24个英语话题高中英语课本巩固篇.doc

1、Topic 1（一)Giving an oral reportA) Read the following articles to find out more about different attitudes towards friendship. This will help you in your oral report.Teenagers friendshipMy friend, Robert, has a twin sister named Amanda. Though they get along well, there are some things about Amanda an

2、d her friends that puzzle Robert. He cannot understand how girls can talk for so long. For example, sometimes when he leaves the apartment to play football, Amanda and her friend, Sharon, are sitting on the sofa, continuing the same conversation on the same topic. One day Robert was so curious that

3、he asked Amanda what they talked about, but she replied, We re best friends. We talk about almost everything-film stars, pop songs, recipes,everything!Boys and girls have different attitudes towards friendship. Friendships between girls are usually anchored in shared feelings and support, but friend

4、ships between boys are based on shared activities or interests. A boy is likely to be cautious about sharing his feelings with close friends. A girls closest friend, however, might be eager to tell her about something that has happened in her life.Many studies worldwide show that girls have more fri

5、endships than boys. In fact, many adolescent males cannot name a single best friendship. When asked, they usually hesitate before responding, My best friend? I cannot think about that. I am busy with my homework, and I have so many different friends that is hard to choose just one best friend.Female

6、s who have been asked can usually answer the question without pausing, A best friend? Of course. We have a lot to share with each other. We do a lot of things together such as talking and shopping.We have to realize: boys share activities, while girls share feelings. The qualities that boys and girl

7、s consider important in a friend seem to the same, regardless of the basis of these friendship. The important thing to remember is that both of them are friendships. We all need friends in our lives. What friendship means to me When deciding what is most important in life, some people choose money,

8、while others choose things like security and comfort. However, for me, the most important thing in life is friendship. I cannot imagine being without it.Friendship means not being alone. Once I was traveling by myself through Beijing on the way to my grandparents house. Since my next train left in t

9、he evening, I had a day for sightseeing. I did not mind being alone, but then I saw all of the tourists having their pictures taken together, and I began feeling sad. I ended up returning to the station and spending the rest of the day in the waiting room. Life is no fun without a companion to share

10、 it with.Friendship means having someone I can rely on. Last year, I forgot my schoolbag on a trolleybus, and I lost all of my notes for the final exam. You can imagine how I panicked. Luckily for me, my best friend Jenny let me copy her notes, and I used them in my revision. Thanks to her help, I w

11、as able to pass the exam.Friendship means being committed to others. The best way to have a friend is to be a friend. Because I am a friend, I have had to learn patience and mercy. Once I had a quarrel with Jenny, and she made some cruel comments about me. Even though I was hurt, I forgave her and s

12、he later made an apology. Through this incidence, both of us have become better people. However, if I had ended our friendship, we would have both learned nothing.In conclusion, when we are old and look back on our lives, what will we remember? Will we remember the things we bought or the places we

13、have been to? No, we will remember those whom we loved and those who loved us. We will remember our friends.B) You are going to plan and conduct a survey and prepare an oral report to present to your class about attitudes towards friendship. You will be able to start your project after you answer th

14、e following questions.1. What is the primary purpose of your survey?2. Who will you choose to survey?3. How will you design your survey?4. How many questions will ask?5. Who will write the survey questions?6. Who will work out the results?7. Who will write the report?8. Who will present the oral rep

15、ort?（二)A) Sarah is from the USA. She has been teaching English in Nanjing for five years. She writes a newspaper column called China through a foreigner eyes for a newspaper in the USA. Read one of her articles.Family life, bargaining and tippingI have leaned a lot about Chinese life while teaching

16、inn Nanjing, China. When I first came to China, there were many things I did not understand. Now, I have a better understanding of Chinese culture and find it very interesting.Family life is quite different in China. In the USA, many people leave home after they finish their education and start work

17、ing. However, in China, it is common for people to live with their parents until they get married. Also, many of my Chinese friends told me that their grandparents lived with them and helped take care of them when they were children. I thought it was unusual because it is rare for grandparents to li

18、ve with their children and grandchildren in the USA. It seems that Americans think independence is more important while Chinese think family relationships are more important. Bargaining is another Chinese custom that I have tried to learn. In the USA, prices are set and you cannot ask for a lower pr

19、ice, whereas in China, in some small stores and tourist spots, you are expected to bargain. I asked my Chinese friends to teach me how to bargain. They told me that I should ask for 40 percent or 50 percent off the price that the salesperson first offers me. Then, I should tell the salesperson that

20、the same item is cheaper at another store. If the salesperson does not agree to my price, I should pretend to leave and he might ask me to come back and sell me the item for a lower price. Bargaining is a skill that you have to practice if you live in China.One custom that has been easy to adjust to

21、 is not tipping. In the USA, many people in the service industry, especially waiters and taxi drivers, expect extra money for serving customers. Tipping is not a part of Chinese culture. Once I tried to tip a taxi driver. He looked a little confused and refused to take the money. This causes problem

22、s when I go back to the USA for vacation, because sometimes I forget to tip when I should!In China, you learn something new everyday!Answer the following questions about the article.1 In the USA, when do many young people leave home?2 What does the author think of the family relationships in China?3

23、 Why does the author tells the salesperson that the item is cheaper at another shop?4 Is the author good at bargaining？5 What does the author think about tipping?Read the text quickly and answer these questions.1 How long did Wei Hua stay in Britain?2 What was the name of Wei Hua class teacher?3 Wha

24、t did Wei Hua make in her Woodwork class（三)School life in the UKGoing to a British high school for one year was a very enjoyable and exciting experience for me. I was very happy with the school hours in Britain because school starts around 9 a.m, and ends about 3.30 p.m. This means I could get up an

25、 hour later than usual as schools in China begin before 8 a.m.On the first day, all students went to attend assembly. I sat next to a girl whose name was Diane. We soon became best friends. During assembly, the headmaster told us about the rules of the school. He also told us that the best way to le

26、arn respect from the school was to work hard and achieve high grades. This sounded like my school in China.I had many teachers in the past year and they each taught only one subject. My Heywood was my class teacher. My favorite teacher was Miss Burke. She was the teacher who taught us English Litera

27、ture. In our class there were 29 students. This is about the average size for British schools. We had to move to different classrooms for different classes. We also had different students in some classes, so it was difficult to remember all the faces and names.I found the homework was not as heavy a

28、s what I used to get in my old school, but it was a bit challenging for me at first because all the homework was in English. I felt lucky as all my teachers were very helpful and I enjoyed all my subjects: English, History, English Literature, Computer Science, Maths, Science, PE, Art, Cooking and F

29、rench.My English improved a lot as I used English every day and spent an hour each day reading English books in the library. I usually went to the Computer Club at lunchtime, so I could e-mail my family and friends back home for free. I also had an extra French class on Tuesday evenings. Cooking was

30、 really fun as I learned how to buy, prepare and cook food. At the end of term we held a class party and we all had to cook something. I was glad that all my classmates enjoyed the cake I made.Students at the school have to study Maths, English and Science, but can drop some subjects if they do not

31、like them, for example, History, French and Art. They can choose other subjects like Woodwork, Computer Science or Languages such as Spanish and German. In the Woodwork class I made a small table. Though it did not look like a table when it was finished, I still liked it very much.I missed Chinese f

32、ood a lot at lunchtime. British food is very different. British people eat lots of desserts after their main meal. After lunch, we usually played on the school field. Sometimes I just relaxed under a tree or sat on the grass.I was really lucky ti experience this different way of life, and I really h

33、ope that someday I can go back and study in Manchester again.Topic 2Golden days It is nice to look back on my school days in the countryside in England. I had all my friends around me and the encouragement and guidance of my family. My whole life was still ahead of me. At that point in my life, I co

34、uld have done anything or become anyone. I think those golden days at school were the happiest of my life.I remember sometimes feeling in a rush to grow up and independent, but I was still very happy. I didnt have any worries in life. I could spend all day outside, playing in the the sunshine with m

35、y friends , and we always had interesting things to talk about. At home, my parents took care of everything important.All I had to do was go to school and spend a few hours studying when I came home. At the weekends, for entertainment I could see friends, visit my grandparents, read books or play sp

36、ort. As an innocent child, I didnt need to think about hardships such as problems at work, or worry about income or how to take care of a family. All I had to do was enjoy my adolescence. Young people should never forget that good health is an important part of happiness. It is hard to stay happy an

37、d your body aches.When I was young, I could run many kilometres and I would not feel tired. I felt like I could do anything. NOWI am getting old-it is easy for me to get tired, and I must be careful not to hurt myself. I wish I could still play sport because that made me very happy.Ive had a wonderf

38、ul life and Im proud when I think about my achievements. I have been happy about different things at different times during my life, but my most vivid and happiest memories are those of school days, so I think that was the happiest time in my life. Topic 3 (1)Stand up for your health!People have alw

39、ays enjoyed laughing, and there has always been humour. One favourite type of comedy is called stand-up .Stand-up is a kind of comedy that is done on a stage by a comedian talking straight to audience members. A stand-up comedian may tease an audience member ,or might decide to tell different jokes

40、depending upon how the audience reacted to his or her previous jokes.Types of stand-upThere are a variety of different styles of stand-up comedy.Some comedians tell jokes about the way people behave or about daily life .For example ,they may talk about how people act when they queue up ,or they may

41、ask why it only rains when you forget your umbrella .Other comedians rely on visual humour .Their humour may be inspired by objects. For example ,one comedian uses a huge hammer to break watermelons while he jokes about what he is doing .Another comedian points to a video tennis game and says ,”Ive

42、been playing tennis everyday for a month.I dont understand why I am not losing weight !”Yet other comedians may trip over chairs, walk into doors ,and fall down on stage in order to make people laugh. This kind of absurd humour is not very funny if you are only listening and not watching the comedia

