I stood in the restaurant kitchen, my eyes wide, arms hanging awkwardly, ready to work but unsure of what to do. “You will be trained first,” my manager Aaron said, “and do remember to check every detail!” With these words, he walked away.
A workmate threw me a dish brush and said, “Let’s get started.” He introduced me to the basics of washing dishes and demonstrated the process. This was the beginning of my part-time job, a new stage where I was both eager to learn and anxious about the challenges ahead.
On a Friday night, Aaron swiftly entered the kitchen. “Who has just bused (收拾) the back right table?” he shouted, his voice sharp with urgency. My hands, slippery with bubbles from the bowl I was washing, nearly let it slip through my fingers. I wanted to say I was guilty, but Aaron’s cold stare didn’t promise a happy reward for the guy who admitted. Finally, a mix of fear and my own conscience pushed the response out of my mouth.
“I did, Aaron.”
“What were you thinking? Get back out here and look at what you missed!” His words forced me forward. I grabbed a rag (抹布) and followed him out to table twenty-two. As we made our way through the restaurant, he said something about rags, but I didn’t hear clearly with other conversations going on around us.
I quickly realized the true issue was the mess beneath the table. A nearly full cup of beer had tipped over, creating a small lake on the floor. It was a significant mistake on my part. “Take care of it!” Aaron tuned and stormed off to the front of the restaurant.
I dropped down to clean up the beer. That was when another problem occurred. I had brought only one rag. One already wet rag. It did nothing but increase the size of the lake. “More rags,” I thought. Immediately, I rushed into the kitchen and hurriedly grabbed five dry rags, hoping Aaron wouldn’t notice my brief absence.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I had just rushed out when I found Aaron standing in my way.
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After cleaning up the mess, I reflected on Aaron’s words.
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2 . Alarming levels of dangerous chemicals known as Perfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS) were discovered in food packaging at a number of well-known fast-food restaurants and grocery store chains, a new report found. The report comes more than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, when the public has relied heavily on takeout and grocery deliveries.
Often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment, PFAS are used in food packaging to prevent grease (油脂) and water from soaking through food wrappers and cups. PFAS can also be found in the ink used to print logos and instructions on food containers.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls exposure to PFAS a “public health concern”, citing that the human-made chemicals can harm the immune system and reduce a person’s resistance to infectious diseases.
Regulatory limits for how much PFAS food packaging should contain can vary greatly. For instance, a new law in California set the limit at less than 100 ppm. “Compared to America, Denmark sets a much lower regulatory limit of 20 ppm with great success,” said Xenia Trier, an expert at the European Environment Agency. “It does work to set limits and enforce them. PFAS do migrate from the paper into the food. Even though it was not 100%, we still saw considerable transmission. In general, transmission from packaging to food is increased as the temperature of the food rises. It is the same with the time spent in wrapping materials.” Trier told NBS, one of the major American mass-media companies.
In response to the issue, Whole Foods became the first grocery chain to publicly commit to remove PFAS from takeout containers and bakery paper. Many other companies followed suit. Experts say people who want to avoid PFAS in their takeout and food delivery packaging should favor companies that have promised to remove the chemicals. “As soon as you receive your takeout, you’d better take food out of the container immediately, and never reheat food in its original container. Instead, remove your food and heat it in ceramic (陶瓷的) or glass containers.” Trier said.
1. What can we learn about PFAS in food packaging?| A．They have been used for two years. |
| B．They do little harm to consumers’ health. |
| C．They are used to break down the chemicals. |
| D．They can make wrappers resistant to grease and water. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Opposed. |
| A．Considerable migration of grease and water. |
| B．PFAS transmission from packaging to food. |
| C．Wrapper exposure to high food temperature. |
| D．Regulatory limits concerning food packaging. |
| A．Food packaging contains dangerous chemicals. |
| B．Consumers are recommended to have PFAS-free products. |
| C．PFAS found in food packaging has become a great concern. |
| D．The government has taken measures to reduce PFAS exposure. |
3 . AirTag, a small Bluetooth-and-GPS-enabled device, was released by Apple in April 2021. This small device aimed at making our lives easier was originally designed to end the trouble of losing keys, wallets or other little objects. However, it may become the “perfect” tracking tool if in the wrong hands. My ex-husband was an early adopter of the AirTag. He and I had a falling out, leading to a divorce battle. In order to win custody battle, he used the little device to track me.
As a tech giant, the Apple company brought great convenience to the users, including me. I had never given a thought to tracking via AirTag until it happened to me. So I started scanning stories about AirTag. I was surprised to find that I was not alone. There were so many people tracked by these seemingly innocent electronic tags in their daily life. AirTag which was originally launched for a better life should have such a dark side in the wrong hands.
People have found that the digital device has the potential for abuse. What matters is how to avoid its danger. Apple has released updates to the AirTag’s functionality very quickly since they hit the market. Meanwhile, Apple has also improved its customer service to deal with the bugs of this kind. If you find an unwanted AirTag following you, don’t panic. Just disable it. You can follow the prompts on your Apple device to learn more about disabling the device. Once you’ve completed the above step, the tag’s original owner can’t keep track of you any more.
Almost every digital technology creates security issues. Nobody can go and live in a cave to remain unaffected. While enjoying its convenience, you need to be aware of the risks it poses, and know how to deal with them. Prevention is more effective in security issues than fixes. After all, a stitch in time saves nine.
