FOR Chinese students the end of their senior year is filled with studying and stress as they prepare for the college entrance exams in June.But for American high school seniors the experience couldn’t be more different. The end of senior year is a celebration of their time in high school and involves parties,games and fun.
Senioritis is a commonly used expression.It means seniors have a disease which makes them unable to do work.This starts in April when seniors find out whether they have been accepted to university.
Unwilling to do school work,seniors have plenty of other activities to focus on.
Many schools have a “Senior Show”,in which only seniors are allowed to perform.Some seniors sing or dance but many of them perform skits（滑稽短剧），where they make fun of their favorite teachers or their friends.For example,a group of boys may dress up and imitate a group of their friends.It is all light-hearted.
The“Senior Show”is usually a part of Senior Week,which is a week specifically dedicated(专用的) to seniors.During this week,seniors usually get academic or athletic awards they have won over their high school careers.The seniors also vote for one of their male and female classmates who they believe is the best-looking or funniest or most involved,etc.These are then published in the yearbook.
The yearbook is an important part of high school for seniors.It is usually dedicated to them and has all their pictures and some words from them in it.Then seniors go around and get it signed by their friends so they can always remember their time together.
Of course during all of this time,seniors are preparing for the Senior Prom,which is an important moment in American culture.It is the most important dance in a young American’s life.
The end of senior year is a truly special and wonderful time for American students.It’s something they will remember for the rest of their lives.
60.Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence in paragraph1?
A.For American high school seniors,things are quite different.
B.It doesn’t make difference at the end of the senior year.
C.For American high school seniors,it is the best time of the year.
D.It is the period filled with stress and workload.
61.What activities that seniors would like to do according to the passage?
A.School work B.Voting for the film star
C.Singing or dance contests D.Senior Show and Senior Prom
62.What will most probably be talked about in the next paragraph of the passage?
A.Activities on the sports field
B.The graduation ceremony where they receive their high school diploma
C.Their favorite film stars
D.The health of seniors
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the Elevator Guy.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “They [elevators] are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, lift users unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed (理解) as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact, she said.The main purpose of the article is to _____.
| A．remind us to enjoy ourselves in the elevator |
| B．tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette |
| C．share an interesting but awkward elevator ride |
| D．analyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator |
According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.
| A．turn around and greet one another |
| B．look around or examine their phone |
| C．make eye contact with those in the elevator |
| D．try to keep a distance from other people |
Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator? ________
The underlined phrase size up in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．judge | B．ignore |
| C．put up with | D．make the best of |
According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
| A．someones odd behaviors |
| B．the lack of space |
| C．their unfamiliarity with one another |
| D．their eye contact with one another |
Kids undergo a large amount of pressure and stress during their school exams, which can often become quite overwhelming for them. It may be the first experience of stress, at this level, they have ever experienced and therefore quite frightening. Yes, you may say that it's all a part of growing up and therefore good lessons for them to learn, and to an extent I agree with you. However, it’s important to learn how to prepare for life’s challenges so that they aren’t overwhelming or scary and so that we are able to manage them the best we can.
Here are some tips you can use during your kids exam time.
Break their revision plan down into small parts. Doing this will help transform what once seemed like a huge impossible task into a more manageable one.
Help them arrange properly so that the subjects they like the least (perhaps ones that require more time and effort) are worked on first; once they are out of the way, it will help reduce the worry.
Plan week on week to make sure they are on track. Ticking items of a list each week will help them to feel good about themselves and their progress.
Create rewards for all the ticks - a favourite TV programme, a delicious snack, an hour’s surfing the Internet, computer games or whatever it was that they enjoy the most. This will encourage them to carry on and make them feel good.
Think of strategies on how to deal with exams calmly so their anxieties don't get the better of them.
Talk about times in their lives when they had been successful at something and look at the qualities they used to get them there - determination, persistence, hard work, patience, positivity, dedication - discuss how they can apply these skills to their exams.
Acknowledge that if they do their best that is good enough
Ensure they realize that this period in their lives will pass and that exams are only a temporary time in their lives; nothing can and does last forever.
