Search to find truth
马航飞机失联，“黑匣子”成解谜关键。
ON March 8, a Boeing 777 from Malaysia to Beijing
disappeared. It has become perhaps the biggest mystery
in modern aviation (航空) history.
The Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 lost contact shortly
after taking off. It carried 239 people on board, including
154 Chinese.
Where did the plane go? More than 25 countries have joined the effort to look for it.
On March 24, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
said that the plane “ended in the southern Indian Ocean”. Everyone on the plane died.
But the mystery is still not solved.
Normally, a plane is believed to have crashed after debris (残骸) is found. But when Razak made the
announcement, no debris had been found. The conclusion was based on analysis of satellite data (卫星数据).
To find out what happened to the flight, we must find one small object: the black box.
It is a recording device kept in a plane. It records the flight data and conversations in the cockpit (驾驶舱).
The black box has an underwater beacon (信标) which sends signals for 30 days after falling into water. The signals can be detected up to around 3 km away.
While the search for the plane is going on, countries with black box detecting equipment, including the US, the UK and Australia, are joining forces.
It’s a race against time. The battery is running low.
But nobody is giving up. China has said it will work hard to find out the truth at all costs.
Just as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: “If this mystery is solvable, we will solve it.”
Black box facts
The term “black box” was first used by the British Royal Air Force.
A black box is not black, but orange. The word “black” here refers to the box’s inside, which is dark and filled with information.
Crew of Xue Long, an ice breaker of China, are looking for the plane in Indian Ocean.XINHUA
Earth faces huge danger
全球变暖带来八大危机。
GLOBAL warming often makes headlines these days.
Why is it so important?
A group of scientists attended a UN meeting in Japan
late March, and listed the “eight reasons to worry about
global warming”.
Both coastal (临海的) and inland flooding are a major
threat (威胁) to people’s lives. Meanwhile, in rural (农村的) areas, water shortages will make the poor even poorer.
Farming is affected. Because of warming, drought (干旱) and heavy rain, more people will go hungry.
Some fish and other animals could be in trouble. That’s not good for people who depend on them.
There are also some relatively new risks. Extreme weather, like storms, can damage some of the things we need every day, like electricity, running water and emergency services. Heat waves, especially in cities, are a huge risk to the elderly and very young.
Scientists made the list to warn people that Earth is at a turning point (转折点). If governments act now, some of the risks could be cut, but only if “strong actions” are taken, said a report by the scientists.
Change font to save money
美国中学生为政府支招：换个字体能省钱。
LOOK at the books around you. Have you ever thought of how much ink they used? Can you think of a way to save ink?
Suvir Mirchandani, 14, had a clever idea: change the fonts (字体) that the English words use.
Since the new term, the student from Pittsburgh, US, found that there were many printed handouts (散发的文字材料) at his school. He wanted to cut waste and save money.
While many people focused on paper use, Suvir set his eyes on cutting down ink usage.
He picked five of the most commonly used letters: e, t, a, o and r. First, he made a chart to show how often each letter was used in four different fonts: Garamond, Times New Roman, Century Gothic and Comic Sans. Then he measured (测量) how much ink was used for each letter using a software program.
Next he enlarged the letters, printed them and cut them out on paper to weigh them to check his findings.
Global warming is affecting everyone on the planet.XINHUA
Suvir found that by using Garamond with its thinner strokes (笔画), his school district could reduce its ink usage by 24 percent (百分之……).
After he applied his project to the US government, he found it could help the government use 25 percent less ink and save $400 million (2.48 billion yuan)!
So far the government has not said whether it will make the change. But Suvir wasn’t di sappointed.
“It’s difficult to change someone’s behavior,” he told CNN. “I’d be happy to go as far as possible to make that change possible.”
Trust friends when falling
ONE day, our teacher said that he had an exercise for us to try. We were to stand, facing away from our classmates, and fall backward, relying (依赖) on another student to catch us. Most of us were uncomfortable with this. We couldn’t fall back for more than a few inches before stopping ourselves.
Finally, Judy stood out. She is a thin, quiet, dark-haired girl who always wears big, white fisherman sweaters. Judy crossed her arms over her chest, closed her eyes, leaned back, and did not flinch (退缩). She looked like one of those Lipton tea commercials (广告) where the model jumps into the pool.υ
For a moment, I was sure she was going to thump (重重砸到) on the floor. At the last moment, her partner grabbed her head and shoulders and pulled her up immediately.?
“Whoa!” several students yelled. Some clapped their hands. Our teacher finally smiled. “You see,” he said to the girl. “You closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see. You have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other person trust you, you must feel that you can trust them too –even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling.”
我们常常被眼睛看到的困难吓倒，却忘记了心灵的力量。内心的坚毅，别人的信任，都可能帮助我们增强信心，走出困境。
Can robots write news stories?
机器人写新闻，靠谱吗？
EVERYONE knows that robots can do a lot of things humans can do.
They can make machines, explore underwater and even go into outer space.
But did you know that robots can also write news reports?
On March 17, the Los Angeles Times newspaper published a report
about an earthquake that was written by a robot called Quakebot.
Quakebot is the creation of Los Angeles Times reporter and
programmer Ken Schwencke. Two years ago, he made an algorithm (计算程序) that could report on earthquakes without human help. An algorithm is a method of solving problems and sorting information by following a series of steps and rules.
In the case of Quakebot, Schwencke had put in a set of steps that were used to sort through information sent to the robot from a US Geological Survey report.
The report included information such as the size, strength and location of the earthquake. Quakebot read the report and took out the relevant (相关的) information by following its set of rules. It then displayed it in the form of a news report using a pre-written template (模板).
The template was designed so that the sentence structure and grammar were already correct. All the robot had to do was fill in the blanks with numbers, places and times.
Schwencke told Slate magazine that all this happened in less than three minutes, much faster than any human reporter.
However, robots like Quakebot can only deal with facts, numbers and data. For interviews, opinions or anything slightly more human, the writing still needs to come from someone with a brain – for now at least.
Caring for Mother Earth
建造绿色城市，呵护地球家园。
WE humans live in different parts of the world, but we have the same
“mother”. She gives us everything we need in our daily life. She is
our Mother Earth.
April 22 is Earth Day. The theme of this year is “Green Cities”.
A green city is a healthy and pleasant place for people to live,
according to the United Nations.
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A green city can get its energy from renewable (可再生的) sources like solar (太阳能的
) and wind power. Also, it is connected by clean public transportation. Moreover, a green city is made up of facilities (设施) that can save energy and reduce waste.υ
Around the world, many cities and countries have done well to build themselves in a green way.
Chicago is well known for its green roof (屋顶) program. These roofs are covered with plants. The plants get a great amount of rainwater. Later, the water evaporates (蒸发) to help make the air cool and clean. So far, there are about 360 green roofs in Chicago, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Curitiba, Brazil, has great transportation. It opened the world’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 1974. BRT runs on special lanes. This makes sure that buses are on time even in traffic jams. With the help of BRT, the city has the lowest level of air pollution in Brazil. Today, many other countries have copied BRT,
including China and Mexico.
