When 45-year-old Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (胰腺癌), he chose to focus on living rather than dying. As a computer science _______ at Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch was selected to deliver a “last lecture”. This well-known and popular campus _________ allowed professors to share worldly _________ with all the students in this school as if they were dying and had one last lecture to give.
The only _________ in Pausch’s case is that Pausch really was dying, a fact that only _________ him more rather than discouraging him. He delivered his last lecture, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”, on Sept. 18, 2007, in the _________ McConomy Auditorium (大礼堂).
Pausch began by sharing his boyhood dreams, some of which he had achieved and others he hadn’t. He _________ the importance of having dreams and how anyone can still learn a lot by reaching for those dreams, _________ they don’t always succeed. He shared the values and lessons through experience, which he hoped to _________ to others: honesty, hard work, gratitude.
Pausch’s last lecture __________ a great deal of praise and attention __________ it even became a YouTube __________, and in October 2007, he __________ a version on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He __________ the lecture into a book by the same name, which __________ became a best-seller. Readers were deeply __________ by the book’s description of Pausch’s lifelong philosophy and the way it revealed the fundamental __________ of his motivation to live on一his three young children.
Randy Pausch __________ on July 25, 2008, but his __________ still lives on in the recorded lecture and his book. He __________ to motivate us all by encouraging us to never give up on our childhood dreams.
1.A.student B.engineer C.professor D.programmer
2.A.tradition B.atmosphere C.principle D.system
3.A.success B.fortune C.courage D.wisdom
4.A.difference B.challenge C.dilemma D.contradiction
5.A.convinced B.inspired C.surprised D.bothered
6.A.distributed B.packed C.covered D.blocked
7.A.illustrated B.suspected C.adjusted D.realized
8.A.only if B.in case C.so that D.even if
9.A.turn over B.hand in C.pass on D.give out
10.A.allocated B.appreciated C.received D.reflected
11.A.but B.and C.or D.so
12.A.hit B.symbol C.comment D.advertisement
13.A.invested B.announced C.regulated D.presented
14.A.turned B.divided C.expanded D.classified
15.A.frequently B.gradually C.quickly D.formally
16.A.distracted B.impressed C.amused D.worried
17.A.effect B.theory C.source D.standard
18.A.died away B.died off C.passed out D.passed away
19.A.voice B.status C.quality D.appearance
20.A.promises B.continues C.deserves D.determines
Live Every Day Like It’s A Holiday
We feel great on holiday because we let go of everyday stresses and strains. 1. So whether or not you’re going away this summer, there’s plenty you can do to make sure you benefit from that holiday feeling.
Sleep like a holidaymaker
Sleep like a baby when you’re on your holidays but stay awake when you’re in your usual routine? 2. To reset your sleep pattern, avoid bringing problems to bed. That includes your phone, TV or laptop. Make sure the room is dark and cool. Aim for at least seven hours’ —just as you would on holiday.
Get moving
3. Given that exercise is cheap, healthy and reduces stress, it makes absolute sense to build it into your day. A walk will release happy hormones, and eases anxiety and mild depression.
4.
Part of the joy of going away is lingering over delicious food with families. Take up the holiday habit of sitting down as a family for at least one meal a day. Families who eat together experience less anxiety, less depression and less obesity, research has found.
Be a tourist in your own city
Part of the thrill of a holiday is the novelty of discovering a new place and doing new things. 5. At weekends, check out a new music venue, visit a different museum or have a drink in that interesting-looking pub you’re always walking past. It will get you out of routine and make you feel alive. A bit like a holiday, really.
A. Make your meals a celebration.
B. Carve out some dedicated quiet time.
C. If so, you might need to examine your sleep habits.
D. Just make sure you schedule it into your day or week.
E. But it’s also easy to be a holidaymaker in the place you live.
F. Research has even shown that vacations help health and well-being.
G. When you’re travelling, you walk around new cities without a second thought.
Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde has spent much of his time seeking artistic solutions(解决方案)to solve our environmental problems. His past projects include "Bioluminescent(生物发光)Trees" to light streets, a "Smog-Free Tower" to clean Beijing's polluted air. and "Gates of Light". which uses the headlamps of passing cars to light up the 60 floodgates of the Afsluitdijk, a major dam in the Netherlands. Now, he is hoping to use his skills to solve a pressing global problem-space junk!
