1 . Have you ever wondered why it feels so satisfying to sing in the shower? You are alone. You are warm. The air is moist, making your throat feel wet.
Now imagine singing while driving. You are sitting, stuck by a tight seat belt that limits airflow. Without any warm-up, you probably start right in with the first song you hear. The air is drier. And to stay awake, you may be drinking coffee, which can make you thirsty.
From my personal experience, I realize the importance of not only focusing but also setting the right conditions during practice.
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．You are standing up straight. |
| C．You are loudly clearing your throat. |
| D．Poor training may lead to poor results. |
| E．The stress of driving and staying safe keeps you tense. |
| F．After all, an upright guitar wouldn’t sound right if it was bent. |
| G．I always try to recreate the great feeling of singing in the shower wherever I am. |
2 . Lots of kids love video games, In fact they like them so much that they might hear something like this from Mom or Dad. “Enough! Find something else to do!”
It can be good advice. Why? Too much of anything is just too much. It’s true that some studies have shown certain video games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and the mind’s ability to process information. But playing too much video games may lead to health problems.
It’s hard to get enough active play and exercise if you’re always inside playing video games. And without enough exercise, kids can become overweight.
Really overdoing video games also could affect other important things, like friendships and how well a kid does in school, And kids who play violent (暴力的) video games might act more aggressively.
But here’s the good news; Playing video games some of the time can be OK. Just choose quality games and limit (限制) screen time — which includes TV, computer, smartphone, tablet, and video game time combined to no more than two hours a day.
A good game will be the right one for how old you are. Games are rated like movies and your mom or dad can help find out which ones you should use If you can choose one that gets you up and moving. that’s even better.
1. According to the second paragraph, playing video games can improve us in ways.| A．two | B．three |
| C．four | D．five |
| A．active | B．clever |
| C．thin | D．fat |
| A．playing video games can make us smart |
| B．it’s bad to play video games too much |
| C．playing video games can cause trouble |
| D．it’s good to play video games, with friends |
| A．At most three hours. | B．At least 90 minutes. |
| C．At most two hours | D．At least an hour. |
| A．Are Video Games Bad? |
| B．How Long Can You Play Video Games? |
| C．Can You Choose Right Video Games? |
| D．What Video Games Can You Play? |
3 . When we’re studying a new language, many of us approach it with dread. If we make a mistake or say something wrong, we judge ourselves strictly. But as it turns out, however, we’d benefit by shifting (转移) our focus and worrying less about getting it right, according to Marianna Pascal, a communication skills trainer.
As a teacher who’s spent 20 years in Malaysia helping people speak better English, Pascal noticed that some students didn’t get a high language level but could still communicate very effectively. She remembers one specific student named Faisal. Despite not knowing much English, she says, “This guy could just sit and listen to anybody very calmly, clearly, and then he could respond and express his thoughts beautifully.”
She also observed some students knew quite a bit of English but struggled to make themselves understood. Pascal noticed that a lot of these students’ attitude towards English is like her daughter’s attitude towards playing the piano. Pascal says her daughter hated piano and hated practicing, because she was afraid of being wrong. To her, her success in piano was measured by how few mistakes she made.
Then she shared her experience in a cafe. The person sitting next to her was playing a game while his friends watched, and he just wasn’t a very good player. But at the same time, she saw something amazing. Even though this guy was terrible and his friends were watching him, there was no embarrassment or shyness. There was no feeling of being judged. Instead, he focused completely on the task at hand. Pascal says, “I suddenly realized that this is it. This is the same attitude that people hike Faisal have when they speak English.”
Pascal believes that speaking a language isn’t like those exams many of us had to take in grade school, where a tiny mistake would result in a big red X from the teacher, In the real world, what matters is whether we can make ourselves understood. She says, “If you want to speak English well, don’t focus on yourself but focus on the other person and the goal you want to achieve.”
1. What does the underlined word “dread” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Fear. | B．Doubt. | C．Curiosity. | D．Confidence. |
| A．To provide some advice. | B．To offer some details. |
| C．To state a reason. | D．To present a fact. |
| A．Never minding others’ opinions. | B．Not judging a person too soon. |
| C．Improving through practicing. | D．Playing a game with patience. |
| A．It is important for teachers to encourage students in exams. |
| B．It is OK to make small mistakes in speaking a language. |
| C．Language has to be fluently spoken in daily life. |
| D．Language is an art difficult to fully master. |
4 . You are what you think. Whatever you are doing right now is determined by your thinking. All your emotions and desires are influenced by your thinking. The problem is that when you are not aware of your thinking, you have no chance of correcting it if it is poor. When thinking is subconscious, you are in no position to see any problems in it. And, if you don’t see any problems in it, you won’t be motivated to change it. What’s worse, few people realize the powerful role that thinking plays in their lives, so they don’t gain significant command of it. As a result, most people are in many ways victims of their thinking.
