For much of my childhood, my mother filled in the evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted ( 编织 ) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.
“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don't even know these people.” “It doesn't matter,” she said. “What's important is that I listen.” I was sixteen years old and couldn't understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn't even stop to catch breath.” I said.
My attitude didn't decrease my mother's enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. “I'm the only person she talked to today.”
It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the significance of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I'm the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she recounts a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother's calls were lifelines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.
1.Why wasn’t the writer surprised about her mother's decision to undertake a new project? (no more than 9 words)
_____________________
2.What's the mother's purpose of calling the seniors and listening? (no more than 8 words)
_____________________
3.What does the underlined sentence “They will talk your ear off.” in Paragraph 2 probably mean? (no more than 10 words)
_____________________
4.What was the author’s attitude towards her mother’s new project thirty years later according to the last paragraph ? (no more than 9 words)
_____________________
5.What do you think of the author’s mother? And why? (no more than 20 words)
_____________________
Sometimes we may find that every week there are a lot of new stories about how climate change is affecting the planet, or new plans to battle its effects like the one announced by President Barack Obama the other day. But the concept itself isn't new at all --- in fact, scientists have been exploring questions about climate change for almost 200 year.
The idea of “greenhouse gases” goes back to 1824, when Joseph Fourier wondered what was regulating the earth's temperature. Fourier concluded that the atmosphere must be responsible for containing the heat absorbed from the sun and described it as a box with a glass lid: As light shines through the glass, the inside gets warmer as the lid traps the heat. As Fourier's ideas spread, it came to be called “the greenhouse effect”.
Scientists continued to study the greenhouse effect. Until a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius came along, scientists understood how global warming actually works. After years of work, Arrhenius determined that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere did in fact have a direct effect on global temperatures.
Arrhenius found that CO2, and other gases trap radiation, which warms the atmosphere. Arrhenius was the first to suspect that burning coal could contribute to the greenhouse effect. But Arrhenius welcomed the warming effect on the planet. At a lecture later that year, Arrhenius noted that creatures of a warmer earth “might live under a milder sky and in less barren surroundings”.
While Arrhenius' findings won him the 1903 Nobel Prize in chemistry, scientists kept debating whether the greenhouse effect was increasing until 1950, when researchers finally began to find strong data supporting it. By the end of the 1950s, American scientists had been sounding the alarm on the long-term consequences of climate change. Climate change research has come a long way since Fourier first described the greenhouse effect – still, maybe Arrhenius should have been more careful of what he wished for.
1.What can we know from Paragraph 1?
A. Climate change has caused terrible disasters.
B. The topic of climate change has been talked a lot.
C. Scientists should work harder to research climate change.
D. The whole world should cooperate to protect the environment.
2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The atmosphere.
B. The idea.
C. The earth.
D. The earth's temperature.
3.What's the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A. Serious consequences of climate change.
B. The history of studying the greenhouse effect.
C. Significant research findings about climate change.
D. Scientists' doubts about the cause of global warming.
4.What did Arr henius think of the greenhouse effect?
A. It was beneficial for creatures on the earth.
B. It was totally responsible for climate change
C. It brought more troubles than benefits to human beings.
D. It worked as a punishment for human harmful activities.
5.What's the author's attitude towards Arr henius' expectation?
A. Cautious. B. Defensive. C. Positive. D. Negative.
Nowadays, we live in a strict and judgmental world where people are quick to point out the faults of others yet seem to ignore their own ones. Some misguided souls believe they have a moral duty to help you be a better person telling you what a failure you really are.
If you're the one placing criticism upon others, please stop. Make a conscious decision, rather than focus on the negative aspect of a person's performance or attitudes, and you can offer helpful suggestions. If I'm painting a living room and making a mess in doing so, I'd have my husband say to me, “This is a tough job. Can I offer a suggestion that might make it easier for you?” rather than have him point out what a careless painter I am.
If you're on the receiving end of criticism, the “OK” response is a perfect solution. When someone comments negatively on a task you're doing, the natural response is to defend and attack.