1. What is the original function of AirTag?| A．To track one’s location secretly. | B．To help find one’s easily lost items. |
| C．To locate one’s phone accurately. | D．To ensure the safety of one’s phone. |
| A．Her ex-husband tracked her via AirTag. |
| B．Many people suffered from security problem. |
| C．AirTag was a newly released electronic device. |
| D．She intended to know about its great convenience. |
| A．Have it updated. | B．Make it unable to work. |
| C．Pay no attention to it. | D．Contact its original owner. |
| A．People should keep pace with the times. |
| B．People should use technology in a proper way. |
| C．People should handle potential digital risks actively. |
| D．People should bear the responsibility to fix the bugs bravely. |
Sunlight flooded through the window when Tomas was sitting at the kitchen table, struggling with a literary classic. Streamers of clouds drifted by high above in the sky. Not far away, the huge new tower blocks lined the road. The faint sound of cars was dimly heard.
His mother was chopping tomatoes for their dinner as usual. Suddenly she said, ”You know, the thing I miss most is cooking a really hot salsa (辣番茄酱), with fresh peppers straight from the garden.” She sighed. “That’s what I miss most about Merida.”
Tomas looked up from his book in surprise. His mother had never talked like this about their old life before. He studied her now. She looked a little sad, but then she smiled at him and swept the pile of chopped tomatoes into the cooking pot.
“But I’ve already learned a lot about this new country, Tomas,“ she said. ”For a start, I’ve learned that there’s more than one way to make a salsa!" She waved a packet of chili spice powder at him, and they both laughed.
Watching his mother busy in the kitchen preparing dinner, Tomas thought about the insight his mother had given him into her feelings, and he realized that he felt the same way about leaving.
Sure, it had been great for his father to get this good job, but it had also been hard. Tomas missed his old home-especially the sun and the beach. And his mother missed Merida, too. She had loved working in her market garden, selling the fresh vegetables that she had grown herself and then coming home to cook up huge, tasty meals for her family. Tomas’s stomach rumbled at the memories.
He thought about how different things were for them now, living in this large, gray apartment block where there was no garden and no friends dropping by to share their delicious meals.
He sighed. At least they were still able to speak regularly every night after dinner with his grandmother back in Mexico over the computer-Grandmother! Abuela!
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右：
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Suddenly Tomas had an idea.
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A week later, a box arrived from Mexico.
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5 . The engineer’s motto is: “Keep it simple and serious.” But Dr. Arnold, though the fifth woman engineer in history to win the Nobel Prize, is somewhat
Here’s a picture of a beaming President Obama,
Another
See what the engineer has
| A．different | B．popular | C．ordinary | D．difficult |
| A．back to normal | B．off course | C．to the point | D．beyond perfection |
| A．instructing | B．calling | C．thanking | D．congratulating |
| A．shame | B．honor | C．relief | D．fear |
| A．delivered | B．guided | C．separated | D．sheltered |
| A．agency | B．exit | C．bus | D．house |
| A．guns | B．fingers | C．sticks | D．arrows |
| A．awarded | B．rescued | C．mistaken | D．teased |
| A．familiar | B．great | C．frightening | D．fun |
| A．pretended | B．agreed | C．announced | D．proved |
| A．still | B．only | C．thus | D．even |
| A．touched | B．cleaned | C．eyed | D．removed |
| A．inquiry | B．request | C．greeting | D．comfort |
| A．or | B．before | C．once | D．if |
| A．gradually | B．suddenly | C．surely | D．barely |
| A．serious | B．talkative | C．careless | D．dishonest |
| A．doubted | B．regretted | C．insisted | D．argued |
| A．wide | B．sweet | C．shut | D．open |
| A．looked into | B．showed off | C．gone through | D．played with |
| A．talents | B．appearances | C．stories | D．professions |
If you are a perfectionist, you are probably familiar with the feeling of wanting to get everything just right. According to researchers, perfectionists hold themselves to unrealistically high standards and become self-critical(自责的) if they believe they haven't met these standards. Amanda Ruggeri，writing about perfectionism for BBC Future, explains, "When perfectionists don't succeed, they don't just feel disappointment about how they did. They feel shame about who they are.”
Although many people think seeking excellence as a good thing, researchers have found that on the extreme end, perfectionism is actually linked to lower mental health. In an article published in 2016, researchers found that people higher in perfectionism tended to have increases in depression(抑郁) symptoms, which suggests that perfectionism may lead to depression. In other words, although people may think of their perfectionism as something that helps them succeed, it appears that their perfectionism may actually be harmful to their mental health.
Thus, what can someone with perfection tendencies do to change their behavior? One possible alternative to perfectionism is developing what psychologists call a growth mindset. Researchers at Stanford University have found that developing a growth mindset is a significant way to help you learn from your failures. Unlike those with fixed mindsets, those with growth mindsets believe they can improve their abilities by learning from their mistakes. Another potential alternative to perfectionism is to develop self-compassion(自我同情). The idea behind self-compassion is that you should treat yourself kindly when you make mistakes，remind yourself that mistakes are part of being human, and avoid being consumed by bad emotions.
In fact, psychologists point out that giving up on perfection doesn't mean being less successful. The key is to find ways to give an effort you can be proud of without demanding the impossible of yourself. Instead of struggling for “perfect", struggle for “good enough", which can actually help you develop a healthier way of setting goals for yourself in the long run.
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