1 . The Decision That Changed My Life
We make decisions every day. Whether it is a small decision like what to wear that day or a big decision like where to go to college, these decisions have at least some influence on the rest of our lives. I wanted to talk about a decision I made that has changed my life forever.
I gave up soda about a month and a half before my trip to the Bahamas as a healthy step towards “getting in shape” for my trip. At first I thought it was going to be really hard giving it up, but after that first two weeks I wasn’t thinking about soda at all. One tiling led to another and I started eating better, working out more and just generally living a healthier life. I had already seen a difference in my life following this healthier life style.
That was because I wanted to show those who maybe thought I wouldn’t be able to do it that they were wrong. Soon the urge to drink soda somewhat disappeared and I really did not even become tempted by it by the end of the trip. I got home to the States and when I got back home I decided to weigh myself. I had lost 20 pounds on my trip!
I also wanted to give some advice for those who were in the same situation as I was, where you wanted/needed to give up something that you think you can’t live without.
| A．You need a support system. |
| B．I almost gave up a couple of times but stayed strong. |
| C．I felt happier, more energized and just all around better. |
| D．Weeks and weeks went by and I still was not missing drinking soda. |
| E．I hope you are inspired by my story to give up something that is bad for you. |
2 . Kids take risks.
According to Laurence Hammerstein, professor of psychology at Temple University, there’s not much parents can do to stop that.
Trying to get kids not to take risks, he says. “is an uphill battle against evolution, and we’re not going to
To start with, it’s never too early for parents to encourage kids to think about
Middle school kids are approaching adolescence, when body chemistry makes them more likely to
The risks high school kids are likely to take might seem
| A．Problem-solving | B．Science-learning | C．Risk-taking | D．Brain-washing |
| A．win | B．afford | C．take | D．start |
| A．extremely | B．naturally | C．amazingly | D．disappointingly |
| A．instructions | B．requests | C．explanations | D．conversations |
| A．wishes | B．solutions | C．results | D．measures |
| A．answer | B．discover | C．ask | D．discuss |
| A．engage in | B．suffer from | C．turn down | D．show up |
| A．tell | B．wonder | C．express | D．admit |
| A．cause | B．forbid | C．encourage | D．order |
| A．go wrong | B．take place | C．work well | D．prove itself |
| A．courageous | B．unpleasant | C．endangered | D．incomprehensible |
| A．visible | B．practical | C．hidden | D．available |
| A．select | B．avoid | C．affect | D．arouse |
| A．in fact | B．in total | C．in theory | D．in detail |
| A．Otherwise | B．Similarly | C．Therefore | D．However |
3 . Freedom and Responsibility
Freedom’s challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.
Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.
In Greece, in Athens, a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses. And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert. The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted. A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.
But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance, a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenian’s pride and joy to give to their city. That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. There had to be a complete change of attitude before they could look at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them. What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibinreat wealth in which all citizens had a right to share.
Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility. There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again.
But, “the excellent becomes the permanent”, Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. A great American, James Madison, referred to “ The capacity (能力) of mankind for self-government." No doubt he had nor an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man’s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action only sure that it will do so sometime.
1. What does the underlined word “tyrannies” in Paragraph2 refer to?| A．Countries where their people need help. |
| B．Governments ruled with absolute power. |
| C．Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom. |
| D．Powerful states with higher civilization. |
| A．regard their life as their own business |
| B．seek gains as their primary object |
| C．treat others with kindness and pity |
| D．behave within the laws and value systems |
| A．The Athenians refused to take their responsibility. |
| B．The Athenians no longer took pride in the city. |
| C．The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government. |
| D．The Athenians looked on the government as a business. |
| A．The author is hopeful about freedom. |
| B．The author is cautious about self-government. |
| C．The author is skeptical of Greek civilization. |
| D．The author is proud of man’s capacity. |
| A.fascination B.luxury C.adventurers D. snow-capped E.significantly F.accessible G. hopefully H. vast I.draw J.tempted K.accommodate |
Few countries have such a diverse and appealing“ Outdoors” as the USA. The landscape is
summit is nearly 7000 feet. There is also an abundance of waterfalls, rivers, lakes that are small and intimate or
Everything worth seeing in the USA is
Many Americans, young and old, prefer camping in vehicles called"campers”. There exist many different kinds from the extremely extravagant to the cheap convertible pick-up truck. There are monster campers with every imaginable
