Ways to Improve Social Skills

If you feel like you're not good at social events or you struggle to enter into conversations because you're shy,  it can influence your social life and your career(事业). However, you can start improve your social skills by following these ways and soon, you'll be able to enter into conversations with confidence.

Behave Like a Social Person

You can behave like a more social creature, even if you don't feel like it. Don't allow anxiety to hold you back. Make the decision to talk to new people and to enter into conversations even when you’re feeling nervous about it. Over time, it will get easier and you'll quickly start improving your social skills.

1.

If going to a party or spending time in a crowd seems confusing, start small. Go to a restaurant and order your food, and say “Thank you” to the clerk. Practice making small talks gradually.

Encourage Others to Talk About Themselves

Most people really enjoy talking about themselves. Ask a question about a person’s career, hobbies, or family. Show you’re interested in hearing what is being said.

2.

Good manners go a long way in improving social skills. Practice being polite, showing gratitude(感恩), and using good table manners.

3..

Your body language is very important in conversations, pay attention to the type of body language you use. Try to appear relaxed, make appropriate amounts of eye contact, and appear open to conversations.

A. Practice Good Manners

B. Start Small if Necessary

C. Join a Social Skills Support Group

D. Pay Attention to your Body Language

    Mrs. Timms listened as the radio announcer gave a hurricane (飓风) warning for her town. Then she woke up her sons, Eddie and Jasper, and quickly explained, "We’ve got a lot to do, boys. There is no school today, and my office is closed. The hurricane is coming!

Just then, the boys grandfather arrived from his seaside home. Grandpa explained that the local government had told people to evacuate their homes by the sea. It just wasn’t safe for anyone to stay near the ocean during the hurricane.

Soon afterwards, Mrs. Timms left to buy supplies that the family would need during the storm. Batteries, bottled water and canned food were a few of the items on her list.

Grandpa stayed with the boys, and the three of them made preparations for the storm. First, they filled the bathtub and all the empty water bottles they could find. Next, they unplugged(拔掉插头)almost everything in the house. Then, Eddie helped Grandpa strengthen the windows. Meanwhile, Jasper put the outdoor chairs inside.

Later, as the storm approached, the family stayed in protected areas away from the windows and outside walls. Mrs. Timms and Grandpa moved chairs to a protected space near the staircase. Eddie and Jasper sat under a strong table next to them, reading and playing games. They waited for the radio announcer to declare that the hurricane had passed.

1.What did Mrs. Timms do after hearing the hurricane warning?

A.She went to work. B.She woke up her sons.

C.She prepared breakfast. D.She watched the hurricane.

2.The underlined word “evacuate” in Paragraph 2 means______.

A.lock B.reach C.repair D.leave

3.While Eddie helped Grandpa strengthen the windows, Jasper_______.

A.filled the bathtub B.turned off the lights

C.put the outdoor chairs inside D.sat under a strong table

4.What could be the best title for the text?

A.A Happy Family. B.A Seaside House.

C.The Damage of the Hurricane. D.The Day of the Hurricane.

    Chen Zijiang is a paper-cutting expert whom I interviewed for my article on Chinese Art. Paper-cutting is something that he learned to do from an early age.

“It is a Chinese folk art with a long history,” Mr. Chen told me, “Paper cuts of animals have been found in tombs which date back to the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasty!” He added that by the Southern Song Dynasty, paper-cutting had become an important part of everyday life.

Mr. Chen went on to explain that there are three types of paper cuts which people still make today: paper cuts for decoration, for religious purposes and for design patterns.

Paper cuts used for decoration are often seen on windows and gates. They are often put up during holidays to bring good luck. They are also used on presents. For example, a present for parents whose child has recently been born might show a paper cut of children. Paper cuts which show the Chinese character for double happiness are often used to celebrate weddings.

Paper cuts used for religious purposes are often found in temples. They are also used as offerings(祭品) to the dead. People to whom the dead person was related would make these offerings on special days and during festivals

Paper cuts of the third kind are those used to make patterns on clothing. They are also sometimes used to decorate jewellery boxes. Dragons are very popular patterns for these designs.

The interview is very useful as I’ve got a lot of interesting information for my article. I am also ready to try out paper-cutting for myself.

1.How many kinds of paper cuts did Mr. Chen talk about?

A.One. B.Two.

C.Three. D.Four.

2.According to Paragraph 4, paper cuts for decoration are used to______.

A.bring good luck B.please guests

C.honor the dead D.make patterns on clothing

3.What patterns can be often seen on jewellery boxes according to the passage?

