How to Improve Vocabulary Fast
Your vocabulary refers to the words in a language you are familiar with. We should learn some ways to expand it.
Read every day. 1. Choose reading material that is slightly above your level and keep a dictionary with you to look up words you do not know.
2.If you do not meet with an unfamiliar word in your daily reading, use your dictionary to search for one.
Learn the correct definition and pronunciation for each new word. Pronunciation is as important as definition because in order to add a word to your active vocabulary, you must be able to use it in speech.
Elaborate (详尽阐述) on the meaning of the word. If you have just learned the word “stubborn”, think about the neighbor who will not lend you his car. 3.
Use your new word in speech and in writing. Email your sister about how your cat is stubborn about sleeping on your pillow. 4.But the more you use it, the more fluent you will become in its use. Soon it will be a regular part of your active vocabulary.
Tell everyone you are trying to increase your vocabulary. Encourage them to ask you what your latest word is. 5. The more you explain the meaning of a word to someone, the more likely you are to remember it.
A. Find a new word every day.
B. The vocabulary can be increased.
C. Your vocabulary contains the words you understand.
D. The more often you read, the faster your vocabulary can grow.
E. Or let them ask for the definition of a new word you have used.
F. The first time you use a new word in speech it may seem strange.
G. Imagine him shaking his head, and think of him as “stubborn in his refusal”.
“Today, at 28, the young German Violinist Anner Sophie Mutter is at the top. She gives radiance (光辉) to the music,” wrote Geoffrey Norris in The Daily Telegraph, London. Mutter was also one of the world’s youngest professors.
Born in Rhweinfelden on June 29, 1963, Anner Sophie grew up in Wehr, a small town just five kilometers from the Swiss border. Her father, Karl Wilhelm Mutter, and her mother, Gerlinde, considered music lessons part of a good education. Thus, their first son, Andreas, began practicing the violin at eight, and his younger brother, Christoph, had piano lessons. It came as no surprise when Anner Sophie said she wanted a violin for her fifth birthday.
Her parents thought she was too young for the violin, and persuaded her to start on the piano. But Anner Sophie has always had a mind of her own. “I longed to play the violin,” she said. “It seemed to me a much more interesting instrument.” After six months, her parents gave in.
The famous violin teacher Ema Honigberger, who lived nearby, became Anner Sophie’s tutor (家庭教师). After only nine months of lessons, she entered the six-year-old in a nationwide competition for young musicians. With Christoph accompanying her on the piano, Anner-Sophie won first prize.
In 1974, Ema Honigberger died. Anner Sophie’s new teacher was Aida Stucki. She taught Anner Sophe to develop her own ideas on how a piece should be played, not just to imitate (模仿) others. This is one of the violinist’s strongest, most distinctive (与众不同的) characteristics today.
Though the Mutters were short of money at times, they limited their daughter’s performances to one or two a year. “We are glad we went the family road,” said her father. “No outsider (外人) can ever have an effect on our daughter’s career or push her into playing more concerts than she wants to.” Later she was allowed to give six to eight concerts a year and make some recordings. Only when she turned 18 did she begin her professional career.
1.Anner Sophie’s career dates back to______.
A. the late 1960s B. her family education
C. the late 1970s D. her fifth birthday
2.Anner Sophie’s concerts are_________.
A. limited to one or two a year B. accompanied at the piano by Christoph
C. highly praised throughout the world D. appreciated by professors in London
3.Which sentence shows Anner Sophie’s strong point as a violinist?
A. She wanted a violin for her fifth birthday.
B. She has always had a mind of her own.
C. She had two famous violin teachers.
D. Violin seemed to her a much more interesting instrument.
4.The virtue (美德) the Mutters have is that they believe_______.
A. children should learn music
B. money is not everything
C. Anner Sophie was too young to give concerts
D. parents have a great effect upon their children
The words “protect animals” appear everywhere in books and on screens, because some animals are even in danger of dying out. But sometimes the reality can be a little different from what people read or watch.
About 300 black bears were killed in Florida, the US, in October, 2015. It’s been the first bear hunt in the state since 1994. Local officers explained that the black bear population had grown to 3,500 and become a menace to local people. In the past two years, bears have hurt at least four people in Florida.
Months ago, the Swiss government allowed locals to kill a wolf. This was because the wolf killed 38 sheep, and it was a great loss to some local farmers. Days ago in China, three old men were caught by the police for killing a serow (鬣羚), a kind of protected animal. They said they killed the animal because it ate the plants they grew.
However, these stories don’t always mean that animal protection stops because of human interests especially when it is related to economic development. A man named Zhou Weisen set up a wild animal base in Guilin, Guangxi. He saved over 170 tigers and about 300 bears. His base also offered jobs to local people.
