When was the last time you read a book? If you’ re one of countless people who don’t make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out. Reading has many benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below.

Mental Stimulation

Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. 【1】. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy.

Wider Knowledge

Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy.【2】.

Stress Reduction

No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other problems, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story.【3】. And an interesting article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, allowing you to relax.

【4】

When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story — the rest of the world just falls away. Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes before work, and you’ 11 be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.

Tranquility (安宁)

【5】. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about a sense of calm, while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders or mental illnesses.

A. Stronger thinking skills

B. Improved focus and concentration

C. A well-written novel can transport you to other world

D. Reading a good book can also bring about great inner peace

E. That’s because keeping your brain active prevents it from losing power

F. Reading books is also important for learning new languages and cultures

G. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to deal with your future challenges

【1】让我们陷入困境的不是无知。（It is... that)

【2】很多人想当然地认为，正在发生的事情一定还会继续发生。（granted)

【3】有些饭店专门雇人在门口排队，造成了生意兴隆的假象。（impression)

【4】在这种场合下，如果说有什么话题最需要避免，那一定就是大家的收入。（need)

Yuuki lived with his family in a seaside village, below a small mountain. One day, as he played on top of the mountain, Yuuki felt a small earthquake but it was not strong enough to frighten anybody. Soon after, however, Yuuki noticed the sea darken and begin running away from the shore very fast, leaving behind wide areas of beach that had never been seen before.

Yuuki remembered reading that just before a terrible tsunami, the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. He ran to the beach, warning the villagers who had gathered to admire the new beach land.

But no one listened. They laughed at him and continued playing in the new sand.

Desperate, Yuuki could think of only one thing to do. He lit a tree branch, raced to the rice fields and began burning the harvested rice. Then he called out, “Fire! Fire! Everyone run to the mountain! Now!”

When everyone reached the mountain top, a villager cried out, “Yuuki is mad! I saw him set the fire.” Yuuki hung his head in shame, but said nothing as the villagers screamed at him.

Just then, someone shouted, “Look!”

In the distance a huge dark wave of water was speeding towards the shore. When it hit the shore, it destroyed everything.

On the mountain everyone stared at the village ruins in terror.

“I'm sorry I burned the fields,” said Yuuki, his voice trembling.

“Yuuki,” the village chief answered. “You saved us all.”

The villagers cheered and raised Yuuki into the air. “We were going to celebrate our rice harvest tonight,” said one, “but now we’ll celebrate that we’re all still alive!”

【1】Where was Yuuki when the earthquake struck?

A.On the beach.B.On the mountain.

C.In the rice fields.D.At home.

【2】In what order did the following events take place?

a. Yuuki ran to the rice fields.

b. The villagers paid no attention to Yuuki’s word.

c. Yuuki went to warn the villagers.

d. The village was in ruins.

e. The people were screaming at Yuuki.

A.c, b, d, a, eB.a, c, d, b, e

C.c, b, a, e, dD.a, c, d, e, b

【3】How did Yuuki save the villagers from the disaster?

A.He told them about the earthquake.

B.He explained why the sea was flowing out.

C.He told the village chief to warn the people.

D.He set fire to the rice field.

【4】What were the people planning to do before the tsunami struck their village?

A.Burn the rice crop.B.Play on the beach.

C.Climb the mountain.D.Celebrate the rice harvest.

【1】广州是一个现代化城市，我在这出生和长大。（用定语从句）

【2】最近，我们对500个学生就是否可以带手机进行了调查。

【3】我们很喜欢李老师。一方面他的课很生动，另一方面他很关心学生。

【4】三分之二的人在地震中死去或受伤。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词；

删除：把多余的词用斜线线（＼）划掉；

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear Laura,

Thanks for let us stay at your seaside house. Now, you might have heard from your neighbors about which happened on Saturday evening. When I was out a walk, my younger son, Tom , was playing the football before your house. He made so much noise that the neighbors got quite angrily. Even worse, Tom broke one of the window of Mr. Wilson’s house. Tom and I apologized to all the neighbors for the unhappy happenings, but promised to have the broken window repair soon. Tom said that we would not do such silly things any more. I am glad that your neighbors had forgiven us. They are really nice people.

The dogs will be trained to respond to sound triggers(触发器) in the home that make them perform tasks. The duties will include reminding their owners to take medicine, as well as encouraging them to eat, drink and sleep regularly.

