Would you BET on the future of this man? He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning, and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives, he determines to write a book.
The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes, and the book was Don Quixote(《堂吉诃德》) . And the story poses an interesting question: why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days, while others go to seed long before？
We've all known people who run out of steam before they reach life's halfway mark. I'm not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can't all get there. I'm talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.
Most of us, in fact, progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But, if we are willing to learn, the opportunities are everywhere.
The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can't change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please, some people are never going to love us-an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.
With high motivation and enthusiasm, we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However, we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos(自我) , whether to loved ones, to fellow humans, to work, or to some moral concept.
Many of us equate(将……等同于) “commitment” with such “caring” occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence-whether they are driving a truck, or running a store-make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They've learned life's most valuable lesson.
1.The passage starts with the story of Cervantes to show that _____________.
A.loss of freedom stimulates one's creativity
B.age is not a barrier to achieving one's goal
C.misery inspires a man to fight against his fate
D.disability cannot stop a man's pursuit of success
2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.End one's struggle for liberty.
B.Waste one's energy taking risks.
C.Miss the opportunity to succeed.
D.Lose the interest to continue learning.
3.What could be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A.Those who dare to try often get themselves trapped.
B.Those who tend to think back can hardly go ahead.
C.Opportunity favours those with a curious mind.
D.Opportunity awaits those with a cautious mind.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A.To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.
B.To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.
C.To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.
D.To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.
During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.
1.What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?
A.Unkind. B.Lonely. C.Generous. D.Cool.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The classification of the popular.
B.The characteristics of adolescents.
C.The importance of interpersonal skills.
D.The causes of dishonorable behavior.
3.What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?
A.They appeared to be aggressive.
B.They tended to be more adaptable.
C.They enjoyed the highest status.
D.They performed well academically.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last
B.The Higher the Status, the Beer
C.Be the Best—You Can Make It
D.More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness
As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric(生物测量) technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are still expensive, though.
Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device(装置) that gets around this problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence(节奏) with which one types and the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things like the force of a user’s typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the keyboard can determine people’s identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer it’s connected to—regardless of whether someone gets the password right.
It also doesn’t require a new type of technology that people aren’t already familiar with. Everybody uses a keyboard and everybody types differently.
In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word “touch” four times using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the near future.
1.Why do the researchers develop the smart keyboard?
A.To reduce pressure on keys. B.To improve accuracy in typing.
C.To replace the password system. D.To cut the cost of e-space protection.
2.What makes the invention of the smart keyboard possible?
A.Computers are much easier to operate.
B.Fingerprint scanning techniques develop fast.
C.Typing patterns vary from person to person.
D.Data security measures are guaranteed.
3.What do the researchers expect of the smart keyboard?
A.It’ll be environment-friendly. B.It’ll reach consumers soon.
C.It’ll be made of plastics. D.It’ll help speed up typing.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A diary. B.A guidebook C.A novel. D.A magazine.
Need a Job This Summer?
The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs. The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program.
Not a student? Go to the government website to learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills, find a job or start businesses all year round.
Jobs for Youth
If you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province, you could be eligible(符合条件) for this program, which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training.
Who is eligible: Youth 15-18 years old in select communities(社区).
Summer Company
Summer Company provides students with hands-on business training and awards of up to $3,000 to start and run their own summer businesses.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15-29, returning to school in the fall.
Stewardship Youth Ranger Program
You could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer.
Who is eligible: Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire, but not turning 18 before December 31 this year.
Summer Employment Opportunities(机会)
Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program, students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service, its related agencies and community groups.
Who is eligible: Students aged 15 or older. Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability.
1.What is special about Summer Company?
A.It requires no training before employment.
B.It provides awards for running new businesses.
C.It allows one to work in the natural environment.
D.It offers more summer job opportunities.
2.What is the age range required by Stewardship Youth Ranger Program?
A.15-18. B.15-24. C.15-29. D.16-17.
3.Which program favors the disabled?
A.Jobs for Youth. B.Summer Company.
C.Stewardship Youth Ranger Program. D.Summer Employment Opportunities.
假如你是新华中学的学生会主席李华，你校学生会应英国Westminster School邀请，下星期将到该校进行交流访问，向该校学生介绍中国传统文化。请你给该校联系人Mr. Smith写一封邮件，信的要点如下：
（1）感谢对方的邀请；
（2）询问食宿、活动安排和说明要介绍的传统文化内容；
（3）祝愿交流活动成功。
注意：（1）词数100左右；
（2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
（3）开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：食宿 accommodation
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am Li Hua, chairman of the Student Union of Xin Hua Middle School.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your attention! Best wishes!
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（︿）），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起)不计分。
At lunch in the first day of my high school, I saw a girl sit alone. I decided to sit with her and we had pleasant chat. Late, we became close friends in the following three years. One day, he shared something touching with me. "Do you remember the day when you come over and sat next to me, wearing a big smile?" she asked me. "I wanted you to know how much special you were. I was disappointing at that time, but your smile made my day," she added.
I can't help smile each time I think of the scene, that shows me that a simple act of kindness can change lives greatly.
