1 . An old man went to live with his son, his daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was very poor, and he couldn’t walk steadily (平稳地). The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice often dropped on the floor.
The son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man, so they put a small table in the corner. There, the grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the table. Since the grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with a piece of wood on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” The boy answered, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words struck the parents so hard that they were in silence. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks (脸颊). Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.
1. Why was the old man’s food served in a wooden bowl?A.Because the wooden bowl was light enough. |
B.Because the old man had broken a few bowls. |
C.Because there was only a wooden bowl left. |
D.Because the son and the daughter-in-law became angry with the old man. |
A.annoyed | B.worried | C.scared | D.shocked |
A.Led the old man back to the family table. | B.Ignored. |
C.Kicked the old man out of their house. | D.Blamed the boy. |
A.An Old Man and His Son | B.A Couple and Their Son |
C.A Wooden Bowl | D.A Dinner Table |
2 . I am honored to work in the greatest profession (行业). Despite the long hours and hard work, I finish each day, feeling as though I have made a difference. This is the drive that keeps teachers energetic and passionate (热情的). As Christa McAuliffe said, “I touch the future, I teach.”
When I was named Maryland Teacher of the Year, I received a congratulatory e-mail from a former (以前的) student, Morgan, who is currently attending Georgetown University and is an officer of the student-run Women in Politics group. I recently turned on the television to watch a college basketball game to find another former student, Austin, running up and down the court for Georgetown. Walking through a shopping mall recently, I encountered (邂逅) a former student, Olade, dressed in a suit. After a brief greeting, he handed me a business card for the company that he just had started, at age twenty-two. Another student said he is in the process of applying for law school at Howard University. Believe it or not, I encounter former students with similar success stories nearly every week. One student, Tasha, is off to the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore next year to study, of all things, Social Studies/Education. Now that’s a student after my own heart!
Seeing the success of former students and knowing that I was able to make a small contribution to their success during the time that they sat in my class, is the greatest reward. Sometimes, while I am watching my current students working and interacting (互动) in class, I try to picture what they will be doing ten years from now. I wonder if I am looking at a future senator (议员) or judge. Can you imagine being able to say, “I taught Senator Thomas government in the tent h grade?” I would not trade my career for any other. I literally (真正地) touch the future each and every day.
1. Which of the following people are in close contact with the author in work?A.Drivers. | B.Coaches. | C.Actors. | D.Students. |
A.To prove the author’s success. | B.To show off the students’ talents. |
C.To tell us success takes many forms. | D.To remind us of people in all walks of life. |
A.Challenging. | B.Demanding. | C.Rewarding. | D.Interesting. |
A.Active and confident. | B.Passionate and proud. |
C.Responsible and curious. | D.Friendly and easy-going. |
3 . What makes you happy? You may want to answer that spending time with your family, taking a vacation or driving a new sports car makes you happy but the key to happiness may be altruism. Helping others may actually improve your happiness.
According to Time Magazine, the greatest thinkers in the world have suggested that true happiness is found in helping others and now there is scientific research from a team of psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia to prove it.
While Americans are guaranteed (保证) the pursuit (追求) of happiness in their Declaration of Independence, it is usually referring to individual rights and is self-serving (自私的). The researchers led by Liudmila Titova and Kenno n Sheldon looked at whether pursuing happiness for others will actually make people happier. They found that it does.
Two experiments were conducted by the team, according to Psychology Today. The first experiment asked participants to recall (回忆) a time that they tried to make themselves or another person happy. They were asked to write about the event and rate how happy it made them feel. In the second experiment, they were asked to remember a time that they tried to make someone else happy and also write about how it made them feel. This experiment produced a higher rate of happiness than the first.
“The results of these studies include findings from previous research showing that people get improved personal happiness from attempts to make other people happy—an approach that might seem unbelievable for a lot of people at first,” researchers wrote in the study.
But how does the research translate into real life? Find your passion and share your values. Whatever you do, the key is to find an approach that works for you and let it come naturally. Remember that improving happiness is a benefit of helping others and not the goal.
