There are so many interesting and creative hobbies that can improve your life and make you smarter.
1. As the saying goes, reading gives us somewhere to go when we have to stay where we are. It enriches your knowledge and makes you feel better about yourself.
Learning a new language is a most unique and challenging hobby. It enables your brain to perform better, improves your memory and reduces the risk of brain decline. 2.
Playing chess makes you smarter by exercising both sides of your brain. 3. And it helps improve your memory and builds your self-confidence.
Writing makes your brain work. 4. Writing things down can improve your emotions and your ability to communicate with others and it will make you a more interesting person.
Exercising regularly keeps both your body and your brain functioning. A good blood circulation in your body means a good blood circulation of your brain, which means an increased brain function. 5.
Learning to play the piano or any other musical instrument teaches you patience and perseverance because it takes a lot of effort and a lot of time.
A. It teaches you to think.
B. Smiling will make you healthier and look cooler.
C. Moreover, a new language means new opportunities.
D. Positive thinking can help you to do your best each day.
E. Besides, exercising reduces stress and helps you sleep better.
F. Playing the game raises your IQ and encourages your creativity.
G. Reading teaches you new things about new places and new people.
“Regardless of social class, race and age, men say they hate to shop,” says Zukin, City University of New York sociology professor. “Yet when you ask them deeper questions, it turns out that they like to shop. Men generally like to shop for books, music and hardware. But if you ask them about the shopping they do for books or music, they'll say, ‘Well, that's not shopping. That's research.’”
In other words, what men and women call “buying things” and how they approach that task are different.
Women will wander through several 1,000squaremetre stores in search of the perfect party dress. Men will wander through 100 Internet sites in search of the perfect digital camcorder. Women see shopping as a social event. Men see it as a special task or a game to be won.
“Men are frequently shopping to win,” says Ann, a marketing professor at Loyola University of Chicago. “They want to get the best deal. They want to get the best and latest one and if they do that, it makes them happy. When women shop, they're doing it in a way that they want everybody to be very happy,” says Ann. “They're kind of shopping for love.”
“Teenage girls learn to shop from their mums and elder sisters, and they also learn to shop by examining articles in magazines like Seventeen,” Zukin says. “And although men's magazines such as GQ and Esquire have long had shopping articles, it's TV that has the eye of young male shoppers,” say Ann and Zukin.
“Television shows are used by young men in the same way Seventeen or Lucky is used by girls,” says Zukin, “to help make clothing and toiletry choices.”
“Of course, there are men who love to shop and are proud of it,” Ann says. And that is important no matter whether you buy a car or a frying pan. All men love to buy but don't want to get cheated. Ann adds, “There actually are men who are interested, for example, in cooking or shopping or chinaware or things around the home—they become kind of girl magnets. Women like it.”
1.From the first paragraph we can find that .
A.men are all dishonest B.men like to shop in fact
C.men hate to shop actually D.men are all booklovers
2.Compared to women, men usually treat shopping .
A.honestly B.frequently
C.seriously D.foolishly
3.As is shown in this passage, teenage girls go shopping .
A.only with their sisters B.often following magazines
C.only with their mums D.often following TV shows
4.The underlined word “magnets” in the last paragraph means “ ”.
A.vegetables that make women beautiful
B.magazines that attract young women
C.persons that have a powerful attraction
D.tools that can help housewives much
Two years ago, photographer Gen started his latest project visiting local communities in Latin America. The photo that gave birth to his “You are so beautiful” project was entirely unplanned.
In January 2015, Gen was in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. He had been trying to get his female subject to feel more comfortable before his camera, and when a request for her to smile didn’t quite work, he found himself telling her she was beautiful. The result of his shot was so sincere and heartwarming that he decided he had found the concept of his new project. Gen is still on his journey to capture the power of this compliment (赞美). The photos he’s already published on his website, however, show the unbelievable effect these simple words can have.
When asked to have her photo taken, Mathilda from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, said, “I don’t have any teeth. Please don’t make me laugh.” After being told she was beautiful, she didn’t seem to mind anymore. “She and I laughed a lot. It was a nice moment.” Gen said.
