2018年浙江省中考英语真题（阅读理解）

    Diabetes is caused by a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over a long period of time. There are three main types of diabetes:

l   Type 1 Diabetes results from the body not having enough insulin.

l   Type 2 Diabetes mainly happens to those who do not have enough physical exercise, eat too much unhealthy food and get too heavy.

l   Gestational Diabetes is the third main form. It appears when a woman is having a baby. She will probably get well again after the birth of the baby.

    Diabetes can bring serious problems. People with diabetes, especially the Type 1, will easily get thirsty and hungry, and quickly lose weight. If it is not treated, it will develop rapidly (weeks or months), and cause many long-term complications. All the complications relate to damage to blood vessels. For example, damage to the eyes. It is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the eyes, and results in gradual vision loss and blindness. The complications will greatly increase the risk of diabetes, by which about 75% of the deaths are caused.

    According to a report from the WHO (World Health Organization) in 2015, about 415 million people have diabetes worldwide, which means 8. 3% of the adults in the world have diabetes. Of all the cases, 85% to 90% are Type 2 Diabetes. That is to say, most cases of diabetes result from the unhealthy life style. Diabetes doubles a person's risk of early death. From 2012 to 2015, about 1.5 to 5 million deaths each year resulted from this disease. The global economic cost of diabetes in 2014 was around 612 billion USD.

    A healthy life style can help prevent diabetes. Doing a lot of physical activities and having a healthy diet will help have normal body weight. Higher levels of physical activity (more than 90 minutes per day) can reduce the risk of diabetes by 28 %. Healthy diet includes foods rich in whole grains and fiber, foods with good fats from nuts, vegetable oils and fish, little sugar, and less red meat.

    Every night in Jinan University in Guangzhou, a group of students plays diabolo(空竹)as a crowd watches on in amazement.

    Chen Zhelun, 25, a Malaysian-Chinese started the diabolo club, which helps to increase the popularity of this traditional Chinese game, He is one of many students expressing their interest in the country's cultural heritage(通产)by starting clubs.

    The diabolo, which came from China, is popular among Chinese living in Malaysia.

    "We played diabolo from primary school onward. I thought I could find someone to play with in China, but only a few students knew about it. So I started a club to develop it," says Chen.

    To Chen's surprise, the old game has interested a huge crowd--more than 1,000 students have joined the club.

    "It keeps your body strong and it's fun," says Chen.

    But some prefer quieter activities. Every weekend, one classroom in Shenzhen University is always crowded, but it's unusually silent. The members of Lanting Calligraphy Club are writing Chinese characters with traditional brushes.

    Fan Dongling, 21，a student in Shenzhen university, says it's a shame that young people no longer enjoy the beauty of Chinese characters.

    Although her club is quiet. Fan says it keeps members healthy, mentally and physically.

    "Some students think traditional things are outdated. They like celebrating Western festivals like Christmas or Valentine's Day, but they seldom pay attention to traditional ones."says Kong Yanquan, 21，a student in Guangxi University.

    As head of the traditional Chinese local operas club. Kong plans to put modern elements(元素)into traditional culture to get students to join his club.

    "I think it's everyone's duty to save and develop China's traditional culture among young people," he says.

    I have read plenty of articles about self-improvement these past few months, and most of them tell you that you need to wake up and keep positive(积极的). When you wake up, you need to think that something great is going to happen today, and that you are going to have a great day. This kind of positive attitude(态度) is supposed to change your whole day.

    So this morning I woke up and decided to give it a whirl. The sun was shining brightly through my bedroom window, and it immediately gave me this warm feeling inside. I thought to myself, "Today is going to be a great day. One of the best days ever!" I got out of bed, took my morning shower and began to get dressed. I put on a pair of dress pants I have not warned in a while, followed by my dress shirt and that is when it began. I reached into my left pocket and pulled out what felt like some paper.

    You know that feeling of finding a $20 hill in your pants and it feels like free money? Because you forgot all about it and thought you never did?

