Downtown Artisan ’ s Club Art Exhibit 

    Please mark Saturday,October 21,on your calendars so that you can attend the Downtown Artisan's Club Art Exhibit!

    There will be beautiful works of art and pottery (陶器) ，created by the Downtown Artisan's Club,available for showing as well as for sale. The highly talented young artists have worked all summer to prepare for this event. Visitors will have an opportunity to meet these talented artists. All income from this event will be used for the continued operations of the Downtown Artisan's Club,which provides amazing classes and support for young artists.

     Tickets are on sale now and are available for $10 (adults) and $5 (students) . Children under the age of 12 will be admitted for free.

     The Downtown Artisan,s Club looks forward to seeing you there!Please get in touch with coordinator (协调员) Jim Hamilton at (905) 412-8980 for more information.

          Deadline is coming closer!

     To all our talented young artists 一 get ready for our coming Art Exhibit on October 21 !As you all know — our Downtown Artisan,s Club Art Exhibit is coming up exactly one month from today.

     Paintings,drawings,sculptures and writings will be needed — for both the show and the sale!

     Don’t forget to have them completed and handed in by next Friday.

     Remember,there will also be cash awards,judged by our group of art reviewers,and the winning pieces will be shown in our Art Book. The artists of the winning pieces will also be invited to attend the two-week summer art c?mp in Paris next summer.

     Have flm — and please submit (提交) your artwork on time!

13. For whom is the first announcement intended?

   A. Young artists. B. Art reviewers.

    C. Club members. D. General visitors.

14. How much should a couple with two kids under 12 pay for the exhibit?

   A. 20 dollars. B. 25 dollars,

    C. 30 dollars. D. 35 dollars.

15. When was “Deadline is coming closer!” posted?

   A. On August 21.    B. On September 21

    C. On October 21.    D. On November 21

16. What are the young artists asked to do by next Friday?

   A. Come to the club.

   B. Pay the service fee.

    C. Submit their artwork.

   D. Speak to the coordinator.

            C  ★★★★☆

    Looking for a simple way to bum more calories while walking? Researchers found that walking at varying speeds can bum up to 20 percent more calories. It is one of the first to measure the calories burned at various walking speeds. “Most of the existing literature has been on constant-speed walking. This study is a bi^ missing piece,” said Manoj Srinivasan,co-author of the study. “Measuring the calories burned while changing speeds is very important — people don’t live their lives on (跑步机) and do not walk at constant speeds."

    The researchers found that up to thirty percent of the energy we use during normal daily walking could be due to the energy needed to start and stop walking. Walking at any speed costs some energy,bilt when you* re changing the speed, ?ou will get the biggest effect. Changing the kinetic (运动的) energy of a person requires more work from the legs and that process certainly bums more energy.

    The study also confirmed the researchers’ prediction that people walk slower when covering shorter distances and increase their paces as distance increases. This finding could have some effects in the field of health,where the speed measured within a certain distance is used as a sign of a patient's progress. “What we’ve shown is that the distance over which you make them walk matters,” said Srinivasan. You’11 get different walking speeds for different distances.”

    For more tips on how to bum more calories when walking,Srinivasan offers some simple advice: walk in a way that feels unnatural. “How do you walk in a manner that bums more energy? Just do weird things. Walk with a backpack,walk with weights on your legs or walk in a curve as opposed to a straight line,” he said.

9. Why does research on walking and changing speeds matter?

   A. It can save lots of energy.

   B. It's good for the environment.  

    C. It can help build up our bodies.

   D. It's close to the way people walk in everyday life.

10. The second paragraph serves as .

   A. an explanation for the study

   B. the background of the study 

    C. an example of the study

   D. an introduction to the study

11. When patients change the speed of walking,.

   A. they are in poor health

   B. they are likely to recover 

    C. they have weight problems 

    D.they may need more walking practice 

12. What does the underlined word “weird” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

   A. Boring.   B. Strange,

    C. Great.   D. Right. 

             B★★★☆☆

    Da Costa was a child of the streets of Fortaleza,Brazil,whose future seemed hopeless. Then she saw a ballet performance by students from a dance school called EDISCA. a irawpe (剧团) that included other poor guys from her street. It was about the lives of Fortaleza's poorest kids who begged at traffic lights and lived on the street. “That really affected me ,” says Da Costa. “The reality in the ballet was just like mine. I hadn’t begged,but the lives I saw were very close to the life I was living."

