1 . In work, as well as in life, doing what needs to be done in order to reach our goals can be difficult. Without a good system in place, it is easy to lose focus, waste time and lose track of our most important tasks. Luckily, one of the most efficient(高效的)useful ways is also one of the world's easiest---the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, which breaks down your work into 25-minute blocks(一段时间)divided by short breaks. Cirillo named the system after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer(计时器)that he used to track his work time when he was studying in university, where he developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods. He realized this method could help him work with time instead of struggling against it. In 2006, Cirillo published his Pomodoro Technique manual for people to download free of charge. It was downloaded over two million times.
The Pomodoro Technique was built around a handful of important steps. First, choose a task that you'd like to get done. It can be something big, something small, or something that you've been putting off for months. What matters is that you are ready to give it your full attention.
Next, set a timer for 25 minutes. Try to spend the full 25 minutes with your complete attention on the task. Then, when the timer goes off, take a five-minute break. Sit back, have a drink, go for a short walk, or do something else that doesn't relate to work. Treat yourself to a longer break that lasts 15 to 30 minutes after you have completed four of these 30-minute cycles. In theory, the longer break will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros.
After trying the Pomodoro Technique, you may want to experiment a little. Some people have found that 90-minute blocks work best, while others might perform better with more flexible periods. It varies from person to person. Just remember, like many things in life, simpler is often better!
1. What can we know about Pomodoro Technique?| A．The technique was named after Cirillo. |
| B．Cirillo developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods in 2006. |
| C．Users of the technique can have a rest at intervals. |
| D．Cirillo got profits from Pomodoro Technique manual. |
a. Focus on the task.
b. Set out tasks.
c. Take a 5-minute break.
d. Take a longer break.
e. Repeat the cycle four times
| A．acebd | B．baced |
| C．bacde | D．acede |
| A．A 90-minute block works best. |
| B．Take a longer break that lasts 60 minutes will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros. |
| C．The time setting depends on the users. |
| D．A simple Pomodoro can make things in life better. |
| A．The introduction of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| B．The invention of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| C．The use of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| D．The effect the Pomodoro Technique brings to people. |
2 . For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to ask her mother about what she saw on the Internet. Not long ago, the 11-year-old found out that her mother had been posting her photos in her blog, without her agreement, for much of her life. "There are pictures I don't like of myself. It would be an embarrassment(令人尴尬的事)if my friends see those photos online," she said. "Now I'm even worried anytime someone has a phone out around me. I'm afraid that my photos could be taken and posted somewhere."
Not all kids feel the same when finding out they've been living a life online. Some are happy. In the fourth grade, Nate searched his name and found that he was in a news report about his making a beautiful kite in his third-grade class. He was really happy with that and he decided to search online every few months, hoping to find other things about himself online.
"I was surprised, really surprised," he said. "It made me feel famous."
He even kept saying, "Oh, I'm in a news report online." Although his friends knew that, many of his friends refused to stay close to him.
Like most other kids, Cara and Nate grew up in a society rich with social media. While many kids may not yet have accounts(账户)themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams, and organizations have been building an online presence for them since their birth. According to a study from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own life online.
"The blog posts are sure to follow the children into adulthood," says the study. "Therefore, we have to be careful about putting the children's personal information online."
1. Why does Cara want to stop her mother putting her pictures online?| A．She is not a very pretty girl. | B．Her friends keep laughing at her. |
| C．She does not like being photographed. | D．Some of the pictures are embarrassing. |
| A．They felt really happy for him. | B．Many of them stayed away from him. |
| C．Many of them did not believe him. | D．They also opened their own accounts. |
| A．parents should keep their kids away from the Internet |
| B．pictures should not be put online without kids' agreement |
| C．kids should not tell their stories of success to their friends |
| D．putting kids' information online might lead to some problems |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By reasoning. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By comparing. |
3 . The ancient village of Machu Picchu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America. It’s in Peru, high in the Andes Mountains, 8, 000 feet above sea level.
The village contains 200 buildings. Houses are in groups, and each house has a large courtyard inside its walls. The Incas(印加人) used the areas outside the groups of houses to grow corn and potatoes and to raise animals. The Incas were very good at building strong walls. Visitors to Machu Picchu still cannot fit a knife between the stones of a village home.
Machu Picchu seemed to be a healthy, busy village. So why was it lost? That is a mystery, but experts have some ideas. Machu Picchu was hard to reach. Few people outside the village knew about it. Experts think that many residents died of disease. Others fought a war. The survivors left the village.
The tourists are good for Peru’s economy, but they are not good for Machu Picchu. The village is old and fragile. Tourists damage the ruins. Thousands of footsteps from visitors wear down the walkways in the village. Salt and oil from people’s hands damage the walls. Air pollution from buses hurts the stones. Tourists do not want to damage the village, but they want to see this beautiful, ancient place.
