Don’t take it seriously，Alice．I wasn’t making _____ fun of you — it’s nothing but _____ joke．

A./; the B.the; the

C.the; a D./; a

James, I don’t mind lending you the money ____ you pay it back within a month.

A. although    B. now that

C. unless    D. as long as

      I want to tell you is the deep love and respect I have for my parents.

A.That B.Which C.Whether D.What

To create an atmosphere __________ employees feel part of a team is a big challenge.

A.where B.whose C.that D.which

The noise from my neighbor’s sitting room ______can be clearly heard in my apartment, which makes me distracted from reading.

A.is decorated B.being decorated C.decorated D.to be decorated

What shall we use for power when all the oil in the world has________.

A.given out B.put out

C.held up D.used up

The police __________ the murderer everywhere when he suddenly appeared in a theatre.

A.is searching B.were searching C.are searching for D.were searching for

True happiness does not lie in the ________ of money，but the joy of achievement.

A. possession    B. profession

C. permission    D. persuasion

--May I open the window to let in some fresh air?

-- __________

A. Come on. B. Take care.

C. Go ahead! D. Hold on!

______ difficulty, you can reach me at this number. I’m always at your service.

A.In favor of B.In terms of C.In case of D.In spite of

________ to think critically is an important skill today’s children will need for the future.

A.Learn B.Learned

C.Learning D.Having learned

You look very beautiful in this dress and there is only one of this kind left here. I wonder if you would buy ______.

A.one B.it C.some D.any

By the end of last year, another new hospital __________ in our city.

A.would complete B.would be completed

C.was completed D.had been completed

(2016•天津) —I’m thinking of going back to school to get another degree.

—Sounds great! ____________.

A.It all depends B.Go for it

C.Never mind D.No wonder

Directions: an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

假设你是明启中学的李华，你校外籍教师Chris将在文化周期间做一个有关西方艺术的讲座，现就讲座内容征求你校学生的意见。请给Chris写一封电子邮件，邮件必须包含以下内容

• 你喜欢的讲座话题（从音乐、美术、舞蹈、戏剧中任选其一）：

• 选择该话题的原因及关于该话题你感兴趣的内容；

• 希望从中有何收获。

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Translate the fallowing sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1.他每次进城都给女儿带礼物。（without）

2.你能否得到这工作应该与你的年龄无关。（difference）

3.老师让我代表学校致辞，欢迎在座的贵宾们。（arrange）

4.这家公司正是因为不重视产品更新换代，忽视售后服务，才逐步被市场淘汰的。（It was because...）

阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。

Parents everywhere praise their kids. Jenn Berman, author of The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy and Confident Kids, says, “We’ve gone to the opposite extreme of a few decades ago when parents tended to be more strict.” By giving kids a lot of praise, parents think they’re building their children’s confidence, when, in fact, it may be just the opposite. Too much praise can backfire and, when given in a way that’s insincere, make kids afraid to try new things or take a risk for fear of not being able to stay on top where their parents’ praise has put them.

Still, don’t go too far in the other direction. Not giving enough praise can be just as damaging as giving too much. Kids will feel like they’re not good enough or that you don’t care and, as a result, may see no point in trying hard for their accomplishments.

So what is the right amount of praise? Experts say that the quality of praise is more important than the quantity. If praise is sincere and focused on the effort not the outcome, you can give it as often as your child does something that deserves a verbal reward. “We should especially recognize our children’s efforts to push themselves and work hard to achieve a goal,” says Donahue, author of Parenting Without Fear: Letting Go of Worry and Focusing on What Really Matters. “One thing to remember is that it’s the process not the end product that matters.”

Your son may not be the best basketball player on his team. But if he’s out there every day and playing hard, you should praise his effort regardless of whether his team wins or loses. Praising the effort and not the outcome can also mean recognizing your child when she has worked hard to clean the yard, cook dinner, or finish a book report. But whatever it is, praise should be given on a case-by-case basis and be proportionate(相称的) to the amount of effort your child has put into it.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Imagine a child standing on a diving board four feet high and asking himself the question: “Should I jump?” This is what motivation or the lack of it can do. Motivation and goal setting are the two sides of same coin. 1. Like the child on the diving board, you will stay undecided.

2. More than that, how should you stay motivated to achieve the goal? First, you need to evaluate yourself, your values, your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements, your desires, etc. Only then should you set your goals.