Singapore is home to the first zero-energy building in Southeast Asia. Zero energy means a building is able to create more energy than it uses. Zero-energy buildings work with solar panels (板) mainly on roofs. These panels can make electricity which powers the buildings. By 2030, Si ngapore plans to build 80 percent of its buildings like this.
Color code your trash
保护环境，从垃圾分类做起。
词数 270 建议阅读时间 6分钟
WHEN your pen is broken, you think that’s the end of its
life. You throw it away. It then joins tons of other
garbage that is becoming a big problem in cities.
Each day, about 10,000 tons of waste is produced in
Guangzhou, and 17,000 tons of household waste is
produced in Beijing.
In other countries, the case is similar. “If you’re like most of us, most Americans, you’re
making seven pounds (3.17kg) of trash a day,” US writer
Edward Humes told CNN. So, an American makes 102 tons of trash in a lifetime.
If you simply throw away that broken pen, it goes to a landfill and is buried together with many other trash. To prevent polluting the groundwater, workers cover the trash with soil and keep it dry. And your pen will stay there for a long, long time, without having further use.υ
But it could have a better destination: the recycling bin.
Have you ever noticed the different colors of trash bins in the street? Many cities in China have been running a
Some middle school students in Sichuan province are picking up trash in April 2013.XINHUA
waste-sorting (垃圾分类) camp aign. They divide trash into “recyclable waste” and “unrecyclable waste”.
Recycling waste can save energy, reduce greenhouse gas, and keep landfill space free for the unrecyclable trash.
Take your pen as an example. At the recycling factory, its metal parts could be taken out and reused to make other things.
But recycling is not enough, experts say. Making less waste in the first place is the way forward.
“The best thing to do is just keep using your stuff for as long as you can,” US writer Adam Minter told Time Out magazine.
Bonus points
厨余垃圾: kitchen waste
生活垃圾: household garbage/trash
可回收垃圾: recyclable garbage/trash
不可回收垃圾: unrecyclable garbage/trash
A YOUNG boy was hungry for success. For him, winning was everything.
One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small village. He was to compete with two other young boys. A large crowd gathered there to watch, including a wise old man.
The race began. With strength (力量) and power, the boy easily took the lead. The crowd cheered and waved (挥手). The little boy felt proud and important. However, the wise man remained still and calm.
“Another race, another race!” yelled the little boy. The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers: an old lady and a blind man.
The race started and the boy was the only one to cross the line. The little boy raised his arms happily. The crowd, however, was silent.
“Race again,” said the wise man. “This time, all three of you finish together.”
The little boy thought a little, stood in between the blind man and the old lady, and then took them by the hand. The race began and the little boy walked slowly to the finishing line and crossed it. The crowd cheered and waved. The wise man smiled, too.
“Which one of us three are the crowd cheering for?” asked the little boy.
“For this race, you have won much more than in any other race you’ve ever run before,” said the wise man. “For this race, the crowd cheered not for any winner!”
Do angry people see red?
喜欢红色的人更具有攻击性。
词数300 建议阅读时间7分钟
IN English, when someone is very angry we say this
person “sees red”, like a bull goes wild after seeing a red
cloth. Now it turns out that “seeing red” is not just an
expression for angry people, but also a scientific fact.
Researchers at North Dakota State University in the US
found that there is a connection between the color red
FILE PHOTO
and anger. Angry people really do “see red” where
others don’t. And a preference for red over blue may
even suggest a more hostile (怀有敌意的) personality.
The study includes a number of experiments. In the first, researchers asked a group of people which color they preferred, red or blue. Participants (参加者) then did personality tests. Results showed that those who chose red tended to be more hostile.
During a second test, participants looked at faded images that could be regarded either red or blue. Those who saw red scored 25 percent higher on hostility in the personality test.
“Hostile people have hostile thoughts; hostile though ts are connected with the color red, and therefore hostile people see this color more frequently,” the researchers told The Independent.
Finally, the participants were told about imaginary situations in which they could take different actions. Results showed that in these situations, red-preferring people were more likely to show that they would harm another person than those who preferred blue.
“An important message from this research is that color can send psychological (心理的) meaning,” the researchers said.
Where does this connection between the color red and anger come from? Scientists said it might be a matter of evolution (进化). In ancient times, poisonous plants and insects could cause wounds and bleeding. So it may have become instinctive (本能的) for our ancestors (祖先) to link the color red with danger and threats.
Driving down CO2
揪出气候变化的“元凶”二氧化碳。
WE all know that climate change is mainly caused by too much
CO2 in the air. What should we do to release less CO2 and lessen
(减轻) the damage?
In early April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC, 政府间气候变化专门委员会), a UN organization, worked
out a report on this question.
The key is to produce electricity without creating CO2, said the
report.
Water and nuclear power can do this. They now provide 30 percent of electricity across the world. That must rise to 80 percent by 2050, with solar and wind power playing a bigger role.
We can also help by using energy more efficiently (高效地).
Drive and fly less, and take more high-speed trains, said the report.
We have 10 to 20 years to control global warming at moderate (适中的) costs, said Professor Ottmar Edenhofer from the IPCC.
“I’m not saying climate policy is a free lunch. But it’s a lunch worthwhile to buy,” he said.
But if we delay, the world will have to try risky methods, said Edenhofer, who is a scientist from Germany.
One method mentioned in the IPCC report is to grow crops that suck CO2 from the air. Then we burn the crops for electricity. Finally, we collect CO2 produced during the burning and bury it underground.
We can also plant trees, which soak up greenhouse gases.
But buried CO2 is seen as almost as bad as nuclear waste, said Jochen Flasbarth, state secretary (国务秘书) at Germany’s federal environment ministry.
If we plant trees, they need large areas of land, displacing crops and pushing up food prices.
Books light our minds
走进书店，体会文字散发的别样馨香。
A power plant in Shanghai is letting out waste gases into the air in July 2011. XINHUA
IT is 10:30 pm and getting late. But the Beijing Sanlian Taofen
Bookstore is still shining brightly. Hundreds of people are staying
inside for one thing: to read!
Earlier this month, the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore started a trial (试
运行) to run 24 hours a day. If everything goes well, it will
become the first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing.
“We welcome everyone who loves to read books at any time,”
Zhang Zuozhen, the general manager of the store told China
Youth Daily. Although many people can now buy their favorite books online, the experience of immersion (沉浸) in physical books still attracts
readers.
“There is no other choice to replace the touch of different qualities of paper and the smell of print,” Qian Xiaohu a, the founder of Librairie Avant-Garde (先锋书店) in Nanjing told Xinhua.
It’s true. A great bookstore can encourage people to read in many ways.
