Ways to Improve Your Luck
Some people have all the luck!Or does it just seem that way？Why did your co-worker get that big promotion while you were overlooked？Why do some of us seem to experience these lucky things more than others and how can you improve your luck？1.
What You Tell Yourself Matters!
Do you know that people who are lucky tell themselves they're lucky？Has your own self-talk been filled with less-than-lucky talk？Do you say things like："I'm just not a lucky person."or "Good things never happen to me?" 2.They say things like---"This setback is only temporary．I know things will turn around．"or"Things have a way of working out for me．"
Expect and Acknowledge Your Good Luck．
3. Research suggests keeping a "good luck journal" helps people become even luckier．Did someone bring you coffee at work today？Did you find a random quarter on the street？Did your husband or wife do something nice for you today？Did your child get a good grade at school？Write them down! 4. Begin to notice all the good that comes to you．
Do Something New and Different．
Make contact with people．Take risks．People who try new things are much more open to luck and good fortune than those who don't．This doesn't mean you have to quit your job or take up skydiving! It could be as simple as starting a conversation with a stranger，taking a class in an unfamiliar subject, learning some words and phrases in a foreign language，or trying a new ethnic restaurant．5. And this greater openness can help promote chance opportunities in their lives．
A．You probably have many more lucky things happening in your life than you think．
B．Lucky people generally expect good fortune．
C．All of these things count．
D．You will never forget your lucky friends．
E．Here are ideas that researchers tell us about luck．
F．A lucky person generally receive good fortune in the future．
G．Lucky people score much higher on openness than unlucky people．
As we know, DNA testing is very useful for crime fighting. But now crime fighters could have a new tool at hand. Researchers have developed a cutting-edge (前沿的) technique to identify human hair. Their test is quicker than DNA analysis techniques currently used by the police.
DNA testing is commonly used for identification because DNA is unique to each individual. However, environmental and chemical processes can degrade(降解) DNA, limiting its usefulness over time. Protein (蛋白质) in hair, on the other hand, is more stable than DNA but can also have variations (变异体) that may be unique to the individual.
“Our analysis process can be used universally, ”says Ms. Huang, “One of our samples even included dyed hair and the test was 100 per cent accurate. The test was able to distinguish East Asians, Caucasians and South Asians.”
Dr. Beauchemin says she has got in touch with law enforcement agencies about using the new technology. She is also planning to collect more hair samples and continue her research with a goal of finding where exactly in the world hair sample is from, to look for more races and determine specific age.
“We are in a very similar place with protein-based identification to where DNA testing was during the early days of development,” said chemist Brad Hart. “This method will be a game-changer, and while we’ve made a lot of progress toward improving it, there are steps to go before this new technique is able to reach its full potential.”
1.What’s the main purpose of the text?
A. To analyze crime scenes.
B. To distinguish different races.
C. To show the usefulness of DNA testing.
D. To introduce a new identification method.
2.Which will be the most useful in identifying a person according to Brad Hart?
A. Chemical materials. B. Protein in hair.
C. DNA variations. D. Blood sample.
3.What’s the advantage of the protein-based identification over DNA testing?
A. Stability. B. Popularity.
C. Security. D. Convenience.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph of the text?
A. DNA testing will soon reach its full potential.
B. Protein-based identification remains to be improved.
C. Protein-based identification has replaced DNA testing.
D. DNA testing develops as rapidly as protein-based identification.
My husband and I are saving thousands of dollars every year by growing our own vegetables in our backyard. We learn something new every year and this website has been made to share tips with other people that would like to grow some of their own food.
It’s true that if you are starting from fresh, it will cost a little bit of money to get started. However, once everything is set up, the cost is very small and the rewards are huge. The size of your family and how many vegetables you eat determine exactly how much money you can save every year. We do a lot of juicing, so we are saving thousands of dollars by growing some carefully selected greens.
There is an amazing sense of accomplishment when you grow your own vegetables. Vegetables out of your vegetable garden don’t get any fresher, tastier or more satisfying. The whole family can get involved in this hobby and kids will learn where food comes from and appreciate nature even more.