Margarita was selling fruit on a street in Otavalo, Ecuador, when Gen approached her. She agreed to pose for a picture after the photographer bought some of her fruit, but still didn’t smile when he asked her to. Her smile was genuine, though, when she heard the compliment.
Gen met Juliana in a village in northern Colombia where desert meets the Caribbean Sea. The region is extremely dry, with some months seeing almost no rain, and Juliana wore a mask to protect her face from the sun. She was selling handicrafts when Gen approached her, and smiled happily when she received the compliment.
Mimba and baby Maya are from Brazil’s Marubo tribe. Mimba was shy, and it was only on the second visit to her home that the photographer finally got her permission to take her photo. She seemed to relax, though, when he paid her a compliment.
1.Where was the inspiration for Gen’s latest project from?
A.His unplanned travel. B.Praise for his photos.
C.A shooting experience. D.His love for photography.
2.Who did Gen meet twice?
A.Margarita. B.Mimba.
C.Mathilda. D.Juliana.
3.What do the examples convey?
A.Gen thought highly of his subjects.
B.Sincere praise makes successful shots.
C.Complimenting applies to nearly all women.
D.Women are nervous when having photos taken.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To introduce the effect of photography.
B.To provide some advice on complimenting.
C.To share his experiences of complimenting.
D.To show the amazing power of complimenting.
Robots have taken over many of America’s factories. But can they pick a strawberry? “It’s really hard for robots to match what humans can do,” says Bob Pizter, an expert on robots.
Any 4-year-old kid can pick a strawberry, but machines can’t seem to figure it out. Pizter says the hardest thing for them is finding the fruit. Pizter’s strawberry-picking robot is rolling into a strawberry field. This well-designed device drives itself. It’s as big as a bus, long enough to straddle (跨越) a dozen rows of strawberries at once. Powerful computers are sitting on top. Underneath, there are high-definition cameras to find the berries, and robotic claws ready to pick them.
“Nobody’s telling it what to do,” explains Paul Bissett, the chief operating officer of Harvest CROO Robotics. “It’s remembering its path down the row. It’s remembering where all these plants are.” It knows all this, thanks to the super-accurate GPS. Its computer brain contains a map showing the locations of every strawberry plant in the field. The action of machinery is truly impressive, but the baskets are still practically empty. Pitzer says the robots are able to find and pick more than 50 percent of ripe berries. That’s not yet up to human standards. A typical worker, he says, manages to pick anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of the berries. Also, he admits, the machine is slower than human hands. On the other hand, it has some advantages. It can work right through the night. Two years later, he says, this machine will be in the fields working for real. “There are weaknesses to work out, but it’s getting there. We’re close.” he says.
Strawberry companies are putting millions of dollars into this project. The reason, Gary Wishnatzki, the owner of Wish Farms says, is that it’s getting more and more difficult to find enough people to pick his berries. “The fact of the matter is, if we don’t solve the problem of this labor shortage with automation, the industry is facing a big challenge ahead. The price of fruit is going to be much higher,” Jose Santos, the leader of the farm, says.
Jose is pretty convinced, though, that picking strawberries will always require people. The machines will break down, he points out. In fact, he’s looking on the bright side. “You could afford to give people a day off if you have machines behind you,” he says.
1.According to the passage, the strawberry-picking robot __________.
A.can work extra hours B.relies on GPS only to find berries
C.runs on petrol just like a bus D.picks both ripe and unripe berries
2.What do people mentioned in the passage think of the strawberry-picking robot?
A.It will lead to the price of strawberries rising.
B.It keeps human workers working through night.
C.It is not very efficient at the moment but promising.
D.It will completely take the place of human workers.
3.We know from the article that __________.
A.robots have been widely used in farming
B.it seems hard for robots to exactly locate strawberries now
C.robots can surely perform any work better than human workers
D.with the help of robots, strawberry companies have already earned much
4.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The working principle of strawberry-picking robots.
B.Farmers’ expectations for strawberry-picking robots.
C.The present state of strawberry-picking robots.
D.The differences between humans and strawberry-picking robots.
