Teenagers can’t afford to buy expensive gifts. So what do you do if you want to givegifts to the important people in your life? In fact, you don’t have to spend much money onholiday gifts. There are many cheap ways to do that.
Here are some make-it-yourself gifts ideas to try:
To your mom and dad:
You can clean the room, sing a song or write a letter to your mom and dad. Youcould also draw a picture if you like that.
To your teachers:
Sometimes students put their pocket money together and buy a teacher a holidaygift. Some kids would like to give their own gifts. You can send a nice card with the wordsof thanks inside. You might even write down the favorite things you’ve learned in theteacher’s class this year. It will make the teacher feel happy.
To the kids who need a friend:
The holidays are a good time to think about people who are lonely. Maybe there issomeone in your class who doesn’t seem to have any friends. Try to do something for thisperson. It could be giving a Christmas card or just chatting with him or her. It’s a smallthing, but it could mean a lot to him or her. According to the passage, teenagers don’t have to ______ their parents as a gift.
| A．sing a song to | B．draw a picture for |
| C．write a letter to | D．buy an expensive gift for |
If you want to send your teacher a card, what will you write in it?
| A．Ways to improve your grades. |
| B．The names of the students you don’t like. |
| C．Something you’ve learned in the teacher’s class. |
| D．The importance of making nice gifts by yourself. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．You should spend much money buying gifts for your teacher. |
| B．Chatting with a classmate who has few friends is also a good holiday gift. |
| C．A small gift during holidays may mean a lot to someone who feels lonely. |
| D．Sometimes students put their pocket money together to buy a teacher a gift. |
You might see this passage in a(n) ______ .
| A．notice | B．science book |
| C．school newspaper | D．advertisement |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Making Friends by Giving Gifts |
| B．Making Holiday Gifts by Yourself |
| C．How to Save Money During Holiday |
| D．How to Choose Gifts for Different People |
American high schools have a dropout rate (辍学率) of up to 50%. There are many reasons for students leaving school:
● For two thirds of the dropouts, motivation (动力) is the problem. They can’t just work hard enough.
● Almost half of them said that they had missed so many classes that they could not follow any more.
● Many said that they were not ready well enough in their earlier school.
● For a third of them, getting a job is more important than finishing school.
High school dropouts have more problems in their future lives. They are more likely (可能的) to be out of work or live a poor life. There is also a big difference in income (收入) if you compare high school dropouts with graduates. A study shows Americans with a bachelor’s degree (学士学位) get about $50,000, those with a high school diploma about $28,000 and dropouts only about $20,000.
Many younger students do not understand the influence of dropping out of school. They often need better teachers, more lessons to get good grades in subjects and more help with learning problems. Some schools in America have changed this situation. Some schools offer evening classes or allow students to come back at a later age.Some students think is more important than finishing school.
| A．finding a job | B．dealing with problems |
| C．making much money | D．studying during work |
The passage mainly tells us reasons that American high school students become dropouts.
| A．3 | B．4 |
| C．5 | D．6 |
We can learn that high school dropouts than graduates in America.
| A．work harder |
| B．take more subjects |
| C．make less money |
| D．are faced with fewer problems |
What do we know from the last paragraph (段落)?
| A．Most of the dropouts can’t work hard enough. |
| B．American high schools haven’t changed the situation at all. |
| C．Dropping out of school doesn’t influence younger students’ future lives. |
| D．Some American schools allow the dropouts to come back again at a later age. |
Sportsmanship (体育精神) means that players should try to win, but respect (尊敬), friendship and competition are also virtues (美德) of sportsmanship.
What were some of the great sportsmanship moments at the Olympics? Let’s take a look!
Respect
Respect means that players should not only respect rules but also his or her rivals (对手). During the Olympic tennis event, the world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland (瑞士) lost the gold medal. Andy Murray of Brain won it. Federer felt sad but he still congratulated his rival.
Competition
American shooter Matt Emmons failed on his final shot at both Sydney and Beijing Games. But he has never been afraid of the competition. He competed at the London Olympics and got a bronze medal.
