Dear Liz,
My stay in Thailand has certainly been the experience of my life.
Life is busy and exciting. Bangkok is just like any other big city with a population of 10 million and heavy traffic. I’m very lucky because my host family is in a nice quiet area outside the city. There are Mr. and Mrs. Phairat, their son Sanan, who is 18, the daughter Chinda, who is 16, and Grandpa and Grandma.
I go to an international school with Sanan and Chinda. The school teaches about 70 percent in English, and 30 percent in Thai. I've learned some spoken language, but Thai writing is very difficult, The cooking lesson is my favourite. I'm learning all about Thai food and culture People don’t use chopsticks here, but spoons and forks. When I come back, I'm going to cook you a real Thai meal.
Last weekend we visited some temples. We also drove to Pattaya beach near Bangkok. I thought it was great, but Sanan and Chinda say that next month they’re taking me to Phuket Island, where the beaches are even more beautiful. The month after next, we’re going to travel to Mr. Phairat’s hometown in the north of Thailand. The Phairat’s own land there, and they have two elephants. I’m going to ride those elephants — and even wash them. Sanan and Chinda say it’s really fun.
I'm amazed by everything in this country, especially by the elephants. Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and way of life. They have been a traditional symbol of Thailand for many years in times of war and peace. In the seventh century, a Thai king trained 20, 000 elephants for battle.
I’ll tell you all about my Thai boxing lessons next time I write.
Love,
Mandy How many family members are there in Mandy’s host family?
| A．4 |
| B．5 |
| C．6 |
| D．7 |
Next month, Mandy is going to visit__________.
| A．Pattaya beach |
| B．Phuket Island |
| C．Phairat’s hometown |
| D．Bangkok |
From the letter we know that Mandy is__________ when she stays in Thailand.
| A．bored |
| B．quiet |
| C．excited |
| D．proud |
What is the letter mainly about?
| A．Study trip in Thailand |
| B．Food culture in Thailand |
| C．Elephant riding in Thailand |
| D．International schools in Thailand |
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
As infants, we can recognize our mothers within hours of birth. In fact, we can recognize the1 of our mother's face well before we can recognize her body shape. It's2how the brain can carry out such a function at such a young age, especially since we don't learn to walk and talk until we are over a year old. By the time we are adults, we have the ability to distinguish around 100,000 faces. How can we remember so many faces when many of us find it difficult to3 such a simple thing as a phone number? The exact process is not yet fully understood, but research around the world has begun to define the specific areas of the brain and processes4for facial recognition.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology believe that they have succeeded in5 a specific area of the brain called the fusiform face area (FFA), which is used only for facial recognition. This means that recognition of familiar objects such as our clothes or cars, is from6in the brain. Researchers also have found that the brain needs to see the whole face for recognition to take place. It had been7 thought that we only needed to see certain facial features. Meanwhile, research at University College London has found that facial recognition is not a single process, but8 involves three steps. The first step appears to be an analysis of the physical features of a person's face, which is similar to how we scan the bar codes of our groceries. In the next step, the brain decides whether the face we are looking at is already known or unknown to us. And finally, the brain furnishes the information we have collected about the person whose face we are looking at. This complex9is done in a split second so that we can behave quickly when reacting to certain situations.
Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.
“Let’s Talk”：The Free Advice Project
A few weeks ago, I took a walk around Washington Square Park. I met all the usual people：street performers, the Pigeon Guy, a group of guitarists singing in harmony. But off to the side, sitting on a bench was a woman doing something vastly different—giving free advice.
A week or two later, I set up an interview with her and we discussed her project at length.
Lisa Podell, 32, started the Free Advice Project this past May. It began as an experiment；she sat in Washington Square Park for a day with a sign that read “Free Advice” as a simple way to reach out to people. Podell was astonished at the strong response.
Podell admits that she was doubtful at first, but now she describes the project as mutually (相互地) beneficial. People learn from her—but she also learns from them. She says that the majority of those who come to her are dealing with some pretty heavy issues, and they expect her not only to listen, but also provide real answers.
Having worked as a full time teacher and now as an adolescent advisor, Podell believes that talking things out is an important in the decision-making process.
Sometimes, people walk around all day, keeping their problems in their own head and thinking about them in the same way. Podell simply strives to provide people with perspective.
