Sitting on exercise balls brings more than a smile to students and teachers.
Some fourth-graders at Conrad Weiser West Elementary School in Womelsdorf love their new chairs-—probably because they're not really chairs at all.
The kids are sitting on the air-filled balls. But different from those just for exercise, these have small legs that keep them from rolling. Sitting on a chair all day in school can make anyone want to move around. So, more and more teachers are letting students have a ball. By using exercise balls instead of common chairs, teachers find students' posture(姿势) and attention improved.
Dotti Pownall, a fifth-grader teacher in West Virginia, has been using balls as chairs since December 2008. "The students love them." she says. Pownall took a survey of her students. She found that 80 percent, thought sitting on the balls helped them concentrate(专注) better:
"Besides, they’re fun,b" says Pownall.
According to WittFitt,b a company that has sold balls to more than 200 schools, they can improve kids' posture and classroom behavior.
Exercise ball chairs are getting popular in classrooms, from preschool to college. Some adults (成人) even use them at work.
Lisa Witt felt so stro
ngly about the use of balls as chairs that she started WittFitt. She said the company not only encourages the use of balls but also educates teachers and students on how to use them. "We sell balls in 24 s
tates in America, three provinces in Canada and Japan." says Witt.Sitting on exercise balls can______.
| A．improve students' attention | B．make students smarter |
| C．keep students moving around | D．help students become fit |
According to the passage, the company WittFitt______.
| A．began to produce balls in 2008 | B．sells balls in 24 countries |
| C．was set up by Lisa Witt | D．is famous around the world |
It can be seen from the passage that ______.
| A．exercise balls have no legs | B．Pownall works as a teacher |
| C．students hate exercise balls | D．exercise balls are filled with sand |
The passage mainly tells us about______.
| A．the shape of exercise balls | B．the use of exercise balls |
| C．the number of exercise balls | D．the inventor of exercise balls |
In many high schools，there are strict rules about using mobile phones. If your phone rings in class，for example，the teacher will be very angry.
Every mobile phone has a ringtone (铃声). It tells you that someone is calling you. Now，there is a ringtone called “mosquitotone (蚊子铃声)”. Using it，students can receive calls and text messages (短信) in class but the teacher will not realize what is happening. How?
Mosquitotone has a special sound. Only children and teenagers can hear it. As we get older，we are unable to hear some sounds with high frequencies (频率). As a result，a child or teenager can hear the mosquitotone ringtone, but it’s_inaudible_to someone 20 or older.
But sometimes，people over 20 can hear the ringtone. One British student’s phone uses mosquitotone. In class，the student’s phone rang. The 32yearold teacher looked at the student and became unhappy. “I heard that. You know the rule：no mobile phone in class.”
Not all the students are interested in mosquitotone. Jerry Jones，a high school student of 17，says，“Using mosquitotone too often is bad for our hearing. I may use it for pleasure，but not in class. It’s unfair to the teachers！”
What do parents think of mosquitotone？“I think it is perfect for places like movie theaters，” says Connie Neeson,44.“Think about it. Yon’re watching a film and someone’s mobile phone rings. Mosquitotone is good because many people don’t hear it. However，it also has a bad influence on their study if students use it in class.”Mosquitotone works because ________.
| A．it is very loud | B．it has no sound |
| C．it has a beautiful sound | D．it uses high frequencies |
The under lined part “it’s_inaudible_to” means “________”．
| A．it can’t be seen by | B．it can’t be heard by |
| C．it isn’t popular with | D．it isn’t healthy for |
The 32yearold teacher felt unhappy because the student ________.
| A．was late for class | B．didn’t do his homework |
| C．couldn’t answer her question | D．was using a mobile phone in class |
Connie Neeson thinks that mosquitotone ________.
| A．has no bad influence | B．is unfair to the teachers |
| C．has its advantage and disadvantage | D．can’t be used in any public place |
Scientist Without Laboratories
When you hear the word “scitentist”, what do you think of? Many people think scientist are people in clean white coats who work in labs. And some scientists do work in labs. But there are 26 scientist who work in woods and jungles. These scientists are called “animal behavior (行为) scientists”, and they study animals as they live in nature.
Why don’t these scientists catch animals and study them in zoos? The 27 is in the word “behavior”. Animals behavior scientists want to learn 28 animal behave in their wild homes. When animals live in cages (笼子) or in zoos, they do not act the same as they do when they are 29 . They may fight 30 each other, or they may not eat, or they may not raise (抚养) their babies as they usually would. To see real animal behavior, scitentists must go where the animals 31 .
