Life can be so wonderful, full of adventure and joy. It can also be full of challenges, setbacks and heartbreaks. Whatever our circumstances, we generally still have dreams, hopes and desires—that little something more we want for ourselves and our loved ones. Yet knowing we can have more can also create a problem, because when we go to change the way we do things, up come the old patterns and pitfalls that stopped us from seeking what we wanted in the first place.
This tension between what we feel we can have and "what were seemingly able to have is the niggling suffering, the anxiety we feel. This is where we usually think it's easier to just give up. But we're never meant to let go of the part of us that knows we can have more. The intelligence behind that knowing is us—the real us. It's the part that believes in life and its possibilities. If you drop that, you begin to feel a little "dead" inside because you're dropping "you".
So, if we have this capability but somehow life seems to keep us stuck, how do we break these patterns?
Decide on a new course and make one decision at a time. This is good advice for a new adventure or just getting through today's challenges.
While, deep down, we know we can do it, our mind—or the minds of those close to us—usually says we can't.
That isn't a reason to stop, it's just the mind, that little man or woman on your shoulder, trying to talk you out of something again. It has done it many times before. It's all about starting simple and doing it now.
Decide and act before overthinking. When you do this you may feel a little, or large, release from the jail of your mind and you'll be on your way.
1.It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that we should .
A.slow down and live a simple life
B.be careful when we choose to change
C.stick to our dreams under any circumstances
D.be content with what we already have
2.What is the key to breaking the old patterns?
A.To focus on every detail.
B.To decide and take immediate action.
C.To listen to those close to us.
D.To think twice before we act.
3.Which of the following best explains the underlined part in the last paragraph?
A.Escape from your punishment
B.Realization of your dreams.
C.Freedom from your tension.
D.Reduction of your expectations.
4.What does the author intend to tell us?
A.It's easier than we think to get what we want.
B.It's important to learn to accept sufferings in life.
C.It's impractical to change our way of thinking.
D.It's harder than we expect to follow a new course.
Food festivals around the world
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane（赛道）. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors arc served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy（辛辣）,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three clays every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!
La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!
1.In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must .
A.wear various formal clothes
B.roll a wooden cheese in their own lane
C.kick or throw their cheese
D.use a real cheese weighing about four kilos
2.Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?
A.In New Mexico.
B.In the Caribbean.
C.In Australia.
D.In China.
3.The celebration of La Tomatina lasts .
A.three days
B.seven days
C.less than three days
D.more than seven days
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine.
B.More than 10,000 Chinese take pail in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.
C.Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.
D.An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.
More students than ever before are taking a gap year (间隔年) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated (起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.
This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).
That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible.” he said.
But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship—young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to £ 15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.
1.What do we learn about the gap year from the text?
A.It is flexible in length. B.It is a time for relaxation.
C.It is increasingly popular. D.It is required by universities.
2.According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year .
A.are better prepared for college studies
B.know a lot more about their future jobs
C.are more likely to leave university in debt
D.have a better chance to enter top universities
3.How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?
A.He’s puzzled. B.He’s worried.
C.He’s surprised. D.He’s annoyed.
4.What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?
A.Attend additional courses. B.Make plans for the new term.
C.Earn money for their education. D.Prepare for their graduate studies.
C
Have your parents ever inspected your room to see if you cleaned it properly? Imagine having your entire houses, garage, and yard inspected at any time -- with no warning. Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse (灯塔) living, and a keeper's reputation depended on results. A few times each year, an inspector arrived to look over the entire light station. The inspections were supposed to be a surprise, but keeper sometimes had advance notice.
Once lighthouses had telephones, keepers would call each other to warn that the inspector was approaching. After boats began flying special flags noting the inspector aboard, the keeper's family made it a game to see who could notice the boat first. As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes. The keeper then scurried to put on his dress uniform and cap. Children of keepers remember inspectors wearing white gloves to run their fingers over door frames and windowsills looking for dust.
Despite the serious nature of inspections, they resulted in some funny moments. Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. At the time, people did not have dishwashers in their homes. In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth and stuck them in the oven. If the inspector opened the oven door, it would look like bread was baking. he never did.
