阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Chinese brush calligraphy or “shufa” in Chinese is one of 1. most important art forms in China. Many Asian cultures have originated their own calligraphy styles, but China’s is unequaled because of 2. (it) beauty, grace (优雅), and history.
The 3. (origin) of Chinese brush calligraphy are unknown, but local tales say it goes back over 4,000 years to the time of the legendary (传说的) Yellow Emperor (2698-2598 B.C.). At that time characters were carved on animal bones or tortoise shells. Only after Emperor Qin Shi Huang united China under his rule 4. one country did it really gain popularity as a common art form.
He simplified Chinese characters and regular rules were set, 5. (make) it easier for people to learn and master. This Chinese art form continued to progress and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) a new type of cursive script (草书) was formed and standardized. It is written 6. (free), but it’s not as easy to read.
Today Chinese calligraphy is once again a subject in schools and an art form highly 7.(appreciate) across the world. Anyone can practice it and 8. is required is a simple set including: brush, ink, and paper. It’s fun for amateurs to try, but to become good at it, not only years of practice but natural talent 9. (need). Practising this art consistently can develop personal character and is of 10. (benefit) to health.
Ask someone for their first memory and they will often give some fairly dull possibilities and not be sure which comes first. I have no ______ at all about mine. The earliest thing I recall is looking down and seeing flames coming out of my ______.
It was a Sunday afternoon in July 1981 when I ______ fire. I was in the garden with my dad. It was a sunny day but slightly breezy (有微风的). I was standing nearby as my dad ______ to light the barbecue. After several failed attempts, ______ he had to use some sort of accelerant (助燃剂). It caused a small fireball, which was flying towards me ______ the breeze suddenly ______ in my direction. That’s where the ______ memory of my burning ankles kicks in. My dad ______ fast. He dashed indoors, grabbed a large blanket and ______ to wrap me in it.
The next thing I remember is sitting on a chest, feeling hot and ______ water over and over again; then being driven to a ______. I underwent lots of skin operations and for weeks I wasn’t able to bend my legs, which had to be wrapped in bandages. ______ this period, I don’t recall experiencing pain. It was only when I ______ what an exciting summer my sister was having that my situation began to seem ______.
We’ve never talked much about the ______—my dad has never been an especially ______person. Now that I have kids of my own, I do sometimes wonder what he ______. I’ve never felt any ______ towards him, and I recognize that but for his swift actions the situation could have been ______. But I’d certainly never have a barbecue with my kids.
1.A. choice B. idea C. doubt D. worry
2.A. ankles B. blanket C. sleeves D. belly
3.A. exchanged B. set C. held D. caught
4.A. tended B. struggled C. refused D. managed
5.A. eventually B. gradually C. interestingly D. fortunately
6.A. before B. unless C. though D. as
7.A. stopped B. howled C. changed D. dropped
8.A. vivid B. sweet C. precious D. vague
9.A. hid B. acted C. escaped D. approached
10.A. got away B. broke in C. stood by D. ran back
11.A. waiting for B. asking for C. paying for D. searching for
12.A. hospital B. pool C. café D. gym
13.A. Thanks to B. But for C. Throughout D. After
14.A. realized B. imagined C. predicted D. explained
15.A. ridiculous B. acceptable C. satisfactory D. unbearable
16.A. illness B. conflict C. accident D. visit
17.A. strict B. open C. shy D. honest
18.A. gave away B. took over C. went through D. looked into
19.A. sympathy B. anxiety C. guilt D. anger
20.A. worse B. simpler C. stranger D. clearer
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
You’re growing up. That means you’re probably experiencing lots of changes, all at once. Your body is changing. It might even seem as if your entire self is changing. It can be confusing and even scary. 1. And it’s good!
Growing up means that you can do more, learn more, and start to make your mark on the world. In order for that to happen, your body produces chemicals called hormones that help both body and mind grow. Hormone levels change constantly, rising and falling. 2. But it’s partly to blame for intense emotions, surprising reactions, and mood swings.
Because of the way your brain develops, it is somewhat ruled by emotion now and through your teen years. As a result, growing up can seem like an emotional roller coaster! 3.
●Take care of yourself. If you eat right, sleep enough, and get good exercise, your brain will be much more able to deal with the stress.
●4. When you feel your moods swinging or you’re upset, or confused, some quiet time will allow you to gather your thoughts and get calmer.
●Practice relaxing your body and deep breathing when you wake up and when you go to bed.5. Plus, when stuff happens during the day, you’ll be able to calm yourself quickly with a deep breath or two before you react. Your body is changing.
A．Take a time-out.
B．But the truth is, it happens to every teen.
C．Work out regularly to keep physically fit.
D．This changing is needed for your body’s development.
E．It will help you fall asleep—and start the morning right.
F．Here are a few things you can do to make the ride smoother.
G．Usually, these feelings settle down when you realize what is going on.
Half off usually unaffordable products? Only $49.99 for that $100.00 dinner? That’s the magic of Groupon, but for some small business owners the “great business” offered by Groupon can be equal to the kiss of death. How could that occur?
The math of Groupon seems simple at a glance, but upon further inspection the numbers don’t add up when it comes to smaller businesses. A Groupon typically offers a 50% discount on a product or service, then the remaining profit is divided between Groupon and the small business. While Groupon has already received the profit in advance, the merchant is left waiting for their cut. Those worrying numbers are assuming the price cut is 50/50, which, in some cases, is being generous.
