Cecilia Chiang, whose San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, introduced American diners in the 1960s to the richness and variety of authentic Chinese cuisine, died on Wednesday at her home in San Francisco.
Ms. Chiang was not a chef, nor was she a likely candidate to run a restaurant. She was born near Shanghai in 1920 as the seventh daughter in a wealthy family. After her parents died, Cecilia managed the businesses' finances while still in her teens.
Ms. Chiang came to the United States from China to flee the Japanese during World War Ⅱ, traveling nearly 700 miles on foot. Once in San Francisco, she met two Chinese acquaintances who wanted to open a restaurant. Ms. Chiang agreed to put up a huge deposit. But when the two women quit, Ms. Chiang found to her honor that the deposit was not refundable（可退还的）. She took a deep breath and decided to open the restaurant herself. "I began to think that if I could create a restaurant with Western-style service and the dishes that I was most familiar with -the delicious food of northern China — maybe my little restaurant would succeed," she wrote in her book.
The Mandarin , which was opened in 1962 as a 65 -seat restaurant, introduced customers to mainly Sichuan9 Shanghai and Canton dishes. The early days were difficult. But little by little, Chinese diners, and a few Americans, came regularly. Overnight the tables filled and became a huge success.
Ms. Chiang continued to work as a restaurant consultant into her 90s. " I think I changed what average people know about Chinese food," Mrs. Chiang wrote. "They didn't know China was such a big country. "
1. When did Ms. Chiang start to manage the businesses' finances?| A．In the 1920s. | B．In the 1930s. | C．In the 1950s. | D．In the 1960s. |
| A．When Ms. Chiang came to the US. | B．How Ms. Chiang earned her deposit. |
| C．What Ms. Chiang wrote in her book. | D．Why Ms. Chiang opened her restaurant. |
| A．It survived the early hardships. | B．It provided all kinds of Chinese dishes. |
| C．It could seat less than 60 people at first. | D．It attracted many Americans once opened. |
| A．Smart but stubborn. | B．Devoted and brave. |
| C．Adventurous but careless. | D．Enthusiastic and ambitious. |
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【推荐1】I used to be bad at playing basketball. Gym class in middle school was the worst. I was always the last kid to be picked. The only reason why I was even picked at all was that I was good friends with the best player in the class.
In the eighth grade, I finally decided I was sick and tired of being a scrub. I dedicated that entire summer to getting better. I spent every day playing basketball, practicing for hours in the gym. I remember playing pick-up games with one group of kids until they all eventually got tired and left. Then a whole different group of kids would come in and I’d play with them too.
After months of this devoted routine, something amazing started to happen. People began passing me the ball. They trusted me to take the shot. They even started picking me first to be on their team! The last game of organized basketball I ever played was the culmination of all my hard work. Against a team far more talented than mine, I scored 27 points. We still lost, but I walked away from that game feeling like a total champion.
What I learned from those years of rejection and waiting to be picked was that life really isn’t any different. Most of us spend our lives waiting for opportunities to land in our laps. What’s worse, sometimes we feel entitled to them. And when things don’t go our way—when no one picks us—we find something or someone to blame.
I could have complained when no one wanted me on their team. I could have convinced myself that I deserved to be picked. But I didn’t. Instead, I took matters into my own hands and put in the work to become better.
Should we have our fate controlled by a few people who in most cases don’t even know us? I certainly don’t think so. We have a choice. We can choose to create something meaningful, to move forward with our ideas.
1. What can we know about the author in the first paragraph?| A．He was always to be picked. | B．He was picked because of his good friend. |
| C．He was once crazy about playing basketball. | D．He used to be really good at playing basketball. |
| A．A short person. | B．A superior player. |
| C．An important player. | D．An insignificant person. |
| A．People still refused to play with him. | B．Now he is good at playing basketball. |
| C．He gained people’s trust through his effort. | D．His team was defeated by a more talented one. |
| A．To wait for opportunities. | B．To control our fate by ourselves. |
| C．To create something meaningful. | D．To have our fate controlled by others. |
【推荐2】The driver, Zhang Sai, hovered outside an apartment building in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak. He had been ordered not to take food to customers’ doors in order to minimize the risk of infection. But the woman on the phone was pleading, he recalled. The food was for her mother, who couldn’t go down to meet him. Mr. Zhang relented. He would drop off the order and sprint away. As he placed the bag on the floor, Mr. Zhang said, the door opened. Startled, he rushed away. Without thinking, he jabbed the elevator button with his finger, touching a surface that could transmit the virus. That was how Mr. Zhang, 32, found himself speeding back to his delivery station with one finger held aloft, careful not to touch the rest of his hand.
