1 . Many people have close relationships with their cousins and form bonds that last a lifetime. National Cousins Day can be a great opportunity to spend time with some of your favorite people in the family.
What is National Cousins Day?
National Cousins Day is an annual holiday that takes place on July 24. It encourages people to spend time with and appreciate their cousins.
The origin of National Cousins Day is a bit of a mystery. It's unclear how and when the holiday officially started. Nevertheless, cousins have been an important part of the American family for generations. In the past, the bonds between cousins were explored in TV shows and movies in a lighthearted and funny way. And now, from family reunions to summer cookouts, cousins are given the chance to bond with one another.
How to Celebrate National Cousins Day
| A．History of National Cousins Day |
| B．Even if we are close to our cousins |
| C．In this article, we'll do a deep dive into it |
| D．In this way, your bonds with cousins will be strengthened |
| E．If you're looking for some inspiration or ideas, don't worry |
| F．While you see cousins a lot at family events when you're young |
| G．Planning a game or organizing a competition is also a good choice |
2 . I was recently told by someone that I am a people-pleaser, a person who works hard on satisfying other people. However, this person wasn't saying it in a nice way. So what's wrong with that? What's wrong with making sure others are happy with me? Moreover, what exactly are the negative results of being a people-pleaser?
People-pleasers bum their fingers because of their "others-focused" mindset, which puts them at a disadvantage. When others are not happy, people-pleasers cannot think of anything else, nor can they enjoy the moment, because they are often disturbed with the fact that there is someone on the planet who is not satisfied with them at the moment.
People-pleasers often make promises they can't keep—they write checks they can't cash. This is the situation I found myself in recently. I made a promise to someone that I would do something for him. But it was a bit unrealistic and would take more efforts than I was willing to put in. As a result, that promise was empty. The act of making the promise made them happy, and that, in turn, made me feel satisfied.
Now that we've got an idea of the negative aspects of people-pleasers, what can we do to get rid of those aspects? Where can we start? The biggest challenge people-pleasers must overcome is to get used to saying "no". I find that it is a struggle, indeed. However, if I want to change my ways, then I must learn to overcome that discomfort
Are you a people-pleaser too? Don't worry. It doesn't make you a bad person, or a dishonest person. But it can sometimes leave you open to unneeded anxiety or be cheated by truly selfish people who only wish to take advantage of your kindness. Keep the good intentions and the good-heartedness in your heart. Just work on how you express your real feelings and hold on to your position through your actions.
1. What does the underlined phrase 'burn their fingers” in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．Hurt their fingers. |
| B．Suffer some losses. |
| C．Get slightly burned. |
| D．Feel angry with people. |
| A．Breaking his word. | B．Behaving selfishly. |
| C．Saying no to others. | D．Cashing his checks. |
| A．To instruct people to express true feelings. |
| B．To stop people-pleasers from being cheated. |
| C．To sum up negative aspects of pleasing others. |
| D．To put forward suggestions for people-pleasers. |
3 . The day when Grandma came to live with us was an exciting one for the whole family. Dad went to pick her up at the airport, and when they pulled into the driveway, we were out to greet her. Her excitement, however, was not on the same level as ours.
"What is wrong with Grandma? She does not seem very happy to be here." I asked Mom. "Well, maybe it will take time for her to get used to this change," she said, "We need to be patient with her.” Dad broke in, "Her being here is better than her living all alone in that big old house."
Time went on, and almost every day Grandma was mad or upset about something we did. Everyone noticed how Grandma had changed. Our memories of her were happy ones. She used to be a nice person and made us feel welcome when we stayed with her. Now things were a lot different.
Later, Dad took Grandma to the doctor for a checkup. It turned out that she was in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease. The doctor said she would become more forgetful and annoyed, which did not sound good to us at all.
One day when I walked in her room to see if she needed anything, Grandma had a smile on her face and she called me by name softly. How unbelievable! Grandma was back. I stayed and talked with her for a long time. We talked about when I was little and when she lived in her big old house. When Mom and Dad returned home, I told them what had happened. Mom said that she would sometimes seem OK but other times she would be forgetful and even worse. That time I spent with Grandma was one I would always remember. I knew that somewhere deep inside was the old Grandma that I remembered and loved.