    I pulled out a $100 bill and a $50 bill in the same pocket. It seemed like the best thing that had happened to me these days. Yes, $150 starts off my day! I'm sure if someone could have seen the smile on my face, they would have understood, I shouted in joy, with my poor dog looking at me like I was crazy!

    Start your morning off thinking you are going to have the best day ever and you just might! I really want to know what will happen next.

    Most people use their mouths to talk, but do you know some people use their hands to speak? Some people who cannot bear use their hands to communicate messages to others. This is called sign language. These people make shapes with their fingers, movements with their hands, as well as different faces in order to talk to other people.

    One way people speak with their hands is by making shapes for letters with their fingers. For example, if you make an "OK" sign with your thumb and finger, that is the shape for the letter "f" in American sign language. Each letter has a hand shape. This way people can spell words using their hands. For example, if you want to spell "fun", you need to make three shapes. First you make the shape for the letter "f", then the shape for the letter "u", and then the shape for the letter "n".

    ___________. If you move your hand from your nose to your chin(下巴), you can say“mother” in American sign language. Of course, you have to use the correct hand shape, too. That shape is like holding your hand open with all five fingers showing. If you move your hand from the top of your head to your chin, you can say "father＂， Again, you have to use the same hand shape that you used for "mother".

    Finally, people can change their faces to communicate in a sign language. For example, if you want to ask a question, you need to make your eyebrows (眉毛) go up. You also need to move your head forward a little.

    If you want to say "I do not know", you need to make your eyes smaller and make your eyebrows go down.

    Do you use a calendar to help you organize your life? By listing what you need to do on any special day, you can make sure to keep all for your appointments and not worry whether you've forgotten something. Calendars are also useful for reminding(提醒) people what day a certain holiday is on and what days you might have off from work. Besides, they are used for planning fun things like vacations and outings.

    A calendar is usually divided into twelve parts, and each one stands for m month with all the days laid out in a grid-like (网格状的) form. A block of space usually is for are day, and there is enough space for you to write down what you need to do on that certain day. You probably use all different kinds of calendars. A calendar on your cell phone screen is easy to use, and so is a large paper calendar that hangs on your wall.

    Here is one page of Mary's calendar and it shows her plans in May.

    Shyness can be an unhappy feeling. But the good news is, you're not alone. Scientists say that more than 40 percent of teenagers and adults consider themselves shy. Shyness is feeling a little nervous or as if you want to hide when you're around other people or in a new situation.

    ______ Scientists say such things as genetics（遗传基因）， life experiences， and environment can influence whether a person is shy. For example, in some families, everybody seems to be shy.

    What happens if you are shy? Well, being shy may cause you to avoid or miss opportunities you would enjoy.

    How do people overcome (克服)shyness? This is what Gilbert tells us. "When I started off trying to get over being shy, I decided to do little steps at a time, including practicing smiling and saying hi to people. And it worked for me. "

    But shyness is not the kind of thing that most people can get over overnight. Overcoming shyness take time and needs practice.

    Here are some tips given by scientists.

    Think of what to talk about before you leave home. Prepare things to talk about before you're in a social situation. For example, if you know your classmates are interested in an upcoming event, learn about it so you can join in the conversations.

    Let people know you're shy. If you're shy, just show it. Instead of letting people guess, tell them the truth. Explain that you are shy and feel nervous but enjoy talking to people.

    Make things easy for the other person. Remember, you're not the only shy person around. Do what you think might help others feel good-for example, say hello or smile.

    Pick one social skill to practice at a time. Start simply. For example, smile or be the first person to say hi. Choose skills you feel comfortable enough with to practice for a day, a week, a month, or even a year.

    Teenagers are known for being creative and full of new ideas. Let's have a look at these teenage inventions that might change the world.

    My mother is a teacher, and I grew up with the challenges (挑战) a teacher faces. I often asked her, "Why do you teach? What keeps you teaching? "The answer was always the same. "There is always that one child, that one moment that is worth it."

    Now, I am a teacher, too. But different from my mother, I teach students challenging activities outdoors. And when my mother asked me the similar questions, my answer was, "it's that one child, that one special moment."

