From the window of my room, I could see tall cotton-rose hibiscus（木棉树）. In spring, when green leaves were half ________ in mist, the tree looked very attractive, ________ with red flowers. This inspiring neighbor of mine often ________ my mind working. I regarded it as my best friend ________.
However, when I opened the window one morning, to my amazement, the tree was almost ________ beyond recognition as a result of the storm ________ the night before. I was seized with a sudden sorrow at the thought “all the flowers are to fall”. I could not help ________ with emotion: the course of life never runs ________, for there are so many ups and downs ________ twists and turns. The process of my life saw my beloved friends parting one after another. Isn’t it ________ to the flowers falling off the tree in the wind?
This event ________ from my memory as time went by. One day after I came home, I found the room hard to breathe in and opened the window ________. Something outside caught my ________ and impressed me. It was plum tree（李树）with flowers ________ beautifully by the sunset. The surprise discovery filled me with pleasure. I wondered ________ I had no idea of some tough life restarting over the fallen petals（花瓣）when I felt sorry for the hibiscus.
When the last petal ________, all the admiration for the hibiscus disappeared as if nothing was left, until the landscape was again decorated with the red plum flowers to ________ people of life’s alternation and continuity. Can't it be said that life is actually a symphony, a harmonious ________ of loss and gain.
Standing by the window lost in thought for a long time, I realized that no scenery in the world remains ________ As long as you keep your heart bathed in the sun, every dawn will present a fine start for you and the world will always be about ________ hopes.
1.A. buried B. placed C. hidden D. trapped
2.A. covered B. surrounded C. dotted D. marked
3.A. set B. prevented C. observed D. bore
4.A. regularly B. gradually C. narrowly D. generally
5.A. blank B. vacant C. bare D. empty
6.A. effect B. damage C. fault D. feast
7.A. teasing B. yelling C. swearing D. sighing
8.A. lucky B. smooth C. simple D. cozy
9.A. as well as B. rather than C. as many as D. regardless of
10.A. due B. contrary C. similar D. familiar
11.A. sank B. faded C. matured D. quit
12.A. casually B. actively C. merely D. fiercely
13.A. soul B. nose C. eye D. mind
14.A. set off B. set up C. put up D. put off
15.A. when B. if C. how D. why
16.A. slipped B. quit C. dropped D. broke
17.A. rid B. warn C. convince D. remind
18.A. composition B. dilemma C. division D. conflict
19.A. unlimited B. unspoiled C. unchanged D. unexpected
20.A. fresh B. practical C. previous D. vain
Lifestyle changes are a process that takes time and requires support. Here are five tips from the American Psychological Association to help you make lasting, positive lifestyle and behavior changes.
Make a plan that will stick.
Your plan is a map that will guide you on this journey of change. 1. Want to exercise more? Detail the time of day when you can take walks and how long you’ll walk. Write anything down, and ask yourself if you’re confident that these activities and goals are realistic for you.
Start small.
After you’ve identified realistic short-term and long-term goals，break down your goals into small，manageable steps that can be measured. If your long-term goal is to lose 20 pounds within the next five months, a good weekly goal would be to lose one pound a week. 2.
Change one behavior at a time.
Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time, so replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Many people run into problems when they try to change too much or too fast. 3.
4.
Whether it is a friend, co-worker or family member，someone else on your journey will keep and motivated and accountable. Perhaps it can be someone who will go to the gym with you or someone who is also trying to stop smoking.
Ask for support.
Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your commitment. If you feel unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking help from psychologists.
Making changes takes time and commitment, but you can do it. 5. Minor missteps on the road to your goals are normal and okay. Resolve to recover and get back on track.
A. When making your plan, be specific.
B. Just keep it in mind that no one is perfect.
C. Find a partner.
D. Communicating with your friends.
E. Careful planning means setting small goals and taking one step at a time.
F. To improve your success, focus on one goal or change at a time.
G. By taking steps gradually you’ll feel successful in meeting your goal.
Supermarket shelves are filled with plant-based alternatives to cow milk, including soy, nut, and coconut milk. These products are popular with consumers who cannot drink cows’ milk for health reasons, as well as with those concerned about animal welfare and environmental sustainability. While the dairy-free（非乳制的）options work well with cereal or in coffee, they fail miserably when it comes to making milk-based products like cheese or yogurt. However, these shortcomings may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new company in California, which has figured out how to create animal-free milk in a laboratory!
