Hundreds of people have formed impressions of you through that little device (装置) on your desk. And they’ve never actually ____ you. Everything they know about you ____ through this device, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. ____ they feel they can know you ____ from the sound of your voice. That’s how powerful the ____ is.
Powerful, yes, but not always ____. For years I dealt with my travel agent only by phone. Rani, my faceless agent whom I’d never met ____, got me rock-bottom prices on airfares, cars, and hotels. But her cold voice really ____ me. I sometimes wished to ____ another agent.
One morning, I had to ____ an immediate flight home for a family emergency. I ran into Rani’s office ____. The woman sitting at the desk, ____ my madness, sympathetically jumped up. She gave me a ____ smile, nodded while listening patiently, and then printed out the ____ immediately. ＂What a wonderful lady! ＂ I thought.
Rushing out ____ I called out over my shoulder, ＂By the way, what’s your name?＂ ＂I’m Rani,＂ she said. I turned around and saw a ____ woman with a big smile on her face waving to wish me a safe trip. I was ____! Why had I thought she was cold? Rani was, well, so ____.
Sitting back in the car on the way to the airport, I figured it all out. Rani’s ____ — her warm smile, her nods, her ‘I’m here for you’ ____ — were all silent signals that didn’t travel through wires.
1.A. accepted B. noticed C. heard D. met
2.A. came B. moved C. ran D. developed
3.A. Thus B. Yet C. Then D. Indeed
4.A. rather B. also C. just D. already
5.A. telephone B. voice C. connection D. impression
6.A. direct B. useful C. easy D. accurate
7.A. in person B. by myself C. in public D. on purpose
8.A. annoyed B. interested C. discouraged D. confused
9.A. promote B. train C. find D. know
10.A. arrange B. postpone C. confirm D. book
11.A. for the first time B. at any time C. from time to time D. in good time
12.A. expecting B. seeing C. testing D. avoiding
13.A. shy B. comforting C. familiar D. forced
14.A. bill B. form C. ticket D. list
15.A. hopefully B. disappointedly C. gratefully D. regretfully
16.A. careful B. serious C. nervous D. pleasant
17.A. amused B. worried C. helpless D. speechless
18.A. calm B. nice C. proud D. clever
19.A. forgiveness B. eagerness C. friendliness D. skillfulness
20.A. explanation B. attitude C. concept D. behavior
Food is life; it gives us the nourishment we need to stay alive and be healthy. Usually, we eat because we are hungry or need energy. Brian Wansink, a professor at the University of Illinois, says we also eat certain foods because they make us feel good, and remind us of happy memories. 1. For some people, ice cream is a comfort food. For others, a bowl of noodles makes them feel good.
2. Professor Wansink believes that we connect food with important times, feelings, and people in our lives. “When I was a child, my mother made a delicious soup; I loved it. 3. And it helps me feel better,” says one of Wansink's coworkers.
Do men and women choose different comfort foods? Wansink's research at the University of Illinois says “yes”. In his study, the favorite comfort for both men and women was ice cream. After this, men usually preferred hot, delicious foods like soup or noodles. 4. Men and women like to eat comfort foods when they are happy, but women eat these foods more when they are sad or worried.
5. About 40 percent of the comfort foods in Wansink’s study were healthy dishes or soups and vegetables. It shows, says Wansink, that a comfort food can taste good and be good for you.
A.Not all comfort food is junk food.
B.Where can we buy this sort of food?
C.Sweet foods are also their preference.
D.How does a food become comfort food?
E.Wansink calls this kind of food comfort food.
F.Women liked sweet things such as chocolate and candies.
G.Now, I often eat this soup when I am tired or worried.
Academic learning is usually in the spotlight at school, but teaching elementary-age students “soft” skills like self-control and how to get along with others might help to keep at-risk kids out of criminal trouble in the future.
