| A．information | B．pronunciation | C．introduction | D．communication |
| A．how can I learn English better |
| B．why do you learn English better |
| C．how I can learn English better |
| D．why I learn English better |
| A．must; might not | B．mustn’t; might |
| C．needn’t; need | D．must; must |
It was October 1837. Samuel Morse and I, Alfred Vail, sat in our workshop. We were studying how to turn dots (●) and dashes (—) into a message.
Morse’s first idea was to tap out numbers-one tap for “1”, a long tap and two short ones for “12”, and so on. Then he made a big list of words and gave their numbers—“342”meant “train” and so on. But I wasn’t so sure this was the best way. His word book was huge. It would take hours to look up codes (代码). Too slow!
“Why couldn’t the dots and dashes stand for letters instead?” I shared my better idea.
“How could that work?” Morse asked.
“Well, for example, two dots could be ‘D’ instead of ‘2’. There are only 26 letters—why not give each one a dot-and-dash code? That way, words could be tapped out directly, letter by letter. Imagine the time saved!”
Morse snorted (哼了一声), really unhappy after all of his work on the word list. Just to try it, I wrote down the letters and gave each letter a tap code. Then I tapped out a message, and Morse deciphered (破译) it. Quickly!
He read out my message: “To tell the truth, I think this saves much time.” He nodded. “Yes, I see your point. Not bad.”
But I’d noticed something else about our code. “That message had a lot of T’s,” I said. “The code for a T is dash-dash dot…I’ll bet I could have done that even faster if T didn’t take so long to tap.”
Ten minutes later I was in the local newspaper office. With the help of a printer, I was soon back with a list of letters in order of how often they are used in English.
“Let it be so! It makes good sense to use the shortest codes for the most common letters. I see E is the favourite, so a single dot for E and a dash for T. To start, a dot-dash for A.” Morse said, patting me heartily on the back. “You impress me! Vail, you’re a genius (天才). ”
I smiled. I wouldn’t say so out loud, but I had to agree with him.
1．In Morse Code, the word “TEA” should be ________.| A．— ● ● — | B．● ● — — | C．● — — ● | D．● — ● — |
| A．practical and loyal | B．organized but proud |
| C．confident and creative | D．careful but doubtful |
| A．The Father of Morse Code | B．The Small Secret of Morse Code |
| C．Always Follow Your Dreams | D．Two Heads Are Better than One |
The British are famous for lots of things: Shakespeare, tea, Big Ben, the changeable weather and poor dancing skills. But when it comes to food, one of their most famous dishes is, without doubt, fish and chips.
The best place to go for your fish and chips is a fish and chips shop. The people who work there are often the owners of the shops, usually a husband and a wife, with part-time help from others. One of the most famous fish and chips shops is Harry Ramsden ‘s, which is based in the north of England.
Ordering fish and chips can be difficult for a tourist in Britain. For a start, you’ll probably be in an area of Britain that has few tourists, with locals who are not used to speaking to foreigners. Just smile politely and say, “A portion of fish and chips to take away, please. “ When you see them with a vinegar（醋） bottle, quickly shout “Just a bit, please”. So they don’t drown（浸泡） your chips in vinegar. If you see them wrapping（包裹） your fish and chips in newspaper, don’t be surprised. It’s nothing special.
So, why are fish and chips so popular in Britain? People have been trying to answer this question for a long time. After all, fish and chips are eaten by everyone in Britain, from ladies in fur coats to workers in blue overalls. Some say it’s the smell of delicious fried fish and potatoes. Others say it’s the taste — the mix of fried fish, fried potatoes, vinegar and salt. Some say it’s the comforting feeling that you get from carrying that bag of warm food home on a cold winter day. And others say it’s simply because a meal of fish and chips offers the most useful way of filling you up for such little money.
The strange thing about fish and chips is that the British in general don’t like seafood. For them, it’s something alien. They don’t like its shape （too many heads and eyes）, its smell （too fishy）, all the bones （too difficult to eat） and the funny-looking arms and legs （too strange）. This probably explains why fried fish is so popular. Since the fish has been covered in batter （面糊） and fried, it looks nothing like anything that ever lived in the sea. So, are you having some fish and chips?
