Blind imitation is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth, imitation appears attractive; to those who know their strength, imitation is unacceptable.
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.
Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with all the material knocking at the door of imagination.
Study your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not serve you. Then you can say, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors’ tragedies and declare victory, and know that they are cheering me on.”
1.To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should _______.
A.stay away from stars B.forget daily fear and pain
C.choose the right example D.ask others for decisions
2.According to the author, the world moves on because of those who are _______.
A.desperate to influence others with their knowledge B.eager to discover what their ancestors did
C.willing to accept others’ ideas D.ready to turn their original ideas into reality
3.The trouble a creator faces is _______.
A.how to use imagination creatively B.the lack of strong motivation
C.how to search for more materials D.the absence of practical ideas
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.To compare imitation with creation. B.To highlight the importance of creativity.
C.To criticize the characters of role models. D.To explain the meaning of success.
The 5-year-old mountain lion, P-45, has managed to cross busy roads safely, has avoided rat poison and has successfully claimed his territory (领地) under all challenges that have hindered other members of the mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountain. His deadly mistake, however, was doing what mountain lions naturally do so well: killing and eating.
Over the weekend, P-45 apparently broke into two farms, killing 10 alpacas(羊驼) at one property and a goat and an alpaca at the other. P-45 was identified as the criminal by a tracking device he wears.
It’s illegal to hunt mountain lions in California thanks to 1990’s Proposition 117, but the rule included an exception for residents whose livestock is killed by a lion. And on Nov. 28, the owner of the 10 dead alpacas requested and received a special “depredation permit” (掠夺许可)to hire a hunter to kill P-45. The 10-day permit allows the hunter to cover a 10-mile range around the farm in search of the lion. Hunters often attract the lion with a deer.
The farmer owner is within her legal rights to have the lion killed. But killing P-45 is not the answer, especially when he is one of the few adult male mountain lions in an isolated population that is at risk of extinction.
Of course, people should be allowed to protect themselves and their children if a mountain lion attacks. But the law that allows the issuance of the depredation permit essentially gives the livestock owner the right to decide whether the lion should live or die. There is no evaluation by wildlife official as to whether the lion poses a further threat to humans or animals.
Los Angeles residents are lucky to live near wild, open spaces large enough to sustain mountain lions. Surely there is a better way to manage the conflicts that arise when humans and their domestic animals move into areas that have long served as habitat for wildlife.
1.What does the underlined word “hindered” refer to in the first paragraph?
A.blocked. B.killed.
C.protected. D.surrounded.
2.What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A.Lions feed only on deer.
B.P-45 will be killed on Nov. 28.
C.P-45 will be found10 miles around the farm in 10 days.
D.Lions in California can not be hunted at will.
3.What will probably be the result if P-45 is killed?
A.Residents can live with lions peacefully.
B.The mountain lion’s situation will probably be worsened.
C.The conflict between man and lions can be solved.
D.Lions will not be a further threat to humans or animals.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards the “depredation permit”?
A.Objective. B.Supportive.
C.Opposed. D.Uninterested.
I have had so many fantastic holidays, but my favorite memory is that of a few summer weeks spent in Italy when I was about 13. My mom had to go to a clinic there for treatment, and we all went together as a family and took the opportunity to have a beautiful vacation as well. It was my first time to be abroad and it was a vacation that broadened my perspectives, taught me a lot, and helped shape a bit of who I am today.
Although we did visit many famous places in northern Italy, we stayed mostly in a little town where some friends of my parents lived. Nothing helped me understand Italian culture better than my stay in this magical town that many haven’t even heard of.
Thanks to the holiday spent in Italy, I, quite a shallow girl, also discovered my passion for music, which stayed alive in me to this day and will probably stay forever. My parents’ friends had a son, Ricardo, who was a pianist. Dad had repeatedly but uselessly tried to make me study an instrument and stick to it. However, when I heard Ricardo play, I instantly lost my heart to music and felt a great desire to learn it. Ricardo taught me the first song I ever played on the piano, a silly, playful little time tune that I still know by heart.
