Communication with a Stranger
Last weekend I sat on the bus talking with excitement and so ready to spend time in New York City with one of my best friends from college. As I took the window seat and ____ headphones over ears, I almost didn't notice the elderly man sitting beside me.
Two hours passed and I was still absorbed in my own world. ______ the elderly man asked me a question, a simple question ______ the bus's Wi-Fi connection, which turned into a two- hour ______. In fact, it directly ______ my personal life.
We talked a lot about my dreams, my fears and my life. I ______ more with this stranger on the bus than I have with any friend or family member in months. Maybe it had something to do with me just being ______ to let anyone I know close to me. I was ______ that the stranger was not only so deeply interested in getting to know me, but also just as willing to ______ me to my greatest abilities. He listened carefully to every word I said and made some useful ______ at times. Instead of politely _______ his head when I mentioned my major, he told me that my strong liking seemed to be psychology, but not the one I was studying. He said that he knew I would face difficulties if I studied psychology and that he fully understood my ______ for the failure.
This elderly man made me ______ the plans that I had laid out for my life with just that simple statement. He helped me realize that my neatly ______ plan for the next five years of my life wasn't all that neat, but actually complex and filled with _______. Most of all, he helped me ______ the complex, not stay away from it because of my fear for the unknown. I ______ a lot from talking with the elderly stranger.
A few days later, he emailed me, saying, "I think you're ______ for great things no matter what you decide to do." The email was filled with words of ______. In a few hours a stranger showed me a sense of kindness that made me realize that life is sometimes ______ but it is going to be okay.
1.A.placed B.wore C.took D.raised
2.A.Then B.Instead C.Again D.Also
3.A.through B.with C.during D.about
4.A.introduction B.explanation C.conversation D.competition
5.A.affected B.controlled C.interrupted D.created
6.A.searched B.shared C.demanded D.reviewed
7.A.sorry B.curious C.anxious D.afraid
8.A.puzzled B.bothered C.amazed D.disappointed
9.A.push B.invite C.treat D.admit
10.A.choices B.suggestions C.decisions D.efforts
11.A.raising B.dropping C.turning D.nodding
12.A.regret B.change C.fear D.desire
13.A.prepare B.develop C.approve D.question
14.A.replaced B.organized C.discussed D.predicted
15.A.uncertainty B.danger C.responsibility D.conflict
16.A.identify B.ignore C.seize D.accept
17.A.suffered B.increased C.benefited D.experienced
18.A.leaving B.heading C.watching D.caring
19.A.encouragement B.protection C.admiration D.description
20.A.stable B.normal C.painful D.serious
Five Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder
No matter how hard we work, it seems that there is never enough time to get all the important tasks done. Rather than working longer, consider working smarter, not harder. Here are some ways to work smarter:
Make a careful plan. Just like every organization needs a business plan, an efficient worker needs a work plan. 1. Schedule your tasks throughout the days, weeks, and months, but do it ahead of time.
Set your goals. As a part of your work plan, you should set clear and measurable goals. Goals should state which tasks are to be completed and when they get completed. Rather than setting firm deadlines, which can lead to pressure and stress, allow a period of time to reach goals.2.
3.Develop a consistent daily work schedule and stick to it! If a typical workday consists of some writing tasks（emails, reports）, one-on-one meetings, and processing data, set aside specific time each day to accomplish each kind of tasks.
Delegate（分派工作）effectively.4.The person who tries to do everything himself or herself not only is overloaded and overstressed, but is bad for their colleagues, by not allowing them to be challenged and grow by taking on important duties.
Don’t make work harder than it actually is. Much of the pressure is produced by ourselves. 5. We feel like we should do more. Remember that tasks should be completed step by step. Focus on each step rather than on the entire project, which can help us cut down on feelings that we are overwhelmed.
A. Stick to your plan.
B. We set unrealistic goals or standards for ourselves.
C. Also, take time to reward yourself for achieving a goal.
D. Organize your workday.
E. We cannot expect to complete the tasks quickly.
F. Learn which tasks can be delegated and which need personal attention.
G. It is a well-thought-out plan to help guide and direct work activities.
When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we’re hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.
One cost-cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there’s a question: Would the quality of undergraduate education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a “three-year degree” model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits. In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out” one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist “diluting (稀释)” the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior to a quality three-year education. A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it’s not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns (实习生) in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University.
1.Which of the following can best sum up the main idea?
A.It’s time to shorten the learning process.
B.Best learning takes place over time.
