In the past, boredom was just part of life. You didn’t have a phone to ______ you in the car. You sat in the back seat and stared out of the window. But today, boredom is easy to ______. You can fill ______ time with apps, Xboxes and computers.
In fact, being bored can get you into real _______.
Boredom can lead to worry (Should I be doing something?). It can lead to bad ______ (I’ll ride my bike down the stairs --- what could go wrong?). People who are bored may ______ be more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs.
According to some experts, however, it turns out boredom can be ______ for you. Why? It has to do with the ______, which has two ways of paying attention.
The first way of paying attention is what helps you with what’s ______ around you. It helps you listen to your teacher, catch a ball, and joke with your friends. That’s the part of the brain you use ______ you text, play games and watch TV.
The other way of paying attention helps you think about how you ______. It helps you sort out your feelings about a fight with your brother. It helps you ______ the joy of baking cookies with your grandma. That’s the part of the brain you use to be ______, daydream and imagine your future.
But these two parts of your brain can’t both ______ at the same time.
So what happens if you’re always ______? You’ll only use the first part of your brain. You’ll ______ use the thoughtful part. If this part of your brain doesn’t work well, you may not know what you really feel. You can be ______ of what you really want.
That’s why it’s ______ to learn to be bored. Being able to do ______--- happily --- is an important skill. It’s something you have to practice, ______ it will feel much more rewarding than computer games.
1.A. educate B. support C. help D. entertain
2.A. have B. avoid C. start D. forget
3.A. spare B. long C. limited D. local
4.A. pain B. business C. trouble D. challenge
5.A. situations B. concerns C. decisions D. performances
6.A. just B. even C. still D. only
7.A. fit B. good C. hard D. simple
8.A. habit B. heart C. brain D. life
9.A. continuing B. disappearing C. hiding D. happening
10.A. when B. since C. before D. though
11.A. react B. speak C. feel D. relax
12.A. tell B. learn C. explain D. remember
13.A. creative B. active C. attractive D. competitive
14.A. exist B. work C. spread D. move
15.A. free B. real C. busy D. normal
16.A. always B. ever C. never D. once
17.A. shy B. unsure C. tired D. careful
18.A. ordinary B. impossible C. difficult D. important
19.A. nothing B. something C. everything D. anything
20.A. so B. but C. or D. if
Questions to ask yourself before making a big decision
Life is packed with decisions, big and small. If you feel a big decision is appearing in your life, don’t hide! Ask yourself these questions to get clear on what’s the right choice for you.
How committed am I to this change?
Rate your level of commitment on a scale out of 10. 1. Is your level of commitment higher than a 7? That’s great data for your decision!
Is this decision in line with my long-term goal?
2. Write down your goals. Then think about how this decision plays into that longer-term plan.
3.
This is one of my favorite questions! If something is stirring(搅动) within you --- a creative idea, a calling to move somewhere new, a desire to end a relationship --- what are you giving up when you don’t do it? What might you be missing out on in your life if you do nothing?
Is now the right time?
Bear in mind: 4. But there are few real reasons we ever need to delay making a big one when it presents itself. Remember, life is always uncertain and time waits for no one.
Making a big decision doesn’t have to be so difficult. There are no right or wrong answers, or right or wrong ways to live your life. 5. Your inner wisdom has the answers. So get busy asking the person who knows best --- you.
A. What is the risk of not doing it?
B. How long have I been thinking about his?
C. Not all decisions need to be made immediately.
D. Think about the amount of work, effort and time you’d have to put in.
E. We always want to know what we need to do next.
F. You don’t have to ask other people what they think.
G. Ask yourself: What do I want five even ten years from now?
The fashionable technology of virtual reality (虚拟现实) (VR) --- the wonderful world created by computers --- is finally here, but before you rush out to buy the headset, you’ll want to take notice of experts’ warnings.
“These devices are designed mostly for adult use,” said Dr. Justin Asgarpour, Vancouver optometrist (whose job is to examine people’s eyes and to sell glasses).
Little research has been done about the long-term effects of VR on children, but makers have not designed the VR headsets for young eyes.
VR headset maker Oculus Rift states that younger users may suffer from discomfort or ill health effects, and they are in a very important period of visual development.
“What a study has suggested is that a VR device can actually cause what we call amblyopia, potential lazy eyes, in these children with pre-existing visual conditions,” Dr. Asgarpour said.
Even children without underlying eye conditions could experience problems, like temporary double vision.
Adults should be careful too, according to the doctor, who says longer virtual reality experiences can lead t balance problems. You should be careful of your surroundings and be careful not to trip over wires. Those with heart conditions are advised not to play.
But there are some positive health uses of virtual reality. The technology has been used to treat conditions like fear of heights, and it’s also being used to help treat addictions.
“What we’re trying to do is take people into a drug-related setting and let them experience cravings (extremely strong wishes for something,)” Dr. Zach Rosenthal with Duke University said. He and his team take addicts inside a virtual house and use a series of tones to condition them to reduce their cravings.
A lot more research needs to be done about the long-term health effects of VR, but in the meantime you had better spend only a limited time on VR and make sure your children use it as little as possible.
1.What may be Oculus Rift’s attitude to children’s use of VR?
A. Discouraging. B. Uninterested. C. Doubtful. D. Curious
2.What did Asgarpour say about VR?
