When my husband Ash told me he was planning to turn down some perfectly good job offers and start his own business, I was surprised. I advised against it. But Ash’s mother, who had run her own business, said: “Why not give it a go?”
My mother-in-law was right. Ash started Present Model Management. He loves it: the pressure (压力) he has now is lower. Plus, he can take the kids to school if he wants.
Watching him succeed inspired me to take my own leap. After 12 years of working as a childminder, I knew that something had to change. I loved the kids, but I’d been singing “Twinkle Twinkle” for 12 years. I only became a childminder in order to be home with my own children. Now that they are more independent, I have time to try something more exciting.
I set up @family_feasts to record what our family eats: healthy, tasty meals on a sensible budget (开支). From there, I started a WordPress blog to hold the recipes (食谱). When I started sharing weekly meal plans, the feedback (反响) was amazing. That’s what people want: inspiration.
At first I wanted to teach workshops for parents. To prove that I could teach, I started a cooking class for 8-10-year-old children at my daughter’s primary school.
It sold out overnight. A year later, I have a long waiting list. It’s so meaningful to watch the kids learn: they’ve burnt and cut themselves, but they’re really starting to understand flavors.
The next thing that took off was children’s cookery birthday parties. People have booked those through word of mouth. From the strength of my blog, I’ve published recipes with the BBC and Co-op Food Magazine. My final dream is to write a family cookbook one day.
I’m so glad that Ash and I took this leap. We plan our work around the kids. We pay ourselves less than before, but we also spend more sensibly. I love the freedom of our life, the time we have together, and the excitement of building a community of kids who will be able to feed themselves.
1. What was Ash’s mother’s attitude towards his plan? (no more than 5 words)2. Why did the author want to change her job as a childminder? (no more than 10 words)
3. What was the author’s third business? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the underlined words probably mean in the last but one paragraph? (1 word)
5. What benefits has the author gained from setting up her own business? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
2 . Westsider Rare & Used Books bookstore is a big name on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. It’s the type of old shop where you can wander narrow walkways for hours while looking through towering shelves stuffed with books ranging from cheap, used copies to rare collections. The store has even been used as a setting in several films.
In January, a neighborhood resident Bobby Panza, saw the Westsider was having a going-out-of-business sale. He also read a story on a local blog in which store owner Dorian Thornley made an “off the cuff (即兴的)” remark that the store could stay open if it could raise $50,000 — “don’t see that happening, though,” Thornley mentioned at the time.
Panza, who had never formally met Thornley but had shopped at the store for a decade, started a GoFundMe campaign. In just four days, 850 people donated from $5 to thousands of dollars each and raised $54,000.
With the money, Thornley updated (更新) the store’s selection of used and rare books and reorganized the interior (内部) of the bookstore. Thornley also intended to buy advertising for his store, but the publicity from the GoFundMe campaign has helped raise awareness and helped boost (提高) Westsider’s sales by nearly 25%. Thornley has saved some of the money to ensure Westsider won’t fall behind on its rent again.
Thornley found out about the crowdfunding effort the day after it started when a customer asked whether Thornley was serious about keeping the store open for good if $50,000 could be raised. When he told her he was serious, the customer — a local writer named Sally Klingenstein Martell — donated $10,000 to get the effort off the ground. Thornley calls Martell’s significant donation “the motivator for everyone else donating”.
Whether the money will be enough to permanently save the business remains to be seen. But now that Westsider has avoided the worst, Thornley is trying to make that happen.
1. What do we know about Westsider Rare & Used Books?| A．It has sponsored several old shops. |
| B．It is hardly known by local residents. |
| C．It is decorated to look like a cinema. |
| D．It sells both cheap books and rare collections. |
| A．Hopeless. | B．Ashamed. | C．Confident. | D．Enthusiastic. |
| A．A regular customer successfully organized the donation campaign. |
| B．Panza has been friends with the store owner for ten years. |
| C．Thornley wanted to transfer the possession of the bookstore at first. |
| D．The donation can make Westsider survive permanently. |
| A．He paid for his daily expenses. |
| B．He bought advertising for his store. |
| C．He rented a new place to sell books. |
| D．He improved customers’ shopping experience. |
| A．It was extraordinarily generous. |
| B．It was done before the crowdfunding effort. |
| C．It excited other people’s donations. |
| D．It raised Thornley’s hope to open a branch store. |
3 . BBC Young Reporter Competition
If you are 11-18 years old, tell us about a story you think the BBC should be reporting.
