In 2004, three young men went to a dinner party in San Francisco. Afterward(过后),they wanted to share(分享) a video from the party with their friends. They wanted to send it over the Internet. But at the time, the process(过程) of sharing videos that way was difficult. Using e-mail did not work and the friends complained that there, was no website to help them. So they created their own. They called their website YouTube. It made sharing videos easy, so the website soon became very popular. People watched 2.500 million videos in the first six months!
Today, more than 70,000 new videos go up on YouTube each day. People watch more than 1,000 million videos a day. Many last no more than 10 minutes. These videos show all kinds of things, from sleeping cats to earthquakes. Most of the filmmakers are not professionals. They are just everyday people making videos, and they use the website in many interesting ways.
First many people use YouTube to entertain others. One example is Judson Laipply. He made a funny dance video and put it on YouTube in 2006. People watched the video more than 10 million times in the first two weeks. Now people stop Judson on the street to ask, "Are you the dance guy on Youtube?" Some people have invited him to dance at their parties. A few women even asked to marry him. Judson wants to make more dance videos, and people look forward to seeing them.
Other people use YouTube to advertise a business. David Taub does this. He is a guitar teacher and he sells videos of guitar lessons on his own website. He wanted to increase his business, so he put short videos with free lessons on YouTube. People enjoyed watching the lessons on YouTube, and afterward, many decided to go to David’s own website. Now David sells hundreds of guitar lesson videos each week.
People also use YouTube to help others. Ryan Fitzgerald is one example. Ryan is friendly young man who knows that some people are lonely and have no one to talk to. One day, he made a video of himself for YouTube. In the video, he gave his phone number and invited people to call him. In less than a week, he had more than 5,000 calls and messages from all over the world. These days, he is very busy talking on the phone. He helps people when he can, but mostly, he just listens, like a friend.
Finally, some filmmakers use YouTube in a more serious way. They want to inform people about important events happening in the world. For example, they show clips(片段)of videos from countries at war, or they show people in need of help after a storm. Sometimes TV news shows do not give enough information about these events. Thanks to YouTube filmmakers, people can go to their computers and learn more.
For many people, YouTube is more than just another website to visit. It is a way to communicate with others. More and more people are using it every day, and they will probably find even more ways to use it.From the first paragraph of the passage, we know three young men _______.
| A．shared a video right at a dinner party |
| B．sent a video by using the e-mail |
| C．set up a new website YouTube |
| D．became very popular in a few months |
Which of the following is NOT true about YouTube?
| A．YouTube makes sharing videos easy. |
| B．Over 70,000 filmmakers are not professionals. |
| C．Many videos on YouTube are short. |
| D．Most of the filmmakers are just everyday people. |
Judson Laipply became popular _______.
| A．only because he was a good dancer |
| B．after he put his funny dance video on YouTube |
| C．because he wanted to make more dance videos for the website |
| D．because people watched all kinds of videos 10 million times a week |
YouTube is used by David Taub ______.
| A．to sell his guitars |
| B．to start his new busincss |
| C．to advertise his business |
| D．to set up his own website |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Most of new videos made by professionals go up on YouTube every day. |
| B．People use the website YouTube to entertain others, help others, or inform others. |
| C．YouTube gives people a place to put videos so they can share or enjoy different shows. |
| D．For many people, YouTube is not only just a website to visit but also a way to communicate with others. |
Sportsmanship (体育精神) means that players should try to win, but respect (尊敬), friendship and competition are also virtues (美德) of sportsmanship.
What were some of the great sportsmanship moments at the Olympics? Let’s take a look!
Respect
Respect means that players should not only respect rules but also his or her rivals (对手). During the Olympic tennis event, the world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland (瑞士) lost the gold medal. Andy Murray of Brain won it. Federer felt sad but he still congratulated his rival.
Competition
American shooter Matt Emmons failed on his final shot at both Sydney and Beijing Games. But he has never been afraid of the competition. He competed at the London Olympics and got a bronze medal.
