Most of us compare ourselves with others. Comparisons can help to make decisions and make us active. According to a study, 12% of our daily thoughts have something to do with making comparisons.
Why is it so easy to compare yourself with others?
Whether it’s the number of goals you’ve scored at football or how many books you’ve read, it’s easy to compare yourself with someone else. Scientists say it’s a natural behavior. Humans live in a circle and do something in common, but they act differently and get the results more or less. Although comparing can be good for you, it’s not always helpful and you can find yourself stuck in a comparison trap (陷阱). This is when you always compare yourself with others and base (建立) your feelings on how well they seem to be doing.
Can comparisons be good for you?
Comparisons can make us feel good and bad about ourselves. “Comparing up” means seeing someone do better than you and using that to inspire (激励) yourself to make higher goals and try harder. “Comparing down” is when you see someone who doesn’t seem to be doing as well as you. It can stop you from wanting to improve.
Get out of the comparison trap.
Notice how people make you feel and spend time with friends who celebrate your strengths rather than compare themselves with you. If you follow social media accounts (账号) that make you feel you are failing in any way, stop following them. The best person you can compete with is yourself. Here are some tips for making healthy comparisons.
(Chart II)
1. What does the study result in the first paragraph show?2. Why do scientists think it’s natural to compare with others?
3. Which kind of comparison does May’s idea belong to? What does it mean?
4. Who should we stay with to get out of the comparison trap?
5. What’s the best subtitle (小标题) of Tip 2?
6. How do you like comparing with others? How will you improve yourself through comparisons?
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Every time you cat seafood, you get red spots（红点）on your body. And every spring and fall, your friend gets a runny nose when you play in the garden. What’s going on? Well, you and your friend may have allergies（过敏）.
An allergy is a reaction from your immune system（免疫系统）. The immune system keeps you away from diseases by fighting germs（细菌）. But when you have allergies, it overreacts（过度反应）and tries to fight against things like grass, pollen or some foods. This makes your body feel uncomfortable.
Allergies are common around the world. According to the WHO, about 20 percent of the world’s population suffers from allergies.
Food allergies are one of the most common types. Many children can be allergic to food like milk, eggs and peanuts. If you are allergic to certain foods, you may get red spots, an upset stomach or even have difficulty breathing. So far, people haven’t found any good ways to stop food allergies. Just do not eat those foods as much as possible.
Seasonal allergies happen in most parts of the world. So how do you know if you are allergic to something? Skin（皮肤）tests are the most widely used way.
1. What is an allergy?2. What may happen when you have allergics?
3. What food can make many children be allergic to?
4. Have people found any good ways to stop food allergies?
5. How do we know if we are allergic to something?
Reaching the Top
In a rainforest there are tall trees. The top of these trees is called the canopy. Scientists want to learn about the canopy. They want to learn about everything that lives there. But it has not been easy to get to the canopy.
Meg is an American biologist, explorer, writer, and public speaker. Since she knows a lot about trees, she is sometimes called Canopy Meg. Meg has always liked trees. When she was a child, she made tree houses. Now, she has climbed to the top of trees all over the world and does great research, so she has got a nickname called “Einstein of the treetops.”
Walkways in the rainforest were Meg’s idea. Now, they are used by many people. A walkway is like a bridge that goes between the trees. It is safe and it doesn’t harm the trees. A walkway, however, cannot help scientists reach the top.
One way to reach the top is by a light raft filled with air. It has a huge net on it. A hot air balloon drops the raft onto the trees. Scientists can stand on the raft and look into the trees.
A tower crane is also a good way to get to the top. It can go above the tree tops. It can go all the way down to the ground, too. Scientists are learning about life in the canopy. They have learned there are millions of insects that are eating leaves in these treetops.
Meg’s job is to keep finding out more. She wants to help find the secrets of treetops. There are still millions of animals that no one has seen. Many of them are in the treetops.
1. What does “canopy” mean in English?2. Why is Meg called Canopy Meg?
3. What are the two ways to reach the treetops?
4. What does Meg want to find in the treetops in the future?
5. What do you want to share with others after reading the passage?
Do you know what TEDx is? It is a program that started in 2009. It mainly holds meetings for people to share ideas. In these meetings, speakers from around the world share fresh ideas about something.
My hometown held such a meeting last month. When I got to the meeting, I found many people walking around in T-shirts and always with smiles on their faces. There were cookies and sandwiches for us to eat during breaks. I liked the easy atmosphere (气氛).