43、ns performance . The last kind of comedian does impressions-he or she will act or speak like a well-know person in order to make fun of that person .While this kind of humour may sound cruel,it usually only works if both the comedian and the audience have affection for or admire the person being mad

44、e fun of.A famous comedian Only a few stand-up comedians have become famous as television and film performers later on in life .One such person is Billy Crystal. Like other stand-up. People around the world enjoy watching him when he hosts the Academy Awards.He has hosted the show eight times .Each

45、time ,he performs his stand-up routine in front of millions of people when the show is broadcast live on TV.One little-known fact is that when Crystal is the host of the Academy Awards,he always keeps a toothbrush in his pocket for good luck.He says it is because when he started practising stand-up

46、as a child, he told himself jokes while standing in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth.One reason Crystal has become so famous is that he is very quick thinking, and is often able to come up with new jokes about the people and things around him.When Crystal was the host of the 2019 Academy Awar

47、ds,a very old actor,who had acted in films before they had sound,gave a speech.He talked for several minutes,but there was a technical problem,and no one in the audience could hear him.They could only see him standing they moving his lips .Instead of telling the joke he had planned,Crystal made up a

48、 new one.He said,”It seems appropriate that he got his start in silent films!” The audience howled with laughter.Crystal is popular with all age groups and has the ability to amuse people all over the world.This proves that stand-up can be enjoyed by everyone .you can expect to hear a lot more from

49、Billy Crystal -he has no plans to stop making films ,or to stop telling jokes .He hopes to follow in the footsteps of other famous comedians,working until nearly the end of their lives .Laughter is good for your health!Nowadays ,stand-up comedy is popular all over the world. Doctors have been resear

50、ching what effect stand-up and other forms of comedy have on us , and have discovered that people who laugh a lot live longer. They say this is because when you laugh, your brain sends chemicals around your body that are good for you .Lauthing helps your body stay healthy and can even help you fight

51、 pain.Maybe this explains the long lives of men like Bob Hope and George Burns.Whatever the reason,research shows that in the end ,the English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,:may be true after all .so ,go and make someone laugh -it just might help them (and you )live longer .(2)The end of a

52、disease Smallpox, a virus that causes fever,body aches and painful spots all over the body,used to be the most feared disease in the world.During the 18th century,smallpox killed 400,000 people per year in Europe ,where it spread quickly.Those who survived were left with deep marks on their skin.Bef

53、ore that,when the Europeans began to explore North America and South America in the 16th century ,they brought the smallpox virtus with them,which killed more native people than any war .It was Edward Jenner, a doctor from England,Who brought the virus under control in the late 1700s.Jenner had noti

54、ced that milkmaids never got smallpox .Instead,they got a weaker disease called cowpox, which gave then spots on their hands. Jenner thought that there must be something about the cowpox virus that protected them form smallpox. In the 1796,he did an experiment on a young boy named James Phipps.He pu

55、t some material from a milkmaids cowpox spot into James skin.James became ill with cowpox but soon recovered.Then Jenner gave James a shot of the smallpox virus .To his great joy, the boy remained healthy this time .Jennersidea proved correct.Jenners experiment led him to invent the smallpox vaccine

56、 ,which protects people from smallpox .However,Jenner never got rich from his discovery .He could have claimed that he owned the smallpox vaccine,and then the companies that made the vaccine would have had to pay nim .However,this would have made the vaccine too expensive for many people ,.The small

57、pox vaccine was his gift to the world .Jenner is considered the father of the study of the study of how our bodies fight disease .His vaccine led to many others.Now,babies in most countries receive vaccines which prevent them from ever getting certain serious diseases .As for smallpox ,in 1967, the

58、World Health Organization started a programme to end smallpox .in1979, this organization declared that smallpox was dead .Now ,smallpox is no longer a danger to our lives.Topic 4(1)GM food :hope or danger?In recent years, there has been great progress in the study of genetics .With this progress, do

59、ors have been opened up to technologies that never existed before .While many people are excited about these new technologies, these same technologies frighten others. Nowhere is this truer than with genetically modified(GM)food .There are two ways in which a plant or an animal can be genetically mo

60、dified .First,new material can be inserted into its NDA to give the plant or animal qualities which it would never have in nature .Second ,material can be taken from the DNA of a plant or an animal in order to remove qualities which are not desired .One aim of GM research is to produce food which wi

61、ll make us healthier. So far ,this technology has been used to produce plants which are better able to defend themselves against pests and disease.Supporters of GM food argue that GM plants are healthier and have larger harvests.while there has been research in GM animals such as pigs,no GM meat is

62、being sold at present .Many questions have been raised about GM food .No one really knows whether it is safe for animals or humans to eat .scientists admit that more tests should be done on GM food .research has been limited to increasing production profits, rather than making sure that GM foods are

63、 safe. GM food could therefore be dangerous to eat .There is also a question as to whether GM plants are safe for the environment .since GM crops are planted outside, they are part of the food chain-insects and other animals eat them or use their products ,and these insects and animals will be eaten

64、 by yet other animals .no on knows what effects the GM material might have on the food chain.Since no on really knows whether GM food is safe ,many countries have hesitated to give permission for the production of GM foods,as they would rather be cautious with this new technology.(2)Why do people ch

65、oose organic food?Organic food is fruits and vegetables that are grown without adding any agricultural chemicals to them.Many people choose to eat organic food because they believe that such fruits and vegetables contain more nutrition ,are free of chemicals and taste better.According to analyses, o

66、rganic fruits and vegetables are healthier for us as they have more nutrition in them.Research has shown that they contain 56 percent more calcium,12 percent more protein and 290 percent more iron than regular fruits and vegetables. On average, fresh organic fruits and vegetables contains 50 percent

67、 more vitamins and minerals than food treated with chemicals .all of these things are necessary for our heath.Organic food is also free of chemicals.when growing organic crops,farmers do not use sprays to kill pests, nor do they use chemicals to make the crops grow faster.In addition,organic fruits

68、and vegetables are free of chemicals used in growing conventional produce to make the fruits and vegetables appear brighter ,taste sweeter or last longer .A small amount of these chemicals may remain on the produce ,and then accumulate in our bodies ,which can cause health problems ,such as heart di

69、sease and cancer.Finally, many people argue that since organic food is grown without adding chemicals,it tastes much better.all this has led many to the conclusion that organic fruits and vegetables are the best and healthiest choice for us .Topic 5(1)Important film events around the worldWelcome to

70、 our weekly programme,Movie Magic. Our guests today are representatives from six of the major international film festivals. These spokeswomen and spokesmen will tell us about the festivals they represent. Joining us in the studio are Isabel Rose from the Cannes Film Festival, Hanz Muller from the Be

71、rlin International Film Festival, Kathy Barnes form the Sundance Film Festival,Maria Bella from the Venice Film Festival,Mike Taylor from the Toronto International Film Festival and Xu Li from the Shanghai International Film Festival. Welcome,everyone! Maria,do tell us a little about the Venice Film

72、 Festival.Well, I think it is rather appropriate for me to begin our discussion. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. It is an annual festival that began in 1932. Our festival is part of a larger festival which applauds contemporary art. We view film as a particular typ

73、e of contemporary art . Kathy, please tell us about the Sundance Film Festival.Unlike the Venice Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival only includes small,independent films. That is , the main criterion for being included is that the film must not be financed by Hollywood studios.Kathy , I dont

74、like to argue, but in defence of the Venice Film Festival , I have to point out that we dont just have Hollywood films. Our policy is to include high quality films, regardless of who makes them. We make no restrictions on the kinds of films we show -as long as a films quality meets our standards, we

75、 include it .The Sundance Film Festival deliberately boycotts all Hollywood films, and we dont foresee ever including them. The initial idea for our festival was hatched back in 1978, when it was known as the Utah/US Film Festival. However , it was not well known until 1981. It was then that Robert

76、Redford became its sponsor and changed the focus to independent films , often made on very modest budgets . It was given its new name -the Sundance Film Festival -in 1991 . Redford has acted in and directed many bit Hollywood films, but wanted to expose the public to films made outside of the Hollyw

77、ood system that ordinary people might have no access to otherwise . Nowadays , if a film wins an award at Sundance, there is a good chance it will become famous!Cannes is another festival that can make films famous . Many films are first shown to the public at the Cannes Film Festival,and if a film

78、wins , everyone will hear about it . I think it is fair to say that Cannes is the most famous and exciting festival.I hate to contradict you , but in recent years , the Cannes Film Festival has shown special favour to American films . Some people remark that it has taken a step backwards,and is begi

79、nning to resemble the Academy Awards in Hollywood too much.Well , yes , films shown at Cannes are often made with large budgets, and have well-known actors and directors. Many of them are American, but we reject the idea that we have lost our edge as the best international film festival in the world

80、 . We always show a broad range of films from many different countries. In fact ,the Cannes Film Festival was started in 1939 because many people felt the Venice Film Festival was giving awards to only German and Italian filmsWell in my opinion, the Berlin International Film Festival is one of the m

81、ost international of all the film festivals. Since it began in 1951, we have given are in the minority, while films that are likely to be overlooked at other festivals ,for example at Cannes, have a real chance of becoming champions.Im the spokesman for the Toronto International Film Festival, which

82、 began in 1976 and soon became one of the major film festivals around the world. Each year, famous actors actresses and directors come to Toronto, and the entire film world-only Cannes is bigger. We show films from many countries, though we do give some special awards to Canadian films.I represent t

83、he Shanghai International Film Festival. Our festival was founded in 1993,so we are perhaps the youngest festival. Even though we hae only existed a short time , our festival has a good reputation worldwide. We have entries from many different countries and give the “Jinjue” Award, or Golden Cup Awa

