The name “cowboy” conjures up many different images from movies, songs and TV. These imagined cowboys range from white-hat-wearing heroes to gun-shooting hooligans(流氓).But, cowboys are actually real people from US history.
When the US Civil War ended, many soldiers had no place to call home. So, they began to drift to the country's rural West. Ranchers(农场主) hired these men to take care of the cattle and work around the ranch. When the ranch owner wanted to sell the cattle, the cowboys would round up the herd from the open prairie(牧场) and drive the cattle miles to the market.
With the invention of barbed wire(铁丝网),the cowboy era(1865-1890) began to come to an end. But people in the East had always been curious about their lifestyle. Many country/western songs during this time tried to capture the true cowboy spirit. Newspapers published cowboy tales in serial form and adventure novels followed. The bigger the fiction, the better the sales. These novels often portrayed cowboys as cruel and violent men. Cowboys carried the bad reputation for many years afterwards.
When movies began to be popular in the 1920s,the cowboy image changed again. Now, a cowboy became the great white knight(骑士) that loved his horse more than the beautiful ladies he rescued. As the cowboy of the “Old West” spent more time with his horse than the ladies, this era's image was not entirely false.
Then, in the 50s,Hollywood began producing so-called “spaghetti westerns(意大利西部片)”.They earned the nickname because Italian companies financed the films and TV shows. This started the decade's “Cowboy Craze”.While this didn't last long, it made modern country/western music, fashion and dance extremely popular.
In recent years, with the help of musicians, radio stations and bars, cowboy nostalgia(怀旧情绪) has returned. Even though his image is still changing—somewhere between ballad singing country boy and barroom fighter—there's one thing for sure, you can't keep the cowboy down. During “the cowboy era” mentioned in the story, _______.
| A．the cowboy often came to the rescue of ladies in newspaper tales |
| B．the distant Wild West appealed to people in the East |
| C．cowboys were shown as cruel and violent men on the silver screen |
| D．country music started the cowboy craze which swept the whole country |
By saying “you can't keep the cowboy down”,the writer means that _______.
| A．cowboys are real people in history | B．cowboys still fascinate people |
| C．you can't make cowboys unhappy | D．you can't grasp the cowboy spirit |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．The cowboy has been presented in different lights in different eras. |
| B．Cowboys are gun-shooting hooligans, without doubt. |
| C．Cowboys have always been a passing phenomenon. |
| D．Cowboys enjoy Italian foods, for example, spaghetti. |
Undoubtedly there are a few positive characters who are able to “rise above” their environment, who are able to impress the people with whom they come in contact in spite of their clothes.
Sometimes we read of some learned woman, who has “made good in her profession,” who says that she has not looked in a mirror for years; but such a woman is a rare exception, and one is not safe in gambling(赌博) with one’s chances of success by following her. It is not the positive characters with whom we are concerned, however, for they are few and somehow manage to take care of themselves. The vast majority of the race are not so blessed, and we need to observe but little to realize that with them the reaction of clothes is an important factor.
School girls should know that clothes may make a career; happiness and leadership in all the years of high school and college life may be affected by the story a Freshman’s clothes tell. Many a girl with a keen mind, who has a natural disregard for clothes, perhaps, or who has not been trained in the appreciation of beauty in clothes, has lost her opportunities for leadership and self-expression which by right her brain power should have given her.
One of the mental capacities which we all exercise and yet exercise most unconsciously is that of passing judgment on the people we meet. In a majority of cases the judgment is superficial(肤浅的) and inaccurate; but the estimate is made. Some people may not get their final judgment till they hear one talk and will judge one by the tone of voice and by what is said as the true index; but the vast majority will form an opinion based largely, if not entirely, on appearance. One tells the world daily of one’s ideals, ambitions or good breeding through dress; and it is told so plainly that “he who runs may read” and, perhaps, he who reads may run.According to the first two paragraphs, few people ________.
| A．care about their appearances |
| B．understand the art of dressing themselves |
| C．can catch others’ attention by dressing plainly |
| D．are able to dress properly without professional directions |
Who is the text intended for?
| A．Book writers | B．Women | C．Men | D．Fashion designers |
The author thinks it is ________ for most of us to judge the people we meet by what they wear.
| A．natural | B．foolish |
| C．surprising | D．necessary |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．Rise Above Your Environment |
| B．He Who Runs May Read |
| C．Dress to Impress |
| D．Art of Dressing |
Hair has always been an important sign of beauty. This is especially true for women. Next to the face, hair is one of the main qualities people look for when they consider a woman’s beauty. Whether long or short, curly or straight, hair often gets a lot of attention.
