A beautiful indoor potted plant has been with us for a long time. It has _________ us through tough years and good times. Some days I thought it might live forever, but it _________.
The plant did well for about twenty years, but then began to _________. We watered it. We fed it. We _________ talked to it. But leaves and branches became lower each day. We finally picked a few half-dead branches and _________ them in a small pot. One new small plant grew strong and healthy. But the _________ finally died. When we _________ it out, we could see why its _________ had grown so massive (大量的；巨大的) that they threatened to _________ the sides of the pot that held them in.
People, too, often __________ they have outgrown their environment, when they are committed to personal growth and development and when they make the kinds of __________ in their lives that lead to greater achievement and happiness.
I know of a man who was offered a job at a salary __________ than he had ever made in his life. But after careful __________, he refused the position. His would-be employer was amazed that he __________ the offer. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Isn’t the salary big enough?”
“The salary is fine,” the man said. “It’s the job that, s not big enough.”
At one time he could have __________ done the work and enjoyed the money. But he knew the job would not __________ him and held eventually become __________. He had outgrown the job that was offered.
Personal development needs a changing __________ in which to live. People seek bigger challenges. Their views __________. Their interests change. And they need people in their lives who will make room for their __________.
1.A.directed B.accompanied C.followed D.disappointed
2.A.died B.survived C.improved D.developed
3.A.fold B.fade C.spread D.delay
4.A.even B.just C.only D.never
5.A.removed B.destroyed C.planted D.studied
6.A.similar B.familiar C.precious D.original
7.A.carried B.gave C.dug D.handed
8.A.leaves B.branches C.skins D.roots
9.A.move B.burst C.roll D.jump
10.A.predict B.complain C.discover D.understand
11.A.changes B.efforts C.mistakes D.comments
12.A.slower B.faster C.lower D.higher
13.A.imagination B.consideration C.discussion D.persuasion
14.A.put forward B.tried out C.turned down D.held back
15.A.silently B.secretly C.cautiously D.happily
16.A.challenge B.entertain C.embarrass D.frighten
17.A.dissatisfied B.disturbed C.dishonest D.disrespectful
18.A.background B.environment C.method D.atmosphere
19.A.disappear B.explode C.expand D.gather
20.A.interest B.fortune C.health D.growth
Whether you volunteer at an animal shelter or in a hospital, volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to bring good into the world and support your community. There are a lot of different volunteer opportunities. 1. Here are some tips on how to be an even better volunteer.
Volunteer for something you love. 2. If your passion is helping those with cancer, volunteer to raise money for research. If you’re passionate about improving the environment, volunteer to pick up trash in public places. Your passion will keep you motivated, so put your effort into something you treasure.
3. You are probably not best suited for directing traffic if you are shy. Be respectful to those organizers, but let them know your strengths and show them how your strengths can be beneficial in your volunteer work. Find the balance that brings your talents to the table and really helps the organization.
Be on time. This is a simple but important idea. Think about being late for your work; your boss, coworkers and customers would be upset. The same applies to volunteering. 4.
Mix your volunteer jobs. If you become bored, it may be time for a schedule change in your life. 5. It is volunteering, so you aren’t stuck in one place.
A.Offer what you can do best.
B.Ask what’s expected of volunteers.
C.So if such a thing does happen, just call and let them know.
D.It doesn’t matter what it is, but it does matter what you like.
E.Therefore, everyone can find a volunteering opportunity that suits their skills and interests.
F.However, you will volunteer longer in an organization that supports a cause you care about.
G.Volunteer on different days or ask for different tasks to see what other opportunities are out there.
(The New York Times, Oct.7) The 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology(生理学) or medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists — William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza — for their work on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. The Nobel Assembly announced the prize at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday.
Their work established the genetic mechanisms(机制) that allow cells to respond to changes in oxygen levels. The findings have implications(启示) for treating a variety of diseases.
Why did they win?