We took a short trip to the Italian Alps at some points. I had never seen such majestic beauty before! The snow-capped peaks, the rocks, the fresh, harsh air - what an experience! And what I remember impressed me the most was the fact that, although this was a popular touristic area, the region was incredibly clean, still “natural”, with places that seemed to never have been touched by humans. Then, the shallow teen learned what a real treasure nature is and how important it is to protect it.
1.What was the main reason for the author and her family to go to Italy?
A.To cure her mother of her illness.
B.To experience a wonderful vocation.
C.To broaden and shape the author’s view.
D.To keep her mother company.
2.What was the main factor contributing to the author’s enthusiasm for music?
A.Her father’s guidance. B.Ricardo’s performance.
C.Her friendship with Ricardo. D.The first song she played on the piano.
3.What did the author learn after the trip to Alps?
A.Persistence in her passion for music.
B.Enjoyment of the beauty of nature.
C.Getting rid of her shallowness.
D.Valuing and preserving the environment.
4.What would be the best title of the text?
A.My Favorite Holiday Memory.
B.A Trip Shaping My Personality.
C.Lessons from a Trip to Italy.
D.My Love for Music and Nature.
Most Visited European Destinations for Chinese Tourists
Bicester Village
According to a 2019 Visit Britain report, over 275,000 Chinese tourists visit the UK every year. And where do they go? It claimed that “they are mostly interested in symbolic elements: the Royal Family, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey”.
Then there’s the shopping. Bicester Village, a vast retail estate on the outskirts of the Oxfordshire town, is the second most visited UK attraction for Chinese tourists after Buckingham Palace, and three in four Chinese visitors head there.
King’s College, Cambridge
A famous tree, for Chinese people at least, can be found in King’s College, Cambridge. The willow(柳树), regarded to be a holy thing to lost youth, is mentioned in a much-loved poem by Xu Zhimo, who spent a year studying at King’s College - Taking Leave of Cambridge Again.
Bonn
The former West German capital is another popular port of call. Chinese love classical music, particularly Beethoven, making his birthplace an obvious highlight of any trip to Europe. The city’s tourist board offers maps in three foreign languages: English, Chinese and Japanese.
Verona
Both British and Chinese travelers flock to Venice, Rome and Florence, but Verona typically appears higher on the wish lists of China’s tourists. That’s because of the country’s adoration of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The play is popular on UK shores, of course, but the love is doubled in China as it was among the first of the Shakespeare’s works to be translated into Chinese Mandarin. Its plot bears a striking resemblance(相似之处) to a famous Chinese folk tale, The Butterfly Lovers. Expect to see queues at the popular House of Juliet on Via Cappello (a statue of the character stands beneath her balcony).
1.Which is most visited destination for Chinese tourists?
A.Bicester Village. B.Buckingham Palace.
C.King’s College. D.Cambridge.
2.Which place are the Chinese music fans likely to go?
A.Bicester Village. B.King’s College, Cambridge.
C.Bonn. D.Verona.
3.Which are adored by Chinese tourists who love literature?
A.Bicester Village and Bonn. B.Bicester Village and King’s College, Cambridge.
C.Verona and Bonn. D.King’s College, Cambridge and Verona.
假定你是李华，寒假在纽约学习，得知所在社区将举办一次普及中医知识的活动。请你写一封信，申请做志愿者，内容包括：
1. 写信目的；
2. 个人优势；
3. 对中医的认识。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir/Madam,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours Sincerely,
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。
I often wanted to look like as the slim girls on TV even though I knew it was impossible. To lose weight, I tried no-fat, low-fat, only bananas — I almost went madly.
Then I read an article what said instead of asking “Am I fat?” I should be asking “Am I fit?” I didn’t know a letter could make such difference! Once I started thinking about fit rather than weight, things began to change. Rather than cutting out the foods I enjoyed, I adds healthy foods to my meals. I could still have a burger now and then, but I would add a salad or an apple.
Finally, I stopped compare myself with actresses and models. Instead, I made a list of the thing I liked about myself. By being positive about me and my body, I became both happier or healthier.
