The whole morning we just checked our own things. We were looking for items to give away. We thought of blankets, food and clothing. Our aim was not to find things we no longer wanted, but things we use every day and would be useful to others.
We made up boxes with the things and added some small toys. Inside the boxes a simple letter was placed, reading:
“Please take these items and know that your life is important. Times are difficult but they will pass. We share what we have, believing it will matter. Use the blanket to stay warm. Be safe and know that the human spirit can overcome anything. Don’t hold your head down. Someday please do the same when you can. How you do it and when, your heart will tell you.
This kind act was not because the phone rang or for any reason. It was simply because it was the right time to do. We have often seen homeless people at the park where we left the belongings. The city would say that it isn’t a problem but I see the lives walking to and from it.
I noticed that my wife had put her favorite green coat into one of the boxes. I asked if she was sure about it and she simply replied that it had a hood (风帽). She liked the coat but knew the hood could shelter (遮挡)someone from the rain.
We don’t know where these gifts of compassion（同情）will go. We never go back and see what happens. It’s unimportant. The right things will find the right people and that is all that counts. On the way my wife started to cry. When I asked why, she said because some things felt so right.What can we learn from the first paragraph about the couple？
| A．They had deep feelings of their work |
| B．They often threw the useless daily items away |
| C．They liked helping others by sharing their things |
| D．They often gave away the daily items they didn’t use |
The couple placed the letter inside the box mainly to_______________.
| A．help the poor go through the difficulties |
| B．let the poor know who gave away the things |
| C．tell the poor how to use the items correctly |
| D．tell the poor to pass on the spirit to others |
The couple liked this kind act because _______.
| A．they thought it was the right thing to do |
| B．they had a good habit of saving things |
| C．they often received telephone calls for help |
| D．they hated being troubled by homeless people |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Boxes filled with compassion |
| B．Good behavior leading to happiness |
| C．The most important thing in our life |
| D．Happiness coming from sharing things |
We've all been there：in a lift，in line at the bank or on an airplane，surrounded by people who are，like us，deeply focused on their smartphones or，worse，struggling with the uncomfortable silence．
What's the problem？ It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence． It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging， or we think it's annoying and unnecessary． But the next time you find yourself among strangers， consider that small talk is worth the trouble． Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits．
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy， but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation． Small talk is the grease （润滑剂） for social communication， says Bernardo Carducci， director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast． "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk，" he explains． "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others， not just communicate with them．"
In a 2014 study， Elizabeth Dunn， associate professor of psychology at UBC， invited people on their way into a coffee shop． One group was asked to seek out an interaction（互动） with its waiter； the other， to speak only when necessary． The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience．"It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband，" says Dunn．"But interactions with peripheral（边缘的） members of our social network matter for our well﹣being also．"
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging， a bond with others． Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk．"Small talk is the basis of good manners，" he says．
（1）What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph？
| A． |
Addiction to smartphones． |
| B． |
Inappropriate behaviours in public places． |
| C． |
Absence of communication between strangers． |
| D． |
Impatience with slow service． |
（2）What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci？
| A． |
Showing good manners． |
| B． |
Relating to other people． |
| C． |
Focusing on a topic． |
| D． |
Making business deals． |
（3）What does the coffee﹣shop study suggest about small talk？
| A． |
It improves family relationships． |
| B． |
It raises people's confidence． |
| C． |
It matters as much as a formal talk． |
| D． |
It makes people feel good． |
（4）What is the best title for the text？
| A． |
Conversation Counts |
| B． |
Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C． |
Benefits of Small Talk |
| D． |
Uncomfortable Silence |
Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun， according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday．
While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers， some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives，and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading．
According to the report's key findings， "the proportion （比例） who say they 'hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13﹣year﹣olds and 9 percent of 17﹣year﹣olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today．"
The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children，ages 2﹣8，remain largely the same．But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined，from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session．
When it comes to technology and reading，the report does little to counsel（建议）parents looking for data about the effect of e﹣readers and tablets on reading．It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading，mainly due to concerns about increased screen time．
The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading．Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently，compared to infrequent readers，have more books in the home，more books purchased for them，parents who read more often，and parents who set aside time for them to read．
As the end of school approaches，and school vacation reading lists loom（逼近）ahead，parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore．
（1）What is the Common Sense Media report probably about？
| A． |
Children's reading habits． |
| B． |
Quality of children's books． |
| C． |
Children's after﹣class activities． |
| D． |
Parent﹣child relationships． |
（2）Where can you find the data that best supports "children are reading a lot less for fun"？
| A． |
In paragraph 2． |
| B． |
In paragraph 3． |
| C． |
In paragraph 4． |
| D． |
