There was a boy who was sent to a boarding school(寄宿学校). Before that he was the best student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. But things changed after that. His grades started dropping(掉下). He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. He felt really sad and that no one loved him.
His parents began to worry. But even they didn’t know what was wrong. So his dad decided to visit the school and talk with him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual(随便的) questions about his classes, teachers and sports. Then he asked, “Do you know, son, why I am here today?”
The boy said, “To check my grades?”
“No, no,” his dad replied. “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you’re happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him very much. He meant the world to someone.
Thanks a lot, Dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE!The boy _________ to be sent to the boarding school.
| A．liked | B．hated | C．didn’t mind | D．wished |
The boy’s grades became _____________ those before.
| A．better than | B．worse than | C．the same as | D．the best of |
The father went to the school to see him because __________.
| A．he wanted to check his son’s grades |
| B．he was really angry with his son |
| C．he was worried about his son |
| D．he wanted to take his son home |
The boy’s ___________ is the most important thing to his family.
| A．grades | B．success | C．happiness | D．study |
We can learn from the passage that _____________.
| A．the boy hated his father and mother at last |
| B．the boy didn’t finish his school at last |
| C．the boy knew that his family loved him very much |
| D．the boy didn’t understand his father at all |
In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist .So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography was in 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room .He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s way. Travelers brought back wonderful photos from all around the world .people took picture of famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, photography was improved .Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things .That was not simple .The photographers had to carry a lot of films and other machines. But this did not stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard. Mathew Brady was a famous American photographer. He took many pictures of great people .The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike.
Photographers also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were not just copies of the real world .They showed feelings like other kinds of art.The first photo taken by Niepce was a picture of ________
| A．his business | B．his house |
| C．his garden | D．his window |
The Daguerreotype was_______.
| A．a Frenchman | B．a kind of picture |
| C．a kind of camera | D．a photographer |
If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840, he had to_____.
| A．watch lots of films |
| B．buy an expensive camera |
| C．stop in most cities |
| D．take many films and something else. |
This passage tells us_____________.
| A．how photography was developed |
| B．how to show feelings in pictures |
| C．how to take pictures in the world |
| D．how to use different cameras |
What is your zodiac（生肖） animal? According to the Chinese lunar calendar（农历）, 12 animals mark 12 different years. It is the basis of the Chinese zodiac. Nowadays, Chinese zodiac animals have worldwide fame and are increasingly popular among western people.
The zodiac is an important part of Chinese culture. People believe that the characteristics of a zodiac animal influence the personality of every person born in that year. For example, people born in the Year of the Tiger are considered powerful and brave.
Zodiac animals also have some social functions. When people think it is not proper to ask: “How old are you”, they may change their question to “What is your zodiac animal?” With this question, you can figure out roughly which year someone was born and the person’s age.
Zodiac animals are not special to China. Many countries share a similar zodiac culture with China. For example, in the Japanese Zodiac, a wild boar（野猪）takes the place of a pig and the Vietnamese（越南的）zodiac has a cat instead of a rabbit.
But have you ever wondered how these 12 animals were chosen to represent each year? According to legend, the Jade Emperor（玉皇大帝）invited all the animals to join him for Chinese New Year. Only 12 animals went to see him. As a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The ox would have been the first to arrive, but the rat sat on his back and jumped off just before they arrived to come in first place.The characteristics of a zodiac animal may influence the _____ of every person born in that year.
| A．appearance | B．personality |
| C．hobby | D．education |
“What is your zodiac animal?” is a question used to find out a person’s______.
| A．age | B．name |
| C．job | D．weight |
In the Japanese zodiac, we don’t see the zodiac animal：_______
| A．wild boar | B．rabbit |
| C．dragon | D．pig |
According to the last paragraph, we know that ____ was the first animal to arrive.
| A．ox | B．Rat |
| C．pig | D．Cat |
Post your problems on the blog and get other bloggers’ advice!
