On a cold evening with snow floating in the air, I got 1.(stick) on the road because of a flat tire(轮胎). I attempted 2.(seek) help from the passing cars, but no one stopped. As I was about to give up hope, a man 3.(drive) an old dirty car came to my aid. To be honest, I was scared when he first approached me. Eying him up and down, I thought to myself, “There is a very good chance 4. he may rob me,” He seemed to have sensed my discomfort so he tried to ease my 5.(anxious) by introducing himself. His act of kindness made me feel ashamed to have questioned his intentions. 6.was really considerate of him to stop to help a perfect stranger like me, especially in such terrible weather. Thus, after the spare tire was fitted, I asked 7. much I owed him. I wanted to pay him back. 8.(surprising), he did not take my offer but rather told me to pass the act of kindness forward and help more people 9. need. As he said those words, I noticed him wearing a smile of contentment. Helping others seemed a very 10.（nature）thing to him. I witnessed the true beauty of human nature in him.
A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.
The conversation soon turned into complaints about _______ in work and life. To offer his_______ coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and _______ with a large pot of coffee and a _______ of cups---porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, some beautiful—telling them to _______ themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, “If you have _______all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up, _______ the plain and cheap ones. While it is _______ for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the _______ of your problems and stress.”
“Be assured that the cup itself __________ no quality to the coffee. __________ it is just more expensive and in some cases __________ hides what we drink.”
“__________ all of you really want is coffee, not the cup, __________ you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began __________ each other’s cups.”
Now consider this: __________ is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and ____________life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the __________ of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we __________ to enjoy the coffee. Value the coffee, not the cups! Don’t let the cups __________ you...enjoy the coffee instead.
1.A. stress B. dream C. sorrow D. truth
2.A. friends B. customers C. fellows D. guests
3.A. carried B. returned C. arrived D. reached
4.A. kind B. variety C. sort D. number
5.A. devote B. expose C. help D. absorb
6.A. searched B. witnessed C. noticed D. discovered
7.A. leaving behind B. leaving over C. falling about D. falling behind
8.A. strange B. normal C. wonderful D. important
9.A. purpose B. answer C. source D. result
10.A. takes B. links C. passes D. adds
11.A. At no time B. At all times C. In no case D. In most cases
12.A. ever B. even C. never D. hardly
13.A. What B. That C. Which D. Whether
14.A. but B. so C. and D. for
15.A. suspecting B. liking C. praising D. eyeing
16.A. Love B. Life C. Future D. Failure
17.A. contain B. create C. support D. own
18.A. quantity B. style C. quality D. standard
19.A. have B. manage C. plan D. fail
20.A. envy B. drive C. force D. assess
A hobby is an inverstment of time. It also can be an investment of money and commitment. Many people choose to developing more than one type of hobby. 1.When it comes to choosing the hobby, consider the following factors.
Hobbies are usually an activity of some sort that brings out a certain skill that you have. When you have a talent like painting or woodworking, it can be easy to determine which hobby suits your skill. 2. Skill can be developed and challenged as you go along. It is not a necessary requirement. A hobby is fitting because you love it, not because you’re a professional at it.
Some people particularly enjoy taking part in hobbies that they can do in a group with others. It can be a lot more fun to become a member of a hobby group than to sit alone in your basement. 3.It’s important to share interests and network with other hobby enthusiasts that do what you do.
Hobbies are generally an activity that you undertake because of the joy it brings you. Of course many people have discovered the joy that also comes with a hobby that earns you a living. 4.Just make sure you make the choice that fits your lifestyle and personal preference.
5. But most of the skilled hobbies like art, building or writing have a series of lessons or tutorials that you can take to further your skills. In some cases it’s a really good idea to take lessons, especially if you are clueless as to where or how to begin. Step by step books for most hobbies can often be found in bookstores as well.
A. However, hobbies don’t have to be skill related.
B. Most hobbies can easily be done within your own home, at your leisure.
C. Look one up or start your own.
D. Read hobby books to learn more about your chosen hobby!
E. Make a list of things that you enjoy or don’t know about.
F. It can be a necessary part of selecting the hobby that is right for you.
G. Whether it’s full time, part time or not at all, you must decide whether your hobby applies to you
Current Culture: Is Common Culture Alive?
The digitizing and globalizing world is changing the working of culture. As some see it, cities and nations are losing their common culture and their general spirit: people can no longer count on those around them valuing any of the same music or films. Others argue that a common culture is not dying so much as changing forms: it is less and less attached to a particular area and ever more linked to global networks.
The facts lead to the change that anyone can become a cultural producer today, that the culture is increasingly available everywhere you want it, and whenever you want it, not just in the two months after the movie or book came out. Cultural possibilities have multiplied as a result, but the change also means fewer cultural moments. It is easy to find the change in terms of loss of diversity of society. So what will it mean if globalization turns us into one wide world culture?
For the enthusiasts of these changes, culture is not about popular artists or books, but centers on platforms like Google and Wikipedia, where every variety of culture brings about the exchange of knowledge and ideas, and makes connections across boundaries. It is perhaps debatable whether two people who have participated in such websites, but in totally different corners of them, have had a cultural experience in common. In fact, these platforms become very successful with a large crowd of people, who build things together, share information, and forward articles back and forth. Here are still more questions. What does it mean for the future of countries that culture now goes beyond the limits of the nation? Is there anything to defend and preserve in the passing cultural world, or is that merely to favor pen over printing press, horse over automobile?
