If life were a book and you were the author, how would you like the story to go? That is the question that ______ my life forever.
One day I went home from the training of snowboarding with what I thought was the flu, and less than 24 hours later, I was in a ______ on life support with less than two percent ______ of living. It wasn’t until days later that the doctors diagnosed (诊断) me with a ______ blood infection. Over the ______ of 2.5 months, I lost the hearing in my left ear and both my legs below the knee. When my parents ______ me out of the hospital, I ______ that I had been put together like a patchwork (拼缝物) doll and I had to live with ______ legs. I was absolutely physically and emotionally broken,______ streaming down.
But I knew in order to move forward, I had to let go of the Old Amy and ______ the New Amy. It was at this moment that I asked myself that significant ______. And that is when it ______ me that I didn’t have to be five-foot-five anymore,______ I could be as tall as I wanted. And ______ of all, I can make my feet the size of all the shoes. So there were ______ here.
Four months later, 1 was back upon a ______. And this February, I won two Board World Cup gold medals,______ me the highest ranked snowboarder in the world.
So, instead of looking at our ______ and our limitations as something ______ or bad, we can beg in looking at them as a wonderful ______ that can be used to help us go further than we ever know we could go.
1.A. saved B. risked C. ruined D. changed
2.A. hospital B. club C. field D. stadium
3.A. thought B. degree C. chance D. decision
4.A. mild B. severe C. potential D. slight
5.A. journey B. break C. course D. schedule
6.A. wheeled B. dragged C. pulled D. delivered
7.A. made sure B. felt like C. worked out D. put forward
8.A. muscled B. heavy C. shapely D. false
9.A. blood B. sweat C. tears D. water
10.A. hug B. recognize C. fix D. introduce
11.A. plan B. question C. information D. favor
12.A. dawned on B. knocked into C. depended on D. looked into
13.A. although B. so C. while D. but
14.A. first B. strangest C. best D. luckiest
15.A. struggles B. benefits C. rewards D. conflicts
16.A. stage B. snowboard C. track D. playground
17.A. allowing B. giving C. calling D. making
18.A. challenges B. achievements C. devotions D. hesitations
19.A. active B. amazing C. negative D. terminal
20.A. ability B. skill C. tool D. gift
How to Stay Focused in a Noisy World
Block out time for uninterrupted work.
Make sure you schedule important time for yourself where you can focus on your tasks in uninterrupted silence. 1. Think of this as scheduling a meeting with yourself and treat it the same as you would when scheduling a meeting with others.
Turn technology from a distraction into a useful tool.
2. However, there are also some really cool apps that encourage you to be more productive and less distracted by your phone. Forrest is an app that rewards you each time you focus well, motivating you in a fun way and encourages you to leave your phone well alone.
Schedule a distraction time.
Just as important as scheduling focus time is scheduling distraction time. 3. More specifically, the most productive employees spent 52 minutes working followed by a 17-minute break each time. This is down to the brain’s ability to stay motivated--it just can’t sustain(维持）long periods of focus and concentration.
Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness trains your mind to identify thoughts that arise throughout your day.
Mindfulness practice can be done at any time. 4. When reading, really take in every word or while out walking notice how your body feels and the details of your surroundings. Doing this on a regular basis will eventually train your mind when it comes to other areas where distracting thoughts pop up like a work task.
Exercise regularly.
Not only is exercise good for the body but it’s also good for the brain. Physical exercise fires up the neurons in the brain making you more willing to concentrate. 5.
A. It’s difficult to focus on your work.
B. We need to get rid of distractions around us.
C. These days, many people feel controlled by their phones.
D. A study found that regular breaks was the key to productivity.
E. When you eat your food, notice the taste and how it looks and feels.
F. Let people know that you won't respond unless it’s absolutely necessary.
G. This means it increases your ability to ignore distractions and get on with the task at hand.
The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, "They are one skill away from great wealth."
There is an old saying that goes, "Job means" just over broke ". And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers" live within their means". They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, "How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, "So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?" The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
1.The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that .
A. he has a sharp sense of hearing B. he is ready to help others
C. he is just one of the talented people D. he knows little about car repairing
2.The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by “ ”.
A. spend more than they can afford B. do in their own way
C. live in their own circle D. live within what they earn
3.Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
A. They lack financial intelligence. B. They don’t work hard enough.
C. They don’t make full use of their talents. D. They have no specialized skills.
4.The main purpose of the author is to tell us .
