When you buy something with money, you feel as if it’s owed by you. __, when you receive something from someone else, the gift is a __ of something bigger than yourself.
In our living room, we have three shelves of books. We __ them as the “open source” bookshelf because our guests can take any book and __ any book to it. No one __ it; it’s all based on trust, __ our home hosts many events with hundreds of people passing through it.
These books cover various types and you can’t really be __ what you’ll find. So, my brother happened to __ a red book the other day. It __ because it had no title. Since it looked so __, he checked it out.
Page one __ some hand-written words:
To: DJ Burrowes
From: Grandma and Grandpa Burrowes
…
We were __. Every page had a quote written in the __ shaky handwriting of DJ’s grandparents. They had given it to DJ and DJ, __, had given it to us.
A couple of weeks back, DJ __ to go to China to learn its language and culture. Before leaving, he came for a(n) __ at our place, primarily to offer his __ gratitude. But this gift was over the top. Not only did he __ such a precious part of himself, but he did so without telling anyone in our house! What a(n) __ ! For a few seconds, all of us just stared at it in disbelief.
In shocking silence, we all stood in __ of the Burrowes for showing us, by their example, what life is all about. Thank you, DJ, wherever you are!
1.A.Therefore B.Moreover C.Meanwhile D.However
2.A.discovery B.standard C.reminder D.wonder
3.A.regard B.accept C.report D.mistake
4.A.expose B.contribute C.distribute D.deliver
5.A.tracks B.affords C.recommends D.overlooks
6.A.ever since B.in case C.as if D.even though
7.A.guaranteed B.informed C.judged D.questioned
8.A.obtain B.donate C.spot D.review
9.A.worked out B.stood out C.went up D.turned up
10.A.priceless B.fascinating C.delicate D.unusual
11.A.represented B.expressed C.read D.provided
12.A.astonished B.cautious C.frightened D.nervous
13.A.occasionally B.apparently C.partially D.randomly
14.A.in advance B.in turn C.by mistake D.by chance
15.A.promised B.managed C.hesitated D.decided
16.A.event B.discussion C.party D.conference
17.A.natural B.vivid C.silent D.casual
18.A.show off B.take over C.see about D.leave behind
19.A.pity B.offering C.relief D.coincidence
20.A.defence B.memory C.admiration D.favour
Most students have experienced or suffered from procrastination(拖延症). Here are some tips to help you reduce procrastination.
Set goals
Students often procrastinate because they think that they can put off the work for a while and enjoy their time at the moment. 1., when the deadline becomes one day away and the essay has yet to be started. In order to stay on track, you should constantly set and update goals. It can be beneficial to mark all deadlines in a planner and think about how much time you need to meet them all. Update your plan for the upcoming two weeks so that you do not get overwhelmed, and continue to update as other assignments and events arise. Additionally, make a daily schedule in order to reach necessary goals before going to bed.
Reward yourself
It can become extremely difficult to work for hours straight in order to finish schoolwork. In order to keep productivity, set breaks at the end of a period of time or once you finish a section of your work so that you can reward yourself with some deserved, scheduled, and controlled procrastination-like activities. 2.. Breaks like these are proven to increase productivity and keep you focused, and they will make the process of studying much more bearable!
Remind yourself of what you’re doing
Sometimes you may begin to think that what you are working on has little to do with what you ultimately want to do. You may consider some work or a class pointless and not useful to your further studies. However, when these thoughts arise, remind yourself what the ultimate goal of your schooling is. Remind yourself why you wanted to go to school and take this program in the first place. 3..
Turn off the Internet
4.. If you do not need the Internet to do your work, turn it off so that you are not receiving notifications while completing your work, and you are not so tempted to search for sites. The same goes for your cell phone; you can take a break from being connected to the cyber world in order to do your schoolwork. If you feel the need to check messages and websites often, set time when you will allow yourself to do so rather than constantly staying connected.
5.
Being productive for all hours of every day does not work—you do need breaks, and as a student you are entitled to have a lot of fun. So, in order to balance productivity and amusement, plan time to go out with friends or do something relaxing. But ideally, social and relaxations plans should be made after a significant portion of work is complete. This way, while you are working, you can keep in mind that once you have finished your work you can go out and not worry about your assignments.