So animal behavior scientists go into the jungles, the woods or the desert. There , their most important 32 are their eyes and ears. They watch and listen to the animals very 33 . They write down everything that happened in notebook. 34
they live near the animals, the scientists are careful not to frighten them. If the scientists are luncky, the animals will 35 no attention to them. Then the scientists can see how the animals really live.
The behavior scientists hope what they’ve learned about animal behavoir can provide clues (提供线索) to help people learn to live together more happily.
A．another B．other C．others D．the other
A．answer B．question C．problem D．text
A．when B．where C．how D．why
A．happy B．free C．sad D．angry
A．of B．among C．for D．with
A．live B．run C．play D．eat
A．machines B．tools C．thoughts D．ways
A．truly B．carefully C．woderfully D．nicely
A．But B．Unless C．Though D．As if
A．pay B．spend C．take D．cost
The weather can influence(影响)intelligence(智力). For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower. The wind can help people have more intelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower. Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year(July and August).
Weather also has a strong influence on people’s feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel unhappy during cold weather. But fat people may have a hard time in hot weather. At about 18 °C, people become stronger.
Lower air pressure may make people forgetful. People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days. People feel best at a temperature of about 18 °C.
Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful or unhappy today? It may be the weather’s problem.What can influence people’s intelligence according to the first paragraph?
| A．Feeling. | B．Diet. | C．Health | D．Weather. |
Students get worse on exams because ___________.
| A．they take exams in hot months | B．they take exams in cold months |
| C．they take exams with bad feelings | D．they take exams in windy months |
At a temperature of about 18 °C. people may_________.
A. leave more bags on buses B. like to go shopping
C. remember things better D. feel unhappyWhich of the following is NOT true?
| A．A report in 1983 showed that weather can influence intelligence. |
| B．The wind can make people cleverer. |
| C．Hot summer is a hard time for fat people. |
| D．Weather has nothing to do with people’s feelings. |
Want to save the environment? You probably can’t fix everything on your own, but by taking small steps and keeping the environment in mind every day, you can make a difference,
1. Think Green. Challenge yourself to think about the environment as you live your life. If you shut off lights when you leave the room, turn off your TV when you’re not watching it, you’ll save energy. If you take shorter showers, you’ll save water.
2. Shop Green. Shopping is fun, but buying things you don’t need is wasteful and bad for the earth. Before you buy something, ask yourself how much you’ll really use it. Keep yourself away from buying products with unnecessary packaging (包装), and whenever possible, buy things that were locally made instead of those shipped from far away.
3. Dress Green. Wear green trousers and T-shirts if you want. But what really matters isn’t the colour, it’s how the clothes were made. If you want to help the environment, the best place to find clothes is at a vintage store, but you might not want to buy everything used. No matter where you shop, keep an eye out for products made from environmentally friendly materials like organic(有机的) cotton, which is grown without the use of pesticides ( 杀虫剂).
4. Study Green. What’s better than learning about the environment? Save it while you learn, It can be as simple as using both sides of a piece of paper before you recycle it, or reusing an old textbook :instead of buying a new one. If you want to do more, join an environmental group at your school, and encourage your friends to join, too.The underlined phrase "a vintage store" in this passage refers to (是指) a place where you can buy .
| A．cheap clothes | B．fashionable clothes |
| C．second-hand clothes | D．clothes of special size |
Which of the following acts does not agree with the writer’s green ideas?
| A．Taking shorter showers. |
| B．Buying products with unnecessary packaging. |
| C．Wearing clothes made from organic materials. |
| D．Using both sides of a piece of paw. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Some Methods to Live Happily. | B．Some Advice to Save Money in Daily Life. |
| C．Some Steps to Live a Healthy Life. | D．Some Ways to Make One’s Life Green. |
Many places in the world need more fresh water. Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh. Why aren’t there many factories like the Symi factory?
In some places the sun is not hot enough. Or it does not shine every day.
In such places other ways of heating sea water can be used. These ways cost more money, but they work faster than the sun. By boiling sea water with high heat a lot of fresh water can be made quickly.
But heating is not the only way to get fresh water from salt water. Other ways are tried.
One way is freezing. The fresh part of salt water freezes first. To get fresh water, the bits of ice are taken out.
Which way is the best? The one that gives the most water for the least money. It may be a different way for each place.
Symi’s way seems very good for small, hot places. It does not make much water at a time. But the factory is easy to build and costs little.
