Each week New York-based hairstylist Mark Bustos tries to make a small difference in people's lives1.giving haircuts to homeless people.
During the week,Mark works in his high-class salon,but each Sunday,he walks around the city asking people 2.they'd like a haircut.He then gives them a stylish haircut3.same kind he would give to any paying customer, except these are done for free for those who are homeless or cannot afford a haircut4.(them).
Mark's work began in 2012 when visiting family in the Philippines.Instead of just5.(take) a typical,relaxing vacation,he decided to give poor local children haircuts."I felt so happy doing it that I've continued since returning," Mark explains.
Changing someone's appearance can have a huge impact on their life.Remember the homeless retired soldier who received a make-over?He found a job,?6.(rent)a house and quit drinking alcohol afterwards.7.(simple) changing how a person looks can give them a huge increase in8.(confident).
Mark Bustos proves that there are many ways9.(give),and that you can easily use your10.(person) abilities to make a difference in somebody's life.
Many years ago,I was working as a psychologist at a children's institution in England.One day an adolescent boy____in my office.His headmaster had____him to me."David,"he wrote,"is very sad since both his parents died. He refuses to talk and I'm very____about him.Can you help?"
How could I help him?There are human tragedies psychology doesn't have the____to.Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen____.
The first two times we met,David didn't say a word.I____we play a game of chess the third time he came.He ____.After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon in____.It's not easy to cheat in chess,____I made sure David won once or twice.It seemed as if he enjoyed my____.But why did he never talk with me?
"Perhaps he____needs someone to share his pain with,"I____.Some months later,I sat staring at David's head, while he was bent____the chessboard.Suddenly,he looked up at me.
"It's your____,"he said.
After that day,David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club.He wrote me____a few times about how he would try to get into university.The letters____after some time.I knew he had really started to live a(n)____life.He needn't write me any more to tell me that.
Maybe I gave David something.At least I____a lot from him.For example,David showed me____one—without any words—can reach out to another person.All it____is a hug,a shoulder to cry on,a friendly touch and an ear that listens.
1.A. turned out B. showed up C. stood out D. called up
2.A. led B. drove C. reminded D. referred
3.A. disappointed B. dissatisfied C. concerned D. confused
4.A. medicine B. answer C. method D. hope
5.A. closely B. regretfully C. pitifully D. tearfully
6.A. remembered B. suggested C. announced D. demanded
7.A. refused B. nodded C. allowed D. admitted
8.A. silence B. excitement C. turn D. time
9.A. although B. because C. but D. if
10.A. humor B. experience C. wisdom D. company
11.A. firstly B. simply C. similarly D. hardly
12.A. found B. doubted C. thought D. predicted
13.A. on B. off C. down D. over
14.A. fault B. time C. way D. tum
15.A. promises B. letters C. opinions D. choices
16.A. remained B. continued C. stopped D. lost
17.A. normal B. comfortable C. poor D. rich
18.A. saw B. learnt C. asked D. expected
19.A. when B. whether C. how D. why
20.A. matters B. takes C. leaves D. gets
1.
Self-worth is very important in your life. We may love others, but we need to learn to love ourselves. We have to believe in what we do, and feel better about ourselves. If you do not have self-worth, you may begin to get discouraged.
Avoid negative people in your life.2.If these people put you down, do not believe in you, or treat you badly, why are you still around them? It took me years to realize this for myself, and it is true. Negative people hurt your self-worth, and bring you down emotionally. Get closer to people that believe in you. If you do not have these positive people in your life, find a support group that can help you.3.Your self-worth can be increased greatly with positive guide.
Find employment or volunteer somewhere you feel valued, or can make a difference. Giving to others builds you up personally. You do not have to do this all the time, but once you see how good it feels you will want to continue.
4.Think about what you can do to change your future. Make a list of steps you can take to improve your life. Stall setting goals in your life. Goals give us something to focus on, and we push to achieve them. These can be whatever goals you would like to finish, be sure they are achievable Goals.5.
Doing the above steps can greatly increase your self-worth, and remember you are worth it.
A. Stop thinking about the past as you can't change it.
B. Keep the saying of "No pain, no gain" in mind.
C. Increase Your Self -Worth and Feel Better about Yourself.
D. Believe You can Be the King of the World Even When You Fail.
E. Once you set your goals, you will start pushing for more.
F. These people are likely to believe in us even when we do not have confidence.
G. This could be your husband, boyfriend, other family members, or even friends.
Claude Sammut,a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of New South Wales in Australia,said it would soon be possible for robots to defeat the stars of the future.
For many years,Mr Sammut has been a member of a project called RoboCup,where robots have been programmed to learn how to play football and compete against others in a football match.
As he explains,the robots are having difficulty in learning how to control the ball and move the ball on their own,but he is still full of confidence that one day in the future they will show the same skills as Wayne Rooney,who is one of the best football players in the world.