Some attract readers with their huge stock (库存) of literature. Foyles in the UK was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest bookshop in terms of shelf area (50 km). You can find books with 56 subjects from fiction (小说) to law and philosophy at its flagship store (旗舰店). Foyles also offers coffee and desserts to readers.
Other bookstores make themselves a cultural hub by holding lots of reading-related activities. Eslite Bookstore (诚品书店), a well-known 24-hour bookstore in Taiwan provides activities including talks with famous writers as well as holding exhibitions. Their topics range from literature (文学) and arts to opera and the environment. At Eslite, people not only read but also socialize (社交) and care about broader issues.
In many countries, secondhand bookstores have made reading more available to everyone. Strand Bookstore in the US sells used books for $2-3 (12-18 yuan) each. It helps to keep old books being read and make reading cheaper. Sometimes you can find very old, rare (罕见的) or simply out-of-print books at Strand, for example, a Shakespeare book that was published in 1632. The book is worth $125,000 (about 778,000 yuan)!
The end of the stripy puzzle?
斑马为什么有条纹？
Eslite Bookstore is the most famous bookstore that runs 24 hours in Taiwan. FILE PHOTO
ZEBRAS’ stripes (条纹
) have puzzled scientists around the world for centuries. What is the biological purpose of being covered in
black and white stripes?
There are many theories that try to answer that question. Charles
Darwin, the famous biologist, thought that Zebras’ stripes were used
to attract partners.
Alfred Wallace, the British naturalist and biologist thought the
stripes were for camouflage (伪装). They make the zebras hard to see at night and create an optical illusion (视错觉) in the day. This
protects them from being hunted by lions and other fierce animals.
But the zebras’ real enemy might be a whole lot smaller. A new study by Tim Caro from the Un iversity of California has come up with an entirely new theory on why zebras have stripes. He thinks that their stripes will keep biting flies (螫蝇) away from them.
Caro and his colleagues took a different route to other scientists who have studied zebras’ stripes. Instead of looking just at zebras, he looked at all equids (马科动物) (horses, zebras and asses) and the different patterns of their stripes.
He found that species that live in areas with dangerous flies were more likely to have stripes all over their bodies. Zebras live in Africa, where biting flies can cause great harm by both passing on diseases and sucking out dangerous amounts of blood.
Caro is happy that they have answered the question of why zebras have stripes, but now he is left with another question: why don’t flies like stripes?
“That’s what happens in science”, he told The New Yorker magazine. “You answer one question and it leads to six more.”
Taking action over ivory
让我们都行动起来，拒绝购买象牙！
CAN a 14-year-old make a difference in the world?
Celia Ho firmly believes so. The 14-year-old from Hong Kong started a campaign (运动) to stop buying ivory (象牙) products. It has got support from 77 organizations, 40 schools and more than 9,000 students from home and abroad.
She is a symbol of hope and action for the new generation in Asia, said National Geographic, a US magazine.
Celia likes elephants very much. In 2013, she read an article about ivory. She was shocked to find that elephants are suffering because of people’s desire for ivory. She then started to take action.
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Celia designed a poster and set up her website Celia’s Corner. The website talks about her campaign and lists articles about ivory problems.
To bring the problem to the attention of others, Celia continues to write related information on social networks and write letters to newspapers. She talks about the campaign to her classmates and invites students at other schools to join her.
“Everyone has his or her power. When we are united (团结的), the power is going to be very powerfu l,” she said.
She doesn’t always get many replies, but Celia doesn’t feel disappointed.
“This issue is not popular enough and my campaign is also not popular enough. But I will keep trying, and I am sure they are going to join us finally,” she said.
Making trade fairer
公平贸易：你愿意为“道德”掏腰包吗？
IF you worked hard but received a tiny amount of the money you deserved, how would you feel?
That’s the life of many poor farmers and workers in the world. Some tend to accept it: trade is unfair.
But some people believe that we can trade to help the poor and the environment. This is the spirit of fair trade, a concept that has been around for over 60 years.
The second Saturday in May is World Fair Trade Day. Fair trade is all about giving people a fair price for their work.
Lots of people have to sell their goods at prices so low that they can’t make a decent (体面的) living.
According to a UN report, for every dollar of Arabica coffee from Africa that is sold in the US, coffee farmers get less than 1 cent.
Cacao (可可豆) farmers in North America and workers in Thailand and Indonesia are in the same boat.
This is where fair trade comes in.
Fairtrade Labelling International is an association that sets international standards for fair trade products. Farmers can certify (认证) their products at the association and get a Fair Trade label (商标).
Fair trade organizations then ensure farmers are given higher prices and help improve their living standards.
If you see a product with a Fair Trade label on it, you know that part of the money is going towards helping the community where it came from –like schools for workers’ children or new wells to provide water.
Coffee, sugar, tea and fruit are some of the fair trade products we often see.
But usually, fair trade products are more expensive than others.
So, some people argue: isn’t fair trade “unfair” to customers on low incomes?
爱德华的奇妙之旅。词数 325 建议阅读时间 6分钟
It’s a story to read, fall in love with and read again.
Edward Tulane is a rabbit made of glass. Owned and loved dearly by a girl
called Abilene, Edward becomes very spoiled. He thinks he is special, better
than any other rabbit.
But one day Abilene loses Edward.
They’re on a big cruise ship (游轮) when Abilene accidentally lets Edward fall
over the side and into the sea.
Edward spends nearly a year on the seabed. He thinks he will remain there forever, but one day Edward’s luck changes. A great storm throws him to the top
of the ocean, where two fishermen spot and rescue him.
From there, most of the novel, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by US author Kate DiCamillo, is taken up with recounting (讲述) Edward’s different owners. He lives with the fishermen’s wife and a very sick girl. All the time he moves further away, in time and space, from his first owner, Abilene.
Edward’s character later begins to change. Where he was once arrogant (傲慢的), he learns to be humble (谦逊的). Because of the hard knocks that life has given him, he sees the world differently.
One day, Edward suffers the worst blow of all. In a shop the neck of this glass rabbit is cracked (破碎). Now Edward is broken, in pieces. Is it the end of the line for Edward?
Luckily, Edward is glued back together and placed in a store. He stands there lonely for many years until one day, finally, someone buys him. Who can it be?
Although you may have learned about the novel from watching the South Korean TV drama Man From the Stars, Edward Tulane has long been hailed in the US. It won the 2006 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. “Its message of love and redemption (救赎) is beautifully written by DiCamillo,” wrote Sally M. Tibbetts on https://www.doczj.com/doc/4d3596051.html,. “It has the classic qualities found in books like The Little Prince.”
Fitting in abroad
克服胆怯，我努力和老师同学建立友情。词数315 建议阅读时间 6分钟
MCT
WHEN I first started studying at an American high school, I was
very shy because I had hardly ever talked to any foreigners. I knew
that if I wanted to fit into American society, I had to get over my
shyness. I had to take the first step: getting closer to my classmates
and teachers.