Ensure they keep their eye on the prize: enjoying their long summer holiday when the exams are finished; giving them something to look forward to will help to motivate them and provide a positive end in sight.According to paragraph 1, its important to learn how to prepare for exams because___.
| A．it is a part of growing up. |
| B．it is the first experience of stress |
| C．it helps kid release stress and do better. |
| D．it is important to get a good mark in exams. |
Which subject should be worked on first?
| A．Their best ones. | B．Their favourite ones. |
| C．the easiest ones | D．the most difficult ones |
The underlined expression get the better of in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．defeat | B．worry |
| C．keep sb. calm | D．make sb. feel better |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Kid should become aware of the importance of exams. |
| B．Kids should learn to deal with exam pressure independently. |
| C．Parents should keep their kids away from entertainment. |
| D．Parents should care about the psychological development of children. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Kids. | B．Parents. |
| C．Educators. | D．People in general. |
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a commonplace（普通的） environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because____________.
| A．people were in a hurry |
| B．they were not interested in music |
| C．it was too cold in the subway |
D．the p erformance was not good enough |
When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ____________.
| A．would give him some money |
| B．would stop to enjoy the music |
| C．would applaud for the performance |
| D．would urge them to continue walking |
Which of the following is true about Joshua Bells performance?
| A．Nobody gave him money |
| B．Nobody recognized him. |
| C．Nobody appreciated it |
| D．Nobody organized it |
Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ____________.
| A．make more money |
| B．practice his skills in playing music |
| C．made an advertisement for his concert |
| D．find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．set us to think about our life |
| B．show us how to play music |
| C．tell us the importance of music |
| D．report a subway performance |
For 40 years, people in London have been happy to see parakeets (马尾鹦鹉) in their parks. The shocking green body and long tail have brought a bright color to the parks, which have attracted a lot of people.
However, the parakeets are no longer welcome. They will push out local birds from trees to build their own nests, and will also take most of the food in the parks, such as seeds, fruit and nuts.
Sometimes by accident, plants and animals are carried to new places. They are transported by trains, ships or even planes. Often, animals like fishes get transported in the water containers of ships. When these ships reach new places and pump out the water from their tanks, these animals will start a new life in a new place.
Sometimes people take plants and animals from one part of the world to the other to solve a problem. But it will create a bigger problem. Years ago, the sugarcane (甘蔗) farmers of northern Australia brought the toads (蟾蜍) from South America to their farms. They thought they would kill the beetles (甲虫) that harm the sugarcane crops. But the toad has done much more. It is now killing Australia’s native animals, such as snakes, water birds and so on. People get interested in parakeets mainly because of ____.
| A．their appearance | B．their singing |
| C．their behavior | D．their living environment |
How do the parakeets affect the local birds?
| A．They sometimes kill the local birds. |
| B．They destroy trees which the local birds live in. |
| C．They take the local birds nests and food. |
| D．They have attracted much of peoples attention. |
What is the third paragraph mainly talking about?
| A．How animals and plants come to new lands. |
| B．How a new animal affects the local animals. |
| C．Why some plants are introduced to a new place. |
| D．The role of ships in transporting animals and plants. |
What can we learn about the toads?
| A．They didnt kill the beetles at all. |
| B．They were brought to Australia by accident. |
| C．They have ruined the sugarcane crops. |
| D．They have created a larger problem in Australia. |
Many years ago, Norman Cousins was seriously ill. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.
He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to his disease. He wondered, If illness can be caused by negativity (消极性), can health be created by positivity (积极性)?” He decided to make an experiment of himself.
Laughing was one of the most positive activities he knew. He watched all the funny movies he could find. He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something interesting.
His pain was so great that he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy and healthy years.
Laughing is necessary to our health. If were not well, laughing helps us get well; if we are well, laughing helps us stay that way. So, if you like laughing, do it as often as you can.
Use whatever makes you laughmovies, books, jokes or friends. The people around you may think youre strange, but sooner or later theyll join in even if they dont know what youre laughing about.Cousins decided to try to laugh a lot ______.
| A．in order to be happy |
| B．in order to cure his disease |
| C．because he could not live for long |
| D．because his disease couldnt be cured |
The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．how to be happy |
| B．laughing is good for our health |
| C．about Cousins miserable life |
| D．funny stories make our life different |
Which of the following is TRUE about his illness?
| A．There was little possibility to cure his disease. |
| B．He had been happy before he was ill. |
| C．His disease resulted from his hard work. |
| D．His disease made him sleepy all the time. |
From Cousins story, we can know that ______.
| A．doctors believed that his disease could be cured by laughing |
| B．he was sure that positivity could cure his disease |
| C．laughing regularly contributed to his disease |
| D．his life was changed after he was ill |