84、rd, to the film that we think is the best .(2)Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone(2019)What an amazing film ! Who has not dreamt of finding out that he or she is really someone special and famous ? That fantasy is reality for Harry Potter (played by Danniel Radcliffe). Harry, a sensitive young b

85、oy who has a scar on his forehead, has been living his relatives, the Dursleys. His uncle abuses him ,his aunt ignores him, and his cousin hates him. At first , Harry thinks that his parents were killed in a car crash when he was a baby. However ,he later finds out that his father was a wizard and t

86、hat his mother was a witch both of whom were murdered by an evil wizard -the same wizard who gave Harry the scar. Harry discovers that he possesses a wizards power too,and that he already has a reputation in the world of witches and wizards because of his parents.Hagrid(played by Robbied Coltrane) i

87、s a very large person who works at Hogwarts a special institution for young witches and wizards . He comes to rescue Harry from the Dursleys and take him to the school . They have a few adventures along the way, and Harry is introduced to a whole new world he never knew about -the world of magic. Th

88、e world of ordinary people exists parallel to the world of magic, but the ordinary people are not aware of if .On the train to school,Harry makes two new friends , Bon Weasley (played by Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (played by Emma Watson). Together, they learn about their new school and the s

89、pecial curriculum there. Harry has contradictory feelings about his new life. At first, he enjoys it , but later he learns that the evil wizard, Voldemort, is the one who killed his parents.Harry and his partners have a fierce battle with Voldemort to save themselves and their magic world.The film i

90、s full of special effects . Watching Harry zoom around on a flying broom could make you feel dizzy, and the school sport of Quidditch is fantastic. The effects are all made with the computer, and are really exciting to watch.All of this is wonderful, but the best part of the film is the acting . Thi

91、s is surprising as the three young actors playing the characters of Harry,Ron and Hermione did not have much experience as actors before making this film. The skill with which these three become their characters is one of the films main attractions. They do very well even compared with the adult act

92、ors,such as Alan Rickman(Professor Snape),Richard Harris(Headmaster Dumbledore) and Maggie Smith(Professor McGonagall)J. K. Rowling,the author of the Harry Potter books,approved the final script of the film . However , many people have complained that the film is too long . At 142 minutes , it is al

93、most a half hour longer than an average film. While the sport of Quidditch is vital part of the book and of Harrys school experience, I feel that too much time is devoted in the film to showing it . I think this is more to show off the special effects than to help the films plot . Also , it disappoi

94、nts me that several interesting scenes are not shown in the film.Many people also complain that the film has a tendency to spend too much time showing Harrys life with the Dursleys . This shows that the film -makers did not give enough thought to who the audience of the film would be . Most people w

95、ho went to see the film had read the book before going to the cinema. They would already know that Harry is not happy with the Dursleys. The important and interesting parts of the film occur in the world of magic. Much of this early part of the film could have been skipped, and more time could have

96、been spent at Hogwarts.Even with these slight drawbacks , Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone is still a great film, and I certainly recommend it !Topic 6(1)The Olympic GamesGood afternoon, students and teachers .As a member of the International Olympic Committee,I am delighted to have been invi

97、ted to your school to talk to you about the history and significance of the Olympic Games.Ill share some interesting facts and stories with you , and then well have time for questions .Do you know when the ancient Olympic Games began?It was in the year 776 BC.They were held at Olympia in Greece ever

98、y four years ,for almost 12 centuries,until AD 394.Some of the sports from the ancient Olympics are still seen today ,such as the long jump,wrestling and running.At the ancient Olympics,by tradition the athletes were all men and they had to compete wearing no clothes.Single women were allowed to tak

99、e part in their own competition, at a separate festival in honour of Hera,the wife of the Greek god Zeus.Today, both male and female athletes from around the world can take part ,no matter what nation they come from.The contemporary Olympics were first held in 1896,in Athens,It was a Frenchman, Pier

100、re de Coubertin, who brought the Olympics back to life.He dreamt that the Olympics would make it possible for people of all countries to live side by side in peace. Now people all over the world are helping to realize this dream.Among them are many well-known athletes.Did you know that perhaps the m

101、ost famous boxer of all time first came to public attention during the 1960 Rome Olympics?He won the gold medal for the USA,under his birth name Cassius Clay.Afterwards, this young man went on to win the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in 1964 and later changed his name to the on we all know,

102、Muhammad Ali.He returned to the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 2019 to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony.Another sports star I would like to mention is Michael Jordan.Everyone knows of his success in the NBA,but do you know that he helped the USA basketball team win the gold medal at the

103、1984 Los Angeles Olympics?Jordan also returned to the Olympics after many years ,but unlike Muhammad Ali,he was still competing for medal.At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics,Jordan won his second Olympic gold medal as a member of the so-called “Dream Team”Chinese athletes have also made important contrib

104、utions to the Olympic Games.At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics,the Peoples Republic of China returned to the Olympics after 32 years absence. I am sure the whole of China must have felt proud when Xu Haifeng won the first gold medal for his country .Deng Yaping ,who won four Olympic gold medal in 1992

105、 and 2019 ,is perhaps the greatest female table tennis player the world has ever seen.At the 2019 Athens Olympic Game,Liu Xiang excited people all over Asia when he became the first Asian to win the gold medal in the mens 110-metre hurdles.The Chinese led the way at the 2019 Beijing Olympics,winning

106、 51 gold medals .For the first time in history ,the Chines womens gymnastics team won the gold medal.however, the athlete that some people remember most was Zhang Ning ,a former badminton champion .At the age of 33,she was much older than the other players .Yet,she hung on to win the gold medal in t

107、he final match.These are some of the Olympic athletes who have brought joy to people across the world with their attempts to push the boundaries of human achievement .we are looking forward to seeing more of them in future Olympic Games. Join me in wishing the Olympic Movement a successful future to

108、 match its past glory.Thank you .Now ,are there any questions?Topic 7(1)Searching for the Yeti People have reported seeing a wild man-like creature in the Himalayas.They call it a Yeti.There are many sightings all over the world every year .Each reported sighting produces similar descriptions of the

109、 creature.Yetis are said to be heavily built and hairy .people believe that it sometimes come sown from the mountains to attack villagers .In 2019 ,an American mountain climber said that he saw a Yeti on the Chinese side of the Himalayas.”It walked like a human but it had thick black fur and was abo

110、ut six feet tall with huge shoulders, very long arms and large hands,”he said.Ten Chinese engineers also reported that they saw a Yeti in the shennongjia National Forest Park in western Hubei Province. The engineers ran after the creature,which ran with amazing speed and strength.In 1970,1,089 footp

111、rints were discovered in the snow near Bossburg ,Washington in the United States.Footprints are one of the few pieces of hard evidence supporting the existence of Yeti .On average, these footprints are 14 to 18 inches long, 5 to 9 inches wide and much larger than those of a human.Also ,they are alwa

112、ys deeper than footprints made right next to them by men.Some scientists think that these foot prints are not left by Yetis .They say that the foot prints could have been made by bears or other animals.They have found that the sun often causes footprints in the snow to become larger.some scientists

113、even think that these footprints could have been made by people playing a joke .Dr Krantz,a scientist from Washington State University, has studied reports of Yetis for many years .He became convinced that they exist while studying the footprints.he says that this creature possibly lived in Asia som

114、e 3,000,000 years ago.It could have made its way to other parts of the world and lived on until today .Scientists hope that the mystery will be solved someday .if Yetis really exist, we might have the chance to see one with our own eyes.Topic 8(1)An adventure in Africa30th JuneDear Aihua,How are you

115、 ?Sorry I havent written for so long .Ive been quite busy planning my holiday with my older brother, Colin. Do you still remember the trip I told you about? I told you Colin and I would spend a few weeks travelling before he goes to university. Well,now were ready to-go !were going to visit so many

116、exciting places and do lots of astonishing things .we will go to Africa first.I cant wait! Have you been there?We leave London on 15th July, and well be flying to Morocco, in northern Africa.were going to travel on camel through the Sahara Desert.Its the biggest desert in the world -about the size o

117、f the US! I expect it will be very hot ,dry and dusty there.well be travelling by camel ,with local guides,camping in tents and sleeping on the ground in our big,thick sleeping bags .Ive heard that we can see beautiful stars on clear nights. Ill bring a torch with me so that Ill be able to see in th

118、e dark.The whole trip will take six days. That means Ill have to sit on a camel for almost a week -how uncomfortable! I hope my camel likes me!After the trip by camel,were going to travel down the River Nile.Well start at the Lake Victoria.A little way down the river from Lake Victoria, the water ac

119、tually gets quites rough. So,well go white -water rafting.Its quite dangerous ,but very exciting! You have to wear special clothing, a helmet and a life jacket,just in case your raft gets turned upside down or sinks.After white-water rafting, were going on a trip to see wild animals in Kenya.Well li

120、ve with the local people in their villiages,and eat and drink whatever they do,including cows blood! Do you think I should drink it?Since well be walking every day for almost two weeks, Ill need to buy a large,strong, light backpack to carry my supplies of food and water. During the day ,well walk a

121、cross the land, following the footprints of big animals such as elephants,lions and giraffes.Well try to get as close as possible to the animas,even though theyre dangerous ,so that I can take some really good photos .but dont worry about me -our guides will have guns with them to scare the animals

122、away if they come too close.I really want to see an elephant up close .Colin wants to see a giraffe .After that , well be moving on to Tanzania,where were going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Mountain climbing can be very tiring,and many people feel seck as the air gets thinner ,so Colin and I will mak

123、e sure that we will get enough rest after sunset.The African part of our trip will take about four weeks .Then were going to the Himalayas.Ill send you postcards from all the different places we visit?Love,Toby(2)My trip to SpainI have spent three days in Spains second largest city ,Barcelona.What a

