Resting her phone on a stand and making the light more suitable， 49﹣year﹣old Lyu Min started her livestreaming session﹣her daily job during the COVID﹣19 outbreak．Dressed in a qipao， a traditional Chinese dress， Lyu started the livestreaming session from her workshop at 10 in the morning， sharing the art of making Chinese knots with many handicraft （手工艺） lovers． Lyu， an inheritor （继承人） of the art of making Chinese knots， which is listed as an intangible （非物质） cultural heritage， became a livestreaming host．
"Though the sales of Chinese knots have dropped a lot， I'm still confident that I can get out of the trouble brought by the outbreak． I can make full use of this period to improve my skills and develop this traditional handicraft online，" she said． Lyu is quite new to the world of livestreaming， having bought all the necessary equipment （设备） after following her friends advice． She practises livestreaming every day and records a large number of educational videos． As face﹣to﹣face interaction is still impractical for many， even as the outbreak has been largely brought under control in China， she thinks livestreaming classes can meet more Chinese knot lovers' needs to learn the handicraft．
She has integrated the anti﹣epidemic spirit into her works， expressing the determination （决心） and confidence of the Chinese people to win against the COVID﹣19． "I love Wuhan， where I showed my works in 2019． Chinese knots are popular among many local people， and I made lots of friends there，" Lyu said． She designed a special Chinese knot to express her thanks to the medics who were sent to support Wuhan several months ago．
She has more than 200 followers right now． There are more and more Chinese knot lovers on her online platform． She is using a length of colored string and determination to keep this traditional art of Chinese knots alive online and help more people understand the culture．
（1）The underlined word "livestreaming" in Paragraph 1 is close to " "．
A． sending out while happening
B． equipment for recording videos
C． sending out after recording
D． equipment for making handicrafts
（2）Which of the following is true according to the passage？
A． Lyu Min advised her friends to livestream traditional handicraft online．
B． Lyu Min's friends provided the necessary equipment for her to livestream．
C． Chinese knots sell very well in Lyu Min's workshop through the Internet．
D． More Chinese knot lovers want to learn the handicraft because of Lyu Min．
（3）What does Lyu Min think of the future of Chinese knots？
A． Unexpected．
B． Hopeful．
C． Difficult．
D． Doubtful．
（4）What's the best title for the passage？
A． Having online classes during the outbreak
B． Introducing an intangible cultural heritage
C． Livestreaming the art of making Chinese knots
D． Expressing thanks to the doctors and nurses
My wife and I were on our honeymoon in our homeland， visiting my parents﹣in﹣law．My wife Helen was making a film and my job was to make up the music， but I didn't bring my guitar with me． I locked myself in the barn toilet，and carved a guitar neck from a scrap（废弃的） piece of wood． In the barn， I found a drum， which used to be part of an old tape﹣recorder， It's like a guitar， but it has four strings． So is it a balalaika or a guitar？ They have something in common （共性）， we call it a balalaika but it's played differently． |
Our daughter Kitty had just started school，so she needed a place to do her homework．There isn't much room except a table in the kitchen．When my wife cooks，she needs to use the table． One day I walked past a rubbish bin and saw a folding （可折叠的） table lying there．I thought I could make something out of it． It was just the right size a bigger one wouldn't have fitted into the room．I fixed a slab of board for the desk and made the back of the seat softer，then I oiled the screws so it is easier to fold． |
Our dad's friend made the Little House for his daughter．It was made of wood and bricks which were thrown away．And when she grew up， he offered it to us．So how long has it been standing here？ I'm forty years old now， so it must be at least fifty．The man's name was Bob．He's not alive any more but I still remember the nice time in the Little House． When my children were growing up， they used to say "We're going to play in the Little House!"or "Where are you？ I'm in the Little House!" |
