For you, the “Clear and Bright” day that falls in every April might be no more than just another holiday — the fact that it comes with three days off school matters to most students1. (much) than the fact that it is part of the 24 solar terms (二十四节气).
But this ancient system that Chinese people have used 2.(keep) track of the time of year was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity （人类非物质文化遗产）on Nov. 30.
To be fair, the terms do sound old; they 3. (invent) thousands of years ago to offer weather information for agricultural 4. (activity). But the truth is5. they still have an influence on our lives today, even if we don’t realize it most of the time. For example, people from6. (north) China are in the habit of eating dumplings 7. the day of Winter Solstice (冬至). And on Start of Autumn, some treat 8. (they) to a big feast, especially of meat, something they call “putting on autumn weight”, or tieqiubiao. According to Chinese writer and academic Yu Shicun, the system is a philosophy of time, 9. applies to everything. And this means they are 10. (likely) to die out.
My father was an ill-humored man. I knew he loved me and his love was deep. He just didn’t know how to ______it.
One evening we went out for a night on the town．We were sitting in an elegant restaurant that had a small but lively _____
When it played a familiar waltz tune ,I decided to __ my father for a dance. “Dad, you know I’ve never ___with you before. I begged you but you ___wanted to. How about right now?”
I waited for the ___refusal．But instead, he considered thoughtfully and then said, “Let’s hit the floor and I’ll __ you just what kind of moves an old guy like me can still make.”
My father took me in his ___ and I felt overcome by emotion. As we danced I looked up at my father carefully but he ____my eyes.
“Dad,” I finally __ tears in my eyes, “Why is it so hard for you to look at me?” At last his eyes dropped to my face．“ ____I love you so much.” he whispered back．I was struck dumb by his ____It wasn’t what I had thought．But it was of course exactly what I needed to __.
I had always known that he loved me. I just hadn’t understood that his vast emotion had __ him and made him silent．“I love you too, Dad!” I whispered back softly．He stumbled （结结巴巴地说) over the next few words: “I’m sorry that I’m not open. It’s ___for me, but just remember how much I love you.”
When the dance ended I excused myself to the ladies’ room and during my absence ___changed．When I came back, Dad sat in his chair ___hisbody leaning forward, very pale．Everything was really too late．He was __.
That night all I saw was his leaning body and pale face．But it’s a totally different scene that I __ now．I remember his saying “I love you” and my saying itback．The three words ______on forever long after we are gone．
1.A. answer B. express C. mention D. understand
2.A. bar B. hall C. sofa D. band
3.A. invite B. teach C. help D. show
4.A. chatted B. sang C. danced D. stayed
5.A. still B. never C. also D. even
6.A. final B. normal C. usual D. rough
7.A. show B. tell C. ask D. explain
8.A. hands B. arms C. heart D. mind
9.A. noticed B. ignored C. avoided D. greeted
10.A. whispered B. complained C. explained D. shouted
11.A. Because B. Though C. If D. While
12.A. response B. advise C. promise D. excuse
13.A. find B. hear C. know D. think
14.A. surprised B. pleased C. inspired D. frightened
15.A. clear B. important C. impossible D. hard
16.A. anything B. something C. nothing D. everything
17.A. for B. with C. on D. from
18.A. moved B. tired C. gone D. lost
19.A. discover B. remember C. remind D. consider
20.A. live B. carry C. depend D. Take
How to Find Your Hidden Talents
Many of us are still in search of the talents that are hidden within us. Finding the talents that sets you apart from others needs observation and analysis of one’s own self. If you want to learn how to find your talents, the tips provided in the following lines will surely come handy.
1. What sorts of things do you like to read about, watch or do? What are you favorite shows on television? Which column of the newspaper and magazines do you like to read? To know what you are interested in is the first step towards finding your hidden talents.
Try out different things. If you want to find out your dexterity (灵巧）in each of the things that interest you, then try them out. 2. Locate a safe environment, where you can try out different things without anybody’s interference (干扰).
Find your passion.3. However, there will be only a thing or two that you are passionate about. What is the one thing that you love to do the most, with the most enthusiasm? Get the answer to the question and you will come to know what exactly you are passionate about.
Improve yourself. Read lots of books and learn from people. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach. Therefore, teach what you have learnt. 4.In this process, you will be able to discover all your hidden talents.
Know your limits. In the process of finding your strengths and talents, you should not ignore your weakness as well. 5.Know what makes you struggle. You will then come to know your talents as well as the areas that you need to work on.
A. Find your interests.
B. Know your strengths.
C. Find out the things you are not good at.
D. You may be a person of various interests.
E. Carry out experiments and explore things.
F. This will help increase your depth of knowledge.
G. It needs observation and analysis of one’s own self.
Texting（发短信）walkers aren't just an annoyance to other walkers, Australian researchers armed with movie special-effects technology have determined scientifically that they're threats to themselves. Using motion-capture technology similar to that used for films, researchers concluded that texting while walking not only affects balance but also the ability to walk in straight line.
“Some people like checking emails while walking to work in the morning” said the study co-author Hoorn, “but they may not know it has a serious effect on the safety of themselves”. Other facts have also proved this. A tourist from Taiwan walked off a pier near Melbourne last month while checking Facebook, bringing a sudden and icy end to a penguin-watching visit. Another person who was too wrapped up in his phone to notice dangers walked straight into the fountain in front of a shopping mall.
