Ways to save time
We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or spring-clean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar and so on.
1.But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.
★Get Out of Bed Earlier.
If you normally get up at 7; 30 a. m. try getting up at 7:00 a. m. That half-hour might not sound like much, but it could be time that you use to exercise, to read that book you've been meaning to finish. 2.
★Do the Important Tasks First.
Once you get to work, get the important ones done first（not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones）. 3.If you work like this, you’ll usually save time. The urgent tasks will still get done, and you won't miss the important ones.
★Reduce Interruptions.
If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. 4.
★5.
A few minutes chatting, browsing the web, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day. If you concentration is slipping, take a proper break: go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you’re facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to deal with.
A.Stay Focused on Your Work.
B.Take Breaks When Necessary.
C.Would you want me to make your day longer?
D.I can’t magically make all your days 25 hours long.
E.Or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.
F.Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time, they also break your concentration.
G.You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.
The entire family was here recently –14 in all, including six kids under the age of 5. We had a joint birthday party for two of the grandkids.
The day after everyone cleared out I noticed that the drain stopper（排水塞）was missing from downstairs bathroom sink.
The last thing you want to do is accuse your own fresh and blood of stripping hardware from your bathroom, but a drain stopper doesn’t just wash itself down the drain.
So I sent out a carefully-worded e-mail saying what a wonderful time we had and asking if anyone had accidently tucked a drain stopper in a purse, pocket or suitcase. I even attached a picture of a drain stopper in case there was any doubt as to what the missing part looked like.
Our son responded that he thought his 10-month-old might have eaten it. He said he’d let us know if they found it in the next day of two.
Our youngest daughter responded that she thought she saw it in her husband’s lunchbox that morning, but she could be wrong.
Our oldest daughter replied that she had suspected her sister’s husband all along. He replied that he had been framed.
Our oldest daughter then checked the guilt of one of her twins with following exchange:
Mommy: “Do you know where Grandma’s drain stopper is?”
Three-year-old: “Yeah, let me show you.” (Heads to the bathroom.)
Mommy: “No, not ours, where is Grandma’s? Did you take it?”
Three-year-old: “I think she took it.” (She points at her 18-month-old baby sister). “She’s a naughty kid.”
Naturally, the 18-month-old defended herself by saying: “Bububbubnananabublalala!”
The next day, an email arrived from our daughter-in-law. “Guess what I found in my laundry this morning? I thought the dryer was louder last night.”
Our “perp” was short. He has a known history of building and disassembling, is mechanically inclined, determined and just turned 3.
It’s always good to know a child’s interests and talents. We have a valve（阀门）that occasionally drips under the kitchen sink. I may have him take a look at it the next time he’s here. But I’ll pat him down before he leaves.
1.What is the key message the author would like to convey through this article?
A.People should always believe in their family members.
B.with lots of kids around, anything silly and unbelievable could happen.
C.people should not jump to judgment before finding clear evidence.
D.Unexpected incidents in our life can lead to inspiring discoveries and fun.
2.The underlined word “perp” probably refers to the person _____________.
A.who was accused of something B.who was given help
C.who did mechanical work D.who told a lie
3.Why did the 3-year-old grandson take the drain stopper?
A.Because he found that it was of a very strange shape.
B.Because he thought it could be set on his toy.
C.Because he was interested in mechanics.
D.Because he wanted to fix the author’s kitchen sink.
4.What is the tone of the author at the end of the article?
A.Angry B.Embarrassed
C.Humorous D.Worried
Millions of people die of hunger in southern Africa every year, but when Zambia was offered thousands of tons of free maize by the US, the government politely paid no.
“We don’t know whether the food is safe,” said Zambia’s commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel.
His worries are shared by countries around the world that are in two minds about America’s genetically modified（GM，转基因的）crops. Just last week, EU（欧盟）member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from the US.
Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed（杂交） plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other.
But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature.
This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species. They can also create food with special characteristics, such as “golden rice”, which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk.
“If left to me, I would certainly not eat GM foods,” said Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai. “We are putting new things into food which haven’t been eaten before. The effects on the immune system（免疫系统） are not easy to predict.”
At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods “are not likely to present risks for human health”. But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways.
Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops.
1.We learn from the passage .
A.people have discovered that GM foods will do harm to human health
B.millions of Zambia people die of eating too much GM foods
C.people are still not sure if GM foods will do harm to human health
D.genetic material added to plants will damage our bodies sooner or later
2.What does “in two minds” in the third paragraph mean?
A.Unsure B.Worried
C.Likely D.Careless
3.The following statements is NOT true about GM foods?
