One of the easiest things in the world is to become a fault-finder. However, life can be _____ when you are not busy finding fault with it.
Several years ago I ___ a letter from seventeen-year-old Kerry, who described herself as a world-class fault-finder, almost always ___ by things. People were always doing things that annoyed her, and ___ was ever good enough. She was highly self-critical and also found fault with her friends. She became a really ___ person.
Unfortunately, it took a horrible accident to change her ___. Her best friend was seriously hurt in a car crash. What made it almost ___ to deal with was that the day before the ___, Kerry had visited her friend and had spent the whole time criticizing her ___ of boyfriends, the way she was living, the way she related to her mother, and various other things she felt she needed to ____. It wasn’t until her friend was badly hurt that Kerry became ____ her habit of finding fault. Very quickly, she learned to appreciate life rather than to ____ everything so harshly(刻薄). She was able to transfer her new wisdom to other parts of her ____ as well.
Perhaps most of us aren’t as extreme at fault-finding, ____ when we’re honest, we can be sharply ____ of the world. I’m not suggesting you ____ problems, or that you pretend things are ____ than they are, but simply that you learn to allow things to be as they are — ____ most of the time, and especially when it’s not a really big ____.
Train yourself to ＂bite your tongue＂, and with a little ____, you’ll get really good at letting things go. And when you do, you’ll get back your enthusiasm and love for life.
1.A. lonely B. great C. quiet D. uneasy
2.A. received B. answered C. expected D. rejected
3.A. threatened B. interrupted C. bothered D. spoiled
4.A. anything B. everything C. something D. nothing
5.A. caring B. boring C. interesting D. surprising
6.A. attitude B. plan C. measure D. explanation
7.A. urgent B. unnecessary C. certain D. impossible
8.A. occasion B. event C. accident D. adventure
9.A. memory B. notice C. evidence D. choice
10.A. hear B. contribute C. express D. admit
11.A. aware of B. afraid of C. curious about D. confused about
12.A. discuss B. realize C. judge D. settle
13.A. family B. life C. career D. education
14.A. so B. or C. but D. for
15.A. proud B. sure C. hopeful D. critical
16.A. face B. create C. solve D. ignore
17.A. rarer B. better C. stranger D. worse
18.A. at least B. at last C. by far D. so far
19.A. task B. deal C. result D. duty
20.A. practice B. speech C. rest D. pity
The best way to set yourself up for success is to make sure that your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely．
Make your goals specific．
You need to give yourself a concrete goal so you know exactly what you're working toward．1.Who will be involved in helping you reach your goal? What exact goal do you want to accomplish? Be very specific．When will you start and when will you reach your goal?
Make your goals measurable．
Now that you have some of the specifics of your goal nailed down, it's time to look at how you will measure your progress．After all, if you don't have any way to measure your goal, how will you know when you've reached it?2. Some examples of measurable goals might be pounds lost, a positive change in blood work numbers, or fitness minutes accumulated．
Make your goals attainable．
It's good to think big．3. A goal that's attainable for you is one that you believe you can reach and have all the support, equipment, knowledge and resources needed to put your goals into action．
Make your goals relevant．
You need to make sure that you're choosing a goal that fits you and your lifestyle．4.Pick something that is meaningful and relevant to you and you ll set yourself up for success．
Make your goals timely．
5.Otherwise, it will be difficult to know how to pace yourself to reach it．Every goal should have a date, which will help you stay on track．In addition, set up a few mini-deadlines to keep you on track to reaching your big-picture goal．
A. Put a deadline on your goal．
B. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today．
C. You know your goal is specific if it answers these questions．
D. Therefore, you should know in advance how you will make this happen．
E. However, it's also important that you don't set a goal that is too big to reach．
F. Don't choose a goal just because someone else thinks it's something you "should" do．
G. Your goal is measurable if you can find a way to quantify your success using real numbers．
Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat and when and how we eat them--are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cakes were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition has its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Foods also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
1.According to the passage, sharing bread
A. can help to develop unity
B. indicates a lack of food
C. is a custom unique to rural areas
D. has its roots in birthday celebrations
2.What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?
