C
Nowadays, many teens are badly addicted to using phones. It probably won’t surprise you that teens are texting more than ever before.
Instead of sleeping, Kenny Alarcon, 16, often texts with his friends through the night. Frances Garcia, a high school senior, sends and receives about 1000 texts each day. Both Frances and Kenny wake up several times during the night to text. Kenny even sleeps with his phone beneath his pillow.
Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, says that it’s common for teens to be interrupted by texts while sleeping. “If they often lose sleep,” Dr. Dowdell says, “teens may become angry, or depressed. A lack of sleep can lead to weight gain and even obesity because many people turn to junk food for quick energy when they are tired.”
Some experts are worried about how texting is affecting teenagers’ lives. One concern is that students might not learn correct grammar and spelling if most of the writing they do is made up of text messages. Some people also worry that teens don’t spend enough time talking with others face-to-face, which could be hurting their relationships with friends and family. Moreover, all that texting takes away hours that could be spent studying, exercising, taking up a hobby, or just relaxing.
According to Dr. Dowdell, teens need to learn that they can and should turn off their phones sometimes. She had Kenny and Frances do an experiment. These were the rules: No phone for 48 hours. No computer or Internet either, unless it was for schoolwork.
After 48 phone-free hours, Kenny and Frances were interviewed. “Wow, it was pure torture (折磨),” Kenny joked. Kenny missed his friends, and he was sad at times. But he also felt relief from the constant texting. He spent time reading books and talking with his family, which he really enjoyed. Frances had an even happier result. “I loved it!” she said, “I was going to the gym and hanging out with friends and playing basketball. I had a wonderful experience.” Frances decided to continue the experiment for a while. “I think I’ll be so much smarter and healthier,” she explained, “everybody in the world should try it.”
51. If teens keep waking up to text while sleeping, they may ______.
A. get overweight B. become happier
C. disturb their parents D. feel more relaxed
52. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. Mistakes in teens’ text writing.
B. Time wasted on meaningless texting.
C. Worries about how texting affects teens.
D. Encouragement to teens’ talking face-to-face.
53. The writer mentions the experiment on Frances and Kenny to ______.
A. advise people what to do without phones B. show teens can live well without phones
C. explain phones are important in teens’ lives D. introduce how they make good use of phones
D
Mindfulness Matters
In recent years, some schools have begun to introduce meditation, or mindfulness training, into their classrooms. During mindfulness training, students may be asked to sit quietly and observe their own thoughts and feelings to avoid being controlled by them. Mindfulness training can help students overcome anxiety (焦虑), control their behavior, and improve their ability to pay attention in class. Students are expected to learn how to meditate in order to reduce stress and do better in their schoolwork.[来源:Zxxk.Com]
Among schools that already teach meditation, the results have been positive. In one study, teachers reported that after five weeks of mindfulness practice, their students were more focused. They also participated more fully in class. A middle school in San Francisco reported that a student meditation program led to higher attendance rates and better grades. Another study suggested that meditation helped students perform better on tests by improving their working memory and reducing their anxiety.
Many supporters believe that meditation training programs can also help students overcome stress. For example, Headstand is a mindfulness education program designed to help students overcome anxiety. A study concluded that ninety-eight percent of participating students felt less stressed after they completed the Headstand program. In another study, researchers in New Haven, Connecticut, followed students who participated in meditation and yoga classes three times a week. They found that after each class, participants had lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone (激素), in their bodies.
Despite the positive results seen so far, critics also point out that much of the current research is not rigorous (严谨的) enough. Associate Professor Tamar Mendelson agrees that research on meditation in children is still in its early stages. However, even she insists that she has seen the positive impact of meditation on children. Others express worries that meditation is not a valuable use of class time. But many disagree. Denise Pope, a professor from the Stanford University, says, “This is something teachers can do immediately. You get a lot of bang for your buck and anyone who is against it isn’t thinking clearly.” Indeed, additional studies will surely strengthen our understanding of the benefits of mindfulness.
Although still in its early stages, research shows that meditation can help students learn to deal with anxiety and stress. As an added bonus, students of mindfulness training also report better concentration and gains in their academic performances. Therefore, meditation should be a part of every student’s school day. Participating in “stillness” can be just as productive as other school-related activities.