124、 beautiful city it is ! I have enjoyed seeing buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi,a world-famous architect. His buildings are very unusual. Gaudi thought that since nature doesnt have straight lines,his buildings shouldnt either.even the walls look like ocean waves ! His most famous building,a large

125、church called the church of the holy family ,was started in 1882.today,its still not finished. When its finished,the church will have eighteen tall towers.I am now in Madrid,the capital of Spain ,there is a palace here where the present king and queen live.there is also a palace and a church called

126、the Escorial just outside Madrid where past kings and queens are buried. There is a room in the Escorial where some of their children are buried .the tombs are white and they are all placed on top of each other, so it looks like a big birthday cake .in the famous Prado Museum,I saw many paintings of

127、 these people ,some of the paintings are 300 years old.Meals in Spain are quite different from meals in china.Breakfast is very small ,just a kind of sweet bread and coffee with milk.The largest meal is lunch .lunchtime is around 100 in the afternoon and it can last for two hours .People might eat f

128、ish ,chicken or beef with vegetables .during lunchtime,many shops close. Around 600 in the evening ,people have a snack,such as cheese or bread with hot chocolate.Tonight,I went to a restaurant for dinner at 6.30.I was surprised to find that nobody was there! I learnt that the Spanish do not eat din

129、ner until 10.00 at night .Dinner is usually light ,maybe eggs or a salad, the national dish is called paella. It is rice with vegetables.chicken and seafood .it sounds like a chinese dish,but it tastes very different. Its delicious!Topic 9(1)Traffic Accidents and Road SafetyThe number of road accide

130、nts and the deaths arising from those accidents has increased over the past year.This notice is aimed at increasing peoples knowledge of the problem.We must all be aware of the potential causes of traffic accidents and act to prevent them. This is true of everyone as accidents affect drivers of vehi

131、cles as well as cyclists and pedestrians.we all have a responsibility to prevent accidents.Below are some of the major causes of road accidents in connection with vehicles such as cars,minibuses and lorries ,and what drivers should do to prevent them.Drivers not paying attention -this is the most co

132、mmon cause of accidents.When drivers do not pay attention to surrounding traffic,they are not ready when another driver does something wrong,like turning without signaling or giving wrong signals.Drivers getting annoyed in a traffic jam-many drivers are aggressive and push into other lanes of traffi

133、c or pass other cars .these are both very dangerous because they can result in crashes.Drivers speaking on mobile phones-recently the number of people fined for speaking on their mobile phones while driving has increased by 30 percent.Speaking on the phone requires a person to concentrate and takes

134、a drivers attention from the road .Drinking and driving-if you drive after you have consumed alcoholic drinks or are drunk,you are violating the law and risking your own life as well as the lives of others.if you are with someone who has been drinking alcohol, even if it is just a couple of beers,do

135、 not allow them to drive.Drivers speeding-speed kills.this is a fact that is easily ignored,but driving too fast through city streets is very dangerous.our city streets are always crowded with people,cars and bicycles.drivers have to take the responsibility to watch out for people crossing the road,

136、especially senior citizens who may not be able to walk very fast and young children who may not look before stepping into the road.drivers should be careful near schools in particular, because there are likely to be many children.On the next page are some of the chief causes of road accidents relate

137、d to cyclists and pedestrians, and what they should do to prevent accidents.Cyclists not paying attention-many cyclists fail to pay attention to the cars that surround them,and often ride too close to cars to allow them space and time to stop.some cyclists make the assumption that traffic laws do no

138、t apply to them, but this is not true.cyclists should always signal at turnings and stay on the correct side of the road .Riding bicycles on the pavement -sometimes bicycles are allowed on the pavement ,but cycling on the pavement can be dangerous to pedestrians. When on the pavement, cyclists shoul

139、d walk next to their bicycles to avoid causing any accidents.Cyclists carrying a passenger -carrying more than a light load on your bicycle makes it more difficult to control. This lack of control is an invitation to accidents.Bicycles without lights -it is recommended to have a light on your bicycl

140、e at night.check your light regularly to make sure it works,as many accidents are caused at night because a bicycle cannot be seen.Bicycles in need of repair-another cause of accidents is that bicycles are not kept in good condition.Often brakes do not work properly or tyres are so old that the bicy

141、cle cannot stop in time.Pedestrians crossing the road in the wrong way -road safety is important for pedestrians too.they should remember to be cautious,and look both ways and listen for cars that they might not be able to see .pedestrians should always cross the road on a crossing ,and should never

142、 run across the road .parents and teachers have a responsibility to teach children how to cross the road safely.Ingoring traffic lights-traffic lights are there to guide traffic in a reasonable way .pedestrians,cyclists and drivers should all obey traffic lights,stopping when the light is red and wa

143、iting for it to turn green to go.It is up to all of us road users to make sure that we avoid accidents by paying attention to road safety.(2)Disaster in the skyAirplane accidents always attract attention because of the damage and loss of life they cause.sometimes,however,a plane crash is especially

144、sad and remembered for many years afterwards.On 6 February 1958,the Manchester United football team had played a match in Yugoslavia and were flying back to England.The plane stopped in Munich,Germany to get more fuel. There was a snowstorm.the pilot tried to take off two times without success final

145、ly, the airplane took off, but less than one minute later, it crashed into a fence and burst into flames.twenty-three of the forty-three passengers on the plane died,including eight Manchester United football players.What made this accident especially sad was that Manchester United was just beginnin

146、g to become the great football team that it is today.with Matt Busby as their manager, the team was developing an exciting style of play and was enjoying a successful season.the average age of the players was just 22. Three of the players who died left behind young wives and children, and two others

147、 were planning to get married. These football playerslives were cut short, and we will never know how great they could have been.Several months after the crash, someone wrote a song called Flowers of Manchester in honour of those who lost their lives. In 1960, a memorial was placed on one wall of ol

148、d Trafford, Manchester Uniteds stadium. On the memorial are the names of the players who died and a picture of a football field. Every yer, on the date of the accident hundreds of fans gather at the memorial to remember the lost team members.in 2019,a new tradition started when Manchester United fan

149、 Gez Mason performed “Flowers of Manchester”before a match at Old Trafford. That year, he sang by himself, but the next year, and every year since then, on the day of a match which is closest to the anniversary of the crash, hundreds of fans gather to sing this song.Topic 10 (1)Dear friendsI have a

150、problem ,and I dont know what to do .I really hope someone can help me find a solution! Ive been very sad in the pastt few months. I feel caught between what i want , what my parents want and what my basketball coach wantsI have always been an average student.my parents feel that i need to spend mor

151、e time improving my marks so I can go to a good university. They make me feel like Im a bad son when a dont obey them and focus on what they think is best for me .For the past few years , I have been playing for the city basketball team.Im an outstanding player, and running around on the basketball

152、court is what makes me happy . The coach thinks I have the talent to become a real star. He thinks that I need to arrange to spend even more time working on my basketball skills . I feel guilty when I dont practise harder because he has spent a lot of time coaching me , and he really believes in me

153、The problem is that ai dont have time to study more because I play basketball so often,and i dont have time to work harder at basketball because I have to study.it feels like allocating adequate time for each is just not practical. I want to go to good university, but I also want to play basketball.

154、Im so confused ,whichever way I look at it , Ill never be really good at anything unless I quit doing everything elseIm really tired of feeling worried about this and being sad.I am uncertain what to do !Ma jieTopic 11(1)Lake Tianchi Monster2019 has been a bad year for tourism in China People all ov

155、er the world travelled less this year because they were worried about terrorism and because many countries were having problems with money .Also, china had another problem,the out break of SARS.however, hundreds of tourists and news reporters are now travelling to Jilin Province in northern China be

156、cause the Lake Tianchi Monster has returned.The monster was first ween one hundred years ago in L;ake Tianchi Local people tell a story about what happened when the animal first appeared in 1903.they were f rightened and tried to kill the monster. They shot at the animal six times but missed .in lat

157、er years,people who had seen the monsters reported seeing an animal swimming across the lake.some people said they were about two or three kilometre away from the animal .others said they were much closer.they described the monster as having a huge head with big brown eyes and a neck about one point

158、 five metres long .its skin was smooth and grey.The story seems to be like that of Loch Ness,the lake in Scotland that many people think also has a monster .the Loch Ness Monster has helped attract tourists to Scotland since 1950s when it was first photographed.people have even taken special holiday

159、s to look for the monster. There are always monster souvenirs in every tourist shop in Scotland.Many people dont believe that there is a monster living in Loch Ness. Perhaps there is no monster living in lake Tianchi either, but the people living near the lake are happy at the thought of attracting

160、mor tourists .now people dont feel scared about a monster or several monsters living in the lake because it is great for bringing more and more people to one of Chinas northern provinces(2)Man and natureFor a long time ,our environment has been damaged because humans have been careless.people have h

161、armed nature through agriculture,fishing,hunting and tourism.we further damage the Earth by building new channels in the sea and factories on the land,and by creating pollution with chemical waste.we will some day destroy the planet we live on if we continue in this way.However, if we focus only on

162、conservation, then people may suffer.not everything that is best for nature is good for people .would anyone say that development should be stopped in favour of nature?from the point of view of some people, we are only doing what humans have always done,using nature to meet our own needs.other peopl

163、e argue that such thinking may cause a catastrophe,unless we start to look around and understand how a clean environment benefits us all.After decades of destroying nature and using up natural resources, many developed nations are now concerned about saving nature rather than developing or destroyin

164、g it .however, many poorer nations must focus on meeting the everyday needs of their people.in doing so ,they are using up natural resources at a fast pace. They have not yet seen the effects of the careless use of the environment like many wealthy nations have.often they do not realize that the cho

165、ices they make are bad for the environment.should they be blamed for destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of rainforest if it means a better income for their people?the developed and developing countries of the world need to work together to make sure that people enjoy healthy and happy loves,w

166、ithout the environment around them suffering.It should not be a question of humans winning and nature losing. Humans can only really win by protecting nature.after all,food has to be produced in a healthy,natural system, and we all need clean air to breathe and pure water to drink. It is mankinds re

167、sponsibility to find answers that are good for everyone,and everything.Topic 12(1)Hot courses By wang qiaoIt is the time of year when all our senior high three student are trying to decide which course to study at university. Every year, we find that some sourses are more popular than others. In thi

168、s article,we are going to look at some of the top courses this year.First, we will look at Biochemistry, the most popular course this year. This is a practical science course based on biology, which prepares people to work in those fields which combine biology and chemistry. Graduates often work in

169、the fields of medical science and environmental protection,The next course on the list id International Trade. It is easy to see why students are interested in this . Learning about the principles of international trade is the main focus of this course, and graduates can expect to work in internatio

170、nal companies and banks.It is not surprising that the third most popular course on the list is Information Technology, of IT. It is a science course, and of course, students who decide upon IT need to be interested in computers and be good at problem-solving.Hot course number four is Communications.