“Oxygen is the lifeblood of living organisms(生物体),” said Dr. George Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School. “Without oxygen, cells can’t survive.” But too much or too little oxygen can be deadly. The three researchers tried to answer this question: How do cells regulate their responses?
The investigators uncovered detailed genetic responses to changing oxygen levels that allow cells in the bodies of humans and other animals to sense and respond to fluctuations(波动), increasing and decreasing how much oxygen they receive.
Why is the work important?
The discoveries reveal the cellular mechanisms that control such things as adaptation to high altitudes and how cancer cells manage to hijack(攫取) oxygen. Randall Johnson, a member of the Nobel Assembly, described the work as a “textbook discovery” and said it would be something students would start learning at the most basic levels of biology education.
“This is a basic aspect of how a cell works, and I think from that standpoint alone it’s a very exciting thing.” Johnson said.
The research also has implications for treating various diseases in which oxygen is in short supply — including anemia, heart attacks and strokes — as well as for treatment of cancers that are fed by and seek out oxygen.
1.This research has won the Nobel Prize mainly because ____________.
A.there was no research of this kind in the past
B.oxygen is the lifeblood of living things
C.it has uncovered how cells sense and respond to changes in oxygen levels
D.various diseases will be cured with the help of the findings of the research
2.We can learn from the passage that _____________.
A.The Nobel Prize was awarded to a physiologist on Monday in Sweden.
B.Cancer cells manage to hijack oxygen and need oxygen to develop.
C.The more oxygen there is in blood, the healthier a living body will be.
D.The genetic mechanisms have been found that allow oxygen to adapt to cells.
3.Which of the following can best explain the underlined word in the text?
A.used for textbooks B.powerful and authoritative
C.typical as a perfect example D.basic and clear
4.In which part of The New York Times can you find this article?
A.Entertainment B.Culture
C.Technology D.Science
Recently, the most heated topic of “which is the right bin for my garbage” has swept China.
Shanghai is among China’ s first cities to introduce garbage classification (垃圾分类) and also the country’s most serious in its performing. Since July 1,2019, Shanghai residents have been required by law to sort garbage into four different categories, or they could face fines. Individuals, including tourists, can be fined 200 yuan for failing to sort their waste properly, while companies and institutions can be fined up to 50,000 yuan.
The government has set up online apps to handle sorting questions, and announced guidelines to address the “one-size-fits-all” method. The country is about to invest over 21 billion yuan in the construction of garbage processing facilities to meet demands. Now it’s introducing artificial intelligence into its waste management system, by setting up little cameras in many sets of bins.
However, not every face can be recognized by the smart dustbin until you register for the system. Once registration is complete, users will scan a QR code on the bin, which then opens it up to allow for garbage disposal (处理). Now, each household gets one special QR code for throwing out waste. Here, the intelligent bins don’t just calculate garbage weight, they also help residents gain rewards by collecting points through the special app.
China is stepping into the age of compulsory garbage sorting with its cities revising laws on garbage classification. For Shanghai, sixty percent of the city is expected to carry out garbage sorting by the end of 2019, and 90 percent by 2020. Garbage sorting is, without doubt, a costly but worthwhile endeavor. It is good for the environment and important for the country’s sustainable development (可持续发展), and may finally turn out to be a promising industry as well.
1.What is the correct order in using smart garbage sorting system?
① Gain rewards.
② Open up the bin
③ Register for the system.
④ Scan a QR code on the bin.
A.③④②① B.④②③①
C.③①②④ D.④③②①
2.What does the underlined word “endeavor” in the last paragraph mean?
A.Effort. B.Fashion.
C.Announcement. D.Decision.
3.What can we know from the text?
A.The intelligent bins can only show garbage weight.
B.Residents have to sort garbage into four different categories in Shanghai.
C.If companies forget to sort their waste, they can be fined 200 yuan.
D.Tourists can avoid being fined for failing to sort their waste correctly.
4.Why does our country push ahead with compulsory garbage sorting?
A.To build a garbage sorting system.
B.To increase the use of artificial intelligence.
C.To promote sustainable development of environment.
