About five years ago I started at a new school when my family moved to Iowa. I was just a little ex-cited, but I worried I would never fit in with the other sixth graders.
Lucy, a girl in my class, who I thought was not ready for change, didn’t like me from the start. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me. I would ask her a question, and I could tell she thought I was a total fool.
My teacher made us sit by each other for the last term. Lucy was horrified (惊骇的). I didn’t wear make-up (化妆品), and I didn’t wear those terrible bell-bottom pants. I didn’t exactly look like the coolest girl. But, I kept smiling at her, though she rolled her eyes, and I kept telling her she looked beautiful, even when she was angry.
Finally, Lucy let me talk to her, even in sight of her “cool” friends. She started telling me how beautiful I looked. I still remember that first time when she smiled at me saying that, and I smiled right back, telling her thanks. Lucy invited me over to her house for a party, and talked to me all the time instead of her other friends. Lucy, the girl who hated me, called me her best friend. After that, we still were good friends a whole year later.
I may have moved to Arizona after that, but I will never forget Lucy. It’s funny — I still remember her birthday. She was a great friend. And to think, she considered me her enemy at first. Though it was hard, and it felt like I was wasting my time, and losing my dignity (尊严), I still smiled at Lucy when she made fun of me. I’m not stupid, I didn’t think she was right in doing those things, but I still put up with it. And we became great friends.
About two weeks ago, I read a sentence by Abraham Lincoln: “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” Immediately, I smiled, thinking of Lucy. That sentence just reminded me how great it was for me to change Lucy into my friend in that state of Iowa five years ago.When the author started at a new school in Iowa, she worried _____.
| A．she looked stupid when asking questions |
| B．she didn’t look like the coolest girl in her class |
| C．she was not ready for change at all |
| D．she couldn’t get along well with her classmates |
How did the author change Lucy’s attitude towards her?
| A．By wearing make-up. |
| B．By keeping smiling at Lucy. |
| C．By wearing bell-bottom pants. |
| D．By sitting beside Lucy in class. |
From Paragraph 5, we know the author thought _____.
| A．it was right of her to suffer when making friends |
| B．it was a waste of time to make friends with Lucy |
| C．it was a shameful thing to put up with what Lucy did |
| D．it was foolish of her to smile at Lucy all the time |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Patience is important in making friends. |
| B．Friendship needs to be cared for. |
| C．Making friends means losing enemies. |
| D．Kindness can defeat any enemy. |
If you want to cook something quickly, you heat it from both sides. That’s what’s happening to the West Antarctic ice sheet(南极洲西部冰盖). A new study reveals that the area under the ice sheet is far hotter than previously thought, fed by an unexpected flow of geothermal energy(地热能). While the CO2 we send out heats the atmosphere above the continent, earth is melting us ice from below.
If you were to drill (钻) deep at some place on the continents, you would find that the temperature increases about 25℃ for every kilometer deep into the hole on average. Scientists call this the geothermal gradient(地热梯度). Until recently, no one had drilled deeply enough through the West Antarctic ice to determine the geothermal gradient underground. For the new study, researchers drilled all the way through the ice and into the mud. They found that the geothermal gradient was about 200℃, which is several times the global average on continents. Few predicted this result, although it had been showed that the earth below the West Antarctic ice is unusually hot.
Even with the new discovery, though, we still don’t know exactly where the heat is coming from. One interesting possibility is volcanoes, which are under the ice. As recently as 2013, scientists were still discovering volcanoes under the ice in the area, and there may be many more.
Some people say that these volcanoes, rather than manmade climate change, are responsible for melting the area’s ice. While it’s true that heat coming from within the earth, including heat related to volcanoes, makes the melting faster, it is just one contributor to the loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet---not the main cause. Today’s study could help us understand how the whole system, including global warming, is melting the ice.What’s happening to the West Antarctic ice sheet?
| A．The ice sheet is getting hotter and hotter. |
| B．It is heated from below rather than from above. |
| C．The ice sheet is producing a new kind of energy. |
| D．It is melting from both sides. |
What can be learned from the second Paragraph?
| A．It was the first time that researchers had tried to measure geothermal gradients. |
| B．The geothermal gradient showed where the heat came from. |
| C．The result was beyond the researchers’ expectations. |
| D．Researchers never knew the earth under the West Antarctic ice was hot. |
The author would probably agree that ___.
