The world is moving so fast these days that if you do not have the right education, you could get left behind. Technology touches every part of our daily lives—even the fast food industry relies on computer assisted systems to speed things to their customers. If you cannot figure out the computer at your local fast food shop, where will that leave you?
Once upon a time, you could have a good life with nothing more than a high school diploma, but those times are gone now. Competition for even the lowest level jobs is fierce, and most employers will give the edge to that extra education now. Jobs that never required a degree before now will certainly be given to the most educated candidate as markets grow tighter and tighter.
Education is not only important on the job front, however. Recent studies show that continually learning will keep your brain more healthy. The more active you keep your brain now, the more active it will remain in the long run. It does make sense if you think about it: if you start jogging, your body feels healthier after a while and will actually long for exercise. The same could probably be said for your brain: make it work to learn something new, and it will continually seek out the stimulation (刺激) of new information to keep itself sharp.
Education is important for your sense of self and self-esteem. If you allow yourself to think that you are poorly educated, you therefore deserve an old car, small house and poor life. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and take charge of your own fate. Realize that you are a different person now and evaluate why you did so poorly in the past. Was it because you just could not learn, or because you did not want to focus on your education at that time? You are an adult now and will be more focused and goal driven. Never say no to education, never say no to yourself.
1.Why does the author mention “the fast food industry” in the first paragraph? (no more than l0 words)
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2.What does the underlined phrase “give the edge to” mean? (no more than 3 words)
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3.According to this passage, what should we do to keep our brain acute? (no more than 10 words)
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4.Who are the suggestions in the last paragraph probably for? (no more than 15 words)
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5.In your opinion, why is education very important? (no more than 15 words; no less than 10 words)
______________________________
“I promise.” “I swear to you it’ll never happen again.” “I give you my word.” “Honestly. Believe me.” Sure, I trust. Why not? I teach English composition at a private college. With a certain excitement and intensity, I read my students’ essays, hoping to find the person behind the pen. As each semester progresses, plagiarism (剽窃) appears. Not only is my intelligence insulted as one assumes I won’t detect (查明) a polished piece of prose (散文) from an otherwise-average writer, but I feel a sadness that a student has resorted (求助于) to buying a paper from a peer. Writers have styles like fingerprints and after several assignments, I can match a student’s work with his or her name.
Why is learning less important than a higher grade-point average (GPA)(平均成绩点数)? When we’re threatened or sick, we make conditional promises. “If you let me pass math I will …” “Lord, if you get me over this before the big homecoming game I’ll…” Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises. Human nature? Perhaps, but we do use that cliché (陈词滥调) to get us out of uncomfortable bargains.
Six years ago, I took a student before the dean. He had turned in an essay with the vocabulary and sentence structure of PhD thesis (博士毕业论文). Up until that time, both his out-of-class and in-class work were borderline passing.
I questioned the person regarding his essay and he swore that it was the consequence of his hardwork, but he had already had a given sheet of paper so he understood what was asked. He sat one hour, then turned in part of a page of unskilled writing and faulty logic. I confronted him with both the essays. “I promise…, I’m not lying. I swear to you that I wrote the essay. I’m just nervous today.”
The head of the English department agreed with my finding, and the meeting with the dean had the boy’s parents present. After an hour of discussion, touching on eight of the boy’s previous essays and his grade-point average, which indicated he was already on academic probation (留校察看), the dean agreed that the student had plagiarized (剽窃). His parents protested, “He’s only a child” and we instructors were wiser and should be compassionate (有同情心的). College people are not really children and most times would resent being labeled as such… except in this uncomfortable circumstance.
1.According to the author, students commit plagiarism mainly for ________.
A. money B. degree
C. higher GPA D. reputation
2.The sentence “Once the situation is behind us, so are the promises” implies that ________.
A. students usually keep their promises
B. some students tend to break their promises
C. the promises are always behind the situation
D. we cannot judge the situation in advance
3.The “borderline passing” (Line 3,Para.3) probably means ________.
A. excellent B. extremely poor
C. above average D. not very good
4.The boy’s parents thought their son should be excused mainly because ________.
A. teachers should be compassionate B. instructors were wiser
C. he was only a child D. he was threatened
5.Which of the following might serve as the title of this passage?
A. Human Nature B. Conditional Promises
C. How to Detect Cheating D. The Sadness of Plagiarism
In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not reflect how you deal with stress — it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you handle these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy.
