What do photography and foster（收养的）care have in common? Apparently a lot. Jennifer Loomis, an experienced local photographer, and her husband were a childless couple, so they were considering ______ a kid. As part of their ______ , they went online and visited sites containing________of children up for adoption.________, the photos didn't really express the children. To Loomis' artful eye, they ______ to let people know who the children truly were. Loomis then contacted Northwest Adoption Exchange and________a free photo shoot（专业摄影） to help_______children show better pictures of them to adoptive parents. The_______readily agreed.
One child who ______ the photo shoot was Deon, a lonely child who had bounced around the foster system. With Loomis' great ______ , a new and more handsome Deon was photographed. And this had a(n) ____ effect! Soon prospective parents Joanna Church and Sean Vaillancourt saw Deon's new photo on the website and were attracted by the boy with bright, happy eyes (They had previously seen his old photo, but got no ______ impression of him). Contact was made, he was________their home.
Now Church and Vaillancourt have become Deon's parents. The ______ was a godsend（天赐之物）to Deon. He had been in mid out of various foster homes since the age of 5, and was losing ______. At age 18, children no longer qualify for foster care and must begin to ______ themselves. This is a bitter reality for a child at age 16, ______ one who has never really found ______ from a home.
Deon is now paired with a loving family simply _____ Jennifer Loomis took a better photo of him. She has completely changed Deon's ______ and that of his adoptive parents.
"When you give someone a chance," Deon said, "you are basically saving a life.”
1.A. photographing B. interviewing C. adopting D. sponsoring
2.A. study B. treatment C. search D. design
3.A. images B. plans C. stories D. ideas
4.A. However B. Therefore C. Besides D. Otherwise
5.A. managed B. failed C. decided D. tried
6.A. required B. accepted C. offered D. allowed
7.A. curious B. lonely C. Happy D. willing
8.A. team B. couple C. government D. organization
9.A. attended B. helped C. refused D. learned
10.A. concerns B. skills C. abilities D. courage
11.A. permanent B. immediate C. positive D. adverse
12.A. unique B. first C. clear D. new
13.A. taken for B. called at C. brought into D. carried away
14.A. match B. performance C. practice D. struggle
15.A. hope B. opportunity C. energy D. interest
16.A. teach B. support C. control D. trust
17.A. usually B. particularly C. specially D. definitely
18.A. freedom B. happiness C. answers D. chances
19.A. though B. unless C. but D. because
20.A. attitude B. manner C. behavior D. life
The job interview is an important part of your job search because it's an opportunity for the employer to figure out if you're right for the job. The following tips may help you prepare for your job interview.
●Dress for success. Professional business clothes are always appropriate, regardless of the type of job you are applying for.
●Be there on time. Try to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early to be safe. Find out ahead of time where you're going and how long it will take you to get there. Drive or travel the route a day or two ahead, at the same time of day as you will on the day of the interview. 1. Have a backup（备用）plan.
●Let your personality shine. If you're excited about the job, don't be afraid to show it. Employers want passionate employees, so be yourself.
●Be confident. 2. But just don't let your nerves overpower your interview. Eye contact and a calm, clear speaking voice are excellent ways to show your confidence.
●Watch your body language. During your interview, relax and sit naturally, but don't slouch（没精打采地坐）in your chair or lean on the interviewer’s desk.
●Be polite. 3. Remember, this is your first introduction to the organization, so be polite to everyone you meet and turn off your cell phone.
●Listen and ask for clarification（阐明）, if you need it. Remember to listen carefully to the interview questions so that you can actually answer the questions, and never interrupt. 4.
●Let them know what you have to offer. When answering the questions, let the employer see what you have to offer to his organization. Talk about your past. experiences and achievements honestly, and tie those experiences to how they can help you contribute to his organization.
●5. Although you want to be open and honest in your interview, avoid talking about your personal or financial problems.
A. Think before you speak.
B. Confirm how often the buses run.
C. This begins with a smile and a firm handshake.
D. If you believe in yourself, you will surely succeed.
E. Feeling nervous in an interview is perfectly normal.
F. Make sure you have enough to answer the questions.
G. If you don't understand something, just ask for explanation.
If your parents were to surprise you with a present on your birthday, which one would you prefer, a trip to the amusement park or a new pair of shoes?
