Sometimes it seems that time is flying． Perhaps it doesn't need to feel this way． Our experience of time can be possibly changed． By understanding the psychological （心理学的） processes behind our different experiences of time， we might be able to slow down time a little．
One basic law of psychological time is that time seems to slow down when we're exposed（接触） to new environments and experiences． The law is caused by the relationship between our experience of time and the amount of information our minds process． The more information our minds take in， the slower time seems to pass．
It follows， then， that we have different experiences of time in different situations． In some situations， our life is full of new experiences． Our minds process a lot of information and time seems to slow down． In other situations， we have fewer new experiences and the world around us becomes more and more familiar（熟悉的）． We become insensitive to our experience， which means we process less information， and time seems to speed up．
How can we slow down time？ Here are two suggestions．
Firstly， since we know that familiarity makes time pass faster， we can expose ourselves to as many new experiences as possible． We can give ourselves new challenges， meet new people， and expose our minds to new information， hobbies and skills． This will increase the amount of information our minds process and expand （增加） our experience of time．
Secondly， and perhaps most effectively， we can give our whole attention to an experience﹣to what we are seeing， feeling， tasting， smelling or hearing． This means living through our senses rather than through our thoughts． For example， on the way home， focus your attention outside of yourself， instead of thinking about the problems you have to deal with． Look at the sky， or at the buildings you pass， traveling among them． This open attitude to your experiences helps take in more information and also has a time﹣expanding effect．
To a certain degree， we can understand and control our experience of time passing． It's possible for us to slow down time by expanding our experience of time．
（1）According to the writer， we can expand our experience of time by ．
A． going to bed on time
B． traveling to new places
C． having dinner as usual
D． printing the same materials
（2）What can we learn from the passage？
A． Being familiar with the world around helps us get more information．
B． Understanding psychological time makes life pass more quickly．
C． We can take in more information by living through our senses．
D． We should build a stronger relationship between time and us．
（3）Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？
A． Slow Down Time
B． Only Time Will Tell
C． Race Against Time
D． Time Will Not Come Twice
阅读短文, 根据短文内容回答问题。
“Be proud of what you do,” my father often tells me. “whether（无论是） you are a manager or a cleaner.” At the age of 15, I got my first job----a summer job in a hospital. My work is to wash dishes and sweep the floors. I smiled and remembered Dad’s words.
My job was the lowest, but it made me feel excited. I saw it as a challenge(挑战) because it was my first job. I learned to be on time and tried to do everything well. People in hospital all liked me. Every morning I always thought that the dirty dishes would make people ill without my job to wash them. After breakfast was done, I started sweeping the floors of all patients’ (people who are ill) rooms and cleaning restrooms. I was very tired, but I wanted to do the job well. People often say, “That young boy really does a good job.” That gave me a pride.
Working in the hospital taught me that being proud of one’s job is important. It doesn’t matter whether the job is sweeping floors or doing a large business. I have swept floors, and I have been a manager. My father’s words have always stayed with me. I think Dad would be proud of me.When did the writer start his first job?
Did the writer feel excited or nervous about his first job?
Did people in hospital like the writer?
What did the writer do when he was in the hospital?
What made the writer do everything well?
We often ask for information or help, especially(尤其) when we visit a foreign country. So knowing how to ask for information politely is important. In English, “Where are the restrooms?” and “Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?” are correct English, but the first could sound rude（粗鲁）. It’s important to use correct language, but sometimes we need to learn how to be polite（礼貌）.
In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. If you say to your teacher, “Where is my book?” This will sound rude. But if you say, “Excuse me, Mr West. Do you know where my book is?” Your question will sound much more polite. Of course it might be all right to say “Where is my book?” in some situations, perhaps with people you know well.
“Peter, lend me your pen.” can sound rude in English. Usually in English, polite questions are longer such as “Could you please…?” or “Can I ask…?” It sounds more polite to say, “Peter, could you please lend me your pen?” Sometimes we might even need to spend some time when you stop a stranger in the street. We might first say, “Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me” or “I’m sorry to trouble you but,” before asking them for help.
It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct(直接). However, in order not to offend(冒犯) people, learning about language etiquette(规矩) is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary. And doing this will also help you become better at English, or any other language you wish to speak.What is the polite way when you ask for help?
| A．Pass me the watch, Li Tao. |
| B．Where is the supermarket? |
| C．Tell me where I can find a bank. |
| D．Excuse me, how could I get to the book shop? |
Why do we need to learn polite language? Because _____.
| A．they can improve our grammar and vocabulary |
| B．they can help us become better at English |
| C．everyone wants to be polite |
| D．the teachers tell us to do so |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．When and how to use correct language is important. |
| B．How to start a polite talking with strange people. |
| C．Correct language is as important as polite one. |
| D．People should learn to speak politely. |
Bags of Love
Last year, I worked in a middle school near my mother’s house, and I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped her do some housework and buy some food.
