Hip hop or rap (说唱） music as it is also called, started on the street and in the clubs of the New York City in the 1970s . But today many countries have their own kind of hip hop music . This kind of music comes from reggae, disco and funk music . Rapping means speaking to the rhythm of the music, and it is an important part of the music . People rap to express how they feel about their lives and problems .
Rapping in class.
Would you like to rap in class? Well actually, hip pop music is played in more than 10,000 schools in the USA .Why ? There is a new school program called “ Flocabulary ”in which teachers use texts and hip hop CDs to help teach different school subjects . The words of the songs are just what students are studying . This makes learning easy and fun . Students and teachers are excited about the positive results it has had on exam marks . One teacher said, “ I’ve used hip hop songs in class, and I have never seen my students so crazy about history ! You can't imagine how well they imagine how well they remember what I teach ! We even try to write our own songs . ”
Whose idea was Flocabulary?
Blake Harrison, a high school student, was the first person to come up with the idea of Flocabulary . The word “ Flocabulary ” comes from the word “ flow ” and “ vocabulary ” . “ Flow ” is a rap word for “ style ”,or the way a rapper says the words of a song . “ Vocabulary ” means the words you have to learn in a language . How did he get the idea ? Well, he realized he could remember the words of a hip hop song very easily . So,why not make lessons into songs ? Today together with Alex Rappaport, a song writer, Blake produces hip hop songs for maths, science and literature (文学）. They are now used in schools with great success . Rap music started _____ in New York city .
| A．in the 1970s | B．In a high school |
| C．in the 19 th century . | D．In a music class . |
From the passage, we can learn “ Flocabulary ” is a program to _____ .
| A．Write rap music . | B．Sing a song by talking |
| C．Remember the words of a song . | D．help teach some school subjects. |
The underlined word positive in paragraph 2 most probably means _____
| A．bad | B．good | C．final | D．direct |
Blake Harrison has produced hip hop songs for school subject EXCEPT _____ .
| A．maths | B．science | C．history | D．literature |
Do you like listening to music? Do you often turn up the music when you’re using earphones? If so, your hearing may have been damaged(损坏).
The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried that 1.1 billion children and young people are damaging their hearing by listening to loud music. Nearly half the young people in developed countries may lose their hearing because of the "unsafe use" of music players, including smartphones. Loud music in nightclubs, parties and at sports also make it worse. The WHO advises young people to listen to music for just one hour a day. Dr. Etienne Krug told BBC: "What we're trying to do is to draw people's attention to a problem that is not talked about enough." He said it's easy to solve this problem.
Dr. Krug said keeping the music down and limiting (限制) the listening time to less than one hour a day would save a lot of people's hearing. However, he also said, "Even an hour can be too much if the music is too loud.” Ralph Holme, a researcher, explained how loud noise can damage ears. He said: "Loud sounds damage your hearing by killing off thousands of little hair cells(细胞) in the inner ear. The cells can tell different sounds through vibration(振动). But they are very fragile—they get damaged easily and even die if they vibrate too much because of loud sounds for too long.” He warned: "The bigger problem is they don't grow back and the ear can no longer get sound."
No one wants to lose their hearing! Therefore, next time when you listen to music, make sure it's not too loud and only listen for less than an hour. You can enjoy your music much better in this way.How are the children and young people damaging their hearing?
| A．By using smartphones. |
| B．By going to the party. |
| C．By listening to loud music. |
| D．By talking with friends. |
How long does WHO advise young people to listen to music a day?
| A．For a long time. |
| B．For just one hour. |
| C．For half of the day. |
| D．For more than one hour. |
What does the word “fragile” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Weak. |
| B．Clever. |
| C．Small. |
| D．Strong. |
From the passage we can learn that __________.
| A．keeping the music down would save young people's hearing |
| B．the damaged cells can grow back and the ear can get sound |
| C．young people lose their hearing because of going to the nightclubs |
| D．the problem of young people's hearing damage is talked about enough |
Suspended (待用的) Coffee
This story will warm you better than a coffee on a cold winter day.
One day, my friend and I entered a little coffeehouse and ordered two cups of coffee. While we were waiting, two young men came in and began to order, “Five cups of coffee, please. Two of them for us and three suspended.” They paid for their order, took the two and left. I asked my friend:“What are those 'suspended' coffees?” Instead of giving me the answer, he told me to wait and see.
Some more people came. Two girls asked for one coffee each, paid and went away. Thencame three lawyers who paid for seven coffees—three for themselves and four suspended. While I still wonderedwhat the suspended coffees were, I enjoyed the sunny weather and the beautiful view in front of the coffeehouse. Suddenly a poor man like a beggar(乞丐) came into the coffeehouse. He kindly ordered a suspended coffee and sat there to drink it.