Each hair on a person’s head grows from a single tube-like hole in the skin called a follicle. People are born with all of the hair follicles they are ever going to have. The average person has about one hundred thousand hair follicles. They begin to form around the third month of pregnancy.
Each hair grows independently of other hairs. There are three periods of hair growth. Not all hairs experience the same period of growth at the same time. The period of active growth is called Anagen. During this period, hair grows at a rate of about three tenths millimeters a day, or one centimeter a month. About 85 percent of hair follicles are going through this process at any given time. This period can last from two to six years.
The Catagen period of hair growth comes next. It is then that hair growth begins to slow down. This period usually lasts two or three weeks. Finally, hair growth comes to a complete stop and the hairs begin to fall out. This period is known as Telogen. It affects about 15 percent of all hairs at a time.
On average, a person loses between 50 and 100 hairs every day. Since each hair grows at a different rate, this process is overlooked. Once the Telogen period has ended, the hair growth process begins again.What does the underlined word “They” in the 2nd paragraph refer to?
| A．The babies | B．The hairs |
| C．The follicles | D．The pregnant women |
Anagen is the period when ________.
| A．hairs grow the fastest |
| B．hairs grow at a different rate |
| C．hair growth comes to a stop |
| D．85 percent of hairs are growing |
When some hairs are experiencing the period of Telogen, they ________.
| A．grow very quickly | B．slow down their growth |
| C．stop growing | D．affects other hairs’ growth |
Which of the following shows the process of hair growth?
| A．Anagen → Telogen → Catagen |
| B．Anagen → Catagen → Telogen |
| C．Anagen ↗ ↘ Catagen ← Telogen |
| D．Anagen |
↗ ↘
Telogen ← Catagen
C
chemistrynerd |
US High School Teacher |
As a science teacher, I also want to incorporate literacy(读写能力) and reading into science. I thought it would be cool to have something called “Article Fridays” (or monthly, and maybe a more creative name) where students read articles and summarize them on different chemistry topics that they find interesting. I’d have a couple students each time share what they found, and they’d all hand them in. I work on a block schedule(模块教学计划) so I’m not sure exactly how this would work. Does anyone have creative ideas on how to get kids thinking of science that’s in the ‘real world’? I’d probably do this with my Honors or AP classes.
 |
Caesar753 |
I like the idea, but not for just Honors/AP. I think that all students can work on improving their literacy. Besides, this is a good way to connect your content to current events. You’ll need to find high-interest articles that grab their attention and keep it. I’m not sure that I would devote an entire block to this activity because it might get boring even with high-interest articles.
 |
MyrisophilistHigh school Life Science |
I’m really into literacy and science as well, so PM me about it anytime! 
Do your students have Internet access in the classroom? If so, that opens up a world of resources. I put a ton of resources seeds on my website that relate to each class I teach. The New York Times Learning Blog has so many ideas on incorporating news into every subject. I highly recommend spending some time going through their resources. Here are a few I’ve bookmarked:
12 Ways to Learn Vocabulary with The New York Times
Great Ways to Teach Any Day’s Times
Teaching TopicsChemistrynerd is worried that ________.
| A．his students show no interest in his class |
| B．his students pay no attention to reading or writing |
| C．what his students learn is too difficult to understand |
| D．what his students need is not only science knowledge |
What can Caesar753 most possibly be?
| A．A college student | B．A college principal |
| C．A high school teacher | D．A high school student |
According to Myrisophilist, the underlined letters “PM” means ________.
| A．Private Message | B．Pardon Me |
| C．Password Maybe | D．Afternoon |
Myrisophilist’s teaching ways couldn’t be useful without ________.
| A．newspapers | B．the Internet |
| C．block schedules | D．other teachers’ help |
A listener from Brazil recently wrote to us asking for some advice. He’s planning a trip to the United States, and wanted to know about the best places to travel in America. Today, we tell about the most popular places to visit in the country, and hear about what makes them so appealing.