It's a go﹣kart for my son Tom to ride down the hill．He wanted to make one so I helped him．I had bought him one，but he wasn't satisfied with that．I just made it from pieces lying around．The wheels were from two different scrapped carts． My father﹣in﹣law had them in his barn．He doesn't throw anything away． I only used cart parts， some wood， a cushioned seat， and a rope．It cost nothing． My son likes it so much． I feel so happy． |
（1）Which of the following was given by a friend？
（2）What do the four stories have in common？
A． The children in the stories were good at DIY．
B． Fathers made the four objects for their children．
C． Some scrap materials were made good use of．
D． The four objects were made just for pleasure．
（3）From the passage， we can infer （推断） that ．
A． Kitty's father did not have money to buy a new table
B． at least four children once played in the Little House
C． Helen and her husband were good at making instruments
D． Tom enjoyed making things like his father and grandfather
Me：Hello， Television Viewers! I am Aziza Bellamy，and thanks for watching．I want to especially thank you，Ms．Bertha，for agreeing to this interview on live television．It's a pleasure to meet you，the first﹣known transgalactic visitor to Earth，Now， I understand that you are from a planet called Zadernol？
Bertha：Just call me Miss Bertha or Bertha，please，but not "Ms．"
Me：Okay，sorry about that．So，you've been on Earth for about a week now．What have been your biggest disappointments or challenges so far？
Bertha：It's not the worst planet I've ever been to．Mercury was much worse．The aliens﹣oops，I mean humans， have been unkind，overall．The family I'm staying with，for example，were nice at first．But now they roll their eyes whenever I open my mouth to say anything．They're not interested in any of my stories．And I think they may be trying to avoid me．Worst of all，they make me wash my own dishes and bathe myself．They're so rude．
Me：Oh，um…wow．That's just…
Bertha：I am used to having high standards when I choose where to stay，by the way．I have stayed with royalty and presidents on other planes．And they all adored（崇拜） me and begged me not to leave．But I gave this human family a chance to host me．I mean，really，they should be grateful that I selected them，of all the people on Earth， to wash my clothes and cook my meals and entertain（款待） me．
Me：Well， what you're saying is surprising，Bertha．Do you think it's possible that this family just wants you to pitch in a little， to be a good guest？
Bertha：It's odd to me that you're not agreeing with me．If you were smarter，you'd agree with me．That's another thing．Everyone Zadernol is smarter than the smartest person on Earth．Earth is below me．
Me：You know what，Bertha？I'm staring to see why you're so unhappy here on Earth．You're just a boastful（自夸的） ， spoiled alien．
（1）Who is hosting the interview？
A．Aziza Bellamy．
B．Bertha．
C．A trans﹣galactic visitor．
D．A president．
（2）Which of the following sentences from the passage is an opinion？
A．Wall，what you're saying is surprising，Bertha．
B．So，you've been on Earth for about a week know．
c．I have stayed with royalty and presidents on other planets．
D．But now they roll their eyes whenever I open my mouth to say anything．
（3）From the passage，we know that Aziza is ．
A．proud of Bertha
B．interested in Zadernol
C．dissatisfied with Bertha
D．scared of Bertha's words
（4）What might Aziza write in his diary about the interview？
A．Talking to Bertha was great fun．I now know much about Zadernol．
B．We shoud try to improve our earth as Bertha's hometown is much better．
C．The interview was interesting．But I dislike the family Bertha is staying with．
D．It was an unusual interview， and an unexpected experience as well．
（5）We can learn from the passage that ．
A．being boastful will win us few friends
B．there are many good reasons to be boastful
C．people who boast a lot are better than others
D．boasting a lot is a good way to get people to like us
