As we know, many teen celebrities(名人) feel and think that having a slimmer figure can do great good to them. But, does size really matter? Are teenage fans trying hard to become like their celebrity idols(偶像)? Do celebrities really have the power to influence people, especially teenagers?
For the longest time, many parents blame teen idols for influencing the way their kids act. Have you noticed how teens idolize the celebrities these days? Even, their personal affairs are being followed by kids these days. Take for example the case of Lindsay Lohan of Mary Kate Ashley. They are definitely famous teen stars. But, since they are trying to project an image to satisfy a lot of people in show business, their health and body suffer. Many kids are aware of this problem. But they are easily influenced by these celebrities to exercise and eat less.
It is a fact that the media, and especially famous teen celebrities, can influence people powerfully. But teenagers are easily influenced because teenage years are the period when our personality and identity developments take place. Teens watching TV shows and reading magazines are easily pulled into the dieting and harmful eating habits because the media have some ways to pull these acts. They use thin models and celebrities to endorse(做广告宣传) products or to star in an up-and –coming shows or movies. With fierce competition, celebrities are forced to eat less and do extreme exercise routines to get the roles or offers that come their way.
Living in today’s time and generation is a bit disturbing to a lot of parents. Media, especially as well as the celebrities, have a very powerful influence to drive teenagers to good or bad. It’s good that we can control ourselves to avoid bad things from happening. If not, parents should really be aware and guide their teens to determine what’s in ad what’s out.From the passage we can find Lindsay Lohan .
| A．lives an unhealthy lifestyle |
| B．lives a rich and happy life |
| C．doesn’t get any exercise |
| D．sets a good example for teenagers |
According to the writer, why are teenagers easily influenced by some TV shows?
| A．They are tired of school. |
| B．Their celebrity idols appear in many TV shows. |
| C．They’re in their development period. |
| D．They have nothing to do in their spare time |
What’s the title of the passage?
| A．Parents’ responsibilities. |
| B．Advice on self-control. |
| C．Bad influences of celebrities. |
| D．Media’s bad influences. |
The thing was a hot one! A farmer had shot two wolves on purpose. He had seen the wolves on his farm and decided to get them before they caused trouble. He knew wolves were a kind of protected animals. However, he also knew most of his neighbors would shoot wolves, too. Shortly after the farmer skinned（剥皮）the wolves, problems began. It seemed that someone didn’t like the idea of killing wolves after all. The officials had arrived. Out-of-town reporters got hold of the story. And now the farmer was on trial（审判）for his killing of the wolves.“The thing was a hot one!”means.
| A．“The thing makes people hot.” |
| B．“The thing draws much attention.” |
| C．“The thing was against the law.” |
| D．“The thing changes the weather.” |
The farmer did the thing because.
| A．he didn’t know about the law |
| B．his neighbor would do the same thing |
| C．he was afraid the wolves would cause trouble |
| D．the wolves entered his farm |
Wolves shouldaccording to this passage.
| A．be protected |
| B．not cause trouble |
| C．be killed if they cause trouble |
| D．not enter places where people live |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．The story was soon known in other places. |
| B．Someone didn’t want wolves to be killed so the farmer was on trial. |
| C．The farmer was guilty（有罪）of his killing. |
| D．The local government took measures for the thing. |
In the professional world, oral communication skills in the workplace, which is the art of using speech to convey information, thoughts and feeling to others, is important for the success of any organizations.
The 21st century has been considered to be an era of communication. The way we convey our thoughts is of great importance in building relationships. In the workplace, there are employees of diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. This makes team working on a difficult task, but with a clear understanding of the task to be achieved, all members work towards the same goal. Misunderstandings, conflicts and differences in opinions are easily managed when there is a clear flow of communication between team members.
With proper communication, a close relationship and trust build among the employees, therefore promoting excellent working conditions. An atmosphere of support and cooperation is promoted by properly conveying expectations of the management team to the employees and vice – versa (相反的情况). Therefore, developing oral communication skills is important to success in life ahead.
How to improve oral communication? In the business world, individuals are expected to be confident about their beliefs and ideas. Therefore, they must include words like “in my opinion”, “as far as I know”. While improving skills on oral communication, people in a workplace must learn the art of listening. In addition, one must also have a positive body language during conversations. A person with a smiling face and positive attitude can raise the spirits of everyone around him. When we’re talking to someone, we must give the other person an opportunity to talk as it improves our listening ability.
