Thisistimeofyearwhenwethinkabo-优题课

Many animal and plant species have become extinct (灭绝的) and many more are in critical danger.
Dodo
The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and last one was killed in 1681.
Rhinos
The Rhino (犀牛) horn is a highly prized item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves（保护区）. Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers（偷猎者）.
The Giant Panda
The future of the Giant Panda is far from certain. As few as 1,000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves to protect these beautiful animals. However, The panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose（造成）one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence.
Whales
Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans have been declared whale sanctuaries（保护区）, 7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions（碰撞）with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.
Tigers
The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of remaining tigers to between 5,000 and 7,000 and The Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are already extinct. The South China tiger is precariously close to disappearing, with only 20 to 30 still alive. Like the Rhino horn, tigers’ bones and organs are sought after for traditional Chinese medicines. These items are traded illegally along with tiger skins.
Animal Conservation

Wildlife	Main features or uses	for decreasing	Present state(状况)
Dodo		Hunted for food; Attacked by animals	Have become
Rhinos	Horns,highly prized items for Asian	Hunted by poachers	Have rapidly decreased
	Traditional Chinese medicines	trade of its bones and organs.	Some species extinct
Whales	Rich	Collisions with ships;heavily _______ seawater;caught in fishing nets.	Only three hundred
The Giant Panda	black and white patched coat	by poachers.	Far from certain

Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. When connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.
People have been influenced to become technology addicted. One survey reported that “addicted” was the word most commonly used by people to describe their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time resisting the allure of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.
The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. Consumers willingly give up their freedom, money and time to catch up on the latest information, to keep pace with their peers or to appear modern.
I see people trapped in a pathological（病态的）relationship with time-sucking technology, where they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude. I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence because of uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.
What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what people need to ask themselves if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about their use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for proclaiming the wisdom that “too much of a good thing is wonderful.” But it’s time to discover that it does not work for technology.
Richard Fernandez, an executive coach at Google acknowledged that “we can be swept away by our technologies.” To break the grand digital connection people must consider how life long ago could be fantastic without today’s overused technology.
The underlined word “allure” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A．advantage

B．attraction

C．adaption

D．attempt

From the passage, technology companies aim to ______.

A．attract people to buy their products

B．provide the latest information

C．improve people’s quality of life

D．deal with cultural diseases

It can be inferred from this passage that people ______.

A．consider too much technology wonderful

B．have realized the harm of high-tech devices

C．can regain freedom without high-tech devices

D．may enjoy life better without overused technology

What’s the author’s attitude towards the overusing of high-tech devices?

A．Neutral.

B．Sceptical.

C．Disapproving.

D．Sympathetic.

How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun,” Several says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, developing on features. The U.S. is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.
Which is one of the feature of the Kolibree toothbrush?

A．It can sense how users brush their teeth.

B．It can track users’ school performance.

C．It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist.

D．It can help users find their phones.

What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?

A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B．You should see your dentist on a day-to –day basis.

C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.

D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?

A．It can be used to update mobile phones.

B．It can be used to play mobile phone games

C．It can send messages to other users

D．It can talk to its developers.

What can we infer about Serval’s children?

A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth

B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.

C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.

D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.

What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree?

A．The brush handle will be removed.

B．A mobile phone will be built into it.

C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth

D．It will be able to check users’ teeth

In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach threw me into embarrassment
In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had apeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered，and my face felt warm.
“Correct,” she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero.
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third，I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?

A．It is wise to value one’s time.

B．It is important to make an effort

C．It is right to stick to one’s belief.

D．It is enough to do the necessary.

Usually, Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.

A．recite their homework together

B．grade their homework themselves

C．answer their homework questions orally

D．check the answers to their homework questions

The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.

A．asked questions in a regular way

B．walked up and down when asking questions

C．chose two or three questions for the students

D．requested her students to finish their usual questions

The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.

A．the class didn’t begin as usual

B．several students didn’t come to school

C．he didn’t try hard to make his estimate

D．Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class

Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．An Unforgettable Teacher

B．A Future Mathematician

C．An Effective Approach

D．A Valuable Lesson

Want to improve your writing skills? New Writing South is directing the way!
·Towner Writer Squad (班组）for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2014.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyrics (抒情诗）to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title‘LUNCH,’with your name, age, address and e-mail address to: debo@newwritingsouth.com.
Once all applications are in, com you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September，4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2014
For further information go to: facebook.com/towner or towner.org.uk or newwritingsouth.com
Any questions 一 feel free to send your e-mail to Towner Writer Squad Associate: whame@towner.gov.uk
﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡﹡
·Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2014
Meet every other Saturday，2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace 一 you do not have to rush 一 as you have a year to go through the project. Practise under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner.org.uk or generate.org.uk

Towner Writer Squad will be started _______.

A．to train comedy and TV writers

B．to explore the fantastic gallery space

C．to introduce a contemporary art museum

D．to promote the development of young writers

To join the Writer Squad，each applicant should first _______.

A．provide a piece of their writing

B．meet the Writer Squad Leader

C．offer their family information

D．complete an application form

Applications for the Writer Squad should be e-mailed no later than _______.

A．6 September, 2014

B．8 September, 2014

C．17 September, 2014

D．12 October, 2014

What is most important for the beginners?

A．Practising as much as possible.

B．Gaining confidence and having fun.

C．Studying and writing at their own pace.

D．Learning skills from writers and teachers.

More information about Beginner Writing Project can be found at _______.

A．facebook.com/towner

B．newwritingsouth.com

C．newtowner.org.uk

D．towner.org.uk

A．Children’s Home and Children’s Hospice	B．Youth Club and Children’s Home
C．Children’s Hospice and Night Shelter	D．Youth Club and Night Shelter