My father lived a long life and was deeply loved by his wife, three children，eleven grandchildren and a large number of friends. He was smart and quick-headed. When I asked if he’d like to join me on Virgin Airlines, I remember him ________ replying: “Why not? It’s as close to heaven as I’ll ever get!”
While he could always make us____, he was also quiet, considerate and full of wonderful___ for us so that we could do better.
When I was a child, I ________ myself to the change in Dad’s loose drawer—I didn’t see it as stealing, but rather as just borrowing without a___ to give back—and bought chocolate from our local corner shop.
One day, while____ the shop with my father, the shopkeeper questioned my____ spending habits: “Now I don’t want to get him into any____, Mr. Branson, but I don’t know where young Richard is getting all his___________from. He’s becoming my best customer—I __________he isn’t stealing it.”
Dad ______ by looking her straight in the eyes and saying loudly, “Madam, how dare you___ my son of stealing?”
After we left the shop, my father never spoke a word about the____. However, his deliberate ______ for the rest of the day expressed everything. The way he ______ the situation taught me a hugely effective lesson. I learned that the power of the ______ words can be frighteningly influential.
By ________ my honesty he made me feel more _________ than if he had scolded me. I also learned the power of _______ and second chances. And these lessons have ________ me well in both life and work.
1.A. nervously B. deliberately C. sensitively D. humorously
2.A. calm B. laugh C. benefit D. reflect
3.A. advice B. patience C. expectation D. appreciation
4.A. guided B. forced C. helped D. attracted
5.A. dream B. receipt C. way D. plan
6.A. visiting B. discussing C. exploring D. processing
7.A. reasonable B. flexible C. usual D. careless
8.A. debt B. trouble C. honor D. change
9.A. confidence B. pleasure C. pride D. money
10.A. know B. hope C. admit D. remember
11.A. responded B. exploded C. attacked D. betrayed
12.A. convince B. inform C. accuse D. warn
13.A. question B. incident C. trip D. shopkeeper
14.A. absence B. sadness C. anger D. silence
15.A. met with B. lived off C. dealt with D. lived through
16.A. unspoken B. proper C. meaningful D. enjoyable
17.A. discovering B. losing C. defending D. exhibiting
18.A. guilty B. powerful C. annoyed D. embarrassed
19.A. communication B. friendship C. blame D. forgiveness
20.A. grasped B. served C. expressed D. presented
Many cosplay activities are being organized in China, making the subculture popular among some youths. Cosplay means costume play, in which participants wear costumes and fashion accessories(配饰) to represent a specific character. What’s the reason why youths are interested in cosplay? 1. Cosplay participants often interact with each other to dress up as characters from animes(动漫), cartoons, comic books, films, TV programs and video games. Youths who love cosplay have their own sets of jokes, which “outsiders” rarely understand.2.
Cosplayers are almost always young, most of them under 25, and as they grow older, they tend to give up the practice.3. Instead, they should treat such youngsters as normal youths, but at the same time warn them never to cross the social and moral boundaries.
The cosplay subculture is a kind of performing arts. Cosplayers usually get the costumes in these ways. First, through some companies that make and sell packaged suits for cosplay. Second, through some individuals that make costumes and accessories.4.
With capital flowing into the ACG industry, more specific and mature business models help the industry develop further.5. Since then the domestic animation and game industry has been developing healthily with a stronger sense of using legal products. China’s ACG industry is likely to see higher growth in 2019.
A.And besides, by making them themselves.
B.It’s a way for youths to express virtual(虚拟的) love.
C.Perhaps that’s why people are prejudiced against them.
D.Based on a research, 2015 proved to be a turning point.
E.The cosplay industry is expected to witness more success.
F.Therefore, there is no need for parents to overreact to cosplay.
G.So regulators should strictly monitor such events to prevent improper behaviors.
Some of the best research on daily experience is rooted in rates of positive and negative interactions, which has proved that being blindly positive or negative can cause others to be frustrated or annoyed or to simply tune out.
