Holiday News
Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome.
Reduced prices for low season.
The Snowdonia Center
The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain 1068.The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.
You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of lifetime of mountain climbing adventure.
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime
Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another.
On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home.
During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play.
You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong.
For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours.What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
| A．Choose the holiday in Devon. |
| B．Go to the Snowdonia Centre |
| C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008 |
| D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii |
In what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
| A．It provides chances of family gatherings. |
| B．It provides customers with good food. |
| C．It offers a sport lesson. |
| D．It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
How many novels written by Fitzgerald are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5. | B．6. | C．7. | D．8. |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Fitzgerald’s life according to the pas sage?
a. He became addicted to drinking.
b. He studied at St. Paul Academy.
c. He published his first novel This Side of Paradise.
d. The Great Gatsby won high praise.
e. He failed to reorder his life.
f. He joined the army and met Zelda.
| A．f-c-e-a-b-d | B．b-e-a-f-c-d | C．f-d-e-c-b-a | D．b-f-c-d-e-a |
We can infer from the passage that Fitzgerald .
| A．had made some money when he met Zelda in Alabama. |
| B．was well educated and well off before he served in the army |
| C．would have completed more works if his wife hadn’t broken down |
| D．helped his friend get rid of drinking while his wife was in hospital |
passage is probably followed by a concluding paragraph about .
| A．Zelda’s personal life |
| B．Zelda’s illness and treatment |
| C．Fitzgerald’s friendship with Graham |
| D．Fitzgerald’s contributions to the literary world |
Fumbling with the buttons to find a good song while driving has been linked to increased risk of crashes, but is listening to music risky? “It depends on the music,” says a report published in the October issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention.
The study found teenage drivers who played their own music had significantly more traffic violations（违规）compared with background music designed by the researchers to minimize driving distractions, or no music.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel recruited(招募) 85 drivers about 18 years old; just over half were male. The subjects were each assigned to drive six challenging road trips that were about 40 minutes long, accompanied by an experienced driving instructor. Music was played on four trips, two with selections from the drivers' playlists, mostly fast-paced vocals, and two with background music, which was a mixture of easy listening, soft rock and light jazz designed to increase driver safety. No music was played on two trips. Subjects rated their mood after each trip and in-car data recorders analyzed driver behavior and errors.
All 85 subjects committed at least three errors in one or more of the six trips; 27 received a warning and 17 required steering or braking by an instructor to prevent an accident. When the music was their own, 98% made errors; without the music, 92% made errors; and while listening to the safe-driving music, 77% made errors. Speeding, following too close, inappropriate lane use, and one-handed driving were the common violations.
The male subjects were more aggressive drivers and made more serious errors than female subjects. The teens played their own music at a very loud volume but significantly decreased the sound level when listening to the safe-driving music, researchers said. Mood ratings were highest on trips with driver-preferred music.What is the key information the author wants to give in Paragraph 1?
| A．Many drivers played their favorite music while driving. |
| B．Drivers shouldn’t search for the buttons to find a good song. |
| C．Song selection has nothing to do with increased risk of crashes. |
| D．Listening to certain types of music can increase drivers’ errors. |
What does the underlined word “subjects” refer to in this passage?
| A．Something being discussed. |
| B．People being written about. |
| C．People being tested. |
| D．Areas of knowledge or study. |
In the research, soft rock and light jazz are likely to _______.
| A．increase drivers’ safety |
| B．add to the pleasure of driving |
| C．change drivers’ idea of safe driving |
| D．lower drivers’ guard against danger |
It can be inferred from the passage that in the research ______.
| A．the teens committed the most errors |
| B．the male were more skillful in driving |
| C．traveling with no music made the least errors |
| D．driver-preferred music increased the mood ratings |
Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in Scotland in 1850. He had to end his college studies because his health was poor. He began to travel, looking for a place that was good for his health. And he wrote about his travels. Inland Voyage(1878) was about journeys by canoe(独木舟) on the rivers and canals of Belgium and France. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes followed it in next year.
People loved his travel books, and they also found his poems beautiful. In 1879 he travelled to California in a very uncomfortable ship and then by train across the United States to San Francisco. He married in California, but his poor health made him and his wife travel again.
Readers of his travel books and poetry were surprised when Treasure Island came out in 1883. It was not at all like his earlier writing, but both children and grown-ups loved it.
Treasure Island was finished in Switzerland. Stevenson then continued to travel. He loved the islands of the southern Pacific Ocean, and he found that his health was better there. In the end, he and his wife made their home in Samoa. It was there that he wrote Kidnapped(1886), the story of David Balfour and Alan Breck. It was followed (but not immediately) by Catriona, which continues the story of David Belfour and tells of other exciting adventures of David and Alan, and of David’s love for Catriona Drummond. In between the two stories about David Belfour came another surprising book, the “thriller” called The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Stevenson died in Samoa in 1894, and he is buried there.Which of the following about Stevenson is true?
| A．He lived to be 50. |
| B．He was also a popular poet. |
| C．He was buried in his homeland. |
| D．He quit college because he was poor. |
Stevenson settled in Samoa because ______.
| A．it was very beautiful |
| B．he finished his book Kidnapped there |
| C．he was too old to travel on |
| D．it was good for his health |
In which order did the following books come out?
a. Travels with a Donkey
b. Treasure Island
c. Kidnapped
d. Catriona
e. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
| A．a, b, c, d, e | B．a, b, c, e, d |
| C．b, c, a, e, d | D．c, a, b, d, e |
The passage is probably taken from ______.
| A．a newspaper |
| B．an advertisement |
| C．a book introduction |
| D．a public speech |
As more and more books become movie adaptations (改编), I can’t help but think how this will affect English classes in America. Thinking back to my years in middle and high school — ten years ago, I would be rewarded if I had read a number of classics. Today, a majority of those books are now also movies Life of Pi, The Great Gatsby, Much Ado About Nothing and Anna Karenina, to name a few.
