Very few of us become fluent in another language by studying it in high school.
I made a (an) _____ to maintain (保持) the little bit of French that I learned in school, but eventually realized that this was ____ . I was well aware that new languages are_____ learned when young, and that our abilities _____ with age. However, just before my 50th birthday, I ______ French classes.
After I was _____ to see which group I belonged to, I was placed at almost the _____ level. When I looked around at my first Saturday morning class, I was _____ by how many of the students were learning French as a third, fourth, or _____ fifth language.
While I’d always considered myself as a quick _____ , that was no longer the case. I _____ new vocabulary very slowly. What I learned one week seemed to ____ as soon as I learned the next skill. I looked up the same _____ and language structures over and over again.
Now, a couple of _____ in, I can listen to the news in French and catch 90 percent of it on the first try, read a novel if the language is not too difficult, and hold up my end of a _____ if it doesn’t go too fast. Who knows what I might still ____ ? I’ve learned so much beyond grammar and vocabulary. I’ve met people from around the world who have the ______to make fools of themselves to learn something new. I have a _____ understanding of how something can look _____ different from another perspective. I’ve learned that a language is not just a set of words, but a way of _____ .
But most of all, I’ve learned that it really is never too late to learn something new.
1.A.effort B.offer C.mistake D.appointment
2.A.disgusting B.pointless C.cheerful D.simple
3.A.worst B.hardest C.least D.best
4.A.stay B.improve C.decline D.disappear
5.A.dropped in at B.took part in C.paid attention to D.signed up for
6.A.tested B.expected C.requested D.forced
7.A.advanced B.middle C.special D.introductory
8.A.bothered B.struck C.moved D.scared
9.A.ever B.even C.also D.still
10.A.listener B.trainer C.learner D.interviewer
11.A.absorbed B.prepared C.employed D.noticed
12.A.come back B.turn up C.break off D.slip away
13.A.passages B.words C.meanings D.tips
14.A.months B.weeks C.years D.days
15.A.conversation B.quarrel C.speech D.presentation
16.A.arrange B.show C.accomplish D.trust
17.A.courage B.time C.money D.chance
18.A.mutual B.renewed C.poor D.familiar
19.A.hardly B.occasionally C.suddenly D.completely
20.A.listening B.relaxing C.thinking D.doubting
Competition is a common phenomenon in our social life. 1. There is constant competition for academic degrees, jobs, customers, money and so forth. In a sense, competition is one of the motive forces to the development of society.
2. Therefore, the only way to survive is to be competitive. Growing in a competitive environment is important for a child because future adult life is difficult. Finding a good job, for example, is an extremely competitive activity.
Today, most people obtain knowledge through various ways and a large number of people get good education. 3.The quality of people is rapidly increasing. Competition is more violent than what we thought it should be. The potentially successful job applicant has to be prepared in stronger position by gaining more qualifications and experience. In the sports contests, the strongest will come out as winners. In the business world, to beat your competitors, you must be better than the other employees. 4.
Though the only way our world rewards people is to give honor to the winners, not to the losers, by attempting to compete at different activities, we can still learn to win and lose, gain experience and know our strengths and weaknesses. Competition prepares us for the tough things in life.
Whether in games, in study or in business alike, the aim is to win the game, the degree, the trophy, and the contract. 5.
A. Otherwise, you will be defeated.
B. Modern society demands high-quality talents.
C. Learning to be competitive is clearly the best preparation for life.
D. There are also many people who have higher degrees in their special fields.
E. Children have to learn to be competitive in order to adapt to modern society.
F. In the natural world, the weak will be replaced by the strong and the fittest can live.
G. We compete when we play games and when we try to do better than others in our study.
When students got their textbooks at the beginning of the year at San Mateo High School, they also received the Yondr pouch Youdr (口袋), a locking device for their phones. The phone slides into it and gets locked through a magnetic (磁力的) device. It’s not unlocked again until the final bell rings. The procedure will repeat every day for the rest of the school year.
Adam Gelb, the vice-president, ran a pilot project last year with 20 students and decided to do a school-wide, bell to bell program for this school year. The Yondr pouch is a start-up in San Francisco with a mission to create phone-free spaces, something that is the very thought with Gelb.
