As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his older son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal (肠的) disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the disease was actually acute appendicitis (阑尾炎), and the boy died suddenly that night.
Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al’s emotional health declined under the enormous burden of his guilt. To make matters worse his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he became an alcoholic.
As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he possessed—his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room.
When I heard of Al’s death, I thought, “What a complete failure! What a totally wasted life. ”
As time went by, I began to re-evaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Al’s now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.
I hadn’t heard Ernie talk much about his father. One day I worked up my courage to ask him. “I’m really puzzled by something, ”I said. “I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do so that you became such a special person? ”
Ernie sat quietly and reflected for a few moments. Then he said, “From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ‘I love you, son. ‘”
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind, but he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving man I have ever known.
1. Why was Al in guilt? (no more than 15 words)
2. Where did Al die? (no more than 5 words)
3. What made Al addicted to alcohol? (no more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined word “enormous” most probably mean? (1 word)
5. What did Al’s son Ernie learn from his father? (no more than 15 words)
There are two types of twins: identical (相同的) and non-identical twins. Identical twins are formed from a single egg (卵细胞) in mother’s body which divides to form two separate babies. Identical twins look the same, and are often dressed by the parents in clothes of the same colour. It is often difficult to tell identical twins from each other, even when they are standing side by side. Non-identical twins came into being when the mother produces two separated eggs at the same time, both of which grow to form babies. In the case the twins look like normal brothers and sisters and are easy to tell one from the other.
In the 1970s and 1980s a scientist did some research on twins. He invited many pairs of identical twins to university and asked them to take part in a week of tests. He was particularly interested in adopted (收养的) twins who had been separated, at birth. He would give the twins different kinds of tests to study their speed of thinking, their speech, their memory, the ways they saw and heard different things and so on. Time and time again he found separated twins preferred clothes of the same colour, used the same kind of shaving soap, wore the same shaped square glasses and the same coloured socks.
There is a third type of twins, but it is a very unusual one. Twins who are joined together at birth are known in western countries as Siamese (连体的) twins.
Title: | |||
| Types of twins | Test results | ||
| Identical twins | Formed from a single egg divides to form | Look the same, often dressed in the same colours, | Like clothes of the |
| Non-identical twins | Formed from | Having | |
When HAMLET meets PEKING OPERA
I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet. As a high school student with English literature as one of my main subjects, I have to! Shakespeare’s Hamlet is probably the most important play by the most important writer in English. Almost everybody knows ―To be, or not to be‖, right? Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times, I was full of confidence - until the Peking Opera came to town!
Dating back to the 18th century, Peking Opera has over two hundred years of history. Does this mean it’s easier than a Shakespeare play to understand? To find out the answer, I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan - the Peking Opera version of Hamlet.
Starting with an orchestra(管弦乐队)playing traditional Chinese instruments, the opera brought a completely new sound to my Western ears. At first, I thought what I heard was a violin, but later I learnt that it was an instrument with two strings called jinghu. Then, seeing the main characters come on stage, I was surprised! The costumes and masks were amazing. The performers of course sang in Chinese, but the music, unbelievable movements and mime (哑剧)helped get the meanings across to the audience. The voices themselves sounded really unique - some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple: a decorated whip(鞭子)stood for a horse, and a screen with Chinese characters, a study. Using such techniques, the opera had turned a small stage into the whole universe.
Easily my favorite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage. I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip before! That was simply incredible. It was so impressive and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers or athletes! Everyone was clapping.
Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. But, in fact, I was on the edge of my seat! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance, I could easily recognize the theme of Hamlet. So, if you want to see a show that combines music, singing, drama, poetry and costume design with dramatic effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes!
The Revenge of Prince Zidan | Before the performance | He was very confident that he could understand Peking Opera | |
| He was surprised because: A. the costumes and masks were amazing; B. The voices sounded really unique - some of the female voices were C. The stage was simply designed; D. The movements of the characters were impossible | |||
| After the performance | He was impressed with mixed feelings of love, fear, sadness and | ||
Four ways to have a good school life
Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you get the most from them and make sure you do not waste this excellent chance to learn?
Be active at school.
Don’t say things are difficult or boring. Be interested in school life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. ①(hands, quickly, your, class, in, up, put). Go around the school with a big smile. If you are not working, you are wasting your time at school. Teachers can’t make everything enjoyable.
