History Fair Competition
Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. It is an essential part of who we are today and who we will become. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting engaging, and fun!
This Year's Theme
All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.
Individuals or groups may enter one of the following categories:
•Performance
•Documentary（纪实作品）
•Essay Writing
Category Requirements
Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.
Documentary: A visual presentation （such as a video, slide show, or computer project） no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.
Essay Writing: An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 words. No illustrations （图解）are allowed, please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.
Important Dates
January 5 Submit a topic proposal to your history teacher. The teacher may require a second proposal if the first is off-topic or unclear.
February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.
March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.
March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview
1.What’s the main purpose of understanding history?
A.To preserve national traditions・
B.To prepare for a history competition.
C.To better know the present and future.
D.To further explore historical mysteries.
2.What is the theme of this year's competition?
A.Technology advances science.
B.Science interacts with technology.
C.Science has made the study of history easy.
D.Technology has improved the life of Americans.
3.What will the committee of teachers do on February 19?
A.Make comments on the materials.
B.Improve the participant's second proposal.
C.Preview performances and documentaries.
D.Collect a second proposal from the participant.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash yesterday in Calabasas. California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people. The helicopter carrying Bryant and the others crashed into a hilly area in foggy conditions, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
Family members, friends and fans are mourning the death of the basketball great Kobe Bryant. Looking back to his whole life, Bryant was widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of his generation. Even after his retirement, Kobe Bryant is still a winner. The former Los Angeles Lakers star won an Oscar in the animated short category for "Dear Basketball,” a poem he wrote after ending his 20-year career on the court in 2016.
He’ll add it to an already jammed trophy collection that includes five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals, NBA Finals most valuable player awards, a league MVP award and four All-Star game MVP awards.
Since hanging up his basketball shoes, Bryant has thrown himself into business (a new Nike shoe) and various forms of storytelling.
“As basketball players, we're told to shut up and dribble（运球）,” Bryant once said on stage. “I’m glad we did a little bit more than that.”
He thanked his wife, Vanessa, and his three daughters, naming each of them. He spoke a few words of Italian — a language he learned as a child growing up in Italy — and closed by telling them, “You arc my inspiration.''
He was just getting started. And now he's gone.
The tributes（悼念）will continue, though eventually fade away. The legacy will be forever.
1.What can we learn from paragraph 1?
A.The cause of the crash is still unknown.
B.The foggy conditions are to blame for the helicopter crash.
C.Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles.
D.Kobe Bryant was among eight people including one of his daughters killed in the crash.
2.What assists Kobe Bryant to win the Oscar according to the passage?
A.his famous reputation in basketball
B.his presence in the animation movie
C.his poem written after his former career
D.his excellent performance in the animated short category
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “trophy”?
A.Gift B.Award
C.Harvest. D.Possession.
4.Where is the passage most probably taken from?
A.A personal diary. B.A biography.
C.A newspaper. D.A textbook.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A table-waiting robot cat built by a Chinese technology firm can carry plates of food, navigate a restaurant, miaow（喵喵叫）at diners—and even react to having its ears stroked.
Making its debut at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the so-called BellaBot was built for Chinese restaurants lacking enough waiters. It is the brainchild （智慧结晶）of the Chinese robotics and artificial intelligence firm PuduTech.
It features four shelves in the center of its tower-like body to carry plates. Having been loaded up with meals by its human colleagues, the cat-themed robotic waiter miaows when it delivers food to diners to encourage them to take their plates. If customers thank BellaBot by stroking its ears, it will initially respond with a look of pleasure on its on-board screen, which displays animations of a cat's face. “The owner's hand is so warm,” BellaBot has been programmed to respond.
However—much like a real cat—the robot’s reaction soon changes if it is petted for too long. “It gets mad to remind you not to interrupt its job,” the designers introduced.
The BellaBot waiter robot is a more personality-rich update to PuduTech's previous model, which featured a more utilitarian （实用主义的）design and user interface. Both BellaBot and its predecessor were designed with a particular mind to Chinese restaurateurs which are often short of waiting staff.
