Many years ago， I was a college graduate with a degree but no job. My substitute teaching work ended and I got desperate. I had a family to feed. 1.While I was grateful， my first day there was quite a blow to my ego(自尊). The job at the local wood mill paid less but was hard and back-breaking. It was full of bending， lifting， and carrying heavy wood for eight hours a day. 2.
When winter arrived my gloves tore and my fingers split and bled in the cold air. I found myself using more band aids than I ever thought I would just to keep my hands working.3. At the end of two years only four other people had worked there longer than I had. Every morning I pulled myself out of bed and went to work knowing it was going to be another difficult day.
I tried my best to keep my spirits up but many times during those years I asked， "Why me? Why am I having to go through this? Why has my life not turned out the way I dreamed it would?" 4. I think maybe in a way I needed those tough times. I needed them to shrink my ego. I needed them to become more caring， sympathetic， and loving.
5. It is these times that make us mature. If you are going through some "Why Me?" times， don’t give up. Use them to become stronger， kinder and more loving.
A.Fortunately， my brother got me a job.
B.Now many years later I got the answer.
C.Every day I went home aching and tired.
D.The resigning rate at the mill became very high.
E.Maybe no one knew when the tough times would end.
F.Day after day， I wondered when I could realize my dream.
G.I think it is the "Why Me?" times of our lives that make us grow the most.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive(认知的) development is a theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. It was first created by the Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980). The theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans gradually come to acquire, construct, and use it . Piaget’s theory is mainly known as a developmental stage theory.
To Piaget, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience. He believed that children construct an understanding of the world around them, experience differences between what they already know and what they discover in their environment, and then adjust their ideas accordingly. Besides, Piaget claimed that cognitive development is at the center of the human organism, and language is depending on knowledge and understanding acquired through cognitive development.
Piaget’s earlier work received the greatest attention. Child-centered classrooms and "open education" are direct applications of Piaget’s views. Despite its huge success, Piaget’s theory is not perfect and Piaget has recognized it himself: for example, the theory supports sharp stages rather than continuous development.
Piaget noted that reality is a dynamic system of continuous change. Reality is defined (给……下定义) in reference to the two conditions that define dynamic systems. Specifically, he argued that reality involves transformations and states. Transformations refer to all manner of changes that a thing or person can experience. States refer to the conditions or the appearances in which things or persons can be found between transformations. For example, there might be changes in shape or form , in size, or in placement or location in space and time. Thus, Piaget argued, if human intelligence is to be adaptive, it must have functions to represent both the transformational and the static aspects of reality.
1.What does the underlined "it" in the first paragraph refer to?
A. The theory.
B. Cognitive development.
C. The knowledge itself.
D. The development of human intelligence.
2.Piaget’s theory of cognitive development .
A. has some limitations
B. applied "open education"
C. wasn’t well received in the beginning
D. is about human nature and development
3.What are the two conditions of reality?
A. Space and time.
B. Transformations and states.
C. Changes in shape and form.
D. The conditions and the appearances.
4.Which can serve as the best title for this text?
A. Piaget’s contribution to a theory
B. The applications of Piaget’s theory
C. The development of Piaget’s theory
D. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Golden eagle populations in the UK are set to increase as some chicks are reintroduced to the north of England. Ten birds will be released(释放)from south of Edinburgh in summer 2018, with the hope of bringing the species back from disappearing in England. More eagles will be released in the summertime of the next five years.
The project received ￡ 1.3 million of lottery funding in March and has now been awarded a further ￡ 150,000 to employ workers to run the operation. Project manager Cat Barlow said: “This is a really exciting time as the project is now starting to happen and we will soon start to see its benefits. Work will start next summer, when we will collect a number of golden eagle chicks in the Highlands and bring them south to be reared and released from an already selected place.”
The birds will be released with satellite tracking tags that will allow the scientists to gather information about their behavior and find if they suddenly go offline.
Recently, golden eagles have died out in England as the last known individual is believed to have died. Due to the popularity of shooting birds of prey(食肉猛禽), those birds in the wild struggle to survive. Main causes of death are systematic poisoning, shooting and nest disturbance by gamekeepers.
It is hoped that the newly released birds will move further south in search of new living areas and food supplies. The project expects to see the number of wild birds in Scotland and England increase as the range of the animals develops. While the birds were gone in England, in the Highlands of Scotland the number of golden eagles rocketed. With up to 500 breeding pairs, the chicks will be sourced from here. It is hoped that golden eagles may finally return to the north of England, and if all goes well, numbers should grow steadily.
