I was at the post office early that morning, hoping to be in and out in a short while. Yet, I______ myself standing in a queue that went all the way into the hallway. I had never seen so many people there on a weekday. It seemed someone might have made an announcement, welcoming customers to carry as many ______ as they could and bring them in when I needed to have my own package ______. The queue moved very slowly. My patience ran out and I got______. The longer it took, the angrier I became. When I got to the counter finally, I finished my______quickly and briefly, and then walked past the queue that was now extending past the front door.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying not to be too pushy. Several people had to move ______ to make room for me to get to the ______.
I stepped out, complaining about the ______ conditions. Thinking I was going to be late for my dentist appointment, I headed into the parking lot.
A woman was coming across the lot in my ______. She was walking with determination, and each step sounded very heavy. I ______ that she looked as if she could breathe fire. It stopped me in my tracks. I ______ myself and it wasn't pretty. Had I looked like that? Her body language said that she was having a ______ day. My anger melted away. I wished I could wrap her in a hug but I was a______. So I did what I could in a minute______ she hurried past me－I smiled. In a second everything changed. She was astonished, then somewhat ______.Then her face softened and her shoulders______. I saw her take a deep breath. Her pace slowed and she smiled back at me as we passed each other. I continued to smile all the way to my ______. Wow, it's amazing what a simple smile can do.
From then on, I became aware of people's ______ and my own, the way we show our feelings. Now I use that ______ every day to let it ______ me that when facing the world, I can try a smile.
1.A.found B.helped C.troubled D.enjoyed
2.A.possessions B.packages C.chances D.dollars
3.A.lifted B.cashed C.weighed D.carried
4.A.pleased B.disappointed C.delighted D.annoyed
5.A.business B.choice C.situation D.attitude
6.A.away B.about C.along D.aside
7.A.counter B.cashier C.exit D.entrance
8.A.weather B.service C.work D.purchase
9.A.satisfaction B.decision C.direction D.imagination
10.A.announced B.discovered C.proved D.noticed
11.A.trusted B.recognized C.hid D.persuaded
12.A.rough B.bright C.big D.nice
13.A.gentleman B.stranger C.customer D.passenger
14.A.until B.though C.before D.since
15.A.attracted B.frightened C.excited D.confused
16.A.trembled B.raised C.relaxed D.tightened
17.A.car B.office C.home D.doctor
18.A.appearances B.reactions C.conversations D.expressions
19.A.treatment B.awareness C.conclusion D.achievement
20.A.remind B.show C.give D.tell
When we think about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, a pinnacle(顶点) of sheer(纯粹的) delight. And those pinnacles seem to get rarer the older we get. 1. I remember playing police and robbers in the woods, getting a speaking part in the school play. Of course, kids also experience lows, but their delight at such peaks of pleasure as winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved.For teenagers, or people under 20 the concept of happiness changes. 2. I can still feel the pain of not being invited to a party that almost everyone else was going to. I also remember the great happiness of being invited at another event to dance with a very handsome young man.In adulthood the things that bring great joy—birth, love, marriage—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. 3. For adults, happiness is complex. 4. But I think a better definition of happiness is “ the ability to enjoy something”. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from loving and being loved, the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, even good health.While happiness may be more complex for us, the solution is the same as ever. Happiness isn't about what happens to us; it’s the ability to find a positive for every negative, and view a difficulty as a challenge. 5.
A. Love may not last; loved ones die. |
B. For a child, happiness has a magic quality. |
C. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life. |
D. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. |
E. The dictionary defines “happy” as “lucky” or “fortunate”. |
F. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess. |
G. Suddenly it’s conditional on such things as excitement, love, and popularity. |
Strangely enough, music is no fun at all for some people. About four percent of the population is what scientists call "amusic", People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes. Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. "I used to hate parties," says Margaret, a seventy-year- old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic.
By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn't involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can't see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is final diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. "When people invite me to a concert, I just say, No, thanks, I am amusic',"says Margaret. "I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy. "
1.Amusics have the following characteristics except that___________
A. they are born without the ability to recognize musical notes
B. they hate music and often keep off places where there is music
C. they are set apart from others as they fail to enjoy music
D. they prefer to make metal noise rather than listen to music
2.How do scientists finally identify the unusual condition of amusic?