LIFE is AWKWARD．What should you do when your parents are embarrassing（使尴尬）you in front of your friends？Or what if you see what looks like a classmate stealing someone else's headphones？ In our social Q's column（专栏），the teenager Harper Ediger and the adult Philip Galances give their best advice to kids looking for help navigating real﹣life situations，Now it's your turn：Do you have a question about an uncomfortable social situation at school，at home，on social media or among friends？Email it to us at Kidsqs@njpost．com and Harper and Philip may answer it in a future issue．Please include your age and hometown．Come on，we know you have one．
To inspire（激励）you， here are reader﹣submitted questions we've published in previous issues：
My mom signs me up for camps and activities without asking what I want to do．I only learn what I'm doing at the last minute．I don't like that it's a surprise，and I feel that I should be able to help plan my time．How can I have more of a say？
At my school， fourth graders need to learn different dances，then dress up for a fancy party where we ask partners to dance with us．This makes me nervous，and I'm not looking forward to it．How should I handle this situation？
My sister is home for college break，and lucky me，she's my roommate．As I'm 12 and she's almost 19， we both want our own space．I know she doesn't mean it personally， but she always complains that she doesn't have a home， which makes me feel as if I'm intruding in my own room．Do I tell her how l feel or let it go？
（1）What should be included in your email to the social Q's column？
A．Name，age and social media
B．Age，school and hometown．
C．Age，hometown and questions．
D．Name，school and questions．
（2）The underlined word "say" in the passage means ．
A．the ability to plan time
B．the chance to set up camps
C．the right to make decisions
D．the plan to enjoy activities
（3）The writer uses some published reader﹣submitted questions in order to ．
A．show kids ways of solving problems
B．give kids examples of what to write about
C．share Harper and Philip's advice with kids
D．offer kids a chance to complain about their lives
（4）The social Q's column is designed to ．
A．help kids deal with their troubles
B．train kids to write
C．have kids introduce themselves
D．advise kids to behave well
Tea is tasty and good for you．It is also one of the most popular drinks around the world．But what is tea？And why is it so popular？
All tea comes from tea leaves but tea is not always the same．There are many kinds of tea．You can drink black tea，green tea，white tea or fruit tea．Each type of tea has a different taste and a different colour．
The history of tea begins in Asia．In China， Korea and Japan，tea is still very important today．In Japan， it can take many hours to prepare and drink tea with your guests．In Malaysia，a popular drink at breakfast is teh tarik（'pulled tea'）．Malaysians say it is good for you and tastes good with canai bread．
Tourists in Kuala Lumpur like watching the tea sellers make 'pulled tea'．The tea sellers pour hot water on black tea．After five minutes， they add sugar and milk．Then they 'pull' the tea﹣they pour the tea from one cup to another many times．
In many counties， you must have a special kettle to make tea．People in different countries also like to add different things to their tea．For example， Russians use a special kettle called a samovar．They like drinking tea with lemon．Sometimes， they also drink tea with some sugar or jam．
In Turkey， tea comes in a Caydanlik．A Caydanlik has two kettles：one for the water and one for the tea．Drink Turkish tea with some sugar．
Arab tea，called karak，has cardamom，ginger，milk and sugar．In the United Kingdom，they add some milk and sugar．
The British usually eat biscuits with their tea．In Japan， they like…
（1）Tea， a drink with a long history，first appeared in ．
A．Europe
B．America
C．Asia
D．Africa
（2）The writer uses the punctuation mark"…"at the end of the passage to ．
A．express his uncertainty of the subject
B．show his special taste in Japanese tea
C．attract readers' interest in further reading
D．hide his limited knowledge in this field
（3）What is the best title for the passage？
A．The History of Tea
B．Different Tea Kettles
C．The Most Popular Drink
D．The World in a Teacup
The Walla Walla Wallaby Foundation |
|
About WWWF Wallaby FAQ Educational Resources Photo Gallery Shop |
|
|