A.Dragons. B.Pandas.

C.Birds. D.Double happiness

4.How does the writer feel about the interview?

A.It’s boring. B.It’s satisfying.

C.It’s challenging. D.It’s disappointing

1.How long will the exhibition last?

A.Five days. B.Seven days.

C.Nine days. D.Eleven days.

2.What will you get for free every day if you’re among the first 500?

A.A magazine. B.A ticket for a magic show.

C.A great bargain. D.A chance to join in games.

3.If you come with your family at 3 p.m., you’ll enjoy the programme________.

A.Games and Quizzes. B.Lucky Draw

C.Drama on Fun with jokes D.Story Telling

4.For more information about the exhibition, you can_______.

A.call the organizer B.write to the company

C.visit the website D.e-mail the publisher

假设你是红星中学学生李华。你和同学在寒假期间去医院参加了志愿者活动，请按照以下四幅图的先后顺序，给校刊英语角写一篇英文稿件，介绍此次经历。

注意：词数不少于60。

提示词：自助挂号机  self-service registration machine

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

翻译下列句子

1.在浏览网页时，我碰巧看到一则大量需要志愿者的招募信息。

2.被分配了不同的任务之后，我们赶紧开始工作。

3.随后，我们全身心投入到制作中。按照蓝图，我们将机翼和轮子附在飞机模型上，还安装了发动机。

翻译下列短语

1.上网搜索相关信息

2.考虑到所有学生的建议

3.达成一致做某事

4.通过头脑风暴提出很多建议

5.负责不同的任务

6.一切准备就绪

7.努力做某事

8.储备了丰富的知识

9.手握剪刀

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。Lost in the PostHow would you feel if the letter you penned carefully and posted to your favorite star ended up in the recycling bin? That's where unopened fan mail sent to singer Taylor Swift was found in Nashville.1.Swift’s management said it was an accident, but dealing with piles of letters is a burden for most public figures. According to the BBC reporter Jon Kelly, at the height of his fame, Johnny Depp was said to receive up to 10,000 letters a week.2.The dawn of the digital age in which public figures with a Twitter account can be messaged directly has made the process easier. The White House says it deals with 20,000 messages addressed to President Barack Obama each day.Some celebrities don’t want letters. In 2008, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said that he would throw them out because he was too busy.3.Robert Pattinson, star of theTwilightfilms, claims that he reads tonnes and tonnes of letters from fans, which takes up almost all his free time.Many artists, however, outsource(外包) the task of opening, reading and replying. Sylvia “Spanky” Taylor, 58, has run a service in California that does just that since 1987.4.Most letters are simply declarations of affection and admiration, she says. A few ask for money. A small number contain threats which require her to contact the celebrity’s security team and law enforcement.The biggest problem for Taylor is working out how to deal with the correspondence(通信). Presents such as soft toys are sent to local hospitals, and most of the letters just get shredded and recycled.5.For some, this is enough, according to Lynn Zubernis, an expert at West Chester University. She says that the relationship between fan and celebrity may exist only in the mind of the former but it comes from a deeply-rooted human need for community.

    Hey, You Looking at Me?

The renowned Spanish magician and magic theorist Juan Tamariz wrote in his classic book that to make an audience feel seen, a performer must extend “imaginary threads from the performer’s eyes to the spectators,” taking care to not break them during the performance.

A new study, published earlier this month, suggests that for spectators to feel that they have eye-to-eye contact with the person onstage, the latter needs not extend imaginary threads from his or her eyes to the eyes of the audience. In fact, we perceive direct eye contact from other people not only when they look us in the eye, but also when they look at any other part of our face.

Shane Rogers, Oliver Guidetti, and their collaborators at Edith Cowan University in Perth, set out to determine whether people experience an ‘eye contact illusion’ during natural conversation, and if so, how strong the misperception might be. They conducted two eye-tracking studies:

In the first experiment, Guidetti engaged in one on one ‘getting acquainted’ conversations with 46 students, with both Guidetti and the student wearing eye-tracking glasses. In one half of the 4-minute conversations, Guidetti looked at the student’s eyes most of the time, and in the other half of the conversations, he looked at the student’s mouth most of the time. The data showed that, whereas mutual face gazing was comparable in the two participant groups, mutual eye contact was much lower. Once the conversation was over, students rated how much eye contact they believed Guidetti had made, and how much they had enjoyed the conversation. Both subject groups produced equivalently high ratings in each measure, indicating that our perception of eye contact during conversation has more to do with mutual face gazing than with actual eye contact.