For many in China, delivery drivers like Mr. Zhang are the only connection to the outside world. Once a common but invisible presence on the streets of nearly every Chinese city, the drivers are now being honored as heroes. What exhausting and dangerous work! Mr. Zhang, who works for Hema, a supermarket chain owned by the tech giant Alibaba, crisscrosses (穿梭) the city armed only with the face masks and hand sanitizer that his company supplies each morning.
The epidemic has brought some unexpected bright spots. Before, Mr. Zhang said, he sometimes ran red lights during rush hour in order to meet his delivery goals for the day. Now, the streets are empty. He has no problem getting around. People are nicer, too. Some customers barely opened the door or avoided eye contact. After the outbreak erupted, everyone said thank you.
1. Why Zhang Sai couldn’t send food to customers’ doors?| A．To keep away from the deadly disease. |
| B．To reduce the chance of being transmitted. |
| C．To avoid communicating with others. |
| D．To give himself a day off. |
| A．promised | B．denied |
| C．admitted | D．refused |
| A．Economic prosperity and long culture. |
| B．Busy business and peaceful people. |
| C．Splendid surroundings and energetic persons. |
| D．Empty streets and friendly people. |
| A．The biography of Zhang Sai’s. |
| B．How did Zhang Sai send food? |
| C．The driver Zhang Sai during the epidemic. |
| D．How was Zhang Sai infected? |
【推荐3】At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural (建筑学的) medal at the 2021 German IF Design Awards.
The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li worked overtime on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.
The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Tired. | C．Attractive. | D．Noisy. |
| A．The smoke of cooking. | B．The forest of bamboo. |
| C．The smell of the village. | D．The feeling of loneliness. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It has been rebuilt by the couple. | D．It must have been carefully designed. |
| A．Continuing their music dream. | B．Staying at the old house. |
| C．Living in the countryside. | D．Developing the economy of cities. |
【推荐1】When I was about six years old, my mother came home one day and found that I had collected half a dozen babies of the neighbourhood—all of them too young to walk—and had them sitting before me on the floor while I was teaching them to wave their arms. When she asked the explanation of this, I informed her that it was my school of dance. She was amused, and placing herself at the piano. She began to play for me. This school continued and became very popular. Later on, little girls of the neighbourhood came and their parents paid me a small sum to teach them. This was the beginning of what afterwards proved a very profitable occupation.
My mother took me to a famous ballet teacher, but his lessons did not please me. When the teacher told me to stand on my toes (脚趾) I asked him why, and when he replied “ Because it is beautiful, ” I said that it was ugly and against nature and after the third lesson I left his class, never to return. This stiff (僵硬) and commonplace gymnastics which he called dancing only disturbed my dream. I dreamed of a different dance. I did not know just what it would be, but I was feeling out towards an invisible world into which I guessed I might enter if I found the key.
My art was already in me when I was a little girl, and it was owing to the heroic and adventurous spirit of my mother that it was not prevented. I believe that whatever the child is going to do in life should be begun when it is very young. I wonder how many parents realize that by the so-called education they are giving their children, they are only driving them into the commonplace, and taking away from them any chance of doing anything beautiful or original.
1. What was the writer doing when her mother came home one day?| A．Teaching some babies to dance. | B．Directing some babies to walk. |
| C．Getting some babies together. | D．Making some babies sit still. |
| A．Old and unpopular. | B．Ugly and unnatural. |
| C．Graceful and original. | D．Dreamlike and gymnastic. |
| A．The ballet classes she had attended. | B．Her inborn talent and great efforts. |
| C．The lucky chance her parents gave her. | D．Her mother’s support and understanding. |
| A．Children should be encouraged to be educated as early as possible. |
| B．Children should be driven to develop their interest in art at an early age. |
| C．Parents should discover and develop their young children’s natural gift. |
| D．Parents should instruct their children to decide on a promising occupation. |
【推荐2】I was scared when a loud noise in my apartment woke me in the middle of the night. I rushed to turn on my bedroom light and discovered it was a cat.