One Story
One Story is a non-profit organization supported by readers like you and organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Amazon, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
What kinds of stories is One Story looking for?
One Story wants literary fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subjects as long as they are good. More importantly, we are looking for stories that make readers feel satisfied.
Does One Story pay?
Yes. One Story pays $500.
Does One Story accept previously published material?
No. However, if a story has been published in print outside of North America, it will be considered. Stories previously published online—on blogs, personal websites, or online literary magazines—will not be accepted.
Will you send me comments on my story?
No. One Story receives close to 100 submissions each week. Please understand that we do not have time to comment on individual stories.
Do you consider translations?
Yes. Please include the name of the original author and language, as well as the name of the translator on the first page of your submission.
How do I submit my work to One Story?
If you want to participate, you can use our automated system to send us your work. It will securely send your editors your story and email you a confirmation that it has been received. To use the automated system, you need to have a One Story account.
1.One Story judges works mainly according to __________.
A.readers’ views on them B.the number of their words
C.whether they are translated works D.where and how they are published
2.What should participants pay attention to?
A.They should expect no profits or comments.
B.They should apply for an account in advance.
C.They should provide detailed personal information.
D.They should have experience of publishing works.
3.What can we infer from the passage above?
A.One Story prefers publications online to those in print.
B.One Story provides timely feedback on individual stories.
C.One Story aims at making money for readers and organizations.
D.Once you submit your work automatically, you’ll receive a confirmation email.
On a Monday afternoon in February 2007, Gretchen took Liam, her 2-year-old son to her doctor because of some new habits—longer naps and pickier eating habits. After some __________, the doctor told her the _____________ news: Her son had cancer that affected nerve cells.
Liam began three rounds of chemotherapy (化疗) and then later underwent 12-hour surgery that _____________ him on a ventilator (呼吸机). Meanwhile, Gretchen __________ in the hospital that among diseases, cancer was the number one killer of children in the United States.
“I ask Liam’s doctor how it is possible that I never __________ that,” said Gretchen. She recalled that the doctor told her that people didn’t __________ enough about kids who got cancer. They didn’t make ______________; their diseases didn’t get funding.
“Pediatric (儿科的) cancer is just so __________,” said Gretchen. To ask for help without scaring people off, she __________ to bake cookies—96,000 of them, over a few weeks—in exchange for __________. She founded a studio in Brooklyn and launched a website to __________ the cookies. She packed the cookies with __________ to raise awareness about pediatric cancer. As local news stations __________ the story, the cookies __________ sold out.
“Everyone says, ‘I have no idea cancer is the number one disease killer of children. How can I _________?’” Gretchen said. “It is not because people don’t care about kids who get cancer; it is because they just don’t __________ the cancer.”
______ the ovens cooled, Gretchen developed a(n) __________ to help other people improve bake sales. In September 2008, she launched the non-profit Cookies for Kid’s Cancer to __________ research dollars for five powerhouse pediatric cancer centers. Other fund-raising events began to spring up __________in all 50 states as well as overseas. Cookies for Kid’s Cancer has already raised more than $7 million for pediatric cancer research and has helped fund six new treatments for kids since 2008.
1.A.tests B.interviews C.operations D.discussions
2.A.particular B.guilty C.horrible D.cautious
3.A.caught B.beat C.carried D.left
4.A.remembered B.promised C.discovered D.admitted
5.A.hear B.fix C.afford D.reach
6.A.write B.care C.argue D.complain
7.A.headlines B.rules C.progress D.trouble
8.A.boring B.embarrassing C.disappointing D.frightening
9.A.agreed B.afforded C.decided D.liked
10.A.resources B.cells C.rewards D.donations
11.A.taste B.make C.sell D.store
12.A.summaries B.notes C.figures D.books
13.A.reported B.blamed C.created D.appreciated
14.A.exactly B.quickly C.illegally D.generally
15.A.study B.help C.recover D.survive
16.A.fight B.accept C.prepare D.know
17.A.Unless B.Until C.After D.Because
18.A.industry B.attitude C.habit D.plan
19.A.exchange B.raise C.save D.borrow
20.A.finally B.fortunately C.certainly D.briefly
