Your comfort zone is a behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk．1.You benefit in obvious ways： regular happiness， low anxiety， and reduced stress．
Leaving your comfort zone can have very positive results， though． For one thing， you'll surely be more productive if you're willing to move out of it． With the sense of unease that comes from having deadlines and expectations， you'll have the drive and ambition to do more and learn new things．2.For another， learning to live outside your comfort zone can prepare you for life changes that force you out of it． Fear and uncertainty always exist in our life． By challenging yourself to things you normally wouldn't do， you can experience some of that uncertainty in a controlled and manageable environment．
While outside your comfort zone can be a good place to be，3.． You can start by doing everyday things differently． For example， you can take a different route to work or try a new restaurant． Besides， you should remember to break out in small steps． You get the same benefits whether you go with long strides （大步） or you start slow． If you're socially anxious， don't suppose you have to gather the courage to ask your crush （爱慕之人） on a date right away．
4. Identify your fears， and then face them step by step．
Trying new things is difficult， so it's important to understand how habits form and how we can break them．5.
A.It provides a state of mental security．
B.it's of great necessity to find ways to break out of it
C.it's a pleasant experience to stay in the comfort zone
D.You have to manage that stress and risk in a clever way．
E.Just say hello to them and see where you can go from there．
F.That means you will get more done and find smarter ways to work．
G.And it's as important to press yourself out of your comfort zone by doing specific things．
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loves experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out,” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strange-looking machine — one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his father’s warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colours, shifting and changing, and then two big white words appeared in the centre of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead!” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGE １
VOYAGE ２
Mark’s finger flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.
START TRANSPORT PROGRAM.
__________________
The screen turn even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled out in terror, reaching for the power switch. A beam(光束) of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed：
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL．
DESTINATION: MARS.
RETRIEVE DATE: 2025
1.Why did Mark touch the computer against his father’s warning?
A. He wanted to take a voyage.
B. He wanted to practice his skills.
C. He was so much attracted by it.
D. He was eager to do an experiment.
2.Where did the boy’s father most likely work?
A. In an electronic factory.
B. In a computer company.
C. In a scientific research center.
D. In an information processing center.
3.Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.
A. a computer game B. a company website
C. a software producer D. an astronomy program
4.Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
A. He was afraid of being scolded.
B. He didn’t like the loud noise and light.
C. He didn’t want to play games.
D. He was afraid something dangerous might happen.
5.What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
A. They were blown into the air.
B. They were sent to another planet.
C. They were hidden in the strong light.
D. They were carried away to another country.
Howard Weistling wanted to be a comic strip （连环漫画） artist． But when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor， he joined the Army．
After flight engineer training， Howard was shipped off to Europe． On his maiden flight， his plane was shot down over Austria． The entire crew of eight men landed safely． But a farmer found Howard hiding in his barn and turned him over to a prison of war camp in Barth， Germany． It was freezing and the men almost starved to death eating the guards' garbage．
Hungry and homesick Howard coped the only way he knew how． He drew a comic strip． The book， made of cigarette wrappers bound together with scrap metal， was sent around the camp． Every couple of days he would add a new panel． One panel at a time would be passed around the whole camp． And they'd have something to look forward to．
After an entire year of this， they woke one morning to find their guards gone． They fled and Howard finally got to go home． Just lucky to get out alive， he left the book behind．
Back home in California， Howard soon had a wife and kids to feed so he had to set aside his dream of becoming an artist． He took a job as a gardener instead．
Morgan shared his father's artistic gifts． At 15 his parents sent him to art school． And Howard got to see his son become a well﹣known painter before he died in 2002． That's how， seven decades after the war， when a stranger in New York googled the name "Weistling，" he found Morgan online．
"I get an email from a gentleman and he says， ‘I think I may have some drawings your father did when he was a POW （prisoner of war） in World War II，'" Morgan recalls． "‘Would you like them？' And I just stared at that email and started crying．"
Luckily Howard had engraved his name on the comic book， which is how the man from New York City had connected with Morgan． A couple of days later when it arrived in California， Morgan couldn't believe it． "It was like getting my father back，" Morgan says． "It was like him being able to tell me the story over again ﹣ only this time it was real in my hands．"
1.The passage details Howard's life as a POW to show that ．
A.war cannot stop his pursuit of success.
B.passion for art helped ease his sufferings.
C.loss of freedom encouraged his creativity.
D.misery drives him to fight against his fate.