“I really think it’s about being present and engaging in the adult that’s trying to teach you, and your peers that might be in your small group. That’s part of the main philosophy that we're trying to spread,” he said.
Brad Friedman, another teacher at the school, said he was becoming concerned with overuse of phones at school. He said he often saw students completely lost on their phones, some not socializing at all with other students.
This week, he’s already seeing the difference. “Everyone else was socializing and eating lunch together. That’s what I wasn’t seeing enough of when phone usage is at its worst,” he said.
A senior at San Mateo High School Djelani Phillips-Diop said he definitely panicked at first when he heard he had to lock his phone. “I panicked, I guess. Last year when we had phones, I was using it every day,” he said.
In case of emergency, every classroom has the unlocking device. Teachers still have access to their own cellphones and desk phones. “We’ve gotten all 1,700 students unlocked with a matter of minutes,” said Gelb.
We spoke to four students who, despite their initial panic, agreed that a phone-free school experience has its benefits.
1.What can we learn about the Yondr pouch from paragraph 1?
A.It is a device to lock phones. B.It is a bell to unlock phones.
C.It is a device to be used for a year. D.It is a phone intended for students.
2.The Youdr pouch is used more in Gelb’s school to ______________________.
A.create space to use phones freely
B.help the students to be more outgoing
C.encourage more mutual communication among students
D.help the students to realize the harm of overuse of phones
3.What is Friedman’s attitude to the use of the Yondr pouch ?
A.Concerned. B.Favorable.
C.Disapproving. D.Doubtful.
4.What can be learned from the passage?
A.The students were willing to have their phones locked at first.
B.The phone will get unlocked automatically when there is an emergency
C.Students prefer eating lunch together with their phones in hand.
D.Some students came to realize the benefits of the phone-free program.
Chinese Culture Shown to the World with Love
Li Ziqi, a short video blogger specializing in traditional Chinese cooking and handicrafts, has gained worldwide popularity.
Li has about 20 million followers on Sina Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter, plus 7 million followers on overseas social media networks. Many foreigners say they have got to know traditional Chinese food culture via her channel.
It is the spirit of craftsmanship (技艺) behind her works that makes Li’s video clips attractive. She strictly follows the authentic traditional steps and procedures in making traditional Chinese food and handicrafts, such as peach flower wine and silk, and goes to great lengths to ensure her videos are accurate. Sometimes she spends several months producing one of her videos.
Li has been inheriting (继承) traditional Chinese culture in a rather creative way. A closer look at her videos will show that they are never with any “analysis” that makes people feel bored. They just show audiences each and every detail of traditional Chinese culture so that the latter knows how Chinese live their beautiful and elegant lives. It is that universal appeal that makes her works so attractive. Thanks to Li's efforts, many intangible cultural heritages that only existed in memories and written records now appear before our eyes. Via her short videos, Li presents the image of a beautiful and friendly China.
With the growth of the Chinese economy, people overseas are showing more interest in traditional Chinese culture. Li has shown how to satisfy that interest in a good way, namely showing the best parts of traditional Chinese culture with her heart.
To effectively present the beauty of Chinese culture to the world, we need more Li Ziqi.
1.What can we learn about Li Ziqi’s video clips?
A.They promote the sales of Chinese food and handicrafts.
B.They attract a large number of foreigners to visit her online shop.
C.They aim to introduce traditional Chinese food culture and handicrafts worldwide.
D.They are based on her family’s recipes of making traditional Chinese food.
2.What could be inferred from Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 4?
A.Analysis of Chinese culture in Li’s videos makes people bored.
B.Details and accuracy play significant roles in the success of Li’s videos.
C.Li makes sure all of her video clips are short enough to be downloaded.
D.Cultural heritages usually exist in memories and written accounts.
3.What does the underlined word “intangible” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.nonphysical B.inaccessible
C.invaluable D.unnoticeable
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To provide guidance on cooking and making handicrafts.
B.To suggest a way of attracting more followers on Sina Weibo.