Consider your success as a student. The single most significant variable in determining your success as a student is the quality of your thinking. Your instructors will play a role in your learning, but even the best teachers cannot get into your head and learn for you. If you lack the intellectual skills necessary for thinking well through course content, you will not be successful in school.
Here is the key question we are putting to you in this book. If the quality of a person’s thinking is the single most significant determinant of both happiness and success, why not take the time to learn from the best thinkers?
This book will inform you of the tools that the best thinkers use and will illustrate the activities and practice you can use to begin to emulate them, and take control of your destiny as a thinker. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of these thinking aids, helping you discover the power of your own mind and of your potential to think systematically about your thinking.
This book, as a whole, introduces you to the tools of mind that will help you reason well through various challenges you face. If you take these ideas seriously and practice using them, you can improve the quality of your thinking and ultimately, the quality of your life.
1. Why do many people lack motivation to change their poor thinking?| A．They are victims of emotions. | B．They are unaware of the need. |
| C．They think highly of themselves. | D．They lack the academic guidance. |
| A．The course content. | B．The school environment. |
| C．The commitment of teachers. | D．The quality of an individual’s thinking. |
| A．Make friends with. | B．Win over. | C．Follow the example of. | D．Look up to. |
| A．types of life challenges | B．varieties of thinking tools |
| C．determinants of life value | D．ideas of different thinkers |
5 . Some beaches are perfect for relaxing, while others offer activities like hiking and water sports. Visit these beautiful beaches for an unforgettable vacation.
Cannon Beach
If your perfect beach vacation spot features postcard-worthy scenery and peace, look no further than Cannon Beach. In this Pacific Northwest town, you can even build a fire on the beach to relax beside while watching the sun set. When you need a break from the beach, grab a bike and head downtown to explore its art galleries, shops and restaurants.
Horseshoe Bay Beach
For a one-of-a-kind beach experience, head to Horseshoe Bay Beach on Bermuda’s South Shore. Known for its pink sand, this beach is a popular destination for families looking to play in the calm blue-green waters and build blush-colored sandcastles. Adventure seekers can also take part in the self-guided island bicycle tour or engage in exciting water sports.
Mohegan Bluffs
This beach is famous for its natural beauty. Upon arrival, pause to admire your surroundings and learn about its ties to the native people, their ancient traditions, and connection to the land, adding depth to your beach experience. Then, take the 141 steps down to the sand to sunbathe. After that, climb back up to visit the Southeast Light for an up-close view of its 18th-century lighthouse.
South Beach
This tropical district on Florida’s Atlantic Coast is world-renowned for its powdery white sand. Although technically part of the Miami Beach area, South Beach stands out due to its Art Deco architecture seen in everything from the beachfront lifeguard towers to the high-rise buildings along the famed Ocean Drive.
1. What similarity do Cannon Beach and Horseshoe Bay Beach share?| A．The chance to cycle around. | B．Their lively artistic scene. |
| C．The unique water sports. | D．Their distinctive sand color. |
| A．Those seeking water sports. | B．Fans of modern lighthouses. |
| C．Those interested in local culture. | D．Enthusiasts of mountain climbing. |
| A．Its beach sand. | B．Its architectural style. |
| C．Its ocean drive. | D．Its high-rise buildings. |
6 . Self-learning can help you develop important skills and gain valuable knowledge. Understanding strategies for self-learning is important. They can help you study new concepts with ease.
Determine your learning style. People often prefer to learn new information or a new skill using varied approaches.
Find a purpose. Determine what you want to learn about and why you want to be a self-learner.
Determine a schedule. To create an effective plan, it may be helpful to create an agenda for your self-learning sessions.
| A．Assess your strengths |
| B．Be sure to set reasonable goals |
| C．Identify a skill set you’re interested in learning |
| D．Here’re some tips for effective self-learning practices |
| E．Consider giving yourself a set of achievable deadlines |
| F．You can find the most useful methods and techniques for yourself |
| G．Having a specific goal can also help you set accurate self-learning sessions |
7 . Fresco (湿壁画) refers to painting techniques used on plaster (灰泥). Popular during the Renaissance period, especially in Italy, frescoes were usually used to decorate walls of public buildings.
