Five Ways to Rock the Rest of the Semester
With exams around the corner, how can you possibly pack in one more English word, let alone the causes of the Cold War? Don’t worry. Here is our handy guide to help you
Power Down
So you stayed up too late last night reading Mockingjay for the fifth time. Oops! When you’re that fired, your schoolwork suffers. Instead of studying inefficiently while you are sleepy, allow yourself a 15-minute afterschool power nap. Studies show that even a few minutes of shut-eye can improve memory and concentration.
Take Notes
Not quite grasping that super complicated concept in your chemistry class? You may need to change the way you take notes. Instead of recording every word your teacher says, try using visual hints like pictures, symbols and word bubbles. You can even switch computer fonts or pen color for the important stuff.
Dream On
Your bed’s not just for zzz’s. Experts say it may be good to study in bed, too. Why? We’re able to absorb more right before bed because we’re less distracted and the new information stays in our minds as we sleep. So, slide into bed with a textbook or notes, read for 15 minutes, and then turn off the lights for some sweet and smart dreams.
Brain Food
You’re in the middle of a biology exam when your mind goes blank. You knew this stuff cold at home, but now you can’t tell a ribosome from a chloroplast. What’s going on? Your brain’s in need of some refueling. Have some snacks like apple slices or cheese before class, and have plenty of water, too. If your teacher doesn’t mind, pop in a piece of gum during an exam. Some scientists think the chewing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain.
Smart Move
Ugh! You’re taking an English test and you cannot remember the past participle of “understand”. What to do? Skip it. Test taking is all about timing, so don’t waste it on tricky questions. Move ahead and answer everything you know before returning to the ones you don’t. Chances are, once you get back to the toughies, you’ll recall the answer or at the very least, you’ll have a little more time to come up with one that works.When taking notes, we can do all these except ______.
| A．draw pictures | B．change the typeface | C．switch on the computer | D．colour the key points |
According to the passage, _____.
| A．it’s good to study under the covers for some time every day |
| B．you cannot skip the difficult questions and go on to the rest |
| C．you can have some snacks and drink enough water to refresh yourself in exams |
| D．when taking notes, you should record whatever the teacher says |
What does the underlined phrase “knew this stuff cold” mean?
| A．had no clue about it | B．were a cold fish | C．knew it was cold | D．were familiar with |
You have been working on your essay for two hours and your eyes feel tired, you’d better
| A．Power down | B．dream on | C．eat brain food | D．make a smart move |
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word—“heart”. We will try to “get to the heart of the matter” to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.” Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.” Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,” or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart” discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart, ” or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell you a secret. I would speak with “all my heart”.
When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve”. Her emotions are not protected.
If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.” For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.” However, you might have a “change of heart” based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.” And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still”.If you are not so happy, you may feel that ________.
| A．you “have a heart of stone” | B．you have to “take heart” |
| C．you “break you heart” | D．you “speak from the bottom of the heart” |
From the above passage we may see ________.
| A．English words can all be used differently |
| B．some phrases do not have a fixed meaning |
| C．languages change with the time |
| D．the same word may have various meanings |
What is the passage trying to impress the readers?
| A．To explain how “heart” is used in phrases. |
| B．To show the author’s perfect English. |
| C．To tell English learners to learn English in phrases. |
| D．To advertise an English course. |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
| A．A change of heart | B．Open up the heart of “heart” |
| C．Never let your heart stand still | D．Wear your heart on your sleeve |
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands— on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities，or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre,Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm．
Call 01 353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5:30pm，performance 6:30pm—8:30pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book，just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost￡7 per child．
For further information，call 01223 810080．If you are interested in cooking, you can go to __________.
| A．Peterborough Museum | B．Houghton Mill |
| C．Saxon Youth Club | D．Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you __________．
| A．￡7 | B．￡17 | C．￡27 | D．￡20 |
Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
| A．Playing farmland games | B．Watching a new play． |
| C．Competing in sports activities． | D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition． |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will have __________ to choose from for himself．
| A．one activity | B．two activities |
| C．three activities | D．four activities |
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last，the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door，she nearly tripped over Sheba．
“Hey，Sheba,” she said，“I’ve got no time for you now，but I’ll take you out as soon as I get
back from tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously，she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医)
When she got there，the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba，Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office．
“Listen，doctor，I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting. Can I leave her with you，and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up，and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure.” said the doctor.
