My family is still recovering from the terrible times when my teenaged stepson became ill. His disease led to kidney failure and an ongoing need for _________.
As anyone with a sick child knows, the stress doesn’t _________. And there was so much stress. My husband and I were _________ and it was as if we forgot how to communicate ---we couldn’t have a simple conversation without _________. Our once-happy home had become tense and unhappy.
In a _________ event of communication, my stepson and I were discussing Valentine’s gifts. I _________ that his dad gave me a kazoo(卡祖笛)for our first Valentine’s Day. My reaction to this gift was _________ when I, a professional saxophone player, couldn’t get it to make a _________.The kazoo finally got packed away and_________.
But he was interested and asked to see it. After some trouble, I found it_________. “What’s so hard about getting a sound?” He asked, amazed, turning it around in his hands. “I don’t know. It just never_________.” I answered. My husband _________ the kazoo---“It’s easy! Look, you just do this ...” and he blew. Nothing happened. He tried again, but still there was no sound. _________, he tried again, only to produce a sound like a bee. My stepson burst into laughter. Our excitement at seeing his face_________ like that was obvious. Soon, we were all laughing to the point of tears.
It was as if the dark had _________and a ray of sunshine was let in. Eyes_________ and souls reconnected. My stepson took a turn on the kazoo. He did no better than us. More _________. The mood stayed_________ for the rest of the evening. Months later, my stepson _________a successful kidney transplant, which turned out to be a turning point. It showed us that we can still bond as a _________. Thanks to a simple kazoo, we remembered that we are one.
1.A.confidence B.treatment C.appearance D.recovery
2.A.pass down B.set out C.go away D.move around
3.A.relaxed B.surprised C.relieved D.exhausted
4.A.quarrelling B.mentioning C.changing D.developing
5.A.useful B.rare C.fair D.frequent
6.A.reminded B.recalled C.discovered D.predicted
7.A.forgiveness B.curiosity C.excitement D.embarrassment
8.A.song B.sign C.sound D.noise
9.A.repaired B.forgotten C.sold D.lent
10.A.eventually B.gradually C.generally D.naturally
11.A.agreed B.refused C.worked D.disturbed
12.A.caught B.returned C.selected D.dropped
13.A.Frustrated B.Disappointed C.Pleased D.Interested
14.A.take up B.light up C.hold up D.pick up
15.A.jumped B.fallen C.struggled D.disappeared
16.A.met B.shut C.changed D.opened
17.A.crying B.shouting C.calling D.laughing
18.A.thick B.deep C.pleasant D.shallow
19.A.damaged B.chose C.expected D.underwent
20.A.stranger B.hospital C.family D.relationship
How to Form a Positive Reading Habit
Books are a source of joy, learning, insight and imagination. How we choose what to read says a lot about our preferences and passions. 1.
Give old favorites a re-read
There is a particular kind of pleasure that comes with easing open a well-worn book, flipping through pages you have thumbed before, maybe multiple times. 2. It can bring you back to the time in your life when you last met those characters. You’re left with a rich reflection on who you were, who you are and where you turn for meaning and inspiration.
Learn something new
If you are a lover of novels, think about what your favorites have in common.3. That can send you down a glorious rabbit hole of non-fiction books that will brighten your understanding of times, places and people who already live in your imagination.
4.
Book clubs are positive on so many levels, not least of which is that they open your mind to books you might not otherwise have considered. If you don’t belong to one — and even if you do — try to think about your reading choices in a public way. Ask friends what they are reading and go with any recommendations that interest you.
Give yourself permission to move on
Sometimes you just can’t get through a book — and that’s okay. Just like living positively means acknowledging when it’s time to let go of something that isn’t serving you well, reading positively means giving yourself permission to close a book that isn’t keeping you interested or inspired. 5.. The positive pleasure of reading is indeed unending.