I soon found out that lunchtime was usually the best time for people
to socialize (交际) with each other. I ate alone on the first day, but
soon I found some company. There was an Asian boy called Gary at
my lunch table. I was excited when I first saw him because I thought
he might be Chinese. It turned out that he was from South Korea. As we talked more, I was shocked to find out that he was an adopted (收养的) child of an American family. He told me that there were lots
of people like him in the US. Thus, Gary became the first friend I
made in this foreign country. Gradually I made more friends at other lunch tables, which brought me more confidence.
I tried to make friends with my teachers as well. My first teacher friend was Mr Artificer. He is a biology teacher and we both like raising reptiles (爬虫) as pets. He even put a tarantula (狼蛛) in his classroom. Some girls freaked out (吓得发疯) when they first saw it.
I had raised tarantulas before, so I had a lot to share with Mr Artificer after school. I even helped him to do some landscaping (景观设计) for his tarantula tank (箱). Although a lot of time we had to communicate with sign language because I didn’t know how to say all the terms in English , we did have a lot of fun.
As time went by, I made more and more friends. I’ve come to understand that the first step always seems so hard until you actually take it.
Protect Chinese culture
“韩流”来袭，我们要保持头脑清醒。词数 270 建议阅读时间 5分钟
RECENTLY, a Korean drama, Man From the Stars, has become a big hit. It seems that everyone is talking about it. Thus, another South Korean wave is sweeping across China.
First of all, I have to say that I don’t applaud (赞许) those who are crazy about Korean dramas. I become tired of things when they are repeated again and again.
Several weeks ago, when I opened Qzone on my phone, news and discussions about Man From the Stars exploded before my eyes and covered my screen. The handsome actor had seized (抓住) the hearts of many people, especially girls.
When I was in Grade 6, I was also crazy about Korean dramas on account of the charming actors. Sometimes, I met them in my dreams, and I never wanted those dreams to end. But when I look back on that feeling, I realize that it was so superficial (肤浅的), and just a waste of time. Of course, those dramas can help us relax, and they help us look at the other side of society. But we shouldn’t completely lose ourselves in them.
Alex Liu (R) has connected with other students based on his interests.
Behind the craze (疯狂) about Korean dramas lie some risks (风险). The culture of South Korea has successfully seeped (渗透) into every corner of our country. To some Chinese people’s embarrassment, South Koreans have protected ancient traditions, like respecting older people, much better than we have – even though those traditions come from Chinese ancient philosophies (哲学) originally.
So, I sincerely hope that students take their own culture more seriously instead of getting lost in those South Korean dramas. Getting down to protecting our own culture should be our mission (任务). Let’s live up to our cultural identity.
EVERYBODY makes decisions in daily life. They can be as essential (重要的) as what you will do in the future or as simple as what you will eat for breakfast. Any decision could be the turning point of your life.
I made an important decision when I was in Junior 3.
Before I made that decision I was one of the boys who tried too hard to act as an adult. I didn’t know that only kids want to show themselves as adults.
I didn’t listen to my parents and teachers and my grades became poor. Then came the senior middle school entrance exam.
At the turning point of my life, my mom wanted to have a conversation with me. I wanted to turn it down but when I looked at her eyes, I felt I couldn’t refuse. Instead of asking me to study hard, to my surprise, Mom just asked what I wanted to do in the future. Without thinking too much, I just said I would like to study hard.
Mom smiled and asked again: “I asked: what do you WANT to do?”
I never seriously thought about the question. So, I kept silent.
“Whether you want to go on studying or enter the society,” she went on, “it is your own decision. Your life ought be decided by you, not by anyone else, including me.” After saying that, she had tears in her eyes.
For the first time in my life I was asked to make my own decision. I sat in my chair and thought about myself, my life and what kind of person I wanted to become.
It took me what seemed to be ages to make the biggest decision so far in my life – I wanted to be a man who makes a difference in the world. To achieve that, I needed to study hard.
The path to my future became clear to me. I didn’t act rebelliously (叛逆地) any more. With passion (激情) in my heart, I studied hard.
Now, I am in one of the best schools in my city, in one of the best classes at the school and I am one of the best students in the class.
Thanks to that decision, I have become what I am today.
China’s many flavors
A 17-YEAR-OLD Tibetan boy climbs 40 meters up a tall tree only to get some raw honey as an ingredient for a traditional local drink. The money he makes from selling the honey will be used to pay for his younger brother’s tuition fee (学费).
A group of traveling reapers (麦客) work 10 hours a day to help Shaanxi farmers harvest their wheat. The old landowner makes traditional noodles out of the newly-produced flour (面粉) to feed the reaping men, whose job has gradually been replaced by machines elsewhere.
These are only a few scenes from the first episode (集) of CCTV’s new documentary, A Bite of China 2, which aired on April 18. But they are enough reasons for food enthusiasts (吃货) to spend an hour every Friday until June 6 drooling (流口水) in front of their television sets. Viewers have had to wait a long time since A Bite of China first came out in 2012.
Back then, the seven-episode documentary was an instant (瞬间的) hit. With its beautiful visual effects and rich food culture, many considered it the best documentary ever produced by CCTV. Oliver Thring of The Guardian praised it, saying “[It’s] the best TV show I’ve ever seen about food. I’d hazard (斗胆猜测) it’s the best one ever made.”
The new season includes eight episodes, covering 300 types of food. According to CCTV, every minute of the show was edited out of 150 minutes of footage (影像镜头). Finding their subjects was often the hardest part of the film crew’s (团队的) job. It took them six months to film a beekeeping couple, which involved a journey of more than 2,000 kilometers.
Food is a personal thing, in that no dish suits all tastes. However, the program has still managed to strike a chord with all sorts of viewers.
“Compared with A Bite of China, the new season has a more human touch, which makes viewers shed some tears while their mouths are watering,” commented Sina Entertainment.
As always, the people are the most interesting part. A Bite of China 2 shows a greater “ambition” – through homemade food, it tells the joys and sorrows (悲伤) of ordinary Chinese in changing times, according to director Chen Xiaoqing of the documentary series.
“I was moved by the people in each simple story,” said Li Weifang, 17, of Beijing No 3 High School. “Their hardships (辛劳) on the road and their commitment (付出) help enrich China’s food culture.”
In fact, that is exactly what the new season hopes to del iver. Through the program, “the audience will see the traits (特征) of the Chinese people: frugality (节俭) and tenacity (坚韧),” Chen told Xinhua.
Meet some young people who are fighting for the planet.
Super girl
THIS US kid is on a mission (使命)! When she was 7, Brooklyn Wright wrote “The Adventures of the Earth Saver Girl.” In the book, a girl learns she has the power to rid (使去掉) the Earth of litter. Brooklyn created a costume and skit (幽默短剧) to go along with her book.
Now 11, she has visited more than 100 schools to teach students about pollution. In 2012, she received a Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. “It makes me feel great,” she told TFK. “Like I’m doing my part to help.” For more about Brooklyn, visit https://www.doczj.com/doc/4d3596051.html,.
