My first term at MIT（麻省理工学院）was awesome—I got all A’s, and I declared math as my major. My parents were expecting me to become a doctor like them so I was trying to satisfy them. But I was desperately running away from them. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My third term, I ended up with a D in math. I didn’t do that well in my other classes, either. It seemed like all my friends were doing so well, getting opportunities over the summers.
My fifth term, I realized that I was awful at higher-level math. I had lost all confidence in myself. I went to a few classes at the beginning of the term, but after by midterm, I had totally stopped. My only relief was the dance team I was on. I would sleep all day, and then go to dance practice, and then go back to sleep. As expected, I failed in all of my classes and had to withdraw from MIT.
I had no choice but to tell my parents. Instead of yelling or hitting me, though, they just held me and cried. The next day, my dad took a day off from work and took me to a nearby, small arts college.
I had lost all confidence in myself. Before my first biology test, I didn’t think I could pass. I did pass. Since I had so much free time, I decided to join a biology lab. I realized that was what I wanted to do! I wanted to be a scientist!
This past May, I graduated with the highest honors, and now I have my PhD in biology. Though it ended up taking me 5 years to graduate from college, I can say now that dropping out of MIT was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I’ve realized that a person is not their grades. I’ve realized how much my parents loved me. I’ve finally discovered my passion（热情）in life!
1.How was the author’s first term at MIT?
A. He was busy with exams. B. He knew his goals clearly.
C. He did well in all subjects. D. He was fed up with math.
2.How did the author’s parents react to his failing at MIT?
A. They hit him. B. They yelled at him.
C. They quit their jobs to teach him. D. They forgave him for what he did.
3.In the arts college, the author _________.
A. rebuilt his confidence B. volunteered at many labs
C. found it hard to learn biology D. hated the learning environment
4.What do we know about the author from the last paragraph?
A. He felt sorry for his parents. B. He discovered his true interest.
C. He realized the importance of grades. D. He felt ashamed of his failing at MIT.
The man who walked into Dave Cutlip’s tattoo parlor（纹身店）in Brooklyn Park. Maryland, in January was tough to miss. His face bore a gang（帮派）tattoo. The man sought Cutlip’s help in covering up his violent past. He was determined to turn over a new leaf. “I could see the hurt in his eyes,” Cutlip, 49, told The Washington Post.
Cutlip couldn’t help the man—the tattoo were too close to the eyes. But it got him thinking. Many young people get tattoos that they come to regret. A few can mark them for the rest of their days. Then they’re “always going to be a victim. ” said Cutlip. “If I can help, that’s my ultimate（最终的）goal. ”
Inking over a tattoo costs hundreds of dollars, and getting one removed by laser（激光）is even pricier. So Cutlip decided he would help by hiding racist or gang-related tattoos for free. He put the word out via Facebook: “Sometimes people make bad choices and sometimes people change. We believe there is enough hate in this world, and we want to make a difference. ”
One man, Casey Schaffer, showed up with the word “white” on one forearm and “power” on the other. He’d served a year in prison on drug charges, he told The Washington Post, and had joined a white group there because "they took care of me. I thought of it as paying them back. " But employers would take one look at the tattoos and turn him down. So he had Cutlip obscure（使不分明）one of the words with a heat and roses and tattoo an eagle over the other.
Cutlip has done nine such jobs, each of which took several hours. He told People that a client（顾客）let him know that he quickly found a job once his tattoo was obscured. Such victories inspired Cutlip to found the Random Acts of Tattoo project with three like-minded（志同道合的）tattoo studios from around the country, and now hundreds of clients are on a wait list. As he told National Public Radio. “If we can just erase hate, then we’re doing something. ”
1.What do we know about the man who had a gang tattoo?
A. His eyes were badly hurt. B. He refused Cutlip’s help.
C. Tattoos covered all of his body. D. He decided to start all over again.
2.How did Cutlip help Casey?
A. By coloring the tattoos. B. By inking over the tattoos.
C. By changing the tattoos’ patterns. D. By removing the tattoos by laser.
3.Why did Casey ask Cutlip for help?
A. To get employed. B. To join another group.
C. To hide his anger at whites. D. To please his current employer.
4.What can be inferred about the Random Acts of Tattoo project?
A. It’s a worldwide project. B. It’s a co-founded project.
C. Its clients are like-minded. D. Its clients don’t have to wait long.
Festivals are a great way to experience a destination in a different way. This article will fuel your wanderlust（漫游癖）and guide you to the best festivals.
