【推荐1】At an outdoor restaurant, a cockroach(蟑螂) flew in and landed on a woman. She started screaming out of fear；with a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping , with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was spreading, as everyone in her group also got into a panic. The woman finally managed to flick the cockroach away but it landed on a man in the group who continued the drama. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon a waitress who had rushed to their rescue.

The waitress stood firm, calmed herself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on her blouse. When she was confident enough, she grabbed it and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, I started wondering: was the cockroach responsible for their funny behavior? If so, then why was the waitress not disturbed? She handled the situation to near perfection, without panic.

It was not the cockroach, but the inability of the customers to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed them. I realized that it’s not the shouting of my children or my boss or my wife that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting.

It’s not the traffic jams on the road that disturb me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam. More than the problem, it’s my reaction to the problem that creates chaos in my life.

I understood. I should not react in life. I should always respond. The customers reacted, whereas the waitress responded. Reactions are always instinctive(本能的), while responses tend to be well thought out.

1. What happened in the outdoor restaurant?

A．A cockroach was found in a woman’s food and then a man found the same problem.

B．A cockroach appearing in the restaurant caused a state of panic among the customers.

C．A cockroach rushed the waitress into apologizing to the customers.

D．A woman and a man were trying to rescue the waitress from the cockroach.

2. According to the passage, if you ran into a traffic jam, you might as well_______.

A．complain your delay	B．feel upset and annoyed
C．relax yourself by listening to music	D．expect someone to clear the road right away

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined word?

A．confusion	B．success
C．poverty	D．harmony

4. What does the passage tell us?

A．Speak less, do more!

B．Actions speak louder than words!

C．Mind your manners while in a restaurant!

D．Don’t react just from your feelings; respond positively!

【推荐2】Actions speak louder than words. A smile says, “I like you. You make me happy.”

That’s why dogs make such a hit. They are so glad to see us that they almost jump out of their skins.     1    

A baby’s smile has the same effect. Once, there were many patients waiting at a doctor’s, all with sad and nervous faces, when a young woman came in with a nine month-old baby. She sat down next to a gentle man who was very impatient about the long wait. The baby just looked up at him with a big smile.     2     Soon he began to talk to the woman about her baby and his grand-children and then others joined in, and the boredom and nervousness were changed into a pleasant and enjoyable experience.

    3     Telephone companies throughout the US have a program called “phone power” which is offered to employees who use the telephone for selling their services or products. In this program they suggest that you smile when talking on the phone. Your “smile” comes through in your voice.

You don’t feel like smiling?     4     If you are alone, force yourself to whistle (吹口哨) or sing. Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy.

    5     Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown (皱眉) or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when someone is under pressure, a smile can help him realize that all is not hopeless — that there is joy in the world.

A．Well, force yourself to smile.

B．He smiled back at the baby.

C．So, naturally, we are glad to see them.

D．Your smile is a messenger of your goodwill.

E．Smile gets much easier with practice.

F．The effect of a smile is powerful, even when it is unseen.

G．So, we should all keep dogs to make us happy.

【推荐3】The word “proactivity” is fairly common in management literature, but you won't find it in the dictionary. It means that as a human being you take responsibility for your own life.

Look at the word responsibility: ability to choose your response, response-ability. Effective people are proactive because they take responsibility. Their behavior is a product of their own decisions, based on values, rather than being a product of their own conditions, based on feelings.

For instance, you are planning a picnic with your family. You're excited. You have all the preparations. You've decided where to go, and then it becomes stormy, killing your plan. Proactive people carry weather within them. They realize what their purpose really was, and they creatively have a picnic elsewhere even if it's in their own basement with some special games, and make the best of that situation. The opposite of being proactive is to be reactive. Reactive people would say, “What's the use?” “We can't do anything,” “Oh this is so upsetting after all of our preparations and arrangements.” They try to persuade the people around them and usually the picnic will be cancelled.

Being proactive is really just being true to your human nature. Your basic nature is to act, and not to be acted upon. That's true, despite widely accepted theories of determinism used to explain human nature. Determinism says that you don't really choose anything and that what you call choices are nothing more than automatic responses to outside conditions.

