A
There used to be many beautiful flowers in our garden. Among them was a beautiful blue flower. My husband once told me that it only bloomed (开花) in spring and the sun in summer was too hot for it. When summer came, he would move it out of the garden and put it inside our house.
Once, my husband was away for some time on business, so I had to take care of the flowers. Before leaving, he told me to pay special attention to the blue flower. I planned to look after it as my husband had ever done, but I was too busy to remember it. One weekend when I wanted to move the blue flower into the house, I found that it had already died. I was very sad and regretted not taking good care of it earlier.
A week ago, my husband's elder sister, Linda, died of serious stomach cancer. Linda was much older than my husband. Maybe because of the age distance, we were not very close. After she died, we were very sad and regretted not visiting her often.
Linda's death reminds me of the blue flower. We should have done something better, but we haven't tried our best. I believe that God has given us enough time to plant some wonderful things that will bloom inside us, but we have missed it.
①It only bloomed in spring.
②It didn't look beautiful.
③The hot sun in summer was bad for it.
④It had to be kept indoors in summer.
B
Most people hope to have a memory which helps them succeed in study, work and life. Can memory be improved? Luckily, hundreds of studies in the past 50 years have already given us a definite answer.
A healthy lifestyle keeps our brain young and memory sharp. First of all, it is necessary to have a healthy diet. Eating more food rich in B vitamins and vitamin E, such as vegetables and lean meat, helps you have a better memory. Doing exercise can keep your brain alive, too. Proper exercise provides much oxygen for the brain. Running, riding a bike, swimming and even walking two or three times a week are helpful. Moreover, getting enough sleep is important. Only when your brain gets a good rest, can it work well. The healthier your lifestyle is, the better your memory will become. But do not expect a sudden change－it takes a long time to make a difference.
Memory stills help you remember things better. The following three are the most widely used. Chunking is a way of remembering a piece of information by cutting it into small ones. For example, to memorize a ten-digit telephone number 2127983630, you can divide the digits into three groups: first 212, then 798, and lastly 3630. This method is far more effective than remembering a string of 10 digits. Organization means organizing information into groups of the same kind. For example, trees, grass and flowers are plants; tigers, pandas, horses and cows are animals. Imagery is remembering newly learnt information by using your imagination and connecting it with something that you are familiar with.
However, memory skills will hardly work if you don't understand the information. What's more, only a regular review can make the memory last long. That is why students are always advised to go over what they have learnt and then use it as regularly as possible.
Human brains are like muscles that needs nutrients and exercise to become stronger. If you make a few lifestyle changes and try some memory skills, you can certainly improve your memory.
C
Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out. Sir John Gurdon. Is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless at science and finished bottom of his class. Now, aged 79, the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell (干细胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.
Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance （坚持） can lead.
At the age of 15 in 1948, Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon's high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was quite "ridiculous".
In spite of his teacher's criticisms, Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the laboratory earlier and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.
"I believe that we will, in the end, understand everything about how cells actually work." Gurdon said.
In 1962, Gurdon took a sell from an adult frog and moved its genetic （基因的） information i nto an egg cell. The egg cell then grown into a clone of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create Dolly the sheep in 1996, the first cloned mammal in the world.
In 2006, Gurdon's work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample (样本) of a person's skin can be used to create stem cells. Using the technique, doctors can repair a patient's heart after a heart attack.
"Luck prefers the prepared mind." Gurdon told the Nobel Prize organization. "Ninety percent of the time things don't work, but when they do, you have to catch the chance."
a. create the sheep Dolly
b. take a cell from an adult frog
c. use a person's skin to create stem cells
d. move the frog's genetic information into an egg cell
e. grown into a clone of a frog
D
My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3: @ kids FTF. ILNY, it's gr8.
Can you understand this sentence? If you can't, don't feel too bad. Neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on Internet or mobile phones. To newcomers, it may look like a completely foreign language. So, what is the ‘translation' of the sentence above? It means: My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York, it's great.
Schoolteachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes can be seen in students' writing. They fear the language could become corrupted（面目全非的）.
Everyone should just relax, say linguists（语言学家）. They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nunberg, from Stanford University, agrees. "People get better at writing by writing," he says, "Kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mail, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than, their parents."
Linguist James Milroy says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And you can bet your bottom dollar that when today's teenagers become tomorrow's parents, they too will think this way. Milroy argues that languages do not and cannot become "corrupted"; they simply change to meet the new needs.
However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write Standard English. Cynthia McVey says, "I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it's important that they get across to their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but that learning to write proper English is a must for their future."
Perhaps we should give teenagers a little more trust anyway. Erin, age 12, says, "I wouldn't use text language in my homework. Texting is just for fun"
参考单词：1. decent 合宜的, 得体的; 2. reputation 名声; 3. incidental 伴随发生的
A. Bollywood pays great attention to traditional values. B. Bollywood is less famous than Hollywood, and yet it produces the most films in the world. C. Bollywood films are full of ideal things and free of daily worries. D. Bollywood is decent refreshing replacement for those over-stimulating Hollywood films. E. Bollywood has gradually won its reputation on the world stage. F. Bollywood films are mostly comic romances with light –hearted incidental music. |
Hollywood movies are regularly filled with sex and violence. They can be exciting films but sometimes all you want is a little light-hearted entertainment.
①
Have you heard of Bollywood? All singing, all dancing and unrealistic, it is the perfect alternative to normal Hollywood movies. Bollywood is the Indian film industry, based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. Most Chinese school kids have probably never seen an Indian Filmgare Awards, Bollywood's Oscars, turn 50 years old.
②
The typical Bollywood movie usually has the following ingredients: a cup of romance, a teaspoon of comedy, a dash of international sight- seeing, served with a huge slice of singing and dancing. There will also be one brave hero, one beautiful heroine and one baddie. The result is a fun-filled musical.
③
There is never any mention of politics, poverty or war. The actors change clothes and locations within a single song. But the audiences don't mind. To Indian movie lovers, especially the poor, such films are a gateway to heaven and the stars are their gods. The films take them to a magical world away from their everyday troubles. The films tell them the impossible is possible and that true love conquers all.
④
But, behind the beautiful scenes, Bollywood still emphasizes traditional family values. In moat films, if two lovers want to break an arranged marriage, they can't just run away. They must win over their parents.
⑤
So if you are tired of all that Hollywood actions, check out the following Bollywood films. They will take you to a brighter, cheerier and more colorful world, where it's still cool to dance around a tree and sing a love song.
Thanksgiving Day was coming. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment (作业) — to draw a picture of 1 for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered poor, but still many would 2 the holiday with turkey and other traditional food of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subject of most of her students' art. And they were.
But Douglas made a(an) 3 kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of weak and unhappy. As other children played at 4, Douglas used to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain that Douglas felt behind those sad 5.
Yes, his picture was different. When he was asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a 6. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract (抽象的) picture caught the 7 of his cl assmates. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers 8 turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and 9 people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went on — until the teacher almost forgot the young artist 10.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she stopped at Douglas' desk, bent down, and 11 him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and murmured, " It's yours, teacher."
She recalled the 12 when she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How 13 she had said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was very 14 for his teacher's hand. Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks, but they'll remember the hand that 15 out.
要点提示：1、 Tina's great changes.2、 Tina's problem.3、 Your suggestions to deal with stress. 4、 Your ways to improve her English?
Yesterday I went to a party and met lots of my primary school student.……