1. What does the underlined word “altruism” in paragraph 1 mean?A.Earning money. | B.Finding happiness. | C.Loving family. | D.Helping others. |
A.By doing two experiments. | B.By comparing with other researches. |
C.By showing previous research. | D.By presenting some facts. |
A.Set a goal for the future. | B.Do something for others. |
C.Find your passion for work. | D.Sha re your happiness naturally. |
A.Improving Others’ Happiness Matters | B.Sharing Your Goals Makes You Happy |
C.Helping Others Could Improve Happiness | D.Improving Happiness Benefits People A Lot |
4 . The new, “used” car that I bought just three months ago wouldn’t start the other day. The factory battery (电池) that came along with it decided that it had worked long enough and chose to take an early, permanent retirement (永久的退休). My kindhearted neighbor gave me a jump but the battery stubbornly wouldn’t hold the charge (电量). After getting one more jump, I headed to the local auto parts store to buy a new one. Fixing it was more difficult than we thought, however, so I took it to a local mechanic (机修工) who finally got the new battery in and the car ran once again.
Driving it this morning, I noticed that the time and date on the screen had suddenly gone back nine years to the original date of the first time it was started. While my son smartly worked out how to program it back to today, I thought about all the times I had wished I could go back in time and make up for some of the mistakes I had made in my own life.
How many of us wish that we could go back to a certain time and change things? I know that I have wished that before. Yet, when I look back on my life today, I think that I wouldn’t change anything. Every choice I have made, every step I have taken, every road I have traveled has led me to where I am now.
Yes, many of my choices have brought me pain in the past, but they have also brought me wisdom for the present. I wouldn’t want to change things if they would then change me. All that I have learned, all that I have become, comes from the roads I have taken.
When you look at your own life, don’t regret the roads not taken. Instead, celebrate the path you are on. Keep your feet moving forward.
1. What did the author do with his car?A.He changed it for a new one. | B.He asked a neighbor to check it. |
C.He sent it to the factory. | D.He had its battery changed. |
A.His successful method. | B.His neighbor. |
C.His used car. | D.His kid. |
A.His happy childhood. | B.His past experiences. |
C.A mistake in the car repair. | D.His experience of buying the car. |
A.Challenging. | B.Terrible. | C.Useful. | D.Avoidable. |
5 . The Best Books of This Month
Our Class by Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, volunteered to teach a college -level literature class at the East Jersey State Prison. His book covers a variety of styles: personal narratives, plays, songs, poems and history. There are terrible tales of inhumanity, but there is hope in the transformative power of human relationships.
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
In this novel, a college student at Oxford in the 1950s befriends C. S. Lewis to find out for her younger brother where Narnia comes from. Her brother, who is housebound (出不了门的) from an illness, has become fascinated with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The story of a loving family journeying toward the light of hope is deeply pleasing.
Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit
Challenging preconceptions (成见) about the author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, Rebecca Solnit offers an unexpected view of British writer George Orwell. Examining his life and work through the lens (镜头) of Orwell’s passion for and appreciation of nature, Solnit presents a well-researched elegantly written book that deepens our understanding of the literature.
Silverview by John le Carré
In Silverview, John le Carré turns his focus to the world that has occupied his writing for the past sixty years—the secret world itself. Julian Lawndsley has given up his high-flying job in the city for a simpler life running a bookshop in a small English seaside town.
1. What do we know about Chris Hedges?A.He won prizes for his poems. | B.He once worked as a teacher. |
C.His book focuses on interpersonal relationships. | D.His work is mainly about music. |
A.Happy. | B.Worried. | C.Sad. | D.Confused. |
A.Our Class. | B.Once Upon a Wardrobe. | C.Orwell’s Roses. | D.Silverview. |
6 . Realizing your dreams is not a matter of possibility. It’s a matter of motivating (激发) yourself to focus on the right things.
Sit down and get a move on! Reading more about motivation won’t help. Reviewing your to-do lists won’t help.
Think about the progress you have made and how far you have come. Open your eyes and give yourself credit (认可) for all that you have done.
Regard failure as a positive learning experience and judge unsuccessful work and mistakes as part of the growth process. When times get tough, take a deep breath, and know that most great things come when you least expect it.
A.You know you should do something. |
B.Only doing helps get everything going. |
C.Being defeated is a temporary (临时的) condition. |
D.Do you want to do something meaningful? |
E.Be aware (明白) of your self-talk and stay confident. |
F.Use self-belief to help you realize your dreams. |
G.Consider using a diary to keep track of your past success. |
7 . Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her senior high school life was unhappy and that she was tired of struggling with homework all the time.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, h placed potatoes, eggs and coffee beans in them. After 20 minutes, he took them out, putting the potatoes and eggs in a bowl and the coffee in a cup.
