2013级高一暑假英语网络作业三

2013级高一暑假英语网络作业三

A

Charlotte Hollins faces a battle. The 23-year-old British farmer and her 21-year-old brother Ben are fighting to save a farm that their father worked on since he was 14. Although confident they will succeed, she is aware of farming‟s many challenges.

“You don‟t often get a day off. Supermarkets put a lot of pressure on farmers to keep prices low. With fewer people working on farms it can be isolating,” she said. “There is a high rate of suicide and farming will never make you rich!”

Like others around the world, Charlotte‟s generation tend to leave the farm for cities.

Oliver Robinson, 25, grew up in Yorkshire. But he never considered staying on his father and grandfather‟s land. “I‟m sure Dad hoped I‟d stay,” he said. “I guess it‟s a nice, straightforward life, but it doesn‟t appeal to me. For young, ambitious people, farm life is hard.”

For Robinson, farming doesn‟t offer much “in terms of money or lifestyle”. Hollins agrees that economic factors stop people from enjoying the rewards of farming. He describes it as a career that provides “for a vital human need”, allowing people to work “outdoors with nature”.

Farming is a big political issue in the UK. The “Buy British” campaigns urge consumers not to purchase cheaper imported foods. The 2001 foot and mouth crisis closed thousands of farms, stopped meat exports, and raised public consciousness about the troubles on UK farms.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver‟s 2005 campaign to get children eating healthily also highlighted the issue.

This national concern gives hope to farmers competing with powerful supermarkets. While most people buy food from the big supermarkets, hundreds of independent Farmers‟ Markets are becoming popular.

“I started going to Farmers‟ Markets in direct defiance of the big supermarkets. I seriously objected to the super-sizing of everything – what exactly DO they put on our apples to make them so big and red? It‟s terrible,” said Londoner Michaela Samson, 31.

1. What are the challenges that British farmers face according to Charlotte Hollins? a. loneliness b. thin profits c. a lack of good equipment d. long working hours but slow results A. abc B. abd C. acd D. bcd 2. Why did Oliver Robinson refuse to stay on the farm? A. He hoped for a simpler life.

B. He was fed up with a hard farm life.

C. Farm life was too demanding though he liked it. D. He hoped for something challenging and rewarding.

3. Which of the following is an advantage of Farmers‟ Markets? A. Lower prices. B. Flexible sizes.

C. Convenient location. D. Healthier food. 4. What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs? A. Things are improving for independent farms in the UK.

B. Farming in the UK can now match the powerful supermarkets. C. Most British people are doubtful of food in big supermarkets.

D. Most British people have realized the problems facing farms and begun to help save them. B

If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment, don‟t lock yourself up in a quiet room.

A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur (动力) to creative thinking than the sound of silence, Time magazine reported.

A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz (嗡嗡作响) with a little noise.

Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels, the level one might find in a busy coffee shop.

A nearly silent environment (50 decibels) was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive – the noise became a distraction.

The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia, Canada, to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background.

In one experiment, scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress (气垫). Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud.

While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book, the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can‟t think at all.

Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily.

Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity.

Equally, working in a cafe environment isn‟t good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with.

5. The recommended level of background noise is ______. A. 50 decibels B. 65 decibels C. 70 decibels D. 85 decibels 6. Why is moderate background noise good for creativity? A. It relaxes people and stops them from getting bored. B. It can help people to focus on a subject.

C. It can absorb sudden noises that cause distraction.

D. It pushes people to use their imagination but doesn‟t reach a level that disturbs them. 7. According to the last three paragraphs, ______.

A. the low-level noise of a coffeehouse may be too loud for some people to work with

B. if a person is not a creative type, then background noise may not be of so much help to them C. a person‟s own creative ability is as important as the environment they are in D. working in a coffeehouse is effective for most people 8. Which best describes the writer‟s tone in the passage? A. Negative. B. Objective. C. Enthusiastic. D. Doubtful. C

I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I‟d procrastinated long enough.

I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland (花环) was the first to come down. The tree looked naked (光秃秃的) already. I took the large ornaments off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.

I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. “Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood. “Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years.” He was a little ragged (衣着破烂的) but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. “Until next year, my dear friend.”

There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree – memories of young giggles (咯咯地笑) on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. “Look what we made, Daddy!”

“Oh! It is beautiful. Let‟s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.

