高一英语课外阅读材料

Fulfilling the dream

陈柏霖：实现梦想需要时间和耐心。

词数 389 建议阅读时间 5分钟

HOW long will you wait to succeed in your dream career?

Ten years or longer, Taiwan actor Bolin Chen would say. The 29-year-old finally earned back all his hard work when he won Best Leading Actor for his role in the popular TV series In Time With You (《我可能不会爱你》) at the 47th Golden Bell Awards, which was held in Taipei on Oct 26.

From a very young age, we have a dream, whether it’s to be a painter, a scientist or a writer. But the desire (渴望) to paint, discover or tell stories fades (消褪) as we grow up, until that moment of finding our deep calling hits us.

For Chen, this came when he was discovered by director Yee Chih-Yen in front of an ice cream store at the age of 19. Chen had considered becoming an excellent dancer, a model and a singer before he played the male lead in Yee’s movie Blue Gate Crossing (《蓝色大门》). His first taste of fame with the well-received drama showed him what he really wanted to be.

However, show business didn’t favor him instantly (立刻). Fame was not of interest to him as his rule for picking roles was to try something new each time.

Over the next ten years he engaged (使……忙碌) himself in genres as different as fantasy (魔幻) action in The Twins Effect II (2004), horror (恐怖片) in The Eye 10 (2005) and coming-of-age drama in Buddha Mountain (2010).

Nothing made much of an impact until he successfully played a thoughtful and dedicated (忠心的) partner in a relationship of undeclared love (暗恋) with his best friend (played by Best Actress winner Ariel Lin). The TV drama was the biggest winner at the awards ceremony (仪式), sweeping seven awards out of its eight nominations (提名).

Like his winning role, Li Daren, critics say Chen is just like a fine wine that will get better with age. There’s something about the way he carries himself – that sincere and down-to-earth demeanor (气质) fans can’t help but fall for.

Many believe the Golden Bell trophy (奖杯) will take Chen’s acting career to new heights. But Chen says that the greatest gains are actually personal lessons.

“You’ll succeed in time as long as you love it with a passion (热情) because life will give back what you put into it,” he told Taiwan newspaper The China Times.

“If your dream requires time and patience, give it.”

高考词汇

succeed vi. 成功

If you try hard, you will succeed in the end.

impact n./vt. 影响

The computer has made a great impact on modern life.

Crossing the line

终结“中国式过马路”到底需要什么？

词数 377 建议阅读时间 7分钟

THE traffic light turns red. As a pedestrian (行人), what do you do? The rule says “stop and wait,” but we often see groups of people running red lights.

Internet users have jokingly named this phenomenon “the Chinese-style street crossing”. While many people criticize it as bad manners, recent research reveals (揭示) another possible reason – the duration (持续时间) of red lights in China exceeds (超过) what people can mentally bear.

“Pedestrians have a maximum (最大) bearable (可忍受的) waiting time in their mind,” Ni Ying, a member of a research team at Tongji University’s School of Transportation Engineering, was quoted (引述) by Xinhua News Agency as saying. “If they wait longer than that, they will be more likely to ignore the light.”

From 2008 to 2010, Ni’s team carried out research on pedestrians’ waiting times at various road crossings. They found a correlation (相互关系) between running red lights and the length of time they had to wait before the light changed. They concluded that, on average, Chinese can wait for the traffic lights no longer than 70 seconds, and in downtown areas this number could extend (扩大) to 90 seconds.

Many countries work out pedestrians’ maximum bearable waiting time and use it to design traffic lights, according to Ni. For example, researchers found that it is 60 seconds for Germans and 45 seconds for Britons. Seldom does a red light in these countries exceed the limits.

But the duration of red lights in China often exceeds the 70 or 90 second limit. Take Beijing for example. At Zhongguancun Avenue a red light lasts longer than 2 minutes, during which you could finish reading a short story on Teens. Pedestrians are then given just 30 seconds to cross the street.

“I stop for red lights. But if I’m really in a hurry or the traffic interval (区间) is long enough for me to cross, I move slowly forward (向前) seconds before the light turns green,” said Qi Xin, 17, living in Fengtai district in Beijing.

However, the long waiting time cannot serve as an excuse for breaking the rules, commentator Li Zhiyong wrote on the People’s Daily.

“As long as the design of traffic lights remains the same, everyone should obey the rules, otherwise (否则) the country will be out of order and danger will be incurred for pedestrians,” wrote Li.

Roman Holiday without the snacks

IN the movie Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn shows the world what a romantic (浪漫的) scene is all about: wandering around Rome with a lover by your side and an ice cream in hand. But those who want to experience this may now have to pay a large price.

