1 . Many of us mistakenly believe that it's wrong to think we have any good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed(有缺陷)?
If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn't like you might be fearful, or shallow, or busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.
Don't take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. For all the factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least as many factors that will work in your favor with someone else.
You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don’t mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people out there looking for loyalty, or fun, or sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior(自卑) because you don't have much money and you don't drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason that you don't have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.
The point is that you can focus on just about anything and believe it's the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.
1. According to the author ________plays an important role in making friends.A.modesty | B.confidence |
C.admitting your shortcomings | D.self criticism |
A.you may not be the one to be blamed |
B.you and that person misunderstand each other |
C.you should find the reason in yourself |
D.you’d better talk with the person face to face |
A.you’ll have few friends if your flaws a re bigger than your good qualities |
B.your negative qualities cause a person to reject you |
C.your weakness may also be your strengths in some way |
D.your good qualities may turn out to be your flaws |
A.Inner qualities are more important than physical appearance. |
B.It is easier for a wealthy person to make friends. |
C.It is important to lose weight. |
D.If you are not beautiful enough, try to improve your physical beauty. |
A.How to lose weight. |
B.How to make friends. |
C.How to make self criticism. |
D.How to find your good qualities. |
2 . As I work in the garden, I take my time. And the garden is
I take time to stand back and rest, and to
Getting my hands
I feel attracted to move things around to transplant and to
Perhaps life is like the
A.telling | B.concerning | C.worrying | D.teaching |
A.destroy | B.affect | C.promote | D.exchange |
A.quality | B.color | C.shape | D.weight |
A.water | B.air | C.weather | D.wind |
A.approximately | B.constantly | C.exactly | D.occasionally |
A.pulled | B.planted | C.guarded | D.provided |
A.make sense | B.find out | C.work out | D.make sure |
A.tend | B.observe | C.count | D.examine |
A.beautiful | B.average | C.amazing | D.unique |
A.prevent | B.separate | C.shade | D.remove |
A.open | B.delicate | C.straight | D.vivid |
A.energy | B.light | C.soil | D.space |
A.empty | B.dirty | C.broken | D.free |
A.awake | B.tired | C.alive | D.independent |
A.disturb | B.find | C.enjoy | D.guide |
A.discovers | B.transforms | C.draws | D.follows |
A.changes | B.reflection | C.laws | D.development |
A.plant | B.sun | C.fruit | D.garden |
A.rest | B.quit | C.offer | D.fight |
A.expect | B.accept | C.picture | D.receive |
This 7,000-square-foot museum aims to entertain and educate children up to age 9. In its Global City exhibit, people can go shopping for groceries, order lunch at a diner, pretend that they’re doctors or construction workers, and more. In other fun exhibits, they learn about Austin’s history, explore the world of water, and experience life on a large Texas farm.
Open time: From Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.~5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, 12:00 a.m.~5:00 p.m.
Address: 201 Colorado St, Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: 512-4722499
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Founded in 1899, it is the world’s oldest children’s museum, featuring interactive exhibits, workshops, and special events. The Mystery of Things teaches children about cultural and scientific objects and Music Mix welcomes young virtuosos (名家).
Open time: From Wednesday to Friday, 2:00 p.m.~5:00 p.m.
On Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.~5:00 p.m.
Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, New York 1213
Phone: 718-7354400
Children’s Discovery Museum
This museum’s hand-on exhibits explore the relationships between the natural and the created worlds, and among people of different cultures and times. Exhibits include Streets, a 5/8-scale copy of an actual city, with streets lights, and waterworks, which shows how pumps can move water through a reservoir system.
Open time: From Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.~5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, from noon. Closed on holidays.
Address: 180 Woz Way, Guadalupe River Park, San Jose, California 95110
Phone: 408-2985437
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This museum is the largest of its kind. Exhibits cover science, culture, space, history, and explorations. Among them are the Space Quest Planetarium (additional fee), the 33-foot-high Water Clock, the Playscape gallery for preschools, and the Dinosphere exhibit, along with hand-on science exhibits.
The largest gallery, the Center for Exploration, is designed for ages 12 and up.
Open time: From Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m.~5:00 p.m.
Closed on Thanksgiving Day and December 25.
Address: 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
Phone: 317-3343322
1. Suppose that December 25 is Tuesday, which of the following museums can you visit?A.Austin Children’s Museum. | B.Brooklyn Children’s Museum. |
C.Children’s Discovery Museum. | D.Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. |
A.Texas | B.New York | C.California | D.Indiana |
A.the Center for Exploration | B.the Space Quest Planetarium |
C.the Global City exhibit | D.Waterworks |
A.culture | B.history | C.explorations | D.special events |
A.ask adults to visit museums |
B.compare some museums and decide which one is the best |
C.introduce some museums and encourage parents to visit them with their children |
D.introduce some exhibits and museums to foreigners |
4 . Being able to find high quality health care at an affordable price is a problem to be solved in many countries. In the United States, Walmart, a large chain store, is trying to help. It is offering something new to its employees: cutting the cost of a doctor’s appointment to only $4 instead of the usual $40 for the same service.