What is the BBC Young Reporter Competition?
It is a yearly opportunity for 11- to 18-year-olds across the UK to submit (提交) an original story idea to the BBC. BBC Young Reporter Competition winners will have the chance to tell their story on TV, radio, online or on social media with the help of BBC journalists, producers and program makers. We are not looking for finished reports but entries should just be an outline of a story idea. This can be submitted as a written description or videos.
Entries will be judged in two age categories: 11-15 and 16-18. There is one entry category: Me and My World. Entries should be an original and true story about your life, or the world you live in. It could be about your own identity or experience that impacts you or your community. You need to show how your report on this story can reflect the wider situation. Entries will only be considered when submitted via the online mechanism (机制). No other method of entry is permitted (this includes email or post).
Judging process
Stories will be judged on editorial merit (优点) — that means the strength of the story, originality, and the personal story or background related to it. Judges will be looking for 40 winning stories from across the UK. Judges include editors from across the BBC as well as presenters and reporters. Stories will not be broadcast until all the judging is completed and the winners are announced in June.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the BBC Young Reporter Competition, please contact a member of the team by emailing youngreportercompetition@bbc.co.uk.
1. What do we know about the competition?| A．It is hosted every two years. |
| B．It is for professional journalists. |
| C．It includes three age categories. |
| D．It invites participants to present story ideas. |
| A．your life and your experience | B．the secret of your parents’ success |
| C．protecting the environment | D．public hygiene and health |
| A．By posting their works to the BBC. |
| B．By following the online mechanism. |
| C．By contacting a member of the competition team. |
| D．By emailing youngreportercompetition@bbc.co.uk. |
| A．They will finish all the judging in July. |
| B．They will be selected from school teachers. |
| C．They will select 40 winning stories for broadcasting. |
| D．They will judge participants based on their reporting skills. |
| A．fax | B．email |
| C．visiting their official website | D．leaving a message through calling |
4 . Do you wait for people to inspire you or do you take action to inspire yourself?
If you wait, it may take a long time to come or it may not
W. Mitchell is a good
Shepherd was training for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics
“
She inspired herself to live with
“If I can not walk, I am going to
Mitchell and Shepherd
| A．happen | B．work | C．exist | D．appear |
| A．limit | B．control | C．mind | D．target |
| A．coach | B．sportsman | C．story | D．example |
| A．event | B．accident | C．incident | D．exercise |
| A．gave out | B．broke down | C．gave up | D．broke in |
| A．suffering | B．discomfort | C．disease | D．anger |
| A．since | B．before | C．while | D．when |
| A．recovered | B．survived | C．succeeded | D．insisted |
| A．Seldom | B．Ever | C．Never | D．Forever |
| A．longer | B．smaller | C．further | D．shorter |
| A．pain | B．sadness | C．loneliness | D．failure |
| A．had | B．remembered | C．kept | D．heard |
| A．lower | B．higher | C．quicker | D．deeper |
| A．run | B．quit | C．fly | D．drive |
| A．warned | B．convinced | C．blamed | D．educated |
| A．brothers | B．daughters | C．pets | D．planes |
| A．make fun of | B．feel ashamed of | C．catch hold of | D．let go of |
| A．would | B．should | C．could | D．must |
| A．easily | B．badly | C．unwillingly | D．anxiously |
| A．by | B．without | C．except | D．beyond |
5 . Kindness at fast-food restaurant
It was summer and I had gotten one of the few jobs a 14-year-old can find — working at Burger King, a fast-food restaurant. It
One day, I was working behind the front counter, taking
She ordered her meal and I told her the total. As she searched
That’s when I had the idea of paying the difference for her. She refused at first, but after I
About an hour later
