相关试卷

假定你是李华，你的外国笔友Jim所在学校的图书馆想要收藏关于中国文化的书籍，他发来邮件请你帮忙推荐相关书籍。请你给他回一封邮件。内容包括：1. 书籍类型；2. 推荐理由。

注意：1. 词数80左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Jim,

Yours,

Li Hua

A Stone Age bird sculpture (cover) in China could be a "missing link" in our understanding of prehistoric art. (date) back almost 13,500 years, the sculpture is now the oldest known example of three-dimensional art in East Asia.

Described being in "an exceptional state of preservation," the sculpture was found at an archeological site in Lingjing, Henan Province. It was hand-carved from burned animal bone. Researchers say the sculpture depicts (刻画) a bird on a base, pointing to deliberate marks the creature's eyes and bill (嘴) would be. It is believed that the bird's oversized tail was made (prevent) the sculpture from leaning forward when (lay) on a surface. This discovery identifies a(n) (origin) artistic tradition and pushes back by more than 8,500 years the representation of birds in Chinese art. The sculpture differs (technology) and stylistically from other sculptures found in Western Europe and Siberia, and it could be the missing link tracing the origin of Chinese statues back to the early part of the Stone Age. Li Zhanyang, who led study, has contributed to other archeological findings in Lingjing, including various ancient (tool) and two skulls belonging to an extinct species of early humans.

The wind and rain made it feel like a cold December day. I walked as fast as possible to the arena(运动场). When I got inside, it was 1 cold, and I was grateful that I'd 2 to wear much clothing. Then a voice called out, "Hi, Fran."

It was nice to see Lindy and Pippa-they were braving the 3 to help here, too. The arena was 4 . The nickering(嘶叫)of horses mixed with children's laughter. Volunteers led horses while parents tended to their children with 5 needs, preparing them for their riding lesson.

I couldn't help 6 . These children all faced daily mental and physical 7 , and their parents' love was 8 . Just the tiniest sign of 9 —a child managing a simple exercise—was a major 10 for the instructor, parent and child.

I realized why I came to this place. It was for the 11  of the children. Though the volunteer work here is extremely tiring, so many people 12  give their time because the children need us. These children have different 13  of mental or physical disabilities. Riding strengthens their muscles and bones, 14  them to enjoy a more fruitful life.

That day, as those children 15  me from atop their horses and smiled, my heart was filled with warmth. I was warm from the inside out.

Does the happiness of parents play a role in shaping the overall happiness of their children? Scientific studies have shed light on the far-reaching connection between parental happiness and the positive development of kids. It seems that parental happiness has an important influence on the emotional, social, and cognitive (认知的) development of children.  If they know their mental and emotional happiness has an impact on their children, perhaps it can motivate them to view it as part of being a good parent.

For example, they can join in activities that bring them joy and satisfaction. This could include hobbies, exercise, pursuing personal goals, or taking time for relaxation. When parents improve their own happiness, they can better support their children's happiness.

Another great idea is sharing experiences and creating many memories together. The idea is twofold.  At the same time, the shared experiences and showing their children how happy they are to do something they love can be incredibly valuable as well.

One of the main aspects of being happy parents is feeling comfortable, confident and able to be themselves, despite their new status and huge responsibility. Honestly, when parents prioritize their own happiness, it has positive effects on the overall happiness of the family. 

When parents put their own happiness first, they become role models for their kids. They see the importance of self-care, pursuing passions and maintaining healthy relationships.  So, parents should accept their uniqueness, enjoying life!

A. However, part of being responsible is being honest.

B. They are passing on some major life skills and attitudes.

C. They may lose a bit of their sense of self when caring for children.

D. Parents can adopt practical ways to enhance their own happiness.

E. A joyful and harmonious family environment benefits everyone involved.

F. This can happen when parents prioritize their own happiness according to Inc.

G. Firstly, the parents continue to be themselves and do something they love.

Both Roberto and Keith have a 45-minute commute(通勤) time from their homes to their workplace. When Roberto drives, he has realistic expectations of how others drive and how long the trip should take. Overall, he is able to adapt to any unexpected challenges he may face on the road. He rarely becomes angry. By contrast, Keith drives with a tendency for becoming angry easily, partly due to unrealistic expectations of other drivers, his quickness to personalize and feel threatened by the actions of others, and his inability to calm his anger.

