1 . Everyone wants to perform well at school. Add these tips to your life and you should be on your way to being a top student!
Taking notes is important. You don’t need to write down every single word your teacher says but write down what he or she writes on the blackboard, or any special fact you think you might need for a test.
Don’t skip school. You will be missing courses.
Keep a good attitude (态度) towards things. If you have an “ I don’t care about school or this class” attitude, then teachers will be less willing to help you with problems. The same goes for lazy attitude. Have a respectful attitude to the teacher and other students.
Always ask questions.
A.Be prepared. |
B.Write in your own words. |
C.Staying organized will be helpful. |
D.Pay attention to what the teacher says. |
E.It is true that you could make up the work. |
F.There is no shame (羞愧)in needing some help. |
G.Try not to laugh when other students make mistakes. |
2 . When water is cold, people will find it uncomfortable to swim. Wetsuits(潜水服)can help keep people warm.
The wetsuit doesn't have a long history. According to studies, the wetsuit only began during WWII when Italians started wearing wetsuits that were made of rubber. And it was widely believed in 1951, Hugh Bradner began working to improve the equipment.
Now there are many kinds of wetsuits. Contrary to what some may think, wetsuits do not work by keeping the diver(潜水员)dry; they are designed to let water into the suit. This thin layer of water is trapped(保存)between the diver and the suit. And it's allowed to move between the skin of the diver and the inside layer.
Wetsuits can also differ in thickness. They range from about 0. 5mm to 8mm in thickness. It's true that thicker wetsuits are more likely to affect your movement.
A.But they're much better at giving you warmth. |
B.As for the difference, wetsuits can differ in size. |
C.The history of the wetsuit is an interesting story. |
D.This led to the development of a kind of new wetsuit. |
E.Many wetsuits are very light and easy to wear and take off. |
F.As a result, the water gradually warms up to body temperature. |
G.And they can provide protection from the sun and cuts from rocks. |
3 . As a college student in Boston, I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of and now must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books, first editions, or leather-bound editions but books that are worth reading.
Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Literature needs the flesh of experience to have its full effect. Different books offer me insights and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as grains of sand in an oyster now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.
While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job-architecture. Some were design guides, reference books, product catalogs, and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly. I held on to the red bulk of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture and books on Paris, Rome, and Boston.
I gave away drafting equipment and instruments. I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. This time, I stay put in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with the seasons.
1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books?A.Their appealing covers. | B.Their reasonable prices. |
C.Their excellent content. | D.Their collection value. |
A.He has a small circle of friends. | B.His attitude towards work changes. |
C.His communication skills improve. | D.He has a deeper understanding of life and books. |
A.To show some books are worth reading repeatedly. |
B.To recommend Sir Banister Fletcher’s books. |
C.To suggest we avoid making poor decisions. |
D.To explain his love for architecture. |
A.He will stop throwing away used books. |
B.He likes updating his collection of used books. |
C.He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment. |
D.He enjoys leading an active life in the countryside. |
4 . Whether you’re in the final research stages of a major paper, or on a Zoom (a calling app) call for work, a dropped WiFi connection at zero hour is something annoying.
The first and easiest fix is to disconnect unused devices from your WiFi. The easiest way to do this is to simply change your WiFi password, which will kick everyone off. Then, you can allow only certain devices to rejoin.
A.What can you do about it? |
B.Sometimes that’s all that’s required. |
C.Finally, you may need to upgrade your connectivity. |
D.People deal with this modern inconvenience all the time, |
E.Cutting back on heavy WiFi use temporarily can also help. |
F.In general, this is a very good solution to a dropped WiFi connection. |
G.Back in the day, the average household had a computer or two to connect. |
5 . We all know what a brain is. A doctor will tell you that the brain is the organ (器官) of the body in the head. But a brain can mean so much more.
To tease is to make fun of someone. But a brainteaser is not one who makes fun of someone else’s brain. A brainteaser is a puzzle that makes you think.
To understand the next brain expression you first need to know the word “drain”. As a verb, to drain means to remove something by letting it flow away. So, a brain drain may sound like a disease where the brain flows out the ears. But a brain drain is when a country’s most educated people leave their country to live in another.
