As is known to us, doing something small makes a difference.
Last night, my husband and I were taking a post-dinner walk in a nearby parking lot, when we saw a man breaking something with a rock. He was completely _______his task and didn’t look up at anyone passing by. We kept _______him as we walked around the parking lot and talked between ourselves about what he might be doing. I _______he was breaking stones to make sand, but why would he do that?
_______, we decided to go up and speak to him. He was _______ pieces of leftover bread that he had collected from his housemates to make _______for the birds that come there every morning. The large pieces of bread would be _______for the birds to eat, so he ground them into a fine powder with the_______.
It was moving to hear that he’s been doing this every _______,by himself, for the last three or four years. What________ us more was that he was surprised we were even taking ________in this, since for him it wasn’t a big deal. Every night, he ________leftover bread from his housemates. He then spends the next one or two hours in the parking lot crushing each piece of ________and making a neat pile for the birds, which he says will be ________ by the next evening. He also ________ fresh water and adds birdseed on top of the pile.
When we asked him why he does this small and simple act of ________, he shrugged and said, “It’s just something ________ I do so that the leftover bread doesn’t go into the ________and the birds get food.”
We shared his story with the hope that it might remind us to be more ________with our leftover food. Perhaps it might ________ someone to do something similar in their own area.
1.A.worried about B.satisfied with C.tired from D.focused on
2.A.questioning B.showing C.noticing D.helping
3.A.discussed B.thought C.wondered D.admitted
4.A.Naturally B.Finally C.Surely D.Patiently
5.A.picking up B.spreading C.breaking up D.piling
6.A.drink B.food C.nests D.desserts
7.A.perfect B.healthy C.enough D.difficult
8.A.rock B.stick C.cage D.rope
9.A.morning B.night C.afternoon D.weekend
10.A.moved B.pleased C.confused D.embarrassed
11.A.a role B.part C.an interest D.pride
12.A.buys B.collects C.borrows D.steals
13.A.cake B.chocolate C.bread D.birdseed
14.A.removed B.lost C.discovered D.gone
15.A.leaves B.takes C.drops D.saves
16.A.faith B.choice C.service D.courage
17.A.special B.small C.interesting D.useful
18.A.plate B.ground C.market D.trash
19.A.careful B.content C.patient D.fun
20.A.inspire B.guide C.allow D.require
Tricks to Remember Words
Memorizing new vocabulary can seem like a difficult task at first, but if you use some strategies you will find your vocabulary expanding rapidly.
Break It Down
One key to memorization success is to attempt a manageable workload. One to five words is a manageable load that will enable you to be successful in remembering them for the long term. 1.
Make Associations
One way to remember words and their definitions is to remember an association that you have with that word. 2.You can make an association web by writing the word in the middle of a piece of paper and mapping out everything you associate with that word.
Write Sentences and Stories
Context is a large part of understanding and remembering definitions. While you may attempt to contextualize a word for yourself by making associations, it can also be useful to write the word in a sentence. 3.If you are learning many words at a time, writing a story with all of the words can be a fun and entertaining strategy for retaining knowledge.
Use Flashcards
Flashcards are a tried and true method of aiding memory. Rather than buying premade vocabulary flashcard, make your own with index cards(索引卡). 4. Besides, when you make your own flashcards, you can personalize them according to your needs by drawing a picture on one side or writing the word in a sentence to help yourself remember the context.
Practice
5. Pick at least one new word a day to use in your everyday conversations. You might be able to fit your new words into e-mails and correspondence as well. The more you use the words, the better you will know them.
.
A.Create more situations.
B.Quiz yourself on the words.
C.It can save money and aid your memory.
D.If the word has multiple definitions, write it in several different sentences.
E.The association may be an image, a person you know or a song with that word in it.
F.When you learn a new word, the best way is to use the word in context immediately.
G.If you have a long list of words to memorize, break the list down so that you can learn some each day
Not only does the use of plastic water bottles hurt your wallet, it also increases pollution and wastes energy and water. Only 23% of all plastic in America ends up in a recycling bin, meaning over $ 1 billion worth of plastic is treated as rubbish a year. Recently, Skipping Rocks Lab has invented a kind of water bottle called Ooho.
