1 . In 2012, Kim Stemple, a special-education teacher, found herself in a Boston hospital being treated for one of several diseases she had been diagnosed(诊断) with, including lupus and lymphoma. The normally confident Stemple was naturally getting very depressed. And then a friend gave her a medal.
Before she got too sick to exercise, Stemple had been a marathon runner. The medal came from a racing partner who had just finished a half marathon in Las Vegas and hoped the souvenir would act as a kind of feeling pick-me-up. It worked like a charm—and then some.
After Stemple hung the medal near her hospital bed, other patients said they wanted medals too. That got Stemple thinking. “A medal is a simple way to give a positive message,” she told pilotonline.com. And so was born her charity, We Finish Together, which collects medals from strangers—runners, dancers, swimmers, singers, and even spelling bee winners—and donates them to all sorts of people in need.
Those who received the medals have included hospital patients, residents of homeless shelters, and veterans. Part of the process involves the donor writing a personalized note on the ribbon. “This gives them a connection to someone,” says Stemple. “If they receive a medal, they know someone cares.”
Can a simple medal really make a difference? Yes, says Joan Musarra, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis. “I opened my package containing my new medal and the notes of positive, warm thoughts, I was overwhelmed,” she wrote to Stemple. “At that moment, I was sitting on my couch breathing through life-support machine because my lungs have been worsening so badly. It means so much to me to feel that I am not alone.”
1. Why did Kim Stemple start We Finish Together?| A．To express a positive message to those in need. |
| B．To share medals collected from different people. |
| C．To show her sympathy to people in hospital. |
| D．To strengthen the relationship between the winners. |
| A．it was very effective |
| B．it was very charming |
| C．it added to her beauty |
| D．it attracted others immediately |
| A．Donating brings sunshine to both. |
| B．Sportsmanship can inspire people with hope. |
| C．People should help each other when in trouble. |
| D．The simple act of kindness really makes a person’s day. |
2 . Binge-watching (追剧) your favorite TV series is bad for your brain. Dr. Randall Wright, based in Texas, said the need to watch episode (集) after episode has a similar influence on the brain to gambling (赌博). What’s more, it often leads to social loneliness, snacking on junk food and a shortage of exercise and sleep, which, over time, is bad for the brain.
When you let auto play start the next episode, you can find out what happens next and your brain receives good feedback, Dr. Wright wrote in an article. This right-away satisfaction is similar to gambling where even after a win, you are not satisfied and want to continue playing. With binge-watching, you are not satisfied with stopping after episode five and want to continue watching. This cycle coupled with the snacking and the long time sitting can lead to unhealthy changes in your brain and body over time.
Dr. Wright said, “Binge-watching itself is not bad. It becomes problematic when you are watching a third, fourth or fifth episode instead of doing healthy activities.” But he said it is possible to avoid the bad influence of binge-watching with four tips, including staying away from salty, fatty, calorific foods, exercising before a binge-watching, setting an alarm for sleep and balancing TV viewing with socializing.
If you add these tips to your binge-watching practice, you can create lasting healthy habits and still enjoy the now-and-then binge-watching time without hurting your brain.
1. What might “it” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Gambling. | B．Binge-watching. |
| C．TV series. | D．Brain. |
| A．The long time sitting. | B．The changes of feeling. |
| C．The snacking on junk food. | D．The immediate satisfaction. |
| A．The tips on how to develop a healthy lifestyle. |
| B．The reasons why binge-watching is problematic. |
| C．The ways to keep away from binge-watching. |
| D．Do’s and don’ts of binge-watching. |
| A．Ill Health: The Result of Addiction |
| B．Healthy Habits: A Must of A Better Life |
| C．Binge-watching: A Killer of Your Brain |
| D．TV-Viewing: Gradual Harm on Your Health |
3 . How to Be a Good Listener to Your Family
Communication is important for strong family relationships. However, if you don't truly listen to others, it can be difficult to communicate.
Listen actively. When listening to a family member, do not let your mind wander to other things. It's important to make your family member feel heard and valued. Put your phone away and give them your full attention. Never think about other things when someone is talking.
Repeat what has been said. Briefly summarizing what the speaker has said can go a long way towards effective communication. Everyone wants to feel valued and heard, so repeating a family member’s point can show you were listening.
Do not interrupt.
| A．Avoid hurrying the speaker |
| B．Interrupting can put breaks on effective conversation. |
| C．Instead, focus on what's being said. |
| D．People tend to pause when they speak. |
| E．It can help you make sure you understood the speaker. |
| F．Working on your listening skills can help you communicate better and form stronger bonds. |
| G．When someone finishes talking, ask questions if necessary. |
4 . When the leaves begin to change colors,it means one thing for many travelers：Fall festival season is here.If you’re interested in visiting a fall festival in America,here are some of the country’s best fall festivals for you to choose from.
