One of the easiest things in the world is to become a fault-finder. However, life can be _______ when you are not busy finding fault with it.
Several years ago I _______ a letter from seventeen-year-old Kerry, who described herself as a world-class fault-finder, almost always _______ by things. People were always doing things that annoyed her, and _______ was ever good enough. She was highly self-critical and also found fault with her friends. She became a really _______ person.
Unfortunately, it took a horrible accident to change her _______. Her best friend was seriously hurt in a car crash. What made it almost _______ to deal with was that the day before the _______, Kerry had visited her friend and had spent the whole time criticizing her _______ of boyfriends, the way she was living, the way she related to her mother, and various other things she felt she needed to ________. It wasn’t until her friend was badly hurt that Kerry became ________ her habit of finding fault. Very quickly, she learned to appreciate life rather than to ________ everything so harshly(刻薄). She was able to transfer her new wisdom to other parts of her ________ as well.
Perhaps most of us aren’t as extreme at fault-finding, ________ when we’re honest, we can be sharply ________ of the world. I’m not suggesting you ________ problems, or that you pretend things are ________ than they are, but simply that you learn to allow things to be as they are — ________ most of the time, and especially when it’s not a really big ________.
Train yourself to ＂bite your tongue＂, and with a little ________, you’ll get really good at letting things go. And when you do, you’ll get back your enthusiasm and love for life.
1.A.lonely B.great C.quiet D.uneasy
2.A.received B.answered C.expected D.rejected
3.A.threatened B.interrupted C.bothered D.spoiled
4.A.anything B.everything C.something D.nothing
5.A.caring B.boring C.interesting D.surprising
6.A.attitude B.plan C.measure D.explanation
7.A.urgent B.unnecessary C.certain D.impossible
8.A.occasion B.event C.accident D.adventure
9.A.memory B.notice C.evidence D.choice
10.A.hear B.contribute C.express D.admit
11.A.aware of B.afraid of C.curious about D.confused about
12.A.discuss B.realize C.judge D.settle
13.A.family B.life C.career D.education
14.A.so B.or C.but D.for
15.A.proud B.sure C.hopeful D.critical
16.A.face B.create C.solve D.ignore
17.A.rarer B.better C.stranger D.worse
18.A.at least B.at last C.by far D.so far
19.A.task B.deal C.result D.duty
20.A.practice B.speech C.rest D.pity
Most of today’s Chinese Americans are the descendants(后代) of some of the early miners and railroad workers. From the start, the Chinese had lived apart in their own separate neighborhoods. 1.. In each of them the residents organized an unofficial government to make rules for the community and to settle disputes.
Chinese Americans keep many aspects of their ancient culture, even after having lived here for several generations. For example, 2.. Members of the family lend each other moral support and also practical help when necessary. From a very young age, the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family, are passed from the older generation to the young. 3..
The high regard for education, which is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and the willingness to work very hard to gain advancement, are other noteworthy characteristics of theirs. 4..
Chinese Americans make up only a tiny part of American population; there are fewer than a million, living chiefly in California, New York, and Hawaii. As American attitudes toward minorities and ethnic differences have changed in recent years, 5..
A. the Chinese Americans have gained wide acceptance
B. their family ties continue to be remarkably strong
C. This explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers, and other professionals
D. saving money and passing down their fortune to their young is always the custom
E. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency(青少年犯罪) among them
F. Later those came to be known as “Chinatowns”
G. Nowadays, kids are living separately, far away from their parents.
Bats are the only mammals that can fly a great distance, but they have another ability. Many bats live a very long time for an animal of their size. European researchers are studying bats to understand why they live so long. They hope to make discoveries aimed at fighting the aging process in human beings.
Last week, the group of scientists said they had identified important biological qualities in some bat species. The group studied the bats’ chromosomes (染色体), a line of genes found in the nucleus of cells. The scientists were most interested in structures connected to the ends of the chromosomes. They are called telomeres (端粒), which protect the ends of chromosomes and shorten each time a cell divides. Scientists believe this shortening process causes cells to break down. They say this is what cause aging.
