Two years ago I was a typical girl with a rather plain life. When______to a local voluntary organization called "Peer-to-Peer" by a poster, I had no idea what this group was about.______,to learn more about it, I decided to attend a______, which changed my life.
Just like the______ suggests, everyone is considered a peer, including regular members and our leaders, This means we can______our leaders by their first names. We can also ask our leaders for help in______life situations, which we know they will never______ ! When it comes to conversations about awkward topics like love, we are________not to be ashamed of ourselves.
This organization's meetings______in our Iocal library. We usually gather and communicate about______topics concerning our society: education, equality and safety... This kind of communication helps us to make the right choice and______0ur mind. Sometimes we've gone outside in order to participate in______events. One event we had,______, was "Give a cigarette -Take a candy" intending to______smoking.
At this organization we are friends with each other and are a______community. I've also gained a lot of______experience by communicating with people and working in the team.
With time going by, I have found an abundance of other______organizations such as "Give Good" and "Youth Initiative Center". All of them have______me a great chance to develop my own personality and make my life______. I'm sure I'll have a lot of wonderful______about my youth with me getting older
1.A. invited B. transformed C. promoted D. introduced
2.A. Besides B. Accidentally C. Therefore D. Luckily
3.A. party B. meeting C. competition D. program
4.A. name B. poster C. organization D. aim
5.A. address B. assist C. inform D. avoid
6.A. simple B. difficult C. familiar D. similar
7.A. accept B. understand C. realize D. reject
8.A. forced B. requested C. encouraged D. reminded
9.A. carry on B. take place C. set down D. turn up
10.A. light B. rare C. hot D. plain
11.A. broaden B. correct C. polish D. support
12.A. powerful B. cheerful C. hopeful D. meaningfu
13.A. in short B. as usual C. for example D. in effect
14.A. criticize B. spread C. decrease D. ignore
15.A. famous B. tight C. workable D. good
16.A. original B. particular C. potential D. precious
17.A. voluntary B. individual C. professional D. social
18.A. cost B. guaranteed C. owed D. prepared
19.A. irregular B. comfortable C. unbelievable D. attractive
20.A. memories B. impressions C. secrets D. dreams
A Housewarming Party
A housewarming party is a special party to be held when someone buys or moves into a new apartment or house. The person or people who bought the apartment or house or moved are the ones who throw the party.1.It also gives people a chance to see what the new home looks like. It is an opportunity to fill the new space with love and hopeful presents.
It is traditional to bring a gift to a housewarming party2.Some common items(物品) people will put on a gift registry include kitchen tools like knives and items like curtains. Even if there isn't a registry, a good housewarming gift is something to decorate the new house with, like, a piece of art or a plant.3.It is often appreciated since at a housewarming party there isn't a lot of food served, usually just appetizers or sandwiches.
4.The host or hostess of the party will, however, probably give all the guests a tour of their new home. Sometimes, because a housewarming party happens shortly after a person moves into a new home, people may be asked to help unpack boxes. This isn't usual though.
Housewarming parties get their name from the fact that a long time ago people would actually britng firewood to a new home as a gift so that the person could keep the home warm for the winter.5.
A. You can also bring food or drinks to share.
B. Different activities are held to make guests satisfied
C. There are usually no planned activities at a housewarming party.
D. Now most homes replace fires with central heating to keep warm.
E. Different people hold or attend housewarming parties for various reasons.
F.Some people register a list ofthings they need for their new home at local stores.
G. The party is an opportunity for friends and family to congratulate the person or people on the new home.
When people find themselves in difficult conflicts, they often turn to mediation(调解). Mediator are advised to listen attentively, avoid favoring the ideas of one party, and make both sides feel at ease. Surprisingly, new research that my colleagues and I conducted shows that, to effectively help people settle their conflicts, mediators should adopt a hostile(敌对的 ) attitude rather- than a calming one. A hostile mediator, we find, brings better results than a nice one
Why would adding more negativity to an already hostile situation prove beneficial? Consider how parents typically react when they can't get their children to stop quarreling: "I don't care who started it, both of you, go to your rooms!" At first sight, a calm mediator seems likely to be more effective. But as anyone with brothers or sisters knows, parents' seemingly unsympathetic treatment ofthe situation can have an unusual effect,
In our research, we created situations in which pairs ofnegotiators were part ofa heated conflict.In some cases, the mediator had a "nice" approach-calm and polite. In others, he was hostile-aggressive and somewhat rude. Across different types of conflicts, we found that negotiators were more willing and able to reach an agreement in the presence of a hostile mediator than in the presence of a nice one.
The main result ofthe test is not that hostility pays off. In fact, recent research has documented the social costs of negative behavior. For example, being the target ofrude behavior reduces people's performance on a variety oftasks. Other research shows the social benefits ofpositive behavior.People are more likely to close deals and become future business partners.
Even with the widespread social benefits ofpositive behavior and costs ofnegative behavior, hostility can pay offin certain situations.
1.What is the parents' settlement ofconflicts in paragraph 2?
A. It's calming and wise
B. It's arbitrary but effective.
C. It's commonly adopted.
D. It harms family relationship
2.How does the author support his viewpoints?
A. By giving examples and experimenting.
B. By analyzing causes and effects.
C. By presenting facts.
D. By making comparison/
3.Which best describes the author's attitude in the text?
A. Concerned. B. Doubtful.
C. Objective D. Positive.
4.What could be the title ofthe text?
