For a period of a month some time ago, I became a vegetarian. Some people won’t eat meat because they think it is cruel to animals, or because of health _____. My reason is a little ____: it is love.
I simply wanted to honor my grandmother by not eating meat. My grandmother spent a large part of her life as a vegetarian, and some of my happiest childhood ____ in Vietnam were of sharing a meal with her.
In fact, as a child, I learned how to ___ food not from dishes my mother often cooked, but from the simple meals my grandmother ____. Often, dinner with Grandma would come with interesting stories she had known from her childhood.
Grandma ____ more than a decade ago. Now I am an adult living in San Francisco, and Grandma’s vegetarian suppers and stories have become a ____ past. But one morning it occurred to me that I could no longer hear the sound of my grandmother’s voice, because she had left me forever. So I ___ to become a vegetarian for a month. It is something Grandma would do as a way to ____ those who had died before her. And I could do no less.
In a city famous for its dining experience, this was ____. I turned down several dinner parties for fear of offending(冒犯) the hosts. I ___ walking by restaurants where the ____ of good cooking wafted(漂浮) in the air. My best friend wondered ___ I was going through a mid-life crisis.
In truth, I wanted to change my ___ many times. What got me through that month-long diet was this particular memory of my grandmother. Now, I followed her ____. I invited friends who wanted to taste vegetarian food. And as we ate, I told them stories I had known as a child.
1.A.wonders B.studies C.dreams D.concerns
2.A.different B.useful C.cool D.crazy
3.A.lessons B.opinions C.chances D.memories
4.A.appreciate B.experience C.improve D.support
5.A.sold B.hunted C.demanded D.prepared
6.A.pulled away B.took away C.passed away D.put away
7.A.similar B.temporary C.various D.distant
8.A.supposed B.believed C.decided D.refused
9.A.honor B.protect C.influence D.attract
10.A.difficult B.surprising C.interesting D.natural
11.A.forgot B.regretted C.avoided D.enjoyed
12.A.taste B.skill C.smell D.sense
13.A.before B.if C.until D.unless
14.A.mind B.brain C.view D.duty
15.A.theory B.result C.fact D.way
Scientists often see the first ten years of a child's life as the "window of opportunity,"1.And studies show that the following activities can benefit their brain greatly.
2.
Free playtime has always been an important part of "being a kid",but it is also important to a child's development."Free play" not only helps kids develop different skills,it also helps them develop into happy healthy adults in the future.
Read with kids.
Reading has long been known to improve children's intelligence.3.For parents who don't have much time, just surrounding your kids with books goes a long way too.
Put kids to bed early.
4.Preschool children should get at least eleven hours of sleep and kids up to age 12 should try to get at least ten hours of sleep.
Learn a second language.
Early studies in this field have shown that bilingual（双语的）kids can perform better under pressure.Young children can learn new languages with nearly perfect fluency（流利）and pronunciation.
Praise good effort not intelligence.
Your kids may be smart but you should mainly praise the effort they put into tasks.Kids,who are praised on intelligence,often feel it is a fixed quality,and mistakes or failures badly hurt their self-confidence.Kids who are praised on effort often focus more on learning.5.
A.Play some helpful games.
B.Give them enough playtime.
C.And they are not afraid to fail and try again.
D.Kids still need time away from the TV to do homework.
E.Kids who read often develop earlier writing and number skills as well.
F.Everything at this time is very important to the development of a person's brain.
G.Studies show that kids with regular bedtimes are better at languages,math and reading.
Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.
Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil (麻油) hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.
The custom of employing tonic foods for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry (枸杞), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as over-worked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.
So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of pig’s brain soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.
1.What is the present situation of tonic food?
A.It is catching less attention. B.It is enjoyed by many young people.
C.It is well known worldwide. D.It is becoming increasingly popular.
2.What is believed to benefit new mothers?
A.Chinese cabbage. B.Fruit tea. C.Sesame oil hot pot. D.Pig’s brain soup.
