Understanding Graphics （图表）
When we are reading，we often see one or two graphics in a text． Have you ever thought about these questions ： Why are they there？ What information do they give？ Do they help with our reading and understanding？
Graphics are things like pictures， maps， charts and tables． They give information to readers． Very often，we can see different kinds of graphics in books， magazines and newspapers． Writers use graphics to get the readers' attention and give them some particular （特别的） information． Graphics help to understand the given information in a text． And graphics put the information in a particular order so that it's easy to understand when we take a quick look．
It is not always true that a picture is worth a thousand words． But many things are easier to show than to tell and they may also be easier to understand． Graphics are just the right things that give a great deal of information but it doesn't take much time to read and understand．
The right way to read and understand a graphic is to look at the picture and the words together． In a graphic， only a few words are used to explain what the picture shows you． Sometimes， numbers and percentages （百分比） are also given to go with the words to explain things．
Now look at the graphic on the right． It is how a researcher used a graphic to show the number of hours spent sleeping by British teenagers each day．Can you understand it？
（1）Which of the following is mentioned as a graphic ？
A． A letter．
B． A poem．
C． A map．
D．A name card．
（2）The writer thinks graphics are important because ．
A． less space is taken on a page
B．a picture is worth a thousand words
C．a lot of time can be saved for writers
D．many things are easier to show than to tell
（3）When we read a graphic，we should ．
A． find out if there are any tables in it
B．put the information in the right order
C． count how many words there are in it
D． look at the picture and the words together
（4）The graphic given in the passage tells us that ．
A． 5 British teenagers sleep for 8～9 hours every day
B． Chinese 18﹣year﹣olds spend 5～6 hours sleeping every day
C． 17% of the British teenagers sleep for 3～4 hours each day
D． 42% of the Chinese teenagers spend 6～7 hours sleeping each day
Try reading the following sentences as fast as you can. “She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.”
Not very easy, was it? What you’ve just read is called a tongue twister (绕口令). It is an exercise made up of sounds that are hard to pronounce in order to help people pronounce words faster and more correctly. Try the next example.
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Pete Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?”
Tongue twisters usually do not have much meaning. They are just designed to improve people’s ability (能力) to pronounce words. Although they may be very difficult, these exercises are very important to people who are trying to speak English correctly. This is because tongue twisters help people to tell the differences between similar sounds.
So if you wish to pronounce words more smoothly, you’d better try picking out some tongue twisters and practicing them.Tongue twisters are helpful in improving skills.
| A．listening | B．pronunciation |
| C．writing | D．communication |
The first tongue twister is hard because .
| A．it is very boring to read |
| B．it teaches us a lot of knowledge |
| C．we don’t know who “she” is |
| D．the sounds of “s” and “sh” are similar |
The passage is probably taken from in a school newsaper.
| A．Story Time | B．Latest News |
| C．Study Garden | D．Lost and Found |
All students need to have good habits(好习惯):When you have good study habits, you learn things quickly. You also remember them easily.
Do you like to study in the living room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. The telephone bell rings there; the TV is there, and sometimes it is a good place for your pet dog or cats to play and rest. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better.
Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too. You’ll feel tired easily if there is not enough light(光线). So you should have a clean and bright lamp. To tell you the truth, the most important is that you should put your heart into your study.When you have good study habits, you will .
| A．learn things quickly | B．remember things easily |
| C．make some mistakes | D．both A and B |
The living-room is not a good place for study because it is too .
| A．quiet | B．noisy | C．good | D．clean |
You’ll feel tired easily if the light is .
| A．good | B．enough | C．bad | D．wonderful |
You should remember to before you study.
| A．clean the desk | B．tidy the room |
| C．turn off the light | D．go to the bedroom |
The best title(标题)for this passage(文章)is .
| A．Study in the bedroom | B．Good study habits |
| C．How to study | D．Desk light is important |
【改编】
| Country |
Capital |
Languages(语言) |
| India |
New Delhi |
Hindi and English |
| Canada |
Ottawa |
English and French |
| Russia |
Moscow |
Russian |
| Egypt |
Cairo |
Arabic |
| America |
Washington |
English |
From the form(表格), how many countries speak English?
