Alfred Nobel, the great Swedish inventor and industrialist, was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833, but moved to Russia with his parents in 1842, where his father, Immanuel, made a strong position for himself in the engineering industry. Immanuel Nobel invented landmine (地雷) and made a lot of money from the government during the Crimean War, but went bankrupt (破产) soon after. Then, the family returned to Sweden in 1859, where Alfred began his own study of explosives in his father’s lab. He had never been to school or university but had taught himself, and by the time he was twenty, he became a skillful chemist and excellent linguist, speaking Swedish, Russian, German, French and English.
He built up over 80 companies in 20 different countries. He wasalways searching for a meaning to life. He spent much time and money working on how to end the wars, and the peace between nations, until his death in Italy in 1896. His famous last will, in which he left money to provide prizes for outstanding work in physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, literature and peace, is a memorial to his interests and ideas. And so, the man is remembered and respected long after his death.
1.Where was Alfred Nobel born？
_____________________________________________________.
2.What did Immanuel Nobel invent during the Crimean War？
_____________________________________________________.
3.Why did Alfred Nobel return to Sweden？
_____________________________________________________.
4.How many companies did Alfred Nobel build up in different countries?
_____________________________________________________.
5.What did Alfred Nobel leave money for？
_____________________________________________________.
We all have habits that we want to give up. These are habits which are not good for us in some way or another. A habit is an activity that we have got used to. It's not easy to break a bad habit because we have got used to it, and it has become convenient (方便的).
We are so used to our bad habits that most of the time we even don't realize that we have them until someone points them out to us. So the first step that will lead to changing a bad habit is to accept the fact that is not good for you.
Since you know you have developed a bad habit, it's best to find out why you developed it in the first place. Find out the reason behind it, as that will help you in understanding why you're so willing to perform that act. There is nothing to feel scared of. You have to face it and then give it up.
Find out how bad habits have spoiled (损坏，糟蹋) things around you. For example, a bad habit of getting up late can destroy the schedule (时间表) of your whole day. And, if this is what you do every day, then imagine how many days it has already eaten up. Realize this and make up your mind to give it up.
An alarm (警报) is something that will prevent you from performing your habit. For example, to avoid getting up late, set an alarm and decide that you need to make a little effort to reach it to turn it off.
Tell your family and friends about your decision so that they can prevent you from performing the bad habit and also remind you of the promise you made to yourself.
Reward yourself every time you stop yourself from performing the bad habit. This will keep you encouraged to break the bad habit and at the same time make you happy.
There are habits that people have carried with them for years and it will surely take some time to give them up. However, breaking a habit is a better choice than letting it grow into an addiction(瘾). Try giving up a bad habit, and feel the difference in yourself. You will be proud of yourself and I will certainly congratulate you on it.
Title: How to break a bad habit
Why it is __1._ to break a bad habit | Because we have got used to it and it has become convenient |
__2.___ to break a bad habit | ◆___3.__ the fact you have a bad habit and it is not good for you. ◆Find out the reason why the bad habit is __4.__. ◆Know the bad ___5.___ that bad habits have brought you. ◆Use a(n) __6.___ to prevent you from getting up late. ◆Get help from your __7.___ and friends. ◆Reward yourself when you ___8.____ in stopping yourself from performing the bad habit. |
The writer’s opinions of breaking a bad habit | ◆Breaking a bad habit is __9.____ than letting it growing into an addiction. ◆Breaking a bad habit will make you feel10.__ of yourself. |
With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams (堵车) are inevitable. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars, with more people trying to get to their destination, all the while getting worse. Although it’s impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether, there are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.
Check for traffic jams before you leave. You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.
Look for a different route all the time. Most traffic jams happen on busy roads. Using country roads could avoid a lot of traffic. Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.
Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins. Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.
__________ Most traffic jams usually occur(发生) during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid moving altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.
Use public transport instead. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car. Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money.
1.The underlined word “inevitable” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.
A. hard to accept B. impossible to avoid
C. getting less serious D. seen everywhere
2.The writer wrote the text in order to ______.
A. explain why there are traffic jams
B. tell us how to save time on the road
C. tell us what we can do on the road
D. tell us the negative(消极的) effects of traffic jams
3.To get the latest traffic information, you could do the following EXCEPT ______.
A. surfing the Internet
B. listening to the radio for traffic news
C. listening to the traffic channel
D. turning to other drivers for information
4.Which of the following can be put in the blank(空白处) in the text?
A. Choose a job that has flexible working hours
B. Make friends with your manager
C. Try traveling at different time
D. Work from home
5.According to the writer, we should use public transport because __________.
A. it is cheaper and can avoid traffic jams
B. it is useful to us
C. it is environmentally-friendly
D. it is completely free from traffic jams
Do you believe that you aren’t smarter than 3-year-old Alexis Martin, one of the youngest members of the high IQ club Mensa? Preschooler (学龄前的) Alexis’s IQ is 159, which is only one point lower than Stephen Hawking’s. Doctors say the average IQ of a person is about 100.
