It was a dark day, one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the _______， after witnessing my time in the 100 yard freestyle, I did not feel like speaking to anyone. I saw the bright smiles of swimmers who had just _______ a best time. _______， I had failed. Or at least that is what I thought at the time.
I was lying on my cool bed when an idea_________my head. Success is the _______ to go from failure to failure without _______ your enthusiasm. At practice the next day, I told my swimming teammates about my goal time and they all either laughed or replied with a _______ similar response like, “You can't do it” or “Probably not”. Believe it or not, these are the responses that made my goal _______.
Finally came the day when I had to _______ to myself and others that with ________there is no limit to your achievements.
With the starting gun ________， I dove with perfect form into the pool. I felt the cool water running ________ my back. I swam like a fish, bouncing off each ________ at the wall as if it was a spring board. On the ________ turn, I came back to the wall with every piece of strength I had. I ________ the final wall with my fingertips and knew that I had swum the ________ race.
I had done it! I had achieved my best time! Joy filled my ________ like water does a cup. I saw the ________ on all of my friends' faces as I ________ out of the pool: their jaws dropped to the ground. I began to laugh and gave them thumbs up.
I have ________ in life that having belief in yourself opens all gates. Never forget that anything the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.
1.A. pond B. sea C. pool D. bed
2.A. made B. achieved C. reached D. realized
3.A. Otherwise B. However C. Besides D. In addition
4.A. occurred B. broke C. came D. hit
5.A. opportunity B. ability C. reason D. action
6.A. keeping B. losing C. reducing D. decreasing
7.A. somehow B. somewhat C. anyhow D. anywhere
8.A. magical B. reasonable C. confident D. achievable
9.A. promise B. provide C. present D. prove
10.A. consideration B. belief C. impression D. desire
11.A. setting out B. going off C. breaking out D. getting off
12.A. through B. above C. across D. to
13.A. turn B. jump C. struggle D. shoot
14.A. next B. previous C. very D. last
15.A. pushed B. touched C. got D. reached
16.A. hard B. perfect C. first D. best
17.A. face B. head C. mind D. heart
18.A. expressions B. emotions C. feelings D. responses
19.A. ran B. stood C. climbed D. jumped
20.A. gained B. dreamed C. learned D. remembered
1. I say this a lot because it’s important: you need to walk more. There are a few main reasons why I’m so fond of walking, also known as moving frequently at a slow pace.
2.
Walking might not be as effective as other forms of exercise, but frequent walking will help anyone with two functioning legs that allow movement who would otherwise meld into the couch lose some body fat.
It’s good for your brain.
Walking does much more than work the area underneath your neck. The farther an older person can walk in six minutes, the better he or she performs on memory and logic tests. Folks who perform poorly on the walking test tend to have reduced grey matter volume in certain sections of their brains.
It reduces stress.
3. Go for a walk, preferably in a natural setting. For me, it’s the beach of the Malibu hills. For others, it might be the woods or even a park.
It prevents falls in the elderly.
Walking on uneven, natural ground like hiking trails，improves balance and reduces falls in the elderly. 4. The earlier you start habitually walking, the better your ability to navigate the land without falling will be.
It gives you a chance to think.
When we walk, we think. And because walking is a low-difficulty effort, we can direct our executive functioning to more internal matters. We work through problems, come up with ideas, replay conversations, scheme, and discover solutions. 5.
A. It modestly reduces body fat.
B. It lowers blood pressure, especially after meals.
C. Don’t wait until you’re already at risk of falling, though.
D. What do I do when I need to get away from a particularly stressful day?
E. Try to keep the walk as close to the meal as possible to aid in weight loss.
F. Even though some of you may be tired of me saying this, it needs saying.
G. Or maybe we just think about that funny dog we saw on the way to work the other day.
From July to October every year, about a quarter of the world’s blue whales feed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. But the whales currently face a major threat in their favorite feeding area. Ships carrying cargo (货物）sail in the same area at the same time. All too often, the whales’ paths and the ships’ travel lines overlap (重叠), and a ship will hit a whale.
According to a new study, these ship strikes have become a serious threat to the overall population of the world’s blue whales. Only about 10,000 of the creatures still exist worldwide. Blue whales are the largest known animals ever to live on Earth. Even so, if hit by a container ship, a blue whale will likely die from its injuries.