Rome’s city council (议会) passed a new law in October. It prohibits (禁止) tourists from eating pizza, sandwiches or any other snacks or fast food around the historical sites in the city. Violators (违反者) will be fined (罚款) from 25 euros (202 yuan) up to 500 euros (4,044 yuan).

City authorities explained that the law aims to improve people’s manners and protect sites that have a historic or architectural (建筑的) value.

Similar bans (禁令) have been applied in some other Italian cities. In Venice, for example, eating snacks in the street is prohibited in St Mark’s Square.

Critics say such bans reflect (反映) Italians’ attitudes toward public eating: they rarely eat or drink in the street.

Students try brand new eye exercises

DON’T be puzzled if a group of students sit nearby and start rolling their eyeballs at you. They may be doing their new eye exercises.

In a recent online video, a girl demonstrates (展示) a new eye exercise program. She keeps her eyes open and rolls her eyeballs around to the music, or closes her eyes first and then opens them and tries her best to look up.

The new program was designed by the Taizhou Office of the China School Health Action in Zhejiang Province and Bright Angel Eye-Protecting Center for Students. As a pilot scheme (计划), some schools in Shandong and Hubei have adopted (采用) the new program.

In a CCTV report, some students who tried the exercise said they felt dizzy (头晕的) and sleepy after doing it. Some were even worried about turning cross-eyed.

Doctors say that the program only exercises external muscles (外部肌肉) of the eyes. It cannot relieve eye fatigue (疲劳) and has little effect in preventing nearsightedness.

重点讲解

高考词汇

mentally adv. 心理上

We must equip the children mentally and physically to meet the trial they will face.

various adj. 各种各样的

There are various ways of getting to the station.

length n. 长度，时间的长短

The length of your talk must be at least 10 minutes.

obey vt. 遵守，服从

I always obey my father.

长难句分析

While many people..., recent research... – the duration of red lights in China exceeds what people can mentally bear.

本句中的while表示“虽然，尽管”；破折号后的分句进一步说明人们闯红灯的另一个原因，该句的主干为the duration…exceeds what people can mentally bear，what引导宾语从句，意思是“人们心理能够承受的范围”。

考点看台

Seldom does a red light in these countries exceed the limits.

本句为部分倒装句。当句子以否定词，如seldom，never，hardly，little, not only等开头时，要用部分倒装，即把谓语动词的一部分（助动词或情态动词等）提前放到主语前面。

A new approach

美国课堂为吸引学生出奇招。

词数 367 建议阅读时间 7分钟 教案和课件见网站 测试见7版

LIKE so many teachers, Cristi Derow and Jennifer Bradley have spent most of their careers giving classroom lectures to students who sat passively (消极地) in their seats.

The Lewisville, Texas, school teachers were aware (知晓) that the hours they spent on preparing lessons were too often wasted on many students.

“We were losing half the class. They were looking at us, but they weren’t listening,” said Derow, who co-teaches history classes with Bradley.

So Forestwood High School, Texas, did something new by using the “flipped (翻转的) classroom” method of instruction.

“We’ve completely done away with our lectures,” Derow said.

And homework assignments (作业) “are all done in class,” Bradley said.

With the flipped concept (概念), a student’s usual homework assignment is to watch pre-recorded lectures on their computers or smart phones.

They walk into class ready to discuss the topic, collaborate (合作) with other students and work on assignments based on what they learned from the videos.

Free from lecturing, the teachers can use class time to look deeper into the subject and focus on difficult concepts.

“Now students are actively engaged (投入的),” said the teachers, who have seen a 15-20 percent increase in test scores.

As students change from a passive to an active role, they learn critical (批判性的) thinking skills, learn to collaborate and become independent learners.

Instead of doing homework assignments alone at home, students are now “working together, talking about it,” Bradley said. “If they don’t agree on an answer, they debate it and have to justify (为……辩护) their answers. It’s a higher level of learning.”

Her students give the flipped classroom high marks.

Sarah Lee, 14, watches the 30-minute videos on a home computer. She likes the ability to rewind (重播) the tapes if she doesn’t understand a concept.

She also likes being able to take breaks and watch the lessons on her own schedule. “I can watch the videos over two or three days,” she said.

Classmate Dawson Depperschmidt said she sometimes watches the video lectures on her iPhone at soccer games.

She likes learning the lessons before she goes to school and thinks the time she spends in the classroom is more productive.

“It gives us more time to learn at school,” Dawson said. “You get more in-depth in class.”

School gets festival feeling

美国大兵、唐朝仕女、迈克尔·杰克逊……我们的集市有你想看的一切！

词数 290 建议阅读时间 6分钟

TRY to imagine this: American soldiers wandering around with black “guns” in their hands; beauties of the Tang Dynasty sitting gracefully (优雅地) beside them; and a group of “Michael Jacksons” singing and dancing at the same time. Sounds like a daydream, right? But it’s real! They were just some of the performances by students on our playground last week.

