In college, Spring Break （春假）is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights, bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.
The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as literacy （识字）, homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons, raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.
The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word, the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens and engage themselves in making a difference in society.
In the spring of 2006, about 36,000 students in the USA participated in the Alternative Break Program.
Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself, including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. “I was a student who went on alternative break trips and had my life totallytransformedby that experience,” she said. “Every year, we meet many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected with their alternative break experiences.”
The Program began in 1991.Today, it has become increasingly popular with college students in the United States.
【小题1】Who may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program?(No mare than 10 words)
【小题2】What is the aim of the Program?(NO more than 15 words)
【小题3】What is the meaning of the underlined word "transformed" in Paragraph 5? (1 word)
【小题4】What is Samantha's attitude toward the Program?(No more than 10 words)
【小题5】If you take part in the Program, which project are you interested in? And why?(No more than 25 words)

   Spending money on a vacation may seem like a luxury（奢侈品）—but sometimes, you have to relax yourself. Here's where to go for a good time at an unbelievable value.

Captiva Island, Florida

Keep it simple by looking for seashells, bicycling, or jet skiing; you can even hit the tennis courts. The Summer Getaway package offers a fourth night free and a rate of $ 209 a night, making the average of a four-night stay $156.75.  Kids 12 and under eat breakfast free.

Reykjavik, Iceland

STA Travel Beats specializes in taking travelers to music festivals around the globe. It has an eight-day tour, Icelandic Beats, which takes you to the Icelandic geothermal spas（地热温泉）, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and black sand beaches. End your vacation at the Secret Solstice Festival on June 18. The tour is $1, 218, not including airfares.

Malpais, Costa Rica

You get daily surfing instruction, sunset surf sessions, and yoga in the outdoor, oceanfront yoga studio in a week-long tour. As you get your mind, body, and spirit together, keep it going with healthy meals at the beachfront restaurant. Prices are $2, 895 for shared accommodations（住宿）, $3,095 for private accommodations with shared baths, and $3,595 for private accommodations.

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

Waterville Valley Resort is surrounded by 100 miles of trails in the White Mountain National Forest. If you get a Freedom Pass, you can save about $100 a day during a six-day tour; the pass enables you daily to have a two-hour mountain bike rental, unlimited tennis, a round of golf and so on. Rates start at $139 a night.

【小题1】How much is a four-night stay in Captiva Island, Florida?

A．$418.	B．$470.25.
C．$627.	D．$836.

【小题2】Which of the following offers the longest tour?

A．Reykjavk, Iceland.

B．Malpais, Costa Rica.

C．Captiva Island, Florida.

D．Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.

【小题3】What is the main purpose of the passage？

A．To advertise four coming events.

B．To encourage people to travel abroad.

C．To introduce famous travelling routes.

D．To suggest places for wonderful vacation.

Earth Day Photo Contest

A picture is worth a thousand words! Enter the TFK photo contest and show us: Why is Earth Day important to our planet?

To enter the contest online, visit timeforkids. com and get details below.

TIME

●The contest begins on January 9,2017.

●The contest ends on April 20,2017.

INSTRUCTIONS

●An original and previously unpublished photograph that answers the Earth Day question “Why is Earth Day important to our planet?” and that was photographed by the entrant (参赛者) between June 1,2016, and April 20,2017.

●A brief description describing the picture: what is happening, where the photo was taken, the date the photo was taken and why the entrant chose to enter this image.

●Entrant’s first name only; entrant’s e-mail address; and parent’s, teacher’s or guardian’s e-mail address. Limit one work per person. Sponsors are not responsible for lost, late, or incomplete entries, or entries not received for any reason. Works belong to sponsors, and none will be acknowledged (承认) or returned.

●By entering, the entrant ensures that the work is first made and has not been published in any medium or won an award.

ELIGIBILITY

Open to the elementary school students at age 8-13 at the time of entry in the USA.

WINNERS’ LIST AND PRIZES

Judges will select 10 semifinalists (半决赛选手) from whom one grand prize winner and nine finalists will be chosen. The grand prize winner will receive a digital camera — approximate retail (零售) value: $300. The photograph entry of the grand prize winner will be published in the April 22 Earth Day issue of TIME For Kids. The photograph entries of all semifinalists will be published in the gallery of timeforkids. com. Winners will be informed by e-mail, and must respond within five days.

【小题1】What should an entrant who wants to participate in the photo contest do?

A．He or she should send an original photo after the Earth Day.

B．He or she should present a related description of the photo entry.

C．He or she should inform the sponsors of his or her delayed e-mail.

D．He or she should offer his or her e-mail address and family name.

【小题2】Who can enter the photo contest?
A. A college student in the USA.

A．A teacher of an elementary school in New York.

B．A 10-year-old elementary school student in California.

