江苏省泰州市2018-2019学年高一上学期英语期末考试试卷

    TOASTMASTERS

    Toastmasters is an international organization, designed to develop effective speaking and listening skills. It was set up in 1924 by Ralph Smedley and it's headquartered in California. It has a double purpose: the personal growth and strong effective communication skills.

    Who is Toastmasters open to?

    Many people think Toastmasters is open only to those who wish to be professional speakers, but that is not true. Toastmasters is open to the public at large. Any person who wishes to improve his public speaking is welcome. And also, those who just want to increase their overall self-confidence are encouraged to attend.

How can Toastmasters help you?

    Joining Toastmasters, a person will learn different methods of communicating what he really wants to say, and equally important, he will learn what the audience expects so he can send that message to them in an organized way. Some people are comfortable around friends, but when they appear before a group they don't know, they get nervous. The organization helps its members to get calm and organize thoughts, and express them in an effective way.

    Most often, people assume that when one is listening, he is also paying attention. This is not always true. Many times people are waiting for their turn to speak and are not really listening at all. Toastmasters can develop a person overall in organizing their thoughts, getting information from others and receiving effective feedback（反馈）.

    How does Toastmasters train people?

    Toastmasters has a way of learning by doing. The Toastmasters International Organization provides a menu called the basic menu because it gives a guideline for the development of speeches. These speeches can meet different purposes. For example, one might need voice training; another might be to organize his thoughts or develop use of humor in speeches. There is an eight-week program for young people and also an eight-week speech course offered for adults. As a person continues to give speeches and improve, he progresses from the point of being fearful to stand before a group to the point where he can speak to any group of people with confidence.

    Can you imagine being paid millions for playing in a sports team? That you were able to fill stadiums with people coming to see you play? That you could attract fans crazily like a superstar? ESports have made all that possible and more. The fever for video games has had a great influence on the sports industry.

    To what degree ESports, or electronic sports can be considered a sport remains a question. If we stick to the meaning in the dictionary, sport is understood to be any physical activity, whether a game or competition, that requires training and following rules. A second meaning is: all kinds of physical activities are done for health or for fun.

    Spending hours and hours in front of a computer or with a mobile phone in hand playing video games is not a physical activity. But when the voices that defend it belong to famous athletes, and when the International Olympic Committee itself is, seriously thinking about the possibility of introducing eSports in the 2020 Olympic Games, it is at least worth considering the argument.

    It is clear that eSports has had a big influence on the sports industry and its fans are increasing all the time. Athletes, sports teams, sponsors （赞助商） inside and outside the sport, and the media support the industry greatly, which attracts and satisfies the young generation. Professional video game competitions have made nearly $900 million over the past three years thanks to sponsorship and advertising. The industry is expected to make over $1.1 billion and reach 215 million users in 2019, according to a study by the consultant Newzoo.

    The big players in the eSports leagues have turned their ‘hobby' into a profession which offers a chance to gain fame or become famous. Those guys who distance themselves from the world, shutting themselves up for up to 12 hours a day in a dark room to connect with people from all over the planet through a video game, now fill large stadiums and compete for prizes that are over one million dollars. They are the envy of half the planet!

    As a famous NBA superstar, Shaquille O'Neal says “the fans themselves are the ones who opened my eyes. ESports are a great business chance and the industry cannot be left out.”

    While millions of dollars are paid around the world for these new idols, we can continue to argue whether they are sports or not. If only for fun…

    “Why do I live? Why do I wish for anything, or do anything? Is there anything in my life that will not be destroyed by my death?”

    These are the words of the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Like Tolstoy, many people ask these difficult questions. And they struggle to find meaning in their life. Tolstoy spent his whole life trying to answer difficult questions like these. His search for answers influenced his writing.

    On August 28th, 1828, Leo Tolstoy was born in the country of Russia.