The catch is that the patient and doctor must meet over the internet. This online service is called “telemedicine.”
Walmart is the latest major business in the United States to push its workers toward a high-tech way to be examined and treated by doctors. Thanks to telemedicine, people can talk with medical experts from the privacy of their own homes, often using a secure video connection.
Supporters say online visits make it easier for patients to see an expert or quickly find help for problems considered non-emergencies.
Some healthcare needs are well-suited for telemedicine. It can help people seeking treatment for insect bites or skin conditions. Patients who have had medical treatments and cannot move around easily can use telemedicine for their follow-up visits. Also, people seeking help for mental health issues can benefit from the privacy that telemedicine gives.
But still, many people do not use telemedicine, they continue to go to the doctor’s office when they are sick. 80 percent of middle-size and large U.S. companies offered telemedicine services to their workers in 2018. However, only 8 percent of its employees used telemedicine at least once in 2017.
Compared with seeing a real doctor in person, some people may think the quality of telemedicine is not as good. Parents, for example, may feel they are not giving their child the best care if they use a virtual doctor appointment. Older adults may look forward to their in-person doctor appointments. For them, going to the doctor’s office is a big event, something they look forward to.
Another reason some adults may not use telemedicine services is trust. Tom Hill, aged 66, says he has no plans to ever use telemedicine. He does not buy anything online, let alone do something as personal as seeing a doctor. He says, for him, it is important to look his doctor in the eye and shake hands.
However, for some people, especially young people and busy students, telemedicine might be a good choice. It can cut down on the time away from work. It can also cut down on the cost of doctor visits.
1. What is Walmart trying to help with?A.Finding something new for its employees. |
B.Promoting the online service “telemedicine”. |
C.Cutting the online cost of a doctor’s appointment. |
D.Reducing the cost of seeing a doctor at a much lower price. |
A.It enables patients to see doctors at home for free. |
B.It has become increasingly popular in America. |
C.It is the online service that is provided by most large US companies. |
D.It makes it easier to see a doctor for emergency problems. |
A.Because their company doesn’t provide telemedicine. |
B.Because they don’t trust the doctors online. |
C.Because they look forward to a virtual doctor appointment. |
D.Because they have made friends with the doctors. |
A.Jenny, a shy woman who suffers from mental illness. |
B.Smith, a grandpa who has been bitten by a running dog. |
C.Wilson, a worker who got seriously injured in a car accident. |
D.Kate, a mother whose kid is suffering from a skin disease. |
A.Positive. | B.Negative. | C.Objective. | D.Doubtful. |
5 . Pre-school children who spend time together take on one another's personalities, a new research has found. The study shows that environment plays a key role in shaping people's personalities. While genetics still forms the central part of the human psyche (心理), the research finds that personality traits (特征) are "contagious" (传染的) among children. "Our finding flies in the face of common assumptions that personality can't be changed," said Dr. Jennifer Neal, co-author of the study.
The researchers studied the personalities and social networks of two pre-school classes for a full school year. One of the classes was a set of three-year-olds, and the other a set of four-year-olds. Children whose friends were hard-working or outgoing gradually took on these personality traits over time. Psychology expert Dr. Emily Dublin said kids are having a far bigger effect on each other than people may realize.
The new study is not the first to explore the contagious effects of personality traits. A 2015 psychology study found that rudeness at work can be contagious as it travels from person to person "like a disease". The study found that seeing a boss being rude to an employee was enough to cause people to be rude to those around them.
The researchers questioned 6,000 people on the social "climate" in their workplaces, which included offices, hotels and restaurants. They found 75 percent of those who took part said they had been treated rudely at least once in the past year. And the study also suggests that merely seeing other people being subjected to rudeness made it more likely that a person would treat their colleagues in the same way. Rudeness could include leaving someone off an invite to a company event, sending unkind emails, finding fault with others or failing to give praise.
Dr. Torkelson believes companies need to be more aware of the harm that rudeness in the workplace can do as it can damage the working environment. She said better training could help to fight against the problem.