Mr.Sammut also said,"In 1968,John McCarthy and Donald Michie made a bet with David Levy,who was then the chess champion in Scotland,that within 10 years a computer program would be able to beat him.It took a little bit longer than 10 years (nearly 30 years) but eventually such programs came into being."
"In the same spirit of a grand challenge,RoboCup aims to develop a team of robots that can defeat the world soccer champion team by the year 2050.To achieve this,or come even closer to the ambition,the robots will have to be able to sense and act in completely unstructured environments.This will require major advances in perception（感知）,decision making,learning,and cooperative behaviors.Considering robots are integrated hardware and software systems,great advances will also be needed in sensors（传感器）,energy storage,and materials."
1.The idea of designing a computer program that could defeat a chess champion came forth .
A. in 1968 B. in 1978
C. in the 1990s D. 30 years ago
2.We can conclude from Mr.Sammut's words that .
A. robots would be smarter than human beings in the near future
B. robots have more ambitions than human beings
C. robots would take control of the world
D. many parts of robots still need improving
3.What's the best title for this passage?
A. Scientists' Wisdom in Designing Robot Football Players.
B. Robot Football Players to Beat World's Best by 2050.
C. Robot Football Players' Bright Future.
D. Mr Sammut—the Father of Robot Football Players
After giving a talk at a high school,I was asked to pay a visit to a special student.An illness had kept the boy home,but he had expressed an interest in meeting me.I was told it would mean a great deal to him,so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home,I found out something about Matthew.He had muscular dystrophy（肌肉萎缩症）.When he was born,the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five,and then they were told he would not make it to ten.Now he was thirteen.He wanted to meet me because I was a Gold-medal power lifter,and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew.Never once did he complain or ask,"Why me?"He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams.Obviously,he knew what he was talking about.He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different.He just talked about his hopes for the future,and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me.When we had finished talking,I went to my briefcase（公文包）and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck.I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would.He looked at it for a moment,then took it off and handed it back to me.He said,"You are a champion.You earned that medal.Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal,I will show it to you."
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away.They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me.I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don't have long to live any more,but I still smile as much as I can.I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal,but I know now I will never get to do that.However,I know I'm a champion,and God knows that too.When I get to Heaven,God will give me my medal and when you get there,I will show it to you.Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
1.The boy looked forward to meeting the author because .
A. he was also good at weight lifting
B. he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal
C. he was one of the author's fans
D. he admired the author very much
2.The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that .
A. the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease
B. the boy never complained about not being able to go to school
C. the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before
D. the boy never complained about not getting a medal
3.Matthew didn't accept the author's medal because .
A. he thought it was too expensive
B. he was sure that he could win one in the future
C. he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon
D. he would not be pitied by others
4.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. A sick boy. B. A special friend.
C. A real champion. D. A famous athlete.
I'm a 20-year-old boy,and the following is my story.
A month after I graduated from high school in August,2007,I was coming home from swim practice in the training centre of the city and was involved in a car accident.I was so seriously injured that I was in a coma for more than two months at Prince Georges Hospital.
I suffered a lot from the experience of dying eight times during my coma and I couldn't open my mouth to talk or to communicate when I eventually came around.At that time,it seemed that walking was never going to happen again due to all the extreme injuries.Just like my body,my dreams were completely destroyed.But I was not going to let my injuries stop me from realizing my dreams.
After receiving a total of 15 operations and 36 blood transfusions,I had to make every great effort to learn to talk,eat,walk,shower,and live on my own again.When I was out of hospital,I still had to Go to outpatient therapy in Waldorf,Maryland.After I spent a few months in a wheelchair,I took baby steps to walk on my own.It was a miracle that I was able to walk again,but I still wanted to prove that I could not only walk,but also run.When it came true,I wanted to get back into the pool again.After having a few lung tests,I was able to go in the pool a little bit each week. After a few months of swim training,I began my freshman year at St.Mary's College of Maryland and then became a proud member of the swim team.
By telling my story,I want to make a positive influence on the world.I am just trying to live every day to the fullest and inspire other people never to give up their dreams no matter how bad a situation is to them.I remember when I was still in my hospital bed,I would have my mom and dad push me round in my wheelchair to the other rooms to see the other patients and chat with them and their family members.I wanted to let them know that everything was going to be okay.Somehow,things would work out for the best.
1.The underlined word "coma" in Paragraph 2 probably has the meaning of " ".
A. operation B. unconsciousness
C. treatment D. emergency
2.According to Paragraph 3,it can be inferred that the author .
A. was unable to talk or communicate B. was in despair
C. faced physical and mental challenges D. felt anxious about his state
3.In the last paragraph,the author mainly wants to show .
A. his positive influence on other patients B. his meaningful life
C. his purpose of sharing his story D. his great achievements
4.The best title for the passage would be " ".
A. Actions speak louder than words B. Attitude is everything
C. Everything happens for a reason D. A Good beginning is half done
