A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into _______ about stress in work and life.
Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of _______ --- porcelain (陶瓷), plastic, glass, crystal (水晶), some plain looking and _______, some delicate (精致的) and expensive---telling them to _______ themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in _______, the professor said: “If you _______, all the nice looking expensive cups were _______, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is _______ for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the _______ of your problems and stress．It is ________ that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee．In most cases it is just more ________ and in some cases even ________ what we drink. ________ all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you all went for the ________ cups. And then you began ________ each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and ________ in society are the cups．They are just tools to hold and ________ life, and the type of cup we have does not change the ________ of life we live．Sometimes, by ________ only on the cup, we fail to ________ the coffee. ”
1.A.challenges B.complaints C.exchange D.concern
2.A.tools B.materials C.cups D.gifts
3.A.cheap B.simple C.beautiful D.valuable
4.A.invite B.allow C.help D.adapt
5.A.excitement B.person C.belief D.hand
6.A.noticed B.admitted C.accepted D.relaxed
7.A.sold out B.taken up C.broken D.abandoned
8.A.normal B.unfair C.selfish D.painful
9.A.way B.value C.judgement D.source
10.A.amazing B.unusual C.definite D.influential
11.A.empty B.complex C.expensive D.inspiring
12.A.hides B.destroys C.changes D.dissolves
13.A.Why B.Although C.Unless D.What
14.A.ordinary B.best C.special D.strange
15.A.using B.washing C.eyeing D.introducing
16.A.position B.kindness C.character D.temper
17.A.improve B.contain C.mix D.limit
18.A.way B.pace C.direction D.quality
19.A.concentrating B.relying C.keeping D.holding
20.A.drink B.enjoy C.share D.boil
You may think that choosing to lose weight requires a lot of effort and pain.
The truth is, you can lose weight, feel healthier, and look amazing, all by doing small things every day. 1. When you’re ready to lose a few pounds, check out these five small everyday things you can do.
2.
Believe it or not, the diameter of your dinner plate can have a dramatic impact on how much food you eat at any time of the day. The bigger your plate, the more you can fit on it, and the more you put into your body.
Use a Food Diary or App
It’s so easy to sit at your desk or on the couch eating up an entire bag of potato chips, or a full packet of cookies.3.
If you keep a food diary or app outlining what you eat, how much of it, and how many calories it has, you may be more inclined to control your food intake.
Drink More Water
4.Your body needs more water than you’re probably giving it, and you may be reading the signs all wrong. Keep a water bottle on hand, drinking water throughout the day. By doing so, you can control your appetite while also making sure your body is not lack of water.
Exercise More
It seems like a given – you exercise, you lose weight. However, it’s not only those 10-mile runs that make all the difference. 5. For instance, park further away at the grocery store, take the steps instead of the elevator and jog on the spot during TV ad breaks of your favorite show.
A.Use Smaller Dishes
B.Control your food intake.
C.You have to make plans for exercise.
D.All too often, we mistake thirst for hunger.
E.Many small changes can make a significant difference.
F.Exercise doesn’t have to be something you have to think about to do, and it can be fun.
G.However, if you knew how many calories were in them, you may decide to change your mind.
Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof.
Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛). Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. “There’s no collegiate (大学的) sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.
Her desire to have a quality education led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to misinformation provided in her home country of Poland.
When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer, Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”
After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”
1.Why did Siwosz want to leave her homeland for America?
A.Poland had no culture of sports.
B.Berkeley had always been her dream university.
C.She wanted to play tennis and have a good education.
D.She wanted to improve her tennis skills and get a higher ranking.
2.Why didn’t Siwosz take Baylor as her first choice when she first arrived in America?
A.The level of tennis in Baylor was not high.
B.It was too late for her to apply to a school like Baylor.
C.Her home country of Poland forbade her to Baylor.
D.Baylor was not suitable for international students.
3.How did Siwosz feel in Berkeley?
A.She was unhappy there.
B.She had difficulty in keep up with others.
C.She enjoyed studying there.
D.She regretted going there.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.How Siwosz realized her dream.
B.How Siwosz left Poland.
C.How Siwosz became a tennis player.
D.How Siwosz transferred from Baylor to Berkeley.
Princess quiz time! How did Snow White survive? How did Cinderella (《灰姑娘》) leave her evil stepmother? How did Sleeping Beauty finally wake up?
A kind-hearted person always comes to save the princess, like a prince or a godmother. Princesses cannot protect themselves, though they are very pretty and nice. They always need the help of others. However, in fact, women can’t put their life in the hands of a prince-like man. They need to work and even fight for their own happiness. The traditional image (形象) of a princess is getting out of date.
Recently, Disney, a company famous for its princess movies, posted the “top 10 rules for being a modern princess”. You will not find any rules related to beauty or looks. The rules highlight loyalty, honesty and other moral values. The rules say princesses need to believe in themselves and try their best to get out of trouble, instead of waiting for a prince’s help.