Friendship
Badminton players Lin Dan of China and Lee Chongwei of Malaysia are big rivals on the court (球场). During the Olympic Games, Lin beat Lee to win the gold medal. Although it is a pity for Lee, he politely shook hands with his rival. Lin also gave Lee a hug and said, “Lee is such a good rival.” They always hang out together after games. Lin will invite Lee to his wedding ceremony (婚礼) this year.When did Matt Emmons get a bronze medal?
| A．At the Sydney Olympics. |
| B．At the Beijing Olympics. |
| C．At the London Olympics. |
| D．At the Athens Olympics. |
What did Lee do when Lin beat him?
| A．He cried after the game. |
| B．He shook hands with Lin. |
| C．He gave a hug to Lin. |
| D．He hurt Lin on his head. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Sportsmanship means that players only try to win. |
| B．Respect means that players should respect rules but nothing. |
| C．Matt Emmons has been afraid of the competition after failing on his final shot. |
| D．Lin wants Lee to take part in his wedding ceremony this year. |
Are you learning English and do you need help with grammar? Do you want to learn new vocabulary or slang (俚语)? Well, you can find help online with these top 5 free English as a Second Language websites.
1. Dave’s ESL Cafe
This is a complete website that can help you learn and practice English. You can read many stories and do a lot of exercises to test yourself. You can also post questions and answers onto the help center.
2. About.com
You can get free English courses from About.com and you’ll get regular e-mails that will help you learn English.
3. The Classroom by Voice of America
You can watch videos and listen to news stories to improve your listening and vocabulary skills. You can also hear English words and their meanings.
4. Heinle’s Newbury House Dictionary of American English
Do you need to find the definition of a word? Use this online dictionary to find simple and clear definitions, as well as example sentences and idioms (习语). You can also find different cultural facts.
5. Personal English Portal (门户网站) on YouTube
You can watch this series of videos on YouTube to develop your listening skills. You can also do a search for “learn English” on YouTube to find other videos. This is a good way to practice English and have fun.You can at the help center on the website Dave’s ESL Cafe.
| A．watch videos and pictures |
| B．listen to news and music |
| C．watch movies and matches |
| D．read questions and answers |
About.com often sends e-mails to its visitors to help them .
| A．get relaxed | B．have fun |
| C．become famous | D．learn English |
The underlined word “definition” means “ ” in Chinese.
| A．来源 | B．释义 |
| C．意图 | D．背景 |
History
Water polo (水球) or water ball is a team water sport. It started in England in the nineteenth century. The sport has been popular ever since.
The Sport
Water polo is played between two teams in a swimming pool. Players swim in the pool, carrying and throwing the ball to their team members. They try to score as many goals as possible.
There are 6 players and 1 goalkeeper (守门员) on a team. The teams have two different coloured caps. Visiting team field players usually wear white caps, and home team field players usually wear blue caps. Both goalkeepers wear red caps, numbered “1”. During the game, the goalkeepers can use two hands, but the other team members can only use one hand when carrying or throwing the ball. The game is divided (划分) into 4 periods. Each goal is one point.
In the Olympics
Water polo was introduced in the Olympics of 1900. The only two teams were Great Britain and Belgium (比利时). Great Britain beat Belgium at last. Water polo used to be a sport for men only, but after a long wait, women’s water polo became an official sport in the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.Water polo started in America in the 1800s.
There are 7 players on a team in a water polo game, including a goalkeeper.
The goalkeepers usually wear blue caps in water polo games.
Each water polo game has 4 periods.
Women’s water polo was introduced in the Olympic Games in 1900.
The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.
◆Try to use new information immediately（立刻）. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say"____"
◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.
◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.
◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.
◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Which should be put in the blank (空格) in Paragraph 2？
| A．Hello, Carlos. | B．How do you do? | C．Hello, I am Sophia. | D．Glad to meet you! |
What can help memorize a big number more easily according to the passage?
| A．To store it in a computer. |
| B．To break it into smaller parts. |
| C．To discuss it with a friend. |
| D．To review it before you sleep. |
What does the sentence "Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory” mean?
| A．You should tell others about your bad memory. |
| B．You should believe in other people all the time. |
| C．You should ask others to improve their memory. |
| D．You should be confident in your memory ability. |