She learned to read at the age of 2. She reads at a fifth grade level and has taught herself Spanish on her parents’ iPad! Now, she is a member of the Mensa Club, which only accepts people with an IQ within the top two per cent of people in the world!
Alexis’ father, Ian Martin, said he first realized Alexis was special when she was 12 months old. She could recite (背诵) bedtime stories. “We’d be driving around in the car and she would recite her bedtime stories from the night before. She didn’t just recite them, and she recited them exactly.”Alexis’ father would try to trick her and say that her story went a different way, but she always corrected him. Most 12-month-old children take their first steps on their own and most 18-month-olds can only name a small number of objects and body parts, and follow simple two-step questions.
Even though Alexis is a genius (天才), her parents are faced with lots of challenges like how to teach her to make friends of her own age.
“Will she go into kindergarten early? We are kind of hesitant (迟疑的) because we do want her to get to that social world,” Ian said.
1.Alexis Martin is a girl who _____________.
A. has many hobbies B. has a high IQ
C. is good at telling stories D. likes reading
2.According to the report, Stephen Hawking’s IQ is as high as ___________.
A. 158 B. 159 C. 160 D. 101
3.Alexis Martin could recite bedtime stories at ____________.
A. the age of 2 B. the age of 1
C. one and a half years old D. the age of 3
4.What would Alexis do when her father said her bedtime stories went a different way?
A. She would refuse to listen.
B. She would try to recite it.
C. She would correct him.
D. She would laugh at it.
5. Which of the following statements about Alexis is NOT true?
A. She is accepted by the Mensa Club.
B. She has made a lot of friends.
C. She learned to read at the age of 2.
D. She learned a foreign language by herself.
J&M Music Store • Rock, pop and country music • Buy CDs new or used • Listen before you buy • Guitar lessons offered | Peth Market • Fresh fruit and vegetables • Open Friday to Sunday mornings • Free ice cream for children under 12 |
Times Coffee Shop • The best coffee in town • Sandwiches, cakes, pies •Open 10:00a.m—11:00 p.m.daily •Jazz music( Wednesday to Sunday) | Macon's B&B • Feel like home • We have different kinds of rooms • Delicious homemade breakfast
|
1. You can________ at J&M Music Store.
A. receive guitar lessons
B. borrow new or used CDs
C. learn pop music history
D. buy all kinds of music books
2.You can go to Times Coffee Shop to have coffee and pies at_______.
A. 8:30 a.m. B. 9:30 a.m.
C. 10:30 p.m. D. 11:30 p.m.
3. If your friend is coming for a visit, where will he stay for a night?
A. In J&M Music Store. B. In Peth Market
C. At Times Coffee Shop. D. At Macon's B&B.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. There is no breakfast at Macon's B&B.
B. You can't listen to the CD before you buy it.
C. Times Coffee Shop offers Jazz music every day.
D. Kids under 12 can get free ice cream in Peth Market.
5.Where is the passage probably from?
A. A dictionary. B. A newspaper.
C. A story book. D. A science report.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Last summer I spent two weeks in Singapore with my mother and my sister. Before this trip, I heard that Singapore is one of the most beautiful and cleanest countries in . I hoped that I would have an unforgettable time there. In fact, the trip was than I had expected.
Many places in Singapore us. First, we visited Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park. the places are very large and many animals live there. So we had to a whole day seeing all of the animals. However, the most interesting was the Bird Show in Jurong Bird Park. We enjoyed the of the birds. The workers had trained the birds carefully and patiently for long they could dance, sing and even play basketball. At the end of the show, they sent the visitors a message that people’s awareness of protecting birds. I think it is a very helpful and practical of educating people about the nature protection.
Second, after spending a week in relaxing and visiting some tourist spots (旅游景点) in Singapore, my sister and I to attend a short-term English course because English is the official language in Singapore and we thought we would our English quickly. English was the only common language in this class, so all students there had to speak English during the lessons.
The trip in Singapore was truly a nice in my life. During the trip, I learned much about other countries’ lives, other people’s thoughts and I improved my English. , I have made some new friends who I am still keeping in touch and I hope that I will meet them again some day in China and tell them more about our country.
1.A. Africa B. Asia C. America D. Europe
2.A. worse B. longer C. faster D. greater
3.A. attracted B. affected C. attacked D. held
4.A. All B. Neither C. Both D. Each
5.A. take B. cost C. waste D. spend
6.A. accident B. event C. case D. report
7.A. births B. fights C. parties D. performances
8.A. so that B. in order to C. such that D. even though
9.A. cures B. prevents C. raises D. reduces
10.A. way B. road C. result D. street
11.A. refused B. stopped C. decided D. forgot
12.A. speak B. pass C. express D. improve
13.A. idea B. experience C. skill D. question
14.A. In addition B. As a result C. In fact D. At last
15.A. at B. with C. for D. of