You also need to judge the quality and depth of your motivation. This is quite important, because it is directly related to your commitment. There are times when your heart is not in your work. 3. So, slow down and think what you really want to do at that moment. Clarity(清晰) of thoughts can help you move forward.

Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives, keeping in mind your beliefs, values and strengths. Remember that goals are flexible. 4. They also need to be measurable. You must keep these points in mind while setting your goals.

Your personal circumstances are equally important. For example, you may want to be a pilot but can’t become one because your eyesight is not good enough. 5.You should reassess your goals, and motivate yourself to set a fresh goal.

You will surely need to overcome some difficulties, some planned, but most unplanned. You cannot overcome them without ample motivation. Make sure that you plan for these difficulties at the time of setting your goals.

A. This can affect your work.

B. So how should you motivate yourself?

C. However, this should not discourage you.

D. So why should we try to set specific goals?

E. They can change according to circumstances.

F. Motivation is what you need most to do a good job.

G. Without motivation, you can neither set a goal nor reach it.

    When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strange happened to the large animals. They suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived. The large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. Now something similar could be happening in the oceans.

That the seas are being overfished has been known for years. What researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown is just how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.

Dr. Worm acknowledges that the figures are conservative. One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today's vessels (船)can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines (多钩长线) would have been more filled with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since no baited hooks (带饵钩)would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around now。

Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the data support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline". The idea is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield （产量）that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels。. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business.

1.The extinction of large prehistoric animals is noted to suggest that____.

A.large animals were easily hurt in the changing environment

B.small species survived as large animals disappeared

C.large sea animals may face the same threat today

D.slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones

2.By saying these figures are conservative , Dr. Worm means that____ .

A.fishing technology has improved rapidly

B.the catch-sizes are actually smaller than recorded

C.the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss

D.the data collected so far are out of date

3.Dr. Myers and other researchers hold that____ .

A.people should look for a baseline that can't work for a longer time

B.fisheries should keep the yield below 50% of the biomass

C.the ocean biomass should restore its original level

D.people should adjust the fishing baseline to changing situation

4.The writer seems to be mainly concerned with most fisheries’____ .

A.biomass level B.management efficiency

C.catch-size limits D.technological application

History Fair Competition

Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!

This Year’s Theme

All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.

Individuals or groups may enter one of the follow ing categories:

• Performance

• Documentary (纪实作品)

• Essay Writing

Category Requirements

Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.

Doc umentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.

Essay Writing : An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 w ords. No illustrations ( 图解)are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.

Important Dates

February 5 Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script ( 剧本), or documentary highlights.

February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.

March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.

March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview

March 24 Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition

7:00 A.M. — 9:00 A.M. Participants signing in at the gym

10:00 A.M. — 6:00 P.M. Competition and judges’ review

7:00 P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic

1.What is the theme of this year ’s competition?

A.Technology advances science.

B.Science interacts w ith technology.

C.Science has made the study of history easy.

D.Technology has improved the life of Americans.

2.What w ould a participant have to do with an essay of 1,500 words to meet the category requirement?

A.Include more information in the essay. B.Remove the references.

C.Provide a cover for the essay. D.Explain the details w ith illustrations.

3.What will the committee of teachers do on February 19?

A.Preview performances and documentaries.

B.Make comments on the materials.

C.Improve the participant’s first draft.

D.Collect a second proposal from the participant.

    “You can use me as a last resort(选择), and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it.” This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids’ lacrosse(长曲棍球) club.

I guess that there’s probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren’t even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up, “Alright. Yes, I’ll do it.”

I’m secretly relieved because I know there’s real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.

Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community(社区) as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.

In that sense, I’m pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I’d freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?

1.What can we infer about the parent from her reply in paragraph l？

A.She knows little about the club.

B.She isn’t good at sports.

C.She just doesn’t want to volunteer.

D.She’s unable to meet her schedule.

2.What does the underlined phrase “tug at the heartstrings” in paragraph 2 mean?

A.Encourage teamwork.

B.Appeal to feelings.

C.Promote good deeds.

D.Provide advice.

3.What can we learn about the parent from paragraph 3?

A.She gets interested in lacrosse.

B.She is proud of her kids.

C.She’ll work for another season.

D.She becomes a good helper.

4.Why does the author like doing volunteer work?

A.It gives her a sense of duty.

B.It makes her very happy.

C.It enables her to work hard.

D.It brings her material rewards.