October is our school’s traditional “month of arts”. We hold various activities over the whole month, such as indoor concerts and poetry (诗歌) reading competitions. What we like best is the students’ fair, during which we can sell and buy things all by ourselves on the playground.

This year, the activity was rather fascinating (有吸引力的). Walking around the campus, you could hear lots of students shouting out to promote their products (产品). Some students even dressed in fancy costumes to attract customers’ attention. Now you can start to imagine what I described at the beginning of the article.

There were many kinds of things for sale at the fair. Clocks, glasses, funny costumes and books were all sold at low prices. Shoes and clothes, on which students can draw pictures, were especially popular. As well as items (物品) for sale, the fair brings many activities for students to take part in. If you want to play a ball game, have a game of chess, or enjoy a violin performance, you need to pay first.

Both the buyers and sellers enjoyed this year’s activities very much. One of my classmates told me with great joy that he sold his calligraphy (书法) work at a satisfying price. And my friends happily filled their bags with all kinds of things they bought at the fair.

We all loved the “month of arts”. It made our school life colorful and enjoyable!

Social parenting

如果父母要求加你为QQ好友，你愿意吗？

擂 场：河北省保定一中450班

指导教师：李 娜 组织学生：李昂泽

YES. We can get on better with our parents on QQ.

Li Angze: Because of the generation gap (代沟), it is not always easy for children and parents to have face-to-face communication. But on the Internet, as they don’t see each other directly, they will feel less embarrassed and talk with mutual (相互的) trust. It’s good for their relationship.

Liu Xiaoyue: I’d like to add my parents on QQ because it means my parents will have a thorough (完全的) understanding of me. For example, if I write something sad on my QQ signature (签名), my parents will know I am feeling blue and cheer me up. If my parents go out of town, we can use QQ to see each other.

Li Danrui: Parents always love us and they do everything good for us. Adding them to the list of our QQ friends is a way to show that we appreciate their love and we trust and love them too. There is a lot of inappropriate (不合适的) content (内容) on the Internet. Our parents can help us stay away from it.

NO. Adding our parents on QQ is not necessary and will only mean we lose some of our privacy (隐私).

Yan Feiyi: In my opinion, QQ is just like my diary. I can say everything in my QQ space and signature. I am old enough to have an independent space. I’m afraid that if I add my parents on QQ, I will not say the things I want to in case (以防) my parents see them. I don’t like that.

Wang Wanlin: My parents disagree with making friends online, and they don’t like me to do it either. If I add them on QQ, they may always worry about what I am doing when they see I’m online. But in fact, I don’t talk with strangers. To stop them worrying about me, I will not add them on QQ.

Wang Congyu: I don’t think it’s necessary to do so. We are family and we can and should talk face to face. We can see our parents’ love for us in their eyes or hugs, which we cannot get in QQ. Direct conversation is more efficient.

Cyber Fever

YUANFANG is not only the right-hand man (得力助手) of Di Renjie, a famous detective (侦探) from the Tang Dynasty, in the TV series Detective DiRenjie, he is also one of the busiest people in China’s cyberspace (网络).

Everyone seems to favor his opinion. Even Taiwanese singer Yoga Lin (林宥嘉), 25, has been caught by “Yuanfang” fever.

During a press meeting (新闻发布会) in Shanghai last week, when the room was made brighter so people could take photographs, the 25-year-old joked: “The lights are on. Yuanfang, what’s your opinion?”

But Lin admitted that he didn’t even know who Li Yuanfang was until several days ago. “His name is all over micro blogs, so I did a little research and found that he was said to be a guard of Di Renjie.”

Fever在这里不是“发烧”的意思，而是“一时的狂热，高度的兴奋”，即a situation in which many people feel very excited or strongly about something。例如：The whole country was caught up in “Justin Bieber” fever.

In a row

THEY shot to stardom less than a year ago, and now One Direction, the UK’s favorite boy band, have made it onto the British under-30s rich list.

As a group they have reached No 5 on UK magazine Heat’s chart of rich, young celebrities, having collected a fortune of ￡26.33 million (about 270 million yuan) between them.

The list has been topped by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe for two years in a row. Radcliffe has a fortune of ￡53.33 million. Interestingly, his two fellow (伙伴) actors in the wizard (巫师) movie, Rupert Grint (who plays Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are on the list too, ranking 7th and 4th.

In a row意思是“连续地，一个接一个地”，即happening a number of times without a break, one after another。例如：This is the third Sunday in a row that it’s rained.

Future couple

A COUPLE in the UK like to do things differently – they live in the future.

For the past six years Janys and John Warren have lived by British Summertime throughout the year. Instead of putting the clocks back at the start of winter they do not change them. The couple said that living like this has had a positive (积极的) effect on their lives.

