You’ve likely noticed them by now. School buses are back on the street packed with students. Many of those kids step off the buses with a potential health danger over their shoulder — a backpack filled with homework.
Backpacks come in all shapes, sizes and colors. It is a fun way for any girl or boy to express their styles. Some are simple, some covered with cartoon characters, many equipped with special compartments for every tool a student needs, like pencils, notebooks and books.
Yes, they are practical, but a heavy backpack can injure muscles and joints. Wearing a backpack incorrectly can lead to severe back, neck and shoulder pain, as well as posture problems. When a backpack filled with books is placed on a boy or girl’s shoulders incorrectly, the force of the weight can pull the child backward, so the child may bend their hips forward or arch their back.
Pay attention to detail when selecting a backpack; choose one that is equipped with a comfortable back, waist and wide shoulder straps. Narrow straps can dig into a child’s shoulders and affect circulation and nerves. The heavy load danger is not just for kids 12 and under. Middle and high school are at risk, too. They are carrying heavier books home daily.
Luckily, back pain created by backpacks is preventable. Parents should talk to their kids about lightening the load. You can even use a bathroom scale. The backpack should not weigh more than 10 percent to 15 percent of your child’s weight. If your child weighs 80 pounds, the pack should not weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds. If your child weighs 140 pounds, the pack should not be heavier than 21 pounds. Most importantly, if your child talks about numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, contact a physician.
1.What do students’ backpacks reflect according to paragraph 2?
A.Their hobbies. B.Their styles.
C.Their characters. D.Their needs.
2.What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.Students’ heavy loads. B.Wearing backpacks incorrectly.
C.Dangers of heavy backpacks. D.Weight of heavy backpacks.
3.Which backpack is more suitable for a child weighing 100 pounds?
A.With wide shoulder straps weighing about 10 pounds.
B.With narrow shoulder straps weighing 16 pounds.
C.With wide shoulder straps weighing 20 pounds.
D.With narrow shoulder straps weighing 15 pounds.
4.Who are the intended readers of the text?
A.Children. B.Doctors.
C.Teachers. D.Parents.
One spring morning many years ago, I had been searching for gold on southeastern Alaska’s Kupreanof Island, and as I came out of a forest, I froze in my tracks. No more than 20 paces away was a huge Alaskan timber wolf—caught in one of Trapper George’s traps.
Old George had died of a heart attack, so the wolf was lucky I had happened along. Confused and frightened at my approach, the wolf backed away, straining at the trap chain. Then I noticed something else: It was a female, and her teats (乳头) were full of milk. Somewhere there were some hungry pups (狼崽子) waiting for their mother.
From her appearance, I guessed that she had been trapped only a few days. That meant her pups were probably still alive, surely no more than a few miles away. But I suspected that if I tried to release the wolf, she would turn aggressive and try to tear me to pieces.
So I decided to search for her pups instead. After several moments, I spotted paw marks on a trail. I finally spotted the den (狼窝). Wolf pups are shy and cautious, and I didn’t have much hope of luring them outside. But I had to try. So I began imitating the high-pitched squeak of a mother wolf calling her young. No response. A few moments later, after I tried another call, four tiny pups appeared.
They couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old. I extended my hands, and they tentatively suckled at my fingers. Perhaps hunger had helped overcome their natural fear. Then, I took them to their mother. Possibly picking up the smell of her young, the mother wolf let out a high-pitched, sad call. The pups raced to her. Within seconds, they were drinking milk at her belly.
The mother wolf was clearly suffering, very weak. I had to find her something to eat. Yet each time I moved in her direction, a growl (怒吼) rumbled in her throat. With her young to protect, she was becoming very cautious. If I could only win her confidence, I thought, it was her only hope.
Over the next few days, I divided my time between prospecting and trying to win the wolf's trust. I talked gently with her, throwing her some meat. Gradually, I kept edging closer — though I was careful to remain beyond the length of her trap chain.
