For me personally, I could write for days about many different situations where adversity (逆境) _______my life. Now let me tell you one experience where I almost let adversity _______.
We had a glass studio, which was located 50 feet from our home. A couple of years ago we experienced an _______ winter; we had a lot of snow and ice. The _______ of the ice and snow _______ the roof on our studio, taking with it one of our sources of income. _______ it did fall down, we got on the roof and tried to_______ the snow and ice, but when you have 5 feet of ice and temperatures of minus 20 Celsius, it was pretty _______ to do.
We had a partner come in to help us try to _______ the roof by supporting. In the end, there was ________ that could be done. The roof came down. We had moved a lot of our goods and tools from the studio ________ we lost a lot also: glass, kilns, workbenches, to name only a few of the items. It was a ________experience.
Here we were in the middle of winter with our studio collapsed. We couldn't work as we had almost ________ all the material in a building we were not using. We could have done one of two things: we could simply say that we can no longer ________ our glass business. Let me tell you that this was certainly a thought that ________ our mind. Or we could find a way to get our studio back up and running.
We picked the ________ option. We had a large barn that we were not using. So we renovated (翻新) the barn, ________ our working area and today we have a nicer studio than we ________ had. If the adversity we were ________ had not happened, we probably would ________ be working in the old studio — a studio that was less efficient.
1.A.promoted B.influenced C.destroyed D.prevented
2.A.suffer B.escape C.win D.work
3.A.awkward B.awesome C.agreeable D.awful
4.A.size B.height C.weight D.temperature
5.A.collapsed B.limited C.pressed D.struck
6.A.Before B.Unless C.Although D.When
7.A.replace B.reduce C.recycle D.remove
8.A.worthwhile B.tough C.rewarding D.annoying
9.A.examine B.test C.secure D.restore
10.A.something B.enough C.all D.nothing
11.A.for B.but C.or D.so
12.A.vain B.valid C.disastrous D.treasured
13.A.displayed B.arranged C.piled D.presented
14.A.predict B.conduct C.instruct D.quit
15.A.approached B.crossed C.cleared D.comforted
16.A.latter B.former C.easier D.further
17.A.evaluated B.redesigned C.organized D.reserved
18.A.desperately B.hopefully C.eventually D.previously
19.A.faced with B.concerned about C.cautious about D.aware of
20.A.ever B.already C.even D.still
Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying “curiosity killed the cat.” It’s a phrase that’s often used to warn people—especially children—not to ask too many questions. 1. In fact, research has shown that curiosity is just as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school.
Curiosity can also lead us to make unexpected discoveries, bring excitement into our lives, and open up new possibilities. 2. For example, one day in 1831, Michael Faraday was playing around with a coil(线圈) and a magnet(磁铁) when he suddenly saw how he could produce an electrical current. At first, it wasn’t clear what use this would have, but it actually made electricity available for use in technology, and so changed the world.
3.On one level, this is because technology has become so advanced that many of us are unable to think too deeply about how exactly things work anymore. While it may be possible for a curious teenager to take a toaster apart and get some sense of how it works, how much do you understand about what happens when you type a website address into a browser? Where does your grasp of technology end and the magic begin for you?
In addition to this, there’s the fact that we all now connect so deeply with technology, particularly with our phones. The more we stare at our screens, the less we talk to other people directly. 4.Then we feel we know enough about a person not to need to engage further with them.
The final—and perhaps most worrying—way in which technology stops us from asking more has to do with algorithms, the processes followed by computers. As we increasingly get our news via social media, algorithms find out what we like and push more of the same back to us. 5.Perhaps the real key to developing curiosity in the 21st century, then, is to rely less on the tech tools of our age.
A.It is still not known why learning gives us such pleasure.
B.We are always encouraged to challenge our pre-existing beliefs.
C.Yet it’s widely agreed that curiosity actually makes learning more effective.
D.All too often we accept the images of people that social media provides us with.
E.However, curiosity is currently under the biggest threat, coming from technology.
F.In science, basic curiosity-driven research can have unexpected important benefits.
G.That means we end up inside our own little bubbles, no longer coming across new ideas.
If you’re DIY-minded, you can build your own solar power system. In some cases, you can even build your own solar panels (电池板), although the amount that you can effectively DIY home solar depends on how much you want to power. Making your own solar panel is a time-consuming process and requires some electrical skills. However, it can also be very rewarding-learning to build your own panel is a great way to understand how solarelectricity is generated.
Before you can build your own solar panels, you first need to understand how solar cells generate electricity. Once you’ve bought individual solar cells (they can be purchased online), the basic process for building your own solar panel goes like this: Prepare the backing for your panel. Many DIY solar panel builders prefer to use a wooden board as the base for their solar cell. You’ll need to drill holes in the board so that the wires for each cell can pass through. Wire your solar cells together. This requires some experience with electrical work. Use a soldering iron (烙铁) to attach wire to the solar cells and then link each of the cells together. Attach cells to your backing. If possible, attach each solar cell to the backing individually. This makes it easier to replace a single cell in the event that becomes damaged or is not operating properly.