In the second experiment, 36 pairs of students (all wearing eye-tracking goggles) participated in an ‘eye gaze guessing game,’ where participants alternated the roles of gazer and guesser for 30 experimental trials. In each trial, the gazer looked for about 2 seconds at one of five locations on the guesser’s face: eyes, mouth, nose, forehead, or either ear. Then, the guesser tried to guess the location the gazer had just looked at. The guessers’ accuracy was above chance level, suggesting that people do possess some ability to figure out the location of another person’s gaze when actively watching out for it. However, participants were slanted to guessing ‘eyes’ when unsure.

Based on the combined findings from both experiments, the researchers concluded that, unless people are specifically attending to gaze location, they are not very sensitive to the exact focus of their partner’s gaze upon their face during the course of natural conversation.

The bad news is, your perception of soul-to-soul eye contact with your romantic partner may be all in your head (your soulmate could be looking at your mouth, or even your ear, as they declare their everlasting love). But the good news is, if the act of looking at other people’s eyes makes you anxious, or if you dread speaking in front of an audience, you don’t need to sweat the small stuff. Just look in the general direction of people’s faces and it’ll feel to them like meaningful eye contact. (Feb 22th, 2019, Scientific American)

1.What does the underlined word slanted probably mean?

A.certain B.likely

C.doubtful D.frustrated

2.In the first experiment, the participants ________.

A.are trying to get to know each other

B.look at the eyes in half of the conversation

C.misjudge the actual amount of eye contact

D.make more face gazing to reduce embarrassment

3.We can learn from the experiments that ________.

A.The gazer takes at least ten seconds to finish each trail

B.Eye contact makes participants enjoy conversations more

C.They are conducted to prove the significance of imaginary threads

D.People can be accurate about the exact focus of others5 gaze if focused

4.Guidetti probably agrees that ________.

A.Soulful declaration of love doesn’t exist

B.Direct eye contact may cause anxiety

C.Mutual face gazing improves conversation quality

D.Eye contact illusion can be applied to real life

Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom’s challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.

Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.

In Greece, in Athens, a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses. And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert. The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted. A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.

But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance, a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenian’s pride and joy to give to their city. That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. There had to be a complete change of attitude before they could look at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them. What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business possessed of great wealth in which all citizens had a right to share.

Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility. There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again.

But, “the excellent becomes the permanent,” Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. A great American, James Madison, referred to: “The capacity (能力) of mankind for self-government.” No doubt he had not an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man’s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action only sure that it will do so sometime.

1.People believing in freedom are those who ________.

A.regard their life as their own business

B.seek gains as their primary object

C.behave within the laws and value systems

D.treat others with kindness and pity

2.What change in attitude took place in Athens?

A.The Athenians refused to take their responsibility.

B.The Athenians no longer took pride in the city.

C.The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government.

D.The Athenians looked on the government as a business.

3.What does the sentence “There could be only one result.” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A.Athens would continue to be free.

B.Athens would cease to have freedom.

C.Freedom would come from responsibility.

D.Freedom would stop Athens from self-dependence.

4.What is the author’s understanding of freedom?

A.Freedom can be more popular in the digital age.

B.Freedom may come to an end in the digital age.

C.Freedom should have priority over responsibility.

D.Freedom needs to be guaranteed by responsibility.

Welcome To International Summer School

An enjoyable English language learning experience——together with organized sports, activities and excursion (外出游学) program.

International Summer School runs 3 different summer school centers for boys and girls aged from 8-21 years in the South of England. Our schools are chosen for their location, accommodation and excellent sporting and art facilities.

International Summer School has grown increasingly popular and attracts high student numbers each summer. We have many students and staff who return each year. Our courses are personal and of high quality. Students can surely have an exciting and enjoyable experience while improving their English at the same time.

Bethany Centre is situated in the heart of Kent in the beautiful countryside, very close to the village of Goudhurst, with its old fashioned shops and cafes, and Marden with its direct train route to central London. The historic large town of Tunbridge Wells is only 15 minutes away. Gatwick and Heathrow airports are easily accessible, as are Eurostar International Stations at Ashford and Ebbsfleet.

Moira House is based in Eastbourne on the south coast of England in the much favored Meads area of the town, within walking distance of the seafront and town centre. Gatwick Airport is about half an hour’s drive away and Heathrow around 40 minutes.