In 2007 alone, large ships killed five blue whales in the waters off San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that because there are so few whales already, losing three to five from the California whale population every year is a significant loss. “The estimated population of blue whales in this part of the Pacific is 2,500”, says Sean Hastings, a NOAA analyst. “So every whale counts toward this species moving off the endangered-species list.”
Now, marine scientists must figure out how to protect the whales from the giant container ships. One very simple program is already under way in the Santa Barbara Channel, a waterway that separates mainland California from the nearby Channel Islands.
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has asked large container ships passing through the area to voluntarily slow down. Sailing slower will allow the ships‟ crew (船员）more time to change course before hitting a whale.
Several of the world’s largest shipping lines are set to participate in the new program. For every ship that passes through the Santa Barbara Channel at or below the reduced speed of 12 knots (海里/小时）, the company that owns the ship will be paid $2,500.
1.From Paragraph 1, we can know that_____.
A. people intend to illegally hunt blue whales for money
B. large ships often carrying goods may pollute the sea
C. the container ships may hit the blue whales frequently
D. there is fewer fish in blue whales‟ favorite feeding area
2.Why is the death of several whales regarded as significant loss to the world's blue whales?
A. Because the number of the blue whales is so small.
B. Because other blue whales will be scared away.
C. Because blue whales are the largest animals in the world.
D. Because many blue whales get killed throughout the year.
3.According to Sean Hastings, it’s inferred that .
A. the number of the blue whales is decreasing sharply.
B. the blue whales are still on the endangered-species list.
C. most of the world’s blue whales live in the Pacific Ocean.
D. blue whales are often disturbed by other endangered creatures.
4.What are the last three paragraphs mainly about?
A. The basic responsibility of a sailor.
B. Measures to protect the blue whales.
C. The world’s largest shipping lines.
D. Ways to slow down the speed of the ships.
People who play computer games to train their brains might as well be playing Super Mario, new research suggests.
In a six-week study, experts found people who played online games designed to improve their cognitive(认知的) skills didn’t get any smarter.
More than 8,600 people aged 18 to 60 were asked to play online brain games designed by the researchers to improve their memory, reasoning and other skills, for at least 10 minutes a day, three times a week.
They were compared to more than 2,700 people who didn’t play any brain games, but spent a similar amount of time surfing the Internet. All participants were given an “IQ test” before and after the experiment.
Researchers said the people who did the brain training didn’t do any better on the test after six weeks than people who had simply been on the Internet.
“If you’re(playing these games) because they’re fun, that’s absolutely fine,” said Adrian Owen, assistant director at Britain’s Medical Research Council. “But if you’re expecting these games to improve your IQ, our data suggests this isn’t the case.”
Computer games that are supposed to improve memory, reasoning and other cognitive skills are played by millions of people worldwide, though few studies have examined if the games work.
“There is precious little evidence to suggest the skills used in these games transfer to the real world,” said Art Kramer, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, US.
Instead of playing brain games, Kramer said people would be better off getting some exercise. He said physical activity can help produce new brain cells.
Other experts said brain games might be useful, but only if they weren’t fun.
“If you set the level for these games to a very high level where you don’t get the answers very often and it really annoys you, then it may be useful,” said Philip Adey, a professor of psychology at King’s College in London.
If people are enjoying the brain games, Adey said they probably aren’t being challenged and might as well be playing a regular video game.
He said people should consider learning a new language or sport if they really want to improve their brain power. “To stimulate(激发) the intellect, you need a real challenge,” Adey said, “Getting smart is hard work.”
1.According to the article, which of the following is NOT useful to develop brain power?
A. Learning a language. B. Getting some physical exercise.
C. Playing challengeable games. D. playing fun games.
2.What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?
A. Playing brain games is as effective a means of improving the brain as Super Mario.
B. Playing Super Mario is a better means of improving the brain.
C. Playing brain games can’t improve cognitive skills.
D. Playing computer games can train the brain.
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Many studies show that brain games are an effective means of improving cognitive skills.
B. The skills used in brain games can be transferred to real life.
C. Participants took IQ test twice during the research on the effectiveness of brain games.
D. Surfing the Internet is a more effective means of improving cognitive skills than video games.
4.Which is another way of summing up Adey’s argument in the last paragraph?
