Pedigree Matters Less
The Exciting Offer, a reality show
Two participants in particular have attracted a great deal of attention: Wang Xiao, who graduated with a master’s degree in law from Stanford University, and Ding Hui, who
Many Viewers imagined that Wang
You
Well, I hate to rain on your parade (泼冷水),
More importantly, no amount of prestige can make up for being an arrogant know-it-all.
In a word, respect is earned by becoming a worthy role model for others rather than through an excellent pedigree (历史).
For vanity or medical necessity? To enhance or to correct? Clients or patients? Plastic surgery has traditionally been divided into two separate camps: the cosmetic and the reconstructive.
Cosmetic procedures are broadly about the quest for beauty,
Netflix's new reality show "Skin Decision: Before and After" demonstrates, however, the distinction
Across the first season's eight episodes, Dr. Sheila Nazarian and nurse Jamie Sherrill consult patients
But it could be argued that all of the participants stand to gain psychologically from undergoing some form of surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedure,
They use tucks, fillers and lasers - treatments that are, on paper, cosmetic rather than reconstructive. Yet, their patients aren't searching for perfection.
Unlike other plastic surgery reality shows, which routinely document wealthy participants' efforts to remove wrinkles, enlarge breasts or lift buttocks, those appearing on "Skin Decision" often just want to return to their former selves. As a patient with large amounts excess skin, following a dramatic weight loss,
Few participants better exemplify surgery's potential to transform people's lives than Katrina Goodwin, who appeared on the show following a horrific 2017 attack in which she was shot nine times by her then-husband, who went on
"Every time I took a shower I was reminded (of the tragedy)," she said. "Now, when I take a shower I'm reminded ... that this is phase two. This is my new beginning.
"Before appearing on the show, I didn't realize how defeated I was - defeated in my whole body language," she added. "Now friends and family say, 'You walk taller, you walk prouder, you seem happier.' So it was a transformation, and a way for me to reclaim
3 . Apple on Tuesday said its revenue fell 5 percent in the first quarter, compared with $ 88.3 billion a year earlier, as chief executive Tim Cook admitted that people are holding on to their iPhones longer.
Revenue from the maker of iPhones came in at $ 84.31 billion, slightly higher than the company estimated earlier this month, when it warned that sales would fall to about $84 billion. At the time, Cook cited a slowdown in China's economy as well as President Trump's trade war for weakening iPhone demand. It was Apple's first warning in more than 15 years.
Apple's stock jumped more than 4 percent in after-hours trading.
In its results, Apple aid net sales of iPhones were down by more than $9 billion compared with the same quarter last year. Cook conceded that many Apple users are "holding on to their older iPhones a bit longer than in the past," which contributed to lower iPhone demand. But he also pointed to shifts in foreign exchange (外汇) values that made Apple products more expensive in certain markets.
Consumers are holding on to their smart-phones for three years or longer. The Washington Post reported last month. But higher selling prices - with some high-end models costing over $1,000 - have been able to compensate for fewer new phones sold.
Sales increased in other categories such as services, wearables and tablets. Altogether, Apple reported net income of $ 19.97 billion for the quarter compared to $ 20,01 billion in the same period a year earlier. The popularity of Apple's smart-watch has driven significant growth in the company's wearables segment, according to the company.
"Our wearables business is approaching the size of a Fortune 200 company," said chief financial officer Luca Maestri.
While Cook acknowledged the continuing economic slowdown in China, he said it is "not in our DNA to stand around waiting for macroeconomic conditions to improve." One effort Apple is undertaking in response, Cook added, is to encourage customers to trade in their old devices and receive credit toward purchasing new phones. Apple offered deep discounts on its iPhone XR around the holidays, for instance, for people trading in recent devices.
More than two-thirds of Apple customers in China who bought an iPad or a Mac last quarter were first-time purchasers of those devices, Cook said.
Apple, which became the world's first company worth $1 trillion (万亿) last year, also said it is expecting lower revenues next quarter - between $ 55 billion and $ 59 billion - compared with the same time last year, when it reported revenues of % 61.6 billion. The company attributed the lower guidance to the same foreign exchange and macroeconomic factors it cited for the quarter that ended in December.
Shareholders were already reeling from (感受到……的负面影响) Apple's acknowledgement this week of a major flaw in its mobile operating system that allowed attackers to eavesdrop (窃听) on the recipient of Face-Time calls. Apple told users it is aware of the issue and that it plans to release a software update this week.
Tuesday marked the first of Apple's earnings reports in which the company did not report the number of iPhones it sold in the quarter. But the company did say that the total number of iPhones active world-wide now stands at 900 million - a positive sign for Apple as it seeks to convert many of its customers into users of its services such as Apple Pay and Apple Music.
