More teachers are starting off the school year with letters to parents and students to introduce themselves and set a tone (基调) for the year．The letters are a good way to start positive communication with parents, several teachers told Education World．
“I think it’s professional (专业的)，”said Dorothy Peselli, an English teacher at Sparta High School in Sparta, New Jersay, Peselli, who gives out the letters the first day of school, told Education World．“It gives parents an image of you as a professional．If you start communication off in a positive manner, you will have the parents on your side when you need them．”
In her letter to parents, Peselli encourages them to call or e-mail her with specific concerns about their children．“I want to work as a team to make sure that your child becomes an independent lifelong learner,” Peselli wrote to parents last September．She also telephones the parents of all
her students at the beginning of the year．
Peselli includes with the letter a classroom handbook (手册)listing plans and rules ．And she requires that both parents and students read and sign statements (included in the letter!) that they read the handbook．The student letter also lists needed supplies and gives encouragement．“Please come to class ready to work and learn．This will be an exciting year for all of us,” it says
Last year, Peselli taught at a different high school and parents there were “shocked”, but appreciative, that she had so much contact with them,“I received roses and a thank-you note from one boy and his mother”．Peselli said．She wished her own children’s teachers would take the time to write notes as well．“I never got a letter home from any of my daughter’s high school teachers．” she said, “It would be nice to know the background of some of the people who are teaching my daughter．”We may learn from the text that
| A．most teachers are writing letters to parents and students |
| B．the handbook is used to list supplies and give encouragement |
| C．Peselli believe it important for teachers to exchange information with parents |
| D．Peselli mainly introduces her background and teaching experiences in the letters |
The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph refers to
| A．the handbook | B．the requirement |
| C．the school | D．the letter |
We can infer from the last paragraph that
| A．parents were satisfied with Peselli’s way of working |
| B．Peselli means to surprise parents by writing students |
| C．Peselli seemed to be popular among boy students |
| D．all Peselli’s children are studying in high schools |
The purpose of the text is to ．
| A．introduce an English teaching method |
| B．give advice on how to teach students |
| C．encourage teachers to keep in touch with parents |
| D．show us how Dorothy Peselli makes teaching plans |
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s see if I can name a few proverbs “off the cuff” since I haven’t prepared for it.
| English expressions with “pants” |
| People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless or nervous have “ants in their pants.” They might also “fly by the seat of their pants” -- they use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may “get caught with their pants down” -- they are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say “she wears the pants in the family.” |
| When people want to say something about money |
| Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can “burn a hole in your pocket.” Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to “tighten your belt” -- you may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill “under your belt.” I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really “take my hat off to them.” Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it “at the drop of a hat” — immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot “pull money out of a hat” —you cannot get money by inventing or imagining it. |
| English expressions with “shoes” |
| Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are “too big for their boots” think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do. You can bet your boots on that! Yet, truly important people are hard to replace. Rarely can you “fill their shoes” -- or replace them with someone equally effective. |
| English expressions with “shirt” |
| My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real “stuffed shirt.” But I know that my father “wears his heart on his sleeve” —he shows his feelings openly. And, he knows how to “keep his shirt on”—he stays calm and never gets angry or too excited. |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．Which words can be used to describe my father. |
| B．Why English expressions include words about clothes. |
| C．What people mean when they use some proverbs. |
| D．How to say English correctly and properly. |
Which of the following proverbs are not related to money?
| A．tighten one’s belt | B．take one’s hat off to them |
| C．burn a hole in one’s pocket | D．get caught with their pants down |
Tim often considers himself the most important person in the world, which is far from the truth .We may say ______.
| A．he “wears his heart on his sleeve ”. | B．he “bet his boots on that ”. |
| C．he is “too big for their boots”. | D．he “ fill their shoes”. |
If you want to praise somebody for his calmness when facing danger, you may say______.
| A．“Amazing! How can you keep your shirt on at that time!” |
| B．“You really fill your shoes” |
| C．“Awesome ! You wear your heart on your sleeve!” |
| D．“Cool! You are truly a stuffed shirt”. |
MELBOURNE, Australia – A kangaroo frightened by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, throwing the pet underwater and hitting the owner in the stomach with its back legs. The Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition Monday after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old struck the kangaroo in the throat.