171、this is the course I chose.many of you would probably like to take it as well,but let me warn you first.working as a TV reporter is very interesting, but you have to work very long hours.The last hot course on the list is Law.The top five courses change nearly every year, but law is always near the

172、top . Studying law can lead to a well-paid and high-status job, and although the work can be challenging, it is also a very interesting course.Other popular courses include Physics,which is not just for splitting atoms and helping create nuclear missiles, but can be very theoretical and requires a g

173、ood ability in maths.Politices is another interesting subject;quite a number of people enjoy studying communism,socialism and the differences between socialist countries.Remember, though, that these popular courses might not be suitable for everyone. Students in their final year of high school shoul

174、d give serious thought to which course to study,trying to choose one that suits them and their interests best (2)In the English language, there are many words which are borrowed from other languages.One reason why there are so many French words in English is that the French ruled England for quite a

175、 number of years.many of these words are connected with food or eating . The French love food.cooking is a part of their culture or way of life.Many words for entertainment and jobs also come from French.From German,English got many words for tools , machine,snacks and geological terms.English borro

176、wed Italian words linked to music,the arts and the military ,if you go to Italy ,you will see that they have huge collections of artwork, and opera also first appeared there.Finally, Arabic provided English with words for thing that could be traded,such as spices,chemicals ,animals and food. It also

177、 provided much of the language of mathematics.It is interesting that English has borrowed so many words and it will probably continue to add more in the future.Topic 13(1)From the blues to popEarly jazzToday I will take a brief look at how Western music progressed from the blues to pop. Modern pop m

178、usic has its roots in the folk songs of black Americans held in slavery . During the early part of the 19th century, black musicians used these folk songs to create a kind of music called the blues, because it had a tendency to be very sad. While the blues was popular , as a musical format it lacked

179、 variety and was too sad and slow to dance to . Thus, from the blues , there sprung up a faster , livelier kind of music called jazz.Louis Armstrong, a black trumpet player and singer, was one of the fathers of jazz. Unlike most musicians who played the music as it was written, he would change the m

180、usic as he was playing it to reflect his feelings at the time.other musicians began to copy his style and the liberty he brought to his music. The ability to adapt the music while it is being played is one of the major characteristics of jazz.From R &B to rock and roll From the early 1930s to the ea

181、rly 1950s , traditional jazz went into a gradual decline, and was replaced by a new musical trend known as rhythm and blues , or R&B .R&B was then -and now-often thought of as of form of African -American music. It combined the fast pace of many kinds of jazz with the older blues sound . During the

182、early 1950s, one particular style of R&B became popular -rock and roll. One of the first rock and roll musicians was Big Joe Turner. He was a black American singer who had started out performing jazz in the 1920s,and then turned to R&B in the 1940s. In 1954, he recorded one of the very first rock an

183、d roll songs , “shake,Rattle and Roll”This became a hit on the R&B charts,and then was recorded by Bill Haley and the Comets, a white hand, and became a hit on the pop charts. Bill Haley and the Comets then recorded “Rock Around the Clock”,which became the number one hit of 1955.”Rock Around the Clo

184、ck”caused rock to be recognized as its own, separate style,and made it popular around the world. In the early 1950s, a record company owner from Memphis, Tennessee, Sam Philips,sought to bring rock music to white audiences. Because of the prejudice and racial discrimination of the time , he knew tha

185、t he had top use white singers or the records might not get played on the radio. In 1954,Elvis Presley made his first record for Philips. Within two years, Presley became the most popular music star in the world , and even today he is known as “the King of Rock and Roll”. He had seventeen number one

186、 songs and ten number one albums . Only one musical act has sold more records . 1960s pop musicWith sales of more than 1 billion records, the British pop group known as the Beatles was the supreme rock and roll band of the 1960s. The Beatles brought Western pop music to audiences around the world. W

187、herever the Beatles went , there was a phenomenon called “Beatlemania”-thousands of fans would surround them, screaming and going crazy trying to see them. In 1965 , the Beatles held a concert at Shea Stadium in New York that was attended by approximately 55,000 people. It was one of the first conce

188、rts held in a sports stadium and perhaps the largest concert held up to that time . In many , many ways , the Beatles were pioneers for what was to come: Nowadays, concerts held in sports stadiums are common , and it seems that every few years there is a new boy band trying to bring back the magic o

189、f the Beatles . However, even though the Beatles broke up in 1970, no group since has ever come close to being as popular or selling as many records.(2)Mozart This man deserves his status as one of the most popular composers in Western musical history. His motherland was Austria, where he was born o

190、n 27 January 1756. His father was a successful composer and served as his first musical tutor. At the age of five,Mozart started writing music . In 1764, the young Mozart published his first work . In 1768, he finished his first opera. As he grew up , he wrote many operas and symphonies. In 1782 , M

191、ozart gave up the life of a bachelor and got married . Mozarts greatest musical success was The Marriage of Figaro. In 1791, he wrote The Magic Flute,just before he died later the same year.TchaikovskyThis famous Russian composer was born on 7 May 1840 in the mountains of western Russia. He first he

192、lped write a song in 1844,at an age when most children are still in kindergarten. At home, his mother sang folk songs , which helped develop his interest in music Mozart was Tchaikovskys favourite composer and he influenced Tchaikovskys life and work. For 11 years , beginning in 1866, Tchaikovsky ta

193、ught at the Moscow School of Music. During his time there, he wrote music for the piano, along with ballets, operas and symphonies. He was famous for writing the music for the ballet Swan Lake in 1876. Because of his musical talent, Tchaikovsky toured many countries as a conductor, including a voyag

194、e to the USA in 1891. He continued to write for the ballet until his death in Saint Petersburg in 1893Paul SimonPaul Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey, in the USA on 13 October 1941.he made friends with Art Garfunkel as a child, and they recorded their first song in 1957, which was called “Hey Sc

195、hoolgirl ”. In 1964, Simon and Garfunkel recorded their first album (a collection of 12 songs) together. It was called Wednesday Mornig, 3 AM and it earned them a gold record . The album included the song “The Sound of Silence”,which was a number one hit on the pop charts . Simon and Garfunkel split

196、 up in 1970. Simon has continued to work on his own music, and is influenced by African and Brazilian music . He has written many famous songs , perhaps the most famous of which is “Bridge over Troubled Waters”. In 2019, Simon and Garfunkel got together again to tour and perform their old music.Topi

197、c 14My future happiness When I imagine my future , I see myself successful in my job and surrounded by my family.I predict there will be new technology which will allow people to live longer and be healthier.this is why I think my happiest days will be in the future.The technology of the future will

198、 allow me and my family to be healthy, and never worry about illness.no one will be sad because humans will have learnt to fix many of the problems that affect us now, like war , pollution and hunger.people will be able to communicate better.technology will guarantee good health and happiness for al

199、l . I imagine that the workday will be only four hours long ,and everyone can work part-time jobs that are very interesting.we will have handy robots and computers to assist us with the things that are boring . This will simplify our lives.maybe there will even be automatic kitchens to cook instant

200、meals for us .then families will be able to spend the maximum amount of their precious time enjoying each others company and the minimum amount of time doing housework .I will also be happy because I will be an adult then .its hard to focus on being happy when you are a teenager!we have to work so h

201、ard at school,and when we try to take time to relax ,there is always someone telling us things we should be doing or learning.in the future, I will be more mature and be able to make my own decisions and so the things that I enjoy.I will have a secure job that I like and I will find happiness in bei

202、ng successful at it .It is nice to think that my happiest days are still ahead of me . Thinking this way gives me the motivation to work hard now so that I can enjoy my future life.Topic 15(1)Protecting the Yangtze RiverAs the third longest river in the world, the health of the Yangtze River has rai

203、sed concern both in China and abroad.Rapid development and an increase in population have meant that the amount of water taken from the river is rising , and the waste being put beck into the river has been increasing . This is not good news for the people who rely on the Yangtze River for water.nor

204、 is it good news for the wide range of fish and wildlife that live in or along the river ,.Many people have recognized the importance of protecting the Yangtze River,and organizations and projects have been set up to deal with the problem.the Green River Organization, for example,educates people on

205、the importance of protecting this great river .it also watches the river and stops the illegal hunting of animals ,which has put the wild animal population in danger.Two special government projects are also under way .the first project, a water and soil conservation project, was set up in 1989.this

206、project resulted in farmers replacing their crops with trees or grass.it has already been a success because it has helped improve the local environment and the land around the river.The second project includes nature reserves for white-flag dolphins, one of the rarest animals in the world.the number

207、 of white-flag dolphins in China has dropped because of pollution in the Yangtze River.The white-flag dolphin was last ween several years ago,though scientists are still hopeful that the animal has survived .We still have a long way to go to solve all the problems in regard to the Yangtze River.howe

