初二17-18年第15期总第601期
New railway arrives (P2)
Pre-reading
1. Have you ever taken a high-speed railway?
2. Can you list some advantages of the high-speed rail?

While reading
Choose the answer:
1. Startingfrom this month, it will take      to travel from Xi' an to Chengdu by high-speed train.
A. 16 hours   B. 13 hours   C. 3 hours   D. 1 hour

2. Which of the following is TRUE of the new Xi’an-Chengdu railway?
A. It is China’s first high-speed railway.
B. It runs through the Qinling Mountains.
C. It is the first mountain-heavy train line.
D. It the first train line with 4G network access.

3. Why did people build the railway to be environmentally friendly?
A. To save money and energy.
B. To avoid damaging the mountains.
C. To avoid harming wild animals.
D. To help the train run through tunnels quietly.

4. What are experts using to stop birds from flying into the train?
A. Tunnels.
B. Tracks.
C. Protective shields.
D. Protective nets.

Words in use
用以下单词或短语的适当形式完成句子：
shorten, through, environment, make sure 
1.This is important to                          you are losing body fat and not muscle. 
2. I have asked him to                my pants.
3. The ball went                     the window.
4. She is not used to the new                        .

Post-reading
Although the high-speed rail is designed to be environmentally friendly, do you think it could still harm or influence the wildlife that live nearby? Discuss with your partner.
Value your volunteers (P3)
Pre-reading
1. Have you joined in volunteer activities before?
2. Share you experience with your classmates.

While reading
Choose the answer:
1. What was the author’s job at the Color Run in Melbourne?
A. She ran beside the runners.
B. She gave high-fives to runners.
C. She offered water to runners.
D. She led runners to the finishing line.

2. At the very beginning, the author felt              about her volunteer job.
A. happy  B. tired  C. angry  D. bored

3. What made the author feel moved?
A. Seeing so many people cross the finish line.
B. Her clothes were soaked with sweat.
C. Seeing some kids who were struggling, but refused to give up.
D. All of the runners gave her a high-five.

4. According to the author, what is the meaning of being a volunteer?
A. Having as much fun as the runners.
B. Learning to choose an easy job.
C. Making herself full of strength.
D. Meeting different people and being encouraged by their spirit.

Words in use
用以下单词或短语的适当形式完成句子：
volunteer, without, activity, full of
1. Her eyes were                   tears.
2. Everybody likes to join in this                      . 
3. Many people                   to work on the farms.
4.                    the sun, nothing would grow.

Post-reading
What is the best reason for being a volunteer? Do you think being a volunteer is meaningful?

Plants light our lives (P4)
Pre-reading
Do you like taking selfies? Why?

While reading
Choose the answer:
1. The underlined word “proof” in Paragraph 1 means _____.
A. 消息  B. 证据   C. 例子   D. 历史

2. Which may be the earliest selfie, according to the story?
A. Paris Hilton and Britney Spears’ selfie.
B. Buzz Aldrin’s selfie in space.
C. A color photo taken by an American scientist.
D. A black-and-white photo of Robert Cornelius.

3. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Paris Hilton is insecure and shy.
B. Why people enjoy taking selfies
C. Why are people naturally vain?
D. Taking selfies is a good way to make friends.

4. What can we tell from paragraphs 4 and 5?
A. Taking selfies can be dangerous.
B. There are no advantages to taking selfies.
C. Every year, 127 people die from taking selfies, on average.
D. Taking selfies near cliffs is more dangerous than underwater. 

Words in use
用所给单词或短语的适当形式完成句子：
1. Can you tell me who                   the telephone? (invent)
2. People enjoy             the clothes I wear, though they seem all right to me. (make fun of)
3. It is                   to walk on thin ice in a lake. (dangerous)
4. The flowers in the garden                from frost. (die)

Post-reading
People like taking selfies. Everybody has their own tips for taking good selfies. Is there a way to make selfies look more professional or beautiful? Please share your tips with your partner.
提示：6 fantastic tips on taking selfies
1. Check yourself out
2. Good lighting
3. Background check
4. Choose the right angle
5. fully utilize your hands and props
6. edit your photo

答案与解析：
P1
1. C. 文中第一段提到“But starting this month, the new Xi’an-Chengdu high-speed railway will shorten this travel time to 3 hours ”，由此可知答案选C。
2. B. 文中第二段提到“The 643-km line is China’s first high-speed railway to run through the Qinling Mountains ”，由此可知答案选B 。
3. C. 根据题干将答案锁定在文中第四段上下文，文章第三、四段分别提到the train will pass “two areas for rare wild animals” 和“to reduce the railway’s influence on the animals ”,由此可知答案选C。
4. D. 文章第七段提到“To protect the thousands of crested ibises that fly near one part of the railway, protective nets have been set up along the tracks to make sure the birds will not fly into a train ”， 由此可知答案选D。
Word in use
1. make sure   2. shorten   3. through   4. environment
 
P3
1. B. 文中第二段第一句提到“My job was to give a high-five to every runner at the finish line”，由此可知答案选B。
2. A. 根据题干“beginning”这一提示，将答案锁定在第二段，随后作者提到“When the first runner passed, we reached out our hands and yelled “Good job” delightedly ”，因为delightedly与happy同义，所以选A。
3. C. 文中第三段第一句提到“At that moment, I was completely touched – they were so young, and they refused to give up”，“moved”与“touched”都有“被感动”之意，所以选C。
4. D. 文中最后一段提到“That is the meaning of being a volunteer ”，随后作者谈到“we meet different people and see the spirit that moves them ” ，由此可知答案选D。
Word in use
1. full of    2. activity   3. volunteer   4. Without

P4
1. B. 词义推断题一般可在上下文中找到线索，根据上下文意思以及“evidence”可推断“proof”指证据，由此可知答案选B。
2. D. 文中第二段最后一句提到“It is quite possibly the first selfie ever taken in history ”，而“it”指代上一句提到的“a black-and-white selfie taken by American photographer Robert Cornelius…in 1839 ”，由此可知答案选D。
3. B. 本题为段落大意题，第三段首句提到“Why do people love to take selfies so much? ”，由此可知答案选B。
4. A. 根据题干将答案锁定在4-5段，第四段首句提到“Taking selfies can be dangerous ”，由此推断答案选A。
Word in use
1. invented   2. making fun of   3. dangerous   4. died