C.University education should be watered down.
D.College education calls for reform.
2.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.most American universities are against the “three-year degree” model
B.many famous US universities are considering adopting the “three-year degree” model
C.professors are willing to accept the “three-year degree” model
D.The “three-year degree” model can make college learning more efficient
3.In most US universities，________.
A.college students are offered the co-op program
B.electives’ credits make up one quarter of the required credits
C.all students are required to finish four-year education before graduation
D.some excellent students can graduate ahead of time
4.We can infer that________.
A.the author is a college professor exploring ways to make learning more efficient
B.the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford
C.the author considers the university education quality very important
D.the author pays special attention to the all-round development of college students
There are lots of ways to educate yourself on the Internet. You can find photos, documents, and films on almost any topic you can imagine. And at www.ted.com, you can access lectures by artists, scholars, designers, technicians and others.
TED began in 1984 as a conference that brought together individuals from the fields of technology, entertainment and design. It was intended to be a one-time event focusing on technology and design. The event ended up losing money, and it was six years before the founders tried it again. This time it worked, and since 1990, the TED conference has been an annual event. There are now two held every year, with topics as diverse as music, medicine, and money. Other specialized spin-off conferences address narrower issues.
The TED website came from a desire to share the conferences with the world, to “offer free knowledge from the world’s most inspired thinkers,” as the website puts it. The current version of the site was launched in April 2007, and contains videos of talks given at the TED conferences around the world. The talks are transcribed into hundreds of languages.
The TED website is owned by the Sapling Foundation, a non profit devoted to fostering the spread of great ideas. The Sapling foundation acquired TED in 2001. Since then, it has been focusing on using TED to broadcast ideas that might change the world.
TED, of course, isn’t immune to criticism. It’s been called elitist(精英) for its high ticket prices (more than 6,000 dollars total). It’s been accused by a few people of censorship for not publishing their talks. One controversial speaker was upset about being criticized by the conference’s host afterward.
The complaints, however, seem to be relatively few for such a large, long-running organization. And accusations of elitism ring hollow when so much is given away for free on TED’s website. Whatever its failings, TED is a source of inspirational information for those who seek it out.
1.What is the main topic of the article?
A.The case against TED. B.What’s on TED today.
C.Pros and cons of www.ted.com. D.What is TED.
2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The TED conference came after the success of www.ted.com.
B.Two TED conferences are now held every year.
C.TED talks are available in many languages.
D.The Sapling Foundation owns www.ted.com.
3.From the last two paragraphs, we can infer that ________.
A.it is accepted to all involved that some TED talks might not be published
B.the host of the conference is one who plays a supportive role to the speakers
C.TED is criticized for giving special treatment to the wealthy or powerful
D.the negative comments on TED greatly affects its reputation
4.This author probably believes that________.
A.TED is elitist B.TED is beneficial
C.TED isn’t important D.TED is the best website
Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?
A.Start the car the moment everyone is seated.
B.Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.
C.Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.
D.Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.
2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.
A.keep her appointment with the eye doctor
B.meet her father who was already an old man
C.join in the holiday celebration of the company
D.finish her work before the deadline approached
3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.abandoned B.lacked
C.avoided D.taken
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.To Keep Emotional Well-being B.To Prevent “If Only” Moments
C.To Follow the Most Useful Rule D.To Achieve the Peace of Mind
Want to improve your writing skills? New Writing South is directing the way!
Towner Writer Squad (班级) for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2016.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyric (抒情诗) to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title “LUNCH”, with your name, age, address and email address to: debo@newwritingsouth.com.
Once all applications are in, you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September, 4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2016
For further information go to: facebook.com/toner or towner.org.uk or newwritingsouth.com
Any questions – feel free to send your email to Towner Writer Squad Associate: wharne@towner.gov.uk
Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2016
Meet every other Saturday, 2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace – you do not have to rush – as you have a year to go through the project. Practice under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner.org.uk or generate.org.uk
1.Towner Writer Squad will be started ________.
A.to train comedy and TV writers
B.to explore the fantastic gallery space
C.to introduce a contemporary art museum
D.to promote the development of young writers
2.To join the Writer Squad, each applicant should first _________.
A.provide a piece of their writing B.meet the Writer Squad Leader
C.offer their family information D.complete an application form
3.What is most important for the beginners?
A.Practising as much as possible.
B.Gaining confidence and having fun.
C.Studying and writing at their own pace.
D.Learning skills from writers and teachers.