That is why people in many dry places talk about Symi. From the passage we know that fresh water _____________.
| A．is needed in many countries | B．is needed in every country |
| C．can be used in many ways | D．is very important for factories |
The Symi factory __________.
| A．turns salt water into fresh | B．can be built everywhere |
| C．can make much fresh water at a time | D．doesn’t need sunshine every day |
Which is the best way for small and hot places to get fresh water?
| A．Boiling the sea water. | B．Heating the sea water. |
| C．The Symi’s way. | D．Freezing the sea water. |
What fact doesn’t the passage mention (提到)?
| A．New ways of getting fresh water. |
| B．A lot of fresh water can be made quickly by heating. |
| C．The best way is to get the freshest water with the least money. |
| D．The Symi’s way doesn’t work in dry places. |
The Symi’s way is not suitable for _________ places according to the passage.
| A．small | B．hot | C．cool | D．dry |
Yang Liwei circled the earth 14 times in 21 hours on October 15 and 16, 2003, landing on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Looking a little tired, Yang stepped out of Shenzhou V, smiling and waving at the waiting people. “I feel very good.” Yang said to Premier Wen Jiabao on the phone. Yang said to a newspaper, “For our motherland and me, this is a great moment.”
China’s launch of Shenzhou V shows a higher starting point. It has two special systems（系统）to protect the spaceman, but neither Russian rockets（火箭）nor American ones have.
Yang didn’t know that he was chosen as China’s first spaceman until just before the launch. Although Yang was excited at the news, he still slept at 8p.m. as usual and was woken up at 8p.m. the next morning. Before the launch, Yang ate Chinese traditional food-dumplings. We all know that travelers usually eat them before going on a journey for good luck.
A stamp Success of China First Manned Space Flight was issued（发行）on October 16, 2003, making China the third country to send a spaceman into outer space.It took Yang Liwei_____ to travel around the earth every circle.
| A．6 hours | B．90 minutes |
| C．2 days | D．21 hours |
How did Yang Liwei feel after he came back to the earth?
| A．Quite tired. | B．A little scared. |
| C．Tired but excited. | D．A little nervous |
Which of the following statement is right?
| A．There is no difference between China’s spaceship and other countries. |
| B．Yang Liwei knew he would be China’s first spaceman long before. |
| C．From the news, Yang Liwei was too excited to fall asleep. |
| D．Yang was proud of the flight. |
What does the underlined word “launch” mean?
| A．发射 | B．出发 | C．制造 | D．设计 |
China issued the stamps to _________.
| A．leave them in space |
| B．give them to Yang Liwei as a reward |
| C．celebrate the success |
| D．give them to Russian and American spacemen. |
Robots have come a long way since 15th century. We’ve got robots to build cars, carry heavy things, work in dangerous places and explore planets. But things haven’t stopped there.
In 1986, Honda made a robot called ASIMO. And now, it has been developed greatly. Standing at 130cm and weighing 54kg. ASIMO is very much like a small astronaut wearing a bag on the back. And he can walk, flight, climb and run fast. Isn’t it wonderful?
The world’s first robot teacher is Saya. With her human-like face, she can show expressions like happiness, surprise, sadness, dislike, fear and she can even smile or show anger at students, which look much like a real teacher’s. To do this, her rubber skin is pulled from the back with motors inside. And her eyes and mouth have wires(电线) too. She can also say some simple words like “hello” or “thank you”.
In the UK, the development of robots is exciting. The mini-robots will send food, clean floors, collect and throw away waste. These robots can open doors by themselves and stop if anything or anyone is in the way.
These mini-robots are very useful for controlling infection(传染). Usually clean and dirty work is done by the same person, but here, you’ll have robots that do”dirty work”, like collecting dirty sheets, or taking away hospital waste; and you’ll have robots that do”clean work”, like bringing meals or clean sheets to patients. The robots have separate work so there’s no way for infection, which is great. But of course, robots would not take the piece of humans, but would free up more time for nurses to be with patients.
But if this is what it’s like in 2011, what’s it going to be like to 2021? In the following, which is ASIMO’s behavior?
| A．Smiling at people, saying “hello”. |
| B．Sending food or opening doors by himself |
| C．Fighting, climbing or running fast |
| D．Collecting waste for patients |
What makes Saya look real?
| A．Her face and rich expressions | B．Her clothes and shoes |
| C．Her walking and running speed | D．Her rich knowledge |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Robots have come a long way since 1986. |
| B．The first robot teacher was made by Honda. |
| C．Saya looks like a small astronaut. |
| D．If anyone or anything is in the way, mini-robots will stop. |
The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that _______.
| A．nurses would have more free time with patients |
| B．robots would not take the place of humans |
| C．dirty and clean work is always done by the same person |
| D．mini-robots are useful for controlling infection |
The earth moves round the sun, and the moon moves round the earth. When our part of the earth turns to the moon, it is night.
