Iceland, an island just south of the Arctic Circle, has fairly mild winters, thanks to warm ocean currents. Time your vacation here during the winter months to take advantage of off-season deals.
Off-season means good deals on flights, hotels and tours. You may also find that the locals are a bit friendlier and more welcoming when tourists aren’t arriving in crowds.
In the winter months, there are less than seven hours of daylight; thus, chances are good you’ll catch sight of the northern lights. Sunsets are also beautiful at this time, making for some great photo opportunities.
In Iceland, winter is the perfect time to hike glaciers, go ice climbing, explore caves made out of hardened lava(岩浆) and much more. One of the most popular activities is off-roading(越野比赛) in a specially-equipped “super jeep”.
Before booking your trip, be sure to check for volcano alerts. There are about 130 volcanoes on or around Iceland. Thirty-five of them are active. In 2010, a volcano named Eyjaallajokull exploded, sending clouds of ash up to four kilometers into the atmosphere. The ash drifted toward the UK and Europe. Because the ask could damage aircraft engines, airlines operating in the region were forced to cancel flights for six days. As a result, thousands of people were stuck in airports.
Recently, another volcano named Bardarbunga has become active, erupting ash into the air. Such events, if large enough, could prevent your trip from going ahead. So check the latest volcano news prior to making your reservations. According to this article, why are you more likely to see the northern lights in the winter?
| A．They move from rural areas to cities. |
| B．The weather is more stable at that time. |
| C．They’re a special feature of many festivals. |
| D．The sky is dark for longer periods then. |
According to the article, how do visitors to Iceland have fun in the winter?
| A．They learn how to ski down the mountains. |
| B．They photograph famous historic sites.. |
| C．They explore the countryside in well made vehicles.. |
| D．They spend a week at one of the seaside resorts. |
What is true about the volcanoes of Iceland?
| A．The majority of them are quiet. |
| B．Their age hasn’t been determined. |
| C．All but one of them are extinct. |
| D．Citizens aren’t affected by them. |
What does this article explain?.
| A．Some of Iceland’s urban cultural attractions. |
| B．A way t reduce the cost of a trip to Iceland. |
| C．Reasons for visiting Iceland in June and July. |
| D．The average price for a short tour of Iceland. |
Watson entered Mr. Smith's office. The boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn't do well without giving them a second chance.
"Watson," said Mr. Smith, "this past year your department hasn't earned money. We're going to drop that department. It's finished. I’m sorry, —but you'll have to go." "But, sir — if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School."
"What's that!" said the boss. "Riverside! I didn't know you had a boy there. That's an expensive school for a man with your salary."
"I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He's a star athlete and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ there."
The boss sat perfectly still for a long time — a faraway (恍惚的) look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, "We've got to close your department, Watson. But you'll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You're here for life."
Watson got out, with surprise on his face. Then the boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie's last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read:
I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it's the same everywhere when you're a cripple (跛脚的人). But don't worry about me, Dad. They've got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He's a track star and boxing champ (冠军) and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, 1 want to do something for Champ. Something big — that he won’ t even know about.
Your son,
HerbieMr. Smith wanted to fire Watson because _____.
| A．Watson would take over a new job in another department |
| B．Watson had his son study in Riverside School |
| C．Watson's son knocked a boy down who hit Herbie |
| D．Watson's department didn't earn money that year |
We can learn from the text that _____.
| A．Mr. Smith didn't know that Champ was Watson's son at first |
| B．Mr. Smith was told not to fire Watson by Herbie |
| C．Mr. Smith decided to give Watson another chance in no time |
| D．Mr. Smith wanted to realize Champ's dream |
According to the text, which words can best describe Mr. Smith?
| A．Selfish and greedy. |
| B．Sympathetic and grateful. |
| C．Hardworking and strict. |
| D．Easy-going and optimistic. |
The author wrote the text in order to _____.
| A．share a moving story with us |
| B．make our children enjoy life |
| C．provide us with tips on work |
| D．help us to deal with our boss |
A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth．
Until now，it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught（though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing）．
But in the new study，researchers describe a method for improving this skill，along with experiments to prove it works．
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it．This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence，so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence．
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests．Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game，in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard．During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance，manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time．
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively．To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills，the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training．
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，were striking．Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater．Moreover，the longer they trained, the higher their scores were．All performers，from the weakest to the strongest，showed significant improvement．
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training．” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper．“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains．By writing the article，the writer intends to ______________．
| A．inform the readers of a new study |
| B．call on people to be trained to increase intelligence |
| C．prove one’s born brainpower can be improved |
| D．tell people the improved intelligence will last forever |
The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________．
| A．memorizing telephone numbers |
| B．improving working memory |
| C．training in concentration |
| D．recalling a card |
The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________．
| A．ignoring irrelevant items |
| B．monitoring ongoing performance |
| C．managing two tasks at the same time |
| D．using previous experience |
When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________．
| A．trained the four groups for the same period of time |
| B．only made comparisons between the four groups |
| C．compared the four groups with control groups |
| D．trained the four groups together |
The increase in tuition fees(学费) has led to a “clear drop” in the number of English students applying for university places this autumn. There are 15,000 “missing” applicants this academic year, according to the Independent Commission on Fees. Chairman Will Hutton said: “We’re asking our young men and women to have more debt than any other country in the world — it’s higher than the average debt in the US. It’s not clear whether those lost students this year will return next year, or if it’s a storm warming of a worrying trend.”
