I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a person.
I think my started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really .It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) .I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I to help. That was really a big for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new ,however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my .Every time I came into her room, she was so because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never her, so I took her place. She let me .That making others feel good makes me feel good, too. When she died, I was ,but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not these experiences. They have me to care about other people more than about myself. who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
1.A. since B. before C. or D. unless
2.A. famous B. simple C. different D. skilled
3.A. education B. career C. tour D. change
4.A. balance B. homework C. degree D. interest
5.A. talked B. wrote C. lied D. reported
6.A. careful B. lonely C. curious D. guilty
7.A. argument B. game C. experiment D. defence
8.A. dared B. offered C. hesitated D. happened
9.A. dream B. problem C. duty D. step
10.A. us B. which C. them D. whom
11.A. attitude B. hobby C. hope D.luck
12.A. friend B. partner C. guide D. guest
13.A. polite B. happy C. strange D. confident
14.A. bothered B. answered C. visited D. trusted
15.A. explain B. guess C. declare D. see
16.A. homeless B. heartbroken C. bad-tempered D. hopeless
17.A. quieter B. busier C. better D. richer
18.A. forget B. face C. improve D. analyze
19.A. forced B. preferred C. ordered D. taught
20.A. miss B. like C. wonder D. expect
Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp
Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be a very annoying thing. 1. Read on for some techniques worth trying.
1. 2.
People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer's disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study. 3. Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.
2. Go for a walk.
Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact,exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain. 4.
3. Learn something new.
Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time. 5. Or go dancing with your friends.
A. Focus on the future.
B. This can be especially harmful to the aged.
C. It should be something like learning gardening.
D. So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.
E. But don't worry if your schedule isn't filled with life-changing events.
F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.
G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.
Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has good heart, but always feared applying for a new job.
One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, “Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please. I insist.” Jimmy agreed.
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applications waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer’s office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, “Do you really need to be interviewed?” Jimmy’s heart sank. “With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?” he thought to himself.
Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company.
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!” Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job.
1.What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?
A. A friend’s car had a flat tyre
B. A wild man was pushing a car
C. A terrible accident happened
D. An old man’s car broke down
2.Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?
A. He was also to be interviewed
B. He needed a traveling companion
C. He always helped people in need
D. He was thankful to Jimmy
3.How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?
A. He was sorry for the other applicants
B. There was no hope for him to get the job
C. He regretted helping the old man
D. The interviewer was very rude
4.What can we learn from Jimmy’s experience？
A. Where there is a will, there’s a way
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed
C. Good is rewarded with good.
D. Two heads are better than one
Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day
Gift No. 1
Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say "no need," another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part ? This one is free.
Gift No. 2
Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them. "Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life," Dr. Marie Savard said.
Gift No. 3
Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. "Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep," Savard said. "We know that good sleep is very important to our health."
Gift No. 4
Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构) Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things -many of which are "green" - and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.
1.What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?
A. Take notes. B. Be with her.
C. Buy medicine. D. Give her gifts.
2.Where can you find a gift idea to improve your mother’s sleep?
A. In Gift No. 1. B. In Gift No. 2.
C. In Gift No. 3. D. In Gift No. 4.
3.Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose all ows mothers to_________
A. enjoy good sleep B. be well-organized
C. bet extra support D. give others help
Given that many people’s moods (情绪)are regulated by the chemical action of chocolate, it was probably only a matter of time before somebody made the chocolate shop similar to a drugstore of Chinese medicine. Looking like a setting from the film Charlie&the Chocolate Factory, Singapore's Chocolate Research Facility (CRF) has over 100 varieties of chocolates.Its founder is Chris Lee who grew up at his parents' comer store with one hand almost always in the jar of sweets.
If the CRF seems to be a smart idea, that's because Lee is not merely a seasoned salesperson but also head of a marketing department that has business relations with big names such as Levi's and Sony. That idea surely results in the imagination at work when it comes to making different flavored(味道)chocolates.
The CRF's produce is "green" made within the country and divided into 10 lines, with the Alcohol Series being the most popular. The Exotic Series一with Sichuan pepper, red bean (豆).cheese and other flavors一also does well and is fun to taste. And for chocolate snobs，who think that they have a better knowledge of chocolate than others, the Connoisseur Series uses cocoa beans from Togo, Cuba, Venezuela , and Ghana, among others.
1.What is good about chocolate?
A. It serves as a suitable gift.
B. It works as an effective medicine.
C. It helps improve the state of mind.
D. It strengthens business relations.
2.Why is Chris Lee able to develop his idea of the CRF?
A. He knows the importance of research.
B. He learns form shops of similar types.
C. He has the support of many big names
D. He has a lot of marketing experience.
3.Which line of the CRF produce sells best?
A. The Connoisseur Series.
B. The Exotic Series.
C. The Alcohol Series.
D. The Sichuan Series.
4.The words "chocolate snobs" in Paragraph 3 probably refer to people who
A. are particular about chocolate
B. know little about cocoa beans
C. look down upon others
D. like to try new flavors
In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music,dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon,groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”,once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing,some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.
1.What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at he beginning?
A. To bring Europe together again.
B. To honor heroes of World War 11.
C. To introduce young theatre groups.
D. To attract great artists from Europe.
2.Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?
A. They owned a public house there.
B. They came to take up a challenge.
C. They thought they were also famous.
D. They wanted to take part in the festival.
3.Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?
A. They owned a public house there
B. University students.
C. Artists from around the world.
D. Performers of music and dance.
4.We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival.
A. has become a non-official event
B. has gone beyond an art festival
C. gives shows all year round
D. keeps growing rapidly
