Five Ways to Rock the Rest of the Semester
With exams around the corner, how can you possibly pack in one more English word, let alone the causes of the Cold War? Don’t worry. Here is our handy guide to help you
Power Down
So you stayed up too late last night reading Mockingjay for the fifth time. Oops! When you’re that fired, your schoolwork suffers. Instead of studying inefficiently while you are sleepy, allow yourself a 15-minute afterschool power nap. Studies show that even a few minutes of shut-eye can improve memory and concentration.
Take Notes
Not quite grasping that super complicated concept in your chemistry class? You may need to change the way you take notes. Instead of recording every word your teacher says, try using visual hints like pictures, symbols and word bubbles. You can even switch computer fonts or pen color for the important stuff.
Dream On
Your bed’s not just for zzz’s. Experts say it may be good to study in bed, too. Why? We’re able to absorb more right before bed because we’re less distracted and the new information stays in our minds as we sleep. So, slide into bed with a textbook or notes, read for 15 minutes, and then turn off the lights for some sweet and smart dreams.
Brain Food
You’re in the middle of a biology exam when your mind goes blank. You knew this stuff cold at home, but now you can’t tell a ribosome from a chloroplast. What’s going on? Your brain’s in need of some refueling. Have some snacks like apple slices or cheese before class, and have plenty of water, too. If your teacher doesn’t mind, pop in a piece of gum during an exam. Some scientists think the chewing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain.
Smart Move
Ugh! You’re taking an English test and you cannot remember the past participle of “understand”. What to do? Skip it. Test taking is all about timing, so don’t waste it on tricky questions. Move ahead and answer everything you know before returning to the ones you don’t. Chances are, once you get back to the toughies, you’ll recall the answer or at the very least, you’ll have a little more time to come up with one that works.
1.When taking notes, we can do all these except ______.
A．draw pictures
B．change the typeface
C．switch on the computer
D．colour the key points
2.According to the passage, _____.
A．it’s good to study under the covers for some time every day
B．you cannot skip the difficult questions and go on to the rest
C．you can have some snacks and drink enough water to refresh yourself in exams
D．when taking notes, you should record whatever the teacher says
3.What does the underlined phrase “knew this stuff cold” mean?
A．had no clue about it
B．were a cold fish
C．knew it was cold
D．were familiar with
Traditionally, business people would get to know each other over a round of golf. But road cycling is fast catching up as the preferred way of networking recently.
“When you play golf with somebody you have to decide if you‟re going to beat them, or let thembeat you,” says Peter Murray, a chairman of the NLA centre. “If they‟re your customers and youdon‟t want to beat them, sometimes you might have to make some kind of cheating in order to lose. That seems to me not a good way of doing things.”
Group cycling, and especially long-distance riding, is a shared experience, Mr Murray says. Riders often work together and help each other out, taking turns to be at the front so that the riders in their group can save almost a third of the effort needed to travel at the same speed.
How someone rides a bike can give you a real insight into what a person is like, says Jean-Jacques Lorraine, founding director of Morrow Lorraine, a team member of Cycle to Cannes. “Some riders are very single-minded, others more collaborative; some are skillful, others an open book.”“If I walk into a meeting and somebody says „I‟ve done Cycle to Cannes‟ , it‟s a done deal really,” says Mr Lorraine.
Mr Mottram, CEO of Rapha, believes it is easier to get to know people by cycling than in other situations. “T here is an easy environment about conversations on a bike.” Mr Lorraine makes the point more directly: “I feel open and honest to others. I often find I‟m saying things on a bike which I wouldn‟t normally say, and equally I‟ve been confided (吐露秘密) in when I wasn‟t expecting it.”
Why do cycle rides lend riders so well to networking? “Getting a quick lunch or drink after work doesn‟t give you long enough to get to know someone,” Mr. Murray says. He believes long ridesget people together. “A younger rider can be cycling along with a boss and help him in some wayand you get a reversal of the relationship. This changes the relationship when they are off theride too.”
Perhaps the main reason why cycling is a good way to network is that it‟s a passion (激情) and away of life. “Getting out on the bike is what we‟re all dreaming of doing while we‟re sitting at our computers,” says Mr Mottram. And a shared passion is a fantastic way to start any relationship.
1.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ______.
A．golf is a sport full of cheating
B．cycling is less popular than golf
C．deciding on winners in golf is hard
D．golf might also have disadvantages
2.In Paragraph 4, Mr Lorraine thinks that ______.
A．getting a quick lunch after work helps get people together
B．telling what a person is really like by cycling is a way of life
C．riders need to volunteer to be at the front to save their energy
D．it‟s much easier for people to make a deal if they are all riders
3.Which of the following is TRUE about cycling?
A．Businessmen used to prefer cycling to golf.
B．Cycling is a good way to get to know people.
C．Group cycling is always a long-distance riding.
D．It‟s not acceptable for the riders to talk on the bike.
4.What could be the best title of the passage?
A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Cycling.
B．Two Good Ways of Networking.
