二、话题美文·积累1.个人情况(Personal information)ALife of Mother TeresaMother Teresa is one of the greatest women in the world.She was born in Yugoslavia in 1910.At the age of 18,she went to India,where she first worked as a teacher.However,in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and was trained to become a nurse.She was so kind that she began helping the poor,the sick and the homeless in India.Besides,Mother Teresa opened many schools and hospitals in poor countries.While she was traveling,she called on people to help those in trouble.In 1979,she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the love and the service she had given to unfortunate people.BA Brief Introduction of Qian XuesenQian Xuesen was born into a wealthy family on December 11,1911.He was so clever that he was regarded as a “super-talented” boy in his childhood.Having graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934,he went to America for his further study and gained his Doctor’s degree in the Science of Astronomy.Since he returned to China in 1955,he devoted all his life to China’s Astronomy and Aircraft industry.He took part in the design and research of rockets and missiles,opening a new era of China’s Astronomy industry.It’s for his outstanding achievements that he is honoured as the “Father of China’s Aerospace” and the “King of Rockets”.Qian Xuesen,a pioneer of China’s Astronomy industry,passed away in October,2009 in Beijing.2.家庭、朋友与周围的人(Family,friends and people around)AWe need friends to offer us help,support and encouragement.With success achieved,we also need friends to share our joys.Knowing how valuable friendship is,we should be very careful in making friends.Real friends are those who have goodcharacter,superior ability and kindness of heart.Real friends can share all our sorrows and double all our joys.While making friends,we should take care to select those who have such fine qualities.Friendship means we get supported and helped while at the same time supporting and helping our friends.We should forgive their failures and do our best to help them.A friend in need is a friend indeed.BFriendship plays an important part in our life.Without friendship,our life would be like a desert.When in trouble,we need friends to offer us help,support and encouragement.With success achieved,we also need friends to share our joys.Knowing how valuable friendship is,we should be very careful in making friends.Real friends are those who have good character,superior ability and kindness of heart.So when we have established friendship,we ought to treasure it by means of words and deeds.Only in this way can we develop real friendship and keep friendship alive all our life.3.周围的环境(Personal environment)ANow there are so many natural disasters,such asfloods,droughts,earthquakes,windstorms and so on.Now more and more people are aware that those natural disasters have much to do with what we have done to nature,like cutting down trees,polluting the environment where we live.As a result,more and more natural disasters occur and do harm to us.So it is urgent for us to stop damaging our environment and to do our best to protect it and make it a lovely place suitable to live in.Besides,we should do something such as planting more trees,equipping cars with pollution-control devices and learning to recycle natural resources to improve the present situation.BAs is known to all,the panda is an endangered species in the world,which only inhabits the forests and mountains of Southwest China.The panda was once in danger of dying out.There are about 1,000 pandas living in nature reserves today.They mainlylive on bamboo,but the area of bamboo is on the decline for many different reasons,so pandas have less and less land to live on.The government has taken measures to protect pandas and appeal to more volunteers to take part.Thanks to the government and volunteers,pandas’ living conditions are improving,and to our relief,the number of pandas living in nature is on the increase.4.日常活动(Daily life)ADear Sir/Madam,I read in the newspaper that your company advertised for an English secretary,so I’m writing to apply for this position.I’m a healthy girl,aged 23.I graduated from the English Department of Beijing University last year.I can speak fluent English and can write in English as well as read all kinds of articles in English.What’s more,I’m skilled at operating words on computer and I can get along well with all kinds of people.I am sure I am qualified for the post.I would appreciate it if you can offer me the job and I’ll be honoured to work for you.If I am accepted,I will devote all myself to my job.Looking forward to your early reply.Yours,Li HuaBIt is known that everyone dreams while sleeping.Sometimes,we dream what happened a long time ago;other times we dream what seems fantastic.Whatever dream,it has some effect on us and sometimes has something to do with our life.For example,when we are stressed out,we may dream something that we can’t have control over,and feel very anxious in the dream.When we are in poor health,we may dream something frightening and sometimes we wake up suddenly due to fright.Sometimes part of our body hurts in the dream,and to our surprise,when we wake up,the ache really exists.What a strange thing!5.