C．An American professional photographer.

【小题3】What do we know about the photograph entry of the grand prize winner?

A．It will be published in a magazine and a gallery.

B．It will amount to approximately $300.

C．It will be selected from nine finalists’ entries.

D．It will be acknowledged and returned afterwards.

Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed

Six months preparation in Denmark: African studies， teamwork combined with soçial work withgroup teenagers.

Six months community work in Malawi in People to People Projects: Child Aid， HIV/ AIDS Figure and Teacher Training.

Requirements: 18 years old， hard-working and socially engaged.

Please contact us by email: take action @ better world. com

 

Part-time Work with Exchange Students

Youth International is a non-profit high school foreign exchange student organization. We welcome teenagers. from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families. The Community Representative is a part-time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something meaningful in the community and earn some extra money.

Applicants best suited for this work should like teenagers， have a strong interest in cross-cultural communication ， and feel comfortable with networking. Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the U. S. Positions available in most states.

If interested， please email: staff@ youth. org or call 888-123-9872.

 

International Summer Job

Hi， I'm an ESL student in China. I'm 20 ， quiet and polite， and I can speak English. I am looking for a summer job in an English-speaking country. I can teach Chinese， do housework and garden work， and cook Chinese dishes. Can anybody offer me a job? I don't need to earn much， just enough to pay for my return ticket to China. My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world.

My email is ram3462 @ hot mail. com

 

Call for Native Speakers of English

I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment. This experiment is carried out over the Internet， and you don't need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level. The first task will take you around 15 minutes. After this task，you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment. The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers.

If you are willing to help me， then please email me: club3864 @ hotmail. com

 
【小题1】Where will Jack， a volunteer， receive the training before he is sent to work in Malawi?

A．In some local offices in the U. S.

B．In an ESL organization in China.

C．In a preparation program in Denmark.

D．In an exchange student center in Africa.

【小题2】Who is suitable to work as a Community Representative in Youth International?

A．One who enjoys working with teenagers from different countries.

B．One who hopes to take action to fight against AIDS.

C．One who has a strong desire to improve his or her English.

D．One who wants to make a good fortune in the program.

【小题3】If Mrs. Black in the U. S. hopes to learn some Chinese at home， she may send an email to _________.

A．take action @ better world. com

B．ram3462 @ hotmail. com

C．club3864 @ hotmail. com

D．staff@ youth. org

【小题4】What are volunteers for the experiment over the Internet supposed to do?

A．To interview people online.

B．To do some housework.

C．To offer advice on Child Aid.

D．To provide language exercises.

Safety is a huge concern whenever I run with my earphones in. But I need music to run. Otherwise all I hear is the sound of my own breathing. So I’ve found a compromise: I run with only one earphone in. The music sounds off. It’s an imperfect solution.
An updated pair of headphones, called AfterShokz, aim to do better. AfterShokz bills itself as using bone conducting technology to conduct music from the front of the ear, delivering sound through your cheekbone and inner ear. This keeps your eardrum (鼓膜) free to hear everything else.
“Earbuds (耳塞式耳机) are typically designed to block out all sound, which is fine when you’re inside. But when you’re outside, you need all your senses. It would be like sending you out cycling with a blindfold on,” says Rod Annet, managing director of AfterShokz.
Here’s where AfterShokz comes in. The headphones hook over the back of your head with the main “bud” resting high up against your cheek. This keeps your ear free to delight in other sounds.
So do they work? In a word, yes. During a 45-minute jog, they didn’t bounce or shift. I heard far more of my environment than I normally do: a nearby bike there; a runner passing me again to my left; and so forth.
What about the downsides? If you’re a huge fan of high-quality sound, you might find the headphones a bit tinny. One friend expressed concerns about missing the ability to get lost in the music as you might be distracted by other noises, although I personally didn’t find that an issue.
Yet those are all minor details. For me, probably the biggest problem is the price. Ranging between £ 49.96 to £ 83.29, AfterShokz headphones aren’t exactly cheap.
With all that considered, would I recommend them? Yes. AfterShokz headphones are quite useful. While out jogging, they were light, painless, and easy to use. They made me feel safer.
【小题1】What is special about AfterShokz headphones?

A．They are a good choice for inside use.

B．They allow users to hear other sounds.

C．They can make music sound more beautiful.

D．They can deliver sound through your eardrum.

【小题2】What does the author’s friend think of AfterShokz headphones?

A．They prevent users getting lost.

B．They deliver high—quality sound.

C．They often move while users are running.

D．They fail to allow users to enjoy the music.

【小题3】The author thinks AfterShokz headphones .

A．are too expensive	B．seem quite useless
C．make users feel pain	D．are too complex to use

【小题4】What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To express worries.	B．To introduce a product.
C．To share a personal story.	D．To complain about a product.