Switzerland is the world’s most famous watchmaker,1.makes it little surprise that2.(it) people are the most punctual in the world. For them, being on time is not only a nice thing to do, but it’s a strict3.(believe) that they build almost every aspect of their lives on.
According to the BBC, everything in Switzerland, from trains and buses4.personal meetings, is on time. If someone says they are meeting you at 3 pm, they5.not be there at 2:55 or 3:05 - just 3 pm. It shows “a deep expression of respect for other people”, US writer Eric Weiner, who6.(recent) traveled to Switzerland, wrote for BBC News. “A punctual person is a 7.(consider) one. By showing up on time for everything, a Swiss person is expressing he values your time and, by extension, he values you.”
This valuable quality of Swiss people8.(report) to originate from the country’s mountain areas. Due to poor weather, people had to plant and harvest crops exactly on time,9.they would have nothing to eat.
However, being punctual also has its problems. Since everybody has their lunch at exactly 12 and takes their coffee break at 4 pm, elevators and coffee shops all tend10.(be) full at the same time.
No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own _________
I learned this lesson from a(n) _________ many years ago. I took the head _________ job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.
It was a tradition for the school’s old team to play against the _________ team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn’t even practice to ___________ the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn’t _________ I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to _________ that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were ___________ me. I had to change my _________ about their ability and potential.
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little ____________. Most important, I began to treat them like ____________. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their ____________, we met every day and ______________ passing and kicking the football.
Six months after suffering our ______________ on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to ____________. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a ____________ for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn’t what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest ____________ of my life！
From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can ____________ the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and ______________ them. I helped them to see themselves ____________, and they built themselves into winners.
Winners are made, but born.
1.A.luck B.tests C.efforts D.nature
2.A.experiment B.experience C.visit D.show
3.A.operating B.editing C.consulting D.coaching
4.A.successful B.excellent C.strong D.new
5.A.cheer for B.prepare for C.help with D.finish with
6.A.believe B.agree C.describe D.regret
7.A.realize B.claim C.permit D.demand
8.A.reacting to B.looking for C.depending on D.caring about
9.A.decision B.attitude C.conclusion D.intention
10.A.pride B.culture C.fortune D.relationship
11.A.leaders B.partners C.winners D.learners
12.A.rewards B.vacations C.health D.honor
13.A.risked B.missed C.considered D.practiced
14.A.defeat B.decline C.accident D.mistake
15.A.relax B.improve C.expand D.defend
16.A.shame B.burden C.victory D.favor
17.A.chances B.thrills C.concerns D.offers
18.A.surprise B.serve C.interest D.affect
19.A.encouraged B.observed C.protected D.impressed
20.A.honestly B.individually C.calmly D.differently
Boosting(促进) your Brain Power
Who hasn’t wished that they were just a little smarter? Maybe you’re in school and just want to get a better grade on a test. 1. Here are some ways you can go about boosting your brainpower.
Sleep is one of the easiest things to do, yet one of the ones that most of us don’t do. We live in a busy age and often it seems that we don’t have enough time to get everything done. So many of us sacrifice our hours of sleep to accomplish our daily tasks. 2.
Read a book. Being smarter is not only about thinking but knowledge plays a big part in it, too. Reading helps your brain stay active.3. Think of it as exercise for the brain.
Try turning off that television set and going for a walk. A walk will stimulate your body and relax your mind. Just as watching too much TV can hurt your body, it also causes your brain to slow down as well.
4. There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to teach it to someone else. There is nothing like trying to break something down into simpler terms for others to help you understand it better than you did before.
Work on a puzzle. It can be anything from the newspaper crossword or the new Sudoku puzzle. Puzzles help you use your brain to figure out the answers.5. Your brain needs exercise just like your body does to be able to function in top form.
So go out there and boost your brainpower, your mind will thank you.
A. The more you read, the more you know, and the smarter you will be.
B. By writing about things you know, it helps you to understand them better.
C. Crossword puzzles also have the added benefit of increasing your vocabulary and knowledge.
D. Maybe you want to show your boss that you are good enough to get a promotion.
E. Giving your body the rest it needs every night can boost your ability to function at your best the next day.
F. Skipping meals can make it harder for you to think and perform at your best.
G. Learn something new and then teach someone else how to do it.
Apple announced its new iPhones last week, but competitors’ mobile phones can do many of the same things for less money.
The new iPhone 8 and X have wireless charging, edge-to-edge glass screen and double cameras. But all of these features are already available in smart phones from China’s Huawei and Oppo, and Korea’s Samsung. While Apple asks buyers to pay $1,000 for its high-end model, some Asian phone makers can offer similar features for less.
At one time, Chinese manufacturers copied features and designs from others to produce low-cost phones. But they have now added high-end features to their phones and they control nearly half the global mobile phone market.
Media MarktSaturn is Europe’s biggest electronics seller. A spokesperson for the store told Reuters that,“Huawei is seen as a relevant competitor to Apple and Samsung by covering all major price points and placing big investments in marketing and sales. ’’ She also said that the Chinese companies Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and TCL were among the top-10 best-selling smart phones in its stores.
