New York’s best classes for kids include sports classes, performing arts classes, art classes, language programs and baby classes. Make sure your kids are ready for new adventures with these super-cool offerings!
92nd Street Y Classes
At this institution your musician can learn how to play an instrument. After-school classes examine different musical pieces and encourage work in a group setting. At the end of the program, mini Mozarts can impress their family and friends at open-house performances. Plus, when they're not jamming, kids can take advantage of homework help in the Clubhouse, where they are divided up by grade level. Ages 5-15.
The Cliffs at LIC
After a day of fighting the academic obstacle course at school, your favorite achievers can reach new heights on a rock-climbing wall. The Cliffs, offerings allow developing bodies to build muscle strength. For example, introductory sessions teach climbers how to tie safety knots (结) as well as other basics, mastering them with hands-on games and activities. The Cliffs at LIC, Long Island City. Ages 6-18.
Staten Island Skating Pavilion
This large area maintains its year-round frosty temperatures for ice-skating fun. Courses are offered every day for a variety of interests and skill levels, and public and freestyle sessions are available for children who want to spend some afternoons there without instruction. Ages 4 and up.
West Side YMCA
If your child wants to learn how to swim, you'd be pressed to find more options than those offered at the Y. Kids are grouped by age and capability. The courses cover personal safety and stroke techniques. If your offspring prefer dry land, the Y also offers dance, basketball and football. Visit website for class descriptions and detailed price information. Ages 5-18.
1.Who is the passage intended for?
A.Elementary school teachers. B.Children around school age.
C.Families looking for attraction. D.Parents with under-age children.
2.Which event will you attend for occasional academic help?
A.The Cliffs at LIC. B.West Side YMCA.
C.92nd Street Y Classes. D.Staten Island Skating Pavilion.
3.What does Staten Island Skating Pavilion provide?
A.A mini open-house performance at the end of the program.
B.Cold temperatures all the year round for ice-skating.
C.Teaching of skating in divided groups according to their age.
D.Introductory lessons on how to overcome the learning obstacles.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
That morning，I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was wonderful, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster（领养）mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning, I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had googled for the nearest Department of Children’ Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits , background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved , the phone Tang. In the middle of the night , I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital- Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family5 and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1.How did the author feel about her hospital work?
A.Unusually demanding. B.Lacking in motivation.
C.Filled with challenges・ D.Packed with chances.
2.What led the author to decide to adopt children?
A.She wanted to make a difference in other people.
B.She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew.
C.She felt confident about her ability to raise children.
D.She experienced training to raise children properly.
3.What does the underlined word "placement" in Para.3 refer to?
A.The child to be adopted. B.The need to get trained.
C.The approval of adoption. D.The official at the hospital
4.Why did the author appear at the courtroom?
A.To put the adopted kids elsewhere.
B.To receive another adopted child.
C.To begin the kids5 adoption in her home .
D.To make the adoption officially legal,
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The kakapo, a bird that lives in New Zealand, is not designed for survival. Weighing up to 4 kilograms, it is the world's fattest parrot. It mates (交配) only when the rimu tree is in fruit, which happens every few years. It developed gradually in the absence of land-based natural enemies, so instead of flying above the trees it walks like a duck across the dry forest floor. When it moves unsteadily across something that might kill it, it will stand still.
Such unusual characteristics turned it into fast food for human settlers, and for the cats and rats they brought with them. It seemed to have disappeared by the 1970s, until scientists came across two undiscovered populations in the country's south. These survivors were eventually moved to small enemy-free islands, where researchers have spent decades trying to get them to breed (繁殖).
The scientists' patience is finally rewarded. The rimu was in fruit this year, and more than 80 chicks hatched, making this the best breeding season on record. Many have survived into adolescence, increasing the number of adult kakapos by a third, to 200 birds.
Another danger to the kakapo is a lack of genetic diversity. This is one reason why fewer than half of kakapo eggs hatch. By arranging the genome (基因组) of every living bird, scientists can identify closely-related individuals and put them on different islands. Every bird is fitted with something to track its slightest movement. If a female mates with an "unsuitable” male, the process can be stopped.
All these efforts cost almost New Zealand $1.3 million this breeding season. Yet the kakapo's future still looks unsafe. Earlier this year a severe disease tore through the population. And tiny as the number of kakapos is, space is running out on the two islands where most of them live. New enemy-free settlement must soon be found.
1.Which of the following is a danger for the survival of the kakapo?
