【活动教室】
1. 曲线图描写练习1
请将下面的曲线图用动词的一般过去时填充。
Speed 运动鞋厂2001-2002年销售情况
The graph shows sales trends for the Speed Sports Shoes Company for years 2001 and 2002.
For the first six months of the period, shoes sales 1) sharply reaching 5,500 by June. However in the second half of the year, the trend 2) with a dramatic fall to 1,250 shoes sales in December.
The first two months of 2002 again show a steep climb to a new peak of 6,500 sales in February. A decline 3) to 4,250 in June, however, the year 4) positively with sales figures rising steadily to reach 10,000 by December.
答案与解析：
1.Doubt is the key to knowledge.怀疑是知识的钥匙。
答案：rose，解析：rise的过去式，上升，升高，如：Prices have risen steadily during the past decade.过去十年间物价一直在上涨。
2.答案：was reversed，解析：一般过去时的被动语态，“被倒转”。根据图表显示，此处应为由上升转变为下降，相比前期这是一种颠倒的情况。
3.答案：followed，解析：在此意思为“延续（至……）”。比较follow，ensue，succeed这三个词的用法：follow是常用词，指“继之而来或继之而去”，如：Spring follows winter.冬去春来。ensue为正式用语，指“随之引起”或“接着发生（……的结果）”，如：Clouds appeared and rain ensued.云来雨至。而succeed强调“时间、顺序上随之而来”、“接替某人（物）”，如：He was not willing to succeed his father as manager of the business.他不愿意继承父亲任公司经理。 Sharp tools make good work.工欲善其事，必先利其器。
4.答案：finished，解析：意为“结束”“终止”。Finish和complete 这两个动词都有“完成”的意思，有时可以互换使用。有时却有明显的词义差异：finish表示过去某个时候着手做的事已经做完，或表示对已做完的事进行精密加工。例：The writer has finished (or completed) the novel.如果作为读者，可以说“我已经看完这部小说了”，用英语表达只能为“have finished the novel”但如果是文学系的学生，老师布置了任务，要读完这部小说，那么必须用“complete”。complete侧重表示做完或完成某工作，特别是一项任务，或把某工作圆满结束。例：The house was completed five moths ago.这座房子是五个月前竣工的。
2. 曲线图描绘练习2
Below are descriptions of sales data for a TV set company. Draw a graph to match the description.The graph shows sales figures for the FI TV set Company for the years 2002 and 2003.
In the first month of 2002 sales figures climbed dramatically with 4,000 sets being sold by February. Then sales remained steady until June. In July there was a sharp fall to 1,750, but, after this, there was another steep rise to 3,250 in September and then a steady increase which continued right through until the end of 2003. This healthy trend is good news for the company which finished the year with sales of 7,250 after a jump to 8,000 in the previous September.
答案与解析：
根据文字提示先将给出的数字所对应时间的点找到，之后根据其它信息指示将所有关键点连接起来即可完成此题。怎么样，图例试题也没那么难吧！
Wasting time is robbing oneself.
浪费时间就是掠夺自己。
美文赏析
Unemployment
Unemployment is viewed as one of the serious problems in many countries. China has no exception and the government has launched a major attack on the problem.
The steps the government has taken to deal with unemployment are as follows. Firstly, unemployment fund has been established to help the unemployed workers to support themselves. Secondly, the unemployed receive vocational training, which is expected to pay off in the short term and give the unemployed an advantage in the job market. It is due to the lack of professional skills that these workers have lagged behind in the society. These training programs aim to equip the workers with some special skills, such as typing, sewing, and cooking. Finally, psychological advice is also available, since unemployment, apart from exerting financial pressures, brings enormous psychological discomfort. With the advice, the unemployed will learn how to adapt to the fierce competition in the technological age.
With the joint efforts of the government and the society, we are optimistic that we can win the current war on unemployment.
“失业”是大多数国家面临的问题，你是否思考过相应的解决方法呢？本文提供了几点建议，以备参考。