My Year Abroad
This month in Travelers Corner there are three teenagers’ experiences in year-abroad programmes.
Mariko Okada – Tokyo
My year abroad in the United States was a fantastic experience. I’m not a shy person, and I was very comfortable speaking to everyone. So I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about American culture. When I got home, my friends all said that I had improved so much! I hope to go back again in the future.
Carla Fonseca – Rio de Janeiro
I spent last year studying English in London. I’m from a small town, and London is a very big city. Sometimes I felt it was too big. There were so many people to talk to, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family, and I really missed my two cats. My roommate was always using our telephone, so I hardly had the chance for a nice long talk with my parents. I think it was a good experience for me, but I’m glad to be home!
Alvin Chen – Hong Kong
Studying in New Zealand was a fun experience for me, but it was also lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week——with lots of homework. I also kept a diary of my experience. I like to write, and I wrote two or three pages in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my homestay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things about the culture. I’m really glad I went!
| A．to study English | B．to visit friends |
| C．to have a holiday | D．to find a job |
| A．Mariko. | B．Carla. |
| C．Alvin. | D．None of them. |
| A．a sports club newsletter |
| B．a science documentary |
| C．a travel magazine |
| D．a news website |
Everyone has got two personalities---the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control yourself, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. At night, of course, you often change your sleeping position. The important position that best shows your secret personality is at the beginning of your sleep.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You often trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to make people unhappy, so you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a person who likes to keep secrets. You worry a lot and you're always sad. You don’t want to change your ideas, but you are pleased with your life. You usually live for today not for tomorrow.
If you sleep on curled up(蜷缩), you are probably a very nervous person. You're shy and you don't like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel worried, but you don't often get unhappy. You always say what you think even if it makes people angry.When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?
| A．In the daytime. | B．At the beginning of sleep. |
| C．At night. | D．During the deep sleep. |
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep ___________.
| A．on curled up | B．on her stomach |
| C．on her back | D．on her side |
What does the passage tell us?
| A．Sleeping on your side is the best way of sleeping. |
| B．Changing positions will cause sleeping problems. |
| C．Sleeping positions show people’s secret personalities. |
| D．Enough sheep makes people look healthier and better. |
Why do you think people in some hot countries eat very spicy（辛辣的）food? Is it because the spices make the food taste better? Is it just because their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents liked hot food，or is there any connection(联系) between spices and healthy food?
Scientists think that it is because spice plants have some important chemicals（化学物质）．These chemicals can kill bacteria（细菌）.
“Most common spices can kill 75 to 100 percent of the bacteria in food，”explains one of the scientists．The bacteria grow more easily and spoil（使…变质） food more quickly at higher temperatures．For this reason，it is more difficult to keep food from spoiling in hot climates，
Do you like your food spicy? Your answer probably tells something about the country you are from．If you like spicy food，it is possible that hundreds of years ago，when there were no fridges，people in your country started using spices to keep the food from spoiling．The traditional spicy dishes helped those people to live longer，healthier lives．Today，in a time of fridges，the spices just make the food taste better．The chemicals in spices keep food fresh by_________．
| A．making food taste better |
| B．making food hotter |
| C．preventing bacteria getting into food |
| D．killing bacteria in food |
Food goes bad more quickly in hot climates because_______．
| A．cold temperature makes bacteria |
| B．bacteria get used to hot food |
| C．high temperature helps bacteria grow faster |
| D．bacteria spoil food only at high temperature |
According to the passage，spices are useful in an the following things except_______．
| A．helping you to live longer |
| B．helping to keep you healthier |
| C．making your food taste better |
| D．being used as fridges |
What should you take in with you when you take an exam? Pen, pencil, eraser, ruler…, and don’t forget a bottle of water!
According to a study at the British Psychological ( 心理学的) Society Annual Conference held in London, students who bring water into exams may improve their grades by up to 10 percent.