A.It is the smallest bird in the world. B.It lacks exercise and usually stands still.
C.It adapts slowly in genetic development. D.It can't respond actively when facing danger.
2.In what way may the scientists' patience be rewarded?
A.They hatched 80 kakapos' eggs this year.
B.They tried to make the rimu tree in fruit this year.
C.Two survivors were moved to enemy-free islands.
D.50 chicks hatched have survived into adults this year.
3.Why did the scientists put kakapo in different islands?
A.To stop closely-related kakapos mating. B.To increase the population of kakapo.
C.To stop females mating with males. D.To hatch more kakapos' eggs.
4.According to the author, the efforts to protect the kakapo in New Zealand are _______.
A.successful B.unsafe
C.doubtful D.inadequate
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
“ New and improved. ” These words are put in so many marketing campaigns that we tend to accept them as linked. But many new drugs aren't an improvement over the best existing drug for a given condition, and the fast drug-approval processes in recent years have added to the uncertainty about their advantages.
A recent report in the British Medical Journal, "New Drugs: Where Did We Go Wrong and What Can We Do Better?, analysed the issue, The authors looked at 216 drugs approved between 2011 and 2017 ； 152 were newly developed, and 64 were existing medicine approved for new uses. Only 25% offered a major advantage over the established treatment, and fully 58% had no confirmed added benefit to reduce symptoms or improve health-related quality of life.
"This doesn’t mean there's no added benefit," lead author Wieseler said. “It just means we have no positive proof. Either we have no studies or have studies not good enough. ” Wieseler and her co-authors work for a German institute which evaluates new treatments and advises on whether the country's health care system should pay a premium ( 占)for them. Such organizations , known as health technology assessment ( HTA) agencies, work a little differently in the US, says Sean Tunis，a researcher in Baltimore: “ If payers think a new drug isn't better than an existing drug，these agencies will require .that hospitals try the cheaper drug first. ”
Germany's HTA demands trials to prove that a new treatment beats the existing standard. This isn't always practical For one thing, such studies can be expensive and time-consuming, with no guarantee of success. Secondly, it can discourage companies from attempting to develop new alternatives. This is already happening. Drug developers are increasingly focused on areas where there are no good treatments to compete with, such as rare diseases.
This lack of meaningful data to guide patients is a major point of Wieseler's paper- With accelerated approval, there are more products approved, with a greater amount of uncertainty about risks and benefits. But there are other solutions besides drug trials. One idea is to require postmarket studies to track the effectiveness of newly approved drugs—a step too often neglected.
1.What message does the recent report convey?
A.Many new drugs have no improved advantages.
B.The approval processes for new drugs are too fast.
C.Improved drugs have advantages over old ones.
D.Before 2017 no improvement was made to drugs.
2.What will US HTA agencies do when no advantage is found in new drugs?
A.Remove government premium on them.
B.Get hospitals to use the cheaper drugs.
C.Arrange financial support for the patients.
D.Put new drugs on further trials and studies.
3.What's the disadvantage of Germany's HTA trial demands?
A.Making drug companies think of illegal ways to cut cost.
B.Pushing companies to try alternatives for existing drugs.
C.Getting patients to depend on the government for support.
D.Holding companies back from improving existing drugs.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Advantage of Existing Drugs
B.Misunderstanding of New and Old Drugs
C.A Dilemma with New Drug Alternatives
D.Peopled Preference for New or Old Drugs
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
From Mozart to pop music, tons of people enjoy listening to various types of music while they paint, write, or draw. Many believe that music helps improve creativity. But an international study is challenging that viewpoint. 1.
To come to their conclusions, researchers had participants complete verbal (文字的) problems designed to inspire creativity while sitting in a quiet room. 2. They found that background music significantly hurt the participants, ability to complete tasks associated with verbal creativity.
The tasks were simple word games. 3. Then, they were asked to find a single word associated with all three that could be combined to form a common phrase or word. Participants completed the tasks in either a quiet room, or while exposed to three different types of music: music with unfamiliar lines, instrumental music, or music with familiar lines.
Dr. McLatchie and his colleagues conclude that music interferes with (干扰) the verbal working memory of the brain. 4.Also, as far as the library background noises having seemingly no effect, the researchers believe that is the case because library noises create an environment of steady state that doesn't interrupt concentration.
"5.Instead, they demonstrate that music, regardless of the presence of its content, consistently interrupts creative performance in insight problem solving," the study reads.