学校生活(School life)ADear Sir or Madam,I’m Li Hua,a middle school student from China.I read the announcement of the summer camp in Singapore that you have posted on the Internet and I am interested in it.I know that you welcome students from different countries and I’d like to take part in it.I’ve been learning English for 10 years,and I can speak fluent English.What is more,I’ll be able to tell students from other countries about China and learn about their countries as well.I hope I will be accepted as a member of your summer camp.Looking forward to your reply!Regards,Li HuaBLooking back at my senior high years,there’s so much to remember.While I was busy with my studies,preparing for the college entrance examination,I joined some amusing clubs and took part in various after-school activities, which helped me keep active and healthy.During the last summer vacation,our class went to a park,where we had great fun.The most unforgettable moment was when I attended an adult ceremony in Senior 2,which marked the end of life as a child and the beginning of life as an adult.It’s an important date in my life forever.All in all,my senior high school life has been busy but interesting.I shall never forget all the highlights.6.兴趣与爱好(Interests and hobbies)AOf all the sports,I like playing football best.My father is a footballer and has taken part in all kinds of competitions.It was under his influence that I began to show (an) interest in it.Besides,I was also deeply influenced by the 202X World Cup in Brazil,whose theme song I still st year,I was admitted into a football team,in which I play as a forward as well as the captain.I play football with my friends after finishing my homeworkevery day.Football is worth my devotion.My favorite player is Messi from Argentina and my greatest wish is to be a football superstar like him in the future.BOf all the films that I have ever seen,Harry Potter,a famous movie across the world,is my favorite.It says that Harry Potter was a poor boy who never saw his parents and lived with his uncle.His uncle was not good to him.Then he entered a magic school where he learned magic and met his friends.Some bad people wanted to kill him,and he suffered a lot,but he finally defeated his enemies.The writer created a wonderful and magical world,which appeals to all children.I learned a lot from the film and the people and the stories in that movie left a deep impression on me.7.个人感情(Emotions)AIt is known that everyone has strengths and weaknesses,which we should be aware of.There are always people with good qualities around us,so when we get along with them,we can learn from their good qualities such ascourage,confidence,determination,honesty and so on.In that case,we can treasure their strengths and take advantage of them to perform better in our daily life and study.As to their weaknesses,we can regard them as a mirror to reflect on ourselves so that we can get rid of our shortcomings if any.BAs a saying goes,“Attitude is everything.” It means our attitude will decide whether we will succeed or not in the future.If we take a positive attitude and keep on trying,we will achieve our goals in the end.I can’t agree more with this view.At one time I was not good at English,which made me very depressed.Then I realized that I had to do well in English to go to my favorite university.I talked with my teacher about my problem,who offered some valuable advice to me.With my teacher’s help,I improved my English gradually.My story shows that if we have a good attitude and keep on trying,we will be able to overcome difficulty and move on.It is our attitude that plays a key role in our life.8.人际关系(Interpersonal relationships)AFriendship plays a big part in our life.Without friendship,our life would be like a desert.According to my experience,I think friends bring me not only trust and understanding but also warmth.Once on a weekend I fell badly ill.Unfortunately,my parents were out on business and I was alone at home.Hopelessly,I called my friend Li Ming who lived near my home.He came immediately and sent me to hospital and looked after me carefully,which moved me deeply.It was my friend that gave me a hand when I was in trouble.I enjoy making friends and I value friendship a lot,because friends are like the sun—reliable and warm,and they brighten my days.BA good parent-children relationship should be based on mutual understanding and respect.Parents can not impose their ideas on their children.Instead,they should treat their children as independent individuals and learn to listen to children’s ideas and encourage them to think on their own rather than decide everything for children.On the other hand,children shouldn’t take what their parents do for them for granted.They should learn to be grateful.It is necessary for children to exchange ideas with parents from time to time so that the gap between parents and children will be narrowed.9.计划与愿望(Plans and intentions)AConfidence is essential for everyone.Only when we establish confidence can we accomplish our goals.Nevertheless,many people especially teenagers are lacking in confidence.Then how to develop confidence?First of all,we should be aware of our own advantages.Though nobody is perfect,we can be proud of our own advantages.Secondly,we are supposed to give ourselves a smile face.Facing a mirror to smile,maybe we will feel confident.Besides,we shouldn’t be afraid of failure and challenges.On the contrary,we should raise our courage to overcome these problems.In a word,confidence is a necessary part of our life.BEveryone has a dream.Some may dream of being millionaires;others prefer to become leaders;there’re still others who tend to be popular singers or actors,etc.However,not all these dreams can come true.People give up their dreams for this or that reason.Those whose dreams become true have at least one thing in common,that is,they never give in to difficulties and failures.As we all know,the path to dreams may not be smooth,but hold on to the end,and you will find there is no greater happiness than turning your dream into reality.10.