阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
As less people choose to make suger paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a 1.(distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is committed to 2.(keep) the art of sugar painting alive.
Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After 3. mine closed down, Li turned 4. housing decoration, until he 5.(force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in.
Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by 6.(he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could make a 7.(vary) of sugar paintings. A sugar painting is made with 8.(melt) brown or white sugar. Craftsman 9.(normal) paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup(糖浆). When the sugar cools down,
10. appears is a piece of sugar art.
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 leamed to appreciate life rather than to _____ everthing 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. quiet C. great D. uneasy
2.A. answered B. received C. expected D. rejected
3.A. threatened B. interrupted C. spoiled D. bothered
4.A. anything B. everything C. nothing D. something
5.A. boring B. caring C. interesting D. surprising
6.A. measure B. plan C. attitude 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. afraid of B. aware of C. curious about D. confused about
12.A. discuss B. realize C. settle D. judge
13.A. family B. career C. life D. education
14.A. so B. or C. but D. for
15.A. proud B. sure C. hopeful D. critical
16.A. face B. ignore C. solve D. create
17.A. rarer B. stranger C. better 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
We’ve all experienced peer pressure (同伴压力) . It happens to everybody. However, people have different reactions. Confident people refuse to do things they don’t want to do, but shy and anxious people often give in. It may be because they want to be liked. It may be because they worry that their friends will make fun of them, or perhaps they’re just curious about trying something new. 1.
It’s hard being the only one who says no and the question is: how do you do it? 2.If you think that missing maths, or smoking, or going somewhere you know your parents wouldn’t like is a bad idea then the answer is simple: don’t do it. It’s your decision, nobody else’s. You don’t need to be aggressive. You don’t need to shout and scream, but you must be confident and you must be firm. You need to say, “No thanks. I don’t want to do that.”
Being on your own against everybody else is very hard, so it can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who will say no too. 3. You want friends who will support you when you’re in trouble. You don’t want people who will always agree with the majority. Remember, the most popular people aren’t always the most trustworthy.
4. You can learn a lot from people of your own age. They can teach you great football skills or the best way to do your maths homework. They can recommend music and advise you on fashion. And don’t forget you can tell them things too, and that always feels great. So, find friends who have similar interests. And remember, friendship isn’t about feeling depressed and guilty. 5.
A.It may be because they were all born to be stubborn.
B.Depression and guilt will surely give you peer pressure.
C.Whatever the reason, some people end up doing things the really don’t want to.
D.Of course, peer pressure isn’t completely bad.
E.Choose your friends carefully.
F.Firstly, you must decide what you believe in.
G.It’s about sharing experiences and having fun.
A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度) of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.
The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6. 1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.
They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio(比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.
Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $ 2 million.
“We are eager to continue to validate (证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we’re also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors.” Explained Prof Ho.
1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?
A. Because yellow can be seen more easily.
B. Because yellow signals a warning of danger.
C. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxis.
D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.
2.What’s Prof Ho’s study based on?
A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.
B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.
C. Data from Singapore’s largest taxi company.
D. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.
3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?
A. School buses should be painted yellow.
B. Their findings are worth popularizing.
C. Their study will be furthered.
D. Yellow should be widely used in public transport.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Caution: yellow taxis ahead B. Safer to ride in yellow taxis
C. Why are yellow taxis preferred? D. How can colors help prevent accidents?
Many shopping malls now have special areas that offer shoppers their first chance to experience “VR technology”. You may have entered one out of curiosity, or you may think it is just another piece of useless technology. Whatever your opinion, VR, or virtual (虚拟的) reality, is going to become a big part of our lives very soon.
2016 saw the introduction of many fancy products in the world of VR, including
Microsoft’s HoloLens and Samsung’s Gear VR. All of them offer an exciting look at the new realities and opportunities that VR brings. These, however, are the early days of a technology that is expected to go from strength to strength. And 2017 looks like it is going to be the year in which VR technology really takes off.
For a start, using VR will become more normal in 2017. Microsoft and Intel have already discussed their plans for simpler and less expensive VR headsets.
“The idea of VR will stop being a sci-fi (science-fiction) idea, and instead it will turn into an industry of real products used as ways to show off imagination.” Said Andrew, a designer at US VR Company, Survios. It is also expected that VR products will play a part in more common and real-life fields like fashion and film. For example, to enjoy the atmosphere and energy of the front row experience at a fashion show, fans will no longer have to go along in the flesh. Instead people will be able to enjoy the experience by just wearing a VR headset at home.
You can also expect VR mirrors and fitting-rooms sooner rather than later.”This is an especially good opportunity for brands looking to offer very personalized experiences.” Said Roy De Young from US-based marketing agency, PMX.
As time goes on, there will be less discussion about whether people will accept VR technology. It will simply be a discussion of when.
1.Why do many shopping malls have areas for VR experiences?
A. To collect shoppers’opinions.
B. To meet the demands of shoppers.
C. To introduce the new technology to shoppers.
D. To entertain shoppers with new technology.
2.What does the underlined phrase “in the flesh” mean?
A. In time B. In person
C. In line D. In order
3.What can we know about VR products from the passage?
A. They are not expensive at present.
B. They will meet more personal demands.
C. They are being used almost everywhere.
D. They won’t be accepted for many years.
4.What may be the best title for the passage?
A. VR Meets Our Life Goal B. VR Mirrors Are Coming
C. VR Takes over Fashion D. VR Is Becoming Real
Although being famous might sound like a dream coming true, today’s stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the persons they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C. , painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say soomething silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is that there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous the are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today________.
A. can no longer have their privacy protected
B. are often misunderstood by the public
C. spend too much on their public appearance
D. care little about how they have come into fame
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A. Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B. The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
C. Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.
D. Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A. Huge population of fans. B. Inadequate social recognition.
C. Lack of favorable chances. D. Availability of modern media.
4.What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A. Sincere. B. Skeptical.
C. Sympathetic. D. Disapproving.
