Every Sunday morning, I take a light jog around a park near my home. There’s a lake in one corner of the park. Each time I jog by this lake, I see the same elderly woman sitting by the lake with a small metal cage beside her.
Last Sunday, my curiosity (好奇心) got the better of me, so I stopped jogging and walked over to her. As I got closer, I found that inside the metal cage were three turtles, slowly walking around. She had a fourth turtle on her lap (大腿) that she was carefully brushing.
“Hello,” I said. “I’d love to know what you’re doing with these turtles.”
She smiled. “I’m cleaning their shells,” she replied. “Anything on a turtle’s shell, like algae (海藻) or scum (浮沫), stops the turtle from swimming. It can also weaken the shell over time. I’m doing this to help the turtles. It’s my own way of making a difference.”
“Wow! That’s really nice of you! But there are turtles living in lakes all around the world. And few of these turtles have kind people like you to help them clean their shells. So how exactly are you sure that you are truly making a difference?” I questioned.
The woman laughed aloud. She then looked down at the turtle on her lap, brushed the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, “Sweetie, every act of kindness matters. If this little guy could talk, he’d tell you I just made all the difference in the world.”
回答下面5个问题，每题答案不超过5个词。
1.Where does the old woman sit each time the writer meets her?
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2.When did the writer decide to have a talk with the old woman?
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3.How many turtles did the woman have when the writer stopped to ask her?
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4.Why did the woman clean the turtles’ shells?
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5.What can you learn from the story?
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Would you like to be comfortable talking to other people? Holding conversations may help. Holding conversations may not seem like a skill. After all, everyone talks to other people frequently. But talking to new people makes many people nervous.
Here are some ways to make conversations more fun and less awkward (尴尬的).
Body language
As strange as it may seem, much communication happens without any words. The way you stand and act tells people a lot about you. When you’re talking with someone, stand up straight and look them in the eye. This shows your confidence. And if you’re nervous, acting like you aren’t can help you feel better. When you’re listening, look at the other person. Lean forward to show that you’re interested in what they’re saying.
Back and forth
A good conversation is not a speech, which means that both people need to participate. If you’re doing all the talking, pause to allow the other person to speak. If they don’t say anything, try asking them a question.
Questions can also help if you’re struggling (挣扎) to think what to say. Maybe they’ll say something you know or you can reply to. When you ask questions, try to think of open-ended ones. That means questions where the answer is more than just “yes” or “no”. Open-ended questions in English usually start with who, what, when, where and why.
Don’t fear silence.
Don’t feel worried or frightened if the conversation has quiet moments. Every conversation has some. Treat them as chances to change the subject to something you’re interested in. You could also comment on (评论) something you’ve done recently. Or you can ask a question about the other person.
So if you’re shy, be brave, ask a question, and start a conversation. As with any skill, you will improve on holding conversations with time.
Learn to be 1. talking to others | ||
Introduction | Everyone needs to talk to others often. But talking to new people makes many people nervous. Holding conversations may be of some 2. to you. | |
3. to improve your conversation
|
Body language | *Stand up 4. and look them in the eye. *Act like you aren’t nervous at all while talking. *Lean forward to show your 5. in their topic. |
Back and forth | *Pause to give the other person time to speak. *Try to 6. of open-ended questions to ask. | |
Don’t fear 7.. | *Stay 8. if the conversation has quiet moments. *Treat them as 9. to change the subject of your talk. *Comment on your recent behaviour or ask a question. | |
Conclusion | You will succeed in improving your conversation skills 10. time goes on. |
The clock struck twelve.
Scrooge looked around him for the Ghost, but he couldn’t see it. Then he remembered old Jacob Marley’s prediction. He lifted his eyes, and he saw a serious Ghost. The ghost wore a black robe (长袍). The robe covered its head, its face and its body. The only thing visible was a hand. The ghost neither spoke nor moved. Scrooge was terrified.
“Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?” asked Scrooge.
The Ghost didn’t answer, but it pointed its hand in front of it.
“You are going to show me the future,” Scrooge continued. “Am I right, Ghost?”
The Ghost nodded its head. That was the only answer Scrooge received.
“Ghost of the Future,” he said, “I’m more afraid of you than of all the other ghosts. But because I want to be a better man, I will go with you. Please, speak to me.”
It didn’t reply. The hand pointed straight in front of them.
“Lead on!” said Scrooge.
The Ghost moved forwards. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its robe. And the robe carried him along. The city suddenly appeared around them. There they were, in the heart of it. The Ghost stopped beside some businessmen at the Stock (股票) Exchange. Its hand was pointing to them, so Scrooge listened to their conversation.
“I only know he’s dead,” said a great fat man.
“When did he die?” asked another.
“Last night, I think.”
“What was the matter with him?” asked a third.
“God knows,” said the first, with a yawn.
“What has he done with his money?” asked a red-faced gentleman.
“I don’t know,” said the great fat man, yawning again. “He hasn’t left it to me. That’s all I know.”
Everybody laughed.
“It will be a very small funeral (葬礼),” said the great fat man. “I don’t think anybody will go to it.”
Scrooge knew the men. And he looked towards the Ghost for an explanation. He didn’t understand why this conversation was important. But he knew it must be.