However, this approach is rarely effective as it puts both parties on the defensive. It diffuses (扩散) a potentially explosive situation. It's important to keep calm and listen without feeling, to be an objective observer. There is much that one can learn from a negative review. You can ask yourself: Could I have done better, and been more thoughtful? Did I give 100% of myself to the task at hand? Is there any truth in what the other person says? If so, how can I improve?
In any event, one should remember the saying, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” One can learn to be “OK” with criticism and not allow it to negatively impact his or her relationship with the other party. Let it go and that will be “OK”.
1.According to the author, today's people .
A. ignore the mistakes of others
B. focus on how to handle mistakes
C. like to point out the mistakes of others
D. have a moral duty to point out others' faults
2.In Paragraph 2, the author uses the example to show .
A. pointing out a fault needs a skill
B. It's hard to avoid making mistakes
C. we ought to accept others' criticism
D. praise is more important than criticism
3.What is the proper response to criticism in the author's opinion?
A. Paying no attention to it.
B. Learning something from it.
C. Making excuses for your mistakes.
D. Defending and attacking sometimes.
4.Why should you ask yourself some questions mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A. To comfort yourself.
B. To find out your potentials.
C. To make yourself become better.
D. To persuade yourself to admit your mistakes.
5.Which would be the best title for this passage?
A. Is criticism really necessary?
B. What can you learn from criticism?
C. What's the best way to voice criticism?
D. How to criticize and reply to criticism?
Although most people believe that owning a business or working on an idea means you are an entrepreneur (企业家), the reality is that entrepreneurship is so much more than just these two things. It is about the ability to innovate (创新) by helping society progress. For those who aspire to become real entrepreneurs, the path to turn your thought into entrepreneurship is one that requires you to know yourself.
Recognize what skills you are good at. Everybody wants money. But many fail to realize that money is the extension ( 延伸) of your skills, so the most important aspect of learning to make money starts by knowing what skills you have. Make a list of your skills and you should see where your strengths lie. The goal with this exercise is to recognize what skills you are good at naturally. Make good use of them until you finally change more of your skills into usable abilities for your business.
Make use of your confidence to create belief. Confidence is a result of repeating one thing. The more you practice doing something, the more confident you become in the process needed to see it to the end . Starting a business requires confidence, so most people who have zero confidence in the process fail to get started because it is an unknown area. You have to believe in the idea, the process and the ability within yourself to bring your business project to life. Without confidence, belief doesn't exist; without belief, the chances of giving up are high.
Allow your love to become enthusiasm. The last ingredient outside of your skills and confidence is the ability to focus on ideas that you feel enthusiastic about. Having passion will push you to struggle for something you love and turn that longing into action. The goal is to identify topics of interest so that you can start showing some aspects of passion as you start your project. The closer a project is to your heart, the less pessimistic you will become when results don't go your way.
1.The underlined word "aspire " in the first paragraph probably means .
A. want B. hate C. turn D. face
2.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
A. It is very difficult for us to know our skills.
B. Knowing your skills is the first step to learn to make money.
C. To recognize your skills will surely make your business successful.
D. To recognize your skills is more important than making money.
3.When getting to an unknown area, most people fail because .
A. their ability is limited
B. they have no confidence to start
C. they are likely to repeat one thing
D. they don't have enough money to support themselves
4.What's the importance of enthusiasm for us?
A. It can help us find out what we love.
B. It can make us never feel pessimistic.
C. It can push us to work hard on our goals.
D. It will make us succeed in whatever we are doing.
5.What does this passage mainly talk about?
A. The advantages of confidence.
B. The ability to focus on ideas.
C. Why people want to be an entrepreneur.
D. How you can go from ideas to an entrepreneur.
Animal cafes are popular in major cities all over the world, to the delight of travelers looking to get their fix of coffee and cuteness. Featuring cats, dogs and farm animals, these animal cafes offer unforgettable experiences with the world's cutest baristas ( 咖啡师) .
Ms. Bunny Cafe in Tokyo, Japan
This is a rabbit cafe located in Tokyo. Unlike the other cafes, you cannot make your reservation (预定) ahead of time, so you might have to wait for a table . This cafe also offers the unique opportunity to take one of the rabbits for a walk around the neighborhood.