Chinese manufacturers’ fast growth has been fueled by strong sales in China. But they now export 40 percent of their smart phones. That is almost double the number from just three years ago, according to the Hong Kong investment company CLSA.
Huawei is currently the world’s third largest phone maker behind Samsung and Apple. According to research company Canalys, the Chinese company is getting closer to second-place Apple and might overtake it later this year. Huawei plans to show its top-of-the-line Mate 10 phone on Oct. 16. The phone will have artificial intelligence features such as instant translation and image recognition and will cost less than $1,000.
Other Chinese companies are looking to enter the high-end smart phone market.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.Smart phone’s manufacturers. B.Apple smart phone’s features.
C.Asian phone makers’ fast growth. D.Competition among Asian phone makers.
2.Which is NOT among the top 3 phone makers in the world?
A.TCL. B.Samsung.
C.Apple. D.Huawei.
3.What do we know from the text?
A.Huewei will have overtaken Apple by later 2017.
B.Chinese makers’ phones with high-end features cost less.
C.The top-10 smart phones are to enter the high-end competition.
D.40 percent of Asian smart phones are exported now.
4.What is the writer’s attitude towards Asian phone makers?
A.Doubtful. B.Concerned.
C.Optimistic. D.Uncertain.
This could be the perfect gift for the partner, who embarrasses you on the dance floor. Smart socks, which can teach to dance, may be the answer for anyone with two left feet.
The socks have been developed as a running tool to help runners improve their skills. Thanks to the socks, users can accurately record not only how far and fast they run but also how well. It means the user maximizes their performance, and reduces damage to body and prevents hurt. The hi-tech socks are made of special fibers that watch the movements of your feet. They look, feel and can be washed like normal clothes.
Sensors (传感器) record each movement and send it by an ankle transmitter (脚踝发射器) to a smart phone. Then a “virtual coach” application shows the information and can tell the user what they are doing wrong, and help to improve skill in any task with feet.
The socks should be useful to athletes and weekend joggers. “People think running is so easy and of course everybody can do it but not necessarily safely and well,” Dr. Davide Vigano said. A recent study showed that between 60 and 80 percent of runners got hurt per year. This is pretty much more than any other human activity. Researchers say the technology can also be developed to teach people how to dance, play sports such as golf, or even to help to teach women to walk better in high heels.
Mr. Vigano said, “People could all benefit from the idea. We have had interest from all sorts of sports, like skiing, football, cycling and golf. Anything where you have to use your feet can use it. It could even be put in high heels to help women walk in them safely.”
Socks are just the start, and the technology could be used in gloves, hats and boots. The socks, anklet and software package, are expected to be sold for around￡120, which will go on sale in March.
1.What does the underlined part “anyone with two left feet” refer to?
A.People who are disabled.
B.People who are interested in dancing.
C.People who are not good at dancing.
D.People who invented the socks.
2.What’s special about fibers that the socks are made of?
A.They feel much softer than normal clothes.
B.They can monitor the movement of feet.
C.They are expensive to produce.
D.They act as a smart phone for users.
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the socks?
A.They can improve the skill of running.
B.They can help women walk better in high heels.
C.They can teach people to dance well.
D.They can be worn for days without washing.
4.According to Dr. Vigano, ________.
A.everyone can make good use of the smart socks
B.users can run as fast as they like with the socks
C.60 to 80 percent of runners would like to buy the smart socks
D.no runners will get hurt, thanks to the socks
Do you have a spare room in your house? What about a driveway for your car? Both of these can help you make money.Many people who are feeling the pinch are taking advantage of what’s been called the “sharing economy”.
Perhaps the best-known example of a company in this field is Airbnb---an American web business which allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers.It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has over 1,500,000 listings.It seems to have concerned the market!
A British company is doing something with parking spaces.JustPark’s founder, Anthony Eskinazi, says ,“When I had the original idea,Ispotted a driveway close to a sports stadium.It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in that driveway rather than in commercial car park.” And he has a big clientele（客户）:around 20,000 people have advertised their spaces on the site,and he says around half a million drivers use it.There are other sites doing very similar things,like Uber and Lyft---these let drivers share their cars with other passengers.Any driver knows how valuable a place to park is .A church near Kings Cross in central London has apparently made over £200,000 by renting out space in its yard to travelers!
Because this is a new business world,those rules aren’t there yet and many people are happy to share...as long as it pays!
But the sharing economy has its critics:the competitors of these new companies.People who run things like traditional B&B, commercial car parks and taxi services are afraid of ending up out of pocket.And there is another issue:regulations on these new business are unclear.How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbor?
1.What does the underlined phrase “feeling the pinch” probably mean?
A.Lacking in money B.Full of curiosity
C.Willing to help others D.Unsatisfied with their life
2.Who may be against the sharing economy?
A.A taxi driver who can’t find a a parking place B.A priest in the church near Kings Cross
C.A traveller who needs accomodiation D.A well-known high-end holiday hotel
3.Why are many people pleased to share according to paragraph 4?
A.They can gain huge profits B.They needn’t pay any fee
C.There are few rules to limit them D.The new business has no risks
4.Which of the following words can best describe the booming business?
A.Creative and developed B.Competitive but unpractical
C.Effective and worrying D.Traditional and acceptable