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My problem is my parents. They never stop going on about how I should keep my room tidy, keep my hair tidy and wear smart clothes. They even make me do the washing-up after dinner every night! None of my friends have got such tenable parents. What should I do?
Helen, USA
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Hi, Helen. I think you should do what your parents ask. They’re much older than you and you should respect them. It’s their house you live in and their money you spend.
Emily, AustraliaE
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Helen, why should your parents do all the housework? You should help around the house. –it’s only fair. I don’t think you should change your appearance though. Teenagers should look like teenagers.
Simon, EnglandWhat is Helen’s problem?
| A．Her parents treat her badly. |
| B．She always worries about her parents. |
| C．Her parents don’t care about her feelings. |
| D．She doesn’t want to do what her parents ask. |
In Emily’s opinion, Helen should .
| A．respect her parents | B．give her parents money |
| C．leave her parents | D．change her appearance |
Simon suggests that Helen should.
| A．wear smart clothes | B．help with housework |
| C．do all the washing-up | D．change her appearance |
Shopping online is easier than actually going to a store and saves your time. However, it’s not always that easy. Sometimes, you may have a few problems.
Xu Zijiao, 21, a student at Sichuan University, often buys clothes on Taobao. “The colors might be different. And since you can’t feel the clothes, the quality might be bad,” Xu said.
Many people had similar experiences to Xu – buying something that isn’t as good as the advertisements suggest, or going into a store for a special offer but still paying a lot. What would you do if your consumer rights(消费者权利)were broken? Guangzhou Daily reported that according to a research, 60 percent consumers would give up without fighting for their rights.
March 15 is World Consumer Rights Day. According to consumer protection laws in China, consumers have nine rights, including the right to guaranteed safety, truthful information, free choice and respect.
How can we fight for our consumer rights? Here are some tips:
1. Learn some of the differences between real and false goods.
2. Check the label (标签) and read the information carefully before you buy something.
3. Get a receipt (收据) for all your goods and services.
4. If you find there’s any problem with your goods, talk to the seller first, and try to get your money back or get an exchange. If you can’t reach an agreement, call 12315 or go to your local consumers association for help.The second paragraph uses Xu Zijiao’s example to show _____.
| A．there are problems with shopping online |
| B．shopping online is a good way to buy things |
| C．how to buy clothes on Taobao |
| D．the advantages of shopping online |
Shopping online has the following disadvantages EXCEPT _____.
| A．the quality is not always as good as they promise |
| B．the online shops can better protect consumer rights |
| C．we can only know about the goods from the advertisements |
| D．you may pay a lot more even if there is a special offer |
According to the law, consumers have the following rights EXCEPT _____.
| A．guaranteed safety | B．truthful information |
| C．cheap prices | D．free choice and respect |
If you buy false goods, you’d better first_____.
| A．talk to the seller |
| B．call 12315 |
| C．fight with the seller |
| D．turn to the local government for helpxkb1.com |
On Sunday , April 22, people all over the world take time out to appreciate ( 珍惜 ) the earth that we all share. It’s Earth Day, a special day to learn about our planet ( 星球) and how to take care of it.
On Earth Day, some people listen to speeches about the environment. Others help clean up their offices or save water and electricity at home. Your parents may even decide to take a day off from driving their cars.
The idea for Earth Day came from a U.S. Senator (参议员) ，who was worried about pollution and the health of plants and animals. And the idea quickly caught on ( 流行起来). In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated. More than 20 million people in cities all over the U.S. took part . Since then, Earth Day has been used to educate people about their role in taking care of our planet.
Now , Earth Day has become a global celebration. In 1990, 200 million people from 140 countries took part in clean-ups, tree planting and other environmental events on Earth DayWhen is Earth Day?
Who came up with the idea for Earth Day?
How many people celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970 ?
Is Earth Day popular around the world now ?
What is Earth Day?