A voice for elephants
After learning that elephants were being killed for their tusks, China’s Celia Ho, 15, decided to take action. By making posters and writing letters to newspapers, she is spreading the word about the problem. “I am working on an ivory-ban campaign (禁止象牙制品买卖的活动),” she told TFK in an email. “The most important part is educating young people.”
Help for the nautilus (鹦鹉螺)
The past few years have been busy for 13-yearolds Josiah Utsch (left) and Ridgely Kelly. In 2012, TFK wrote about their efforts to save a sea creature called the chambered nautilus, which is hunted for its shell. Since then, the boys from Maine, US, have raised more than $20,000 through their website https://www.doczj.com/doc/4d3596051.html,. They gave the money to scientist Peter Ward. They’ve also joined Ward on a research trip to American Samoa. “We got significant data (重要的数据),” said Ridgely. The information will be used to help determine if the nautilus is endangered.
Green for frogs
Avalon Theisen, 13, understands that frogs are important to the environment. They help keep the insect population down and alert (警告) us to pollutants. Plus, she says: “They are beautiful to both hear and see.” When she was 8, her love of frogs inspired (激励) her to start Conserve (保护) It Forward. She shares information about frogs and how to protect them with people at schools, parks and zoos near Tampa, Fla. Her efforts earned her a 2012 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. She hopes to motivate (激发) other kids to spread conservation messages. “Find a project you love, act on it, share it with others,” Avalon told TFK. “That’s how you can conserve it forward.”
Abby’s stand (抵抗)
Abby Goldberg, 14, is working to save the environment - one bag at a time. She decided to take action after finding dozens of littered plastic (塑料的) bags in her town of Grayslake, Ill. Abby learned that state lawmakers were considering a bill that would keep towns from banning (禁止) plastic bags. She collected more than 150,000 signatures (签名) for a petition (请愿) against the bill. When the governor of Illinois vetoed (否决) the bill, he called Abby to tell her the news.
“It feels awesome (很棒的), knowing that I’ve had a big impact (影响) on my community,” she told TFK. Abby
says her mission now is to educate others about the harmful effects of plastic bags.
AFTER spending a good Christmas holiday at my grandma’s house, my wife Tere and I drove back home.
We were so tired when we arrived home, we left the car in the driveway and decided to unpack it in the morning.
At seven o’clock in the morning, we woke up refreshed. But when we opened the front door, there was no car in the driveway!
Tere and I looked at each other, looked back at the driveway, and looked at each other again. Then she asked this wonderful question: “Well, where did you park the car?”
Lau ghing, I answered: “Right in the driveway.”
We walked around the block and couldn’t find the car. It had been stolen.
We called the police and filed a report that activated (激活) our high-tech tracking (追踪的) system.
As time went by, Tere became increasingly upset as she remembered more and more of what had been in the car –our wedding album, family photos from past generations and my wallet, just to name a few things. These were items of little importance to our survival, yet they seemed of major importance at that moment.
Frustrated, Tere asked me: “How can you remain cool when all of these things and our brand new car are missing?”
I said: “Honey, we can have a stolen car and be upset, or we can have a stolen car and be happy. Either way, we have a st olen car. I truly believe our attitudes and moods are choices, and right now I choose to be happy.”
Five days later our car was returned without any of our belongings, and with over $3,000 worth of damage to the car. After I picked up the car from the dealer, I ran into another car, which cost another $3,000 worth of damage.
As I was standing in the driveway looking at the car, kicking myself for hitting the other car, Tere arrived home. She put her arm around me and said: “Honey, we can have a wrecked (坏了的) car and be upset, or we can have a wrecked car and be happy. Either way, we have a wrecked car, so let’s choose to be happy.”
I surrendered (放弃) with a hearty laugh and we went on to have a wonderful evening together.
新译林9AUNIT4英语课外趣味阅读及练习题 课外趣味阅读 美国居民住房 美国城市居民的住房从总体规划与布置，到具体的设计与安排，都是比较实用舒适的。在一个小区里除住房外，学校、商店、文体设施、公园、银行、邮局等等都一应俱全。美国老百姓住房，就一般水平而言，不论楼房或平房也不论几居室，在设计上大致有这样几个特点：一是客厅与餐厅连为一体，比较大，因为家人活动大部分时间在客厅;二是厨房比较大，并且与餐厅相连。厨房里壁橱很多，餐具与食物都放在橱里，看起来很简洁。电冰箱容量大。另外就是其它电器一应俱全，墙壁上电插头多。这当然要有充足的电力为基础。旧金山一般每月电费四、五十元。据说电力公司鼓励多用电，办法是一度电是十美分的话，十度电可能只收九十美分;三是卧室小，但壁橱大而且多，十分实用。一般卧室除摆一张双人床外，再没有很多空间。所有衣物都挂放壁橱里。美国人极少用箱子，如遇搬家(比较起来，他们喜欢搬家)就到商店里要几只纸箱;四是洗手间多。一般二间以上卧室的民房都有二间以上的洗手间，而且空间大，设备完善，使用方便。 The White Family There are three people in the White family. They are Mr. and Mrs. White and their son Sam. The Whites have a nice home. There is a small garden in front of the house. There are many kinds of beautiful flowers in the garden. But there aren’t any trees in it. Behind the house there are two orange trees. Between the trees there is a garage. Mr. White’s nice black car is in the garage now. On the first floor, there is a large living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a bathroom. The Whites like watching TV in the living room. On the second floor, there is a study and two bedrooms. Mr. White’s son Sam loves playing on the computer in the study. 练习题 （一） John liked chocolates very much, but his mother didn't give him 1 , because they were 2 for his teeth, she thought. But John had a very nice grandfather. The old man loved John very much, and sometimes he brought John chocolates when he came to see him. Then mother let him 3 them. One evening, a few days 4 John' s birthday, he was 5 his prayers（祈祷）in his room before he went to bed.“God,” he shouted.“Make them give me a big 6 of chocolates for my birthday 7 Saturday.” His mother heard the small boy 8 and went into his room. “9 are you shouting?”She asked her son.“God can 10 you when you talk quietly.” “I know”, answered the boy.“11 Grandfather is in the next 12 and he can'