She walked straight up to me and said, “I want to thank you again for what you did. You see, I’m a diabetic (糖尿病患者), and
She handed me two dollars,
| A．firstly | B．roughly | C．certainly | D．strictly |
| A．which | B．what | C．that | D．it |
| A．menus | B．orders | C．service | D．food |
| A．reached | B．moved | C．presented | D．approached |
| A．through | B．for | C．about | D．across |
| A．recognized | B．realized | C．admitted | D．said |
| A．guilty | B．disappointed | C．embarrassed | D．regret |
| A．above all | B．first of all | C．in all | D．after all |
| A．insisted on | B．insisted | C．stuck to | D．stuck |
| A．pick up | B．pick out | C．carry out | D．bring out |
| A．none | B．anything | C．nothing | D．something |
| A．customers | B．orders | C．pressure | D．business |
| A．entrance | B．restaurant | C．counter | D．window |
| A．suddenly | B．immediately | C．surely | D．completely |
| A．at a time | B．at time | C．sometime | D．sometimes |
| A．when | B．where | C．why | D．how |
| A．shall | B．may | C．might | D．need |
| A．twice that | B．twice what | C．that twice | D．what twice |
| A．Watching | B．Looking | C．Observing | D．Noticing |
| A．awarded | B．honored | C．returned | D．rewarded |
6 . There are many things that influence whether someone has a quiet voice or a loud voice. Physical factors at work include the size of the person’s “voice box”, the amount of breath support the speaker provides and the size of the speaker’s lungs. Other factors such as the pitch of the voice (too high or too low) influence how well people’s voices are heard, particularly in a crowd.
Personality features are at work here, too. People who are not confident or who are fearful in social situations can find they speak more quietly than they wish they did. In your case, since people are always telling you to speak up, you may be anxious when you speak, which may cause you to become more murmurous.
There are several things that might help you. Professional people have lots of skills to improve the voice so that people with quiet voices can be heard more easily.
It also sounds as if “shyness” is something you see as a problem as well. It might be helpful to take a “confidence training” or “social skills” class to learn how to overcome some of the shyness. You might find that this “speaking too quietly” problem disappears when you feel more self-confident. Some actors report that they are shy people and that acting helps them overcome this anxiety. Acting coaches work with people to help them overcome their public shyness and they often are experts at helping people be heard loudly.
No matter how you decide to do it, we encourage you to ask for help with this worry. Learning to be confident and to be heard is very important. Becoming “confident” doesn’t mean that you will become “too loud.” It only means you will be able to express your views and receive others’ attention.
1. The first paragraph mainly tells us ________.| A．what the voice box is | B．which factors influence the voice |
| C．the lung influences the pitch | D．different people have different voices |
| A．seek help from Medical Doctors | B．change your personality features |
| C．try your best to become a good actor | D．learn some skills to improve your voice |
| A．it’s easy to build your confidence |
| B．it’s impossible for a shy girl to speak up |
| C．confidence can help you express your ideas |
| D．the louder you speak, the more confident you are |
| A．how to speak louder | B．that you should be confident |
| C．that you should always speak loud | D．why you have a low voice |
7 . From a very early age, some children exhibit better self-control than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child's low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for many years now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.”
The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1, 000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said, “and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it's still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it's mostly a learned-behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and successful parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school education.