Cafe Chat L'Heureux in Montreal, Canada
Featuring a dozen cats, this is a great place to play with cats and even do a little shopping for your pet back home. In addition to food and drink, the cafe also sells a variety of products that your cat might appreciate. The cafe itself is warm and is sure to please both the humans and their cats.
Dog Cafe in Los Angeles, California
Here the cafe experience is about more than just scheduling in some facetime with friendly dogs; it's also about changing the way dogs are adopted. The Dog Cafe is part shelter (庇护所) and part animal cafe, offering an experience for visitors to connect with rescue dogs, help socialize them, and maybe even take one home.
Meow Parlour in New York, New York
In New York, you'll find one of the best and cleanest cat cafes in Chinatown at Meow Parlour. This cafe not only offers plenty of snacks for you and the cats, it also puts on special events like yoga and Bingo night. And it has special hours for families with children when the staff can pay extra attention to the cats and the kids.
1.Ms. Bunny Cafe in Tokyo allows customers to .
A. bring their own food B. book a seat in advance
C. play with pets at home D. take a pet to the street
2.What can we know about Cafe Chat L ' Heureux in Montreal?
A. It provides no snacks or coffee.
B. It welcomes both customers and cats.
C. No one is allowed to feed cats here.
D. You can buy yourself some clothes here.
3.Dog Cafe in Los Angeles may attract people who _.
A. wish to raise a pet
B. have an interest in cats
C. want to do some exercises
D. want to play with kids
4.In which cafe can you join some themed activities?
A. Ms. Bunny Cafe in Tokyo.
B. Cafe Chat L ' Heureux in Montreal .
C. Meow Parlour in New York .
D. Dog Cafe in Los Angeles.
5.What's the author's purpose of writing this text ?
A. To introduce some cute animals.
B. To list some of the world's best baristas.
C. To advertise some nice shopping places.
D. To recommend visitors some animal cafes.
Recently, a business associate and I experienced one of the real challenges in visiting a very large regional shopping centre. How do you find a store when you haven't been to this shopping centre for some considerable period of time?
Well, when we first arrived at the centre and had parked our car, out of the crowd ____ one of the shopping centre security officers. Seizing the opportunity to ____some assistance from someone who would no____ know where the store was located, I approached him and asked for____ . He smiled and ____ that the store was only some 75 metres from where we were standing. Before we could thank him, he ____ , “'However, please allow me to ____ where it is.” We thanked him, but said that there was no ____ , as we would now be able to find it with the help of his directions. His immediate ____ came as a real surprise to us both. “'No, not at all, please ____ me, it is not very far and it is all just part of my job.” As we walked, he asked____ our day had been and then added that it was a very busy day in the centre, ____ because it was school holidays. When we reached the store, we both thanked him for his courtesy and knew his name was Rod.
I am sure Rob's job as a security officer is full of daily ____ with lots of not so good things to____ with, so no doubt doing what he did for us and I am certain many others, is more than ____ the part of his job that makes his day just that more enjoyable and ____ .
There can be ____ better in life than to offer caring and sincere ____ to others and not____ anything in return, however, I am sure that the ____ you receive for a job very well done will never go lost!
1.A. stayed B. appeared C. remained D. stood
2.A. provide B. receive C. seek D. handle
3.A. doubt B. wonder C. idea D. problem
4.A. directions B. explanations C. instructions D. excuses
5.A. thought B. remembered C. informed D. indicated
6.A. answered B. added C. insisted D. stressed
7.A. prove B. remind C. present D. show
8.A. way B. point C. need D. use
9.A. action B. reply C. answer D. step
10.A. follow B. direct C. consult D. help
11.A. what B. where C. how D. when
12.A. mainly B. usually C. mostly D. lately
13.A. memories B. operation C. checks D. challenges
14.A. go B. deal C. help D. live
15.A. popular B. unique C. likely D. special
16.A. amazing B. exciting C. surprising D. rewarding
17.A. nothing B. something C. anything D. everything
18.A. greetings B. appreciation C. patience D. service
19.A. order B. pay C. expect D. receive
20.A. comment B. praise C. training D. practice
