Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people(ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the large and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback(反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!
1.What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?
A．To offer students public services.
B．To help students improve their grades.
C．To organize sport activities for young people.
D．To provide partnership and fun for young people.
2.According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with .
A．advice from her teachers
B．a new way to assess herself
C．a new way to judge her schoolmates
D．more comments from her schoolmates
3.Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?
A．She used to be a volunteer.
B．She needed a part-time job.
C．She felt a bit bored with her life.
D．She wanted to get a challenging job.
4.According to the passage, “vulnerable young people” are probably those who are .
A．popular at school B．rather weak physically
C．easily hurt emotionally D．confident in themselves
Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because “everyone’s winter.” And their report cards sounded more positive(正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them “the overpraised generation.”
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years．Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent(才能) is genetic—you’re a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego(自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.
1.What does the author think about the present generation?
A．They don’t do well at school.
B．They are often misunderstood.
C．They are eager to win in sports.
D．They are given too much praise.
2.A fixed mind-set person is probably one who .
A．doesn’t want to work hard
B．cares a lot about personal safety
C．cannot share his ideas with others
D．can succeed with the help of teachers
3.What does the growth mind-set believe?
A．Admitting failure is shameful.
B．Talent comes with one’s birth.
C．Scores should be highly valued.
D．Getting over difficulties is enjoyable.
4.What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?
A．Encourage them to learn from failures.
B．Prevent them from making mistakes.
C．Guide them in doing little things.
D．Help them grow with praise.
Get Your Degree at Home!
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1.What kind of people will probably answer this advertisement?
A．College students preparing to work in some big companies.
B．College students preparing to study for a degree.
C．High school graduates preparing to have at-home training.
D．High school graduates who aren’t accepted by colleges.
2.With Harcourt, people can get a Specialized Associate Degree by .
A．doing full-time learning at school B．joining the classes
C．studying in their spare time D．staying at home
3.Harcourt training has NOT been used by for its employees.
A．General Motors B．Harvard University
C．General Electric D．Mobile
4.How can you contact Harcourt Learning Direct?
A．By sending an E-mail.
B．By visiting the office on weekdays.
C．By making a call on weekdays only.
D．By sending a letter not later than today.
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils(灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions(反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites(食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
1.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
A．cultural values B．commercial purposes
C．personal experiences D．physical reactions to the color
2.Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
A．To relax people physically.
B．To increase people’s appetites.
C．To encourage people to make a purchase.
D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.
3.What color might help lose weight according to the text?
A．Red B．Green C．Blue. D．Purple.
4.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
A．Colors and Human Beings. B．The Cultural Meaning of Color.
C．Colors and Personal Experiences. D．The Meaning and Function of Color.
I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.
I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.
It takes confidence to make a new start—there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published, I put it aside.
Then I met an agent(代理商) who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.
The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal—that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.
It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck—of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract(合同)of the publisher—to be a published writer—is unbelievably rewarding(有回报的).
1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?
A．I was waiting for good fortune.
B．I was trying to find an admirable job.
C．I was being aimless about a suitable job.
D．I was doing several jobs for more pay at a time.
2.The author decided to write a novel .
A．to finish the writing course B．to realize her own dream
C．to satisfy readers’ wish D．to earn more money
3.How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?
A．Disturbed. B．Ashamed. C．Confident. D．Uncertain.
4.What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?
A．It pays to stick to one’s goal.
B．Hard work can lead to success.
C．She feels like being unexpectedly lucky.
D．There is no end in sight when starting to do something.
Just listen
I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our 36 , and especially if it’s given from the 37 . When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but 38 them. Just take them 39 . Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than 40 it.
One of my patients told me that when she 41 to tell her story, people often 42 to tell her that they had once had something just like what happened to her. Subtly, her pain became a story about themselves. 43 she stopped talking to most people. It was just too 44 . We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the 45 of attention to ourselves. But when we listen, they know we care.
I have ever learned to 46 to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the tissues(纸巾) 47 I realized that passing a person a tissue may be just another way to shut them 48 , to take them out of their 49 of sadness and pain. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there 50 them.
This 51 thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been 52 since I was very young at school. I thought people listened only because they were too 53 to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has far more 54 to connect than the most well-intentioned(善意的) 55 .
1. A．introduction B．instruction C．attention D．relaxation
2. A．head B．memory C．mind D．heart
3. A．talk to B．listen to C．object to(反对) D．stick to(坚持)
4. A．in B．up C．off D．away
5. A．denying(否认) B．remembering C．questioning D．understanding
6. A．managed B．tried C．hoped D．expected
7. A．encouraged B．interrupted C．discouraged D．urged
8. A．Eventually B．Immediately C．Completely D．Especially
9. A．impolite B．meaningless C．lonely D．selfish
10. A．middle B．focus C．center D．choice
11. A．respond B．compare C．link D．regret
12. A．unless B．if C．until D．when
13. A．down B．away C．in D．off
14. A．experiment B．mixture C．judgment D．experience
15. A．with B．against C．for D．among
16. A．complex(费解的) B．simple C．single D．complicated(复杂的)
17. A．mentioned B．published C．taught D．proved
18. A．shy B．greedy C．active D．proud
19. A．strength B．energy C．power D．force
20. A．gestures B．praise C．criticism D．words