Our approach to vegetable gardening is completely different from the normal one. We are doing it in the lazy way with zero digging and fertilizing(施肥). The way we grow our vegetables is to emulate natural ecosystems. No rows of carrots can be found in our garden beds. Rain forests seem to do just fine without human interference(干预) or having plants sown in rows, so we have applied the same principle to our vegetable garden and we care producing more vegetables than ever.
By copying nature we spend little time working in the vegetable garden but get a much better crop than previous years when we followed the rules. What can I say? We’re such rebels.(叛逆者）
1.What does the author think about people growing their own vegetables?
A. It is a rewarding activity. B. It is costly in the beginning.
C. People should devote many efforts. D. People should share their tips.
2.What does the underlined word “emulate” in paragraph 4 mean?
A. Create. B. Imitate(模仿).
C. Protect D. Improve.
3.Why does the author call her and her husband “rebels”?
A. They use unconventional ways to grow vegetables.
B. They don’t buy vegetables from the market.
C. They even try to grow vegetables in the rain forests.
D. They don’t grow ordinary vegetables.
4.Which of the following shows the structure of the text? (P: Paragraph)
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been appearing in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world—— Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw (取出) and deposit (存入) books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.
In 2009, Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. “I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other,” Bol said.
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 of the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads. The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries’ main appeal. “A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life,” says the Atlantic article. “Every book is a potential source of inspiration”.
1.How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
A. The communities bought them. B. Tod Bol donated them.
C. US government provided them. D. Citizens shared them.
2.Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?
A. They can offer neighbors more chances to talk.
B. He was inspired by the sharing economy.
C. He wanted to promote his idea worldwide.
D. They are a gift to please his mother.
3.What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?
A. Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads.
B. E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial.
C. Little Free Libraries are physical and human.
D. The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries.
4.Little Free Libraries attract readers most because ________.
A. they are in various shapes and sizes
B. they are located all over the world
C. they connect strangers together
D. they may give readers a sense of discovery
America’s Best National Parks
Pacific: Yosemite National Park, California
Closest city: Oakland, Calif. (3.5-hour drive)
This Golden State treasure has thick forests and rock formations like the Half Dome—a naturalist’s dream in winter, spring, summer or fall. “Anytime of year, it’s such an important park,” says Patricia Schultz, author of 1000 Places to See Before you Die. She recommends taking a tour with a naturalist guide to learn about the reintroduction of wolves into the park.
Pacific: Denali National Park, Alaska
Closest city: Fairbanks, Alaska (two-hour drive)
Denali National Park includes the towering Mt. McKinley. At 20,320 feet, it’s America’s tallest peak. “But the park’s real glory is the wildlife viewing in a setting that is vast, terrific and pristine(原始的),” says Schultz.
West: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Closest city: Jackson, Wyo. (45-minute drive)
Home to ski paradise Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons offer a charming Wild West view in any season. Schultz especially likes the park for its cross-country skiing and wildlife sighting opportunities.
East: Acadia National Park, Maine
Closest city: Bangor, Maine (45-minute drive)
A former haunt(消磨时光的去处) of an older generation of America’s wealthiest, this stretch of coastline once played host to Rockefeller, Astor and Vanderbilt. Easy hiking trails(小道) lead through forests dotted with small lakes.
1.Half Dome is probably the name of _________.
A. a city B. a forest
C. a national park D. a rock formation
2.According to Schultz, the best thing to do in Denali National Park is ________.
A. watching wild animals B. walking in the forests
C. climbing the mountains D. enjoying pristine scenery
3.What’s special about Acadia National Park?
A. It is very close to the city. B. It has a wide variety of forests.
C. It is in the east of the U.S. D. It attracted many famous rich people.
假定你是李华，你的班级决定组织同学们5月30日端午节(the Dragon Boat Festival) 一起骑自行车去西湖观看龙舟比赛。请你给外教史密斯先生写封邮件邀请他上午8:00 在学校门口集合，一同前往，感受中国传统文化。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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