A.Get social
B.Set up a book club
C.There are unlimited choices to turn to instead, after all
D.Here are some tips for making reading a positive habit in your life
E.Reading books that you enjoy helps maintain your habit and become a life-long reader
F.Re-reading favorite books can do more than bring you back into beloved worlds and stories
G.A particular time in history, region of the world or type of character may become a new theme
Seattle on Sunday became the first major US city to ban drinking straws(吸管), an environmentally friendly move that leaders hope will spark a nationwide conversation about small, everyday changes that people can make to protect the planet.
A decade ago, the city adopted a law requiring that all one-time-use food-service items be compostable(可分解的) or recyclable. But straws were exempted from that law because there were not many good alternatives. So the straws stayed, along with the environmental problems they cause.
Most plastic straws aren’t heavy enough to make it through industrial recycling sorters, and can ruin an otherwise good load of recycling. Or they end up getting blown out of trash cans and car windows and eventually wind up in the oceans, where they can hurt wildlife.
Strawless Ocean estimates that 71 percent of seabirds and 30 percent of turtles have some kind of plastic in their stomachs. The organization says plastic can increase the death rate of marine life by 50 percent.
Now customers at grocery stores, restaurants, food trucks, even institutional cafeterias have to find another way to get liquid into their mouths. Compostable paper straws are allowed under the ban. People who have a medical need to use a straw are not included.
Failure to obey may result in a US$250 fine, although city leaders said that the purpose of the law is more about raising awareness. In September, 150 businesses participated in Strawless in Seattle, an attempt to reduce the use of plastic straws. In that month alone, Strawless Ocean estimates, 2.3 million plastic straws were removed from the city.
“When you get your iced drink, you’re going to get a straw. When you get your wine, you’re probably going to get a straw,” said Dune Ives, executive director of the Lonely Whale Foundation, which led the campaign. “Imagine a world where we could stop consuming 500 million straws a day, just in America!” the campaign says. “Imagine a world that is less dependent on plastic. That’s change we can start today!”
1.What does the underlined word “exempted” mean in the second paragraph？
A.To make something out of the list. B.To make something better than before.
C.To include something in a special list. D.To forgive someone who makes mistakes.
2.What the problem may the drinking straws cause according to the passage?
A.They may make the trash cans dirty. B.They may destroy American recycling system.
C.They may cause much ocean wildlife in danger. D.They may cause many companies get fined.
3.What is the attitude of the public towards the ban?
A.Many people are in favor of it. B.Many people pay no attention to it.
C.Some people are strongly against it. D.Only the government workers agree with it.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Seattle becomes first major US city to ban straws.
B.Seattle successfully bans people from using straws.
C.Seattle has been working hard to protect the environment.
D.Imagine a world that is less dependent on plastic.
Young children are significantly more likely than adults to have their opinions influenced by robots, according to a new research. The study, conducted at the University of Plymouth, compared how adults and children respond to an identical task when in the presence of both their peers（同龄人）and robots.
It showed that while adults regularly have their opinions influenced by peers, something also showed in previous studies, they are largely able to resist being persuaded by robots. However, children aged between seven and nine were more likely to give the same responses as the robots, even if they were obviously incorrect.
The study asks people to look at a screen showing four lines and say which two match in length. When alone, people almost never make a mistake but when doing the experiment with others, they tend to follow what others are saying.
When children were alone in the room in this research, they scored 87% on the test, but when the robots join in their score drops to 75%. And of the wrong answers, 74% matched those of the robot.
The research was led by former Plymouth researcher Anna Vollmer and Professor in Robotics Tony Belpaeme, from the University of Plymouth and Ghent University.
Professor Belpaeme said: “People often follow the opinions of others and we’ve known for a long time that it is hard to resist taking over views and opinions of people around us. But as robots will soon be found in the home and the workplace, we were wondering if people would follow robots. What our results show is that adults do not follow what the robots are saying. But when we did the experiment with children, they did. It shows children can perhaps have more of an affinity（亲和力）with robots than adults, which does give the question: what if robots were to suggest, for example, what products to buy or what to think?”
