[1]All people have dreams and they obey the rule that if you can dream it, you can achieve it! Here are four goals for people to reach a perfect life in their future.
[2]The first goal common to all of us in health and energy. We all want to be healthy and fit, to have high levels of energy and to live free of pain and illness. Today, with the incredible advances in medical science, the quality of our health and fitness, and our lifespan, is largely determined by design, not by chance. People with excellent health habits are far healthier, have more energy, and live longer and better than people who have poor health habits. Remember that health is not everything, but without health everything is nothing!
[3]The second goal that we all have in common is to enjoy excellent relationships – intimate, personal or social – with the people we like and respect, and who is turn. Fully 85% of your happiness will be determined by the quality of your relationships at each stage, and in each area, of your life. How well you get along with people, and how much they , have more impact on the quality of your life than perhaps any other factor.
The third common goal is to do work that we enjoy, to do it well, and to be well paid for it. You want to be able to get and keep the job you want, to get paid more and promoted faster. You want to earn the very most that is possible for you at each stage of your career, whatever you do.
The fourth goal we all have in common is to achieve financial independence. You want to reach the point in life where you have enough money so that you never have any financial worries. You want to be completely free of them. You want to be able to order dinner in a restaurant without referring to the price listing to determine what you want to eat.
1.What does this passage chiefly talk about? (no more than 12 words)
2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 6 words), and who is turn
3.Complete the following sentence with proper words according to Paragraph 4? (no more than 6 words)
Everybody wants to make no matter what job he is engaged in.
4.Why does the author put health ahead of other goals? (no more than 20 words)
5.What does the underlined word “them” in the last paragraph probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)
The organization representing British universities has expressed concern about the potential effect of tuition fees（学费）after figures showed a drop of more than 6% in student applications with less than a month to go before the deadline for 2013 applications.
Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) showed there were 265,784 university applications by UK-based candidates up to 17 December, 6.3% down on the parallel period in the admissions cycle the year before. While this is less than the 8.4% year-on-urea fall seen in earlier Ucas figures, released in mid-November, the coming January deadline makes it ever more likely that the total 2013 applicant figure will see a second sizeable fall following the introduction of annual fees of up to ￡9,000.
Nicola Dandridge, the chairman of Universities UK, said : “However, we must be concerned about any drops in the numbers applying to university and in particular, we must look closely at how the increase in graduate contributions in England may be affecting the decisions of promising students. However ,the December figures show a drop in numbers across the UK, suggesting that it is not only a question of tuition fees in England putting off from applying.”
A report of the Uncas figures to mid-December shows a 6.5% fall for applicants in England and 11.7% for those in Wales, with smaller drops of 3.9% for Scotland and 0.5% for Northern Ireland. Scottish students at home institutions pay on fees, while those from Northern Ireland have fees capped to ￡3,575 for Northern Irish universities.
Dandridge added: “No one should be put off applying to university because of worries about finance.”
“It is important that no one is put off applying to university because they do not have information about the student support available to them. Most new students don’t need to pay directly. There will be more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments than they do now once they are in well paid jobs.”
1.A drop of more than 6% for 2013 applications is probably the effect of .
A．the increased tuition fees
B．the approaching deadline
C．the concern from applicants
D．the difficulties with applications
2.Compared with the previous year, the fall in student applications is .
A．3.9% B．6% C．6.3% D．8.4%
3.Why is the fall for application the smallest in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
A．Because they have more financial support.
B．Because the tuition is much cheaper for them.
C．Because the education is better there.
D．Because the universities are free for them.
4.Which of the following is true?
A．The application for universities is on a rise continuously.
B．The fall for applications is due to family problems.
C．The education in Scotland and Northern Ireland is worse.
D．The rise of tuition fees has an effect on applications.
5.The last paragraph tells us that .
A．everyone should apply to university
B．students may get financial supports
C．lower loan repayments is unavailable
D．most new students will not pay fees
Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.
You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.
Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.
1.In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to .
A．introduce a topic B．present his own idea
C．describe a scene D．offer an argument
2.Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because .
A．they haven’t had any life-changing experiences
B．they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff
C．they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away
D．they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them
3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?
A．It takes the burden off her while she is moving.
B．It reduces her attachment to her personal things.
C．It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires.