盐城市初中英语课外阅读推荐书目 七年级上学期 必读： 1.《初中英语读本》7A 译林出版社 2.《新理念英语阅读》七年级第1册上海外语教育出版社 选读： 1.《新理念英语阅读》七年级第2册上海外语教育出版社 2.《趣文短篇》七年级上册上海外语教育出版社 3. 津津有味?读经典《皇帝的新装》译林出版社 4. 津津有味?读经典《伊索寓言》译林出版社 5. 津津有味?读经典《黑骏马》译林出版社 6. 津津有味?读经典《格林童话选》译林出版社 7. 津津有味?读经典《亚洲民间故事》译林出版社 8.《动物总动员》上海外语教育出版社 9.《田园寻趣》上海外语教育出版社 10.《绚烂鱼世界》上海外语教育出版社 11.《人体探秘》上海外语教育出版社 12.《阅读精华文库》七年级上译林出版社 13.《快乐英语阅读》七年级年级?第1-3卷[升级版] 译林出版社 七年级下学期 必读： 1.《初中英语读本》 7B 译林出版社 2.《新理念英语阅读》七年级第3册上海外语教育出版社 选读： 1.《新理念英语阅读》七年级第4、第5册上海外语教育出版社 2.《趣文短篇》七年级下册上海外语教育出版社 3. 津津有味?读经典《柳林风声》译林出版社 4. 津津有味?读经典《怪医杜立德》译林出版社 5. 津津有味?读经典《快乐王子》译林出版社 6. 津津有味?读经典《原来如此的故事》译林出版社 7. 津津有味?读经典《森林王子》译林出版社 8. 津津有味?读经典《爱丽丝漫游奇境》译林出版社 9.《企鹅大家庭》上海外语教育出版社 10.《马戏乐园》上海外语教育出版社 11.《游戏天地》上海外语教育出版社 12.《节庆假日》上海外语教育出版社 13.《畅游野生动物园》上海外语教育出版社 14.《快乐英语阅读》七年级?第4-6卷[升级版] 译林出版社 15.《阅读精华文库》七年级下译林出版社 八年级上学期 必读： 1.《初中英语读本》8A 译林出版社
美联英语提供：英语阅读：如何选择正确的英语课外阅读材料 小编给你一个美联英语官方试听课申请链接：https://www.doczj.com/doc/4d3596051.html,/?tid=16-73374-0我们常说的英语阅读就是读者利用相关的英语知识和非英语知识去解读包含一定英语知识和非英语知识的阅读材料。英语知识是指读者英语语音、词汇、语法以及篇章知识的总和，而非英语知识是指读者英语知识以外的背景知识，即直接或间接获取的知识经验的总和。 在培养学生的英语语言综合运用能力听说读写过程中，阅读能力的提高对于英语学习者来说是重中之重。诚如刘润清教授所总结的那样“正式的外语教学与其他学科教学一样，要想真正掌握一门外语，需要大量的阅读，有独立的思维过程和分析总结过程”。 课外阅读是高中英语教学的必要补充。高中英语大纲明确指出：要提高学生的阅读能力，单纯通过教科书的课文教学是远远不够的，还要根据学生的具体情况，有计划地指导学生在课外阅读一定数量的课外读物。理由是：第一，现行的课文教学篇目少，篇幅短，不能保证充分的阅读活动;第二，精读教学担负着语言知识教学的任务，所以，课文生词和新的语言结构的密度大，不适用于流畅阅读的训练;第三，精读实际上综合训练，大量的时间用于为语言点的掌握而安排的听、说、读、写操练上，读的专门训练不够。因此，大纲的指出实际上对我们的外语教师提出了更高的、更全面的要求。 我们的理解是，这里的课外阅读即泛读，让学生独立阅读，但又不是“放羊式”的阅读，而是在教师有计划的指导下进行的课外阅读。因此，我们认为泛读既是阅读材料的问题，也是阅读方法的问题，老师应做到以下几点： 首先，给学生选择时应掌握以下原则：(1)思想性强,内容健康; (2)材料难易适合学生的实际水平; (3)题材涉及面广，材料新颖，具有趣味性; (4)文章体载多样化; (5)语言地道、规范。
九年级上册课文改编的阅读题 Cartoon heroes Nemo, a cute orange-and white fish, and Shrek, a huge green monster have won the hearts of young people in China and all over the world. The heroes of popular cartoons are everywhere, on office desks, handbags, and computer screens. But there some cartoon favourites which are older. The cartoon of the Monkey King has just had his "40th birthday". Called Havoc in Heaven, it tells the story of a monkey who leads a group of monkeys against the rule of the Emperor in heaven. He flies into a peach garden and eats as many as he likes. He makes a mess in each room in heaven. But it is above all the jokes played by the monkey that people remembered. "Havoc in Heaven" has become a common expression used by a parent or a boss when they return to the house or office and see a mess. Another favourite who has celebrated an important birthday in China is a reporter with red hair and a small white dog. Tintin has travelled to the jungles, the backstreet of Shanghai and even the surface of the moon. Tintin has been popular for 75 years, ever since Belgian cartoonist Herge invented the character in 1929. His books have been translated into more than 50 languages, and about 200 million copies have been sold. In December 1984 the whole series of Tintin began to be published in China. Many Chinese still keep collections of these black- and- white Tintin books. There are several fan clubs in China which have held birthday parties for Tintin in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Wuhan. Finally, Snoopy, Charlie Brown's lovable dog who lives in his own private dream world, also had his "50th birthday" celebrated by China's Snoopy fans in 2000. "I didn't draw the cartoons only for children Adults who have experienced life understand them better." said the late Charles Schulz, cartoons of Snoopy and the Peanuts cartoons. 1. How many American cartoon characters are mentioned in the article? 5 hasn't been to China, has he? Yes, he has. Feed me better Jamie Oliver is a young cook who wants to improve school dinners. In 2005 he went back to school to see what the children were eating. What’s on the menu? Jamie asked the children what their meals were like. “We have hamburgers and chips, or pizza”they told him,” and sometimes there is fruit, but we prefer ice cream. “Jamie thought the menu was terrible. The children were eating junk food, and it was a problem. Junk food isn’t just bad for the whose midday meals were unhealthy were difficult to teach in the afternoon. Teachers said that children behaved very badly after lunch. Improving school meals When Jamie took vegetables into class, the children didn’t know what they were. Jamie realized that the children didn’t know about healthy food. Then he talked to the people who worked in the kitchens. He found out that they didn’t know enough about food and health, and they didn’t have very much money to spend. What is healthy food He decided to teach the cooks and the children about healthy food .It was hard wrok! He cooked healthy meals for them including meat，rice, pasta and vegetable, but a lot of the teenagers refused