1.What did the adults do when staying with robots？
A.They totally accept the robots’ suggestions.
B.They generally refused the robots’ effects.
C.They tried to persuade robots to resist them.
D.They usually compared robots with their children.
2.Why did some children made more mistakes in the experiment?
A.Because children were not as clever as adults.
B.Because robots in the presence made such mistakes.
C.Because robots reflected better than human beings.
D.Because children wanted to affect the robots on purpose.
3.What is Professor Belpaeme’s attitude towards the result of the experiment?
A.He is optimistic about the result. B.He doubts the result of the research.
C.He doesn’t care about the result. D.He is so worried about the future.
4.What should be followed after the last paragraph?
A.What will we do to teach our children?
B.What will adults do to avoid the problem?
C.What will people do to solve such problems?
D.Why are children influenced by such robots?
I work at a company where there are lots of employees. I can’t say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them. I think that almost all of them know me. It is all based on one simple principle: I believe that every single person deserves to be acknowledged, even though it is only a smile or a nod of the head.
When I was about ten years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I was busy throwing stones at the stop sign. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any old time around the neighborhood, so I didn’t pay any attention to him. After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, “You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wave its tail when it passes you on the street.” That phrase sounds simple, but it’s been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.
At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people who cleaned the buildings and asked how their children were doing. I’ve become vice president, but that hasn’t changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother’s advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. You will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, “Hello.” I’ve learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “acknowledged” in Paragraph 1?
A.Accepted. B.Thanked.
C.Greeted. D.Respected.
2.Why did the author ignore Mr. Lee?
A.The author often met him. B.The author was too busy.
C.The author didn’t like him. D.The author didn’t know him.
3.What did the author learn from his mother?
A.Everyone should be treated fairly. B.Speak to everyone you see.
C.Polite behavior is important in your life. D.Friends may disappear from your life any time.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To show respect for his mother. B.To share how to succeed in work.
C.To show how to approach others. D.To share an important principle.
Invisible Dialogues and Invented Languages
•October 13, 2018
This discussion will examine selftaught artists who use coded or invented languages in their work. Artists include Melvin Edward Nelson, and Carlo Keshishian. Exploring the relationship between language and visual expressions, it seeks to find out how some unreadable words, letters, and symbols communicate meaning.
•6：30 pm－8：00 pm
•$10 members, students, seniors; $12 nonmembers
Art and Storytelling
•October 20, 2018
Artist Ernesto Caivano will discuss the connection of drawing and stories in his work, while examining how his explorations of storytelling relate to his previous works.
Another activity includes conversations with artists and scholars, providing a good opportunity to engage with the central themes and histories found in the artwork.
•6：30 pm－7：30 pm
•$5 members, students, seniors; $8 nonmembers
SelfTaught Genius
•October 27, 2018
Sponsor Sarah Suzuki will discuss selected drawings and prints on view in the exhibition Highlights from SelfTaught Genius on a guided gallery tour.
The program is held together with the exhibition Highlights from SelfTaught Genius at the newly opened SelfTaught Genius Gallery in Long Island City, Queens.
•6：00 pm－7：00 pm
•$5 members, students, seniors; $8 nonmembers
Gender, Politics, and Textiles (纺织品)
•November 3, 2018
Art historian Julia BryanWilson will present an illustrated overview of her publication Fray: Art and Textile Politics. Julia will explore the relationship between textiles, gender, and war. The book signing will follow the discussion.
•6：30 pm－8：00 pm
•$8 members, students, seniors; $10 nonmembers
1.Who will talk about drawing and stories?
A.Sarah Suzuki. B.Ernesto Caivano.
C.Melvin Edward Nelson. D.Julia BryanWilson.
2.Which of the activities is available in November, 2018?
A.SelfTaught Genius. B.Art and Storytelling.
C.Gender, Politics, and Textiles. D.Invisible Dialogues and Invented Languages.
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To sponsor some events. B.To introduce some artists.
C.To publicize some books. D.To advertise some activities.
