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。
In the Chinese lunar calendar a year 1. (divide) into 24 solar terms. Lichun, the first solar term, usually lasts from around February 4 to February 18. It is time to actively develop agriculture. Lichun 2. (tradition) represents the beginning of spring in East Asian cultures. Farmers often celebrate it with special village events and 3. (ceremony) for a prosperous new year. In the lunar calendar, New Year’s Day might be before 4.after Lichun.
In northern China, people ate spring pancakes on this day. The spring pancake took 5. (it) rise from the Jin dynasty and 6. (become) popular in the Tang dynasty. Lichun was valued by both Chinese ancient kings and civilians. In celebration of Lichun, civilians ate spring pancakes 7. (wrap) around fresh vegetables and meat, 8. was called bite-the-spring. Bite-the-spring implied that civilians were praying for 9. good harvest year.
Now, people also go outside to show their passion for the spring. Villagers usually whip their cattle and on their way, they bang drums and sing songs 10. (celebrate) the coming spring.
As somebody who’s spent a great deal of time being unemployed, or an aimless student, I’ve felt like I’m doing nothing with my life.
I’ve seen people like me who just accept their ______, saying that “Oh it’s too hard, I’m not going to do it.” After all, people want to see immediate ______, which aren’t going to happen.
But the good news is, six months is enough to turn your life around for the ______. So why not make ______ out of it?
A few years ago, I went to see my academic ______ in college, and by my calculation, I thought I had a couple of courses left to ______ before I graduated. No. It ______ that I had mine course left. I felt completely ______. I just wanted to give up on getting my ______. But then a friend of mine said, “Well, you can either ______ about your courses or you can get them done.”
I took more courses than ever, and ______ six months I finished my ______ courses, and got my BA.
After graduation, I ______ the experience to get an ideal job right away. Six months of volunteering got me the ______ letter to change that. I had to work for ______ for a little bit, and then do a low-paying job in my field before I could ______ up, but I did it.
This isn’t just about working experience, ______. For example, say you wanted to lose some weight. Think about if you kept exercising more and cutting out junk, how much you’d ______ in six months.
The bottom line is this: It won’t be ______. It won’t be easy. Six months isn’t that long, but it’s long enough to make some unbelievable ______ in a positive and meaningful way.
1.A. education B. location C. situation D. suggestion
2.A. influences B. results C. purposes D. aims
3.A. better B. worse C. richer D. sadder
4.A. anything B. nothing C. everything D. something
5.A. researcher B. adviser C. colleague D. operator
6.A. require B. create C. take D. overcome
7.A. burst out B. figured out C. broke out D. turned out
8.A. depressed B. relaxed C. embarrassed D. excited
9.A. degree B. scholarship C. course D. license
10.A. care B. learn C. complain D. quarrel
11.A. for B. beyond C. since D. within
12.A. final B. easy C. common D. special
13.A. lost B. possessed C. lacked D. kept
14.A. application B. reference C. business D. official
15.A. short B. free C. money D. fun
16.A. set B. make C. put D. move
17.A. though B. therefore C. either D. otherwise
18.A. receive B. control C. progress D. increase
19.A. regular B. overnight C. frequent D. worthwhile
20.A. decisions B. remarks C. plans D. changes
When you start a new job, you’ll probably be introduced to a lot of new people on your first day. And it’s important to make a good impression. The following are some practical tips to help you.
Show up early
1. Arriving 5 to 10 minutes early gives you time to settle in—or hit the bathroom if needed. To make sure you can arrive early, give yourself extra time to get ready in the morning and to travel to your destination.
2.
It can be difficult to find the right balance between having an influence on your new role, and disturbing the balance of the delicate office ecosystem. You don’t want to walk in and get into trouble, but you also don’t want to fade into the background, either.
Take plenty of notes
It’s a great idea to bring a small notebook and pen with you on your first day for taking down notes. Don’t be shy about recording information that you know will be useful to you later, like names and passwords. 3.. So taking notes is a great way to keep on top of things.
Watch your body language
You’ve probably read that body language is important for job interviews, but it can also be a valuable tool in creating a lasting impression when you start a new job. On your first day, be careful of conveying powerful body language. 4. And do your best to avoid negative body language, such as yawning, frowning, or standing with your hands in your pockets.
Step away form social media
While on your first day at the office you must have all sorts of feelings—nerves, anxiety, joy, even boredom—resist the desire to share it on social media. When it comes to updating your friends and followers about the status of your newfound employment, always be cautious and assume your bosses are watching. 5..
A. Almost certainly, they will
B. Be positive and show interest
C. Be enthusiastic, but not overbearing
D. Smile often and look people in the eye
E. Body language makes one more successful
F. This might seem easy, but many people don’t do it
G. You’re likely to face data-overload on your first day
“And this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature goes to ... someone who’s not Haruki Murakami (村上春树) again.”
This was how the BBC started one of its reports about the 2017 Nobel Prizes, even though it was Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro who won the prize. “To be honest, it’s a bit annoying,” Murakami, 69, said in an interview with The Japan Times when asked how he felt when the public kept making a fuss about his potential (可能的) Nobel win. “This is not a horse race,” he added. And yet, to the public, a horse race is perhaps all it is.
So, the limelight is now once again on Murakami, after he made it onto the final list for the New Academy Prize in Literature 2018. “By combining pop culture with magic realism, he has attracted much attention with his novels and short story collections, and has attracted readers worldwide,” said the New Academy about Murakami.
Indeed, Murakami has a huge fan base in his home country of Japan, especially among young people. These young fans call themselves “Harukists”, as they identify with the “absurdity (荒谬) and loneliness of modern life” described in his novels, according to Business Insider. And in 2005, Murakami started reaching an international readership when his novel Kafka on the Shore appeared on the New York Times’ Top 10 list for book of the year, which was also believed to be the time when the world’s interest in Murakami’s Nobel win first began to surface.