1．In Britain, owners of fish and chips shops usually ________.| A．put no salt on the chips | B．wrap the food in newspaper |
| C．chat with foreign travelers | D．add a little vinegar to the chips |
| A．Fish and chips in Britain are a strange thing in general. |
| B．A meal of fish and chips is a little bit expensive in Britain. |
| C．Fish and chips are more than a light snack to British people. |
| D．Harry Ramsden’s is popular in Britain except in the north of England. |
| A．serious | B．old-fashioned | C．romantic | D．relaxed |
| A．To recommend famous fish and chips shops in Britain. |
| B．To look back on the history of fish and chips in Britain. |
| C．To introduce fish and chips to foreign tourists in Britain. |
| D．To discuss what makes fish and chips popular in Britain. |
“I wish I had straight hair”, “I’d like to be taller”. At times, we all want to look a bit more like someone else. However, the truth is that no two people in the world are exactly the same—and that’s a good thing. Accepting and feeling good about our bodies is really important because you are more than how you look.
Body confidence is when we accept and behave kindly towards our body. That includes our size and shape, skin color, appearance and any physical（身体的） disabilities.
If you feel positively （积极地） about your body, you are more likely to take care of it. Research has even shown that you are more likely to take part in activities and perform well in school. However, feeling worried about your body could make you do less well at school and even feel down. If you’re spending a lot of time trying to achieve the “perfect” appearance, you will have less time to spend with friends and to make important memories.
To develop a positive body image （形象）, try not to talk bad about your own body and other people’s bodies. Try not to pay much attention to appearance. Instead, think about what your body does for you. Treat your body well by eating different kinds of foods, exercising to feel good. And getting plenty of sleep.
Title: Be More Body Confident
| Remember that everyone is | |
| What is body confidence? | Accepting and feeling good about your body |
| Why does it | • It makes you take care of your body and perform well in school. • You may do less well and even feel down • The cost of trying to achieve the “perfect’ appearance is high. |
| How can you be body confident? | • Talk positively about your body and others’ bodies. • Pay • Treat your body well with healthy diets, regular exercise and enough sleep. |
时光飞逝，初中生活已接近尾声。回顾初中生涯，你一定经历了成长的烦恼，也成就了更好的自己。假设《中学生英文报》正在举办以“成长”为主题的征文活动，请根据以下四方格图，以“Growing Pains and Gains”为题写篇短文投稿。
| What problem did you have? | Growing Pains and Gains | Who/What either encouraged or helped you?（friends/teachers/ heroes/music/films/books…） |
| How did you solve it? | What have you learned from it? |
Growing Pains and Gains
Teens will finally grow up some day, leaving their parents and facing the challenges in life alone, so they should learn basic life skills and form good working habits.
The government has been trying to pay attention to the importance of hardworking spirit education (劳动教育). But this has been overlooked in recent years. Many teens do not value (看重) the importance of working hard. There is a teenage girl named Nancy. She never helps out around the house. Once her mother was on vacation for a week, leaving her alone at home. When her mother came home from vacation, she could not find a clean dish or a clean shirt.
Schools play an important role in teaching students about the value of working hard. Primary and middle schools should provide students with hardworking spirit courses every week. To our joy (开心), some schools have provided each class with a piece of field to plant their favorite vegetables. For example, No. 38 Middle School in Hefei, sets up a 500-square-meter farm on an open platform (露天平台) of their teaching building. Each class is asked to grow and pick vegetables there.
Parents should also encourage children to learn how to do chores at home. Teens should master (掌握) one or two life skills every year. These skills can include cooking, washing their own clothes and tidying their rooms. The basic skills may help teens to solve the problems they will meet in the future.
1．What does the underlined word “overlooked” mean in Chinese?| A．强调 | B．忽视 | C．俯视 | D．眺望 |
| A．Nancy is too busy to help out around the house |
| B．many teens do not value the importance of working hard |
| C．Nancy’s parents are glad that she doesn’t help with chores at home |
| D．teens don’t need to value the importance of working hard |
| A．Cooking. | B．Washing clothes. | C．Tidying rooms. | D．Playing computer games. |
| A．Schools should teach students the value of working hard. |
| B．Parents should encourage their children to do chores at home. |
| C．The government never pays attention to hardworking spirit education. |
| D．The basic skills may help teens to solve some problems. |
| A．Family Education | B．School Education |
| C．Hardworking Spirit Education | D．Self-education |
On Sunday morning, I usually get up very late. I wash my
| A．face | B．feet | C．head | D．hand |
| A．for | B．to | C．of | D．with |
| A．near | B．between | C．of | D．from |
| A．flower | B．place | C．name | D．room |
| A．say | B．speak | C．tell | D．talk |
| A．but | B．with | C．or | D．and |
| A．students | B．people | C．children | D．teachers |
| A．tall | B．short | C．old | D．small |
| A．teachers | B．actors | C．workers | D．nurses |
| A．expensive | B．nice | C．big | D．new |
How to Enjoy a Wonderful Life
As middle school students, we need to try our best to make our life wonderful.
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