Scrooge looked around the place. He looked at the clock. It was strange. He was usually there at this time, but he couldn’t see himself.
1.What does the underlined word “terrified” in the passage probably mean?
A.excited B.bored C.surprised D.scared
2.What did Mr. Scrooge ask the Ghost to show him?
A.His past. B.His present. C.His future. D.His funeral.
3.Why did Mr. Scrooge follow the Ghost all the way?
A.Because he was too afraid to say no.
B.Because he wanted to be a better man.
C.Because he was curious about his future.
D.Because he wanted it to give him an explanation.
4.How did the businessmen feel about the dead man?
A.They didn’t take pity on him.
B.They felt sad about his death.
C.They showed great respect for him.
D.They felt very happy for having his money.
5.What can you infer (推断) from the passage?
A.The Ghost didn’t appear until 12 o’clock.
B.The dead man would probably be Mr. Scrooge himself.
C.Scrooge knew those businessmen at the Stock Exchange.
D.The Ghost would explain all the things in detail to Scrooge later.
Loneliness, a natural feeling, is not something most people want to experience. When you feel lonely as a result of missing a loved one or a place, or preparing for a time spent away from your friends and family, here are some suggestions for you to avoid it.
Focus on your health
Studies have shown that poor sleep, lack of physical activity and unhealthy food can let you feel tired and sad, causing the feeling of loneliness. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night, try to take part in at least 30 minutes of physical activity, and don’t eat junk food. Eating more fruits and vegetables will also help.
Bring an old hobby back to life
It’s much more difficult to feel lonely if you’re actively enjoying an activity, especially one that you are good at. If you’ve got a hobby that you love, try to spare time for your hobby even if you are busy, such as reading, playing a sport, cooking, painting ...
Avoid staying at home all day long
Spending your time in nature will probably improve your feelings and help you get over loneliness. Sunshine makes you feel happier and less focused on your loneliness. You can go hiking, go boating or go on a bike ride if you are not interested in just walking around. You may go for a coffee with your friends or even make big plans so that you have events to look forward to. First, you can make possible activities you might want to take part in, then, spend a few days planning out the event, so that you are fully prepared and stress-free. If possible, include other people in your plan to make your activity more interesting.
All in all, it seems that facing your own loneliness is the first step to avoid loneliness. Do your best to follow the things above. It takes efforts, but it is worth your try.
1.Why do people feel lonely?
A.Because they live in a poor place.
B.Because they miss their loved people.
C.Because they like to experience that feeling.
D.Because they don’t want to stay with their friends and family.
2.Which of the following can make people feel lonely?
A.Junk food. B.Enough sleep.
C.Physical activity. D.Fruits and vegetables.
3.What can you learn from Paragraph 4?
A.It’s impossible to meet friends often.
B.Enjoy the sunshine and you can feel less lonely.
C.Spending time at home alone can help avoid loneliness.
D.Spending time planning the event will make you feel stressed.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Scientific reports about loneliness. B.Tips for choosing a suitable hobby.
C.Suggestions on planning out events. D.Advice on staying away from loneliness.
The epidemic (疫情) is scary. But it’s not all bad. In fact, we can learn some lessons from it.
Learn to be responsible When facing the epidemic, everyone has to be ready. People have different responsibilities (责任). Doctors fight on the front line to treat patients. Police officers stay in position to keep us safe. Delivery (投递) men deliver daily things to us. What are your responsibilities? You can follow the latest news and exercise to keep your body healthy and keep the virus away. | 35 Feeling afraid is not a bad thing. You can learn to replace your fear with respect. When you respect laws, you are careful about what you do. When you respect others, you are kind to them. When you respect nature, you try to protect it. Don’t just be afraid. Try to do what you believe in and do it with a respectful mind. |
Learn to tell right from wrong If you want to learn about something, you can easily find a lot of information about it online. But is all of it correct? Don’t get lost in a sea of information. Think critically. You can also ask your parents or teachers and listen to what they say. | Learn to be calm You might feel nervous and worried. These feelings are normal. When there are unexpected changes, people might feel like this. But life is full of unexpected changes. Try to accept them calmly. This can help you face those changes and find ways to deal with them. |
1.What should we do when facing the epidemic?
A.We should be afraid of nature and laws.
B.We can believe all the information online.
C.We should be responsible for what we do.
D.We can do nothing to deal with the terrible epidemic.
2.Which of the following will be the best subtitle for the blank ?
A.Learn to respect B.Learn to be kind to others
C.Learn to protect nature D.Learn to believe in yourself
3.What’s the writer’s purpose of this passage?
A.To warn us to listen to our parents.
B.To tell us to be ready when facing the virus.
C.To encourage us to face the changes calmly.
D.To ask us to learn lessons from the epidemic.
Look at this picture below. It shows the layers (层) of a rain forest and what lives in each layer.
1.What information can you get from the picture?
A.Life in a rain forest. B.Beautiful birds and butterflies.
C.Living places of animals. D.Different kinds of wild animals.
2.Which layer do elephants live on?
A.Emergent layer. B.Canopy. C.Understory. D.Forest Floor.
3.In which column (专栏) of a magazine can you read the article?
A.Fashion. B.Science. C.Lifestyle. D.Business.