The European researchers studied 493 bats from four bat species. The group used information that had been gathered over more than 60 years. Of these animals, the greater mouse-eared bat generally lived the longest, an average of 37 years. The scientists said this and a related species, which are grouped together under the name Myotis, had telomeres that did not shorten with age. Another Myotis bat holds the record for the oldest age, reaching 41 years. The scientists’ findings suggest that these bats’ cells have the ability to maintain and repair their telomeres. This helps guard against the aging process.
Based on its body size, a bat like the greater mouse-eared bat would be expected to live four years. But, these mammals have been found to live nearly 10 times longer than that. The scientists found that only 19 species of mammals live longer than humans when their body size is considered. Eighteen of these are bats.
1.Why are European researchers studying bats?
A.To learn the similar habits between bats and human beings.
B.To find out why the greater mouse-eared bats live a long life.
C.To try to understand why bats prefer to fly during the night.
D.To discover a good way to prevent human beings from aging.
2.What does the second paragraph mainly explain to us?
A.The structures of the bats’ chromosomes. B.What causes aging biologically.
C.The functions of telomeres. D.What causes cells to break down.
3.Why do the greater mouse-eared bat and another Myotis bat live so long?
A.They are grouped together under the name Myotis.
B.Their telomeres are decreasing with age.
C.Their cells are able to keep up and fix their telomeres.
D.They have more telomeres than human beings do.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Bats live 10 times longer than other mammals.
B.Bats enjoy the longest life among mammals.
C.The greater mouse-eared bat and other bats should have lived longer.
D.Many bats live longer than human beings considering their body size.
Children of all ages gathered in New York City recently for the International Toy Fair. Hidden among already popular toys were new, high-tech educational products. Toymakers are working to create these products for improving a child’s emotional intelligence.
Companies showed off their products last week at New York’s Jacob Javitz Convention Center.
PleIQ is a set of plastic toy blocks. It uses visual reality technology to teach words, numbers and other things. Edison Duran directs the company that makes PleIQ. She showed people at the toy fair how virtual images appear on the blocks when they are held in front of a tablet camera. PleIQ has children act as teacher or guide to a companion character.
On the other side of the convention center, Karen Hu from another company demonstrated an educational robot called Woobo. The robot comes programmed with educational games and activities. Children use its touch-screen face to get them started. Hu described how the robot can help a child who has autism (自闭症). “The child can communicate with Woobo and follow some of the instructions Woobo is giving because he thinks of this as a companion instead of a parent or someone else telling him about certain things.”
At the EQtainment stand, sales director Jonathan Erickson explained the company’s toys. “The purpose of all of our products is to develop emotional and social intelligence.” he said. Erickson showed off a board game called “Q’s Race to the Top”. He said the game got his 4-year-old daughter to open up. “The biggest thing is her talking. And that’s the key of all this—getting her feelings expressed out. Like, ‘Hey, what does it feel like to be sad? Or how does it feel like to be happy?’”
It remains to be seen whether a game or toy can improve emotional intelligence. But toymakers are doing what they can to help parents in their efforts to raise well-rounded children.
1.How does PleIQ instruct children to learn?
A.By playing the role of a companion. B.By giving direct guidance.
C.By taking photos with a camera. D.By presenting visual images.
2.What can be inferred about Woobo from Paragraph 4?
A.It is programmed to replace teachers. B.It may be good company for kids.
C.It can get started automatically. D.It is intended to design games.
3.What does Jonathan Erickson think of his toys?
A.They are quite easy to operate. B.They can teach children numbers.
C.They help kids express themselves well. D.They can show their emotions clearly.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Toys are made to help to build emotional intelligence.
B.Educational toys sell well at the International Toy Fair.
C.Toymakers are making profits in education.
D.Children celebrate the International Toy Fair.
Our mother didn’t trust us, my sister and me, to manage our own appearance when we were young. As a result, there were rules, and trends were largely ignored.
A few years ago, I was home for a visit when my mom, now in her early70s, called me into her bedroom. We were about ready to leave for dinner. “I don’t know what to wear,” she complained from her seat. “You girls always look so good.”
