The stage lights dimmed, and I took a quick look from behind the heavy black curtains into the audience. Blinded by the lights, I quickly______. It seems that a great number of eyes were looking at me. I took a deep ______as the music of my dance began to play. I entered the stage and began my______, the graduation test of the classical Indian dance.
After a decade of learning this art form, I had______been considered ready to take on the most difficult act. The test is the most important event in a dancer's life, as it pays______to all the factors in one's life that______the dance form: one's culture and family.
The performance is undertaken only by the most______and determined students. It is a difficult process that requires much______. For more than six months, I spent two to three hours every day______these dances. Many times, I______myself to my physical and mental breaking point, but still I would not stop. I could not give up. There was always so much more to do and so much more to______.
I______a lot about myself in those tiring hours. I learned that I was far too______to give up, and I was too proud to prove myself______after I had set an unrealistic goal. Even with physical pain and mental______, I forced myself to meet my______. Even when I was at the end of my______, there was always something driving me on, forcing me not to give up.
Fortunately, I made it. What I had done______the success. It was in those hours that I learned what a dancer______is. Those time was evidence that I could______something I set out to do.
1.A.reached out B.set off C.pulled back D.broke away
2.A.sleep B.breath C.thought D.sorrow
3.A.career B.attempt C.response D.performance
4.A.eventually B.easily C.absolutely D.desperately
5.A.debt B.respect C.interest D.visit
6.A.develop B.rescue C.introduce D.promote
7.A.beautiful B.focused C.intelligent D.considerate
8.A.talent B.strength C.comprehension D.commitment
9.A.recording B.discussing C.practicing D.designing
10.A.pushed B.addicted C.treated D.applied
11.A.forget B.design C.learn D.research
12.A.discovered B.abandoned C.controlled D.undertook
13.A.brilliant B.brave C.stubborn D.discouraged
14.A.careless B.nervous C.frightened D.wrong
15.A.function B.stress C.level D.action
16.A.budget B.deadline C.expense D.expectation
17.A.limit B.purpose C.preparation D.destination
18.A.increased B.deserved C.expanded D.exposed
19.A.completely B.chiefly C.originally D.truly
20.A.change B.supply C.accomplish D.explain
Is there a best way to pack clothes? The following ideas are of great help to those who are always on the way.
Where to start?
1. Once you see how much you lay in front of you, be brave and reduce about a third. Because the truth is like your wardrobe, you never seem to use as much as you take.
How to deal with clothing?
Start with your shoes. Put underwear or socks inside them to hold the shape of your shoes. Thus, you can make use of every square inch of space. Once your shoes are firmly in place, fill small gaps with very soft items. 2. .
Lay out the first clothes with one end inside the suitcase and the other end dropping over the edge. Put the next clothes on top of this, but place them the other way around. 3. In this way, you’ll get another flat layer soon Finally, one by one, fold the clothes back in.
Where to put non-clothing?
4. These awkward shaped items are difficult to pack. You’d better put them towards the middle give maximum protection. Remember.to double bag your toiletries kit (洗漱袋) to avoid spotting your clothes.
Top tips:
If you take a belt, slip them along the inside of your case. 5. That will take more space. Next, use the hard shape of the case to offer protection. Leave your toiletries kit in your suitcase, when you return home. It’s ready for the next time you travel.
A. Don’t roll belts up.
B. Be sure to put away socks.
C. This idea will create a flat first layer.
D. And then continue laying other clothes.
E. That will make the job a whole lot easier.
F. Lay everything you want to take with you on the bed.
G. Non-clothing items are things like books, toothbrushes and cameras.
Most dog owners are convinced that their four-legged friends know exactly what they mean when they use certain words like sit，stay or treat.However，researchers have always wondered whether dogs really understand human speech or if they rely on other information to get the meaning.For example，does the word“fetch”form a picture of a stick or ball in the dog’s mind，or does the dog bring back the object based on the owner’s voice or gesture? A new study by scientists at Atlanta’s Emory University seems to indicate that“man’s best friend”does indeed know what the owner is saying.
The researchers began by asking the owners of twelve dogs of various kinds to train their pets to identify two toys of different materials，such as a toy animal and a ball.Once the dogs had mastered the task，they took turns inside a special scanner.The owners then tested their dog’s language skill by first calling out the names of the toys they had been trained to recognize and then saying meaningless words such as“bobbu”and“bodmick”while holding up random objects the dogs hadn’t seen before.
The scans suggested that the parts of the dogs’ brains responsible for processing of sounds showed different brain patterns when they heard words they were familiar with，compared with the ones they had never heard before.While that was not enough to prove that the dogs were picturing their toys when they heard the word，it did indicate some sort of recognition.The researchers believe this is an important step forward in understanding how dogs process language.
Even more interesting was that the dog’s brains showed a higher level of neural(神经)activity at the sound of unknown words.This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains，which get more active at the sound of familiar words.The researchers say the dogs may become cheerful at the sound of new words to try to understand them in the hope of delighting their masters.“Dogs want to please their owners，and perhaps also receive praise or food，”says Empty neuroscientist Gregory Burns，senior author of the study.
However，though your pet may understand human speech，the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training.“When people want to teach their dog a trick，they often use spoken command because that’s what humans prefer，”Prichard says.“From the dog’s view，however，a visual command might be more effective，helping the dog learn the trick faster.”
1.What’s the purpose of the new study?
A.To convince dog owners to understand their dogs.
B.To advise dog owners to treat their dogs kindly.
C.To prove dogs follow owners’order by listening.
D.To test out how dogs get information from owners.
2.What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?
A.Inform the result of the research. B.State the process of the research.
C.Stress the importance of the research. D.Introduce the subjects of the research.