Friendship
Badminton players Lin Dan of China and Lee Chongwei of Malaysia are big rivals on the court (球场). During the Olympic Games, Lin beat Lee to win the gold medal. Although it is a pity for Lee, he politely shook hands with his rival. Lin also gave Lee a hug and said, “Lee is such a good rival.” They always hang out together after games. Lin will invite Lee to his wedding ceremony (婚礼) this year.When did Matt Emmons get a bronze medal?
| A．At the Sydney Olympics. |
| B．At the Beijing Olympics. |
| C．At the London Olympics. |
| D．At the Athens Olympics. |
What did Lee do when Lin beat him?
| A．He cried after the game. |
| B．He shook hands with Lin. |
| C．He gave a hug to Lin. |
| D．He hurt Lin on his head. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Sportsmanship means that players only try to win. |
| B．Respect means that players should respect rules but nothing. |
| C．Matt Emmons has been afraid of the competition after failing on his final shot. |
| D．Lin wants Lee to take part in his wedding ceremony this year. |
Are you learning English and do you need help with grammar? Do you want to learn new vocabulary or slang (俚语)? Well, you can find help online with these top 5 free English as a Second Language websites.
1. Dave’s ESL Cafe
This is a complete website that can help you learn and practice English. You can read many stories and do a lot of exercises to test yourself. You can also post questions and answers onto the help center.
2. About.com
You can get free English courses from About.com and you’ll get regular e-mails that will help you learn English.
3. The Classroom by Voice of America
You can watch videos and listen to news stories to improve your listening and vocabulary skills. You can also hear English words and their meanings.
4. Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English
Do you need to find the definition of a word? Use this online dictionary to find simple and clear definitions, as well as example sentences and idioms (习语). You can also find different cultural facts.
5. Personal English Portal (门户网站) on YouTube
You can watch this series of videos on YouTube to develop your listening skills. You can also do a search for “learn English” on YouTube to find other videos. This is a good way to practice English and have fun.You can at the help center on the website Dave’s ESL Cafe.
| A．watch videos and pictures |
| B．listen to news and music |
| C．watch movies and matches |
| D．read questions and answers |
About.com often sends e-mails to its visitors to help them .
| A．get relaxed | B．have fun |
| C．become famous | D．learn English |
The underlined word “definition” means “ ” in Chinese.
| A．来源 | B．释义 |
| C．意图 | D．背景 |
History
Water polo (水球) or water ball is a team water sport. It started in England in the nineteenth century. The sport has been popular ever since.
The Sport
Water polo is played between two teams in a swimming pool. Players swim in the pool, carrying and throwing the ball to their team members. They try to score as many goals as possible.
There are 6 players and 1 goalkeeper (守门员) on a team. The teams have two different coloured caps. Visiting team field players usually wear white caps, and home team field players usually wear blue caps. Both goalkeepers wear red caps, numbered “1”. During the game, the goalkeepers can use two hands, but the other team members can only use one hand when carrying or throwing the ball. The game is divided (划分) into 4 periods. Each goal is one point.
In the Olympics
Water polo was introduced in the Olympics of 1900. The only two teams were Great Britain and Belgium (比利时). Great Britain beat Belgium at last. Water polo used to be a sport for men only, but after a long wait, women’s water polo became an official sport in the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.Water polo started in America in the 1800s.
There are 7 players on a team in a water polo game, including a goalkeeper.
The goalkeepers usually wear blue caps in water polo games.
Each water polo game has 4 periods.
Women’s water polo was introduced in the Olympic Games in 1900.
The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.
◆Try to use new information immediately（立刻）. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say"____"
◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.
◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.
◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.
◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Which should be put in the blank (空格) in Paragraph 2？
| A．Hello, Carlos. | B．How do you do? | C．Hello, I am Sophia. | D．Glad to meet you! |
What can help memorize a big number more easily according to the passage?
| A．To store it in a computer. |
| B．To break it into smaller parts. |
| C．To discuss it with a friend. |
| D．To review it before you sleep. |
What does the sentence "Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory” mean?
| A．You should tell others about your bad memory. |
| B．You should believe in other people all the time. |
| C．You should ask others to improve their memory. |
| D．You should be confident in your memory ability. |
Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘录) from his speech.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投篮) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat(打败) you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.
No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.
And even when you’re struggling(奋斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄气), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?
| A．To compare these two famous persons. |
| B．To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is. |
| C．If you want to be successful, you should fail first. |
| D．To show that failure is the mother of success. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．No one can be successful without working hard. |
| B．Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way. |
| C．Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help. |
| D．One should try his best to make his dream come true. |
Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength. |
| B．One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty. |
| C．One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times. |
| D．One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness. |