Speak confidently and think logically. Year 13 schoolboy Arunabh Prakash can't agree more. Anmabh is one of the five students that will represent New Zealand at the 26th World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) to be held in Thailand from August 5 to l5 this year.
"You've got to be persuasive, regardless of the fact that you believe in a topic or not," says the 17-year-old.
"There are a lot of speakers who are eloquent (雄辩的) but find it difficult to think logically and then there are those who have a good argument but can't deliver."
Endurance (忍耐) is another quality he says one must have in the heated arena (赛场) of expressing opinions and ideas.
"There are times when you have to debate for five hours at a go and are completely exhausted. It's quite intense. You must have the energy to debate for long hours," says Arunabh, who began debating in year 10.
The WSDC is a debating competition in the world for high school students from different countries. It involves four prepared debates and four impromptu debates — debates without specific preparations.
To gain selection for the national team for the global final, Arunabh had to compete with regional teams. Despite the mounting pressure, he says he was confident of winning.
"We didn't loose a debate in the first two days. And we had a very strong team. We were confident of our ability to win," he says.What can we know about Arunabh from the text?
| A．He started debating at the age of ten. |
| B．He is on his country's national debating team. |
| C．He argues only on the topics that he believes in. |
| D．He is unsure of winning the debating competition. |
According to Arunabh, what are important in debating?
| A．Eloquence and logic thinking. | B．Confidence and dreams. |
| C．Endurance and experience. | D．Talent and teamwork. |
The WSDC is a debating competition ______.
| A．based in Thailand |
| B．for young New Zealanders |
| C．with prepared and unprepared debates |
| D．lasting for five days |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．The Skills of Debating |
| B．Growing from the Regional Team |
| C．Schoolboy to Compete on the International Stage |
| D．The 26th World Schools Debating Championships |
Wikipedia: The Online Know-It-All
If you want to find out a piece of information about anything, the best place to search for it is Wikipedia. The name “Wikipedia” is from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning “quick”. This online encyclopedia (百科全书) is written by thousands of people around the world. Anyone with Internet access can write, add or make changes to Wikipedia articles if he or she finds it incorrect or not well written. In this way, people who know a lot about a certain subject can write about it even if they are not university professors. But contributions cannot damage Wikipedia because many experienced editors are watching pages and techies (技术专家) can write editing programs to keep track of or correct bad edits. Where there are disagreements on how to present facts, editors work together to arrive at an article that fairly represents current expert opinion on the subject.
Wikipedia is quite different from paper-based reference sources in important ways. Unlike printed encyclopedias, it is continually created and updated, with articles on historic events appearing within minutes, rather than months or years.
What’s more, Wikipedia includes articles written in about 285 languages. This fact makes it one of the few websites on the Internet that are truly international. It was started in 2001 by Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales, as a free online English-language encyclopedia project. Since its creation, it has grown rapidly into one of the largest reference websites, attracting nearly 500 million unique visitors monthly. There are more than 77,000 active contributors working on more than 22,000,000 articles in different languages. As of today, there are 4,396,866 articles in English.
So, if you are looking for some information, why not try Wikipedia? It’s free, multilingual，and informative. According to the passage, what is Wikipedia?
| A．A free website encyclopedia. | B．A computer game. |
| C．A free encyclopedia in book form. | D．An online university. |
From the passage we know that ______.
| A．Wikipedia only charges users a small fee |
| B．Wikipedia catches a wide audience |
| C．incorrect editions might do great harm to Wikipedia |
| D．it will take long to update the information on Wikipedia |
Where can we probably read the passage?
| A．In a story book. | B．In a research report. |
| C．In a science magazine. | D．In a travel brochure. |
The Couch Surfing network is an online community stretching across the globe with over one and a half million members. The basic concept is to provide a platform for travelers to contact people who are willing to put them up free of charge. Travelers connect with potential hosts online and, if they like each other, exchange details to make farther arrangements.