The pair, who are both retired, began to experiment with time to see if it would help ease (减轻) Mr Warren’s cluster headaches, a condition thought to be brought on by changing the clocks.

The couple said that they feel a lot healthier than they used to. Mrs Warren, 68, told The Telegraph: “We heard that someone who suffered from them [cluster headaches] went to Australia and did not change his clocks and did not have an episode (发作). It’s worked for us too.”

Children’s minds take flight

HOW do you get a child’s early education off the ground? A head teacher in the Georgian city of Rustavi has found a unique way of creating an exciting learning environment. He has transformed (改造) an airplane into a kindergarten.

Gari Chapidze bought an old Yakovlev Yak-42 from Georgian Airways and filled it with education equipment, games and toys but left the cockpit (座舱) intact (完好无损的) so it could be used as a play area.

“The idea was to create a kindergarten where children go with joy,” Chapidze, who runs the kindergarten, told AFP. “The children come in to the kindergarten with pleasure and cry when they have to go home. They are happy here,” he added. How uplifting (振奋人心的)!

horoscope 趣味星座(Nov 5 – Nov 11)

本周最需要决断力的星座

Just for fun. Don’t take it seriously.

Libra天秤座(Sept 23 – Oct 23)

Don’t leave anything unfinished this week but make sure you get all your work done. Hesitating for too long is a waste of your time and will get you nowhere. Do your homework and make decisions quickly. Sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see what everyone else does first, could mean you end up missing a good opportunity.

本周不要拖拖拉拉，所有事情最好及时解决。犹豫太久只会浪费时间，不会带来任何好处(get you nowhere)。不论是写作业还是做决定都不要拖沓。站在一旁观望别人的行动会让你错失良机。

Scorpio天蝎座(Oct 24 – Nov 22)

This week you might find that things are not going as well as you expected. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. It isn’t a sign of weakness. In fact, asking for help when you need it is a good thing. Talking to someone who is more knowledgeable than you will inspire you in many ways.

本周你可能常常会觉得事与愿违。需要向别人寻求帮助时不要犹豫不决。知道何时求助其实是一种能力，而不是软弱的表现。常与比你博学(knowledgeable)的人聊聊天，总会在各方面对你有所启发(inspire)。

Sagittarius射手座(Nov 23 – Dec 21)

With a little extra effort you can get rid of a bad habit this week. Having battled with yourself for some time, this new change will brighten up your day and allow you to see things differently. You should know that by letting go of old habits you make room for new possibilities.

只要再做一点点的努力，本周你就能摆脱(get rid of)一个坏习惯。你已经和自己斗争了很久，一旦改变这个习惯，你会觉得世界都亮起来，并且会用一种不一样的眼光看待自己。毕竟，只有戒掉坏习惯，才能腾出空间(make room for)来迎接新的气象。

QUIZ TIME

Day 1

A new approach (P3)

Choose the best answer:

1. What can we conclude from the first three paragraphs?

A. Teachers in Lewisville enjoyed giving classroom lectures.

B. It takes time for students to concentrate and understand in class.

C. Many students took an inactive part in lecture-style classes.

D. Teachers in Lewisville found that there was no need to prepare lessons.

2. What difference does the “flipped classroom” method make to students?

A. They have to prepare lectures by themselves.

B. They need to do more homework at home.

C. They have to be independent and cooperative.

D. They have more arguments with classmates.

3. What does the underlined word “productive” mean?

A. achieving a lot

B. causing difficulties

C. trying new methods

D. reducing risks

4. What are the benefits of the “flipped classroom” method?

a. Teachers have time to solve deeper problems.

b. Teachers don’t have to design homework for students.

c. Students are engaged in a higher level of learning.

d. Students study according to their own schedule.

A. a, b, c B. a, b, d

C. b, c, d D. a, c, d

Day 2

Rules of the rail (P4)

阅读短文并根据文章内容回答问题，注意答案不要超过题目规定的字数。

1. What is the main point of the article? (No more than 8 words)

__________________________________________

2. What does the author think of the unwritten rules? (No more than 10 words)

__________________________________________

3. What do Londoners do to avoid being too crowded in the carriage? (No more than 15 words)

__________________________________________

4. What problems arise when it comes to getting a seat on the tube? (No more than 10 words)

__________________________________________

5. Translate the following sentence into Chinese.

A few people will smile and realize that the unfriendly underground environment is silly.

