1 . Creativity is always about finding inspiration. If you think your well of ideas has dried up, you need to look at the little things in life.
Write down every moment. The best moments pass by so fast that many people fail to notice and appreciate them. This is not the case for creative types. There is inspiration in every encounter and conversation. For example, you could look at a man at a cafe reading a newspaper and come up with an interesting background story about him.
Take time to meditate (冥思). Look for a quiet and secluded (僻静的) place. Take a seat, close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Search the web. Apart from focusing on your inner self, you should also look for external inspiration.
A.Find more inspiration |
B.Learn to deal with stress |
C.Every moment is worth recording |
D.Try to empty your mind of any distracting thoughts |
E.Here is how you can source creative inspiration each day |
F.Creative types turn out to be appealing to those people around you |
G.You can find tons of ideas that will stimulate your creativity online |
2 . Whenever he can, 15-year-old Elliot Morgan practices basketball in his backyard. He says it’s a good stress-reliever. But it wasn’t that long ago that he didn’t have time for this new hobby. “There were times in the summer when I would spend four or five hours a day on my phone,” he says. When school started in the fall, Morgan found himself scrolling (划屏) as soon as he woke up. “I realize I start to avoid workouts because I’m on my phone,” he says. “It’s affecting my focus.”
It has become clear that social media is a key player in many drivers of unhealthy habits. Social media apps are designed to encourage overuse, and teenagers are more likely to be influenced because their brains are at an important period of development that makes it harder to be free from temptation (诱惑). All of this makes limiting use more challenging — even for families who set rules.
“It’s a really big problem,” says Elliot’s mom, Alyssa. She was shocked when she discovered Elliot had bypassed parental controls and was spending five hours a day on social media. “I asked him, ‘Can you just take a look and see? Just tell me what you think. Does this feel good to you?’” she says.
Elliot hadn’t realized how many hours he was on social media. And he was at a loss. With his mother’s help, he tried to start cutting back. After several months, he decided to delete (删除) social media apps altogether. “After that, I actually sleep enough and feel better,” he says. He’s now closer with his friends because they spend more time talking instead of scrolling. And joining school clubs has also helped him reduce time on his phone.
1. What can we learn about Elliot from the first paragraph?A.He is always late for class. | B.He used to work out early. |
C.He likes football at school. | D.He lost himself in his phone. |
A.They tend to develop bad habits. | B.They will take up more challenges. |
C.They can improve reading skills. | D.They find it hard to make friends. |
A.Uncaring. | B.Positive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Unclear. |
A.Lonely. | B.Simple. | C.Enjoyable. | D.Difficult. |
3 . Julia found some of her grandmother Georgie’s old design sketches (草图) from the 1940s. Georgie told her granddaughter she was proud of the sketches and wanted them to be
Julia took some pictures of those sketches and made a post. It became
With the help of her grandmother, Julia spent countless hours
“You can have your own
A.shown | B.checked | C.discovered | D.appreciated |
A.fashion | B.performance | C.travel | D.play |
A.slightly | B.greatly | C.poorly | D.hardly |
A.popular | B.helpful | C.different | D.convenient |
A.taught | B.forced | C.challenged | D.encouraged |
A.necessary | B.special | C.limited | D.excellent |
A.copying | B.protecting | C.judging | D.improving |
A.recording | B.buying | C.changing | D.praising |
A.experience | B.freedom | C.pleasure | D.instruction |
A.service | B.creation | C.story | D.duty |
A.introduce | B.hand | C.connect | D.present |
A.promise | B.doubt | C.admit | D.warn |
A.education | B.surprise | C.interest | D.memory |
A.natural | B.meaningful | C.peaceful | D.practical |
A.work out | B.stand out | C.pass down | D.move around |
4 . Perhaps a friend you’ve known for years has moved away. It’s normal to feel sad and frustrated at not getting to see him in the way you’d like to.
WRITE LOTS OF LETTERS
Seeing a note or card from someone they care about in the letterbox is a sure way to make your friend smile. While it’s good to keep in touch via technology, putting your thoughts down on paper shows how much you care and that you’ve set aside some time to think about them. It doesn’t have to be an essay.