It’s not the first time Disney princesses have caught up with society’s development. In 1950, when people’s hearts were broken by World War II, Disney created Cinderella. In 1990, Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast (《美女与野兽》) loved reading when education was a man’s special right in the past. Belle showed the improvement of women’s position in society. Now is Elsa from the film Frozen (《冰雪奇缘》), a symbol of modern princess.
“This is brilliant — ‘The top 10 rules of being a modern princess’ — (it’s) about time,” a group named Confidently Mom said on social media website Twitter. Princesses are still very beautiful, but inner character is the key to being a princess.
1.What should modern women be like according to para2?
A.They should care about their appearances.
B.They should turn to others for help.
C.They should depend on men to change their lives.
D.They should depend on themselves for their own happiness.
2.What are Disney’s rules for a modern princess centered on ?
A.Her beauty. B.Her moral values.
C.Her education. D.Her position in society.
3.Why has Disney been changing the images of a princess according to para4?
A.To meet the need of the world peace.
B.To improve girls’ education.
C.To improve girl’s position in society.
D.To keep up with the development of society.
4.What does the group Confidently Mom think of the rules?
A.Doubtful. B.Meaningless.
C.Fantastic. D.Terrible.
When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, he would ask me to hold the hammer, so we would have time for a conversation with each other. I never saw my dad drinking or taking a night out. All he did after work was taking care of his family.
I grew up and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning. And when I bought a house several years later, my dad painted it by himself in the fierce summer heat. All he asked was to talk to him, but I was too busy in those days.
Four years ago, my dad visited me. He spent many hours putting together a swing for my daughter. He asked me to have a talk with him, but I had to prepare for a trip that weekend.
One Sunday morning we had a telephone talk as usual. I noticed that my dad had forgotten some things that we discussed lately. I was in a hurry, so our conversation was short. Several hours later that day I received a call. My father was in the hospital. Immediately I bought a plane ticket and on my way I was thinking about all the occasions I missed to have a talk with my dad. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have time for a conversation with me. I realized how little I knew about my dad, his deepest thoughts and his dreams.
After his death I learned much more about him and even more about myself. All he ever wanted was my time. And now he has all my attention every single day.
1.When the author was a little girl, she .
A.was good at repairing things B.liked playing with the hammer
C.often talked with her father D.learned to take care of her family
2.What happened when the author was at college?
A.She phoned her father every Sunday morning.
B.She received a call from her father every Sunday morning.
C.Her father bought her a house.
D.She often asked her father to talk with her.
3.Why did the author fail to have a talk with her father four years ago?
A.Because her father was busy putting up a swing for her daughter.
B.Because she had got tired of talking with him.
C.Because she was busy planning a trip.
D.Because her father often forgot what they had once talked about.
4.What can we learn from the underlined sentence?
A.The author found an excuse to forgive herself.
B.The author and her father were both busy.
C.The author complained about her father’s leave without saying goodbye.
D.The author regretted missing the talks with her father.
Craziest Food Festivals sounds like a joke topic, but once you start looking into it, you’ll realize they’re everywhere---the crazier, the better.
1. Bibimbap Festival
In the South Korean town of Jeonjuloves, their “mixed rice” dish is a hearty serve of rice topped with raw beef, a rainbow of vegetables, a raw egg and gochujang sauce so much. They take four days out of October to celebrate it.
Like any festival there’s music, entertainment and magic, but making it that little bit different is the bibimbap that’s whipped (搅拌) up in a big bowl by dozens of chefs and served to over 400 people.
2. Waikiki Spam Jam
Who knew this canned meat had so much love? Well, it turns out that a can of Spam is the go-to item in Hawaii, along with a grass skirt and garland (花环). The people of Hawaii love Spam so much that they even spend a day in May giving out the best Spam, a type of cheap canned meat made mainly from pork.
3. Bessieres Easter Egg Festival
At Easter time, for those in the French town of Bessieres it’s all about an egg far less sweet.
Here they celebrate the holiday by getting dozens of chefs to make one large omelette (煎蛋卷) - 15,000 eggs strong - for the townsfolk (市民).
4. Potato Days Festival
This festival actually takes place in Barnesville, Minnesota, the US. Over the last Friday and Saturday in August the town celebrates its potato-growing skills by hosting potato picking and peeling contests, as well as a Miss Tater Tot pageant (盛典) for five-and six-year-old girls.
1.What makes Bibimbap festival special?
A.They take four days to celebrate it.
B.The mixed rice is rich in many vegetables.
C.There’s music, entertainment and magic during the festival.
D.The rice dish needs to be mixed in one big bowl by dozens of chefs together.
2.What do we know about Waikiki Spam Jam?
A.The spam is the favorite for Hawii people.
B.People spend one day to prepare the Jam.
C.The Jam isn’t affordable for the plain townsfolk.
D.The Jam is mainly made from raw beef.
3.If you have time in August, you can go to ______.
A.Bibimbap Festival B.Waikiki Spam Jam
C.Bessieres Easter Egg Festival D.Potato Days Festival