3.How do human brains and dog brains react to words ?
A.Human brains become active at unfamiliar words.
B.Dog brains become delighted at unfamiliar words.
C.Human brains are not sensitive to familiar words.
D.Dog brains show no response to familiar words.
4.What do scientists advise the owners to do in dog training?
A.Give dogs oral command. B.Teach dog new tricks.
C.Involve sight and smell. D.Encourage faster learning.
A woman grasped her phone to her heart the way a minister might hold a Bible. She was anxious to take a picture of a bunch of flowers that sat not 10 feet away, but first she had to get through a crowd of others pushing to do the same. The cause of this was Bouquets to Art, one of the most popular annual events at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. For the 34th year, artists were asked to create flower bunches that respond to pieces of art on display, from ancient carvings to contemporary sculptures. It’s time to take a photo to post on Instagram, but to the point that it has become a problem.
In recent years» the de Young received more than a thousand complaints from people who felt that cell phones had ruined their experience. In fact, institutions of fine art around the world face similar problems as the desire to take photographs becomes a huge draw for museums as well as something that upsets some of their visitors. So the de Young responded with a kind of compromise: carving out “photo free” hours during the exhibition’s six-day run.
One common complaint in the ongoing debates over the effect of social media on museum culture is that people seem to be missing out on experiences because they are so busy collecting evidence of them. A recent study in the journal Psychological Science suggests there is some truth to this; it found that people who took photos of an exhibit rather than simply observing it had a harder time remembering
what they saw. But the issue is complicated for the professionals running museums. Linda Butler, the de Young’s head of marketing, communications and visitor experience, acknowledges that not everyone wants a museum to be “a photo-taking playland. ” Yet a lot of other people do, and she thinks that the de Young is in no position to judge that one motivation for buying a $ 28 ticket is more valid than another. “If we removed social media and photography,” she says, “we would risk becoming less popular.” If this is a battle, signs indicate that the pro-phone crowd (亲手机人群) has already won.
1.What were the crowd eager to do in Paragraph 1?
A.To hold a Bible. B.To admire flowers.
C.To take a photo. D.To see the exhibition.
2.How did the de Young respond to the complaints?
A.By setting periods without photo-taking.
B.By making the exhibition free of charge.
C.By compromising with other institutions.
D.By giving extra time to take photos freely.
3.What can we infer about the use of social media in museums according to the recent study?
A.It uncovers the truth. B.It accumulates evidence.
C.It causes complaints. D.It plays a negative role.
4.Which of the following may Linda Butler support?
A.Catering to visitors. B.Reducing admission prices.
C.Reserving judgement in public. D.Banning social media and photography.
In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.
A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what were the key social media trends of 2018?
Short video apps such as TikTok and its Chinese equivalent(等同物) Douyin, took the world by storm. The Telegraph reported that TikTok was ranked 8th on Apple's App store in April. And Douyin had more than 300 million domestic monthly active users in June at home, CNBC said.
Why are these short videos—which are rarely longer than a few minutes—so popular? Jiang Yige, Singaporebased analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. “Short videos are just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules，” he told CNBC.
These videos—apart from being very convenient—are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to Teen Vogue.
Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musical.ly who has over 2 million followers, said, “The sense of community that users of short video apps get is another appealing feature.”
Live streaming(直播) is a feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It's a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live. However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streams. Among them is viewers' ability to interact with unknown names.
However, the quick development of social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it causes. Materials shared on these platforms are often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can mislead users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn't mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.
1.The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being________”.
A.changeable B.steady
C.promising D.violent
2.According to Liza Koshy, short videos are very popular because________.
A.they are very convenient
B.they help people kill time
C.they provide a sense of community
D.they allow people to express themselves
3.What do we know about social media?
A.The information from social media is totally reliable.
B.When it comes to social media, people only know short videos.
C.People can't communicate with each other without social media.
D.There is still much room for social media to make improvement.
4.What is the author's attitude to the quick development of social media?
A.Objective. B.Subjective.
C.Favorable. D.Disapproving.
2019 Oscars Academy Award Nominees (提名) for Best Picture
Black Panther
Type: Adventure
Running Time: 134 min.
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Director: Ryan Coogler
Actors: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan
With his father having died in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa is the new ruler of the advanced kingdom of Wakanda. As the king, whenever a challenger for the crown announces his intentions, he must give up his powers and take them on in a physical challenge.
The Favorite
Type: Drama
Running Time: 120 min.
Release Date: November 30, 2018
Current rank: ★★★
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Actors: Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz
In the early 18th century, with England and France at war, a fragile Queen Anne occupies the throne as her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill governs the country in her stead, while tending to Anne’s ill health and changeable temper.
Green Book
Type: Drama
Running Time: 130 min.
Release Date: November 21, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★★
Director: Peter Farrelly
Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
Tony Lip, an uneducated Italian-American who’s known for using his fists to get his way, is hired to drive world-class, famous pianist Don Shirley on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. They must rely on the “Negro Motorist Green Book” to guide them to the few settlements that were then safe for blacks.
A Star is Born
Type: Musical
Running Time: 135 min.
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Direct: Bradley Cooper
Actors: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga
When country music star Jackson Maine stops at a bar for a drink after a concert, he’s both entertained and attracted by young nightclub singer Ally. He discovers that she writes songs as well as being a talented singer, but hasn’t had a break because of her looks.
1.Which film is the least popular among audience?
A. Black Panther. B. The Favorite.
C. Green Book. D. A Star is Born.
2.The film about the rights of black people belongs to .
A. adventure B. musical
C. drama D. comedy
3.Who works as a director and actor?
A. Ryan Coogler. B. Yorgos Lanthimos.
C. Peter Farrelly. D. Bradley Cooper.