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
Egyptians speak _________.
| A．French | B．Russian | C．Chinese | D．Arabic |
If you go to ______, you must learn Russian well.
| A．Canada | B．Singapore | C．Russia | D．India |
The capital of America is _______.
| A．Moscow | B．Cairo |
| C．New York | D．Washington |
From the form(表格), we can see that___is the most important language.
| A．English | B．Russian | C．French | D．Tamil |
The shock of the recent earthquake in Pakistan has brought another shock: the rise of a small island coming out from the water.
In the aftershock of the earthquake, people living in Gawadar, near the southwest coast, began to see a strange sight. They looked out into the Arabian Sea and saw a mountain-like shape coming out of the water. “I could see this gray, dome-shaped (穹顶形状的) body in the distance, like a giant whale,” Bahram Baloch, a local journalist, told the BBC. “Hundreds of people had gathered to watch it in disbelief (怀疑).”
So what happened? The earthquake measured 7.7 in magnitude (地震级数). The force was so strong that it moved the sea floor, releasing gas. This gas pushed the seabed, mostly rock and sand, upward and out of the water. This is how mud volcanoes (泥火山) are formed. The island that measures about 20 meters high, 30 meters long and 90 meters wide is actually the tip of the mud volcano.
Is it safe? Although people have visited this new island, scientists have found dangerous gas coming from the newly formed island. “Our team found bubbles rising from the surface of the island, which caught fire when a match was lit,” said Mohammad Danish, a scientist, to Universe Today.
These mud volcanoes are not rare. But it’s striking because this one has popped up(突然出现) in a populated (有人居住的) area, and not far out in the sea. However, it’s not expected to last very long. Most of these mud volcanoes are swept back under the sea within one year.After the earthquake, what did people see in the sea?
| A．A strange light. | B．A blue whale. |
| C．A mysterious island. | D．A mountain. |
Which of the following can be filled in the box to show how mud volcanoes areformed?
| A．Dangerous gas was released. |
| B．Rock and sand were mixed. |
| C．The storm blew up the sea. |
| D．Huge waves appeared. |
What does the underlined（划线的）word “tip” mean in paragraph 3?
| A．建议 | B．顶端 | C．小费 | D．倾斜 |
In the modern world, pressure is a serious problem. Today, most student are under too much pressure. Some students can’t get on well with their classmates. While others may worry about their tests. Even they can't get enough and good sleep. I’m always under pressure, too.
How can we solve the pressure problems? Here are my suggestions.
The first, tell your pressure to someone. I think a conversation with parents or teachers is necessary to solve the problem. We can talk our problems with our teachers or parents. My parents want me to be the top student in class. So they send me to all kinds of training classes at weekends. I feel tired and unhappy. Last Monday evening, I had a talk with my mother. I told her I was not lazy. I really felt tired. I needed time to relax. My mother agreed with me at last.
The second, learn to relax yourself. I think the most important way to relieve us from our pressure is to learn to relax ourselves. In order to relax ourselves, we can turn to some of our hobbies and interests. Different students have different ways. For example, we can listen to music, watch TV, or read some books. But for me I often exercise. I enjoy it. I think taking exercise can not only rest our brains and eyes but also help build our bodies. I think sports are really helpful to both my health and my study. We can also go for a trip. We can visit somewhere beautiful and peaceful to relax. And we can get close to the nature.Why does the writer feel tired and unhappy?
| A．He can't get well along with his classmates and friends. |
| B．He always worries about all his tests in school. |
| C．His parents send him to all kinds of training classes. |
| D．His teachers give him too much homework every day. |
What does the underlined word mean?
| A．增加 | B．设计 | C．消除 | D．吸纳 |
How does the writer usually relax himself?
| A．To watch TV. | B．To exercise often. |
| C．To go travelling. | D．To listen to music. |
Which of the following statements is right according to the passage?
| A．The writer gives us two ways to solve the pressure problem. |
| B．The writer thinks pressure isn't a problem in the modern world. |
| C．Sports aren't good ways to relax because it can make us tired. |
| D．There are six ways to relax ourselves in the short passage. |
What is the best title (标题) of the passage?
| A．Who to have conversations with. |
| B．How to learn to relax ourselves. |
| C．Where to go for a trip on vacation. |
| D．How to solve the pressure problems. |