1、必修 1 Module 1 My First Day at Senior High My name is Li Kang. I live in Shijiazhuang, a city not far from Beijing. It is the capital city of Hebei Province. Today is my first day at Senior High school and Im writing down my thoughts about it. My new school is very good and I can see why. The teacher
2、s are very enthusiastic and friendly and the classrooms are amazing. Every room has a computer with a special screen, almost as big as a cinema screen. The teachers write on the computer, and their words appear on the screen behind them. The screens also show photographs, textand information from we
3、bsites. Theyre brilliant! The English class is really interesting. The teacher is a very enthusiastic woman called Ms Shen. Were using a new textbook and Ms Shens method of teaching is nothing like that of the teachers at my Junior High school. She thinks that reading comprehension is important, but
4、 we speak a lot in class, too. And we have fun. I dont think I will be bored in Ms Shens class! Today we introduced ourselves to each other. We did this in groups. Some studentswere embarrassed at first but everyone was very friendly and it was really nice. Ms Shen gave us instructions and then we w
5、orked by ourselves. Ms Shen wants to help us improve our spelling and handwriting. We do this in a fun way, with spelling games and other activities. I like her attitude very much, and the behavior of the other students shows that they like her, too. There are sixty-five students in my class more th
6、an my previous class in Junior High. Forty-nine of them are girls. In other words, there are three times as many girls as boys. They say that girls are usually more hard-working than boys, but in this class, everyone is hard-working. For our homework tonight, we have to write a description of the st
7、reet wherewe live. Im looking forward to doing it! A Letter from a Senior High StudentDear Li Kang, Hows it going? I thought Id write to tell you about the American school system. Secondary school in the US usually covers seven years, grades six to twelve. Ninth to twelfth grades are high school. At
8、 the end of twelfth grade, American students receive thehigh school diploma. Students need a high school diploma if they want to go to college. The school year is divided into two semesters, the first of which is September through December, and the second January through May. We have a LONG summer v
9、acation! We start school at 7:50 am and we finish at 3 pm. I take part in all kinds of after-school activities I play football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and I go to theater club. Will you tell me something about your summer vacation and the Chinese school system in your next letter? Best
10、 wishes, Rob MarshallModule 2 My New Teachers They say that first impressions are very important. My first impression of Mrs. Li wasthat she was nervous and shy. I think perhaps she was, as it was her first lesson with us. But now, after two weeks, the class really likes working with her. Shes kind
11、and patient, and she explains English grammar so clearly that even I can understand it! She avoids making you fell stupid! Ive always hated making mistakes or pronouncing a word incorrectly when I speak English, but Mrs. Li just smiles, so that you dont feel completely stupid! I think maybe she goes
12、 a bit too slowly for the faster students, but for me its wonderful! I feel Im going to make progress with her. Id guess that Mrs. Chen is almost sixty. Shes very strict we dont dare to say a word unless she asks us to. Shes also very serious and doesntsmile much .when she asks you to do something,
13、you do it immediately! There are a few students in our class who keep coming to class late but theyre always on time for Mrs. Chens lessons! Some of our class dont like her, but most of us really appreciateher because her teaching is so well organized and clear. And a few students even admit liking
14、her! During scientific experiments, she explains exactly what is happening and as a result my work is improving. Physics will never be my favourite lesson, but I think that Ill do well in the exam with Mrs. Chen teaching me. Mr. Wus only been teaching us for two weeks and hes already very popular. I
15、 think this is because he really enjoys teaching Chinese literature he loves it, in fact! Hes got so much energy, this is one class you do not fall asleep in! Hes about 28, I think, and is rather good-looking. He talks loudly and fast, and waves his hands about a lot when he gets excited. Hes really
16、 amusing and tells jokes when he thinks were getting bored. Even things like compositions and summaries are fun with Mr. Wu. I respect him a lot. Different Countries, Different Schools It is interesting to look at differences between schools in different countries. In many European countries, for ex
17、ample, the relationship between teachers and students is quite formal. This is true of France, Germany, and Spain, where discipline and respect for the teacher is considered very important. The same is true of Russia. In northern European countries, however, the relationship between teachers and stu
18、dents is much friendlier and more relaxed. In America, students and teachers are quite relaxed with eachother. In Britain, relationships are quite relaxed, but teachers can have big problems with discipline. Another important difference is whether schools are state schools or private schools. State
19、schools are paid for by the government, but in private schools, the parents payfor the education of their children. Germany and France have both state and private schools, but most students go to state schools, which are very good. Similarly, Americahas both state and private schools. Most American
20、children go to state schools, but the private schools can be very good. Britain has both state and private schools. In Russia, children go to state schools.Module 3 My First Ride on a Train My name is Alice Thompson. I come from Sydney, Australia and Im 18 years old. Recently I had my first ride on
21、a long-distance train. And what a ride! A friend and I traveled on the famous Ghan train. We got on in Sydney and we got off in Alice Springs, right in the middle of Australia, more than four thousand kilometers away. We spent two days and nights on the train. The train was wonderful and the food wa
22、s great. We ate great meals cooked by experts! For the first few hundred kilometers of the journey, the scenery was very colorful. There were fields and the soil was dark red. After that, it was desert. The sun shone,there was no wind and there were no clouds in the sky. Suddenly, it looked like a p
23、lace from another time. We saw abandoned farms which were built more than a hundred years ago. The train was comfortable and the people were nice. During the day, I sat and looked out of the window, and sometimes talked to other passengers. I read books and listened to my Chinese cassettes (Im study
24、ing Chinese at school). One night, at about midnight, I watched the night sky for about an hour. The stars shone like diamonds. Why is the train called the Ghan? A long time ago, Australians needed a way to travel to the middle of the country. They tried riding horses, but the horses didnt like theh
25、ot weather and sand. A hundred and fifty years ago, they brought some camels from Afghanistan. Ghan is short for Afghanistan. Camels were much better than horses for traveling a long distance. For many years, trained camels carried food and other supplies, and returned with wool and other products.
26、The Afghans and their camels did this until the 1920s. Then the government built anew railway line, so they didnt need the camels any more. In 1925, they passed a law which allowed people to shoot the animals if they were a problem. In 1935, the police in a town shot 153 camels in one day. The Magle
27、v the Fastest Train in the World The fastest train in the world, the Transrapid Maglev, runs between Shanghais Pudong Airport and Longyang station in downtown Shanghai. Traveling at a speed of over 400 kilometers per hour, the train can complete the 30-kilometer journey in eight minutes. Maglev mean
28、s “magnetically levitated”. The Transrapid Maglev is the worlds firsthigh-speed train using magnetic levitation technology. Magnetically levitated trains travel in a vacuum between two magnets. There are no rails and no noise. They travel very fast and they use less energy. On December 31, 2002, Pre
29、mier Zhu Rongji and the German chancellor attended the opening ceremony of the train service. Both leaders took the train to Pudong Airport. On November 12, 2003, the Maglev reached a speed of 501 kilometers per hour onthe track between Longyang Station and Pudong, a new world record speed for a tra
30、in. Module 4 A Social Survey My Neighourhood A Lively City XL: Its great to see you again, John. JM: Its great to see you! Its been six years since we last saw each other, you know. And this is the first time Ive visited your hometown. XL: Yes, Im so glad you could come. JM: You know, Ive seen quite
31、 a lot of China and Ive visited some beautiful cities, but this is one of the most attractive places Ive been to. Its so lively, and everyone seems so friendly. XL: Yes, its one of the most interesting cities on the coast, everyone says so. I feel very fortunate living here. And I love living by the
32、 seaside. JM: you live in the northwest of Xiamen, is that right? XL: Yes, thats right. JM: Whats the climate like? XL: Pretty hot and wet in the summer, but it can be quite cold in the winter. JM: Sounds OK to me. There are a lot of tourists around. Dont they bother you? XL: Yes, they can be a nuis
33、ance in the summer because there are so many of them. JM: Oh, look at that huge apartment block! XL: Yes, theyve just completed it. The rent for an apartment there is very high. JM: Ibelieve you! This areas so modern! XL: Yes, this is the business district. Theyve put up a lot of high-rise buildings
