I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early ______ of gardening may not have come from my love for nature. It was to ______ my parents.
At that time we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with ______ at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, something else to ______. Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father even thought it a waste of time.
At that age, I always did something ______ to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found ______, I would plant a garden!
I planted some lily seeds in the yard. But they failed to ______, I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild ______ joy, I found the first rose bloom (开花). One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. ______, I was touched by this land of wonder.
____, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even ______at me because he found it was ______ to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother’s ______, I put in her vase my real roses which in her eyes were simply weeds ______ flowers.
Regardless of their ______, I kept on planting my garden and ______ to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they ______ to care and love.
It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to ______ my parents. Today I become known as Mrs. Green thumbs (手指), teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show, which makes my parents feel very ______. And now I could say it my affection for ______ that makes me a real gardener.
1.A. memory B. dream C. intention D. design
2.A. pleas B. change C. help D. annoy
3.A. doubt B. appreciation C. surprise D. excitement
4.A. collect up B. care about C. clean up D. come in
5.A. equal B. similar C. superior D. opposite
6.A. painful B. valuable C. upsetting D. interesting
7.A. come up B. break out C. hold on D. get through
8.A. to B. with C. in D. by
9.A. Luckily B. Rapidly C. Regularly D. Eventually
10.A. Instead B. However C. Therefore D. Besides
11.A. shouted B. laughed C. glanced D. jumped
12.A. convenient B. troublesome C. enjoyable D. dangerous
13.A. sadness B. annoyance C. delight D. relief
14.A. other thar B. more than C. rather than D. less than
15.A. dislike B. encouragement C. requirement D. suggestion
16.A. decided B. stopped C. continued D. struggled
17.A. turn B. respond C. devote D. lead
18.A. defeat B. satisfy C. respect D. challenge
19.A. proud B. comfortable C. strange D. disappointed
20.A. freedom B. life C. growth D. nature
Changing your life can come in small, easy steps. You can transform yourself and live a better life by making positive changes along the way. 1.
Choose to change bad habits.
Some bad habits seem to stick around without us even realizing it. 2. You can overcome them. find better alternatives, and get through your struggle to become a better you! Do it for yourself more than anything.
Choose to grow.
It’s easy to get stuck in a fixed way of life. 3. In choosing to grow, you build character, develop your strengths, become aware of what needs improvement, and turn into the well-rounded person you need to be to succeed.
Choose to seek a balanced life.
Where do you need balance? Are you all work, no play? Or the opposite? 4. If you’re spending too much time working or locked away alone, find the time for social interaction (社交) and having fun. If you haven’t committed to a schedule in a while, make the decision to start following one.
5..
This is vital to human existence. We need the loving bonds created by family members and friends. Personal relationships are key to emotional growth and social stability.
A. Choose to spend time with those you love.
B. Choose to organize your schedule flexibly.
C. Make the choice today that you won t be ruled by them.
D. Here are some choices that will lead to your transformation.
E. Neither extreme will lead you to a pleasant life for very long.
F. However, with re-evaluation and growth comes a beautiful freedom.
G. It’s good to change, and you’ve only got so many years to refresh yourself.
“Sorry seems to be the hardest word”—that is one of Elton Johns most popular songs. But not every public figure seems to find it so tough to say that powerful five-letter word.
In recent days public figures, from politicians to stars, have all publicly expressed remorse. But with so much remorse, how can we tell a forced apology from a heartfelt expression of remorse?
Specifically, saying sorry should be a realization that something you have said or done has hurt someone and you want to make amends. “People wants the response to be personal to them. They want to feel that they’re being listened to and taken seriously,” says Martin Stone.
Firstly, it is important to show that you understand. It is vital that any group or a person making an apology understands the focus—is it sorry for the way it’s acted or is it sorry that the complainant feels the way they do? Watch out for the speed of response. The quicker the apology comes, the better it indicates that the person making it has felt an immediate sense of guilt.
If sincere, the person making the apology will be looking for clues (线索) to see if he or she is being understood, such as eye contact and facial expressions. Performed apologies always have a sense of being “acted out”, and are often accompanied by too many unnatural gestures.
For a sincere apology, it is also important to avoid promises that can’t be kept. Don’t say that you’ll make sure that this will not happen again if you re not confident that it wont. It could come back to bite you. And do remember that the use of “but” can hugely change the tone (语气) of an apology. As Stone points out, “I’m sorry but...” sounds like you are making excuses and aren’t actually taking any form of responsibility.
1.What does the underlined word “remorse” probably mean?
A. Feelings. B. Appereciation. C. Regret. D. Sympathy.
2.Which of the following indicates it’s a performed apology?
A. Swearing it will not happen again. B. Avoiding eye contact with the listener.
C. Showing you understand his /her feelings. D. Paying attention to the listener’s reaction.
3.What is stressed in the last paragraph?
A. The attitude. B. The tone of voice.
C. The body language. D. The choice of language.
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To explain what a good apology is.
B. To discuss how to give a formal apology.
C. To show why we should apologize in life.
D. To teach us how to tell if an apology is sincere.
The secret to happiness is keeping busy, research has found. Keeping the mind occupied with tasks—no matter how meaningless—keeps off negative emotions, the study found.
However, the bad news is that humans are seemingly born to be lazy in order to save energy, according to Professor Christoper Hsee, a behavioral scientist at Chicago University.