At the meeting, each speaker had 15 minutes to share something. Their speeches were interesting. They talked about daily life, but very differently. A doctor said that we should all learn to be good at giving up. An architect (建筑师) said school buildings affect (影响) children’s learning. It was the first time that I had heard such ideas.
The meeting greatly opened people’s eyes. It also inspired (激发) us to think of problems from different angles (角度).
1. When did TEDx start?2. What does TEDx do?
3. Did the writer’s hometown hold the TEDx last month?
4. How long can the speaker talk about his/her ideas?
5. What does the writer think of the meeting?
E-waste means old electronics like computers, phones, and TVs that people throw away. When new electronics come out, many old ones are thrown away. These old electronics have harmful materials inside. They can hurt the environment if they get into the ground or water.
Electronics need special metals that are hard to find. Getting these metals from the earth can cause a lot of pollution. As we make more electronics, these metals become even harder to find. However, we can recycle these metals from old electronics instead of digging for new ones.
A group called WEEE is trying to show how serious the e-waste problem is. WEEE says thrown-away e-waste like rare (稀有的) metals is worth $57 billion each year. Also, UN researchers studied “invisible” e-waste, which people don’t notice much. They found that 1/6 of all e-waste is “invisible” and worth about $9.5 billion a year. Even though it’s called “invisible,” it’s a lot, weighing about 19.8 billion pounds.
Surprisingly, toys lead the “invisible” e-waste group, according to the study. In all, toys make up about 35% of the “invisible” e-waste. Every year, about 7.3 billion electronic toys are thrown away worldwide. But the problem is far larger than just toys. Home alarms, smoke alarms and power tools also lead to “invisible” e-waste.
WEEE is hoping that as more people and governments pay attention to e-waste, they will make a much greater effort to make good use of old electronics before they are thrown away. After all, there are many valuable parts in them.
| Definition (定义): The old electronics that are thrown away. | ·Harmful materials in it will pollute the ground or water. ·Special metals in it will be |
| ↖ ↗ E-waste ← ↙ ↘ | WEEE’s efforts: ·It works to remind people of the seriousness of the e-waste problem. ·It hopes more effort can be put into the |
| Seriousness: ·It makes up about 1/6 of the e-waste. ·The figure ($9.5 billion a year/19.8 billion pounds) shows the | ·They make up about 35% of the “invisible” e-waste. ·About 7.3 billion electronic toys are thrown away worldwide every year. Other causes: home alarms, smoke alarms and power tools… |
【推荐2】Many things around us may affect our feelings and moods, such as colors, weather, news and the environment. It is very important for us to be in a good mood. If we are in good spirits, we can study or work better. So we must learn to take care of ourselves and stay in a good mood. Here are some suggestions：
①Exercise and relax every day.
②Remember to eat healthy food and have a good sleep.
③Don’t keep silent. Talk with your friends, parents or teachers often. Tell them about what you think and how you feel. Try to get help from them.
④Get help from newspapers, books, TV or the Internet.
⑤Think it over before making an important decision.
⑥Get back to your everyday activities. It will give you a sense of happiness.
Things | Suggestions |
| colors weather environment | ◆Exercise and relax every day. ◆Eat healthy food and ◆Talk with others often. ◆Get help from newspapers, books, TV or the ◆Before you decide something important, think it over. ◆Get back to everyday |
【推荐3】Courage(勇气) is the ability to be brave in different kinds of situations(情形) in our life. Here and there, now and then, everyone needs courage to do something well. ①Courage may make you more confident of your success. If you have courage, you won’t show fear in face of anything difficult or dangerous. With courage, you may still smile even if you are badly ill and know you are at the end of your life. How can we build up our courage?
Believe that you will be successful. Take chances and know that you have your own talents(天资). Besides, your family and friends are always there to help you.
Exercise your courage. It is like a muscle(肌肉). ②______ _______(越多) we use it, ________ _______(越强壮) our courage will be.
Know that giving up is not a choice. It’s much easier to give up, and it takes courage to say or do what you think is right, even when other people think you are wrong.
Fight to control your fear(害怕). Courageous people may still be afraid, but the difference is that they can control their fear. They don’t let it hold them back but use it as a reminder of what they can lose if they don’t go on.
Get courage by reading inspiring(令人鼓舞的) stories of brave people. Abraham Lincoln is one of the people who you may think of.
1. How many suggestions to build up our courage are mentioned (提到) in the passage?2. 请在原文中找出和下面意思相同的一句。
Read some inspiring stories of brave people to get courage.