初中英语课外阅读： （一）农夫和苹果树 A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple he grew. One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it. The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it. He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit. Finally he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died. Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place."What's the difference?" the farmer said angrily. "If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my field, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit." "Yes," said the friend, "but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!" （二）阅读理解趣味故事题 Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world, and the third owned many buildings in the center of New York. The reporter was talking to them about being important. “How do we know if someone is really important?” the reporter asked the banker. The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the White House to meet the P resident of the United States is really important.” The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” she asked. The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White House. You?d o nly be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”The reporter turned to the third man. “Do you think so?” “No, I don?t.” he said. “I don?t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important.” “Then what would make the visitor important?” the reporter and the other two men asked.“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the Pr esident and the phone rang, and
2012高考英语课外阅读材料 【每两天一篇—阅读+单词学习】 Unit One: How to Improve Your Study Habits TEXT Want to know how to improve your grades without having to spend more time studying? Sounds too good to be true? Well, read on... How to Improve Your Study Habits Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence. You do well enough in school, but you probably think you will never be a top student. This is not necessarily the case, however. You can receive better grades if you want to. Yes, even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work. Here's how: 1. Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating, sleeping, meetings, classes, etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying. Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments. Of course, studying shouldn't occupy all of the free time on the schedule. It's important to set aside time for relaxation,
七年级上册英语课外阅读材料 Hi, Bob Look. This is my friend Lin Xinxin. She’s 12 years old. She’s new in our class. That is my brother. His name is Lin Yangyang. He’s 10. They are from Beijing. Xinxin is good at sports. Yangyang is good at maths. He isn’t good at sports. Jim 北师大版第二单元 My Classmates Hello, everyone. My name is Li Daming and my English name is David. I am twelve years old and I'm from Beijing. Beijing is the capital of China. This is Lingling and her English name is Lucy. She's my friend . She's from Beijing too. Hello, I’m Wang Lingling and I’m thirteen years old. Good to see you. Wang Hui is my friend but he is not in my class. His English name is Henry. He is from Shanghai. Shanghai is a very big city. Hi, my name is Tony Smith .I’m from Cambridge. It's a small city in England. Tony is my first name and Smith is my last name I’m thirteen years old. It's nice to meet you all. 外研社版七年级英语上册unit1 My Classmates
高一英语课外阅读材料
Fulfilling the dream 陈柏霖：实现梦想需要时间和 耐心。 词数 389 建议阅读时间 5 分钟 HOW long will you wait to succeed in your dream career? Ten years or longer, Taiwan actor Bolin Chen would say. The 29-year-old finally earned back all his hard work when he won Best Leading Actor for his role in the popular TV series In Time With You (《我可能不会爱你》) at the 47th Golden Bell Awards, which was held in Taipei on Oct 26. From a very young age, we have a dream, whether it’s to be a painter, a scientist or a writer. But the desire (渴望) to paint, discover or tell stories fades (消褪) as we grow up, until that moment of finding our deep calling hits us. For Chen, this came when he was discovered by director Yee Chih-Yen in front of an ice cream store at the age of 19. Chen had considered becoming an excellent dancer, a model and a singer before h e played the male lead in Yee’s movie Blue Gate Crossing (《蓝色大门》). His first taste of fame with the well-received drama showed him what he really wanted to be. Bolin Chen, 29, won his first award after ten years of acting. XINHUA
