I should know. I have been doing this for 20 years. Why is it that I need a sign to remind me?
Every other week in my neighborhood we place either recycled bottles or paper out with our garbage. There is a ____ alongside the road that says“This is bin week”or “This is paper week”．The schedule is simply changed every other week. But I can never ____ which week is which. Every week，I make a(n) ____ to look for the sign.
There was a period a few months ago when no one changed the sign.
I had ____ emotions. I was confused，angry and concerned. Confused because I didn’t know what to do. ____ because someone should have changed it！Concerned because，after ____ that“someone”for almost twenty years，I ____ that perhaps something had happened to that“someone”．
Then，yesterday I finally saw the man who ____ the sign. I slowed down and wanted to tell him how much I ____ what he did. I didn’t stop in time ____ I found that the traffic sign said“The Next Exit Is 2km”. So I drove as the traffic sign ____ .
By the time I got back，the man was gone. I felt so ____. I should have stopped alongside the road and just said “thank you”．I pulled over in front of the sign and thought about how many times in my life I ____ a sign to tell me what to do. I was ____ that all too often I missed an ____ because I was looking for a sign. Today I wanted to tell“someone”how ____ I think their efforts are but missed the opportunity.
So，I wrote a ____ and placed it next to the sign.
If you have been ____ to move forward towards a dream，say ____ to someone who lends you a hand. This may be the sign you’ve been looking for.
The note ____，“This is do it now week.”
1.A.ban B.remark C.graph D.sign
2.A.glance B.remember C.analyse D.consider
3.A.purpose B.decision C.ambition D.effort
4.A.strong B.strange C.mixed D.simple
5.A.Annoyed B.Surprised C.Puzzled D.Excited
6.A.searching for B.checking in C.relying on D.figuring out
7.A.understood B.complained C.wondered D.worried
8.A.made B.replaced C.covered D.removed
9.A.praised B.awarded C.appreciated D.refused
10.A.but B.because C.so D.if
11.A.indicated B.stood C.followed D.transformed
12.A.cheerful B.meaningful C.regretful D.worthwhile
13.A.looked for B.came across C.looked through D.put up
14.A.reminded B.warned C.requested D.persuaded
15.A.appointment B.opportunity C.approval D.exchange
16.A.unacceptable B.unbearable C.inspirable D.valuable
17.A.note B.schedule C.composition D.text
18.A.struggling B.seeking C.desiring D.hesitating
19.A.greetings B.thanks C.sympathy D.respect
20.A.writes B.tells C.says D.teaches
We are all faced with challenges constantly in every area of our lives. 1 The truth is that you will have to deal with difficult problems throughout your life, whether it is in your personal life or career. Most of us get really afraid and run away from problems because we don’t want to accept reality. Running away from your problems is the worst thing you can do to deal with the challenges you are faced with. Here are some tips for you on learning how to deal with everyday challenges.Please bear in mind that you shouldn’t overact when coming across challenges. Overacting to a problem will cause you to make bad decisions. 2 Next time you are faced with a challenge, stay calm so you can make smarter decisions. 3 If you cannot accept reality, you will feel very frustrated with your life. Once you can accept reality, you will be able to be calmer and think more clearly about how to get a step closer towards your goals every day.Many people make a habit of blaming others for all their problems. They fail to take full responsibility for the decisions they have made in life. The more you blame others for the challenges you are faced with, the more you will make people dislike you and not want to be around you. 4 Don’t compare your lifestyle with others. Of course, it is really difficult not to compare ourselves with other people. However, the more often we do that, the more frustrated we will feel. 5 The key thing to remember is that you create your own story and success in life.
A. Accept the reality of the present moment. |
B. Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not as a threat. |
C. There will always be a person that may have accomplished more than you. |
D. Our focus may entirely be on how we can deal with the challenge that has come our way. |
E. When we are not in control of our emotions, we will make decisions that we will regret later. |
F. However, most people have a hard time accepting and dealing with these challenges that arise. |
G. As a result, the first thing you should do when faced with a personal challenge is not point fingers at others. |
The color of food might affect just how much you want to eat them，but what about the birds in your neighborhood？Would they care what color their food is？Try this out for a science fair project，or just to learn something new while making your local birds happy.