    One of those moments happened recently. I was working with a group of girls in a four-week programme. Everything went on well through the "Team" events and we were moving on to a "High" one called the wire（钢索） Walk．

    In the Wire Walk, each girl had to climb up the pegs(木桩)in a tree to a wire, 8 meters high, and then walk across it. Of course, everything was safe for sure.

    When I asked who would try, a few girls raised their hands, and they finished the Wire Walk with little difficulty.

    But when it was Susie's turn, it seemed that she didn't really want to. I asked Susie if she was ready. She Answered softy, "I suppose."

    Now, Susie was at the foot of the tree. She started to make the long reach for the first peg. The other girls cheered for her. Then I found Susie was becoming nervous with every step. I realised she would not go much further.

    Susie was halfway up. Then she stopped and held the tree tight(紧紧地), looking very afraid. Her eyes were closed. With her face against the tree, she cried, "I can't."

    The other girls sat in silence. I talked quietly to Susie, trying to relax her. I talked for a long time till I ran out of words.

    "I will still be your friend no matter what, Susie!" Mary broke the silence.

    To my surprise, Susie lifted her head and looked up to the wire. Then she turned to look down at Mary and smiled. Mary smiled back.

    Finally, Susie made it all the way across that wire. When she returned to the ground, the first hug she looked for was from Mary.

    We all cheered.

    Moments like this keep me doing what I do. The young hearts continue to fill me with courage.

Understanding Graphics（图表）

    In our culture, the ability to make one's own decisions is important. John F. Kennedy's quote(引语）"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." shows an unpleasant truth.

    Much of what we know and believe has been taught to us by others, and we often accept this information without spending much time thinking it over for ourselves.

    In today's world, we are being presented with information, ideas and beliefs, but many of them are against each other. Psychology(心理学）tells us that if we hear an idea enough times, or it comes from someone we respect(尊敬), we will probably believe that idea. In these cases, we base our opinions on the opinions of others. If each of us does not think about this information for ourselves and come to our own conclusions , we will become nothing more than parrots（鹦鹉） quoting the opinions of others.

    Examples of spreading fake news without thought can be seen on the Internet. Some people believe whatever they read and then share the story without thinking about the facts. All it takes is one quick click(点击）of the "share" button, and the story travels on its way to influence even more unthinking readers. This can cause serious problems.

    If we just stop for a moment to think about what we read and hear, and form our own opinions, we will be more thoughtful, more independent, and more creative people, but few take that time. Yet we need not lose heart over this bad habit. In fact, simply becoming aware (意识到） of it is the first step towards correcting it. Once we become aware that we tend(趋向）to hold opinions and beliefs without thinking them through, we can change that pattern of behavior. Hopefully, we can learn to experience and enjoy the "discomfort of thought" and form our own opinions.

    Workers wear them. Swimmers wear them. Scientists wear them. Woodcutters wear them. People who play sports wear them. Goggles protect the eyes. They keep out water and chemicals. They keep out bits of wood or stone. They might look funny, but goggles do serious work!

    Why do people need to wear goggles? They need to keep the can hurt our eyes. Have you ever gotten a piece of sand or dirt or other small particle in your eye? What happens? It hurts. Your eye begins to fill with tears. Those tears are your body's way of getting the sand or dirt out of your eye. Sometimes this works. Your eye feels much better.

    But what happens if your tears don't work? What happens if the piece of sand has gotten stuck in your eye? Eyes are delicate. They can be scratched or cut easier than skin(皮肤). If the particle is not washed out by tears, you might have to go to the doctor. You could even have problems seeing out of that eye.

    Instead of waiting to see if tears will help, some people use goggles. This can prevent things from getting in their eyes at all. If they use goggles. Their eyes are protected from the things that can cause problems, Goggles are a better way to protect eyes. They are made of plastic or glass, and they are tied around your eye area. Some of them hook behind your ears like glasses. Other goggles have a strap (带子) that goes around your head. Both kinds stay right where you put them until you take them off. That way, you can use both hands to work or play sports, and you don t have to worry about something getting in your eyes.

