高一英语课外阅读材料(一)

高一702期

New beginning

CFP

今年两会有哪些“新看点”？词数345 建议阅读时间6分钟

The best time for a new beginning is now. As China announced its entry into a new era (时代) last October, and 2018 marks the 40th year of China’s reform and opening up, this year’s two sessions hold exciting new prospects for the future.

The 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) started their first sessions on March 3 and March 5, respectively. Here, TEENS features some of the highlights from this year’s two sessions.

New leadership

One of the most important issues of the 2018 two sessions is to elect (选举) new state leadership, including the Chinese president and premier (总理). The newly elected premier of China will meet with press after the conclusion of the national legislature’s session on March 20.

New development goals

Each year, China’s Government Work Report sets goals about key economic indexes (指标). This year, China set its GDP (gross domestic product, 国内生产总值) growth target (目标) at around 6.5 percent, and its CPI (consumer price index, 居民消费价格指数) increase at around 3 percent, according to the Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang on March 5. “The growth, among the fastest in the world, cannot change the fact that China is still a developing country, given that its per capita (人均的) GDP lags far behind that of developed countries,”Xinhua News Agency noted.

New constitutional amendment (宪法修改)

The present Constitution came into force in 1982 and underwent four amendments in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004. It has been 14 years since the last amendment. To improve and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the 13th NPC discussed and voted on new constitutional amendment.

New anti-corruption (反腐败) model

A new national supervisory platform (监察平台) is expected to be introduced, as a pilot (试验的) reform of supervisory systems is under way, with supervisory commissions being established at provincial, city, and county levels. With a complete supervisory network under the Party’s leadership, China can create a new anti-corruption model.

More time to rest for school students

多地推迟学生早上到校时间。词数415 建议阅读时间8分钟

It’s early in the morning and the alarm clock has already rung several times. You have to drag yourself out of bed and rush to school, afraid of missing the first school bell.

As a school student, this is probably a common experience for you.

But thanks to new rules, many students in Zhejiang and Heilongjiang provinces can now stay in bed longer than before.

On Feb 23, the Zhejiang Department of Education published a new guideline (指导方针) that asks primary schools to start school later, reported Xinhua News Agency.

According to the guideline, start times could vary among different grades and seasons, with students in Grade 1 and 2 starting