The difference between how Roberto and Keith experience their drive to work, especially with regard to getting angry, is influenced very much by their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is crucial for helping individuals choose constructive over destructive anger. A key aspect of healthy anger is being able to pause and reflect on, rather than react to, our thoughts, feelings, and senses associated with getting angry.

Self-regulation and empathy(同理心) are two important components of emotional intelligence, which can be a buffer(缓冲) against destructive anger. Self-regulation helps us to control our moods. Empathy helps us to recognize the humanity in others and ourselves.

Studies suggest that training in emotional intelligence can powerfully impact how anger is managed. This was supported by a three-year study of 476 young adults who showed reduced tendency of becoming angry after training. Children and adults can learn skills to boost their emotional intelligence and, by doing so, develop adaptability for dealing with various negative affect, including anger. Many workbooks offer skills in emotional intelligence to promote empathy and self-awareness regarding emotions and how they impact our beliefs and behavior.

Clearly, through training, Keith would experience greater emotional flexibility that could support a more peaceful commute to work. I firmly believe that learning skills in emotional intelligence should be the focus in helping individuals more constructively manage this highly challenging and complex emotion.

Portia Kapraun has always seen unwelcome ads on Twitter, usually from major brands pitching (竭力推销) her expensive jewelry or vehicles that she, as a librarian in Indiana, could not afford. Ms. Kapraun was not interested. But she soon saw the ads again. And again. And again. "These feel like low-end ads," she said. In a shaky advertising market in an uncertain economy, ads that few people want to see suddenly seem to be everywhere.

Advancements in digital advertising technology were meant to improve users' experience. People interested in shoes are intended to get ads for sneakers and boots, not repeated pitches promoting gold investments. And the technology is supposed to remove misleading or dangerous pitches. But lately, on several platforms, the opposite seems to be happening for a variety of reasons, including a slowdown in the overall digital ad market. As numerous deep-pocketed marketers have pulled back, and the softer market has led several digital platforms to lower their ad pricing, opportunities have opened up for less demanding advertisers.

Advertising experts agree that poor-quality ads appear to be increasing greatly. They point to a variety of potential causes: internal troubles at technology companies, weak content moderation (审核), and high-level advertisers seeking other choices. Then, there's the economy: A recent survey of 43 multinational companies representing more than $44 billion in advertising spending found that nearly 30 percent planned to cut back on their marketing spending last year.

Other factors are also contributing to lower advertising quality. Social media advertising, once only practiced by specialists, is now easily available to anyone. Many of them are avoiding targeted ads — placements intended to reach specific audiences, usually at a higher cost — in favor of a cheaper spray-and-pray (广撒网式的) approach online, hoping to catch the attention of gullible (容易受骗的) or bored shoppers. Major social media platforms are now like "a mall that used to be good", Corey Richardson, vice president at a multicultural ad company, says. "But now there's no longer a mall there—it's just a calendar store and a place sling beepers (传呼机). "

Getting to Antarctica is not easy. The few who are lucky enough to visit this most mysterious continent do so by ship. To reach Antarctica, ships must pass through an extremely violent area of ocean called the Drake Passage, considered to be the roughest stretch of sea on the planet.

Walls of water thirty, sometimes forty feet high continually crashed against our ship for two solid days. We would hold on to a rope inside the ship while being violently tipped (倾斜) to one extreme side, then to the other, and then back again. My daughter Claire and I were as mentally prepared as we could be.

About two and a half days after entering the Drake Passage the waters calmed. Soon, we noticed small black spots on nearby pieces of floating ice. Emperor penguins (企鹅)! Then, we began the two-mile hike over the ice to the penguin colony. Within several hundred yards, small groups of emperors, perhaps ten or so at a time, greeted us, sliding on their bellies and making their wonderful noises, sort of a long, high-pitched sound.