1.Why will some golden eagles be set free from south of Edinburgh?
A. To keep the balance of nature
B. To prevent eagles from dying out
C. To bring back the number of other species
D. To encourage more birds to live in the wild
2.Which word can replace the underlined word “reared” in Paragraph 2?
A. Raised B. Stored
C. Sold D. Exhibited
3.What does Paragraph 4 focus on ?
A. Harmful effects of shooting birds
B. Why animal hunting should be forbidden
C. Reasons for golden eagles’ dying out
D. The difficult situation golden eagles face
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the golden eagle project?
A. Ambiguous B. Cautious
C. Doubtful D. Hopeful
Reese Witherspoon was born on March 22,1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the second child of the family. Reese spent the first four years of her life in Wiesbaden, Germany, where her father John served in the US Army Reserves. Shortly after, John moved the family back to the United States, settling in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reese was introduced to the entertainment industry at a very early age. At age 7, she began modeling. This led to appearances on several local television commercials. At age 11,she was placed first in a Ten-State Talent Fair.
In 1990, she landed her first major acting role in The Man in the Moon(1991). Her role as a 14-year-old tomboy earned her good reviews. Roles in bigger films such as Jack the Bear(1993) and A Far Off Place(1993) followed shortly after.
Following high school graduation in 1994, Reese decided to have a pause in her acting career and attend Stanford University where she would major in English literature. However, her plans were shortly stopped when she accepted roles to star in two major movies. Although neither film was a huge box-office success, they did help to make Reese a rising star in Hollywood and open the door for bigger and better film roles.
Her breakthrough role came as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde. In box office terms, the movie was a great success and made Reese one of the top female stars in Hollywood. In the year 2014, she produced both Gone Girl and Wild, for which she got nominated(提名) for a best actress Oscar again for her role.
Reese is actively involved in children’s and women’s advocacy organization.She is a longtime supporter of Save the Children,an organization that helps provide children around the world with education, health care and emergency aid.
1.Why did Reese stop her studies at Stanford University?
A. Because she starred in two successful films.
B. Because she was more famous in Hollywood.
C. Because she didn’t want to get higher education.
D. Because she couldn’t balance studies and acting.
2.Which film made Reese most famous?
A. Man in the Moon B. Legally Blonde
C. A Far Off Place D. Jack the Bear
3.What is the author’s attitude toward Reese?
A. Caring B. Admiring
C. Critical D. Defensive
4.How does the passage develop?
A. Giving examples B. Using figures
C. Following the order of time D. Making comparison
Trainee Keeper Day
A unique opportunity for your child (aged 12 to 16 years) to go behind the scenes at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens. Your child will get the chance to gain practical experience of working with our varied animals and meet some of the keepers who look after them on a daily basis. Your child will work with one keeper in a group of up to 4 children.
The Trainee Keeper Day will run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and will include activities such as mucking out (打扫畜栏)and feeding some of the animals, as well as learning about techniques we use to make sure our animals are kept well.
The cost per child is ￡160.00 and they will be given a certificate as a souvenir of their fantastic day.
You will need to provide suitable weatherproof clothing suitable for wearing outdoors in sometimes mucky conditions and strong footwear suitable for wearing in muddy conditions. We will provide your child with other protective clothing he needs to use during the day, such as special keeper vests and gloves.
Is it dangerous? Frankly speaking, working with any animal always carries a degree of risk, but the participants will be fully informed of what they should and should not do in any situation. Besides, they will be fully monitored at all times, and all necessary precautions will be taken. So far, no accident has occurred to the participants.
If you have any other question, please email helen@cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk and we will respond as soon as we can. Please call 01993 823006 if you have any urgent questions.
1.What will Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens provide the participants with?
A. Strong boots. B. Weatherproof jackets.
C. Free breakfast. D. Keeper vests.
2.The participants are convinced that the experience activity is .
A. comfortable B. risky C. secure D. clean
3.Who is the Trainee Keeper Day intended for?
A. Teenagers. B. Adults. C. Keepers. D. Parents.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about the band’s music?
A. It is intended for young people. B. It is easy for people to dance to. C. It is nice to hear while eating.
2.How many people are there in the band?
A. Six. B. Eight. C. Twelve.
3.How did the speaker get to know the band?
A. From a friend. B. From a newspaper. C. From a band member.
4.Why was the speaker chosen to join the band?
A. He was good at playing the guitar. B. They were looking for a singer. C. They heard him singing somewhere.
