1 . I entered a cabinetmaking(家具制造)program. I didn’t think I would be good at making furniture. I’m not handy. Nobody in my family is.

I had great teachers, but making furniture is hard. There are so many steps and something can go wrong at each one. I couldn’t even get organized. My toolbox always looked as if a hurricane had gone through it.

I didn’t fully know what I was committed to in the beginning, but I kept attending class. I tried to be wrapped up in math. The projects forced me to solve new kinds of problems. My brain started to build new connections. Working in this new physical manner and giving it 100 percent of my effort had huge benefits for my mental health. I got over my fear of embarrassment and asked for help at every opportunity.

I spent that year truly learning. True learning is the most challenging experience, especially for those of us who are learning a new set of skills. I could understand exactly what was wrong with the furniture I made, but I couldn’t fix those problems. And yet, I kept trying. I failed again and again, until I learned to fail better.

In the end, I finished the program—with honors, no less! My grades were helped by my good written work. I also learned how to use tools. Having to constantly push myself to step outside my comfort zone has made me a more well-rounded person.

Maybe most importantly, the school gave me a more realistic idea of my strengths and limitations. I’m stronger than I thought!

1. What can we know about the author from the first two paragraphs?

A．She had a gift for making furniture.	B．She lacked practical skills.
C．She disliked making everything in a mess.	D．She went to the program to surprise her family.

2. What was the biggest challenge the author encountered?

A．Physical condition.	B．Psychological preparation.
C．To know how to correct mistakes.	D．Not being good at math.

3. What do you think of the author?

A．Hard-working and determined.	B．Confident and efficient.
C．Cooperative and creative.	D．Modest and talented.

4. What did the author benefit most from the project?

A．She won an award for good writing.	B．She became stronger both mentally and physically.
C．She became skillful at making furniture.	D．She had a better understanding of herself.

2 . Best musicals and shows in London's West End

The Book of Mormon

This comedy musical follows the plight of a pair of teenage Mormon missionaries sent to convert a village in a dangerous part of Uganda. The brainchild of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, The Book of Mormon has won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Prices: from £24. 60

The Phantom of the Opera

Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical, The Phantom of the Opera, tells the tale of a shadowy character who attempts to make Christina the leading lady of the Paris Opera. With a fantastic plot and breathtaking scene, this long-running show is one of the must-see musicals in London. Prices: from £30.75

School of Rock

Rock out at this award-winning new musical. Based on the 2003 movie, School of Rock follows the story of Dewey Finn and his discovery to transform a class of A-grade students into a real rock group. But will they make it to the Battle of the Bands? Booking until Feb. Prices: from £ 18.00

Matilda The Musical

Be wowed by the Royal Shakespeare Company's multi-award-winning production of Matilda The Musical. Roald Dahl's celebrated story bursts into life in this West End musical by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin. Children and adults alike will be delighted by the little girl with an extraordinary imagination. Prices: from £24.00

1. What is The Phantom of the Opera special for?

A．Its attractive story.	B．Its beautiful songs.
C．Its excellent costumes.	D．Its experienced actors

2. Both kids and adults are most likely to enjoy

A．School of Rock	B．Matilda     The Musical
C．The Book of Mormon	D．The Phantom of the Opera

3. What does the text mainly aim to do?

A．Evaluate musicals.	B．Criticize musicals.
C．Analyze musicals.	D．Advertise musicals.

3 . A new study found the greater the improvement in people’s handwashing habits at airports, the more noticeable the effect on slowing the infectious (传染的) diseases, including the flu. The findings were published in late December, 2019, just before the recent coronavirus (冠状病毒) outbreak, but the study' s authors say that its results would apply to any such disease and are relevant to the present outbreak.

People can be surprisingly casual about washing their hands, even in crowded locations like airports where people from many different locations are touching surfaces such as chair armrests, check-in entrances, security checkpoint trays, and restroom doorknobs and taps. On average, only about 20 percent of people at airports have clean hands. The others are potentially polluting everything they touch with whatever infections they may be carrying.

Improving handwashing at all of the world's airports to be three times that rate, so that 60 percent of travelers have clean hands at any given time, would have the greatest effect, potentially slowing global disease spread by almost 70 percent, the researchers found. Adopting such measures at so many airports and reaching such a high level of obedience may be impractical, but the new study suggests that it could potentially be accomplished through education, posters, public announcements, and perhaps improving access to handwashing facilities. It could slow the global rate of the spread of a disease by about 24 percent, they found.

The findings are consistent with recommendations made by both the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Both have indicated that hand hygiene (卫生) is the most efficient and cost-effective way to control disease spread. While both organizations say that other measures can also play a useful role in limiting disease spread, such as use of surgical face masks, airport closures, and travel limitations, hand hygiene is still the first line of defense-and an easy one for individuals to implement.

1. What is most people’s attitude to handwashing?

A．Favorable.	B．Careless.
C．Doubtful.	D．Cautious.

2. What did the study suggest on increasing handwashing rate at airports?

A．Establishing higher hygiene standards.

B．Making handwashing fun and enjoyable.

C．Passing special laws to require handwashing.

D．Raising people's awareness of handwashing.

3. Why does the author mention the World Health Organization?

A．To introduce other measures.

B．To stress the importance of it.

C．To tell who carried out the study.

D．To make the study results more convincing.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．People have many good habits at airports.

B．Handwashing reduces infectious diseases.

C．New coronavirus is breaking out.

D．There is great improvement in handwashing.