But Murakami himself couldn’t care less about whether he wins the prize or not. “If you’re a writer and you have readers, you have everything. You don’t need critics or reviews.” he told The New Yorker.
However, if winning the prize is all that it takes to end this “horse race” and put Murakami out of his misery (煎熬), let’s just hope that when the winner is announced on Oct 12, the BBC’s story will open with, “This year’s New Academy Prize in Literature goes to ... Haruki Murakami.”
1.According to paragraph 2, what made Haruki Murakami annoyed?
A. Losing the horse race.
B. Not winning the Nobel Prize.
C. Being interviewed by the media.
D. Over focus on his potential Nobel win.
2.We learn from the passage that Haruki Murakami _____.
A. is especially popular among the elders
B. is more famous abroad than at home
C. became internationally acceptable in 2005
D. combines pop culture with serious literature
3.What can we learn from Murakami’s words in paragraph 5?
A. He puts his readers in the first place.
B. He cares much about people’s reviews.
C. He considers winning the Nobel Prize a top honor.
D. He is very disappointed about not winning the Nobel Prize.
4.What is the writer’s attitude towards Murakami winning the Nobel Prize?
A. Favorable. B. Uncaring.
C. Changing. D. Doubtful.
New research about male guppies, a tropical fish found in most fresh and saltwater environments published in the journal Functional Ecology suggests that male guppies exposed to high predation (捕食行动) levels often develop larger brain sizes than those living in low-risk environments. Consequently, the development of larger brain sizes among the male guppy population allows for better chances of survival under high predation conditions.
The team began its research in the southern Caribbean. They concentrated their observations on populations located in two independent rivers. In each, they collected male guppies living above and below the waterfalls. A small amount of predators lived in the waters above the waterfall, therefore the local guppy population had evolved (进化) under predation-poor conditions into a predation-poor population.
On the other hand, below the waterfall, predators were found to be increasing, making environment dangerous. Scientists noticed that male guppies located above the waterfalls often displayed on average smaller brain sizes than males living under the waterfall.
The next step was to find out if male guppies from high-predation population only had larger brains as a result of long evolutionary processes or a direct response to exposure (暴露) to risk during development. This question took the team away from the tropics and back to the laboratory, taking a sample group of guppies originating from high predation group. These were divided into two test populations. The first group was exposed to the sight and smell of a predator living in a nearby aquarium for five minutes at a time, five times a week. The other guppies served as a control group and lived in non-predatory places. The results showed that males exposed to predators have 21 per cent heavier brains than those of the control group.
Male guppies are generally more colorful than females and thus more likely to be exposed to predation threats. The increase in intellect could offer males advantages such as the ability to detect and react to danger earlier, increasing their chances of survival.
1.We learn from the passage that ______.
A. smarter fish have better chances of survival
B. guppies can’t survive in high predator conditions
C. the size of guppies changes with the environment
D. larger brains only result from long evolutionary process
2.This new research was done mainly by _______.
A. listing facts B. analyzing data
C. making comparisons D. explaining reasons
3.Male guppies are more easily attacked than females because of their _____.
A. appearance B. behavior
C. life history D. living environment
4.Which of the following proverbs reflects the findings of the research?
A. Pain past is pleasure.
B. Great hopes make great man.
C. While there is life, there is hope.
D. Storms make trees take deeper roots.
In 2000, Jodi had a lot going on: Not only was she working, but she was taking care of her husband, Kevin, who was suffering from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (重症肌无力). Being a caretaker is never easy, and on one afternoon after Labor Day, her brother decided to cheer her up.
“While a day at the beach sounded great, it was too much to ask from Kevin. A day at the beach was like running a marathon—an extraordinary event. It would mean having help with us, keeping the wheelchair and medical equipment free of water and sand, it would mean keeping Kevin cool and comfortable, and it would mean a tough day for everyone involved. After work, I got home and I saw my brother’s car. After asking me to wait before coming in, he covered my eyes with a scarf and took my hand. Once inside, he asked me to sit down and then took off my shoes and socks. My foot landed on something cool. I soon realized that my toes were sinking into sand. It was a beautiful morning and the sand felt cool and welcoming under my feet. Still blindfolded, Jamie then guided me to sit down on a towel. Then he sat behind me and held me in his arms. Seagulls flew in front of me. Mists of water touched my face.
‘Here you go’, said my brother, handing me a hot latte. We sat there, not needing to say anything. He embraced me while I sipped my coffee. What a miracle of love! I hadn’t made it to the beach but my brother had brought the beach to me! It was the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me. For 15 minutes, until Kevin woke and needed care as usual, I was at the beach. When this was over, my brother gently removed my blindfold. Now I could see where I really was. The patio (平台) was covered in sand. A CD player gave the sounds of the ocean. He had supported the hose on a bucket and the water was set to mist.
With my eyes open, the beach was gone. But that memory, that sincere gesture of love and hope, kept me happy for a long time.”
1.Which of the following made a day at the beach beyond reach?
A. The terrible weather.
B. Economic pressures.
C. A lack of a wheelchair.
D. Kevin’s physical condition.
2.The underlined word in paragraph 3 may refer to the brand of _____.
A. dessert B. coffee
C. snacks D. tea
3.What do we learn about Kevin?
A. He was mentally disabled.
B. He was crazy about the beach.
C. He was used to taking a nap in the day.
D. He planned a day at the beach for Jodi.
4.In Jodi’s eyes, her brother was _______.
A. strong and optimistic
B. considerate and caring
C. loyal and friendly
D. honest and enthusiastic
