“Have a nice day!”may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!”This version of expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone(腔调)with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase the business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression serves us when we don’t know what to say.“Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1.How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
A. Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.
B. Maxie really wishes the author a good day.
C. Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.
D. Maxie really worries about the author’s security.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The salesgirl is polite. B. The salesgirl is bored.
C. The salesgirl cares about me. D. The salesgirl says the words as a routine.
3.By saying “Have a nice day,” a stranger may ______.
A. try to be polite to you B. express respect to you
C. give his blessing to you D. share his pleasure with you
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom
B. Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture
C. Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting
D. Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation
Anyone who has ever volunteered for any cause can tell you that in the end, they felt that they gained more from the experience than they gave. This is true for most examples of reaching out to help others. We find that we gain new understanding about not only those we help, but ourselves as well. Stressing the importance of helping others in martial arts students will benefit them both inside and outside of the class.
Helping others strengthens families. Families that practice the belief of working together and helping each other prepare their children for the concept of teamwork outside of the home environment. By learning to help around the house through activities such as household jobs, baby-sitting and keeping a tidy bedroom, children learn valuable lessons that they carry with them to their future relationships.
By helping others outside of the home environment, valuable friendships can be developed. When we learn to reach out to others and give off our time and talents we find that our friendships grow, which in turn is a benefit to our lives. Martial arts training supports this by exposing students to people of various backgrounds and beliefs that gather for a common goal and to help each other. Any time a group of people are working toward a common goal, team spirit surely forms. When we help each other in the martial arts setting and in every area of our lives, a friendship is formed that promotes teamwork.
The most important thing to realize is that it does not take a lot to make a lot happen. Little things can make a big difference in the area of helping others. Simple gestures of kindness and support given frequently can build a strong base for the growth and development of each individual which leads to the success of all.
1.Any volunteer will benefit from the experience because _______.
A. they will be admitted to a martial arts class for free
B. they can also have a better understanding of themselves
C. they can understand the importance of martial arts better
D. they will be paid back by those who are helped sooner or later
2.According to the author, martial arts training is valuable in that it _______.
A. promotes students’ team spirit B. develops students’ talents
C. benefits students’ lives D. exposes students’ background
3.Which of the following proverbs can be used to summarize the last paragraph?
A. Many drops make a shower. B. Strike the iron (铁) while it is hot.
C. Actions speak louder than words. D. God helps those who help themselves.
Argument for awards
It’s always exciting every year in October when the Nobel Prizes are announced. We get to witness the acknowledgement (表彰) of some of humankind’s greatest minds in six fields – literature (文学), medicine, physics, chemistry, economics and activism for peace.
This year, however, part of the excitement will be taken away, since there won’t be a Nobel Prize in literature due to the fact that the Swedish Academy – the institution (机构) that awards the prize – was involved in a sexual harassment scandal.
People worry that a scandal like this will affect the reputation of the Nobel Prizes. But at the same time, we have to ask ourselves whether we really need these awards after all.
According to Jana Gallus, an economist from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, one of the reasons that people give out awards is to establish a legacy (遗产). In the case of the Nobel Prizes, they encourage people to achieve more by acknowledging the hard work of top figures in different fields.
Awards may also help establish standards of what’s considered high quality. For example, if you’re having a hard time deciding which movie to watch, one of them having an Oscar under its belt will probably help you to make your mind up. And by reading the books that have won The Man Booker Prize or listening to songs that have been awarded a Grammy, you get an idea about what “great” literature and music look and sound like – at least in the eyes of judging panels (评审团).
Sure, awards can backfire. There was the OscarsSoWhite movement in 2015 and 2016, when it turned out that all 20 actors nominated (提名) for two years in a row were white. There was also the GrammysSoMale movement in January, when Alessia Cara was the only woman to win a solo Grammy this year. But still, it was these incidents that brought the problems of racism (种族歧视) and gender (性别) inequality into the public eye once more. And with influential voices – like that of black actor Will Smith, who refused to attend the Oscars ceremony – the problems became more likely to be noticed and dealt with instead of being buried silently, again.