    Your eyes are safe, and you can get busy working or playing!

    ① My little sister is spoilt(宠坏的). She has Dad wrapped around her finger. If I had done or said some of the things that she does when I was her age, I would have been in big trouble. Not her- she's Daddy's girl. She's three.

    ②An example: Dad asked her to get his glasses from the kitchen. My sister said, “You've got legs. You get them.” When he asked again, she said, "Benny's got legs. He can get them. "Mum and Dad thought she was funny. I just thought she was rude.

    ③One night she woke Dad and said she dreamed that "Benny was fighting a witch (巫婆)."Mum and Dad let her sleep in their bed the rest of the night. I never slept in their bed- not that I would have wanted to. She is so spoilt.

    ④One time at the beach after she'd been playing in the surf with Mum, my sister shouted that an "octopus's tentacles" had bitten (咬) her. Dad laughed his head off. It wasn't that funny. She was certainly imagining. I knew that's what she thought as I'd done a project on animals for school.

    ⑤She likes to do homework when I do mine. She sits next to me and pretends to write pages of homework. It's just letters such as the letters in her name that she repeats for row after row. Mum says she's just trying to be like me but it drives me crazy when I'm trying to fix my attention on my work.

    ⑥She took her favorite book, Animalia, to Kindy(幼儿园) this morning. When dad and I collected her from Kindy this afternoon, a boy had taken her book out of her locker and was being really careless with the pages. I could tell she didn't like him having her book. I took the book off the boy and told him to treat books nicely. My sister looked very happy.

    ⑦Later my Dad told me that my sister admires me. I guess that's pretty cool.

    When our son Bradley was ten, the new bicycle he had received earlier that year was stolen. Owning a bicycle was a big deal to our children when they were little. They spent hours and hours, day after day, on their bicycles, riding up and down the footpath, and at the front of the house. We also rode together as a family a lot. Bicycling was a great way to get the kids out of the house and into the fresh air without spending any money.

    Bradley had discovered that his bicycle had been stolen from our backyard in Campbelltown, South Australia, when he and his sister went outside for a morning ride. He couldn't believe that someone would do this.

    He got a large piece of cardboard, painted a sign begging for the bicycle to be returned, and tied the sign to the letterbox. The following morning, when I went out to collect the mail, I found a white envelope with the magical words, "Buy yourself a new bicycle". There was a $100 banknote inside.

    We were very touched that someone had the heart to do this, We've never been able to thank the person but we suspect(猜想) that it may have been one of our wonderful neighbors. Bradley painted a big"______!"on the sign and we left it outside for a couple of weeks afterwards, hoping the kind stranger would drive down our street.

    A delighted Bradley was able to buy a new bicycle. As the years went on, the bicycles became bigger and more expensive but remained just as important for those family bicycle rides. Now Bradley is 25. Sometimes I miss the days when receiving a bicycle was the best thing in the world to them.

    All these years later we are still thankful for the stranger's kindness. We were a young family with three little children and it meant a lot to us. We still talk about it and, even now, wonder who the kind stranger was.

    Every 14 days, another language dies. There are many reasons for this. Some people think more common languages have more economic(经济的) if power. Because of this, young people choose to learn a common language as they think it is more useful. Another reason is that some languages aren't written down. Guujaaw is a leader of the Haida Nation, whose people have lived on the Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada, for more than 10,000 years. Their language is endangered. Traditionally, it wasn't written down, and, as a result, some people are worried that it will die one day. Guujaaw replies to this, "We talk to each other, listen, visit and believe in the spoken word. Expressing yourself without writing is natural. However, if Guujaaw's language and others like it are going to stay alive, writing may have to become part of their lives.

    When a language dies, a lot of knowledge dies with it. To begin with, language is a huge part of the culture of the people who speak it. Language allows speakers to say certain things: words that describe a cultural idea may not translate exactly into another language. Furthermore, many endangered languages have rich spoken cultures. Stories, songs and histories are passed on from older people to younger generations(一代). Elizabeth Lindsey, an expert in languages, emphasizes(强调) this. "When an elder dies, a library is burned," she says.

