Are you nervous about climbing because you think it's too dangerous? Do you feel you're not fit enough to climb? Do you know how to start climbing?
Let's consider the idea that climbing is dangerous．Being afraid is natural, but if you use suitable ropes and other climbing equipments you will feel completely safe．Climbers are usually very careful because they know what they are doing is dangerous．Accidents happen, but when they do, they tend to attract a lot of publicity．As a result, people think there are many more accidents than there are in reality．
You cannot expect to start climbing straight away．Climbing is a challenge and challenges take time．It is necessary first of all that you achieve a good level of fitness．Begin as soon as you become interested in climbing? go to the gym, go swimming, take up jogging and continue to do so throughout your training period．
Discover as much as you can about climbing．Visit the library and find book, especially for beginners or buy climbing magazines and look for articles which describe your situation．Look up information on the Internet．Find out about equipment, methods and places to go．
Next, take a course on a climbing wall．There are plenty of climbing walls all over the country which have trained and qualified people as instructors．Call your local leisure centre to find out if there is one in your area. These training sessions are a quick way to get experience and you are likely to meet other beginners. After this, you can do an outside course of join a club where you can meet climbers of all abilities and eventually join in group-climbing events.
At first you may not understand the importance of a good training period, but after you have completed your first climb and you are standing safely at the top of a rock feeling thrilled, then you will know it was the right thing to do.The article is written by .
| A．a doctor | B．an experienced climber |
| C．a beginner | D．a fitness instructor |
The writer thinks a new climber should .
| A．begin by becoming fit |
| B．have the courage to meet the challenges |
| C．be aware of the causes of the accidents |
| D．do enough sports to get interested in climbing |
By climbing walls you can .
| A．join a club you like |
| B．gain controlled experience |
| C．become qualified instructors |
| D．take part in group-climbing events |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．the climb | B．the training | C．the equipment | D．the achievement |
A study shows that nearly ninety percent of teens report that they have tried alcohol. That’s an increase of 23 percent in just four years!
Each year, 1.1 billion cans of beer are drunk by students aged 15-19 years old. Beer is the most common alcoholic drink among teens—81 percent of the drinkers had tried it. Beer is followed by wine with 63 percent, hard liquor(烈酒) with 53 percent and wine coolers with 35 percent.
When the young people are asked why they drank, the most common answer is that drinking is “something to do”. If a teen’s parents drink alcohol, the teenager is more likely to start drinking at an early age. Also, tens see all of their friends drinking alcohol so they think it is the must-to-do thing. Peer pressure is probably the hardest thing teens have to deal with. What’s more, teens often drink alcohol because it makes them feel older and cooler.
Researchers asked 56,000 students about their drinking habits and grades, to see how drinking might affect their grades in school. The results seem to be clear. Students who got a C level or lower tend to use three times as much alcohol as those who got B’s or A’s.
Alcohol use can be deadly. About 8,100 young people are killed per year in alcohol-related accidents. Eight young people die per day as a result of a drunk-driving accident. Between 50 and 65 percent of all teen suicides (自杀) occur after the young people drink.
So you see, drinking the alcohol doesn’t always end up with a good time. The next time you try to push someone to drink or someone tries to push you to drink, please remember this. One drink can set the habit for life. Why not throw it away?The reasons for teens’ drinking alcohol are mentioned EXCEPT that _______________.
| A．they think it is cool to drink alcohol |
| B．their parents set a bad example to them |
| C．alcohol can make them happier |
| D．peer pressure plays an important role |
What can we learn from paragraph 4?
| A．Drinking alcohol makes students stupid. |
| B．Good students never try alcohol. |
| C．Drinking habits have something to do with IQ. |
| D．Students with poor grades tend to use more alcohol. |
The passage was written mainly to ______________________.
| A．show the bad effect of drinking alcohol |
| B．show how many teenagers drink alcohol |
| C．tell teenagers not to try alcohol |
| D．tell the reasons why teenagers drink alcohol. |
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I strive to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget. The author admired her mom for ________.
| A．her kindness to others | B．her excellent teaching |
| C．her quality of honesty | D．her positive attitude to life |
According to Paragraph 3, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.