It is a convenient, clear water bottle that can either be drunken or eaten. To drink it, you can either peel off the membrane(薄膜) or tear a hole in the membrane with your teeth to pour the water into your mouth. To eat it, you simply put the whole bottle in your mouth. One problem the scientists have run into is how to ship large amounts of Ooho bubbles(水泡) without arriving with a very wet truck. However, they have attempted to package units of individual bubbles together inside a larger and thicker membrane. It is targeting large outdoor events, such as marathons, music festivals, and sporting events, where tons of plastic bottles are used, and frequently left behind as litter. And too much plastic is sure to do harm to the environment, which could account for their purpose of such a new invention.
The team has been working for the past two years to develop the technology and materials needed to produce Ooho; they have recently applied a patent for their new advancements. The price for an individual bubble or a unit of bubbles has not been set yet, but they cost about two cents to create a unit, which is cheaper than plastic bottles. It has appeared at events in London, San Francisco, Boston, at conferences, festivals, and so on.
Ooho is catching many people’s attention and has raised over $ 1 million and gained 1,000 investors in only three days. It is mostly being sold at events at the moment to keep the consumer’s interest while the production machine is getting up and running. It is quickly making a rise,so keep an eye out this year for these bottles of the future.
1.How is most plastic dealt with in America?
A.It’s sold. B.It’s recycled.
C.It’s buried. D.It’s wasted.
2.Why did the team invent Ooho?
A.To make a profit for a company. B.To protect the environtnent.
C.To make people eat as they drink. D.To reduce the cost of plastic bottle.
3.What can we infer about Ooho from the text?
A.It is easy and safe to ship it in large amounts.
B.It has become popular since it began to be sold.
C.It might be sold at a lower price than plastic bottles.
D.It cost the team a lot of money to develop the technology.
4.What does the author really want to say in the last paragraph?
A.Ooho is to be a success in the future.
B.Ooho is being supported by smart people.
C.Ooho is taking the place of plastic bottles now.
D.Ooho is being produced to attract more investors.
In modern society, online learning is popular with many people. For many of us, learning a language is a terrifying experience, just as opening a new set of books and CDs.
Babbel is a comprehensive online learning system that allows the user to combine learning with his or her everyday life. Launched in 2007 in Berlin, it’s created and maintained by a team of 300 employees from 28 nations, including linguists, language teachers, native speakers, and authors.
The 14 language courses on offer (including French, Spanish, Polish, German, Swedish and English) are designed to be used on the go, anywhere and at any time, thanks to Babbel’s multi-platform mobile apps. These courses are free to download and contain 2,000—3,000 vocabulary words per language, pronounced by native speakers and accompanied by relevant images.
This native-speaker approach, says Markus Witte, CEO and founder of Babbel, is key to the company’s success. “The courses are designed by experienced language teachers and linguists,” he explains. “Their knowledge about learning processes and language pairings is crucial when designing lessons. We offer 14 learning languages and it makes a huge difference whether a Portuguese or an English native learns Spanish.”
One of the real joys is being able to set your own pace and learn what you want. Simply choose the language you want and start learning it right away with integrated speech recognition.
Registration of Babbel is completely free, as Babbel provides advanced lessons in every language, so you can start making progress immediately. If you choose to sign up, you are offered monthly, three-monthly, six-monthly or yearly payment plans and this gives you immediate access to your chosen language on www. babbel. com as well as via the mobile apps for Android or IOS.
The lessons are quick, bite-sized and entertaining. 50% of Babbel users learn with apps. Witte says, “This mobile language learning supports Babbel’s idea of easy learning. The touch display allows for much faster repeat of vocabulary, and users can check their pronunciation or record a speaking role in a dialogue, which helps to remove the fear of talking in an unfamiliar language.”
1.What do many people think of learning a language?
A.Embarrassing B.Interesting
C. Impressive D.Unpleasant.
2.Learners may enjoy learning with Babbel because___________ .
A.the courses are easy to download
B.the teachers are native speakers
C.they can learn at their own pace
D.the images are designed by native speakers
3.Which statement is true according to the passage?
A.The touch display can help users repeat the words faster.