But the commission’s report says there does not seem to be an impact on poorer communities. The commission found there was no significant change in the application rate to the key universities, such as Oxford or Cambridge. The decline （下降）in England has not been mirrored in other parts of the UK where fees have not been raised, and the drop can only partly be explained by falling numbers of young people in the population. Students from Scotland attending Scottish universities do not pay fees, while the Welsh Assembly says it will pay fees above ￡3,465 for Welsh students attending UK institutions.
The average tuition fee at English universities this year is ￡ 8,385, rising to ￡ 8,507 next year. UK and EU students have access to govemment-backed loans to pay the fees. And the survey of 1,000 pupils aged 15-18, carried out this April, found that the majority expected to go on to higher education as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment in their future.
A spokeswoman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which is responsible for universities, said:“Students shouldn’t be forced to put off going to university for financial reasons. Most students will not have to pay in advance, and no one will have to start paying back their student loan until they start to earn at least ￡ 2l,000 per year.”From the first paragraph, we know that __________________ .
| A．it’s a trend that English students are dropping out of school |
| B．the rising tuition fees have a great effect on English students |
| C．the lost English students will find their way back |
| D．many English students are missing the final examinations |
Why is there still a drop of applicants though fees have not been raised?
| A．Because the students live in poor communities. |
| B．Because Welsh students will pay fees above￡3,465. |
| C．Because education is free for Scottish students. |
| D．Because there are less young students in the area. |
What’s the students’ attitude to universities in the survey?
| A．Most of them are willing to go to university. |
| B．They feel universities takes up too much time. |
| C．They will stop applying for university places this autumn. |
| D．They are anxious to go to a key university. |
The spokeswoman in the last paragraph advises students to ______________
| A．put off going to university |
| B．reduce the anxiety about the rising fees |
| C．pay for the fees in advance |
| D．pay back their loan soon after graduation |
Many parents take on the role of being their children’s preschool teacher and the responsibility of readying them for kindergarten. To achieve this goal, it is important for parents to introduce a variety of subjects in a positive and playful manner.
“Learning should not be forced,”says Marion Godwin, who has taught first grade in Moorestown, N. J. for more than 30 years.“ It should be taught according to what they know and do best—and that is‘ play’. When teaching them, play games and have fun with the subject. And parents should always be looking for‘teachable moments’.”
“You want a child to be a lifelong learner, so you want to show them learning is everywhere,”she says.“If parents take the time to lay a strong educational foundation, their children will keep building on it.”
Introduce children to science with hands-on activities that interest them, such as growing plants from seeds, discussing animals and how to care for pets, and observing the chemical changes that occur during cooking”, she says.
“Sorting activities, simple patterns and counting games are a great way to teach children the basics of math, and taking them on field trips, singing songs and reciting rhymes also are ways to prepare them for the first day of school”, she says.
“I think children are naturals when it comes to computers,” she says.“Let them play educational games on the computer and teach them how to type their first names using the keyboard. When they are more familiar with using the computer, let them find pictures of animals and places on the web. ”
“Don’t criticize the child,” she says. “You can’t force them to learn something. If they don’t get something right, so what? Smile and be happy and make the experience joyful. Parents need to understand that if a child gets something wrong, they may think something is wrong with them. Keep working with them and when they get the right answer make sure you tell them how hard they worked to get the correct answer. ”Marion Godwin tells us that we should teach the children according to their_____ .
| A．subjects and needs |
| B．level and interest |
| C．teachable moments |
| D．strong educational foundation |
According to Godwin, children should ____________________ .
| A．keep a pet each and care for it |
| B．do some cooking every day |
| C．learn science with interesting hand-on activities |
| D．learn from the farmers and grow plants from seeds |
In Godwin’s opinion, children should be encouraged to_________ .
| A．learn all by themselves |
| B．play more computer games |
| C．learn to type their first names |
| D．learn online under instructions |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．How to prepare your children for kindergarten |
| B．Learning should not be forced |
| C．How to be a lifelong learner |
| D．Learning is everywhere |
Thirty years ago not many people would have dreamed of doing the repairs and decorations in their own homes. In those days labor was fairly cheap and most people would have thought it worthwhile to employ a professional painter and decorator, unless of course they were either very hand up or were in the trade themselves.
Today, however, it is quite a different story. Men and women in all walks of life turn their hands to all sorts of jobs round the house including painting, papering, putting up shelves and wall units, and tiling walls and floors. Some people with no professional training of any kind have even successfully built their own houses. These jobs have been made easier today by the introduction of prepared materials, which require the minimum amount of skill to use. In every high street throughout Britain nowadays there is at least one “Do-It-Yourself” shop containing a vast range of timber, tiles, paints, wallpapers and floor coverings besides tools of every description including power drills and many accessories. “Do-It-Yourself” is a booming（繁荣的） business; all these shops do a roaring trade and look like continuing to do so. Probably the main reason for the craze is the high cost of present-day labor and the shortage of building firms willing to do small jobs.Why did people employ professional workers to decorate homes thirty years ago?
| A．Because they could not do it themselves. |
| B．Because professional workers could do much better. |
| C．Because they had no time. |
| D．Because professional workers were very cheap. |
Thirty years later what changes took place?
| A．People could do everything themselves. |
| B．People with no professional training successfully built their own houses. |
| C．Few people chose to be a professional worker. |
| D．New expensive materials required no skills at all. |
What caused the DIY craze?
| A．High cost of professional workers. |
| B．“Do-It-Yourself” is a booming business. |
| C．There were fewer building companies. |
| D．Young people liked to follow the fashion |
What is the speaker telling us ?
| A．Changes in housing.. |
| B．Changes in building. |
| C．How DIY comes into being |
| D．Great changes in these thirty |