54. Why do some schools introduce mindfulness training into classes?
A. To control students’ working memory. B. To reduce students’ stress and anxiety.
C. To increase students’ attendance rates. D. To research students’ thoughts and feelings.
55. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Mindfulness training is not a valuable use of class time at school.
B. Mindfulness training is more productive than other school activities.
C. Students felt more stressful after joining yoga classes three times a week.
D. Students paid closer attention in class after weeks of mindfulness practice.
56. The words “a lot of bang for your buck” in Paragraph 4 probably mean “______”.
A. challenges B. complaints C. advantages D. influences
57. The writer probably agrees that ______.
A. further studies will prove the benefits of mindfulness training
B. students will become more talented with mindfulness training
C. doctors will do researches on the spread of mindfulness training
D. mindfulness training decides students’ mental and physical health
七、阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。(共10分，每小题2分)
Can you imagine a world without a writing system for your language? It may be hard to picture it now, but a man named Sequoyah lived in such a world. Sequoyah was a member of a native American tribe, the Cherokee. Cherokee people speak their own language, but for hundreds of years they did not have a system of writing. Without a writing system, the Cherokee had no newspapers or books before 1809. Sequoyah was probably born around the year 1770 and lived with his mother in a small village in the mountains of Tennessee. When he grew up, he became a blacksmith. When he was doing business with those “English-speaking people”, he noticed that they used paper with marks to record their thoughts and ideas. Se
quoyah called these pieces of paper with marks “talking leaves”. He began to wonder why people who spoke Cherokee did not have a way to write down their words.
In 1809, Sequoyah decided to give the Cherokee their own “talking leaves”. At first he tried to make a different symbol for every word in the Cherokee language. But in that case, there would be so many symbols and too hard for people to remember, so he decided to make a picture for each syllable (音节). After much hard work, Sequoyah invented 85 symbols. In order to see whether it would work, he helped his six-year-old daughter Ayoka learn each symbol and found she could learn to read and write very quickly. Sequoyah’s invention was a success!
Before long, Sequoyah’s writing system had spread far and wide. Cherokee people living in all different parts of the country learned to read and write. In 1825, Sequoyah’s system was made the official written language for Cherokee people. To this day, Cherokee speakers still use Sequoyah’s writing system. In some parts of the United States, you can see street signs and billboards written in both English and Cherokee. Sequoyah will always be remembered for his important contribution to Cherokee people.
58. Did the Cherokee have newspapers before 1809?
59. What did Sequoyah call the pieces of paper with marks?
60. How many symbols did Sequoyah invent in the Cherokee language?
61. When was Sequoyah’s system made the official written language?
62. Why will Sequoyah always be remembered?
书面表达(共10分)
八、文段表达(10分)
63. 从下面两个题目中任选一题，根据中文和英文提示，完成一篇不少于50词的文段写作。文中已给出内容不计入总词数。所给提示词语仅供选用。请不要写出你的校名和姓名。
假如你是李华，寒假即将到来，为了方便外籍教师和留学生在假期使用图书馆,请你写一则英文通知，告诉他们图书馆假期开放时间，每次可借阅图书的数量和借阅期限，以及需要注意的事项。
提示词语：return, renew (续借), ID card
提示问题：●When will the school library be open during the winter vacation?
● How many books can be borrowed and how long can they be kept?
● What rules should be followed?
Notice
Dear foreign teachers and students,
Winter vacation is coming. _______________________________________________________
和谐是一种美德。和谐社会由一个个和谐的家庭构成。构建和谐家庭是我们每个人的责任。和谐的家庭给予我们精神支持,并使我们倍感幸福。
假如你是李华，你家被社区评为 “和谐家庭”。请你用英语写一篇短文，给某英文网站投稿，谈谈你的家庭是什么样子，为使家庭和谐你经常做些什么，以及你的感受。
提示词语： harmony (和谐)，get on well with,support, happy
提示问题：● What’s your harmonious family like?
● What do you usually do?
● How do you feel?
Everyone wants to live in a harmonious family. ______________________________________
，我们将会及时处理。
