Space students (P3)

I. Fast reading

Read the article quickly and answer the following questions:

1. What event drew the world’s attention to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the US?

On Nov 19,a satellite designed and built by students from this high school blasted into space.

2. What is the size of the satellite?

It is only 10x10x12 centimeters and weights just 0.89 kilograms.

3. How does the TJ3Sat send and receive data according to the article?

The small spacecraft is equipped with a voice synthesizer, which can convert text to voice and transmit those sounds back to Earth over radio frequencies.

II. Specific reading

Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions:

1. The underlined word "awed" in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ____.

A. influenced               B. amazed                    C. delighted                D. inspired

2. Which of the following statements about TJ3Sat is TRUE according to the article?

A. It took a group of students about a decade to build the satellite. 

B. Besides TJ3Sat, 28 other small satellites were built by the students.

C. TJ3Sat can receive text messages that the students send into space, which it can convert to voice messages and broadcast back to Earth.

D. TJ3Sat is expected to stay in orbit for the next year, sending out messages together with information about its position in space.

3. According to the article, the launch of the satellite _____.

A. is evidence of the advance of spacecraft technology

B. proves that hard-working teenagers can achieve a lot

C. shows the importance of extracurricular activities at school

D. has inspired many people to take an interest in space travel

Key:

1. B。一群学生发射卫星成功，这令他们的同龄人当然是感到惊讶，所以答案为B。

2. C。由第五段的“The small spacecraft is equipped with a voice synthesizer, which can convert text to voice and transmit those sounds back to Earth over radio frequencies”可以推知C为正确答案。由第三段的“It took the students seven years to build.”可知A项的a decade不对；B项的28 other small ones不是学生制作；由文中“The satellite will stay aloft for at least three months.”可知D项的for the next year不对。

3. B。由最后两段可以推知B为正确答案。

II. After reading

Discussion:

What can we learn from the students who designed and built satellite?

Many ways to be bored (P5)

I. Pre-reading

Discussion:

Ø At what times do you feel bored? Why?

Ø What do you usually do to relieve your boredom?

II. Reading

Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions:

1. With the three questions in the first paragraph, the author intends to ____.

A. classify the types of boredom with examples

B. make readers wonder how to relieve boredom

C. make readers interested in the article’s topic 

D. show that boredom is not as simple as you might assume

2. According to the article, boredom ____.

A. can be divided into four categories

B. has little do with one’s personality

C. has proven more dangerous to kids than adults

D. can make people become addicted to alcohol or drugs

3. According to the article, people who suffer from apathetic boredom ____.

A. are not socially active and are easily angered

B. are likely to feel helpless and depressed

C. don’t care about what other people think of them

D. are aware of their negative emotions and interested in getting rid of them

4. According to researchers, to relieve your boredom, the first thing you should do is ____.

A. increase the number of interactions you have with others

B. get some exercise to distract yourself

C. identify what type of boredom you are experiencing

D. do a favorite activity to make yourself feel relaxed

Key:

1. C。第一段作者形象地用三个问题，吸引读者到本文要探讨的话题boredom上，所以答案为C。

2. D。由第五段的“people who are bored tend to smoke, drink or use drugs”可知D为正确答案。

3. B。由第六段的“They tend to avoid social contact, which can, in turn, lead to helplessness and depression.”可以推知B为正确答案。

4. C。由最后两段可知，要驱走无聊，首先要弄明白自己属于哪一类boredom，所以C为正确答案。

III. Language study

1. Boredom, as scientists found in 2006, can be divided into four different types …

本句中as引导非限制性定语从句，as代替先行词boredom在从句中作found的宾语，as的意思是“正如，正像”。又如：He is a foreigner, as you can tell from his accent. 

2. Unlike the first four, which sufferers either don’t care about or try to respond to, apathetic boredom is a kind of boredom in which people have strong feelings of aversion but won’t do anything about it.

本句的主干是：apathetic boredom is a kind of boredom。which引导定语从句修饰先行词the first four，which代替先行词the first four在从句中作care about和respond to的宾语。in which引导的定语从句修饰先行词boredom。

Tips for dining (P6)

I. Pre-reading

Discussion:

Tipping is very common in the US and some European countries.

Ø  Do you know any unwritten rules of tipping in those countries?

Ø  What do you think of the idea of tipping?

II. Reading

Read the article and choose the best answer for each of the following questions:

1. What does the article mainly talk about?

A. How tipping culture started in the US.

B. Why tipping is becoming more popular in the US.

C. Measures the US government has taken to get rid of tips.

D. Debates throughout US history about whether or not to end tipping.

2. According to the article, tipping _____.

A. first started in France in the 17th century

B. was quickly accepted by servers and diners when it was introduced in America

C. was considered by some people to be part of an upper class lifestyle when it first started in the US

D. was banned in some states in the US at the beginning of the 20th century

3. It can be inferred from the article that after the tip credit was created, ____.

A. servers had to give the tips they had received to their bosses

B. cooks began to receive lower wages than servers

C. servers eventually received full minimum wage

D. servers had to offer better service to earn more

4. Chez Panisse added a service charge automatically to bills so that ____.

A. all of its staff could benefit from tips

B. servers could receive more in addition to tips

C. customers would be more satisfied

D. customers and servers would get along better

Key:

1. D。本文主要谈的是美国历史上关于该不该结束收取小费的争议，所以答案为D。

2. C。由第三段的“The concept wasn’t brought to America until the late 19th century, when wealthy travelers wanted to imitate Europeans, and it didn’t sit well with opponents who didn’t like the idea of creating an aristocratic (贵族的) class.”可知，19世纪的时候，小费的观念从英国传到美国，因为有些富有的旅行者想效仿欧洲，但是这一观念遭到一些人的反对，因为他们认为这一做法相当于创造了一个贵族阶层，所以C为正确答案。

3. D。由第六段可知，国会通过了小费政策(the tip credit)，允许餐馆雇主们对服务员支付的工资低于（法定）最低工资，因为他们能够通过小费来得到弥补，所以C不对，D为正确答案。同时，这一政策有利于雇主有足够的钱给厨师加薪，因为他们不能获得小费，这一政策实施后，他们的待遇相对改善，所以B不对。

4. A。由倒数第二段的“In Chez Panisse’s case it goes to a general fund that pays for higher wages and benefits for all staff, not just servers.”可知A为正确答案。

III. After reading

Fill in the blanks with proper words according to the article:

Tips in the US

In the late 19th century, the concept of tipping was brought to America by wealthy travelers who wanted to 1. _____ Europeans. Although some people were against tips, both servers and diners in the US eventually 2. _____ it.

By 1915, legislators from several states tried but failed to pass laws 3. _____ tips.

The Supreme Court said in 1942 that servers 4. _____ their tips and didn’t have to give them up to their bosses. Later, the tip credit was created by Congress, which allows restaurants to pay servers 5. _____ than full minimum wage based on the idea that employees make up the 6. _____ in tips.

In 1989 Berkeley’s Chez Panisse did away with tips and added a service charge 7. _____ to bills, which made both 8. _____ and servers displeased. A service charge isn’t a tip; it 9. _____ for all staff, not just servers. Nearly 25 years on, it’s still an 10. _____ for some customers and servers.

Key:

1. imitate     2. accepted         3. banning          4. owned             5. less

6. difference        7. automatically        8. customers      9. benefits           10. issue