The Right Decisions
Lisa looked at her watch outside of the gift store and knew that in half an hour her mother would be standing on the doorsteps of their house waiting. She had to make up her mind or go home without a proper birthday gift.
“What should I do?” Lisa asked herself. “I owe Mr. Chapman five dollars for a science fair display board tomorrow.” That caused a serious, uncomfortable problem. If Lisa bought the tiny cactus (仙人掌) for her mother’s birthday, she would have money for the science board. If she bought the more expensive cut flowers, she wouldn’t.
Upon stepping into the gift store, the beautiful flowers immediately caught her eye. Lisa knew her mother would adore the flowers, so without another thought, she grabbed them.
Mrs. Mills, the store manager, smiled at Lisa when she came to the counter to purchase the beautiful flowers. “Wow, I wonder who will be gifted those beautiful flowers, Lisa,” she asked with a smile.
“It’s for my mother’s birthday, Mrs. Mills,” Lisa replied, returning a smile. The price tag (价签) said the flowers cost $5.30, and Lisa gave Mrs. Mills a ten-dollar bill.
Upon stepping out of the store, Lisa looked down at the flowers in her left hand — the afternoon sun made them brighter in color. She was glad she had made the right decision. Then, her eyes looked down upon her right hand, where the change that Mrs. Mills gave to her lay. To her surprise, she saw a five-dollar bill inside. Mrs. Mills definitely had made a mistake and she had been given too much money!
Lisa was caught in a dilemma. A voice inside told her to keep the money, so she could have amazing flowers for her mother and five dollars for Mr. Chapman’s science board. But another voice told her it was dishonest to keep the extra money, and Mrs. Mills would be held responsible for the mistake.
注意:
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Lisa stood still for a few minutes and finally returned to the gift store and went inside. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“I’m sorry, Lisa. I did make a mistake, but the mistake is with the price tag,” Mrs. Mills said. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 . One Saturday morning my brother and I went to play tennis near a school building. Actually, we played very well and we were
Suddenly, something
I asked my brother
As soon as we arrived home, we told our father what had happened. We thought we were lucky and wise. However, his response was
We were waiting at home,
He could see our relief as he continued, “ I am proud of your kids for having the
From this incident, we discovered that admitting our mistakes and taking the
A.hitting | B.catching | C.getting | D.throwing |
A.interesting | B.impossible | C.familiar | D.unexpected |
A.control | B.reach | C.power | D.order |
A.place | B.sight | C.distance | D.position |
A.excitedly | B.casually | C.nervously | D.patiently |
A.suspected | B.responded | C.informed | D.indicated |
A.opposed | B.doubted | C.ignored | D.agreed |
A.contrary | B.similar | C.proper | D.beneficial |
A.curious | B.desperate | C.upset | D.confused |
A.left | B.returned | C.began | D.continued |
A.delighted | B.surprised | C.grateful | D.generous |
A.admit | B.confirm | C.propose | D.believe |
A.sets down | B.puts off | C.takes over | D.allows for |
A.confidence | B.wisdom | C.courage | D.ambition |
A.conditions | B.situations | C.circumstances | D.consequences |
3 . “I WANT A MOUSE!” said my grandma. She was 80 years old and sounded quite determined. She was a very enthusiastic reader. In her later years, she had to deal with the language of the digital age. I can only imagine her bitterness at constantly meeting the sentence, “Find more information at the click of a mouse.” And so now you understand why my grandma wanted a mouse.
According to the WHO, the number of people over 60 years will nearly double between 2015 and 2050. We live in glorious times of fast-changing technology. It seems as if we have a million passwords to remember, and a lot of settings to navigate. People who lose some memory ability as they grow older may be disadvantaged. Digital citizenship is a real skill. Mobile apps are like an appendage (附属品) to everything we do. Even our basic needs can be met at the click of a button. This is a real struggle for old folks who did not grow up glued to their screens!
I am sure grandma would say, “At the click of a button, I wish to call, read and watch — without having to spend so much time navigating.” Phone manufacturers and mobile app developers, of course, should take note. It will be of great help to the older people if the settings are more self-explanatory, with few fancy technical terms that require a separate dictionary to understand.