Horseback riding also holds a
| A. resulting B. repeatedly C. relatively D. unusual E. difficult F. fluent G. fed H. mastered I. planning J. previously K. convenient |
How and why, roughly 2 million years ago, early human ancestors evolved large brains and began making
Roger Summons of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a solution. Together with his team, he analyzed 1.7 million-year-old sandstones that formed in an ancient river at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. The region is famous for the large number of human fossils that have been discovered there, alongside an impressive assembly of stone tools. The sandstones themselves have
Dr. Summons and his colleagues say the hot springs would have provided a(n)
Loving Legacy
Magic wands, flying broomsticks, terrifying monsters... these are the features of the fantasy genre. And over the last few decades, Harry Potter has remained at the top of the list for
Harry Potter might have started off as
I grew up reading Harry Potter. Like millions of other children, I waited on my eleventh birthday for an owl carrying a letter to inform me that I
Some may think that fantasy or science fiction has no place in literature, as they corrupt the mind and provide no useful lessons. These people are wrong. Characters in popular fantasy or science fiction novels are not much different from those in classic literature novels. Each embodies the emotion, character and thought
7 . Teachers and parents usually call attention to the pictures when reading storybooks to preschool children. But a new study suggests that calling attention to print – the words and letters on the page may lead to
The two-year study
Professor Shayne Piasta, the study's author, says most teachers would find this method
Ms.Piasta says if adults can
Teachers and parents can point to a letter and outline its shape with a finger. They can point to a word and
| A．healthier | B．better | C．worse | D．happier |
| A．compared | B．abandoned | C．adopted | D．accompanied |
| A．miss | B．solve | C．have | D．raise |
| A．found | B．locked | C．interviewed | D．observed |
| A．twisted | B．discussed | C．tore | D．overlooked |
| A．difficult | B．confusing | C．unbelievable | D．manageable |
| A．difference | B．problem | C．affection | D．trick |
| A．annoy | B．amaze | C．interest | D．puzzle |
| A．word | B．voice | C．story | D．number |
| A．easy | B．appropriate | C．different | D．familiar |
| A．silently | B．suddenly | C．gradually | D．mostly |
| A．Therefore | B．Instead | C．Otherwise | D．Moreover |
| A．guarantee | B．propose | C．explain | D．admit |
| A．organization | B．development | C．information | D．improvement |
| A．regularly | B．gently | C．secretly | D．rarely |
Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch. But he is going to experience
The idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car contains a mini-cellphone, a microprocessor and memory, and a GPS satellite positioning receiver. If the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the control centre to block the vehicle’s engine management system and prevent the engine
In the UK,a set of technical fixes is already making life harder for car thieves. “The pattern of vehicle crime has changed,” says Martyn Randall, a security expert. He says it would only take him a few minutes to teach a person how to steal a ear, using a bare minimum of tools. But only if the car is more than 10 years old.
Modern cars are far tougher to steal,
But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars, often by getting hold of the owner’s keys. And key theft is responsible for 40% of thefts of vehicles fitted with a tracking system.
If the car travels 100 metres without the driver confirming their ID, the system will send a signal to anoperation centre
9 . Too much work, too little money and not enough opportunity for promotion, .or growth are stressing us out on the job, according to a new survey from the American Psychological Association.
We all know that stress reduces all of the things that help productivity— mental clarity (清晰), short-term memory, decision-making and moods. One-third of employees experience lasting stress related to work, the survey found. Fifty-four percent of the 1,501 employed adults surveyed say they feel they are paid too little for their contributions, and 61% said their jobs don’t offer adequate opportunities to advance. Only half of the adults surveyed said they feel valued at work.
Besides, women’s stress is rising as families rely more on women’s earnings. An employed wife’s contribution to family earnings has reached, on average, 47% since 2009, so women feel especially stuck and tense. Thirty-two percent of women said their employers don’t provide sufficient opportunities for internal advancement, compared with 30% of men. Women are more likely to feel tense during a typical workday, reporting more often that their employer doesn’t appreciate what they do.
Physically, the body responds to stress by secreting hormones into the bloodstream that stimulate accelerated (加速的) heart rate and breathing and tensing of muscles. People who experience stress as a positive often have increased blood flow to the brain, muscles and limbs, similar to the effects of aerobic exercise. Those who feel frightened or threatened, however, often have an unstable heart rate and constricting wood vessels (血管). Their blood pressure rises and hands and feet may grow cold. They may become agitated, speak more loudly or experience errors in judgment.
Emotional responses to stress often divide along gender lines, with men more likely to have a “fight or flight” reaction while women are more likely to have a tend and befriend” response, seeking comfort in relationships and care of loved ones, according to the research.