1. According to Tim Cook, all of the following accounted for weakening iPhone demand EXCEPT ________.A.Apple users keep their Apple devices longer than before |
B.the macroeconomic conditions home and abroad were not ideal |
C.the changing foreign exchange values |
D.a major bug in its mobile operating system |
A.Apple is about to take the initiative to turn around its business. |
B.Apple is not good at dealing with macroeconomic conditions in a foreign country. |
C.Apple is not worried about China's economic slowdown because of its huge consumer base. |
D.Apple is sure of overcoming the temporary downturn in sales with its technology. |
A.One of Apple's goals is that its services can appeal to more consumers. |
B.On Tuesday, Apple didn't publicize its earnings reports because of its poor performance. |
C.Apple's wearables category has a good chance of surpassing a Fortune 200 company. |
D.iPhone's increased prices contribute to the drop in iPhones sold worldwide. |
A.Apple has sold 900 million iPhones around the world. |
B.Apple was the world's most valuable company at one point last year. |
C.Tim Cook was confident about Apple's future revenues despite current difficulty. |
D.An increasing number of users began to dislike their Apple devices. |
4 . Traditionally uniforms were manufactured to protect the worker. When they were first designed, it is also likely that all uniforms made symbolic sense---those for the military, for example, were at first
The last 30 years, however, have seen an increasing
“What they say, how they look, and how they behave is of vital importance.” From being a simple means of
Truly effective marketing through
But turning corporate philosophies into the right combination of colour, style, degree of branding and uniformity is not always
A successful uniform needs to
A.intended | B.pretended | C.extended | D.attended |
A.age | B.gender | C.education | D.status |
A.preference | B.argument | C.interest | D.emphasis |
A.educational | B.political | C.corporate | D.academic |
A.checking | B.identifying | C.operating | D.introducing |
A.studio | B.audio | C.visual | D.factual |
A.clarity | B.authority | C.responsibility | D.possibility |
A.kindness | B.safeness | C.quickness | D.openness |
A.ambitious | B.serious | C.creative | D.similar |
A.easy | B.wrong | C.difficult | D.tough |
A.exchange | B.call | C.stand | D.account |
A.establish | B.balance | C.neglect | D.quit |
A.pointless | B.important | C.useful | D.careless |
A.keep | B.shape | C.draw | D.value |
A.develop | B.take | C.cost | D.spend |
5 . This Is How Scandinavia Got Great
Almost everybody admires the Nordic model. Countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have high economic productivity, high social equality, high social trust and high levels of personal happiness.
Nordic nations were ethnically homogeneous(同质的) in 1800, when they were dirt poor. Their economic growth took off just after 1870, way before their welfare states were established.
The 19th-century Nordic elites did something we haven’t been able to do in our country recently. They realized that if their countries were to prosper they had to create truly successful “folk schools” for the least educated among them. They realized that they were going to have to make lifelong learning a part of the natural fabric of society.
Today, Americans often think of schooling as the transmission of specialized skill sets — the student can read, do math and recite the facts of biology.
The Nordic educators worked hard to cultivate each student’s sense of connection to the nation. Before the 19th century, most Europeans identified themselves in local and not national terms.
That educational push seems to have had a lasting influence on the culture. Whether in Stockholm or Minneapolis, Scandinavians have a tendency to joke about the way their sense of responsibility is always nagging at them. They have the lowest rates of corruption in the world. They have a distinctive sense of the relationship between personal freedom and communal responsibility.
A.Bildung is the way that the individual matures and takes upon him or herself ever bigger academic responsibility. |
B.What really launched the Nordic nations was generations of phenomenal educational policy. |
C.Bildung is designed to change the way students see the world. |
D.But the Nordic curriculum conveyed to students a pride in, say, their Danish history, folklore and heritage. |
E.They look at education differently than we do. |
F.The Nordic educators also worked hard to develop the student’s internal awareness. |
6 . There was a time when we thought humans were special in so many ways. Now we know better. We are not the only species that feels emotions, or follows a moral code. Neither are we the only ones with personalities, cultures and the ability to design and use tools. Yet we have all agree that one thing, at least, makes us unique: we alone have the ability of language.
It turns out that we are not so special in this aspect either. Key to the revolutionary reassessment of our talent for communication is the way we think about language itself. Where once it was seen as an unusual object, today scientists find it is more productive to think of language as a group of abilities. Viewed this way, it becomes apparent that the component parts of language are not as unique as the whole.