At dusk on the fifth day, I delivered her dinner. Suddenly, I saw a slight wagging of her tail. I moved within the length of her chain. She remained sill. As a towering man, my heart was in my mouth, though. Within her reach, I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground. It was long before I fell asleep.
The next morning, I slowly placed my hand on the wolf's injured leg. Unexpectedly; she made no threatening move. Then I applied pressure, the trap sprang open, and the wolf pulled free.
My experience told me the wolf would vanish into the woods quickly. But cautiously, she crept toward me and sniffed my hands and arms. This went against everything I'd ever heard about timber wolves. Yet, strangely, it all seemed so natural.
1.How did the author feel when he saw a huge wolf?
A.Scared B.Cold.
C.Surprised D.Confused.
2.What happened to the mother wolf?
A.Its heart was attacked. B.It was trapped by the chain.
C.It was giving birth to pups. D.It was giving milk to its pups.
3.What did the author do?
A.Tried to release the mother wolf. B.Fought against the mother wolf.
C.Managed to find the wolf babies. D.Tried to comfort the mother wolf.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.The mother wolf finally died of injuries.
B.The mother wolf starved to death.
C.The author had to leave behind the wolves.
D.The author won the mother wolf’s confidence.
Books Recommended by TED Speakers
A Mathematician’s Apology by G. H. Hardy
This is the best book I know about the sheer beauty of mathematics. Here’s one lovely quote from the book: “A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.”
— David Brenner (TED Talk: A new weapon in the fight against superbugs)
The Future by Nick Montfort
This is a short read but a great look at some key future thinkers throughout history. Through delightfully written case studies, Montfort makes the argument that the future can be made and not predicted. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in future studies and the role that sci-fi, speculative design and big ideas play in shaping our future relationship with technology.
— Raphael Arar (TED Talk: How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions)
Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson
“We all could use a lesson on how to have fun in business and in life. Madson does a wonderful job providing strategies on how to deal with life’s many challenging situations by drawing from the maxims of improvisational theater.”
— Lisa Dyson (TED Talk: A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food)
If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland
For those who know they have something to express, these stressful times can feel a bit hopeless — it may seem impossible to find the time, skill and energy to create. This is one of the most timeless books on how to regain that hope, and it’s also a delightful read, in and of itself.
— Sebastian Wernicke (TED Talk: How to use data to make a hit TV show)
1.What is the topic of the talk given by Raphael Arar?
A.A new weapon in the fight against superbugs.
B.How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions.
C.A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food.
D.How to use data to make a hit TV show.
2.Who are advised to read Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up?
A.Those interested in mathematics. B.Those interested in future studies.
C.Those faced with life’s difficulties. D.Those eager to create books.
3.Which book does Sebastian Wernicke recommend?
A.A Mathematician’s Apology.
B.The Future.
C.Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up.
D.If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit.
Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.他说起意大利就好像亲自去过似的。（as if）
2.每天适度锻炼不仅能保持健康，还能使人精力充沛。（basis）
3.由于缺乏自律性，他在上网课的时候忍不住偷看手机。（help）
4.即便患有肺癌，他还是用两年的时间航游世界，其中四分之一的时间是在非洲度过的。（Despite）
Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?
Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristic that instruct and inspire people. A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.
Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage（电压） transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.
The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?
Heroes are catalysts（催化剂） for change. They have a vision from the mountain top. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr, we might still have segregated（隔离的） buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain and the committee meetings endless.
1.Although heroes may come from different cultures, they .
A.generally possess certain inspiring characteristics
B.probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people
C.are often influenced by previous generations
D.all unknowingly attract a large number of fans
2.According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that .
A.they have a vision from the mountaintop
B.they have warm feelings and emotions
C.they can serve as empowering examples of noble principles
D.they can make all people feel stronger and more confident
3.Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because .
A.they are popular only among certain groups of people
B.their performances do not improve their fans morally
C.their primary concern is their own financial interests
D.they are not clear about the principles they should follow
4.Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who .