    The expression, "everybody's doing it," is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a(n) ___ way as a larger group. This influence can be negative or positive, and can exist in both large and small groups.

People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly ___that some part of their self-respect comes from the approval of others. This instinct explains why the approval of peers, and the fear of ____, is such a powerful force in many people's lives. This instinct

drives people to dress one way at home and another way at work, or to answer a simple “fine" when a stranger asks "how are you?" even if it is not necessarily true. There is a(n) _____aspect to this: it helps society to function efficiently, and encourages a general level of self-discipline that ___day-to-day interaction between people.

For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes a(n) ___: in order to satisfy the desire, they may go so far as to ___their sense of right and wrong. Teens and young adults may feel forced to use drugs, or join gangs that ____criminal behavior. Mature adults may sometimes feel ___ to cover up illegal activity at the company where they work, or end up in debt because they are unable to hold back the desire to buy a house or car that they can't afford in an effort to ___ the peers.

However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at ___may be urged to work harder and get good grades. Players on a sports team may feel driven to play harder in order to help the team win. This type of ___can also get a friend off drugs, or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one.

Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be so ___that a person may not even notice that it is affecting his or her behavior. For this reason, when making important decisions, simply going with a(n) ___is risky. Instead, people should seriously consider why they feel drawn to taking a particular action, and whether the real ____ is simply that everyone else is doing the same thing.

1.A.traditional B.similar C.peculiar D.opposite

2.A.understandable B.believable C.acceptable D.surprising

3.A.disapproval B.failure C.absence D.independence

4.A.uncertain B.practical C.impossible D.vague

5.A.promotes B.prevents C.simplifies D.increases

6.A.challenge B.inspiration C.promise D.addiction

7.A.recognize B.abandon C.decrease D.define

8.A.avoid B.encourage C.decline D.punish

9.A.pressured B.respected C.delighted D.regretted

10.A.catch sight of B.stay away from C.make fun of D.keep up with

11.A.competitions B.interaction C.academics D.adaptation

12.A.knowledge B.interest C.assistance D.influence

13.A.abstract B.ridiculous C.subtle D.reasonable

14.A.consciousness B.motivation C.instinct D.encouragement

15.A.motivation B.danger C.support D.achievement

Directions: After trading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word: for the other blanks, use one word that best Jits each blank.

Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach's Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel's "me" time. And 1. more Americans, she's not alone.

A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half (53%) have breakfast alone and nearly half (46%) have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime 2. we eating together, 74%, according to statistics from the report.

"I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?” Bechtel said, 3. (look) up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often 4. (work) through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on 5. shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. "Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.

Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis 6. he wants to have a little interaction. “I reflect on 7. my day's gone and think about the rest of the week," he said. "It's a chance for self-reflection. You return to work 8. (refresh) and with a plan.''

That freedom 9. (choose) is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. "It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology," said Laurie Demeritt, 10. company provided the statistics for the report.

假定你是李华，想邀请留学生朋友Daisy一起去观看汉服文化表演秀（Hanfu Culture Show）。请你用英语给她写一封邮件，内容包括：

1. 活动时间、地点；2. 活动内容（汉服走秀、专家解说汉服式样以及文化内涵等）。

注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

My hobby is rock climbing. I’ve been doing them for two years. In the beginning, I wasn’t very good, so I’ve gotten much better. I started rock climbing in junior high school. On first day, I felt high nervous, so I only climbed low rocks. It was hard, but very interested. So I kept on work, and now I could climb very fast. I like rock climbing because of it helps me stay in shape. It’s also a good way to make friend. I’ve met a lot of people. We climb, but we also hang out and spend time doing another things now.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In the United States, over 25 percent of senior citizens (people over 65) live alone. Without friends and family nearby, seniors are at risk of 1. (have) depression (抑郁).

Many communities are trying to deal with this problem. Providence Mount St. Vincent, a retirement home (退休疗养院) near Seattle, Washington, has 2. (recent) run a program. Over 400 senior citizens live at Providence Mount St. Vincent, and over 40 children from a few months old 3. age five go to daycare there. The children spend the day there with the senior citizens while 4. (worker) look on.

The program has clear advantages. For the older people, their social life improves (改善); they read to and play games with the children, and encourage 5. (they) to do other activities. This makes the seniors feel 6. (use) and happy, and if they feel happy, their health may improve.

