We’ve heard it before－we’ve heard it on the news, from teachers, from parents－children and teenagers today are growing up too fast．There are not too many people that will ____ with that statement．Teenagers are faced with serious problems and decisions at an early ____．In fact most teenagers’ daily schedules are as ____ as those of an adult’s．
I have been working since I was thirteen, and always in ____ in which I was working with adults. I have had to learn to think and ____ like an adult to be taken seriously. So, I count myself as one who has grown up too fast. I just graduated from high school, and have recently spent some time reflecting(反思) on the ____ eighteen years-thinking about myself, what I have gained, and what ____ I have yet to achieve.
We are expected to work hard, get excellent ____ , be in a good relationship, and know what we want to do ____．The list goes on and on. But the ____ is clear：We live in a society today that is ____ our childhood．We no longer have many years to be careless and fancy-free. We are expected to ____ the strict school rules and to excel(擅长) in everything we do. I’ve known these things for a long time, and knew that they ____ me. But, I never really admitted it until last night, when I learned a ____ lesson, taught to me by my boss where I work. We had finished a job at a remote site．It was about 11:30 at night, and we had ____ to his house. We were talking about the ____ he had been making to his home．One of the things he said was “I ____ my basketball hoop(篮圈).” Then he threw a basketball to me.
I hadn’t ____ a basketball in five years．
We proceeded to shoot hoops for about 40 minutes. Both of us were terribly bad at it, but we spent the whole time ____ away like children. Then I realized something: I am still a child. Oh, the law says I’m an adult. But, we are still really and truly children. We all need to have ____ once in a while.
1.A. argue B. disagree C. satisfy D. discuss
2.A. age B. stage C. year D. grade
3.A. certain B. busy C. careful D. perfect
4.A. companies B. places C. positions D. offices
5.A. study B. speak C. work D. act
6.A. last B. other C. rest D. coming
7.A. purposes B. success C. goals D. jobs
8.A. textbooks B. grades C. teachers D. schools
9.A. in life B. in time C. for ages D. forever
10.A. information B. message C. notice D. idea
11.A. ruining B. correcting C. envying D. shortening
12.A. respect B. accept C. learn D. follow
13.A. inspired B. disappointed C. affected D. frightened
14.A. valuable B. serious C. important D. useful
15.A. walked B. flown back C. gone back D. driven
16.A. furniture B. improvements C. equipment D. arrangements
17.A. moved B. fixed C. sold D. broke
18.A. played B. caught C. touched D. held
19.A. laughing B. shouting C. running D. shooting
20.A. a rest B. a talk C. fun D. sports
How to make Quick Decisions For Your Life
We make decisions every day. 1.When it comes to making decisions, choosing the right one can at times be stressful, especially if the decision must be made quickly. Indecision often weighs us down, but there are some useful tips for making quick decisions more easily.
2.Sometimes the key to making a quick decision comes down to planning ahead of time for just such an occasion. We all know we’re going to come to an important decision-making point sooner or later, so having a plan already in hand can put our mind at ease when that time comes.
Overcome fear. 3.While it may seem difficult to overcome the fear of making the wrong choice, many experts agree that we shouldn’t be afraid to make the wrong decision, even if it seems important. The vast majority of wrong decisions can be corrected, while delaying decisions can often lead to more problems.
Write down all the advantages and disadvantages of your decision. Even if you don’t have all the information, writing down all the pros and cons（优缺点） is a good starting point for figuring out what to do. In cases where there simply isn’t enough time to write things down, make a mental list in your mind. Thinking of the pros and cons can help you organize your thoughts. 4.
Determine criteria. Remember that every decision you make should come with a certain list of criteria.5.But once you know the requirements you’re looking for, making a decision will become easier. Look for the choice that satisfies the list you’ve made, and once that choice is found, you should move ahead with it.
A. Have a plan.
B. The list may be short or quite long.
C. Communicate your decision with others.
D. And this can always lead to a clear answer.
E. So cut out any options that you know you will not choose.
F. Often, one thing that keeps us from making decisions is fear.
G. Some can be very important while others are not serious in the long run.
According to new research from the University of Cambridge in England, sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs.
The farm animals, who are social and have large brains, were previously known to be able to recognize one another, as well as familiar humans. However, their ability to recognize human faces from photos alone is novel.
The recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Royal Society: Open Science. Show the woolly creatures could be trained to recognize still images of human faces, including those of former President Barack Obama and actress Emma Watson.
Initially, the sheep were trained to approach certain images by being given food rewards. Later, they were able to recognize the image for which they had been rewarded. The sheep could even recognize images of faces shown at an angle, though their ability to do so declined by about 15 percent – the same rate at which a human’s ability to perform the same task declines.
“Anyone who has spent time working with sheep will know that they are intelligent, individual animals who are able to recognize their handlers,” said Professor Jenny Morton, who led the Cambridge study. “We’ve shown with our study that sheep have advanced face-recognition abilities, comparable with those of humans and monkeys.”
Recognizing faces is one of the most important social skills for human being, and some disorders of the brain, including Huntington’s disease, affect this ability.
