Travelling around the Sydney district is a wonderful experience.
The sightseeing options are1.(end), but most travelers begin on the harbor at the Sydney Opera House. Known as one of the wonders of the world, it is 2.photographer’s dream.
There is a huge 3.(choose) of accommodations available in the city and its surrounding area. Darling Harbor is famous for its restaurants and four-star hotels. Under the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge is the Rocks shopping district, which 4.(call) “the heaven of shoppers”. You can spend at least a half day5. (wander) through the alleys and side streets to take6.everything the shops offer. On the other side of harbor 7.(lie) another must-visit spot, the Taronge Park Zoo. With an exciting collection of native animals, including lions and giraffes,8.is rare to find a zoo with a view of Darling Harbor and the city skyline.
The Royal Botanic Garden is within walking distance of the Opera House, and is an absolutely perfect place for a picnic lunch. After lunch, take a walk to Sydney Tower, 9.you can get 360-degree10.(forget) views of the city.
1.Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and is s________(位于)on the northeast coast.
2.It o__________(想到)to me that we could go there more often.
3.Young as he is, his s_______(力量，力气)is great.
4.Boys and girls are e__________(平等的), and thus they should be treated fairly.
5.We must use our l________________(有限的)time to finish this task.
6.If it is c____________(方便的)to you, please buy me some stamps on your way home.
7.Climate v_______________(变化)from region to region.
8.After g_____________(毕业),he set up his own computer company.
9.It was meaningless to f_____________(禁止)children to play in the park.
10.They c_________________(声称)the noise from the new airport disturbed their lives.
How to make Quick Decisions For Your Life
We make decisions every day.1.When it comes to making decisions, choosing the right one can at times be stressful, especially if the decision must be made quickly. Indecision often weighs us down, but there are some useful tips for making quick decisions more easily.
2.Sometimes the key to making a quick decision comes down to planning ahead of time for just such an occasion. We all know we’re going to come to an important decision-making point sooner or later, so having a plan already in hand can put our mind at ease when that time comes.
Overcome fear. 3.While it may seem difficult to overcome the fear of making the wrong choice, many experts agree that we shouldn’t be afraid to make the wrong decision, even if it seems important. The vast majority of wrong decisions can be corrected, while delaying decisions can often lead to more problems.
Write down all the advantages and disadvantages of your decision. Even if you don’t have all the information, writing down all the pros and cons（优缺点） is a good starting point for figuring out what to do. In cases where there simply isn’t enough time to write things down, make a mental list in your mind. Thinking of the pros and cons can help you organize your thoughts. 4.
Determine criteria. Remember that every decision you make should come with a certain list of criteria.5.But once you know the requirements you’re looking for, making a decision will become easier. Look for the choice that satisfies the list you’ve made, and once that choice is found, you should move ahead with it.
A. Have a plan.
B. The list may be short or quite long.
C. Communicate your decision with others.
D. And this can always lead to a clear answer.
E. So cut out any options that you know you will not choose.
F. Often, one thing that keeps us from making decisions is fear.
G. Some can be very important while others are not serious in the long run.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the St. Louis Outlet Mall is expanding its restrictions on unaccompanied teenagers. In 2006, a parental-escort (陪同)policy was established: on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 6 p.m., anyone under 17 that isn’t accompanied by a guardian who is at least 21 years old will be kicked out of the mall. It was around this time that other malls around the U.S. likewise banned unaccompanied teens during certain evening hours.
Starting from this Friday, the St. Louis Outlet Mall is pushing its parental-escort rule back to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Similarly, the Mall of America expanded its parental-escort policy during the recent holiday shopping season. Normally, the policy bans kids under 16 without guardians(监护人) from 4 p.m. until closing time just on Fridays and Saturdays. But because of a fight in the mall involving dozens of young people that took place on Dec. 18, 2012---- a weekday, the policy was broadened to include peak 2013 holiday shopping hours, including Thanksgiving Day and all of the Christmas week.
Teen disturbances in other malls may cause more shopping centers to introduce or expand parental-escort policies. The Indianapolis Star noted that two incidents in 2013 in area shopping centers raised the possibility that Indianapolis malls might need to consider banning unaccompanied teenagers.
Obviously, such bans are aimed at stopping violence and other outbursts involving teenagers. More importantly, from a purely business perspective, these bans aim to attract shoppers who might otherwise be hesitant to go to the mall because of concerns about violence and outbursts involving teenagers. The restrictions allow mall security officers to systematically kick out a group of people that are considered to be loud, thuggish and bad for business overall. But they attract much criticism from online communities. Some argue that teens have the right to shop without a guardian. “Not all teens are disrespectful and troublemakers,” Pamela Chapman wrote. “In fact, it’s been my experience that most are good kids.”