节假日活动(Festivals,holidays and celebrations)AThe Mid-Autumn FestivalThe Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th of the eighth month of our Chinese lunar calendar.As one of the traditional Chinese festivals,it has been enjoying great popularity in our ually,no matter how far or how busy we are,we will try to come home for the celebration.The moon that night looks the brightest in the whole lunar month.What we love most is when we enjoy the full moon together.With the beautiful moon up in the sky,we sit together,eating mooncakes and fruit and sharing our stories.In addition to these traditional activities,we have a wider range of choices such as travelling or visiting our relatives or friends.BMy favorite festival is the Spring Festival,which falls in January or February.It is the most important festival for the Chinese people as a gathering day.On that day everybody dresses up.First,they extend greetings to theirparents.Then each child will get lucky money as a New Year gift,wrapped up in red paper.People in northern China will eat jiaozi or dumplings for breakfast,the shape of which is like gold ingot from ancient China.So people eat them and wish for money and treasure.Setting off fireworks is the most typical custom at the Spring Festival.I like the Spring Festival very much.It’s my favourite holiday.11.购物(Shopping)AOnline shopping has made our daily life more convenient and comfortable.For example,shopping on the Internet can save students a great deal of time on the way between home and store,so they would be able to concentrate more time and energy on their academic work.The Internet has shorten the distance between manufacturers and consumers and thus we can even buy goods in other countries.On the other hand,lack of the face-to-face deal makes online shopping less reliable and trustworthy.What’s more,the delivery will increase the risk of items’ damage.In my opinion,shopping on the Internet is a trend.More and more people will be accustomed to it.It will be much more popular in the near future.BYesterday I went to Sogo department store with my friends.First,we went to the bookshop.It had a lot of books such as history books,kung fu novels,and comic books.I bought two science fiction books because they are my favorite books.Then we went to the CD floor.There were many kinds of music CDs there.My favorite CD is Beethoven’s Symphony No.5,but it was too expensive.I could not afford to buy it.After looking around the CD store,my friends and I went to a café downstairs.We had orange juice and some dessert and talked until we were tired.I bought a lot of books.I really enjoyed yesterday’s shopping.12.饮食(Food and drink)AOnce Tasted,Never ForgottenDon’t you want to become slim?Don’t you like to lose weight while enjoying proper dinners? Come to Hongchang Restaurant as soon as possible,which is the home of balanced food.It will give you a balanced diet full of enough energy as well as fibre.Fast food together with special vegetables is served too.You can also enjoy many kinds of Chinese traditional wheaten foods.It is fun to eat here.At lunchtime it is filled with customers.You will enjoy the exciting atmosphere and the best service is guaranteed.Our restaurant lies by the lakeside with great views.Why not pay us avisit?Telephone number:533599.BAs we all know,western fast food is becoming increasingly popular in China,especially in big and medium-sized cities.Two reasons can explain why western fast food is so popular.For one thing,it is served quickly and you can take it wherever you go,so it’s very convenient.For another,the fast food restaurants offer you more than food; they provide you with a comfortable environment and excellent service.Personally,I am not fond of western fast food because it is widely believed to be junk food and it does no good to our health.13.健康(Health)AAs we all know smoking does great harm to human beings.More and more people have come to realize how serious this problem is.But they are never bored with it.Some people think it is a kind of fashion,some think it is of great fun and some think smoking can refresh them.However,smoking does cause many illnesses.A lot of people always cough because of smoking.The most serious illness caused by smoking is lungcancer.Meanwhile,smoking is a waste of money.Besides,careless smokers may cause dangerous fires.It’s high time for smokers to give up smoking.BAs is known to us all,being healthy is of great importance.The different ways to keep healthy are listed as follows.To begin with,keeping a balanced diet is essential.It is a good idea to eat more fruit and vegetables,which are rich in fiber and vitamins.We should avoid eating food containing too much fat and sugar so as not to put on too much weight.What’s more,it is suggested that we should form healthy living habits such as going to bed early,rising early,taking regular exercise and having enough sleep,which benefit us a lot.Also,having a positive attitude to life has a good effect on our health.14.