Take gesture, arguably the starting point for language. Until recently, it was considered uniquely human - but not any more. Mike Tomasello of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, and others have collected a list of gestures observed in monkeys and some other animals, which reveals that gestures plays a large role in their communication. Ape(猿) gestures can involve touch, vocalising or eye movement, and individuals wait until they have another ape’s attention before making visual or auditory gestures. If their gestures go unacknowledged, they will often repeat them.
In an experiment carried out in 2006 by Erica Cartmill and Richard Byrne from the University of St Andrews in the UK, they got a person to sit on a chair with some highly desirable food such as banana to one side of apes and some undesirable food such as vegetables to the other. The apes, who could see the person and the food from their enclosures, gestured at their human partners to encourage them to push the desirable food their way. If the person showed incomprehension and offered the vegetables, the animals would change their gestures - just as a human would in a similar situation. If the human seemed to understand while being somewhat confused, giving only half the preferred food, the apes would repeat and exaggerate their gestures - again in exactly the same way a human would. Such findings highlight the fact that the gestures of the animals are not merely inborn but are learned, flexible and under voluntary control - all characteristics that are considered preconditions for human-like communication.
1. It is agreed that compared with all the other animals, only human beings ________.A.own the ability to show their personalities |
B.are capable of using language to communicate |
C.have moral standards and follow them in society |
D.are intelligent enough to release and control emotions |
A.involve some abilities that can be mastered by animals |
B.is a talent impossibly owned by other animals |
C.can be divided into different components |
D.are productive for some talented animals |
A.Apes can use language to communicate with the help of humans. |
B.Repeating and exaggerating gestures is vital in language communication. |
C.Some animals can learn to express and communicate through some trials. |
D.The preferred food stimulates some animals to use language to communicate. |
A.Language involves gestures! | B.Animals language - gestures! |
C.So you think humans are unique? | D.The similarity between humans and apes. |
7 . Never in recorded history has a language been as widely spoken as English is today. The reason why millions are learning it is simple: it is the language of international business and,
David Graddol, the author of English Next, says it is
An important question one might ask is: whose English will it be in the future? Non-native speakers now
Professor Barbara Seidlhofer, Professor of English and Applied Linguistic at the University of Vienna, records and transcribes spoken English interactions between speakers of the language around the world. She says her team has noticed that non-native speakers are
Those who insist on standard English grammar remain in a(n)
But spoken English is another matter. Why should non-native speakers bother with what native speakers regard as correct? Their main aim,
Professor Seidlhofer says, “I think that what we are looking at is the
A.however | B.therefore | C.otherwise | D.instead |
A.relieving | B.shocking | C.tempting | D.disappointing |
A.accept | B.oppose | C.mind | D.doubt |
A.outnumber | B.overlook | C.upgrade | D.underestimate |
A.attentive | B.agreeable | C.energetic | D.present |
A.diagnosis | B.comprehension | C.disturbance | D.concentration |
A.creating | B.improving | C.varying | D.obeying |
A.edited | B.neglected | C.avoided | D.required |
A.mistakes | B.coincidences | C.exceptions | D.excuses |
A.fear | B.object | C.agree | D.fight |
A.ignorance | B.evolution | C.correctness | D.guidance |
A.honored | B.mysterious | C.falling | D.powerful |
A.by comparison | B.after all | C.on purpose | D.in reality |
A.disappearance | B.emergence | C.criticism | D.evaluation |
A.less good | B.less lonely | C.more alive | D.more adapted |
A. broadcast B. estimates C. involves D. performing E. barriers F. themes G. amateur H. hire I. boost J. demanding K. proving |
“MEN ARE adorable,” begins Yang Li in a sketch first aired last year. “But mysterious...After all, they can look so average and yet be so full of confidence.” It seemed a gentle dig by the newly crowned “punchline queen” of “Rock and Roast”, a television show starring
Long the stars of Chinese joke-making, men are unhappy about being the butt (笑柄) of it. Chizi, a popular male contestant on “Rock and Roast” with a special liking for boorish jokes, sniffed that Ms Yang was “not
Western-style stand-up comedy has taken off since it appeared in China a decade ago. It is
The show, which began in 2017, has been a(n)
Ms Yang has used the backlash against her gag to create a new one. It
9 . Explore some of New Zealand's best skiing & snowboarding field. Whatever your ability, Cardrona has the snow for you!
The 2018 winter season runs from June 16 — October 14,2018.
