That was my first ballet performance and I was the lead role. A huge black curtain _______me from the crowd. My heart raced so rapidly that it would_______out of my chest. A rush of _______shot through my body when the music began and I took my_______at the center of the stage. I pushed off the floor as hard as I could and _______into the air. Then I started to come _______for my landing, preparing to jump again, and yet my foot _______I fell, face-first. For a moment I couldn’t _______, wondering if I should go on._______, trained for thousands of hours for twelve years, my muscles ignored the________of my mind and I ________myself back on my feet. I finished the part and left the stage. Bending over a table, I tried to________tears. I didn’t want to go back to finish the last twenty minutes. I didn’t ________the lead role.
Then came my teacher. “The________thing on stage is to fall. You’ve gotten it, so what’s left to________? Just go and give it all. ” Her words ________me. Minutes later, I went back onstage and completely let go of ________. I just danced, letting the music guide me through the movement.
Now, as a Principal Dancer, I often think about that performance. We fall when we try our hardest. There is no ________, only pride. Falling is________and sometimes it is easier just to stay on the________. But if we never get up, we never experience what it is like to fly.
1.A. covered B. hid C. protected D. drove
2.A. beat B. drop C. run D. shout
3.A. amazement B. excitement C. joy D. satisfaction
4.A. time B. turn C. place D. order
5.A. flew B. spun C. rose D. looked
6.A. out B. in C. down D. off
7.A. slipped B. stopped C. stepped D. advanced
8.A. think B. cry C. move D. believe
9.A. Therefore B. However C. Otherwise D. Instead
10.A. loss B. pain C. relief D. hesitation
11.A. found B. dragged C. accustomed D. allowed
12.A. dry up B. wipe out C. burst into D. fight back
13.A. play B. deserve C. get D. finish
14.A. unexpected B. awkward C. common D. worst
15.A. go B. do C. lose D. say
16.A. awoke B. enriched C. excited D. surprised
17.A. the music B. myself C. the teacher D. others
18.A. excuse B. fear C. benefit D. shame
19.A. shocking B. interesting C. rare D. terrible
20.A. spot B. road C. ground D. stage
How to be more creative every day
Creativity isn’t something you either have or don’t have. In fact, it is something like playing the saxophone.1.So read on to know how.
• Be more curious.
It’s important to seek out new viewpoints every day. 2.To involve this in your daily life, make sure to keep an open mind when you’re presented with an idea, and be curious as to what else is around the comer.
• Give yourself space.
Letting every piece of information into your brain drags you from being creative. Try to apply a level of space into your everyday life. 3.It helps to lead your thinking patterns away from potential distractions (潜在分心的事物), leaving much room to have creative ideas.
• Try something new.
Frequent thinking patterns, in effect, cause you to be more likely to think the same things or make the same decisions over and over unless you get out of your comfort zone. 4.Though not always easy, it does open up a whole new world of thinking!
•5.
Social media has created an environment where we’re constantly shown whether we’ve succeeded in the form of likes or comments, which leads us to doubt ourselves. However, creativity is a journey, and you’re learning every step of the way. Honestly, you’ll learn much more from that than a straight win anyway. So be confident and tell yourself you have already done well enough.
A. Learn from failure.
B. Remind yourself you’re good enough.
C. The 8 p. m. — 8 a. m. phone ban is a great way to begin.
D. Getting physical really helps to sort out your brain space.
E. But it’s not easy to feel or be automatically creative either.
F. Thus you can think and approach things from another angle.
G. Using your skills in a different area is a great way to think outside the box.
Scientists in Britain have managed to teach bumblebees(大黄蜂) to pull strings to get to food and then pass on what they have learned to others in their colony(群体)—showing a high level of intelligence despite their tiny brains.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London said the experiments, often used to test the intelligence of apes (猿) and birds, showed for the first time that some insects are up to the task, and can also pass skills on through several generations.
The findings add to the evidence suggesting the ability for “culture spread” — the ability to learn and pass on knowledge and skills — may not be exclusive to humans.
In the research, published in the journal PLOS Biology on Tuesday, the scientists were able to train 23 out of a group of 40 bees to pull strings with their legs and feet.
The strings were attached to discs — or artificial “flowers” — containing food at their center but placed under a transparent screen. The bees, spotting the food beneath the screen, learned to pull the “flowers” out by pulling the string with their legs and feet to be able to get to it.
From another group of bees given the chance to solve the task without any training, only two of 110 were successful.
Another group of bees was then allowed to observe the trained bees pulling the strings, and 60 percent of them successfully learned the skill. Finally, trained bees were put in colonies, and the scientists found the technique spread successfully to a majority of the colony’s worker bees.
Lars Chittka, a Queen Mary University professor who guided the project, said the team is interested in figuring out the brain processes behind the bees’ learning and teaching skills.
1.What does the underlined word “exclusive” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Ordinary. B. Unique. C. Beneficial. D. Widespread.
2.What did the researchers find about bees?
A. Bees learn best in insects.
B. Bees are as clever as birds.
C. Bees are born good learners.
D. Bees can be trained to learn skills.
3.What may the research team focus on next?