Wellfleet Oysterfest
Wellileet Oysterfest is a two-day event held in Wellfleet,Mass.The meeting on Cape Cod is one that the locals look forward to all year long.Feed on oysters(牡蛎）and other seafood，while you watch the fastest oyster-eaters in the world compete in the famous Oyster Shuck-Off,a competition for taking the outer covering of oysters.The competition is taken very seriously.
Harvest on the Harbor
It takes place in Portland,Maine.The festival celebrates all that is best about Maine’s food and wine.This celebration is held every October,and includes the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and Savory Samplings at the Marketplace.The latter allows travelers to taste the best local food that Maine has to offer at Casco Bay.
Killington Hay Festival
If you’re looking for a fall festival that includes hay sculptures(干草雕塑)，take part in the yearly Killington Hay Festival.When you begin to see the giant hay sculptures,you’ll know you’ve arrived.Past sculptures have changed from a 20-foot-tall kangaroo to a family of penguins.
1. What can we learn about the meeting on Cape Cod?| A．It takes place twice a year. | B．It lasts three days in all. |
| C．It’s loved by the locals. | D．It’s not open to tourists. |
| A．People who want to go to a festival in November. |
| B．People who want to try Maine’s local food. |
| C．The fastest oyster-eaters worldwide, |
| D．The best cooks around the world. |
| A．They all serve seafood. | B．They are all liked by eaters. |
| C．They all last for two days. | D．They all take place in fall. |
5 . For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right. It doesn’t matter what the topic is—politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg—the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority—someone who actually knows something—and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.
1. Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?| A．Both are about where to draw the line. |
| B．Both can continue for generations. |
| C．Neither has any clear winner. |
| D．Neither can be put to an end. |
| A．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
| B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict. |
| C．The teens cause their parents of misleading them. |
| D．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
| A．give orders to the other |
| B．know more than the other |
| C．gain respect from the other |
| D．get the other to behave properly |
| A．Solutions for the parent-teen problems. |
| B．Examples of the parent-teen war. |
| C．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts. |
| D．Future of the parent-teen relationship. |
Curling(冰壶)is a winter sport played on ice. Therefore, it’s most popular in northern countries like Canada. Curling is played in the USA by about 15,000 people.
In curling, a broom is part of each player’s equipment. A good curler must know how much force to use. The player must know the exact conditions of the ice on the court.
| A．Players compete on the court. |
| B．Then the play begins in the other direction. |
| C．Curling is played by teams of four people. |
| D．In other words, a good curler must be a fine athlete. |
| E．The rules are easy to learn, but playing the game is hard. |
| F．The melting of the ice makes things tough for the curlers. |
| G．Curling probably began in Scotland in the 1500s or earlier. |
7 . To joke around is to have fun with someone. To fool someone is to try to make them believe something that is not true.
April 1st is known as the day to fool people with practical jokes, pranks or harmless tricks.
Many centuries ago, people in the Western world used the Julian calendar.
The fool is a common character in art, music and literature. William Shakespeare is famous for his fools. And fools make for great pop songs. Fools are found in many words, expressions and proverbs. To be foolhardy means to do something that are too dangerous or risky. For example, it is foolhardy to hike up a mountain during a heavy snowstorm. If something is foolproof, it is planned or made so well that nothing could go wrong.
''Look, I don't want to get into trouble. This plan of yours sounds risky. ''
''My plan is foolproof. Nothing will go wrong as long as you do exactly as I say. ''
| A．Not even a fool could mess it up. |
| B．And that is the purpose of April Fools' Day. |
| C．They celebrated the New Year on April 1st. |
| D．Even a smart person can be a fool at times. |
| E．But the tradition remains the same—to fool someone. |
| F．Fools also find themselves in many proverbs. |
| G．But how did this tradition begin? |
8 . Even as a bush fire threatened the rural Australian community, Gary Wilson and his partner Julie Willis decided not to flee their wooden house.
The two had a home full of baby kangaroos to protect. More than 10 of the baby kangaroos — called joeys — stayed safe inside fabric pouches (育儿袋) that hung in the couple's living room. Each piece of cloth looked like the opening in which mother kangaroos carry their young. Wilson and Willis have taken care of wild animals before. Recently, full-grown kangaroos and other wildlife that had left their care long ago came back to the house in search of protection as the fires grew nearer. ''We had too many animals in the house and around the house so we really couldn't go, '' Wilson said. ''We decided we were going to stay and fight. '' Their home is now surrounded by burned land and vehicles.
Wilson and Willis defended their home with fire extinguishers (灭火器) and water pumps. Their house also had a special device on top that sprayed water on hot ashes falling on the roof.
Good preparation and good luck helped the building stay safe. And the animals have survived. But the fire killed two of Wilson's neighbors. ''It was a horrible thing. '' Wilson said.