According to Science Daily, about one-third of the people are likely to prefer shoes to a fun trip. These people are called "materialists", namely, those who value material goods more than experiences. But which of the two choices makes people happier?
Back in 2009, Ryan Howell, a professor at San Francisco State University, found that in the long run, experiences make people happier than possessions. This is because the joy of receiving a new object fades over time as you get used to seeing it every day. Experiences, on the other hand, can continue to bring you joy in the future through happy memories.
But materialists should at least be happy when they first buy something, shouldn't they?
To figure it out, Howell did another study. He classified a group of adults according to their personality types, ranging from less materialistic to more materialistic. Each person was asked different questions to see how they felt about spending money on material goods versus spending money on experiences.
As expected, the more materialistic participants got less happiness from purchases than the less materialistic, because such purchases didn't fit with their personalities and values. But to Howell's surprise, he found that materialists weren't any happier even if they spent money on material items.
This is because materialists worry that others may criticize or look clown on their choices. "There are certain value systems that are rejected by society," said Howell. "When we find out someone is materialistic, we think less of them, and that drives their happiness down.”
Another reason is that materialistic people always focus on what they don't have instead of what they have now. This makes them feel less satisfied and grateful.
If you happen to be a materialistic person, there's something you can try. "If materialists make more accurate purchases, rather than trying to impress others, they will be happier, “Howell said.
You should also remember what an ancient Greek philosopher once said, “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."
1.What did Ryan Howell find in his studies?
A. Material goods bring people less happiness than experiences.
B. About one-third of the people prefer material goods to experiences.
C. Materialists have more fun spending money on goods than on experiences.
D. Receiving a new object brings lasting joy while the joy of an experience fades soon.
2.What did Ryan Howell want to find out by doing another study?
A. How to judge whether a person is a materialist.
B. Why materialists are not happy with their purchases.
C. How materialists feel when they spend money on goods.
D. Whether materialists are happy when they first make purchases.
3.Why does the author use the ancient Greek philosopher's words in the last paragraph?
A. To advise materialistic people not to try to impress others.
B. To persuade people to be satisfied with what they have.
C. To prove it's unwise to be materialistic and desire too much.
D. To tell readers what they desire now might one day become theirs.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Are You a Materialist?
B. How To Acquire Happiness?
C. The Best Present For the Birthday
D. Which Can Make People Happier?
When Tom Szaky sees a juice container thrown away, he doesn't see rubbish, but he sees a pencil case. Sweet wrappers? A beautiful kite! But these are not the imaginings of a dreamer. For the 28-year-old CEO of Trenton, New Jersey-based TerraCycle, they’re a business model.
The fast-talking Szaky is leading the new industry of upcycling（升级改造）. Instead of recycling (shredding or breaking down materials and enabling them to be reproduced as other products), TerraCycle takes packaging headed for landfills（废物填埋地）and reuses it - more or less whole. TerraCycle’s 85 employees make nearly 200 products, sold at shops such as Petco, Kmart, Whole Foods Market, and Target.
Szaky’s $7.4 million company, now also moving ahead in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Brazil, is quite different from the business he founded with classmate Jon Beyer in 2002 as a freshman at Princeton University. The two entered a business competition with a plan to sell organic plant fertilizers made from worm waste. They lost the competition, but started the business anyway.
With their goal - to make products entirely out of rubbish - suddenly clear, Szaky knew the time was right to drop out of Princeton.
TerraCycle’s first product used dining-hall waste to feed the worms and thrown-away bottles to package the fertilizer. The result: a cheap, green breakthrough. Word spread, and in 2004, Home Depot began carrying the fertilizer in its Canadian stores.
To Szaky, waste does not exist in nature. TerraCycle is a “second chance” employer of, say, a piece of furniture, an ice-cream container. As Szaky points out, “The biggest problem with most green, fair-trade, and organic products is that they tend to cost more. At TerraCycle, everything is made from rubbish, and rubbish is free. People should be able to protect the planet without having to pay a cost for that right.”
1.What is Tom Szaky now?
A. The CEO of TerraCycle. B. An employee of Home Depot.
C. A student at Princeton University D. The manager of a food company.
2.How did Szaky get the idea of upcycling?
A. From his visits to foreign companies.
B. From his studies at Princeton University.
C. Through shopping at big stores in America.
D. Through the experience of a business competition.
3.What is the goal of TerraCycle?
