When hard times came, the depression settled over my soul. The park bench was __ __ as I sat down to read beneath an old willow tree. A young boy out of breath__ __ me, all tired from play. He stood right before me with his head tilted (倾斜的) down, saying in great ____ ____， “Look what I found！”
In his hand was a flower, and what a ___ ___ sight, with its petals (花瓣) all worn — not enough rain, or too little light. __ ___ him to take his flower and go off to play, I ____ ___ a small smile and then shifted away. But instead of ____ ___, he sat next to my ___ ____ and placed the flower to his nose and declared with surprise, “It surely smells pretty and it's beautiful, too. That's why I __ ____ it; here, it's for you.”
The flower before me was dying or dead. But I knew I must____ ____ it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and ____ ____，“Just what I need.” But instead of placing the flower in my hand, he ___ ____ it midair without reason. It was then that I ____ ____ for the very first time the boy was ____ ___.
I heard my voice shake, tears shone like the sun ____ ____ I thanked him for picking the very best one. He smiled, and then ran off to play, __ ___ of the effect he'd had on my day.
I sat there and ____ ____ how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he know of my____ ____？Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true ___ ____.
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not connected with the world; the problem was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed (发誓) to see __ __, and appreciate every second that's mine.
1.A. faded B. unoccupied C. worn D. untidy
2.A. overlooked B. approached C. understood D. stopped
3.A. excitement B. sorrow C. trouble D. panic
4.A. unique B. rough C. bothering D. pitiful
5.A. Expecting B. Demanding C. Persuading D. Inviting
6.A. played B. adjusted C. forced D. delivered
7.A. declining B. accepting C. refusing D. quitting
8.A. side B. way C. shoulder D. direction
9.A. spotted B. pulled C. sold D. picked
10.A. bring B. fetch C. take D. smell
11.A. shouted B. whispered C. listened D. replied
12.A. seized B. held C. caught D. grasped
13.A. convinced B. explored C. noticed D. refused
14.A. strange B. blind C. deaf D. unimaginable
15.A. once B. after C. as D. since
16.A. unaware B. ashamed C. regretful D. regardless
17.A. doubted B. felt C. found D. wondered
18.A. embarrassment B. adventure C. discouragement D. effort
19.A. sense B. sight C. hearing D. ability
20.A. beauty B. comfort C. fantasy D. love
When we’re young children, many of us seem to have little trouble making new friends. 1. . As adults, we tend to become more guarded with new people and have less time to devote to friendships. Consequently, most of us find it much harder to make new friends. If you’ve never experienced a close friendship, even as a child, you may find it even harder. But we all need and want good friends, even those of us who may sometimes pretend otherwise.
The need for friends is instinctual (本能的). Our survival used to depend on having friends to hunt and find food with, to help us build shelter and keep our families safe. 2. They add meaning to life. They help you enjoy the good times and overcome the difficult ones. While strong relationships with friends can be a huge source of fun and pleasure, they are also important for your physical and emotional health.
Good friends can：
● 3.
Even if it’s just having someone to share your problems with, friends can help you cope with serious illness, the loss of a job or loved one, the breakup of a relationship, or any other challenge in life.
● Help you to reach your goals.
Whether you’re trying to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise improve your life, encouragement from a friend can really boost your willpower. 4.
● Improve your mood.
Happiness can be infectious. 5.
● Reduce stress and depression.
Having an active social life can benefit your immune system and help reduce isolation, a major factor for depression.
A. Friendships take time to form and even more time to deepen.
B. Provide support when you're going through tough times.
C. But as we age, friendships grow and develop differently.
D. Spending time with positive friends can be happy.
E. Yet they are less important nowadays.
F. It also increases your chances of success.
G. Today，good friends are just as important.
We regularly hear how important consumer spending is for the economy. The story goes like this: the more consumers spend, the more money circulates in the economy, which contributes to healthy job growth and profits. Keynes, a British economist, went as far as to say that individuals saving their money may actually be hurting the economy. Sounds troubling, doesn’t it?
Fear not. You aren’t actually hurting anyone else by saving money. Strong economic growth only comes from the place: savings. Not consumption. In fact, economic activity should not be mistaken for economic growth. For example, somebody takes their money, walks into a store, and purchases goods. The store increases its revenue.
But what happens to all of those goods and services that people have chosen not to consume by saving their money? Simple: other people are allowed to consume them. Think of it this way: when you lend out your savings, you are actually saying, “Here, I am not going to consume right now, so why don’t you?” Banks simply play the middleman: they collect lots of people's savings and then lend out lots of funds.
It takes an unbelievable amount of goods and services to construct a building. It takes food, shelter, and entertainment for all of the workers, as well. Without savings, it is quite impossible to finance such a construction. The coordination between savings and consumption is a necessary basis for sound economic growth. This coordination is also why consumer lending (say, to borrow a big sum of money to buy a car) is not productive, in a strict sense. It doesn't increase the net (净的) amount of wealth of an economy. Those savings could have been used to construct, say, factory equipment.