St Patrick’s Day
Where: Dublin, Ireland & New York, USA
When: 17 March
St Patrick’s Day has taken place in New York city on March 17th since 1762. On this day, the whole city turns green. Many Irish make traditional bread on this day. It is one of the most fun days the of the year in New York City every year, when the whole city turns into a big green party.
SXSW
Where: Austin, USA
When:10-19 March
Like free things? Yeah me too! Free food, drink and music sound good? Welcome to Austin, Texas. SXSW is a festival for those who work in the music and film industries. There are “free” shows. You di have to pay but not by handing over cash; you have to give some time to queue but it is worth it to see some popular stars.
King’s Day
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
When: 27 April
Every year on April 27 Amsterdam turns a very bright color of orange for King’s Day, which is the birthday of King Willem-Alexander. It is a crazy fun celebration when the center of the city is car, bus, and bike-free. It is a market day, when anyone can sell pretty much anything. Tips: Take a jacket with you, wear orange, and bring cash.
Just for Laughs
Where: Montreal, Canada
When: 14-30 July
For comedy lovers there is no other festival in the world better than Montreal’s Just for Laughs. The festival concentrates most of its shows in the Latin Quarter. During the day street performers delight the crowds and at night the city comes alive with comedy all over the city.
1.What do St Patrick’s Day and King’s Day have in common?
A. They are market days.
B. They feature a specific color.
C. They begin in the same month.
D. They are in honor of a King’s birthday.
2.Which festival is about music and film?
A. St Patrick’s Day. B. SXSW.
C. King’s Day. D. Just for Laughs.
3.What do we know about Just for Laughs?
A. It offers free food.
B. It lasts for one week.
C. It is the best comedy festival in the world.
D. It is celebrated in many places worldwide.
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
Workaholics live for their work, often spending many extra hours at work, and often taking work home to complete. It’s fine to live in a work-hard culture, but when work becomes the only reason for a person’s existence above more important things (such as family and friends), the issue becomes critical. That’s the problem more and more Americans are faced with.
Americans are working more hours per week than in years past, and with many companies reducing employees, more and more workers are worried about their own jobs. Some studies show that as many as 40 percent of American workers don’t even bother to take vacations, partly because of fears they may not have a job to come back to if they do. Besides, it is obvious that part of the matter is financial. More and more people begin to define success in terms of financial measures. The higher one’s income is, the more respect one gets. Finally, people nowadays live and work in a connected environment -- e-mails, instant messaging, fax machines, and cell phones -- making it hard for them to truly get time away from their work, even when they are on holiday.
When work becomes the only reason for being -- when it becomes the only thing people think about, the only thing that truly makes people happy, many Americans find that they are no longer close to their kids. Divorce rate jumps and serious stress-related health problems come up. Undoubtedly, it is time to do something.
To reduce workaholism, you must stay away from work once in a while. There are many ways to do that: Spend time with family and friends; Call home often to stay connected; Learn to say no to new assignments; Consider exercises to get your body back to a healthy shape; Fight the urge that everything you do must be perfect. It will take some effort, but for yourself and those you love, you really should make the effort. Have a try and you won’t regret it.
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假如你是高中生李华，你的美国笔友Jack热爱中国传统文化，最近打算来中国工作生活一段时间，但是不确定应该去往哪个城市，写信向你咨询。请你给他写一封回信，内容包括:
1. 你推荐的城市；
2. 推荐的理由(不少于两条)；
3. 美好祝愿。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Who are better at science in your class, girls or boys? These years, girls start to show more interest in the 1. (subject) of science, technology, engineering and Maths (STEM), according to a recent study from the UK.
In the study, every year over the last seven years, over 20,000 students 2. were in their final year in high school were surveyed. As for university courses, 3. number of girls considering choosing STEM subjects has a 4. (big) increase than that of boys. Over one-fifth of the girls surveyed said they were considering jobs 5. (relate) to STEM, such as engineers. And the interest in engineering and science has also risen.
This is an important change for women in the UK. But at present, there are not nearly as many women 6. men studying STEM subjects or working in the STEM fields. Only 13%～22% of people who graduate 7. university with STEM degrees are women. And women are seen only one in eight STEM jobs.
Are men really more suited to STEM work than women? Of course not. This is 8. (part) because of the conventional idea, which means many people think so, even though it is not correct.
“It is important that young women should 9. (encourage) to get into these jobs. In fact, STEM subjects are fun and exciting. Studying science can do 10. (we) good. It offers women chances of taking up fantastic careers and they will get higher pay in these areas,” said Niki Yates, manager of GSK’s business.