A. Enjoy every minute in school
B. Have something to look forward to
C. The Internet has become an essential part of our daily life
D. You may understand why you should focus on completing your work
E. This thought tends to make things worse, though
F. Some of the most common distractions are those found on the Internet
G. You may have coffee with a friend, cook, or watch a television show
In summer the extreme heat often makes people sweaty and restless. While people are annoyed by it, experts suggest summer is the best season to discharge(排放) your body’s toxins(毒素) and recover your energy.
One popular option is hot-stone massage(按摩). Therapists use smooth and heated stones, usually river rocks, to massage certain parts of the body, or place them on key points of the body. The warmth of the hot stones will improve blood circulation and also help relax muscles, while sweating is also believed to be good for discharging the body’s toxins.
Another popular option is hot-stone baths. The hot-stone bath will help the body discharge toxins and humidity(湿气) that accumulated during the last winter. Summer is the best season to build a good body. Rather than use water or steam to heat and wash the body, people simply wear a coat or something comfortable, and then lie on heated stone tablets made of hot stones, which are warmed to around 45oC. The body will gradually warm up and blood circulation will also be improved. More sweat will come out quickly. The sweat is smooth and fresh, not smelly like that released after sports activities. Such baths bring a number of health benefits, such as anti-aging, improved blood circulation and stress relief. The slimming effect of dieting can even be promoted.
Using hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times, but the modern renewal of hot-stone massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona, America, whose trademark is “LaStone Therapy”.
The therapy is gaining wide popularity with many people, especially those who have jobs in cool air-conditioned rooms. The hot-stone therapy can help cure many diseases, including back pain.
1.What do people use to release toxins in our body according to the text?
A. Swimming in white water. B. Living in cold winter.
C. Lying on the warm beds. D. Discharging lots of sweat.
2.What can we know from the text?
A. People should take advantage of summer to improve their health.
B. There are no toxins and humidity in the body in summer.
C. Using water of about 45oC to wash the body is good for the health.
D. Sports have greater effects on the health than hot-stone massage.
3.What can be learned about the hot-stone therapy?
A. It was invented by Mary Nelson, an American.
B. It successfully cured many people of cancer.
C. It is popular with people because of its excellent effects.
D. It can help people avoid sweating too much in hot summer.
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A. The origin and development of the hot-stone therapy
B. A healthy and comfortable lifestyle
C. How to live comfortably in summer
D. The amazing functions of the hot-stone therapy
Bliss (幸福) is boring! That’s a cautionary (告诫的) line I’ve heard a lot about the Common Application writing prompt (提示): “Describe a place where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?”
It’s true. Just how much can you say about big mountains or peaceful ocean waves? This is a tougher prompt than you might think.
Part of the challenge associated with this prompt is that it is — so broad. The place is limitless and it could even be a place in a student’s favorite book.
How should you approach this prompt?
— Figure out where you’re happiest. Where are you when you’re feeling that way? When do you truly feel comfortable in your own skin?
— Determine why you are so happy there. Try to think of an anecdote that happened at that place. Who were you with? What was going on?
— Use your sensory details. The first part of the prompt asks you to describe your place. This is not where you should provide analysis but rather a straightforward description with significant details.
— Be reflective. The second and third parts of the prompt are inviting you to be analytical. This is the part of the essay that college admissions professionals are most interested in reading. This is where you will need to talk about how your place has influenced you.
— Here's another way to approach the prompt. Think about a time when you were unhappy. Where did you go to “get happy”? Why do you go there? What’s special about that place?
If you can’t discuss why this place is meaningful to you with maturity (成熟) and perfection, you are probably better off responding to a different writing prompt.
1.The author wrote “Bliss is boring!” at the beginning to suggest that __________.
A.no one in the world could have a tally perfect life
B.many students have no idea of what true happiness is
C.students should avoid talking about happiness in their essays
D.it is hard for students to produce a satisfactory essay on this topic
2.What is the purpose of the article?
A.To remind students to keep an eye on the details in their life.
B.To give tips on responding to a writing prompt on the topic of happiness
C.To display basic skills for essay organization.
D.To teach students to balance facts and analysis in their essays.
3.Which part of the essay will interest admissions officers the most?
A.Description of where, when and how much the experience was enjoyed.
B.Fun anecdotes about times when people felt the happiest.
C.Analyses of the sources of happiness and their influence.
D.Advice on how to get over negative feelings in daily life.
4.What does the author mean by saying “you are probably better off responding to a different writing prompt.” in the last paragraph?
