The sea horse is a magical animal, which has puzzled (使困惑) people for thousands of years. In ancient Rome sea horses were believed to be the babies of Neptune’s horses. And Neptune was the god of the ocean. Now we know they are not horses at all — they are a kind of fish. They still seem as magical as ever, especially to divers who have watched them horsing around(瞎闯) in the sea. But today, sea horse populations face an uncertain future. Fishermen are catching too many of them, and their undersea habitats (栖息地) are being destroyed.
At least 20 million sea horses are taken from the ocean each year. More than 95% are used for traditional medicines in Asian countries. The sea horses are usually dried and then made into powder which is used to treat such problems as asthma(哮喘), throat infections, skin diseases and cuts. How well the medicines work is unclear.
Sea horses are also bought and sold in large numbers as pets. Sea horse expert Amanda Vincent warns against buying pet sea horses. “A lot of people treat them as if they’re goldfish,” she says. But sea horses require very special care and live food. Most captive (被猎取的) sea horses pick up diseases and die.
Sea horse experts are trying to teach fishermen to become sea horse farmers. Instead of pulling nets of sea horses from the ocean, fishermen could learn to raise them in specially designed saltwater “farms”. That way, fishermen would have sea horses to sell, but ocean populations would not be hurt.
Vincent and her team have only discovered the 35 different species of sea horses, and they still have plenty of sea horse secrets left to unlock. That is why, Vincent told TFK, protecting future sea horse populations is especially important: “I promise your readers that by the time they grow up to be marine biologists, we’ll still have a lot to learn.”In the past, Romans thought the sea horse to be ______.
| A.a kind of horse | B.a kind of fish |
| C.the god of the ocean | D.one of Neptune’s pets |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A.People in Asian countries hunt sea horses for food. |
| B.Most sea horses caught are used as medicine. |
| C.The effects of the powder of sea horses are uncertain. |
| D.35 different kinds of sea horses have been discovered. |
The underlined phrase “pick up” in Paragraph 3 probably means “______”.
| A.follow | B.collect | C.get | D.create |
It can be inferred that the best way to protect sea horses is to ______.
| A.do more research on sea horses |
| B.teach fishermen how to farm sea horses |
| C.stop hunting sea horses |
| D.ban the sea horse trade |
(十六)
Ways to Burn More Calories
Run through water
Running in water is one of the toughest activities you can perform because the wet stuff is about 12 to 15 times as resistant (具有阻力的) as air. Try your hardest to run and you can burn about 17 calories per minute.
Start fast
Don’t be fooled — slow and steady won’t win the race. A recent study found that after a short warm-up, cyclists who rode hard during the first half of their workouts and then slowed for the second half burned about 10 percent more calories than those who started slow and finished fast.
Take to the sand
Here is some easy-to-remember advice on burning calories: the softer the surface, the more you burn. By walking or running on the beach, you can use up 20 to 50 percent more calories than you do going at the same pace on a hard trail.
Shut up and dance
Here’s the perfect excuse to sign up for that hip-hop dance class you’ve been eager to try. Surprising your body with new activities — dance, a new sport, you name it — forces it to work harder because it’s doing unfamiliar movements and using muscle groups in different ways.
Use your arms
Getting both your upper and lower body involved can provide a big calorie-burning advantage. So if you’re short of time or want to get everything you can out of your usual 45-minute workout, try total-body activities such as rowing ormming. You can evenng your arms as hard as you can while you walk.
1. How can water help you burn more calories?
A. By pushing your body.
B. By wetting your clothes and shoes.
C. By forcing you to run faster.
D. By forcing your body to work harder.
2. What does “it” in Part 4 refer to?
A. Dance.
B. Movement.
C. Body.
D. Muscle.
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. One can burn more calories when walking on the sand than on land.
B. One can burn more calories when walking on stones than on earth.
C. One can burn more calories when running in water than on the sand.
D. One can burn more calories when exercising using the upper body than using the lower body.
(十四)
London Summer School in Classics
Dates
The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King’s College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008.
For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page.
If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King’s College London.
Tel: 020 7848 2299
Fax: 020 7848 2545
Organization
The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential (提供住宿的), and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July.
The fee is £85.00. Travel grants (旅行补助金) are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school.
Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises (包含) of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond.
The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment.
1. To join in the school, you have to apply before ________.
A. 8th July, 2008 B. 2nd June, 2008
C. 17th July, 2008 D. 13th July, 2008
2. As a student of the school, you are probably asked to _______.
A. do a lot of reading in Greek and Latin
B. learn the grammar of Greek and Latin only
C. do some translation work only
D. speak Greek and Latin with experienced teachers
3. What is the London Summer School in Classics most concerned about?
A. Providing a stimulating experience for students.
B. Promoting students to develop a wide range of interests.
C. Teaching students languages in a lively environment.
D. Improving students’ level of debating in the argument.
4. Which is one of the teaching ways of the school?
A. Student groups consist of the same level students strictly.
B. Students needn’t do any work in the class.
C. Students learn Greek and Latin by listening to teachers all day.
D. Students are generally divided into groups of 12-15.
5. Which of the following can we know from the passage?
A. The fee is £85, including the travel costs.
B. Students needn’t go to class on 12th and 13th July.
C. People should fill in two application forms.
D. People can contact the school by phone or email.
(十三)
Typing Success in 20 Minutes a Day
— Teaching Your K-12 Students to Type in 20 Minutes a Day
Typing is fast becoming an important skill in our world. Making this skill available to your students is very important. Just 20 minutes of the following activities per day will give your students the finger strength and keyboard knowledge they need to be ready to include typing in their learning programs.