A. The Significance of Effective Mediation
B. The Costs ofNegative Behavior
C. The Benefits ofPositive Behavior
D. The Surprising Power of Hostility
Engineers have put a huge garbage collector to gather plastic material in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, the world's largest spread of garbage, twice the size of the state of Texas.
The Ocean Cleanup organization created the collector. The group's founder, Boyan Slat, an inventor born in 1994, was just 16 when he was moved to clean up the oceans when he was on a dive and saw more plastic bags than fish
Last Saturday, a ship pulling the pipe-shaped floating barrier left San Francisco. Attached to it is a screening skirt that hangs three meters down in the water. The screen is designed to collect the plastic as it moves through the water. Sea animals can safely swim under the barrier
The cleanup system also comes with lights powered by the sun, cameras, and other special devices, so the system can communicate its position at all times. That way a support ship can find it every few months to remove the plastic that has been collected.
Shipping containers will hold all the plastic gathered , including bottles and fishing equipment and are expected to be back on land within a year. Then the plastic will be recycled. The free-floating barriers are made to survive extreme weather conditions and damage from continual use. They will stay in the water for twenty years , thus collecting 90% ofthe garbage in the area.
The Ocean Cleanup has received $ 35 million in donations to pay for the project, hoping to put 60 free-floating barriers in the Pacific Ocean by 2020. "It's important to turn off the taps on plastic entering the ocean, but I also think people can do more than one thing at a time to deal with this problem," Slat said.
1.What drove Slat to invent the collector?
A. The interest in invention
B. His failure to dive due to rubbish.
C. The sight oftoo many plastic bags
D. His knowledge ofgarbage in the Pacific Ocean
2.How does the floating barrier work?
A. It reaches into the water to collect the plastic
B. It has large containers to produce power
C. 'It forms barriers to protect sea animals
D. A ship drags it along in the ocean.
3.Which does the underlined word "it" in paragraph 4 refer to?
A. The support ship.
B. The floating barrier
C. The plastic to be recycled.
D. The position of special devices.
4.What is important for protecting the ocean according to Slat?
A. Sending more collectors into the ocean
B. Inventing more ocean cleanup devices
C. Stopping plastic from entering the ocean
D. Banning the use ofplastic bags in boats
My wife and I went to this vegan(严格的素食主义的) restaurant to give it a try. As we were eating our pepper and salt tofu, a young lady named Debra walked in. She wasn't aware that the place is vegan and was looking for some meat. My wife and I talked up the place and invited her over to try some of our tofu. Debra tried it, nodded and went out.
After a few minutes, she and her mother both walked back in. We were having the rest of our meal at that time, so we told her what we had ordered. Debra then asked the waitress to just repeat our order for them. Next , Debra said. "And we want to pay for their meal", pointing to my wife and me. We tried to say no, but Debra wouldn't listen.
That was not the end ofit. Hugs were in order. Debra came over to our table and my wife got up to hug her. Debra hugged my wife and put $ 100 into her hand. My wife firmly said NO, but Debra insisted. Debra kept talking about our kindness, and we did the same about hers and her mother's.With tears in the eyes, the workers were blown away by this whole exchange between four strangers.I left the waiters and waitresses a tip that would cover all ofour meals and we were on our way.
I've been witnessing so much kindness, especially over the last few years, as I began to pay more attention. We now have a new favorite restaurant and every time we go there my plan is to pay for someone else's meal.
1.Why did Debra go out after trying some tofu?
A. To bring her mother in. B. To look after her mother.
C. To get away from the food. D. To Iook for another restaurant
2.What did Debra insist on?
A. Hugging the author's wife B. Ordering a meal for the author
C. Treating the author and his wife D. Tipping the waiters and waitress
3.How did the workers feel when seeing the exchange between four strangers?
A. Curious B. Funny
C. Surprised D. Touched
4.What can we know about the author and Debra?
A. They've been friends. B. They were both vegan
C. They met forvthe first time D. They once worked together
Four books that will change your life
If you're already working 9-5, you might not have much time to read. With the Blinkist app, you can get the key information from the best nonfiction books in minutes, not hours or days. Start with the four most-read titles on self-improvement.
Thirteen Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
You can't escape misfortune in life. But you can change how you respond to it.Do you struggle to get over your failures? Or live with things out of your control? Getting over these troubles can have a great influence on your everyday life, Morin shares how her most successful therapy（治疗）patients overcame these difficulties.
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Ever wondered why you can't stop worrying about something? No matter how hard you try, do you focus on the same issue? By defining the source of your stress, you can get over it once and for all. Camegie came up with an effective way that helps you deal with any over-thinking situation.
Finding Your Element by Ken Rotoinson
Society often encourages us to follow a certain linear plan. Everyone has a passion. If you don't know what yours is, it just means you haven't discovered it yet. Or perhaps you have, buth disappeared early in life. Find out how you can break free of society's strict rules and find your calling in life.
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
Did you know if your pulse rate rises above 100 bpm, you're considered too emotional to think rationally（理智地）? You probably let feelings cloud your judgment more often than you know. Goleman explains how you can avoid letting your emotions rule you and make better decisions in life.
1.What is Amy Morin's book mainly about?
A. Unavoidable failures in life.
B. Life stories of successful people
C. Methods of treating mental diseases
D. Approaches to handling challenges in life.
2.What does the book by Ken Robinson encourage us to do?
A. Draw up our own plans. B. Discover what we truly love.
C. Follow a certain linear plan. D. Obey society's strict rules.
3.Whose book helps us learn how to control our emotions?
A. Amy Morin's B. Dale Carnegie's
C. Ken Robinson's D. Daniel Goleman's