    Also, language death affects our knowledge about nature. Local people often have a deep understanding of plants, animals, and the relationship between them. David Harrison, a researcher on endangered languages, reflects, "80% of plant and animal species(物种)have been undiscovered by science. But that doesn't mean they're unknown to humans."

    Many languages are endangered. However, it's not too late. Children often grow up speaking two languages．“ No one… becomes richer by giving up… one language to learn another，” Harrison said. If children feel both languages are important, they will use both. So, it is necessary that children realize how useful their local language is.

Eating your way around the world

Australia: Try a pie floater?

    Feeling hungry? No visit to South Australia is complete without trying the local food-a pie floater. They are traditionally sold at roadside food shops, some of which stay open all night. It is a meat pie floating in a thick green pen soup. Finally, the pie is covered with plenty of bright red tomato ketchup(番茄酱). Enjoy!

Vietnam: Soup for breakfast

The food stands in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, open early in the morning and stay busy till late at night, selling fast food to hungry passers-by. The most famous dish is pho, a noodle soup with slices of beef or chicken and different vegetables. It's usually eaten for breakfast—-many Vietnamese people say they cannot start the day without this delicious food!

Belgium: Home of French fries

    You can find French fried potatoes all over the world, but as Belgians will tell you, they, not the French, invented this popular street food, back in the 17th century. French fries, eaten from a paper cone are the Belgian's favourite food. The secret of perfect French fries is that they are fried(油炸) twice in hot oil, to give a perfect, golden outside

    Right now you probably spend most of your time in school. Do you wonder what you are going to do after high school? Will you continue to go to school? Will you learn a trade? Perhaps it is time to think about your choices and to prepare for them. Some day work will be a big part of your life.

    What kind of job would be right for you? Think about your interests and your skills. You may like to listen to music, dance, play basketball, or work with computers. You may know how to drive a car or how to get along with people. Knowing both your interests and skills will help make a better plan for your career(职业).

    To get an idea of what work you would like to do, make a list of your interests and a list of your skills. Think about what you have done to be successful in your interests. After that, brainstorm a list of career choices that might match your interests and skills. You can later keep your lists with the projects and documents(文件) that can help you achieve the career you want. They can help you know more clearly about your achievements in school and in the world of work.

    Roberta Zhan, an art designer, finds her work satisfying because it allows her to use her interests and skills. She enjoyed imagining something in her mind's eye while she was in school. She took art, design, and computer lessons, and also learned about taking photos on her own.

    Here is what she says about the meaning of work: "If you have a job you like, work means much more than just making money. It means using your talents, making a contribution(贡献) and getting a real sense of satisfaction from doing a job."

    Technology is everywhere. We see it any place we go and, in fact, almost all of us carry some piece of technology with us every time we leave the house. What I always forget, though, is just how useful and powerful technology can be when we want to help others.

    There is not a single room in my house that does not have some electronic devices(设备)lying around in it. Whenever I am at home, I am almost always using at least one electronic device. If you walked into my living room on any given day, you would find that, first, I have the television on. At the same time, I usually have my laptop resting on my knee, or I will be using my mobile phone. Even when I'm not at home I am always using my phone, and at work or in cafes, I sit down and connect to the local wireless network on my laptop.

    I must say that I waste a lot of time on the computer and the time I spend on it could be much better spent if I were to take up a little online volunteering.

    The technology we carry about everywhere can have a great power to do good for the world and to help others and recently I discovered just how much online volunteering there is to do in the world. From using your language skills to do translations, to developing and managing projects and helping with IT work, there is so much that so many people can do to help people in their own countries and across the world. The United Nations, in fact, has a huge page with "Volunteers Recruited" on its website.

    This work can support the poor and help charities who cannot pay for staff. Many organizations only require you to work an hour a week-some even less. And the support provided by online volunteers can really help make a difference to those in need.

    17-year-old Brennan Agranoff, a colorblind boy, started his custom sock business in middle school, with a small loan(贷款)he got from his parents. Up till now, he has sold over $1 million worth of socks online in the last four years.