Half Day & 1 Day lift passes are split into Peak & Off Peak pricing:
Peak — July, August & September Off Peak — June & October
2018 Single Day Ski Passes | Half Day* Off Peak | Half Day* Peak | 1 Day Off Peak | 1 Day Peak | 1 Day Learner | 1 Lift |
Adult | $80 | $85 | $99 | $115 | $65 | $35 |
Child | $45 | $50 | $50 | $60 | $42 | $25 |
Student | $70 | $75 | $85 | $95 | $65 | $35 |
Senior | N/A | N/A | $75 | $85 | $65 | $35 |
* Half day passes: 8.30am — 12.30pm morning, 12.30 — 4pm afternoon
* Rocky Mountain Super Pass holders must book lodging with Cardrona to be eligible for free day passes. Please email reservations@cardrona.com with an accommodation booking request & the lift ticket benefit request.
What pass am I eligible for? Read our lift pass age definitions below to find out.
* Multi passes are valid for both consecutive & non-consecutive days & can be used any time throughout the 2018 winter season at Cardrona only.
Your lift pass will be stored on an electronic RFID pass. To make the most of your clever pass, activate your personal profile online. Once you' re logged into your profile you can:
·Top up your card with lift passes, rental gear, lift & rental packages and lessons.
·Keep track of your on-slope stats at Cardrona (days spent, run count, activities taken, etc. )
Definitions for Lift Passes:
Student: 18+yrs enrolled full time (minimum 32 weeks in a calendar year)with a New Zealand or Australian tertiary institution. Student ID & proof of full time status (letter from institution) is required. ID card must be in English & include a valid expiry date.
Child: Currently attending school, 6-17yrs inclusive. Kids under 6 ski for free in winter, & kids under 9 bike for free in summer! Photo ID will be required.
Senior: 65-74yrs of age. Photo ID will be required.
Under 6yrs &75 Years+: Under 6yrs & over 75yrs, as at June 1, 2018, ski for free. Please collect a complimentary lift pass from the ticket office. Photo ID will be required.
1. After activation of your online profile, what can you do to maximize the value of your pass?A.You can open up the online account of your clever pass. |
B.You can store your lift pass on an electronic RFID pass. |
C.You can monitor what activities you have done at Cardrona. |
D.You can participate in most tutor lessons without any charge. |
A.Cardrona is only open to those who are skilled at snowing or skiing. |
B.Anyone with Rocky Mountain Super Pass can have free access to Cardrona. |
C.Those with 1 Day Off Peak pass are entitled to ski at Cardrona on Oct. 24th |
D.One can get in Cardrona from 8.30 am to 4 pm with 1 Day Peak pass. |
A.$295. | B.$275. | C.$320. | D.$270. |
10 . There is no such thing as a perfect woman, and Nothing but Thirty screenwriter Zhang Yingji wanted to convey this message in telling the stories of three different women, who have found very different ways to climb their own mountains.
Wang Manni is a woman who will climb any mountain as long as she finds it challenging. Zhong Xiaoqin is one who will only climb if she has someone to go along with her. She will not overexert herself, and she will definitely stop once she has reached a comfortable place. Gu Jia, on the other hand, has already started to think about reaching the peak before she even starts the climb, regardless of whether she is alone or has company.
In a sense, the scriptwriter purposely created Gu Jia as the perfect woman of thirty. She is married, with a successful husband and a young son. She is living the dream, but Gu Jia does not feel complete. She feels lost. She is flawed. She has episodes of succumbing to her own greed and disregard to those around her.
“She is someone who chases alter perfection.” said Tong Yao (who portrays Gu Jia). “Obviously, this is stressful for those around her. She hides things. She isn’t perfect, but in front of others, she has to stay perfect.”
Her chase for perfection and her stubbornness to maintain this image has effected many of the relationships in her life. She chases after what she believes is right for others. Because of this, she and her husband start to see and value things differently, which puts a strain on their relationship.
Gu Jia’s personal struggles give life to the character. Many viewers are able to relate to her, and, through her character, find a shadow of themselves. There’s still a lot left that we can learn from the women of Nothing but Thirty, but maybe like them, we too can find the courage in ourselves to walk on that road which is truly meant for us.
1. According to the article, which of the following best describes Zhong Xiaoqin’s personality?A.Ambitious and goal-driven | B.Moderate and content |
C.Aimless and impulsive | D.Visionary and independent |
A.She has her own worries and insecurities. |
B.She leads a seemingly perfect and enviable life. |
C.She can be greedy and insensitive to others’ feelings. |
D.She is discontented with life because of her husband. |
A.is a perfectionist | B.stands up to her husband |
C.balances her work and life well | D.displays some identifiable traits |
A.To call attention to the rise of feminism. |
B.To introduce the plot of Nothing but Thirty. |
C.To contrast the main characters of Nothing but Thirty. |
D.To encourage viewers to find inspiration in Nothing but Thirty. |