A. What else bees can do. B. Where bees learn skills.
C. How bees teach others. D. How bees’ brain work.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Small bees, great abilities B. Bees can learn and teach
C. Bees are smarter D. Let bees learn
Bob Dylan, born on May 24, 1941, is an American songwriter, singer, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when his songs showed social unrest. Early songs such as Blowing in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changing promoted the American civil rights and anti-war movements.
Dylan’s songs include a wide range of political, social and literary influences. They challenged existing pop music conventions and appealed to the growing counterculture. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years, has explored the traditions in American song, from folk, blues, and country to rock and roll, and to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, even jazz and the Great American Songbook. He has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been called the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but songwriting is considered his greatest contribution.
As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation (引言）for his influence on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
1.Which word best describes Dylan’s music according to Paragraph 2?
A. Various. B. Talented. C. Personal. D. Popular.
2.What is Dylan better recognized as?
A. A performer. B. A singer. C. An artist. D. A songwriter.
3.What made Dylan get the Nobel Prize?
A. His poems about music. B. His American song tradition.
C. His language style of the songs. D. His influence on America culture.
As the morning school bell rings and students rush in, teenagers in one classroom settle onto mats and meditation(冥想) pillows. They fail silent after the teacher taps a “singing bowl”.
These students are in a for-credit, year-long mindfulness class, which is meant to ease youth anxiety and depression and to prevent violence. For 90 minutes, three days a week, they practice a mix of yoga, sitting, and walking meditation, deep breathing, journaling, and non-judgmental listening.
Yoga and meditation have gained popularity among Americans in recent decades, supported by studies showing benefits to emotional, mental, and physical health. The centuries-old practices have roots in eastern religions, but Western culture has long focused on physical postures (姿势), breathing, and relaxation techniques.
Some people have greeted the move with less than enthusiasm. Last year, an elementary school in Ohio ended its mindfulness program after parents complained it was too closely linked to religion. But many school districts are reporting success. In Richmond, California, schools have reported drops in school problems among low-income, at-risk youths. The school district in South Burlington, Vermont, introduced a successful mindfulness course as part of a health and wellness program, and now administrators there have advocated mindfulness into K-12 curriculums.
Two years ago, Caverly Morgan developed the after-school mindfulness program teamed up with Allyson Copacino, who teaches yoga. After hundreds of students signed up, Principal Brian Chatard took note. The school was dealing with a student' s suicide (自杀), and few resources were available to address students’ emotional and mental health.
“High school is the hardest period of time for kids,” Mr. Chatard said. “You’ve got emotional changes, physical changes, and all the social pressures. It’s also the onset of mental illness for some kids, depression hits, and there’s the pressure of college and sports. All these things kids do is overwhelming without having a strategy (策略) to deal with it. ” And now schools all over the country are introducing the practices.
1.What do Western people value more about yoga and meditation?
A. Non-judgmental listening. B. Religious meaning.
C. Physical benefits. D. Journaling.
2.What can we infer about the mindfulness class?
A. It is supported by parents.
B. It relives pressure of students.
C. It mainly builds students up physically.
D. It improves students’ academic performance.
3.Who started the mindfulness class?
A. Administrators. B. Brian Chatard.
C. Caverly Morgan. D. Allyson Copacino.
4.What is Mr. Chatard’s attitude towards the program?
A. Supportive. B. Concerned. C. Doubtful. D. Reserved.
Discovering the beauty of the science and maths that shape our everyday lives, an experience in Wonderlab will fuel your imagination and inspire you to see the world around you in new and exciting ways. Come and enjoy yourself!
What to see
Spread across seven different zones, there' re loads of opportunities to get hands on with real scientific phenomena. Observe live experiments at our Chemistry Bar, see lightning strike before your eyes, play with forces on giant slides or travel through space under a canopy (苍穹)of stars. You can also take part in explosive science demonstrations led by our talented team of explainers. With 50 mind-blowing wonders of science to enjoy, Wonderlab is an experience unlike any other. Besides, a selection of shows will be performed daily in Wonderlab’s beautiful new show space. They are free of charge and last 20 minutes.
Tickets
♦ Day pass: ￡6 per person.
This ticket gives you day-long access to Wonderlab, perfect whether you' re planning a special trip to the Museum or simply passing through London and want to feed your curiosity.
♦ Annual pass: ￡10 per person.
For less than the price of two visits, give yourself a year packed full of wonder, curiosity and breathtaking experiences.
Opening times
Open seven days a week, 10:00 — 18:00 (last entry 17:15). Wonderlab will be closed on December 24，25 and 26 and will be open as usual from December 27.
During school holidays our opening hours are 10:00 — 19:00 (last entry 18:15). Please note that in peak periods ( from midday onwards) we are experiencing long queues due to the gallery' s popularity.
1.What can you do in Wonderlab?
A. Explore stars. B. Produce lighting.
C. Join in explosion shows. D. Do chemistry experiments.
2.How much should two visitors pay if they visit Wonderlab and enjoy the shows for one day?
A. ￡ 12. B. ￡ 20. C. ￡32. D. ￡40.
3.When can you enter Wonderlab?
A. 9:30 on December 23. B. 18:30 on school holidays.
C. 11:00 on Christmas. D. 10:30 on December 28.
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce Wonderlab.
B. To attract people to Wonderlab.
C. To explain how Wonderlab works.
D. To analyze why Wonderlab is attractive.
