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.
The idea of turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing is not new. During the last five years, a large number of clothing companies, businesses and environmental organizations have started turning plastics into fabric to deal with plastic pollution.But there’s a problem with this method. Research now shows that microfibers could be the biggest source of plastic in the sea.
Dr. Mark Browne in Santa Barbara, California, has been studying plastic pollution and microfibers for 10 years now. He explains that every time synthetic (合成的)clothes go into a washing machine, a large number of plastic fibers fall off. Most washing machines can’t collect these microfibers. So every time the water gets out of a washing machine, microfibers are entering the sewers and finally end up in the sea.
In 2011, Browne wrote a paper stating that a single piece of synthetic clothing can produce more than 1, 900 fibers per wash. Browne collected samples from seawater and freshwater sites around the world, and used a special way to examine each sample.He discovered that every single water sample contained microfibers.
This is bad news for a number of reasons. Plastic can cause harm to sea life when eaten. Studies have also shown that plastic can absorb other pollutants.
Based on this evidence, it may seem surprising that companies and organizations have chosen to turn plastic waste into clothing as an environmental“solution.”Even though the science has been around for a while, Browne explains that he's had a difficult time getting companies to listen. When he asked well-known clothing companies to support Benign by Design—his research project that seeks to get clothes that have a bad effect on humans and the environment out of the market, Browne didn’t get a satisfying answer. Only one women’s clothing company, Eileen Fisher, offered Browne funding.
1.What has happened during the past five years?
A. Fabric has become much stronger.
B. Plastic pollution has been less serious.
C. Many plastic bottles have been reused.
D. Microfibers have been greatly improved.
2.What does Browne think of washing synthetic clothes?
A. It is adding microfibers to the clothes.
B. It is worsening environmental problems.
C. It is making synthetic clothes last longer.
D. It is doing great damage to washing machines.
3.What can be inferred about Browne’s Benignby Design research project?
A. It has achieved great success. B. It hasn’t got anything done.
C. It is known to very few people. D. It is facing some difficulties.
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A. It’s important to learn to recycle
B. It’s never easy to solve pollution problems
C. Recycled plastic clothing: solution or pollution?
D. Are human beings moving forward or backward?
English is full of colorful phrases to describe shyness. Someone shy might be called shrinking violet or a wallflower, while for especially nervous types we have the curious expression: they wouldn’t say boo to a goose.
None of these are traditionally seen as positive descriptions, even if you like geese. In a culture of go-getting, high achievers, shy people don’t come first. Or that’s what the self-help industry would have you believe. Bookshops are filled with vital tomes(巨著) that promise to help beat social fears and find success in life, love and business. That is why one book, Shrinking Violets: A Field Guide to Shyness, bucks the trend. It became a sudden success across English-language media recently for its new take-on shyness.
Author Joe Moran says that despite struggling with shyness and longing for loneliness all his life, being shy can also be "a gift". Freed from the constant urge to participate and compete in social situations, people are liberated to look at the world in new ways, and gain fresh insights.
Indeed, many of the world’s great thinkers and artists are introverts(内向的人). Scientists Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein preferred their own company; actress Keira Knightley often finds herself tongue-tied at parties; and Harry Potter author JK Rowling claims she used to be too nervous to even borrow a pen.
Moran told BBC Future: "I think shyness probably does turn you into an amateur anthropologist(人类学家), really-you are more likely to be an observer."
So, while extroverts make all the noise, they don’t necessarily have the best ideas.
If you’re shy, you’ve probably known this for a long time. You just don’t shout about it.
1.When someone is being called a wallflower, he is being ________.
A. praised for his grace B. admired for his character
C. laughed at for his shyness D. told off for his nervousness
2.The underlined phrase “bucks the trend” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.
A. going against the trend and succeeds
B. changing the public idea completely
C. becoming unpopular and unaccepted
D. becoming the major concern of people
3.The author mentioned many famous shy people in order to ________.
A. point out the harm shyness brings
B. disconnect shyness and success
C. shows the reasons for shyness
D. prove shyness contributes to science
4.What is the author’s attitude towards shyness?
A. Opposed. B. Indifferent.
C. Supportive. D. Critical.
She will face the challenges of riding a bike to school or not being able to climb the monkey bars during playtime.But little Ella Peggie, who was born without her left arm, will get an extraordinary opportunity to share a life-changing bond with her new beloved pet, three-legged puppy.
