For years, I followed the materialistic standards around me. I thought that without the purses, shoes, and all the other “____” things, I would not be as pretty, smart, or important as others of my age.
As a freshman (新生) of my high school, I thought top social status could be gained by doing everything to ____. So I became a(n)____ and bought fake (伪造的) designer purses. I felt popular and important, and I ____ it.
But, my parents couldn’t understand my strong ____ to be someone just to ____ others. They tried endlessly to convince me that I was hurting myself,____ I wouldn’t listen. I felt ____ with this way of my life until one day I looked at myself in the mirror and saw someone with makeup and the product-filled hair wasn’t me. That person was ____.
So I quit cheerleading and ____ swimming again, something I had loved for eight years before high school. I also attended my school’s top vocal (声乐) performance group, and ____ myself whole-heartedly to community service.
I wrote articles in my school newspaper that questioned the materialistic ____ of many students at my school. I started ____ my limits academically, which I ____ considered less important than improving my social status.
I found a new group of friends who ____ me, unlike my old friends. I found I no longer needed to impress others materialistically. Starting over was ____. My classmates looked at me as if they didn’t know me.
I am to ____ the materialistic culture. I am confident, talented, and optimistic. I know who I am. I’m motivated to explore even more of my ____ as a student and a member of my community.
I took one of the worst ____ in my life but I turned it around and ____ something beautiful——a life that fits me, with meaning and happiness.
1.A. strange B. necessary C. conventional D. stupid
2.A. fit in B. come back C. get out D. set off
3.A. assistant B. winner C. actress D. cheerleader
4.A. disliked B. loved C. improved D. adopted
5.A. promise B. refusal C. desire D. failure
6.A. hide B. admire C. impress D. appreciate
7.A. so B. but C. until D. because
8.A. pleased B. tired C. confused D. bored
9.A. happy B. busy C. attractive D. sad
10.A. started B. suggested C. regretted D. a voided
11.A. forgave B. admitted C. devoted D. collected
12.A. doubts B. systems C. reforms D. behaviors
13.A. pushing B. clarifying C. finishing D. remembering
14.A. permanently B. finally C. immediately D. previously
15.A. protected B. supported C. discovered D. blamed
16.A. natural B. simple C. hard D. special
17.A. team up with B. make up for C. take advantage of D. say goodbye to
18.A. history B. belief C. potential D. experience
19.A. situations B. changes C. remarks D. decorations
20.A. tested B. created C. taught D. affected
If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out. 1. Working out in the morning provides additional benefits beyond being physically fit.
Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day. 2.
Your metabolism(新陈代谢) gets a head start. 3. If you work out in the mornings, then you will be getting the calorie(卡路里) burning benefits for the whole day, not in your sleep.
4. Studies found that people who woke up early for exercise slept better than those who exercised in the evening. Exercise energizes you, so it is more difficult to relax and have a peaceful sleep when you are very excited.
5. If you work out bright and early in the morning, you will be more likely to stick to healthy food choices throughout the day. Who would want to ruin their good workout by eating junk food? You will want to continue to focus on positive choices.
There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energized all day long.
A.You will stick to your diet.
B.Your quality of sleep improves.
C.You prefer healthy food to fast food.
D.There is no reason you should exercise in the morning.
E.You can keep your head clear for 4-10 hours after exercise.
F.After you exercise, you continue to burn calories throughout the day.
G.If you are planning to do exercise regularly, or you’re doing it now, then listen up!
Lots of people like a good fright at Halloween. Yet, the most frightening thing of all about the night is that twice as many children are killed while out and about on Hallween compared to any other day of the year, according to a study by Safe Kids Worldwide. It can also be a worrying time for others, especially elderly people living alone. Bu many people think it’s just harmless fun.
But is it harmless fun?
Police forces across Britain are giving warnings about Halloween night. They are asking all those wishing to celebrate Halloween this year to respect those who don’t want to join in.
Some forces, like West Mercia Police, have produced “Sorry, No Trick or Treat” posters which can be downloaded from their website, and put up in windows. They want people to send them to the old or anyone who may be frightened by ghosts(鬼)knocking on their doors.
A spokesman said: “Children should not call on houses where the posters are put up, neither should they call on strangers, as this can put young people at risk and also make some house owners anxious, especially those who are elderly or living alone.”
The police want all trick or treaters to remember that disturbing other people or throwing objects at their homes or cars are all criminal offences(刑事罪). “What may start off as a bit of fun could end up with someone getting a criminal record,” they warn. “Parents may want to consider having a Halloween party at home, instead.”
Kent Police are warning young people never to go into the home of someone they don’t know----and to remember not to frighten people.