A. how young people can find a satisfactory job B. what schools should teach students
C. how McDonald’s makes much money. D. why so many talented people are poor
Researchers continue to show the power behind our sense of smell． Recent studies have found, among other things, that the smell of foods like pizza can cause uncontrollable anger in drivers on roads．
The review explains that smell is unique in its effects on the brain． According to Conrad King, the researcher who carried out the review, "more than any other senses, the sense of smell goes through the logical part of the brain and acts on the systems concerned with feelings. This is why the smell of baking bread can destroy the best intentions of a dieter．"
Smell,which dictates（决定） the unbelievable complexity of food tastes, has always been the least understood of our senses. Our noses are able to detect up to 10，000 distinct smells． Our ability to smell and taste this extremely large range of smells is controlled by something like 1,000 genes, which make up an amazing 3% of the human genome． Researchers Richard Axel and Linda Buck were together awarded a Nobel Prize in 2004 for their ground-breaking research on the nature of this extraordinary sense． These two scientists were the first to describe the family of 1，000 olfactory （嗅觉） genes and to explain how our olfactory system works．
According to one study in the research review， smelling fresh pizza or even the packaging of fast foods can be enough to make drivers feel impatient with other road users． They are then more likely to speed and experience uncontrollable anger on roads． The most reasonable explanation is that these can all make drivers feel hungry， and therefore desperate to satisfy their appetites．
In contrast， the smells of peppermint and cinnamon were shown to improve concentration levels as well as reduce drivers' impatience． Similarly， the smells of lemon and coffee appeared to promote clear thinking and mental focus．
However， the way genes regulate smell differs from person to person． A study by researchers in Israel has identified at least 50 olfactory genes which are switched on in some people and not in others． They believe this may explain why some of us love some smells and tastes while others hate them． The Israel researchers say their study shows that nearly every human being shows a different pattern of active and inactive smell-detecting receptors．
1.What did Richard Axel and Linda Buck find out？ ______
A. The type of food smells．
B. The logical part of human brain．
C. The nature of human olfactory system．
D. The relationship between food and feelings．
2.Which of the following can help people concentrate？ ______
A. Bread． B. Fast food．
C. Pizza． D. Coffee．
3.What do we know from the last paragraph？ ______
A. Different people are sensitive to different smells．
B. Every person has a different pattern of genes．
C. Some people can recognize up to 50 smells．
D. There are still some olfactory genes to be found out．
4.What is the passage mainly about？ ______
A. Logic and behavior． B. Smell and its influence．
C. Sense ability and food tastes． D. Olfactory genes and its system．
Bookstores are a traveller's best friend: they provide convenient shelter in bad weather, and they often host readings and other cultural events. Here is a look at world’s six greatest bookstores.
Adrian Harrington—since 1971. Rare books; rare first editions; leather bound sets and general antiquarian (古玩). Address: 64A Kensington Church Street, Kensington, London, England, U.K.
Another Country—Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany. Another Country is an English Language second hand bookshop which is mostly used as a library. They have about 20,000 books that you can buy or borrow. Some regular events are held at the shop, such as readings, cultural events, social evenings and film nights.
Atlantis Books—Oía, Santorini, Greece. Atlantis Books is an independent bookshop on the island of Santorini, Greece, founded in 2004 by a group of friends from Cyprus, England, and the United States. Throughout the year it has hosted literary festivals, film screenings, book readings, and good old fashioned dance parties.
Bart’s Books—Ojai, California, U.S.A. “The World’s Greatest Outdoor Bookstore”, a bookstore founded by Richard Bartinsdale in 1964. Shelves of books face the street, and regular customers are asked to drop coins into the door’s coin box to pay for any books they take whenever the store is closed.
10 Corso Como—Milan, Italy. Extensive selection of publication on art, architecture, design, graphics and fashion, along with a strong emphasis on photography. It was founded in 1990 in Milan, Italy, by Carla Sozzani.
The Bookworm—A bookshop, library, bar, restaurant and event space, now with four divisions in three cities—Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu. The interconnecting rooms with floor-to-ceiling books on every wall are light and airy in summer, yet warm and comfortable in winter.
1.Which of the following bookstores has the longest history?
A. Adrian Harrington. B. Atlantis Books.
C. Bart’s Books. D. 10 Como Bookshop.
2.What can you do in Atlantis Books?
A. Attend a festival. B. Learn photography.
C. Enjoy rare books. D. Buy books anytime.
3.How is The Bookworm different from the other bookstores?
A. It is used as a library. B. It hosts all sorts of activities.
C. It focuses on photography. D. It has branches in different cities.
假如你是李华。你们学校的外教Linda Smith女士即将回国。请你用英语写一篇发言稿，代表 学校在欢送会上致辞。内容包括:
1.对她的工作和品格作出评价；
2.感谢她在学习上给予的帮助；
3.表达对她的祝福。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯(开头已给出，不计入总数)。
Dear LindA.
From the bottom of our hearts,it’s hard to say“goodbye” to you.
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