SEND A CARE PACKAGE
SHARE A SHOW
Is there a TV series that you both love? While you may not be able to share a packet of popcorn and view it side by side, you could arrange to watch it at the same time and then talk on the phone about it afterwards, sharing your reactions and opinions.
A.It’s the thought that counts. |
B.But staying connected is possible. |
C.It can also be an e-mail with photos. |
D.Postcards are a lovely way to stay in touch. |
E.This works well as a way of regularly staying in touch. |
F.Once in a while, make a parcel filled with items that are meaningful to your friend. |
G.Even when you live far apart from someone, they can still be a big part of your life. |
5 . I tried not to look down. My palms (手掌) were sweating. All I could concentrate on was the man below who was keeping the ladder steady. The tiny people waved up at me, but I couldn’t see them clearly.
When I got to the top, some sort of supernatural force brought my feet to the edge of the platform. I was going to slip off the board. The line holding me was going to break, and I was once again going to be thrown to death. Down was the only direction my eyes would go.
I begged to go back down the ladder, but the stupid man tried to convince me. The tiny dots below shouted encouragingly, saying they would run with me as I flew. I was going to slide off that platform. I couldn’t think; the tears stopped my brain. Why wouldn’t he let me go back? The message replayed in my mind, “You’re going to die…”
Like a blown-up balloon, I was let go just before it could be knotted at the bottom. I went in every direction, tension escaping from my body as I fell. The breeze hit my face and cooled my sweaty body. I could see clearly now, and I was flying.
Today, I am still terrified of heights. It would be nice to say that I conquered my fear and found something I loved. I owe my zip line (飞索) experience to the Englishman who pushed me off the platform. I am grateful for the experience because I love adventure. Trying new things has always appealed to me. Some of the most rewarding experiences I have had, like flying, have come out of conquering what at first appears to be frightening and impossible. While my days of aerial escapades are over, I look forward to the future and the question of fear of flying and will continue to create questions wherever I go.
1. How did the author feel when he was on the ladders?A.Exhausted. | B.Frightened. | C.Annoyed. | D.Excited. |
A.To teach him to fly. | B.To push him to death. |
C.To develop his courage. | D.To test his ability to climb. |
A.everyone can enjoy flying well |
B.trying difficult things is his favorite |
C.looking back on the old days is awful for him |
D.something that seems impossible can be conquered |
A.The author’s zip line experience. | B.The author’s difficulty in life. |
C.The author’s failure in adventure. | D.The author’s dreams about his future. |
6 . I once had a strange relationship with money. I always made more money than most people of my age did. But it still stressed me out, and I felt like I never had enough. After coming across The School of Betty, a platform that enables women to create relationships with their money, I found myself inspired to do a no-spend month challenge. The result? I saved more than $1,000. It was like finding money in my winter coat pocket after a long summer.
The most eye-opening thing a no-spend challenge can do for you is shedding light on the emotions and the behaviors you have around your money that have become a habit. Most individuals don’t realize they are spending out of habit and based on their emotions. Figuring out the causes and knowing I was able to save a good sum of money in only 30 days, I set out to do a longer challenge—three months.
As for the first challenge, I was only allowed to buy essentials, which meant my normal bills—lighting, phone, car insurance, gas, oil and groceries. But in my90-day challenge, I further removed all of the extras—no new clothes, no new shoes, and no lunches at restaurants. I allowed myself one night out with friends per month—to avoid going crazy—but I stuck to a budget. This also allowed me to see what type of experience was worth my money and what type was wasting my money.
90 days later, my jaw hit the floor when I totaled my savings: I was almost $4,000 richer. The rewards were more than financial: I was able to distinguish between my needs and my wants. The process enabled me to spot purchases driven by emotions. Even better, I shifted the way I valued money: The money I spent socializing with friends felt far more valuable than the pleasure of purchasing, say, two new sweaters.