Each of the 50 states in America has interesting things to offer visitors, but some are more popular than others. Washington, D.C. is famous for its historical places, like the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. Visitors to Los Angeles, California can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame or shop the stores on Rodeo Drive where they may see a star or two. The Grand Canyon in Arizona appeals to hikers, climbers and nature lovers, as does Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Trip Advisor is a website where people can write reviews about their travel experiences. There are also ratings for hotels, restaurants, and places people have visited around the world. Every year, Trip Advisor makes a list of the top 25 cities to visit in the United States. The results are based on the opinions of visitors to the website.
America’s major cities are still the most popular destinations for visitors. This is probably because of the good quality of services they provide tourists.
“They do a great job of giving travelers what they want when they’re on vacation. I think they kind of cater to every type of traveler need. So whether you’re traveling alone, you’re traveling for business, you’re traveling with your family - whatever it is, those destinations are really tuned in to delivering amazing experiences and just a lot of different opportunities when you’re there.” said Brooke Ferencsik, a tourist from Germany.The author is most possibly ________.
| A．a radio announcer | B．a journalist |
| C．a university professor | D．a tour guide |
Which of the following is the best place to visit if you want to know about American history?
A. Yellowstone National Park B. The Grand Canyon
C. Los Angeles, California D. Washington D.CAccording to Brooke Ferencsik, ________ make America’s major cities the most popular destinations for visitors.
| A．city residents’ kindness and care |
| B．the good services |
| C．great opportunities of jobs |
| D．the varieties of cities |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Welcome to Trip Advisor |
| B．America’s Major Tourist Attractions |
| C．The Power of the Internet |
| D．It’s Tourists Who Decide Where to Go |
Carrying a passenger on a bicycle is an offence punishable by law. Everyone knows that but still some of us do it.
I had done it many times before until something happened to teach me never to do it again. It was not the police. Rather it was an unforgettable, and unpleasant, experience.
It happened one evening when my friend Segaran and I wanted to go and visit another friend who lived some distance away. I had a bicycle. Segaran did not. So, as usual, he sat side-saddle on the horizontal bar of the bicycle while I pedalled. We had done it many times before, so it should not be any problem.
Near my friend’s house, we got onto a gravel(碎石) path made slippery by the recent rain. Still we managed to move along, thoroughly enjoying the rough ride.
As we passed by a stream, I made the mistake of going too near the bank. The rain had softened the soil and it could not hold our combined weight. One moment we were going along merrily, the next we were tumbling head over heels into the stream.
Splash! Splash! Splash! We plunged into the river bicycle first, followed by Segaran, then me. Normally the stream is only a few centimetres deep with clear water. When we fell in, it was a metre deep with smelly black water. The water prevented us from getting badly injured but we also had to pay the price of swallowing some of it. It tasted horrible. Segaran got the worst of it for being sandwiched between the bicycle and me. Our pride was far more hurt.
We walked all the way home. I had to push the bicycle because its front wheel was bent out of shape. From that moment I promised never to carry anyone on a bicycle again.________ taught the author never to carry a passenger on a bicycle again.
| A．The police | B．The experience |
| C．Segaran | D．The visited friend |
Where did they land when they fell off the bike?
| A．Into the dirty river | B．Onto the friend’s house |
| C．Onto the gravel path | D．Into the softened soil |
The author felt hurt mainly because ________.
| A．he swallowed some dirty water |
| B．he got badly injured in the water |
| C．he made Segaran sandwiched and hurt |
| D．he failed in a thing he had thought was easy |
Where does the following paragraph go back into the passage?
We retrieved ourselves and the bicycle from the stream. We were both dirty and wet. Obviously we were in no condition to visit anyone. So we decided to go home.
| A．Between Paragraph 3 and 4 |
| B．Between Paragraph 5 and 6 |
| C．Between Paragraph 6 and 7 |
| D．After the last paragraph |