| A．excited | B．angry | C．surprised | D．worried |
From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
| A．were often punished by staff | B．weren’t allowed to go outside |
| C．were once treated badly | D．all suffered from mental illness |
The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．truth | B．help | C．comfort | D．support |
Discover Nature Schools programs
Becoming Bears (Kindergarten-2 grade)
By becoming baby bears, children learn from their “parent” to survive the seasons. Kids will find safety in the spring and learn kinds of food bears eat during the summer, and then create a cave for winter hibernation(冬眠). After learning the skills needed to survive, students will go out of the cave as an independent black bear able to care for themselves. (1.5-2 hours)
Whose Clues? (3-5 grade)
Kids will discover how plants and animals use their special structures to survive. Through outdoor study of plants and animals, kids will recognize their special structures and learn how they enable species to eat, avoid their enemies and survive. Using what they have learned, kids will choose one species and tell how they survive in their living places. (3-4 hours)
Winged Wonders (3-5 grade)
Birds add color and sound to our world and play an important ecological (生态的) role. Students will learn the basics of birds, understand the role birds play in food chains and go bird watching using field guides and telescopes. Students will do hands-on activities. Students will use tools to build bird feeders, allowing them to attract birds at home.(3-4 hours)
Exploring Your Watershed (6-8 grade)
We all depend on clean water. Examining how our actions shape the waterways around us. Go on a hike to see first-hand some of the challenging water quality problems in a city. Students will test the water quality to determine the health of an ecosystem.
● Each program is taught for a class with at least 10 students.
● All programs include plenty of time outdoors. So please prepare proper clothing, sunscreen and
insect killers for children.
● To take part in a program , please email dcprograms@mdc.mo.gov.What can kids do at Becoming Bears?
| A．Watch bears’ performances. |
| B．Take care of bears |
| C．Dress up as baby bears to learn about bears. |
| D．Learn how to survive a bear attack. |
Kids who are interested in plants will choose______________.
| A．Winged Wonders | B．Exploring your Watershed |
| C．Becoming Bears | D．Whose Clues? |
According to the passage, all the four programs _____________.
| A．have the same teaching hours |
| B．have outdoor activities |
| C．are offered during summer holidays |
| D．are designed for primary school students |
Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can’t find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you.
Then , consider this: you might be in a state of sub - health （亚健康）.
Sub - health, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease.
According to the survey by the National Health Organization, Over 45 percent of sub - healthy people are middle-aged or elderly. The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam week.
Symptoms （征兆）include a shortage of energy, depression, slow reactions, insomnia （失眠）and poor memory , Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs.
The key to preventing and recovering from sub - health, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, ale mate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities.
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar . They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements - vitamins and trace elements - that are important to the body.
Nutrition experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract （消化道）. They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding sub - health.When you are in a state of sub - health, you should________.
| A．stay home and keep silent |
| B．go to a doctor and buy some medicine |
| C．not consider it very serious |
| D．find out the reasons and relax yourself |
Middle - aged people may be easy to get sub - healthy because________.
| A．they have used up their energy |
| B．they have lost their living hopes |
| C．they have more pressure in life and work. |
| D．they have changed their way of life |
The key to preventing you from falling into a state of sub health is to________.
| A．keep on working regularly | B．go to sleep a bit earlier |
| C．form good living habits | D．take medicine if necessary |
As for food, experts suggested that________.
| A．we should never eat meat |
| B．we should have variety of food |
| C．we should eat less than usual |
| D．we should have meals without sugar |
The underlined word “alternate” in this passage is closest in meaning to________
| A．arrange by turns | B．cause to take place |
| C．make up for | D．keep away from |
We Are One--'Expo Through My Eyes'
Sharing increases your happiness. To celebrate the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, China Daily invites you to share what you’ve seen, heard and experienced at the 6-month international event or Expo-related stories in ENGLISH. Whether you are an Expo volunteer, a journalist, or a tourist, we’d like you to share with us your expo experience, as viewed through your eyes. So if you like, please join us today in sharing the joy!
Eligibility(适宜人选): Everyone
Topic: 2010 Shanghai World Expo
Language: ENGLISH Only
Length: No more than 1,000 words
Content: Stories accompanied(附有) by photos are encouraged.
Duration: May 1, 2010--October 31, 2010
How to submit your stories: Send your stories and photos to expo@chinadaily.com.cn
Why join us: In addition to(除……之外) the satisfaction of supporting our work.
- Your stories will come out on China Daily’s website;
- You will go in a lucky draw to win a prize. China Daily invites us .
| A．to celebrate the 2010 Shanghai World Expo |
| B．to support their work |
| C．to write Expo-related stories in English for them |
| D．to win a prize |
Who can take part in this activity?
| A．Everybody. | B．A tourist. | C．A journalist. | D．An Expo volunteer. |
What does the underlined word “submit” mean?
| A．撰稿 | B．呈交 | C．发表 | D．发送 |
Your story must not .
| A．be written in English | B．have any pictures |
| C．be less than 1000 words | D．be submitted after October 31, 2010. |
If your story is chosen by the editor, we can read it .
| A．in a magazine | B．in a storybook |
| C．on China Daily’s website | D．in the newspaper named China Daily |