1. What does the underlined part "flies in the face of" in Paragraph1mean?A.Leads to. | B.Results from. |
C.Goes against. | D.Agrees with. |
A.Their parents. | B.Their friends. |
C.The researchers. | D.The psychologists. |
A.Ignoring the faults of co-workers. |
B.Not sending emails to workmates. |
C.Seeking praise from colleagues and bosses. |
D.Not inviting a colleague to a company party. |
A.One's personality is hard to change. |
B.One's personality is shaped by genes. |
C.One's personality traits can spread to others. |
D.One's personality traits can change overnight. |
A.a science report | B.a study guide |
C.a school textbook | D.a technical journal |
6 . All he wanted was some juice. As high school students sat in a cafeteria on that cloudy afternoon, he was
He stood at the drink machine on purpose, fumbling(摸索) in his
With a determined expression, he continued to
Although it was clear that they were from very different
A.hungry | B.thirsty | C.anxious | D.popular |
A.worrying | B.arguing | C.taking | D.learning |
A.expected | B.volunteered | C.forced | D.preferred |
A.real | B.beautiful | C.expensive | D.fake |
A.nervously | B.proudly | C.carelessly | D.angrily |
A.Under | B.With | C.At | D.For |
A.test | B.mark | C.accept | D.prove |
A.shouting | B.quarreling | C.singing | D.laughing |
A.tremble | B.shout | C.smile | D.fight |
A.satisfied | B.defeated | C.tired | D.bored |
A.praise | B.comfort | C.drink | D.reward |
A.carelessly | B.regularly | C.patiently | D.secretly |
A.rose | B.struggled | C.jumped | D.fell |
A.cafeteria | B.waitress | C.shop | D.machine |
A.what | B.where | C.why | D.when |
A.feelings | B.manners | C.directions | D.steps |
A.worlds | B.schools | C.villages | D.offices |
A.understanding | B.choice | C.offer | D.opinion |
A.juice | B.dollar | C.girl | D.change |
A.selfish | B.wise | C.caring | D.brave |
7 . US Open Championships
The US Open has been in existence for more than 130 years. The first tournament was held in 1881 at the Newport Casino. It was called the US National Singles Championship. Entry was limited to only those clubs which were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, and the competitors were all male, competing in both singles and doubles. Richard Sears won the men's championship and he went on to win the next six men's singles championships.
The Wimbledon
In 1875, the All England Croquet Club was troubled financially due to declining membership. A new sport called lawn tennis was gaining fast in popularity and taking away the members. Two years later, a new roller was needed for maintaining its lawns so the club proposed to hold a tournament to raise money. Twenty-two players entered that first Wimbledon tournament which was won by Spencer Gore in straight sets over W. C. Marshall. Two hundred spectators each paid a shilling to watch the final game, enabling the club to buy the needed roller plus some extra cash.
The French Open
The very first French Championship was way back in 1891, and the tournament has since grown into one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments we know today. The first competition was a one-day national championship which was won by a British. The competition was poorly attended by world class players. It took 24 years before it became fully international and an accepted tennis grand slam event. After the First World War, French tennis was achieving stature. Suzanne Lenglen was the predominant French player, winning the championships six times between 1920 and 1926.
The Australian Open
The very first tennis tournament ever played in Australia was held in January 1880, on the courts of the Melbourne Cricket Club. In 1905, the Australian Open was established as the Australasian Tennis Championship and was played at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne. It became the Australian Championship in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969. Women's events were added in 1922.
1. Which of the following statements about the first U.S. Open is right?A.It has a history of 130 years. |
B.Only men were allowed to play in the game. |
C.Richard Sears won six championships. |
D.It has remained about the same through all these years. |
A.raise some fund for a lawn roller | B.attract more people to play tennis |
C.attract more audience to watch the game | D.celebrate the renaming of the club |
A.the tournament has been played in the same place all these years |
B.twenty-two players played in the first tournament |
C.few good tennis players took part in the first French Championship |
D.the players played in singles and doubles in the tournament |
A.they were all born in the same year |
B.they all had only male players in the first tournament |
C.they have all experienced financial difficulties |
D.they all have had a history of 130 years or more |
A.how the four international tennis tournaments came into being |
B.how long it took for women to have the right to play in the game |
C.how the four international tennis tournaments get their present names |
D.why the tennis tournaments are held in these four countries |
8 . 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” “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 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. Brown, 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 responsibility,” said the nurse, “because it's a large puddle(水坑).”The housekeeper didn't agree. “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. What does the underlined part “get on” mean?A.Succeed. | B.Struggle | C.Serve. | D.Exist. |
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 |
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 first step out of our present circumstances. |
D.We should bear responsibility regardless of situations. |
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. |
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. |
9 . Round and Round They Go
Space is becoming more crowded. On December 3, a Falcon 9 rocket made by Space X thundered into the sky. On board were 64 small satellites, more than any American company had launched before in one go. They have a variety of uses, from space-based- radar to the monitoring of radio-frequency- emissions.