After the first week, I noticed that the food was eaten up very quickly. Then I began keeping an eye on my mum. To my surprise, I found that she would put some of the food into a paper bag and go out with it at about nine every morning. And finally, I decided to follow her. I saw her taking the food to the street children. She would also spend a lot of time talking and playing with them.
One day, I talked to a neighbour and found out that my mum was well-known in the area. The children were very friendly with her and even thought of her as their own mother. Then it hit me—why wouldn’t she want to tell me about it? Was she worried that I would stop buying food if I found out?
When my mum got home, I gave her a big hug(拥抱). I told her she didn’t need to keep it a secret from me. And she told me something about the children. Some of them lived with an old lady in a small house. Others slept on the street. For years, she was helping the poor street children by giving them food. After she told me everything, I was so moved by how selfless(无私的) she was. She helped others in need. As her son, I was so proud of my mum.
I continued to buy food for my mum after that. But I always added one more bag for her other children.After the first week, the writer noticed that .
| A．the food was put into a big box |
| B．his mum followed the children |
| C．the food was eaten up quickly |
| D．his mum stopped buying food |
The street children thought of the writer’s mum as their .
| A．old grandma | B．own mother |
| C．new neighbour | D．dear teacher |
How did the writer feel about his mum after she told him everything?
| A．He was proud of her. |
| B．He was confident in her. |
| C．He was angry with her. |
| D．He was worried about her. |
The writer added one more bag of food to .
| A．make friends with the children |
| B．get a hug from his mother |
| C．become well-known in the area |
| D．help the poor street children |
The following is a true story. It happened in a small village in Australia, where some dangerous animals live in the forest.
Lisa, a 33-year-old mother, went to cook lunch in the kitchen, her 3-year-old son, Barney, playing by himself in the garden.
Suddenly, a loud cry of Barney came into the mother’s ears. Lisa rushed into the garden in a hurry and found a big snake entwining（缠绕）the little boy with its terrible body and trying to eat the boy. It was a boa（蟒）. Lisa was terrified and quite angry. She decided to save her son from the boa’s mouth.
It was great mother’s love that made Lisa forget what she was facing. She took up a hoe（锄）from the ground and beat the boa as hard as she could.
One…two…with the hoe, Lisa beat the boa time and time again, but useless. The little boy’s voice and breath were getting weaker and weaker. Lisa’s heart was broken and she got nearly mad.
Suddenly Lisa put away the hoe and threw herself to the boa, opened her mouth and bit into the boa’s back. The boa was so badly hurt that it let go of Barney and moved into the forest hurriedly. It had never known how a woman had such terrible sharp teeth. Soon the boa was found dead in the forest.
It was great mother’s love that saved the little boy.When she came into the garden, Lisa found _____.
| A．her son was in danger of losing his life |
| B．her son was playing with a big snake |
| C．a boa was playing with her son |
| D．Barney was fighting with a boa |
What is the Chinese meaning of the word “terrified” in the passage?
| A．激动的 | B．惊恐的 | C．平静的 | D．难过的 |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Lisa was getting weaker and weaker. |
| B．Lisa got mad when she saw her son in danger. |
| C．Lisa opened her mouth and bit into the boa’s back. |
| D．Lisa beat the snake with the hoe as hard as she could. |
In this passage the writer mainly wants to tell us _____.
| A．a boa is a dangerous animal |
| B．how great mother’s love is |
| C．how sharp the woman’s teeth are |
| D．the boy is too young to fight against the boa |
 My favourite season… |
|
 Matt / UK |
My favourite season is spring, because everything is getting new and fresh again. I like having picnics and taking photos with my friends. I don’t like autumn, because I know that it’s going to be getting cold soon. Share（4）  Support（7） |
 Anna / Germany |
Autumn is my favourite season. I love the changing of leaves. I like the colours. I love the autumn wind that blows the leaves around. And I often take a walk in that autumn air with a warm cup of coffee. My least favourite season is summer, because it’s too hot.Share（8） Support（15） |
 Neil / Canada |
I like summer best. It’s very cool in my hometown, and it’s nice to have a long and sunny summer. There are a lot of outdoor activities you can take part in, such as going camping. My least favourite is winter, because it’s pretty cold, and you don’t want to go outside.Share（10） Support（21） |
 Kat / US |
My favourite season is winter, because there’s a lot of snow, and it’s very beautiful. When the countryside is covered with snow, it’s perfectly white. Also, I love building snowmen with my friends. So I like winter.Share（17） Support（23） |
Matt’s favourite season is .
| A．spring | B．summer | C．autumn | D．winter |
Where is Anna from?
| A．The US. | B．Canada. | C．The UK. | D．Germany. |
What’s the weather like in Neil’s hometown in summer?
| A．Wet. | B．Cool. | C．Windy. | D．Cloudy. |
In winter, Kat loves .
| A．going camping | B．taking a walk |
| C．building snowmen | D．having picnics |