Nail art is increasingly popular throughout the world and many are using their fingernails 1. (display) creativity and personality. They like to show off their latest and curiously beautiful designs, especially young women, who are fond of doing so 2. the intention of leaving a good impression on others.
As a matter of fact, nail polish(指甲油) and nail art have a long history, dating back to 3000BC in China, India and Egypt, when plants were processed to create a dye used as a type of nail paint, which 3. (apply) and represented social class and wealth; deep colors like red were worn by the rich 4. lighter paler colors were used by the poor. People in the Inca civilization painted animals on their nails, showing which tribe(部落) they belonged to! Not until the early 19th century 5. (be) nail paints changed into the nail polish that we see today. Besides various colors, the skills have got improved, leading to 6. nail polish industry’s success.
Nail art is part of the fashion world. With the application of gemstones, airbrushing and fine detail, you can complete any look, which can make you cheerful and 7. (delight). If necessary, you can surf the Internet, where you can get plenty of 8. (inspire) and get a professional finish in a short while with the help of the latest introduction. Everything is 9. (entire) up to you. And whatever pattern you choose, 10. (make) sure it suits you best.
It is widely believed that inner beauty is the most impressive in the world.
On the outskirts of a town in England lies a nice cottage with a large garden where there lives an old and aged man. The old man is __________ pruning（修剪）, watering or fertilizing his flowers all the time. The garden __________ bees and butterflies dance and colorful flowers blossom all year around is so well-tended（被照顾地好）that every passer-by cannot but stop for a _____________ with admiration.
One day a young ___________ went by the old man’s garden. He stopped and gazed at the splendid garden and the special cottage, totally ___________ the admiration at the beauty of these sceneries, ____________ how happy he could be ___________ he lived in such a beautiful place. Then, all of a sudden he found the old gardener was _________.
Greatly shocked, the young painter ___________ that old man, asking “why are you busy ______________ these flowers every day which you can’t see?” The blind gardener gave a wide smile, explaining “First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I _________ like this job. Second, while I can’t see these flowers I can _______ them. Third, I can smell the sweetness of them. ___________ the last one, that’s you.”
“Me? But you don’t know me.” responded the young painter.
“Yeah. But I know flowers are angels which everyone knows and would never _________. I know a great many people who show ______________ for life would stop by and the beauty of my garden will get them into a good ____. In the meantime, it also gives a _____________ to me to have a word with you here and to enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”
The old man can’t see the beauty he’s created. ___________, every flower has eyes ____________ which they can see the beauty and kindness of the old man’s heart and the sweetness of his soul.
The blind man grows flowers in his heart. Failing the sight of the beauty of blossoming, he surely can ______ the voice of it, I suppose.
1.A. left B. kept C. seen D. made
2.A. where B. which C. that D. what
3.A. chat B. return C. discussion D. glance
4.A. painter B. neighbor C. photographer D. traveler
5.A. faced with B. lost in C. devoted to D. moved by
6.A. thinking B. wondering C. picturing D. believing
7.A. when B. if C. even if D. since
8.A. particular B. special C. blind D. energetic
9.A. approached B. reached C. watched D. prevented
10.A. planting B. watering C. fertilizing D. tending
11.A. easily B. really C. accidentally D. eventually
12.A. get rid of B. give a touch to C. come up with D. have fun with
13.A. Without B. In spite of C. And for D. Even so
14.A. pick them up B. turn them down C. let them down D. give them up
15.A. enthusiasm B. calmness C. kindness D. caution
16.A. mood B. condition C. place D. life
17.A. way B. time C. chance D. hand
18.A. Therefore B. Anyway C. However D. Besides
19.A. for B. in C. from D. with
20.A. change B. hear C. remind D. accept
Travelling with teens
Vacationing with teens can be unpleasant since they can be a little moody sometimes. But with some careful consideration and planning you can make your family vacation fantastic and memorable.
1. Teens have strong opinions. If they don’t get a vote on options ahead of time, they are likely to punish you with a bad attitude. If you respect kids’ ideas, they’ll feel more included and be more cooperative.
Handle “Can I bring…?” requests carefully. Taking another child on your family’s vacation is a huge responsibility. Only agree if you know that child well and approve of their relationship with your child. If you don’t want to bring the friend, be honest, stand firm, and don’t negotiate(谈判). 2.
Grad their attention. 3. Boring. Telling them you are going to the place where Tom Hanks first investigated the murder in The Da Vinci Code? Interesting! The big surprise is that once they’re there, they’ll probably find more than a few things to amuse them.
Avoid too much time with digital products. Teens can be addicted to their digital connections. (So can adults.) Family vacations are opportunities for us to get to know and appreciate new places and each other! Discuss digital use before the trip. Set realistic expectations for unplugged time.4.
Make good memories. Sharing digital photos is awesome but written family travel journal can record different kinds of impressions. 5. These conversations are extremely interesting because everyone’s views are unique. Write them down! Rereading sections of your travel journals will provide wonderful family memories over the years.
A. Let them help plan.
B. It is the destination and the journey
C. As a teen, I came to hate this form of travel.
D. But be sympathetic as your child deals with disappointment.
E. Telling them you’re going to the most famous museum in Paris?
F. At the end of every day, talk about what each of you finds memorable.
G. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy themselves so much they won’t think about screen time.
Did you know that sixty percent of your body weight is water？However，a loss of only two percent of this water through dehydration(脱水) during exercise can significantly affect your performance. The more you sweat，the more your exercise performance declines，unless you drink enough to replace your loss of fluids.