Again, the biggest influence on stricter mall policies for teens seems to be that they’re just plain good for business. Malls reported strong sales growth after they first carried out the policies six years ago. “We’ve had some success with the parental-escort policy, and families like shopping out here together,” the manager of the St. Louis Outlet Mall told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . If there’s one rule in retail, it’s this---- if a small initiative proves successful in boosting sales, then it’s all but guaranteed that a larger initiative will follow.
1.What made malls restrict unaccompanied teenagers?
A. Teenagers’ disturbances.
B. Teenagers’ safety.
C. Limited holiday shopping hours.
D. Teenagers’ potential purchasing power.
2.What might be Pamela Chapman’s attitude towards the parental-escort policy?
A. Unconcerned. B. Skeptical.
C. Opposed. D. Positive.
3.The manager of the St. Louis Outlet Mall seemed to believe the parental-escort policy ______.
A. was temporary B. helped increase sales
C. was unfair to teenagers D. discouraged some families
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Violent incidents happening in St. Louis.
B. Malls’ bans on unaccompanied teens.
C. Security measures at American malls.
D. Parents’ duty to protect teenagers.
People these days always complain how they suffer stress from their daily life. With drugs widely available in the market today, it is still advisable that we consume the best kind of medicine for our body, that is natural drugs.
One of the natural resources for a relaxation drug is the Valerian Root Extract. Scientifically known as Valeriana Officinalis, this plant is a flowering type with heads of pink and white flowers mostly blooming in the summer months. Native in Europe and in small parts of Asia, the plant became popular worldwide because of its sweet scent and unique health benefits.
Past research suggests that the valerian root has healing characteristics that focus on the neurotransmitter of the brain, which makes the brain cells function well. Other researches about this herb suggest that it can keep a person free of anxiety. Although there are various types of valerian root products in the market today, modern medical studies have concluded that further research has to be taken into consideration before acknowledging the so-called benefits of Valerian Root Extracts.
One sample of the so-called benefits is the treatment for anxiety disorder called “social anxiety disorder” or SAD. The benefit has insufficient evidence to support its claim as an alternative relief for anxiety. However, many patients said that they felt improvements on their nervous conditions, stress and overall mental ability.
Valerian Root Extract can be acquired as a tea, tablet, or liquid extract. It is recommended that you consult your physician about this herbal plant if it can really benefit your health.
1.What does the author intend to do in the passage
A. To tell readers how to reduce stress.
B. To introduce a natural anxiety treatment.
C. To analyze the benefits of plants.
D. To advertise for the new product.
2.What do we know about Valeriana Officinalis?
A. It is also called Valerian Root Extract.
B. It is blooming all the year around.
C. It is only grown in European countries.
D. It is well received for its health benefits.
3.The underlined word “insufficient” in the passage means ______.
A. too much B. pretty plentiful
C. not enough D. well tested
The next time you get caught jumping on your bed you can tell your parents with a straight face that you are not playing, simply getting ready got a promising career in “Mattress Jumping”. Believe it or not, there are some people who actually get paid to do that! According to Reuben Reynoso, a professional mattress tester at San Francisco’s McRoskey Mattress Factory that still makes every mattress by hand, it is real work and needs some training. For a start, it’s not all about jumping to new heights or doing tricks like professional athletes, but rather about feeling each area of the mattress carefully to detect the filling. In order to do it right, every bit of the mattress has to be tested slowly and deliberately.
Over the years, Reynoso has figured out the perfect routine. He begins by placing a protective mat over the mattress so that it doesn’t get dirty or absorb the smell from his feet. Then begins the fun---he steps to the middle of an edge and then takes five steps back and five steps forward. In this way, he slowly but surely, covers the entire surface. The key according to him is to find the perfect number of jumps---Too many and he will end up destroying the mattress completely. Too few And it will not fit into the giant machine for that final sewing! Who knew a job that sounds so simple could have so many skills!
While Reuben will not reveal how he got into this profession, he will admit that it is more fun than being a carpenter, roofer, construction worker and railroad engineer---all jobs he has tried previous to finding his true profession!
1.We learn from the text that the McRoskey Mattress Factory ______.
A. is the world’s oldest mattress factory
B. make mattresses for sports
C. produces mattresses by hand
D. hires athletes as mattress testers
2.The protective mat is used to ______.
A. prevent the tester getting hurt
B. keep the mattress as clean as possible
C. protect the mattress from being destroyed
D. make the mattress fit into the sewing machine
3.According to Reynoso, the most important thing in his work is ______.
A. the timing of his jumps B. the height of his jumps
C. the number of his jumps D. the frequency of his jumps
4.We can learn from the text that Reynoso ______.
A. has been injured several times in his work
B. liked mattress jumping in his childhood
C. didn’t choose mattress testing as his first job
D. dreamt about becoming a jumping athlete