A. To make cheap and green products.
B. To recycle waste materials in another way.
C. To make products completely out of rubbish.
D. To change worm waste into organic plant fertilizers.
4.What is the advantage of upcycling according to Szaky?
A. The cost is kept rather low. B. More materials are available.
C. It has a large promising market D. Its products are environmentally friendly.
Last weekend I visited Rome for the first time. I spent three busy days in the Italian capital, seeing lots of tourist attractions and walking down streets lit with Christmas decorations. There are a lot of things I love about the city.
Rome is one of the most ancient cities in the world and is full of wonderful relics（遗迹）from its distant past. These monuments include the Roman Forum and the vast Coliseum where gladiators used to fight each other until death and hunt animals coming from another country. The ruins of buildings and temples are fascinating: you can't quite believe how old they are.
I studied the masterpieces of the Renaissance period at university and was very excited to see them in real life. I walked around the museum in Vatican City and saw plenty of famous sculptures（雕塑）. The best part of the visit was, without doubt, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted in the early 16th century by the great Michelangelo. It was so breathtaking that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it.
In Rome, there is a lot of food on offer for tourists but some of it isn’t very good quality. I made an effort to find authentic restaurants to taste the popular meals of the region, like pasta with tomato, onion and bacon. I also loved eating ice cream and hot chocolate under the Christmas lights.
Rome has not only lots of luxury boutiques（精品店）but also plenty of shops that were more in my price range! It was a perfect opportunity to go and buy presents for my family and friends. There was also a Christmas market, where I bought a sparkly decoration for the tree.
1.The underlined word “gladiators” in the 2nd paragraph probably means “_____”.
A. athletes B. butchers
C. invaders D. fighters
2.The author found the ruins of buildings and temples fascinating because _____.
A. they represent Rome's religion
B. they are relics from Rome's distant past
C. you can't help wondering how old they are
D. they include the Roman Forum and the vast Coliseum
3.What is mainly discussed in the 3rd paragraph?
A. The great museums of Italy.
B. The sculptures in Rome.
C. Art-related activities during the visit.
D. The achievements of the Renaissance period in Italy.
4.When visiting Rome, you should be careful in choosing ______.
A. the attractions B. the food
C. the hotels D. the luxury boutiques
When Joshua Blue, a head teacher at the Kennedy, hosts a lecture for his students, he wears a light violet-colored tie. "You don't want so many bright colors that the kids will get distracted," said Blue. Colors give off very specific signals, and different tie colors stand for very different impacts. Wondering what color tie to wear to your next meeting? Here's how to choose the perfect color tie for every occasion:
All powerful reds
It's not a coincidence（巧合）that many politicians wear red-colored ties with light shirts and darker suits. "Red is the powerful color," said Mark Woodman, a trend analyst who studies color in Laurel, Maryland. "There’s something about red that always comes back to strength and passion.” But the tone of your reds matters, too. Darker reds can help build trust, while lighter red and pink ties can be more of a statement about your personal style and be associated with creativity. When you want to convey a sense of ambition, consider a shiny red.
Royal purples
Ross Znavor, an executive in financial services in New York, wears purple ties rather than red to business meetings because the color shows a bit of self-confidence and helps him create lasting first impressions. Purple, traditionally a sign of royalty and wealth is becoming more acceptable in the workplace.
Black affairs
"While you might not wear them to meetings on a regular basis, wearing black ties to a cocktail party or even a dinner is unique and attractive," said Zyla. But remember: the formal black color can feel aggressive in many situations. "Avoid it if you are a green-hand at work," Zyla said.
Right blues
Afraid of sending the wrong message with your tie color? Consider blue as the all-purpose tie. Blue ties are a good investment because the color reminds people of the sky and ocean. "Blue is the safest color to wear," Lindsay said.
1.Why do many politicians prefer red-colored ties?
A. Because they often wear light shirts and darker suits.
B. Because they want to get promoted.
C. Because red is related to strength and passion.
D. Because red gets their message across easily.
2.Who will probably choose the purple ties?
A. Politicians. B. Businessmen.
C. Artists. D. Head teachers.
3.What color tie will you consider if you are a green-hand at work?
A. Red. B. Purple.
C. Black. D. Blue.