At that moment, I knew the meaning of the suspended coffees. It's simple — people pay the coffee in advance(预先) for someone who can't afford it. The tradition with the suspended coffees started inItaly, but it has spread all over the world. Meanwhile, I understood suspendedcoffee is not only a cup of coffee, but also the warmth and love to someone in need.How many cups of coffee did the two young men order?
| A．One. |
| B．Four. |
| C．Five |
| D．Seven. |
Who ordered a suspended coffee ?
| A．My friend. |
| B．Two girls. |
| C．Three lawyers. |
| D．A poor man. |
The tradition with the suspended coffee started in ______.
| A．America |
| B．Italy |
| C．England |
| D．Canada |
The writer wants to tell us to ______.
| A．pay for others |
| B．enjoy the sunshine |
| C．help someone in need |
| D．order more than before |
You are good with children, so you can call at________.
| A．605-968-5957 |
| B．602-752-3425 |
| C．601-200-4365 |
| D．604-368-2745 |
If you are interested in repairing things, you can go to ________.
| A．Blue Water Beach |
| B．Home Love |
| C．Sunny Children's Hospital |
| D．S.O.S Children's Village |
If you want to volunteer on the beach this weekend, it will take you ________.
| A．one hour |
| B．two hours |
| C．eight hours |
| D．ten hours |
What can you doin S.O.S Children's Village?
| A．Clean up the beach. |
| B．Fix up old things. |
| C．Playfun games. |
| D．Teach English. |
Countless people long to make a difference this holiday season, yet they don’t realize that opportunities to make a difference are everywhere. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Organize a blank drive
It is cold outside, but imagine how thousands of homeless people may feel without a home of their own, or even a blanket to keep them from the cold. Organize a blank drive for your local homeless, and ask around for donations!
Practice random acts of kindness
I’ll never forget the time when I went to pay for my Dr. Pepper, but the server resisted, saying my bill was paid by an anonymous(匿名的) guest. It’s this random act of kindness that restores my faith in humanity. Bless someone by paying for their drink at Starbucks, or praising them! If you live somewhere where it snows, shovel your neighbor’s snow out of their driveway for them! Whether it is as simple as praise or as complex as paying the bill, you’ll never know how far your impact will reach.
Say thank you
ust a simple thank-you can make somebody’s day, especially if they feel like their work is never noticed. Cultivate（培养）a smile on their face by being sincere and grateful for all that they do.
Use your talents to help the community
The best way to show your appreciation for people is by using the talents and skills you have to bless others. For me, I love to coordinate（协调）events and write , and so my way of reaching out to the community is through writing articles and creating awareness about problems we face today. If you can bake, make some delicious cookies for people to enjoy! If you can knit, put your talents to use by making clothes for children in foster care. Any talent can be used to help the community in meaningful ways.
Wish you a happy, healthy and helpful holiday season.If you join a blank drive, you can _________.
| A．collect donations for the homeless people |
| B．bring a blanket to go on a trip |
| C．buy a home for homeless people |
| D．keep yourself from the cold |
How did the author restore his faith in humanity?
| A．He helps others |
| B．He often blessed others |
| C．He got help from others |
| D．He got praised by others |
The underlined phrase “make somebody’s day” is to_________.
| A．make someone feel grateful all day |
| B．do something unnoticed by people |
| C．make someone feel good all day |
| D．help someone to solve problems |
What is the author’s talent?
| A．Sewing |
| B．Writing |
| C．Baking |
| D．Knitting |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Make a Difference in Your Holiday Season |
| B．Make the Best of Talent |
| C．Enjoy Your Holiday Season |
| D．Help Others in Need |
When a computer works on a group of programs, it can get very hot. Cooling the computer can cost a lot. So some scientists wonder what would happen if the heat from the computer could be used.
Large Internet companies (公司) such as Google and Microsoft have thousands of computers. As these computers deal with information, they produce lots of heat, so they need huge cooling systems (系统). These systems send the heat into the air.
A company in Holland (荷兰) thinks paying to make the computers work and then paying again to cool them are a waste of energy. So the company developed a special device—the e-Radiator.
Boaz Leupe, head of the company, says that e-Radiator works as a heating system and saves money. He explains that the energy is used twice—once to heat the home and once to cool the computer and that the users don’t have to pay to cool their computers.
Five homeowners in Holland are testing the heating system in their homes.
“We pay for the computer using, so, in that way, homeowners get heating for free,”Boaz says.
Jan Visser is one of the homeowners. “If you use the computer more, the e-Radiator producers more heat, ”he says, “It cannot provide enough heat if you don’t use your computer often.” But he is ready to try it. It’s a great help for his family.
The company says e-Radiators produce heat temperatures of up to 55℃. It says the system could save its users about $440 a year.Before the e-Radiator appears, usually the heat of a computer ______.
| A．is sent into the air |
| B．helps the five homeowners |
| C．is used twice |
| D．makes the computer work better |
The e-radiator is mainly used _____.
| A．to drive the computer |
| B．to help Microsoft |
| C．to heat the computer |
| D．to provide heat |
The Chinese meaning of the word “device” in this passage is probably “____”.
| A．节能 |
| B．实验 |
| C．仪器 |
| D．开关 |
The best title of the passage may be “_____”.
| A．An Environment Problem |
| B．A New Way to Heat Homes |
| C．The Future Computers |
| D．The Energy to Be Wasted |
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