Once a program called Fast Track was started in the early 1990s for more than 7,600 children of 55 schools in America. They were identified by their teachers and parents to be at high risk for developing aggressive behavioral problems. The students were randomly divided into two groups; half took part in the intervention, which included a teacher-led curriculum, parent training groups, academic tutoring and lessons in self-control and social skills. The program, which lasted from first grade through 10th grade, reduced delinquency(少年犯罪), arrests and use of health and mental health services as the students aged through adolescence and young adulthood.
In another latest study, by looking at the data from nearly 900 students in previous findings, researchers found that about a third of the influence on future crime outcomes was due to the social and self-regulation skills the students learned from ages 6 to 11.
The academic skills, or hard skills like learning of physics, which were taught as part of Fast Track, turned out to have less of an influence on crime and delinquency rates than did the soft skills, which are associated with emotional(情绪的) intelligence. Soft skills might include teaching kids to work cooperatively in a group or teaching them how to think about the long-term consequences when they make a decision.
Researchers drew the conclusion that these soft skills should be emphasized even more in our education system and in our system of socializing children. Parents should do all they can to promote these skills with their children as should education policymakers. To the extent we can improve those skills, we can improve outcomes in delinquency.
1.Fast Track was intended for children who .
A.were randomly chosen from their schools
B.had some problems with academic learning
C.often went against their teachers and parents’ wishes
D.were considered to have criminal trouble in the future
2.What can be learned about "the intervention" in Paragraph 2?
A.It included all the students.
B.It focused on social skills.
C.It improved health services.
D.It had positive outcomes.
3.Compared with soft skills, hard skills .
A.almost have no influence on students
B.are more affected by students’ emotion
C.are mainly related to academic learning
D.offer children greater self-control abilities
4.Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Soft Social Skills Matter
B.Fast Track Helps Children
C.How to Prevent Delinquency
D.What to DO for Education
A UK college has started teaching students the Danish concept of hygge — said to make homes nicer and people happier. But what exactly is it?
Sitting by the fire on a cold night, while petting a dog — probably surrounded by candles. That’ s certainly “hygge”. Eating home-made cakes. Watching TV under a warm quilt. Tea served in a china set. Family get-togethers at Christmas. They’re all hygge too.
The Danish word, pronounced “hoo-ga”, is usually translated into English as “cosiness(舒适)”. But it’s much more than that — it is an entire attitude to life that makes Denmark one of the world’s happiest countries.
Morley College, in central London, is teaching students how to achieve hygge as part of its Danish language course. “We have long, cold winters in Denmark,” says lecturer Susanne Nilsson. “That influences things. Hygge doesn’t have to be a winter-only thing, but it isn’t that fine for much of the year.”
With up to 17 hours of darkness per day in winter, and average temperatures staying around 0℃, people spend more time indoors as a result, says Nilsson, meaning there’s greater focus on home entertaining.
The idea is to feel as at-home as possible, forgetting life’s worries. “Hygge works best when there’s not too large an empty space around the person or people,” Nilsson adds.
The recent growth in Scandinavian-themed restaurants, cafes and bars in the UK is helping to export hygge, Nilsson says. Most customers won’t have heard of the term, but they might get a sense of it.
Similarly, in the US, the wallpaper and fabric firm Hygge & West aims to channel the concept through its cheery designs, as does a Los Angeles bakery, called Hygge, which sells traditional Danish cakes and treats.
Hygge is a deep-rooted tradition in Danes’ life. Helen Russell, author of The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World ’ s Happiest Country, says, “Hygge is so important for those who live Danishly that the other day, I saw a camper car parked by the roadside with lit candles in the windows.”
1.Which can be used to explain the concept of hygge?
A.It means success. B.It is a way to relax.
C.It requires a large room. D.It is a candle-involved moment.
2.What makes the Danish have more home life according to the text?
A.The country’s climate. B.The country’s culture.
C.The country’s economy. D.The country’s education.
3.What do we learn about hygge in the UK and the US?
A.It is ignored by the two countries’ people. B.It is quite different from that in Denmark.
C.It is a new trend in the two countries. D.It is related to several traditions.
4.What is the main purpose of the text?
A.To explain the history of hygge. B.To discuss a UK college course.
C.To encourage people to live Danishly. D.To introduce a traditional Danish lifestyle.