I asked if there is a future plan for the Free Advice Project. Podell said she would like to promote it to each public space in New York, which would be carried out by various volunteers across the city.
It was truly inspiring to meet someone with such a big heart, especially in New York—where it is sometimes very hard to find anybody to listen. (303 words)In what way was Podell different from other people in the park? (No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________What do people in need expect Podell to do? (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________According to Podell, what should people do when making decisions?
(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________ How would Podell promote her project in New York? (No more than 15 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________
While there is no widely accepted definition of MOOCs, their key features are open access：they are currently free to participants, no entry qualifications are required, they support an unlimited number of participants and as yet, very few include any form of accreditation (认证).
Currently offered by some famous universities, MOOCs are attractive to people who do not have the financial resources to meet the growing costs of university education, or who do not have formal qualifications. They also allow participants to study at their own pace.
The potential for MOOCs to deliver education is obviously vast-they could be considered as a huge step forwards in widening participation. They also have the potential to provide a unique window on universities that offer popular and valuable courses, they may attract some participants to register for formal fee-paying programmes at the same or other universities and are likely to promote new ways of on-line education.
However, it is still very early days for MOOCs. The quality of the education provision is highly variable, with many courses offering only recordings of lectures, and delivery is particularly difficult in some special fields that require practical classes, research projects or extensive library access. Besides, wider engagement with participants requires very considerable resource. Even limited feedback or examination becomes a major task if there are several thousand students in the class.
Considering the challenges, some people argue MOOCs will soon evaporate (蒸发). But they certainly provide good opportunity for widening higher education, are a means of raising awareness of universities to audiences of tens or hundreds of thousands, and are well worthy of serious consideration. (271 words)
Section C (12 marks)
Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits the context.
When kids in parts of the world want to play, they often make soccer balls out of trash tied together with string. “ the areas used for playing fields are often rough and rocky, millions of real balls go flat (变瘪)
24 hours,” says Tim Jahnigen, a California businessman. Determined to solve this problem,
created an indestructible ball called the One World Futbol.
The ball is made of special material, ethylene-vinyl acetate foam. It’s lightweight, it’s flexible, and—
important—it holds its shape.
The One World Futbol needs no pump won’t wear out, even on rough surfaces. When tested,
withstood (经受住) being crushed by a car, and even being chewed on by a lion.
Although it costs more to produce a typical soccer ball, Jahnigen estimates the One World Futbol can last 30 years. So far, it’s been given to kids in 143 countries. (154 words)
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
[1] Fishing is probably the world's most popular sport. People spend many dollars each year on items like boats and four-wheel-drive vehicles. In addition, they spend money on fishing equipment, bait, fuel and boat repairs. And you can see that fishing can be an expensive pastime. Fishing lovers believe that their hobby is worth it. Others say that fishing is spoiling the environment and that it is a cruel hobby.
[2] Supporters of fishing say that it is a nice hobby. Firstly, of the millions of people who fish for fun, most only catch enough fish to feed their families. They catch fish that are found in large numbers, so there is little danger to the species (种类).
[3] Secondly, recreational fishermen contribute to the economy. They spend money on equipment and other items, and they also spend it indirectly by paying taxes on their equipment and fuel. Those who travel to fishing spots pay for accommodation (食宿) and airfares. This money keeps people in work and provides new jobs each year.
[4] Thirdly, fishing is relaxing and fun so it lessens stress. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol, it is far better to go fishing. People who are relaxed are generally healthier and much nicer to be near ----- except for the smell of the bait!
[5] Those who _________________ say that there are too many fish thoughtlessly taken from rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. This could lead to the dying out of some species. Modern cars and boats mean that people can fish in remote areas of the world, so no place is safe from greedy fishermen who take both males and females, leaving few fish to produce young.
[6] Those against fishing also say that it is a blood sport, which means that an animal must die so that a human can have fun. Many of the fish caught for sport are not suitable for eating, so they are thrown away. Once hooked, fish have no chance of escape.
| 1． |
What is the main idea of the passage? (no more than 4 words) |
| 2． |
According to Paragraph 2, why does fishing cause little danger to the species? (no more than 8 words) |
| 3． |
List 4 items on which people spend their money for fishing. (no more than 7 words) |
| 4． |
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. Those whosay that there are too many fish thoughtlessly taken from rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. |
| 5． |
What does the word "which" (Line 1, Paragraph6) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words) |
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