There are so many interesting and creative hobbies that can improve your life and make you smarter.
1. As the saying goes, reading gives us somewhere to go when we have to stay where we are. It enriches your knowledge and makes you feel better about yourself. Learning a new language is a most unique and challenging hobby. It enables your brain to perform better, improves your memory and reduces the risk of brain decline. 2.
Playing chess makes you smarter by exercising both sides of your brain. 3. And it helps improve your memory and builds your self-confidence.
Writing makes your brain work. 4. Writing things down can improve your emotions and your ability to communicate with others and it will make you a more interesting person.
Exercising regularly keeps both your body and your brain functioning. A good blood circulation in your body means a good blood circulation of your brain, which means an increased brain function. 5.
Learning to play the piano or any other musical instrument teaches you patience and perseverance because it takes a lot of effort and a lot of time.
A.Writing teaches you to think.
B.Smiling will make you healthier and look cooler.
C.Moreover, a new language means new opportunities.
D.Positive thinking can help you to do your best each day.
E.Besides, exercising reduces stress and helps you sleep better.
F.Playing chess rises your IQ and encourages your creativity.
G.Reading teaches you new things about new places and new people.
About 97% of the world’s water is salty and is found in our oceans and seas. But, as we can’t drink sea water, how can it be important?
Every part of our seas and oceans contains an amazing number of animals and fish that live at different ocean depths. Most of the different species of animals and fish depend on simple plants for their food. These simple plants called algae (海藻) drift near the surface of the ocean and use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In fact, algae produce over half of the oxygen people breathe. How important sea water is!
Each plant or animal in our seas and oceans is an important link in a food chain. The algae are eaten in large amounts by microscopic animals, which are in tur consumed by larger animals. These food chains are delicately (微妙地) balanced.
The bad news about the food chains in the oceans is that they are under threat because of man. People once thought that the oceans were so big that it didn’t matter if we dumped rubbish into them or caught huge quantities of fish and whales for food. But we now know this is not true and fish stocks in the oceans have started to drop.
Thankfully, the world is taking steps to protect the future of our oceans by introducing international agreements to protect marine habitats. Most counties have introduced fishing restrictions (限制) to protect fish stocks in the oceans and new techniques are being pioneered to cope with pollution. Finally, the importance of protecting oceans is being made known to more people. This is just the beginning of a long process to protect the oceans for our future. We depend on the oceans for fish which are an important part of the human diet. How important sea water is!
1.From the passage, we learn that _________.
A.most fish and sea animals live at the surface of the seas
B.it is very difficult to break the balance of a food chain
C.over-fishing has caused the decrease in fish stock
D.it won’t be long before the problems concerning oceans will be solved
2.What does the underlined phrase “cope with” mean in Chinse?
A.处理 B.保护 C.增加 D.检验
3.Which of the following is NOT a way being used to protect oceans?
A.The use of international agreements.
B.Forbidding fishing to protect fish socks.
C.The use of new techniques.
D.Raising people’s awareness of the need to protect oceans.
4.What would be the best title of the passage?
A.The Importance of Sea Water
B.Life in the Oceans
C.How to Protect Food Chains
D.How to Deal with Seawater Pollution
People do not like being separated from their mobile phones, even while enjoying a restful holiday at the beach. However, the phone battery (电池) may become exhausted completely. If that happens, they have no choice but to connect the phone to the power supply. But it’s impossible to get the battery charged (充电) at the beach. What’s worse, the hot sun is shining right overhead, and the water in the bottle is sure to reach a very high temperature.
Antoine Sayah, a university student from Lebanon, developed a special beach mat called the Beachill. It looks similar to the ordinary beach mat and will cause back pain as well. However, the device can recharge any mobile phone. It is designed to be water resistant (防水的) and has a 5-watt solar panel, which provides power continuously. The mat also has the refrigeration equipment that can help keep drinks cool, just like the refrigerator.
Antoine Sayah began selling the Beachill on the Internet for $150. He says he has been surprised at the reaction worldwide. “I have got orders for the device from Brazil, Toronto, all over Europe, especially France, America, from all continents.” The Beachill is also gaining popularity in other places, like swimming pools and boats.
Some people like the mat because it is lightweight and easy-to-carry. Rita Mathieu bought one of the Beachills. “When I am on the beach, I used to look around for a charger and never managed to find any and the water never stays cool,” she says. “So this kind of beach mat is wonderful and has everything in it, even a pocket where I can put a book. Thanks to it, I can surf the Internet and keep in touch with friends at any time at the beach.”
1.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to _________.
A.show great pity for people at the beach
B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject
C.provide some key facts about mobile phones
D.prove the importance of water in hot weather
2.What can we learn about the Beachill?
A.It is quite unusual in appearance. B.It will stop working in the water.
C.It has some function of the refrigerator. D.It has a 3-watt solar panel.