Turning to his daughter, he said, “Look closer, and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After puling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. Its good smell brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked. He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans were in the same adversity (逆境)—the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The strong and hard potato became soft and weak in boiling water. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new. “Which one do you want to be like,” he asked. “When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?”
In life, challenges happen to us all, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
1. Why did the girl complain to her father?A.Because of her tiring job. | B.Because of her hard school life. |
C.Because of her father’ s busy work. | D.Because of the food her father cooked. |
A.The girl liked the coffee best. |
B.The father was good at cooking. |
C.Different people have different reactions to adversity. |
D.The girl didn’t like the potatoes and eggs. |
A.thick | B.hard | C.strong | D.easily-broken |
A.Challenges and responses. | B.Adversities and a chef. |
C.A chef and coffee beans. | D.Father and daughter. |
8 . There are only 24 hours in a day, but people can use the time wisely. In other words, good time management (管理)is important if you want to succeed.
Knowing the importance of daily matters is the first step towards good time management. Write down the things that you want to do and organize them according to their level of importance. The important thing should be done first. If there are too many things that have to be done in one day, then you have to give up doing something that is less important on your list.
Besides this, you need to spend a specific (特定的) amount of time doing all the activities you have written down and make sure you finish them on time. People often slow down in their work even though they know that time will never wait for them. Make sure you keep to your plan and finish the tasks one by one. Do not try to do too many things at once.
Also, you can group similar activities together and do them one by one. For example, you can group all the tasks you need to do in the office together and do them while you’re in office. Do all the tasks that have to be done in one place first, and then move to the next place to do the other tasks.
“The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you’re the pilot, ”said Michael Althsuler. Your future is in your hands, so remember to invest(投资)your time wisely from today on.
1. Which of the following things should be done first?A.The most difficult things. |
B.The most important things. |
C.The things that weren’t done yesterday. |
D.The things that take the least time. |
A.Do all the tasks that need to be done in one place together. |
B.Write down daily tasks that need to be done. |
C.Do as many tasks as you can at the same time. |
D.Understand and know the importance of daily matters. |
A.you can manage your time wisely |
B.you can’t control time |
C.time passes quickly |
D.everything has two sides |
A.the importance of time management |
B.ways to manage time effectively |
C.ways to organize daily activities |
D.the importance of doing tasks on time |
9 . My Favorite Sweater
By Bonnie Highsmith Taylor
My favorite sweater grew too small.
I love that sweater best of all.
My grandma made it when I was three.
She made that sweater just for me.
I picked the yarn (纱线), a special blue.
The color of bluebells (风铃草), wet with dew (露珠).
When I was three I was very small.
But now I’m five and much too tall.
I have a new jacket now that’s green.
So I gave my sweater to our cat Queen.
Queen just gave birth to kittens in the shed (小屋).
My favorite sweater is now their bed.
1. Who is the writer of the poem?A.The grandma. | B.Miss Taylor. | C.A kitten. | D.Queen. |
A.3. | B.4. | C.5. | D.6. |
A.5. | B.3. | C.4. | D.6. |
A.a kind of food | B.baby cats |
C.a kind of drink | D.a bed for a baby |
10 . You are enjoying a nice dream until your alarm suddenly rings.
As the days get shorter, our mornings lose that crucial light to wake us up, so waking up gets harder. That means you’ll need to put in extra effort to get to work on time.
Avoid strong light near bedtime. So if you like reading before you close your eyes, try an actual book or an E-ink screen like a Kindle, which doesn’t emit the harsh light that phones and tablets do.
Buy a wake-up light. If you still have trouble with dark mornings, it might be time to introduce more light into your room.
Give yourself something to look forward to.
A.Stick to a regular schedule. |
B.We have a few tips that might help. |
C.Too much light can do harm to your eyes. |
D.But you just don’t want to get out of your warm bed. |
E.But when you look out of the window, it’s still black outside. |
F.Waking up is easier when you have a good reason to be conscious. |
G.Philips makes some popular lamps that produce natural light during gray winter days. |