The Australian study involved 27 volunteers, a third of whom admitted having knocked into objects while texting. They were asked to walk 8.5 meters three times—once without phones, once while reading text and once while writing text, when eight cameras recorded their actions.
They found the volunteers using the phone walked slower, and, more seriously, they locked their arms and elbows in like “robots”, which forced their heads to move more, throwing themselves off balance. “In a pedestrian（步行的）environment, inability to maintain a straight path would be likely to increase potential for traffic accidents”, said Mr. Hoorn. “The best thing to do is to step aside and stop, or keep off the phone.”
Authorities world-wide have taken note. Signs on Hong Kong's subway system advise passengers in three languages to keep their eyes off their phones. Police and transport authorities have highlighted the danger in Singapore, where the Straits Times newspaper recently declared cellphone-distracted road crossing as “bad habit No. 2” contributing to the rising number of road deaths. Some U.S. states, including New York and Arkansas, are considering bans on what they're calling phone jaywalking.
1.According to the passage, people texting while walking usually____________.
A. do not influence other walkers B. do harm to their eyes
C. put themselves in danger D. can still walk straight
2.Which of the following words has the closest meaning to “wrapped up” in Paragraph 2?
A. absent-minded B. annoyed
C. confused D. absorbed
3.The two examples in Paragraph 2 are given in order to __________.
A. prove texting walkers are threats to others
B. show texting walkers may harm themselves
C. analyze the causes of the danger
D. amuse the readers
4.About the Australian study, we know that___________.
A. the volunteers using phones while walking moved normally
B. ten volunteers admitted having bumped into things while texting
C. the volunteers were divided into three groups during the study
D. texting walkers are exposed to greater possibility of traffic accidents
5.The last paragraph suggests that_________.
A. actions have been taken against texting while walking
B. Hong Kong’s subway system forbids texting walkers to take the train
C. New York has made laws to ban phone jaywalking
D. cellphone-distracted road crossing is considered the worst habit in Singapore
Next time you need directions,maybe you can ask an ant.These little creatures are masters of navigation（导航）that some can find their way home whether they're walking forward or backward,according to a study in Current Biology.
Ants often travel long to bring back the food to their nests.But how do they know where they’re going?
Researchers went to Spain to mess with some desert ants.They found an active nest and surrounded it with barriers that forced the foraging（搜寻）ants to follow a particular path back home.Once the ants were familiar with the maze,the researchers would take them up,hand them pieces of a cookie and then put them back in a different location,one that required taking a 90 degree turn to get to the nest.
The research found that the ants carrying a small,easy-to-carry piece would run forward with confidence and were able to head on home.Some ants,however,would drop the cookie and turn around to take a look at the scenery, which allowed the six-legged experts to reset their inner maps,catch their cookies and head in the right direction.
These ants seem to use sky clues,like the position of the sun,to keep them on track.When the researchers used a mirror to make it look like the sun on the other side of the sky,the cornered ants would turn tail for the opposite direction.
So ants integrate（整合）a lot of information to successfully bring home the food.
1.What does the word “maze” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
A. A nest that active ants live in.
B. An experiment that is done in the desert.
C. A method that helps to locate food.
D. A place that consists of confusing paths.
2.Why did some ants stop to look at the scenery?
A. To get over the man-made barriers.
B. To enjoy the scenery along the route.
C. To ensure they're in the right direction.
D. To check directions with their maps.
3.According to the passage,what probably helps the ants find their way home?
A. The position of the sun. B. One particular path.
C. A 90 degree turn. D. Pieces of a cookie.
4.Where does this passage probably come from?
A. An adventure novel. B. A geography textbook.
C. A science magazine. D. A tourist brochure.
Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl．She had one big ambition—to play the drums in a band．But one big problem lay in her way．To be good enough to play in a band，Brenda had to practice a lot，but she lived next-door to a lot of old people．Many of them are sick．She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves(神经)．So，she had tried playing in the strangest places：a basement，a kitchen，and even in a shower．But there was always someone it would annoy．
One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space，because there’s no air．At that moment，Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut．
With the help of a lot of time，books and work，Brenda built a space bubble(气泡)．This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit(成套设备)and a chair．Brenda got into the space suit she had made，entered the bubble，turned on the machine，and played those drums like a wild chlid.
It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos came very famous．Many people came to see her play in her space bubble．Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts．Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey．Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut，and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band．
Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this，she thought for a moment，and said：“If those old people next-door hadn’t mattered so much to me，I wouldn't have found a solution，and none of this would have ever happened．”
1.Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?
A. Because she didn't want others to hear her play．
B. Because she didn't like her neighbors．
C. Because she didn't have her own room．
D. Because she didn't mean to disturb others．
2.Brenda became famous because.
A. she was good at music and science
B. she became a real musical astronaut
C. she invented a special way of practice
D. she played well and had a talent
3.Which of the following can be used to describe Brenda most properly?
A. Kind，hardworking and creative．
B. Brave，kind and hardworking．
C. Lovely, brave and clever．
D. Nervous，kind and clever．
4.It can be inferred from the text that “”.
A. He laughs best who laughs last
B. One good turn deserves another
C. Two heads are better than one
D. It’s never too old to learn