    Da Costa went to EDISCA. and the school changed her life,as it did the lives of 800 other girls aged 6 to 19 and a few boys from Fortaleza. The school was founded in 1992 by Dora Andrade,42, ? dancer who cut short her career in the ?.S. to come home and teach girls to dance their way out of the.slwms (贫民窟) .Most of the children who enter EDISCA can't read or write. Many have health problems and are close to running away from violent homes or becoming bad children. Andrade and a staff of 36 teach them about health care,art,music,etc. But one course is a must. “Dance is the most important part of the school” says Andrade. Through dance,a seven-year-old leams about vision and order as well as creativity."

    Schools modeled on EDISCA are now open in five other Brazilian cities. Andrade’s students put on shows as far as Italy. They attract funding sources like the Washington-based Ashoka organization,a nonprofit (非营利的) group that supports 1 ,100 “social entrepreneurs” in 41 countries. Last year a $55,000 loan (贷款) from the Brazilian government let EDISCA move into a new building.

“EDISCA doesn’t form dancers; it forms people,” says Da Costa,who is now 19 and heading for college. She plans to open a dance school to pass on everything she leaned from Dora.

5. What made Da Costa decide to go to EDISCA?

   A. A dance performance.

   B. Her concerns about the future,

   C. Her parents,encouragement.

   D. The words of poor guys from her street.

6. Why did Dora Andrade give up her career and come home?

   A. She decided to dance for her own people.

   B. She wanted to help children in poverty,

   C. She was asked to set up a school.

   D. She got tired of her career.

7. What is special about EDI sc A?

   A. It puts health care first.

   B. It is set up for disabled kids,

   C. It teaches students how to live. 

    D. Itwasfoundedbyanonprofitgroup.

8. We can learn from the last two paragraphs that.

   A. EDISCA has many branch schools now

   B. Da Costa started a dance school of her own

   C. EDISCA was given a building by the government

   D. Andrade's students have the chance to perform abroad

        A  ★★★☆☆

    Since mobile phones slimmed down from the size of bricks,I’ve had one pressed to my ear. It has become my personal assistant,best friend and connection to the outside world. I even go to bed with it!We’ ve become addicted to our mobiles — and I,as ? journalist ?n? natural talker,suffer more than most.

    So I decided to go cold turkey for two weeks,to see if I could keep the bills down (It once cost me £4,500 a month) and survive without a mobile.

    The feeling is one of freedom,escape and calm. You can have a coffee without seeing 25 messages,and read the newspaper without being interrupted (?T ^b) . I went old-school and started to make appointments using email and phone boxes (if I could find one) . But soon I realized that,much as I was managing without my mobile,others were unable to do the most basic practicalities without me.

    Taxi companies couldn’t find me,my wife got angiy because she needed me to pick up the kids,and colleagues thought I’d died because the phone didn't ring.

    But I re-engaged with the art of observation. I saw the world around me instead of texting or playing with some new (应用软件) .It was the old me around 1990,and I quite liked it — but no one else did. So the mobile is back,but the bills are lower,and I now turn it off once a week and leave ther world of my pocket behind. Try it!

1. Why did the author try to stop using a mobile?

   A. It did harm to his ears.

   B. It made him get into debt.

    C. It gave him some unpleasant feelings.

   D. It made him impossible to fall asleep.

2. How did the author feel about giving up his mobile at first?

 A. Unsafe. B. Strange,

 C. Embarrassed. D. Wonderful.

3. What can we infer about the author’s no-mobile act?

   A. It made him lose many business deals.

   B. It caused others inconvenience,

    C. It kept his friends at a distance.

   D. It got his family's praise.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

   A. Addicted

   B. Disconnected 

    C. High phone bills

   D. This annoying world

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A.B.C和D) 中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

    I'm sure each and every single action we perform in our lives is to seek happiness. 21,what we seek is actually hidden within ourselves.

