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We’re always looking for well-written reviews of books, music, movies, television shows, websites, video games and other products. When writing a review, concentrate on exactly what you liked or didn’t like. Give examples of strengths and weaknesses, be descriptive and provide background information on an author, director, actor or musician, if possible. Find professional reviews in magazines or newspapers and see how reviewers deal with their topic, but be sure to express your own voice in your review.
Grammar Hint for Reviews: When describing a book, movie, album or anything else, use the present tense.
Book Reviews
Discuss an author’s technique, strengths and weaknesses instead of focusing on the plot. Does the story flow? Is there a strong sense of character and place? Did you stay up until dawn to finish it? Is it good reading for teenagers? What influence did it have on you and why? If you’ve read other books by the same author, discuss how this book compares.
Movie Reviews
Think of the major Oscar categories and consider the performances, music, lighting and setting, etc. Do these work together? Did some hold up while others didn’t? If the movie is based on a book, discuss whether one is better than the other and why. If the movie is a remake, compare the film to its original.
Remember that a well-written movie review should discuss strengths and weaknesses. Some readers may not have seen a movie yet, so don’t give away an exciting scene or the ending!
College Reviews
Begin by providing an overview of the college, including location, size and a description of the campus and/or dorm life. Think about all aspects of your college visit. What academic, athletic and after-class programs are available? What are the students like? What makes the college different from others? Every school has strengths and weaknesses. Be objective. Consider what the school has to offer and who might enjoy or benefit the most from attending there.
1.When writing a review, you ________.
A. cannot refer to any previous review
B. must express your own views and opinions
C. must provide some information about the author
D. needn’t give any examples to support your views
2.Which aspects should be included in all three reviews?
A. Strengths and weaknesses.
B. Plot and character.
C. Programs and scenes.
D. Location and description.
3.Where can you probably find the passage?
A. In a personal diary.
B. In an official report.
C. In a tourist guidebook.
D. In a popular magazine.
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My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book—a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.
I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar—even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.
Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother.
The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.
Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning—and increases the owner’s possibility to be a letdown.
Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn’t have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner—unless she can truthfully say “yes”—either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don’t ask.
1.When the author was a kid, his grandmother ________.
A. took him to travel around the world a lot
B. loved to take him to museums and stores
C. shared her childhood stories with him
D. gave him many gifts
2.What does the author think about the book his grandmother gave him?
A. Boring. B. Interesting.
C. Puzzling. D. Disappointing.
3.The underlined sentence “The book weighed on me” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______.
A. the book is too heavy for the author to carry
B. the author feels stressful facing the book
C. the book is full of powerful viewpoints
D. the author keeps reading the book
4.The author learns from the Hans Brinker’s experience that never________.
A. give others books as gifts
B. lie to people who give you gifts
C. get close to others through gifts
D. talk about the books given as gifts
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Google has kicked off Google Science Fair (GSF) 2014, its annual online competition for
bright, creative and ambitious teenagers who want to change the world with science. While the project is led by Google, it also has the backing of the Lego Group and world-famous publications National Geographic and Scientific American. The competition is open for students aged 13 to 18, who can sign-up now, form a team and begin working on a submission.
The winner will be rewarded with a ten-day exploration to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavor, as well as a VIP tour of ‘Spaceport America’ in New Mexico. Google is also throwing in a $50,000 scholarship and $10,000 for the winner’s school to purchase cutting-edge science lab equipment.
Google suggests that each project should be “an in-depth investigation of a science question or engineering problem” but otherwise, it’s up to students to pick and develop an idea that follows the competition rules.
Completed projects need to be submitted by May 12, 2014 at 11:59 PDT. Google will announce the regional competitors in June, ahead of global finalists in August and the competition winners in September.
Interested? Here are the rules.
If you want to enter the competition as an individual (个人), you should register first. Complete requested information about yourself and your project in the registration section before creating your project. You may edit this later. Click the box stating that you have read, accept, and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and Terms.
Upon completion of registration you may begin working on your project. The project must follow the technical, creative, and legal entry requirements set out in these Official Rules and the Googlesciencefair.com Site. You will be required to complete all sections of the Project Site.
You may begin working on your project after completing the registration process, however, you may not submit it for judging until you have requested and received parental consent (允许). Once you have done this, your parent or guardian will receive an email from Google with instructions on how they can give their consent for you to participate. The project will not be judged unless this consent is received.
1.From the first paragraph, we can learn that ________.
A. GSF is a science competition
B. teenagers should form a team
C. every teenager can take part in it
D. GSF is organized by Google alone
2.What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
A. Parental consent.
B. Submission time.
C. Registration process.
D. Project requirements.
3.If you plan to enter GSF alone, you ________.
A. should create your project first
B. you needn’t follow the official rules
C. you should provide some personal information
D. your should start your project before registration
4.The main purpose of the passage is to ________.
A. offer tips on how to enter GSF
B. provide information about GSF
C. persuade teenagers to enter GSF
D. show teenagers the importance of GSF
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Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武术).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空闲的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.
1.The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.
A. a child’s schedule is too complex
B. activities suitable for kids are limited
C. parents are stuck in numerous choices
D. children always say no to parents’ advice
2.What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.
A. children love to stay at school
B. they are popular with children
C. children dislike after-school classes
D. after-school classes are of poor quality
3.According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?
A. Parents want to make up for their own regrets.
B. After-school classes develop children’s potential.
C. Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children.
D. After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent.
4.Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
A. For children’s benefits, the earlier the better.
B. Children’s spare time should be carefully designed.
C. Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past.
D. Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason.,