A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed (用吸尘器清扫) and I sat staring at a barren (空荡荡的) corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble (收集) and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.

My tree is a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.

Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren‟t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.

9. In the author‟s eyes, the Christmas tree _____. A. is a collection of childhood memories B. is a symbol of long-lasting relations C. takes too much time to decorate D. is full of out-of-date ornaments

10. The underlined word “procrastinated” probably means ______. A. reflected B. celebrated C. decorated D. delayed 11. To the author, a Christmas tree is similar to a good marriage in that ______. A. both take time to build but fall apart easily B. both remind him of bittersweet memories C. both need to be admired for some time D. both get less attractive over the years 12. What is the main theme of the article?

A. We‟d better put away Christmas decorations and recycle them each year. B. Friendships and marriages should be valued and managed carefully. C. Memories with friends and family should be cherished and relived. D. We should decorate Christmas trees with personal stuff and recycle. D

In the 1990s, the term “digital divide” described the technology haves and have-nots.

Nowadays the divide has grown smaller, but left a troubling side effect.

Studies show children in poorer families spend more time than those from better-off families watching TV, playing video games and on social networking sites.

“I‟m not anti technology at home, but it‟s not a savior (救星),” said Laura Robell, principal at Elmhurst Community Prep, a middle school in the lower-income area of East Oakland, California. “So often we have parents come up to us and say, „I have no idea how to monitor .‟”

The Federal Communications Commission plans to spend $200 million on digital literacy corps, involving perhaps thousands of teachers of productive computing in schools and libraries. Some private and state projects already exist.

A study published in 2010 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which studies health policy in the US, found that children of parents without college degrees spent 90 minutes more per day exposed to media than children from higher socioeconomic families.

Children of parents without a college degree spent 11.5 hours each day exposed to media, an increase of 4 hours and 40 minutes per day since 1999.

Even children of more educated parents tended to use their devices for entertainment – 10 hours of multimedia a day, a 3.5-hour jump from 1999.

“Despite the educational potential of computers, the reality is that their use for education or meaningful content creation is tiny compared to their use for pure entertainment,” said Vicky Rideout, author of the study. “Instead of closing the achievement gap, they‟re widening the time-wasting gap (差距).”

In 12-year-old Markiy Cook‟s family, money is limited, but there are two laptops, an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii. Markiy has his own phone. He likes , texting and games.

“I stay up all night, until like 7 in the morning,” he laughs, slightly embarrassed. “It‟s why I‟m so tired on Monday.” His grades are suffering with a D average. He wants to be a biologist when he grows up.

Alejandro Zamora, 13, an eighth grader, calls himself “a freak”. His mother, Olivia Montesdeoca, said she could not get him to use the computer for homework.

She added that she did not understand the Internet. “I have no idea about . I‟ve never even heard of a webcam.”

13. According to the text, Laura Robell is concerned that ______.

A. a lot of parents don‟t care about monitoring their children‟s behavior online

B. the US government do not make enough effort to introduce technology in education C. many school children aren‟t using technology properly at home D. a lot of parents do not know enough about technology

14. We can learn from the text that children from more educated families ______. A. spend less time using their devices purely for entertainment purposes B. spend fewer hours on the Internet than they used to

C. would rather visit social networking sites than play video games

D. achieve more than children of parents who have had a worse education

15. What problem do Markiy Cook and Alejandro Zamora have? A. They are both addicted to video games B. They both perform badly at school

C. Neither of them use multimedia mainly for education

D. Neither of them have parents who know a lot about technology

16. What is the text mainly about?

A. The educational potential of digital devices.

B. The troubles caused by a narrowing digital divide. C. American students‟ dependence on multi-media.

D. The problems faced by lower income American families. E

Tips for a Successful College Visit

College visits are important. Before you commit years of your life and thousands of dollars to a school, you need to make sure you‟re choosing a place that matches your personality and interests. You can‟t get the “feel” of a school from a guidebook, so be sure to visit the campus. Below are a few tips for getting the most out of your college visit.

1. Explore on your own

Of course you should take the official campus tour, but allow time to walk around on your own. Tour guides will show you a school‟s selling points, but the oldest and prettiest buildings aren‟t the whole picture of a college, nor is the one dorm room that has been cleaned to perfection for visitors. Try to walk the extra mile and get the complete picture of the campus.

