We live in the “ Computer Age”. People like scientists, teachers, writers and students use computers to do all kinds of works. But more than 30 years ago, computers couldn’t do much. They were very big and expensive. Very few people were interested in them and knew how to use them. Today computers are smaller and cheaper. Since they can do a lot of work, many people like to use them. Some people even have them at home.
Computers become very important because they can work faster than men and make fewer mistakes. Computers can help people do a lot of work. Writers now use computers to write. Teachers use them to help teaching. Students use them to study and children use them to play games. Computers can also remember what you put into them. Computers are very useful and helpful. They are our good friends. Do you want a computer?Who use computers to do all kinds of works?
_____________________________________________Could computers do much work 30 years ago?
____________________________________________Why do people like to use computers now?
_________________________________________What do children use computers to do?
_______________________________________Why do computers become very important now?
Cormorant fishing(鸬鹚捕鱼) is a traditional Chinese skill, probably more than a thousand years old. Cormorants are large, black birds, which are good at catching fish. They can dive down 25 meters, and stay under water for up to two minutes.
A fisherman usually goes on a fishing trip on a bamboo boat with his birds. When he reaches the right place, he stops. A piece of grass is tied around the neck of each bird, so that the fish won’t go down into its stomach. He pushes the birds into the water, and then bangs the water heavily with his bamboo pole(竹竿). The fish are frightened by this. The cormorants swim very quickly to catch the fish. Finally, the birds come up one after another to the fisherman. The fisherman takes the fish out of the birds’ mouths and then throws them into a big basket. Later some of the fish are sold, and the rest are divided between his family and the cormorants. At night, a light is hung from the front of the boat. This enables the fisherman see better, and also attracts the fish.
A cormorant__________.
| A．can catch any fish under water |
| B．can live up to 1000 years old |
| C．can stay under water for one minute |
| D．can swim 25 m/s under water |
The fisherman ties each bird with a piece of grass in order to __________.
| A．help it live longer |
| B．help it swim more quickly |
| C．stop it from running away |
| D．stop it from eating the fish |
What does the underlined word “bangs” mean in Chinese?
| A．插入 | B．拍打 | C．划桨 | D．泼水 |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Fisherman and His Life | B．To Live on Fishing |
| C．Fishing with Birds | D．To Go Fishing |
Three travelers, Allan, Carl and Paul were sitting on the chairs in a train station. They were waiting for a train that was very late.
To pass the time, they began talking to each other.
At first, they talked about the weather and their work. Then Paul said, "Tell me—what would you most like to do if your doctor tells you that you have only three months to live?"
The other two men thought about this for a while, and then Carl spoke.
“Well,” he said, “if I have only three months to live, I’ll take all my money out of the bank and go to foreign countries for holidays with my best friend, Erik. I'd like to travel to the places in the world as many as possible. And I'll stay at the best hotels and then eat the best food. I think I'll have a wonderful time.”
“That’s very interesting.” Paul said.
With these words, he turned to the other man, saying, “And what about you?”
“I'll tell you a secret,” Allan said. “I always want to be a racing driver. So if I have only three months to live, the first thing I'd like to do is to sell my house. With the money I’ll buy the fastest car in the world. Maybe I can enter all the big motor races.”
Then he laughed, "I might even end up (以……而告终) world champion.”
“Now it's your turn,” Allan went on, “If your doctor tells you the bad news, what would you most like to do?”
“Oh,” said Paul with a smile. “I’ll go and see another doctor.”The three men were talking _____________.
| A．in the post office | B．in the waiting room |
| C．on the train | D．on the chairs in their office |
The men began to talk about the weather and the work because they __________.
| A．didn't know anything new |
| B．wanted to pass the time quickly |
| C．had nothing to do |
| D．were very interested in each other's work |
"I might even end up world champion." Here the word "champion" means _________in Chinese.
| A．名人 | B．赛车手 |
| C．大款 | D．冠军 |
An American teenager was in hospital recovering from serious head wounds from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the teenager told the police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his dead to a moving train before he was hit.
A terrorist didn’t pay enough postage for a bomb letter. It came back with Return to sender stamped on it. Forgetting it was a bomb, he opened it and was blown into pieces.
From Laugh Your Head Off Why was the American teenager in hospital?
A. He had a headache.
B. He was hit by the police.
C. He got serous head woundsWhy didn’t the terrorist post off the bomb letter?
A. It was dangerous.
B. It needed more postage.
C. It was for the terrorist himself.What happened to the terrorist at last?
A. He was happy.
B. He was dead.
C. He was angry.
As a teenager, you’re trying to learn who you are. You’re going through mental and physical changes. You’re dealing with different kinds of stress and trying to succeed in school.
The good news is that though the teen years are tough, there are skills you can learn to make them a lot easier.
If you’re a teen and trying to manage your feelings better, here are a few skills for you to deal with your feelings.
Name the feeling.
What feeling are you experiencing? For example, are you sad, stressed, angry, joyful or excited?
Accept(接受) what you’re feeling.
Many people worry that their feelings will increase. So they are not willing to accept them, hoping that they’ll just go away. However, that’s impossible. Remind yourself that it’s OK to feel your feelings.
Become familiar(熟悉的) with your feelings.
To better understand your feelings, you should pay attention to your feelings all over the day. You may record how you’re feeling in the morning, afternoon and at night on a piece of paper. Next to your feeling, also write down where you notice it in your body.
Express your feelings.
Expressing a feeling is a good way to reduce it. For example, you can express your feelings by crying, exercising, writing about them or talking to someone you trust. Just be sure that whatever activity you choose, it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else.
At different times in your life, you’ll experience different difficulties. But by learning some helpful skills, you’ll be able to live a comfortable life.
How towith Your Feelings
| Main idea |
◇Though the teen years are tough, you can learn some |
| Skills to |
◇Name the feeling that you are |
| ◇Be willing to ◇Remind yourself not to |
|
| ◇Pay attention to your feelings the ◇Write down where you notice them in your body. |
|
| ◇Express your feelings through some activities to ◇Don’t |
|
| Conclusion |
◇Learn some helpful skills, and you can live |
Chris is not a traditional explorer（探险者）----he usually works in an office for a large organization. Yet his job can sometimes be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.
Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Borders (无国界医生). MSF sends trained doctors all over the world to help people after a war or a disaster. Chris is a doctor from France who has travelled to many places to organize programmes that help people.
At the moment, there are over 27,000 trained medical staff taking part in MSF projects and tasks. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be prepared to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should expect difficult conditions. Doctors with experience in tropical（热带的）diseases are especially useful because most of MSF’s work is in Africa. When MSF accepts a doctor for a task, he has to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency（紧急的）task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.
But why would a doctor leave a comfortable life and a good salary（工资）to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience you gain is a great help in your career. Besides, just like the explorers of the past, you need to keep an open mind and learn to mix well with the people you meet. Most importantly, at the end of each task, you have made a real difference to people’s lives. Does Chris work for a large organization?
______________________________________________________________________When does MSF send trained doctors all over the world to help people?
______________________________________________________________________How many medical staff are taking part in MSF projects and tasks?
______________________________________________________________________ What kind of doctors are greatly needed in Africa?
______________________________________________________________________ According to Chris, why is his work important to other people?
______________________________________________________________________