Here’s the thing — I do not have a cat. And this was not the first time this particular cat had demanded my attention.
I immediately calmed down and realized my error —I had left a window open. I approached to entertain my house guest by giving her some treats and scratches under her collar.
Like so many others, I shifted from working in an office to working from home. Living alone can be separate from outside at the best of times. It was around the one-month mark of the lockdown when I heard a meow outside my window. Sitting outside on the grass was a long-haired, golden-colored cat. I opened the window, and this beautiful cat jumped into my home. Her short visit brightened my day.
A few days later, I heard a familiar meow. I saw a name tag on her collar: Mika. On this second visit, I also noticed Mika was cross-eyed, which only made her more lovely.
Over the next few weeks, Mika would stop by occasionally. Sometimes, she only stayed for a few minutes; other times, she would wander around my apartment much longer. Each visit brightened me. Mika even helped me connect with some new neighbors, who asked if Mika was my cat. Apparently, Mika visited them as well.
While the lockdown has been awful, I suspect I might not have ever met Mika if it had not happened. But perhaps she came by at this time because she sensed a need for connection on my part.
While dogs are said to be man’s best friend, a good cat can be everyone’s best friend.
1. What do we know about the cat from the first three paragraphs？| A．She used to go out at night. | B．She entered by the window. |
| C．She annoyed the neighbors badly. | D．She liked the author’s treats particularly. |
| A．Out of place. | B．Out of work. | C．Heart-broken. | D．Absent-minded. |
| A．The open window. | B．The lockdown. |
| C．A need for connection. | D．A stay with new neighbors. |
| A．He lives an unusual life. | B．He longs for a harmonious society. |
| C．Keeping cats is rewarding. | D．Befriending nice cats is worthwhile. |
【推荐3】Fernando and I were arguing about why I never took any real vacations. When he suggested we go off somewhere for three entire weeks. “You decide,” I said.
He chose a little fishing village off the coast and he planned out a schedule. Our trip was full of wonder and fun, but when we got there, the shabby hotel failed to satisfy us, so we left a day early for the beach. As we drove, we passed two orphanages(孤儿院). Christmas was only a few days away, and I felt that I should stop to do something for the children.
Then Fernando came up with a plan to help the poor children we saw. We made a list of names, and then we went into town to buy new clothes, toys, and school supplies. For the rest of the day, we filled backpacks. We were excited about the celebration we-had-planned for the next day, December 26, when we'd invite the families to the beach in front of the hotel and hand out the presents.
Fernando and I were still in bed at around 9: 00 the next morning when we heard a cracking sound. “What is that?” I asked. As if in response, water started pouring into our room. The children's backpacks we had arranged so neatly on the floor began floating around. The next thing I knew was that the roof was torn off and Fernando and I were swept out. I thought I was going to die.
Under the water, I forced myself to calm down and then I popped out. Suddenly I saw Fernando only four feet away.
“What just happened?” I asked Fernando.
“Tsunami (海啸)!” he shouted to me. “Just be strong, whatever it was.” he told me, “It's all over now.” But a few seconds later, another wave buried us. I tried to grab him as he reached out to me, but he fell back under the water, and I never saw him again.
1. The author and Fernando left for the beach early because .| A．they were afraid of being late | B．the hotel disappointed them |
| C．they wanted to be there ahead of others | D．they wanted to do something for the children |
| A．bought a lot of gifts for their children | B．intended to invite many friends to their house |
| C．managed to finish their trip as planned | D．tried to help each other in face of danger |
| A．How his trip was ruined | B．When Fernando came back to him |
| C．How he survived | D．Why the disaster happened |
【推荐1】● West Town
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) encourages lifelong learning by welcoming all people and offering equal access to information, entertainment and knowledge through materials, programs and events. Each year, Chicago Public Library recommends the Best of the Best, CPL’s selections of the very best books published that year.
