The other day, my husband and I took the kids for dinner at a branch of Pizza Express. There was a very friendly lady ____alone at the next table. When the time came for her to pay the ___, her bank card was declined. The waitress told her, in a very kind way, that there was a ____but that she would call her manager for help. Seeing this, my husband ___got up and told the waiting staff that we would pay for the lady's meal.____, when the manager arrived, he explained to the lady that although she couldn't use her ___, there was no need to ___. Pizza Express authorizes (授权) the restaurant to____two free meals per month and on this ____, they would like to provide her with a free meal.
She was extremely grateful and apologetic that she had been ____to pay. We were relieved that the lady had been ____with dignity instead of being placed in a ___position.
Then, the manager_____our table. He said that ___we had shown such generosity, he would like to donate the second free meal that the restaurant was able to ____to us! we were absolutely ___! I had never heard of any chain restaurant behaving in such a(n) ___way. We were quite____with gratitude. I made sure that the lady was able to get home OK, and then we ____the staff and left ourselves. I was really impressed by how the restaurant had treated this ____case.
1.A.waiting B.working C.ordering D.dining
2.A.menu B.bill C.service D.recipe
3.A.disadvantage B.solution C.problem D.technique
4.A.immediately B.bravely C.cautiously D.slowly
5.A.Actually B.Finally C.However D.Therefore
6.A.cash B.card C.phone D.check
7.A.worry B.help C.pay D.bother
8.A.let out B.pick up C.give away D.take on
9.A.condition B.demand C.moment D.occasion
10.A.unable B.likely C.ready D.unwilling
11.A.treated B.encouraged C.appreciated D.pleased
12.A.dangerous B.difficult C.painful D.pleasant
13.A.noticed B.remove C.approached D.cleaned
14.A.as B.after C.if D.when
15.A.share B.cover C.spare D.offer
16.A.annoyed B.confuse C.interested D.astonished
17.A.strange B.generous C.abnormal D.awkward
18.A.supplied B.equipped C.filled D.burdened
19.A.praised B.thanked C.greeted D.met
20.A.special B.regular C.unique D.complex
Many people often find themselves waking up in the middle of the night, unusually awake and excited.1.. That’s really frustrating. However, there is no need to worry. Here are some effective ways to help you fall asleep again.
Remain in bed. For you to fall asleep, your heart rate needs to slow down. When you get up, your heart rate goes up. So, avoid going to the bathroom during the night if you can. Do not eat too little or too much for dinner. Do not drink and fill your bladder（膀胱）before bed.2.. It may make you fall asleep faster, but it may also disrupt your sleep later in the night.
Stay in the dark. When you cannot sleep, LED lights on printers and cable boxes may be the reason. The same is true for light streaming in through cracks in curtains. 3.. You should cover lights with tape and wear a sleep mask. A popular choice has deep eye cups so your eyes can open and shut while you wear them.
Quiet your mind. Try ways to relax, such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises.4.. The point is to keep your brain busy with something that is not demanding and is relaxing.
5.. If your wake-up time is 6:30 a.m. and your clock reads 3:00 a.m., do not think Oh no! I have only three hours left! Instead, say to yourself, Oh great! I have three more hours to sleep!
You have a problem if you wake three times a week for more than three months. It may affect your quality of life. You need to find a sleep expert who can help identify the cause and fix it.
A.Think in a positive way.
B.Keep a calm attitude.
C.They may keep you awake.
D.Most importantly, avoid drinking in the evening.
E.You can do simple math problems in your head.
F.Getting up to do some mild exercise is also helpful.
G.Tossing and turning in bed, they are unable to fall asleep.
In the fall of 2017, when Paula Aldridge needed to get a job, she found herself at a crossroads. The 50-year-old wasn’t sure she would ever work again, due to health issues.
But Aldridge’s life and career journey started to turn around after she connected with Goodwill of Central Iowa’s skills (技能) training programs. These programs aim to help people develop the specific, real-world skills they need to get and keep a job, through a combination of detailed teaching and hands-on experience.
