Are you fed up with staring at a computer screen for hours straight just to review your classes? It’s a problem that many of us encounter(遭遇).So why not pick your headset and learn via a podcast?
Podcast, or boke, refers to a range of audio programs on different audio platforms. According to China Daily, podcasts have become popular among young Chinese people who would like to enjoy the peace and power of learning through sound.
Established in 2012, China’s largest online audio platform, Ximalaya saw its subscribers pass 600 million by December 2019.Among these users over 46 percent were born between 1990s and 2000s.On average, active users listen to podcasts for nearly three hours per day.
The emergence of domestic(国内的)online radio platforms and the convenience brought about by smart devices are certainly two reasons for the popularity of the format.Its flexible nature also makes it a winner among the young audience.
“Audio is a good medium for content that can break the limit of time and space,” Jiang Feng, vice-president of Ximalaya, told China Daily. He added that podcasts have become an important channel for people to acquire information and knowledge .It also can accompany listeners in many different circumstances including working ,studying, exercising, traveling and just before going to bed.
Apart from providing company, the new media form also gives people a platform to speak out about important issues.
A senior high school student who wanted to be admitted to the Central Academy of Drama failed his national college entrance examination twice. He talked about the pressure he faced on an audio program called Please Listen, launched by Mango TV on Feb 19,2020.The program was designed to relieve audiences’ worries by sharing their own stories.
Podcasts tend to be a discussion, and just like real life conversations, they follow a flexible structure and usually last for at least an hour. More often than not, you can’t summarize two or three important points from those conversations, like you could from articles. They often do not have conclusions, either. It’s a very freeform medium that is very friendly to listeners,” Pan Aijuan,a podcast listener and book editor at a publishing house, told China Daily.
At the same time, the use of podcasts trains people to first listen to others before offering one’s own opinions. It helps build up our patience and listening skills. Cheng Yanliang, a co-founder of the podcast Left and Right, stated that“ audio programs can filter（减缓）those bad-tempered people who would lose patience after reading several paragraphs and start writing awful comments to insult others”.
With such advantages,“ podcasts are entering the mainstream(主流)in China”, noted China Daily.
1.Why does the author mention Ximalaya in the third paragraph?
A.To inform the readers of its fast development.
B.To show the impact it has on users.
C.To discuss the characteristics of podcasts.
D.To demonstrate the popularity of podcasts in China.
2.What is the main aim of the audio program Please Listen?
A.To help audiences ease their worries.
B.To amuse audiences in different ways.
C.To allow audiences to comment on current affairs.
D.To give audiences a platform to acquire knowledge.
3.Why does Pan Aijuan think podcasts are friendly to listeners?
A.They can accompany listeners in different circumstances.
B.They provide listeners with a sea of information.
C.Their content usually follows a flexible structure.
D.It is quite easy to draw a conclusion from a podcast.
4.How can podcasts influence people’s personality according to the text?
A.They can make people more cheerful.
B.They can make people more patient.
C.They can make people lose their temper more easily.
D.They can help break the habit of insulting people online.
根据写作要求，短文内容，写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。
When the Bayside campus of Shekou International School (SIS) are still kept shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching activities at the school have been resumed(继续) online since Feb. 3rd, 2020.
The school is using popular apps and software for online learning. Video conferencing(视频会议) and office automation are used to help teachers keep track of students’ conditions and communicate with their workmates across the world. Teaching online also offers a new experience to the teachers to update their teaching methods and to step out of their comfort zones.
Staying in Phuket, Thailand, science teacher Riley Laird records videos on a 10-year-old green sea turtle named Marlin and the local turtle sanctuary(收容所) as part of the online classes on ecosystems for Grade 7 students. “I want to connect our learning with the reality. The sanctuary sends us updates on the turtles’ health and progress. They say that Marlin is likely to be released(放生) into the sea in mid-June,” says Laird.
Rebecca Wallace is a Grade 4 teacher at the school, staying in her mother’s home in New York. From 8 p.m. to midnight every day, she starts teaching mathematics and arts to her students living in different time zones. Though teaching nearly around the clock, Wallace says that she is getting to know the students better in terms of their homes, family and even pets.
Greg Smith, head of SIS, names the online teaching period a “new normal” at the school. “Students are now more skillful at using technology than before. They see that communication is the most powerful part of being an effective learner and can use the tools to shrink(缩短) distance and time. The “new normal” will offer more choices for connection to the world and more focus on creating real solutions,” he says.