    Although I don't have many personal experiments in my own life,I 22 believe that we can never 23 real happiness outside US. If we 24 to find happiness from something or someone outside US,then it's never going to be a 25 one. Maybe that will last for a day or for a few months.

    For example, .you have a 26 mobile phone with which you can only make phone calls that are your basic 27 . You may feel unhappy,28 yourself in the midst of your friends who are playing around with their high-tech 29 . Now,thinking that you will 30 happiness with a new phone,you buy a new phone with all possible 31 in it. You think you are the happiest person in this world only until you 32 a friend having a better one than yours. At that very moment your happiness 33 and you start thinking you should have 34 this one. You feel unhappy again.

    Here your happiness is 35 based on a mobile phone. You had given the power of 36 your happiness to a lifeless electronic instrument.

    The moment we start 37  things outside to make ourselves happy,it's going to be a(n)38 ending process. Instead,we should focus on things within US. Now high-tech products appear every minute. 39 all those things should only be seen as something that can make our life 40 . They can never give US permanent happiness that we seek in our lives.

21. A. However   B. Therefore   C. Besides   D. Otherwise

22. A. regularly   B. immediately    C. suddenly   D. completely

23. A. mention   B. find   C. spread   D. destroy

24. A. agree   B. tend   C. happen   D. learn

25. A. big   B. light   C. fresh   D. lasting

26. A. simple   B. small   C. beautiful   D. modem

27. A. principles   B. requirements   C. conditions   D. characters

28. A. seeing   B. remembering  C. helping   D. guessing

29. A. media   B. databases   C. computers   D. phones

30. A. understand   B. get   C. discuss   D. imagine

31. A. knowledge   B. information   C. features   D. chances

32. A. come across   B. look after   C. cheer for   D. refer to

33. A. develops   B. arrives   C. disappears   D. hides

34. A. repaired   B. bought   C. designed   D. produced

35. A. sometimes   B. possibly  C. hardly   D fully 

36. A. showing   B. deciding   C. doubting   D. sharing

37. A. focusing on   B. taking down   C. dealing with   D. giving up

38. A. already   B. probably C. still   D. never

39. A. And   B. So   C. But   D. Or

40. A. slower   B. earlier   C. easier   D. worse

               Angle of perception 

    Once,a professor put a chair at a certain distance on the stage,and then started his lecture. Pointing to the middle row audience,those who were sitting exactly in front of the chair,he asked, “How many legs does the chair have? Please tell me exactly what you observe,not assuming that the chair has four legs."

    The first person from the middle row replied, “Two”，because ihe other two legs were hidden behind the front legs. The professor then asked the same question to the viewers on the left. The answer came “Three”. Here,one back leg was hidden behind one of its front legs. So,only three could be seen. The same question was repeated to those on the right and the extreme comers of the audience. The answers he received were uThree^ and aF〇?ur,? respectively (分别地) . 

    The professor then said, “Look!All of you know that the chair has four legs,but when I asked you to answer me exactly what you observed from your angle (角度) ，your answers were different. But do you think it is possible? Do you think that the same chair has two,three or four legs? Obviously the answer is “no”. We assumed it as the different numbers* according to our perception,the angle. from which we view. So what I mean is that our perception is not always correct or true. The same thing happens to everybody when he / she judges others from his / her view point. Kindly,think about this when you are judging others." Sometimes,things are misunderstood because of our angle of percep-tion.

Find the words in the text that fit the following descriptions.

1. V. to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it (in Paragraph 1)

2. n. an idea,a belief or an image you have as a result of how you see or understand sth (in Paragraph 3)

                   D ★★★☆☆

          Climate change video contest 

    The   National   Environmental   Education Foundation and the ?.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working together to bring you this climate change video contest.

Requirements:

    Your video should describe how climate change affects you,your family,friends,and community,now or in the future. Be cool!Be creative!Use storytelling or anything that explains the steps you* re taking,or could take to reduce carbon pollution and prepare for a changing climate.

We need your parent to fill out an application form and hand in a parental agreement form.

Note for teachers:

    If teachers want to upload a video for their students,they must hand in parental agreement forms for all students whose names appear in the video. We promise to protect students,privacy.