    As a child, Tolstoy was a member of the Russian Catholic Church. But as a young man, he began to question that faith. Tolstoy wanted to make his own moral decisions; he was tired of being told what to believe. He thought people could achieve a degree of perfection if they tried hard enough. So he worked very hard at being the best in everything he did. He thought that he would find meaning and truth in success.

    In the 1850s, Leo Tolstoy wrote his first stories. He wrote about his experiences in the army He also told stories about when he was a child. These works were published and Tolstoy became a well-known writer.

    Tolstoy was finally successful. He earned the respect he always wanted. Many wealthy and intelligent men met and talked with Tolstoy. Some of the men were writers like him. They talked a lot about faith and the meaning of life. But soon Tolstoy recognized that these men were not perfect. Now he knew they could not answer his questions about faith.

    So in the 1860s, Tolstoy tried a different way to find meaning. He opened a school for the children of his serfs -the people who worked on his land. These workers were very poor. He wanted to help them because he thought they were more honest than the wealthy people he knew.

    Tolstoy learned many things from his workers. He respected how they worked hard to provide for their families. He began to believe that marriage and family would give his life meaning. So in 1862, Leo Tolstoy married a young woman named Sonya Behrs.

    The next 15 years were the best years of Tolstoy's life. It was during this time that he wrote his most famous books -War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Many literature experts say that War and Peace is one of the greatest books ever written.

    Both War and Peace and Anna Karenina communicate Tolstoy's beliefs about the Russian nation, church and people. They also communicate what he thought was the answer to all his questions. Tolstoy believed humans were supposed to live a simple lite and take care of their families. Tolstoy thought this would satisfy him and bring him happiness.

    Leo Tolstoy is still a very respected writer today. His faith and writings have influenced many people. Tolstoy's search for the meaning of life is something everyone can understand. His teachings still interest people all over the world.

    Sometimes we fall in love with something at once and sometimes it takes time. If were lucky, we come across a poem that immediately attracts us. But usually we need to spend a little time or make a little effort to truly understand a poem. Today I'd like to share some tips for reading poetry in ways that make the experience better with the goal of improving your own poetry writing.

    Sometimes a poem that seems boring on first reading becomes clear with more readings. A poem that feels meaningless becomes deeper and more meaningful. And sometimes you're just not in the right mood the first time you read a poem, but later it touches your heart. Keep a dictionary and a poetry reference book at hand when you are reading poetry. Poets are fond of using unusual words.

Read aloud and listen to the poem. Some poems have unclear structures and hearing a poet's reading will make the poem's rhythm clear.

    After you finish reading a poem, take a few moments to consider what it is saying. Sometimes its meaning are better understood through repeated readings.

It is hard to say that there's a right and wrong way to read poetry, but there is an argument to be made for reading practices that will enrich your experience, increase your enjoyment, and deepen your understanding of any poem.

A. Besides, a poet's reading can even help understand the poem's meaning.

B. Keep a record to track the poets you've studied and the poems you've read.

C. Other times they are grasped through reflection on a poem.

D. The same is true with poetry.

E. Reading a poem repeatedly will deepen your understanding of it.

F. Study the poet's life and read some of his other works to gain deeper understanding.

G. Instead of skipping over these words or trying to guess their meanings, look them up.

—It doesn't matter. We are starting without him.

—Yes. I ______ you doing it carefully, but without success.

—She thought I gave away her secret that she failed the math exam.

    Over the years, I never thought of my father as being very emotional（感性）. He never was, 1 not in front of me. My father never told me he loved me when I was a child，and I never held it against him. I think that all I really wanted was for my dad to be 2 of me.

    On November 9^th, 1990, I received 3 that my National Guard unit would be sent to the front. I went on to my father and gave him the news. I could feel he was 4 about me going. We never 5 it much more, and eight days later I was gone.

