For me personally, I could write for days about many different situations where adversity (逆境)______ my life. Now let me tell you one experience where I almost let adversity ______.
We had a glass studio, which was located 50 feet from our home. A couple of years ago we experienced an _____ winter; we had a lot of snow and ice. The ____ of the ice and snow______ the roof on our studio, taking with it one of our sources of income. ______ it did fall down, we got on the roof and tried to ____ the snow and ice, but when you have 5 feet of ice and temperatures of minus 20 Celsius, it was pretty ______ to do.
We had a partner come in to help us try to ______ the roof by supporting. In the end, there was ______ that could be done. The roof came down. We had moved a lot of our goods and tools from the studio ______ we lost a lot also: glass, kilns, workbenches, to name only a few of the items. It was a ______ experience.
Here we were in the middle of winter with our studio collapsed. We couldn't work as we had almost______ all the material in a building we were not using. We could have done one of two things: we could simply say that we can no longer _____ our glass business. Let me tell you that this was certainly a thought that ______ our mind. Or we could find a way to get our studio back up and running.
We picked the _______ option. We had a large barn that we were not using. So we renovated (翻新) the barn, _____ our working area and today we have a nicer studio than we ______ had. If the adversity we were ______ had not happened, we probably would ______ be working in the old studio — a studio that was less efficient.
1.A.prevented B.influenced C.damaged D.promoted
2.A.suffer B.win C.escape D.work
3.A.awkward B.awesome C.awful D.agreeable
4.A.size B.weight C.height D.temperature
5.A.destroyed B.limited C.pressed D.struck
6.A.Although B.Unless C.Before D.When
7.A.remove B.reduce C.recycle D.replace
8.A.worthwhile B.tough C.rewarding D.annoying
9.A.examine B.test C.restore D.secure
10.A.nothing B.enough C.all D.something
11.A.for B.but C.or D.so
12.A.vain B.valid C.treasured D.disastrous
13.A.displayed B.arranged C.piled D.presented
14.A.conduct B.predict C.instruct D.quit
15.A.approached B.cleared C.crossed D.comforted
16.A.easier B.former C.further D.latter
17.A.redesigned B.evaluated C.organized D.reserved
18.A.desperately B.previously C.eventually D.hopefully
19.A.aware of B.concerned about C.cautious about D.faced with
20.A.ever B.already C.still D.even
Recently, I’ve been following a simple rule that is helping me crush procrastination(拖延症) and making it easier for me to stick to good habits at the same time．1. There are two parts to the 2-Minute Rule.
Part 1—If it takes less than two minutes，then do it now．
2. For example，washing your dishes immediately after your meal，tossing the laundry in the washing machine，taking out the garbage，sending that email，and so on．
If a task takes less than two minutes to complete，then follow the rule and do it right now．
Part 2—When you start a new habit，it should take less than two minutes to do．
Can all of your goals be accomplished in less than two minutes? Obviously not．But，every goal can be started in 2 minutes or less．3.
It might sound like this strategy is too basic for grand life goals，but I beg to differ．The 2-Minute Rule works for big goals as well as small goals because of the inertia(惯性)of life．4. I love the 2-Minute Rule because it embraces the idea that all sorts of good things happen once you get started．
The most important part of any new habit is getting started—not just the first time，but each time．It’s not about performance，it’s about consistently taking action．
I can’t guarantee whether or not the 2-Minute Rule will work for you．5. Anyone can spare the next 120 seconds．Use this time to get one thing done．Go．
A. I call this little strategy the “2-Minute Rule”．
B. And that’s the purpose behind this little rule．
C. Here’s what you need to know to stop procrastinating．
D. Once you start doing something，it’s easier to continue doing it．
E. But，I can guarantee that it will never work if you never try it．
F. The goal is to make it easier for you to get started on the things you should be doing．
G. It’s surprising how many things we put off that we could get done in two minutes or less．
Scientists have created a scent(气味)-delivery system that releases a pleasant fragrance when you sweat. Apply it to your skin, and the more you sweat, the better you’ll smell. That’s because the perfume only gets released upon contact with moisture(湿气).