In paragraph 5． |
（3）Why do many parents limit electronic reading？
| A． |
E﹣books are of poor quality． |
| B． |
It could be waste of time． |
| C． |
It may harm children's health． |
| D． |
E﹣readers are expensive． |
（4）How should parents encourage their children to read more？
| A． |
Act as role models for them． |
| B． |
Ask them to write book reports． |
| C． |
Set up reading groups for them． |
| D． |
Talk with their reading class teachers． |
Many of us love July because it's the month when nature's berries and stone fruits are in abundance．These colourful and sweet jewels from British Columbia's fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection．
Of the common berries， strawberries are highest in vitamin C， although， because of their seeds， raspberries contain a little more protein （蛋白质）， iron and zinc （not that fruits have much protein）． Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants （抗氧化物质）． The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants． As for cherries （樱桃）， they are so delicious who cares？ However，they are rich in vitamin C．
When combined with berries of slices of other fruits， frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick， cooling fruit shakes and low fat "ice cream"． For this purpose， select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter． Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze． If you like， a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown． Frozen bananas will last several weeks， depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer．
If you have a juicer ，you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit．Out comes a "soft﹣serve" creamy dessert，to be eaten right away． This makes a fun activity for a children's party；they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below．
（1）What does the author seem to like about cherries？
| A． |
They contain protein． |
| B． |
They are high in vitamin A． |
| C． |
They have a pleasant taste． |
| D． |
They are rich in antioxidants． |
（2）Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas？
| A． |
To make them smell better． |
| B． |
To keep their colour． |
| C． |
To speed up their ripening． |
| D． |
To improve their nutrition． |
（3）What is "a juicer" in the last paragraph？
| A． |
A dessert． |
| B． |
A drink． |
| C． |
A container． |
| D． |
A machine． |
（4）From which is the text probably taken？
| A． |
A biology textbook． |
| B． |
A health magazine． |
| C． |
A research paper． |
| D． |
A travel brochure． |
Summer Activities
Students should read the list with their parents/carers， and select two activities they would like to do． Forms will be available in school and online for them to indicate their choices and return to school． Before choices are finalised， parents/carers will be asked to sign to confirm their child's choices．
|
Activity |
Description |
Member of staff |
Cost |
|
Outdoor Adventure （OUT） |
Take yourself out of your comfort zone for a week，discover new personal qualities，and learn new skills．You will be able to take in a number of activities from canoeing to wild camping on Dartmoor．Learn rock climbing and work as a team，and enjoy the great outdoor environment． |
Mr．Clemens |
£140 |
|
WWI Battlefields and Paris （WBP） |
On Monday we travel to London． After staying overnight in London，we travel on Day 2 to northern France to visit the World War I battlefields．On Day 3 we cross into Belgium．Thursday sees us make the short journey to Paris where we will visit Disneyland Paris park，staying until late to see the parade and the fireworks．Our final day，Friday，sees us visit central Paris and tour the main sights． |
Mrs．Wilson |
£425 |
|
Crafty Foxes（CRF） |
Four days of product design centred around textiles．Making lovely objects using recycled and made materials． Bags，cushions and decorations…Learn skills and leave with modern and unusual textiles． |
Mrs．Goode |
£30 |
|
Potty about Potter （POT） |
Visit Warner Bros Studio，shop stop to buy picnic，stay overnight in an approved Youth Hostel in Streatley﹣on ﹣Thames，guided tour of Oxford to see the film locations，picnic lunch outside Oxford's Christchurch，boating on the River Cherwell through the University Parks，before heading back to Exeter． |
Miss Drake |
£150 |
（1）Which activity will you choose if you want to go camping？
A．OUT．
B．WBP．
C．CRF．
D．POT．
（2）What will the students do on Tuesday with Mrs． Wilson？
| A． |
Travel to London． |
| B． |
See a parade and fireworks． |
| C． |
Tour Central Paris． |
| D． |
Visit the WWI battlefields． |
（3）How long does Potty about Potter last？
| A． |
Two days． |
| B． |
Four days． |
| C． |
Five days． |
| D． |
One week． |
阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
Some people live to climb the highest mountains. Some people live only dreaming about it while others live to avoid ever climbing at all. But one thing is certain, all people encounter mountains in their life.
When I was a little girl, my family moved to a tiny town at the bottom of a big mountain. One day after school, while exploring the green woods of this magnificent mountain, I almost fell on a set of stairs. What could these steps lead to? Curiosity got the best of me as I knew it would be starting to get dark soon. I started climbing up those strangely mysterious steps.
I climbed and climbed. There was nothing but just green bushes and these steps. I had to reach the top! But it was now getting real dark. If I kept going I might not be able to see my way back. My mom would be worried sick if I didn't come home soon. So I ran back home almost in the dark while trying not to get too scared.
Anxiously I went to bed dreaming about what I would find at the top of this magical mountain. Could there be a castle up there? Maybe I would find a monster(怪物). Maybe I was taking the risk of never coming back home. Or, maybe all I would find was absolutely nothing! But something inside me was going to climb that mountain at all cost. I could hardly wait to try this adventure again.
Now we live in a world surrounded by the "can't do" attitudes. We all fall down.We all have doubts and regrets. Still we must climb and dream about what's at the top of our mountain. Monsters may appear or the night will fall. But never ever give up on your dream! Never let anyone tell you, "You can't." Dream big and climb high!
（1）What made the author start to climb up the stairs to the mountain top? (no more than 5 words)
（2）Why did the author hurry back home without reaching the top of the mountain? Give two reasons. (no more than 15 words)
（3）How would you describe the author in terms of personalities according to Paragraph 4? (no more than 10 words)
（4）How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph? (no more than 5 words)
（5）What's your attitude towards the "mountain" in your life? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)