高中英语课外阅读材料的选择 发表时间：2009-07-07T10:04:42.170Z 来源：《中学课程辅导·教学研究》2009年第11期供稿作者：王世刚 [导读] 课外阅读是高中英语教学的必要补充。 摘要：课外阅读是高中英语教学的必要补充。本文指出了课外阅读材料选择的基本原则，并根据教学实际阐述了进行课外阅读选材的具体操作过程。 关键词：课外阅读；英语教学；阅读 作者简介：王世刚，任教于安徽省肥西中学。 高中英语大纲明确指出：要提高学生的阅读能力，单纯通过教科书的课文教学是远远不够的，还要根据学生的具体情况，有计划地指导学生在课外阅读一定数量的课外读物。理由是：第一，现行的课文教学篇目少，篇幅短，不能保证充分的阅读活动；第二， 精读教学担负着语言知识教学的任务，所以，课文生词和新的语言结构的密度大，不适用于流畅阅读的训练；第三，精读实际上综合训练，大量的时间用于为语言点的掌握而安排的听、说、读、写操练上，读的专门训练不够。因此，大纲的指出实际上对我们的外语教师提出了更高的、更全面的要求。这里的课外阅读即泛读，让学生独立阅读，但又不是“放羊式”的阅读，而是在教师有计划的指导下进行的课外阅读。因此，笔者认为泛读既是阅读材料的问题，也是阅读方法的问题。 首先，给学生选择时应掌握的原则是：(1)思想性强,内容健康；(2)材料难易适合学生的实际水平；(3)题材涉及面广，趣味性；：(4)文章体载多样化；(5)语言地道、规范。 其次，告诉学生泛读不同于精读。泛读力求广泛、大量、快速。阅读重点是针对问题快速地捕捉信息。主要方法和技巧如下：(1)快速阅读、知其大意；(2)根据上下文猜测词义；(3)根据构词法来猜测词义；(4)注意深层意思的理解；(5)把理解题目作为提纲来读(即带着问题阅读) 下面，笔者根据学生的实际情况谈谈对学生进行课外阅读训练的选材及具体操作过程。 一、人教社出版的与新教材课文相配套的(阅读训练) 书中文章多选自英美出版的英语读物，题材较为广泛。如人物传记、寓言故事、活动记述、社会文化、文史知识、科普小品等。每单元编配三篇阅读训练材料，A篇为Fast Reading，题材和课文基本相同，难度略低于课文，其目的就是为了复习和巩固课堂上所学的语言知识，培养学生对阅读的兴趣，训练快速阅读的技能。B、C两篇材料为Extensive Reading，要求学生在课外完成，教师做适当的检查。这些阅读文章是对课本内容的扩展与延伸，让学生更详细、更全面地了解课本所学的内容。这样让学生们充分利用好身边的资料，不要盲目去选市场上的资料，既节约了费用，也提高了教材的使用率。 二、《新概念英语》中的Practice and Progress 笔者认为这套阅读教材能培养学生的听、说、读、写能力。高一时，我们每周利用40分钟让同学们阅读。第一步，要求学生快速阅读文章，口头回答课后问题；然后让学生认真模仿录音朗读课文；第二步，要求学生利用一些连词把理解题按题目的字数要求连句成文，写在专门的作业本上；第三步，向学生解释Key Structure部分，然后让学生做后面的语言点专题训练。经过一学期的培养，学生对此书的模式有了很好的掌握。所以，笔者让学生利用节假日自学下半册，把课后的练习认真完成，并做好相应的检查和督促。开学时，选择书中比较精彩的文章让学生们重新回顾其中的内容，也顺便检查学生的假期阅读情况。 三、外国小说简写本 高二时，笔者要求每人买一本英文小说简写本(英汉对照)。利用寒暑假、周末等时间与同学交换的办法，每人读1~2本简写本读物，然后写出读后感或故事梗概，字数不限，可根据自己的能力进行充分发挥，待开学时上交作业让教师检查。教师在课堂上讲评学生们的作文或故事梗概。结果，同学们阅读了很多英文小说，《苔丝》、《爱玛》、《鲁宾逊漂流记》、《汤姆索亚历险记》、《三个火枪手》、《简爱》、《艰难时世》、《雾都孤儿》、《忠实的朋友》等等。大家基本上都能按教师的要求完成、上交。大部分同学都写了很多，拥有同一类书的同学阐述了各自不同的观点和体会。一部分同学写的很好，不但有自己的见解和体会，而且在英语语言的表达上也下了很大功夫，可谓刻苦用功。 通过上述课外阅读的分项训练，师生共同感受到：大量的正确的课外阅读，确实会让学生受益匪浅。1）培养了学生的阅读技巧和方法；2）巩固了课文中所学的基本语言知识；3）开阔了学生的视野，培养了学生们学英语的兴趣；4）通过文学简写本的阅读，提高了学生文学欣赏的能力；5）学生潜移默化地受到了思想品德的教育；6）阅读的同时配上笔头练习，大大提高了学生的书写表达能力。7）在阅读的过程中，回顾和加强了课本所学的单词、短语和重点句型。并且也掌握了大量的生词，开拓了学生的视野，逐渐学会了自我阅读自我学习的好习惯好方法，会让学生受益终生。 四、英语影像资料 结合同学们所读的英语小说，动员同学们自己去搜集相关的影像资料，集中大家的智慧去选择出大部分同学感兴趣的电影。在学生们熟悉所阅读过的内容的情况下，共同欣赏一部英文经典电影，共同评价故事中的任务或情节，引导学生进行深入的探究和理解。有时，笔者让学生分析电影中的人物特点、个性特点，并给出相应的原因，让同学们明白：这样的人物特点是符合当时的时代特点的，时代特点会造就出这样鲜明的人物！这样的知识学生们会一生受用。 五、英语新闻 组织同学们适当收看央视九套的英语新闻或收听有关的英语新闻节目，关注时事，扩展学生的视野，特别是热点新闻。同学们在熟悉新闻内容的背景下去收看或收听英语节目，更容易理解和接受其中的内容。收看之后，笔者有时会组织同学们相互用英语适当交流，尽可能运用新闻中所出现的一些单词、短语和术语。这样既调动了学生学习的兴趣，也让学生们明白在收看节目的时候要带着一定任务，集中注意力，认真对待。 在时间允许的情况下，笔者会找一些当前大家很关心的话题，让学生编写英语新闻，然后让学生们自己试着去播报，这样让学生们感
Search to find truth 马航飞机失联，“黑匣子”成解谜关键。 ON March 8, a Boeing 777 from Malaysia to Beijing disappeared. It has become perhaps the biggest mystery in modern aviation (航空) history. The Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 lost contact shortly after taking off. It carried 239 people on board, including 154 Chinese. Where did the plane go? More than 25 countries have joined the effort to look for it. On March 24, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the plane “ended in the southern Indian Ocean”. Everyone on the plane died. But the mystery is still not solved. Normally, a plane is believed to have crashed after debris (残骸) is found. But when Razak made the announcement, no debris had been found. The conclusion was based on analysis of satellite data (卫星数据). To find out what happened to the flight, we must find one small object: the black box. It is a recording device kept in a plane. It records the flight data and conversations in the cockpit (驾驶舱). The black box has an underwater beacon (信标) which sends signals for 30 days after falling into water. The signals can be detected up to around 3 km away. While the search for the plane is going on, countries with black box detecting equipment, including the US, the UK and Australia, are joining forces. It’s a race against time. The battery is running low. But nobody is giving up. China has said it will work hard to find out the truth at all costs. Just as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: “If this mystery is solvable, we will solve it.” Black box facts The term “black box” was first used by the British Royal Air Force. A black box is not black, but orange. The word “black” here refers to the box’s inside, which is dark and filled with information. Crew of Xue Long, an ice breaker of China, are looking for the plane in Indian Ocean.XINHUA
初中英语课外阅读的现状分析、解决方案和更多思考 Analysis, solutions and more thinking on junior high school extra-curricular reading 摘要：本文从初中英语教学实践出发，根据初中英语阅读教学的特点以及新课标要求初中生英语课外阅读能力所应达到的水平，对初中生课外阅读现状进行了分析，并针对现有问题就指导初中生英语课外阅读方案进行了实践探索，提出了相应的解决方案,并提出更多问题来引起关注和思考以提高学生英语综合技能。 Abstract: Based on the teaching practice for junior high school, according to the teaching principles for English reading and the new curriculum standards for junior high school students, this paper analyzes the present problems on extra-curricular reading among the junior high schools, presents related practice and solutions to the problems and arouses more thinking in order to call for teachers to pay more attention to extra-curricular reading in junior high schools to improve students in their comprehensive abilities. 关键词：初中英语阅读教学课外阅读现状问题分析解决方案更多思考 Keywords: teaching principles for English reading junior high school extra-curricular reading problems solutions more thinking 初中英语课外阅读的意义、要求及现状 阅读是英语教学的重要组成部分，加强对学生阅读技能和技巧的培养，不断提高学生的阅读能力是英语教学的一项重要任务。对学生进行阅读训练不仅是帮助学生吸收语言信息、增加语言知识、扩大词汇量的最重要的手段，而且还能促进学生口语能力和写作能力的发展、促进学生综合语言素质的提高。成都市近几年来的中考题中阅读能力测试题达到近50%，加上与阅读有关的其他能力测试题比例就更高,达三分之二以上。《英语课程标准》对中学生的阅读能力和阅读量提出了明确的要求：初中毕业生应“能读懂供7—9年级学生阅读的简单读物和报刊、杂志，克服生词障碍，理解大意；能根据阅读目的，运用适当的阅读策略；除教材外，课外阅读量应累计达到15万词以上”。 新课标对课外阅读提出了如此明确的要求，但是目前初中生的英语课外阅读情况如何呢？有关调查结果显示：90%的学生认为没有时间阅读，85%的学生感到没有兴趣阅读，88%的学生认为读不懂课外阅读材料，80%的学生认为找不到合适的课外读物。而以上数据背后，还有一个不争的现实就是：大量教师们也在明确忽视新课标的课外阅读要求，几乎没有对学生进行课外阅读指导。当然，形成这种现象的原因是多方面的，应试教育体系的未根本改变是一个因素；部分教师观念陈旧、只想利用有限的时间狠抓（他们认为）试卷上将会出现的内容、而不惜忽视（他们认为）难于直接见成效的课外阅读是另外一个原因；学生自身的自主阅读学习困难是第三方面原因。 初中英语课外阅读推广困难的原因分析 本文不对宏观因素进行分析，仅立足于初中英语教学实践。针对目前初中英语教学中课外阅读推广困难的问题,笔者进行了长期、细致的分析和调查，认为主要有以下四方面的因素导致初中英语教学中课外阅读难以进行或难见成效： 首先，阅读时间不能保证。根据新课程标准的要求，初一学生每天课外至少要阅读100—150词，初三学生每天课外至少要阅读400—500词。然而，由于平时作业多，学生忙于完成教师布置的作业，根本没时间进行课外阅读。 其次，自身知识面狭隘以及对英语国家文化背景知识贫乏是造成阅读障碍的另一原因。初中学生正值身心发育的人生重要阶段，本该是大量吸收周遭信息、丰富个人知识的关键时期，