1 . According to Jessica Hagy, author of How to Be Interesting, it’s not difficult to make yourself interesting at a dinner party.
People love to talk about themselves. If you can start the conversation with a question other than “What do you do for a living?”, you’ll be able to get a lot more interesting conversation out of whomever it is you’re talking to.
And what about that other dinner-party killer: awkward silence? If you’re faced with an awkward silence at a dinner party, the only thing that always gets everyone talking again is to give the host a compliment (赞扬).
So being interesting at a dinner party isn’t that hard.
A.How do you know the host |
B.The first step is to go exploring |
C.If you ask the question “How did you get here?” |
D.Be prepared to have awkward conversations with strangers |
E.Or turn the conversation into a topic where they have little to say |
F.What about that person who had too much to drink or won’t stop talking |
G.He or she is the person who is feeling the weight of that awkwardness the most |
2 . Swap, Don’t shop!
You keep hearing about recycling, right? But it doesn’t end with bottles, cans, and paper. Clothing takes a huge amount of natural resources(资源)to make, and buying loads of new clothing(or throwing out old clothing)is not healthy for the environment. So what to do with all those perfectly-good-but-you’re-maybe-a-little-sick-of-them clothes piled on your bedroom floor?
A successful swap depends on the selection of clothes, the organization of the event, and, obviously, how much fun is had. It’s really easy to do! Here are a few pointers.
●Invite 5—10 people so you have a nice selection.
●
●Put different types of clothing on different surfaces in the room.
●Set a starting time. Maybe you say “go,” or turn on a certain song, or whatever.
A.Less people than that |
B.Hold a clothing swap |
C.If two people are competing |
D.Just keep music playing throughout |
E.Donate whatever clothes are left over |
F.Have everyone put their clothes in the right spots |
G.Tell everyone to bring clean clothes in good condition |
3 . When I was 9, we packed up our home in Los Angeles and arrived at Heathrow, London on a gray January morning. Everyone in the family settled quickly into the city except me. Without my beloved beaches and endless blue—sky days, I felt at a loss and out of place. Until I made a discovery.
Southbank, at an eastern bend in the Thames, is the center of British skateboarding, where the continuous crashing of skateboards left your head ringing .I loved it. I soon made friends with the local skaters. We spoke our own language. And my favorite: Safe. Safe meant cool. It meant hello. It meant don’t worry about it. Once, when trying a certain trick on the beam(横杆), I fell onto the stones, damaging a nerve in my hand, and Toby came over, helping me up: Safe, man. Safe. A few minutes later, when I landed the trick, my friends beat their boards loud, shouting: “ Safe! Safe! Safe!” And that’s what mattered—landing tricks, being a good skater.
When I was 15, my family moved to Washington. I tried skateboarding there, but the locals were far less welcoming. Within a couple of years, I’d given it up.
When I returned to London in 2004, I found myself wandering down to Southbank, spending hours there. I’ve traveled back several times since, most recently this past spring. The day was cold but clear: tourists and Londoners stopped to watch the skaters. Weaving(穿梭)among the kids who rushed by on their boards, I found my way to the beam. Then a rail—thin teenager, in a baggy white T—shirt, skidded(滑)up to the beam. He sat next to me. He seemed not to notice the man next to him. But soon I caught a few of his glances. “I was a local here 20 years ago,” I told him. Then, slowly, he began to nod his head. “Safe, man. Safe.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Safe.”
1. What can we learn about the author soon after he moved to London?A.He felt disappointed. | B.He gave up his hobby. |
C.He liked the weather there. | D.He had disagreements with his family. |
A.Be careful! | B.Well done! | C.No way! | D.Don’t worry! |
A.To join the skateboarding. | B.To make new friends. |
C.To learn more tricks. | D.To relive his childhood days |
A.Children should learn a second language. |
B.Sport is necessary for children’s health. |
C.Children need a sense of belonging |
D.Seeing the world is a must for children. |
It doesn’t impress like George Washington’s plantation on the Potomac, but Lincoln’s home in downtown Springfield, Illinois,
When the house was built, it was much
Although Mary loved flowers,
5 . You’ve got mail…and it’s a postcard
Paulo Magalhaes, a 34-year-old Portuguese computer engineer, loves to open his mailbox and find a brightly colored picture of Rome’s Colosseum. Or Africa’s Victoria Falls. Or China’s Great Wall.
“I often send postcards to family and friends.” he says to China Daily, “but you can imagine that after a while, you never receive as many as you send, and you realize that not everyone is into it.
Today his hobby has developed into the website postcrossing.com, a social network that has grown to 575,217 registered users in 214 countries and regions since he started it 10 years ago.
Language is certainly a barrier for many people. For postcrossing to work worldwide, a common communication language is needed so that everyone can understand each other. As cool as it may be to receive a postcard written in Chinese, the concept doesn’t work if one doesn’t understand it.
“Many people in China have limited exposure to English.
A.And that’s totally fine. |
B.That makes it extra hard to learn and practice it. |
C.He likes to think of sending postcards as a family-friendly hobby. |
D.Many love to make a connection with someone from across the world. |
E.On August 5, the number of postcards exchanged by members topped 31 million. |
F.Similarly, if you speak only Chinese, receiving a card in Swedish takes part of the fun away. |
G.In short, he loves postcards, and the excitement of getting a hand-written note from someone far away. |
6 . How to Feel Connected
It's easy to feel disconnected from what is going on around you in today's fast-paced world.