3.Which of the following best explains “catering” underlined in Paragraph 3?
A.Medicine. B.Restaurant. C.Education. D.Fashion.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.The Charm of Chinese Cuisine
B.The Popularity of Tonic Food
C.An Introduction to Chinese Tonic Food
D.Differences Between hot Food and Cold Food
We all know the saying, “Nobody is perfect.” It has been planted in our brains since we were children, and of course, it is the truth. So if nobody is perfect, why do we have such a hard time admitting when we are in trouble or need help?
Like many other young people trying to get through their first year of college, I felt anxiety, and it had its grips on me pretty tight. It began getting in the way of my life, and I had to sit down and tell myself that my behavior was not healthy and there was a solution. Finally, I decided to turn to therapy(精神疗法).
Therapy. It has such a negative stigma (污名), but why? Does going to therapy mean that you are failing as a person or that you cannot fix your problems on your own? No. Going to therapy means that you are strong enough to recognize that something inside your head is not working correctly, and you are brave enough to try to fix it.
After a couple of weeks, many parts of my life became so much clearer. I began to understand that I, myself, am my worst enemy, which was pretty frightening. But, although frightened, I knew that it was only I who could guide me towards feeling better, and that was extremely empowering.
I have been guided towards a healthier mindset, one that is positive and powerful. I have been able to understand that no matter what happens in my life. I will always be okay.
A lot of people do not understand that it is normal to have negative feelings and sometimes to feel like we have lost control over certain parts of our lives. Seeing a therapist can greatly change your way of thinking about something if you keep your mind open and I am so thankful that I decided to go and do something for myself.
If you are in need of help, you can go to therapy and then everything will be okay.
1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Anxiety greatly influenced the author.
B.Anxiety encouraged the author to change.
C.The author couldn’t deal with the college life.
D.The author had no idea what to do.
2.In the author’s opinion, going to therapy ________.
A.means you are failing as a person
B.you’re brave enough to solve your problems
C.can make others think wrongly about you
D.can be quite unnecessary and helpful
3.After a couple of weeks, how did the author react?
A.She became more positive and confident.
B.She became too frightened of her own life.
C.She became worried about her anxiety.
D.She realized college was her worst enemy.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To tell us how to think positively.
B.To show it is OK to be imperfect.
C.To help us know better about therapy.
D.To share her college life with us.
It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my Dad and I had a very big argument when my mother was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”
I threw a few things in the suitcase and closed the door violently behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you? Dad is worried about you.”
“How can he worry about me? I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call.” I said with annoyance. My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow.” I said and hung up.
I walked around the supermarket, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you!”
Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my Dad. Besides him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite(尽管) my best effort to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.
1.Why does Mary leave home ?
A.had to make her own living B.had a bad performance at school
C.had an argument with her mother D.had a big argument with her father
2.What does Mary do, after her mother called her,?
A.tried to calm down B.forgave her father
C.became angrier than before D.agreed to go home
3.What does the underlined word “purchases” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A.goods Mary bought B.actions Mary regretted (后悔)
C.telephone calls Mary made D.lessons Mary learned
4.What probably happened at the end of the story?
A.Mary still refused to go home. B.Mary returned home happily.
C.Mary’s father became angry again. D.Mary’s mother was angry with her father.
If you are looking for the place that has everything, there is only one place to visit, and that’s New York. It’s a whole world in a city.
The World of Theater: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York!
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found everywhere, there is world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue (雕塑) of Liberty? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park? Only in New York!
1.From the text we know that “Rembrandt” is most likely to be the name of a famous .
A.actor B.painter
C.cook D.musician
2.Which of the following can visitors do only in New York?
A.To enjoy a Beethoven concert. B.To taste the finest French coq au vin.
C.To see the Statue of Liberty. D.To eat Roast Beijing Duck.
3.This passage may be taken from .
A.a handbook for English learners B.a pocketbook for businessmen
C.a guidebook for foreign travellers D.a storybook for local readers