None of this means consumption and spending are “bad” things. They simply do not make us wealthier. After all, the final goal of production and savings is to consume. But to say that consumption is the engine of economic growth is to put the cart before the horse. Or, to rephrase: the consumption of wealth can never make you wealthier. Happier, perhaps. Wealthier, no.
1.What is the author’s attitude towards Keynes’ theory?
A. Approving. B. Reserved.
C. Uncertain. D. Critical.
2. The underlined word “revenue” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “_______”.
A. cost B. reputation
C. income D. interest
3. According to the author, which chart could show the effect of savings on economy?
4.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Saving Behavior of the Economy
B. Consumption: a Key Concept in Economy
C. Consumer Spending and Economic Growth
D. The Truth about Savings and Consumption
Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
1.Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?
A. It's small in size.
B. It's hidden in trees.
C. It's covered with wax.
D. It's hard to recognize.
2.The honey guide is special in the way .
A. it gets its food
B. it goes to church
C. it sings in the forest
D. it reaches into bees' nests
3.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Wild Bees
B. Wax and Honey
C. Beekeeping in Africa
D. Honey-Lover's Helper
Europe is home to a variety of cultural treasures. Lonely Planet, the world’s largest travel guide publisher, has offered pairs of cities for culturehungry but timepoor travelers.
London and Paris
It takes you about two hours to travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, a high-speed railway service. The two capital cities have been competing in fashion, art and nightlife for decades－but each secretly looks up to the other.
No one can doubt the grand and impressive beauty of Paris' Louvre Museum, but if you want to save money, you cannot skip the British Museum free to visit. Compared with London, Paris has more outdoor attractions such as the beautiful green walkway La Promenade Plantee.
In Paris, you'll see diners linger over red wine. While in London, you can try some afternoon tea, eat fish and chips or salted cake.
Vienna and Bratislava
Austrian capital Vienna and Slovakia city Bratislava are an hour apart by train. But since they are linked by the Danube River, the best way to travel is by ship. A tour of the two cities is the perfect way to experience everything from 17th century’s Habsburg dynasty splendor to scifi restaurants.
Vienna is famous for Mozart and imperial palaces. You can appreciate the perfect blending of architecture and nature in the grand Schonbrunn Palace, and reward yourself with a cup of Vienna coffee, which has made its way to the world's cultural heritage list.
Bratislava is best known for its fine dining－the remarkable UFO restaurant. You can enjoy a meatladen dinner here in an amazing setting.
1.What’s the relationship between London and Paris according to the text?
A. They help each other.
B. They attack each other.
C. They admire each other.
D. They don't like each other.
2.What are the advantages of Paris mentioned in the article?
a. The Louvre Museum
b. Free access to museums
c. More outdoor attractions
d. Better wines and perfumes
A. ac B. cd C. acd D. bcd
3.Which of the cities should you choose if you are interested in scifi restaurants?
A. London. B. Paris.
C. Glasgow. D. Bratislava.
4.Lonely Planet recommends these two pairs of cities because ________.
A. they are not expensive to visit
B. they are best known to the world
C. they are always enemies between each other
D. they are close but different in many aspects
My grandma whom we all called Nanny was a solid, first-generation, Italian immigrant. She came to this country with her family on a tiny ship during World War I when she was only 8 years old. During the trip she survived stormy seas，little food, and an attack by a German U-boat. After getting here，her large family worked hard to build a new life in America. They never had much money but were rich in love.
One day, when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my parents and brothers went on a trip. It was just me and Nanny in the house for the weekend. Nanny seemed so happy to be taking care of me all by herself. She made me a special breakfast that first morning. However, all I could do was to complain about how the food was not how Mom always made it. Nanny quietly put down the plate and went into the living room. I followed a minute later and saw that she had tears in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever seen my strong and proud grandmother cry and I was the one who had caused it.
I walked over to Nanny, climbed on her lap, and for the first time in my short life I did something else too. I apologized without being told to and asked Nanny to forgive me. She smiled, rubbed my head, and told me I was a good boy even though I didn't feel like one then.
That memory just like my Nanny's love will stay in my heart forever. It is a sign of both strength and wisdom. Asking for forgiveness helps us to learn, to grow, and to love.
1.Nanny’s family immigrated to America mainly because _____.
A. they suffered starvation in their homeland
B. they wanted to start a rich life in the new land
C. they tried to get away from the terrible climate
D. their country was in war and they needed peace
2.The boy complained to Nanny that the food _____.
A. wasn't cooked the way his mom did
B. was served a bit later than usual
C. was prepared in a special way
D. was just to his parents’ taste
3.When seeing Nanny crying in the living room, the author felt _____.
A. surprised B. ashamed
C. shocked D. annoyed
4.The author mainly wants to tell us that _____.
A. forgiveness can be beneficial to people asking for it
B. hardships can make children more indifferent
C. grandparents are more tolerant than their grandchildren
D. family ties can sometimes be misused