2.What can we infer about Howard's comic strip in prison？
A.It satisfied prisoners' curiosity．
B.It aroused the guards' sympathy．
C.It was popular among the prisoners．
D.It raised prisoners' confidence in freedom．
3.What contributes to the stranger's success in finding Morgan？
A.The email from a gentleman．
B.Howard's experience in the war．
C.Morgan's recalling of his father．
D.Morgan's status in the field of art．
4.What can we infer about Morgan from the last paragraph？
A.He didn't believe the stranger's story．
B.He was excited to get the comic strip．
C.He couldn't wait to tell others his good news．
D.He hadn't heard about his father's war stories．
The Worlds' Best Bookshops
There's nothing like being surrounded by books， wherever you are． Here are the finest oases of literature that travellers can bring you．
Daikanyama T﹣site | Tokyo
It is well worth visiting even if just to admire the building's beautiful， crisscrossed architecture． Once you've had your fill of roaming three floors' worth of bookshelves， there's the bar， the coffee shop， or even the video rental space to give you more reason to stay just that little bit longer． Grab a book， order a beer and dive into its pages． I could have stayed hours here．
City Lights | San Francisco
The three﹣storey establishment publishes and sells titles in poetry， fiction， translation， politics， history and the arts． It hosts events and readings， and runs a non﹣profit of the same name that aims to promote diversity of voices and ideas in literature． It's opposite Vesuvio， a bar frequented by Kerouac and other Beat﹣generation writers and artists．
Shakespeare and Company | Paris
I made a special trip to the Left Bank for this one when I was in Paris． It has two floors packed with English﹣language texts， and I was particularly struck by any spare wall space devoted to notes from visitors ﹣ heartfelt messages to a loved one， dedications to the shop itself， or a quote from a favourite author or philosopher．
Hutatma Chowk | Mumbai
A few years ago I visited India， investigating Rudyard Kipling's connections with the country． I spotted a cheap copy of The Jungle Book on one of the tarp﹣covered book stalls at Hutatma Chowk （Martyrs' Square）． The booksellers here are like amateur librarians， able to lay their hands on almost any title you ask for． To me， those well﹣thumbed （翻旧了的） books spoke volumes about the changes of Mumbai's readers in the 150 years since the city gave us Kipling．
1.In which bookshop can you buy a drink while visiting？
A.Daikanyama T﹣site.
B.City Lights.
C.Shakespeare and Company.
D.Hutatma Chowk.
2.What can be learned about the book stalls at Hutatma Chowk？
A.People can meet Rudyard Kipling there．
B.They sell the cheapest books in the world．
C.The book owners are amateur librarians．
D.The sellers are familiar with the books．
3.What do the four bookstores have in common？
A.They are beautifully designed．
B.They are three﹣storey buildings．
C.They offer book lovers good experience．
D.They are frequently visited by great writers．
Top 4 Places to Visit in California Santa Catalina Island
There are many action-packed adventures you can go on, including the Catalina Island Zip Line Eco Tour, the Cape Canyon Expedition, and the Ocean Runner Ribcraft Dolphin Tour. Besides, you can enjoy camping, horseback riding, sunbathing and so much more. If you're looking for an island holiday filled with excitement, you'll definitely find it here.
Death Valley National Park
This place isn't as frightening as the name suggests. The national park actually lies below sea level. At that altitude, it's one of the driest, lowest, and hottest national parks throughout America. The beautiful park has some unique features. For example, you're going to see splendid snow-capped mountains, beautiful hills of sand, and a wide variety of natural oases (绿洲) and other habitats.
Los Angeles
There are various amazing cultural attractions here. To truly make the most of LA, you can listen to the LA Philharmonic (交响乐团) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, spend some time hanging out on Malibu beach, go for a hike through the Santa Monica Mountains, ride a bike through the city.
San Diego
If you're enthusiastic about culture and art, you'll definitely love San Diego because it's a place with more than 90 museums and nine different art districts.
1.Where will you go if you are interested in taking risks? ______
A.Santa Catalina Island.
B.Death Valley National Park.
C.Los Angeles.
D.San Diego.
2.What will you see in Death Valley National Park? ______
A.Various man-made oases.
B.Horseback riding shows.
C.Snow-covered mountains.
D.Attractive sandy beaches.
3.Which of the following is not the way to explore Los Angeles? ______
A.Wandering on the beach.
B.Listening to concerts.
C.Touring different museums.
D.Hiking in the mountains.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数为150左右。
I was a mother of four children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always valuable, but we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes in the wardrobe. I always tell myself to be brave and strong. I hope all my efforts would be worthwhile, as long as my children can grow up healthily. It was Christmas time. We drove downtown to see the Christmas lights, and enjoyed a special dinner, but the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas shopping at the mall. This was a tradition of my family, so they all looked forward to the coming of the season of goodwill. They talked and planned for weeks ahead of time, asking each other what they wanted for Christmas.
The big day arrived and we started out early. I gave each of the four kids a twenty -dollar bill and asked them to search for gifts. Then everyone scattered（分散开）with the bill. I sat at a table in a café waiting for my children and enjoying an instant of silence. It must be a happy day.
Back in the car driving home, everyone was excited about Christmas, laughing and asking each other about what they had bought. I noted Ginger, my younger daughter had only one small and flat bag with her. I could see enough through the plastic bag to tell that she had bought candy bars—fifty-cent candy bars! What did she do with that twenty-dollar bill I had given her? I was so angry. After getting home, I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. I couldn't hold back my anger and shouted at her, "What about the rest of the money? No one would be convinced all these candies are worth 20 dollars. What do you want to do with the rest of the money?"
Paragraph 1:
She was shocked at my reaction and burst into tears. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
My anger disappeared.
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