These objects are part of the latest breed of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. This launch is just taste of what is planned. Space X and One Web, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds. The pair are set to double the total number of satellites in orbit by 2027.
That promises to change things dramatically on Earth. LEO satellites can bring internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable or unaffordable. This will also be a lasting source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1. I trillion by 2040. New internet satellites will account for a half this increase.
For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris(碎片)is the most familiar concern. As long ago as 1978, Donald Kessler, a scientist at NASA, proposed situation in which, when enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all space craft in its orbital plane(平面). The syndrome which bears Mr. Kessler's name weighs heavily on the minds of executives at the new satellite firms. Debris could cause entire tracts(广阔的一片) of space to be unusable for decades.
Solutions exist. One is to grab malfunction satellites and pull them down into Earth's atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more intensively for debris; a US Air Force program me called Space Fence is due to start in 2019. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to govern the safe disposal(清除) of old satellites from low-Earth orbit. The United States' Federal Communications Commission is revising its regulations with this in mind. Other countries should follow suit.
Cyber-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers could take control of a satellite and seal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world's population comes to rely on the infrastructure of space for access to the internet, the need for action intensifies.
The third issue follows from the first two. If a simple mistake or a cyber-attack can cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, who is liable? Underwriters(保险商) are studying the plans of firms that wish to operate large numbers of satellites. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.
As space becomes more commercialized mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.
1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?A.They are supposed to limit the space economy. |
B.They are expected to increase in large numbers. |
C.They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible. |
D.They are mainly intended to bring internet connectivity to remote areas. |
A.depending entirely on the modern technology |
B.monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully |
C.strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely |
D.destroying all the satellites with problems instantly |
A.Measure. | B.Increase. | C.Spread. | D.Repeat. |
A.Lack of satellite regulations. |
B.Loss of intellectual property. |
C.Crisis of confidence in the field. |
D.Slow response of satellite industry. |
A.It should be further confirmed for its ownership. |
B.It should be continued because of its advantages. |
C.It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks. |
D.It should be stopped in face of the space economy. |
10 . Great Barrier Reef Choking on Pollutants
Attempts to protect the Great Barrier Reef are failing. A report released Monday by the government in Australia says water quality in the Great Barrier Reef is far below what it should be. It showed that pollution have decreased, but not enough to reach environmental targets.
Sediment (沉淀物) and chemicals can weaken coral, hurting its ability to feed and grow. Coral are live animals that take root in the ocean floor, but they are not plants. Reefs are the hard skeletons (骨架) left at the bottom of the sea by small marine creatures called polyps (珊瑚虫). The polyps then form the larger structure of a reef. Corals also are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the entire planet. They can make a home for invertebrates, crustaceans, fish, and sea snakes.
Steve Miles is Queensland’s environment minister. He says the research shows the Reef needs more protection. “Over that five-year period, we did see some progress towards our targets. Sediment is down 12 percent and pesticides (杀虫剂) loads are down 30 percent. But what is most disturbing is that these results are far from our targets. Progress towards these targets flat-lined in the period 2013-2014. If one of my kids came home with a report card like this, I would be a bit disappointed. There is more bad news here than good news. ” said Steve Miles.
The report also found that fewer than one-third of Queensland’s sugar plantations used techniques to reduce the use of pesticides. Only 28 percent of land managers managed their land properly. They had reduced harmful water run off to protect the health of the Reef. The official target is a 90 percent reduction in pesticide use within three years.
Scientists at the University of Queensland and the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences published their findings Wednesday, July 18 in the journal Science Advances. It found between 1992 and 2010, the recovery rate dropped by an average of 84 percent. But there is hope. The study also found some corals can recover quickly if “acute and chronic stressors” are lessened.
Meanwhile, the Australian government released its updated reef protection plan Friday. It clearly states global temperatures must be stopped from rising in order to save the world’s largest living structure.
1. What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?A.Diverse ecosystems. | B.Sediment and chemicals. |
C.Reefs and corals. | D.Small sea creatures. |
A.He is satisfied with the protection of the Reef. |
B.He thinks that the Reef needs more protection. |
C.He feels angry with what his children did. |
D.He is very happy about the Reef progress protection. |
A.Not increase significantly. | B.Disappear. |
C.Speed up. | D.Miss the chance. |
A.were tough to deal with | B.failed to manage their land properly |
C.reduced the amount of harmful water | D.were eager to quit pesticide soon |
A.A news report. | B.A science fiction. |
C.A book review. | D.A guide book. |