Willis said, ''It's not until after the fires when it really hits you how close you were to dying... ''
While Wilson and Willis usually care for joeys that are rescued after their mothers are struck by vehicles, they are now welcoming an increasing number of fire orphans.
She said, ''We didn't have children ourselves; this is what we spend our time doing. We think it's worthy — a worthy cause — looking after our babies no matter what they are... ''
1. We can learn from the passage that ______ .| A．Wilson and Willis took care of kangaroos only |
| B．Wilson and Willis decided to leave their wooden house |
| C．Wilson and Willis made pouches for baby kangaroos |
| D．Wilson and Willis had to look after their own babies |
| A．firefighters who come to help them |
| B．special devices which help put out the fire |
| C．baby animals whose mothers get killed in the fire |
| D．neighbors whose houses are burnt in the fire |
| A．A news report. | B．A journal. |
| C．A textbook. | D．A guidebook. |
9 . Katie always wanted to be a performer. She, the youngest of, the three kids from Cleveland, was crazy about musicals and Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them singing with her mom, Karen. However, Katie’s happy childhood took a turn when her mother was diagnosed(诊断)with cancer. When the doctor informed the family that Karen’s disease was terminal, they decided to make a trip to Disney World.
The family spared no expense for their once-in-a-lifetime vacation and stayed at Disney’s hotel for eight nights. They spent their days in the parks, seeing the sights, greening characters, all the while pushing Karen in her wheelchair and watching her face light up with joy. They all shared in the merriment of experiencing the parks for the first time with Karen. The trip to Disney World at the height of Karen’s battle with cancer slowed them to escape into a world of magic and laughter. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to work for Disney.
Sadly, Karen lost the battle and died later, but the whole family remembered her every day and often thought of that Disney vacation Katie went on to go after her dream. After she received her degree in musical theater, she struggled for years, working as a waitress and trying to be a performer. Her hard work finally paid off when she was hired to work for Disney.
As a Disney performer, Katie is aware that many other families visit the parks and have similar stories to her own. She encourages everyone, especially children, who may be experiencing a hard time. “Every moment -is meant for you, even the painful ones.” she says. “It’s just like in your favorite Disney movie: There is always some kind of conflict or hardship or pressure. Remember to celebrate those moments, too, because they are taking you to whatever your version of a happy ending is.”
1. What made Katie decide to work for Disney?| A．The dream that she wanted to live a lire full magic. |
| B．The memory that she watched Disney movies as a kid. |
| C．The great joy the Disney vacation brought to her family. |
| D．The great courage her mother showed in fighting cancer. |
| A．Kind and curious. | B．Patient and helpful. |
| C．Strict and independent. | D．Tough and determined. |
| A．Sweet is pleasure after pain. | B．Experience must be bought. |
| C．Many drops make a shower. | D．Good medicine tastes bitter. |
10 . Before the end of the year, employees at Ubiquitous Energy, a company in Redwood City, Calif, will gather in a window-lined conference room to stare toward the future. That’s because their new glass windows will offer more than an amazing view of the North California landscape. They will also be able to power the company’s lights, computers and air conditioners.
Several years in the making, Ubiquitous’ energy-producing glass is a remarkable technological achievement. Its power lies in the layers of organic polymers (聚合物) between sheets of glass. As light enters the window,the flow of electrons between the polymer layers creates an electric current, which is then collected by tiny wires in the glass.
“It’s sort of like a transparent computer display run in reverse (反过来),” says Veeral Hardev, director of business development at Ubiquitous Energy. “Instead of electricity being shuttled to different points in a display to light them up, light is producing electricity to be shuttled out of different points in the window.”
Right now the windows produce about a third as much electricity from a given amount of sunlight as the typical solar cells used in roof panels (板).These windows, about half as transparent as ordinary glass, don’t work as well as transparent ones. Hardev says the company is likely to improve the transparency significantly. As for the lower output of electricity, he notes that windows can cover a much greater surface area than a roof, so numerous windows will produce a surprisingly larger amount of electricity than the production from a rooftop full of higher-efficiency solar panels. “You could do both.” says Hardev. “But you’ll get more from the windows. The biggest challenge, he adds, is increasing the windows from less than two square feet currently to about 50 square feet.”
1. What makes the new glass windows special?| A．They can offer an amazing view. |
| B．They are controlled by computers. |
| C．They can power the conference room. |
| D．They can help stare toward the future. |
| A．The source of light. |
| B．The significance of different points. |
| C．The similarity of computer and glass. |
| D．The working principle of energy-producing glass. |
| A．The transparency of the glass. |
| B．The quality of the rooftop. |
| C．The height of the solar panels. |
| D．The thickness of the glass. |
| A．Windows: A New Challenge of Technology |
| B．Windows: No Longer Just for Letting in the Light |
| C．Power: A Pressing Problem in the Near Future |
| D．Power: Not Enough from Rooftop Solar Panels |
