Being able to multitask—doing several things at the same time-is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.
What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle a larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a large amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.
Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people give so much attention to their own worlds, they seem to have no time to spend with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they eat at the family table.
Multitasking also has an effect on young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When they were asked about their opinions of the effects of modern gadgets (器具) on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response. However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive. Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers (雇主) feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work. What does the underlined word “juggle” most probably mean?
| A．Want to buy. |
| B．Use at the same time. |
| C．Take the place of. |
| D．Search information from. |
In Paragraph 3, the author points out that _______.
| A．family members do not greet each other |
| B．family members do not eat at the family table |
| C．young people get on well with their families |
| D．young people hardly communicate with their family members |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Young people must learn skills for future jobs. |
| B．Young people benefit a lot from modern gadgets. |
| C．Multitasking is an important skill to young people. |
| D．Multitasking influences young people’s development seriously. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Young people think multitasking is good for their study and work. |
| B．Employers consider it unnecessary for young people to be taught all over again. |
| C．Educators feel that young people don’t need to improve their study skills. |
| D．People from the world of education believe multitasking has a good effect on children’s later study skills. |
The author develops (阐述) the passage mainly by ________.
| A．providing special examples |
| B．following the natural time order |
| C．giving out a cause and analyzing (分析) its effects |
| D．comparing opinions from different worlds |
Can you imagine surfing the Internet without lifting your finger? Do you want to know what it feels like to fly like a bird? Let’s have a look at some of the “Best inventions of the Year 2012”.
Wing Suits
The suit can make your dream of flying like a bird come true. Well, not exactly flying, but gliding（滑翔）through the air. Fliers wearing wing suits can glide one kilometer in about 30 seconds. But they need a parachute（降落伞）to make a safe landing because the suit does not allow you to slow down.
Talk Gloves
Do you often feel confused（困惑的）by the sign language used by disabled people? Here is the “helping hand” you need. Four students in Ukrainian college have invented a pair of gloves that helps people who has hearing and speech problems to communicate with others. The gloves are set with sensors（传感器）that receive sign language and translate it into text on a smart phone. Then the smart phone changes the text to spoken.
Google Glasses
In short, Google Glasses are like a computer which is built into a pair of glasses. The glasses allow you to surf the Internet and make phone calls without even lifting a finger. All you have to do is to let your head move the mouse on the screen. The glasses also have a camera and GPS mapping system. Users can take and share photos, video-chat, check maps and surf the Internet just by looking up, down, left and right. But now they are on sale only in two countries, German and America.Through the Talk Gloves, the sign words are translated for__________.
| A．trained people | B．disabled people |
| C．normal people | D．old people |
How can users of Google Glasses surf the Internet?
| A．By lifting the hands. | B．By using the keyboard. |
| C．By using the mouse. | D．By moving the eyeballs. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Now people can buy Google Glasses in China. |
| B．People need a parachute to fly besides a wing suit. |
| C．Wing Suits can make you fly one kilometer in 30 minutes. |
| D．Talk Gloves include sensors, a smart phone and glasses. |
What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this article?
| A．To draw people’s attention to the Year 2012. |
| B．To bring some pleasure to readers. |
| C．To introduce some interesting inventions. |
| D．To ask people to buy these products. |
Monty Robert’s father was a horse trainer. As a child, Monty often went from one farm to another with his father. Sometimes they didn’t have money to pay for food, but Monty still kept hoping to own a horse farm.
When he was in school, his teacher asked him to write a paper about his dream. He wrote a seven-page（页）paper. He wanted to have a horse farm one day. He even drew a picture of a horse farm in the paper.
The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later, he got his paper back. On the front page was a large red “F” with the words “See me after class”. So the boy did and asked his teacher, “Why did I get an F?” The teacher said, “This dream will not come true for a young boy like you. You need a lot of money to own a horse farm. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for a lot of things. There is no way you could ever do it.” Then the teacher added, “If you write this paper again with a simpler dream, I will give you a good grade.”
After school he thought hard about it. At last, he decided to hand in the same paper, making no changes at all. He said to the teacher, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.”
Many years later, Monty had his own large horse farm. His dream came true.
So don’t let anyone take away your dreams. Follow your dreams, no matter what they are. From Paragraph 1, we learn that _________.
| A．Monty’s family was poor |
| B．Monty’s father didn’t support him |
| C．Monty hoped to be a horse trainer |
| D．Monty changed his mind all the time |
What was Monty’s attitude towards his paper?
| A．Careless. | B．Serious. |
| C．Joking. | D．Funny. |
Monty’s teacher gave him a red “F” because he thought _________.
| A．Monty’s handwriting was too bad |
| B．Monty copied from another student |
| C．Monty’s dream was too hard for him to achieve |
| D．Monty was not working hard to realize his dream |
What does the story want to tell us?
