As a group of young African immigrants struggle to adapt to life in the United States, an after-school drama program at White Oak Middle School aims to make their lives easier by first making them a little harder.
Project X is a program that uses drama, dance, poetry and other creative outlets to help students discuss the tough and sometimes painful problems they face as pre-teen immigrants with language barriers. A final unveiling of their creation will be performed for friends and family at the end of the year at Imagination Stage.
Wanjiru Kamau, coordinator of White Oak’s African Club said it’s important to give troubles to group members to help them find their place at the school. “It comforts those who are uncomfortable, and it discomforts those who are comfortable,” Kamau said of Project X.
Kamau teamed up with Imagination Stage after she noticed that many African students seemed uncomfortable talking about problems, such as being laughed at by their fellow students about how they look and talk. When most of the kids join the club, they speak little or no English, Kamau said. Each week, the club typically draws five to ten students who are originally from Africa for discussion sessions and the Project X programme.
“We are going to express ourselves through our words and our actions, and that’s powerful,” said teaching artist Meg Green as she introduced fill-in-the-blank poems the students wrote about their identities.
One student, Frank Ketchouang, 13, wrote, “I am from the world; I am love,” which drew oohs and aahs from the group. Ketchouang has been in the United States for less than a year, said Program Coordinator Chad Dike. When Ketchouang started attending Project X, he had been in the United States for two months and spoke no English. Now he’s one of the group’s most outgoing members and helps translate instructions from English to Creole for the group’s newest member, who is from Haiti.
Many people will give up when there’s a language barrier, “but these students prove them wrong”. Kamau said. “You do have something to give. You are important. When TV, media, etc. are bringing them down, this program is bringing them up.”Project X is intended for helping the young African immigrants to_________.
| A．get over language barriers |
| B．enrich after-school life |
| C．overcome tough problems |
| D．become more creative |
How well the members learn in the Project X program is shown by_________.
| A．their annual creative performances |
| B．their annual scores gained at school |
| C．the comments of friends and family |
| D．the comments of the program teachers |
What do we know about the Imagination Stage?
| A．It’s established by Kamau for Project X. |
| B．It’s a cooperative partner of White Oak’S African Club. |
| C．It’s a project designed by White Oak Middle School. |
| D．It’s operated once at the end of each year. |
According to the author, what Franck Ketchouang wrote was______.
| A．silly | B．simple | C．excellent | D．contradictory |
The passage is written mainly to_______.
| A．introduce the Project X program |
| B．inspire immigrants to never give up |
| C．advocate White Oak’S African Club |
| D．call for more attention to immigrants |
Analysis of the composition of quicksand shows that there are four key ingredients—sand, obviously water, clay and salt. Together these materials form a structure resembling a house of cards, with large water-filled gaps between the sand particles, which are loosely glued in place by the clay. As long as it’s left alone, the structure remains stable. But as soon as it’s disturbed, by stepping on it, the clay changes from a jelly-like consistency to a runny liquid. The effect is the same as stirring a pot of yoghurt. Liquefying(溶解)the clay makes the quicksand about one million times runnier, and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down, with you inside it.
Very quickly, the sand sinks to the bottom and the water floats to the top. This is where the salt comes in. When there’s enough salt present, as soon as the clay particles liquefy, electrical charges make them begin to stick together to form bigger particles and these also settle with the sand. Quicksand is a mixture which looks like solid, but behaves more like a liquid.
Despite its murderous reputation, quicksand does not such people under and swallow them, although it can hold a person in firm grip. The human body is more buoyant(有浮力) in quicksand than in water, and sooner or later anyone trapped in it will float.
Unlike most liquids, quicksand’s viscosity, or “runniness” can suddenly change if it comes under pressure, for example under a human foot. The surface gives way and the victim quickly sinks in up to the knees, surrounded by an area of dirty things that turns semi-solid around its victim. Escaping from the quicksand’s grip(紧握) requires a large amount of force. Without something solid to pull at, people often find they are stuck fast. Pulling at one leg simply makes the other one sink further.
So how do you escape from quicksand’s control? Stay still and call for help. Staying still stops you sinking any further, until--with luck--help arrives on the scene. If no one appears and you need to draw yourself out, gently lie down on your back until your body is floating on the sand. Next, roll over onto your stomach and pull yourself forwards with your hands, so that you gradually “swim” towards firmer ground. It is a slow and dirty business, but it works.