Keep fit.
If you do not have a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. ②Play enough sports every day in order to keep your body strong.
Face the problem.
Do not say you will do things tomorrow. Falling behind in class makes your further study very difficult. You can’t finish the race if you rest all the time. Everyone fails some exams, loses some matches and has bad days. Don’t let small problems seem very big and important. Don’t forget to ask for help. You are young, and no one thinks you must do everything quite well!
③________
Don’t waste time lying in bed on Saturday or Sunday morning. Go and play a sport, get together with friends in the park to relax, learn the piano, or help someone with problems. If you don’t want to go out, there are also a lot of things to do. You may read a book, practise English or help your mother with housework.
Follow these suggestions, and have a happy school life!
探索发现
1. Having a good breakfast and having enough sleep can keep you
2. 请把文中①处括号内的词组成一个句子。
3. 请把文中句②改为含有so that的句子，使之与原句意思相同。
4. 请在③处给出一个小标题，使之能概括出下面一段内容的大意。
5 . I still remember the day when I first came to the senior high school. Being a boy of 16, I was longing for a new life as a senior high student; but at the same time, I had no idea what senior high school life would be like.
That morning when the bus carried me to the gate of the school, I was so excited that my heart was beating very fast as if it would leap out of my mouth. From then on, I would be a student of this school. After registration, I was led by an instructor to the dormitory, where, for the first time, I was going to live without parents but roommates. I was so clumsy（笨拙的）that I did not know how to make the bed and fix the mosquito net.
In the afternoon, I took a walk around the campus together with my roommates. To think of studying in such a beautiful place made me feel quite proud of myself. As we were walking along, talking and laughing, a voice came into our ears, “Oh, look at these new students！” It was our junior-school-students’ looking that gave us away. We continued our tour of the senior school，inspecting（查看）every building and every garden until the sun began to set.
In the evening, we sat together, talking about the past and the future. We were so excited that no one wanted to go to bed.
阅读短文，回答下列问题
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?
2. What are the author’s feelings about the first day he/she came to the senior high school?
3. What did the author do in the afternoon?
| I am very old now. I was born in China. Many people used me for |
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| I am very small. I can be used for calculating. In China, a lot of students use me when solving |
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| I am a machine on the desk, which you can use to type your homework, draw pictures, play games, watch movies, listen to |
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| I am a kind of computer which can be taken conveniently like a notebook. Who am I? I’m a(n) |
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| I am a small thin portable personal computer that relies on a(n) |
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Years ago, I took a class on writing for children. In this class, the students turned in a manuscript every week. One week I wrote a story that I really liked. It was about a small boy who was constant(经常地)in trouble. At this point, I made a mistake beginning writers often make. I fell in love with my first draft. I typed it up, and sent the manuscript out to five publishers.
For some reason, the teacher decided to read this story in class. At first, I thought she'd chosen the story because it was so good. But the teacher stopped after the first paragraph and pointed out the problems. The characters were flat, and the plot wasn't logical(合逻辑的). She couldn't find one good thing to say. I wanted to hide myself. How could I have been stupid enough to think the story was good? After that, I dropped out of the class.
As the weeks went by, one by one, all the manuscripts came back. Only one copy never came back, and I figured it had been lost in the mail. I decided that, based on what my teacher said, the story was a loser. I was not made for writing. A year later, I got a call from the fifth publisher. An editor had read my story and wanted to publish it! I put down the phone and danced around the room. The publisher, Follett, did publish my book, The Grumpus Under the Rug. It has sold more than 40,000 copies.
So who was right? Did the teacher have a point? Well, yes, because the characters were flat. Was the editor who took the story wrong to publish it? Well, no, because, despite its shortcomings, the story did have kid appeal. Stories are like people, and they are imperfect. You have to find a way to believe in yourself, even if others don't. You may think successful writers have some special talent that allows them to avoid all this heartbreak. They don't. They just stick with their own dreams.
1. What does the underlined word probably mean in Paragraph 2? (1 word)2. What was the author considering doing before getting the editor's call? (no more than 5 words)
3. What did the fifth publisher think of the author's story? (no more than 10 words)
4. Why are some writers successful according to the author? (no more than 10 words)
5. What will you do if you meet with difficulties? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
There are a few ways to improve your concentration and recall skills.