One day two adult emperors with their three chicks following them approached Claire, who was resting on the ice. They left the chicks with her, as if she were the babysitter. Twenty minutes later they returned to collect the chicks. And I will never forget the penguin that, when I jokingly asked which way back to the helicopters, pointed a wing in the correct direction. Every night aboard our safe and warm ship, we thought about what it takes to survive in Antarctica, an incredibly harsh (恶劣的) place.

But each day on the ice, we also thought about the Drake Passage, the impact of the large body of water we had to endure to get where we were. Over the course of our visit, we came to respect the power of that sea. We still talk about the penguins, as I'm sure we always will. But we talk about the Drake Passage, too. Both experiences were unforgettable, an one would not have been possible without the other.

Best books for 12 to 14-year-olds

Mortal Engines

Author: Philip Reeve

Publisher: Scholastic

London is on the move again: the city searches the world for resources on wheels, eating smaller towns. But when he is thrown off the city, young hero Tom is soon forced to reexamine life as he knows it.

Set in a futuristic (科幻性的) background, this imaginative story is a combination of action and adventure. The book has won the Blue Peter Book Award.

Coram Boy

Author: Jamila Gavin

Publisher: Egmont

Toby's and Aaron's lives are linked by the Coram Man, who collects unwanted children from across the country, supposedly to send them to a safe new life. In reality, the man sells the children into slavery (奴役). Soon, Toby and Aaron find themselves united on a journey, filled with danger and excitement.

Rich with historical detail, this book provides an important insight into the 1750s society. It was a winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Publisher: Red Fox

Seen through the eyes of Christopher, a mathematical genius and Sherlock Holmes fan, this novel begins with the discovery of a dead dog on a neighbor's lawn (草坪). In his search to discover the identity of the killer, Christopher uncovers some information about his own family and he starts a journey to London to find his mother.

Watership Down

Author: Richard Adams

Publisher: Penguin

Young rabbit Fiver believes that a great disaster is about to strike the place where he lives—but no one will listen to him. At last he manages to ask a few brave rabbits to leave before it's too late. Hunted by dogs and foxes, their journey is a dangerous one—but the rabbits can still dream of a peaceful and safe new life at Watership Down. This book won both the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal.

要求：1. 词数100字左右；2. 可以适当增加细节；3. 开头与结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear John, 

Yours,

Li Hua

My last holiday was a five-day trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. I know Prague well because I lived there when I was at university, more  ten years ago. 

Instead of  (stay)in a hotel, I stayed with one of my old  (friend). It was so much fun, and a little bit like my old life. I wanted  (do)all the same things I did in my university days, so I visited the university. It has changed  lot and looks more modern. I also went to the supermarket  was near my old house. I loved seeing all the different foods. I was  (extreme)happy to find my favourite cheese(奶酪)and chocolate biscuits but they were a bit  (expensive)than I remember! 

We did some touristy things too. We walked up beautiful Petrin Hill and around the castle. The views of the city were (amaze)up there. We walked across the historic Charles Bridge, went to the TV Tower and (see)the famous baby statues climbing up it. Those things haven't changed, of course.

When I was in middle school, I had a classmate named Alice. She liked to tell me my shortcomings (缺点).

One day, Alice said to me, "You are too short and too proud!" Hearing this, I felt very sad and 1 . I ran home to tell my father 2 it, with tears in my eyes. My father said nothing. He just 3 me carefully. Then he said to me, "Are all the shortcomings Alice has told you true? You can write them down and check 4 they are true or not." After 5 them down, I was 6 to find that about half of the things were true. For some of the things, I couldn't change them. But for many of the things, I could 7 them. For the first time, I knew about 8 better than before.

9 , I showed my father what I had written down, 10 he didn't read it. "That's just for you, " my 11 said. "You know about yourself 12 than any other person. If something that is said about you is true, you'll find it 13 . Lister to others patiently, but hear the truth only."

My father's advice came to my mind at many important moments. It is the best 14  that I have ever had in 15  life.

How to improve English pronunciation

It's true that you do not have to sound exactly like a native English speaker. However, when you meet someone for the first time, a good pronunciation will help leave a good impression on him/her. Here are some tips on improving your English pronunciation.

You cannot correct your pronunciation when you don't know the rules of it. So, start improving your pronunciation by first making yourself clear about the knowledge.