D.To support the construction of garbage processing facilities.
Very early on in my senior year of high school, my parents carried the flame of worrying about my future college. I was willing to go to a 2-year college before going after my bachelor, s degree. This was for two reasons—to help them save money and to make sure I major in English. However, they insisted I attend a 4-year college right off the bat.
I was pushed to start searching for colleges therefore, ones that my parents approved of and that were within the range of tuition that my mom thought was acceptable. I was also limited to the immediate areas, which only included New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, so I cannot apply for any colleges in one of my favorite places—New Hampshire.
I’ll be honest. It got a bit tense at times with several different opinions between my parents and me, and with other family members or friends voicing their thoughts to my parents.
In the end, I ended up applying for three schools—SUNY Albany, SUNY New Paltz and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. I had been to New Paltz quite often as it was only 45 minutes away from our home. And Kutztown is located in an area our family often visited.
I was accepted by all three, and I quickly gave up Albany. I was not impressed with the city and wasn’t familiar with the area. It was between New Paltz and Kutztown. After a few weeks, I ended up settling on New Paltz because Kutztown just didn’t “feel right” for me. When I was on campus, I had a feeling that this was it.
Looking back now, I wish I had known more about the application process and had a little more freedom of choice about which college I could apply for. I probably would still have attended SUNY New Paltz.
1.What did the author’s parents think he should do?
A.Choose a college that could provide good jobs.
B.Go to a community college to save money.
C.Choose a college that he liked best.
D.Go to a 4-year college directly.
2.Why didn’t the author choose colleges in New Hampshire?
A.He didnt like the place.
B.His situation didn’t allow it.
C.The living expenses there were too high.
D.He wasn’t sure whether or not he would fit in there.
3.How did the author feel about his final choice?
A.Embarrassed. B.Frightened.
C.Satisfied. D.Worried.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.How I chose my college B.How to apply for a college
C.Different choices, different future D.The meaning of attending college
The Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 907 AD, is often considered as China’s golden age. Indeed Chinese culture flourished under the Tang, and Tang poets are perhaps the best known of all Chinese literary figures.
The following are four schools of Tang poetry. Take a look.
Frontier Fortress Poetry (边塞诗)
Gao Shi, Cen Shen and Wang Changling are representatives of this poetry. It mainly describes the hardship of the battlefield, heroic spirit of defending the homeland, or homesickness of soldiers. Representative works include Over the Borcfer by Wang Changling, Song of Write Snow on Secretary Wu’s Return to Capital by Cen Shen, etc.
Landscape Pastoral Poetry
The representatives of this school are Wang Wei and Meng Haoran. Many of its themes are mountains,clouds and hermits (隐士). Its style is simple and elegant. The representative works include Thinking of My Brothers on Mountain Climbing Day by Wang Wei, Spring Morning by Meng and so on.
Romantic Poetry
Li Bai is a typical representative of romantic poetry, who enjoys the title of “Genius of Poetry”. To express his desire for freedom and personal value, his poetry is free and bold, with creative imagination. One of his most famous poems is A Tranquil Night, which is about homesickness, included in many school textbooks.
Realistic Poetry
Du Fu is known as the “Sage of Poetry”. His poems are in a realistic art style with strong feelings of compassion and concern for the destiny (命运) of the country. His works “Three Officials” and “Three Farewells” both reflect people’s sufferings at that time.
1.Who is one of the representatives of Frontier Fortress Poetry?
A.Wang Wei. B.Cen Shen.
C.Li Bai. D.Du Fu.
2.Which poem is written by a romantic poet?
A.Spring Morning.
B.Over the Border.
C.A Tranquil Night.
D.Thinking of My Brothers on Mountain Climbing Day.
3.According to the passage, which statement is right?
A.Meng Haoran is the representative of Romantic Poetry.
B.The Tang Dynasty lasted from 608 to 917 AD.
C.Li Bai is known as the “Sage of Poetry”.
D.“Three Farewells” reflects people’s sufferings in the Tang Dynasty.