A.you had better live a wealthy life
B.you had better give up this writing prompt
C.you had better leave for a new place
D.you had better understand this place in a new way
Humans share Earth with many different kinds of wildlife. However, many of our animal friends may not be around for much longer.
According to the Living Planet Report released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in October, the populations of animals including mammals, birds and fish have fallen by an average of 60 percent since 1970.
“We are sleepwalking towards the edge of a cliff (悬崖), Mike Barrett, executive director of science and conservation at WWF, told the Guardian. “If there was a 60 percent decline (下降) in the human population, that would be equivalent (等于) to emptying North America, South America, Africa, Europe, China and Oceania."
According to the report, one of the biggest causes of wildlife losses is human activity. Three- quarters of the world's land is largely affected by human activity. Many natural habitats (栖息地) have been destroyed to create farmland.
About 300 mammal species are dying out because we eat them. Another example is the industrial over fishing of the oceans, the Guardian noted.
“The astonishing decline in wildlife population…is a reminder and perhaps the ultimate (最终的) sign of the pressure we exert (施加) on the plane,” Marco Lambertini, the director general of the WWF, wrote in the report.
These developments lead scientists to believe that there could be a sixth mass extinction, the first to be caused by humans according to the Guardian. There have been five mass extinction before, the last being 655 million years ago. That time it was the dinosaurs that died out.
WWF has called on world governments and businesses to strike a deal to protect people and nature.
Neither is the situation in China promising. According to a report by China Daily in November, Chinese paddlefish (白鲟) in the Yangtze River, may have become extinct. And there are now less than 500 green peafowl (孔雀) in the wild, reported CCTV in June.
To protect endangered animals, measures have been taken in China and progress has been made. For example, China has banned the use of rhino horn and tiger bones; and ivory (象牙) trade, reported China Daily. It also emphasizes increasing public, awareness by holding activities when celebrating the World Wildlife Day.
But more efforts are still needed to protect wildlife in China and around the world. “We are the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last one that can do anything about it,” WWF UK Chief Executive Tanya Steele told CNN.
1.What did the Living Planet Report point out?
A.The loss of animal populations has sped up over the past decade.
B.China is losing more animals than any other country.
C.The animal population will decrease by 60 percent in the next decade.
D.The animal population has dropped sharply in past decades.
2.What is a main cause of the loss of the fish population, according to the Guardian?
A.Over-hunting. B.Food shortage.
C.Climate change. D.Environmental pollution.
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.China provides a model of animal protection for other countries.
B.China has made some progress in protecting endangered animals.
C.Experts are not optimistic about the future of wildlife.
D.Governments should take the responsibility to protect wildlife.
4.What does the underlined part mean?
A.the last generation to do more things to save our planet
B.the last generation that can do anything they want to save the planet
C.we should not do anything more to destroy our planet
D.we could not care less about the planet
I have a neighbor who is a capable, fashionable, seventy-year-old, single woman. Her name is Grace. Grace was laid off from her job a little over two years ago and has been living off her savings ever since but not officially “retired”. Grace called me up one day about this time last year and asked if I had a ladder. She needed to clean out her gutters (水槽) on the roof and wanted me to hold the ladder.
She didn’t want me to climb up and clean the gutters. She just wanted me to hold the ladder. As it happened I did have a ladder. I said: “The leaves are going to fall off the trees in a month, why don’t we wait till they finish and do it then?” She agreed and naturally we didn’t talk about it again until spring. Spring in Tennessee is wild and we talked about it over the course of three weeks in which it rained nearly every day, then I got busy and Grace went into seclusion (隐居).
A couple of weeks ago, she told me she’d been spending too much money and decided to apply for a bar tending job at a local hotel. “Now I don’t know about you all but I’d never considered what it would be like to apply for and begin a new job at the age of seventy. I’m fifty-three and the older I get, the more I think about how great it’ll be if I can just get out of bed when I’m seventy.” Anyway, she got the job, serving the bar and tending banquets at the hotel.
The day when she left for her training at 6 am, I walked across the street with my ladder and cleaned out her gutters.
1.When did the author advise Grace to clean her gutters?
A.In early spring. B.In rainy season.
C.In time of leaves falling. D.In time of few leaves on trees.
2.What was the author’s neighbor doing when the author wrote the text?
A.Working at a hotel. B.Training for her job.
C.Cleaning out her house. D.Walking with the author.
3.What did the author think of her neighbor’s re-employment?
A.Valuable. B.Impossible.
C.Reasonable. D.Unbelievable.