I paused in the doorway and looked at her, wondering if I’d misheard. “What do you mean?” I asked her. “You know what to wear.”
“No,” she answered. “I don’t. Can you pick something?”
I was so surprised.
This was the same woman who, in 1989, told my younger sister she wasn’t allowed to leave the house wearing a pair of ripped (有破洞的) jeans; the same woman who, in high school, called me while I was out at a party to ask if my hair was up. “You look better with it down.” she told me before I could answer.
I realized, suddenly, that my mother—always so strong—not only wanted my opinion, but needed my care.
I pulled a pair of blue jeans from the closet and a light blue sweater from her drawer. “Wear this with your black shoes.” I told her. She did.
My mother certainly doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. In fact, she still cares for my grandmother who lives with her. But with that one question, my mother and I started the role reversal (改变) that happens with all parents and all children, from caregiver to receiver.
Now, if I’m visiting or we’re together, it’s rare for her to wear anything without checking with me first.
I’m still always a bit surprised by her admission of the uncertainty.
But every so often, it seems like she asks me just to be able to disagree with my answer and pick out something on her own. And when she does, I just tell her what I think of the way she looks. Sometimes it’s “great” and sometimes it’s “awful”.
1.When the author was young, she ________.
A.could never know what to wear
B.always wore trendy clothes and hairstyles
C.was not allowed to go to parties at night
D.had to pick her clothes according to her mother’s rules
2.The first time the author’s mother asked her for advice on clothes, she _______.
A.came to realize that her mother needed her care
B.was happy to do something for her mother
C.was worried that her mother was too old to live alone
D.had no idea what was suitable for her mother
3.When the author gives her opinion about clothes, her mother _______.
A.always accepts her suggestions happily
B.sometimes chooses to follow her own ideas
C.is often surprised by what the author says
D.still shows uncertainty about what to wear
4.The author wrote this article mainly to ________.
A.show what it is like to have a strict mother
B.remind readers to visit their parents often
C.show how the role of parents and their children can change
D.stress her mother’s great influence on her clothes and hairstyles.
More cycling, better public transport and car bans...Places all over the world are taking a range of measures to lower traffic pollution.
Paris
Paris bans cars in many historic central districts on weekends, places odd-even (单双日的) bans on vehicles，makes public transport free during major pollution events and encourages car-sharing programs. A long section of the right bank of the river Seine is now car-free and a monthly ban on cars has come into force along the Champs-Elysees.
The Netherlands
Politicians want to ban the sale of all petrol cars from 2025, allowing only electric or hydrogen vehicles. The new law will allow anyone who already owns a petrol car to continue using it. Most cities encourage bicycle use.
Freiburg
Freiburg in Germany has 500km of bike routes and a cheap and efficient public transport system. One town, Vauban, forbids people to park near homes and makes car-owners pay $18,000 for a space on the edge of town in return for living without a car. People are offered cheaper housing, free public transport, and plentiful bicycle spaces.
Curitiba
The southern Brazilian city of two million people has one of the biggest and lowest-cost bus systems in the world. Nearly 70% of its people go to work by public transport and the result is pollution-free air and traffic-free streets.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen prioritizes (优先考虑) bikes over cars and now has more cycles than people. The city calculates that one mile on a bike is worth $0.42 to society, while one mile in a car is a $0.2 loss. Large parts of the Danish capital have been closed to vehicles for decades.
1.What will happen in Paris during major pollution events?
A.Historic central districts won’t allow cars in.
B.Car-sharing programs will raise money publicly.
C.People must obey the odd-even traffic restrictions on weekends.
D.People can take public transport free of charge.
2.From 2025, the Netherlands will ________.
A.put 500km of bike routes into full use
B.only allow the sale of electric or hydrogen vehicles
C.completely forbid the use of petrol cars
D.own the biggest and lowest-cost bus system in the world
3.Which of the following cities attach great importance to cycling?
A.Freiburg and Copenhagen B.Park and Curitiba
C.Paris and Freiburg D.Curitiba and Copenhagen
