【推荐3】Gratitude in difficult times

You may be without a job, have an illness or face a difficult situation of some kind this Thanksgiving. We often face difficult times that we must go through.     1     But by being more grateful for what we do have, we can increase our happiness by 25%. Here are some ways to practice gratitude, especially helpful during difficult times.

Look for a Hidden Opportunity.

In bad times, look for an opportunity that may exist, yet may not be so obvious.     2     However, perhaps it’s time to change life’s direction and look for work that is more suited to your talents and passions. Life changes, even the bad ones, can lead to good things and perhaps be the blessing of a lifetime.

Create a Gratitude List.

Are there 10, 20, 30 or 50 things you can be grateful for? Try 100! This may be easy for some people, but for others a little more difficult. Start to think about things that you might be taking for granted like your warm bed, a hot cup of coffee, the unconditional love of a child or your health. Blessings exist everywhere.     3    

Each Day Is a Gift.

Reflect on all that you are grateful for before the day begins.     4     You can simply say thank you for the day as soon as you wake up. This puts us right in the morning and starts our day on a good note instead of starting the day out with negative thoughts.

    5    

Showing gratitude to our loved ones and to strangers every day can be uplifting for both the giver and receiver. We are often so consumed with our daily routines that we may take people for granted. But if we say thanks, we can make someone’s day.

A．Make Gratitude a Habit.

B．Express Your Gratitude.

C．For example, a job loss can present all kinds of fears.

D．You can refer to your gratitude list when feeling down.

E．This starts the day with feelings of hope, peace and happiness.

F．You can set aside some time each day to think about feelings of gratitude.

G．When we are in difficult times, it’s harder to see the good among our troubles.

【推荐1】Join us for an in-depth look at a range of our courses. Our Subject Masterclasses run throughout the year, we will update this page with future sessions at regular intervals throughout the year. Both UK and international students are welcome to attend.

What are they?

Subject Masterclasses are subject-specific events that offer students the chance to experience typical undergraduate teaching at the University of Cambridge. The events are designed for students looking to apply in October 2024, including mature students.

Each Masterclass includes:

·two taster sessions delivered by academic staff from the University

·an introduction to the Cambridge admissions process

·the chance to hear about life as a Cambridge student from current undergraduates

How do I book?

The events are open to individuals at a cost of £12.50 for online and £20 for in-person.

Booking is essential and must be made in advance of the Masterclass through our online store. Bookings will close approximately one week prior to each Masterclass, so do ensure you book in advance if you wish to attend.

Funded places are available for qualified students and must be booked by the deadline shown in the table below. Please find our criteria and application form, on our Funded Place web page.

We will be announcing more Subject Masterclasses throughout the year so sign up to our Student Newsletter for dates and subjects.

1. Who will find the events useful?

A．Students who lack money.

B．Students who want to study in Cambridge.

C．Students who just graduated from university.

D．Students who dreamt to be employed by Cambridge.

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．It is cheaper to book the event in person.

B．Masterclasses are only available in summer.

C．You don’t need to book for the Masterclass.

D．Students have the chance to get financial support.

3. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A website.	B．A magazine.
C．A brochure.	D．A book.

【推荐2】阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

It’s break time. Molly sat at the picnic table alone while the rest of the students were running freely. The new girl was once again excluding herself from the midday celebration. Even though the school had been in session for several weeks already, she remained awkward around her classmates.

Brianna, the class clown, was standing near the playground and making the other students laugh as usual. I interrupted her fun and asked her to come to talk with me. “Brianna, do you see Molly down there?” I asked. “She looks very lonely. Would you mind walking down there and inviting her to come here to be with the rest of us?” I patted her on the shoulder.

Brianna sighed. I could tell she didn’t want to waste her precious time on what I was saying, but I also knew her heart. She was sweet and kind and often thought of others, so I chose her for this task on purpose.

Seeing that this choice pained her, I took a D-buck, our class currency, from my pocket. Though it was not the best way to handle this situation, I needed to ensure her cooperation. “Here, I’ll pay you for your time,” I said. She smiled, grasped the green paper, and headed towards Molly.

My eyes focused on Brianna as she neared the picnic table. After talking for a while, Molly turned to a standing position. Then I felt a sense of relief. The girls walked back together. Several minutes later, Brianna walked to me and handed me the D-buck, saying, “I shouldn’t keep this, because I don’t want Molly to think I only went to her for a D-buck. She is my friend.”

Then Brianna went back to her group. A moment later, they were all laughing again, and Molly was one of them.