Music

    If you want to use music in your video,please avoid using (受版权保护的) music. You can use your own music.

Who can enter?

    The contest is open to ?.S. residents ( Mr between the ages of 11 and 14. Videos must be created and produced by individuals.

When is the (最后期限) ？

   The deadline is March 18 ,2016 at 3:00 pm.

Winners will be announced to the public on. this website ori or around April 22 ,2016. Winners will be informed by email.

How will the videos be judged?

    Videos will be judged according to how well you answered the contest questions,your creativity,video quality,presentation,and the scientific accwrag (准确 *1生) of your contents. .

Prizes:

    The first 100 students who enter will receive a National Geographic Kids magazine.  

1st Place: Solar Charging Backpack and Your Video,featured on EPA’s website for all to see!

2nd Place: Pulse Jump Rope (produces energy to charge your phone)

3rd Place: Socket Soccer Ball (turns energy from play into electrical energy that can be used to power small devices)

13. What do we know about the video contest?

   A. It is held for kids aged 11 to 14 throughout the world.

   B. It advises students not to put music in the video,

    C. Its deadline is April 22 ,2016.

   D. It has strict standards of grading.

14. To send his video online,a student needs to .

   A. fill in an application form

   B. provide his name in the video 

    C. check the contents of the video

   D. hand in his parental agreement form

15. How will winners know the result of the contest?

   A. They will be told by email.

   B. Their teachers will tell them,

    C. The EPA office will call them.

   D. The EP?’ s website will post it.

16. According to the text,the fifth winner will get.

   A. a Solar Charging Backpack

   B. a National Geographic Kids magazine 

    C. a device which can charge phones

   D. a Socket Soccer Ball which can produce power  

                 C ★★★★☆

    Jeremy Bloom is a three-time world skiing champion. When he was 17 years old,he left the US for the first time. As a member of the US Ski Team,he ：traveled to Japan. He was excited to experience another culture. But his most lasting memory of the trip was a bus ride. Bloom watched an elderly woman board the crowded bus. To his surprise,other passengers got up from their seats. They cleared a path for the woman and made sure she was comfortable. Then everyone bowed to her. aI thought how amazing it would be if our culture gave elderly people the same consideration ,” said Bloom.

    So in 2008,Bloom started Wish of a Lifetime (WOL) . This organization helps èlderly people achieve the very thing that they have dreamed about all their life.

    At first,Bloom wasn’t sure if his organization would make a big difference. But soon he saw the power of (WOL). He met a woman named Nancy Tarpin. She couldn’t afford to visit her daughter,Lucille. Lucille had cancer and was dying. Nancy just wanted to be able to say good-bye. So Bloom traveled with her to Arizona. There,Nancy and Lucille spent three unforgettable days together.

    Since then,WOL has made .hundreds of wishes come true. Bloom has made it possible for people to publish their poetry,visit the Grand Canyon,and ride in a hot air balloon. Other wishes are much smaller. “Sometimes the simplest things in the world mean the most,” said Bloom. One 86-year-old man made the simplest request of all. He asked for a small carpet,so that his floor wouldn’ t hurt his feet. Bloom handed it to him personally. “This fíve-dollar carpet meant the world to him,” said Bloom. “But it wasn’t just the carpet. It also meant somebody cared."

9. According to Paragraph 1 ,the other passengers.

   A. felt very uncomfortable on the bus

   B. treated the elderly woman with respect

    C. were very friendly to Jeremy Bloom

   D. often saw the elderly woman on the bus

10. WOL was set up to help old people .

   A. fight for their legal right

   B. experience the sport of skiing 

    C. understand different cultures   

    D. see their wishes come true

11. How would Nancy Tarpin probably feel about Bloom?

   A. Deeply grateful. 

    B. Very concerned,

    C. Quite doubtfiil. 

    D. Really angry.

12. Why did Bloom say the carpet meant the world to the bid man?

   A. He had few things in his house.

   B. He felt a great caring love from it. 

    C. He had a special interest in carpets.

   D. He avoided many injuries thanks to it.

                B  ★★★★☆

     In schools and at home,most of US have been scolded(责备) or éven got punished for daydreaming. The majority of people say that by daydreaming we waste our time and energy on something unproductive. But many medical studies have shown something different. They’ve stressed the fact that daydreaming works wonders on our imagination,creativity and situation-handling techniques. In fact,many problems can be easily solved if we daydream.