One day, Glenn Furst's mother put oil on the kitchen floor just before the inspector entered their house. Like floor wax, the oil made the floors shiny and helped protect the wood. This time, though, she used a little too much oil. When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface. "He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight," Glenn late wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened.
1.What does Paragraph 1 tell us about the inspection at the light station?
A.It was carried out once a year.
B.It was often announced in advance.
C.It was important for the keeper's fame.
D.It was focused on the garage and yard.
2.The family began making preparations immediately after ______.
A.one of the members saw the boat
B.a warning call reached the lighthouse
C.the keeper put on the dress uniform and cap
D.the inspector flew special flags in the distance
3.Mrs. Byrnes put the dishes in the oven because this would ______.
A.result in some fun
B.speed up washing them
C.make her home look tidy
D.be a demand from the inspector
4.If the inspector had opened the oven door, he would have seen _______.
A.an empty pan
B.many clean dishes
C.pieces of baked bread
D.a cloth covering something
5.The inspector waved his arms ______.
A.to try his best to keep steady
B.to show his satisfaction with the floor
C.to extend a warm greeting to Glenn's mother
D.to express his intention to continue the inspection
A
Forget Cyclists, Pedestrians are Real Danger
We are having a debate about this topic. Here are some letters from our readers.
■Yes, many cyclists behave dangerously. Many drivers are disrespectful of cyclists. But pedestrians are probably the worse offenders.
People of all ages happily walk along the pavement with eyes and hands glued to the mobile phone, quite unaware of what is going on around them. They may even do the same thing while crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing or elsewhere. The rest of us have to evade (避让) them or just stand still to wait for the unavoidable collision.
The real problem is that some pedestrians seem to be, at least for the moment, in worlds of their own that are, to them, much more important than the welfare of others.
——Michael Horan
■I love the letter from Bob Brooks about cyclists (Viewpoints, May 29). I am afraid they seem to think they own the roads.
I was walking across Altrincham Road one morning when a cyclist went round me and on being asked what he was doing he shouted at me.
The government built a cycle lane on the road but it is hardly used.
The police do nothing. What a laugh they are!
The cyclists should all have to be made to use the cycle lanes and wear helmets, fluorescent (发荧光的) jacket and lights at night and in the morning they should pay some sort of tax and be fined for not wearing them.
——Carol Harvey
■Cyclists jump on and off pavements (which are meant for pedestrians), ride at speed along the pavements, and think they have a special right to go through traffic lights when they are on red.
I was almost knocked down recently by a cyclist riding on the pavement when there was a cycle lane right next to him.
Other road users, including horse riders, manage to obey the rules so why not cyclists?
It's about time they had to be registered and insured, so when they do hit a pedestrian or a vehicle, or cause an accident, at least they can be treated and there might be an opportunity to claim.
——JML
Write to Viewpoints of the newspaper.
1.Michael Horan wrote the letter mainly to show that _______.
A.drivers should be polite to cyclists
B.road accidents can actually be avoided
C.sine pedestrians are a threat to road safety
D.walking while using phones hurts one's eyes
2.Carol Harvey suggests that cyclists should _______.
A.be provided with enough roads
B.be asked to ride on their own lanes
C.be made to pay less tax for cycling
D.be fined for laughing at policemen
3.What is a complaint of JML?
A.Very few drivers are insured.
B.Cyclists ride fast on pavements.
C.Pedestrians go through red traffic lights.
D.Horse riders disrespect other road users.
4.The underlined word "they" in the third letter refers to ______.
A.accidents B.vehicles
C.pedestrians D.cyclists
5.The three letters present viewpoints on _______.
A.real source of road danger
B.ways to improve road facilities
C.measures to punish road offences
D.increased awareness of road rules
Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
1.According to the passage, sharing bread______.
A.indicates a lack of food
B.can help to develop unity
C.is a custom unique to rural areas
D.has its roots in birthday celebrations
2.What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?
A.Trust. B.Success.
C.Health. D.Togetherness.
3.The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.
A.using examples B.making comparisons
C.analyzing causes D.describing processes
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The custom of sharing food.
B.The specific meaning of food.
C.The role of food in ceremonies.
D.The importance of food in culture.