Basil is one traveler from Switzerland who is currently couch surfing with a Chinese host in Beijing. "I thought staying in hostel is nice but you mostly meet foreigners and speak English. If you use Couch Surfing you have chance to meet people living here and really get a chance to know the life of the place you visit. " Basil was speaking during a regular meeting of Beijing network of Couch Surfing with a membership of almost 2,000.
Although some people may have concerns about meeting complete strangers and giving them full access to your house, Beijing group member Fred Sharp from California says that the Couch Surfing community is one that generally attracts trustworthy people.
"I have never had a problem with guests. I'd say that this Couch Surfing community worldwide is a fairly trustworthy community like I say, always be cautious, make sure that you read everyone's profile that you're considering hosting, and if it doesn't feel right just say' no', it's OK. "
Originally launched in the US as a non-profit organization in 2004, Couch Surfing is growing fast across the world. China is no exception with around 30,000 members and hundreds more signing up each week. One of them is Beijing resident Hai Yan who joined in November 2009. She says the first time she hosted a guest was a very positive experience. "My first guest was from Italy. He was very kind and helpful. He bought me a present from Italy, a handbag. It's a famous brand!"
As the organization grows from strength to strength, hotel owners across the world will be watching very closely and possibly thinking twice about raising their prices too high. The Couch Surfing network is intended to __________ .
| A．offer travelers convenience to find suitable hosts for free accommodations |
| B．provide people with a platform to contact each other |
| C．find potential hosts who want to supply travelers with couches |
| D．give reliable information about hotels |
According to Fred Sharp, ______________.
| A．couch surfers can fully rely on Couch Surfing community |
| B．Couch Surfing community enables you to meet different people |
| C．Couch Surfing community is trusted by all couch surfers |
| D．Hosts may form a judgment on couch surfers and make a final decision |
We can infer from the passage that ________________.
| A．Couch Surfing has a long history |
| B．Hai Yan is satisfied with her host |
| C．Couch Surfing is getting popular in China |
| D．Basil works at the Beijing Network |
The last paragraph suggests that hotels will ___________ .
| A．be replaced by the organization |
| B．probably not charge too much |
| C．not consider raising their prices |
| D．show no concern about the organization |
In English the spelling of words does not always represent the sound. So people say /rait/ but spell it right or write, or even rite. Combinations of letters may be pronounced in many ways. And some words just seem to have too many letters.
For Americans things are a little bit easier, thanks to the work of Noah Webster, a teacher who graduated from Yale University in 1778. As a young man, he had fought against the British in the American War of Independence, and he felt that written English in the newly independent United States should have a distinctive American look.
So he began his work on American English. His first book, The Elementary Spelling Book, suggested simplifying the spelling of English words. The book was extremely popular. By the 1850s, it was selling one million copies a year, making it one of the most popular school books ever.
Many of the suggestions were quickly adopted. Center instead of centre, program instead of programme, and flavor instead of flavour. Others, however, such as removing silent letters like s in island or the final e in examine, were not .
Webster is best known for his American Dictionary of the English language, which first appeared in 1828. It introduced lots of new American words, with information about their pronunciation and use, and, of course, the new spelling. The British criticized the dictionary, but it quickly became a standard reference book in the States. Today, Webster's dictionary is still the number one dictionary for American students. What is the text mainly about?
| A．Webster and his best sellers. |
| B．British and American English. |
| C．The history of American English. |
| D．The man who made spelling simple. |
Which is the right order according to the text?
①Webster graduated from Yale University.
②American Dictionary of the English language came out.
③Webster's book was selling one million copies a year.
④Webster took part in the American War of Independence.
| A．②①③④ | B．③①②④ | C．④①③② | D．①②③④ |
What can we learn from the text?
A. All the spelling of words does not represent the sound.
B. The Elementary Spelling Book was published in the 1850s.
C. Webster's suggestions were accepted completely.What attitude do the British have towards Webster's dictionary?
| A．They thought highly of it. |
| B．They found fault with it. |
| C．They argued bitterly about it. |
| D．They followed the examples of it. |
All people need to sleep. Sleep is a necessary process that promotes proper body functioning and can improve the quality of your life. Not only is the quantity of sleep important, but also the quality of sleep.