D．It helps her to realize how true life is.
4.By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means
A．little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life
B．minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations
C．minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality
D．life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value
5.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．Minimalism brings happiness.
B．Minimalism is applied in many fields.
C．Minimalism makes people think nostalgically.
D．Minimalism is about able to move.
I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one – it’s so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites.
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $ 35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓)of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.
1.What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
A．They are boring. B．They are out of date.
C．They are attractive. D．They are practical.
2.What does Nike’s logo stand for?
A．The goddess of victory.
B．The source of inspiration for soldiers.
C．The statue of the Greek goddess.
D．The wing of the Greek goddess.
3.We can learn that Apple’s present logo is ______.
A．the religious story of Adam and Eve
B．a bitten apple with only one color
C．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree
D．the rainbow-colored bitten apple
4.______ stands for the rule of the land, the sea and the air.
A．Nike’s logo B．Apple’s logo
C．The Mercedes logo D．The Adidas logo
5.Which of the following time orders describes the births of the great logos?
A．Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple.
B．Nike – McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz.
C．McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz.
D．Nike – Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple.
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.
1.Where can you find this passage?
A．In a medicine dictionary. B． in a kids’ story book.
C．In a social science book. D．In a science textbook.
2.According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
A．disturbed. B．bored. C．ignored. D．relaxed.
3.A “rubber neck” often __________________ .
A．says bad words behind people.
B．quarrels face to face with neighbors.
C．bargains with salespeople over the price
D．asks about other people’s business
4.Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance.
B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles.
C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy.
D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies.
5.What is the main purpose of the author?
A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public.
B．To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck”
C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”.
D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck.
When I was a little girl, I found love in a box all because of a class assignment. On a Friday night I 36 at the dinner table, “My teacher said we have to bring a box, a special box, for our valentines on Monday”.
Mother said, “We’ll see,” and she continued eating.
What did “We’ll see” mean? I had to have that box, 37 my second grade Valentine’s Day would be a disaster. Maybe they didn’t love me enough to help me with my 38 .
All Saturday I waited 39 and with Sunday arriving, my concern increased. However, I 40 that an enquiry about the box would 41 anger or loud voices, for in my house children only asked once. More than that 42 trouble.
Late Sunday afternoon, my father called me into the kitchen. The table was covered with different kinds of colorful 43 . A (n) 44 shoebox rested on top of it. 45 flooded through me when Daddy said, “Let’s get started 46 your project.”
In the next hour my father 47 the shoebox into an impressive valentine box. Colorful paper covered the ugly cardboard with red hearts 48 to what I considered all the right places. He sang while he worked. When he finished, he was so delighted that a 49 smile spread across his face. “What do you think of that?” he asked.
I answered him with a hug.
But inside, 50 danced all the way to my heart. It was the first time that my father had devoted so much 51 to me, for his world consisted only of work.
The holiday party arrived, and my classmates put cards and presents into the valentine boxes. Laughter filled our classroom until dismissal time 52 .
On the way home, I held out my valentine box for the world to 53 . The love that filled it meant more to me than all the valentines inside.
The valentine box became a symbol of his love that 54 through decades of other Valentine’s Days. My father gave me other gifts through the years, but none 55 compared with the love I felt within the limits of the old, empty shoebox.
1. A．announced B．appeared C．served D．sat
2. A．and B．but C．or D．so
3. A．design B．plan C．idea D．project
4. A．sadly B．anxiously C．disappointedly D．patiently
5. A．found B．realized C．knew D．imagined
6. A．start B．cause C．mark D．produce
7. A．invited B．took C．saved D．had
8. A．boxes B．gifts C．paper D．food
9. A．new B．big C．attractive D．empty
10. A．Relaxation B．Relief C．Cheer D．Calm
11. A．by B．at C．in D．on
12. A．folded B．packed C．changed D．pressed
13. A．joined B．attached C．linked D．connected
14. A．slight B．brief C．broad D．confident
15. A．joy B．fun C．interest D．amusement
16. A．money B．time C．support D．hope
17. A．reached B．set C．spent D．came
18. A．accept B．respect C．admire D．recognize
19. A．carried B．kept C．spread D．lasted
20. A．ever B．even C．yet D．still