    A few days after Thanksgiving I was able to call my wife. She told me that my father said his usual Thanksgiving prayer（祷告）. But this time he 6 one last sentence. As he lowered his voice and a tear ran 7 his cheek, he said, “Dear Lord, please 8 over and guide my son, Rick, with your hand in his time of need as he 9 his country, and bring him to home 10.” At that point he burst into tears I had never seen my father cry, and when I heard this, I couldn't help but cry myself.

    Eight months later, when I returned home from 11, I ran over and hugged my wife and children in tears. When I came to my father, I gave him a huge hug. He whispered in my ear, “I'm very proud of you, Son, and I love you.” I looked that man, my dad, 12 in the eyes as I held his head between my hands and I said, I love you too, Dad,” and we hugged again. And then together, both of us cried.

    Ever since that day, my 13 with my father has never been the same. We have had many 14 conversations. I learned that he's always being proud of me, and he's not afraid to say “I love you” anymore. 15 am I. I'm just sorry it took 29 years and a war to find it out.

    You see them everywhere: people walking with their attention （concentrate）on their smartphone screens on busy streets. But walking and texting can be dangerous and cities in the United States and Europe have stepped their efforts to deal with it.

    In Honolulu, using the phones while crossing the street is forbidden. It has passed a law that says “No pedestrian （行人） shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device. In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street you could be fined. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city （forbid）what is called “distracted walking”.

    People text while walking are nearly four times as likely to have at least one dangerous action. A lot of people do it they know it is dangerous. They tell themselves that it is important.

    Using phones while walking may lead to injuries and deaths, but it seems to be a global problem. Pedestrian deaths （increase）as the use of cell phones rises in the past 5 years, and it is expected that the tendency will continue.

    Other cities have come up with creative ways to help protect those using cellphones while walking. A small town near Amsterdam has set up special crosswalks with flashing lights on the ground. When the traffic lights turn red or green, do the lights on the ground, reminding pedestrians when it's safe to cross. In a town of Germany, similar lights were used after a teenager using her smart phone was hit and seriously（injure）.

    If you still want to text while walking you could avoid being fined in Honolulu using voice-controlled digital assistant（数字助手） like Siri or Google Assistant Or you could just wait until you are again, safely off the street.

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

    Sometimes willpower is a lot like the television remote control- hard to find just when you want it most. Whether you're trying to lose weight, stop smoking, get to the gym regularly, developing your sense of willpower is an important part of changing any behavior. Breaking a bad habit or forming a new and healthy one can be difficult. But there are ways to increase your willpower.

    Don't try to change your social situation, win a high position and lose weight all on the same morning. Set one clear, specific goal and make a realistic plan for achieving it. Extra willpower sometimes requires extra energy, so don' push yourself too hard. Focus on one goal at time.

    Whatever your goal is, don't expect to achieve it immediately. If you are trying to break a caffeine habit, start by replacing your morning cup of coffee with a glass of water, instead of vowing （发誓） never to drink coffee again Congratulate yourself on the small achievements that will lead to a larger one. These successes help your willpower grow.

    Improve your willpower by a support network. Ask friends, family or colleagues for help and tell them exactly how they can help. If your credit card bills have increased sharply, for example, let friends know that you are reducing costs. Suggest having a common dinner instead of meeting at an expensive restaurant Find a support group or organization related to your goal and attend their meetings. You can get valuable advice, understanding and information there.

    If possible, change your environment to encourage positive behavior. Want to get in shape? Keep an extra set of workout clothes in your office as a reminder to stop by the gym on the way home. Giving up smoking? Don't go to bars or restaurants where you might be attracted to light up.

    Sometimes changing your behavior requires more than willpower. If you are struggling with a bad habit or want to make an important lifestyle change, seek the support of a professional. An expert may be able to provide related support or medical treatment if necessary.

注意：⒈开头已写好，不计入总词数；

⒉词数：120左右

    It is reported that some countries make it a law to forbid punishing children, which aroused heated discussion on the Internet. Is it okay for parents to punish their children?