A. Trust. B. Togetherness
C. Health. D. Success
3.The author explains the role of food in celebrations by
A. making comparisons B. using examples
C. analyzing causes D. describing processes
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The custom of sharing food. B. The importance of food in culture
C. The role of food in ceremonies. D. The specific meaning of food.
Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades. Other forms of parental involvement, including volunteering at school and observing a child's class, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic.
The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting where schools expect them to act as partners in their children's education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn.
Keith Robinson, the author of the study, said, "I really don't know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents can be involved in their kids' education that leads to declines in their academic performance. One of the things that was consistently negative was parents' help with homework." Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the tasks. "They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learnt it themselves, but they're still offering advice. "
Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive, about 45 % negative and the rest statistically insignificant.
Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parent to get involved because "children with good academic success do have involved parents" admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success. "A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school hardly involved. They took a more reasonable approach, conveying to their children how success at school could improve their lives. "
1.The underlined expression "parental involvement" in Paragraph 1 probably means________.
A. parents' expectation on children's health
B. parents' control over children's life
C. parents' participation in children's education
D. parents' plan for children's future
2.What is the major finding of Robinson's study?
A. Modern parents raise children in a more scientific way.
B. Parental involvement is not so beneficial as expected.
C. Punishing kids for bad marks is mentally damaging.
D. Parents are not able to help with children's homework.
3.The example of Asian-American parents implies that parents should
A. help children realize the importance of schooling
B. set a specific life goal for their children
C. spend more time improving their own lives
D. take a more active part in school management
Surviving Hurricane Sandy
Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special," she says.
On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridges closed.
When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.
In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.
"My morn tells me that I can't control what happens to me, “Natalie says, "but I can always choose how I deal with it. "
Natalie's choice was to help.
She created a website page, matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted information about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collection when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.
In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-needed supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.
Today, the scars(创痕) of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway, “Natalie declares. My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before. "
1.When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found
A. her neighborhood was destroyed
B. some friends had lost their lives
C. her school had moved to Brooklyn
D. the elderly were free from suffering
2.According to Paragraph 4, who inspired Natalie most?
A. The people trapped in high-rise buildings.
B. The people helping Rockaway rebuild.
C. The volunteers donating money to survivors,
D. Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people,
3.How did Natalie help the survivors?
A. She built an information sharing platform.
B. She took care of younger children.
C. She called on the White House to help.
D. She gave her toys to other kids.
4.What does the story intend to tell us?
A. Technology is power. B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. East or west, home is best. D. Little people can make a big difference.
Do you want to get home from work knowing you have made a real difference in someone's life?
If yes, don’t care about sex or age! Come and join us, then you'll make it!
Position：Volunteer Social Care Assistant (No Pay with Free Meals)
Place：Manchester
Hours: Part Time
We are now looking for volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to live active lives! Only 4 days left. Don't miss the chance of lending your warm hands to help others!
Role:
You will provide people with learning disabilities with all aspects of their daily lives. You will help them to develop new skills. You will help them to protect their rights and their safety. But your primary concern is to let them know they are valued.
Skills and Experience Required:
You will have the right values and great listening skills. You will be honest and patient. You will have the ability to drive a car and to communicate in fluent written and spoken English since you'll have to help those people with different learning disabilities. Previous care-related experience will be a great advantage for you.
1.The text is meant to .
A. carry an advertisement B. send an invitation
C. present a document D. leave a note
2.What does the underlined part mean?
A. You'll succeed in getting this job.
B. You'll arrive home just in time from this job.
C. You'll earn a good salary from this job.
D. You'll make others' lives more meaningful with this job.
3.The volunteers' primary responsibility is to help people with learning disabilities
A. to get some financial support
B. to realize their own importance
C. to learn some new living skills
D. to properly protect themselves
4.Which of the following can first be chosen as a volunteer?
A. The one who can drive a car.
B. The one who can use English to communicate.
C. The one who has patience to listen to others.
D. The one who has done similar work before.