Rickard said he was walking his blue dog, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond, when the kangaroo turned and knocked the pet underwater.
When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned on him, attacking with its back legs and tearing a deep cut into his stomach and across his face.
"I thought I might take action to drag the dog out from under his grasp, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me," Rickard, 49, told The Herald Sun newspaper. "It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."
"I was stuck having to hold on to the dog with both hands because it was half drowned and I couldn't really see anything because the kangaroo just attacked me.”
He added, "All I could do was just keep pushing for the bank and he was trying to push me under the water, so at that point I struck him in the throat and that made him back off a little bit.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch kangaroo programs quite the same as I used to — it might bring back a couple of bad memories.”
Kangaroos rarely attack people but will fight if they feel threatened.
Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and defend themselves there.
Rickard said he ended the attack by hitting the kangaroo in the throat adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled him from the water.Rickard and his pet dog were attacked when _________.
| A．swimming in the pond | B．he was teasing a kangaroo |
| C．he was walking his dog | D．dragging his dog out from water |
In Australia, kangaroos ________.
| A．get along rather peacefully with people | B．are only seen in zoos |
| C．frequently attack people and pets | D．can be found swimming in ponds |
The kangaroo attacked the man and his dog probably because ________.
| A．the man struck it in the throat | B．it wanted to drown the dog |
| C．the man wanted to drown it | D．the dog chased it |
As a result of the attack, ________.
| A．the kangaroo was killed |
| B．Rickard was left a deep impression |
| C．kangaroos should be under stricter protection |
| D．the dog was drowned dead |
Five Ways to Rock the Rest of the Semester
With exams around the corner, how can you possibly pack in one more English word, let alone the causes of the Cold War? Don’t worry. Here is our handy guide to help you
Power Down
So you stayed up too late last night reading Mockingjay for the fifth time. Oops! When you’re that fired, your schoolwork suffers. Instead of studying inefficiently while you are sleepy, allow yourself a 15-minute afterschool power nap. Studies show that even a few minutes of shut-eye can improve memory and concentration.
Take Notes
Not quite grasping that super complicated concept in your chemistry class? You may need to change the way you take notes. Instead of recording every word your teacher says, try using visual hints like pictures, symbols and word bubbles. You can even switch computer fonts or pen color for the important stuff.
Dream On
Your bed’s not just for zzz’s. Experts say it may be good to study in bed, too. Why? We’re able to absorb more right before bed because we’re less distracted and the new information stays in our minds as we sleep. So, slide into bed with a textbook or notes, read for 15 minutes, and then turn off the lights for some sweet and smart dreams.
Brain Food
You’re in the middle of a biology exam when your mind goes blank. You knew this stuff cold at home, but now you can’t tell a ribosome from a chloroplast. What’s going on? Your brain’s in need of some refueling. Have some snacks like apple slices or cheese before class, and have plenty of water, too. If your teacher doesn’t mind, pop in a piece of gum during an exam. Some scientists think the chewing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain.
Smart Move
Ugh! You’re taking an English test and you cannot remember the past participle of “understand”. What to do? Skip it. Test taking is all about timing, so don’t waste it on tricky questions. Move ahead and answer everything you know before returning to the ones you don’t. Chances are, once you get back to the toughies, you’ll recall the answer or at the very least, you’ll have a little more time to come up with one that works.When taking notes, we can do all these except ______.
| A．draw pictures | B．change the typeface | C．switch on the computer | D．colour the key points |
According to the passage, _____.
| A．it’s good to study under the covers for some time every day |
| B．you cannot skip the difficult questions and go on to the rest |
| C．you can have some snacks and drink enough water to refresh yourself in exams |
| D．when taking notes, you should record whatever the teacher says |
What does the underlined phrase “knew this stuff cold” mean?
| A．had no clue about it | B．were a cold fish | C．knew it was cold | D．were familiar with |
You have been working on your essay for two hours and your eyes feel tired, you’d better
| A．Power down | B．dream on | C．eat brain food | D．make a smart move |
Not long ago, many people believed that babies only wanted food and to be kept warm and dry. Some people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old.