Women tend to “internalize”, which contributes to their stress. Many women hesitate to speak up for themselves or challenge behavior they see as unfair. Kay Keaney, interior designer, 40, rose fast at a California medical group, taking on responsibility for interior and facility planning. With her 60-hour workweeks, plus early-morning and late-night meetings and a 1.5-hour commute each way, she seldom had time with her two small children. Whether stuck in traffic on her way to a 6 p.m. pickup at day care, or tom between her children and urgent work emails, “I just wanted to crawl out of my skin,” she says. “I was overwhelmed.” Yet she hesitated to complain. “There was too much work to be done, and playing the Mommy card was bad form.” But the experts suggest that women should give themselves a voice.
1. The underlined word “agitated” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ________.| A．fearful | B．optimistic | C．anxious | D．ambitious |
| A．Everyone has a painful sense of being under-appreciated or under-paid. |
| B．An increasing number of people feel satisfied with work-life balance. |
| C．An improving job market is making some people’s work lives easier. |
| D．Most women have higher levels of work stress than the opposite sex. |
| A．relieving oneself from stress involves being frank as well as brave |
| B．experiencing symptoms of lasting stress causes communication barriers |
| C．seeking comfort from friends or relatives has little to do with office stress |
| D．being challenged or devalued by others leads to numerous health problems |
| A．Other aspects in life affected by stress in work. |
| B．Tips to help women handle their hard times properly. |
| C．Examples to show the different gender responses to stress. |
| D．Reasons why people are likely to feel tense when working. |
10 . America's businesses are getting older and fatter, while many new businesses are dying in infancy.
A study last month by the Brookings Institution found that the proportion of older firms has grown steadily over several decades, while the survival rate of new companies has fallen. In addition, young people are starting companies at a sharply lower rate than in the past.
A new report from the National Association of Manufacturers shows a major cause: The cost of obeying government regulations has risen to more than $2 trillion（12.26 trillion yuan） annually, or 12 percent of the GDP, and this cost falls disproportionately on smaller, newer businesses.
It's risky, difficult and expensive to start a business, and getting more so. Governments are imposing various new rules on a seemingly daily basis: health insurance, minimum wage increases and, most recently in California, compulsory paid sick days for even hourly employees. These regulations shift huge social welfare costs directly onto often-struggling small businesses, while being proportionally much less costly for larger companies.
This is partly an unintended issue of resources — established companies can cope with new costs more easily — but it's also deliberate. For instance, big insurance companies got a seat at the table to help write Obama care, but less politically powerful firms — like medical device manufacturers — got squeezed.
Mature, successful corporations can employ ex-lawmakers with connections, distribute campaign contributions and even write regulations for themselves. They are also more likely to want to protect steady revenue streams than revolutionize their industry.
Major companies that have been so ill-managed they would otherwise collapse — airlines, car companies and banks — stagger（蹒跚）on because politicians ride to the rescue with bags of taxpayer money.
The genius of our unique system of government is the determination to protect and defend the rights of the individual over the rights of the nation. As such, the rise of a well-connected oligarchy that protects big business at the expense of small business, and the established over the new, is opposite to American ideals.
Income inequality — which is directly caused by faulty government policy — is being promoted as the reason to impose more of that bad policy. But let's be perfectly clear, we do not have a free market but one where government picks winners and losers through regulations and financial aids.
Politics is, and always has been, about balancing competing interests seeking to benefit themselves, and that's as it should be, but the force of government should never be used to reduce competition, kill innovation or support and extend artificial monopolies（垄断）by harming the consumer, the taxpayer and the economy. Policy must breed our new and small businesses or see the as-yet undreamed of innovations that could be our bright future die in infancy.
1. We can learn from the passage that ______.| A．over several decades, new companies have grown steadily. |
| B．mature, successful corporations prefer to maintain their stable incomes. |
| C．less politically powerful firms also have their voice in making regulations. |
| D．The cost of obeying government regulations falls equally on all businesses. |
| A．the state economy may depend on those innovative businesses. |
| B．the rise of a well-connected oligarchy is contrary to American ideals. |
| C．income inequality is what the government should take action to resolve. |
| D．the government picks winners and losers through the law of free market. |
| A．big insurance companies have better relationship with Obama. |
| B．most of the ex-lawmakers work in mature, successful corporations. |
| C．larger and older firms have a command of resources of various aspects. |
| D．politicians like providing financial aids to the companies of worse operation. |
| A．satisfied | B．confident. | C．convinced. | D．concerned. |
