A new term might be the best time to make new friends, but it can be hard to begin the first conversation. Below are four useful ways. Take a look.
Search for common interests. Talking about shared interests, such as sports and popular talent shows, is the easiest way to make a successful talk with someone.
Welcome the silence. In fact, sometimes silence is needed in order to continue a conversation. Remember that if you say something, the other person may need time to understand it.
Keep it positive(积极的). To make great small talk, you should keep things fun. You should be cheerful and able to laugh over things that aren’t very interesting. These will make the other person want to keep talking to you.
Take it as a learning experience. Every time you meet someone from other places, it’s a good chance to learn something new. You can learn more about their cultures and nations. These make you a more interesting person to talk to as well.
How many ways are mentioned to start a conversation in the reading?
| A．Only one. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
You can start a meaningful conversation by according to the reading.
A. travelling to other countries
B. studying very hard in the class
C. talking about the same interests
D finding someone from other places
If someone is talking about something you don't like, you should according to the reading.
| A．stop the conversation at once | B．be cheerful and relaxed |
| C．keep silent all the time | D．talk about something new |
Parents, our first teachers, play a highly significant role in our lives．However, doesn't it seem that many of us come to have conflicts with them when we start high school? We're less likely to listen to them and take their suggestions—we even rebel against them．
Why? It may be the so-called "generation gap"．A generation gap appears when we begin to feel our parents
are ignoring us, don't understand us, and we feel we can no longer share our feelings with them．
The key reason is our desire for independence．In senior high school, we start to want to take responsibility for our own lives and make our own decisions．But parents resist this．They still want to control us and try to force us to do things they think we should do．Debate and discussion often come to nothing．Gradually, we talk with them less, and keep our feelings locked up inside．
Zhang Xiaoyun, 16, of Ningbo, Zhejiang, has talked less and less with her mother since she started senior high school．"She believes studies should be my priority, not my inner world," Zhang said．"Each day, she asks me the same old questions like, 'How was your last exam? or 'Have you made any progress in physics?" To Zhang, these questions are annoying and so she always tries to ignore them and answers perfunctorily．"Sometimes, when I get upset, I quarrel with her．After, she comes to apologize and comfort me．But I know, she doesn't completely understand me," Zhang said．Now, a home that was once full of laughter has fallen into gloom and silence．
The generation gap can be harmful．Because of the lack of communication, our parents no longer know what we are thinking about．There are quarrels, even over trivial things．When that happens, we may not be able to concentrate on our studies．Some of us even become afraid to go home after school— a very serious situation for the whole family．Which of the following is not included in article?
| A．The causes of generation gap． | B．The effects of generation gap． |
| C．One example of generation gap． | D．Ways of narrowing generation gap． |
Which of the following is one reason for the generation gap according to the passage?
| A．Modern society changing very fast． |
| B．Parents having unrealistic hopes of their children． |
| C．Parents and kids not understanding and respecting each other． |
| D．Young people liking to escape from the control of their parents． |
Which of the following word has the closet meaning to the underlined word "perfunctorily"?
| A．attentively | B．indifferently |
| C．flatteringly | D．seriously |
In the view of the author,____．
| A．parents should allow their children more freedom |
| B．parents and children should not stay together |
| C．the younger generation should value the older generation |
| D．academic records are more important than one's inner world |
At the moment when looking round the world, all kinds of dance performances are being offered. There are competitions that claim to be a World Cup or World Championship, and the young dancer or the dance teacher who wants to enter his students might be quite confused. Which is which? Which is of high standard and good quality, and which is not worth going to? First of all it has clearly got to be distinguished between the different styles of dance and the purpose of such competitions. When a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she would never dream of going to a ballroom teacher. Such a teacher might even have been world champion in his ballroom dancing, but he would definitely not be qualified in teaching proper classical ballet.
People in Britain and the USA are taking more interest in modern dance. Dance classes of all kinds are popular; the audiences going to watch modern dance companies are also larger. And perhaps the most popular modern dance company in Britain is the Ballet Rambert.
The Ballet Rambert is Britains’ oldest established dance company which began in 1926. In the 60 s the company lacked the money to go on staging big productions. The directors wanted to encourage new talent and to keep up their high standards. A chan
ge of direction was necessary. They decided to give the ballet a ‘new look” in 1966. The aim was to provide a chance for new talent – for musicians and designers as well as dancers – and to show dance as a contemporary art form. And although some of the company’s previous fans dislike the change, new audiences came to see the productions.
The modern dance pieces and modern music found unexpected popularity. In the 21 st century the Ballet Rambert was a great success in L
ondon’s West End. The company becam
e a focus for new, progressive talent in the art.
Then, the Ballet Ramvert started to introduce young people to modern dance by giving performances at schools, which again, was a success.
The Ballet Rambert has managed to make modern dance popular while creating original and often avant – garde (标新立异) productions. It can claim to be the oldest dance company in Britain and at the same time one of the most modern!If a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she will go to .
| A．the Ballet Rambert | B．a ballroom teacher |
| C．a world champion | D．a qualified school |
The underlined phrase “new talent” in Para. 3 probably means .
| A．new programs | B．new audiences |
| C．avant – garde productions | D．skilled young dancers |
From the passage we know that the Ballet Rambert .
| A．has succeeded in making modern dance popular |
| B．wanted to become the oldest dance company |
| C．was once a popular dance company |
| D．changed old dance into new ones |
This passage is mainly about .
| A．the popularity of modern dance |
| B．the introduction to new modern dancers |
| C．the development of the Ballet Rambert |
| D．the high standard of dance performances |
To learn an instrument such as the violin or accordion（手风琴）takes years. The job opportunities for musicians are scarce and competition is fierce. Then why are more people than ever before paying a lot of good cash to get their children the best music teaching they can afford?
