 percent of people can be classified as “night owls” and only 10 percent can be classified as “early birds” ------ the other 70 percent are in the middle. Although this is clearly not true for all students, for the ones who are true night owls, this gives them an excellent excuse for missing their lectures which unfortunately fall before midday.
1.What does the author stress in Paragraph 1?
A.Many students are absent from class.
B.Students are very tired on Monday mornings.
C.Students do not adjust their sleep patterns well.
D.Students are not well prepared for class on Mondays.
2.Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?
A.Most students prefer to get up late in the morning.
B.Students don’t sleep well because of alerting systems.
C.One’s body clock governs the sleep/wake cycle independently.
D.Adolescents’ delayed sleep/wake cycle isn’t the preferred pattern.
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “classified”?
A.Criticized B.Grouped C.Organized D.Named
4.What does the text mainly talk about?
A.Functions of the body clock.
B.The “night owl” phenomenon.
C.Human beings’ sleep behaviour.
D.The school schedule of “early birds”.
I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through phone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn't notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1.What made Kate angry one evening?
A.She couldn’t find her books.
B.She heard the author shouting loud.
C.She got the news that her grandma was ill.
D.She saw the author's shoes beneath her bed.
2.The author tidied up the room most probably because _______.
A.she hated herself for being so messy
B.she was asked by Kate to do so
C.she was scared by Kate’s anger
D.she wanted to show her care
3.How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?
A.By analyzing causes.
B.By describing a process.
C.By showing differences.
D.By following time order.
4.What might be the best title for the story?
A.My Friend Kate
B.Hard Work Pays Off
C.How to Be Organized
D.Learning to Be Roommates
In the coming months, we are bringing together artists from all over the globe, to enjoy speaking Shakespeare’s plays in their language, in our Globe, within the architecture Shakespeare wrote for. Please come and join us.
National Theatre Of China Beijing｜Chinese
This great occasion(盛会) will be the National Theatre of China’s first visit to the UK. The company’s productions show the new face of 21st century Chinese theatre. This production of Shakespeare’s Richard III will be directed by the National’s Associate Director, Wang Xiaoying.
Date & Time: Saturday 28 April, 2.30 pm & Sunday 29 April, 1.30 pm & 6.30 pm
Marjanishvili Theatre Tbilisi｜Georgian
One of the most famous theatres in Georgia, the Marjanishvili, founded in 1928, appears regularly at theatre festivals all over the world. This new production of As You Like It is helmed(指导) by the company’s Artistic Director Levan Tsuladze.
Date & Time: Friday 18 May, 2.30 pm & Saturday 19 May, 7.30 pm
Deafinitely Theatre London｜British Sign Language(BSL)
By translating the rich and humourous text of Love’s Labour’s Lost into the physical language of BSL, Deafinitely Theatre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.
Date & Time: Tuesday 22 May, 2.30 pm & Wednesday 23 May, 7.30 pm
Habima National Theatre Tel Aviv｜Hebrew
The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-language theatre worldwide. Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution, the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s. Since 1958, they have been recognized as the national theatre of Israel. This production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.
Date & Time: Monday 28 May, 7.30 & Tuesday 29 May, 7.30 pm
1.Which play will be performed by the National Theatre of China?
A.RichardⅢ. B.Lover’s Labour’s Lost.
C.As You Like It. D.The Merchant of Venice.
2.What is special about Deafinitely Theatre?
A.It has two groups of actors. B.It is the leading theatre in London.
C.It performs plays in BSL. D.It is good at producing comedies.
3.When can you see a play in Hebrew?
A.On Saturday 28 April. B.On Sunday 29 April.
C.On Tuesday 22 May. D.On Tuesday 29 May.
你们学校校报正在向学生征稿，稿件内容是关于未来的学校。请根据表格中记录的要点写一篇标题为“未来的学校（Future Schools）”的英语文章向校报投稿。
注意：1. 词数100左右；文章的开头已经为你写好，不计入总词数；
2. 可以适当增加细节，使行文连贯；
3. 文中不得透漏个人姓名和学校名称。
School Life: different activities; richer and more interesting; teachers and students get along well |
Building and equipment: modern; easy to use; everything run by computer |
Subjects: more subjects to choose from; most subjects offered on the Internet |
Ways of learning: learn at school or at home; choose teachers |
Future Schools
In the future, schools will be different in many ways from what they are now.
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