In a real-world food-service setting, however, BellaBot may find it difficult to operate at peak times. Nevertheless, restaurants are expected to increase their trust on automation—whether in the form of robotic waiting staff or otherwise.
Furthermore, the technology improvements of robotic waiters designs will be grown steadily, especially better at communicating with humans and tackling new activities.
1.Why did the technology firm create the BellaBot?
A.Because the restaurant can react to it.
B.Because it is the brainchild of the Chinese robotics and Al firm.
C.Because the Chinese scientists want to show their talent to the world.
D.Because it is can be used when Chinese restaurants are short of enough waiters.
2.When do the robotic waiters deliver the food to dinners?
A.The customers touch the robotic waiters’ ears.
B.The customers are encouraged to take their plates.
C.The human colleagues have loaded up the meals on robotic waiters.
D.The robotic waiters display animations of a cat's face on their on- board screen.
3.What can we infer from the robot's reaction changes?
A.It wants to remind you to get mad.
B.It wants to remind you to pet it again.
C.It wants to remind you not to help its work.
D.It wants to remind you not to stop its work.
4.What is the author's attitude to the robotic waiters?
A.Doubtful. B.Positive.
C.Negative. D.Ambiguous.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Pollution's serious effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years. Most scientists agree that efforts are necessary to protect our environment from further harm. As we know, the construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. So green buildings are in great need.
The environmental benefits of building green include the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity（生物多样性）, improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams and the protection of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and fewer materials and improve indoor air quality, improving the health of people who live there.
The process of building green includes technical and artistic planning with nature protection in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and use renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, reducing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.
Careful site selection is important to minimize（最小化）human effect on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes（微风）and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expense are needed for larger buildings as well, so it is important to build small.
Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and cost. These roofs are partially or completely covered with plants, which helps to keep heating and cooling costs low, prevent water running off and deal with pollutants.
Other features of green buildings often include energy and water protection, recycling and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, water power and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which greatly reduces costs and decreases the influence on the environment.
1.Which advantage is not included about the building green?
A.To upgrade the quality of air and water.
B.To reduce the waste flowing into streams.
C.To protect the ecosystems and biodiversity.
D.To enhance our human being's life quality.
2.What is a green building probably like according to paragraph 4?
A.Small B.Large.
C.Warm. D.Cool.
3.Why do we choose to use green roofs?
A.To fit the environment, B.To lower expenses
C.To collect nature water. D.To keep warm or cool.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.Environmental benefits. B.Building green.
C.Promoting energy efficiency. D.Ecosystems and biodiversity.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
There's been increased attention on this in recent weeks, with the unsettling spread of the coronavirus around the world. When a video of Naomi Campbell cleaning her airplane seat and wearing a mask and gloves was shared online last year, it made the rounds because her behavior seemed exaggerated. “ 1. And we know that germs can live on surfaces for a long time, so it doesn't hurt to clean it," said Aaron Milstone, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Here are some tips for cleaning your area of a plane and keeping healthy on a flight.
Keep your hands clean and stop touching your face
"Wiping down surfaces on a plane won't hurt, as long as it doesn't give you a false sense of security,” Andrew Mehle, associate professor of medical microbiology said, stressing that cleaning your space on a plane should be done in conjunction with washing hands and following other best practices. Good habits are not easily formed. 2. Doing so after touching a surface where droplets from when someone sneezed or coughed can lead to the virus being passed on.
3.
A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window. Researchers studied passengers and crew members on 10 three-to-five-hour flights and observed that people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people.
Disinfect hard surfaces
When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle（带扣）, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous （无孔的）or leather, you can wipe that down too. 4.In addition, pay attention to your disinfecting wipes, which would typically say on the packaging how long asurface needs to stay wet in order for them to work.5. In order for the wipes to work, you need to follow those time requirements.
A.Choose a window seat.
B.A window seat is the best option.
C.The airplane and airplane seat is a public space.
D.Good habits arc essential in this particular time.
E.That time can range from 30 seconds to a few minutes.
F.Most people tend to touch their faces more often than they realize.