He runs from explosions, drives over waterfalls and jumps from tall buildings. That might sound like Superman, but stuntman(特技演员) Vince Deadrick Jr. is very much human.
As a stuntman in movies and television shows, Deadrick admits he’s no stranger to getting hurt. He has suffered broken bones, bled, gotten knocked out and nearly fallen to death, but he considers himself lucky to be alive after some of the stunts he has performed.
Deadrick has been a stunt coordinator(协调员) for the Nickelodeon channel for 12 years. He has worked with famous actors, directors and producers, and he has travelled all over the world. But that doesn’t mean his work is easy.
It took him years of hard work to get where he is today. Deadrick’s father, Vince Deadrick Sr., was also a stuntman, but his family connection didn’t give Deadrick a free pass into the movie business. He learned from his dad how to set up cardboard boxes and fall mats for high falls, and he started training on his own once he decided to follow in his father's footsteps.
As a stunt coordinator, Deadrick takes danger seriously. When he hires a new stunt performer, he looks for a professional(专业人士).
“You’re only as good as the people you hire,” he says. A stuntman needs to know his own abilities and limitations so he won’t shy away from doing his best but also won’t be such a daredevil(铤而走险的人) that he could hurt himself or others.
When the actors and stuntmen are going to do something dangerous, they need to know they’re trusting the right person. With over 40 years in the business, Deadrick is an expert at making stunts both realistic and safe.
Though he has a large amount of responsibility, Deadrick loves his job.
“I’m in a position where I have to make decisions on risk factors, keeping the actors and stuntmen safe while still making it look impressive. I love my business, and I love the excitement.”
1.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that Deadrick is_____.
A.careless B.unfortunate
C.optimistic D.generous
2.What do we know about Deadrick’s path to success?
A.He learned his stunt skills from a stuntman.
B.He made it with hard work and great effort.
C.His dad offered him great encouragement.
D.His dad led him into the movie business.
3.When hiring stuntmen,Deadrick___.
A.is very careful B.prefers the fearless ones
C.likes those with no limitations D.puts experience above all else
4.What does Deadrick think of his job?
A.Hard and boring. B.Easy and attractive.
C.Skilled but relaxing. D.Challenging but exciting.
2019 Oscars Academy Award Nominees (提名) for Best Picture
Black Panther
Type: Adventure
Running Time: 134 min.
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Director: Ryan Coogler
Actors: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan
With his father having died in Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa is the new ruler of the advanced kingdom of Wakanda. As the king, whenever a challenger for the crown announces his intentions, he must give up his powers and take them on in a physical challenge.
The Favorite
Type: Drama
Running Time: 120 min.
Release Date: November 30, 2018
Current rank: ★★★
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Actors: Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz
In the early 18th century, with England and France at war, a fragile Queen Anne occupies the throne as her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill governs the country in her stead, while tending to Anne’s ill health and changeable temper.
Green Book
Type: Drama
Running Time: 130 min.
Release Date: November 21, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★★
Director: Peter Farrelly
Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
Tony Lip, an uneducated Italian-American who’s known for using his fists to get his way, is hired to drive world-class, famous pianist Don Shirley on a concert tour from Manhattan to the Deep South. They must rely on the “Negro Motorist Green Book” to guide them to the few settlements that were then safe for blacks.
A Star is Born
Type: Musical
Running Time: 135 min.
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Current rank: ★★★★
Direct: Bradley Cooper
Actors: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga
When country music star Jackson Maine stops at a bar for a drink after a concert, he’s both entertained and attracted by young nightclub singer Ally. He discovers that she writes songs as well as being a talented singer, but hasn’t had a break because of her looks.
1.Which film is the least popular among audience?
A.Black Panther. B.The Favorite.
C.Green Book. D.A Star is Born.
2.The film about the rights of black people belongs to .
A.adventure B.musical
C.drama D.comedy
3.Who works as a director and actor?
A.Ryan Coogler. B.Yorgos Lanthimos.
C.Peter Farrelly. D.Bradley Cooper.