The language of reactive people is like: “I can't.” “Don't have time.” “I have to.” “I must.” The whole spirit of that language is the transfer of responsibility. They think things are determined by their environment, or by their conditions, or by their conditioning or their genetic makeup. Psychologically, people who believe they are determined will produce the evidence to support the belief, and they increasingly feel victimized and out of control. They're not in charge of their life at all.

On the contrary, a proactive person exercises free will, the freedom to choose the response that best applies to his values. In that way, he gains control over the circumstances, rather than being controlled by them.

1. When a picnic plan is threatened by a sudden storm, reactive people will probably     .

A．have the picnic as planned	B．make the best of the picnic
C．complain and give up the picnic	D．find somewhere else for the picnic

2. According to the passage, a proactive person's behavior can result from      .

A．the environment

B．an inner belief

C．the genetic makeup

D．a temporary feeling

3. People carrying weather within them usually      .

A．manage to improve the weather	B．give in to the weather passively
C．stress the influence of the weather	D．find a solution to the weather problems

4. It can be concluded from the passage that determinists (宿命论者)_______.

A．are in charge of themselves	B．accept things passively
C．are similar to proactive people	D．respond to outside conditions actively

【推荐1】Time Travel

If you could travel in time,where would you go?Perhaps you would watch a performance of a Shakespeare's play in Elizabethan England?What about hanging out with Laozi in the Spring and Autumn Period?Or maybe you'd voyage far ahead of the present day to see what the future holds.

The possibility of time travel is indeed appealing.Stories exploring the subject have been around for hundreds of years.Perhaps the best known example is science fiction novel The Time Machine,which was written by H.G.Wells and published in 1895 for the first time.It was adapted into at least two feature films of the same name,as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations.It is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively.The term"time machine",coined by Wells,is now universally used to refer to a vehicle transporting people into the far future.

But could time travel actually be possible?Some scientists say yes,in theory.They propose using cracks in time and space called"wormholes",which could be used as shortcuts to other periods.Einstein's theory of relativity allows time travel in extreme circumstances. And British physicist Stephen Hawking says you could travel into the future with a really fast spaceship-going at nearly the speed of light.Though building such a spaceship would of course be no simple task.

Even if you could travel into the past,there is something called the"grandfather paradox".It asks what would happen if a time traveler were to go back in time and have his own grandfather killed for some reason,and therefore prevent himself from being born.If the time traveler wasn't born,how would he travel back in time?

And would you really like to visit the future?In H.G.Wells' book,the main character travels into distant time where he arrives at a beach and is attacked by giant crabs.He then voyages 30 million years into the future where the only living thing is a black object with tentacles(触角）。

If that's what's in store,maybe we are better just living in the present day after all.

1. The novel The Time Machine mentioned in Paragraph 2 aims to show______.

A．the long history of time travel

B．the contribution of H.G.Wells

C．people's interest in time travel

D．the story's different features

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The Time Machine is one of the bestselling science fiction novels.

B．It was H.G.Wells who invented the term “time machine”.

C．Works of Literature about time travel first appeared one hundred years ago.

D．There are films,comic books and dramas adapted from the novel The Time Machine.

3. Einstein's and Hawking's theories______.

A．have similarities because both are based on experiments

B．suggest the possibility of time travel

C．have been proved wrong by some time travelers

D．have pushed the invention of the first spaceship

4. In Paragraph 4,"grandfather paradox”probably refers to the idea that______.

A．the reunion of the traveler and his grandfather brings happiness

B．the traveler is prevented from meeting his grandfather

C．the traveler goes back in time to seek for his grandfather

D．the grandfather's death makes the traveler's birth impossible

【推荐3】Being stuck behind crowds of slow walkers when you’re in a hurry is one of the most annoying things. But now, Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, one of the UK’s largest shopping malls, has introduced its very own fast lane(通道) for shoppers in a hurry, aiming to help impatient shoppers avoid slow walkers and the anger that goes with them.

The Lakeside Shopping Center in Essex has introduced a 720-foot “fast lane” reserved for fast walkers only, just in time for the Christmas rush. The Center’s management team said, “The lane will help the shoppers who know where they want to go quickly and don’t want to get caught in behind unhurried shoppers at the busiest time of the year.”