Chemists from Harvard University combined two compounds(化合物) to create their new system. One chemical is alcohol-based. This is the nice-smelling perfume. The other chemical is an ionic liquid(离子性液体), which is a type of salt that is liquid at room temperature. Ionic liquids are made of ions---molecules that have lost or gained one or more electrons. If the molecule loses electrons, it will have a positive charge. If it gains electrons, it gets a negative charge. Ionic liquids contain the same number of positive and negative ions, which makes them neutral(中性的), with no overall electric charge. In general, ionic liquids have no smell.
When the perfume and ionic liquid are mixed together, a chemical reaction occurs. This bonds the molecules to each other. The reaction also temporarily inactivates(使不活跃) the perfume’s molecules. So when applied to the skin, the new perfume has no scent in the beginning. But adding water or sweat breaks the bond between the molecules. That releases the scent into the air.
“The rate of the release of the fragrance depends on how much you sweat, in other words, how much water is available,” explains chemist Nimal Gunaratne from Harvard University, who led the research. “Sweat is like the command to let the fragrance go.”
Christian Quellet is a chemist who has worked in the perfume industry for a long time. He is now an independent consultant based in Switzerland. “Gunaratne’s perfume opens the door to new developments and applications of fragrance controlled-release systems,” he says. Controlled-release systems allow small quantities of some compounds that they hold to enter the environment slowly.
The system also traps some chemicals in sweat that are responsible for the bad sweat smell. These compounds are called thiols (硫醇). Just as water does, thiols break apart the bond that ties the perfume to the ionic liquid. When this happens, the thiols attach to the ionic liquid and their bad scent is inactivated as the perfume had been. This means the water in sweat and its thiols are both able to release the fragrance from the newly developed perfume.
1.Which of the following makes the scent delivery system special?
A.When it releases scent can be well controlled.
B.No perfume is required in the system.
C.The scent can last for a long time.
D.Sweat can help release the scent.
2.The scent is released into the air when ________.
A.the perfume comes into contact with the skin
B.the perfume and ionic liquid contact each other
C.the perfume’s molecules are inactivated by water
D.sweat activates the molecules of the perfume in the mixture
3.What Nimal Gunaratne says in Paragraph 4 suggests that with this scent-delivery system _____.
A.the more you sweat, the better you will smell
B.the perfume can’t always cover the bad smell.
C.how much water is available doesn’t matter much
D.how you smell depends on how much perfume you use
4.What is Christian Quellet’s attitude towards Gunaratne’s new perfume?
A.Indifferent. B.Favorable. C.Doubtful. D.Critical.
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with your eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.
With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world's 42 million, blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries possess most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world's only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 3,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plan programs in China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just US$38, you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
1.The first paragraph is intended to ________.
A.direct the public's attention to the blind
B.advise the public to lead a simple life
C.introduce a new way of reading
D.encourage the public to use imagination
2.What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?
A.They are adequate.
B.They have not been updated.
C.They are not equally distributed.
D.They have benefited most of the blind.
3.ORBIS aims to help the blind by _______.
A.teaching medical students
B.training doctors and nurses
C.running flying hospitals globally
D.setting up non-profit organization
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.ORBIS Flying Hospital B.Fighting Blindness
C.ORBIS in China D.Sight-seeing Techniques
A new “paparazzi-proof” scarf has got heatedly welcomed since launched. A new “paparazzi-proof” scarf could be a game-changer for celebrities who prefer to shy away from the stage light. The ISHU scarf is the creation of Dutch-born fashion entrepreneur Saif Siddiqui and is designed to “give people their right to privacy back”. A host of celebrities including Cameron Diaz, singer Joe Jonas, Bayern Munich footballer Jerome Boateng and music producer Major Lazer have worn the ISHU after it was spotted at London Fashion Week last year.
It works by reflecting the light back into a camera, effectively becoming “invisibility clothes” for celebrities who don’t want their photos taken. Anyone wearing the scarf is protected from mobile flash photograph, with the fashion accessory’s fabric (附件结构) effectively blocking out any unwanted pictures, although it doesn’t stop no-flash photographs from being taken.