Watch while listening.

Find an article with recording. In this way, you can learn the relationship between the spelling of a word and the sound, and what words sound like when they're in a sentence together.

Have yourself recorded.

Hearing your own voice can be a strange experience. But it is a great way to improve your speech habits. If there's a letter or word that you want to improve upon, record yourself saying it. Find the differences and improve your way of pronunciation.

Add correct stress to words.

English is a stressed language. You can hear this when you say a word out loud. For example, the word "introduce" is pronounced with a stress at the end, so it sounds like this: "in-tro-DUCE"．

Practice every day.

After learning how to say something correctly, you need to practice often.  With enough practice, you can get what sounds right too.

A. Learn the rules.

B. Write down what you hear.

C. Look at the words while listening to the recording.

D. Then compare it with the recordings of native speakers.

E. That means greater force is used in speaking some words.

F. There are some excellent recordings on English pronunciation.

G. For at least 30 minutes a day, repeat the correct way to pronounce the words.

For decades, the homework standard has been a "10-minute" rule, which suggests a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. An American elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program(试点项目) for the coming school year, extending the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. "We really want kids to go home at 4 o'clock, tired," Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said. "We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice."

New solutions to homework differ by community. These local debates aren't easily understood by the fact that even education experts disagree about what's best for kids.

The most all-round research on homework so far comes from an analysis(分析) by Duke University professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence(证据) of a positive relationship between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. Cooper's analysis focused on how homework influences test scores. The relationship was stronger for older students from the 7th to the 12th grade than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

However, Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University Missouri-St. Louis, thinks there is not enough evidence that homework is helpful for students in elementary school, "Relationship is not a cause," she said "Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?" Vatterott thinks there should be more stress on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to ban homework for younger kids.

What a day! I started my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I'd been at the school for a hundred years!

The day started very early at 7:00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn't love me, mom said to have a good talk with them. I couldn't stop laughing.

My mom dropped me off at the school gate about five minutes before the bell rang. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills. 

I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way, too.

If you have lived in New York City for many years, like I have, the skyline becomes part of you and your daily life. 

When I was invited to visit the recently completed Summit One Vanderbilt, New York's fourth-highest tower, I wasn't expecting much. I felt like I'd seen it all and I thought that this observation deck (观测台) would be another space for a view of the city, but nothing else.

Let me tell you something: I have never seen one like this before. It sits on top of a building on 42nd street and Vanderbilt, right next to Grand Central Station. Once you have ascended to the top floor, you step into air, which makes you feel like being at l,000 feet above ground level with its mirrored floors. Once you make your way throughout the space, you feel like New York is part of a body, and your sense of space is challenged by the reflections of the light. The reflections create endless possibilities for photos and videos, and the light changes throughout the day. I took out my camera and began to take photos, feeling a connection with the city that no other observatory has been able to give me. 

Summit is something unique, an art work with architecture. It will be an observatory that will change with the city. I personally can't wait to take photos at sunset, or when winter arrives.

School News

Welcome back to school! Have you signed up for an after-school activity yet? Here are some of the activities you can try. 

SPORTS TEAMS

Do you like sports? How about joining the football team? It has try-outs next Tuesday at 3:00. Many of our best players have moved up to college. So now the team needs new players. For more information, meet our sports advisors, Ms. Matte or Mr.Stergis. 

GOOD AT ART? 

This year, your classmates in the school art club plan to paint a mural(壁画)on the wall by the office. So they need new members to help create it! Are you interested in drawing, painting or taking photographs? This club is for you. The first meeting of the school year is next Wednesday at 3:15 in Room 221. Please see Ms. Greenway for more information. 

NEW THIS YEAR

There are some new activities you can have a try. Try the new after-school science club! It has plans to enter the national Senior Robotics competition this year. So if you want to try building a robot, this club is for you. See Mr. Larson in Room 105 for more details. The club meets every Thursday at 3:30. 

Do you like acting? Are you good at singing? The school play this year is a musical—The Sound of Music. Come and try out next Monday at 3:10 in Room 125. 

For a list of all the after-school activities this year, click here. Or pick up a membership form from the advisor's office, Room 107.