    The topmost benefit of daydreaming is that your mood gets the right improvement. By separating yourself from the world around you,you tend to enjoy the loneliness in your mind and get peace from daydreaming as you think about something that calms your senses. When you start imagining things,you will forget all tiie stress and tension(紧张) Instead,you will get happiness from it and this happiness will turn into a source of energy that helps you work in a good mood.

    Many 边(心理学家) have said that people who daydream tend to have a sharper memory. It’s true. When you,re daydreaming,yoil tend to g?t carried away to imagine various situations,either real or unreal. You tend to act differently in different situations,trying to satisfy your mind by doing what you want in your dreams. When your mind gets satisfied,you’ re in a better position to concentrate more on your work. Since daydreaming activates (激活） the nerves of your brain,you tend to have higher attentiveness and your ability to remember things will develop.

    When you daydream,you automatically imagine yourself as your heart says and therefore,you get to know yourself better. You ai§0 start realizing the mistakes you,ve made in life anti trying your best to avoid repeating them. Such imagination techniques help you to connect yourself with your soul.

5. Many studies have found that daydreaming.

   A. helps solve probleins

   B. broadens your horizons 

    C. decreases creativity

   D. is a waste of time and energy

6. The underlined word “mood” in Paragraph 2 probably means

   A. creativity

   B. loneliness

    C. the way you feel   

    D. situation-handling technique

7. According to the text,daydreaming helps improve memory because it .

   A. calms the nerves of the brain

   B. results in more concentration 

    C. connects people with their souls

   D. allows people to know themselves better

8. What's the text mainly about?

   A. Some tips on daydreaming.

   B. The causes of daydreaming,

    C. The benefits of daydreaming.

   D. Some solutions to daydreaming  

            A  ★★★★☆

    Every year 10 to 15 percent of babies bom in the ?.S. end up in the neonatal intensive care unit(新生儿重症监护病房) (NICU) of a hospital because of heart problems or other issues. And for the parents of those children,NIC? nurses are their rock.

    “Care in the NIC? is intensive,” one nurse,Renee Hendrix,says in the video Tiny Miracles put out by Kleenex in recognition of annual Neonatal Nurses Day. “Our babies are in great danger,” she continues. “I treat them like I would want somebody to treat my baby when I’m not there. That’s the most important thing.”

     But to her,gratitude is the most important thing in this video,which shows the nurse,who works at WellStar Kennestone Hospital,became very happy because of the thank-you messages from 17 families of her former patients.. The video producers surprise Hendrix by opening a door to show each of those grateful families gathered together to thank her in person,along with the babies she saved. “Are you kidding me?” in the video Hendrix screams. “All my favorit? people are in one room!” Aft?r hugging her former patients,she says in the video,UI love taking care of these babies. I don’ t do what I do for any kind of thank you but it's a wonderful feeling to be appreciated."

     This campaign(活动) of thanks is continuing in social media as well,with other NIC? families cheering on the nurses who made a difference in their lives. It’s all part of the job,though,according to Hendrix. She says being a NIC? nurse makes her gain more than what she devotes. “Working with babies that you thought would never even make it out of here and knowing that you had a part in helping them survive is a wonderful feeling,” she says.

1. What is the purpose of the video Tiny Miracles?

   A. To show how nurses treat babies.

   B. To celebrate Neonatal Nurses Day.

   G. To show how the sick babies are doing now.

   D. To advertise the neonatal intensive care unit.

2. Why did Hendrix scream?

   A. Someone played jokes on her.

   B. She was surprised to see the video producers,

   C. She saw her former patients and their families.

   D. A nurse,s opening the door suddenly frightened her.

3. What does Hendrix think of her job?

   A. It is difficult.   B. It is tiresome,

   C. It is interesting.   D. It is rewarding.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. The dream of a NIC? nurse

   B. Showing gratitude when necessary

   C. Many babies bom in the ?.S. end up in NIC?   

D. A NICU nurse gets thanks from the kids she's saved