I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in,”Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius,like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.
Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with this delusional vision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.
Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.
What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose(剂量)of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso(艺术大师)?
Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.
I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.
Hope bends, it seems.
1.What does the word “delusional” in Para2 most probably mean?
A.Imaginary B.Realistic C.Abstract D.Practical
2.In the passage, the writer thinks of himself as .
A.a world-famous genius B.a mid-sized fish in a small pond
C.a world-class virtuoso D.a student in an ivy-league school
3.According to the writer, what makes “greatness”?
A.Extraordinary efforts B.Ten thousand hours of practice C.Raw talent D.Talent and time
4.Which of the following might be the best title ?
A.Hope Bends B.Frustrating Decades
C.Practice Works D.Youthful Expectation
Life for almost anyone is increasingly influenced by screens. Not only are screens themselves cheap to make, but they also make things cheaper. Any place that can fit a screen in can cut costs. And any activity that can happen on a screen becomes cheaper. The physical experience of learning, living and dying is becoming smooth glass. All of this has led to a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good (奢侈品).
“What we are seeing now is the luxury of human engagement,” Milton Pedraza, the chief of the Luxury Institute, said. Expected spending on experiences such as enjoyable travel and dining is outpacing spending on goods, according to his company’s research, and he sees it as a direct response to the rapid increase of screens.
Screens exposure starts young. And children who spent more than two hours a day looking at a screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests, according to early results of a landmark study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study focuses on brain development of more than 11,000 children. Most disturbingly, the study is finding that the brains of children who spend much time on screens are different. For some kids, their cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) would become thinner before expected time. In adults, one study found an association between screen time and depression.
There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing separation, in which so many of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are filling a vital gap.
For normal people, running away from the screen becomes impossible. It’s not a luxury, and it’s easy to get. It is normal for more people to need the network constantly. In addition, it has become an important part of social interaction.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A.Screens make everything in life cheaper.
B.People’s life is totally controlled by screens.
C.It is difficult for people to contact each other.
D.Face-to-face communication is decreasing nowadays.
2.According to the text, which of the following WON’T be caused by long screen time?
A.More social interaction. B.Depressive state of mind. C.Different brain structures. D.Poorer academic performance.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards the popularization of screen?
A.Favorable. B.Skeptical. C.Concerned. D.Opposed .
I was thrilled to go on an adventure with my master Rev.Young, a tall man with kind eyes.Mr. Muir was going too. But he said, “Such a helpless creature will only be in the way.” I was disappointed when I heard what he said, and yet I still wanted to follow him.
One stormy morning, Mr. Muir set out alone to study nature. He ordered me to stay behind. But I could not let him go alone, so I followed him into the wild weather. We crossed Taylor Glacier and endless sheet of ice, which was cut by cracks. I was unafraid and sailed over these bottomless holes. Mr. Muir was delighted that he was not crossing them alone.
As dusk fell, we reached an enormous crack that was impossible to jump across. In between the two sides was a U-shaped bridge of ice, so thin that one wrong step would mean dropping to your death. Daylight was disappearing, and gusty winds blew snow into my eyes. I turned to return to camp the way we came. However, Mr. Muir decided to cross the crack. He sat down and rode the narrow U-strip as if it were a horse. Once safe on the other side, he called out to me. But I had never been so terrified before. “I am not good at climbing steep slopes.” I was scared and thought.
Then I looked at Mr. Muir, already across on the safe side. Slowly, I began to cross it. I could feel his eyes on me the entire way. Before I knew it, I made the happiest landing of my life. I ran round and round and jumped up and hugged him. From that day on, we spent every moment together.
1.Why didn’t Mr. Muir want to take me with him at the beginning?
A.He suggested that I need some rest.
B.He possessed great self-confidence.
C.He considered me as a burden to him.
D.He thought I was too weak to make a trip.
2.How did Mr. Muir manage to cross the crack?
A.By climbing steep slopes.
B.By sliding over the U-strip.
C.By leaping across the crack.
D.By riding the narrow ice bridge.
3.Which of the following words best describes their trip?
A.Horrible. B.Risky. C.Well-planned. D.Pleasant.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why did Fagin come to the speaker?
A.To rent her house. B.To buy her house. C.To decorate her house.
2.Why was the speaker hesitant about Fagin’s offer?
A.She disliked him.
B.The money was not much.
C.They’d damage some of her belongings.
3.How long did it take to prepare the house for the film?
A.Four days. B.A month. C.Two months.
4.What did the speaker do when the crew left?
A.She watched a film. B.She visited her relatives. C.She repainted the living room.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Which city does the man book a shuttle bus for?
A.London. B.Milton. C.Toronto.
2.What is the woman doing?
A.Taking the man’s information. B.Offering the flight timetable. C.Conducting an interview.
3.When will the man probably leave for Milton?
A.At 11:30. B.At 12:00. C.At 12:30.
4.What does the woman advise the man to do?
A.Book his return ticket in advance.
B.Collect his luggage first.
C.Have some coffee.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the purpose of the call?
A.To accept a position.
B.To advertise a job opening.
C.To check on a job application.
2.For what day is the man’s appointment scheduled?
A.Tuesday. B.Thursday. C.Friday.
3.What does the woman ask the man to do?
A.Call her later.
B.Meet with Victoria Smith.
C.Wait at the front desk.