Even modern books such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter have been adapted for the big screen. In discussion with my students, I often hear them say they are not going to read books because movies will come out soon, which makes me wonder what effect movie adaptations have on modern-day students. Will the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) encourage them to read books more carefully or to use movies to improve their understanding of the text?
The CCSS requires students to provide text-based evidence when reading and discussing a book. By focusing on such evidence, teachers can pull specific details from a book that may have not made the final cut when the book was adapted for the big screen. For instance, after reading and watching The Hunger Games, there were a number of details from the book that were missing from the film — many people were disappointed with Rue’s meek (温顺的) movie role. A student who failed to read The Hunger Games would not quite understand Rue’s impact on the games in the same way as someone who had read the book and remembered all the details that went into her death.
I am not saying the CCSS will stop students from cutting corners, but I believe if teachers use the support the CCSS provides, it can be a great roadway to ensure all students are digging deep into texts and not just hitting the play button.Ten years ago, students in America were .
| A．fond of reading all kinds of novels |
| B．forbidden to discuss movies in class |
| C．not allowed to watch movies in the cinema |
| D．encouraged to read many literature works |
Which of the following might be the effect that movie adaptations have on modern-day students?
| A．They spend less time in studying. |
| B．They can’t understand English texts. |
| C．They discuss movies more frequently. |
| D．They spend less time in reading. |
What can we learn from the third paragraph?
| A．The Hunger Games is the worst movie adaptation. |
| B．It is a waste of time reading and discussing a book in class. |
| C． Rue’s impact on the games is perfectly presented in the movie. |
| D．Movie adaptations may bring trouble in understanding the books. |
According to the text, it seems that the CCSS .
| A．prevents students watching movies |
| B．provides students with well-known movies |
| C．encourages students to write novels |
| D．provides guidance on teaching and learning |
Art classes about animals & wildlife
All Creatures Large and Small
Animals bring something special to our life and give us inspiration for paintings that we will treasure. This workshop will focus on how to bring animals to life through color, lighting and good composition (构图). We will be working from photographs, so you will need to bring several good photos of your pets or wildlife animals.
Location Scottsdale, AZ
Instructor Phil Beck
Pet Portraiture (肖像画法) with Christine Fifer
Nothing teaches us to live in the moment more than our furry and feathered friends, and this workshop emphasizes (强调) the technical aspects of drawing and painting animals. Fifer is a long-time painter whose realistic style is simple and clear. No live models allowed (only a favorite picture or two)!
Location Key West, FL
Instructor Christine Fifer
Nature & Wildlife in the Field with Rafael Galvez
Limited to 12 students. Have a guided walk through a natural reserve and explore Charlotte’s wilderness with an experienced naturalist and bird painter, while learning about the region’s wildlife and habitats, and learning to paint from live subjects. Galvez emphasizes process rather than product.
Location Charlotte, NC
Instructor Rafael Galvez
Animal Drawing
A rare opportunity to work with live animals in the PAFA studios! Work with a horse and a dog served as models, learn skills and develop techniques for the graphic depiction (图形描绘) of animals. Explore a variety of drawing materials and techniques.
Location Philadelphia, PA
Instructor Peter van DyckPhil Beck will teach students to paint animals from .
| A．live models | B．his works |
| C．Pictures | D．famous paintings |
Where should you go if you want to learn to paint in the open air?
A. Scottsdale, AZ. B. Charlotte, NC.
C. Key West, FL. D. Philadelphia, PA.If you like to paint in a realistic style, you will learn from .
| A．Phil Beck | B．Peter van Dyck |
| C．Rafael Galvez | D．Christine Fifer |
People have always been wondering about what our future will look like. Go on reading this text, and you will know what will happen in the next fifty years.
How can we know what the future will look like? To be able to understand the future, you must know the past. What has taken us to where we are today and what has changed along the way? The world has changed a lot in the last 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago. Will this change in the next 150 years? No.
What inventions have really made a difference in the last 150 years? In the past years, the inventions that have affected most people around the world for everyday living are the telephone, electricity, radio, television, computer, the car and the ability to communicate through the Internet. Then we of course have a lot of inventions that have made life easier, like new medicine, faster transports etc. In general, human beings have been working hard in the last 150 years to make the inventions so that they will be able to get control of the time and the world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years.
Why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons first we need to start to think about what kind of future we would like for ourselves and to pass on to the next generation, and then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future.What does the author try to tell us in the second paragraph?
| A．The world is quite different from what it was. |
| B．Our basic needs will not change in the future. |
| C．Humans will no longer enjoy food in the future. |
| D．The world will be completely changed tomorrow. |
Our past inventions have made .
| A．it easy for us to live |
| B．our daily life more stressful |
| C．our work easily done |
| D．us work less time |
What will humans do in order to keep the world under control?
| A．To produce more cars for transportation. |
| B．To focus on making more inventions. |
| C．To work much harder to achieve their goals. |
| D．To spend more time working on the Internet. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．What result we’ll receive in the future. |
| B．The decisions we make for our future. |
| C．The importance of predicting the future. |
| D．The two reasons of predicting the future. |