The idea was developed by design students at the Glasgow School of Art and will now be put into practice by Alzheimer's Scotland and Dogs for the Disabled. The first dogs will be distributed to four Scottish couples, where one of the partners is in the early stages of dementia. 670,000 people in Britain have dementia and one in three over 65 will develop the condition. By 2021 this is expected rise to one million.

John Gray of Alzheimer's Scotland said, "People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help to maintain routine. " Another advantage of using the pets as companions is that dogs can give them a sense of silent support and companionship. Ms Gray said: "The evidence is that people may forget familiar faces but not pets. It's such a strong bond that people often remember them longest. People don't need to communicate verbally(口头上) but they can still interact. You can have a speechless bond."

Helen McCain, director of Dogs for the Disabled, said, "People with dementia often forget to take medicine. If a dog presents them with a bag with pills in it, there is a greater chance of them taking it. The dogs would also encourage the owners to take them out for walks, ensuring they keep exercising and interacting with other people."

【1】In Britain people with dementia_____________.

A. are likely to increase in number

B. are mostly over 65 years old

C. will be trained to respond to sound triggers

D. will be able to live a relatively normal life

【2】The dogs are trained to perform tasks by______________.

A. making some sound signals

B. communicating with the patients

C. reminding the patients by barking

D. reacting to some sound triggers

【3】What does the underlined word "them" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. Faces. B. Triggers.

C. Pets. D. Companions.

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Today Mr. Zhang, our English teacher, told us what to improve our English writing skills. The ability to write in English is becoming increasing important in English communication as well as in examinations. Thus, it was worth focusing our attention on.

In order to write the good essay, we should have an excellent command of over 2,000 frequently- used English word. It’s necessary and useful for them to read or even recite beautiful English articles. Beside, as the saying goes, that “Practice makes perfect”, so we should take every possible chance to write in English.

According my personal experience, keep a diary every day is a good means to achieve the aim.

The enduring power of print for learning in a digital world

Today's students see themselves as digital natives, the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology like smartphones, tablets and e-readers. We’ve seen students now equipped with school-issued iPads and access to e-textbooks. Given this trend, it might be assumed that students' familiarity and preference for technology translates into better learning outcomes. But more and more studies show that it’s not always the case. So, there are some lessons that can be conveyed to us about print’s place in an increasingly digital world.

We all read for many reasons. Sometimes we're looking for an answer to a very specific question. Other times, we want to browse a newspaper for today’s headlines. As we’re about to pick up an article or text in a printed or digital format, we should keep in mind why we're reading. There’s likely to be a difference in which medium works best for which purpose.

One of the most consistent findings of the studies is that, for some tasks, medium doesn't seem to matter. If all students are being asked to do is to understand and remember the big idea or gist of what they’re reading, there’s no benefit in selecting one medium over another. But when the reading assignment demands more engagement or deeper comprehension, students may be better off reading print. Teachers could make students aware that their ability to comprehend the assignment may be influenced by the medium they choose. This awareness could lessen the difference in students’ judgments of their performance compared with how they actually performed.

In another experiment, researchers were able to create meaningful records of college students based on the way they read and comprehended from printed and digital texts. Among those records, it was found that a select group of undergraduates who actually comprehended better when they moved from print to digital. But they actually read slower when the text was on the computer than when it was in a book. Using this select group as a model, students could possibly be taught or directed to fight the tendency to glide through online texts.

【1】She is from Canada , but she can speak Chinese ________ (流利地).

【2】While walking in the street, I ________ (认出) her in the crowd.

【3】The poor old lady is so ________ (担心) about her son’s safety that she couldn’t sleep well all night.

【4】Not knowing a single person at the party, he felt ________ (忽视)by all the people present.

【5】The way he deals with everything efficiently is being accepted by his colleagues ________(逐渐地).

【6】You’d better find a ________(本地人)to show you the way to the nearest hospital.

【7】Tom has a good ________(态度) towards his schoolwork and always finishes his homework on time.

【8】It was the sixth time that she ________ (不同意) with me .

【9】Which sports do you ________(比较喜欢), swimming or rock climbing?

【10】The ________(坚定)expression on his face suggested that the boy wouldn't give in.

What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red?【1】. Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings.【2】. If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.

【3】. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day.【4】. A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides(自杀) than any other bridge in the area — until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.

【5】. It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.

E. Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.

F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.

G. Colors do influence our moods---there is no doubt about it