During my first three years of college, I put on weight quickly. Between classwork and a part-time job, I had zero time for ______. Besides, I ate a lot of fast food. Not surprisingly, I _____ a fat stomach.
After leaving college, I ______ to take exercise. Invited by a friend, I ______ working out with exercise machines three times a week. I was the kind of person who did not try something ____. I ate the same food; I did the same thing. M friend, however, became ______. One day, he said, “We’re not getting enough exercise. We should play tennis instead.”
Me? Play tennis? No way. I was strongly against his ______. I was not good at sports and I was ______ the exercise machines. ______, weeks later, I found myself standing on a tennis court (球场). As I held my racket (球拍), I felt ______. I ran after every ball he served to me, completely ______ about 90% of them, hitting the rest into the other court.
The first few months were quite ______. But one day, as the ball came flying toward me, my racket and the ball finally met in the place where it is most effective to hit a ball. I watched ______ as my return landed where I had aimed (瞄准) it. I had finally ______ how to play tennis properly!
I learned a ______ during my journey toward learning to play tennis: I can do whatever I set my mind to.
1.A.games B.holidays C.research D.exercise
2.A.got B.wanted C.hated D.protected
3.A.decided B.agreed C.regretted D.continued
4.A.avoided B.imagined C.began D.minded
5.A.important B.new C.simple D.similar
6.A.busy B.careless C.bored D.lazy
7.A.rule B.job C.reply D.idea
8.A.worried about B.happy with C.sure of D.responsible for
9.A.As usual B.At first C.Besides D.However
10.A.silly B.relaxed C.proud D.satisfied
11.A.controlling B.throwing C.missing D.playing
12.A.interesting B.painful C.different D.easy
13.A.in secret B.in anger C.in fear D.in surprise
14.A.asked B.learned C.taught D.remembered
15.A.lesson B.skill C.business D.task
A letter to my children on their first day of school
Dear Olivia and Evan,
As I opened my eyes this morning, the realization that you will be starting a new school year at a new school today controlled my mind for a moment. As we went about our morning routine (例行事务), I thought of so many things I wanted to say to you.
As I quietly entered your room and softly kissed you awake—I wanted to tell you that I know what it’s like to be the new kid. I understand worrying about finding your way both physically and socially. You’ll spend a lifetime finding your way. 1.
As I stood at the bathroom door while you brushed your teeth—I wanted to tell you to try not to look so nervous. 2. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe a smile is worth at least that much.
3.—I wanted to tell you if at any moment today you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, just breathe. You’ll be surprised how a couple of deep breaths can help you see things in a whole new light.
As we got in the car—I wanted to tell you not everyone will have things in common with you. 4. They may pleasantly surprise you.
As I drove the few blocks to school—I wanted to tell you to listen when the teacher speaks, when someone new talks about themselves, etc. 5.
As you got out of the car I gave you each a kiss and a hug and said — “Just be yourself, and remember how much I love you. I’ll be waiting to hear all about your experiences this afternoon.”
I realized that’s really all you needed to hear.
Love
Mom
A. Never give up.
B. As you went to bed
C. As you ate your breakfast
D. Accept the differences happily.
E. It’s good to take notes while listening in class.
F. Listening is one of those skills that will come in handy later in life.
G. The simple act of smiling can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
As a young boy, I knew what people said was not always what they meant or were feeling. And I knew it was possible to get others to do what I wanted if I read their real feelings and responded suitably to their needs. At the age of eleven, I sold rubber door-to-door after school and quickly worked out how to tell if someone was likely to buy from me. When I knocked on a door, if someone told me to go away but their hands were open and they showed their palms (the inside surfaces of their hands), I knew it was safe to continue because they weren’t angry although they may have a dismissive (不屑的) attitude. If someone told me to go away in a soft voice but used a pointed finger or closed hand, I knew it was time to leave.
As a teenager, I became a salesperson, and my ability to read people earned me enough money to buy my first house. Selling gave me the chance to meet people and study them close and to know whether they would buy or not, simply by watching their body language.
I joined the life insurance (保险) business at the age of twenty. And I went on to break several sales records for my company, becoming the youngest person to sell over a million dollars’ worth of business in my first year. This achievement allowed me to become a member of the well-known Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), which recognizes the world’s top achievers in life insurance. I was lucky that the skills I’d learned as a boy in watching body language while selling could be used in this new area, and were directly related to the success I could have in any business closely connected with people.
1.Which of the following meant the author must go away?
A.A customer’s soft voice.
B.A customer’s pointed finger.
C.A customer’s open palms.
D.A customer’s dismissive expression.
2.What does the underlined words “new area” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.The study of selling products.
B.The work for the MDRT.
C.The sales industry.
D.The life insurance business.
3.What was the key to the author’s success?
A.Listening to customers’ words.
B.Understanding customers habits.
C.Trying to satisfy customers’ needs.
D.Reading customers’ body language.
4.How does the text mainly develop?
A.By following the order of time.
B.By giving clear explanations.
C.By giving well-known examples.
D.By following the order of importance.
Each May since 1956 people from across Europe and around the world have gathered around their televisions with friends and family for an evening of international entertainment (娱乐): The Eurovision Song Contest. It may be a fun event but perhaps it’s not the shared celebration of European language that it could be. In the first ten years of Eurovision, the UK and Ireland were the only two countries to sing in English. Now English is what we expect. Is it that English has become the official language of music?
