Watching kids' cartoons can be an effective way to learn a language. The basic plot lines of kids' cartoons are fairly simple and the characters speak more slowly, and the dialogue is typically standard and casual. Here are four worldwide popular kids' cartoons which may help you with your English learning.
Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig, the pink piggy, has gained worldwide popularity. There are even videos showing an American child speaking in a British accent to her mom after watching the popular cartoon.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons in the ' 90s was smart, culturally savvy (有见识的), and unbelievably entertaining TV about an average American family. At its height, no show - animated or otherwise - could reach The Simpsons' greatness. From the cleverness of “Marge vs. the Monorail” to everything Lisa Simpson ever said. The Simpsons was fearless and game-changing television.
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time is a French educational animation, created by Procidis. There are seven series (系列), each focusing on different aspects of knowledge. These are mostly historical, focusing on the overall history of mankind or specified historical fields, such as the lives and achievements of the explorers or inventors.
Sazae-san
Sazae-san is more than a kids' show. It's a cultural institution, a national treasure and the longest- running animated series in the world, ever!
It's about a typical Japanese big family living together in Tokyo. The central character is an outspoken but somewhat clumsy woman in her early 20s, living with her husband, son, father, mother, brother and sister all under one roof.
All of the characters are colorful and funny, and all are named after fish!
1.Why does the American girl speak in a British accent?
A.She was born and brought up in Britain. B.Peppa Pig has strongly influenced her.
C.The British accent is popular in America. D.She wants to make fun of her mother.
2.What will a fan of history choose to watch?
A.Peppa Pig B.The Simpsons
C.Once Upon a Time D.Sazae-san
3.What can you learn about Sazae-san from the text?
A.It is about an average American family. B.It is the longest-running of the four.
C.It is a well-received French cartoon. D.It includes seven different series.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
One year, a newspaper of the United States published an announcement-the Horticultural (园艺) Institute offered a reward at a high price for the pure white marigold (金盏花). The high reward attracted so many people, but in nature besides golden, the marigold is brown；it is not easy to create the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people forgot that announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the Horticultural Institute accidentally received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. On that day the news spread like wildfire. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. The institute had always been hesitating over the fact that the letter stated with certainty that the seeds could bloom(开花) pure white marigold.
Those seeds finally took root in the earth. The wonder appeared after one year: large fields of pure white marigold swung in the light wind. As a result, the old woman became a new focus.
Originally, the old woman was just a flower-lover. When she happened to read the announcement 20 years ago, her heart kept beating wildly. But her eight children all opposed her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics(遗传学) couldn't complete what the experts could never accomplish! Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working without hesitation. She spread some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold bloomed, she chose one faintest (暗淡) from those golden and brown flowers and made it wither (凋谢) naturally in order to get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose the faintest from these flowers to plant Year after year, through many cycles of spring sowing and autumn harvest, the old woman's husband died; her children flew far and high; a lot of things happened in her life but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart. Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden, she saw a marigold, which was not nearly white but as white as silver or snow.
Such a difficult problem as even experts couldn't cope with was readily solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Was it a wonder? Take root in the heart and even the most common seed can grow into a wonder!
1.Why was a great reward offered by the Institute?
A.White flowers could be sold at a higher price
B.Pure white marigold was more beautiful in nature
C.It was very difficult to develop pure white marigold
D.Scientists wanted to know how marigold grew in nature
2.What can we know about the old woman from the passage?
A.She was 70 when she first read the announcement.
B.She sent pure white marigold flowers to the institute.
C.She got professional support from scientists.
D.She kept trying for years before she succeeded.
3.The underlined word “readily” in the last paragraph probably means .
A.easily B.quickly
C.honestly D.luckily
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Seeds Take Root in the Heart B.White Marigold is Never Alone
C.Marigolds Grow from Bravery D.White Flowers Bring Success
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The U.S. is still out in front of global competitors when it comes to innovation (革新), but American universities-where new ideas often spread-have reason to look over their shoulders.