When Aldridge first connected with Goodwill in September 2017, she was having trouble finding a job. Transportation was challenging, as she didn’t have a driver’s license or own a car. Aldridge also had a limited work history with long employment gaps (间断) , meaning she missed the chances to learn important skills, such as working a credit card machine. Besides, her physical health issues were also a problem.
According to Kayleigh Duff, a career specialist at Goodwill of Central Iowa, the biggest difficulty Aldridge had to overcome was from within. “She said outwardly that she had all of this confidence and that she knew how strong a worker she was, but I don’t think she truly believed it herself.”
Thankfully, many people offer Aldridge encouragement and guidance. She first started off in the food service training program but was eager to enter the retail (零售) skills program, since she had worked at the Salvation Army and Subway before. When Aldridge mentioned her interest in retail, Duff recognized that her go-getting attitude would be perfect for the program.
The seven-week retail skills training is a systematic program combining classroom teaching with on- the-job experience at a Goodwill store. As Aldridge graduated from the program, she became more confident in her abilities.
Duff said it was great to see how Aldridge grew into the devoted worker she is today. “She has this strong desire, this longing to succeed. And she knows that she’s able to do that, although she has fallen short in the past.”
1.What can be learned about Goodwill’s training programs?
A.They combine theory with practice.
B.They will surely find a good job for people in the program.
C.They are designed mainly for the unemployed.
D.They were set up in the autumn of 2017.
2.What was the biggest problem Aldridge faced according to Duff?
A.Poor health.
B.Poor working skills.
C.Without enough confidence.
D.Not having a driver’s license.
3.Why did Aldridge change her training program?
A.She wanted to attend a more systematic program.
B.She wanted to get some hands-on experience.
C.She was more interested in retail.
D.She followed Duff’s advice.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A.A 50-year-old devotes herself to Goodwill.
B.Goodwill helps a 50-year-old turn her life around.
C.Goodwill training programs spring up around the world.
D.Success is closely connected to good training programs.
At your next meeting, wait for a pause (停顿) in conversation and try to measure how long it lasts.
Among English speakers, it is probable that it will be a second or two at most. But while this pattern may be universal, our understanding of silence differs greatly across cultures.
What one culture considers a confusing or embarrassing pause may be seen by others as a valuable moment of thought and respect for what the last speaker has said. Research in Dutch (荷兰语) and also in English found that when a silence in conversation lasts four seconds, people start to feel uneasy. However, another study of business meetings found that Japanese people are happy with silences of 8.2 seconds—nearly twice as long as in Americans’ meetings.
In Japan, it is recognized that the best communication is when you don’t speak at all. It’s already a failure to understand each other by speaking because you’re repairing that failure by using words.
In the US, it may originate from the history of colonial (殖民地的) America as a crossroads of many different races (种族). When you have difference, it’s hard to reach common understanding unless you talk and there’s understandably a kind of anxiety unless people use words to establish a common life. This applies also to some extent to London.
However, when there’s more homogeneity, perhaps it’s easier for some kinds of silence to appear. For example, among your closest friends and family it’s easier to sit in silence than with people you’re less well know.
1.Which of the following people might have the longest silence in conversation?
A.The Dutch
B.The American
C.The English
D.The Japanese
2.What might the Japanese agree with in a conversation?
A.Speaking more gives the upper hand.
B.Speak out what you have in your mind.
C.Great minds think alike without words.
D.The shorter talking silence, the better.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.A four second silence in conversation is universal.
B.It’s hard for American to reach a common agreement.
C.English speakers are more talkative than Japanese speakers.
D.The closer we and our family are, the easier the silence appears.
4.What does the underlined word “homogeneity” in the last paragraph mean?
A.Similarity
B.Difference
C.Disagreement
D.Misunderstanding
For many years, Bruce Bexler dreamed of going where no human had gone before. He wanted to cut a path through unexplored lands and discover rare species.
That might sound like an impossible dream, but Bexler turned it into a reality.
In December 2015, he and a team of Australian scientists explored an isolated rainforest on the island of New Guinea. They were the first people to enter the region. “As time was limited, we were dropped in by helicopter. Once we were on the ground, there were no trails anywhere; it was really hard to get around,” Bexler says.