When you lose too much water，you can overheat quite easily，especially in a warm environment. But this is not the only problem you may be faced with. Dehydration leads to your heart pumping much faster，which means exercise becomes more difficult and requires more effort. Despite these problems，however，many of us simply do not take enough fluids in when we head for the gym or set out on a run.
So why is this? How do we manage to lose so much water without simply drinking more to replace it？Well，it is easier than you think. When we are at rest，we quickly become aware that we are thirsty and will put that right by having a drink. When we exercise，on the other hand，our thirst mechanism(结构) does not work as effectively，so we don't notice early enough that we are actually thirsty. In fact，we only start to feel thirsty when we have already lost around two percent of our body weight.
Another problem is that，the more dehydrated we become during exercise，the more difficult it is to prevent further dehydration—because our stomachs become intolerant to fluids and we do not absorb water properly，just when we need it most.
The key thing about fluids and exercise is to manage your intake properly—regular small amounts are better，and some should be drunk before the period of exercise begins. You also need to match your intake to the sort of exercise you are doing. For instance，for one hour of exercise，such as taking part in a 10 km run，you need to drink about two extra liters of water. For longer periods of exercise，sports drinks are recommended.
1.We know from the text that during exercise，dehydration________.
A. can be easily avoided
B. will lead to poor performance
C. can cause many health problems
D. will be controlled whenever we drink again
2.Why do people suffer from dehydration easily during exercise?
A. Their thirst mechanism stops working.
B. Their focus is on the exercise.
C. Their thirst response is slow.
D. Their stomachs are full.
3.When exercising，you are advised to________.
A. have regular breaks
B. drink water accordingly
C. drink sports water in advance
D. have at least two liters of water
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Keep fit
B. Say no to sports!
C. Time to get drinking!
D. Ways to avoid dehydration
An insect bee stands out on the logo of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, despite “Bee” being unrelated to the name of the insect. “Bee” refers to “a gathering”, where people join together in an activity.
The National Spelling Bee, formed in 1925, was a collection of many local spelling bees, organized by Louisville. With competitions, cash prizes, and a trip to the nation’s capital, it was hoped that the bee would stimulate “general interest among pupils in a dull subject”. Mark Neuhauser won the national Spelling Bee held that year, by successfully spelling “gladiolus”. In 2014, there were two winners of the bee-a conclusion that has only happened three other times in Bee history, and not since 1962. Sriam Harthwar, a 14-year-old from New York and Ansun Sujoe, a 13-year-old from Texas shared the excitement as co-champions after 22 rounds of spelling. Each took home over $30,000 in cash, scholarship and bonds.
The spelling bee has been held every year except for 1943-1945 due to World War II. Later, the Scripps Company acquired the rights to the program in 1941. The bee is held in late May or early June of each year. It is open to students who have not yet completed the eighth grade, reach their 15th birthday, nor won a precious National Spelling Bee. Its goal is educational; not only to encourage children to perfect the art of spelling, but also to help enlarge their vocabularies and widen their knowledge of the English language.
1.When did Mark win the National Spelling Bee?
A. In 1925 B. In 1941. C. In 1962. D. In 2014.
2.What does the underlined word “stimulate” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. influence B. lose. C. inspire. D. show.
3.We can conclude from the text that .
A. Ansun is allowed to take part in the Bee again if he likes
B. the goal of the Bee is more commercial than educational
C. the Bee has already been held for ninety times
D. the first prize has been shared four times in Bee history
4.What’s the purpose of writing the text?
A. To make people know a new kind of insect-spelling bee.
B. To introduce a competition about spelling words.
C. To discuss the ways of participating the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
D. To share Mark Neuhauser’s pleasure of winning the competition.
I am always nervous when I get an email from my parents with "FYI(For Your Information)". My parents are in their late 70s, and while they are quite healthy for their ages, I worry about what messages they are going to give me.
I got such an email in September from my father. He sent an email from my cousin who told that her father, my uncle Reese, had passed away. The news made my mind go blank though I have met him less than a dozen times in my life, because Reese was the first of my parent’s siblings(兄弟姐妹) to die, and I was simply not ready for that.
The memorial service was set in Florida, and I quickly decided I needed to go. I needed to be there for my father, and I needed to go for myself. Reese is about nine years older than my father, and I started to do the math in my head. I know that doesn’t make sense, but I will do anything to reason that I still have a lot of time before I will be in my cousin’s shoes.
Reese’s memorial service was small with only family and perhaps a dozen of his friends. The funeral was attended by an even smaller number, and then, the family gathered at a nearby bar to look at old photographs found among Reese’s possessions when he died.
As we drove back to the Orlando International Airport, I thought about how I am not sure what my parents want, not only in their memorial services, but also how they want to be remembered and where they want to be laid to rest. These are going to be difficult conversations, but I know I need to have them. Maybe not right now, but we do need to open the discussion at some point. It may feel too early, but I trust my parents will know that when adult children raise these questions, we do it out of love to honor their lives and their wishes.
1.Why do emails with “FYI” make the author uneasy?
A. She’s too busy to read those emails.
B. She dislikes her parents’ nonstop talking.
C. She’s afraid to get bad news about her parents.
D. They often bring unpleasant news.
2.How did the author feel about the email from her cousin?
A. Disappointed. B. Shocked. C. Confused. D. Annoyed.
3.What do we know from the third and fourth paragraphs?
A. Not many people attended the funeral.
B. A get-together was held at home.
C. Reese’s friends didn’t appear.
D. The author hesitated to go to Florida.
4.What does the author decide to do after the funeral?
A. Have a talk with her parents about death.
B. Express her love for her parents bravely.
C. Value her parents’ wishes.
D. Get everything ready for her parents.