Next, we have a brainchild. A brainchild sounds like a really smart kid. But it isn’t. A brainchild is an idea that one has without any help from others. If you have a really great idea, it is your brainchild — no one else’s.
However, if many people are responsible for a great idea, you can say they brainstormed it. It is a process of thinking creatively about a difficult topic. For example, business leaders may use brainstorming to create new products.
But if you can’t find a solution to a problem, you may have to rack your brains. In this way, you may find a solution. Sometimes, you have to rack your brains, trying to remember someone’s name.
Now, if people are brainwashed, it does not mean their brains are nice and clean. To brainwash means to make someone accept new ideas by using repeated pressure in a forceful way. Keep in mind that brainwash is never used in a positive way.
1. What can we learn about a brain drain?A.It refers to a brain disease. | B.It means a very difficult puzzle. |
C.It may put a country at a disadvantage. | D.It means something that flowed away. |
A.They got the idea quickly. | B.They thought up the idea together. |
C.They thought poorly about the idea. | D.They didn’t know how to use the idea. |
A.Think hard. | B.Become smarter. |
C.Create new things. | D.Touch your head. |
A.He thinks very clearly now. | B.He looks at things passively. |
C.He is under a lot of pressure. | D.He is forced to accept new things. |
6 . When Byron Thanarayen and his wife Melissa returned to their home recently, their 13-year-old dog named Chucky was completely wet. The couple assumed the dog had splashed around in his water bowl and made a mess in the house. When no evidence could be found inside, they turned to their security footage (录像).
What they saw made the blood freeze in their veins. Chucky was walking near their backyard swimming pool when he stumbled (绊倒) and fell in. Since the dog is so tiny, he was unable to get a purchase on the slick sides of the pool. Instead, he paddled around, searching in vain for a way out. After a few desperate moments, the couple's other dog appeared on the scene. Jessie is a 7-year-old dog who became noticeably upset when she saw her friend struggling to keep his head above the water. She began circling the pool's edge, following Chucky as if she was encouraging him not to give up.
For 34 minutes, Jessie worked to rescue her friend. She repeatedly tried to grab hold of the smaller dog with her mouth, but Chucky kept slipping out of her grasp. Finally, after several failed attempts, Jessie succeeded in grasping Chucky's neck and dragging him out of the pool.
When Byron and Melissa realized Jessie was a hero, they were unspeakably grateful for their sweet girl! “We still struggle to watch that video today, just thinking of what could have happened if Jessie was not there,” Byron said. “I'm really proud of her, considering she is the youngest.” The family now plans to install a pool cover to keep their pets safe. Thankfully, they have a wonderful life-dog on duty just in case anything ever goes wrong!
1. What was the couple's first thought finding their messy house?A.Someone had broken in. |
B.The dogs had been too naughty. |
C.They had forgotten to clean the house. |
D.Chucky had swum again in the swimming pool. |
A.Shocked. | B.Scared. |
C.Excited. | D.Annoyed. |
A.She encouraged him to stay above the water. |
B.She circled the pool's edge to find a way out. |
C.She used her mouth to pull him out of the pool. |
D.She ran out immediately to ask others for help. |
A.Clever and inspiring. | B.Wise and energetic. |
C.Naughty and lazy. | D.Brave and loving. |
7 . Benefits of Reading to a Dog
Here are five great reasons why your kid should read to a dog.
Dogs create a stress-free environment
It's hard to be really stressed(焦虑) around a cozy, friendly dog. Classrooms can be tense for kids who aren't great readers or presenters.
Your kid won't even know she's building her vocabulary
A confidence-booster(增幅器)
Dogs are nonjudgmental. Kids will feel less self-conscious about reading aloud to them rather than, say, a judgmental human being.
Dogs like what your kid likes
Wanna talk about video games? Woof! Mermaids? Woof! A favourite cartoon? Woof! Dogs are interested in whatever your kid is interested in.
Petting a dog reduces stress and can even improve movement skills
Just grooming(梳毛)can help to improve a child's movement skills.
A.It's also been proven to reduce anxiety |
B.They'll listen for hours and never get bored |
C.Reading to a dog makes the whole situation less stressful |
D.Keeping a dog as a pet also improve a child's confidence |
E.As kids read to a dog, they feel as if they're in a formal environment. |
F.Kids who read out loud to dogs become more confident in their reading skills |
G.Reading to a friendly dog is a great way for your child to practice her pronunciation |
8 . Ways to make a great first impression
You’ve heard it a million times already. But it really does take but a few seconds to make that all-important first impression(印象). Here are some easy ways for you to impress your classmates or teachers.
