Life is colorful. Sometimes it’s just like potato salad; when it's shared it becomes a picnic.
With three young children, my husband John and I were very_________. “Can we go on a picnic, Mom?” my six-year-old daughter, Becky ________. “Please.” I had said no so many times in_________months, and I decided the usual Saturday morning chores could_________. To her________, I agreed.
I prepared a few sandwiches and________a cooler with ice and drinks and called John__________. My eleven-year-old twin sons loaded the cooler and the picnic basket in the trunk and off we went to spend some______ time together as a family.
About the time I got the lunch_____________out on the table, John arrived on the_________.That was one of the happiest meals we ever shared together. The meal was filled with__________. We felt a closeness that had been hidden by work and school responsibilities for so many months. John and the boys _________rocks into the lake. Becky fed the ducks and I sat quietly on the picnic table,__________God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.
That night as our children went to bed, I kissed their cheeks and _________ what a wonderful life I had. As I walked out of the room it dawned on me that even the busiest_________could become a picnic when it's shared with the ones you__________. Even though the kids have now grown up and_________from home, I can still remember how I felt that day while sitting at the picnic table.
Maybe today would be a good time to_________potato salad, call all of my ________ kids, feed some hungry ducks and skipped a few rocks into the lake. Since life is like potato salad, let's make it a__________.
1.A. patient B. old C. poor D. busy
2.A. doubted B. asked C. begged D. wondered
3.A. recent B. coming C. late D. following
4.A. approach B. last C. wait D. relax
5.A. disappointment B. surprise C. sadness D. embarrassment
6.A. filled B. supplied C. provided D. compared
7.A. off work B. on business C. at home D. at work
8.A. quality B. unhappy C. quantity D. sad
9.A. cooked B. taken C. made D. spread
10.A. sight B. view C. scene D. scenery
11.A. communication B. laughter C. hope D. expectation
12.A. missed B. took C. skipped D. left
13.A. thanking B. praising C. praying D. trusting
14.A. admitted B. expected C. realized D. imagined
15.A. time B. lifestyle C. world D. occupation
16.A. enjoy B. own C. love D. have
17.A. left alone B. left behind C. ran away D. moved away
18.A. cook B. appreciate C. watch D. plant
19.A. young B. little C. grown D. handsome
20.A. salad B. life C. picnic D. purpose
Forgiveness
To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.
1. Try the following steps:
Calm yourself. 2. You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.
Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. 3. Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.
Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.
4. If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.
Don’t forget to forgive yourself. 5. But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.
A. Why should you forgive?
B. How should you start to forgive?
C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.
D. Try to see things from your offender’s angle.
E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.
F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.
G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.
Food festivals around the world
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane（赛道）. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors arc served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy（辛辣）,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!
La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!
1.In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must .
A. wear various formal clothes
B. roll a wooden cheese in their own lane
C. kick or throw their cheese
D. use a real cheese weighing about four kilos
2.Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?
A. In New Mexico.
B. In the Caribbean.
C. In Australia.
D. In China.
3.The celebration of La Tomatina lasts .
A. three days
B. seven days
C. less than three days
D. more than seven days
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine.
B. More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.
C. Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.
D. An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.
Driving could soon be a far more pleasant experience thanks to a personal in-car robot being developed by researchers. The robot, which is called “Affective Intelligent Driving Agent (AIDA)” will be able to tell you the best route home based on traffic reports, remind you to pick up petrol and suggest places you may like to visit. The robot, which sits on the dashboard, is being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in collaboration with Volkswagen.
AIDA communicates with the driver through an expressive robot screen and will even appear sympathetic if you're having a bad day. Cynthia Breazeal, director of MIT’s Personal Robots Group, said: “We are developing AIDA to read the driver’s mood from facial expression and other cues and respond in a proper way.”
AIDA works by analyzing the driver’s mobility patterns, keeping track of common routes and destinations. The creators say the robot should be able to work out home and work locations within a week of driving. Soon afterwards, the system will direct the driver to their preferred supermarket, suggesting a route that avoids traffic-clogged roads. AIDA might recommend a petrol stop en route if the fuel tank is nearly empty. The robot will also incorporate real-time information about traffic jams, the weather report, commercial activity, tourist attractions, and residential areas.
“In developing AIDA we asked ourselves how we could design a system that would offer the same kind of guidance as an informed and friendly companion.”
“AIDA can also give you feedback on your driving, helping you achieve more energy efficiency and safer behavior,” Assaf Biderman from SENSEable City Lab added.
1.What is AIDA in this passage?
A. A personal driver.
B. A traffic controller.
C. A traffic indicator.
D. A smart car robot.
2.What’s the most impressive about AIDA according to the passage?
A. It can stay away from traffic jams.
B. It can replace the driver to drive the car.
C. It can interact with the driver.
D. It can help the driver find the way.
3.From the last paragraph we can know that .
A. it’s possible to drive a car without any petrol
B. AIDA can help us to become better drivers
C. people can save a lot of energy by driving a car
D. It can help the driver find the way
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. An Intelligent Device for Drivers
B. A New Model of Volkswagen
C. The Cooperation of Two Car Makers
D. Traffic Management in Big Cities
By May, after three months, I had lost22pounds and reached my goal of 115 pounds. My friends would say “Alice, you look great!” or “How did you lose so much weight?” Those compliments made me feel good and confident.
Soon I dropped to110 pounds. A few of my friends told me that I needed to stop dieting, because I was starting to look sick. They brought me a present—— a bag of chocolates, which I later gave to my sister. My mother would come to my room, with tears in her eyes, and have long chats about how harmful this diet was and begged me to stop. My dad would leave worried messages on my cell phone at school, telling me that it would do serious harm to my body.
By mid-June, when school was coming to an end, I was down to an only alive state of 95 pounds. All of a sudden, I knew I had to do something. I guessed the number itself scared me. I recalled my doctor. He told me about a girl who was 95 pounds and was at the risk of dying. I knew I was putting my life at risk, but for what? To make those who love me worried? Was it worthwhile to be thin?
Now I realize that models in magazines, TV and movies are not realistic. The price to pay for the “perfect body” is living with a dangerous and sometimes deadly eating disorder. And there are more important things to think about than how thin you are.
1.The underlined word “compliments” in Paragraph 1 probably means_____.
A. questions
B. praise
C. understanding
D. experiences
2.Why did the author’s mother come to her room in tears?
A. Because the mother was worried about her daughter’s health.
B. Because the mother thought her daughter was brave enough.
C. Because the mother was sorry to have helped her daughter go on a diet.
D. Because the mother was deeply moved by her daughter’s friends.
3.The author decided to stop dieting_______.
A. after her parents persuaded her out of it
B. when her weight dropped to 95 pounds
C. after she reached her goal of losing weight
D. after her friends told her to stop dieting
If you are a traveler without a guide leading the way, you need to _________ a guide book for details of your journey.
A. refer to B. stick to
C. lead to D. add to