1. What can we learn about the author's family?| A．They were as excited as Grandma. |
| B．They expected Grandma's moving in. |
| C．They went to pick up Grandma together. |
| D．They preferred Grandma to live in the old house. |
| A．Upset. | B．Forgetful. | C．Easygoing. | D．Generous. |
| A．Grandma gradually regained her memory. |
| B．Grandma's recovery shocked Mom and Dad. |
| C．The author was told to take care of Grandma. |
| D．The author cherished the happy time with Grandma. |
4 . Rayyan was a 16-year-old student in Grade Ten. By nature, he was proud and considered himself a know-it-all. He always kept himself updated with the latest and firmly believed that he knew everything, but his parents’ faces always reflected sadness to Rayan’s behavior.
“I want to ride a motorcycle! My friend Hans came to school today on his new motorbike that his father gave him on his birthday. I want a bike too!” Rayyan put forward his demand abruptly.
Rayyan appeared quite stubborn to get a motorcycle at any condition. Rayyan’s demand troubled his mother the whole night and she decided to have a calm discussion with him about the matter the next day.
After preparing his favorite dish of chicken, Rayyan’s mother sat in the sofa waiting for her son to come back from school. The doorbell rang and as she pulled the door open, she was shocked to see that Rayyan’s hand and foot were bleeding.
“Are you okay, my dear?” his mother asked as she held his hand. Rayyan lay down in the sofa, staring at the ceiling out of guilt and embarrassment, unable to answer her.
After a few seconds, he put his arms around his mother and started to cry. “Maa... I am sorry! I am really sory, Maa…,” he wept and told his mother about the accident that took place when he rode his friend’s motorbike after school. He had been determined to show his mother that he was old enough to ride a bike.
“I know… I know, my dear son,” she said with a smile on her face, wiping Rayyan’s tears. Rayyan hugged his mother tightly, his weepy eyes reflecting the promise to begin a new and disciplined chapter of his life.
1. What troubled Rayyan’s mother the entire night?| A．Rayyan’s guilt and regret. | B．Rayyan’s know-it-all attiude. |
| C．Rayyan’s bleeding foot and head. | D．Rayyan’s demand for a motorbike. |
| A．He enjoyed adventures. | B．He desired to show off. |
| C．He hoped to prove he can manage it. | D．He determined to arrive home earlier. |
| A．Experience is the mother of wisdom. | B．It’s never to late to mend your way. |
| C．A loving mother might spoil her son. | D．Pride goes before; failure comes after |
5 . We all realize the damaging pollution created by driving petrol and diesel vehicles. Many of the world’s cities are jammed with traffic, creating harmful gases like carbon dioxide. The solution for a cleaner, greener future could be electric vehicle. But how potimistic should we be?
There was much excitement last year when the UK government announced it would ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. But is that easier said than done? The road to global traffic being totally electric is sill a long way of. Currently, battery life is an issue-a fully charged（充电）battery won’t take you as far as a full tank of petrol. There are also limited charging stations to plug an electric vehicle into.
Of course, technology is always improving. Some of he biggest tech companies, like Google and Tesla, are spending huge amounts of money developing electric cars. And most of the big car manufacturers are no making them too. Colin, a low-carbon vehicle expert, told the media: “The big leap forward will come with reliable batteries, which will appear first in mobile phones and laptops before they pogress to cars. These will charge more quickly and enable cars to travel longer.”
Cost is another issue that may delay people switching to electric power. But some countries offer incentives, such as cutting prices by reducing import taxes, and not charging for road tax and parking. Some also provide exclusive lanes for electric cars to be driven on, beating traditional cars which might be stuck in jams. These kinds of measures have made Norway rank No.1 with more than thirty electric cars per 1,000 ctizans.
But electric motoring doesn’t mean a zero-carbon future. It’s emission-free（零排放）motoring, but the car has to be built, the battery has to be built, and the electricity does come from somewhere. Maybe it’s time to think about making fewer journeys or using public transport.
1. What is an advantage of electric vehicles?| A．They are emisson-free. | B．They are cost-effective. |
| C．They are zero-carbon. | D．They are easy to charge. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Free services. | B．Traffic adjustments. |
| C．Special investments. | D．Encouraging measures. |
| A．The Fall of Traditional Cars. | B．The Future of Electric Cars. |
| C．A Cleaner, Greener World. | D．Emission-free Motoring. |