| A．the new discovery is unhelpful without a certain conclusion |
| B．no volcano has been found to support the researchers’ idea |
| C．volcanoes are the most important reason for the melting of the ice |
| D．global warming is surely one reason for the melting of the ice |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．The West Antarctic ice sheet is in danger. |
| B．Researchers are trying to stop global warming. |
| C．The West Antarctic ice sheet’s melting will bring terrible consequences. |
| D．It has been known how to stop the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet. |
The word dream is probably heard most frequently from people in show business, where everyone dreams of standing under the spotlight and being somebody. But the truth is that most end up being nobodies. Hong Kong director Derek Yee’s latest film“ I Am Somebody” shows respect for these unknown extras(群众演员)in the film industry.
In the film, Wan Guopeng, son of a woodcutter, comes a long way from the Northeast with only 1,000 yuan to the dream factory of the East to become an actor. In real life, when the young man was chosen by the director to play the leading role, he had only 20 yuan left but still hadn’t considered giving up.
Famous Hong Kong actor Tony Leung remembered that 30 years ago, he was a salesman but knew that it was not the kind of life he wanted to live. “Wan is exactly like me back then…Only when I was in an acting training course did I realize that what I wanted to be was an actor, not a star winning the best actor awards.”
Yee chose real nobodies to play themselves in the movie. Their strength was their deep understanding of the feelings of the characters they played. But the disadvantage was also obvious: They lacked acting skills. When emotional performances were needed, their expressions and moves seemed unnatural.
The entertainment industry might be the field with the most broken hearts and most efforts gone in vain. Here luck, opportunity and physical appearance are probably much more important than hard work.
In the film, Qin Peijun, a survivor from a coal mine collapse(煤矿坍塌), goes all out to take hold of every possibility to appear in the lens of the camera, even if only as an extra. However, it is obviously much harder for him to realize the dream of becoming a professional actor than for Wang Zhao, who is a lazy bone with a pretty face.
Some critical comments are directed at the sudden inversion(反转) in the last part of the film. The two leading actors’ happy endings seem to disagree with the film’s realistic style. But anyway, this movie is not a documentary but a way to reinforce(硬化) that every brave heart deserves to have their dreams realized. Which of the following can best describe Wan Guopeng?
| A．Determined. | B．Careful. |
| C．Intelligent. | D．Easy-going. |
Derek Yee chose real nobodies to play in the film because____.
| A．he respected these people |
| B．they knew well about the characters |
| C．he needed emotional performances |
| D．they asked for less money |
What does the underlined phrase “in vain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Wrongly. | B．Secretly. |
| C．Without success. | D．Without consideration. |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．It’s OK to be nobody. |
| B．It’s really hard to become a successful actor. |
| C．Live the dreams. |
| D．Be a person of dreams. |
Singer-songwriter Tori Kelly is close to a huge breakthrough. Her recent performances on the BET Awards shows have created a sensation（轰动）in pop music. You couldn’t call Kelly an overnight success. Sure she’s only 22.
The Southern Californian girl first appeared in public on the talent show “Star Search” when she was only 10. But her real appearance came from posting videos on YouTube. Eventually Kelly made her way to “American Idol”, and advanced through to Hollywood. But she did not make the Top 24. That loss encouraged her to write more of her own material, which eventually became part of her first album “Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly”.
“Even just releasing music in general is an achievement. I get to put out a whole album of songs that I just put my whole heart into, and people are responding really well to it,” she said. “It’s like the best feeling in the world because these are songs about my life. So it’s really cool to be able to do what I love.”
“Handmade Songs” sold well enough to reach the top 10 in a number of music charts（排行榜）.She followed that success with live performances at clubs in Los Angeles. Recently, Kelly excited audiences at the Billboard Music Awards with her performance of her song “Nobody Love”.
The singer-songwriter says that being within reach of her goal is amazing. “I think all the awards shows I have done so far have just been so surreal,” she said. “Like, I always dreamed of being on different awards shows, sitting at home on my sofa and watching. I think as a kid I just always put myself on that stage, and the fact that it’s actually happening, that I get to be a part of these shows is unbelievable.”