At this point you have a functional solar panel that can produce electricity when the sun shines. However, a solar panel by itself is not useful. If you are trying to generate electricity to power devices in your home, you need to pair your panel with an inverter (换流器) that will turn direct current (DC) power from the sun into the alternating current (AC) power used in most modern electronic devices.
1.What does the author think of building DIY solar panel in the first paragraph?
A.It is easy. B.It is necessary. C.It is common D.It is worthwhile
2.What’s the first step of building your own solar panels?
A.Master the advanced knowledge- of management.
B.Buy individual solar cells.
C.Prepare the backing for your panel.
D.Drill holes in the wooden board.
3.Why are solar cells connected to the wooden board separately?
A.To produce more power.
B.To substitute damaged cells easily.
C.To attach cells to the backing tightly.
D.To pass through the wooden board easily.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A.People with electrical skills have advantages over those without in DIY solar panels.
B.A functional solar panel can give power to your home devices directly.
C.How to pair an inverter depends on how much you want to power.
D.a wooden board is a must for your own solar panels.
Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding.
We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue (疲惫) and performance fatigue. In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel.
Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones. The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.
Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them in alphabetical order, never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day’s work with the difficult task of essay-writing. Experience proved that the rule works.
Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle. Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can—then let the unconscious take over.
When planning Encyclopedia Britannica( 《大英百科全书》), I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after day I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable.
One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Relived, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep.
An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind. In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind proved correct at every step. Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing.
Human beings, I believe, must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired.
1.People with start-up fatigue are most likely to .
A.work hard
B.delay tasks
C.seek help
D.accept failure
2.On what occasion does a person probably suffer from performance fatigue?
A.Before starting a difficult task.
B.After finding a way out.
C.If the job is rather boring.
D.When all the solutions fail.
3.According to the author, the unconscious mind may help us .
A.find the right solution
B.get some nice sleep
C.gain complete relief
D.ignore mental problems
4.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.Success Is Built upon Failure
B.How to Handle Performance Fatigue
C.Getting over Fatigue: A Way to Success
D.Fatigue: An Early Sign of Health Problems
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift.Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September11th.1958.Mum gave birth to Richard.After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying."I promised you a gift, and here it is." What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own.I played with it day and night.I sang to it.I told it stories.1 told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty.My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital.It had a fever.For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as "hopeless", "pitiful", and "dying", which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming."Don’t expect any presents this year." Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room."If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough." As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears.I'd never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning.Dad jumped out of bed to answer it.From my bedroom I heard him say."What? He's all right?" He hung up and shouted upstairs."The hospital said we can bring Richard home!" "Thank God.'" I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car.I had never seen them happy.And I was also full of joy.What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home.I downstairs.My sacks still hung there flat.But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1.what happened to the author on September 11 1958 ?
A.He got a baby brother
B.He got a Christmas gift
C.He became four years old
D.He received a doll
2.What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Impossible. B.Boring
C.Difficult D.Fearful
3.Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
A.Excitement. B.Happiness.
C.Sadness. D.Disappointment.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.A sad Christmas day
B.Life with a lovely baby
C.A special Christmas gift
D.Memories of a happy family
Sydney Cultural Festival — What’s on today!
European Art Show
Location: Art Gallery of New South Wales. Today is the final day of the exhibition featuring 18th and 19th century paintings by some of the greatest European artists, such as Van Gough and Monet. Posters of these great works are available for purchase at the Visitors’ Centre.
Time: 8:30 am –7 pm
Cost: $12 adults; $7 children and students
Nature Walks
Location: Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Come and celebrate our natural environment in one of the world’s only nature parks inside a major city. Join our hourly guided tours, starting at the Eastern Gate, and enjoy breathtaking forests, stunning city escapes and the magnificent Sydney Harbour.
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: Free
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concert
Location: Sydney Opera House. Australia’s most famous orchestra is best known for its performances of classical French and German music. But in tonight’s concert, the world-famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang is the special guest artist and will perform a series of classic Chinese compositions including Yellow River.
Time: 8:30 pm –11:30 pm
Cost: $175 adults; $90 students and children
Moonlight Cinema
Location: Centennial Park. Sit on the grass and enjoy the latest movies or classics from the past under the stars at Australia’s best and largest outdoor cinema. Tonight features the wonderful Australian film Red Dog. Besides the movie, there will be a display of classic Australian film posters.
Time: 8pm – 10:30pm
Cost: $19 adults; $14 children and students
1.Where should people wishing to join a Nature Walk meet?
A.The Visitors’ Centre. B.The Harbour Bridge.
C.The Eastern Gate. D.The guides’ building.
2.What kind of music will be played at the Opera House this evening?
A.Australian. B.German.
C.French. D.Chinese.
3.How many of today’s festival activities take place outside?
A.1. B.2.
C.3. D.4.