The fast lane was introduced after a MasterCard survey found that 80 percent of consumers found slow walkers their biggest annoyance while shopping. The research also found that the average walking speed slowed down by 21 percent during the Christmas shopping period, as most shoppers spent more time window shopping during this period.

Gary Mortimer, an expert from the Queensland University of Technology, said he wasn’t surprised by the promotion about the launch of the fast lane, and thought the concept would appeal to shoppers all over the world. “Crowded parking lots and busy shopping centers tend to be two of the biggest complaints of shoppers over the festive season,” he said. “I think the fast lanes are a new approach. However, I suspect it will be a bit like fast lanes on the highway, so it might end up being more trouble than its worth.

The MasterCard survey also identified the four most common types of shoppers. They include“Skaters” who try and make their way through crowds politely, “Dodgers” who move down the paths to avoid slow walkers, “Bulldozers" who push their way through crowds, and “Tutters” who express their frustrations to slow walkers.

1. The fast lane is intended for the shoppers who____.

A．can’t move quickly because of physical disabilities

B．buy things on their shopping lists quickly

C．take their time to do window shopping

D．want to leave the mall quickly

2. What is Gary Mortimer’s attitude to the fast lane?

A．Supportive.	B．Indifferent.
C．Objective.	D．Negative.

3. Who patiently moves behind a slow crowd?

A．Skaters.	B．Dodgers.
C．Bulldozers.	D．Tutters.

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Shopping can be annoying sometimes.

B．How to avoid “slow walkers” when shopping.

C．The problems that shopping centers face during busy holidays.

D．The shopping mall creates the fast lane to avoid“slow walkers”

【推荐2】For parents with grown children, sometimes the pain of an empty nest can be better than the pain of a full basement. It turns out birds face a similar but slightly more deadly dilemma. When young birds leave the nest early, they help their future generations survive better but they themselves are more likely to die, according to a new study.

Young birds can have a tough life—as can their parents. A noisy nest attracts predators that can wipe out the entire year's reproductive efforts at one stroke. Thus, bird parents push their young to leave the nest early—even when they are not quite ready—to increase the chances that at least one will survive, making sure all their "eggs" are not in one basket. But these early birds suffer as a result. Their death rate can be as high as 70%, compared with just 12% for species that are late bloomers.

Suspecting survival rates had something to do with how ready the birds were to take wing. An ecologist, Thomas Martin, tested fledgling(雏鸟) flying ability at different ages in about a dozen species and recorded the results with high-speed video.

As expected, younger birds had poorly developed wings and flew badly. Moreover, when researchers forced a gray sparrow called a junco(which has some of the lowest fledgling survival rates among the species studied) to stay in the nest for 13 days instead of 10, more lived to adulthood. Just 10% died within 7 days, compared with 30% for the early birds.

But it turns out that some bird moms are willing to keep their kids in the nest a bit longer. Birds such as the white-breasted nuthatch(五子雀), which nests in well-protected tree holes, let the young hang about longer at home, Martin's team discovered. In contrast, birds that nest on the ground or in the open pushed for early departures. That's because they suffer comparatively high losses of chicks in the nest.

Are there any lessons for human parents? “Some parallels exist,” Martin says, “but with people, there's so much more culture that comes into it.”

1. What does the new study find?

A．Young Birds' early leaving from the nest benefits bird parents themselves.

B．Parents with grown children suffer the pain of an empty nest.

C．There is a strong bond between empty-nest parents and young birds.

D．The wrong time of young birds' leaving may bring the whole family a disaster.

2. Which does the underlined word “predators” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．The birds' parents.	B．The birds' natural enemies.
C．The younger competitors.	D．The future generations.

3. What did the case of the gray sparrow show?

A．More birds have poorly developed wings than ever.

B．More gray sparrows live to adulthood than ever.

C．The longer the young stayed in the nests, the higher their survival rates were.

D．The earlier the young left the nests, the higher their survival rates were.

4. What may decide young birds' leaving time from home according to the research?

A．The bird moms.	B．The bird species.
C．The wings' shape.	D．The location of their nests.

【推荐3】It was during a school trip to the Art Gallery of NSW that I realized I was not white.