天气(Weather)AGlobal warming is the slow and steady increase in the temperature of the earth and its atmosphere,which has caused many effects like the melting of ice in Polar Regions,the increase of disease occurrences,climate changes and the rise of sea level.Global warming is really a big problem we have to deal with nowadays,because it has the potential to change our lives and our planet’s environment forever,and this would affect the whole mankind.If global warming continues,many species of wild animals and plants will face the danger of extinction.Even human beings will have no way to escape suffering from natural disasters.BNowadays,the haze weather frequently appears in our country,which has not only done harm to people’s health,but also affected the public transportation.As a result,terrible accidents happen every now and then,and some freeways have to be shut down because of the low visibility.Obviously,air pollution is the main factor that has resulted in the frequency of haze weather,and at the same time,all kinds of dust and exhaust emissions from cars and buses have made the situation even worse.So proper measures should be adopted to deal with the serious problem.For students,opportunities for outdoor sports activities should be decreased,washingfaces and hands with running water after each outing is also important,and do not forget to wear a good-quality mask to protect yourself while going outside. 15.文娱与体育(Entertainment and sports)AIt is known to all that music plays an important part in our daily life.People listen to music for different reasons at different times.One reason why people listen to music is to relax and have fun.However,most people like a variety of music and will choose the type which best suits their current mood.Another reason is to create a certain atmosphere.For example,soft music can create a peaceful or romantic atmosphere and help people to calm down and relax.Energetic music,on the other hand,can inspire people to work harder.In conclusion,whatever reason people have for listening to music,there is no doubt that music benefits people in many ways.BAs one of the most important sports in the world,basketball is more and more popular in China,especially among teenagers.The first reason why basketball is popular must be TV programs and newspapers,which give a wide range of people the chance to fall in love with it.Besides,playing basketball is good for our health both physically and mentally.Nowadays,almost all the teenagers are under great pressure,and basketball serves the best way to release the pressure and find some pleasure at the same time.Now it’s time to take action and take advantage of our spare time to play basketball.16.旅游与交通(Travel and transport)AToday I will tell you some information about Sichuan Province’s travelling.Sichuan Province,whose capital city is Chengdu,lies in the southwest of China and covers an area of about 485,000 square kilometers.It is rich in tourist attractions and enjoys many world-famous places of interest,such as Jiuzhaigou and the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project.Jiuzhaigou iswell-known for its beautiful lakes,whose water is so clear that you can see the bottom of them.Another attraction is the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project,which was built over 2,000 years ago and is still playing an important part in irrigation today.In a word,the nice weather,convenient transportation and the variety of famous hot food can also make your trip even more enjoyable.BWith the rapid development of our country’s economy,more and more cars are coming into common families,which causes serious traffic jams,environmental pollution as well as loss of economy.As far as I am concerned,the solutions to this problem are presented as follows:first of all,the governments are supposed to restrict the amount ofcar-buying,and meanwhile,raise the costs of owning private cars;besides,vehicles from other places should be properly restricted to enter downtown;in addition,the governments should design the reasonable traffic systems of their own cities.In a word,the traffic jams have increasingly affected aspects of social life.Therefore,we must spare no effort to solve this problem to keep up our country’s economy increasing.17.语言学习(Language learning)AMy experience of learning English after class In English learning,I often take part in the English Corner and practice speaking English.By doing this,I have improved my pronunciation and intonation.At the same time I insist on keeping diaries in English every day.Thus my knowledge has been reviewed and enlarged.Learning English depends on reading widely and largely.I also visit English reading websites.Those sites provide many English articles of all levels and I can find appropriate ones to read.The dictionary on the computer can help me deal with the new vocabulary quickly.Therefore I benefit much from reading.Above are my main learning methods of learning English after class.BSame Body Language with Different MeaningsBody language is part of the ways in which we communicate.But not all body language means the same in different countries.Take China and America for example.“Stamping one’s foot”,in China,may show one’s anger,while in America it means impatience.“Clapping hands” never happens to an American speaker,because it is considered immodest in his/her own country.In China,however,it suggests the speaker’s appreciation and means “thank you”.“Staring at people” too long is thought as impoliteness in America.It may make people feel uneasy or uncomfortable.But Chinese people may think it is nothing more than curiosity.These examples tell the differences of body language.18.