Warwickshire Police are also warning that tricks may seem like harmless fun but can cause trouble to others. They say behaviour such as throwing eggs can quickly cross the line between being anti-social and causing criminal damage. This can result in fines of ￡2,500 for small offences.
1.What has the study made by Safe Kids Worldwide found?
A.Halloween brings people no fun B.Halloween night puts some kids at risk
C.kids are involved in criminal offences D.kids are afraid of Halloween
2.Why are British police forces making efforts to?
A.Control anti-social behaviours B.Put an end to trick or treat
C.Make Halloween safe and trouble-free D.Punish those who frighten others
3.Why are the “Sorry, No Trick or Treat” posters designed?
A.To express disagreement with Halloween B.To ask people to respect the elderly
C.To warn little kids to behave themselves D.To make some people free from harm
4.Which of the following things is encouraged by the police during Halloween?
A.Having a Halloween party at home B.Inviting the elderly to join in the celebration
C.Going trick or treating from door to door D.Giving strangers a good fright
You probably have heard of many famous people like Marie Curie, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams(1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addans helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need . In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson(1907-1964)
If it weren't for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world's lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O'Connor(1930-present)
When Sandra Day O'Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O'Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks(1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. "The only tired I was, was tired of giving in," said Parks.
1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?
A. Her social work. B. Her lack of proper training in law.
C. Her efforts to win a prize. D. Her community background.
2.What is the reason for O'Connor's being rejected by the law firm?
A. Her lack of proper training in law. B. Her little work experience in court.
C. The discrimination against women. D. The poor financial conditions.
3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the US?
A. Jane Addams. B. Rachel Carson.
C. Sandra Day O'Connor D. Rosa Parks.
4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?
A. They are highly educated. B. They are pioneers.
C. They are peace-lovers. D. They are truly creative.
On 7, August, 2015, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) got to eat a special treat. No, it wasn’t a cookie or cake. It was red lettuce they had grown themselves in space.
“It was one small bite for man, one giant leap for NASAVEGGIE,” astronaut Scott Kelly wrote on Twitter. (Kelly based his tweet on the words astronaut Neil Armstrong famously used in 1969, after becoming the first person to ever walk on the moon. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” he said at the time.)
“NASAVEGGIE” refers to the ISS’s Veggie plant-growth system. It uses special red, blue, and green LED lights to grow plants. The system is a big step toward NASA’s goal of developing a way to grow food in space during future long space missions deep into the solar system.
Kelly and fellow NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren prepared the red romaine lettuce like many people do on Earth. They cleaned it, and then mixed it with olive oil and vinegar. Then they gobbled up the leafy red greens. “That’s awesome!” Lindgren said after taking a bite.
It was the first taste of fresh food the astronauts had had in a long time, since there is no refrigeration on the ISS. They ate half the lettuce. The rest was packaged and frozen so that it could be returned to Earth for testing.
Lindgren and Kelly are the only two NASA astronauts currently on the space station. The other crew members are Russian astronauts Gennady Padalka, Mikhail Komienko, and Lleg Kononenko, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui.
Kelly and Kornienko have been on the ISS since March. They plan to spend 342 days in space, in part to help determine the effects of long-term space travel on astronauts’ bodies. They traveled to the ISS with Padalka, who will return to Earth in September.
Kelly and Komiendo’s job — which will be one of the longest-ever stay in space by astronauts — will help pave the way for future long-term space tasks. NASA plans to send humans to an asteroid by 2025 and to Mars by the 2030s.
1.Why is growing food in space very important?
A.It is a symbol of scientific development.
B.It will help solve the hunger problem
C.Astronauts can get enough nutritious food.
D.People plan to go into the deep space.
2.What Kelly said in Para. 2 suggests that _____.
A.it is a great success to grow fresh food in space
B.he respected Neil Armstrong very much
C.mankind makes great progress in exploring space
D.humans should speed up to land on Mars
3.Who will remain in the ISS until March, 2016?
A.Padalka and Kononenko. B.Yui and Lindgren.
C.Kelly and Kormienko. D.Kelly and Lindgren.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Astronauts grow their favorite food in space.
B.Astronauts get more fresh food from space.
C.Astronauts plant vegetables for a journey to Mars.
D.Astronauts eat fresh food grown on the ISS.
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor（因素）.
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick Mclntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources（资源）.
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, Mclntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt（融雪）.
Since the 1930s, Mclntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B.The increasing variety of California big trees.
C.The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D.The influence of farming on big trees in California.
2.Which of the following is well-intentioned（出于好心的） but may be bad for big trees?
A.Ecological studies of forests. B.Banning woodcutting.
C.Limiting housing development. D.Fire control measures.
3.What is a major cause of the water shortage according to Mclntyre?
A.Not enough snowmelt. B.A longer dry season.
C.A warmer climate. D.Dampness of the air.