A. Practice makes perfect. B. Where there is a will, there is a way.
C. No pains, no gains. D. A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
Oh my God, the robots are taking over! We’re doomed! Doomed! Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it’s become clear that while we may or may not be doomed, the robots are taking over. The latest example is the government’s new guidelines for self-driving cars.
Tesla, Google and Uber are already testing driverless cars in cities across America. Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick is among those predicting that by 2021, self-driving cars will play a big part in urban settings.
Nearly 40,000 people died last year in this nation in automobile-related accidents, and we believe driverless cars can save tens of thousands of lives annually.
It makes sense. Robot drivers are less likely to get drunk, drive without a license, text while driving or feel agitated at the scene of a traffic jam. On the other hand, I wonder how these highly sensitive cars will react with walkers constantly dashing into the street. Will they jam on the brakes every 10 seconds?
But there’s a bigger picture. Not only are robots replacing humans behind the wheel, but behind the work desk, in warehouses, senior homes, you name it. Robots aren’t just taking over in the workplace.
The question is, where can’t a robot function better than a human? How about writing songs? A robot can go through every combination of notes in record time and come up with a pleasing melody. The lyrics might be a different story. Is a Grammy-winning song co-written by Hank Human and R-3071 in our future?
Finally, it’s only a matter of time until we have robot politicians and presidential candidates. Why not? They can be programmed to be experts in world and domestic affairs and come up with the best solutions without corruption and bad humors.
Actually, it’s too bad such technology isn’t available in 2018. Pretty sure the robot would win in a landslide.
1.What does the underlined word “agitated” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Exhausted. B. Embarrassed.
C. Disappointed. D. Anxious.
2.What doubt does the writer have about self-driving cars?
A. How passengers behave in it.
B. How robot drivers get the license.
C. How they respond to walkers on a busy street.
D. How they avoid crashing into other cars.
3.The last question asked in Paragraph 6 reflects the writer’s .
A. eagerness to listen to songs written by robots
B. doubt about robots’ ability to write songs
C. confidence in robots’ winning Grammy Awards
D. curiosity about the future Grammy songs
4.What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. Robots will control the world in every field.
B. Robots can drive cars and write music.
C. Robots are being used in our daily life.
D. Robots are coming but not soon enough.
Some students prefer a part-time job after class to earn some money and improve themselves. Here are some good companies:
IN-N-Out Burger
It is the best hamburger shop in the west of America. Regarded as one of the best employers, it offers flexible hours and the highest part-time salaries(薪水). Above all, the company treats its employees the way they would like to be treated:like family. However, there is no discount offered to its employees.
Position: selling assistant (experience required)
Website: www.in-n-out.cm
Starbucks Coffee
Starbucks has been at the forefront(前沿) of the United States’ coffee revolution. Working hours are flexible. Fit twenty hours of work into your week. There is also a 30% discount and a free pound of coffee or box of tea every week.
Position: assistant coffee taster(experience required)
Website: www.Starbucks.Com
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is the world’s largest natural and organic food selling company. With its focus on organic ingredients, Whole Foods Market is all about health. Working hours are flexible. Benefits include paid-time off and a 20% discount so you can eat like a king or at least like a top chef in training. There are also training courses on health and food every week.
Position: secretary
Website:wwww.wholefoodsmarket.com.
Lands’ End
Lands’ End is a Wisconsin-based clothes store that focuses on casual comfort and warmth for the great outdoors. Employees(even part-time employees) have the chance to go to a company-owned entertainment centre and get a 25% discount on theme parks and movies, and an invitation to the yearly company picnic. Besides, for part-time employees,working hours are flexible and they can come to work anytime they like as long as they work for 4 hours a day.
Position:salesperson
Website:www.landsend.com
1.Which company offers its employees the best discount?
A. In-N-Out Burger. B. Whole Foods Market.
C. Starbucks Coffee. D. Lands’ End.
2.Which website should you visit if you are interested in selling clothes?
A. www.in-n-out.com. B. www.landsend.com.
C. www.wholefoodsmarket.com. D. www.starbucks.com.
3.What do the four companies have in common?
A. Training courses are offered. B. Working hours are flexible.
C. Related experience is required. D. Employees can get high salaries.