Eastbourne Centre is situated directly on the seafront and only a few minutes walk away from the main town centre, with its theatres, museums, art galleries, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants and good selection of indoor and outdoor shopping. Gatwick Airport is about half an hour’s drive away and Heathrow around 20 minutes.

The aim of International Summer School is to create a lively and happy atmosphere that makes learning and international communication enjoyable. Young people can have fun, but also gain considerable skills in English. A full day in London is always included, as well as other places of cultural interest.

Students of all cultures are welcomed as our aim is to create a summer school which can truly be described as International.

When we return your child to you at the end of their stay, we hope they will feel enriched by their experience with us and will look forward to returning to meet friends made at International Summer School the following year, as so many do.

Learning English should be fun——at International Summer School it is fun!

1.If you want to experience traditional English culture, you’d better go to ________.

A.Marden B.Moira House

C.Goudhurst D.Eastbourne Center

2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A.all the three centers have easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow airports

B.the three centers are not very far from each other

C.students will spend most of the time taking part in organized activities

D.learning English in International Summer School should be fun

3.The target readers of the passage are probably ________.

A.teachers B.children

C.parents D.schools

    Jerry wanted to continue his studies through college after his graduation from high school; so every morning he never failed to read the classified ads in the newspaper. He scanned even the smallest ad, hoping to find one company needing the services of a high school graduate.

His patience paid off for early one morning he read an ad which said: “An executive wants boy to assist him in his office. He should at least be a high school graduate.”

Jerry cut the ad and quickly took a bath. He put on a clean suit, brushed his short hair neatly, and after asking permission from mother, he proceeded to the office which advertised the ad. When he reached the place, he saw that it was filled with young people. His heart beat faster for he felt he had a very slim chance to be selected.

Very soon the office became empty and Jerry found himself being briefed by the executive. He was asked to report at eight o’clock the following morning. After Jerry left the office, the manager asked the executive, “What made you select that boy who did not have a single recommendation?” “That is where you are mistaken,” explained the executive. “Before entering this office, he wiped his feet and closed the door quietly. It shows he is careful. I noticed that he stood instantly and offered his seat to an old man who entered the office. His act shows that he is kind and considerate boy. He took off his cap when he entered the room and answered my questions promptly indicating that he is polite and gentlemanly.”

“Do you know that I purposely laid a book on the floor to find out what these applicants will do?” the executive continued. “This boy picked it up and placed it on the table while the rest stepped on it. Does this not show that this boy is orderly? While the others pushed and jostled each other in their desire to be interviewed first, this boy waited quietly instead of pushing and crowding as the rest did. I noticed, when I talked to him, that his clothes were clean. Of course, he had no letter of recommendation, but the things that he did counted more than a dozen letters of recommendation. Furthermore, I really do not believe in written recommendations. I judge a person’s character by the way he behaves spontaneously, because I believe that the training of a person will always show in whatever he does and in whatever place he is.”

“Now, I hope you are convinced why I selected that boy among the other applicants even if he does not have a single written recommendation.”

1.What did Jerry feel when he arrived at the office?

A.He was completely disappointed.

B.He was quite astonished by what he saw.

C.He was afraid he wouldn’t be admitted.

D.He felt empty because he didn’t have a recommendation.

2.How can the character of a person be shown according to the executive?

A.By one’s recommendation. B.By his actions.

C.By others’ comments on him D.By his determination.

3.What words can best describe Jerry?

A.Responsible and well-mannered B.Polite and strong-willed

C.Ambitious and gentlemanly D.Thoughtful and spontaneous

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A.Never Judge a Book by Its Cover B.Observation Is the Best Teacher

C.Seeing Is Believing D.The Best Recommendation

    As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some ________ intestinal (肠内的) disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But it was actually acute appendicitis (急性阑尾炎), and the boy ________ suddenly that night.

Knowing the death could have been ________ if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al’s emotional health deteriorated under the huge burden of his ________. To make matters worse, his wife ________ him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two ________ were more than Al could handle, and he ________ to alcohol to help him cope, thus in time Al became an alcoholic.

________ the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he ________—his home, his land and his art objects. Al ________ died alone in a San Francisco motel room.

When I heard of Al’s death, I reacted with the same disdain the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing to show for it. “What a complete ________ he is!” I thought. “What a totally wasted life!”

As time went by, I began to re-evaluate my earlier judgment. I knew Al’s now ________ son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free ________ of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.

I hadn’t heard Ernie talk much about his ________. One day I worked ________ my courage to ask him. “I’m really ________ by something,” I said. “I know your father was ________ the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do to make you become such a special person?”

Ernie sat quietly and ________ for a few moments. Then he said, “From my earliest ________ as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘I love you, son’.”

Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any ________ possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known. (423words)

1.A.certain B.average C.rare D.common

2.A.worsened B.choked C.starved D.died

3.A.cured B.forbidden C.prevented D.saved

4.A.disease B.guilt C.pressure D.duty

5.A.left B.scolded C.quarreled D.forgave

6.A.accidents B.situations C.conflicts D.adventures

7.A.got B.drank C.turned D.sank

8.A.As B.Though C.Because D.If

9.A.needed B.possessed C.benefited D.shared

10.A.accidentally B.gradually C.eventually D.immediately

11.A.trouble B.failure C.disaster D.rubbish

12.A.teen B.adolescent C.aged D.adult

13.A.will B.fall C.flow D.space

14.A.mother B.brother C.father D.child

15.A.with B.up C.on D.through

16.A.puzzled B.worried C.interested D.attracted

17.A.especially B.basically C.merely D.specially

18.A.argued B.searched C.analyzed D.reflected

19.A.thoughts B.ideas C.minds D.memories

20.A.spiritual B.material C.memorable D.emotional

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Buildings around the world will go dark for 60 minutes this evening in a voluntary event 1. (know) as Earth Hour. This grassroots effort started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and since then it 2. (grow) into a global movement 3. (raise) awareness of our energy consumption and the effects of climate change on our planet. Anyone can participate in this movement by switching 4. the lights at 8:30 PM local time. Last year close to 18,000 landmark buildings switched off their lights in 188 countries. Will you dim your lights tonight?

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Chocolate was first used as a drink over 3,500 years ago in 1. (center) America. It was very popular with the Mayans and the Aztecs. In fact, cocoa beans were very important to people there. That was 2. they were used as money. In the beginning, cocoa 3. (plant) in Ecuador, which was, for a long time, the world’s number-one producer of cocoa beans. It is still one of the top producers of the beans, but nowadays more than 70 per cent of cocoa beans come from West Africa.

阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Old Tom sent his four sons to look at an apple tree in different seasons, 1. he wanted them to learn not to judge things too quickly. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest in autumn. When they all came back, he asked for the 2. (describe) about what they had seen. The sons had different opinions. Tom then told them 3. they shouldn’t judge a tree, or a person, by only one season.

假如你是晨光中学高三一班班长李津。由于新冠疫情，不得不在家学习。你计划开学后举行一次班会，鼓励大家充分利用时间，向高考冲刺。现请用英文根据以下要点写一篇演讲稿。

1. 表达能够上学的喜悦；

2. 给出学习上的建议(至少3条)；

3. 希望同学们只争朝夕，不负韶华。

注意： 1.词数不少于100词；

2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；

3.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：新冠疫情 the novel coronavirus outbreak

只争朝夕，不负韶华seize the day and live it to the full

Dear classmates, good afternoon! It’s my great pleasure to stand here, on behalf of everyone, to deliver a speech.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your listening!

阅读表达

“Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they're given after all. Choices can be hard.”

I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me. I had just turned 30, and I’d been married for a year. I told my wife that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don’t and I wasn't sure what to expect. She told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I had been a garage inventor. I had always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.

I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people and a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him that I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park，listened carefully to me and finally said,“That sounds like a really good idea，but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job.”That logic made some sense to me，and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice，but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I would regret trying and failing. And I suspected that I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.

After much consideration, I took the less secure path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice. For all of us, in the end, we are our choices.

1.What inspired the author to start Amazon 16 years ago? (No more than 15 words)

2.How did the author’s wife respond to his crazy idea of building an online bookstore? (No more than 10 words)

3.What was the attitude of the author’s boss towards his starting a company online? (No more than 10 words)

4.What’s your understanding of the underlined sentence in the last paragraph? (No more than 15 words)

5.What is the most important factor when you make your career choice? Give your reasons. (No more than 20 words)

    What is one of the most boring and tiresome words ever? Like discipline, responsibility is one of those words you have probably heard so many times from authority figures that you have been a bit allergic to it. Still, it's one of the most important things to grow and to feel good about your life. Without it as a foundation nothing else in any personal development book really works.

It's been said that the line between childhood and adulthood is crossed when we move from saying “It got lost” to “I lost it”. Indeed, being accountable, understanding and accepting the role our choices play in the things that happen are important signs of emotional and moral maturity. That's why responsibility is one of the main supports of good character.

Many people have been refusing to grow up and avoiding the burdens implied in being accountable. Yes, responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It asks us to carry our own weight, prepare and set goals and exercise the discipline to reach our ambitions. But the benefits of accepting responsibility are far more important than the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No one makes his or her life better by avoiding responsibility. In fact, irresponsibility is a form of self-forced servitude (苦役)to circumstances and to other people.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.” “Man must stop owing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise his will ---his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals,” said Albert Schweitzer.

The following incident shows blaming others and not taking full responsibility: Bernard L. Brow. Jr. once worked in a hospital where a patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside the patient's bed. The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked a nurse to mop it up. The patient didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the nurse while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital’s housekeeping group.

The nurse decided the spill was a large one and she called the housekeeping group. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument followed. “It's not my response. “Well, it's not mine.” she said, “the puddle is too small.”

The angry patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his night table and poured the whole thing on the floor. “Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?” he asked. It was, and that was the end of the argument.

So, responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions and reactions that shape our lives. It is a concept of power that puts us in the driver's seat. The grand sight of the potential of our lives can only be appreciated when we begin to be accountable and independent. If you want more control over your life and the pleasures, power of freedom and independence, all you have to do is be responsible. Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on.

1.Those who escape from accepting responsibility________.

A.can't achieve their goals in a short time

B.can benefit from not growing up in the end

C.can miss the advantages of being a responsible person

D.can avoid the burdens of unpleasant or frightening things

2.What does the underlined part “get on” mean?

A.Succeed. B.Struggle.

C.Serve. D.Exist.

3.What does George Bernard Shaw's saying imply?

A.We shouldn't care what kind of situations we're in.

B.We shouldn't owe failure to the sense of responsibility.

C.We should bear responsibility regardless of situations.

D.We should first step out of our present circumstances.

4.Why was the patient quite angry, with the nurse and the housekeeper?

A.Because he had slipped on the water by chance.

B.Because he had to mop up the water by himself.

C.Because he didn't like the noise made in hospital.

D.Because he found them refusing their responsibility.

5.What is the author's understanding of responsibility in the last paragraph?

A.It shapes our lives with more opportunities.

B.It enables us to react with dependable attitude.

C.It encourages us to be more helpful and independent.

D.It strengthens our ability to fight against bad circumstances.

    Soaping up your hands may do more than just get rid of germs. It may wash away the inner confusion you feel right after being forced to make a choice between two appealing choices, according to a new study. The study builds on past research into a phenomenon known as “the Macbeth effect”.

It turns out that Shakespeare was really onto something when he imagined lady Macbeth trying to clean her conscience（良心）by rubbing invisible bloodstains from her hands. A few years ago, scientists asked people to describe a past wrong act. If people were then given a chance to clean their hands, they later expressed less guilt than people who hadn’t cleaned.

This finding fascinated W. S. Lee, a researcher. “Anything from the past, any kind of negative emotional experiences, might be washed away,” says Lee.

He decided to test hand washing’s effect on one kind of bad feeling: the tension we feel after being forced to choose between two attractive choices, because picking one choice makes us feel that we’ve lose the other. People usually try to calm this inner conflict by later exaggerating（夸大）the positive aspects of their choice.

He had students rank 10 different music CDs. Then he offered students one CD as a gift. Some students then use liquid soap. Others only looked at the soap or sniffed（嗅）it. “Actually, you do not need water and soap,” says Lee.

Later, the students again had to rank all the music. People who didn’t wash their hands had the normal response — they scored their take-home CD higher, suggesting that they now saw it as even more attractive than before. But this wasn’t true for the hand washers. They ranked the music about the same. “they feel no need at all to justify the choice,” say Lee.

But the implications of it just aren’t clear. Schwarz says it’s too soon to know whether people should head for a sink after making a tough choice. He says washing may help decision-makers by cleaning away mental disorder, but perhaps if they don’t go through the usual post-decision process of justifying their choice, they might feel more sorrow in the long run.

1.The Macbeth effect refers to the fact that ________.

A.Shakespeare did scientific research before writing Macbeth

B.soaping up one’s hand may help wash away the inner confusion and make a decision

C.people feel less guilty by getting rid of invisible germs from their hands

D.people feel less ashamed after washing their hands

2.According to Lee, after people make the choice ________.

A.they will overstate the goodness of their chosen choice

B.they will feel regretful for not choosing another

C.they will feel free due to the feeling of losing the other choice

D.they will think nothing of their chosen choice any more to calm their inner conflict

3.According to Lee, the hand washers consider the judgment of choice ________.