Scientists guess that there are over 500，000 bits of large rubbish. To deal with the problem, Roosegaarde intends to achieve his goal by educating the public about the need of the situation and coming up with possible solutions. The plan. called the Space Waste Lab. started in October 2018 with a laser(激光)show in the Netherlands. The unique outdoor artwork of LEDs used real-time tracking information to point at pieces of space junk floating at altitudes of 200 to 20,000 kilometers. The experience was designed to make the public know more about how much space junk there are.
To find a solution, the designer has been thinking with experts. One of the projects being considered is "Shooting Stars"，which attempts to reintroduce the trash to the atmosphere in a controlled way. Upon reentry. the waste would burn in the atmosphere like a shooting star. Roosegaarde envisages that if successful .burning space trash could someday replace fireworks at large public events!
In September 2018。the RemoveDEBRIS satellite successfully sent a net to catch a target while orbiting at an altitude of about 300 kilometers(190 miles). Sometime this year. the capsule will set free a harpoon that has been designed to remove space trash. At the end of its task，RemoveDEBRIS will let go a sail to bring the satellite itself and hopefully some trash, back into the atmosphere where it will burn up.
1.What can we infer about Daan Roosegaarde?
A.He is too aggressive to put forward good plans.
B.He is creative in solving environmental problems.
C.He is fond of spending all of his time seeking art skills.
D.He is sensitive to art reflected in environmental projects.
2.Why was a laser show held in October 2018?
A.To confirm real-time information about space trash.
B.To show the great beauty of LEDs to common people.
C.To raise public awareness of the amount of space trash.
D.To inspire people to consider the solution to space trash.
3.What does the underlined word "envisage" in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Suspect. B.Demand.
C.Advise. D.Imagine.
4.What is the function of a sail?
A.Bringing the satellite to atmosphere to burn.
B.Keeping trash traveling along its own orbit.
C.Taking the satellite away from atmosphere.
D.Removing space trash out of the capsule.
In 1992, Teen Talk Barbie was released with the controversial voice fragment, “Math class is hard.” While the toy's release met with strong public reaction, this underlying assumption persists, spreading the myth that women do not thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) fields due to biological inadequacies in math aptitude. However, in 2019 Jessica Cantlon at Carnegie Mellon University led a research team that comprehensively examined the brain development of young boys and girls and found no gender difference in brain function or math ability.
Cantlon and her team conducted the first neuroimaging study to evaluate biological gender differences in math aptitude of young children. Her team used functional MRI（核磁共振）to measure the brain activity in 104 young children (3-to-10-year-old; 55 girls) while watching an educational video covering early math topics, like counting and addition. The researchers compared scans from the boys and girls to evaluate brain similarity. In addition, the team examined brain maturity by comparing the children's scans to those taken from a group of adults (63 adults; 25 women) who watched the same math videos.
After numerous statistical comparisons, Cantlon and her team found no difference in the brain development of girls and boys. In addition, the researchers found no difference in how boys and girls processed math skills and were equally engaged while watching the educational videos. Finally, boys' and girls' brain maturity were statistically equivalent when compared to either men or women in the adult group.
Cantlon said she thinks society and culture are likely steering girls and young women away from math and STEM fields, as previous studies show that families spend more time with young boys in play that involves spatial cognition（空间认知）. “Typical socialization can make worse small differences between boys and girls that can snowball into how we treat them in science and math,” Cantlon said. “We need to be aware of these origins to ensure we aren't the ones causing the gender inequities.”
However, this project is focused on early childhood development using a limited set of math tasks. Cantlon wants to continue this work using a broader scope of math skills, such as spatial processing and memory, and follow the children over many years.
1.What can we infer about the toy’s release?
A.It has raised a storm of applause.
B.Girls perform no worse than boys in math.
C.Math is a subject difficult to every one of us.
D.Women are born with insufficient math abilities.
2.What can we learn from the study conducted by Cantlon?
A.Boys process math skills more quickly than girls.
B.Boys and girls have similar brain in math abilities.
C.Boys and girls have similar interest in math.
D.Adults have better brain than children in math.
3.What will Cantlon most likely agree with?
A.Parents should lengthen the time spent with girls.
B.Society is causing a greater gender difference in math abilities.
C.Culture plays a leading role in children’s brain development.
D.We should cultivate boys’ and girls’ math abilities equally.
4.How will Cantlon further her research?
A.By using a wider range of math skills.