Welcome to the Walla Walla Wallaby Foundation of America，Washington chapter．Here you will find news， photos，and other resources about the wallaby． In addition，our site's unique（独特的）features for members include profile pages，discussion forums（论坛），and other content．We are the world's best wallaby support group． For over 20 years， the Walla Walla Wallaby Foundation has served the Walla Walla community through education and outreach on behalf of the wallaby． Search Member Login Discussion Forums Member Profiles Donate Contact Us |
（1）The Wall Walla Wallaby Foundation is set up to ．
A．sell the wallaby's food
B．support the wallaby
C．take photos of the wallaby
D．provide news about the wallaby
（2）If you want to give money to support WWWF， you can click on the icon " "．
A．About WWWF
B．Donate
C．Discussion Forums
D．Educational Resources
（3）The reading material above is ．
A．a diary
B．a story
C．a questionnaire
D．a web page
A horse fair is an interesting place． There were young horses from the country， little Welsh ponies and many beautiful horses too． But there were also a lot of poor， thin horses， tired from hard work． I was very sad to see them．
At the horse fair there was a man with a gentle voice and kind grey eyes． He offered 23 pounds for me， but they refused． Then a man with a very loud voice came． I was afraid he was going to buy me， but he walked off． Then the grey﹣eyed man came back again and said：
"I'll give 24 for him．"
"Done，"said the salesman．"He's a quality horse and if you want him for cab（出租马车）work，he's a bargain．"
Half an hour later we set off for London，along country roads，until we came to that great city．There were streets to the right， and streets to the left． We went into one of the small streets， and then into a very narrow street， with small， old houses．
My owner stopped at a house． The door opened， and a woman， a little girl and boy， came out．
"Is he gentle， father？"
"Yes， Dolly， as gentle as a kitten； you can pat him．"
Dolly， the little girl， patted my shoulder without fear． It felt so good! They led me into a comfortable， clean stable， and after a delicious meal I lay down to sleep， thinking "I'm going to be very happy here"．
My new owner's name was Jerry． His wife was called Polly and they had two children， Harry and Dolly． The next morning they came to see me． I loved it when they patted me and spoke in gentle voices．
"Le's call him 'Jack'， after the old horse， shall we， Harry？" said Dolly．
"Yes， let's，"said Harry．
The first week of my life as Jack，the London cab horse was very hard． The noise and the people and the traffic on the streets scared me． But Jerry was a very good driver， and that helped a lot． Jerry soon found that I was ready to work hard and do my best， and he didn't whip（鞭打） me．
He kept us very clean， and gave us as much food as we wanted． But the best thing was that we had Sundays of．
（1）A horse fair is a place for ．
A． people to sell and buy horses
B． horses to learn new skills
C． people to learn to ride horses
D． horses to meet new friends
（2）What did the salesman mean by saying "he is a bargain"？
A． The buyer is a good driver．
B． The horse is well worth the price．
C． 'The buyer is gentle and kind．
D． The horse is as gentle as a kitten．
（3）Living and working in London with Jerry's family，"I" felt ．
A． sad and helpless
B． challenged but satisfied
C． tired and afraid
D． curious but impatient
（4）What can be a suitable title for the passage？
A． The experiences of visiting a horse fair．
B． The chance of having a new owner．
C． The disadvantages of working in London．
D． The start of a London﹣cab﹣horse life．
We always think that it's OK for us to leave our plants home during our vacation as plants won't scream like pets， right？
A recent study done by a group of scientists at the Tel Aviv University has discovered that some plants will scream when they are under stress．
The research was carried out on tomato plants and tobacco plants by cutting their stems（茎） and depriving（剥夺） them of water． A microphone was placed 10cm away from them． When their stems were cut， the plants started "screaming" between 20 and 100 kilohertz， and the scientists guess that this scream is probably meant to warn other plants nearby．