自然(Nature)ANatural DisastersCompared with natural disasters,humans are quite weak.In the past hundred years,there have been frequent natural disasters,such as floods,droughts,mud-rock flows,seismic sea waves,earthquakes,windstorms and the stretching of new deserts.The disasters have killed millions of people,destroyed countless homes,and wiped out numerous pieces of fertile land.It is urgent for us to do our best to protect the earth and make it a lovely place suitable to live in,for we have nowhere to go and survive except where we are now.BNOTICEIn order to help students deal with emergencies and save themselves, a lecture will be held in the lecture hall of our school at 8:00 am on September 25th, 2021,Monday.The lecture is mainly about how to survive in an earthquake, including the signs of a coming earthquake and the dos and don’ts during and after an earthquake. The lecture will be given by Professor Wang, a famous geologist in China. After the lecture, there will be a video about earthquakes. Everybody is required to be present on time.Please listen attentively and take notes. After the lecture, we’ll have a discussion in groups.September 13th,2021Students’ Union 19.世界与环境(The world and the environment)APaper cutting is one of China’s most popular traditional folk arts.Chinese paper cutting has a history of more than 1,500 years.It was particularly popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties.People often beautify their homes with paper cuttings.During the Spring Festival and wedding celebrations,paper cuttings are used to decorate doors,windows and rooms in order to increase the happy atmosphere.The color most frequently used in paper cutting is red,which symbolizes health and prosperity.Chinese paper cuttings have become very popular all over the world and they are often given as presents to friends and relatives.BIn spite of the fact that people all over the world love peace,conflicts and wars still exist in many parts of the world.Some strong and rich countries invade other countries for the benefit of their own,ignoring the sorrow and danger of the local people.It is known that not only soldiers but also ordinary people lost their lives in wars,so all peace-loving people should unite to defend peace and condemn those who launch wars.What’s more,we should do all we can to provide help for those who are involved in wars.Now that violence and wars can only bring people hunger,death and poverty,we should devote ourselves to defending peace.20.科普知识与现代技术(Popular science and modern technology)ACloning is a way of making an exact copy of another animal or plant.Cloning plants is straightforward while cloning animals is a difficult task to undertake.From timeto time people suggest that extinct animals should be brought back to life through st Friday,we had a discussion about whether we should clone animals.Some are in favour of rge quantities of commercial food can be produced.Besides,the extinct animals can be cloned,if their DNA is still in good condition.It can also be used to cure serious illnesses.Others have a strong objection to it.They believe that cloned animals can’t resist any diseases and tend to die earlier.Dolly lived six and a half years altogether,half of the length of the life of the original sheep.Above all,it is bound to disturb the balance of nature.BThe Internet,which makes our life lively and colourful,is now coming into our life.For example,we can read news,write e-mails to our friends and get more information that we need in our study.Besides,we can play games,see films,chat with our old friends and make new friends on the Internet.Despite these advantages,the Internet also brings us some problems.For example,surfing the Internet takes us too much time,which will influence our study badly.Besides,it is bad for our eyes and health if we play games too often.Therefore,we should use the Internet in a proper way so that it will make our life more convenient.21.热点话题(Topical issues)ASay “ No” to Plastic BagsSince June 1st,2008,plastic bags are no longer provided for free in the supermarkets.Different people have different opinions on this matter.As far as I am concerned,the government is taking steps to protect our living environment.It’s true that plastic bags make people’s shopping more convenient.However,most people just throw them away after using them,and don’t know how to deal with them.What’s worse,it will take a long time for plastic bags to break down.As a result,they can cause serious pollution and do great harm to our surroundings,then to people’s health.Personally speaking,I fully agree with this policy.After all,it is good for our environment.And we could use bags made of paper or cloth instead of plastic bags when shopping.BNowadays,environmental pollution is a serious problem that the whole world is faced with.Industrial development has caused serious environmental pollution.Air,water and soil have been polluted in various degrees due to the waste released from artificial substances and industrial products.The air is so heavily polluted especially in big cities that it is not fit to breathe,the water in rivers is not safe to drink and plants and crops can’t grow on polluted soil.Facing such situations,what should we do? Knowing how to reuse some kinds of pollution is helpful for us to improve the environment.Difficult as it is,we must try our best to reduce pollution.22.历史与地理(History and geography)AMost popular subjects like technology and economics attract lots of people,simply because they make it much easier for students to land a job,while majors like history are not that lucky in job hunting.However,learning history is of great benefit.To start with,learning history is very practical,because history reflects itself like a mirror.If we encounter problems in practice,we can probably find solutions from history.Moreover,learning history can help us learn more about all kinds of heroes and heroines,teaching us to be brave and st but not least,reading classical works of history helps us appreciate the beauty of the Chinese language.BHainan Island,a pearl lying/situated/located in the south of China,is the second largest island in China with/covering an area of more than 35,000 square kilometers.。