When her mother,Brooke Hodgson,saw the one-year-old puppy named Snowy,she knew instantly it would be the perfect companion for her one-year-old daughter.“My heart skipped a beat when I saw Snowy online,”Ms.Hodgson said.It took just three days for the puppy,who recently had surgery to remove a 1eg,to find a new home after she was sent to the animal shelter last week.
“I knew she was going to be perfect for Ella—they share the same age so they both have a long life of friendship ahead of them.I just know that Snowy is going to increase her confidence when she is growing up.It’s going to be great for Ella when she realizes she’s different or when she’s having a bad day.she will see the resemblance and know that she’s not alone.”
Ms.Hodgson has been touched by the relationship between the pair since the lively puppy became the latest addition to the family.And she believes the caring puppy will be by Ella’s side through the highs and lows of her life.Ms.Hodgson said,“Every morning Snowy looks for Ella first before she runs to anyone else.It’s quite a unique link.I’m just thankful that I was able to give her this dog.I just can’t wait for them to get even closer.Not many people are able to do this for their children so we’re very lucky to have Snowy.I can’t even explain how I feel fight now.”The young mother said Snowy,who was welcomed into the family just a week ago,has been playing a very special part to Ella’s life as well as her three-year-old brother Blake and her father,Stewart Peggie.
1.How did the mother feel when she saw the three-legged puppy online?
A. Excited. B. Puzzled.
C. Disappointed. D. Astonished.
2.What does the phrase“the latest addition”in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Ella. B. Snowy.
C. Blake. D. Stewart Peggie.
3.Why did the mother welcome the dog into her family?
A. To give her daughter confidence.
B. To make her family full of fun.
C. To show sympathy for the dog.
D. To give the dog a comfortable space.
4.What is probably the best title of the text?
A. Why the Beautiful Girl Was Born One Arm
B. How to Adopt a Three-legged Puppy Dog
C. A Three-legged Puppy Dog Found Online
D. A One-arm Girl and Her Three-legged Puppy
The annual World Economic Forum took place in Davos, Switzerland, in Jan. 23-26, 2018. What did Chinese entrepreneurs (企业家)speak in the forum? Are there some quotable quotes for you?
★Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group
“I think globalization cannot be stopped — no one can stop globalization, no one can stop trade. If trade stops, the world stops. Trade is the way to dissolve (结束) the war not cause the war,” said Ma in Davos, “Google, Facebook, Amazon and Alibaba — we are the luckiest companies of this century. But we have the responsibility to have a good heart, and do something good.”
★Richard Liu, founder and chief executive officer of JD
“Business is not only a way to make money but also a way to contribute yourself, to help people,” Liu said in a speech in Davos. “How can we face the fractured (分化的) world? That’s the topics of the Davos this year. I think a very important thing in business is cooperation. If we can unite, work together, if we work very closely, I think we can bring more hope to the people and we can build more trust between the people, countries and companies and partners,” he said.
★Jane Sun, CEO of Ctrip
“Tourism is a sunrise industry. Since I entered Ctrip, every year there are new comers, which, first of all, shows that tourism is booming.” Sun told Sina.com in Davos. “We invested heavily in ABC.A refers to AI, B is big data, and C is cloud computing. As we continue to expand overseas, these three will be very good weapons for us. So we think those mean opportunity,” she said.
★Hu Xiaoming, president of Aliyun
“In 2018, people will see the development in various countries more closely connected with cloud computing. More manufacturing enterprises and financial institutions will start to use ‘cloud’, and cloud computing will increase the efficiency of technology and finance,” Hu told Xinhua in Davos.
1.What do Chinese entrepreneurs like Jack Ma and Richard Liu focus more on?
A. Earning more money. B. The joined efforts of mankind.
C. Reducing production costs. D. The role of science in business.
2.What is the main business of Ctrip?
A. Tourism. B. The creation of AI.
C. Computer. D. Financial service online.
3.What does Hu think will promote global economic development?
A. Economy recovery. B. The World Economic Forum.
C. Cloud computing. D. Financial efficiency.
假定你是李华,你的英国朋友 Ben 来信询问中国学生做家务情况,并征求你对做家务的看法。请你根据所给要点,用英文给他回一封信。
提到目前,中国部分中学生不做家务,其原因有:
1. 有些父母认为学生首要任务是学习,而且学习负担重,所以不让学生做家务;
2. 有些中学生认为做家务是大人的事,不该由自己做,他们也不知道怎样做家务; 并谈谈自己对此现象的看法。
注意:1. 词数:120 左右;
2. 可根据内容要点适当增加细节,使文连贯。
Dear Ben,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua