Presentation（展示）skills are important at school and in other areas of life. Some people don’t like giving presentations because they don’t know what to say or because they get nervous about public speaking. Here’s some advice to help you make presentations easier and more enjoyable.
1. Get organised
The best presentations are well planned and clearly organized. Think about topics（话题）and choose a proper one. In one topic, three or four main ideas will be fine. The beginning of your presentation should be interesting. For example, you can tell a short, funny story to make people laugh.
2. Use photos or videos
Try to use photos or videos. These things make your performance more exciting and help you remember what you’ re going to say. However，you shouldn’t use too many. The “star” of your presentation should be you, not your photos or videos.
3. Practice before your performance
You need to practice many times before the “big day”. Practice saying any unusual words. Then write the main ideas on small cards to help you remember. Practice in front of a mirror and time your presentation. Finally, you can record your performance or ask a friend to watch you and then make suggestions for improvements.
4. Connect with your audience（观众）
Always look at the audience when you speak. Stand up straight, but don’t stand still or move around much. Finally, be sure to thank your audience when you finish speaking. It’s a simple but good way to end any presentation.
(1). How can you interest your listeners at the beginning?
| A． | By listing your ideas. |
B． | By telling a funny story. |
| C． | By standing up straight. |
D． | By saying simple words. |
(2). Which is the “big day” according to the text?
| A． | The day you prepare videos. |
B． | The day you get some advice. |
| C． | The day you visit your friends. |
D． | The day you make a presentation. |
(3). What is the good way to end your presentation?
| A． | To repeat topics. |
B． | To show thanks. |
| C． | To make suggestions. |
D． | To share main ideas. |
(4). Which question could best help us find out the writer’s purpose?
| A． | Did the writer try to teach us skills? |
| B． | Did the writer help us understand ideas? |
| C． | Did the writer invite us to attend a course? |
| D． | Did the writer ask us to be polite in public? |
Last year I had a trip with my friend, Nancy. The weather was cloudy except for one night. Nancy and I sat in the field and we felt relaxed. We talked about the fantastic trip, looking at the stars. “It’s a pity we don’t know which stars we’re looking at, Jenny,” said Nancy. “I know some of them,” I answered. Nancy felt surprised when I finally finished telling her all the names I knew.
My interest in stars began when I was eight. My aunt took me to a planetarium（天文馆）. A guide showed us the groups of stars and told us stories about how they got their names. The stories were wonderful.
Everyone knows we can see the stars better when it’s not cloudy, but lots of people don’t realize that a bright moon also stops us seeing very much. I always look for the Plough（北斗星）, because once I see that, I can find the North Star and other stars.
I wanted to learn more about the stars, so I took a course at the club. There are so many lights in the city that we have to go into the countryside to see any stars. I’m planning to make videos about stars in the countryside. I’ll post them online for everyone to watch. My greatest dream is to be an astronaut（宇航员）and I wish I could have a space travel.
(1). How did Nancy feel after Jenny told her the names of stars?
| A． | Relaxed. |
B． | Surprised. |
C． | Angry. |
D． | Wonderful. |
(2). What is Jenny planning to do?
| A． | Have a space travel. |
B． | Take courses online. |
| C． | Make videos about stars. |
D． | Give a talk about names. |
(3). Which of the following would Jenny probably agree with?
| A． | Students should move to the countryside. |
| B． | Children’s favorite hobby is to write stories. |
| C． | The best place to watch stars is the city center. |
| D． | A bright moon may stop people seeing very much. |
Welcome to the City Youth Club. Find out what’s going on!
Are you 10-18 years old? Open Monday to Friday. 5 pm-8 pm.
Tell us here：
I’m Emily. I like doing arts. We often paint pictures and make things at the club. We have a helper in the arts room. He’s really nice. People talk to him about their problems. 
I’m Sam. There’s a skateboard park at the club and I love skateboarding. I don’t have a skateboard, but that’s OK. It has skateboards for people to use.
I’m Rose. I like rock climbing and there’s a big climbing wall at the club. You can do rock climbing on Mondays and Wednesdays. 
I’m Bob. There’s a coffee shop and you can buy food and drink there. I help in the coffee shop on Fridays.
I’m Mark. I work at the club on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m a volunteer—I don’t get money for my work. I like helping people. 