A. And this in turn holds back creativity.
B. It has nothing to do with the positive reaction.
C. Then again, they were tested while music was played in the background.
D. Psychologists say that their findings indicate music actually blocks creativity.
E. For example, participants were given three words, such as dress, dial, and flower.
F. Before the experiment, the participants didn't study the music they would listen.
G. To conclude, the findings here challenge the popular view that music builds up creativity.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面的短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
For years, I had suffered from depression. I never seemed to be happy with my life, especially when I __ it to someone else's. I frequently felt I was not living up to either my own _____ or the worlds expectations.
Then, the week before Thanksgiving, every chair in the church has a paper bag underneath. All were expected to pick up one ____ and take them to a grocery store and fill them with some basic food items to be _____ to local chanty. Then, at the evening, a team of volunteers placed all the _____ bags, of food at the front of the church.
Included in the event was a sheet with ______, asking us to think of 100 things we were thankful for. This was a (n）_______to help us focus on gratitude. ______ I heard some kids next to me ______ each other to see who could fill in all 100 the fastest. My _____ nature pushed me to fill in blanks with any _____ in my life that I was thankful for. To my own ________, I filled in the list in four minutes. Then I joined the others ______ the bags according to their categories before they were donated to the ______.
One day not long afterward , I found myself sinking into my ______ depression when I remembered the ____. I took it out and read through it and ______ that not only did I have a lot to be thankful for but that the things I had written on that list ______ my talents , hobbies, faith , and people who had greatly _______ me.
_____to have an attitude of gratitude has made me more than happy and filled me with joy.
1.A.introduced B.compared C.exposed D.applied
2.A.achievement B.nature C.potential D.patience
3.A.randomly B.regularly C.alternatively D.considerately
4.A.returned B.issued C.allocated D.donated
5.A.circulated B.addressed C.filled D.supplied
6.A.credits B.blanks C.inspirations D.suggestions
7.A.celebration B.amusement C.communication D.exercise
8.A.Accidentally B.Furthermore C.Otherwise D.Necessarily
9.A.remind B.challenge C.support D.observe
10.A.sympathetic B.creative C.competitive D.contradictory
11.A.situation B.chance C.promotion D.awareness
12.A.disappointment B.curiosity C.advantage D.astonishment
13.A.distributing B.clarifying C.sorting D.decorating
14.A.rich B.needy C.special D.worried
15.A.guilty B.familiar C.temporary D.apparent
16.A.list B.activity C.motivation D.report
17.A.pretended B.claimed C.imagined D.realized
18.A.ruled out B.dropped out C.brought out D.worked out
19.A.surprised B.touched C.promised D.concerned
20.A.Choosing B.Offering C.Demanding D.Declining
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。
After college I wanted to make a difference in the world, so I became a volunteer teacher and 1.(send) to Namibia• Honestly t my first choice wasn’t Africa? but I am extremely grateful that I had the chance. So with a group of 2.(equal) eager young graduates? I went on my journey.
Schools were quite bare, and the students 3. ( have) tiring days, walking miles to get to school often barefoot. With their mountains 4. work at home, few 5. (possession) and little opportunity, these children were joyful ， which I admired.
This 6. (be) my first time living abroad in a different culture, simply getting used to the living conditions was 7. big adjustment. I had no electricity, running water, phone or the Internet, imagine no air-conditioning at a place 8. the temperature often goes beyond 38 degrees Celsius! Some days it was just too hot to move.
However? I could end each day with a 9.(glory) African sunset. And at night, I had a light-pollution-free view of the entire Milky Way. Before Namibia, I never thought I would survive in such an environment. My experience awakened me to not only the limitations 10. ( place) on ourselves, but also our amazing ability to adapt. Stepping out of your comfort zone in another culture will certainly make your life worthwhile.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
We are encouraged to be nice to other people. However, most people forget to be nice to environment. It is widely acknowledged; the importance of environmental protection can't be ignored for the fact that we should make up the earth a good place to live on.
There are many ways to help reducing global warming. Walking is my preferring exercise, which I think is a good choice. If I had to go somewhere far away, I'll take the public transportations. Additional, I try to encourage friends and families to do the same. It's only when everyone does anything to help which we can hope to make a difference together.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，为迎接即将来访的美国某中学生代表团，你校决定举办英语讲故事比赛。请你为校 英语报写一则通知，内容包括：
1. 比赛时间和目的；
2. 比赛内容中国传统文化故事；
3. 报名截止日期。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Notice
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Student Union
难度: 中等查看答案及解析