208、ver, people have finally realized that it is their responsibility to protect this great river.because of this ,the situation on the Yangtze River is improving.the efforts of the Chinese government and people to protect this much-loved river will be appreciated for years to come.(2)We want no war!Lad

209、ies and gentlemen, I am pleased to have the chance to speak to you today . In 2019,we mark 60 years since the end of world war II,which was the most expensive and deadly war in history.it is believed that more than 50 million people died during the war. More than half of those people were not soldie

210、rs , but innocent civilians .the nations of the world spent about one trillion US dollars fighting the war.that is one thousand times one billion US dollars.The end of World War II saw the development of the nuclear bomb. Some people say that if we did not have nuclear bombs,we would soon have anoth

211、er world war .they think that nations are more cautious about starting wars because they fear the possibility of nuclear war. But I say that nuclear weapons have another world war . They think that nations are more cautious about starting wars because they fear the possibility of nuclear war . But I

212、 say that nuclear weapons have created more fear and lack of trust among different countries . It seems that only some countries can be trusted with nuclear weapons and we are not sure which ones .Lets not forget the other costs of war . People are left homeless when bombs destroy their cities.the e

213、conomy suffers because businesses have to close.also,now we understand more about the psychological effects that fighting in a war has on soldiers . Some of them never recover.Even though we have avoided repeating the widespread damage of World War II in the last 60 years ,we certainly have not ende

214、d all wars . Since World War II .we have seen fighting in many countries around the world . Much of this fighting starts because different groups of people do not understand each other. They have different customs, different languages and different beliefs.instead of talking to each other and learni

215、ng from each other, they choose to hate and kill each other.What can we do to end war? I believe it starts at home,with our children.Lets teach our children about different countries and cultures . Teach them to respect people who are different from them . Then, when they grow up,those who will beco

216、me the leaders of our nations will lead our world in peace.Topic 16(1)Developing habits for successStephen Coveys book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective people is very popular among business people who want to improve their careers,but its principles can be applied to any area of life. For example,Co

217、veys principles can be used to improve relationships between parents and children or to improve the way you manage your time.Covey begins by discussing habits and effectiveness, and why they are both important to success. According to Covey, for an action to become a habit,you must know what to do a

218、nd why you should do it .However,you also must want to do it . On the other hand,effectiveness means having a balance between success and a good relationship with the people around you . For example, a company might only focus on making a profit;however, if the company does not respect its workers ,

219、 the profits will eventually decline, in order to be successful, you must have habits that make you able to deal effectively with others and your own personal life.Next,Covey introduces the seven habits of highly effective people. The first three habits focus on personal growth.the next three habits

220、 are about how to get along with others the seventh habit show how to achieve physical , emotional and mental health. Covey includes exercises to help you analyse your life. He challenges you to decide what you want to contribute to society in your lifetime. He does this by asking you to think about

221、 what you want people to say about you after you die.your answer to this question will help you make better decisions about how to spend your time . For example,if you want your children to say that you were always willing to spend time with them,then you will spend more time with them and less time

222、 at work . In this way ,you can challenge yourself to realize your dreams and ambitions.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has the potential to really improve your life.(2)Success!Some people succeed, while others do not. This is because some people possess certain qualities that others do not

223、have.The first thing you must remember is that in order to succeed,it is almost compulsory that you be optimistic. You must have faith in yourself and in your ability to succeed,otherwise you are not very likely to win, or even to try.Having proper motivation is not optional-it is another key to suc

224、cess. You need to work with every fibre of your being. When you really have a thirst for success, you put your performance under the microscope to make sure that every little thing you do works towards your goal.Another quality that helps people succeed is the ability to do and think about things in

225、 new and different ways . Most successful people are not as conventional as the people around them. Where others see failure,they see possibility. Where others see a lack,they see a surplus. Where others see failure, they see possibility. Where others see a lack, they see a surplus. Where others see

226、 a closed door,they see an open window. They are more than just optimistic-they see the world in a different way than others do , and do things in a different way.To become successful,you may find it important to read about successful people, to see how they have achieved success. Their stories will

227、 encourage and inspire you as you climb the ladder of success. While everyones path to success is different ,many successful people have the same drive and the same qualities. While you may not be the next Bill Gates, for example, by learning from people like him you may become just as ,if not more

228、famous ,because of your success. Practising is just as important if you want to succeed,because practice makes perfect. Practise every day at whatever career you are in ,and by doing so ,you will see yourself and your business begin to grow. This will also help you feel confident about what you do ,

229、and make other people believe in you as well. Your colleagues will be happy to work with you , and your boss will give you more responsibility.Finally, to become a successful person, you need to be able to look people in the eye and be honest.Success is yours for the taking ! Cheers!Topic17(1)The Br

230、itish sense of humour The British are known for their sense of humour. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main thing to remember is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They also like to make jokes about situations that are quit

231、e serious. Another key to understanding British humour is to know that the British often use understatement.Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a rain shower, he might say, “its a little wet out side .”or , if someone is veryh rude and sh

232、outs at another person,someone else might say, “she isnt exactly friendly”. Understatement is often used in difficult situations or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humour.The British like to make fun of many different things . They often laugh abo

233、ut the silly and terrible things that happen to us every day, like when someone falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents , the way they dress and the way they behave. Finally, the British love t

234、o watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedy programme Mr Bean is a good example of this kind of humour.Mr Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr Bean almost never talks, and instead uses his body movements and the expressions

235、on his face to meke people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do . For example, once Mr Bean bought a large chair. He needed to take it home, but it was too big to fit in his small car. His solution was to put the chair on top of hi

236、s car.then,he sat in his small car. His solution was to put the chair on the top of his car. Then,he sat in the chair and used a broom to drive the car! Mr Bean is popular in many countries round the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humour. Because of this,many people

237、 can better understand the British sense of humour.(2)Taboo or not taboo-that is the question!By Luo JunThere are many different taboos around the world. A taboo is a social action that is not allowed. Almost every culture in the world has its own taboos. Taboos are often connected with religion. Us

238、ually, taboos can include eating certain foods, relations between people, body language and gestures. The breaking of a taboo is usually upsetting or embarrassing for the person concerned and the people around him or her.When you meet people from different cultures, it is important to understand wha

239、t you can and cannot do. If we are not aware of these differences, some unusual things might happen. For example, if you are from India, you may not eat beef because of your religion,and it is rude to shake hands or give someone something with your left hand. In North America and the UK, people gree

240、t one another by shaking hands . In Thailand and other parts of South-East Asia, the normal greeting is a slight bow with the hands pressed together. Japanese people may bow and even give out their business cards to greet others.they dislike it when people do not look at the cards,so remember not to

241、 just put them in your pocket without looking. While these different forms of greetings and customs might seem strange to you, remember that what you consider normal probably seems just as unusual to others.Topic 18Oliver Twist was written by the novelist Charles Dickens in 1837. The story is set in

242、 England in the 1830s. The main character, Oliver Twist, experiences a childhood without parents. He is raised with other children who also have no parents . He is then sent to a workhouse, where he has to work very hard and hardly has time to relax. Oliver does not like anything about the workhouse

243、 . The children are treated very badly and seldom have enough food or water. One day at supper , oliver asks for more food . Merely because of this , he is thrown out of the workhouse and becomes a servant to a cruel master who abuses him.To flee the circumstances. Oliver runs away to London, where

244、he falls under the control of a man called Fagin. Fagin is not a good character . He is a master thief who teaches young boys how to steal. Oliver does not want to steal from anyone, but in order to survive Olive is forced to become a criminal. Fagin trains Oliver and his new friend, the Artful Dodg

245、er, and the two boys soon become Fagins best thieves.One day, the boys steal from a millionaire named Mr Barnlow. Oliver gets arrested by the police and is taken to court. Mr Barnlow is a generous man without any of Fagins vices . He pities Oliver, takes him home , and tries to reform him.Oliver lov

246、es his new home and Mr Barnlow becomes a father to him . Sadly , Oliver must soon leave his new father . Fagin and his group of criminals find him and drag him back into the life of crime, pressuring him with the threat of violence if he resists. Unless Oliver can escape, he will never be reunited w

247、ith Mr Barnlow -he will have no real family and none of the love he deserves, but only bad luck.(2)Unusual picturesSomeone once said that anything and everything could be used to make art. A few years ago , a picture of Mona Lisa was made out of slices of bread toasted to different colours. It proba

248、bly smelled good, but it took a long time to do . This web page gives you some ideas that you could use to make unusual pictures.Pizza facesPut your apron on and get ready to make a pizza face. Now you can be a chef and an artist. You can use a variety of different foods to help you make a face. Her

249、e are a few ideas.Use small slices of carrot or pieces of seaweed as hair, and arrange it in the style that you want . Cut up some tomatoes for eyes , pieces of cheese for ears, and a mushroom for a nose . Next , you need to think about the mouth -you could make a smile from a slice of bacon. Other

250、foods you could use to create pizza faces include onion, pineapple, eggplant and ham. Most of these foods are available at your local grocery.When you have made the face. You can take a photo of it , so that you can keep your unusual picture forever. Once you have taken the photo , you can then cook

251、 and eat the pizza face.Sting picturesTo make sting pictures,you need some card, thin string and glue. Think about what picture you want to make. Will it be an abstract pattern , or will it be a picture of things, a scene or people? First , use a crayon or pencil to draw the outline of the picture o

252、n the card . Next , spread the glue where you want to attach the string . You can make solid shapes by using circles of string . Once the string has dried on the card, you could paint different parts of the string.Feather and seashell picturesThis idea is about creating pictures with feathers and se

253、ashells . You will also need glue and some card . Choose small seashells so they will not be very heavy when they are stuck onto the card. Think about the pattern or picture that you want to make . You can lay all the pieces out on the card before you stick them down. You can collect seashells at th