Your bedroom should be shaped to your taste and allow you to sleep in a peaceful environment. One of the biggest mistakes people make in their sleep is to use their bedroom for activities other than sleep. If your bedroom also functions as a command station for your life and work, the likelihood of your sleeping being poor is rather high. Bedrooms should be designed, decorated and used for sleep mainly. TVs, computers and other things should not be in your bedroom if at all possible.
Establishing regular sleeping and waking times can help improve the quality of your sleep especially for those suffering from sleeplessness. Avoid hot food, caffeine, sugar and alcohol at least 4 to 6 hours before your sleep time. Develop a regular exercise program. Proper exercise and nutrition will help improve sleeping patterns. However, avoid exercising 2 hours before sleeping, since this may stimulate your body and make sleeping more difficult.
Establish a pre-bedtime rule that will help you focus on sleep. You can try deep thought，reading or deep breathing and relaxation. Your bedtime rule should be yours. Do not worry about it fitting into a specific category. Do what is best for you.
Things such as room temperature, noise and light levels and even your bed mattress(床垫) can have a lot of effect on the quality of sleep that you experience. Block out distracting noises and lights. You are in your bedroom to sleep and not be distracted by environmental interferences.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
| A．How to Deal with Sleep Problems |
| B．What is the Process of Sleep |
| C．Where Should We Sleep |
| D．How to improve Sleep Quality |
According to the author,
| A．The bedroom has many functions than expected |
| B．Computers can make people sleep fast |
| C．The bedroom is better used only for sleep |
| D．Amusements are forbidden in the bedroom by law. |
If you have sleep problems,
| A．A well-decorated bedroom is important to you |
| B．You’d better have steady sleeping and waking time |
| C．Cold food and sugar are good for you |
| D．You need proper exercise just before sleep |
The main idea of the last paragraph is
| A．a good sleep environment contributes to good sleep |
| B．blinding lights can make for a good sleep |
| C．bed mattress plays a key part in sleep |
| D．distracted people are sleepless |
Speaking from my past experience, it is very difficult to find good friends that you can trust but once you have found them, they are worth keeping forever! Therefore, I think friendship is the most important relationship that anybody could have.
The qualities I look for in a friend are a good sense of humor but sensitivity when it matters. Also that friend would have to be strong-minded and highly spirited. I think that these qualities are the key qualities to look for in a good friend.
Even the strongest friends can still have arguments, although usually about more serious topics, rather than the usual teenage childish arguments. Some matters can seriously affect a friendship. If one of your friends started experimenting with harmful and dangerous drugs, what would you do ? A good friend would try to help as much as possible, whereas a bad example of a friend would simply shrug(耸肩) and turn a blind eye.
Not only the bad things affect friendship ---- good activities do too. Such as bonding with one another, not just by going out on a night with them but by spending quality time with them and talking to each other, which indicates a good ability to communicate. This is a key aspect of a good friendship.
Good friends do not always have to be in the same age group as you. I have a good friend and she is 47 years old and I am 16.
Unfortunately, some people lose contact with their friends as they grow older, which is a sad way to lose a good friend.
I think friendship is one of the most important things in life because if you have no friends you will have no happiness. According to the author, true friendship _______.
| A．is easy to get | B．deepens with time |
| C．needs management | D．affects one’s happiness |
Paragraph 3 is mainly about______.
| A．why drugs are bad for teenagers |
| B．problems that will test friendship |
| C．ways that help avoid arguments |
| D．whether a friend is trustworthy |
According to the author, which matters least in friendship?
| A．Age. | B．Sensitivity. |
| C．Sense of humor. | D．Communication ability. |
Which of the following saying can match the author’s view on friendship?
| A．Old friends and old wines are best. |
| B．A friend without faults will never be found. |
| C．A life without a friend is a life without the sun. |
| D．a friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. |
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