“Sheep are long-lived and have brains that are similar in size and complexity to those of some monkeys. That means they can be useful models to help us understand disorders of the brain, such as Huntington’s disease, that develop over a long time and affect cognitive abilities. Our study gives us another way to monitor how these abilities change,” Morton said.
1.According to the new research, what’s unusual about sheep?
A. They have large brains.
B. They can recognize their owners.
C. They can tell animals from humans.
D. They can recognize human faces from photograph.
2.How did the researchers train the sheep?
A. By guiding them to follow their handlers.
B. By showing photos of humans and monkeys by turns.
C. By giving food rewards.
D. By showing photos of famous people.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Sheep have a higher face-recognition ability than monkeys.
B. The new discovery is beneficial to the study of cognitive ability changes.
C. The sheep’s face-recognition ability says the same when shown photos at any angle.
D. The sheep’s face-recognition ability may prevent some disorders of the brain.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. A New discovery about Sheep. B. How Sheep Recognize Each Other.
C. A Wonderful Scientist. D. The Life of Sheep.
A California family drives a car that could help protect the environment. When Jon and Sandy go to the store or to their daughters’ soccer games, they drive in high-tech style. They drive a $1 million, fuel-cell-powered car. It may be the world’s most expensive car and one of the most environmentally friendly cars. The FCX is the first fuel-cell-powered car to be used by a family anywhere in the world. The FCX uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Car makers have been working to develop vehicles that are better for the environment. They are developing cars that use fuel other than gasoline.
And then what is fuel cell technology? Fuel cell technology works by changing the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water. This process produces electricity, and water vapor which comes out of the exhaust pipe. Most cars release dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Many scientists say these gases are major contributors to global warming. “The FCX is driven just like any other vehicle on the road, but without the gases which pollute the environment,” scientists say. Fuel cell technology has been around since the 1800s, but scientists have yet been to perfect it. They say it may take years before the technology is ready for widespread use. Another earth-friendly car is already on the market. Hybrid cars use both gasoline and an electric motor. They are becoming more popular with customers because they cut pollution and improve fuel efficiency.
1.Which of the following about the FCX is not true?
A. It lets out dangerous gases to pollute the air.
B. It may be the most expensive car in the world.
C. It is one of the most environmentally friendly cars.
D. It uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel other than gasoline.
2.According to the passage, what is the major cause for global warming?
A. gases from FCX. B. gases from cars.
C. hydrogen and oxygen. D. water vapor from cars.
3.From the passage, we know that fuel cell technology _______.
A. works by water B. works by electricity
C. has been widely used since the 1800s D. has a history for over two hundred years
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. there will be no gasoline for cars.
B. global warming has been stopped.
C. people can’t afford to buy cars in the future.
D. future cars will be environmentally friendly.
Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Why does the writer regard “if only” as two of the saddest words in the English language?
A. Because people use them when they feel sad
B. Because they express regrets and disappointment in life
C. Because the remind the writer of some sad experiences
D. Because they mean sadness in the English language
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3?
A. given up B. come across
C. got through D. held back
3.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.
A. see a doctor B. finish her work
C. join a celebration D. accompany her father
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Advice from My Father B. Avoidance of saying “If Only”
C. The “Extra Minute” Rule D. The importance of Emotional Well-being
Metropolis Book Club
Membership:
All you need to do is fill out the order form at the bottom of the page, select your first order from our book list and then post the completed form back to us.
Special offers for new members:
As a special offer, you may choose any reduced-price books from our new members’ book
list, to the value of 100 yuan in total.
Tick the box on your form to order a free watch.
Join before the end of this month and you receive another free book carefully chosen by our
staff.
Order an audio-book from the many on offer, at half the recommended retail price.
When you’ve joined:
As a member you get around 50% off the publisher’s price of every book you buy, and what’s more, they come straight to your door. Your free club magazine arrives once a month to keep you up to date with the latest best-sellers we’ve added to our list. On the Internet, you can find all our titles for the year at our exclusive members’ website. Our website also has a book swap service where members can request or offer books for exchange.
Being a member:
All you have to do is order four books during your first year. After that, you can decide on the number of books you wish to take.
In each of your monthly club magazines, our experienced staff choose a “Book of the Month” for you, which is offered at an extra-special price. If you do not want this book, just say so in the space provided on the form and send it back to us. We always send the book if we do not receive this form.
Once we receive your order, your books are delivered within one week. And remember, you have up to a fortnight to decide if you wish to keep the books you have ordered. If they aren’t what you expected just send them back!
1.How can you become a member of the Metropolis Book Club?
A. By ordering a watch free of charge.
B. By sending the advertisement to the club.
C. By choosing books with special prices.
D. By returning the completed order form.
2.What information does the monthly magazine give members?
A. The percentage saved on each book.
B. The names of all the books sold by the club.
C. The list of the newest books available to buy.
D. The books that can be swapped by club members.
3.What can we infer from the last part of the passage?
A. At least four books should be bought each year.
B. Members can look at the books before they buy them.
C. Members need to buy the “Book of the Month”.
D. The more books bought, the higher the member’s grade.