● Hours
Monday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
● Holidays & Closures
All Staff Institute Day: Thursday, April 30, 2020 Closed All Day
Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2020 Closed All Day
Independence Day: Saturday, July 4, 2020 Closed All Day
Labor Day: Monday, September 7, 2020 Closed All Day
Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26, 2020 Closed All Day
Christmas: Friday, December 25, 2020 Closed All Day
● Address & Contact
1625 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago IL 60622
Phone: (312) 743-0450
Email: westtown@chipublib.org
● Get a Library Card
Getting a library card is easy – and it’s free! Please visit any CPL location to fill out an application.
Current, valid ID with name, photo and Chicago address is required.
● Facilities
Bike rack; Computers; Meeting room; Parking lot; Scanner; WiFi
● New at West Town
Firewatching by Russ Thomas
The Big Lie by James Grippando
Death by Chocolate Frosted Doughnut by Sarah Graves
The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher
● Upcoming Events at West Town
Design Challenge Day
Description:
Are you up for a challenge? Welcome to drop in and tackle some design challenges using supplies provided by the library. Prizes will be awarded for most creative.
Suitable for: Kids and Teens
Time: Monday, July 20, 2020
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Film Screening: The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
Description:
Join the West Town branch for a screening of The Zookeeper’s Wife. A married couple who work as zoo caretakers help save Jews from the Holocaust.
Suitable for: Adults and Teens
Time: Tuesday, March 31, 2020
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
1. When can people go to Chicago Public Library?| A．11:00 am, April 29, 2020 | B．2:00 pm, May 25, 2020 |
| C．9:00 am, July 5, 2020 | D．6:00 pm, Nov 26, 2020 |
| A．The activity will last for 2 hours. |
| B．The activity will offer prizes. |
| C．The activity is mainly open to adults. |
| D．Participants can watch The Zookeeper’s Wife for free. |
| A．People can still return books when the library closes. |
| B．The library doesn’t have a parking lot for readers. |
| C．The Big Lie is one of the recommended books this year. |
| D．The library holds more activities for kids than for adults. |
This is how I experimented with giving-away. If an idea for improving the window display of a neighborhood store flashes to me, I step in and make the suggestion to the storekeeper. One discovery I made about giving-away is that it is almost impossible to give away anything in this world without getting something back, though the return often comes in all unexpected form.
One Sunday morning, the local post office delivered an important special delivery letter to my home, though it was addressed to me at my office. I wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation. More than a year later I needed a post-office box for a new business I was starting. I was told at the window that there were no boxes left, and that my name would have to go on a long waiting list. As I was about to leave, the postmaster appeared in the doorway. He had overheard(无意中听到)our conversation. "Wasn’t it you that wrote us that letter a year ago about delivering a special delivery to your home?" I said yes. "Well, you certainly are going to have a box in this post office if we have to make one for you. You don’t know what a letter like that means to us. We usually get nothing but complaints."
1. From the passage, we understand that _____.
| A．the author did not understand the importance of giving until he was in late thirties |
| B．the author was like most people who were mostly receivers rather than givers |
| C．the author received the same education as most people during his childhood |
| D．the author liked most people as they looked upon life as a process of getting |
| A．giving means you will lack money |
| B．the excitement of giving can bring you money |
| C．you don’t have to be rich in order to give |
| D．when you give away money, you will be rich |
| A．in writing | B．in person |
| C．in the window display | D．about the neighborhood |
| A．he had put his name on a waiting list |
| B．he wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation |
| C．many people had applied for post-office boxes before him |
| D．he asked the postmaster to make one for him |
【推荐3】When it comes to being fit and healthy, we're often reminded to aim to walk 10,000 steps per day. This can be a frustrating target to achieve, especially when we're busy with work and other commitments.
The 10,000 steps a day target seems to have come about from a trade name pedometer sold in 1965 by Yamasa Clock in Japan. The device was called "Manpo---kei, which translates to "10,000 steps meter". This was a marketing tool for the device and has seemed to have stuck across the world as the daily step target. It's even included in daily activity targets by popular smart-watches, such as Fitbit.
In ancient Rome, distances were actually measured by counting steps. In fact, the word "mile" originated from the Latin phrase mila passum, which means about 2,000 steps. It's suggested the average person walks about 100 steps per minute---which would mean it would take a little under 20 minutes for the average person to walk a mile. So in order for someone to reach the 10,000---step goal, they would need to walk about five miles a day, nearly two hours of activity.