Maybe these awards do matter, and we do need them – just not while they are under the shadow of a sexual harassment scandal.
So when it comes to this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature, I’m going to have to say: “No, thanks.”
BY CHEN XUE, 21ST CENTURY TEENS STAFF
1.What does Jana Gallus think is one purpose of giving out awards?
A. To honor important figures in history.
B. To pass down a long-established tradition.
C. To draw attention to social problems.
D. To encourage people to make achievements.
2.Some famous awards are mentioned in Paragraph 5 to ______.
A. give advice on how to choose movies, books and songs
B. show how something with an award can be a sign of quality
C. show how awards are related to people’s daily life
D. point out that judging panels are sometimes wrong
3.The underlined word “backfire” in Paragraph 6 probably means ______.
A. go to the wrong person B. fail to be given out
C. have an unwanted result D. receive wide recognition
4.What’s the author’s attitude toward the canceling of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Supportive. B. Doubtful.
C. Disappointed. D. Unconcerned.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
I went up to the roof for a break after studying for an hour and watched the 50 or so people swimming in the natural rock pool below our house. It was a sunny day-a blue, cloudless sky over a calm sea. But then, as I looked in the distance, I discovered a series of three or four big waves heading towards the shore. I'd seen these mini- tsunamis(海啸) many times before. They were heading at speed in the direction of the pool. Most people knew how to look out for them, but from the screams that started coming from the beach, I could tell someone was in trouble.
Without thinking, I ran down into the street, holding my body board(俯伏冲浪板) on the way and shouted at a stranger to go inside my house and call the coastguard. My neighbor Moises had heard the screaming as well and was also outside with his body board, so together we rushed to the steps that led down to the sea.
Once we got closer, we discovered the waves had pulled a boy and a girl from the pool and into the open sea. I knew that the nearest boat would take at least 30 minutes to reach us. Waiting for help wasn't a choice. I wasn't used to this sort of emergency- I’d never been trained as a lifeguard-but I didn't think twice about trying to save them. I supposed in a way I wanted to impress everyone: at 19, a deal like that can seem like a good opportunity to show off.
Moises and I dived into the water and it took us 10 minutes to get to them. When we finally reached them, they were almost lifeless with only their heads coming in and out of the water. We could tell they were still alive from their small breaths but it was clear they wouldn't have been able to stay there much longer. I hold the boy and pulled him over my board. Moises moved the girl on to his board. We discussed pushing them back to the shore, but we were too far out.
We had to wait,
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That night, word came from the hospital that the two people were in good condition.
注意：
1.所续写的短文词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
假如你是校学生会主席李华。高中生面临着很大的升学压力，你看到周围很多同学课间十分钟也在教室学习，但是效率和成绩并不理想。因此你想在周一晨会时做个简短的演讲，告诉全校同学们适当休息很有必要。请你以“A Ten-minute Break”为题写一篇演讲发言稿。
注意：
1.词数80左右。
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
A Ten-minute Break
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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。
Have you ever wondered1.children always seem to have bags of energy and never run out of steam? Researchers have discovered that children have the levels of recovery of endurance athletes. In fact, scientists say children's muscles recover from "high-intensity exercise" a lot2.(quick) than athletes. A study looked at the performance levels of children when they were cycling, and compared their fitness to 3.of athletes. Researcher Dr Sebastien Ratel suggested they 4. (find) the children used more of their aerobic metabolism and were therefore less tired during the high-intensity physical activities. The children also recovered very quickly-even faster than the well-trained adult endurance athletes.
The researchers hope that5.(they) findings will help scientists have a better6.(understand) how the human body changes with age. It could lead to advances in the fight 7. diabetes and other diseases. Dr Ratel said the research was8.(particular) important as more children were become less active. He warned: "With the diseases related to physical inactivity9.(rise), know the changes with growth that might contribute to the risk of disease. "10.is helpful for children to maintain their fitness as they grow up and play as much as they could so they remain healthy as adults.