When you break it down to numbers, a Groupon deal seems disastrous, but it’s not only the numbers small business owners have to worry about. The point of Groupon deals is to attract new and hopefully long term customers. Yet, does this actually happen? The majority of consumers buying the Groupon are there for the bargain and don’t return after using their Groupon. CFHS Junior Angelita Pope stated, “I love the deals offered by Groupon! They can really save you so much money.” However, she went on to say that she hadn’t returned once to any of the businesses after using her Groupon.
For some small businesses, the pressure lies with the responses of their loyal customers, who watch as new faces get the same product or service for half the price that they have been paying for years. When you break it down, Groupon indicates that the business offering the deal is not only willing to be flexible with their price, but also that their product or service isn’t worth the price they’re charging for. When combining these factors, it’s no wonder loyal customers are put off by the idea of their favorite shop offering Groupons.
Now I by no means say Groupon have bad effects on all businesses; however the storm of Groupon is actually a disaster for a small business.
1.What is good about Groupon?
A. It can offer a large discount.
B. It helps add up the numbers.
C. It can improve the quality of the product.
D. It brings small business owners more profit.
2.CFHS Junior Angelita Pope’s statement suggests that _______.
A. small business owners needn’t worry about deals
B. people like using Groupon in the same business
C. the purpose of Groupon is to promote business
D. Groupon may not bring customers back
3.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. New faces. B. Loyal customers.
C. Groupon dealers. D. Small businesses.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A. A new business trend—Groupon dealing
B. The development of a Groupon company
C. The effects of Groupon on small businesses
D. A fantastic shopping experience—Groupon
Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease often struggle to remember recently learned information, meaning they forget things like important appointments or where they left their keys. But it seems that these memories are not lost. They are still filed away in the brain somewhere; they just can’t be easily accessed.
Now, researchers at MIT have developed a means of getting back memories in mice suffering from Alzheimer’s. The method relies on a technique that uses light to control genetically modified neurons (转基因神经元). Currently it is too early to be used in human trials as it involves inserting light emitting (发光) equipment into the subjects’ brains, but the same principles still apply, the researchers said.
“The important point is that this is evidence of concept. That is, even if a memory seems to be gone, it is still there. It’s a matter of how to get it back,” said senior researcher Susumu Tonegawa.
The team took two groups of mice, one genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s and one healthy. They then placed them into a room and gave them a mild electric shock. All of the mice showed fear when put back in an hour later. When placed in the room a third time several days later, the Alzheimer’s mice acted normally. They had forgotten the shock.
The researchers were then able to bring back the memory of the shock by activating (激活) the cells in which the memories were stored. Even when the mice were put into an unfamiliar room, they showed fear when the cells associated with the shock were activated.
“Short-term memory seems to be normal, on the order of hours. But for long-term memory, these early-Alzheimer’s mice seem to be damaged,” said lead researcher Dheeraj Roy. “Directly activating the cells that we believe are holding the memory helps them get it back. This suggests that it is indeed an access problem to the information, not that they’re unable to learn or store this memory.”
1.What can we learn about the researchers at MIT?
A. They are the pioneers of brain research.
B. They have used the method in human trials.
C. They can cure Alzheimer’s using the new method.
D. They can get back memories in mice with Alzheimer’s.
2.Why did the Alzheimer’s mice behave normally a third time?
A. They failed to remember the electric shock.
B. They were accustomed to the situation.
C. They managed to overcome the fear.
D. They activated the association.
3.For long-term memory, the early Alzheimer’s mice _______.
A. can activate their blood cells
B. can’t learn new tricks well
C. can easily get back their memory
D. can’t access the information stored
4.The main purpose of the text is to _______.
A. introduce a method of a research
B. report the latest discovery about a disease
C. give advice on how to improve memory
D. explain how our brain stores information
Many young people these days adore the advertised magazine body and become too focused on attaining this image instead of worrying more about what lasts and even grows over time. But could you imagine being considered beautiful for years, and suddenly being ugly after moving to another continent? It is a sad reality that people don’t realize how vacillating the idea of beauty can be from one country to another.
Think of the most typical American girl you know. Is she blonde haired with white skin and light eyes, and does she love shopping or sports? Now place this girl in the heart of Africa, a place where beauty is placed on what you can control. The Maasai tribe in Kenya focuses on how clean people are, and how stylish their piercings (穿孔) are. This tribe’s culture is to be a brave fighter, so they will cut their skin with patterns in it to show that they are strong. If you don’t look fierce, you are not beautiful.
Other countries like North Korea and South Korea have their own unique views on beauty. In an interview, a woman who has lived in both North and South Korea claims that beauty in North Korea is based more on your ability to be a good woman and wife. She says that women in North Korea are less concerned about fashion and beauty in the physical sense. She says they did have a time when big eyes were a big deal and everyone wanted to get double eyelid surgery. This is something extreme and could perhaps be influenced by Western culture. And the idea of getting surgery done to look more attractive is crazy.
1.What does the underlined word “vacillating” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Inconsistent. B. Reasonable. C. Unusual. D. Similar.
2.The Maasai tribe in Kenya is mentioned to show that in their eyes _______.
A. getting dirty is stylish
B. looking fierce is beautiful
C. strong people cut their skin
D. American girls love shopping
3.According to the woman interviewed, women in North Korea now_______.
A. care a lot about their appearance
B. put the beauty of eyes in the first place
C. pay great attention to their ability
D. are crazy about double eyelid surgery
4.What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Inner beauty is of great importance.
B. Ideas of beauty vary among culture groups.
C. Different ways are needed to admire true beauty.
D. Fashion magazines easily influence young people.
