Last year, I went through every high school senior’s nightmare: I was ________ by all the colleges I applied to. It’s not that I was a bad ________. So when I got turned down, I got into a ________. I thought there was only one path to ________, and I wasn’t on it. While all my friends had many choices, I was left ________ what future I could have.
When my panic ________, I signed in a community college. I wasn’t ________. I thought the incompetent teachers ________ their students’ sleep in class. I was so wrong. The ________ of my professors were so poetic, and my classmates were ________—they could figure out kinds of difficult things.
I decided to give myself a year of ________. Aside from required courses, I ________ a range of classes. I know it seems like some ________ classes, but it allowed me to ________ what I want. I used to have this idea that I had to rush to ________ a certain level of success by a certain age. But a year of community college has taught me to ________, and to recognize that things take time to ________. I still hope to transfer to a four-year ________ next year, but now I am a more mature person.
Being around the ________ has made me realize that I’m not late ________. There’s more than one way to get to where you want to go.
1.A.accused B.praised C.accepted D.refused
2.A.student B.teacher C.headmaster D.colleague
3.A.mess B.panic C.trouble D.dilemma
4.A.aspiration B.progress C.success D.destruction
5.A.facing B.predicting C.doubting D.wondering
6.A.faded B.burdened C.balanced D.transferred
7.A.excited B.tired C.worried D.shocked
8.A.offered B.guide C.ignored D.led
9.A.notes B.methods C.behaviors D.lectures
10.A.friendly B.intelligent C.ambitious D.polite
11.A.experiment B.expectation C.effort D.exploration
12.A.bought B.took C.studied D.occupied
13.A.random B.suitable C.comprehensive D.wonderful
14.A.care for B.choose from C.know about D.put on
15.A.avoid B.enjoy C.achieve D.finish
16.A.look for B.give up C.turn on D.slow down
17.A.concern B.provide C.satisfy D.adjust
18.A.club B.university C.company D.organization
19.A.children B.workmates C.classmates D.friends
20.A.hardly B.entirely C.generally D.rarely
Everyone knows they need to save money. 1.. If you're often falling short with little money to save and want to turn that situation around, here are ways to gets serious about saving. Pick one or more and watch your savings account balance grow.
Set up auto-draft
Keep saving simple by using your bank's auto-draft（自动提款）feature to schedule regular transfers from your checking account to your savings account. 2.. Before long you'll notice growing numbers in your savings account.
3.
Saving change is far from a new idea, but it works. Make a habit of emptying all of your change into a jar each night. When the jar is full, put the money into your savings account.
Bank your raise
If you at a much-deserved raise from your boss at work, try your best not to think of it as an opportunity to improve your lifestyle. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to increase your savings. Send that extra amount to your savings account. 4..
Hide your money
5. Keep your savings out of reach by keeping it at a different bank than your checking account. The extra trouble will make you think twice about spending it.
A. Save your extra checks
B. Hold onto your change
C. Then go on with your present lifestyle
D. Saving money is easy to most people
E. Accessible money is what's likely to get spent
F. Then let the bank handle all of the details for you
G. But saving money can be a real challenge when your budget is tight
Does your local high school have a student newspaper? Only 1 in 8 of New York’s public high schools has student newspapers – and many of those are published just a few times a year. A few more are online, which can leave out poorer schools.
Rebecca Dwarka, an 18-year-old senior who works for her student paper said, “Facebook is the new way of finding out what happened. Nobody wants to actually sit down and read a whole article about it. This makes a ‘whole article’ sound a little like a long sentence in lonely places.”
I am not nostalgic about high school student newspapers and never worked for mine. I put out what was then called a personal magazine with a group of friends because we wanted to write about peace, war and rock ’n’ roll without school officials warning us not to make jokes about the local officials.
School newspapers are in decline because students now find out what happened on social networking websites. This is a little discouraging because it proves that for millions of Americans, journalism is becoming a do-it-yourself thing. Every citizen can be a reporter.
When something happens, we look for social media messages. Facebook posts and Tweets have become the means by which citizens and reporters can prove, deny, pass on stories and express opinions without the press’ challenging, researching or slowing the message.
But truly good journalism is a craft, not just a blog post. It requires seeing something carefully and it uses an eye for details to help prove a larger view. And even journalism that conveys an opinion tries to be fair. If school newspapers begin to disappear, I hope there are other ways for students to learn that.
1.What can we infer from Rebecca’s words?
A.Students like reading detailed articles.
B.School newspapers are becoming unpopular.
C.Facebook is the quickest way of spreading news.
D.Long sentences are becoming popular in lonely places.
2.What does the author think of social media messages?
A.They make journalism become a craft.
B.They represent the power of small voices.
C.They are usually discouraging for readers.
D.They are coming without careful research.
3.What should good journalism do according to the author?
A.Ignore some details.
B.Spread a message quickly.
C.Convey an opinion in a fair way.
D.Act as blog posts in modern times.
4.Which might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A.Social media or newspapers?
B.Everyone can become a reporter at present
C.Social networking brings about new journalism
D.High school newspapers – an endangered species.