A.are good at demonstrating their charming characters
B.can move the masses with the skill and the charm
C.are capable of meeting all challenges and hardships
D.can provide an answer to the problems of their people
5.The author concludes that historical changes would .
A.be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities
B.not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices
C.take place if there were heroes to lead the people
D.produce leaders with attractive personalities
The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an epic struggle between an old, seasoned fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. For eighty-four days. Santiago, an aged Cuban fisherman, has set out to sea and returned ____ handed. So conspicuously unlucky is he that the parents of his young, devoted apprentice（徒弟） and friend, Manolin, have ____ the boy to leave the old man in order to fish in a more prosperous boat. ____, the boy continues to care for the old man upon his return each night. He helps the old man haul his gear to his ramshackle hut（破旧不堪的陋室）, secures food for him, and discusses the latest developments in American baseball, especially the trials of the old man’s hero, Joe DiMaggio. Santiago is ____ that his unproductive streak of failure will soon come to an end, and he ____ to sail out farther than usual the following day.
On the eighty-fifth day of his unlucky streak, Santiago does as promised, sailing his skiff（小艇） far beyond the island’s shallow coastal waters and ____ into the Gulf Stream. He prepares his lines and drops them. At noon, a big fish, which he knows is a marlin（青枪鱼）, takes the bait（鱼饵） that Santiago has placed one hundred fathoms deep in the waters. The old man expertly hooks the fish, but he cannot pull it in. Instead, the fish begins to pull to boat.
Unable to tie the line ____ to the boat for fear the fish would snap a taut line, the old man bears the strain of the line with his shoulders, back, and hands, ready to give slack should the marlin make a run. The fish ____ the boat all through the day, through the night, through another day, and through another night. The entire time, Santiago endured ____ pain from the fishing line. Whenever the fish lunges, leaps, or makes a dash for ____, the cord（绳） cuts Santiago badly. Although wounded and weary, the old man feels a deep empathy and admiration, for the marlin, his brother in suffering, strength, and determination.
As Santiago sails on with the fish, the marlin’s blood leaves a trail in the water and attracts sharks. The first to attack is a great make shark, which Santiago manages to kill with the harpoon（鱼叉）. In the ____, the old man loses the harpoon and lengths of valuable rope, which leaves him vulnerable to other shark attacks. Although he kills several sharks, more and more appear. They devour（吞噬） the marlin’s precious meat, leaving only skeleton, head, and tail, Santiago punished himself for going “out too far,” and for sacrificing his great and worthy ____.
The next morning, a crowd of ____ fishermen gathers around the skeletal carcass of the fish, which is still lashed（紧系） to the boat. Knowing nothing of the old man’s struggle, tourists at a nearby café observe the ____ of the giant marlin and mistake it for a shark. Manolin, who has been worried over the old man’s absence, is moved to tears when he finds Santiago safe in his bed. The boy fetches the old man some coffee and the daily papers with the baseball scores, and watches him sleep. When the old man wakes, the two agree to fish as ____ once more. The old man returns to sleep and dreams his usual dream of lions at play on the beaches of Africa.
1.A.second B.single C.empty D.first
2.A.made B.encouraged C.dissuaded D.forced
3.A.Nevertheless B.Therefore C.Furthermore D.Besides
4.A.confident B.depressed C.pessimistic D.proud
5.A.determines B.fails C.considers D.favors
6.A.venturing B.diving C.drowning D.securing
7.A.slow B.fast C.quick D.loose
8.A.drives B.steers C.pushes D.pulls
9.A.sustainable B.temporary C.constant D.instant
10.A.attempt B.control C.freedom D.damage
11.A.journey B.shock C.quarrel D.struggle
12.A.opponent B.master C.acquaintance D.hero
13.A.disappointed B.amazed C.terrified D.accomplished
14.A.remains B.meats C.ruins D.rests
15.A.seniors B.companies C.coaches D.partners