Consider why you feel disconnected. Knowing what is making you feel disconnected can help you choose the best ways to address it.
Interact with people in person. Technology is a great way to stay in touch, but sometimes you need to spend time with other people in person.
Your loved ones could feel shy, so you may never know how to improve your relationship unless you ask the right questions. Asking them to open the doors can give you some insight on what you can do. Learning this information can help to strengthen your bond.
Show your commitment to them. Simply showing up and being there for your loved ones says a lot about how much you value your relationships. Putting in the time shows them that you are committed and want to stay connected.
Show appreciation. A simple “thank you” goes a very long way. Unfortunately, it is something that people who are close often take for granted. Telling someone you appreciate their time, love, and efforts can strengthen your bond and help you to become more connected.
A.Ask others what they need from you. |
B.Sometimes you can feel isolated and distant from the ones you love. |
C.Be brave to express your love. |
D.Reach out to people to schedule a time to get together. |
E.Attending family events, or simply visiting someone once a week can help to strengthen your relationship and keep it strong. |
F.Targeting your efforts toward those issues allows you to close that distance more effectively. |
G.You can have a gift delivered to friends on special occasions. |
A GIFT FOR GRANDPA
Summer vacation was coming. Jack and his brother Berlin were filled with excitement as they thought of visiting their grandparents again.
The big day came at last. After the happy family got ready, they set out for the grandparents’ eagerly. On the way, the brothers were excitedly talking about the fun they had with grandparents.
A little blue house with a tall white chimney finally appeared. Behind the property was the forest carrying their good memories with Grandpa. They arrived at the driveway, at the end of which Grandma was waiting for them joyfully.
Jack and Berlin each gave Grandma a big hug and then swept to the living room, shouting excitedly “Grandpa, we are back!”
Seeing his grandsons, Grandpa was wild with joy and tried to get up with all his strength from the chair but in vain. A helpless expression flashed on his face. Grandma explained that his health was declining rapidly and maybe couldn’t stand up on his own forever. But Grandpa declared stubbornly (倔强地), “I can!” Certainly, he was stuck in his boyish way. Mum and grandparents were happy to meet again after a long time. They sat together and chatted about what happened recently.
The brothers were soon bored with adult conversation, went out and wandered into the forest. Tall trees stretched up to the heavens with large branches crossing each other, while young ones rose straight like soldiers. Grandpa was once a great explorer full of wisdom. He could tell where the birds came from only by their calls and songs. The trees, birds, lizards, lots of bugs...How many merry moments they spent with Grandpa in the kingdom!
But now Grandpa couldn't get up. This made them worried. “We’d think out a way to cheer him up.” Jack said. “Grandpa is a bird lover, and we can catch him a bird.” Berlin suggested. “But he hates birds being caged!” Jack shook his head.
Then a bright idea came to Jack’s mind. “Why not make a cane (拐杖) out of a young tree!”
注意:1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Berlin thought it was a good idea.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jack and Berlin handed the cane to Grandpa.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8 . During breakfast this morning, I watched my son, Jake, drag the kitchen chair to the counter (厨房案台). “Never drag the chair again, Jake!” I shouted. He’s been doing this on a(n)
As I reflect on this frequently-occurring scene, I
For me, the deeper insight comes from recognizing just how quickly and
Why not
A.single | B.random | C.voluntary | D.regular |
A.vote | B.teach | C.respond | D.function |
A.cautious | B.disappointed | C.nervous | D.frightened |
A.expect | B.imagine | C.realize | D.predict |
A.sofa | B.counter | C.floor | D.chair |
A.charged | B.restarted | C.occupied | D.programed |
A.since | B.until | C.unless | D.while |
A.stranger | B.barrier | C.relative | D.attraction |
A.without | B.against | C.by | D.for |
A.sincerely | B.secretly | C.repeatedly | D.universally |
A.cost | B.request | C.bottom | D.mercy |
A.consequences | B.resistance | C.strategies | D.rules |
A.write down | B.think about | C.search for | D.put away |
A.allowed | B.expected | C.told | D.motivated |
A.drag | B.lift | C.throw | D.move |
Will you eat everything in your lunch box today? If not, will you save it for another time or just throw it away?
A recent study
Food waste in homes
Cultural habits could also lead to waste at home,
Food was
10 . When Amanda Moore noticed that the new student from Mexico always sat alone at lunch, she decided to befriend Rafael Anaya. She also noticed that he
Actually, Rafael always
The next day Amanda handed the letter to Rafael and waited for his
Amanda’s mother felt
A.appeared | B.happened | C.struggled | D.managed |
A.prepare | B.join | C.leave | D.pay |
A.saved | B.cost | C.earned | D.proved |
A.wept | B.listened | C.chatted | D.laughed |
A.bad | B.curious | C.glad | D.doubtful |
A.painfully | B.hurriedly | C.carefully | D.correctly |
A.arrival | B.comment | C.appreciation | D.reply |
A.sitting | B.waiting | C.working | D.singing |
A.put up with | B.work on | C.show off | D.look forward to |
A.popularity | B.difference | C.choice | D.plan |
A.competition | B.typing | C.travel | D.communication |
A.easier | B.quicker | C.simpler | D.harder |
A.English | B.psychology | C.math | D.Spanish |
A.widely | B.deeply | C.gently | D.wisely |
A.discussion | B.suffering | C.friendship | D.donation |