The Peruvian government and conservation groups are trying to solve the problem. A group from the United Nations wants to limit the number of tourists each year. They also want cars and buses to use cleaner fuel.
1. What crops did the Incas grow?| A．Rice and beans. | B．Tomatoes and peas. |
| C．Wheat and peas. | D．Potatoes and corn. |
| A．The Incas knew how to make good use of the land. |
| B．Visitors still cannot fit a knife between the stones. |
| C．Footsteps wear down the walkways in the village. |
| D．Each house has a large courtyard inside its walls. |
| A．Beautiful. | B．Terrible. | C．Clean. | D．Weak. |
| A．Air pollution. | B．Feet on the walkways. |
| C．The shape of the land. | D．Hands on the walls. |
4 . Richard Campbell is a secondary school student. He is 15 years old. He lives in a small town in the north of England. Every morning, he gets up at eight o'clock, puts on his uniform and walks to school.
One hour later, the lessons start. The students usually study maths, English, history and geography in the morning. They usually study music and drawing and they play sports after lunch. They have a ten-minute break between classes. They also spend a long time in the school library, reading books and doing their homework.
Richard likes his school very much. His favourite subjects are English and geography, but he doesn’t like maths because he is not good at it.
Richard and all his friends spend the whole day at school. Lunch is at one o'clock. He doesn’t like the food that the school serves. This is why he often brings a packed lunch from home. He always has his lunch in the dining hall, but some of his friends sometimes eat in the courtyard or outside the school gate.
At weekends, he always goes out with his friends because he doesn’t go to school. On Saturday, he always goes to the cinema or to the sports centre. On Sunday, he just goes for a walk with his dog.
1. What time do Richard’s lessons begin in the morning?| A．At 8:00. | B．At 8:30. |
| C．At 9:00. | D．At 9:10. |
| A．Maths and English. | B．English and geography. |
| C．History and maths. | D．Geography and history. |
| A．In the dining hall. | B．At home. |
| C．In the courtyard. | D．Outside his school gate. |
| A．He reads and does homework. |
| B．He goes to see films or does sports. |
| C．He walks his dog or does exercise. |
| D．He spends a long time in the library. |
5 . Top Summer Music Festivals to Travel to
Summer is the best time of a year for music lovers, especially if you love the outdoor concert scene. Festival season is just kicking off, and there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months.
Primavera Sound
To kick off the summer, there’s no better place than Barcelona. On the concert lineup, you’ll find bands like The Zombies, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. Then take some time to taste the local food and wine.
May 31-June 4; Barcelona, Spain
Music Type: Rock, hip-hop
Price: $ 86-$ 323
Governors Ball
One of the great summer concerts in New York City is Governor’s Ball, which takes place in early June at Randall’s Island Park. Some of the playing artists include Tool, Phoenix, Lorde, Flume, and the Wu-Tang Clan.
June 2-4; New York City, New York, USA
Music Type: Rock, hip-hop, pop
Price: $ 105-$ 405
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo is another summer event that draws in crowds of around 60,000 each year. Some of the most well-known musicians will be playing this year, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper.
June 8-11; Manchester, Tennessee, USA
Music Type: Rock, hip-hop
Price: $ 210-$ 554
Firefly Music Festival
Many people haven’t thought of going to Delaware for a summer vacation, but mid-June is a great time to plan this trip if you love music. Headliners for this year’s show are The Weeknd, Muse, Twenty One Pilots, Chance the Rapper, and Bob Dylan.
June 15-18; Dover, Delaware, USA
Music Type: Blues, rock
Price: $ 179-$ 499
1. What is special about Firefly Music Festival?| A．It performs Blues. | B．It is popular with travelers. |
| C．It is held in summer. | D．It has many famous musicians. |
| A．On May 31. | B．On June 3. | C．On June 9. | D．On June 15. |
| A．These four music festivals are intended for music professionals. |
| B．The Zombies is a music game for students from music school to play. |
| C．Some famous musicians will take part in the event to be held in Manchester. |
| D．Chance the Rapper will not tour around the world but just stay in one city. |
6 . Meat and vegetables are measured in grams and kilograms. Milk and other liquid foods are measured in liters or milliliters. These units only measure quantity: they do not measure the value of the food to the body. The unit which measures the quality or value of food is the calorie(热量单位：卡). This measurement tells how much energy a certain food has when it is completely used by the body.