A.more scientific B.unnecessary

C.a little convincing D.absolutely useless

4.What does Schwarz need to research more?

A.Whether people need to justify their choice.

B.Whether people feel more sorrow after washing hands.

C.Whether washing hands help over a long period of time.

D.Whether washing hands is helpful to make a choice.

5.What might be the most suitable title for the passage?

A.Is Washing Hands Necessary to Defeat Tension?

B.Washing Hands, Washes Our Mind

C.Washing Hands, Helps Make a Better Choice

D.Washing Hands, Reduces the Stress of Decision

    I believe that my actions show my beliefs, not my words.

I wrote a letter to my kids a few years ago. It’s three pages long, and it sums up my life experience of four decades. By the time they reach adulthood, they will have heard most of their father’s advice in that letter: live in the moment, do not attach yourself to physical things, treat others the way you would like to be treated, etc. I sealed the letter in a white envelope, and wrote instructions that nobody should open it unless something horrible happened to me.

As a police officer, I have seen life disappear in an instant. I realize that could happen to me at any time. Yet knowing that letter is there in my locker makes me more comfortable with my own death.

Every day, when I open my locker, I see the letter. It makes me aware that I should be careful at work, and show my children and the people I have connection with that I try to practice everything I have written. If that day comes and my children finally read the letter, I hope that because of my actions, they will take my written beliefs to heart and improve upon my example.

But for me, it’s not enough to write down my beliefs. I try to be the best person I can be every day---even in very difficult circumstances. I am more successful some days than others, but sometimes I curse too much. Sometimes I am cynical, unwilling to believe that people have good and honest reasons for doing something. I also get stressed and upset, yelling at my kids sometimes, and sometimes I am not as loving or as sympathetic as I should be. In fact, I am far from perfect, but I hope my children will eventually realize that perfection is an illusion. What really matters is that, instead of just writing down our beliefs, we all take action to be the best humans we can be.

1.Which of the following can best describe the author?

A.Hardworking and humorous. B.Courageous and sensitive.

C.Selfless. D.Considerate.

2.Why did the author open the locker to see the letter every day?

A.He wanted to confirm his beliefs.

B.The letter served as a reminder.

C.He kept adding something new to it.

D.His kids asked him to check it.

3.What can we learn about the letter written by the author?

A.The author was in his forties when writing it.

B.The kids were too young to understand the tips in it.

C.The author was sure of its positive effects on his kids.

D.The author hoped it wouldn’t be opened until bad things occurred.

4.Which can replace the underlined word in the last paragraph?

A.Doubtful about others’ motivations.

B.Curious about everything around.

C.Particular about himself.

D.Unsatisfied about his profession.

5.What is the author’s understanding of life?

A.That fathers should take care of their children.

B.To become a perfect man.

C.To be better today than yesterday.

D.That bad guys deserve to be punished.

Places to go for Halloween fun in Chengdu

One of the most fun and fulfilling things during the season is to throw a Halloween party and boogie through the night with friends and family. When pumpkins, witch's hats and spiders make their annual appearance you can tell Halloween is approaching.

Whether it's a party for children or just one for adults, there are so many great treats, games, music and activities that you can enjoy yourselves in the city.

Dark Mirror-themed Party

With a scary theme - Dark Mirror (黑暗之镜), Lan Kwai Fong Chengdu this year will host a big Halloween party on October 31st with these elements: Ghost Parade, Haunted House,  Costume Contest and so on. Participants could enjoy live music show, dance and play “trick or treat” games in the public outdoor area.

Venue：Lan Kwai Fong Chengdu, 1 Shuijing Street

Halloween Carnival Party

The Chengdu Happy Valley Amusement Park is to host a Halloween Carnival Party that features magic performances, live rock bands performance and lots of wicked events for participants. The Halloween season in the park will last till November 11 with admission from 80 to 150 yuan.

Venue: 16 Xihua Avenue

Beer Nest Halloween Party

The Beer Nest I and Beer Nest II will be decorated in a haunted (闹鬼的) house style and there will be scary movies playing on the big screens of the Beer Nest II. Entertaining activities, such as food & drink specials, live DJs, cool music and Spooky Kids Workshops, will be held and a professional markup artist from Sweden will be there for those who want to make an impression Halloween night.

Halloween E-sports Night Party

The Halloween E-sports Night to take place on October 31 is one of the highlights of the E-sports Cartoon and Animation Festival to be held in Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory on October 31-November 1. It will offer relevant activities including cosplay showcases, e-sports competition and live music shows as a platform to communicate with celebrated anime artists and cartoon lovers.