Communication is an art and it can be improved by working on it constantly. Since it is not an overnight work, one needs to learn it by observing people who are good at it.
| Title |
Oral communication skills in the workplace |
| The art of using speech to convey information, thoughts and feelings to others. |
|
Importance |
●The way we convey our thoughts plays a major ●Understanding the task ●A clear flow of communication can easily ●Good relationships and trust among the employees built with proper communication can ●Conveying expectations can promote support and cooperation. |
| ●Use words like “in my opinion” to show your ●Learn to be a good ●Avoid using a ●Smile and be positive to delight the people around you. ●Give the other person a chance to talk in a conversation. |
|
| Conclusion |
Communication can be improved with |
More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights. That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example, helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "What was it special about the Star Party ?
| A．It was organized by the local authority. |
| B．It was carried out without any lights. |
| C．It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up. |
| D．It was held in the town center of Virginia |
According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?
a. some invited guests
b. some government officials
c. some experts in astronomy
d. those who were interested in astronomy
e. students who were major in agriculture
| A．a, c, d | B．a, d, e | C．b, d, e | D．c, d, e |
From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky .
| A．you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight |
| B．you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance |
| C．you'd better buy some advanced equipment |
| D．you'd better make use of your imagination |
Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?
| A．Roman is not built in a day. |
| B．No pains, no gains. |
| C．All roads lead to Roman. |
| D．Time and tide wait for no man. |
A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical（垂直的）farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards，rather than outwards，it requires much less space than a conventional farm.
The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people，all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time，food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage.
There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space，therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics(水耕法) could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course，not all food does well with this type of planting，but there are many crops that actually seem to do better.
In some climates，a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words，we could grow crops in areas where we never could before.
Vertical farms may just be a concept for now，but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future.According to the passage, a vertical farm________.
| A．is mainly built outwards |
| B．is dependent on solar power |
| C．is planted on levels upwards |
| D．is only an environmental friendly farm |
Compared to the conventional farm, the vertical farm can________.
| A．depend far less on sunlight |
| B．greatly increase the use of soil |
| C．help to protect the limited gardens |
| D．reduce the use of harmful pesticides |
It can be learned from the passage that vertical farms________.
| A．have been put into use |
| B．only use hydroponics to grow food |
| C．need less room than conventional farms |
| D．may increase the transportation costs |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Vertical farms for our future |
| B．Ways to deal with future problems |
| C．Vertical farms and green skyscrapers |
| D．Making Full Use of Our Limited Land |
Traditional fairytales(童话) are being given up by parents because they are too scary for their young children, a study found．
Research uncovered that one in five parents has got rid of old literature such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel in favor of more modern books．One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the gruesome details of Little Red Riding Hood．And nearly half of mothers and fathers refuse to read Rumplesliltshin to their kids as the themes of the story are kidnapping and killing．Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it forgives stealing．
The survey of 2,000 adults was completed to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM （ 格林童话剧） , which starts tonight at 9pm on Watch, and sees six drama series based on traditional fairytales．
The survey found a quarter of parents questioned wouldn’t consider reading fairytales to their kids．And 52 percent of the parents said Cinderella didn’t send a good message to their children as it describes a young woman doing housework all day．
Steve Hornsey, General Manager of Watch, said: "Bedtime stories are supposed to calm children down and send them off to sleep soundly．But as we see in GMMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic so it’s understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children．As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five - year - old child could take them too literally．Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales as we see in GRIMM, good will defeat evil and there is always a moral to the story．"
The study also found two thirds of mums and dads try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares．The most popular book read at bedtime is now 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle.
However half of parents said traditional tales are "more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids' books, such as The Gruffato, The Hungary Caterpillar and the Mr. Men books．Classical works for children are being avoided by parents they think .
| A．they contain unmoral themes |
| B．they are terrifying |
| C．they encourage stealing, kidnapping and killing |
| D．they are tired of answering questions |
What does the underlined word "gruesome" mean?
| A．Very horrible | B．Very amusing |
| C．Very disappointing | D．Very amazing |
Which stories are the popular bedtime stories that parents like to tell their children now?
| A．Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Cinderella |
| B．The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Little Red Riding Hood. |
| C．The Very Hungry Caterpillar andMr. Men |
| D．Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Cinderella |
According to Steve Hornsey , adults can see innocence in a fairy tale but a 5-year-old child might ______．
| A．think it is different from the reality |
| B．dislike it because it is scary |
| C．believe exactly what the tale says |
| D．feel there is a moral to the story |