This technique has one barrier: it goes against a very powerful human nature. Faced with danger in the open, nine out of ten stay on their feet so that they can run away, in which case it can worsen the situation.Which ingredient of the quicksand make someone trapped in it stuck and stuck fast?
| A．Sand | B．Clay | C．Water | D．Salt |
From the passage we can learn that ________
| A．as long as you are strong enough, you can pull yourself up from quicksand on your own |
| B．clay glues sand particles loosely, which makes quicksand stable, unless it is disturbed |
| C．because anyone trapped in quicksand will float, there is little possibility of him dying |
| D．looking like solid ground, quicksand is actually liquid |
If someone is trapped in quicksand, what should he do?
| A．Remain calm and wave for help |
| B．Stand in quicksand and get ready to run away as quickly as possible |
| C．“Swimming” is one of the best choices he can use to escape |
| D．Once in quicksand, lie down on his stomach immediately and swim slowly to safety |
What might be the best title of the passage?
| A．A human killer--quicksand |
| B．How to escape from danger |
| C．An awful experience in quicksand |
| D．What to do if trapped in quicksand |
What does the future hold for the problem of housing? A good deal depends, of course, on the meaning of “future”. If one is thinking in terms of science fiction and the space age, it is at least possible to assume that man will have solved such trivial and earthly problems as housing. Writers of science fiction, from H.G. Wells onwards, have had little to say on the subject. They have conveyed the suggestion that men will live in great comfort, with every imaginable apparatus(设备) to make life smooth, healthy and easy, if not happy. But they have not said what his house will be made of. Perhaps some new building material, as yet unimagined, will have been discovered or invented at least. One may be certain that bricks and mortar(泥灰，灰浆) will long have gone out of fashion.
But the problems of the next generation or two can more readily be imagined. Scientists have already pointed out that unless something is done either to restrict the world’s rapid growth in population or to discover and develop new sources of food (or both), millions of people will be dying of starvation or at the best suffering from underfeeding before this century is out. But nobody has yet worked out any plan for housing these growing populations. Admittedly the worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world, where housing can be light structure or in backward areas where standards are traditionally low. But even the minimum shelter requires materials of some kind and in the teeming, bulging towns the low-standard “housing” of flattened petrol cans and dirty canvas is far more wasteful of ground space than can be tolerated.
Since the war, Hong Kong has suffered the kind of crisis which is likely to arise in many other places during the next generation. Literally millions of refugees arrived to swell the already growing population and emergency steps had to be taken rapidly to prevent squalor(肮脏)and disease and the spread crime. The city is tackling the situation energetically and enormous blocks of tenements(贫民住宅)are rising at an astonishing aped. But Hong Kong is only one small part of what will certainly become a vast problem and not merely a housing problem, because when population grows at this rate there are accompanying problems of education, transport, hospital services, drainage, water supply and so on. Not every area may give the same resources as Hong Kong to draw upon and the search for quicker and cheaper methods of construction must never stop.The writer is sure that in the distant future ___.
| A．bricks and mortar will be replaced by some other building material. |
| B．a new building material will have been invented. |
| C．bricks and mortar will not be used by people who want their house to be fashionable. |
| D．a new way of using bricks and mortar will have been discovered. |
The writer believes that the biggest problem likely to confront the world before the end of the century ___.
| A．is difficult to foresee. |
| B．will be how to provide enough houses in the hottest parts of the world. |
| C．will be how to feed the ever growing population. |
| D．is the question of finding enough ground space. |
When the writer says that the worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world or in backward areas, he is referring to the fact that in these parts ___.
| A．the population growth will be the greatest. |
| B．standards of building are low. |
| C．only minimum shelter will be possible. |
| D．there is not enough ground space. |
Which of the following sentences best summarizes Paragraph 3?
| A．Hong Kong has faced a serious crisis caused by millions of refugees. |
| B．Hong Kong has successfully dealt with the emergency caused by millions of refugees. |
| C．Many parts of the world may have to face the kind of problems encountered by Hong Kong and may find it much harder to deal with them. |
| D．Hong Kong’s crisis was not only a matter of housing but included a number of other problems of population growth. |
Raising Money to Find a Cure, One Ribbon Barrette at a Time
How many times a day do we tell our kids that we’re proud of them? Probably not nearly enough. As a daughter of Chinese parents, it’s not in our culture’s nature to celebrate incredible accomplishments by announcing them to the world, but I’m going to break the rule and announce that I’m so proud of my 10-year-old daughter and all that she has done to raise money to support research to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis(CF,囊肿性纤维化)
“Mommy, ” said Emily as we rushed around the house packing our things for another day at the pool last summer. “I’m going to bring my ribbon barrettes(丝带发夹)to sell during adult swimming”
Emily’s best friend is one of the 30,000 children and adults living in the United States with Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. In the 1950s, very few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Although great progress in understanding and treating CF has led to great improvements in the length and quality of life for those with CF, there still isn’t a cure.