A.It is produced from plants added genes from other species.
B.GM foods can have special characteristics.
C.GM foods will affect people’s immune system.
D.GM foods have been produced since 1970s.
4.What’s the author’s attitude?
A.Supportive. B.Neutral.
C.Doubtful. D.Critical.
“Heaven is where the police are English,the cooks are French the mechanics are German,the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss.Hell is where the.police are German,the cooks are English,the mechanics are French,the lovers are Swiss,and everything is organized by the Italians.”
Obviously the national stereotypes（模式化的思想）in this,old joke are generalizations,but such stereotypes are often said to "exist for a reason".Is there actually a sliver of truth in them?Not likely,an international research team now says.
"National and cultural stereotypes do play an important role in how people see themselves and others,and being aware that these are not dependable is a useful thing,"said study author Robert McCrae of the National Institute on Aging."These are in fact unfounded stereotypes.They don't come from looking around you,"McCrae said.
If national stereotypes aren't rooted in real experiences,then where do they come from?One possibility is that they reflect national values,which may become known from historical events.For example,many historians have argued that the spirit of American individualism has its origins in the experiences of the pioneers on the Old West.
Social scientists such as psychologist Richard Robins have given several other possible explanations for stereotypes and why they may be incorrect.Robins notes that some stereotypes may have been correct at one point in history and then remained unchanged while the culture changed.
We may be "hard-wired",to some degree,to keep incorrect stereotypes,since we are less likely to notice and remember information that is different from our stereotypes.Generally,according to Robins,when we meet people who are different from our stereotypes,we see them as unique individuals rather than typical national or cultural groups.
1.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A. To introduce the topic of national stereotypes.
B. To make a comparison between the characters of different countries.
C. To exemplify the argument against stereotyping.
D. To analyze the strengths and weaknesses of people in different countries.
2.Which of the following best describes McCrae's attitude towards national stereotypes?
A. Supportive. B. Indifferent.
C. Critical. D. Uncertain.
3.According to social scientists,why aren’t national stereotypes always correct?
A. Because they are formed by individual historians.
B. Because people tend to have false idea about other cultures.
C. Because generalizations are made through personal experience.
D. Because what was true in the past may not be true at present.
4.What does the underlined word "hard-wired" in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Forgetful. B. Fixed.
C. Anxious. D. Helpless.
Golden Gate Bridge
Located in San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge started in the year 1933 to connect the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County. It was finally thrown open to public traffic in 1937. It cost $25.7 million in the construction. Till the year 1957, the Golden Gate Bridge, at a length of 2,737 meters, was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is located in Brooklyn. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, having been opened in the year 1883. The length of the bridge is 1,843 meters. The bridge has been featured in several Hollywood movies.
George Washington Bridge
Also known as the Hudson River Bridge and the Columbus Bridge, the George Washington Bridge which connects Fort Lee to Manhattan came into use in 1931 after a construction period of almost 4 years. It is a two level suspension bridge that cost about $52 million to build.
Mackinac Bridge
This is the third biggest suspension bridge in the world at a length of 8,038 meters. The architect of this bridge was Dr. David B. Steinman, who directed the construction of the bridge which started in the year 1954 and opened to the public in 1958. People using this bridge are charged a certain amount of money.
Navajo Bridge
Located in Arizona, this bridge crosses the Colorado River and is almost 250 meters long. The construction of this bridge started in the year 1927, ending two years later, costing $390,000. In the 1990s, a second bridge was built which was opened to the public in 1994. The first bridge is now used only by pedestrians.
1.What do we know about the Golden Gate Bridge?
A.It consists of two bridges.
B.It costs the least of the five bridges.
C.It is the longest suspension bridge in the world.
D.It takes about 4 years to complete the construction.
2.Which of the following bridges was built the earliest?
A.Golden Gate Bridge.
B.Brooklyn Bridge.
C.George Washington Bridge.
D.Navajo Bridge.
3.What will you do if you drive across Mackinac Bridge?
A.Have to pay some money.
B.Use the second bridge.
C.Cover nearly 250 meters.
D.See the statue of Dr. David B. Steinman.
假如你叫李明，应美国笔友John的请求，给他发一封邮件简要地介绍一下北京。信中至少包括以下要点：
（1） 概况：北京，中国的首都，位于中国北部，是一个古老而美丽的城市，古建筑和现代建筑和谐相映。它是中国的政治、经济、文化中心；
（2） 著名景点：长城、故宫、天安门等；
（3） 文化：京剧，被称为中国国粹；
（4） 特色美食：北京烤鸭。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇: 中国国粹 quintessence of China; 和谐相映 blend harmoniously
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