According to the school, 68% of its students are staying in Shenzhen while 27% of them are staying abroad for the epidemic.
假如你是建华中学的李华，你的英国好友Jim发来邮件询问你疫情期间在家进行线上学习的情况。请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：1. 介绍线上学习的经历；2. 分享你对线上学习的看法并说明理由。
Dear Jim,
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Yours
Li Hua
根据写作要求，短文内容，写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。
Four teams of mountaineers set out on a race to conquer (征服) an unclimbed mountain peak in the Himalayas. The Canadian team chose a long, but safe route, while the British, Chinese and Russian teams chose a faster but steep and dangerous route up the mountain.
When night fell, the teams made camp on the mountainside. But the next morning, the sun rapidly rose air temperature and the strong wind caused a heavy snowfall, which led to a terrible avalanche. The disaster struck and some members of the British, Chinese and Russian teams were swept away and killed. But the Canadians didn’t know what had happened.
It was an hour after the disaster and there was no hope of finding any survivors. The leaders of the British, Chinese and Russian teams, met to discuss how to successfully keep all the survivors alive.
| Britain | Russia | China |
Members | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Tents | 1 two-man | None | 1 four-man |
Sleeping bags | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Rope | 25 metres | 50 metres | None |
Food | 1 person for 3 days | 2 people for 4 days | 2 people for 2 days |
Medicine | None | None | None |
The table above was a summary of what they could collect. The leaders made a final decision that they had to find a way to conquer the mountain and put their flags on the peak.
假设你是领队之一，请你联系加拿大领队David，告知你们的遭遇和决定，并向对方求助。内容包括：1. 你们的遭遇及目前的困难；2. 你们的决定及理由；3. 向对方求助。
Dear David,
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Yours,
Steve
根据短文内容以及写作要求，请写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。
Callie heard a knock and pulled open the door. Her favorite neighbor, Mrs. Baker, stood there. “The city is letting us use the empty lot(空地) for a garden,” she explained. “We need help cleaning up our garden on Sunday.” “Sure!” Callie said cheerfully. “I will be there to help!”
The next morning when Callie arrived at school, her friend Tamara was waiting for her, who had a surprise for Callie. “My mom bought tickets for us to go to Fun World this Sunday.” Tamara said. The girls had been waiting for months for the new amusement park to open.
Callie’s heart dropped. “But Mrs. Baker is expecting me to help,” she said. Tamara looked disappointed. “Can’t someone else do it? I want you to go to Fun World with me! ”
Callie worried about her problem for the rest of the day. Her mother noticed her mood. “I know you want to go with Tamara and also help Mrs. Baker. Think carefully about your choices. You need to make your own decisions, but I know you will do what is the best.” Her mother said.
Callie spent the rest of the evening thinking about her decision.
The next day at school, Callie told Tamara that she was unable to go to Fun World. Tamara tried to understand, but Callie could tell Tamara was disappointed. The girls hardly spoke for the rest of the week.
On Sunday, Callie met Mrs. Baker at the garden. “Your mother said you made a(n) difficult choice. Thank you for giving a hand today.” Callie smiled as she cleaned with a large trash bag.
“Do you need any help?” a voice behind her asked. Callie turned, surprised to see Tamara. “I know you made a(n) promise to clean up the garden, and I wanted to come help you. My mom said she could take us to Fun World next weekend.”
With joint efforts, they finished the cleaning early. Both Callie and Tamara realized that once a promise is made, it needs to be kept.
假设你是Tamara，请你写一篇日记记述你决定帮助好友Callie打扫空地的过程。内容包括：1. 得知Callie的决定后，你的心情；2. 你做出决定的过程及感悟。
June, 7th , 2020 Clear
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根据节选小说内容，回答问题。
“Hello,”said Bruno.
“Hello,”said the boy.
The boy was smaller than Bruno. He wore the same striped pajamas that all the other people on that side of the fence wore, and a striped cloth cap on his head. He wasn’t wearing any shoes or socks and his feet were rather dirty.
When Bruno first approached the boy, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring at the dust(尘土) beneath him. However, after a moment he looked up and Bruno saw his face. It was quite a strange face too. ... When the boy looked at him, all Bruno could see was an enormous pair of sad eyes staring back.