The sun is much bigger than the moon. But sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun, because it’s much nearer to the earth.
The sun is very bright. It gives a very strong light. The moon looks quite bright, too. But it doesn’t give any light at all.
The moon looks much bigger and brighter than the stars. But actually the stars are much bigger and brighter than the moon. They look smaller than the moon because they’re much farther away from us.
Read and choose the right answer ____moves round________.
| A．The earth; the moon | B．The moon; the earth |
| C．The moon; the stars | D．The sun; the earth |
Sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun, because_________.
| A．it is much bigger than the sun |
| B．it comes out only at night |
| C．it is much nearer to the earth than the sun |
| D．it doesn’t give a strong light |
The sun_______________.
| A．is very bright, and it gives a very strong light |
| B．isn’t bright, but it gives a very strong light |
| C．is very big, but it doesn’t give any light at all |
| D．is very round, but it can’t move round |
The stars______________.
| A．look much bigger than the moon |
| B．look much bigger than the sun |
| C．are a lot brighter than the moon, but they are not bigger than the moon |
| D．are much farther away from us than the moon |
We live in “computer age(时代)”. People like using computers to do ___21__work. But more than 20 years ago, ___22__couldn’t do much. They were very big and expensive. Very __23___people were interested in them and knew how to use them. Today computers are smaller and ___24___.Since they are useful, many people like to use them, even at home.
Computers ___25___very important because they can work ___26___than men and make fewer mistakes. Computers can ____27___people do a lot of work. Writers can use computers to write. Teachers can use computers to help teaching and students use them to study. Computers can also remember what you put ___28____ them. Computers are very___29___. They are our good friends. Do you want to ___30____a computer.
A．all kinds of B．many C．very much D．a lot
A．teachers B．students C．computers D．scientists
A．a few B．few C．little D．a little
A．cheaper B．cheap C．expensive D．more expensive
A．is becoming B．becomes C．become D．became
A．quickly B．quick C．fast D． faster
A．help B．tell C．ask D．stop
A．on B．into C．up D．to
A．heavy B．careful C．beautiful D．helpful
A．lend B．pay C．have D． sell
The earth(地球)moves(移动)round the sun ,and the 36 moves round the earth. When our part of the earth turns(转) 37 the sun ,it is 38 .When our part of the earth turns 39 from the sun ,it’s Night.
The sun is 40 bigger than the moon. But sometimes the moon looks bigger than the sun , because it is much 41 to the earth.
The sun is very bright. It 42 very strong light. The moon looks quite bright, too, but it doesn’t give 43 light 44 .The light from the moon comes 45 the sun .
A．moon B．earth C．sun D．star
A．round B．to C．with D．from
A．hot B．cold C．Day D．Night
A．out B．away C．on D．of
A．quite B．a little C．very D．much
A．near B．far C．nearer D．farther
A．takes B．gets C．bring D．gives
A．very B．any C．many D．some
A．more B．too C．much D．at all
A．on B．out C．from D．of
Here's an interview to a pilot about his life.
(R="Reporter;" P= Pilot)
R: How much time do pilots actually spend flying a plane?
P: It varies (WES'J) from about 20 minutes on some domestic (区别) flights to as much as 18 hours on international flights. It all depends on if the flight is a short- or long-haul flight.
R: Do pilots take breaks during flights or do they fly the whole time?
P: Yes, we take breaks during long-haul flights. Airlines assign (指派) three or four pilots to long flights. We take turns flying the plane.
R: If pilots are traveling all the time, how do they deal with jet lag (时差)?
P: Jet lag is annoying for almost all pilots. I try to go to sleep as I would at home.
R: How important is it to know the weight and size of the plane you are flying?
P: It is very important. We weigh almost everything put into the airplane and make estimates (估计) according to the number of people on each flight.
R: Do pilots eat the airplane food?