My grandma’s trouble might bring back some memories for you. Remember when you had your grandparents take you on a long winding walk, stopping at every flower, butterfly or an ant under a rock, and patiently listening to your countless questions along the way. They gave you the gift of their patience and time in your curious, exploratory childhood. Now it might be time for you to give them the gift of a little time and patience in return as they click and navigate to where they want to go in a digital world. It’s the old folks’ turn to ask the questions.
1. Why does the author’s grandma want a mouse?A.To confirm information. | B.To reduce her boredom. |
C.To follow the fashion. | D.To meet her practical needs. |
A.curious and passionate | B.ashamed and regretful |
C.annoyed but eager | D.impatient but satisfied |
A.We should not forget our grandma’s upbringing. |
B.It’s high time that we should repay our grandma. |
C.Our grandma is in desperate need of health care. |
D.We had a happy childhood even without a mouse. |
A.A digital return gift of time | B.A great need in digital age |
C.My grandma’s embarrassment | D.My digitally diligent grandma |
4 . TVB’s 56th-anniversary show, The Queen of News, has become popular across the country. It stars actors Charmaine Sheh and Kenneth Ma . People enjoy talking about its plot and copying its pointed lines.
The show got 8.2 points out of 10 on the review website Douban. Telling the stories of news reporters competing for the top spot during golden time, some said, the show was a bit over the top. But the fantastic plot where the main character overcomes challenges on the way to success is loved by many.
The Queen of News is a so-called “feel-good drama”, a type of drama that has become more and more popular in recent years. But why do people enjoy such dramas so much? One of the reasons is that the plots in these shows are easy to follow. They often tell stories where the main character goes from facing difficulties to seeking revenge (复仇) and, in the end, earning respect and success.
This kind of show allows people to forget about their worries and challenges in life and feel happy while watching them. Han Ning, a psychological counselor who works in Nanjing, told the Yangtze Evening Post that feel-good dramas can help with mental health . These shows can meet the emotional needs of the audience. They also help people lower their anxiety and stress levels.
However, some people worry that feel-good dramas may lead people to look at life in an unrealistic way. If people look too deeply into these big personality changes of characters and the excitement of the story, it may affect how they think they should live their lives, noted Guangming Daily. The newspaper added that these dramas should cut out the over-the-top parts that are larger-than-life.
1. Which word is closest in meaning to “over the top” in Paragraph 2?A.sharp. | B.dramatic. | C.competitive. | D.unrealistic. |
A.Their plots are close to real life. | B.Their plots are easy to follow. |
C.They star the most popular idols. | D.They usually get high points on Douban. |
A.Because they help the audience release stress. |
B.Because they come from and are used in life. |
C.Because they teach useful life lessons. |
D.Because they let the audience feel respected. |
A.People shouldn’t watch “feel-good dramas”. |
B.The dramas should promote more realistic views. |
C.We should closely watch the qualities of the dramas. |
D.It’s good to watch “feel-good dramas” sometimes. |
5 . In early December, the US broke a terrible new record:38mass shootings in a single year, in which 203 people have died. This beat the previous record of 36 mass shootings, according to The Guardian. But why is there so much gun violence in the US? Although the issue is complicated, there are three big reasons: too many guns, weak gun laws and loopholes (漏洞), and cultural factors.
The US has a lot of guns –120.5guns for every 100 Americans, according to a 2017 survey. In other words, there are more guns than people in the US. This makes it easier for people to get guns.
Although US federal law says certain people can’t buy guns, it’s still fairly easy for Americans to buy them anyway, said Vox. A big part of this is loopholes in gun sales. In the US, when you buy a gun from a licensed shop or at a gun show, they have to check your background. But if you buy from a private seller, they don’t have to do that. Even in those cases where a background check is made, it can only take up to three days at most. If the seller does not receive a clear answer within three days, the seller can still sell the gun, reported CGTN.
The US also has a unique gun culture, influenced by the Second Amendment(第二修正案) of the US Constitution. Some people believe it gives them special rights, making them refuse to give up their guns for the greater good.