1. How did the author feel after the first no-spend challenge?A.Stressed and regretful. | B.Surprised and wonderful. |
C.Tired but content. | D.Awful but encouraged. |
A.Because of their unintentional habits. | B.Because of their social communication. |
C.Because of their heavy pressure of work. | D.Because of their basic needs. |
A.She hung around with friends weekly. | B.She saw essentials as a waste of money. |
C.She enjoyed her friends’ company. | D.She bought nothing in ninety days. |
A.To share personal experiences. | B.To advertise a platform. |
C.To support an argument. | D.To advocate healthy lifestyles. |
7 . Many people think that being healthy is a difficult task that involves lots of dieting and time at the gym.
Drink more water. Adults should drink 2-3 liters of water per day, while children should drink 1—2 liters.
Think positively. A simple positive change on a situation can turn an challenge into an opportunity. Not only will you have more interest for life, but your immune(免疫的) system can also fight off colds and heart disease better!
Get a good night's rest. Getting too little sleep or poor-quality sleep not only makes you easier to get sick, but also increases the time you need to recover from illness. When you sleep well, you can wake up ready to go and be more active all day.
A.Exercise wisely. |
B.But that’s actually not true! |
C.To start this difficult step, focus on gratitude. |
D.That is in addition to other drinks like tea or coffee. |
E.So sleeping properly is very important for your health! |
F.Soon, you'll start to see your healthy life taking shape! |
G.So instead of walking quickly on Wednesday, go to hit the pool. |
“Did you hear what I said?” The band director was looking right at me. So was everyone else. “Yes, ma’am. You want me to do the solo (独奏) at the concert.” I said, trying to hide my fear.
I play the jazz saxophone (萨克斯管). I’m the best player in the sax section of my middle school band; I even do concerts with the senior high band. So, what’s my problem? Stage fright. Performing with a group is no problem. Butraying solo? I will freeze like a water balloon in deep space.
The band director continued, “By the way, the director of the Youth Symphony will be there. You know, if he hears someone who’s really good, he invites them to audition (试演).” I tried to look calm as I headed to the door, but the rock in my stomach had just doubled in weight. I’d dreamed of playing in the Youth Symphony for a long time but never had the courage to audition. I could pretend to be sick and stay home. But there are only two concerts each year, and missing one would be really a great pity.
“What should I do?” I went back home and headed downstairs. I usually practice in the basement. The family calls it Kevin’s Dungeon (地牢). I play great in the dungeon. It’s comfortable down there—just me, my sax, and my music. “Why can’t the school auditorium feel like my dungeon?” I said to myself. Then an idea occurred to me—how about sticking a photo of my dungeon inside the bell of my sax? Looking at it while playing might work for me. I immediately took action and practised and practised.
The day finally came. Suddenly, the lights went down, the curtain went up, and we were off and running. Each song started and ended, but it was like somebody else was playing my sax, not me. Then it was time—my solo.
注意:1.续写词数应为150个左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I stood up and walked to the front of the stage.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________With the last long note ending, the audience burst into applause.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Why did the woman go abroad?
A.To entertain. | B.To study. | C.To work. |
A.He is a determined man. |
B.He hates doing his old job. |
C.He is unfit to start a company. |
A.Going shopping. | B.Having lunch. | C.Opening a restaurant. |
10 . About 15 years ago, Oliver Muensterer packed his suitcase (行李箱) and traveled from his home to a town a few hours away. He had a job interview, so he
When he
This discovery made Muensterer
But rather than
That
A.regretted | B.laughed | C.arrived | D.chatted |
A.stepped back | B.turned back | C.stood up | D.woke up |
A.forgotten | B.hoped | C.afforded | D.begun |
A.suddenly | B.quickly | C.perfectly | D.secretly |
A.excited | B.worried | C.curious | D.proud |
A.replied | B.wrote | C.attended | D.rushed |
A.suggest | B.open | C.remember | D.clean |
A.bill | B.solution | C.card | D.coworker |
A.calling | B.inviting | C.directing | D.carrying |
A.surprising | B.tiring | C.wrong | D.stupid |
A.waited for | B.took off | C.made up | D.held on |
A.flight | B.station | C.computer | D.interview |
A.moment | B.price | C.danger | D.city |
A.ask | B.share | C.hide | D.joke |
A.driver | B.manager | C.stranger | D.passenger |