P: Yes, we eat business class food! Airplane food changes every season and is very delicious if you don't hate eating lobster (龙虾) every day! The pilots on the same plane are supposed to make different meal choices so that if one of the dishes causes food poisoning, only one of them will be sick. That way, at least one pilot will always be well enough to fly the plane!The number of pilots depends on _.
| A．how many hours a plane flies | B．what kind of planes they are |
| C．the airline companies assign | D．what the pilot likes |
In order to know the weight of the airplane, the pilots must know_ __.
| A．the weight of everything put into the plane |
| B．the number of people on the plane |
| C．the weight of the things and people on the plane |
| D．the importance of the weight |
What's the Chinese meaning of the word "poisoning" in the passage?
| A．中毒 | B．难吃 | C．缺少 | D．浪费 |
What does the pilot think of the airplane food?
| A．Airplane food is more delicious than lobster. |
| B．The pilot suggests having airplane food instead of lobster. |
| C．The pilot doesn't like the airplane food at all. |
| D．Airplane food is as delicious as lobster. |
What question doesn't the reporter ask in the interview?
| A．How to keep passengers safe? |
| B．How long do pilots actually spend flying a plane? |
| C．How to deal with jet lag? |
| D．How to take breaks during flying. |
A. There will probably be no school on Mars.
B. It might take us two or three days to get to Mars.
C. There is a problem for us to live on Mars.
D. Food will not be the same.
E. First, people will have more space.
Many people believe that, by the year 2100, we will live on the planet Mars(火星). Here is what life could be like.
First of all, transport should be much better. By 2100, spaceship can travel at half the speed of light.
Secondly, humans need food, water and air to live. Scientists should be able to find plants that can grow on Mars. These plants will provide us with food and air.
We could easily jump too high and fly slowly away into space. To prevent this, humans on Mars have to wear special shoes to make themselves heavier.
Life on Mars will be better in many ways. It is possible to live in a large building with many bedrooms. Then, robot will do most of the work, so we have more time for hobbies.
Every student can study, do their homework on the computer and take exams in online schools. Each student will also have their own online teacher called “e-teacher”.
However, in some ways, life on Mars may not be better than that on the earth today. Meals will probably be in the shape of pills(药片) and will not be as delicious as they are today. Also, space travel will make many people feel ill.
Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost anywhere on the earth. But 31 you use the phone, you can’t see the person you are talking with. That 32 change in the future.
Now some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or a vision phone(视频电话). Two people 33 are talking can see each other w
ith it.
Picture phones can be useful when you have 34 to show the person you are calling. They may have other uses in the future. One day you may be able to ring up a 35 and ask to see a book. Then you’ll be able to 36 the book over your picture phone. Also you may b
e able to do shopping through your picture phone. If you see something 37 the newspaper that you want to buy, you can 38 the shop. People at the shop will show you the thing you’re 29 in over the phone. You’ll be able to shop all over the town and never even leave your room.
The picture phone is really a 40 phone. More and more people will use it. A. if B. when C. before
A. can’t B. must C. may
A. whom B. who C. which
A. something B. nothing C. everything
A. shop
B. school C. library A. read B. see C. watch
A. in B. about C. on
A. visit B. go C. call
A. interested B. bored C. interesting
A. useless B. helpless C. helpful
We use the Internet for many things: business, shopping， writing letters, talking to people, finding information and so on. In recent years a new kind of English has grown on the Internet. There’s no real word for it yet, so we’ll call it e-talk. People don’t like typing too much. To save time, they turn phrases into a few letters called acron
yms. Acronyms are often used in chat rooms. Some of them are.
BTW （by the way） BRB (be right back)
LOL (laughing out loud) IMO (in my opinion)
People also use many abbreviations (缩写), They are s
hortened forms of words. Some common abbreviations are:
Info (information) purer (computer)
Pie (picture) sec (second)
We usually don’t see people when we communicate (交流) on the Net, so people have new ways to show feelings. Most people use their keywords to draw “feeling”. such as:
:-)( happy) :-p(joking) :-( (sad) :-0(surprised)
These days, many forums (论坛) have picture feelings. For example，
There are even whole new words, like” newbie’s”(someone who is new on a chat board or forum).
It takes time for people to get used to (适应) e-talk. Also, different groups on the Net have their own special ways of communicating. Newbie’s have to ask other people what they mean. As the Internets grows, e-talk will continue to grow and change. What does the underline “acronyms” mean?
A.网友 B.聊天室 C.首字母缩写词 Why do people type acronyms?
A. to show their feelings.
B. Because people can type them quickly.
C. In this way newbie’s won’t understand them. What does” BTW, my purer is not working well.:-(“mean?
A. The person is angry at somebody.
B. The person is happy about getting a new computer.
C. The person is sad that his computer is having problems. E-talk wills probably .
A. keep changing.
B. be easy by people on the telephone
C. be used by people on the telephoneWhat’s the best title for this passage?
A. E-talk language
B. Picture Feelings
C. How to Use Abbreviations
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