Perumal Gandhi and Ryan Pandya founded the company in 2014 after becoming increasingly annoyed with the lack of cows’ milk-free alternatives, particularly for cheese. For Gandhi, who stopped consuming animal products five years earlier due to environmental and animal welfare concerns, the motivation to create a better alternative stemmed from his love of cheesy pizza. Pandya was spurred into taking action after being forced to eat some “really bad” dairy-free cream cheese on his sandwich
The two MIT biomedical engineering scientists decided to join forces to create a more realistic alternative to dairy-based products. In their university lab, the pair spent nine months first isolating cow DNA then inserting it into yeast（酵母）. This genetic modification enabled the yeast to produce the necessary milk proteins. The final step of the process involved mixing the proteins with some plant nutrients and fats.
The dairy-free milk not only tastes like the real thing but is also healthier, has a longer shelf life and, most important of friendly. According to the company’s website, when compared to conventional milk production, their process uses 65% less energy, creates 84%o less greenhouse gas emissions and requires 91% less land and an amazing 98% less water. Best of all since it contains real milk proteins, the product behaves like the cow-produced version, which means vegetarian consumers will no longer have to deal with soggy cheese on their sandwiches and pizzas.
The company plans to bring their creation to market later this year and their first product will most likely be cheese since there are already numerous good cows’ milk alternatives available to consumers.
1.The underlined word “those” in paragraph 1 refers to ________.
A. alternatives B. products
C. people D. reasons
2.The company s founders were motivated to make the new product because of ________.
A. their deep concern for the environment
B. the poor taste of dairy-free cheese presently available
C. the over-consumption of the dairy-based products
D. their worry that farm animals were poorly treated
3.What can be inferred from paragraph 4?
A. Cow farming causes considerable environmental damage.
B. The new products will taste better than dairy-based ones.
C. The dairy-free products cannot be stored for a long time.
D. The dairy-free milk will be more expensive than cow’s milk.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Healthier Cheese
B. New Milk Saves Planet
C. Making Milk without Cows
D. Fresher Milk，Better Future
The belief that new technologies are causing the death of work is the idea that never goes away. Despite evidence to the contrary, we still view technological change today as being more rapid and dramatic in its consequences for work than ever before. But this is nothing new. People have always viewed the technological changes that take place during their lives the most dramatic and dangerous that ever happened in history.
In the 1930s, the British economist（经济学家）John Maynard Keynes predicted the widespread use of electricity would produce a world where people spend most of their time doing nothing. In the United States during the 1960s, the government repeatedly investigates fears that automatic machines would permanently reduce the amount of work available, In 1988, one Australian historian claimed that at least a quarter of the workforce would be without jobs within 10 years because of computers.
Of course, none of these disasters came to pass in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, or anywhere else.
Yet today, we are seeing the return of these predictions, with some experts claiming the world of work once more undergoing radical and unprecedented change. They argue that robots and other workplace technologies are causing a reduction in the total amount of work available, or are bringing a more rapid pace substitution of machines for humans has been seen previously.
But there is a little evidence to support such beliefs, Statistics show that the percentage of people in work, the number of hours they work, and how frequently they change jobs have remained remarkably constant over the past 20 years.
This stability should not come as a surprise, There are good reasons why we should not expect new technologies to cause the death of work. New technologies always cause job losses, but that is only part of the story. What also needs to be understood is how they increase the amount of work available.
One way this happens is through the increases in incomes that accompany the use of new technologies. With the introduction of these technologies, good and services can be produced faster, which results in higher real incomes for workers. Higher incomes then increase demand for other products and consequently more workers are needed to make them. Additionally, while new technologies are likely to substitute for some types of workers, they will also increase demand for other types of workers, especially those with higher level skills and expertise.
So, the end of work is no closer today than at any time in the past. But there is still a need to keep disproving the prediction, to reduce people’s fears.
1.What is the function of the second paragraph?
A. To explain the importance of developing new technology.
B. To give historical examples of unnecessary fear about new technology.
C. To argue that technological dangers are becoming more serious.
D. To show how technology affected employment in the past.
2.How can employment statistics over the past 20 years best be described?
A. Confusing B. Reliable
C. Stable D. Variable
3.According to paragraph 7, why does demand for products often increase after new technology is introduced?
A. Productivity improvements help raise workers’ salaries.
B. There is more demand for new skills in the economy.
C. There are more goods for people to choose from.
D. Higher quality goods at lower prices encourage consumption.
4.What is the author's opinion about the introduction of new technology?