From high streets in Hungary to supermarkets in Sweden, from bus stops in Bulgaria to parks in Poland, people listen to English-language music everywhere. And people don’t just listen, they sing it too! From sporting events in Spain to nightclubs in Norway, from concerts in Croatia to fitness classes in France, people sing along to popular songs in their everyday lives, in English. But why?
For one evening each year Eurovision is the dinner party of Europe. A dinner party to which each guest brings something unique. Their clothing, tradition and food represent their culture and their language shows the character of a nation. Although there are 50 nations with 83 languages, for Eurovision, English is the only language. Does Eurovision really represent Europe?
English is an international language spoken by over 1 billion people worldwide. It is no surprise that so many musicians make music in English. Of course, music makes money and more listeners make more money. According to Ragnar Thorhallsson, a singer and guitarist, English is simpler and is easier to make rhymes (韵律). Could this be true?
Let’s remember that although English-language music is everywhere, music is not everything. As long as we continue to learn, to speak, to love, diversity (多样性) shall be valued. After all, what fun is a dinner party if the guests can’t communicate or express themselves in the way they choose?
1.What do we know about Eurovision?
A.Singers sing English songs.
B.It helps protect European cultures.
C.It is the most popular contest in the world.
D.Singers mainly come from the UK and Ireland.
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A.Music in daily life. B.The popularity of English music.
C.The official language of music. D.Music in different countries.
3.What can we infer about Ragnar Thorhallsson’s opinion of English?
A.It is easy and beautiful.
B.It should be used in all music.
C.It is the best language in the world.
D.It helps musicians make money easily.
4.What is mainly discussed in the text?
A.Why we should protect language diversity.
B.How language and music affect each other.
C.Whether English is the official language of music.
D.Why Eurovision is becoming more and more popular.
It was a cold morning, and Eduardo Ortega was nervous. He held a large envelope (信封). In it was his dream. “This is everything,” he said. “I’ve worked for this since I was a young boy.”
He remembered the long hours working in the fields, picking strawberries and beans. After work every day, his tired friends drank coffee or slept. Eduardo went to the evening school. He studied, read, and wrote poems and short stories. Although he missed many classes, he became the best student.
One school year, Eduardo wrote a poem that won a prize — a trip to San Francisco. As he flew, he felt free from his life of hard work in the fields. He promised himself not to return to that life. He loved to fly.
This morning, Eduardo caught the school bus and went to school with the envelope. He walked past his classmates and sat down at his desk. He took a deep breath, drew the envelope out of his pocket and carefully opened it and began reading the letter inside. It was the answer to his application to the state university. It was also the answer to the beginning of his dream of becoming a pilot.
Even though Eduardo worked to help his family, his father always encouraged him to go to school. So, while he worked, he also studied. Eduardo knew that his dream was his father’s dream, too. His father was a smart man, but he was too poor to go to college. He loved to read, but never had time, because he worked long hours.
Now, as he read the words, “Congratulations … you have been accepted,” he knew his dream was not lost. One day he would become a pilot, flying every day to all the exciting places in the world.
1.What did Eduardo do when his friends drank coffee or slept?
A.He attended classes. B.He studied and wrote.
C.He worked in the fields. D.He helped around his home.
2.What was Eduardo’s dream?
A.Becoming a pilot. B.Becoming a writer.
C.Travelling around the world. D.Realizing his father’s dream.
3.What was Eduardo’s father’s attitude toward his dream?
A.Doubtful. B.Unconcerned.
C.Supportive. D.Unclear.
4.What was in the envelope?
A.An invitation to a flying trip.
B.Encouragement from his father.
C.Congratulations from his friends.
D.An admission notice from a university.
The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Questio Save a Rain Forest Species
By Sandra Markle. Ages 8 to 10.
Woolly Monkeys spend most of their time high up in 150-foot-tall trees. That makes them difficult animals to count and to study. But cameras have provided valuable information and taken, as this book shows, amazing pictures. Experts now believe that Peru’s lowland monkeys and the waste they produce are necessary to the survival of the rain forest.
Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild
By Catherine Thimmesh. Ages 10 to 12.
The giant panda is much-beloved in China, but in the past 40 years, at least half of its places has been destroyed. Camp Panda tells about efforts to reintroduce the giant pandas into the wild so that they might have a future. As part of the efforts, people wear panda costumes (服装) that smell like pandas while weighing and measuring the young pandas. They aren’t supposed to get used to seeing and being around people, because people could bring a threat to them in the wild.
Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel
By Carl Safina. Ages 10 and older.
Carl Safina studied elephants in an African national park and killer whales off the coast of Washington state. He learned about their strong family bonds, the surprising ways they communicate and how they play and hang out with one another. This book makes a strong case for protecting the ability of these animals to live freely.
Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction
By Nancy F Castaldo. Ages 10 and older.
This book focuses on seven groups of animals—including whooping cranes, California condors and American alligators—that were brought back to healthy numbers by a lot of efforts. As she celebrates these successes, Nancy F. Castaldo also makes clear that dangers, such as the effects of climate change, still cloud the future of these creatures.
1.Which is the most suitable book for readers below 10?
A.The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Questio Save a Rain Forest Species.
B.Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel.
C.Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction.
D.Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild.
2.Why do people wear panda costumes?
A.To attract visitors.
B.To make pandas feel safe.
C.To take photos of pandas in the wild.
D.To celebrate the increasing number of pandas.
3.What do these four books focus on?
A.Animal rights. B.Climate change.
C.Animal protection. D.Rain forests.
4.What’s the purpose of the author to write the text?
A.To introduce four books. B.To get to know some writers.
C.To describe some rare animals. D.To educate children to love animals.