The purest type of fresco painting, also known as “buon fresco”, involves mixing pigments (颜料) directly with wet plaster. The color is thus actually part of the material, rather than a coating on top of it, as is the case with “fresco a secco” or with regular painting. The colors of a buon fresco are especially vibrant and long-lasting; the Bull-Leaping Fresco in Knossos, Crete was created around the 17th-15th centuries BCE, but the colors are still clear today. However, this technique is not without its unique disadvantages. For one thing, colors look different when they are wet than when they are dry. Artists of the time typically mixed their own plaster and color mixtures, working quickly to finish a part of a mural (壁画) before the plaster dried. The mixture they created the next time might have been a slightly different shade. If you look carefully at the frescoes on the Sistine Chapel, you can see which parts must have been completed in a single session by the faint differences in colors.
Fresco a secco requires something to be added to the paint to make it stick to the dry plaster. This technique is sometimes used to repair a buon fresco that has been damaged, although the colors are generally not as bright. However, some colors actually worked better with the fresco a secco. During the Renaissance period, the available pigments for creating blue did not mix well with wet plaster; for this reason, skies, water, and blue clothing sometimes were painted as secco frescoes after the buon fresco had dried.
In 1997, the frescoes by Giotto di Bondone in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy were damaged in an earthquake. 150 restorers, of whom most are volunteers, spent five years gathering 60,000 pieces that they could find and set them back into place, much like a puzzle, although about 35 percent of the fresco remains incomplete.
1. Which of the following can replace the word “vibrant” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Bright. | B．Simple. | C．Watery. | D．Rare. |
| A．It was in Italy that true fresco was widely used. |
| B．It is crucial to differentiate varied painting style. |
| C．It took time for painters to create their unique colors. |
| D．It was hard to create the exactly same color every time. |
| A．The disadvantages of fresco a secco. |
| B．The reasons why painters preferred blue. |
| C．The characters and uses of fresco a secco. |
| D．The similarities between the two fresco techniques. |
| A．Slow but creative. | B．Complicated and dangerous. |
| C．Discouraging but money-saving. | D．Time-consuming and laborious. |
8 . Alexis was a student, the only son of his wealthy parents, and felt entitled to the luxuries he had in his life. On a class field trip, Alexis met the forester, Justin, who had been living in a wooden house in the forest over ten years. When learning Justin’s life, Alexis laughed at him with his friends.
During the field trip, Alexis and his classmates passed by an entrance to a cave. “This looks so cool!” Alexis exclaimed. He wanted to go inside the cave, but his teacher stopped him.
The next day, Alexis reached the cave with his four friends, only to find they couldn’t take their schoolbags through the entrance. One by one, the teenagers entered the cave and were amazed to see how wide it was from the inside. Albert picked a large stone up and hit one of the walls with it. “This place is so cool!” he laughed quietly before the rocks from the wall came falling.
“Watch out, Albert!” Alexis said and pulled Albert towards himself. The teenagers screamed in fear when they saw the rocks fall. They couldn’t see anything because of the dust floating in the air.
The friends were scared when they realized they were trapped in the cave. “HELP! WE ARE STUCK!” the teenagers started screaming for help, hoping someone would hear them.
Fate sent Justin to the cave. The forester picked berries every day from the trees near the cave. While he was walking back to his house, five bright-colored schoolbags caught his attention. Then he approached the cave and shouted, “Hey! Who’s in there?”
“I’m Alexis ! I came here yesterday with my teacher! Help us, please! We are stuck!”
“Okay, calm down, children! I’ll help you out!” Justin said.
Justin quickly called 911 and informed them about the kids in the cave. Thinking the paramedics (护理人员) would take at least twenty minutes to arrive, he decided to help the kids himself before it was too late. Justin quickly grabbed a shovel and a flashlight and rushed back to the cave’s entrance. Meanwhile, Alexis and his friends tried to stay calm. A few minutes later, Alexis and his friends could see the flashlight shine through the cave’s entrance. Seconds later, they rushed outside the cave and took a deep breath in the fresh air.
Just then, the paramedics arrived.