The secret lies in the influence of music on the whole person. It has been found that learning a musical instrument actually increases a per
son’s IQ over time. Different instruments and different trypes of music have varying effect, with classical music and the string family coming out on top, potentially increasing you IQ by up to 12 points!
When is a good time to start learning music? Experts have found that even the fetus（胎儿）can benefit from listening to classical music. Surround yourself and your family with good music from the first. The Suzuki Piano Method teaches children from the age of 3 years piano, with two lessons per week. From preschool, children can learn to read music and play from sheet music. Progress in learning your instrument is directly proportional（成比例的）to the amount of practicing.
Is there such a thing as an unmusical child? Shinichi Suzuki proposes that music is the native home language of all human beings and therefore nobody can be “unmusical”. Of course there are exceptional talents, compared to which others may seem to be slower learners.
Is there any benefit for adults in starting an instrument? Apart from the purely relaxing aspect, yes. Learning an instrument can earn even adults additional IQ points, and as an added benefit in improves your health by reducing your stress levels. Your social life may benefit too, if you are prepared to come out of your box and join occasions such as Ceilidhs (musical get-togethers) or arrange house concerts. It has been established that people who play instruments tend to be more emotionally balanced and more patient with themselves, others and life in general.
So go ahead, sign up for that amateur orchestra, dust off your old trombone（长号）or take your first real six-string down from the attic（阁楼）; get out there and play!Playing which of the following musical instruments can help increase a person’s IQ most?
| A．The piano | B．The violin | C．The trombone | D．The accordion |
According to Shinichi Suzuki, .
| A．The progress in learning an instrument depends on natural gifts |
| B．It is too late for an adult to start an instrument |
| C．Every child has a natural talent for music. |
| D．All people can understand and read music. |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Music can balance our life. |
| B．Music can improve our living conditions. |
| C．Playing instruments can make adults keep their IQ points. |
| D．Playing instruments can help us get along well with others. |
By writing the text, the author mainly wants to.
| A．persuade us to send our children to music schools |
| B．express his great interest in musical instruments |
| C．tell us the importance of Music in Development |
| D．invite us to attend Ceilidhs |
Officials in the Midwestern U. S. town of Joplin, Missouri, say the death from Sundays’ big tornado reaches 116 and that search efforts continue for possible survivors trapped in rubble (碎石). Search and rescue teams are conducting their third sweep through the nearly 10 kilometer – long and one – kilometer wide area of destruction left by the tornado. They are working as quickly as possible while weather conditions remain relatively stable. More storms are forecast for the erea.
Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said there are areas with large piles of rubble that might hold survivors. “We are still finding individuals. We did rescue seven individuals from underneath rubble yesterday and , of course, we are also finding dead folks as well.” Said mre folks and that is why we are doing these searches. We want to make every opportunity that we can to
find everybody that is in the rubble and that has survived to this point.”
Randles said the current sweep involves a slower pace that previous searches and that he plans a fourth search, possibly on Wednesday, using specially trained dogs. “We are searching every structure that has been damaged or destroyed in a more in-depth manner, “he said.” I have dogs and dog handlers coming from all over the country do help us in that effort.”
Joplin City Manager 
Mark Rohr said the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations are helping people who were left homeless by the tornado and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on hand to help. “Joplin is a great city. We have suffered a great loss, “said Rohr.” We will recover and we will recover strongly and we have a lot of help and a lot of volunteers to make that easier.”
The tornado that struck Joplin was classified by the Natioonal Weather Service as an F – 4, with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour. It lasted only 20 minutes, but it killed more that 100 people, injured more than 400 others, and destroyed or heavily damaged some 2,000 homes, businesses, churches and a hospital. Authorities have registered more than 1,700 calls about missing people and they hope to resolve most of those cases soon, as victims are identified and survivors come forth and reunite with loved ones.
This was the worst tornado to strike the United States in 60 years. It was the latest in a wave of violent storms that have swept Midwestern and southern states in recent weeks, leaving more than 300 people dead an causing more than $2 billion dollars in damage.The best headline for this newspaper article would be.
| A．Difficulties in the Rescue |
| B．The Great Loss Brought by the Tornado |
| C．Search for Survivors After the Disaster |
| D．Worst Tornado in the USA |
The word “resolve” in Para 5 probably means.
| A．cover | B．settle | C．overcome | D．challenge |
The number of death caused by the tornado that struck Joplin reached more than.
| A．100 | B．300 | C．400 | D．1,700 |
From the
text, it can be inferred that.
| A．many victims might be under the ruins |
| B．it was impossible to find out surviors |
| C．the tornado lasted several weeks |
| D．the bad weather influenced the rescue greatly |
Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak（浸人）slowly into the ground be
fore it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoe
s to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the locals climatem, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
| A．They can keep the rain and storm water. |
| B．They can help reduce the pollution problem. |
| C．They can be healthy for the people around. |
| D．They can make the environment more beautiful. |
One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that.
| A．they cost less and are much easier to get |
| B．they may attract local wildlife to come |
| C．they require little care from the local gardeners |
| D．they are more used to the local growing conditions |
What do we know about rain gardens?
| A．They need little water after all the plants are planted. |
| B．They usually need at least an inch of rainwater a week. |
| C．They may attract local birds and change the locals climate. |
| D．They may reduce the water pollution problem by 70%. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Homeowners. | B．Governors. | C．Engineers, | D．Educators. |