__________________________________________

Day 3

Can you catch a... (P5)

Choose the best answer:

1. What is the main point of the first three paragraphs?

A. To introduce the idea of contagious yawning.

B. To explain that yawning is not a unique phenomenon among humans.

C. To explain why some animals yawn and others do not.

D. To show how yawning spreads from one person to another.

2. Which of the following statements about the experiment is TRUE?

B. More students started to yawn as time went on.

A. Students were asked to complete a test in the waiting room.

C. The students who yawned more were found to be more empathetic.

D. Fewer students yawned than scientists had expected.

3. What problem might kids with autism have?

A. They might be unable to walk.

B. They might have problems with attention.

C. They might love themselves too much.

D. They might have difficulty understanding how others feel or behave.

4. We can conclude from the article that ______.

A. humans become more empathetic as they grow old

B. kids younger than four don’t yawn when they see others do so

C. empathy is learned in school

D. people won’t react to yawning if they dislike the person yawning

Day 4

Home comforts (P6)

Choose the best answer:

1. In the author’s eyes, the house is the loveliest because ______.

A. it’s full of her childhood memories

B. it is both beautiful and ridiculous

C. it’s her grandparents’ house

D. it is huge and full of antiques

2. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 5?

A. To explain why her grandma often got cross with her.

B. To show how wonderful the vegetable garden is.

C. To explain why the garden is her favorite place in the house.

D. To talk about her memories of the vegetable garden.

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the drawing room?

A. It had a lovely polished red floor.

B. It was a well-furnished room but not used very often.

C. It was where the author had the most fun.

D. It was open every day except on Sundays and festivals.

4. Why did the author think it was a mistake to go back to the house?

A. The house was in a terrible condition.

B. She didn’t want to recapture the past.

C. She preferred to keep it in her sweet memory.

D. The house wasn’t what she remembered it to be.

Day 5

阅读下面的材料并根据内容选出最佳选项。

If you discover a fire:

1. Immediately operate the nearest Fire Alarm (火警) Call Point.

The fire alarm is a continuous Siren (汽笛).

2. Phone the switchboard (总机) on 5555 and say where the fire is.

3. Fight the fire if possible with the equipment provided, but do not take any personal risks.

On hearing the alarm:

A.The Alert Signal (警报信号) is a series of short signals on the fire alarm. On hearing this signal you should await further instructions.

B.The General Fire Alarm is a continuous sounding of the alarm, which when it sounds means all persons should go to the designated (指定的) assembly (集合) point at:

Assembly Point 1

By Watford Road

Use the nearest available exit (出口).

Do Not use the lift.

Do Not stop to collect personal belongings.

Do Not re-enter the building.

Any Disabled Person will be assisted by the Nominated (指定的) Persons

University of Westminster: Harrow Campus

1. If you discover a fire in the Harrow Campus, you should ______.

a. call a friend or a relative to come over and help

b. put out the fire with anything you can find at hand

c. sound the nearest fire alarm call as soon as possible

d. dial 5555 on your phone to make an emergency call

A. ab B. bc

C. bd D. cd

2. People who hear the Alert Signal should ______.

A. find the proper firefighting equipment

B. wait for further emergency instructions

C. run to the nearest assembly point

D. operate the nearest Fire Alarm Call Point

3. Which of the following actions is recommended in case of fire?

A. Make sure of your own safety first.

B. Leave by the lift as quickly as possible

C. Help disabled people and their companions.

D. Return when you find someone left behind.

（答案见下期）

P6 Key:

1. I am writing to make a complaint about your poor quality.

2. I can hardly put up with your product any more.

3. It would be highly appreciated if you could make up for my loss.

4. I hope you will take this matter seriously.

上期参考答案

D1 DCCA D2 BABB

D3 BDDC D4 BCGED

D5 1-5 CCADB 6-10 BADAD

Home comforts

REUTERS

词数 361 建议阅读时间 6分钟 教案和课件见网站 测试见7版

THE loveliest house that I have ever lived in was one that my grandparents owned. This house was called Crosslands and I lived there when I was a child.

I had some very happy times at Crosslands. It seemed so big to me as a child. It had a beautiful living room with a piano in it and a hall area with lots of carpets (地毯) and antiques (古董). And there was a mysterious drawing room which we only used on Sundays or on special occasions.

I used to be amazed by this room because it had the best furniture in it but it was covered up with sheets (床单). It was as if all the furniture was wearing clothes and it seemed ridiculous to me that we couldn’t enjoy this lovely furniture all week long.

My favorite room was probably the kitchen. It had a lovely red floor, which was always polished, and one big cooker to heat the whole room so it was always warm. There was also a kind of clotheshorse (晒衣架) above it that we used to hang all our stuff on, and it was just lovely. It was a very warm room and my grandmother used to make ice cream that we’d eat there.

I spent a lot of time in the vegetable garden, picking peas and eating them. My grandmother used to get really cross with me because I would pick all the vegetables and fruit for dinner, but eat half of it before she could start cooking. The homegrown food tasted so fresh and delicious.