B.By involving a broader scope of subjects.
C.By increasing the complexity of math tasks.
D.By following the children until their adulthood.
It is with mixed emotions that I went to the young criminal center every few months to give vaccinations (接种疫苗). On the one hand, I feel lucky to be able to provide a service that may have a positive health effect on the residents. But, on the other hand, I feel a sense of sadness and disappointment as I see the prisoners being escorted (押送) by guards to the nursing unit.
My last visit was very memorable. For some reason, there was a lightness in the air. More than ever before, I felt a lightness as I spoke with each person. We shared stories and smiles and fears. Even the toughest prisoners seemed to be surrounded by light. As a mother, I saw them as not only youth, being punished for crimes, but also as children who have the potential to change for the better. Most of them wanted to talk longer! They were reaching out to us! It felt right.
There was one more prisoner. He was limited to a different unit in a lonely cell. We were asked if we were okay going down there. We said that we were. Two guards escorted us down and when we entered the area, instant tears welled up in my eyes. The area was sad. These guards didn’t smile. We entered the cell and had to make do with what was there.
We were done but I didn’t want to leave. I gave the 17 year old a gentle touch and smile as I explained what to do regarding the side effects. At first, there was no response, so I just looked down at his bare feet and then to my supplies. I thought that I had better pack up. Suddenly, he looked up at me and smiled before he said “Thanks” and then he gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled back and said, “You’re welcome. Take care of yourself.”
It was wonderful to receive a kind response from someone who was in such a harsh place. As we walked back to the main entrance, we didn’t speak. Where there can be a smile, there is hope. Sometimes smiles can be very powerful.
1.What can we know about the young in the young criminal center?
A.They received regular medical service.
B.They were treated unfairly.
C.They stayed in bad conditions.
D.They were forced to take treatment.
2.What was special about the center the last time the author went there?
A.She was asked to share stories. B.Every prisoner was kind to her.
C.The young people talked freely. D.She sensed a relaxing atmosphere.
3.What did the young man think of the author?
A.He disliked her for her sympathy.
B.He really appreciated her kindness.
C.He thought she would change his life.
D.He thought she was just an ordinary doctor.
4.What impressed the author most in this story?
A.The young man’s smile.
B.The medical care for prisoners.
C.The punishment to the prisoners.
D.The difference between the young man and others.
Musicals in Washington’s Historic National Theatre in 2020
The Last Ship
Friday, March 27—Sunday, April 5
$49—$154
THE LAST SHIP, inspired by Sting’s 1991 album ＂The Soul Cages＂ and his own childhood experiences, tells the story of a community in Tyne and Wear. Sting will star and perform the role at every performance. It features an original score with music and lyrics by Sting as well as a few of his best-loved songs: ＂Island of Souls＂＂All This Time＂ and ＂When We Dance＂. Learn more at TheLastShipMusical.com.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Run time: Approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes.
The King’s Speech
Tuesday, Feb. 11 — Sunday, Feb. 16
$54 — $104
THE KING’S SPEECH is based on the true story of King George VI’s struggle with a speech problem and the friendship he formed with his doctor, Lionel Logue. With the Nazi threat coming and civil unrest at home, royal secrets explode around the King as he appeared onto the world stage.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Run time: Approximately 2 hours, 50 minutes.
Blue Man Group
Friday, May 8 —Sunday, May 17
$64—$124
At BLUE MAN GROUP, you’ll rock, laugh, and party! As three blue men explore our world, together we’ll discover music, comedy and surprises at every turn. It is perfect for audiences of all ages and cultural backgrounds, and returns to D.C. with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments like never before.
Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Run time: Approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Wednesday, July 22 —Sunday, Aug. 2
$54—$114
Donna Summer was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including ＂Love to Love You Baby＂＂Bad Girls＂ and ＂Hot Stuff＂, this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.
Recommended for ages 13 and up.
Run time: Approximately 1 hour, 40 minutes
1.In which musical can you enjoy the song ＂All This Time＂?
A.The King’s Speech. B.The Last Ship.
C.Blue Man Group. D.Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.
2.When is the musical ＂The King’s Speech＂ scheduled to open?
A.Tuesday, Feb. 11. B.Friday, March 27.
C.Sunday, May 17. D.Wednesday, July 22.
3.What is the ticket price range of “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical”?
A.$49 — $154. B.$64 — $124. C.$54— $104. D.$54 —$114.