By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow, the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women’s magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illness!” If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said, avoid stressful events.
But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many — like the death of a loved one — are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move.
The concept that all stress makes you sick also ignores a lot of what we know about people. It assumes we’re all vulnerable (脆弱的) and passive in face of tough conditions. But what about human initiative (主动性) and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental strain.
1.The result of Holmes-Rahe’s medical research tells us ________.
A. how to handle major events causes stress
B. what should be carried out to avoid stress
C. how to deal with sudden changes in life
D. what kind of event would cause stress
2.The studies on stress in the early 1970s led to ________.
A. great fear over the mental disorder
B. popular avoidance of stressful jobs
C. widespread worry about its harmful effects
D. a careful research into stress-related illnesses
3.Which of the following expressions is the closest in meaning to the underlined phrase in paragraph 2?
A. was summarized as B. was quarrelled about
C. was made clear D. was brought to an end
4.Why is “such simplistic advice” (Line 1, Paragraph 3) impossible to follow?
A. People have to get married someday.
B. You could be missing chances as well.
C. No prescription is effective in reducing stress.
D. No one can stay on the same vocation for long.
5.According to the passage, people who have experienced ups and downs may become _____.
A. more flexible to deal with difficulties
B. nervous in face of various difficulties
C. physically and mentally exhausted
D. insensitive toward what happens to them
In the kitchen of my mother’s houses there has always been a wooden stand（木架）with a small notepad（记事本）and a hole for a pencil.
I’m looking for paper on which to note down the name of a book I am recommending to my mother. Over forty years since my earliest memories of the kitchen pad and pencil, five houses later, the current paper and pencil look the same as they always did. Surely it can’t be the same pencil? The pad is more modern, but the wooden stand is definitely the original one.
“I’m just amazed you still have the same stand for holding the pad and pencil after all these year.” I say to her, walking bank into the living-room with a sheet of paper and the pencil. “You still use a pencil. Can’t you afford a pen?”
My mother replies a little sharply. “It works perfectly well. I’ve always kept the stand in the kitchen. I never knew when I might want to note down an idea, and I was always in the kitchen in these days.”
Immediately I can picture her, hair wild, blue housecoat covered in flour, a wooden spoon in one hand, the pencil in the other, her mouth moving silently. My mother smiles and says, “One day I was cooking and watching baby Pauline, and I had a brilliant thought, but the stand was empty. One of the children must have taken the paper. So I just picked up the breadboard and wrote it all down on the back. It turned out to be a real breakthrough for solving the mathematical problem I was working on.”
This story—which happened before I was born—reminds me how extraordinary my mother was, and is, as a gifted mathematician. I feel embarrassed that I complain about not having enough child-free time to work. Later, when my mother is in the bathroom, I go into her kitchen and turn over the breadboards. Sure enough, on the back of the smallest one, are some penciled marks I recognize as mathematics. Those symbols have traveled unaffected through fifty years, rooted in the soil of a cheap wooden breadboard, invisible（看不到的）exhibits at every meal.
1.Why has the author’s mother always kept the notepad and pencil in the kitchen?
A. To leave messages. B. To list her everyday tasks.
C. To note down maths problems. D. To write down a flash of inspiration.
2.What is the author’s original opinion about the wooden stand?
A. It has great value for the family.
B. It needs to be replaced by a better one.
C. It brings her back to her lonely childhood.D .It should be passed on to the next generation.
3.The author feels embarrassed for_______.
A. blaming her mother wrongly.
B. giving her mother a lot of trouble.
C. not making good use of time as her mother did.
D. not making any breakthrough in her field.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A .The mother is successful in her career.
A. The family members like traveling.
B. The author had little time to play when young.
C. The marks on the breadboard have disappeared.
5.In thauthor’s mind ,her mother is_________.
A. strange in behavior. B. keen on her research.
C. fond of collecting old things. D. careless about her appearance.
JUNIPF.R INSTITUTE FOR YOUNG WRITERS
Hosted by University of Massachusetts Amherst
June 20-28, 2015
The Juniper Institute for Young Writers (JIYW) offers high school students a unique opportunity to participate in intensive creative writing workshops, craft sessions, and studio courses designed especially for young writers. We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting online applications for the 2015 session!
Eligibility (资格)
The Juniper Institute for Young Writers welcomes high school students. We operate on a rolling admissions basis (滚动录取招生政策), and we do our best to make admission decisions within 6 weeks of receiving applications. Once your application is accepted, enrollment (入学, 注册) in the JIYW is guaranteed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Application Process Overview
Applications are accepted online. The application deadline is March 2, 2015. Early application is encouraged, as admission is competitive and the program fills quickly! Application materials include: $30 application fee, a writing sample and a personal statement.
Application Fee
A non-refundable (不退款的) application fee of $30 is required with each application. Applicants pay the fee by debit (借记) or credit card through a secure site on the online application.
A Writing Sample
The writing sample should be 5-7 pages of fiction. Please include your name & email address as a header or footer in the writing sample.
A Personal Statement
This statement of no more than 300 words should describe your interest in the Juniper Institute for Young Writers. Please explain why this would be a meaningful opportunity for you and what you think you can contribute to the institute.
Tuition & Housing
Tuition of $1, 350 includes all institute activities (workshops, craft sessions, studio courses and field trips). You will need to pay a $200 non-refundable tuition deposit in order to guarantee your space. Remaining tuition is due in full no later than May 15, 2015.
The cost of housing is $216 for a shared room in our residence hall. Participants may opt (选择) to stay elsewhere off campus, but the immersive (沉浸式) nature of the program and residence life curriculum encourages on-campus residence.
1.The Juniper Institute for Young Writers program lasts ________.
A. 5 days B. 9 days C. 12 days D. 15 days
2.Potential applicants are advised to ________.
A. apply as early as possible B. live elsewhere off campus
C. inspect the residence hall D. pay the tuition in full
3.Which of the following is acceptable as the writing sample?
A. News reports. B. Biographies.
C. Short stories. D. Business letters.
4.Which of the following is NOT included in the tuition?
A. Studio courses. B. Craft sessions.
C. Field trips. D. Daily meals.
5.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. the program doesn’t accept online application
B. you can apply for this program before June 20, 2015
C. students’ on-campus residence is not compulsory
D. you can pay $216 to rent your own room in the residence hall
A long time ago, my full grown children were still “children”. I saw something that still brings a burst of ______ to my heart whenever I think about it. My youngest son who had just learnt to walk at the time was very ______ to his big sister. When she first started going to ______, he would stand by the window waiting every day for her ______ to bring her home.
One day, ______, a particularly dirty diaper (尿布) incident happened. His mom needed to give him a quick ______ right when the school bus was ______ to arrive. When his sister and I ______ it to the door he was still in the bathtub. His sister went into her room to get changed. As soon as she ______ the door, her brother came out from the bathroom and walked with unsteady steps right to the ______. It seemed that his internal (内部的) ______ knew that his sister ______ be home at any second. I smiled as I watched him looking ______ out of the window while his sister came up from her room. Quietly she moved to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder. The ______ on his face when he turned around and saw his big sister was one I have ______ seen in this life. It was pure joy and pure love. His big eyes ______ with delight, his toothless smile ______ most of his face, and his tiny arms opened up to give his sister a very big hug.
I ______ a while ago that I had spent far too much of my own life looking out of a window waiting for something or someone to ______ me what I wanted in this life. It took me a long time to ______ feel the gentle tapping on my own shoulder. When I turned around, I saw love, joy and peace.
1.A. inspiration B. energy C. freshness D. joy
2.A. related B. attached C. committed D. attracted
3.A. work B. college C. school D. town
4.A. bus B. teacher C. mom D. bicycle
5.A. further B. however C. therefore D. indeed
6.A. change B. dress C. fix D. bath
7.A. arranged B. scheduled C. prepared D. assumed
8.A. made B. took C. drove D. got
9.A. opened B. approached C. pulled D. shut
10.A. gate B. bedroom C. window D. closet
11.A. clock B. time C. memory D. network
12.A. might B. could C. should D. must
13.A. doubtfully B. impatiently C. attentively D. anxiously
14.A. innocence B. curiosity C. surprise D. happiness
15.A. possibly B. frequently C. rarely D. easily
16.A. welled B. shone C. closed D. burned
17.A. took up B. lit up C. set up D. made up
18.A. reflected B. concluded C. understood D. realized
19.A. bring B. confirm C. provide D. tell
20.A. gradually B. finally C. generally D. suddenly