I went back to Crosslands a few years ago and it was a big mistake. They’ve modernized the house and got rid of those lovely old fireplaces. They’ve also knocked a wall down so the drawing room and living room have become one big modern room. I think what upset me most about going back was the feeling that the house had shrunk (缩小). It had become smaller and my memory of this lovely, large, warm, comfortable house was completely different. It taught me a valuable lesson: we can’t always recapture (再体验) the past but at least we can keep the beautiful memories of it with us.

Words in focus

occasion n. the time at which an event occurs 场合，时刻

She wrote a song especially for the occasion.

ridiculous adj. very silly or unreasonable 荒谬的，可笑的

She looks ridiculous in that dress.

polish vt. make (sth) smooth and shiny by rubbing it 磨光，擦亮

He polished his shoes.

get cross with get angry at 对……生气

I got cross with her for being so careless.

get rid of do sth so that you no longer have or are affected or bothered by (sth or sb that is unwanted) 摆脱，除去

It’s time to get rid of our old computer and buy a new one.

Sentence bank

释义：以前我对这个房间感觉很奇怪，因为它里面放着最好的家具，可是却用床单都罩起来了。

词组：used to，“过去常常（但现在不了）”；be amazed by，“因为……感到吃惊或惊奇”；be covered with，“用……覆盖着”。

释义：它（指厨房）有漂亮的红地板，地板上总是打过蜡亮亮的，还有一个大大的炉灶能让整个房间都热起来，所以厨房里总是很暖和。

分析：定语从句which was always polished修饰的是先行词floor；不定式to heat the whole room作定语修饰名词cooker。

“花花”世界

在希腊神话中，爱神阿佛洛狄特为了寻找在打猎时受伤的情人阿多尼斯，奔跑在玫瑰花丛中，玫瑰刺破了她的手和腿，鲜血滴在玫瑰的花瓣上，白玫瑰从此变成了红色的，红玫瑰也因此成了坚贞爱情的象征。正所谓“一花一世界”，花花草草的世界你熟悉多少？

Building Blocks 聚沙成塔

实用的热点题材语料库供你背诵和仿写，助你玩转英文写作！

话题：人际关系（Interpersonal relationships）

新课程标准要求我们在人际关系方面掌握下列方面的表达：1. People; 2. Social behavior; 3. Getting together。今天我们主要侧重Social behavior中的“抱怨和投诉”这个话题。

同学们，当你们对购买的商品和提供的服务有所不满时,你能有理有节地投诉吗？以下是一些你有可能用到的词句：

亮点表达

1. make a complaint about 抱怨

I am writing to make a complaint about the poor service.

2. be reluctant to 不愿意做；unbearable 不可忍受的；bear /put up with 忍受

I am most reluctant to complain, but the service is unbearable.

I can hardly bear / put up with it any more.

3. annoying 讨厌的；be annoyed about 对……感到讨厌

It’s annoying that we have to wait such a long time.

I am really annoyed about it.

4. be pleased/satisfied with 对……满意；feel disappointed 对……失望；unsatisfactory 令人不满意的

I have been pleased with your service for years, but now I feel very disappointed.

I am writing because I find your products unsatisfactory.

5. It would be highly appreciated if… 如果……我将十分感谢；make up for 弥补

It would be highly appreciated if you could help me with this.

We will appreciate your willingness to make up for the loss.

6. take sth seriously 认真对待；take…into consideration 考虑

I trust you will take it seriously.

I trust you will take my complaint into consideration.

7. draw one’s attention 引起某人的注意

I’d like to draw your attention to this letter.

8. inconvenience 不便；in perfect condition 没有毛病的，使用情况良好的；get sth settled 解决某事

In view of the inconvenience that this has caused, could you exchange it for a new one that is in perfect condition for me?

I would like to get this matter settled by the end of this month.

亮点仿写

1. 我写信是为了投诉你们糟糕的质量。

2. 我无法再忍受你们的产品。

3. 如果你们对我的损失做出补偿，我将不胜感激。

4. 我希望你们能认真对待这件事情。

Rules of the rail

Top 5 calorie-burning movies独具特色的伦敦地铁。

词数 312 测试见7版 建议阅读时间 6分钟

Like subway systems all around the world, there are two main rules on the London Underground: Please mind the gap and please give up your seat to a person carrying a child or heavy luggage (行李).

But London’s 150-year-old transport system is unique because there are also two unwritten rules that are, if anything, even more important: Never make eye contact and don’t get too close to the other commuters (乘客). If you do any of these things you will upset the balance, and the whole carriage (车厢) will give you unfriendly stares (眼神).