| A．Don’t take away others’ dreams. |
| B．Follow a realistic dream. |
| C．Never give up your dream. |
| D．Anyone with a dream will succeed. |
School Activities in May
| an Open-air Craft（工艺）Show in Front of the Gym Square May Day from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Need to buy a present? Find bamboo toys, paper flowers, paper umbrellas, model cars and more! Come and have fun here! |
Clean &Green Week: War on Graffiti（涂鸦） Monday, May16, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Is graffiti cool? Well, it is not! We are repainting the school walls. You don’t have to bring any tools, just remember to wear some old clothes! Follow Ms Jin and meet at the school gate. |
| Movie Time at the Media Hall Saturday, May14, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30p.m. Dragon（龙）is back! You can enjoy the magic training of dragons again, much more thrilling and amazing! Get the ticket from your head teacher. Don’t miss it! |
Latin Dance in the Music Club Tuesday& Thursday in May, at 3:00 p.m. Latin dance classes are hold at the music room twice a week in May. Our foreign teacher Maria introduces Latin to you in a way you can easily understand and learn. |
There are activities that students can do indoors in May.
| A．two | B．three |
| C．four | D．five |
If you are interested in handwork, you can go to ____________.
| A．the Media Hall | B．the Gym Square |
| C．the music room | D．the school gate |
If Jim wants to learn Latin dance, he can ask ________ for help.
| A．Maria | B．Ms Jin |
| C．his friend | D．his head teacher |
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “once in a blue moon”？ People use this expression to describe something that they do not do very often. For example, someone might say that he tries to avoid eating sweets because they are unhealthy, but will eat chocolate “once in a blue moon”. Or someone who does not usually like to go to the beach might say “I visit the shore once in a moon.” While many people use this phrase, not everyone knows the meaning behind it.
The first thing to know is that the moon itself is never really blue. This is just an expression. In fact, the phrase “blue moon” has to do with the shape of the moon, not the color.
As the moon travels around the earth, it appears to change shape. We associate names with certain shapes of the moon. For example, when we can see a small part of the moon, it is called a crescent moon. A crescent is a shape that looks like the tip of a fingernail. When we cannot see the moon at all, it is called a new moon. When we can see the whole moon, it is called a full moon. Usually, there is only one full moon every month. Sometimes, however, there will be two full moons in one month. When this happens, the second full moon is called a “blue moon”．
Over the next 20 years, there will only be 15 blue moons. As you can see, a blue moon is a very rare event. This_fact has led people to use the expression “once in a blue moon” to other very rare events in their lives. Which of the following would be a good example of using the phrase “once in a blue moon”？
| A．Simon often tells jokes. Simon tells jokes once in a blue moon. |
| B．Tom rarely remembers to do exercise. Tom does exercise once in a blue moon. |
| C．Mary likes to go shopping every weekend. Mary goes shopping once in a blue moon. |
| D．Cindy hates to stay up, but she stays up every day. Cindy stays up once in a blue moon. |
When does a blue moon happen in nature?
| A．When the moon has a blue moon. |
| B．When we cannot see the moon at all. |
| C．When there are two full moons in one month. |
| D．When we can only see a small part of the moon. |
Which of the following is another example of something that has a crescent shape?
| A．The letter “O”. | B．The letter “M”． |
| C．The letter “H”. | D．The letter “C”． |
How often will a blue moon happen over the next twenty years?
| A．Once a year. | B．Less than once a year. |
| C．More than once a year. | D．At least twice a year. |
What does the underlined part “This fact” in the last paragraph refer to(所指)?
| A．A blue moon is a very rare event. |
| B．The moon appears to change shape. |
| C．The moon itself is never really blue. |
| D．A blue moon has to do with the shape of the moon. |
In our lives, we may meet person with different personalities . What is your personality type? Read about the following and find out!
A Dreamer thinks there is a “right” way to do things. This person wants to live in the “perfect world”. Many are good listeners and like to help others. Many Dreamers work as teachers, and often lead others. Famous Dreamers: Mohandas Gandhi, Angelina Jolie.
A Partner wants to be in a group. For this person, rules are important. They consider tradition to be of great value. Partners are often serious, careful people. Many do well as teachers, managers and police officers. Famous Partners: Queen ElizabethⅡ，Mother Teresa.
For Thinkers, understanding things is very important. They like to deal with problems and make new things. Thinkers can also be active. They like to win. They have very strong opinions. Many Thinkers work as scientists, inventors and engineers. Famous Thinkers: Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking.
Artists want to be free. They don't want to follow the rules all the time. They also like trying new things. Like Thinkers, many Artists have strong opinions. They are creative and do well as musicians and actors. Famous Artists: Cristiano Ronaldo, Madonna. How many personality types are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. |
| C．Five. | D．Six. |
According to the passage, when you need help, ________ may give you a hand.
| A．Dreamers | B．Partners |
| C．Thinkers | D．Artists |
You may choose a job as ________， if you are careful and serious.
| A．a player | B．an actor |
| C．a police officer | D．a scientist |
If you are active and like to win, maybe you are similar to ________.
| A．Gandhi | B．Mother Teresa |
| C．Bill Gates | D．Madonna |
Which could be the best title for the passage?
| A．Famous People | B．Personality Types |
| C．Perfect World | D．Job Choices |