Despite these challenges, around 60 percent of Americans think gun violence is a big problem and want stricter gun laws, a 2022 Pew Research Center study said. But it’s unclear if US lawmakers, who listen to powerful gun groups like the National Rifle Association or Gun Owners of America, will make changes.
1. What are the main reasons for increasing gun violence in the US?a. the high ownership of guns b. the weak laws on buying guns
c. the light punishment on gun violence d. the right to have guns in the minds of Americans
A.abc | B.abd | C.acd | D.bcd |
A.won’t have any chance to buy guns | B.can purchase guns with a special license |
C.can purchase guns from private sellers | D.can buy guns by showing their background |
A.meaningless | B.costly | C.tough | D.possible |
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
Dunhuang, located in Northwest China’s Gansu province, was
From Dec.5 to 8 in 2023, the show titled “The Dunhuang You Don’t Know”,
The show, produced by the art program center of the China Media Group, focused on the modern way of life in Dunhuang,
In recent years, with a rise in the
7 . We are all failures, sometimes. The emotional attack that follows failure can hang over you, if you think about it for a long time.
Listen to your emotions.
Lower the bar and be practical.
A.Respond to failure in a more positive way. |
B.Avoid those who are quick to judge your situations. |
C.If you set unrealistic goals, you may often feel disappointed. |
D.Your friends can be quick to take sides and offer unhealthy remarks. |
E.This means admitting your feelings and sitting with them for a moment. |
F.Concentrate on taking small, practical steps to improve an area of your life. |
G.On the other hand, forgetting it may lead you to miss out on vital life lessons. |
8 . The change caused by increased scientific funding during the 20th century is remarkable. Thomas Edison electrified the world from his industrial lab at Menlo Park, and the Carnegie Foundation was the major supporter of Edwin Hubble. Advances in science during the Second World War—from the development of radar to the atom bomb — encouraged governments and companies to increase their funding.
However, a growing amount of work shows that the reward has fallen even as more money is spent on research. One explanation for this is that the way science is funded is out of date. The rate at which funding applications are approved has fallen. Two-fifths of a top scientist’s time is spent on things other than research, such as looking for money. Risky ideas are often put aside. It is time to make another change.
The first step is to try new things. More money could fund promising people rather than specific projects, encouraging researchers to take risks. Countries should also learn from the best practices of others. American funders give over three times more to science than the European funders do. Europeans might benefit from learning from others’ practices.
More important still is to find ways to measure what is working and what is not, and then adapt accordingly. Governments might consider appointing leading scientists or chief economists to do the data analysis in various scientific fields. One interesting idea is to keep a close eye on the projects that they do not fund, and track how they perform.
None of this will be easy. Scientific funders say they want to experiment, but they also face pressure to support research that can be easily explained, to keep politicians happy. In some cases more money may be the only solution. Still, the economic returns to research are so large — at least ten times the original investment — that fixing the system is well worth the effort. Like science itself, the way of funding it must also progress.
1. Why does the author mention Thomas Edison in Paragraph 1?A.To praise the inventor’s achievement. | B.To explain the change with examples. |
C.To compare scientific breakthroughs. | D.To transform the funding for science. |
A.Most scientists are devoted to research. | B.Funding for research is less rewarding. |
C.Funding applications get fast approved. | D.Scientists should look for more money. |
A.Support people with risky ideas. | B.Invest money in specific projects. |
C.Analyse the data to earn money. | D.Let go of the unfunded projects. |
A.Unclear. | B.Negative. | C.Doubtful. | D.Approving. |
1. Where does Mark usually read news now?
A.In a newspaper. | B.In a magazine. | C.On the Internet. |
A.It has a small glass window. |
B.It can make a pizza in a short time. |
C.It offers four types of pizzas at a time. |
A.It is quite necessary. | B.It might not be popular. | C.It will certainly succeed. |
A.The 24-hour service. | B.Tasty pizza made by it. | C.The low production cost. |
1. When will the man go to the restaurant?
A.On Tuesday. | B.On Wednesday. | C.On Thursday. |
A.A couple. | B.Some friends. | C.His family. |
A.Provide personal information. |
B.Tell the waitress his arriving time. |
C.Ask for a table at the non-smoking area. |