On the “tube” as it is known in England, people do not talk to one another, nor look at one another. If they do make any eye contact, they will look away faster than you can say duibuqi. A respectful (礼貌的) space is also kept between commuters. In crowded carriages people will press themselves to the door at station stops, so the carriage looks full when actually there is plenty of space. There is no squashing (挤) yourself in like a sardine (沙丁鱼) as Beijing subway passengers do.

But perhaps the biggest problem comes with getting a seat, and some people in England have made websites dedicated (致力于) to explaining how to get a seat. If you are lucky enough to find yourself sitting in one of the few coveted (觊觎的) seats, however, you will be the envy (羡慕对象) of the entire carriage and draw unwanted attention to yourself, so you can’t win.

Sometimes the train driver will make a joke over the loud speaker, saying something like, “How is everyone getting on in there?” and the train tension (紧张) will be broken momentarily. A few people will smile and realize that the unfriendly Underground environment is silly. But as soon as this moment passes it will be back to the basic rules: No eye contact, no touching, no invasion (入侵) of personal space and no standing on the left.

Making a winning move

投奔曼联，范佩西欲实现冠军梦。

词数 364 建议阅读时间 7分钟

You are an excellent player and enjoy a father-son relationship with your coach, but you come home empty-handed in almost every competition. You can choose to join your rivals (对手), or stay with your current (目前的) team. What do you do?

This is the dilemma (进退两难的局面) that Robin van Persie faced.

The 29-year-old has been the talk of the town for the entire summer – given the bitter rivalry between Arsenal, the club he was with for eight years, and Manchester United, the team he is joining.

In his latest Eurosport column (专栏) on Yahoo, Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger made no attempt to hide his sadness at the departure (离开) of Van Persie. Wenger described seeing his star player joining their rivals as “a bitter pill to swallow (下咽)”.

He wrote: “You have to deal with it. That’s life. I would have preferred Van Persie to sign for a club in a foreign country, in order to avoid playing against him several times a season.”

Van Persie’s move has raised certain questions such as: what matters more, personal ambition (抱负) or loyalty (忠诚)?

The Dutchman came to England in 2004 with a reputation for being difficult. During his three years with Feyenoord (2001-04), he clashed (冲突) repeatedly with manager Bert van Marwijk. The Dutch club tried to sell him in 2004 but found few takers until Arsenal gave him a chance. “I *owe Wenger a big debt (债) of thanks because he believed in me,” he said.

Van Persie suffered injuries in his first few seasons with Arsenal but he was at his best in 2011-12, when he became the Premier League’s top scorer.

Wenger set up a winning strategy centered on him. But it would be unfair (不公平) to say that he left for better pay. “I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win titles with the team,” he said in a statement. Since the FC Cup back in 2005, Arsenal hasn’t won a major competition.

“Traitor” Van Persie, as he has been called by some Arsenal fans, fits in well at Manchester United – being the lead scorer, he helped United beat Chelsea 3-2 on Oct 28.

His ambition outweighs (超过) loyalty. What do you think of his choice?

要表达对别人的善意和帮助的感谢，我们可以用owe a debt of gratitude/thanks to这个词组。意为have a good reason to be very grateful to someone，即“欠……的情；非常感激”。

Ready to take a Furby home?

今年最火的智能宠物“菲比精灵”。

词数 229 建议阅读时间 5分钟

Its big eyes can easily catch your attention and if you take it home, it can offer you more than the average teddy bear. Meet Furby, the hottest toy this year.

Furby was first introduced six years ago. It could “listen” to conversations. When you patted its head, it could say a number of words. At that time, the toy was considered so advanced (先进的) that the US government even banned (禁止) it from its National Security Agency offices – fearing it might repeat top-secret information to unofficial ears.

This year the toy has made a comeback, with several new high-tech features. The most amazing improvement is the embedded (内置的) smartphone and tablet (平板电脑) apps, which allow you to feed the creature and translate its words into English.

But Furby can do more than you think. It learns words from human speech, so that the more you talk to it, the more it can talk back. Despite its cute appearance and intelligence, the Daily Mail describes the Furby as “a challenging (有挑战性的) toy”. In fact, it is not so much a toy, but a pet, asking for lots of care and attention. Your actions will directly impact (影响) how the toy develops.

Even the most minor neglect (微小的忽视), such as forgetting to feed it, may have disastrous (灾难般的) result. And it’s often very difficult to please the Furby once you’ve upset it.

So what would you prefer: a relaxing toy or a challenging Furby?

Swiftly upload these songs

一起欣赏斯威夫特大热单曲吧。

词数 162 建议阅读时间 3分钟

IF you are looking for some new tracks to put on your MP3 player, why not download (下载) Red – the new album by US singer Taylor Swift.

The CD came out on Oct 22. According to The Wall Street Journal, it sold more than 1 million copies in its first week in US stores.

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is one of the album’s hit songs. It shot to the top of the iTunes best-sellers list in 25 countries, setting a new record for paid downloads by a female artist.