When the tomato plants' stems were cut， 25 ultrasonic（ 超声的） pain sounds were recorded in an hour， and at the same time， 15 ultrasonic pain sounds were recorded from the tobacco plants． When they were deprived of water， the tomato plants recorded even more pain sounds with 35 pain sounds in an hour while the tobacco plants recorded about 11 pain sounds．
The plants also acted differently to different kinds of stresses． For example， the tobacco plants gave out a stronger "scream"when they were deprived of water than when their stems were cut． But plants that were in no immediate（立刻的） danger gave out less than one ultrasonic sound per hour．
The group of scientists said that plants are not as quiet as we had always thought， but in fact their voices are so high﹣pitched that we just can't hear them．
Last year， another study has found out that plants feel pain when they are touched or hurt and they will give of a terrible smell．
（1）What have the group of scientists at the Tel Aviv University discovered？
A． Some plants under stress will scream．
B． Plants in danger scream to warn others．
C． Some plants under stress feel energetic．
D． Plants in danger give off a sweet smell．
（2）What was the microphone underlined in paragraph 3 used for？
A． Cutting the stems of plants．
B． Depriving plants of water．
C． Collecting ultrasonic sounds．
D． Testing different stresses．
（3）How many ultrasonic pain sounds did the tobacco plants give out in an hour when deprived of water？
A． 11．
B． 15．
C． 25．
D． 35．
（4）What can we learn from the passage？
A． Tomato plants acted the same under different stresses．
B． Tobacco plants gave off a smell when they were safe．
C． Plants not in immediate danger screamed most weakly．
D． Plants that felt pain screamed loudly for people to hear．
Are you good with money？ Do you get pocket money from your parents or do you work to make money？Read on to find out about British teenagers and their money!
Pocket money
Most teenagers in Britain receive pocket money from their parents． They might have to do some housework to get pocket money， including cleaning， cooking， washing dishes and so on．
Part﹣time work
A part﹣time job is a choice for teenagers who don't have pocket money or who want to get extra money．About 15% teenagers have a job． Only children over the age of 13 can work． Popular part﹣time jobs for teens include babysitting， delivering（ 递送） newspapers， restaurant work and shop work． Children in Briain can work two hours a day at the most on a school day but not during school hours． During weekends and school holidays， they can work longer hours．
Bank accounts （账户）
Some children and teenagers have a bank account． There is no age limit at which you can open a bank account， but a bank manager can decide whether to open an account for a child or a young person． Parents can put pocket money directly into their child's bank account． Most banks have a prepaid bank card designed for young people．
Mobile apps
Many companies have made mobile apps for children，including GoHeny，Osper and Gimi．Parents can add money to their children's accounts and check to see how the money is spent． Children can choose to save their money or spend it using a card． The apps suggest that kids from 8 to 13 can use the cards．
So， many teenagers are getting experience working part﹣time， dealing with banks and deciding whether to save or spend their money． These are all steps towards becoming a financially independent （经济独立的）person and making and looking after your own money．
（1）How can British teenagers get their pocket money？
A． By doing homework．
B． By doing housework．
C． By opening accounts．
D． By using mobile apps．
（2）To get extra money， British teenagers over 13 can ．
A． work in shops two hours a day during weekends
B． help to take care of babies during school hours
C． deliver newspapers for three hours on school days
D． work in restaurants every day as long as they wish
（3）What does the author think of the bank accounts and mobile apps for children？
A． They may help parents save their children's money．
B． They may help kids learn to look after their money．
C． They might prevent children getting extra money．
D． They might get kids used to spending extra money．
（4）What is the passage mainly about？
A． How to get along well with the bank managers．
B． How to deal with bank accounts and mobile apps．
C． How British teenagers work part﹣time to make money．