“There may never be a standard answer to the question of whether we should give more attention to the environment or human development,” said Robert May, a British expert at Oxford University. “But we shouldn’t push either one to the side, as the future is uncertain.”
1.In October, 2015, Florida held its first bear hunt after about ___________.
A. five years B. ten years
C. fourteen years D. twenty-one years
2.What does the underlined word “menace” in the second paragraph mean?
A. threat B. chance
C. bargain D. treasure
3.What does the author intend to tell us by mentioning Zhou Weisen’s story?
A. Protecting animals needs hard work.
B. Zhou was good at feeding wild animal.
C. Zhou had a good relationship with local people.
D. Protecting animals can bring economic development.
4.Which of the following statements might Robert May agree with?
A. Human development should be considered first.
B. We should pay more attention to animal protection.
C. We should consider both the environment and human interests.
D. It’s difficult to find proper ways to solve environmental problems.
Other people may have their own ideas about our lives. We can value their advice, but we don’t have to take it to heart.
Our parents have dreams for us. They want us to do well in school and to do whatever is necessary to reach our highest potential (潜力). Later in life, friends may try to set us up with their ideas of the perfect partner or the perfect job. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually come from love and the desire for us to be happy. Other times, they come from a place of need within them whether it is a parent who wants us to live out his or her dreams or a friend who wants us to play a good role. Whatever the case, we can appreciate and consider those people’s advice, but ultimately we must follow our own guidance.
There may come a time when all the suggestions can become overbearing (专横的). We may feel that the people we love don’t agree on our judgment, which can hurt our feelings. It can affect the choices we make for our lives by making us doubt ourselves before we’ve had a chance to decide what we want. We can tell our loved ones how much we appreciate their thoughts and ideas, but that we need to live our own lives and make our own decisions. We can explain that they need to let us learn from our own experiences. When they see that we are happy with our lives and the path we are taking to reach our goals, they can make sure that all we need them to do is to share in our joy.
1.People close to us often tell us ideas to show their ________.
A. power B. concern C. potential D. happiness
2.When a friend’s advice is overbearing, we may feel__________.
A. determined B. frightened C. doubtful D. grateful
3.What should we do if we don’t accept our friends’ advice?
A. Tell them our choices directly.
B. Let them experience our ways of life.
C. Share our own experiences with them.
D. Let them know we should make our own decisions.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Appreciating Suggestions B. Avoiding Making Suggestions
C. Accepting Suggestions D. Offering Suggestions
Professional Development, Languages & Literature Courses in London
Business Writing
Subject: Business, Creative Writing
Delivery method: Online, Video
Price: $ 49
About the course: Writing at work often seems frightening. Many people get blocked when forced to put their thoughts into words. This course gives you the tools and techniques to improve your writing. Whether it’s a two-line email or a two-hundred-page report, the quality and speed of your written communications will increase.
Travel Writing Courses
Subject: Creative Writing, Journalism, Publishing, Travel & Tourism
Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar
Price: $ 115 (full day); $ 125 (evening classes)
About the course: Do you want to be a travel writer? Then come along to a travel writing workshop or travel writing evening class. The courses help participants to write travel features and sell them to newspapers, magazines and websites. Get started with a one-day travel writing workshop or with a four-week travel writing evening class.
Academic Purposes in English
Subject: English Language
Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar
Price: Starting from $ 1,250
About the course: Our five pre-sessional programs in English for Academic Purposes are intended for international students who plan to study at Aston University.
Masterclass – How to Write Fundraising Copy
Subject: Fundraising, Creative Writing
Delivery method: Classroom, Seminar
Price: Starting from $ 335
About the course: Whether you write fundraising letters, door-drops or for your website(s), this all-new copy-writing Masterclass will improve your capability, confidence and results. In just one inspiring day, you’ll gain the ideas, knowledge and skills you need to write fundraising copy that produces more impressive and profitable results.
1.Business Writing charges least mainly because _____.
A. it’s taught online without field teaching
B. it only focuses on the speed of writing
C. few people are interested in the topic
D. its teaching isn’t creative enough
2.Who are most likely to choose Travel Writing Courses?
A. Those loving to write mysterious travel stories.
B. Those having spare time to attend evening classes.
C. Those loving to share their traveling experiences on the media.
D. Those who don’t like surfing on websites or reading magazines.
3.“______” fits John if he hopes to raise money for kindness with writings.
A. Business Writing
B. Travel Writing Courses
C. Academic Purposes in English
D. Masterclass – How to Write Fundraising Copy
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How long can the students keep the books at most?
A. One week. B. Ten days. C. Two weeks.
2.What kind of books may NOT be taken away?
A. Reference books. B. Textbooks. C. Documents.
3.What should the students do with the magazines?
A. Keep them in good order.
B. Return them in one week.
C. Borrow only one at a time.