Over the last two decades, scientists have made remarkable predictions simply by watching people interact with one another and then scoring the conversations based on the rate of positive and negative interactions. Researchers have used the findings to predict everything from the likelihood that a couple will divorce to the chances of a work team with high customer satisfaction and productivity levels.
More recent research helps explain why these brief exchanges matter so much. When you experience negative emotions as a result of criticism or rejection, for example, your body produces higher levels of the stress hormone, which shuts down much of your thinking and
activates(激活) conflict and defense mechanisms(机制). You assume that situations are worse
than they actually are.
When you experience a positive interaction, it activates a very different response. Positive exchanges increase your body’s production of oxytocin, a feel-good that increases your ability to communicate with, cooperate with and trust others. But the effects of a positive occurrence are less dramatic and lasting than they are for a negative one.
We need at least three to five positive interactions to outweigh every one negative exchange. Bad moments simply outweigh good ones. Whether you’re having a conversation, keep this simple short cut in mind: At least 80 percent of your conversations should be focused on what’s going right.
Workplaces, for example, often see this. During performance reviews, managers routinely spend 80 percent of their time on weaknesses and “areas for improvement”. They spend roughly 20 percent of the time on strengths and positive aspects. Any time you have discussions with a person or group, spend the vast majority of the time talking about what is working, and use the remaining time to address weaknesses.
1.The underlined phrase “tune out” in Paragraph 1 probably means.
A. stop listening B. change mind
C. sing aloud D. be crazy
2.What will happen if you experience negative emotions?
A. The situations are sure to become worse.
B. Much of your thinking will be prevented.
C. You will feel an urge to improve and become better.
D. You’ll be motivated to resolve conflicts with people.
3.From Paragraph 4, we can learn that .
A. we need a positive feeling to beat one negative feeling
B. positive interactions have greater effects than negative ones
C. our conversation should center on what needs improvement
D. the effect of negative feelings lasts longer than that of positive ones
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Harmful Negatives B. More Positive Interactions
C. How to Be a Productive Manager D. Less Time on Strengths
Imagine a cat that does not need someone to clean up after it keeps an older person company and helps them remember to take their medicine. That is the shared dream of the toy maker Hasbro and scientists at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The researchers received a $ 3-million-dollar award from the National Science Foundation for a special project. They want to find ways to add artificial intelligence, or A.I., to Hasbro’s “Joy for All” robotic.
The cat has already been for sale for two years. Though priced over 1000 dollars, it sold quite well. It was meant to act as a “companion” for older people. Now the project is aimed at developing additional abilities for the cat. Researchers at Brown’s Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative are working to decide which activities older adults may need the most. They hope to make the cat perform a small number of activities very well. Such activities include finding lost objects and reminding the person to take medicine or visit their doctor. They also want to keep the cost down to just a few hundred dollars.
It is an idea that has appealed to Jeanne Elliott. Her 93-year-old mother Mary Derr lives with her in South Kingstown. Derr has dementia( 痴 呆 ). The Joy for All cat that Elliott bought this year has become a true companion for Derr. The cat stays with Derr and keeps her calm while Elliott is at work. Elliott said a robotic cat that helps her mother to remember to take her medicine and be careful when she walks would be greater.
The researchers are trying to learn how the improved cats will complete helpful activities and how they will communicate. They say that they do not want a talking cat, however. Instead they are trying to design a cat that can move its head in a special way to successfully communicate its message. In the end, they hope to create an exchange between the human and the cat in which the human feels the cat needs them. By doing so, the researchers hope they can even help prevent feelings of loneliness and sadness among elderly people.
1.What’s the purpose of the project?
A. To relieve the pain of the elderly. B. To promote the sales of a medicine.
C. To invent a robotic cat for the elderly. D. To help make the robotic cat smarter.
2.Compared with the old model, the new robotic cat will be .
A. smaller B. cheaper
C. more talkative D. more expensive
3.What does Paragraph 3 intend to tell us?
A. The cat gives much help to the elderly.
B. The more functions of the cat, the better.
C. There is no cure for dementia at present.
D. Mary Derr would have died without the cat.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. A talking cat is quite popular among the elderly.