That's especially true for technologies like 5G phone networks and artificial intelligence. In President Donald Trump's opinion, they're exactly the fields where the U.S. has to lead - and also the ones where Asia, especially China, is catching up. Universities from China get more patents than their U.S. peers in wireless communications, according to research firm GreyB Services. In AI, 17 of the top 20 universities and public research organizations are in China, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences topping the list, says the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.
There's a special place for universities in the development of science. Universities educate future scientists and can be incubators (孵化器) for pie-in-the-sky ideas-some of which turn out to be game-changers. The list ranges from Google's search engine to DNA technology that's behind a whole industry of gene-manipulating (基因编辑) treatments.
However, government aids to universities haven't been growing for more than a decade, meaning they've declined in real terms and as a share of the economy, leading to the cost increase for universities and meanwhile somehow discouraging the teaching staff from putting all their hearts into their scientific research.
“If you look at the federal dollars, they've not really changed considerably,” says Stephen Susalka, head of AUTM, a technology transfer association whose members include 800 universities. “Other countries are catching up. We can't be satisfied with what we have achieved.”
1.What does the underlined phrase “look over their shoulders” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A.Watch out B.Take off
C.Stand up D.Hide away
2.The author mentions 5G phone networks in Paragraph 2 to show.
A.Chinese universities have obtained more patents than other countries
B.the Chinese government provides aids to Chinese universities
C.wireless communications are changed dramatically these years
D.U.S. universities may lose their lead in some high-tech fields
3.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Universities can be birthplaces of game programmers.
B.Pie-in-the-sky ideas from universities can be revolutionary.
C.Universities play an important role in science development.
D.Gene-manipulation helps to develop DNA technology.
4.What's Stephen Susalka's attitude towards the future development of U.S universities?
A.Worried. B.Disapproving.
C.Positive. D.Unconcerned.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Almost everyone has heard the expression “the calm before the storm.” It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument.
British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become still and the winds would drop.
Science has given us the reason. According to US website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and humid(湿热的) air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air goes down, it becomes warm and dry. Warm and dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about three kilometers away. A good method is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms take place after calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and fierce winds.
So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That's the most reliable way to predict the next display(展示) of nature's temper (脾气).
1.What is the function of Paragraph 3?
A.To describe how the eye of the storm comes into being.
B.To stress why tornadoes and hurricanes are destructive.
C.To explain why a peaceful period occurs before some storms.
D.To remind how dangerous a storm can be in certain situations.
2.If you count fifteen seconds between a lightening flash and a thunder clap, the storm may be .
A.one kilometer away B.three kilometers away
C.four kilometers away D.five kilometers away
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.Heavy storms don't usually last long.
B.It is not always quiet before a storm.
C.Storms have a big influence on our life.
D.Weather reports often fail to predict a storm.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A travel journal. B.A science fiction.
C.A literature review. D.A geography magazine.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Emotional intelligence helps us to better understand ourselves and others. It can help us make better decisions, ones that are in harmony with our true beliefs and values. But what does emotional intelligence look like in real life? In EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence, the author expresses his opinion on that.1.Take a look, and see whether they describe your everyday habits.
You take your time.
You know that emotions and feelings are temporary and that making sudden decisions leads to regrets.2.
You praise.
You look for the good in others. When you find it, you tell them what you appreciate and why. In doing so, you lift others up and bring out the best in them.
3.
Nowadays, people often fail to keep an appointment-from a handshake deal to weekend plans. But you'd better try to keep your word in things big and small- and that helps build your reputation as both reliable and trustworthy.
You say sorry.
You're not afraid to apologize when you mess up. Sometimes, you even apologize when you're right because you value your relationship.
You forgive and forget.
4.And if they refuse, you move on anyway-and prevent others from holding your emotions hostage.
You learn from mistakes.
No one can perfectly manage their emotions. But you work hard to learn from those mistakes-to study your own behavior and identify your triggers(起因).5.
A.You show gratitude.
B.You stick to your word.
C.You are always willing to learn from others.
D.Here are some of the characteristics that accompany a high EQ.
E.When others apologize, you put it behind you and never bring it up again.
F.Meanwhile you build habits that will help you handle those situations better the next time.