B.Users can only get access to their chosen language via the mobile apps.
C.Users are offered only monthly or yearly payment plans
D.The mobile language learning is difficult and helpful.
4.What’ s the author’ s purpose of writing the text?
A.To illustrate the advantages of online learning.
B.To make an advertisement for a language school.
C.To introduce a new way of learning foreign languages.
D.To discuss how to learn a new language efficiently.
A teenager needs to have a sense of independence in their life to feel secure（安全的）. To some teenagers independence means a lot to them, and I think that some parents don’t allow their teenagers enough independence.
Independence has something to do with freedom. Some kids are not allowed to go anywhere alone, and the only thing their schedule includes is going to school, coming home, going to sleep, and repeating the process the next day. Parents tend to be afraid that their kids can get hurt if they go outside into the world. But if parents control their kids too much, they may never learn to live on their own. The best way for a teenager to learn lesson is through experience. I think it is beneficial for teenagers to have freedom.
Teenagers’ lack of freedom can also stop them from having good friendship at school. Some might say this is a good thing, because it helps them focus more on their school work. I argue that this can only discourage them not to do their school work. Some parents do not allow their children to be around their friends outside the school, thinking that this will get them into trouble. But I don’t think so. Instead, isn’t this a good reason for parents to get their children a cellphone? Cellphones allow teenagers to stay in touch with their parents, and communicate with friends.
Privacy is another issue between parents and their teenagers. Teenagers tend to enjoy relaxation by themselves in their own room. This also gives them a sense of independence. It often annoys teenagers when their parents enter their room when they are not home. I know that my mom always goes in my room when I’m not home, and this has brought me to the point where I have asked many times to get a lock on my door.
1.What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A.Kids know how to live independently.
B.Some parents allow their kids no freedom.
C.It benefits teenagers to have freedom.
D.Kids have a dull routine every day
2.In the opinion of the author, ___________.
A.parents should make it easy for kids to communicate with their friends
B.good friendships between kids harm their school work
C.it is unnecessary for a kid to have a cellphone
D.kids should focus on the school work
3.How do teenagers usually feel when their parents enter their rooms in their absence?
A.Disappointed B.Lucky
C.Angry D.Calm
4.The author hopes to have her door locked in order to ______________.
A.keep her father from reading her dairy B.prevent her mother entering her room
C.Protect herself from any harm D.Stop thieves from going in
Wanted
Project Management Assistant
Responsibility:
—Provide service for the project in Chongqing.
—Provide assistance to the project manager for everyday work.
—Responsible for file management, customer service for students and parents.
Requirements:
—College degree.
—Good English and computer skills.
—Related working experience in the international organization.
—Patient, careful, supportive. Have strong teamwork spirit.
English Teacher
Responsibility:
—Conduct English teaching according to British education system.
Requirements:
—University degree and above in English major or normal English.
—Eager to learn and open-minded with creativity.
—With deep understanding and respect for different cultures.
（Warmly welcome fresh graduates to apply for this position.）
Marketing Assistant
Responsibility:
—Responsible for the local management of marketing and sales activities according to the instruction from the head office.
—Collect related information to the head office.
—Develop relationship with local media and customers.
Requirements:
—College degree and above with good English (speaking and writing).
—With basic idea of sales and marketing, related experience is preferred.
—Working experience in the international organization is a must.
—Good communication and presentation skills.
Accountant
Responsibility:
—Accountant work for Chongqing office and project.
—Perform the finance management locally according to the rules and policy of the company.
Requirements:
—College degree and above in finance area.
—Good English and computer skills.
—Good sense of finance management.
—At least two years of experience as accountant in the international organization is a must.
—Self-management, hard-working, independent and able to deal with pressure.
1.Which position may attract new graduates most?
A.A project management assistant. B.An English teacher.
C.A marketing assistant. D.An accountant.
2.Which of the following is a must for the four positions?
A.Good presentation skills. B.Good computer skills.
C.Good English. D.Eagerness for learning
3.If you get the position of Project Management Assistant, you needn’t _______.
A.provide assistance for the project manager
B.provide service for the project in Chongqing
C.be responsible for customer service for students and parents
D.collect the related information for the head office