Within minutes of landing, the team spotted a black chicken-like bird with strange orange skin hanging from its neck. The scientists soon determined that the unusual creature was a type of honeyeater — the first new bird species to be sighted on New Guinea in 60 years.
The honeyeater wasn’t the only surprise for the scientists. They discovered more than 40 previously unknown plant and animal species — 13 birds of paradise, 20 frogs, four butterflies, and five palms. “We were like kids in a candy store,” Bexler recalls. “Everywhere we looked, we saw amazing things we had never seen before.”
The newfound species didn’t shy away from the scientists. Two long-nosed echidnas — primitive egg-laying mammals — let the visitors pick them up and take them back to camp to study them.
Bexler thinks the animals weren’t frightened because they had never seen humans before. “In almost all parts of New Guinea, animals are hunted for food, and because of this, they are very cautious of people,” he explains. “This area gives scientists a place where they can go to study the behaviors of animals that have not yet learned to be afraid of people.”
Scientists believe the area is probably the largest untouched forest in Asia. Bexler and his team did not have enough time to study the area completely. They hope to return to record more undiscovered species. “We just scratched the surface,” Bexler says. “Anyone who goes there will come back with a mystery.”
1.Which word best describes Bruce Bexler?
A.Modest. B.Adventurous.
C.Optimistic. D.Confident.
2.What does Bruce Bexler mean in Paragraph 5 when he says the scientists “were like kids in a candy store”?
A.They didn’t have enough food and were hungry.
B.They were very excited about what they saw.
C.They were behaving like naughty children.
D.They knew that if they kept searching, they’d find sugar.
3.Why did some of the animals allow the scientists to pick them up?
A.The scientists seemed to be very friendly.
B.The scientists were good at handling animals.
C.The animals had been well-trained by the local people.
D.The animals had no experience or fear of people.
4.What can we conclude about the area Bruce Bexler explored?
A.The best way to explore the area is by helicopter.
B.The area has not been visited by scientists for many years.
C.The area still contains many plants and animals unknown to science.
D.The locals are unwilling to allow the scientists to enter the deep woods.
The city of Toronto is the capital of Ontario and is a popular tourist destination with its beautiful city attractions. During your time in the city, you can find theme parks, historic locations, beautiful nature areas, and great shopping centers. Prepare for an unforgettable vacation with many of the locations listed below.
Canada’s Wonderland
This amazing 330-acre theme park allows for the entire family to enjoy their time in Toronto. The park offers different rides for all ages including thrilling rides and roller coasters and amazing live shows. During the warmer months, the park also includes a 20-acre water park to cool off and relax together with fun slides, pools, and more. To make the park a full-day adventure, there are many restaurants as well for a bite to eat when hunger sets in.
Toronto Helicopter (直升机) Tours
Toronto has a lot to offer from its skyline including historic locations, skyscrapers, and more. With Toronto Helicopter Tours, you can see all of these amazing sights from high above the sky for the perfect bird’s eye view of the city. The tour will be the perfect opportunity to get photos of the city and of your travels as you fly up to 2,000 feet over the beautiful downtown Toronto sky.
Hop On-Hop Off City Tour
See the beautiful city of Toronto with this amazing hop on and hop off city tour. This city tour allows you to get around the city in an one-of-a-kind way to see many popular locations in the downtown area. It allows you to hop off at any time to see the sites and then hop on again to continue getting around the city. The full tour without hopping off takes 2 hours if you are wanting to get a great overview of the city to decide where to go first. Locations along the way of the tour include the Bata Shoe Museum, Casa Loma, Dundas Square, Park Hyatt, CN Tower, Union Station, and so much more.
1.Where can our family get fun in a water park on a hot day?
A.Canada’s Wonderland
B.Toronto Helicopter Tours
C.Hop On-Hop Off City Tour
D.CN Tower
2.What can you experience in the helicopter tour?
A.Thrilling rides and roller coasters.
B.Driving a plane as a pilot.
C.2 hours of getting around the city.
D.A great overlook of the city.
3.What place can Hop On - Hop Off City Tour lead visitors to in the passage?
A.The downtown area.
B.Toronto’s Universities
C.The Theme Park.
D.Ontario’s other areas