Last spring, Emily donated $ 140 CFF’s Great Walk in honor of her best friend living with Cystic Fibrosis. She had no idea what the summer would bring for her CFF ribbon barrette fundraise when school ended for the year. Fortunately, every time I shared a photo of Emily’s ribbon barrettes on the Internet, we received orders that privately message me or email me with requests for barrettes in their favorites colors.
Three weeks into the summer, Emily had raised $ 297 and I was spending a lot of time running her to the craft store to restock her supplies for a very good cause while my husband was packing and shipping orders all over the country. My social media accounts have served as the most powerful tool for Emily to spread the word. People notice kids doing great things and want to help the girls who are raising money to help find a cure, one ribbon barrette at a time.
Emily and her best friend have named their activity Ribbon Barrettes for Research. They have business cards and a brand new shiny website developed on a free platform, to show that any kid can do what she has been doing.
To my daughter, each sale is a victory and each order that goes out is an opportunity to spread awareness about CF. The handwritten thank-you note included in each order further shows the importance of teaching kids and parents how much their purchase support research that we hope will one day find a cure for CF.
As a parent, I love that Emily has found the power in her own voice and she has inspired others to advocate causes they care about.What is Emily’s attitude towards treating Cystic Fibrosis?
| A．Unconcerned | B．Pessimistic |
| C．Hopeful | D．Unworried |
According to the passage, Emily’s ribbon barrettes are sold mainly _______.
| A．at their school | B．in their home |
| C．in the CFF | D．on the Internet |
The underlined word “word” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.
| A．raising money to help find a cure for people with Cystic Fibrosis |
| B．shipping orders all over the country |
| C．the handwritten thank-you note |
| D．helping people with CF by making ribbon barrettes |
Speed-reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and We Chat to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Surrounded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond the intelligent stimulation.
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smart phones. They sink into comfortable chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the slow reading club isn't exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement started by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smart phones.
Slow readers, such as The Atlantic's Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to sympathize(共鸣，同感). Another study published last year in Science showed that reading novels helps people understand other's mental states and beliefs, a fundamental skill in building relationships. Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. Screens have changed our reading patterns from the straight and information left-to-right sequence to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information. Reading text punctuated(加标点符号)with links leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text. The Internet may have made us stupider, says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian. Because of the Internet, he says, we have become very good at collecting a wide range of interesting news, but we are also gradually forgetting how to sit back, reflect, and relate all these facts to each other.
Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly from The Atlantic. “You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments, you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said. “Reach for your e-reader, if you like．Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive, and also ensure you'll never lose your place.” According to Patrick Kingsley, people are stupider partly because of_____________.
| A．the straight, left-to-right screen |
| B．the lack of reflection |
| C．wide range of interesting news |
| D．a non-stop reading pattern |
According to the passage, slow reading___________.
| A．contributes to understanding among people |
| B．promotes the current technology advances |
| C．provides people with a quiet environment |
| D．cures the memory loss of elderly people |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Benefit of Reading Clubs |
| B．Reading of the Internet Age |
| C．Return of Slow Reading |
| D．Influence of Speed Reading |
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. This position also suits a college student with experience looking for a part-time job. The pay is $10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply to rebecharv@aol.com or call 800-4964.
Office Manager Wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organization and business management are required for this position. The office manager will be responsible for keeping financial (财务的) records, so he or she should be familiar with computers.
Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress Wanted
A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics (基本要素) of fine dining and customer service.
If you’re interested, please contact us at job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org to apply.
This is a part-time job.
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Duties include:
●Cleaning the washrooms
●Cleaning the furniture
●Sweeping the floors
●Other general cleaning experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour
Reply to:job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org or call 800-8197.Which of the following position is a full-time job?
| A．Babysitter. | B．Waiter / waitress. |
| C．Office manager. | D．Office cleaner. |
If a college girl with some experience caring for children wants to apply for a job, where should she send an email?
| A．job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org |
| B．rebecharv@aol.com |
| C．jim@californiaaquatics.com |
| D．job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. |
| B．One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. |
| C．Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. |
| D．A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. |
Which of the following is necessary for a waiter / waitress?
| A．Being familiar with computers. |
| B．Working well with others. |
| C．Knowing more about menus. |
| D．Having knowledge of wines. |
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