254、e beach . Feathers can be found in pillows , pet shops or parksRubbish picturesThis may sound disgusting to some , but it is really quite clean and great fun . Everyday, we produce lots of rubbish , including different materials like plastic, aluminium, cloth and paper. We can use this rubbish to cr

255、eate pictures. These pictures can be quite heavy , so you should use strong paper or card and very strong glue to stick the rubbish onto the card . Once it is stuck on , you can spray the different sections of the picture with paint.Rubbish prints Again, this is using rubbish , but this time as pain

256、tbrushes. For example, one end of a tin can be dipped into paint and used to make circles on a piece of card . We can use old pieces of cloth as brushes, or wrinkle the cloth together to form an interesting pattern. The shapes and patterns could be repeated . Shapes can be cut out of other rubbish ,

257、 dipped into the paint and pressed on the card.There are many other things that you can use to make unusual pictures,so why not have a go at some of the ideas above and then try out some idea of your own?Have fun!Topic 19(1)Winning isnt everything It was near the end of the football match, and neith

258、er team had scored. The captain of Eagles passed the ball to a teammate,and then ran down near the Kangaroos goal. His teammate passed the ball back to him,but the shot was too high. The Eagles captain knocked the ball to the ground with his hand , and then kicked it and scored. The referee blew the

259、 whistle;the match was over and the Eagles had won. Of course, the goal should not have counted. However ,now it was too late.Later, a reporter asked the Eaglescaptain what had happened.We won ,and that is all that matters, the captain said.The Kangaroos were out of the tournament, while the Eagles

260、continued on. However, with the referees now keeping a close watch on the Eagles, they struggled and lost their next match. Afterwards, they complained that the referees had been unfair.The Eagles went home angry and bitter because they did not win the tournament. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos went home

261、and trained harder than before.In the next tournament, the Kangaroos defeated the Eagles by a score of 5 to 1. They went on to the final match against the Bears. The match was tied with minutes to go. The Kangaroos captain was near the Bears goal. A teammate passed the ball to him,and by accident it

262、 hit his hand . The Kangaroos captain stopped the match and let the Bears have the ball .Within minutes , the Bears scored and won Later , a reporter asked the Kangaroos captain what had happened .“They won,” the captain said.”they were the better team”The Kangaroos went home proud that they had don

263、e their best. Many of the Kangaroos players became friends with the players on the Bears team for the rest of their lives. In defeat, the Kangaroos found something more precious than victory -they found friendship,honour and respect.(2)THE EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET ON OUR LIVESThe Internet has positiv

264、e effects on our livesMy name is Zhu Fei and I am speaking in favour of the Internet -I believe that the Internet has positive effects on our lives. There are two main points which must be included when we analyse the Internet. The first is its value for people who are looking for information. The s

265、econd is our ability to relate to others through the Internet.When people need information,from the news and weather forecasts to travel packages and academic research,the Internet is now the first source they turn to . With the touch of a button or the click of a mouse , a student will find abundan

266、t information from the largest libraries and museums in the world at his or her command. Internet users can communicate with experts on all sorts of topics,and read articles written by people who are leaders of their fields.Yet ,some people are sceptical.they claim that surfing the Internet is a was

267、te of time . They make the assumption that children spend too much time chatting and playing games instead of focusing on their school work . However,a recent survey conducted in the USA shows that 80 percent of the Internet users employ it mostly to search for answers to questions . The second most

268、 common use of the Internet, for 79 percent of Internet users,is to find out information about hobbies. These statistics prove that gathering information is the primary use for the Internet. Another truly wonderful aspect of the Internet is the way people use it to build social bonds. One of the gre

269、atest benefits of Internet friendships is that they are based on common interests ,rather than appearance or age. Young people from diverse backgrounds and different countries can form friendships that will last their entire lives . What is more,people who are disabled and must stay in their homes c

270、an correspond and communicate with others around the globe who have similar interests .without the Internet,these people would have fewer avenues to meet people .For these reasons , I believe the Internet is a positive tool that helps make our lives better.The Internet has negative effects on our li

271、vesMy name is Li Lei and I will be speaking against the Internet.In my opinion,the Internet has negative effects on our lives . The main drawbacks of the Internet I will address today are that it has too much information that has not been evaluated for accuracy, and that it is transforming the way p

272、eople spend their time .Of course, access to up-to -date,accurate information is an important thing for anyone who is doing research. One great strength of the Internet is that it provides information. One great weakness of the Internet, though , is that it is difficult to know whether the informati

273、on is true and accurate. The huge amount of false information on the Internet becomes more of a problem every day . This is very troublesome because we cannot always tell if the information is true or not . In 2019, eBay,a famous website where people but and sell things, said that 70 percent of thei

274、r problems were with people who sold things that did not exist, or who lied about the products they were selling. Educators around the world complain that students are handing in papers using false information they found on the Internet. These problems do not occur as often when people use tradition

275、al reference materials,such as books, newspapers and magazines.Another disadvantage of the Internet is the way that it is affecting peoples private lives. Now, instead of spending time together in the evening, some families spend their time apart because one or more members are using the computer, o

276、r are in a booth at an Internet cafe. In fact ,some young people spend so much time playing computer games on the Internet that they have become addicted to them. To help solve this problem, a special clinic was opened in Beijing in 2019.One unfortunate outcome of Internet use is that it damages peo

277、ples ability to live normal lives. One university did a study about the students who had dropped out , and found that 43 percent of them were heavy Internet users. This study shows that people and the world round them.These are all negative effects the Internet has on our lives. I feel it is importa

278、nt for us either to limit our use of the Internet, or learn how to handle the problems it has caused.Topic 20Wedding customsGetting married can be one of the happiest moments in a persons life. Throughout the world, weddings are very important events. Lets look at some interesting wedding customs fr

279、om different countries.For African Americans, it is tradition for the married couple to jump over a broom covered with flowers. This represents the beginning of family life. It is interesting to note that African slaves who were brought to the USA started this tradition. African-American couples wer

280、e not allowed to have a legal marriage, so instead they had a ceremony where the bride and groom jumped over a broom “into marriage”. Today,some African-American weddings still include the old tradition of “jumping the broom”.Making jokes about the bride and groom is a wedding tradition in both Fran

281、ce and Germany. In France,this includes making loud noises with pots; In Germany, wedding guests break dishes. Weddings in Germany often last for three days. On Thursday, there is a simple ceremony at a government office noting the official marriage of the couple. Then the couple will have a dinner

282、with family and close friends. On Friday, there is a party. This is when guests break dishes to represent the start of a new life. Then on Saturday, there is a ceremony in a church, followed by another party when the bride and groom celebrate the wedding with friends and relatives again.In Greece an

283、d Italy , people eat special kinds of sweets at the wedding . Both Greece and Italy also have their own special wedding dances, which all of the guests enjoy. In Russia, couples tie a doll to their wedding car if they want to have a daughter, or a toy bear if they want to have a son.The USA also has

284、 some interesting wedding customs. The bride usually carries flowers during the wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, the single women get together and the bride throws the flowers. The woman who catches the flowers is supposed to be the next person to get married.In England,it is tradition for litt

285、le girls to throw flowers on the ground on the way to the wedding ceremony. The bride and groom walk on these flowers. This represents the hope that the couple will follow the path that leads to a happy life.Topic 21(1)Ronald ReaganWhen Ronald Reagan,who was President of the USA from 1981 to 1989,di

286、ed in June 2019,many people remembered his good sense of humour. Reagan enjoyed a good joke and often made fun of himself. He was very old, almost 70 years of age,when he became President of the USA. Because of this people often joked about his age. Once, during a meeting ,President Reagan was compl

287、aining about some reporters who said that he could not hear very well.he wanted to prove that he was healthy and could hear well, so he took out his hearing aid , and said to the people at the meeting, “Say something.” one man pretended to speak . He moved his mouth and made movements with his hands

288、. Everyone thought Reagan would be angry, but he laughed hard for a very long time.President Reagan not only enjoyed a good joke when he was relaxing,but he also liked to joke during serious situations . In 1981,he was shot . At the hospital,he joked to the doctors that he hoped they supported him i

289、n the government and would let him live. He was able to keep his sense of humour even when he was hurt.Reagan knew how to use humour with government officials who did not agree with him. In the USA, government officials who do not agree with one another often say rude things about each other. When R

290、eagan made jokes about other people, no one thought he was rude. At the same time,he used humour to persuade the American people to agree with him. For example , he thought that Americans should not pay so many taxes, while others wanted to increase taxes. He said that increasing taxes was like movi

291、ng ones knee;every time the knee moved ,Americans got kicked. People thought this was funny and they agreed with his point of view. He also changed how presidents deal with the public. Before Reagan, presidents did not often try to be funny. After Reagan, presidents realized that humour was very imp

292、ortant for communicating with the public. The difference is that Reagan was very natural at being funny, while others are not.Robert Burns and his poetryRobert Burns, Scotlands supreme literary hero, was born in Alloway, Scotland in 1759. Burns had a reputation for being funny and pleasant to be aro

293、und. However, he came from a poor family with many debts , and did not ever make a lot of money.People say that Burnss first love, Nelly Kirkpatrick, encouraged him to write poetry. “To a Mouse”and “The Holy Fair”, two of his most popular poems, both appeared in his first book of poetry . After it w

294、as published, he became famous nationwide. Then he moved to Edinburgh, the capital and largest urban centre of Scotland. Burns was by then a famous poet, but was not any richer and had to earn his income by farming . A hard life and weak health made Robert Burnss life short . He died at the age of 3

295、7 in 1796 . All of Scotland mourned Burnss death, and afterwards many people donated money to support his widow and children.There is a statue of Burns in George Square in Glasgow, Scotlan . When this monument in honour of him was first shown to the public in 1877, the day was declared a holiday and