The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards， candy canes and of course， end of year reports．
While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance， they do not expect their own input to be evaluated． But a school in the UK is changing that． As well as assessing their students， they are dishing out grades to mums and dads． Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A， and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D．
The school， Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire， uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade． The school's principal， Donna Chambers， said that the scheme had been well received．
"There were some critics． In spite of it， between 15 percent and 20 percent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent，" she explained．
Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement． "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one． That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life"， she said．
But while the scheme may be well intentioned， it is likely to be connected with parent shaming． There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments， looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives．
And of course， being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school． There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered． And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute？ Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!
1.What do schools usually do at the end of the school year？ ______
A.Evaluating kids' performances．
B.Making Christmas cards．
C.Dividing candies．
D.Grading parents．
2.What does the school's principal Chambers say about the scheme？ ______
A.It uses a new way to evaluate kids．
B.It has gained much acceptance．
C.It gives parents further education．
D.It improves kids' motivation for learning．
3.What does the author think of parents being involved in kids' education？ ______
A.It adds to parents' burden．
B.It brings shame to parents．
C.It means far more than being graded．
D.It increases parents' commitment to education．
4.What is the passage mainly about？ ______
A.There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life．
B.Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report．
C.Parents should be involved in children's school life．
D.Whether a parent is excellent depends on the grade he gets．
Just a couple of hours ago, I was on the plane, ready to fly home from London. The flight had been delayed by a few hours so it felt good to be so close to take-off. I had my iPod in place and a new book to read. Then, over the loudspeaker came the pilot’s voice: "The ground crew has found a metal instrument in one tire. We regret that we must cancel this flight."
The passengers’ reactions that announcement led to were interesting. One man close to me began to argue with a flight attendant. A couple in another row complained loudly. A businessman in a black suit actually kicked the seat in front of him. Yet some passengers responded differently. An elderly gentleman smiled as he helped others take their bags down from the overhead compartments (隔间). A teenager, rather than trying to rush off the plane like most of the other passengers, stopped to help a woman with a disability. The lady sitting next to me laughed and said: "Hey, it’s not the end of the world..." before she made a call to her kids and shared her adventure with them. The wisest among us have a remarkable ability to maintain grounded when times get tough.
No life is perfect； mine certainly isn’t. We all must face challenges, both large and small. You and I have the power to choose to rise above the external circumstances. We always have the choice to be strong and kind when things fall apart.
That’s grace under pressure. My seatmate was right — things could have been so much worse. Anyway, I am safe. I have my health. I have two wonderful children. I have work I love and so much to be grateful for. Sure I now have to wait a few hours to catch the next flight home.
1.What caused the passengers’ different reactions directly?
A.The loudspeaker. B.The delay of the flight.
C.The ground crew’s fault. D.The pilot’s announcement.
2.Who turned his anger on the seat?
A.The teenager helping the disabled. B.The old man taking bags down.
C.The man in a dark suit. D.The man close to me.
3.What did the woman sitting next to the author do?
A.She assisted a disabled woman.
B.She made a phone call to her family.
C.She helped others carry their luggage.
D.She told moving stories to her children.
4.What can we learn from the story?
A.Our life is full of ups and downs.
B.It is natural to be scared under pressure.
C.We should help each other in times of difficulty.
D.We should be positive and calm when life is hard.
EXPERIENCE COLUMBIA
HOT ATTRACTIONS
◆RIVERBANKS ZOO&GARDEN
It is home to more than 2,000 animals and one of the nation’s most beautiful botanical gardens. With more than 350 species from around the world, Riverbanks is one of the largest mid-sized zoos in the country.
Hours: 9:00a.m.—5:00p.m. daily.
Admission: Adults(13—61) — $19.95
Children(2—12) : $16.95
◆EDVENTURE
The South’s largest children’s museum has 300 exhibits to inspire children to experience the joy of learning. Where else but EdVenture can children drive a real fire truck, anchor the news or visit another country?
Hours: Monday — Sunday :9 a. m. — 5 p. m.
Admission: Members Free
Children and Adults: $ 11. 95
◆SOUTH CAROLINA STATE MUSEUM
The stories of South Carolina come alive through the exhibits and collections of the State Museum. Plus, a new 4-D theater provides popular movies that excite all ages. Museum members are invited to night-sky observing and more on Tuesday nights!
Hours: Mon. , Wed. - Fri. : 10 a. m.-5 p. m., Tues. :10 a. m. -10 p. m., Sat.: 10 a. m. -6 p. m., Sun.: noon -5 p. m.
Admission: Adults (13 -61) : $ 8.95
Children (3 - 12): $ 6. 95
◆SALUDA SHOALS PARK
Saluda Shoals Park is a sensitive riverfront park that invites visitors to experience the treasures of the Saluda River through exceptional educational and cultural opportunities.
Fun-filled Family Activities Nightly! (except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas night)
Free for activities: apply with Holiday Lights admission ($ 20/car; $ 40/15-passenger vehicle; $ 60/bus).
1.Which attraction best suits a child interested in broadcasting news?
A.EdVenture. B.The State Museum.
C.Saluda Shoals Park. D.Riverbanks Zoo & garden.
2.How much should a young couple with a 4-year-old son pay to enjoy various plants and animals?
A.$ 24.85. B.$ 20.
C.$ 56.85. D.$ 35.85.
3.Which of the following is available to all tourists in the State Museum?
A.Having a fantastic visual feast at 1:00 p. m.
B.Visiting the exhibits on Sunday morning.
C.Enjoying free family activities every night.
D.Observing the amazing night sky on Tuesday nights.