    Brennan thought of the idea for his custom sock company at just 13 years old. He was attending a high-school basketball game in his hometown of Sherwood, Oregon, and noticed that many kids his age were wearing the same white Nike sport socks. The boy told himself that if these white plain sacks were so popular with kids, then some cool custom designs would surely be an even greater hit.

    But the boy didn't tell his parents about the business idea immediately. He spent six months researching things like printing machines and technology and drawing up a business plan. Only when he had everything planned out did he ask his parents for a loan. "They thought the idea was a little out there," Brennan recently told CNN Money, but he kept pushing, and finally received a $3,000 loan to start his company. Then he began to work on his own designs. The fact that he was colorblind didn't stop him and he has created aver 200 designs now.

    Business was slow the first year, but then Brennan started pushing his HoopSwagg products heavily on the Internet. Orders soon started coming in in large numbers, and HoopSwagg became a popular brand among custom sock lovers. Right now, his designs can be found on HoopSwagg website, Amazon and eBay.

    Four years after starting his business, Brennan has achieved great success while balancing(平衡)school, house chores and his social life. And he says he loved every minute of it.

    For me, one of the greatest pleasures in life is going to watch a great film at the cinema. It's a chance for me to get away from real life. There's nothing better than being lost in a story unless, of course, someone decides to break down the moment.

    Whether at a cinema or a huge theatre, someone usually decides to treat the place like their own home! There is an accepted way of behaving at the cinema which some people don t seem to understand.

    To start with, some people always turn up late, causing you to rise from your seat to allow them to go past. Then, when you want to enjoy the surround-sound effects, someone begins to enjoy their drinks and popcorn and thus makes a lot of noises. And what I can't stand most is people who decide to chat to their friends, sometimes not even about the film.

    I'm not alone in this situation. Simon Mayo, a film critic at the BBC, experienced a “new low" during a film. He says, "The woman in front of me got a mirror out, then her boyfriend got a phone out and used the light on it to allow her to do her make-up!”

    Simon has helped to create a list of rules on how moviegoers should behave at the cinema. One of them is no use of mobile phones, and another is not to take your shoes off--a most serious offence(冒犯)!

    Of course, when we have paid for a ticket, we feel it is our right to relax and enjoy the film in the way we want to, but we mustn't forget our fellow moviegoers who want to enjoy the cinematic experience, too.

    The best choice for anyone wanting to break the rules of cinema manners is to get a DVD and watch it at home. But we all know that the best way to enjoy the art of cinematography is on the big screen. _______________

    What about you? What annoys you about other people at the cinema?

    Who wants to eat food that is thrown away as waste? Believe it or not, that's exactly what world leaders did at a lunch held by the United Nations in 2015.

    During the meal, the world leaders enjoyed dishes like salads and burgers made with thrown-away vegetables and fruits. Chef Dan Barber, who helped create the meal, hoped that the experience would make the leaders pay more attention to the issue of food waste.

    It is a huge problem. One out of nine people on Earth does not get enough food. Yet every year over one third of the food produced worldwide goes to waste!

    Why is so much food wasted? Firstly, food is often thrown away before it reaches customers because too much of it is produced, or because it is not kept properly in farms. Secondly, shops and supermarkets usually throw away unsold food. Finally, customers often buy more food than they need, so a lot of uneaten food is wasted.

    How can you waste less food? When eating out, you may ask for less food and take home what is left. Visit fast food restaurant less often, since they usually more wasteful. Encourage your favorite restaurants to give unsold food to food banks.

    You can also waste less food at home. Use smaller rice bowls so that you serve less rice.

    Encourage family members to use unfinished rice to make rice puddings. Tell family members to make a shopping list and buy only what is on the list when shopping for food.

    Food waste is a growing problem and we, either farmers or food sellers or customers, must take this problem more seriously and do what we can to help.

    Bananas are the perfect snack. Not only are they sweet and delicious, but they are easy to carry around, so you can take them anywhere. Best of all, bananas provide different things that the human body needs!