G.However, using wipes on cushions could lead to a wet scat and spreading of germs.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Last month, I had the chance to speak at a meeting in San Diego. It was very _______ because for the first time, I was able to _______ in front of a large group of people without any panic.
During my first public speaking event, I read it over and over again, and _______ speaking the words exactly as they were written. But it was where I made a _______ — I held on to the words exactly as they were written. So, when the time _______ for me to talk and words didn't come out exactly as planned, I was clearly _______ .
After my first speaking event, I quickly _______ I was afraid of speaking in public. And 1 knew the only way for me to overcome that fear would be _______ practice. Therefore, I _______ doing "Behind the Cover" video interviews that made me ________ my thoughts on camera. Since I wasn't in front of the ________, if I made a mistake I could just start over again.
At first, I always made mistakes. During the first six months of video ________, it took me five or six tries to speak ________,which often let me depressed. But today, I usually ________ it on the first or second try. Of course, the videos aren't the ________ thing as speaking in front of the audience, but they help me ________ the fear of speaking to the audience. I also ________ at any chance I had to speak in public, no matter how much it frightened me. ________ the famous saying goes, "Practice makes perfect.” I knew I’d never get ________ if I let my fear keep me away from public speaking.
So I just ________ doing it. Each time I got better, I became more comfortable.
1.A.embarrassing B.meaningful C.moving D.frightening
2.A.inform B.mention C.whisper D.speak
3.A.admired B.repaired C.practiced D.managed
4.A.conclusion B.plan C.decision D.mistake
5.A.came B.recycled C.aroused D.ignored
6.A.unique B.panicked C.ambitious D.depressed
7.A.described B.recognized C.explained D.realized
8.A.above B.for C.through D.out
9.A.started B.received C.refused D.abandoned
10.A.admit B.share C.explore D.complain
11.A.audience B.passer-by C.classmate D.schoolmate
12.A.contributions B.interviews C.debates D.directions
13.A.frequently B.regularly C.immediately D.fluently
14.A.confirm B.deserve C.make D.occupy
15.A.same B.different C.smooth D.secret
16.A.get through B.get over C.get away D.get along
17.A.accepted B.preferred C.jumped D.refused
18.A.Over B.Since C.Like D.As
19.A.worse B.pettier C.better D.healthier
20.A.keep B.hesitate C.wander D.stay
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Taking this volunteer trip to the Wildlife Sanctuary project was something I had wanted to do several years. 1. (fortunate), between work and a busy schedule, it was always something that I “might” do “eventually" rather than actually doing. Then I decided it had to happen. I made preparations, booked my trip, 2. slightly hesitantly headed off to the airport.
Literally after one day of volunteering, I was already regretting only 3. (have) two weeks to stay. Every day was amazing and full of incredible 4. (experience). The days 5. (fly) by because we were so busy working on the farm, hanging out and making new friends, and learning about the wildlife 6. a hands-on manner. As 7. (excite) as the actual project was, the people I met were similarly incredible. Leaving can make people sad, but still, I can’t recommend the trip enough to anyone 8.is considering it.
Having arrived home, I already miss my days that were filled with things 9. (relate) to South Africa. I find 10. (I)constantly looking back at photos and in the back of my mind planning a return visit as soon as possible.
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，每句中最多两处。错误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：在错的词下划一横线，并在其下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限—词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不计分。
A terrible fire happened in one office building in our city at about nine o'clock last night.
In the beginning, we saw flames with thick black smoke coming out from the five floor, and we also hear the explosion of the gas tank. It was said what the fire started at the first floor, spreading one by one to the floors above, but finally reached the top floor. Some windows and brick wall were burnt down because the heat of the fire. Many people stood outside on the streets watch the fire in horror. Many bravely firemen and fire engines came quickly. Luckily, there was no one person in the office building when the fire was broke out. It took about two hours for the firemen to put out a big fire.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，一名高三在校学生，请给你加拿大的英语网课老师Miss Sue写一封信，内容要 点如下：
1.感谢她给你的帮助；
2.介绍你现在的学习；
3.展望你未来的大学生活。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已为你写好，但不计入总词数。
Miss Sue,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析