A. It does not have an effect on most people’s jobs.
B. Its danger to peoples employment possibilities is overstated.
C. It usually leads to a significant increase in employment.
D. Its benefits are usually not worth the introduction.
At first sight, Alma Deutscher, a twelve-year-old girl from England appears to be like any other typical pre-teen. She loves to skip rope, read and play with her younger sister. But this modest youngster, who composed her first musical work at age six, first short opera at age seven, and first full-length opera based on Cinderella at age ten, is anything but average. Though her parents downplay her extraordinary talent, young Alma is being described as “little Mozart” by the music world
Alma's operatic take on the classic fairy tale, which she began writing at age eight, has a slight twist. Her Cinderella is a musician who meets her Prince Charming through a song. “In my Cinderella, she sings the beginning of a ballad --- but at midnight she flees. Eventually, the prince finds her after asking all the maidens of the land to sing the end of the ballad.”
The opera was first performed in Vienna, Australia on December 29, 2016, where the then eleven-year-old skillfully switched between the piano and the violin and receives enthusiastic reviews. The young genius has since performed two new piano works, once in Australia and the other in China.
While this may appear to be a lot for someone so young, Alma is not worried. She says, “of course I have to work hard. But all children have to work hard for exams, and at least when I work hard, I work hard for something incredibly exciting, like seeing my whole opera put on stage.
Alma's musical talent first came to light before she could even talk. Her parents recall that as an 18-month-old toddler, she was able to hum a pitch perfect version of the children’s rhyme
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
However, Alma’s abilities only gained international attention in 2012, after a family friend posted a video online comparing her to Mozart. The family was suddenly swamped with media requested and Alma became an overnight star, dubbed “little Mozart”. This nickname makes her parents unhappy because they believe it puts added pressure on the young girl. They would instead prefer her to be called “a composer and musician”.
Alma does not want to be compared to the famous artist either, saying, “There was only one Mozart, and I prefer to be little Alma.” Regardless of what she calls herself, the twelve-year-old is changing the world of music forever!
1.What do we know about Alma Deutscher?
A. She has shown great musical talent from a young age.
B. She comes from a famous musical family.
C. She regularly performs the classical music of Mozart.
D. She has adapted some famous works of classical music.
2.How did Alma get to be widely known?
A. By performing on television
B. Through an online video
C. By putting on an opera
D. Through her parents’ promotion
3.What is Alma’s attitude towards her success?
A. She is still unsatisfied with her performance.
B. She is modest about her musical achievements
C. She is uncomfortable with so much pressure.
D. She is proud to have become a professional musician.
4.What can we infer about Alma’s parents?
A. They are very well-educated people.
B. They have made a good life plan for Alma.
C. They have pushed Alma to take up music.
D. They are protective of their daughter.
It’s no secret that your personal characteristics directly affect how you interact with the world-but you might be surprised at just how deep it goes. Experts think that your personality can even affect how you exercise and influence what sports are suitable for you.
Highly Sensitive
Highly sensitive people may be more uncomfortable with group exercise classes or team sports where they feel their every move is being observed. Additionally, they may feel more upset over an ineffective or poor workout, says researcher Elaine Aron.
For such people individual or non-competitive activities like biking, running and hiking are ideal.
Type A Personality
Type A individuals often have an “all or nothing approach” to exercise. This personality type is known for sticking closely to their plan, not to mention being super competitive. However, this can cause them to stick too closely to a fitness routine, which means they might try to push past an injury.
To get better exercise results, Type A people need to be aware that following an exercise plan too strictly may limit their progress. They should be more flexible and listen to body, especially when they are in pain.
Type B Personality
This laid-back group may get too lazy about their exercise plan, which prevents them from seeing results. They are often less willing to devote enough time and energy to their fitness goals, especially if exercise is something that makes them anxious
Type B individuals succeed in creative and co-operative environments, so team sports and group gym classes may be perfect.
Remember, there are plenty of ways you can adapt a fitness plan to suit your needs, regardless of your characteristics. Just keep in mind what you like.
1.Why might highly sensitive people be unwilling to take part in group sports?
A. They don't consider themselves to be athletic.
B. They don't like socialising with other people.
C. They will feel like they are being evaluated.
D. They fear they’ll be let down by their teammates.
2.Type A personalities can be best described as ________.
A. flexible B. committed
C. independent D. sensitive
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To help people understand what personality type they are.
B. To explain how personal characteristics affect exercise habits.
C. To identify the dangers of doing the wrong type of exercise.
D. To describe different types of workouts that are available today.