    Bananas grow best in warm places that get lots of rain. They grow on plants that look like trees. The banana plant, however, is considered a herb rather than a tree because it doesn't have a strong , woody stem（茎，干）. The plants can grow as high as 30 feet. When they reach their full height, flowers grow out from the stem. These flowers produce bananas.

Two or three times each year, the plants produce fruit. The bananas grow together, which seem like "hands". A hand is made up of 10 to 20 bananas. Growers sometimes call bananas "fingers". Each bunch（丛） of bananas has about 15 hands, and so a whole bunch may have as many as 200 bananas and can weigh more than 100 pounds.

    After about three months, the bananas are ready to be picked. At this point, they still aren't the sunny yellow color of bananas. Farmers pick them when they're green. That's how they're shipped to stores. They turn yellow along the way and are ready to be sold.

    If you love bananas, you've got a lot of company. Americans have been enjoying bananas since the first shipment arrived in the United States in 1876. Today, American eat more bananas than any other fruit. More bananas are sold than apples and grapes together. Every American eats over 26 pounds of bananas each year!

    When Canadian teenager Ryan was six years old, his teacher told him that in many parts of Africa, there was no clean water. She said that people often made themselves ill, and even died, just from drinking or bathing in dirty water.

    What she said made Ryan upset. He decided to raise money for a well(井) so that people in Africa could have clean water. He did extra chores for his parents and raised $70 all by himself. Then he found out that it actually cost $2,000 to dig a well.

    Most people would have given up at this point, but not Ryan. He was disappointed, but determined to raise more money. Finally he collected over $2,000. That money was used to dig the first of “Ryan's wells”.

    Since then, Ryan has continued to raise money for more wells. In fact, Ryan has raised over

    $1,500,000!

    Ryan calls himself “a normal boy” and likes to play ice hockey when he's not in school or traveling around the world talking to other students about himself and his work. As for the future. He has said that he isn't exactly sure what he will choose to do. “Something along the lines of a lawyer or a teacher. Maybe a leader!”

    There is a popular Chinese saying that “Fair skin(皮肤) will make up for three flaws(缺陷)”. This mentions the fact that in Chinese culture, it is believed that people who have fair skin are more beautiful. In Western culture, however, the opposite is true — many Westerners think tanned skin is prettier. The example shows that different cultures have different ideas of what they think is beautiful. These cultural meanings of the beauty, however, are no longer important. As more and more people travel overseas, ideas about beauty are being shared among cultures. The Internet has also made it easier for people to share different types of beauty since people are always posting pictures on social media. The result is an ever-changing idea of what is considered beautiful.

    The cultural practice of ear piercings, for example, has become a part of modern day culture.

    In Kenya, it is a tradition among Masai men and women to pierce and then make their ear

    lobes( 耳 垂 ) longer using ivory and wood or stones. They then wear colorful things on their ear lobes. This is a common practice since longer ear lobes are seen as a sigh of beauty. This tradition has now found its way into present-day culture. Nowadays, this might still seem unusual to some, but with more and more well-known actors and film stars showing off their longer ear lobes, it will finally become more fashionable.

    It is understood that different cultures around the world have different ways of showing beauty. However, since we now live in a worldwide society, people's views about beauty are always changing. With the help of the Internet, people are now able to easily borrow ideas from other cultures to help them stand out. So what new fashions can we expect to see in the future?

    Oats are healthy food. Many families have them for breakfast. The following is the instructions of Golden Oats from America.

    Bath, 97 miles west of London, is the largest city in Somerset, England. It became a World Heritage Site in 1987.

    The city got its name from the Roman Baths, which was a place for public bathing in Roman Britain. The water there is naturally heated under the ground. Today visitors are no longer allowed to enter the water. However, the exhibitions there will tell you the history of the Roman Baths. You can see many ancient Roman objects, including the coins that were thrown into the water to show respect to the goddess.

    Looking over the city, you will see many old buildings in the color of honey. Among them, the Royal Crescent and the Circus are the most famous. The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 houses in the shape of crescent. The Circus is about 200 meters to the east of the Royal Crescent. It is a huge circle formed with large townhouses. It is divided into three parts of the same length by three entrances with a lawn in the center. When visiting Bath, you can't miss these two sites.