A. By sorting documents and data.
B. By studying people with amusic
C. By making a lot of experiments.
D. By drawing on research results of others.
3.What does the underlined word most probably mean in the passage?
A. detective.
B. acute.
C. imperfect.
D. artificial.
4.In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________
A. she were seventeen years old rather than seventy
B. she hadn't felt embarrassed about her problem
C. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier
D. there could be a better name for her condition
It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak the 'decline of class' and 'classless society' in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class.
But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging society of public opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in particular class; 73 percent agreed that class was still a vital part of British society; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an important part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.
One unchanging aspect of a British person's class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounded 'educated' and 'soft'. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional city accents. These accents were seen as 'common' and 'ugly'. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper middle-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song 'Common People' puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may 'want to live like common people' they can never appreciate the reality of a working-class life.
1.A recent study of public opinion shows that in modern Britain ________.
A. people regard themselves socially different
B. most people belong to middle class
C. it is easy to recognize a person’s class
D. it is time to end class distinction
2.The word “stratification” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. variety B. qualification C. authority D. division
3.British attitudes towards accent ________.
A. are based on regional status
B. have a long tradition
C. are shared by the Americans
D. have changed in recent years
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The middle class is expanding
B. A person’s accent reflects his class
C. Class is a key part of British society
D. Each class has unique characteristics.
Sunny days in Seattle are quite rare. I’d planned to spend my weekend in the sun, potting flowers outdoors. But that was before the pair of crows（乌鸦） arrived. Out of nowhere, they had set up their base camp in our backyard.
We first discovered our feathered enemies on Friday morning. It was early, and the sound the birds made traveled through our neighborhood. I figured they’d go away soon. But, no. They were getting louder and probably annoying my neighbors nearly as much as us with the noise. I admit I got a little desperate.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, I looked out of the kitchen window to see our dog Quatchi staring at something on the ground. I went to explore and found a small coal-black bird in the grass. Its eyes were milky, and it stayed perfectly still as my dog walked towards it. Only when Quatchi touched his nose to its head did it walk away. I grabbed the dog and locked him inside and came back with my camera.
It never occurred to me that the young would be hanging out on the ground, growing and gaining strength as its parents guarded it from above. The second I saw this little creature I forgave the crows.
To be honest, I’ve never been much of a bird person. I also have a healthy respect for birds and by healthy, I mean slightly fear-based. They’re basically living dinosaurs.
I wish they’d chosen another backyard. There are only so many sunny days in Seattle, and I still can’t do any gardening out there. But I’m also grateful that I got to see this little bit of nature unfold up close. It’s pretty amazing.
The experience has also strengthened my desire to create a beautiful backyard garden that attracts lots of bees, butterflies, and yes, birds. They are welcome here.
1.The arrival of the two crows ______.
A. disturbed the author’s life B. frightened the author’s dog
C. angered the author's neighbors D. damaged the author's backyard
2.Why did the author lock her dog up?
A. She wanted to take some photos.
B. The dog kept making loud noises.
C. She wanted to protect the little bird.
D. The parent crows were to attack the dog.
3.After seeing the little crow, the author ______.
A. decided to help look after it
B. planned to drive the crows away
C. fell in love with the pair of crows
D. appreciated knowing its growing process
4.By saying “They’re basically living dinosaurs” in paragraph 5, the author means ______
A. birds are rare B. birds are very ugly
C. she is afraid of birds D. she is respectful to birds
Summer Holiday Fun 2017!
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum's main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits！Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember！The museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun: Young people aged 13－19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday, 12th August between 3:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Through the Looking Glass－a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th, August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30 pm, performance 6:30 pm－8:30 pm. Tea room will be open until the end of the interval. Adult ￡ 10. Child ￡7. Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games: From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Thursday, 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost: ￡ 7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
1.If you are interested in cooking, you can go to ________.
A.Saxon Youth Club B.Houghton Mill
C.Farmland Museum D.Peterborough Museum
2.You want to watch the new play with your parents, so it will cost you ________.
A.￡ 17 B.￡ 27 C.￡ 20 D.￡ 7
3.Which of the following activities needs parents' company? ____________
A.Watching the new play. B.Competing in sports activities.
C.Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. D.Playing farmland games.