C.To give an example of how to gain worldwide popularity as a a short video blogger.
D.To encourage more people to make efforts to bring Chinese culture to the world.
My nephew came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I persuaded him to stay inside by joining him in a Nintendo game. After being mercilessly defeated by a more experienced player, I suggested that we relax for a while. He slipped out of the room and I caught a few moments of peace and quiet.
“Look, Alice,” he said enthusiastically as he ran over to the chair where I was recovering. “I found a kite. Could we go outside and fly it?”
Glancing out of a nearby window, I noticed there was not a breeze (微风). “I'm sorry, Tripper,” I said, sad to see his disappointed eyes, but thankful for the short period of rest from more activities. “The wind is not blowing today. The kite won’t fly.”
The determined 10-year-old replied. “I think it’s windy enough. I can get it to fly,” he answered, as he hurried out through the back door. I peeked through the curtains to watch determination in action. Up and down the yard he ran, pulling the kite attached to a small length of string. The plastic kite, proudly displaying a picture of Batman, remained about shoulder level.
He ran back and forth, as hard as his ten-year-old legs would carry him, looking back hopefully at the kite trailing behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful determination, he came back in.
I asked, “How did it go?” “Fine,” he said, “I got it to fly some.” As he walked past me to return the kite to the closet shelf, I heard him say under his breath, “I guess I'll have to wait for the wind.”
At that moment I heard another voice speak to my heart. “Alice, sometimes you are just like that. You want to do it your way instead of waiting for the wind.” And the voice was right. We usually want to use our own efforts to accomplish what we want to do. We wait for the wind only after we have done all we can and have exhausted our own strength. We must learn how to rely on Him in the first place!
1.The writer didn’t fly the kite with his nephew because she _____________.
A.was not so experienced in flying kites
B.wanted to get relaxed
C.preferred to stay in peace and quiet
D.thought the weather was not suitable
2.Which word can best describe Tripper?
A.naughty B.insistent
C.sensitive D.clever
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 5?
A.Tripper became hopeless.
B.Tripper was easy to give up.
C.Tripper didn’t want to admit defeat.
D.Tripper was disappointed with the kite flying.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Try Your Best B.Wait for the Wind
C.Fly a Kite in Life D.Determine to Succeed
Different countries have different tipping customs. When you travel, you need to know how to tip in the country that you’re in; otherwise you’ll leave servers angry everywhere you go.Here are just a few guidelines to tipping around the world.
Brazil
There will always be a standard 10% service charge added to your bill, and you won’t necessarily have to tip. If you do feel like being generous, an extra 5-10% will really make your server very happy. Just remember to do this as skillfully as possible—Brazilians don’t make a big show of this.
Dubai
In Dubai it’s a rule for restaurants to charge 10% tip on all restaurant and bar bills. You can add a couple of dirhams（迪拉姆,货币单位）to this if you feel like it. Waiters are not paid very much in Dubai, so it is always very appreciated.
Germany
German bars and restaurants will include the tip as part of what you owe, but that’s not all you have to pay. It is a custom to round the bill up after that, usually to the euro. This can be anywhere from 5-10%. When it’s time to settle up, you won’t get a bill: your waiter tells you the total and then you tell them how much you want to pay, including your “tip”, and hand over the money.
Czech Republic
While locals in the Czech Republic don’t leave tips, that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.Foreign tourists are definitely expected to leave some kind of tip for service—as long as you’re in a high tourist traffic area, like Prague for instance. The standard tip is 10%.
India
If you like the service, go ahead and tip your server 5-10%. You have to adjust that amount though, based on how big the meal you’re eating is. If the bill is for a small meal, and totals less than 300 rupees, tip the full 10%. If the bill is higher, tip towards the 5%.
1.In which country do customers have to tip at least 10% for the service?
A.Dubai B.India
C.Germany D.Czech Republic
2.Which country has different tip cultures between citizens and foreigners?
A.Dubai B.Germany
C.India D.Czech Republic
3.If your bill is 2000 rupees in India, it is proper for you to tip________ rupees.
A.10 B.80
C.120 D.200