Bruno was sure that he had never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life. He thought that he had better talk to him.
...
Bruno stared at the boy and considered asking him why he looked so sad but hesitated(犹豫) because he thought it might sound rude. He knew that sometimes people who were sad didn’t want to be asked about it; sometimes they’d offer the information themselves and sometimes they wouldn’t stop talking about it for months on end, but on this occasion, Bruno decided that he should wait before saying anything.
Bruno sat down on the ground on his side of the fence and crossed his legs like the little boy and wished that he had brought some chocolate with him or perhaps a pastry that they could share.
“I live in the house on this side of the fence,” said Bruno. ... “I can see right over the fence from there. I’m Bruno, by the way.”
“I’m Shmuel,” said the little boy.
...
“... How old are you?” Bruno asked.
Shmuel thought about it and looked down at his fingers and they wiggled in the air, as if he was trying to calculate(计算). “I’m nine,” he said. “My birthday is April the fifteenth nineteen thirty-four.”
Bruno stared at him in surprise. “What did you say?” he asked.
“I said my birthday is April the fifteenth nineteen thirty-four.”
Bruno’s eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O. “I don’t believe it,” he said.
“Why not?” asked Shmuel.
“No,” said Bruno, shaking his head quickly. “I don’t mean I don’t believe you. I mean I’m surprised, that’s all. Because my birthday is April the fifteenth too. We were born on the same day.”
Shmuel thought about this. “So you’re nine too,” he said.
“Yes. Isn’t that strange?”
“Very strange,” said Shmuel. “Because there may be dozens of Shmuels on this side of the fence but I don’t think that I’ve ever met anyone with the same birthday as me before.”
“We’re like twins,” said Bruno. “A little bit,” agreed Shmuel.
Bruno felt very happy all of a sudden...
1.How did Bruno feel about the boy at the first sight?
2.After hesitation, what did Bruno decide to do?
3.Why did Bruno stare at Shmuel in surprise?
4.Why did Bruno feel very happy all of a sudden?
5.What kind of boy do you think Bruno was? And why?
The fight is on to get rid of air pollution in our cities. While the best solution in the long-term would be to ban fossil-fueled cars, that won’t help the millions who are dying in the meantime, and so some high-tech solutions are now on the cards.
London’s air pollution problem has been getting worse for years. In March 2016, ten London pigeons became famous. These pigeons took to the sky, wearing backpacks monitoring air pollution. Once in the air, the backpacks sent live air-quality updates to the smartphones of the Londoners below.
Another promising approach can be found in Beijing. A seven-metre-high “Smog Free Tower”, designed by a Dutch scientist, Daan Roosegaarde, opened in Beijing’s 751 D Park in September 2016. It is a huge, outdoor air purifier. Airborne particles (颗粒) are sucked into the tower and caught by a dust-removal plate. Finally, clean air is blown out of the other end. “Changing smog particles does not take much power.” Roosegaarde said.
As for what to do with the collected PM waste, he has currently set up a business making jewellery out of the waste. Prince Charles owns a set of “smog free” cufflinks (袖扣). If collected on at a big scale, Roosegaarde believes it could even be used as a building material.
Mexico City has an alternative solution. Looking to Nature to maximize the surface area of a building, Allison Dring, a Berlin-based architect, managed to catch light and wind from all sides. She is now making a building material by burning agricultural crop by-products in the absence of oxygen. “It means that you are actually taking carbon (碳) out of the sky, transforming it into a material, and then using it to build,” says Dring.
The fight against outdoor air pollution is really just starting. Even if none of the ideas take off, at least Prince Charles’ cufflinks, the special building surface and pigeons wearing back-packs will have brought the issue more to the public’s attention.
1.The underlined words “on the cards” in Para.1 probably mean ________.
A.hardly to achieve
B.widely questioned
C.very likely to happen
D.publicly welcomed
2.The ten pigeons in London were used to ________.
A.monitor air pollution
B.warn Londoners
C.update weather forecast
D.promote backpacks
3.What can we learn about the Smog Free Tower?
A.It can catch light and wind.
B.Its power consumption is high.
C.PM waste from it can be reused.
D.It is the first air purifier in the world.
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.When can humans get rid of smog?
B.Why is technology used to fight smog?
C.How are the world’s cities fighting smog?
D.What makes smog a worldwide problem?