2. Read the bulletin boards

When you visit the student center, academic buildings and residence halls, take a few minutes to read the bulletin

boards. They provide a quick and easy way to see what‟s happening on campus. The ads for lectures, clubs, recitals (独奏会) and plays can give you a good sense of the types of activities going on outside of the classrooms.

3. Eat in the dining hall

You can get a good feel for student life by eating in the dining hall. Try to sit with students if you can, but even if you‟re with your parents, you can observe the bustling activity around you. Do the students seem happy or stressed? Is the food good? Are there enough healthy options? Many admissions offices will give prospective students coupons (优惠券) for free meals in the dining halls.

4. Visit a class in your major

If you know what you want to study, a class visit makes a lot of sense. You‟ll get to observe other students in your field and see how engaged they are in classroom discussion. Try to stay after class for a few minutes and chat with the students to get their impressions of their professors and major. Be sure to call in advance to schedule a classroom visit – most colleges don‟t allow visitors to drop in on class unannounced.

5. Talk to lots of students

Your campus tour guide has been trained to market the school. Try to hunt down students who aren‟t getting paid to impress you. These unplanned conversations can often provide you with information about college life that isn‟t part of the admissions script. Few university officials will tell you if their students spend all weekend drinking or studying, but a group of random students might.

For more tips, please go to collegeapps.about.com.

17. The underlined phrase “walk the extra mile” probably means _____. A. take a longer walk B. make better plans C. make more effort D. be more careful 18. Reading the bulletin board can help you ______. A. decide the major you want to study

B. find out about the after-class activities on campus C. get free coupons from the admissions offices

D. find out whether their students party or work all weekend

19. To get a real idea of the college during a visit, it‟s best to talk to ______. A. famous professors B. campus tour guides C. admission officers D. random students 20. If you plan to attend a class on campus, ______. A. it‟s best to drop in a class in your major B. read the school guidebook before you go C. try to take part in the class discussions

D. ask what the students think of their teachers and majors

本期书写训练：

阅读下面这篇文章，回想高一一学年的学习和生活，你有留下印象一些美好的回忆和小小的遗憾吗？试着用自己的语言写两段文字，字数各在100词以上。

Memories and regrets

As senior middle school comes to an end, many students are remembering old times. IC

高中毕业季，细数那些美好过往和深埋心底的遗憾。

GRADUATION season is well underway. Many memories are fun to look back on, while others bring feelings of regret. Let‟s see what some Senior 3 students remember most vividly from their time in senior middle school.

Duan Buxi, 17, Taiyuan Foreign Language School, Shanxi

Best memory: It was a crazy week – some of my Senior 1 classmates and I tried our best to build a biology model. We worked so hard on it that we spent almost every minute after class discussing and working on the project together. When this task was completed, the word “cooperation” truly made sense to me.

Secret regret: I‟m grateful for my desk mate. With her help, I became one of the top students. But we have hardly met since we were divided into different classes in Senior 2. What if I had told her back then that I had a crush (暗恋) on her? The movie, My Old Classmate, brings me back to those old days.

Zheng Ketong, 17, Beijing Yucai School

Best memory: I had one hilarious (欢闹的) meal in a small restaurant just outside of my school. To save time for evening classes, myself and other Senior 3 students usually have set meals delivered to our school. But once, several boys including me decided to find some decent (像样的) food outside of campus even though eating out is not allowed. The moment we successfully sneaked out (溜出去), we were burning with excitement. That scene always comes alive in my memory, including the scolding (责备) we received from our teacher afterwards.

Secret regret: My class is never the best at basketball. All of my classmates are test geniuses (天才), but when it came to the annual basketball competition we were usually losers. Only three boys in our group are any good at the sport. No matter how much effort we put in, we just couldn‟t find the rim (篮筐). Could we have worked harder and overcome our lack of talent?

Yin Jialin, 18, Jixi No 1 Middle School, Heilongjiang

Best memory: Two of my friends, Zheng Yi and Liu Weipeng, made my school time memorable. We shook off our pressures after exams by eating out together, gossiping and complaining or just enjoying music on the grass in a park.

We have lived every moment together as if it were our last.

Secret regret: Attending a school away from home means you miss some important celebrations with your family. I have intended to make the most of every moment at school, but I have rarely visited my parents in the past three years. I didn‟t even go to my sister‟s wedding. I hope I can make up for that after the college entrance examination.

Your best memory:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Your secret regret:

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