The first thing to do is make sure you get the information correct the first time. It is very difficult to obtain bad information, and then replace it with the correct information, pay attention to the speaker carefully so that you get everything right the first time.
Next, make sure that you understand what you are trying to remember. If you do not have any concept as to what something means, you are going to have a very difficult time recalling the information. If you do not understand something the first time, go over the information again until it is thoroughly understood.
Also, being selective can help you recall information. Instead of trying to recall the entire conversation that you had with a business partner, concentrate on trying to remember the important joints. The less information that you have to remember, the easier it will be to recall it at a later point.
Concentrate on what is important, and try to test yourself as you move forward. If you are reading a book and want to remember the main theme of every page, test yourself at the end. This will let you know if you have fully understood the page. If you have trouble recalling the information, read it again.
Finally, remember to write down everything that you have memorized. The second that you leave a meeting or classroom you may want to translate your memory onto paper. This way you can repeatedly study the information at a later date.
Ways to Improve Concentration and Recall Skills | |
| Get the correct information the first time | •You need to get everything right the first time, because it is hard to |
| Understand what you try to remember | •You’ll find |
| Be selective | •It is easier to remember the important points |
| Concentrate on what is important and test yourself | •When reading a book, concentrate on what is important and try to test yourself. |
| Write down everything you’ve memorized | • |
9 . Another term is underway.
Turn off social media notifications（通知）. Social media is great for connecting with your friends and the world around you, but it can be a serious distraction（分心）when you're trying to get into the zone: Turn them off. Put your phone into Do Not Disturb pattern.
Figure out when you do your best work. Some people are energized first thing in the morning. Others thrive（活跃）when they're burning the midnight oil. If you don't really know when you're at your best, try keeping a time journal for a couple of weeks.
Skip the to-do lists. Create a schedule, instead. Some people thrive on to-do lists. If that's you, then move along. If not, abandon the lists in favor of time blocking.
| A．How will you make the most of it? |
| B．Do you arrive at the final determination? |
| C．Break complex tasks into more manageable ones. |
| D．Note how you felt and how well you stayed on task. |
| E．Plan work and study sessions then whenever possible. |
| F．Facing down a lengthy to-do list can make people discouraged. |
| G．You'll get that paper written a lot faster without the interruptions. |
注意:请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填一个单词。
Humor
If you see humor as an optional form of entertainment, you’re missing some of its biggest benefits: Humor makes average-looking people look cute and uninteresting people seem entertaining. Studies show that a good sense of humor even makes you seem smarter.
Best of all, humor raises your energy, and that can have an effect on everything you do at school, at work, or in your personal life. The increase of energy will even make you more willing to exercise, and that will raise your overall energy even more.
Humor also transports your mind away from your daily troubles. Humor lets you better understand life and sometimes helps you laugh at even the worst of your problems.
In my experience, most people think they have a sense of humor, and to some degree that’s true. But not all senses of humor are created equal. So I thought it would be useful to include some humor tips for everyday life.
You don’t have to be the joke teller in the group in order to show your sense of humor. You can be the one who directs the conversation to fun topics that are ripe for others to add humor. Every party needs a straight person. You’ll appear fun and funny by association.
When it comes to in-person humor, effort counts a lot. When people see you trying to be funny, it frees them to try it themselves. So even if your own efforts at humor fall short, you might be freeing the long kept humor in others. People need permission to be funny in social settings because there’s always a risk that comes with humor. For in-person humor, quality isn’t as important as you might think. Your attitude and effort count a lot.
Some people--and I was one of them--believe that humorous complaints about the little problems of life make humor, and sometimes that is the case. The problem comes when you start doing too much complaint-based humor. One funny observation about problem in your life can be funny, but five is just complaining, no matter how smart you think you are. Funny complaints can wear people out.
Self-deprecating(自嘲式) humor is usually the safest type, but here again you don’t want to overshoot the target. One self-deprecating comment is a generous and even confident form of humor. You have to be at least a bit self-assured to laugh at yourself in front of others. But if you do it too often, you can transform in the eyes of others from a confident joker to a Chihuahua dog.
Humor | |
Benefits of humor | ●Humor is form of ●Humor can make one ●Humor has a positive |
● ●Quality counts | |
Traps to | ●One humorous complaint makes funny person. But too many complaints will ●Self-deprecating comments show one’s assurance. But too much deprecation will make a Chihuahua dog. |
