阅读理解

When settlers (移民）came to America during the 1600s, they were surprised to find so many trees. Some trees were so huge that a large man could not put his arms around them. Those trees helped the settlers a lot. They were glad and thankful to have these trees. They used them to build houses and make fire. From the wood of the trees, they made furniture, tools and so on.

Most people thought the forests would last forever. However, by 1800, America had its first wood shortage (短缺). How did it happen? People had not known that trees were being cut down faster than new ones could grow.

Some American people made trips to foreign countries. There they saw destroyed forests and learnt the importance of protecting forests. They came back to the United States and warned that if Americans didn't use trees more carefully and wisely, someday the forests would all be gone. However, people were not ready to listen. Years went by, and America's forests kept disappearing. It made some people really worried. But they did nothing.

Finally, J. Sterling Morton, the man who is remembered as the father of Arbor Day (过节), got people to listen. He named a Tree-Planting Day, or Arbor Day. He worked hard to make Arbor Day a national holiday. On that day, people usually plant a lot of trees.

Today, millions of trees have been planted in the United States because of Arbor Day. Arbor Day is such a good idea that many other countries now also have Arbor Day. Many, many trees are being planted all over the world because of J. Sterling Morton's work.

    George: What are you doing?

    User: Saying hello to you.

    George: Are you a monkey?

    User: Do you think monkeys can type?

    George: Sure.

    User: Are you a monkey?

    George: Do you think monkeys can type?

    User: You told me they could.

    This is a conversation between a human "user" and a computer. The computer was made to be as human as possible. It was taught to talk to humans. It has also learnt from what people have said to it. This has helped it become more human.

    What makes George talk is called Jabberwacky. It won the Loebner Prize not long ago. The prize is a contest to find the most realistic artificial intelligence (现实的人工智能). In 2006, scientists talked to the computer. They typed questions to it, and it answered.

    Jabberwacky first appeared in 1982. It has been gelling better every year since then. The list of things that the computer says to a human is getting bigger and bigger. It means the computer has more things to say when you talk to it.

    It is hoped that a computer like this will do our jobs in call centres. When Jabberwacky is more realistic, this will be possible.

假如你是王丽，你家在三亚。你的笔友赵慧来自北京，她发邮件说她想于下周日到三亚来看你并和你一起去看海。请你根据下表内容，给她回一封邮件，告诉她怎样从机场到你家。

要求：不少于70词，可适当发挥。

Dear Zhao Hui,

{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Yours,

Wang Li

Do you ever wish you had more time? Everyone gets 24 hours in a day. But here are some ways to help you use those hours more efficiently (有效率地).

Set priorities (优先级）

Setting priorities is the best way to manage your time exactly. Consider whether your tasks are important or not and find out which one should be done right away. 

Make a timetable

Decide what you're going to do at a certain time each day. A well-organized timetable can not only help you improve your working speed but also make you feel less stressed. 

Choose a suitable time

Think about the time when you have the most energy during the day. Are you more energetic in the morning or afternoon? Do hard work when you feel good and leave simple one when you are tired. 

Make lists

Write down when to do and what to do. I keep two to-do lists: one for aims of today and the other for the projects I'm working on. The lists remind me that I won't forget anything. They also help me pay more attention to the shorter list. 

Give up something

Managing time sometimes means giving up doing something you like. When you're ready to start a new task, think carefully. Is it really worth spending your time? Could someone else do it instead?

As a saying goes, "Work smarter, not harder." If you want to make full use of your time, make a plan and stick to it. 

What's the best way to manage your time from the passage?{#blank#}7{#/blank#}

When are you supposed to do the hard work according to the passage?{#blank#}8{#/blank#}

How many ways are mentioned in the passage to use time better?{#blank#}9{#/blank#}

Chinese New Year is an interesting and important festival in China. Today, let's learn(学习) some things about it.

We know New Year's Day is on January 1st, but Chinese New Year is on the first day of the first lunar(阴历) month. In China, we call the Chinese New Year the Spring Festival. There is a name for every year. We may call it the Year of the Dog or the Year of the Pig. And the year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon(龙).

Before(在…之前) the festival, people(人们) are busy. They buy many things and clean their houses(打扫屋子). On Chinese New Year's Eve, there is a big family dinner. People always eat jiaozi for it. After dinner, people watch TV and welcome the New Year. People call it shousui in Chinese.

The next day, the New Year comes. People are happy. They wear new clothes and go to see friends and relatives(亲戚). Children like to wear new clothes, eat good food and get lucky money on the day.

People always have a very good time during the festival.

 Falling on the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, the Torch(火把) Festival is an important and traditional event for the Yi ethnic group(彝族) in Southwest China. Cheering, singing and dancing, local Yi people and the tourists usually have fun around the fire during the three- day celebration.

 The Yi ethnic group started the festival because of their natural respect of fire. The carly Yi people lived in high and cold areas in the mountains. For them, fire was an important way to light, warm, and cook. There was an old tradition— before bringing meat home, people must light a small fire outside the door and put the meat over the fire. They believed it could drive away filth(污秽). That's why they had a popular saying," Everything you eat must‘see' fire." In farming, fire was used to light leaves on the ground to make the land rich.

 Nowadays, the Yi people still celebrate the festival and it has become a social event. Every year, several thousand Chinese and foreign visitors come and join the local Yi people. In the daytime, they drink and take part in different kinds of activities, like horse racing, bullfighting and so on. When the night falls, everyone holds a torch walks around their houses and fields. Then, they put the torches together to make a big bonfire. Around the bonfires young men and women sing and dance happily.

 For thousands of years, the Yi's torch is passed from age to age. Through the festival, the Yi people not only share their joy and thanks for their good life, but also get more people to understand their traditions.