1. What did the author ask Brianna to do? (no more than 15 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did the author select Brianna to finish the task? (no more than 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to? (no more that 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
4. Why did the author feel a sense of relief? (no more than 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What do you think of Brianna? Please explain the reason. (no more than 20 words)
__________________________________________________________________________

【推荐2】When we’re on the treadmill (跑步机), we’re more likely to bethinking about whether we’re going to make it another mile than’what’s in our workout clothing. But our favorite sports club are likely to be made from synthetic (合成的) fabrics, all of which are essentially plastic often created with harmful chemical additives. Now, a study conducted by the University of Birmingham shows the chemical additives from our workout clothing are available to be absorbed through our skin.

Previously, researchers have tended to focus on our exposure to plastic through diet,but the new study raises awareness that humans can be expesed to plastic chemicals through our skin, too. And because harmful chemicals accumulate lowly and stick around in our bodies, repeared and multi-source exposure can result in having high concentrations of chemicals inside us, potentially contributing to health effects.

The Birmingham study focused on a class of compounds (化合物) called brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are used to prevent burning in a wide range of consumer products including fabrics, and are linked to adverse health effects such as hormonal disorders and mental problems.

It’s known that sweat contains oil. Researchers found the oil has a chemical nature that encourages the chemicals in plastic to dissolve and spread.“In short, oil substances in our sweat help the bad chemicals to come out of the microplastic fibers and become available for human absorption,”says Dr. Abdallah of the Urnversity of Birmingham. An easy way to avoid exposure to these chemicals is to wear clothing made of sustainably produced textiles, which dont contain the bad chemicals associated with plastic materials. Check fabric labels for items that are mostly organic cotton, he mp or merino wool. Visit brand websites to see if they make an effort to list their suppliers, and where their products come from, including their dye houses and mills. Abdallah says he minimizes synthetic fabrics in his home, meanwhile wearing natural fibers like cotton. “Why be exposed to these chemicals even at low levels?”he says.“Why not avoid the risks?”

1. What is found in the study by the Birmingham University?

A．Sports clothes are fit for treadmill exercise.

B．Plastic produces harmful chemical additives.

C．Gym clothes may release poisonous chemicals.

D．People are exposed to chemicals through plastic.

2. What does the underlined word“adverse in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Unknown.

B．Harmful.

C．Similar.

D．Beneficial.

3. What role does the oil in sweat play in the absorption of chemicals?

A．It frees bad chemicals out of clothes.

B．It produces bad chemicals with plastic.

C．It prevents harmful chemicals spreading.

D．It keeps chemicals in the fibers of clothes.

4. What does the author suggest about our workout clothing?

A．Choosing famous brands.	B．Contacting the suppliers.
C．Visiting the chemical plants.	D．Wearing pure cotton clothes.

【推荐3】An earthquake happens when two plates rub together. The earth plates travel in different directions and at a different speed. If one plate is slowly forced underneath the other，pressure(压力)builds up until the plates break apart. This process(过程)causes the ground to move. It is an earth-quake. In other words，earthquakes are the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the earth’s rocky outer layer as a result of the energy stored within the earth. The strain within the rocks is suddenly released(释放).

The damage an earthquake causes depends on where it is and when it is happening. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property(财产). If it hits a large city，there may be many injuries and much destruction. Many of the areas at risk are largely populated now. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage.

Actually, there are several million small earthquakes every year. Large earthquakes, such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, caused millions of dollars in damage. In the last 500 years, millions of people have been killed by earthquakes around the world-including over 240,000 in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China.

A60-second or less earthquake can cause devastation that continues for years after the first tremor. In 1972, a series of severe earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua. Fifteen years later, the city still looked the way it had a week after the earthquake hit, because the country did not have the necessary money to rebuild it.

The shaking of the earth is sometimes not the greatest disaster. It is in the ensuing fires and floods that often the greatest damage occurs. In the 1906 earthquake, it was the fires caused after it that did the majority of the damage. An earthquake can also destroy dams high above a city or valleys, causing floods to sweep down and sweep away everything in their path.

1. Which of the following is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．An earthquake comes from the inside of the earth.

B．The earth has great energy in storage.

C．How the earth plates move.

D．How an earthquake happens.

2. What does the underlined word “ensuing” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Causing too much heat and great damage.

B．Causing many injuries and much destruction.

C．Happening as a result of another event.

D．Happening suddenly and unexpectedly.

3. By giving the example in Paragraph 4, the author wants to show that ______.

A．an earthquake doesn’t last long	B．the damage can last long
C．people in Managua suffered too much	D．Nicaragua is still a poor country