D． How British teenagers make and manage their money．
Royal Engineers Museum Events Chinese New Year （16 Jan﹣24 Feb） Join in as the Museum celebrates the Year of the Rat! Get creative by decorating a paper lantern or creating your own rat toys． £2 per activity， not included in standard prices． The Soldiers as Artists （5 Feb﹣23 Jun） Royal Engineers were also taught drawing to help make maps． The paintings and drawings on display show not only the soldiers' drawing skills but also their talent that went beyond the training they received． Included in standard prices． Historic Headwear Hunt （19 Apr﹣26 Jul） Discover the unusual hats， caps and helmets worn by Royal Engineers! Imagine what has happened to them over the last 300 years! Included in standard prices． Medway in Time （7 Jul﹣31 Aug） Following a 15﹣week Medway Adult Education course， the Museum is proud to present artworks about the area's special history and traditions． Included in standard prices． Plan Your Visit Opening time Tuesday﹣Sunday 10 a．m．﹣5 p．m． Standard tickets Adult £9.20 Senior Citizen（老年人） £8.20 Child （5﹣15 ） £4.60 Student £7.60 Family （2Ad + 2Ch） £24.80 Serving Royal Engineers Free How to find us Located on Prince Arthur Road，Gillingham， Kent． Within walking distance from Gillingham Station． Contact us Tel： 01634 822839 www．re﹣muscum．co．uk/ contact |
（1）Which activity can Lily join in if she visits Royal Engineers Museum on 19 Aug？
A． Chinese New Year．
B． The Soldiers as Artists．
C． Medway in Time．
D． Historie Headwear Hunt．
（2）Mr Brown brought his 5﹣year﹣old son to the museum and created a rat toy， how much did they pay at least？
A． £9.20．
B． £12.80．
C． £13.80．
D． £15.80．
（3）What can visitors do when visiting Royal Engineers Museum？
A． Visitors can be taught drawing and map making．
B． Visitors can buy the hats worn by Royal Engineers．
C． Visitors can explore Medway's history and traditions．
D． Visitors can call 01634 822839 for some free tickets．
"What's wrong， Carina？" Collin asked． "Homesick again？"
His sister nodded．
"Yeah， me too．" Collin sighed（叹息）．
Their family had moved to the new place nearly four months ago． The new place was housed inside a huge transparent dome （透明的圆屋顶）． It still didn't feel like home．
"I miss my friends，" Carina said sadly． "And green grass and swimming， and everything． I even miss the sound of rain on the roof（屋顶）．"
"Worst of all，" Carina continued， "my birthday is in two days， and I don't think Mom and Dad are planning anything special． They're too busy．"
"She's probably right，" thought Collin． Life here was very busy for scientists like their parents． He doubted if they had time to plan a party． And how could they anyway？ Things such as balloons and birthday candles didn't exist here． They didn't even have enough materials to make a cake．
"Don't worry．" Collin put an arm around Carina's shoulder．
Collin walked toward the agricultural center， where his mom worked． He found her taking notes on some tall tube﹣like plants．
"What are those？" he asked．
"Bamboo plants，" said Mom． "They're strong and grow fast． They make good building materials．"
"May I have a piece？"
"Sure．" Mom handed one to him and made a note on her notebook．
The next day， Collin made tiny holes into the piece of bamboo and put small nails（钉子）into each hole． He poured a handful of pebbles（鹅卵石） inside and covered the open ends．
Collin held the bamboo piece carefully as he hurried home． He hid it behind his back and opened the front door． To his surprise， Mom and Dad were home early from work． Mom was carrying something that looked like a cake．
He looked closer and realized Mom had made a cake with dried apples and cinnamon（肉桂皮）sugar．A real treat， on the Moon．
Collin handed his sister the bamboo rod． "Happy birthday!"
"What is it？" Carina asked， looking at it curiously．
"A rain stick，" said Collin． "Whenever you turn it over， the pebbles fall around the nails and it sounds like rain．"
Carina turned the stick， and the room was filled with a sound like rain drumming on a roof．
"It's Moon Rain!" she said． "It makes me feel like I'm home．" She smiled at Collin and turned the rain stick over again．
（1）What may be the best title of this passage？
A． Bamboo Plants
B． Moon Rain
C． Homesick Again!