Yet doctors in the United States say babies begin learning on their first day of life. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is a federal government agency. Its goal is to determine which experiences can influence healthy development in people.
Researchers at the institute note that babies are strongly influenced by their environment. They say a baby will smile if her mother does something the baby likes. A baby learns to get the best care possible by smiling to please her mother or other caregiver. This is how babies learn to connect and communicate with other people.
The researchers say this ability to learn exists in a baby even before birth. They say newborn babies can recognize and understand sounds they heard while they were still developing inside their mothers.
Another study has suggested that low birth weight babies with no evidence of disability may be more likely than other children to have physical and mental problems.
American researchers studied almost five hundred boys and girls. They were born in, or admitted to, one of three hospitals in New Jersey between 1984 and 1987. At birth, each child weighed fewer than two thousand grams.
The boys and girls had an average age of sixteen at the time of the study. They were asked to complete intelligence and motor skill tests in their homes. Their test results were compared with those of other children their age.According to the passage, some people used to think that babies began to learn _________.
| A．on their first day of life | B．even before they were born |
| C．before five or six months old | D．at or after five or six months old |
Babies learn to connect and communicate with other people through_____________.
| A．smiles | B．cries | C．facial expressions | D．body language |
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development tries to find out ________.
| A．what affects people’s healthy development |
| B．what influences babies’ learning ability |
| C．how to cure some children’s health problems |
| D．how to develop children’s learning ability |
What will be mentioned in the following passage?
| A．The evaluation method of the tests. |
| B．The cause of low birth weight babies. |
| C．The result of the intelligence and motor skill tests. |
| D．The evidence proving babies began to learn before birth. |
Fans of US television dramas watch their favorite series for different reasons: some want to improve their English skills, others just want to kill time.
Some TV series are more than pure entertainment―they have a certain depth. Mad Men, which returned with a sixth season recently; Monday Mornings, which just finished its first season; and Modern Family, which sweeps the awards every year, are just a few examples.
Why do these shows stand out among so many similar ones? TV critics Raymond Zhou will give you an idea of why some shows are better than others.
Period drama—More than time travel
Period dramas are intended to capture the ambience (气氛) of a particular era. Directors must therefore attract audiences as much by their recreation of a historical setting as by an interesting storyline.
Mad Men is an excellent example of this balance being struck. Set in New York during the 1960s, it accurately shows US attitudes in the workplace through the alcoholism and chain-smoking common of the time, and places an absorbing plot right in its center.
But rather than merely presenting a past decade, Mad Men’s subtle (微妙的) description of the struggles of white-collar workers at the time, both male and female, makes it stand out.
“The series’ attention to detail is superb,” Raymond Zhou said. “For example, creator Matthew Weiner makes Don Draper―the leading role of the series―drive a Buick instead of a Cadillac, because Weiner thinks the ad man lacks the self-pride to buy a luxury car. It’s this kind of attentiveness that raises the show’s artistic value.”
Critics also recommend
Another period drama that works is Broadwalk Empire, set during the prohibition period of the 1920s and 1930s in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Heather Havrilesky at Salon magazine noted how the show “revels in the oddities(怪事) of its time, peeling back the layers of polite society to reveal a shadow world of criminals and politicians working together to keep the liquor flowing.”
Why does it appeal to viewers? Because they know that the “liquor” is a metaphor (暗喻) for today’s political scandals (丑闻). How many US TV series are mentioned in this passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
The following statements are the reasons why many people are attracted by US television dramas EXCEPT that __________.
| A．US television dramas merely present a past decade |
| B．directors recreate a historical setting and adopt interesting storylines |
| C．the dramas can improve their English skills, and help people kill time |
| D．some TV series are more than pure entertainment, and they have a certain depth |
According to Raymond Zhou, Don Draper’s driving a Buick instead of a Cadillac shows __________.
| A．Mad Men attaches much importance to details |
| B．Mad Men places an absorbing plot right in its center |
| C．the director wants to raise the show’s artistic value |
| D．Mad Men’s description of the struggling white-collar workers makes it stand out |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Directors of US dramas. | B．US dramas and their storylines. |
| C．US period dramas to kill time. | D．US dramas and their magic touch. |