Venue：4 Mid-section，South Jianshe Road

1.How can we tell Halloween is approaching?

A.People are eating pumpkins. B.Witch's hats are sitting on the head.

C.Spiders are weaving nets at the corner. D.Families or friends are getting together.

2.Which party offers special activities for children to enjoy themselves？

A.Dark Mirror-themed Party. B.Beer Nest Halloween Party.

C.Halloween Carnival Party. D.Halloween E-sports Night Party.

3.What is the common element of the four parties?

A.Cosplay. B.Food.

C.Music. D.Magic.

4.What can participants do at Halloween E-sports Night Party?

A.Make cartoon shows. B.Attend E-Game competitions.

C.Learn to arrange cosplay shows. D.Exchange ideas with anime artists.

5.What can we infer from the Beer Nest Halloween Party?

A.The party will be held in two places one after another.

B.Scary movies will be played in the public outdoor area.

C.A Sweden artist is expected to bring joy to the party.

D.The party will be decorated in a traditional Chinese way.

    “Oh, no! You’re moving?” Such was my neighbor’s ______ when she saw household items appearing on my lawn and ______ my driveway.

“Nope. Just cleaning house!” I called back, smiling.

This yard sale had been the result of six months of ______. I had searched every ______ and overflowing closet and cupboard—crazy about my seeking to find items to ______.

I met loads of ______ and friendly people. The Mirror Lady was ______ to buy the antique mirror from my first apartment for her daughter’s first apartment; and the Futon Girl, a college sophomore, said my futon (沙发床) and frame were ______ for her dorm room.

And how can I ______ the Camera Man? Bending absorbedly over the “technology” table, he spotted my husband’s faded ______ bag from the early 80s. Zippered compartments (隔包) ______ a broken camera and a few old lenses. “Wow!” he said, as he picked it up and made me a(n) ______. I asked what he was going to do with it. “It’s just cool—I have a shelf at home for cool ______ technology.” So apparently he ______ it just so he could look at it. As he walked down the driveway with the dusty bag ______ over his shoulder, for a second I ______ my journalist husband doing the same, heading out to ______ a story. That made me feel ______.

All yard sales lasted two days. As hard as it can be to let things ______, the true value of those things is to ______ you of a place you lived in, a special time in your life, or a loved one in your heart.

1.A.acquisition B.concern C.explanation D.meaning

2.A.picking up B.getting over C.putting up D.taking over

3.A.adaptation B.protection C.preparation D.production

4.A.messy B.bare C.elegant D.tidy

5.A.measure B.present C.serve D.sell

6.A.generous B.conservative C.interesting D.cautious

7.A.thrilled B.tired C.confused D.embarrassed

8.A.famous B.perfect C.vital D.cheap

9.A.blame B.trouble C.worry D.forget

10.A.camera B.hand C.plastic D.tool

11.A.allocate B.approached C.exposed D.withdraw

12.A.appointment B.appeal C.excuse D.offer

13.A.fashionable B.old C.advanced D.portable

14.A.bought B.improved C.donated D.twisted

15.A.disappearing B.hanging C.printing D.winding

16.A.pictured B.appreciated C.stopped D.forgave

17.A.review B.report C.rhyme D.repeat

18.A.lonely B.silly C.good D.hopeful

19.A.gather B.survive C.control D.go

20.A.cheat B.inform C.remind D.warn

The exciting moment ________ Gerry will always remember is ________ he approaches the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.

A.that; that B.that; when C.when; that D.when; when

---- I am going to Hainan for my holiday.

---- OK. Have fun ________ you can. The hard times are approaching.

A.until B.before C.unless D.while

We have entered into an age _______ dreams have the best chance of coming true.

A.which B.what C.when D.that

— Jim ________ what I said annoying though he didn’t say anything.

— So you mean you will have to apologize to him?

A.must find B.might find C.should have found D.must have found

---I’ve heard a lot about you. You got promoted, right? ______

--- Many thanks.

A. Good for you    B. You asked for it

C. There you are    D. You’ve gone too far

This isn't the first time the shareholders          Zuckerberg to step down from his dual roles, which would help him focus on running the company

A.have wanted B.wanted C.will want. D.want

________ the doors were closed, and ________ all the lights were off, the boy opened the door to his bedroom.

A.Having checked; that B.Having checked; /

C.Checking; where D.To check; that