(1). Who paints pictures and makes things at the club?
| A． | Sam. |
B． | Bob. |
C． | Rose. |
D． | Emily. |
(2). When can you do rock climbing at the club?
| A． | From Monday to Friday. |
B． | From Tuesday to Thursday. |
| C． | On Mondays and Wednesdays. |
D． | On Tuesdays and Thursdays. |
(3). What does Mark like to do at the club?
| A． | Help people. |
B． | Sell food. |
C． | Make money. |
D． | Go skateboarding. |
阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。
Working Out through Online Videos
Physical exercise is good for our mind, body and spirit. Today, working out through online videos is becoming very popular. Since the Internet is widely used, it’s very easy for us to do so. That means we can work out anytime anywhere.
One of my friends, Lin Fei. followed short workout videos to do daily exercise. “With live programs, I feel like working out with my friends, which encourages me to hold on to the last minute.” she said. Another friend of mine, Michael, told me that workout videos let him feel so comfortable. “I have a fear of working out at the gym（健身房）because I don’t like being watched by others. Working out at home makes working out much more enjoyable.” he said.
With their examples, I decided to give it a try. When I told my plan to my elder sister, a P.E. teacher, she reminded me that workout videos could be helpful but might still carry some problems.
“Without being with someone in person, you will be less willing （愿意的）to work out to your best. Working out at the gym allows you to have advice in real time and get pushed harder.” my sister said to me. “Well, if you really want to have a try. first, choose proper programs or videos. That’s very important. And then ask your friends for advice. Their experiences can give you a good sight into what you can expect. Anyway, don’t be addicted（沉迷的）to it. You should try different ways to work out to be healthy.”
At her suggestions, I finally followed an online workout program with personalized help that is held for three months. After the first period of training, I felt it very practical and helpful when I put in the right amount （量） of work along with a strong will. Compared with going to the gym, using online videos to work out is a much cheaper and time-saving choice. But it can be difficult sometimes when I’m too lazy or too busy to stick to it.
(1). Which way to work out is becoming very popular today?
__________________________________________________________________
(2). Why does Michael dislike working out at the gym?
__________________________________________________________________
(3). What is the problem of working out without someone else in person?
__________________________________________________________________
(4). How did the writer feel about his first period of training?
__________________________________________________________________
(5). Would you like to follow online videos to work out? Why or why not?
__________________________________________________________________
A Pathway (路径) to Meaning in Life
When it comes to a meaningful life, we might think of love, happiness and health. A life filled with meaning is what most of us want for ourselves. Then, what makes a meaningful life?
Many researchers agree that a meaningful life comes down to three factors (因素): having long-term goals, believing that one’s life matters, and feeling that one’s life fits together and “makes sense”.
But we believe there is more to consider. Sometimes life enables us to experience small moments of beauty. When people are open to appreciating (欣赏) such experiences, these moments may improve how they see their own life. We call this experiential appreciation (EA). EA is about the person feeling connected to events and being able to appreciate the value within the connection. It shows the discovery of and admiration for life’s beauty.
We recently set out to better understand EA in studies. We were interested in whether EA was also tied to general judgment of meaning in life. If so, it could be a factor for meaningfulness.
In the first study, we had people rate (评估) their support for different methods of reducing stress. We found that people who managed stress by focusing on their appreciation for life’s beauty also reported experiencing life as highly meaningful.
In the next study, we asked people to rate the degree to which they agreed with various statements, such as “I appreciate the beauty of life” and “I appreciate little things in life,” as well as other statements that related to the three factors and a general sense of meaning in life. Our results showed that the more people reported that they were “appreciating life” and its many experiences, the more they felt their life was valuable.
In the following studies, we further looked at the connection between EA and meaningfulness. For example, we found that people who were asked to look back on the most meaningful event of the past week generally reported high EA in those moments.
All the results proved our theory (假设) true. But putting it into practice can be difficult. Our fast-paced lifestyles fill the day with goals. We try to get the highest output both at work and in spare time. This focus on future outcomes makes it all too easy to miss what is happening right now. We should slow down and let life surprise us.
(1). You were most probably in the EA condition when _________.
| A． | you made a travel plan for the coming holiday |
| B． | you hurried to serve the customers in the store |
| C． | you practiced hard to become the best violinist |
| D． | you stopped to admire the roses by the roadside |
(2). What can we learn from the studies mentioned in the passage?
| A． | Thinking back to the past weakens our sense of meaning. |
| B． | Enjoying small things can influence our attitude toward life. |
| C． | Proper stress management is the key to living a satisfying life. |
| D． | Good judgment on beauty improves connections among people. |
(3). What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A． | It is easier for results-driven people to achieve success. |
| B． | We often turn a blind eye to the present moment. |
| C． | A fast-paced lifestyle helps us reach our goals. |
| D． | Future life will bring us many more surprises. |
(4). What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?
| A． | To explain how to discover beauty in life. |
| B． | To discuss what the true meaning of life is. |
| C． | To introduce a new factor for a meaningful life. |
| D． | To compare different factors for meaningfulness. |
What does it mean to be green? Green is more than just a color. It also means taking special steps to protect the environment. Buying a green product is a small step everyone can take. Deciding whether a product is green, however, isn’t always easy. We need to consider the whole life cycle of the product even after it’s of no use. Here is what we may keep in mind.