Researchers have investigated the 10,000 steps a day target. The fact that some studies have shown this step target improves heart health, mental health, and even lowers diabetes risk, may, to some extent, explain why we have stuck with this arbitrary number.
But while some research has shown health benefits at 10,000 steps, recent research from Harvard Medical School has shown that, on average, approximately 4,400 steps a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of death in women. This was when compared to only walking around 2,700 steps daily. The more steps people walked, the lower their risk of dying was, before leveling off at around 7,500 steps a day. No additional benefits were seen with more steps. Although it's uncertain whether similar results would be seen in men, it's one example of how moving a little bit more daily can improve health and lower risk of death.
1. From which does taking 10,000 steps for walkers initially come?| A．Ancient Rome. | B．Fitbit. |
| C．Mila passum. | D．Manpo-kei. |
| A．2000. | B．2700. |
| C．4000. | D．7500. |
| A．The more you walk daily, the healthier you will be. |
| B．7,500 steps or so a day is the ideal number for women. |
| C．To be healthy you'd better walk ten thousand steps. |
| D．The number of effective steps is the same for men and women. |
| A．Remaining steady. | B．Increasing greatly. |
| C．Decreasing sharply. | D．Disappearing suddenly. |
You’re only three years old, and at this point in your life you can’t read, much less understand what I’ll tell you in this letter. But I’ve been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I’ve learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials(磨难) that you’ll face in the coming years.
You won’t be able to understand this letter today, but somebody, when you’re ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you.
You are young, and life has not yet to show a cold face to you, to throw disappointments and loneliness and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life.
For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful time of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils.
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you.
Life Can Be CruelThere will be people in your life who won't be very nice. They’ll tease you because you’re different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you.
There’s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself. When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them.
There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won’t always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you’ll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you’ll do much better in life.
You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don’t have to face this too much, but it happens. Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger.
But Be Open to life AnywayYes, you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life, but don’t let that close you to new things. Don’t move back from life, don’t hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people.
You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you’ll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life.
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet, and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don’t open your heart to them, you’ll avoid pain…, but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.
You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success.
Life Isn’t a CompetitionYou will meet many people who will try to do better than you, in school, in college, at work. They’ll try to have nicer cars, bigger houses, nicer clothes, cooler gadgets. To them, life is a competition—they have to do better than their peers to be happy.
Here’s the secret: life isn’t a competition. It's a journey. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others, to outdo others, you’re wasting your journey. Instead, learn to enjoy the journey. Make it a journey of happiness, of constant learning, of continual improvement, of love.
Don’t worry about having a nicer car or house or anything material, or even a better-paying job. None of that matters a whit, and none of it will make you happier. You’ll acquire these things and then only want more. Instead, learn to be satisfied with having enough—and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things… use that time doing things you love.
Finally, know that I love you and always will. You are starting out on an unknown, tiring, scary, but badly wonderful journey, and always remember I will be there for you when I can. Godspeed
Love, Your Dad
1. According to the father, all of the following are trials the son has to face except ________.| A．disappointment |
| B．pain |
| C．failure |
| D．loneliness |
| A．eating something together with some salt |
| B．taking it for granted |
| C．not accepting something completely |
| D．believing something firmly |
| A．You are too busy to spend time with your parents. |
| B．You fail in the mid-term exam despite your hard work. |
| C．Your best friend betrays you by giving away your secrets. |
| D．Your classmates tease, bully or hurt you. |
| A．telling stories |
| B．making comparisons(作比较) |
| C．analyzing causes(分析原因) |
| D．asking and answering questions |
| A．share some important wisdom and value with his son |
| B．try to persuade his son to get along well with his friends |
| C．make his son realize failure is unavoidable and he should get ready for that |
| D．prepare his son for the challenges he will face in the future |
【推荐2】I need help! I have to fix a leaking pipe in my bathroom but I'm not sure where to begin. I know I lack the necessary DIY skills, but luckily there are numerous books and online videos that will hopefully give me the information I need. Publications that help us to help ourselves are nothing new, but the range of them is increasing with advice being given far beyond practical tasks around the house.