3. 请把①处划线句子翻译成汉语。
4. 请把②处句子补充完整，每空一词。
5. Give a proper title to the passage.
【推荐1】Staying safe online
We should learn some tips on how to use the internet safely. Have you ever clicked a strange link online? Is the password of your game account (账户) safe enough? Do you remember to log off (退出登录) after using public computers?
You may think these aren’t problems. But they can make big trouble! You may lose money, get disturbed by others, or even take part in crimes without knowing. September 5 to 11 is China Network Security Week. Let’s learn more about the importance of internet safety.
Protect yourself
Cybercriminals (网络罪犯) can break into your smart phone or computer. They put a virus (病毒) on it through a link. Then they steal your gaming account and get money from it. They can also sell your name, address and ID card number to underground markets. Then you might get lots of scam calls (诈骗电话). So, don’t click on strange links. Make your password strong enough. Ask for help when you are not sure.
Keep the country safe
Internet safety is important to a country, too. Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学) is a top university in Xi’an, Shanxi province. It is famous for its study of space. In April, the university said someone broke into their information system. Teachers and students got emails with a virus in them. More than 140GB of the school’s important data was stolen. According to China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center, the National Security Agency of the United States made the attack.
In recent years, China has called on tech companies to develop our own chips (芯片) and software. This can help with our country’s cyber security.
1. Do most people think there is a problem when they click a strange link online?2. When is China Network Security Week?
3. What do cyber criminals do when they break into your smart phone or computer?
4. Which two aspects (方面) does the writer suggest we learn about the importance of internet safety?
5. How do you understand the underlined sentence “This can help with our country’s cyber security.”?
Working Out (锻炼) through Online Videos
Physical exercise is good for our mind, body and spirit. Today, working out through online videos is becoming very popular. Since the Internet is widely used, it’s very easy for us to do so. That means we can work out anytime anywhere.
One of my friends, Lin Fei, followed short workout videos to do daily exercise. “With live programs, I feel like working out with my friends, which encourages (鼓励) me to hold on to the last minute.” she said. Another friend of mine, Michael, told me that workout videos let him feel so comfortable. “I have a fear of working out at the gym (健身房) because I don’t like being watched by others. Working out at home is much more enjoyable.” he said.
With their examples, I decided to give it a try. When I told my plan to my elder sister, a P.E. teacher, she reminded (提醒) me that workout videos could be helpful but might still carry some problems.
“Without being with someone in person, you will be less willing (愿意的) to work out to your best. Working out at the gym allows you to have advice in real time and get pushed harder,” my sister said to me. “Well, if you really want to have a try. First, choose proper programs or videos. That’s very important. And then ask your friends for advice. Their experiences can give you a good sight into what you can expect. Anyway, don’t be addicted (沉迷的) to it.You should try different ways to work out to be healthy.”
At her advice, I finally followed an online workout program with personalized (个性化的) help that is held for three months. After the first period of training, I felt it very practical and helpful when I put in the right amount (量) of work along with a strong will. Compared (对比) with going to the gym, using online videos to work out is a much cheaper and time-saving choice. But it can be difficult sometimes when I’m too lazy or too busy to stick to it.
1. Why is working out through online videos popular according to the passage?2. Does Lin Fei like working out with his friends? Why?
3. What are the problems of workout videos according to the writer’s sister?
4. Which do you like better, working out through online videos or going to the gym? Why?
Schoolwork is becoming more and more difficult for students now. Recently, some new rules (规定) have been made to make them have a happy school life.
These new rules are made for schools in Jiangsu province. They include some parts. For example, teachers of primary and junior high schools can’t reveal (公布) students’ test scores. They should use letters like A and B to grade students’ test results.
Because of COVID-19, students spent a long holiday at home. After the new term started, some schools might give more homework or classes to students. But the new rules ask schools not to do that. At the same time, students should have music, sports and art classes as usual.
People have different ideas about the new rules. Yin Fei, a college professor, says some students are not good at studying, but they can do well in other things. So it is good to cancel (取消) scores. But Peng Ming, a teacher in Nanjing, worries about that. He thinks scores are still important. Students need to get high scores to enter good colleges and parents care about their children’s scores. So the new rules are not so good for them.
回答下面5个问题，每题答案不超过6个词。
1. In which place can’t teachers reveal students’ test scores?
2. How should teachers there grade students’ test results?
3. Can schools there cancel P.E. classes in the new term?
4. What does Yin Fei think of the new rules?
5. Why does Peng Ming worry about the new rules?