In a study, 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first, they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar. It turned out that about two-thirds (68 students) chose the lazy option. Those who had taken the walk reported feeling happier than those who had stayed put.
Professor Hsee concluded that keeping busy helped keep people happy. He said the findings, reported in the journal Psychological Science, had policy implications (暗示).
“Governments may increase the happiness of idle (无所事事的) citizens by having them build bridges that are actually useless,” he proposed.
At the personal level, he advised, “Get up and do something. Anything. Even if there really is no point to what you are doing, you will feel better for it. He added, Incidentally, thinking deeply or engaging in self-reflection counts as keeping busy, too.
“You do not need to be running around. You just need to be engaged, either physically or mentally.”
1.According to the passage, why can keeping busy make people happy?
A. It can help people keep off laziness. B. It can make people sleep better.
C. It can help get rid of unpleasant feelings. D. It can give people a sense of achievement.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The finding may contribute to politics.
B. The officials have taken Pro. Hsee’s advice
C. In the study one third students handed in the first survey nearby.
D. Governments can increase citizens’ happiness by building bridges.
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Everybody is certainly born to be lazy.
B. Being engaged can add to the possibility of being pleased.
C. Prof. Hsee’s finding was published in Psychological Science.
D. Only by keeping working all the time can you gain happiness.
4.Why does the author write this passage?
A. To explain what happiness is.
B. To advise people not to be idle.
C. To advise people to do whatever they prefer.
D. To show people how to take work seriously.
My motivation for starting our family tradition of reading in the car was purely selfish: I could not bear listening to A Sesame Street Christmas for another 10 hours. My three children had been addicted to this cassette on our previous summer’s road trip.
As I began to prepare for our next 500-mile car trip, I came across a book Jim Trelease’s The Read Aloud Handbook. This could be the answer to my problem. I thought. So I put Roald dahl’s James and the Giant Peach into my bag. When I began to read aloud the tale of the boy who escapes the bad guys by hiding inside a giant peach, my three kids argued and wrestled in their seats. But after several lines, they were attracted into the rhythm of the words and began to listen.
We soon learned that the simple pleasure of listening to a well-written book makes the long miles pass more quickly. Sometimes the books we read became highlights of the trip. I read wilson Rawls’s Summer of the Monkeys as we spent two days driving to the beach. We arrived just behind the power crews restoring (恢复) electricity after a tropical storm. The rain continued most of the week, and the beach was covered with oil washed up by the storm. When we returned home, I asked my son what he liked about the trip. He answered without hesitation, “The book you read in the car.”
Road trips still offer challenges, even though my children now are teenagers. But we continue to read as we roll across the country. And I m beginning to see that reading aloud has done more than help pass the time. For at least a little while, we are not shut in our own electronic worlds. And maybe we’ve started something that will pass on to the next generation.
1.Why did the author start reading in the car?
A. She wanted to have a better journey. B. She wanted to keep a family tradition
C. Her children were addicted to music. D. She wanted to kill the time.
2.How did the children react after the author read a few lines?
A. They kept quarelling. B. They hid themselves.
C. They soon settled down. D. They continued to fight in their seats.
3.What can we learn about the author and her family’s trip to the beach?
A. They were caught in a storm. B. They enjoyed reading on the road.
C. They had a good time on the beach. D. They thought it had passed too quickly.
4.Which can be the best title for the text?
A. Better Reading than Traveling B. Books that Changed My Children
C. Road Trips Full of Challenges D. Reading Makes Great Road Trips
In the winter months the temperature in most of Canada usually stays below 0℃. However, in some parts of Canada, such as southern British Columbia, the temperature rarely goes below 0℃. In most areas where people live, snow will be on the ground from mid-December to mid-March. Though Canada’s winter may be much colder and longer than you are used to, it can be very enjoyable. For many Canadians, being active in winter is an important part of enjoying life. There are many outdoor winter activities, including skiing, ice fishing, walking, and skating. Joining in one of these activities may help you appreciate winter and enjoy your time outside in the snow.
Dressing for winter
During winter in Canada, you will need warm clothing. If possible, arrive with these items or be prepared to buy them soon after your arrival. You will need:
☆ a warm waterproof boots ☆ a scarf for your neck
☆ a hat that covers your ears ☆ gloves for your hands
☆ thick winter coats, pants and sweaters
Layers keep you warm
It’s a good idea to layer your clothing by, for example, wearing a T-shirt and a sweater underneath a jacket. If you become too hot, it’s always easier to remove a piece of clothing than to add another. On the West Coast, prepare to dress for cool rainy or snowy weather. You will need:
☆ a warm waterproof coat ☆ waterproof hats
☆ an umbrella ☆ rain boots or snow boots
Learn more about weather and seasons across Canada. You can also contact Related Links. for example, an immigrant-serving organization in the community where you live for more information about dressing for winter.
1.What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?
A. To tell about the details about Canada. B. To show many outdoor winter activities.
C. To introduce the daily life of Canadians. D. To encourage you to enjoy winter in Canada.
2.If you spend a winter in Canada, you ll prepare the following EXCEPT ________.
A. an umbrella and sunglasses B. thick winter coats and pants
C. waterproof hats and coats D. snow boots and gloves
3.In which part of a newspaper can you find this passage?
A. Business. B. Sports C. Tourism D. Health