1. What may lead to Alexis looking down on Justin?| A．His lower education. | B．His poor family. |
| C．His bad reputation. | D．His living condition. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Curious. | C．astonished. | D．Scared. |
| A．It was his daily routine. | B．He saw five colorful schoolbags. |
| C．He came to look for the children. | D．He heard the screaming for help. |
| A．Lucky or unlucky. | B．Don’t judge a person by his looks. |
| C．Curiosity kills the cat. | D．Once in a blue moon. |
9 . “Having the world at our fingertips” is a metaphor often used when we put our hands on information technology, like smartphones and computers. This is a good metaphor. But what is much better is how we use our hands to make things done.
Put one hand flat on a surface, palm down, and you might be able to make out the outline of 14 short bones in your thumb and fingers, in addition to 5 longer ones in your palm that are jointed to your wrist. These bones give each hand its rigid, knuckled structure. Together they’re critical components of the anatomical (解剖的) architecture that allows your hand to move. At each of your fingertips there’s an ever-growing, translucent plate of fibrous protein, otherwise known as a nail. Although they’re nice for decoration, your nails protect and enhance your sensitivity to touch, too.
Imagine squeezing a piece of paper between your thumb and index finger, for example. We use this type of forceful pad-to-pad precision grasping without thinking about it, and literally in no time. Yet it was a breakthrough in human evolution. Other primates (灵长目动物) exhibit some kinds of precision grasps in the handling and use of objects, but not with the kind of efficiency that our hand does.
With a unique combination of traits, the human hand shaped history. No question, stone tools couldn’t have become a keystone of human technology without hands that could do the job, along with a nervous (神经的) system that could regulate and coordinate the necessary signals. Even for those who have never attempted to make a spear tip or arrowhead from a rock, it’s obvious that it would require strong grasps, constant rotation and repositioning, careful strikes with another hard object. And even for those who have done so, it can be a bloody business.
Of course, the most common object that people touch nowadays is a screen. And the tap-tap-tap movement of our fingers is a unique human ability, as no other primate can move their fingers as rapidly and independently as we do. Here again, we can thank the extraordinary human brain given that normal finger tapping requires the functional integrity of different parts of our central nervous system.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The structure of human hands. | B．The function of human hands. |
| C．The movement of human hands. | D．The number of bones in human hands. |
| A．Because they make our hands more beautiful. |
| B．Because they help us hold things more tightly. |
| C．Because they are a necessary part of the structure of our hands. |
| D．Because they protect our fingers and increase our sense of touch. |
| A．Detect. | B．Produce. | C．Integrate. | D．Interpret. |
| A．introduce the structure and function of human hands |
| B．compare the differences between human hands and primates’ hands |
| C．emphasize the importance of human hands in history and modern technology |
| D．show how the human brain contributes to the unique ability of finger tapping |
10 . Unique outdoor restaurants around the world
Many things come to mind when I think of a great vacation. Remarkable scenery and delicious food are certainly on my list. Those two features can’t always be found in the same location. However, amazing views and great food are both on the menu at the following three restaurants.
The Rock, ZanzibarOn an enormous boulder (巨石) off the coast of the East African island of Zanzibar sits The Rock. The freshest seafood, much of it straight from the surrounding ocean, is always available here. At low tide (潮汐), customers can walk out to The Rock. As the water rises, though, customers must take a short boat ride to it. Once they arrive, they’re greeted by friendly staff and 360-degree views of beautiful blue-green water. The Rock, sometimes called the “floating restaurant”, is available for weddings and other small group events.
The Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant, PhilippinesStriking waterfalls sometimes have restaurants at the top. But the Labasin Waterfalls, in San Pablo City, Philippines, is different. A restaurant sits at the bottom of the falls. Guests dine on authentic (地道的) Filipino meals at bamboo tables that stand right in the water. They cool their feet in the water that flows under their tables. The surrounding jungle makes a perfect background for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.
The Grotto, ThailandThe Grotto Restaurant on Thailand’s Phra Nang Beach offers delicious food and an incredible dining experience. The restaurant is partly positioned inside a cave and partly on the beach. Guests seated toward the front look out at Happy Island in the lovely Andaman Sea. Those seated at the back enjoy an authentic cave-dining experience. Comfortable tables, which are arranged inside the cave, sit next to large stalactites (钟乳石). International food with a Thai influence is featured.
1. What can you do at The Rock?| A．Host small ceremonies. |
| B．Have meals at bamboo tables. |
| C．Cool your feet under your tables. |
| D．Go through a cave-dining experience. |
| A．They are based in hotels. |
| B．They adopt modern cooking methods. |
| C．They are surrounded by eye-catching waterfalls. |
| D．They offer both breathtaking views and delicious food. |
| A．To report. | B．To explain. | C．To analyze. | D．To introduce. |