A. It could help to improve users’ balance.
B. It was badly in need of improvements.
C. It could be used to treat heart disease.
D. It might cause kids’ sight problems.
3.Why does the author mention Rosenthal’s study?
A. To explain the harm of addictions. B. To prove VR’s beneficial effects.
C. To comment on VR’s medical uses. D. To discuss people’s cravings for VR.
4.What are scientists expected to find out?
A. Why children are showing much interest in VR.
B. How people can use VR to improve their health.
C. Why VR is getting more popular at the present time.
D. How VR influences users over a long period of time.
The sun rises above the Artic Ocean (北冰洋). Across the frozen sea, a white bear moves slowly.
The bear stops and sways (摇晃) his head from side to side. There is nothing to see but endless ice and red sky. Then his powerful nose senses what his eyes cannot: a beluga whale is nearby.
The bear follows the smell and spots a large hole in the ice where a small white whale is swimming. He silently walks towards the hole, then stops, standing still. The whale does not see the bear, whose white fur makes him appear invisible (看不见的) against the ice.
Finally, the whale swims close to where the bear is waiting. With terrifying speed, the bear comes to life and moves towards the whale. In a moment it is over, and the bear eats his first meal in nearly a week.
Polar bears rule the frozen sea, but their ancestors weren’t always built for ice and snow. The first Arctic bears were brown bears, a species that includes grizzly bears. They came to the icy north over a hundred thousand years ago.
No one knows for sure why these bears traveled to such a cold place. Scientists think they might have wandered north looking for food. Maybe they became trapped by glaciers and couldn’t leave. Whatever the reason, the bears never should have survived.
But they did. They got used to their new environment. Their bodies changed. Their behavior changed, too. Eventually, the bears developed into an entirely new species: the polar bear. You can see some of the characteristics that polar bears developed to survive.
Sadly, these characteristics may now threaten the polar bear’s survival. As sea ice melts due to global warming, polar bears are frequently forced to come ashore (在岸上). They are poor hunters on land, which means they often go a long time between meals. The polar bear, king of the Arctic, is now classified as a threatened species.
Although the future of the polar bear is unknown, the tale of two bears continues. As temperatures rise, grizzly bears have been spotted moving north into polar bear territory (领地). These long-lost cousins, once forced apart by nature, are coming back together again.
1.What can be inferred about the white bear mentioned in the first four paragraphs?
A. It is noisy. B. it is smelly. C. It is starving. D. It has good eyesight.
2.Why are polar bears struggling to survive?
A. They are threatened by other animals.
B. They are losing their hunting ground.
C. They are spending little time on land.
D. They have difficulty reaching the shore.
3.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. The climate change
B. The polar bear’s favorite meal
C. The dark past of the polar bear
D. The mysteries of the Arctic Ocean
“Hey, how are you doing? I’m Courtney. What grade are you in? What’s your favorite book? Elephant and Piggy? Yeah, I got it.”
If you thought you’d walked into a library with a greeting like that, you wouldn’t be too far off. In fact, you’ve entered the workplace of Courtney Holmes, the Storybook Barber.
Two years ago, Dubuque, Iowa, held its first yearly Back to School Bash, offering needy families an opportunity to learn about free resources in the community. Holmes agreed to participate. Saturday was his busiest haircutting day, but he chose to donate his time and give free haircuts to underprivileged kids so they’d look sharp on that first day of classes. But then he had a lightbulb moment(突然醒悟的一瞬): “The kids should earn their free haircut by having to read a book to me,” Holmes said.
The idea was so popular that he continued it for the next two years. Five-to ten-year-old boys would grab a favorite book, settle into the barber chair, and read aloud while Holmes cut their hair. If they stuttered(结结巴巴) over a word, Holmes was there to help.
After the haircut, they’d review the book, from the characters and vocabulary to the themes --- just like in school, only more fun.
Holmes admits he, too, benefits from the free snip-and-reads.
“There was this seven-year-old Bob, who struggled through his book, stuttering over words even though he didn’t have a stutter,” said Holmes. He had the boy take the book home and practice. When the child came back a few days later, “He read it with no problems. That inspires me.”
Holmes and his family have recently moved from Dubuque to a Chicago suburb. When they get settled, he plans to continue his role as the Storybook Barber. “The way the world is today is with guns and violence,” he says, “it’s a safe haven for the kids, to come to the barbershop and read books.”
1.What does the underlined word “underprivileged” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Unruly. B. Poor. C. Intelligent. D. Unusual.
2.What did Holmes say about Bob?
A. He fired his enthusiasm. B. He gifted him a new book.
C. He preferred to read alone. D. He had a language disability.
3.What can we infer about Holmes from the last paragraph?
A. He showed great concern for kids. B. He faced serious money problems.
C. He had an excellent sense of humor. D. He built a shelter for homeless kids.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about Paul Bunyan?
A. He was a small-sized man.
B. He was a British folk hero.
C. His job was to cut down trees.
2.What is said to be created by Paul Bunyan?
A. The Great Canyon.
B. The Mississippi River.
C. The Niagara Falls.
3.What color was Paul Bunyan’s pet?
A. Black. B. Gray. C. Blue.
4.What does the speaker do most probably?
A. A radio host. B. A folklore expert. C. A TV producer.