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes．As she was once more
entering the hall，the phone by the door began to ring．
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately,” said the doctor’s voice．“I’m coming round right away，and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”
At that moment，a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne．
“She’s fine，Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now．”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man，who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him．
“My God,” said Joanne，“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar.” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat：it turned out to be three human fingers.”Joanne wanted to get back to her home again．
| A．to dress up for the meeting | B．to phone the police station |
| C．to catch the badly hurt burglar | D．to wait for her dog to be cured |
From the passage we can infer that．
| A．Sheba fought against the burglar |
| B．the police found the burglar had broken in |
| C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting at first |
| D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog |
The underlined word a burglar in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
| A．a cleaner | B．a physician | C．a thief | D．a murderer |
In this passage, the writer intends to tell us that the dog is．
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．frightening | D．devoted |
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
77.For children who receive allowances, they’d better not ________.
A. waste money to buy gifts for their parents or friends
B. buy their favorite clothing or electronics for themselves
C. save money like their parents or other adults
D. ask for the next allowance before the decided date.
78．Many parents give children an allowance regularly to ______.
A. meet children’s basic need for life
B. give control over their children
C. see whether they have financial mistakes
D. help children learn how to manage money
79.If children are required to save their allowance, they ______.
A. can experience three things related to money
B. can understand the relation between goals and sacrifice
C. will do more work around the house
D. help themselves found the basis for their future life
80. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Be Generous to Pay Your Children
B. Be Wise to Avoid Financial Mistakes
C. Saving Allowances Does Good to Children
D. Allowances Help Children Learn about Money
Sandeep Mukerji was on his first visit to Thailand but would leave the “Land of Smiles” with a frown and an empty pocket.
A stone’s throw from the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the 26-year-old Canadian ran into a monk in a robe. The monk told him that the attraction he was hoping to visit had been closed.
The monk then introduced Mukerji to a jewellery store instead. On the way there, three different people told him that it was the last day of a once-a-year, tax-free jewellery promotion to encourage tourism.
They said that tourists can make a lot of money by buying gems（宝石）in Thailand and selling them once at home.
Two hours later, Mukerji had spent US $ 1, 250 on a set of almost worthless jewellery in the jewellery store.
“The whole process took me by surprise. They take advantage of your greed,” he said.
In fact, Mukerji is just one of a huge number of tourists who are cheated by the promise of making a fortune. The scam（诡计）brings Thailand more than US $ 10 million each year.
Although tourist police stations have displayed posters to warn of the scam, many fresh-faced tourists still fall prey to the trick.
The police say they receive 5～10 complaints a day. Many more may not realize they have been cheated until they go back home.
That authorities say that the jewellery scam is harmful to Thailand’s image, but getting rid of the cheats is hard.
Sanit Miphan, head of the police, said the scam has been running for about 15 years but not one jewellery shop owner has been arrested.
The shops usually open for two weeks and then close. They reopen and register under a new name. What’s more, overcharging（要价过高）itself is not breaking the law.
Yet, to keep the tourism business alive, the police said they would take action against any shop receiving more than 10 complaints.
73. Sandeep Mukerji was cheated probably because of all the following EXCEPT that_______.
A. he was young
B. he believed that the monk wouldn’t cheat others
C. he had more or less the wish to try his fortune
D. the cheat scam was too skillful to be found out
74. How many people cheated Sandeen Mukerji?
A. TwoB. Three C. FourD. Five
75. Suppose everyone who was cheated lost as much as Mukerji did, how many visitors to Bankok would be cheated each year?
A. About 6, 000 B. About 8, 000 C. About 10, 000. D. About12, 000.
76. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Thai tourist police are carrying out their task very efficiently.
B. The management of Thai tourist market is very strict.
C. Any shop receiving complaints will be punished as seriously as possible.
D. It is hard for the police to crack down（制裁） the cheats efficiently partly because many cheats’ deeds seem not to break the law.