Aged eight, rough and noisy like any child travelling to an exciting place miles away from their own home, I was seriously reminded by a supervising teacher to stay in one place. To ensure this happened, and that I did not escape to a closed-off exhibition area the minute her eyes turned elsewhere, she forced me to hold the hand of a quiet, modest girl in my class, the typical teacher’s pet.

Already feeling incredibly self-conscious, the moment took a turn for the worse when a fellow classmate eyed our interlocked hands. With a finger pointing accusingly towards us, he said, “God, I can see her hand turning black already.”

That night I came home and cried in the shower. My own secret purchase of a Dove beauty bar failed to wash off the thick layer of dark grime (污点) onto my skin. For the first time I was forced to confront the vast valley between who I thought I was and who I actually was.

Race proceeded to become something I struggled with all throughout adolescence. In stories like these, the climax (高潮) usually comes during university. To an extent, that was true.

In your hands today is an edition that celebrates stories like mine, of lives and experiences informed by race.

While race is the source of many of our struggles, it is also the location of our characteristics, dearest stories, and most loved people. We have come to understand life better from our race. As people coming from an ethno-cultural (种族文化的) minority, our race informs, but does not single-handedly define, who we are.

1. Why did the teacher ensure the author stayed in one place?

A．She punished the author because the author was not white.

B．She was happy to see the author and the girl hand in hand.

C．She was afraid the author would be laughed at by her classmates.

D．She was afraid the author would run to a forbidden exhibition area.

2. When did the author realize what the race meant to her?

A．The moment the boy said her hands were black.

B．The minute the teacher required her to stay still.

C．The moment she bought a Dove beauty bar secretly.

D．The night the bar couldn’t wash off the dirt from her skin.

3. It is inferred from the text that_____________.

A．she struggled hardest during her college years

B．she fought for those who were treated in an unfair way

C．she realized who she actually was during her adolescence

D．she struggled against the prejudice all her life

4. Which of the following can be the title of the passage?

A．Race Is Everywhere	B．Race Taught Me a Lot
C．Minorities Are the Best	D．Race Defines Who We Are

【推荐1】Nonverbal communication is a broad term used to describe any method of conveying information without words. Whether intentional, based on societal cues (提示), or completely unconscious, common forms of nonverbal communication include body language and facial cues, fashion and personal clothing, hand gestures, as well as graphical signs and design.

It is important to note that nonverbal communication is really about a lack of words, rather than a lack of speech sounds. That means writing would be considered verbal communication while sounds like grunts (嘟哝) would not.

Nonverbal communication can be broadly divided into relatively universal forms and culturally dependent forms. Many facial expressions, for example, are relatively universal, with most cultures able to identify expressions of fear, joy, or anger. On the other hand, nonverbal cues like bowing, shaking hands,or flashing a peace sign are culturally characteristic, and therefore have little meaning outside of cultures that understand them.

Fashion is a form of nonverbal communication, and in many modern cultures is a hugely important way in which people telegraph things about themselves.

Gestures also act as a form of nonverbal communication. A wide range of hand gestures can be found in most cultures, and in the west there are some almost universal gestures, such as a wave goodbye, a thumbs-up to show everything is okay, or handy outspread to signify offerings.

Body language is one of the most studied forms of nonverbal communication, and deals with how the body rests, how it is situated in relation to other bodies, and the special distance between bodies. For example, turning towards a person when seated and speaking to them is a nonverbal cue showing interest, while turning away shows a lack of interest. Tipping your head slightly is a form of nonverbal communication to show curiosity or express that you are listening closely or what they are saying, while constantly looking away would show a lack of attention.

1. What is the purpose of the author in writing the text?

A．To explain what nonverbal communication is.

B．To introduce some universal body languages.

C．To compare nonverbal cues and verbal ones.

D．To discuss the cultural shock of communication.

2. According to the author, the meaning of ________ differs across cultures.

A．smiling	B．grunting
C．bowing	D．screaming

3. What is Paragraph 6 mainly about?

A．Body language is the most frequently studied by scientists.

B．Body language relies on body movements to convey messages.

C．Body language can be used to express your different meanings.

D．Body language varies very slightly from one country to another.