Kelly released her full-length album “Unbreakable Smile” in June, 2015. Her single “Should’ve been us” is also rising on the Billboard Hot 100.Tori Kelly is not an overnight success because_________.
| A．she often performs on the shows all around the world |
| B．she has released a lot of albums since she was ten |
| C．she has been working to be a pop star for over ten years |
| D．she has won many awards in the music world |
Which of the following is the first album of Tori Kelly?
| A．“Unbreakable Smile” |
| B．“Nobody Love” |
| C．“Should’ve Been Us ” |
| D．“Handmade Songs By Tori Kelly” |
The underlined word “surreal” in Paragraph 5 means______.
| A．impossible | B．dreamlike | C．unworthy | D．valuable |
It can be known from the passage that Tori Kelly_______.
| A．has a great gift for pop music |
| B．focuses on her career because she loves music |
| C．will change her profession soon. |
| D．will face more difficulties in the future. |
SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest Time
The 2016 SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest will run from April 1st through October 1st , 2016. Best of luck!
Introduction
The SAVE THE GROGS! Art Contest invites you to create your coolest frog artwork. The contest will call on people to pay more attention to the amphibian extinction(两栖动物灭绝)problem by getting people interested and to take part in it, and the artworks will be used on T-shirts, coffee cups, hats, cards and books to both publicize(宣传)our cause and raise money for SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian protection efforts. Between 2009 and 2015 we received more than 12 thousand pieces of frog artworks from 70 countries. We look forward to receiving your creation!
Who can enter?
Anybody! It is free to enter the contest, though we suggest all artworks include a few dollars to assist our frog-saving efforts!
Prizes The 1st Prize Winner will:
(1) Receive $100. (2)Receive a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! membership.
The 2nd and 3rd Place Artists will: Each receives a one-year SAVE THE FROGS! Membership.
Contest Rules
(1)The submitted(提交的)artwork must be your original creation!
(2)Your artwork should not be larger than 8.5”x11”（22cmX28cm）in size.
(3)You may submit up to three artworks
(4)All artworks must refer to SAVE THE FROGS! by including either the phrase “SAVE THE FROGS!” or “savethefrogs.com”, or both.
Please note that both “SAVE THE FROGS!” and “savethefrogs.com” are PLURAL, meaning the letter. “S” must appear at the end of the word “FROGS”.
Submissions
If your artwork was digitally(数码地) created, you should email your artwork to art @ savethefrogs.com
If your artwork is on paper or any other non-digital type, then mail your artwork to :
SAVE THE FORGS! Art Contest
P. O. Box 78758 Los Angeles, CA 90016 USA What do you know about the contest?
| A．It runs for seven months in 2016. |
| B．It aims to help protect amphibians. |
| C．It will publicize the artworks on TV. |
| D．It has been held as a national event. |
What should be noticed to take part in the contest?
| A．The smaller your artwork is the better. |
| B．The more artworks you submit, the better. |
| C．Do not miss the message “SAVE THE FORGS!”. |
| D．Do not copy others’ ideas or creations. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Submissions of artworks are based on types of creation. |
| B．Artworks are either digital pictures or drawings on paper. |
| C．Artworks will be given back after the contest. |
| D．The organization is in New York. |
The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is happier than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious（叛逆的）and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that these parents are much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel LaSalle. “I always tell them when I'm going out clubbing. When they know what I'm doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Cromer, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call talk or discussion. For example, when I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not based on real facts. A researcher explains, “Teenagers were thought to be different from others in a part of time in our social history. But to our surprise, they say they are getting on well with their parents. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled.”The study shows that teenagers don't want to ______________________.
| A．share family duties |
| B．cause trouble in their families |
| C．go boating with their family |
| D．make family decisions |
Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents ___________________.
| A．go to clubs more often with their children |
| B．are much stricter with their children |
| C．care less about their children’s life |
| D．give their children more freedom |
According to the writer, teenage rebellion ____________________.
| A．may be a wrong opinion |
| B．is common at present |
| C．always happened in the 1960s |
| D．was caused by changes in families |
Which title best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Discussion in family |
| B．Teenage education in family |
| C．Teenage trouble in family |
| D．Harmony in family |