C．Cycling Is the New Golf.
D．Cycling Develops Fast.
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away any possible robbers(抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck(垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
1.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
A．Cold and sick
B．Lucky and hopeful
C．Satisfied and cheerful
D．Disappointed and helpless
2.From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy_____.
A. solving her problem at the bank
B. taking part in various city activities
C. learning acting in an evening school
D. preparing for the first night show
3.On her way home the writer_____
A．lost her wallet unknowingly
B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver
C．was robbed of her wallet by a man with a knife
D．found some homeless people following her
4.From the text, we can infer that the writer_____
A．would stop working at night
B．would stay on in San Francisco
C．would make friends with cleaners.
D．would give up her job at the bank
Drinking tea is an important part of Chinese culture． It is seen as the national drink in China． The most common types of Chinese tea are as follows．
Green Tea is the oldest and most popular． It has a pale color and a sharp flavor (口味)． It is produced mainly in Anhui and Zhejiang． The most popular is Longjing Tea, which is produced near West Lake, Hangzhou．
Red Tea (Black Tea) is the second most popular type of Chinese tea． It can help treat stomachaches． Dianhong and Yixing are popular sorts of red tea．
Wulong Tea, also known as blue tea, has the advantages of green and red teas． It has a gentle flavor and can help people lose weight． Tie Kuanyin Tea in Anhui and Dongding Wulong Tea in Taiwan are two well-known types of it．
Scented Tea (花茶) is created by mixing tea leaves with fiowers． It is known by its strong fragrance(芳香) , and it can help people feel comfortable after drinking． Iasmine (荣莉) tea is the most popular of this kind．
Tips of Tea Drinking
Do you know how to drink tea in a right way? Here are some tips:
Drink it hot．
Don’t drink too much strong tea．
The best time to drink tea is between meals．
Drink tea a couple of hours after taking medicine．
Green tea is the best choice for office workers．
1.___________is the oldest and most popular tea in China．
A．Wulong Tea B．Scented Tea
C．Red Tea D．Green Tea
2.Red Tea can__________．
A．help people lose weight
B．help people feel lucky
C．help treat stomachaches
D．help people sleep well
3.Dongding Wulong Tea is produced in
A．Taiwan B．Yixing
C．Anhui D．Hangzhou
4.The right way to drink tea is___________．
A．to drink it cold
B．to drink between meals
C．to drink much strong tea
D．to drink with medicine
完形填空
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项。
The Power of Story
When my dog Gracie disappeared six years ago, I really learned what I believe. Gracie escaped from our backyard around 2:00 p.m. We searched the neighborhood for hours but had no ______. We put up advertisements, and by dark, we returned home, exhausted (精疲力竭).
On the second day, I called my animal doctor, the SPCA, and the animal shelter (收容所). Nothing. I felt lost.
If I knew Gracie had been ______, I would have been heartbroken. If I knew she was caught somewhere, I would save her. If I knew she had found a better home, I would be ______ yet relieved (放心的). But how do I deal with the unknown? Wait patiently? Search endlessly? Give up?
The third day, while I was searching in the woods with my friend Rhea, I told her losing Gracie was like losing faith (信任) in everything. Rhea smiled and said, “You know, maybe Gracie’s on a great adventure.” It seems ______, but I felt better then. Rhea’s words ______ me what, as a writer, I surely have faith in: the power of story.
As one writer said, all we have is stories. It’s what holds our life together. We call stories science, some stories myth (神话), but imagine hearing for the first time that the world may be round. Such stories only become real when we ______ them. And some stories are never supported with scientific facts, but they still seem to hold true.
For example, ten years earlier, I’d dreamt that I should get a ______, and by that evening, Gracie came into my life. When people would ask what kind of dog she was, I would say Muppet wolf terrier (小猎狗). It was something I ______ because I believed Gracie was half dog, half wolf.
So why not imagine now that she was off on an adventure exploring her wolf side?
The fourth day started with me finding a ______ on the sidewalk, I’d always thought of finding money as a good sign. And I was sure Gracie would come home on the fifth day. I guess it was another story to hold on to.
On Day Five, I was at a friend’s house when her phone rang. I knew immediately it was news about Gracie. And I was right. When I finally saw her in my hallway, I cried. “My wolf days are ______.” Gracie seemed to say. “I’m back to being a dog”.
Or so is the story I choose to believe.
1.A. luckB. reason C. good D. problem
2.A. keptB. sold C. stolen D. killed
3.A. madB. worried C. sadD. moved
4.A. rightB. strange C. reasonableD. real
5.A. ordered B. warned C. reminded D. suggested
6.A. hear B. know C. believeD. read
7.A. dog B. prizeC. story D. house
8.A. looked up B. built up C. set up D. made up
9.A. card B. coin C. phoneD. book
10.A. lasting B. exciting C. short D. over
- Could you tell me ______?
- At the school gate, tomorrow morning.
A. where we will meet
B. where did we meet
C. where will we meet
D. where we met