D． United Family
（2）What can we know from the passage？
A． This passage is part of a science fiction written for scientific research．
B． The family moved to the new place in order to do some sightseeing．
C． Their new home was on a dry land on the earth far from their old one．
D． Carina didn't think her parents would plan anything special for her birthday．
（3）Which of the following can best describe Collin？
A． Careful and brave．
B． Caring and creative．
C． Generous and intellectual．
D． Romantic and popular．
Influenza， or flu（流感）， is a type of virus． It spreads from one person to another quickly． When someone who has the flu coughs or sneezes， little droplets from their lungs （肺） spread out into the air．Anyone nearby can get sick． Even a person who touches something with the virus and then touches his or her mouth， eyes， or nose， can become infected（感染）．
The outbreak of the 1918 influenza infected about 500 million people worldwide． It killed from 20 million to 50 million people． It was first seen in Europe， the United States， and parts of Asia．It then spread quickly around the world． Many people who became sick were young， healthy adults．At the time， no treatments worked in the prevention of the spread of the killer flu． People were ordered to wear masks． Schools， theaters and other public places were closed．
When the first wave（波＞in the spring of 1918 hit， it didn't seem serious． People who were infected felt the usual flu symptoms（症状）， which are chills， fevers， and feeling tired． Those who got sick generally got better after several days． Not many died． However， a second， highly contagious（传染的）wave of influenza appeared in the fall of that same year． Victims died shortly after they were infected ﹣ within hours or days． Their skin turned blue and their lungs were filled with liquid（液体），making it very difficult to breathe．
By the summer of 1919， the flu pandemic（大流行病） came to an end． Sick people had either got well or died． Almost 90 years later， in 2008， researchers announced they'd discovered why the 1918 flu was so deadly． The flu virus inflamed （使…恶化）the lungs， causing them to fill with liquid．
Since 1918， there have been several other influenza pandemics， although none has been quite as deadly．
（1）What information about the 1918 flu is mentioned in the passage？
A． The reason why it was so deadly．
B． The reason why it ended．
C． The change it caused to medical research．
D． The place in which it was last seen．
（2）All the people that were infected with the 1918 flu ．
A． had blue skin that led to their death
B． had touched someone with the virus
C． died as their lungs were filled with liquid
D． had the virus in their bodies that made them sick
（3）Which of the following statements about the 1918 flu is TRUE according to the passage？
A． Wearing a mask was the best way to treat it．
B． A younger person had a lower risk of being infected with it．
C． People expected the coming of its second wave， but couldn't stop it．
D． It was deadlier than any other influenza pandemic in modern history．
With so much free time on our hands during lockdown， many of us have entertained the idea of knowing more about the world． Learning a foreign language is a good choice． Here are a few examples， in order of time it takes people to learn them．
Latin languages （about 600 hours）
The popular Latin languages ﹣ Italian， French， Spanish and Portuguese ﹣ require about 600 hours to learn． Of these， Spanish and Italian are the easiest for English speakers to learn． They are followed by Portuguese and finally French．
Latin languages share many words with English．However，those shared words look or sound similar， but have different meanings over time．
Greek （1，100 hours）
Modern Greek is maybe the easiest language to learn that uses a different alphabet（字母表）．It is also a language that has contributed many words to English． Indeed， the president of Greece once gave two speeches at an international meeting that included just Greek loan words（外来词） as well as the unavoidable basic English．
Japanese （2， 200 hours）
Counting objects in Japanese depends on whether they are long and thin （like "roads"）， small and round （like "apples"）， thin and flat （like "sheets of paper"）， and hundreds more examples．
What Japanese you speak also depends on your gender（性别）． There's a "rough" language for men and a more "ladylike" language for women， but you must understand both．
Chinese （2， 200 hours）
Each Chinese written word is hardly understandable when spoken between a Mandarin （普通话） speaker in Beijing and a Cantonese speaker in Guangdong． If you think that's strange， consider our number system： the symbol "2" is widely understood but it's pronounced "two" in English and "duex" in French．
（1）For an English speaker， which of the following is the easiest to learn？
A． Japanese．
B． French．
C． Greek．
D． Italian．
（2）What can we learn from the passage？
A． The same word in two languages always has the same meaning．
B． The English language and the Greek language use the same alphabet．
C． Objects are counted differently in Japanese according to their shapes．
D． A Mandarin speaker and a Cantonese speaker write Chinese differently．
（3）The purpose of this passage is to tell English speakers ．
A． how to learn some foreign languages
B． why they must learn a foreign language
C． some information on the difficulty of foreign languages
D． not to choose an Asian language to learn as it is too hard
"We all have suffered from the air pollution. If we don't call for an end to the firecrackers （鞭炮）， the environment will get worse and worse in the future. " said Zhang Wei. He put up a notice in his neighborhood. In the notice， he called on more people to set off（引爆） fewer firecrackers during this year's Spring Festival.