The children also get a lot from the program. They have 7. patient group of people to play with in a safe environment. Some of the older people 8. (be) disabled, and staying with them helps children learn 9. (be) more understanding of people with disabilities.

Now, there are many programs like the one at Providence Mount St. Vincent. 10. is believed that even if the very young and the very old don’t have a shared past or future, their shared present can be perfect.

    Fresh out of acting school, I got a job with a touring theater company. The terms were unreasonable: $300 for a month’s work, to be ____ at the end of that month. Only one meal a day would be_____; for the rest, we were on our own.

Our first venue (演出地点) was a holiday center. The waiters ____ us from the start. They refused to give us spoons and knives at dinner, while our meal cooled. It was  ____

At the second venue, we ____ to make some changes to the show for the new stage. While we practiced, I saw a table being set. I felt ____. It was midday, which ____ that they were serving us lunch. Getting lunch would mean no hot dinner because of the “one meal a day” item. We _____depended on dinner being our hot meal of the day.

We were called over to_____. The table was beautifully set. The sandwiches were generous. Afterward, I told the headwaiter that we ____ our one meal to be dinner.

Our dinner would be at six, the headwaiter said. He  ____ that the “one meal a day” item in our contract (合同) was stupid and the venue would ____ us lunch and dinner daily.

We returned at six, _____and nervous because this seemed too good to be ____. We were served by a_____ waiter who sang to us. He refilled our water glasses and took orders for coffee. At the end, we tried to bus our dishes to the kitchen,_____ the headwaiter said that we didn’t have to do that and explained, “It is only _____for us if you let us do it right.”

That was 20 years ago, and I learned a ____ hat I’ll never forget: Take pleasure in  ___. Be kind. Treat those who have _____to give you as well as you would treat a paying customer.

1.A.spent B.paid C.collected D.saved

2.A.provided B.shared C.made D.sold

3.A.forgot B.missed C.avoided D.disliked

4.A.understandable B.unpleasant C.interesting D.unnecessary

5.A.agreed B.seemed C.needed D.pretended

6.A.satisfied B.surprised C.bored D.tired

7.A.held B.required C.meant D.told

8.A.really B.suddenly C.finally D.probably

9.A.speak B.help C.cook D.eat

10.A.allowed B.wanted C.encouraged D.ordered

11.A.hoped B.imagined C.added D.guessed

12.A.give B.show C.find D.lend

13.A.proud B.comfortable C.patient D.thankful

14.A.right B.true C.wise D.certain

15.A.cheerful B.successful C.shy D.serious

16.A.when B.because C.but D.so

17.A.possible B.funny C.painful D.enjoyable

18.A.lesson B.skill C.fact D.task

19.A.progress B.work C.travel D.study

20.A.everything B.something C.anything D.nothing

    “Gavin!” called Mr. Capshaw. “We’re leaving. Are you ready?”

1. . “Yes,” he said with a sigh (叹气).

“This will be fun. I know you’ll enjoy the performance,” Mrs. Capshaw told her son. “Afterward, we might even get to go backstage and meet Dad’s friend Joseph.”

2.. Gavin couldn’t believe how many people there were in the theater. Suddenly, the lights dimmed (变暗), and the audience (观众) began to fall silent.

Once the performance began, Gavin forgot all about his parents and the rest of the audience. 3.. They made the moves look so easy, but he could tell it was much more difficult than it appeared.

“Well, what did you think?” asked Gavin’s parents.

“That was amazing. I’m so glad we came,” he replied.

“Come on, let’s go see if we can find Joseph,” said Mr. Capshaw.

A moment later, the Capshaws were shaking hands with Joseph.

“4. ?” Gavin asked Joseph.

Joseph laughed. “I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” he said, “but I’ve also never had so much fun. Are you a performer, Gavin?”

Gavin shook his head.

“5. ?” asked Joseph. “The performing arts center is only a few blocks from here, and it offers a beginner’s class in modern dance. I know some of the teachers there. I’d be happy to introduce you if you’re interested.”

Gavin smiled. “When can I start?”

A. Gavin moved slowly down the stairs

B. Is it a lot of work to prepare the show

C. You seem very interested in tonight’s show

D. Do you think dance is something you’d like to try

E. He listened to the music and watched the dancers move

F. The Capshaws walked down the street toward the bus stop

G. About 45 minutes later, the Capshaws arrived at the theater

Smartphones, tablets and smart watches are banned (禁止) at school for all children under 15 in France. Under the ban students are not able to use their phones at all during school hours, including meal breaks.