【推荐2】In recent times, vegetarianism has become more popular, but it is still not the best option for many. If you may be contemplating removing meat from your diet but do not want to go completely meat-free, perhaps try going meat-free for just one day a week.

Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian and author of Plant Powered for Life, discusses how “research consistently shows that plant based diets are linked with a lower risk of obesity, hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer”.

She says, “Even going meatless one day a week can make a difference, as you increase all of those whole plant-foods beans, wholegrains , nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits-and decrease more animal foods, in particular red and processed meat. A high intake of these foods has been linked with increased disease risk.”

Deciding to have a more plant-based diet also increases your intake of fiber, vitamins healthy fats and minerals. To help to do this, stocking your fridge with a variety of beans, seasonable veggies , wholegrains, herbs, nuts and seeds is Palmer’s secret to eating more plant-based meals.

Palmer’s other recommendation is “plantifying” your favorite dishes. “Just make your favorite entrees or meals plant-based, with a few swaps.If you love Taco Tuesday, make your tacos veggie by skipping the meat and serving black beans or a vegetarian mushroom with tofu filling. If you love Indian food, skip the chicken masala and have chickpea masala instead. These will be foods you already love and are familiar with.”

Her biggest advice is to pick one day a week to follow through this and mark it on your calendar. “I love the Meatless Monday idea because people often start their best behavior at the beginning of the week... However, there may be a better day of the week for you. So just plan it,” Palmer said.

1. What does the underlined words “contemplating” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean.?

A．Stopping

B．Delaying

C．Resisting

D．Considering.

2. The writer mentions Sharon Palmer as a registered dietitian and author of a book probably because he wants his readers to______.

A．firmly believe Palmer’s advice	B．better understanding Palmer’s theory
C．buy Palmer’s popular book	D．know the popularity of Palmer’s advice.

3. To “plantify” your favorite dishes, you just________.

A．try going meat-free one day a week

B．stock your fridge with whole plant foods

C．use vegetable filings, not meat for dumplings

D．plan a meatless day of the week as you like.

4. How about Palmer’s advice according to the text?

A．Theoretical

B．Practical

C．Boring

D．Unrealistic.

【推荐3】A hobby is a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one’s leisure (空闲) time. By continually taking part in a particular hobby, one can acquire practical skill and knowledge in that area. Is travel a good hobby? Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education and, in the elder, a part of experience. Some may think otherwise. To them, visiting churches, castles, libraries, etc. is an absolute waste of time. They may further say that one can read the account of these or see the films of the important places of the world. They forget that touch of actuality gives a different type of satisfaction.

Travelling may be an expensive hobby but it makes up for the financial loss. If a traveller has interest in life, one can find much to keep oneself absorbed and happy. A student of any stream can definitely find something of his own interest and studies. One can definitely find everything that satisfies his desire for knowledge and feelings.

As a hobby, travelling keeps us busy during leisure time; it is the best method to make use of time. Till a person breaks from dull routine, physically and mentally, one cannot find satisfaction. Travelling helps us to achieve this break. At a new place, one is curious to know and eager to gather all the unknown information about the place which he has neither read nor heard before and he gets thrills and surprises which keep the interest and enthusiasm alive and encourage us to keep our journey on.

While travelling, one comes across a number of people from varied backgrounds and places. By interacting with them, he also comes to know about their traditions. One increases one’s experience and power to understand others. Understanding human nature is, perhaps, the best part of education. Travelling satisfies all demands of a good hobby — it is absorbing education and fun to the mind, body and soul.

1. What is Paragraph 1 intended to do?

A．To introduce the topic of travel.

B．To encourage people to travel.

C．To compare a hobby with travelling.

D．To stress the importance of travelling.

2. What can be learnt from Paragraph 2?

A．Taking up a hobby is necessary.

B．Travelling costs too much money.

C．People can learn much by travelling.

D．Only travelling can make people happy.

3. What does the author think of travelling?

A．Interesting and cheap.

B．Beneficial but boring.

C．Interesting and educational.

D．Disappointing but encouraging.

4. How is the text developed?

A．By raising and answering questions.

B．By giving opinions and examples.

C．By sharing experiences and stories.

D．By making comparisons and definitions.