*
Before you shake hands with somebody, make sure that your hands are clean. The hand-shake should not be too strong or weak. Most people use their right hands, unless they have a reason to use the left.
*Be on time
When meeting someone for the first time, arriving on time is as important as breathing. You may have an excuse, but that will leave the person who hardly knows you with a bad impression.
*Introduce yourself and ask for names
Make sure you properly introduce yourself. Ask for their name in a polite way.
*Make good conversation
To get the most out of your discussion, try to find something common between the two of you.
A.Use body language |
B.Have a proper handshake |
C.Repeat the name and use it later in conversation. |
D.It could be a similar taste in clothes or a common hobby |
E.As a general rule, plan to arrive about 30 minutes early. |
F.You’ll be in serious trouble if you leave them with a bad impression. |
G.However, don’t have your left hand in your pocked because this appears impolite. |
9 . When he was fourteen, his ambition was to run a pub, just like his dad.
Another special project is Jamie's Ministry of Food which he started in 2008. There are two aims: firstly, to teach people how to cook healthy, affordable food instead of eating fast food; secondly, to set up the Pass It On scheme: encouraging each person to pass on a recipe they learned to four other people.
It's not only adults, but children, too. Jamie's School Dinners, one of Jamie's best-known projects, tried to improve food in schools and encourage children to eat well. It was difficult to convince some of the children, but in the end, many schools improved their menus.
So, what's Jamie going to do next? Well, whatever it is, one thing is for sure, I'm not going to miss it!
A.And my children are going to eat their vegetables now. |
B.I heard recently that she is going to teach people to cook. |
C.Those four people then teach four more people, and so on. |
D.I'm going to cook for my friends and take time to eat good food. |
E.Jamie's first project, Fifteen, in 2002, aimed to help young people. |
F.But in the last twenty years, chef Jamie Oliver has achieved far more. |
G.But the project worked and Lloyd got a job as a chef in a top restaurant. |
10 . Fast walkers may live longer than dawdlers (缓慢的人)— regardless of their weight, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Leicester University analyzed data on 474, 919 people with an average age of 52 in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2016. They found women who walked briskly had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years old, and men who kept up the pace had a life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8. Slow walkers hadn’t much encouraging prospects (前景): women had a life expectancy of 72.4, and men of 64.8 years old, if they were more leisurely in their movements. According to the paper, published last week, that ratio held true even if the fast walkers were severely overweight. It does not necessarily mean fast walkers will live longer. Experts say it suggests walking speed could be a simple way for doctors to judge their patients’ general health alongside other tests.
It is hardly the first study holding up walking speed as a powerful evidence that appears to improve and determine our health.
In 2011, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study by Stephanie Studenski, who found the same: walking speed was a reliable predictor of life expectancy.
In 2013, US researchers found walking pace was linked to lower heart disease risk and longer life expectancy. In 2018, a study from the University of Sydney found picking up your walking pace to even an “average speed” could cut your risk of premature death by a fifth.
And Tom Yates, the physical activity professor at Leicester who's behind the latest study, has been publishing findings on this connection for years.
In 2017, he analyzed the same UK Biobank data and found walking speed appeared to affect the risk of dying from heart disease — concluding that the slowest walkers were twice as likely to suffer a heart-related death compared to quick walkers.
1. What does the underlined word “briskly” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Casually. | B.Quickly. | C.Actively. | D.Energetically. |
A.Most fast walkers are overweight. |
B.Fast walkers have a simple way of living. |
C.Walking speed can help doctors know about their patients’ general health. |
D.Doctors will surely have better ways to cure their patients of their illness. |
A.Walking slowly is bad for people's health. |
B.Walking speed can predict a person’s life expectancy. |
C.People won't die early by increasing their walking pace. |
D.Lower heart disease risk is determined partly by walking pace. |
A.Fast Walkers May Have a Long Life Expectancy |
B.Life Expectancy Is Determined by Exercise |
C.Researchers Try to Improve Life Expectancy |
D.The Public Doubt Researches on Walking Speed |