The 28-year-old Siddiqui was inspired while visiting family in Amsterdam in 2009 when his friends attempted to take a photo of him using an iPhone in front of some bikes. “He noticed that the bike’s reflector carried the flash of his mobile camera in a way that confused the faces of his friends in the picture.” the ISHU website explains. “He immediately realized that if developed into the right product, this feature would be an ideal solution for his friends and is now available to the public who want to keep their private moments in public private. “Saif put together a team of experts who dug into the science of light and reflection, and how to blend technology with fashion.”
He told Decoded Magazine: “The ISHU scarf effectively allows an individual to control what pictures and videos are taken of him. “There are no more unwanted pictures and videos on Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook! Everyone carries a phone with them nowadays that has an amazing camera. So, it all made sense to me.” More ISHU products are set to launch in August, with mobile phone cases set to launch in the next few weeks. The ISHU is currently sold out but you can pre-order it online for ￡289.
1.The underlined phrase “shy away” in paragraph 1 means __________.
A.hide B.shame
C.take D.fly
2.Why did Saif design the “paparazzi-proof” scarf?
A.To help protect people’s privacy. B.To make a rich profit from the celebrities.
C.Because the scarf is to get a heated welcome. D.To dig into the science of light and reflection.
3.How did Saif get the creative idea of producing scarves?
A.He was inspired by the photographs of bike.
B.He was inspired when his friends attempted to take a photo of him.
C.He was inspired when finding his friends’ picture was not ideal.
D.He was inspired while cycling with his family members.
4.Which of the following statement might be true?
A.The paparazzi-proof scarf can prevent any unwanted pictures being taken.
B.There might be fewer unwanted pictures and videos on internet.
C.ISHU will be only used to effectively control pictures taken.
D.Customers will mainly buy ISHU products online.
The National Beekeeping Centre Wales is a free attraction in the countryside that teaches children about the importance of honeybees – with the chance to try lots of local honeys.
This friendly visitor centre is a supporter of Welsh honeybees, which are increasingly under threat from climate change and loss of wildflower meadows. It raises visitors’ awareness of environmental issues and shows the 4,000-year history of beekeeping and honey-making from the ancient Egyptians to the Romans. A Hive Aid scheme lets you adopt a beehive (from £50 per person), and regular courses (from £60 per person) train new generations of beekeepers.
Fun fact
Bees pollinate about a third of everything we eat and play an important role in sustaining our ecosystems. In economic terms, honeybee pollination could be worth up to £200m to the UK alone.
What about lunch?
Next door is the Furnace Tearoom, part of the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre, which serves light bites – wraps (卷饼), fruit salads (£7) and coffee. And the nearby Pavilion Restaurant at the National Trust’s Bodnant Garden has cooked food, including baked potatoes (£5) and daily specials such as local casseroles (焙盘) with bread rolls (£6), plus coffee and cakes.
Exit through the gift shop
There is a range of bee-themed gifts in our gift shop, including bee toys (£2), wooden honey candy (£2) and a selection of honeys all made by Welsh producers (£5). The bestselling Bodnant honey (£8) goes fast.
Getting here
We are located just off the A470 on the Bodnant Estate in the Conwy Valley, and 10 minutes from the A55 north Wales coast road. Follow the brown signs just after Bodnant Gardens.
Value for money
Visits and activities for kids are free, though donations are welcome. Taster days (from £60) and the weekend beekeeping course (£80 per person) are held at Abergwyngregyn village, 10 miles west down the A55.
Opening hours
The Visitor Centre opens daily from 10 am --- 4pm but it is volunteer-run, so phone ahead to check. Expect lots of fun activities around the annual Conwy Honey Fair.
1.What do we know about the National Beekeeping Centre Wales?
A.It makes money mainly by selling local honeys.
B.It invites visitors to adopt a beehive for free.
C.It’s an educational center about beekeeping.
D.It shows visitors Wales’ long wildflower meadows history.
2.Where is the National Beekeeping Centre Wales?
A.In the village of Abergwyngregyn.
B.Opposite Bodnant Gardens.
C.Off the A55 Wales coast road.
D.Next to the A470 on the Bodnant Estate.
3.How much would you have to pay for the weekend course and two bee toys?
A.£ 64. B.£ 76. C.£ 84. D.£ 96.