“I think it’s a good thing. School is not about being on your phone,” Paris mum Marie-Caroline Madeleine told AFP. “It’s hard with kids. You can’t control what they see and that’s one of the things that worry me as a parent.”

There is no law like this in Australia, but some Australian schools have banned phones.

McKinnon Secondary School in Victoria introduced a total ban in February and Principal Pitsa Binnion said this has been a success.

McKinnon students still have a Chromebook to use in every class for day-to-day learning but they’re not allowed to use social media. Ms Binnion said at first “teachers cheered and students moaned (抱怨) ,” but now they’re seeing the advantages. “They come to school and they’re not allowed to use phones at all during the school day, including lunch breaks,” she said.

“It’s been wonderful in terms of students communicating with each other at lunchtime and not looking at their screen,” she said.

Ms Binnion also leads by example and doesn’t use her mobile phone in school. “I think anyone can do it if we’ve done it.”

Not everyone agrees with the bans. Western Sydney University technology researcher Dr Joanne Orlando wrote in online magazine The Conversation earlier this year that Australia should not ban phones in schools because it’s important to educate kids to live in the age they are raised in.

“A good education for students today is knowing how to use technology to learn, communicate and work with ideas,” she wrote. “Banning students from using smartphones is a 1950s response to a 2018 state-of-play.”

1.Why did Madeleine welcome the ban?

A. School is for studying.    B. Kids behave badly nowadays.

C. Teachers find it hard to control kids.    D. Her kids depend too much on phones.

2.What can we learn about the ban in McKinnon Secondary School?

A. Some teachers were against it at first.

B. Students can now see the good of the ban.

C. Students can use their phones at lunch beaks.

D. Teachers have stopped using phones at school as well.

3.What does the underlined word “Chromebook” in Paragraph 5 probably refer to?

A. A book.    B. A notebook.

C. A learning website.    D. A kind of computer.

4.What does Dr Joanne Orlando think of banning phones in schools?

A. It will disconnect parents and kids.    B. It will cause kids to communicate less.

C. It will prevent kids being tech-minded.    D. It will make education go back 60 years.

    You might have noticed that the ringing sound of basketballs was almost like the beat to a song. But did you know that it could be taken seriously as music?

The music group STOMP has taken everyday objects and turned them into instruments. The music it has created is a hit all over the world.

STOMP was formed by British musicians Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. They met in the early 1980s when they were both working as buskers, the British term for street performers. Cresswell and McNicholas were part of a busking group called Pookiesnackenburger that became very popular throughout Britain.

Cresswell was a drummer (鼓手) for the group. Because they performed on the street, he could not set up a traditional drum set. Instead, he wore one drum that hung around his shoulders. To be able to make different sounds, Cresswell began beating on everyday objects that he could find during performances. This creative drumming led to the idea for STOMP.

STOMP made its first public appearance at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre in 1991. The performers used one-of-a-kind instruments, such as empty water bottles, basketballs, and matchboxes to create music. Wearing overalls and T-shirts, they danced around on a stage made to look like a closed warehouse (仓库). STOMP was a great success, winning many theater awards and drawing huge crowds (人群).

In 1994, STOMP came to the United States and played at the Orpheum Theater in New York City. Years later it is still playing there! To celebrate its ten-year anniversary (周年纪念), the then New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg renamed the street outside the theater STOMP Avenue.

STOMP has now toured all over the United States and most of the world. One reason STOMP is so popular is that anyone can enjoy it. There are no words or story. People from all cultures can understand it, no matter which language they speak.

1.What makes STOMP a special music group?

A.There are few words in its music.

B.It usually performs in warehouses.

C.The performers wear special clothes.

D.It uses everyday objects as instruments.

2.What can we learn about STOMP?

A.It was created in 1980.

B.It was formed in Britain.

C.It was named after a street.

D.It was part of Pookiesnackenburger.

3.Who was behind the creative idea for STOMP?

A.Luke Cresswell. B.A busking group.

C.Steve McNicholas. D.Michael Bloomberg.

4.Which shows the correct order of the following events?

a. STOMP began performing at the Orpheum Theater.

b. STOMP began performing at the Bloomsbury Theatre.

c. Michael Bloomberg named a street STOMP Avenue.

d. Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas worked as buskers.

A.d-b-a-c. B.d-a-b-c.

C.b-a-c-d. D.b-a-d-c.