G.That's why you pause before speaking or acting, especially when you recognize you're not calm.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Tim Ma's parents came to the United States from Taiwan in the 1970s. They opened a________. It was not a success. They found________in America, however, in computers and engineering. In part because of their own________, Ma's parents hoped he would study to become an engineer. They wanted________security for their child.
Growing up, Ma considered many________-writer, fireman, even president. But he had a sense early on. He didn't want to be a(n)________.
Ma did well in math and science classes in high school. And he________choosing to study electrical engineering in college. Several engineering jobs later, though, Ma had a(n)________of heart.
His________could not understand why he would want to leave such a good job to open a restaurant. They had worked long hours________their own restaurant still failed. But Ma remained________. He was going to do things differently than his parents. He was able to learn from their one major________as restaurant owners-they knew very little about the art of cooking. Their chef________and opened a Chinese restaurant across the street which really put them in a bad situation.
So, at age 30, Ma left engineering and returned to school-cooking school. He received training in________cooking. In 2009, Ma opened his first restaurant, Maple Avenue, in Virginia. The restaurant________excellent cuisine.
At Maple Avenue, Ma worked long hours, seven days a week. His long hours________. Ma opened his fourth restaurant last year, Kyirisan in Washington, D.C. He________his training in French cooking with his Chinese heritage (传承) to create________dishes.
Kyirisan's success is due to the________menu and food, Ma says. But a lot of it just comes from “pure hard________.”
1.A.company B.school C.hospital D.restaurant
2.A.interest B.help C.success D.progress
3.A.feelings B.manners C.predictions D.experiences
4.A.financial B.personal C.physical D.psychological
5.A.plans B.ideas C.measures D.professions
6.A.doctor B.chef C.engineer D.professor
7.A.ended up B.gave up C.turned out D.carried on
8.A.operation B.change C.trouble D.attack
9.A.colleagues B.friends C.parents D.relatives
10.A.though B.but C.if D.so
11.A.certain B.silent C.calm D.anxious
12.A.habit B.practice C.point D.mistake
13.A.came B.left C.escaped D.cheated
14.A.Chinese B.American C.French D.Mexican
15.A.serves B.studies C.promotes D.benefits
16.A.took off B.paid off C.ran out D.worked out
17.A.mixed B.improved C.simplified D.ignored
18.A.regional B.new C.side D.traditional
19.A.fixed B.main C.simple D.creative
20.A.life B.challenge C.work D.status
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you ever been too shy to express thanks towards someone? Well, a new study says you should not worry about that so much.
Recently, researchers have published a study on how people gave and1.(receive) letters of thanks.2.they found was that expressing and receiving appreciation increased3.(happy) for both sides, but people's self-consciousness (自我意识) often made4.less possible for them to express their appreciation.
In the experiments, the researchers asked5.(hundred) of participants to write an email to someone close to them6.(express) their appreciation and giving7.specific example of how that person made their lives better.
The writers often underestimated (低估) the positive effect that the emails would have8.the receivers. They thought that the receivers would feel9.(awkward) and uncomfortable over the letters than they actually were. Contrary to the writers' belief, the receivers were thankful, warm and understanding.
So next time you feel hesitant about expressing your appreciation for others, remember that it will most10.(probable) go a lot better than you think.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10 处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改 10 处，多者(从第11 处起)不计分。
I have many hobbies and I think fishing put at the top of the list. It is for fishing that has helped me improve my self-control.
My study was not satisfactory because of my impatience three years ago. When seeing that, my father comes up with a good idea and taught me why to fish to overcome my shortcoming. Telling that fishing was full of funs, I followed him without hesitation. Actually, fishing turned out to be more difficult than I had expected. To grasp a skill, I tried hardly and became a skilled fisher. It is amazed that I can focus on my study now. I'd like to share my experience with those who have the same trouble, encouraging them to study with our full devotion and attention.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，暑期在纽约学习，得知当地博物馆要举办中国瓷器(china)展。请写一封信申请做志愿者，内容包括：
1.写信意图；
2.应征目的、优势。
注意：1.词数 100 左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Sir,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析