296、 about 30,000 people came out to watch. From this we can see how much the Scottish people adored Burns. The house in Alloway where Burns was born is now a museum of his life and work .Burns belonged to a group of poets (including John Keats and William Wordsworth) called the Romantic poets . The Rom

297、antic Movement started around 1780 and lasted until about 1830. The poetry of this period often focuses on concepts like freedom and beauty , and tends to use imagination and touch on strong feelings .The Romantic poets were very interested in nature, and often used it as a theme in their poetry. Th

298、is is probably why Burns talked about a rose in his famous poem, “A Red , Red Rose”. He wrote in the same way the Scottish people spoke back then, which explains why the spelling looks rather strange . Note how “love”is spelt “luve”,how “well” is spelt “weel”and how “go “is spelt “gang”. The poem wa

299、s published in 1794 and like many of Burns poems , it was intended to be song Burns divided this poem into four short sections consisting of four lines each . These sections in a poem are like paragraphs in an article . The second and fouth lines of each section rhyme. Poetry is usually full of symb

300、ols, and “A Red, Red Rose”is no different. With the line “O my Luves like a red, red rose”, he compares the girl he loves to a red rose. He goes on to compare her to a song in the lines “O my Luves like the melodie/thats sweetly playd in tune!”when he mentions “the sands olife” in the third section,

301、 he is swearing that his love will never fade as long as he lives .”Fare thee weel” in the last section of the poem means “farewell”,or goodbye. Yet ,though he is saying goodbye to his love,he promises to come to see her again, even if he has to travel ten thousand miles.TOPIC 22 (1)So ,many jobs to

302、 choose from!The last year of high school is a time for hard work and also a time to reflect. At this time, you have to start thinking about the future and what you want to do after graduation. In this article, I am going to discuss some of the choices available to you and which jobs are best suited

303、 to you;popular jobs, more unusual jobs or everyday jobs.When choosing a career, you should consider all the aspects of a job. Some jobs may seem very dull but are very important to society ,while others can appear very exciting but are actually very difficult and boring . One example is the so-call

304、ed “glamorous job” of being a model or an actor . Would you like to be famous , wear diamonds , go to parties and relax on cushions in private jets or helicopters ? In reality, these people have to spend long hours travelling, with all their baggage packed in suitcases or trunks , and only a very sm

305、all number of them are successful. Many actors, actresses and models hold ordinary, less glamorous jobs, often working as waiters and waitress,in order to support themselves. Meanwhile, those who are successful and famous have to deal with constant media attention. They are also under huge pressure

306、to appear young and beautiful. Most actors and models are always on a diet ,and many have had painful operations to make their faces and bodies look more attractive.it does not seem that glamorous now,does it ?maybe a career as a local grocer would be a better option.Other popular professions for yo

307、ung people include careers in law or business. Many people have ambitions to become successful as a lawyer or business person, but they do not consider the stress and pressure that come with these jobs. These can be well-paid and interesting jobs ,but you also have to work very long hours . Also , s

308、ometimes as a boss in the business world, you have to make difficult decisions that hurt people, and lawyers can face tough moral problems.On the other hand, some people find more unusual jobs that are better suited to their talent and interests . A few years ago,when I was walking in the Grand Cany

309、on National Park in the USA , I met a man who had a very unusual job . He was living by a stream in a tent surrounded by technical equipment, and his only neighbours were the birds and squirrels in the nearby trees . His job was to check noise pollution in the park zone. He loved to camp,and his job

310、 was like a holiday for him . It was very easy to see that he enjoyed doing his job. There are many other people doing unusual jobs , such as a person who tastes beer at a brewery and a person who tests tides for amusement parks. All these people love their jobs,which might not be popular, but are i

311、nteresting regardless.In the same way, many ordinary jobs may look plain, but they are necessary to society . As we go through our daily lives, we meet many different kinds of people-shopkeepers,who sell us things in shops, drivers , who drive trams and buses transporting us around the city;barbers,

312、 who cut our hair in barbershops,and cleaners, who clear up our rubbish. These jobs may not seem very attractive, but they are all important. For example, if no one was to collect the rubbish, the streets would spread. These people , who perform such ordinary but vital tasks,allow others to go about

313、 their daily lives.When you think about your future career, remember that some glamorous jobs can be rather difficult and that some ordinary jobs can be quite important. All of them together, though, help society function.(2)My wonderful careerHello, I am Sonia Gomez from Argentina. I have a very ex

314、citing job, which I would like to tell you about . I am a mountain climbing instructor in Patagonia. Patagonia is a large area covering Argentina and Chile in South America. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it has mountains covered with snow.Becoming a mountain climbing instr

315、uctor was a natural choice for me because I have loved the outdoors ever since I was a child. My family and I would often go walking in the mountains . Although I studied business at university,I did not want to work in an office. One day,just after I had graduated , I saw an advertisement for mount

316、ain climbing instructors at Southern Way Mountain School. I applied for the job,and because of my previous experience,they hired me. I was sent on a training programme for mountain climbing instructors. Then I took a test to show that I knew the proper climbing techniques and that I could guide othe

317、rs. Now , seven years later , I am the assistant director of Southern Way Mountain School.My job requires many skills. First of all,I must be a good teacher,as I have to explain mountain climbing techniques and safety rules. Because tourists come to Patagonia from all over the world , language skill

318、s are also important. My first language is Spanish, and I am also fluent in English and French. Finally, mountain climbing can be dangerous,so I am trained for emergency situations, such as how to give aid to and rescue someone if they fall or get hurt . If someone gets hurt, I have to figure out th

319、e best way to get them down the mountain without causing them any more pain,.Being a mountain climbing instructor is a great job for me . Every day , I get to be outside and enjoy beautiful scenery. I meet people from all over the world, which makes my job even more interesting. As the assistant dir

320、ector, I am using my education in business to make decisions about the schools budget and hiring new instructors.I want you to know that it is possible to combine something you love with a career.Topic 23(1)Sam : I have been thinking about modern inventions and how they have changed our lives . Our

321、lives are much easier now! Before microwaves,cooking food took a long time . Now ,we can prepare a meal in just a few minutes . Getting in touch with people is also simpler. We can use computers to sen e-mails to people all over the world and get an answer on the same day or even within several minu

322、tes! Mobile phones make life even more convenient because with them we do not have to be always at home to make and receive calls.Jenny: I agree that some inventions have made our lives more convenient. However, while it may seem that we save a lot of time with microwave ovens,dishwashers and other

323、appliances, we fill that time with other activities so that we are busier than ever. I think computers are especially a problem because we spend a lot of time reading and writing e-mails. It is the same with mobile phones . They make us think we always have to be in touch with others.Sam : How would

324、 we get news if we did not have TVs or radios ? How could we contact each other if we did not have telephones?Jenny: I didnt mean that all technology is bad . I just think that some technology has taken control of our lives. We spend more time watching TV or DVDs and less time talking to family and

325、friends. Also ,it seems to me that food cooked in a microwave does not taste as good as food that has been cooked in a regular stove.San : well,you have to agree that fridges are very important and useful . Without them,we could not keep meat or vegetables for a long time. My grandma told me that sh

326、e had to ge shopping for food very often when she was young . She could only buy food for one day in the summer!Jenny: you are right,but in my opinion, some appliances have made us lazy. Since housework is easier with these appliances, we dont like to work hard . With all of these inventions we can

327、do everything quickly, so we dont want to wait for anything.(2)Boy missing,police puzzledPolice in America have stepped up their search for a fifteen-year-old boy who went missing two days ago in Dover,New Hampshire. People have shown great interest in his disappearance due to sightings of puzzling

328、lights in the sky and reports of alien visits around the time of his disappearance.Justin Foster, a high school student, went missing last Friday night . At first , Justins mother, who went to sleep early that evening because of a headache,thought that the teenager was spending the night with a frie

329、nd . Mr Foster,who was working that night , was surprised that his son did not tell anyone that he was staying out late. When Justin did not show up at the family lunch the next day,Mrs Foster became worried and told her husband to call the police.However, police found that Justin did in fact return

330、 home on Friday night at about 11 p.m. That evening at 8 p.m . Justin left home to play baseball with two friends, who both say Justin went home after the game. Witnesses also say Justin walking towards his home at 10.45 p.m.Justinw sister, kelly, says she heard her brother return home at about 11 p

331、.m. “I was getting ready for bed,”she said . “Justin went straight to his room. I didnt see him but I heard him put on his favourite CD. Thats when the lights came.”According to Kelly, a bright light then appeared outside her window. At first, the young girl thought it was the light of the full moon

332、, but then she realized that it was moving and coming closer. “I pulled back the curtains and saw a large spaceship flying outside. It had multi-coloured light s all around it and there were many windows . Standing inside were lots of white-skinned, strange-looking creatures with large black eyes. I

333、 was frightened”Kelly said that the spaceship then moved around to the side of the house , towards her brothers bedroom. “I heard Justin shout, and then the UFO just disappeared. I havent seen Justin since. Im sure the aliens took him, but my parents said I was only dreaming.”Some people in Dover al

334、so say that they have seen aliens. “It happened to me !” said Mavis Wood . “the aliens took me away so that they could do research on me . Luckily, they returned me to my home. I think Justin was taken away by them too. They are interested in us . I still have night mares about them. I havent been s

335、leeping well since I returned home. The whole experience was very frightening . I even get frightened when I hear a plane fly over.”Police have not ruled out the possibility that Justin was taken by aliens, but are also looking into other possibilities. “sometimes people make up such amazing stories,”says Detective Sam Peterson,who has taken charge of the case . “so weve been looking at other possibilities too,such as murder. We will not give up until we find convincing evidence.”