Our bodies use various amount of calories. The more exercise we take, the more calories we burn. If we eat food which contains more calories than we use up, then it is possible that we would increase in weight. In order to avoid becoming overweight, it is advisable to eat a balanced diet and not to eat too many foods that have more calories. The table below gives you some idea of the number of calories in food.
| Meats | Fruits | Sweets and Pastries | Vegetables |
| Slice of bacon 50 | Apple 70 | Small chocolate bar 190 | 60g bean 15 |
| Hamburger 300 | Orange 60 | Large chocolate bar 225 | 60g carrot 18 |
| Slice of beef 100 | Pear 80 | Slice apple pie 300 | 60g potato 60 |
| Sausage 180 | Banana 80 | Doughnut 200 | 60g onion 25 |
| Meat pie 500 | Plum 20 | Scoop of ice cream 85 | 60g cucumber 10 |
| Sausage roll 350 | Tomato 20 | Bag of potato crisps 145 | 60g cabbage 15 |
1. Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．The units of measurement. | B．How to measure the quality of food. |
| C．How to keep fit | D．Calories in foods. |
| A．6. | B．7. | C．5. | D．8 |
| A．chocolate | B．meat pies | C．apple pies | D．fruit |
| A．When we sleep. | B．While watching a play. |
| C．While working in the fields. | D．After getting up. |
7 . Student travel promises to be an enjoyable trip. Not only can students visit several places, they also can learn so much on every trip. For first-time travelers, here are some historical destinations for students to travel.
Athens
It was the center of knowledge, government and system in the ancient world, and every student would be amazed at how this ancient city grew and evolved. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens. Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinian and other ancient sites in this, ancient city of Athens.
Egypt
Egypt features 3,000 years old city on the banks of River Nile. Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the famous Great Pyramid stands. It was built by Pharaoh Khufu in 2550 BC. Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.
Rome
See ancient Rome still shine with evidences of Raman structure and architectures built more than 2,000 years ago Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to the dawn of the Romantic period and Enlightenment (启蒙运动). Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.
Peru
As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for students travel for discovery of South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac to have a visit.
1. What are the four destinations famous for?| A．Various arts. | B．Traditional custom. |
| C．Important location. | D．Ancient civilization. |
| A．Cairo. | B．Dahshur. |
| C．Giza. | D．Saqqara. |
| A．A student diary. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A research paper. | D．A sports magazine. |
8 . If there is one piece of advice I have for people today to experience more joy in life, it is to travel more. Making the journey out to somewhere you’ve never gone before with an open schedule, to let life show you what are waiting for you.
As Danny Kaye once said, to travel is to take a journey into yourself. As you travel you get close to more new people, cultures, and lifestyles than those in your homeland all the time. With all the newness in your life, you’re also opened to new thoughts, ways of seeing the world and living.
Saint Augustine said “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” When you travel, you may realize how kind and friendly strangers can be. Beyond that, you have the whole world to learn about with every place you discovered, every person you met and every culture you experienced.
Tim Cahill claimed that a journey is best measured (测量) in friends, rather than miles. One of the first things you can learn from traveling is how easy it is to make friends. Something magical happens when they’re open to express themselves without feeling judged. That’s how you can become best friends with people when you’ve only known them for a few hours.
Helen Keller thought that life is either a brave adventure or nothing. Life is a wonderful gift. You can experience it and take action from now rather than say “I wish I had”, so you can say “I’m glad I did”.
1. The purpose for the author to write this text is to ______.| A．talk about his travel experience |
| B．explain the benefits of traveling |
| C．give advice about how to travel |
| D．introduce some famous travelers |
| A．increase your chances of reading books |
| B．encourage you to make many new friends |
| C．help you know more about your inner heart |
| D．ensure you feel your whole life is worth living |
| A．You can realize how friendly strangers are. |
| B．You can measure people’s features carefully. |
| C．You can perform magic tricks during the trip. |
| D．You can express your true self to other people. |
| A．supportive. | B．curious. | C．patient. | D．doubtful. |
9 . Mrs Black lives in a small village. Her husband is dead. Her son, Jack, lived with her. He worked in a shop in the village, but then he found a job in town named Greensea. He went to live there. Mrs Black was very angry. She got on a train and went to see her son. Then she said to him, "Jack, why do you never telephone me?"
Jack laughed, "But, mother, you haven't got a telephone. ""No. "she answered, "I haven't, but you have got one. "
1. The old Black ______.| A．is dead | B．lives with his wife |
| C．went to a small village | D．worked in a shop |
| A．before | B．when | C．after | D．so |
| A．a big city | B．a small village | C．a town | D．a man's name |
| A．he had no phone | B．he was very busy |
| C．his mother had no phone | D．he went home every day |
10 . When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.
On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he'd walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.
Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice："Whatever is wrong will pass. You're going to be OK, just hang on." He then smiled again and walked away.
I can't explain the effect of that man's unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I'd lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.
That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything.
If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
1. Where did the writer meet with the young man？
| A．In the school. | B．In the school bus. | C．In the classroom. | D．In the library. |
| A．had known the young man for a long time |
| B．made friends with the young man afterwards |
| C．was grateful to that young man very much |
| D．avoided meeting the young man since then |
| A．show his sympathy to those who are badly ill |
| B．give others hope of life when they are in trouble |
| C．realize his promise made to the young man |
| D．get respect from those who were helped by him |
| A．the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble |
| B．it was the young man's smile and words that made the author feel hopeful |
| C．the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man |
| D．the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed |
