“AN Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue (队伍) of one,” wrote famous British author George Mikes. While this sounds funny, it’s a popular English stereotype (刻板印象). From the supermarket to the subway, queues are a common sight on the streets of Britain.
Here in China, queues are normal, too. It is a part of everyday life. People queue most of the time, from buying tickets in the cinema to waiting for seats at a restaurant.[来源:学科网ZXXK]
But in certain situations, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a rushing crowd, such as getting onto the subway. Even away from the busy subway platform (站台), queues are different. One day I was standing in line at the supermarket.
I left a small space in front of me. Within seconds, a girl walked by and took her place in that small space.
I was surprised at first, but later I found these experiences very interesting. It is with these small, everyday differences that I get to live and learn within a new culture.
Back in Britain, the average person spends six months of their life waiting in a queue, according to the auction site MadBid. To pass the time, maybe they tell themselves the famous proverb: good things come to those who wait.
【小题1】The English are well known for _____.

A．forming an orderly queue

B．being rude and loud

C．traveling on subways

D．spending more time waiting in a queue

【小题2】The purpose of the article is to _____.

A．call on people in China to queue more

B．compare queuing in two cultures

C．praise the English for following good manners

D．explain why people rush in some situations

【小题3】In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this article?

A．Sports.

B．News.

C．Culture.

D．Business.

 

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填写表格 (每空限填一词)。

How do you feel when you have to make a speech in front of class? What about when you go to a birthday party? Do you get really shy?

Shyness means feeling nervous or frightened when you’re around other people. Experts (专家) have found that more than 80 percent of middle school students feel afraid to be the centre of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences.

It’s OK if it takes you a while to feel yourself again when you go to a new place or meet new people. In fact, everybody gets a little shy sometimes. It’s just a case of how much.

Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they won’t go to a restaurant because they are too nervous to order and pay the bill (账单). Some are afraid of meeting new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.

If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are quieter and cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history were shy, too.

You see, being shy isn’t all bad. But remember not to let good chances pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practise your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There’s nothing to be afraid of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shyness

Meaning	●To feel 1.   ▲     or frightened
Causes	●To be the2.   ▲     of attention ●To be born shy ●To have3.    ▲     experiences
Effects	4.    ▲     effects	●To have red 5.   ▲      ●To talk in 6.   ▲     sentences ●To be 7.    ▲     of meeting new people
Good effects	●To be quieter and 8.   ▲    ●To be good at 9.   ▲     with others
Advice	●To take hold of (抓住) good 10.   ▲

 

 

A recent research shows that physical activity(体育活动) may help students do better in their classes. The research comes because educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like P.E. class.
Researchers go over the results of fourteen studies. Twelve were from the United States, one from Canada and one from South Africa. The studies appeared between 2009 and 2013. They included more than 55,000 children, aged six to eighteen.
Thomas Singh, one of the researchers, says the studies showed a relationship between physical activity and scores on subjects such as math, English and reading. Ms. Singh offers some possible explanations (解释):
“ There are, first, physiological (生理的) explanations, like more blood flow, and so more oxygen (氧气) to the brain. Being physically active means there are more hormones（ 荷尔蒙） produced like endorphins ( 脑内啡). And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you will perform better in class. Also, students who take part in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them. This could improve their classroom behavior and help them know what they should do.
All in all, the finding tells us that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school. Ms. Singh says schools should consider the finding before they cut physical education programs. 
【小题1】What led the researchers to do the studies?

A．Schools’cutting physical activity.

B．Their interest in physical activity.

C．The tests including about 55,000 children.

D．Kids’unsatisfying schooling performance.

【小题2】How many countries took part in the studies?

A．14.

B．12

C．2.

D．3.

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT one of the advantages of physical activity according to the passage?

A．Getting more blood flow.

B．Better classroom behavior.

C．Feeling relaxed and refreshed.

D．Greater ability to organize activities.