1. From the first two paragraphs we learn that________.| A．the research has been carried out for five years |
| B．self-control in kids probably determine their future |
| C．self- control was decided by children's intelligence |
| D．children's self-control is almost the same at early age |
| A．become wealthy in later life | B．get good school performance |
| C．have better financial planning | D．behave negatively |
| A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools. |
| B．The study is limited within few participants. |
| C．It's never too late to deal with self-control problems. |
| D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success. |
1. You are 26 years old and want to be a teacher. You should apply to ________ .
| A．Capes Taxi, 17 Palace Road, Roston |
| B．Recruitment Office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West, HR 37KK |
| C．the Director of Studies, Instant Languages Ltd., 279 Canal Street. Roston. |
| D．a private language school. |
| A．like beer and wine. |
| B．Punished（处罚）for driving too fast and wrong parking. |
| C．Unable to speak a foreign language. |
| D．Not having college education. |
| A．Driving for Capes Taxi |
| B．Working for Southern Airlines |
| C．Teaching at Instant Languages Ltd. |
| D．Working for Northern Airlines. |
| A．She once broke a traffic law and was fined |
| B．She can’t speak Japanese very well. |
| C．She has never worked as an air hostess before |
| D．She doesn’t feel like working long hours flying abroad. |
| A．Whether he or she is married |
| B．Whether they are men or women |
| C．Their education |
| D．The ages |
9 . Cause and effect is one way to explain things that happen around us. Many things happen because something caused or influenced them to happen. Sometimes it is hard to look at a cause and find out what causes the effect. It may help you to start with the effect and use your reasoning (推理的) skills. Think about all the things you know that could be reasons for the effect you can see.
For example，you may see someone putting on a heavy jacket. This is the effect. To look for a cause，think to yourself，“What would make someone put on a heavy jacket？”Maybe the person is going outside into very cold weather. Maybe the person works in the penguin pen (企鹅圈养地) at Sea World. Maybe the person is going to visit an ice skating rink where the air is kept very cold. All of these things could be a cause for putting on a heavy jacket.
Now，think about a second example. The effect is a boy named Abi has to go to the head teacher's office. What are the possible causes？Maybe he bullied (欺负) another student. Maybe he is just being picked up early. Maybe he is being given a prize!
Here is another example for you to think about its cause and effect. Cait，13，was trying to fall asleep when her 8yearold brother，Doug，came into her room. He looked around a bit，but seemed really out of it. Then Doug went back into the hallway(走廊) and stood there looking straight up at the hall light for quite a while. Little brothers can be very strange，but this was really much too strange. Cait didn't know what to do. Just then，Cait's father appeared and explained that Doug was sleepwalking. What's the cause and effect，could you tell?
1. According to the second paragraph，which of the following is an effect?| A．Someone puts on a heavy jacket. |
| B．Someone works in the penguin pen. |
| C．Someone will go outside into cold weather. |
| D．Someone will go to visit an ice skating rink. |
| A．He bullied another student. |
| B．He is going shopping. |
| C．he is being picked up early. |
| D．He is being given a prize. |
| A．He was going outside. |
| B．He was reading a story. |
| C．He was sleepwalking. |
| D．He was looking for his dad. |
| A．Tony got up and had a glass of water. |
| B．We came home and found him sleeping. |
| C．The ball was lost and a window was broken. |
| D．Tim was late again and his teacher got angry. |
| A．Truth and lies | B．Work and sleep |
| C．Cause and effect | D．Life and dreams |
10 . On a snowy evening, a rich lady was standing by the road. She was very worried. Her
The lady wondered, “Is the man going to
After forty
“No, that’s
A few minutes later, the lady
The hostess warmly asked her in. The lady could see that was a
Robert came home later than before, thinking how
Let’s always be ready to
| A．bike | B．car | C．boat | D．bus |
| A．on | B．in | C．by | D．at |
| A．soon | B．usual | C．often | D．much |
| A．help | B．save | C．kill | D．find |
| A．ran | B．agreed | C．stopped | D．left |
| A．tears | B．cry | C．smile | D．angry |
| A．days | B．homes | C．minutes | D．years |
| A．pay | B．kill | C．murder | D．beat |
| A．something | B．nothing | C．everything | D．anything |
| A．picture | B．rain | C．danger | D．need |
| A．whatever | B．whichever | C．wherever | D．whenever |
| A．saw | B．heard | C．smelt | D．felt |
| A．stopped | B．went | C．travelled | D．passed |
| A．terrible | B．sad | C．poor | D．rich |
| A．threw | B．forgot | C．gave | D．left |
| A．quietly | B．loudly | C．quickly | D．bravely |
| A．exciting | B．interesting | C．hard | D．happy |
| A．many | B．enough | C．some | D．few |
| A．driver | B．doctor | C．stranger | D．teacher |
| A．love | B．hate | C．help | D．protect |