Step 1 Knitting (编织): You can try various styles until you find the one that best suits your students’ abilities. Finger knitting is a great way to start! It helps students focus on finger strength. Knitting with needles is a little more challenging but will suit some older students. The more practice the fingers get the stronger they will become.
Step 2 Key board games: It helps your students become familiar with the keyboard. Students as young as four years old can practice finger placement, letter sounds and names using the keyboard of computers.
Step 3 Clay modeling: Many children develop the ability to be quick and skilful with their hands through creating clay models. The creative nature of this activity keeps children engaged for long periods of time. It helps keep fingers strong and supple.
Step 4 Lego (拼装玩具) building: Little fingers become strong when children pull apart little Lego time and time again. Because of the fun nature of this activity it helps build and does a lot to reinforce the ability to arrange things into an order — another important aspect in typing.
Choose an age-appropriate, interactive and engaging typing program. All students are different and with firm finger skills typing can be easily learned in 20 minutes a day with the use of a mixture of these different approaches.
5. All the following steps can make one’s fingers stronger EXCEPT ____.
A. Step4
B. Step3
C. Step2
D. Step1
6. The underlined word “it” in Step 4 refers to ____.
A. little Lego
B. the fun nature
C. the strength of fingers
D. Lego building
7. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Activities listed in the text suit students of all ages.
B. Different students have different results after following the activities listed.
C. Only one activity can be used in a typing program for specific students.
D. Firm finger skills are important for learning to type.
(十二)
To Chinese immigrants, in the mid-1800s, California was “The Land of the Golden Mountain.” In their homeland they had heard the words, “There’s gold in California.” They sailed 7,000miles to join the gold rush and strike it rich. Between 1849 and 1882, more than 30,000 Chinese came to California. Most were men. They had been farmers in China. They came here to be miners and laborers. They ended up doing many other jobs, too.
Like many other immigrants, they did not plan to stay in America. They came because of their ties to their homeland and their families. They planned to return to China with their fortunes and help their families.
Only a few Chinese gold miners struck it rich. Most picked over the areas that had been mined already. But still, white miners resented the Chinese. Slowly, they drove the “yellow peril” from the mining camps.
By the end of the 1850s, many Chinese returned home. Those who stayed found other jobs.
Few women had come west in the gold rush. The Chinese saw a good business opportunity. They began doing the jobs women would have done. Many became house servants. Many more opened laundries.
The Chinese opened restaurants. Chop suey and show mein are popular Chinese-American dishes. The Chinese probably created these dishes to serve to the white miners.
Other Chinese became fishermen, farmers, and even cigar makers.
1. Why did Chinese go to America in the mid-1800s?
A. Because they could find good jobs there.
B. Because they had found gold there.
C. Because they could open laundries and restaurants there.
D. Because they heard there was gold there.
2. The underlined word “resented” mean “________”.
A. liked
B. helped
C. hated
D. served
3. Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Some Chinese became drivers.
B. Many Chinese opened shops to help wash clothes.
C. Many Chinese picked gold around the old mines.
D. Many Chinese returned to China by the end of the 1850s.
4. Which should be the title of the passage?
A. Early Chinese immigrants in America
B. Dream to strike it rich
C. The difference between men and women
D. Gold miners in America
(十一)
Word Power
Author(s): Kaplan $13.95
You’ll never be at a loss for words again. Energize your vocabulary with must-know everyday words that are the essentials of a good vocabulary, engaging lessons to help you use words in text, hot words often found on tests, tips to help you figure out new words, roots, and more.
Grades: 8 & up Ages: 13 & up
Word Smart Junior
Author(s): Russell Stauffer $ 17.95
Now this is the way to add new words to your vocabulary! Word Smart Junior will make you laugh so much. You’ll be amazed that you’ve just learned more than 120 fascinating and very useful words! Parents, teachers, and friends will marvel at your eloquence (口才)!
Grades: 3-5 Ages: 8-10
Grammar Smart Junior
Author(s): Marcia Reynolds $ 16.85
Do you quake when your teacher says, “Now it’s time for grammar”? Do your verbs agree with your subjects?
Fear no more! A big Hollywood producer and a famous movie star will help you learn all those nasty (讨厌的) elements of grammar. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you learn, and how much fun it can be. You’ll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards, and you’ll never have to worry about it again.
Grades: 7-9 Ages: 12-14
Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage
Author(s): Julian Fleisher $ 12.68
The words you use say a lot about you … but the way you put them together says even more. Your grammar makes an immediate and lasting impression on your teachers, and even your friends. So don’t make the mistake of thinking that grammar is too complicated. We’ve created Grammar Smart to help you write and speak with clarity and confidence.
Grades: 6-8 Ages: 11-13
5. If a ten-year-old boy wants himself to be admired because of his speech ability, he may buy _______.
A. Word Power
B. Word Smart Junior
C. Grammar Smart Junior
D. Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage
6. By saying “You’ll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards”, the writer means “________”.
A. You will be clearly familiar with grammar
B. You will know the history of grammar
C. You will know the make-up of grammar
D. You will learn about the future of grammar
7. The four books are all about _______.
A. fiction and mysteries
B. parenting and teaching
C. literature and arts
D. language study