It tells the story of a breakup. Here are some of the lyrics:

I remember when we broke up the first time

Seeing this is, and had enough, it’s like

We haven’t seen each other in a month

When you, said you, needed space, what?

When you come around again and say

Baby, I miss you and I swear (发誓) I’m gonna change

…

Animal talent show

动物才艺表演

游戏玩法

两个人一组，事先不要读故事。其中一个人按照横线下面的提示让另一个人想出一个单词，然后由第一个人填在横线上。最后，一起大声朗读，欣赏你们的杰作！

It’s ____________(day of the week) today. There is an animal talent show in ____________(your home city).

My cat ____________(卡通角色) is one of the performers. I have trained (训练) her for many ____________(minutes/ days/ months /years ) for the show. She can ____________(verb) while riding on a(n) ____________(animal). But is she good enough2 to win?

The first performer is a(n) ____________(color) pig. He can draw with his ____________(body part). Next up is a dog. He ____________(动词第三人称单数) with one foot. Finally it is ____________(相同卡通角色)’s turn. She looks a little ____________(形容词) at first. But she performs so ____________(副词). “____________(感叹词)!” people yell (喊叫). I hear the judges (裁判) name3 my cat the winner. Hurray!

Can you catch a yawn?

打哈欠为什么会传染？

词数 353 建议阅读时间 7分钟 教案和课件见网站 测试见7版

IT happens all the time. As soon as you see or hear someone yawn (打哈欠), you cannot help but do it too. It is clear to see that yawning is contagious (有感染力的).

“Contagious yawning is a very interesting behavior,” Catriona Morrison at the University of Leeds, UK, told the BBC. “You don’t need a visual cue (视觉上的暗示)... you don’t even need to think about it.”

This phenomenon has left scientists puzzled for years. In fact, many animals yawn, even snakes and lizards (蜥蜴), but only humans, chimpanzees (黑猩猩) and dogs can be affected by others’ yawning – or “catch a yawn”, as it is called. This suggests that the reason we yawn when others do is psychological (心理上的).

Contagious yawning shows that you share others’ feelings and want to connect with them, even though it is done without thinking, according to Discovery.com. It looks like yawning is more than just a sign of sleepiness or boredom.

“We believe that contagious yawning indicates (表明) empathy (移情作用). It indicates an appreciation of other people’s behavioral and physiological state,” Morrison said.

Scientists at the University of Leeds carried out an experiment on students to test this idea. Each student stayed in a waiting room for 10 minutes with someone who yawned once every minute. Meanwhile, scientists recorded how often the students yawned in response (反应) and each student was then asked to complete a test showing their empathetic skills.

The results showed that the students who had yawned most scored higher on their empathy tests.

Brain scans (扫描) have shown that we use the same area of our brain when we react to yawning as we do when we consider others.

However, young children don’t have this psychological ability because they haven’t learned to feel empathy.

To find out when this behavior develops, Molly Helt at the University of Connecticut, US, studied 120 kids. She found that kids at the age of 4 were able to “catch a yawn”. She also noticed that kids with autism were less affected by others yawning.

“The fact that autistic kids don’t do it might mean they’re really missing out on that unconscious emotional (情感的) linkage (联系) to those around them,” she said.

Fight fat with fear at the movies

BORED teenagers who want to find something exciting might watch a horror (恐怖的) movie. However, it turns out that scary films serve another purpose too – they can actually help you lose weight.

Scientists from the University of Westminster, UK, found that viewers who put themselves through 90 minutes of terror can burn up to 113 calories, the same amount lost during a 30-minute walk.

Hit psychological (心理的) movie The Shining topped the list of calorie-burners; viewers can use on average up to 184 calories watching it. Jaws took the second place, with viewers burning around 161 calories, The Telegraph reported.

In the study, scientists measured (测量) the energy loss of 10 people as they watched a series of horror movies. Their heartbeat and breathing were all monitored (监测).

“As the pulse (脉搏) quickens and blood pumps (流动) around the body faster, the body experiences a surge (激增) in adrenaline (肾上腺素),” said Richard Mackenzie, a member of the study. “Adrenaline is known to lower the appetite (胃口), increase the metabolic (新陈代谢) speed and finally burn a higher level of calories.”

The results also showed that scenes designed to make viewers jump in horror are the best calorie-burners, as they cause the heartbeat to speed up.

Make sure you don’t watch any of these movies unless you’ve got a strong heart!

Top 5 calorie-burning movies

1. The Shining (《闪灵》): 184 calories

2. Jaws (《大白鲨》): 161 calories

3. The Exorcist (《驱魔人》): 158 calories

4. Alien (《异形》): 152 calories

5. Saw (《电锯惊魂》): 133 calories

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