The materials of a product are usually our first focus (关注). What is it made of? Are there any harmful chemicals in it? Green products are made of more natural materials which are free from harmful chemicals, so they can be good for our physical health.
Packaging is important. How is a product packaged? Is it over packaged? We’d better choose glass, metal and paper packaging, as these can be reused or more easily recycled (回收利用). We can also look for less packaging or even choose unbagged products whenever possible.
Location (地点) matters. Where was a product produced? Where are we buying it? Think about how much energy was used to get it to us try to choose local products. When it comes to food, it is a good idea to order directly from local farmer, shop at markets and buy fruits in season. Buying from stores near our houses is also a good choice, because we can go there without driving a car.
Look into what the company tells us about their product. It’s easy to say that a product is “green” or “all natural” but the words may be too good to be true. So, much of the information about a product should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, companies try to make us believe that their products are environmentally responsible.
The greenest thing is certainly the one we don’t buy. Things like food and clothing are necessary for life. But many others are not. Better than buying is choosing to leave an unnecessary product in the store and doing without. It sends a message to the producer, keeps money in our pockets, reduces (减少) waste and keeps the planet healthy.
(1). The writer would suggest choosing a product that is ________.
| A． | over packaged |
B． | delivered from abroad |
| C． | C |
D． | made of unnatural materials |
(2). The words “be taken with a grain of in salt” Paragraph 5 probably mean “________”.
| A． | be easily understood |
B． | not be completely believed |
| C． | be widely spread |
D． | not be quickly forgotten |
(3). Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A． | Buying Green |
B． | Recycling Waste |
| C． | Keeping Healthy |
D． | Reducing Energy Use |
I joined a band （乐队）as a drummer in my middle school. I thought it would be fun playing the drum and meeting new friends. At first it was easy, but a month later, it got difficult. I was the only one who couldn’t keep pace （节奏）with the other players.
Our teacher, Angie, singled me out to keep practicing while everyone else got to relax. I felt ashamed （羞愧的）as my teammates watched me fail so many times. Finally I got so tired of practicing that I didn’t care about doing it right.
“Are you giving up on me. Steve?” Angie asked.
“Yes, I am,” I shouted. Angie sent me inside the music room where I cried out. Then she came in and said. “Don’t be sad. I believe you can make it!” She told me never to give up. She left me alone and I realized Angie was right—by giving up, I was also giving up on the team and myself.
With her comfort, I decided to go on practicing. However, I still couldn’t play well. Knowing my difficulties, my teammates gave me a hand. They spent about three more hours practicing with me every week. Thanks to their support and help, I began to keep pace with them. Later, we performed wonderfully in an important show.
In the whole process, I was taught that although we each had our own job to do in a show, it would take all of us working together to make the show great. I felt accepted and made great progress. I love everyone in the band. I can’t imagine what my school life would be like without them.
(1). One month after he joined the band, Steve felt playing the drum was _________.
| A． | funny |
B． | helpful |
C． | noisy |
D． | difficult |
(2). With Angie’s comfort, Steve decided to _________.
| A． | have a good rest |
B． | go on practicing |
| C． | give others a hand |
D． | start another band |
(3). From his experience, Steve learned about ________.
| A． | the value of teamwork |
B． | the effect of shows |
| C． | the importance of hobbies |
D． | the power of music |
WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? WHY?
My role model is my neighbor Ms. Li. She is in her eighties now but she is still young at heart. I often see her riding her bike in the park and she also spends time doing volunteer work. She helps me understand that people won’t be old if they still have a great love for life. Adam |
I miss Mrs. White most after primary school. She was our math teacher and always patient with us. She helped us to work out the answers ourselves, no matter how difficult the questions were. So Mrs. White is my role model, and I want to be a teacher like her in the future. Betty |
Norman Bethune was a Canadian doctor. In 1938, Dr. Bethune came to China and helped treat the wounded. He often worked very hard without resting. Once, he managed to save over one hundred lives in sixty-nine hours. He is still remembered in both China and Canada today. So he is my role model. Peter |
Yuan Longping is my role model. He is one of the greatest agricultural (农业的) scientists of our time. He worked hard to grow better rice to solve the problems of food shortage. It is sad that Mr. Yuan has left us, but his dreams are carried by many plant and agricultural researches. Emma |
(1). Who is Emma’s role model?
| A． | Ms. Li. |
B． | Mrs. White. |
| C． | Norman Bethune. |
D． | Yuan Longping. |
(2). What does Betty want to be in the future?
| A． | A teacher. |
B． | A scientist. |
C． | A doctor. |
D． | A volunteer. |
(3). What do we know about Ms. Li?
| A． | She worked in a hospital. |
| B． | She solved the food problems. |
| C． | She is old in age but young at heart. |
| D． | She is very patient with her students. |
A father bought a kite for his son. The son couldn’t wait to fly it. So, on the next windy day, they took the kite to a park.