Begin this experiment with the question“What color of birdseed（鸟食），if any，will birds like the most?”, and then make a hypothesis (假设) based on your question. An example might be“Birds will eat more green birdseed than other colors of birdseed.”
You should get several bird feeders. Purchase birdseed that is very light in color. To color the birdseed, pour it into a bowl and then add food coloring that you can purchase from the store. Mix them up well with a spoon and continue to add coloring until all the seed is colored. You should sample at least a few colors and have one feeder with seed that has not been colored—this is called the control and it will give you something to compare your results to. Now just hang them up outside in the same location，and wait for your feathered friends to show up. This works best in an area where birds are used to feeding from a feeder—it can take birds over a week to find new feeders.
Observe your bird feeders whenever possible，and keep track of how much seed is in each bird feeder each day. A ruler is helpful for this. You might also want to take pictures of the feeders and keep track of what kind of birds visit each feeder. Over time，you should be able to see if one color of seed gets eaten more than others.
Once your experiment is done，you will be able to go back to your hypothesis and see if it is correct. Remember, it’s not bad if your hypothesis was wrong. The main thing is that you’ve learned something from your experiment，and hopefully you had some fun doing it.
1.What’s the purpose of this experiment?
A.To see what color birds like most.
B.To make local birds happy.
C.To see if the color of food affects birds.
D.To find how local birds feed themselves.
2.What’s the second step for this experiment?
A.Observing bird feeders. B.Raising a question.
C.Collecting all the data. D.Making a hypothesis.
3.The underlined words“feathered friends”in Paragraph 3 refer to .
A.feeders B.birds
C.neighbors D.locals
4.What is the most important about the bird feeders?
A.They are filled with some water. B.They are placed in secret places.
C.They are painted in different colors. D.They are all the same size and type.
If you could design your own school and study whatever you wanted, what would you choose to learn?
This isn’t an unlikely question for students at Monument Mountain Regional High School, who are taking part in an activity called the Independent Project. The program is a special school within the Massachusetts public high school that’s completely run by students - no teachers, parents, or adults are allowed - and they’re in charge of deciding their whole curriculum (课程).
These teens’ homework and what they study in the classroom are all totally up to them. Charles Tsai, a journalist, made a 15-minute film about the project that shows the wide variety of activities different students join.
Students aren’t taking this lightly - instead of reacting irresponsibly (不负责任地) to the freedom to design their own studies, they’re dealing with their own interests by writing poetry (诗歌) collections, learning instruments and taking flight lessons.
The program is this: On Mondays students come up with questions in relation to one of their school subjects, then they spend the rest of the week researching and coming up with possible conclusions to these questions. On Fridays, they present this information to their classmates.
“I think the more choices we have in our school, the more students we will help develop into the kind of citizens that we need,”Principal (校长) Marianne Young explains in the film.
In the video, teens express their satisfaction with the program because it holds different kinds of learners, even those who don’t always succeed in a traditional study situation.
“I have difficulty in reading and writing. School has always been a big problem for me,” one student named Sergio explains in the video. “If it were not for this program, I don’t know if I’d be graduating - I don’t know where I’d be right now. I think this has really been my savior (救星) and got me through the last two years of high school.”
1.What is the Independent Project about?
A.Various activities for students. B.Student-centered curricula.
C.A self-designed school. D.Teacher-free classes.
2.How does the program work?
A.Teachers work out a curriculum for students.
B.Students research topics they put forward.
C.Teachers work together with students.
D.Students serve as teachers in turn.
3.What’s Marianne Young’s attitude towards the project?
A.Curious. B.Doubtful.
C.Uncertain. D.Optimistic.
4.What do we know about Sergio?
A.He finds it hard to graduate.
B.He has bitter memories of high school.
C.He feels grateful to the Independent Project.