3.Rita Mathieu is mentioned to prove the Beachill’s _________.
A.popularity B.convenience C.good quality D.low price
4.The text is written to _________.
A.tell people a new way to get a cold drink B.ask people to stop using phones at the beach
C.encourage people to travel around the world D.introduce a beach mat that can charge a phone
Peter Damon produces about 30 paintings a year and sells them for between $250 and $1,500. That’s not enough to make ends meet, but it has made him whole again. He lost both arms in an accident.
“Having this skill that even normal people find difficult was something that really helped me and made me feel like I fit in more in the world,” Damon said. He was a worker in a car factory. One day when he was working, there was a gas explosion (爆炸), killing one worker and injuring him.
“I lost my right arm above the elbow, about three inches above the elbow, and my left about six inches below,” he explained.
“How am I going to make a living and take care of my family? I had always worked with my hands,” he said.
Then with a simple little drawing, a new future opened up for him.
“I thought it was wonderful in a way,” Damon said. “Something was telling me to focus on this and everything will be alright.” Damon doesn’t have a perfect prosthetic arm (假肢)—juts a hook (钩子), which he finds works best.
He and his wife Jen run True Grit Art Gallery in Middleboro, Massachusetts, where he shows the works of local artists. With his disability check from the government, he can afford to be an artist. He is a man doing what he wants with his life, and doesn’t look at his situation as a hard time.
“I don’t see it that way,” Damon said. “Suffering an injury like this has a way of making you focus on what’s important in life.”
He believes his best work is still ahead of him. But with his pictures of simple American scenes, Damon has already produced his best work.
1.How did Damon lose his arms?
A.A gas explosion injured his arms.
B.He was attacked when he was driving a car.
C.His arms were tapped by a worker by accident.
D.He was knocked down by a car when he was working.
2.What do we know about Peter Damon when he started taking up painting from the text?
A.His hope for life was brought back.
B.He felt a lot of pressure at the beginning.
C.He didn’t earn enough to support his family.
D.His painting were so expensive that few people wanted to buy them.
3.What is Damon’s attitude towards his suffering?
A.Negative. B.Optimistic. C.Pitiful. D.Uncertain.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Winners do what losers don’t want to do.
B.It is never too late to mend.
C.Never put off until tonorow what you can do today.
D.God closes a door and another will open for you.
Things to Do in Atlanta
Need a run-down of the top things to do next month? Here is what’s going on in Atlanta.
In the Mood
Date: November 22 through November 26, 2019
Time: 2:00 pm ~5: 30 pm
Phone: 770-916-2800
If you love the music of the 1940s, then here’s what you need to do this Sunday. Go to a 1940s musical show at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The music of Clem Miler has a distinctive sound.
No need to ask me twice. Are you “In the Mood”?
Party With the Penguins
Date: November 20 through November 25, 2019
Time: 11:00 am ~2:00 pm
Phone: 404-581-4000
Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day at Georgia Aquarium’s annual Party With the Penguins. The party will feature fun activities, including the chance to see an African penguin up close and learn how to help protect this endangered species.
Callanwolde Arts Festival
Date: November 21 through November 22, 2019
Time: 10:30 am ~ 5:30 pm
Phone: 404-872-5338
Located at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, this event is a festival for artists, and by artists, letting them have a voice in the creation and operations of the festival. If you are of the artistic persuasion or enjoy a creative scene, don’t miss out.
Foolio’s Hoodilly Storytime
Date: November 21 through November 27, 2019
Time: 1:00 pm ~ 4: 30 pm
Phone: 404-523-3141
We make up a brand-new story every week. Come and enjoy a new story each time a Dad’s Garage Theatre. Little ones will get to help provide key parts of the story and even add in their own jokes. Interactive and out-of-the-ordinary fun for kids and parents!
1.Where should you go in order to enjoy Glenn Miller’s works?
A.Georgia Aquarium. B.Dad’s Garage Theatre.
C.Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. D.Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
2.What do we know about Callanwolde Arts Festival?
A.It is an annual event.
B.It lasts for a whole week.
C.It gets participants involved in its operations.
D.It is organized by some world-famous scientists.
3.Which number should a family dial if they want to enjoy a good laugh together?
A.404-872-5338. B.404-523-3141. C.404-581 -4000. D.770-916-2800.
假如你是中学生李华，你的外教John想推荐你去参加一次以野生动物保护为主题的英语演讲比赛，但是最近你母亲生病了，需要你照顾，所以你不得不谢绝。但是你向他推荐了你的好朋友张明参加。请根据以下要点给John写一封信，说明情况：
1.谢绝John的推荐；2.说明你的原因；3.推荐张明参加并说明理由。
注意：
1.词数100左右（信的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数）：
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：推荐recommend v.
Dear John,
Thank you very much for your recommendation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes.
Yours,
Li Hua