First, the father taught his son to fly the kite. Soon, the son was flying the kite high in the air. When it couldn’t go higher, the son realized something. “The string (线) is holding the kite down,” he said to himself. “If I cut it, it can fly higher.”
The son cut the string. After that, the kite flew up a little more. However, the kite didn’t rise for long. It slowly came down until it landed in a tree far away. The son was surprised.
“I thought the kite could fly higher without the string,” he said. “What happened?”
“The string wasn’t holding the kite down,” said the father. “It was helping it stay higher. After you cut the string, it didn’t have any support.”
Really, rules are like the string that seems to hold us down in our daily life. But, without them, we can’t fly high like the kite. We should never let go of them.
(1). Where did the son fly the kite? (不超过10个词)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(2). Why did the son cut the string? (不超过10个词)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(3). What can we learn from the story? (不超过10个词)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The night sky is our earliest library. There, we stored our knowledge, and passed it down around the fire, before we invented the written word.
I remember going to the local university for an astronomy (天文学) night when I was a child. That night, I saw Saturn, one of the planets, and its rings with my own eyes for the first time. The rings shone bright against the blackness of space and suddenly the universe (宇宙) wasn’t something that you only read about or imagined in your head. It was right there, and you were a part of it. That moment is priceless.
While starlight is good, light pollution here on Earth can be a real problem. For the past 200 years or so, we have used too much electricity (电) to make the night brighter. However, brighter doesn’t usually mean better, especially when a lot of that light shines up into the sky where no one needs it.
Luckily, some cities have taken actions, like setting up new downward-directing lights along the streets. I hope that more cities will join in and continue the practice of controlling unnecessary lighting, so that more of us can watch the night sky in a way humans have for thousands of years.
(1). What is the night sky compared to?
| A． | A book. |
B． | The earth. |
C． | A library. |
D． | The universe. |
(2). How did the writer find the astronomy night?
| A． | It opened his eyes. |
B． | It controlled his mind. |
| C． | It was a real problem. |
D． | It took him too much time. |
(3). What does the writer hope for?
| A． | A brighter night. |
B． | Less use of lighting. |
| C． | More personal space. |
D． | A better education. |
A team of scientists are carrying out a project at the University of Greenwich in London. They are trying to find ways to make food on Mars (火星) in the future. The project is called Feeding Mars. It tries to use water, fish and fish waste to grow fruit and vegetables on Mars.
It would take at least 21 months to reach Mars, learn about its surface and return to Earth. So it would be a big help if the spacemen could grow fresh food on Mars itself.
Farming on Mars, however, will be very hard. There’s plenty of water that could be taken from ice just below the surface, but the land on Mars is missing the nutrients (养分) that living things need. The team say that they could solve the problem by growing plants and fish together. Fish waste can then be used to provide nutrients for plants.
“It is expected that you can grow lots of food, such as vegetables, salads, teas and medicinal plants on Mars,” said Dr Benz Kotzen, who leads the project. “You can even harvest (捕获) fish for food then.”
(1). What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 1 refer to (指的是)?
A. The future.B. The project.C. The land.D. The planet.
(2). What makes it difficult to farm on Mars?
A. Ice below the surface.B. Too much fish waste.
C. The missing of living things.D. The poor land condition.
(3). How does Dr Benz Kotzen feel about Feeding Mars?
A. Hopeful.B. Doubtful.C. Surprised.D. Funny.
The Search-for-Lost-Birds list has come to public attention recently. It lists ten kinds of birds that have not been seen in the wild for at least fifteen years. The list is calling on people to search for the rarest (最珍稀的) birds on Earth.
There could be several reasons for the long disappearances of the birds on the list. Maybe there have been no studies in areas where they live. Maybe people don’t know where or how to find them. Maybe there are changes to their natural homes because of human activities.
This year, four expeditions (考察队) are planning to find eight kinds of birds. If any of these lost birds are found, ways can be found to protect them and help their populations grow. This has happened with birds like the Madagascar pochard. The number of this once-lost kind of bird is now increasing.