D.He performs badly in the Independent Project.
David Unaipon was an inventor and writer. He was the first Aboriginal (土著的) Australian to write published books. He also worked hard to make life better for Aboriginal people.
David Unaipon was born in South Australia, in 1872. As a young man, he loved to read and was interested in science and music. He thought a lot about new ways to fix engineering problems. Between the years 1909 and 1944, Unaipon made nine important inventions. He also made drawings for a helicopter design. He got the idea from the Australian boomerang (回飞镖) and the way it moved through the air. This happened in 1914, before we had helicopters.
Unaipon lived most of his life in Adelaide and worked for the Aborigines’ Friends’ Association. He worked and travelled around southeastern Australia for fifty years. Sometimes, while travelling from town to town, he was told he couldn’t stay in a hotel because he was black, so he understood the problems of racism (种族主义).
In 1925, Unaipon became the first Aboriginal writer to be published. His first published writing was an article in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper. The article had the title:“Aboriginals: Their Traditions and Customs”. He wrote many other articles for newspapers and magazines, getting publicity about the rights of Aboriginal people. He also wrote about the need for white and black people to work together and the need for equal rights for both black and white Australians. He was well educated in both cultures, and in 1929 he helped with a government survey of Aboriginal health and interests.
David Unaipon died in 1967 at the age of 95, in the same year that Aboriginal people were first counted as part of Australia’s population. In 1995, David Unaipon’s picture was put on the Australian fifty-dollar note, with a drawing of one of his inventions.
1.Which of the following can describe David Unaipon when he was young?
A.He was calm. B.He was brave.
C.He was patient. D.He was creative.
2.What can we learn about David Unaipon’s helicopter design?
A.It was the model for modern helicopters.
B.It was a copy of another helicopter.
C.It was based on a local tool.
D.It was done in his 30s.
3.What do we know about David Unaipon as a writer?
A.He was the first Aboriginal writer.
B.He was concerned about racial inequality.
C.He finished most of his writings while travelling.
D.He had his writings published mainly in newspapers.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.David Unaipon died an unexpected death.
B.David Unaipon was proud of his inventions.
C.David Unaipon’s contributions were recognised.
D.David Unaipon’s drawing abilities were appreciated.
Where Is Spring Break
Where is Spring Break going to be？The options are endless. Do you want to get your blood pumping from thrilling travels？Look no further！These tours and destinations will keep you on your toes all week long.
Panama：This underrated destination is a littleknown secret of the most travelers! Through this tour you’ll get to hike，snorkel (浮潜) and explore all the best sights this beautiful country has to offer! Eight days tours for $250/day.
Canada：This diverse country is full of options. Explore the East of Canada and visit cities such as Montreal，Quebec or Toronto. If you’re feeling adventurous，explore the Western part of the country with a Canadian Rockies Tour. During this twelve days tour you will hike a glacier to beautiful scenery and wander through postcardworthy villages. Tours to Canada for $200/day.
Iceland：Check off one of the seven wonders of the world with a tour of the Northern Lights and Golden Circle. Spend seven days full of adventure like hiking glaciers，snowshoeing through Thingvellir National Park，relaxing in the Geysir Hot Springs and of course experiencing the glory of the Northern Lights! Seven days tours for $300/day.
South Africa：Discover the diverse culture and wildlife that makes up South Africa. Your tour plan includes a journey along the coast known as “Rainbow Nation”. Here you will enjoy beautiful scenery, a hunting travel through Addo Elephant National Park and the wildlife in Tsitsikarnma National Park. Nine days tours for $230/day.
1.What is the similar characteristic of the travels mentioned in the text?
A.Exciting. B.Risky.
C.Educational. D.Environmental.
2.According to the text，Panama is a destination which .
A.is not famous to most travelers B.you can go to for enjoying surfing
C.offers an option to hunt in the park D.has diverse culture and wildlife
3.Which destination costs tourists the most money?
A.Panama. B.Canada.
C.Iceland. D.South Africa.