B. Feelings of sadness among the elderly are unavoidable.
C. Each family can afford such a cat in the future.
D. The feeling of being needed is vital to the elderly.
Back about 20 months ago I started college and just struggled with everything, such as classes and friends. I quickly became depressed and angry at myself for not being about to do better in school, in addition to lack of friends due to poor social and communication skills.
This went on for months until my 19th birthday. My parents sent me a cake, which was a great cake. But I remember having this large cake and absolutely no one to share it with. I ended throwing out the cake after having one piece, with about 90 % of it leftover. That night I was depressed that I decided to go outside to the freezing temperature of the winter and run. I put my earphones in, went outside and ran about 2 miles at 11 p.m. on my birthday.
When I got back inside I was content. I was proud of what I was able to do. The next night I did the same. I wasn’t quick or fit but you know that I went outside and did something. This continued for about 2 months until I finally worked up the courage to go to the gym, where I started swimming again as I used to in high school. A month went by and I started lifting weights and continually running.
Looking back I can see that exercise helped cure my depression but it didn’t only do that. At the gym I met new friends and back at my dorm I grew confidence to go to the end of the hall seeing people playing Super Smash Brothers and ask if I could join.
So go forward to present now. I exercise every day and look forward to that hour and a half I get daily to do what I love with people who love it as well. I hope this helps someone who may be or have been in a similar situation.
1.What made the author decide to run at night?
A. His l9th birthday. B. His parents’ cake.
C. His loneliness. D. His friends.
2.Which of the following best describes the author?
A. Traditional. B. Determined.
C. Humorous. D. Generous.
3.What is the biggest benefit of the author’s running?
A. Regaining his confidence. B. Losing his weight.
C. Playing with his brothers. D. Joining other activities.
4.Why do you think the author wrote this passage?
A. To recall his life in college.
B. To show his gratitude to his parents.
C. To emphasize the importance of friendship.
D. To share his experience of dealing with hardship.
The Five Best Countries To Move To For Retirement
Retiring in a different country is gaining popularity. Below are five of the best countries to seek retirement.
Costa Rica
Mild climate, breathtaking landscapes and beaches draw retirees(退休人员) to Costa Rica. The country readily welcomes immigrants and offers a simple residency process. With a monthly income of at least $ 1,000 per month from Social Security or a similar source, people enjoy a high standard of living at a much lower cost than the U. S.
Malaysia
Retirees who choose to make Malaysia home will appreciate its rich culture and attractive scenery. Moreover, the country offers modern facilities at modest prices. Immigrants enjoy convenience and comfort in their daily life. You will find low-cost rental units, delicious street food, and various shopping malls.
Mexico
Because it’s close to the U.S., Mexico draws more than a million American retirees to its borders. Increasing immigrant communities enjoy seaside living and conversations with friendly English speaking locals. Plus, legal residents over the age of 60 receive airline, grocery, and restaurant discounts.
Panama
Gentle ocean wind takes the heat out of hot year-round temperatures, which has been the chief attraction to foreign retirees. Beautiful beaches and a booming economy also attract retirees to Panama. An income of $2,000 per month covers modest living costs. Furthermore, the country offers discounts to retirees with a special visa.
Ecuador
Lazy coastal towns, sun-shining hot spots, and nature-filled views wait for immigrants seeking a carefree lifestyle. Public transportation costs in Ecuador make owning a vehicle unnecessary. A bus ride only costs 25 cents and taxi rides will run about $3.
1.What do Costa Rica and Malaysia have in common?
A. Convenient shopping. B. Relatively low living cost.
C. Various cultural activities. D. Simple immigration procedures.
2.Which country’s location specially attracts retirees from the U.S.?
A. Malaysia’s. B. Mexico’s.
C. Panama’s. D. Ecuador’s.
3.What is the main reason for retirees to choose Panama?
A. Beautiful beaches. B. A booming economy.
C. A pleasant climate. D. Discounts for retirees.