Lots of parents agreed with Zhang Wei. They said that they hated the noise of firecrackers. The noise often wake up their babies easily. And the babies really needed a quiet place to have enough sleep.
More Chinese are looking forward to celebrating the holiday in greener ways. Many people decide not to set off firecrackers. They decided not to waste food. They think that the new ways are fashionable（时尚的）.
"My family didn't buy firecrackers this year. Instead， we gave the money away to a charity. It's good for the environment and the charity the Internet user "Fighter" wrote on the Blog.
In my opinion， it's very important for us to celebrate our traditional festival﹣the Spring Festival. But it's more important to reduce air pollution and protect our environment. We had better express our cheerful feeling and best wishes in greener ways. We need more people like Zhang Wei or "Fighter" who uses electronic ways like QQ， Wechat or Blog. I believe more and more people will join them and our environment will get better and better.
（1）Where did Zhang Wei put up a notice？
A. In his office.
B. In the street.
C. In his neighbor hood.
D. In his house.
（2）What did many parents think of Zhang Wei's idea？
A. It was bad.
B. It was good.
C. It was not successful.
D. It was not useful.
（3）Which of the following is fashionable according to the passage？
A. Eating a lot of food.
B. Making more money.
C. Celebrating in a greener way.
D. Setting off more firecrackers.
（4）What's the best title of the passage？
A. Don't Waste Food
B. The Spring Festival Goes Green
C. Firecrackers and Noise
D. The Christmas Holiday
Four years ago， my mother gave birth to a brother for me when I was 10. I have learned a lot from getting along with him.
After he was born， I almost became a babysitter. I had to amuse him after school. I would make faces and sing to him when he was crying. Sometimes I even carried him everywhere in our yard to cheer him up while my parents were busy. What I liked to do best was to feed him when looking after him. How cute he was as he tasted his favorite food! My parents often praised me happily. As an elder brother， you've made contributions to looking after your younger brother.
I have got happiness from looking after my brother. When I was young， I was the only child in my family. I could get what I wanted from my parents. I was a "Little Emperor" in my family.
But now， as long as I get something good， I want to give it to my brother first. I remembered the year when he was three， he was fond of Rubik cubes（魔方）. I bought one for him with my lucky money as a birthday present. When he got it， he was so happy that he laughed， hugged me and kissed me.
Thanks for spending these years together with my family. It has taught me how to be responsible and unselfish. Not only should I look after myself， but also I should pay attention to my family.
（1）When did the writer's mother gave birth to a brother for him？
A. 3 years ago.
B. 4 years ago.
C. 8 years ago.
D. 10 years ago.
（2）What does the underlined word "amuse" in the second paragraph mean？
A. 令……开心
B. 令……生气
C. 令……讨厌
D. 开……玩笑
（3）Which of the following is NOT TRUE when looking after his younger brother？
A. He fed him.
B. He told stories to him.
C. He made faces and sang to him.
D. He carried him everywhere in the yard.
（4）What might you learn the passage？
A. Be responsible.
B. Be unselfish.
C. Be responsible and confident.
D. Be responsible and unselfish.
粤公网安备 44130202000953号