34、 recently. And there are some great shopping malls. See, were just passing one now. my wifes just bought a beautiful dress from one of the shops there. JM: Maybe I could buy a few presents there. XL: Ill take you there tomorrow. Now were leaving the business district and approaching the harbour. Wer
35、e entering the western district, the most interesting part of the city. Its got some really pretty parks JM: It seems lovely. Is that Gulangyu Island, just across the water? XL: Yes, it is. Its a gorgeous island with some really interesting architecture. JM: So they tell me. Do you think we could st
36、op and walk around for a while? XL: Yes, I was just going to do that. We can park over there. A friends told me abouta nice little fish restaurant near here. Shall we go there for lunch? JM: That sounds great. Im starving! Cultural corner In some countries in western Europe, such as France, Spain an
37、d Britain, the countryside is changing. Life has become difficult for many villages, and some are disappearing. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, young people from villages usually want to live somewhere livelier and they often move to the towns and do not return. Secondly, people mov
38、e to the cities to find work, as there are often very few jobs in the countryside. Sometimes villages remain because people from the cities have bought a “second home” in the village, where they come and stay at weekends. The price of homes goes up and people from the area cannot afford to buy a hou
39、se there. Another problem is that it is becoming more and more difficult for farmers to make money from their farms. So they sell their land and find another job. All these things mean that many villages in Western Europe are fighting to survive. We can only hope that they will remain. The countrysi
40、de would be a sadder and uglierplace without them. Module 5 A Lesson in a Lab Passage A It is hard to think of a world without metals. Different metals have different uses, for example, steel is used in cars, and iron is used in electrical equipment. When we use metals, it is important to know how t
41、hey react with different substances, for example, water and oxygen. The reaction of metals with these substances can be put in order. Here is a table with the metals that react most at the top, and the metals that react least at the bottom. Passage B A Simple Scientific Experiment Below is a descrip
42、tion of a simple scientific experiment. It shows us how iron reacts with air and with water. Aim: To find out if iron rusts (a) in dry air; (b) in water that has no air in it (air-free water); (c) in ordinary water. Apparatus: 3 clean iron nails; rest tubes; test tube holder; cotton wool; oil; Bunse
43、n burner. Iron in dry air Method Put some iron nails at the bottom of a test tube. Push some cotton wool down the tube.Leave the tube for one week. Result After one week, the nails have not rusted. Conclusion Iron does not rust in dry air. Iron in air-free water Method Half-fill a test tube with wat
44、er. Boil the water for three minutes. (this makes sure there is no air in the water.) Put two or three clean nails in the water. Add some oil to the water. This will keep air out of the water. Leave the tube for one week.ResultThe nails do not rust in the tube with air-free water. ConclusionIron doe
45、s not rust in air-free water. Iron in ordinary water Method Half-fill a test tube with water and add two or three clean nails. Leave the tube for one week. Result The nails rust in the tube with ordinary water. Conclusion Iron rusts in ordinary water.Cultural Corner My feelings about science have re
46、ally changed. I never used to enjoy science, but last year I changed schools, and the science teachers at my new school are excellent. The science facilities are very good, with laboratories that have all the latest equipment. Our chemistry teacher, Mr Longford, takes us to public science lectures a
47、bout four times a term, and these are always very interesting, as the lecturers are people who have made real discoveries in their area of science. The fact is, Canada has many first-class scientists. In the last twenty years, seven Canadian scientists have won the Nobel Prize! The Nobel Prize is th
48、e highest scientific prize there is, so we should be very proud of that, Im becoming more and more interested in physics, and have decided that I want tostudy it at university. Im going to try to go to either Montreal or Ottawa University, as both are supposed to have good Physics Departments. My pa
49、rents are astonished. They always thought I would become an English teacher! Module 6 The internet and Telecommunications Passage The internet is the biggest source of information in the world, and its accessible through a computer. It consists of millions of pages of data. In 1969, DARPA, a US defence organization, developed a way for all their computersto “talk” to each other through the telephone. They created a network of computers called DARPANET. For fifteen years, only the US army could use this system of communi