Scientists at the University of East London and the University of Westminster, UK, did a study on 447 students. The students were studying for different degrees (学历) at the University of East London. Only 25 percent of them entered the exam hall with something to drink.
Scientists then compared their exam results with their normal schoolwork grades. They found that all those who had brought drinks with them got better grades by between 2 and 10 percent.
It is unclear why drinking water improves exam results. But scientists say having enough water in our bodies and not feeling thirsty could have a helpful effect on our brains. Drinking water may also cut down on anxiety ( 焦虑), which has a bad effect on exam performances, according to Chris Pawson, PhD, of the University of East London.
“Whatever the explanation, it is clear that students should try hard to stay hydrated (含水的)with water during exams,” he said.
So next time, when you are going to have a big exam, try bringing a bottle of water with you.Who knows – it may help you pass the exam!How much may the students improve their grades most if they bring water into exams?
| A．By 2%. | B．By 8%. | C．By 10%. | D．By 25%. |
How many students in the study got better grades?
| A．About 112 students who brought drinks or water into their exams. |
| B．All the 447 students who come from the University of East London. |
| C．About 300 students who took part in the study. |
| D．About 10 percent of the students who studied different subjects. |
The underlined phrase “cut down on” probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．bring | C．reduce | D．change |
According to the passage, how does water help students in exams?
a. It is good for their brains.
b. It makes students smarter.
c. It helps students stay cool.
d. It helps students stay awake.
| A．a b | B．a c | C．b c | D．c d |
As a child, I was really afraid of the dark and of getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some uncomfortable moments.
Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my own room at night that scared me so much. There was never complete darkness, but always a streetlight or passing car lights, which made clothes on the back of a chair take on the shape of a wild animal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the curtains(窗帘) seem to move when there was no wind. A very low sound in the floor would seem a hundred times louder than in the day. My imagination (想象) would run wild, and my heart would beat fast. I would lie very still so that the "enemy(敌人) " would not discover me.
Another of my childhood fears was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning I got on the school bus right near my home. That was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the street, I was afraid that I would get in the wrong one and be taken to some other strange places. On school or family trips to a park or a museum, I wouldn't let the leaders out of my sight.
Perhaps one of the worst fears of all I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. Being popular was so important to me then, and the fear of not being liked was a serious one.
One of the processes(过程) growing up is being able to realize and overcome our fears. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps us achieve greater success later in life._________ would scare the author at night.
| A．Streetlight and car lights | B．Wild animals and enemies |
| C．Moving curtains and wind | D．Strange sights and sounds |
When she went to some other places, she would _________.
| A．walk away without others |
| B．take a bus by herself |
| C．follow others closely |
| D．make sure not to take a wrong bus |
Which of the following would be possibly true when she was a child?
| A．She was usually popular among people. |
| B．She was always the leader of the others. |
| C．She always got poor grades. |
| D．She was not at all liked by others. |
On the first day of school our teacher introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a little old lady with a warm smile. She said, “Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old.”
“Why are you in university at such a YOUNG age?” I asked. She replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of kids, and then retire and travel.” I knew she was joking. I was curious (好奇) what might have encouraged her to be taking on this challenge at her age. “I always dreamed of having a university education and now I’m getting one!” she told me. We became friends. Every day we would talk nonstop after class. I always enjoyed listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom (智慧) and experience with me. And Rose easily made friends wherever she went.
At the end of the term we invited Rose to make a little speech. She cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old； we grow old because we stop playing. I’ve learned a few secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.”
“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change...”When the author and Rose first met, they began their conversation in a ________ way.
| A．terrible | B．impolite | C．serious | D．humorous |
The word“That”in Paragraph 4 refers to (指)________.
| A．growing older | B．growing up |
| C．staying young | D．being happy |
From this passage we know Rose believed ________
| A．“Easier said than done.” |
| B．“Well begun is half done.” |
| C．“It is never too late to learn.” |
| D．“Reading makes a full man.” |