Up to now a growing quantity of culture has been globally spreading and developing. More individuals (个人) than ever have the chances to be makers of culture, even if that means more to choose from and fewer standards to be reached in common. What it means is this strange feeling: that of being more connected than ever, with one-click access to so much of the cultural harvest around the world, and yet, of being starved for having similar interests and opinions with others, concerned only with ourselves.
1.In Paragraph 1 the author indicates ______.
A. the missing of common culture
B. the cultural diversity among people
C. the disadvantage in the digitizing society
D. the double standard of cultural evaluation
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that ______.
A. people feel satisfied with the current culture
B. enthusiasts look for current culture from famous artists
C. disappearance of common culture is a problem to be solved
D. common culture may exit into websites that connect the world
3.According to the author, the increase of cultural possibilities can be caused by ______.
A. agreement with common culture
B. individuals as cultural producers
C. popular artists and books available
D. a reduction in development of culture
4.What is the author’s attitude towards current culture?
A. Uninterested.
B. Approving.
C. Uncertain.
D. Critical.
If you want to convince the boss you deserve a pay rise or promotion, the solution could be simple—eat the same food as they do. Psychologists have discovered managers are much more likely to instantly trust us if we choose the same dishes as them.
During experiments, discussions over wages and work conditions were much more successful if both sides chose to snack on the same treats. And shoppers were much more likely to buy a product advertised on TV by someone eating a similar food to them at the time.
The reason is thought to be so-called similarity attraction theory — where people tend to like others who have similar tastes or habits to themselves. But this is believed to be one of the first studies highlighting the role of food in this relationship. Researchers at Chicago University in the US conducted a series of experiments to examine food’s role in earning trust.
In a test, participants were told to watch TV — where someone pretending to be a member of the public praised a certain product. The volunteers were given Kit Kat(巧克力) bars to nibble（轻咬）, while the TV people ate either a Kit Kat or grapes as they talked.
The results showed viewers were much more likely to express an interest in buying the product if the TV showed the other person eating a Kit Kat too.
The researchers added, ―Although similarity in food consumption is not a sign of whether two people will get along, we find consumers treat this as such. They feel more trusting of those who consume as they do. It means people can immediately begin to feel friendship and develop a bond, leading to smoother transactions from the start.
Harley Street psychologist Dr Lucy Atcheson said it was already known that wearing similar clothes could instantly create trust. But this was the first report that food had the same effect. She said, ―This is really interesting. It makes sense as people feel they have common ground and can trust the other person. That means negotiations are more likely to be successful.
1.According to the passage, customers are likely to buy a product from a dealer who ________.
A. has the same taste as them
B. advertises his products on TV
C. reduces the price of his products
D. pays attention to the quality of his products
2.The experiments conducted by researchers at Chicago University show that ________.
A. food plays an important role in earning people’s trust
B. bosses like employees that have the same taste as them
C. people who have similar tastes to their boss’s earn more
D. people have less interest in buying products advertised on TV
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. People who eat similar food are more likely to trust each other.
B. People will get along with each other if they like to eat similar things.
C. The effect of wearing similar clothes hasn’t been proved by researchers.
D. People are more likely to make friends with those wearing the same clothes as them.
4.Which of the following sayings can be an example of the similarity attraction theory?
A. Honesty is the best policy.
B. All good things come to an end.
C. Birds of a feather flock together.
D. Where there is a will, there is a way.
“I like photography because it captures amazing things that you might not see again,” Timmy Walsh says. He takes pictures of flowers, sunsets and road signs. But those photos don’t usually end up in a scrapbook(剪贴簿) or on his bedroom walls.
When Timmy was five, he found out that his aunt Bev had lung cancer. He wanted to do something to help her. His first idea was to sell his photos from a lemonade--type stand in front of his house in Pennsylvania. “My mom said it wouldn’t work because we were not on a busy street,” Timmy explains.
His next idea was to have an art show. Timmy decorated his home with candles, flowers, and white lights. Then he arranged his photos. Timmy’s mom, Sheila, remembers: “Our dining-room table was filled, the living room—everything was filled with photos.” Friends, family, and Timmy’s teachers came to the show. He raised more than $300 for cancer research that night. Aunt Bev was “very happy and excited,” he says.
After a local newspaper wrote a story about Timmy’s photos, a volunteer offered to help him set up a website. As people learned about his cause, called Camera for a Cure, Timmy began receiving invitations to sell his pictures at art galleries and fund-raisers. Since then, his work has appeared in more than 20 shows.
When Timmy is at a show, he greets each customer and talks about what he was thinking when he took his photos. And he always shares facts about lung cancer. Sometimes donations and sales are slow, but that doesn’t bother him. “It doesn’t matter how much money we made because we just raised awareness,” he says. Timmy knows that finding a cure for lung cancer will take time and effort. So Timmy will keep doing his part by shooting and selling photos of the things he sees.
1.Before Timmy started Camera for a Cure, he ________.
A. always sold lemonade in front of his house.
B. liked making scrapbooks by using his photos.
C. had developed a deep interest in photography.
D. had been providing photos for a local newspaper.
2.What can we learn about the art show Timmy held at his home?
A. It was generally popular.
B. It cost $300 to organize it.
C. It was funded by Aunt Bev.
D. It was advertised on a website.
3.For Timmy, what’s the benefit of selling his photos at art galleries?
A. Raising money more quickly.
B. Improving his photographic skills
C. Exchanging ideas with other artists.
D. Increasing public awareness of lung cancer.
4.Which of the following can best describe Timmy?
A. Proud and confident.
B. Imaginative but cautious.
C. Generous but self-centered.
D. Determined and warm-hearted.