(1). How many kinds of birds are on the Search-for-Lost-Birds list?
| A． | Four. |
B． | Eight. |
C． | Ten. |
D． | Fifteen. |
(2). What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
| A． | Changes of the living areas of the birds. |
B． | Suggestions on how to protect the birds. |
| C． | Reasons for the disappearances of the birds. |
D． | Steps of building natural homes for the birds. |
(3). What can we learn about the Madagascar pochard?
| A． | It has not been found till now. |
B． | It has a larger population than before. |
| C． | It needs to live close to humans. |
D． | It provides protection for other birds. |
(4). What is the best title (标题) for the text?
| A． | Ways to Raise Rare Birds |
B． | Bird-lovers Around the World |
| C． | Searches for the Lost Birds |
D． | Stories About Birds in the Wild |
Have you ever seen lions dancing in the streets? The lions dance to the beat of a drum (鼓). Of course, they are not real lions. They are dancers in lion costumes (服饰). Lion dancing first started in China centuries ago. It is meant to bring good luck in the coming year.
Usually, a lion is made up of two dancers. One dancer controls the head. The other controls the tail.
“I think of it as a sport,” says Anthony Huang, aged 16. He is a member of the New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. Anthony performs (表演) as the lion’s head. It can weigh 20 pounds. Lion dancing is important to Anthony. “This tradition really lifts me up,” he says.
In the past, lion dancing was performed mostly by men. But it is different today. LionDanceMe is a lion dancing group in San Francisco, California. There are boys and girls on its team. They dance together.
“Anyone can take up lion dancing. You have to believe that you can do it,” says Ananda Tang-Lee, a 17-year-old girl.
Lion dancing will continue to evolve. But a team’s sense of community will never change. “We call it a family,” Ananda says, “It’s really great, because we always have each other’s backs.”
(1). Why do people perform lion dancing?
| A． | To sell lion-dancing costumes. |
B． | To wish for a lucky new year. |
| C． | To protect the lions in the wild. |
D． | To show skills of playing the drum. |
(2). Which role does Anthony play in lion dancing?
| A． | The lion’s head. |
B． | The lion’s tail. |
C． | The drummer. |
D． | The dresser. |
(3). What does the underlined word “evolve” mean?
| A． | 延期 |
B． | 模仿 |
C． | 举办 |
D． | 演变 |
(4). What can we infer (推断) from Ananda’s words “We call it a family”?
| A． | They bring happiness to the family. |
B． | They call lion dancing a family game. |
| C． | They live together in a big family. |
D． | They support each other like a family. |
Antarctica
Weather
Antarctica lies in the most southern part of the world. It is the coldest area on Earth. There isn’t much rain, but there is a lot of snow and wind. The lowest temperature was on 21 July in 1983 at -89.2℃!
Population
Nobody lives in Antarctica all the time! The first people to stay there for a while were fishermen in 1786. Now there are about 5, 000 scientists and researchers there in the summer.
History of exploration (探险)
During 1907-1909, British explorer Earnest Shackleton explored Antarctica on foot. In 1911, two explorers—a British man named Scott and a Norwegian named Amundsen—raced 1, 400 kilometres to the South Pole (南极). Amundsen arrived first.
Animals and birds
There aren’t any large animals in Antarctica. Polar bears live at the North Pole. But there are a lot of penguins and seabirds. Every spring there are over 100 million seabirds in Antarctica.
(1). When did the lowest temperature appear in Antarctica?
| A． | In 1786. |
B． | In 1907. |
C． | In 1911. |
D． | In 1983. |
(2). Who first stayed in Antarctica for some time?
| A． | Fishermen. |
B． | Scientists. |
C． | Researchers. |
D． | Explorers. |
(3). Where is Earnest Shackleton from?
| A． | Britain. |
B． | Norway. |
C． | The South Pole. |
D． | The North Pole. |
根据对话内容，从选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，其中有两个为多余选项。
Ann: Hello, Zoe.
Zoe: Hello, Ann. How are you doing?
Ann: ____(1)____ Are you free this weekend?
Zoe: ____(2)____ What for?
Ann: Would you like to go to the concert with me?
Zoe: Sure. ____(3)____
Ann: Country Music. I love it! It always makes me think of my hometown.
Zoe: Country music also touches me deeply. Millie and Allan love it too. ____(4)____
Ann: OK. ____(5)____
| A． | Let’s go. |
| B． | I’m good. |
| C． | Yes, I am. |
| D． | Why not invite them along? |
| E． | I hope to be a music teacher. |
| F． | Where are they playing music? |
| G． | What kind of music will be played? |
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