    The museums in the city are also popular. You can go and appreciate western paintings. If you are interested in the English writer Jane Austen, you can go to Jane Austen Center to know more about her life with her father in Bath. If you come in October, you can even take part in the bath film Festival.

    I graduated from college recently and moved to Washington by myself. While I was in college, it was really easy to meet new people. But "out in the real world", I was finding it really hard. I live in a big city, and it seems like everyone around me is busy or already has all the friends they want. I was feeling so discouraged(沮丧的）and I didn't know what to do, so I called my sister for some advice.

    My sister is five years older than I am, so she's been through all this already. She's been helping me with my problems all my life. When I explained my problem, she understood completely. She said, "Why don't you try meeting people online?"

    "Online? Are you kidding?" I asked. "A friend of mine chatted with a guy online, and when she finally met him face to face, he was nothing like what he said."

    My sister laughed. "You don't have to look for dates online," she said. "But you can find other people like you—people who have just moved to town and want to make some new friends. When I first moved to New York after college, I found a book club and a football team online. I met a lot of people that way."

    "But you don't even like football!" I said.

    "I know," she replied. "But that didn't matter. I still had a lot of fun. You played volleyball in college. Why don't you look for a volleyball team to join? Or an art class?"

    "Yeah! I saw a website about volunteering the other day." I said. "I could volunteer for an organization here in Washington. I bet I could meet a lot of really nice people that way."

    "Good idea!" my sister answered excitedly. "Hey, you might even meet the perfect guy."

    "OK, now you're starting to sound like Mom," I said. "Thanks a lot for the advice. I'm going online right now. I'll let you know what happens. Will you be home tonight?"

    "No, but I'll be here all day tomorrow, so give me a call," my sister replied. "Good luck!"

    Artificial intelligence (AI) (人工智能）is the ability of a computer program or a machine to think and learn. It is also a field of study that tries to make computers "smart". John McCarthy, a scientist, came up with the name "artificial intelligence" in 1955. Many things such as learning and problem solving can be done by computers, though not in the same way as we do.

    An unusual goal of AI research is to create computer programs that can learn, solve problems, and think logically(逻辑地）. At present we use the term Al for successfully understanding human speech, recognizing(识别）human faces, operating self-driving cars and competing in some game systems like Chess and AlphGo（阿尔法狗）. Some people also consider AI a danger to humans if it develops too quickly. Professor Stephen Hawking (霍金), a well-known British scientist, was not for this kind of technology.

    Math is the basic language of AI. If we raise the standard in the learning of math, our students will be more likely to become successful AI designers in the future. We not only want bright students, but also need to attract average students and give them the math skills which are needed to change them into AI designers. Besides, a good knowledge of computer science is also necessary for AI designing.

    Scientists hope to create creative and emotional AI which can possibly understand human feelings or create art. Many ways and tools have been tried to discover this fascinating field.

    As long as everyone contributes a little, the world will become a much better place.

    Most people are kind-hearted and want to lend a helping hand. Now let's share some memorable moments.

Linda: Once, when I was on my way back to my hometown, I lost my purse without even knowing it. I was told over the train's loudspeaker that my purse was at the railway station's lost and found office. But the train had already started. Seeing my helplessness, a kind hostess offered to lend me some money. I went back to the railway station and got my purse. I am still thankful to the railway staff and the person who found my purse.

Scott: When I was a little boy, there was a time when I went to fish with my elder sister. All of a sudden, I slipped into the river. The next thing I remember is my father holding me in the hospital. Today I still don't know who got me out of that river. I have been trying to help other people whenever I can all these years.

Tina: One of my neighbors is an old man who cannot speak. He makes money by recycling waste. Our other neighbors don't like his behavior. But in my opinion, it's his way to support his family. Once, after cleaning my house, I placed some cardboard boxes in his garden and left my rubbish beside my door. However, when I was about to go out, I found nothing outside my door but a note: "I have thrown away your rubbish. You are a nice girl. Thanks a lot!"