Bookshops these days are full of titles which claim to boost your self-confidence, your wealth, your love life or your career. Some claim to improve your life within seven days! It's big business and it's thought that the self-help industry is worth $10bn in the US alone.
The first self-help book called 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' was published in 1936, and has since sold 30 million copies and is still popular now. It includes guidance on how to make people like you and how to make your life happier. It might seem strange to think that we need a book to tell us how to live our lives but self-help books remain a go to remedy for those of us looking for enlightenment.
There are, of course, trends in what we need help with. Emma Marshall, who works at British bookshop Waterstones, says "at the moment we're in the tidying up, getting rid of things trend... I think the trend right now is about slowing down in your life." It seems there is always something we need help with, and reading about it can be very therapeutic - it makes us feel good, even if we don't do anything about it.
Of course, the internet has become the place to go to for salvation. We've got used to searching for solutions online, and now these solutions even include how to fix or improve our lives. Interestingly, psychologist Caroline Beaton, says people called 'millennials' are self-critical -they are aware of their own faults—which also means they're more likely to spend time and money on self-help. There's also a theory that the self-help industry does well during a recession – people are perhaps even more likely to reach for self-help to improve their situation.
Whatever the reason for the continued interest in self-help, it's good to know help is at hand when we need it. The alternative to finding a happier life is just to come to terms with yourself as you are - I know, I read about it in a book! Do you believe in self-help books?
1. Where else can you get self-help advice apart from books?| A．from teachers | B．from friends |
| C．from the Internet | D．from parents |
| A．They may offer you some keys to success. |
| B．They hasn't gained great popularity. |
| C．All of us enjoy them very much. |
| D．They can certainly improve your life within seven days. |
| A．They are stuck in a recession. |
| B．They realize they are not perfect. |
| C．They are more likely to have access to books. |
| D．They haven't got used to searching for solutions online. |
| A．People don't have interest in self-help books. |
| B．Accepting yourself as you are makes you happier. |
| C．The self-help industry makes little difference during a recession. |
| D．The current trend in self-help books is about rushing around and taking things easier. |
【推荐3】Elephants are truly incredible animals. August 12 is World Elephant Day which means to help save elephants. What do you know about elephants? Here are some facts you may not know.
We know that elephants are large. But did you know that elephants often avoid eating a type of acacia tree(金合欢树), because it is home to ants and an elephant doesn’t want to get the ants inside its trunk. Its trunk is full of sensitive nerve endings(敏感神经末梢).
Female elephants live in groups of about 15 animals. The oldest in the group is the leader. She decides not only when and where they move but also when they rest all the year. Male elephants leave the female groups between age 12 and 15. But they aren’t loners. They live in all-male groups.
Asian elephants don’t run. Running requires lifting all four feet at once. But elephants filmed in Thailand always kept at least two on the ground at all times.
Elephants have passed the mirror test. They recognize themselves in a mirror. According to tests, great apes(巨猿), and dolphins(海豚) also have this ability.
Elephants can get sunburned so they take care to protect themselves. “Elephants will throw sand on their backs and on their head to keep them from getting sunburned and to keep bugs off,” said Tony Barthel, working at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. How do elephants protect their young? Adult elephants will put them in sand and then they will stand over the little ones as they sleep.
Some farmers in Kenya protect their fields from elephants by lining the borders with beehives(蜂巢). Not only are their crops saved, but the farmers also get more money from honey.
1. World Elephant Day is designed to________.| A．show some facts about elephants | B．call on people to protect elephants |
| C．tell people some animals are in danger | D．introduce Asian elephants features |
| A．Elephants are sensitive to acacia trees. |
| B．Acacia trees are too tall to reach. |
| C．Fruits on the acacia trees are hard to eat. |
| D．Elephants’trunks are easily hurt by ants in the trees. |
| A．They live with female elephants at an early age. |
| B．They decide when and where their groups move. |
| C．Their oldest male elephant is chosen as their leader. |
| D．They can run faster than female elephants. |
| A．Put some sand on kids’heads. | B．Guard kids when kids sleep. |
| C．Pat kids’backs from time to time. | D．Use their trunks to keep bugs off. |
