成功是每个人的梦想，每个人都有属于自己的成功，这样的成功不需要攀比。请叙述你所取得的成就之一，并解释背后的原因。
You may find the following phrases useful in your writing.
strong-minded
enthusiastic
patience
creativity
thanks to
It was one’s commitment to... that...
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I love charity shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won’t find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.
The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity’s appeal to aid postwar Greece had been so successful it had been flooded with donations. They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favourite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find children’ s books, all 10 or 20 pence each.
Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don’t encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open.
The shops have very low running costs: all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than £110million a year, funding medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better place to spend your money?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________你是明启中学高二学生李华，最近上海博物馆推出了三款文创周边产品，吸引了不少年轻人追捧，分别是：（1）馆藏藏品日历 ；（2）中外艺术家明信片；（3） “丝绸之路”主题丝巾。
No. 1
| No. 2
| No. 3
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以上海博物馆馆藏藏品为主题的日历，印有中华古代水墨画、书法、历史文物的展品细节信息。 | 以中外名画为主题，色彩艳丽，可作为贺卡、明信片、书签使用。 | 以“帆船”为主题元素、以海上丝绸之路航线为底，以浅蓝色呼应瓷器配色，100%桑蚕丝材料。 |
售价：79元 | 售价：10元/ 张 | 售价：330元 |
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If you’re anxious about your exams, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Every year, many young people sit exams and whether they love or hate them, most of them will face some anxiety in the lead up to the big day. It might seem like a stressful time when the pressure is on to pass that all-important test but take a deep breath and absorb some good advice from people who’ve been through the same experience as you.
Eating the right food can feed your brain and keep you alert. Nutritional therapist Kerry Torrens recommends making breakfast the most important meal of the day. She recommends eating energy-giving oats and eggs, which contain a nutrient called choline—thought to help cognitive performance and improve memory. And don’t forget to drink lots of water to keep you hydrated — some research even suggests students who take water into the exam hall may even improve their grades.
One thing I know I always need is a good night’s sleep to help me work and think better the next day and that’s what’s recommended for anyone preparing for their exams. If you get good sleep your memory is better and that means you can remember the information you have revised. And it’s good to get relaxed before bedtime too — no watching TV or chatting on social media!
There comes a point when your brain can’t absorb any more information so you’ll also need to know when to stop. Lisa Artis from the Sleep Council says sitting on your bed when you’re cramming (死记硬背) is not a good idea because then you associate that place with stress. Revising for exams can also sometimes seem endless, so it’s good to take breaks and reward yourself with a small treat, like a cake or a quick run around the block.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Why Socks Help You Sleep Better
If you’re one of those people who has trouble falling asleep, listen up. You might fall asleep 15 minutes earlier and wake up far less during the night if you put on a pair of socks at bedtime.
To understand why you first need to grasp the relationship between core body temperature and sleep. During daylight hours, the human body hums along at an average temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). But at night, your core body temperature dips as much as 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) over the course of six or seven hours of sleep.
This gradual decrease in core body temperature, as it turns out, is a key part of the complicated neurobiological (神经生物学) dance of falling asleep and staying asleep. And the faster you can lower the core body temperature, the faster you will fall asleep. Researchers have show that warming the feet before going to sleep using a warm feet bath or by wearing socks promotes vasodilation (血管扩张), which in turn lowers the body’s core temperature faster than going to sleep with cold, bare feet.
Scientists suppose that socked feet have a neurological effect as well. Inside the brain’s “thermostat (恒湿器)” is a type of neuron called a warm-sensitive neuron (WSN) that increases its firing rate when there’s a temperature difference between the body’s core temperature and extremities like the feet. Research has shown that WSN firing rates go way up on the beginning or slow wave or deep sleep and gradually decrease prior to waking up. So WSNs may play a role in generating the sensation of sleepiness that helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. And if that is the case, warming up the feet before bed time gives WSNs an extra power.
In a small study, researchers found that wearing a pair of special sleeping socks not only sped up the beginning of sleep, but increased overall sleep time by an average of 30 minutes and cut nighttime waking periods in half.
If you are worried about becoming too warm while wearing socks in bed, look for ones made of natural breathable fibers.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Problem With Fast Fashion
There’s nothing quite like new clothes, is there? The UK certainly loves them. According to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), the UK consumes five times more clothes today than it did in the 1980s. That’s more than any other nation in Europe and amounts to around
26.7 kg per person.This results in 235 million garments being dumped into landfills - victims of fast fashion.
Fast fashion is defined as “an accelerated fashion business model ”involving “increased numbers of new fashion collections every year,” “quick turnarounds(周转期)”and “lower prices,” according to the EAC. Globalization means that clothing is made in countries where labour is cheaper. These savings are passed on to consumers, who then consider the clothes they own disposable - easily replaceable with something more trendy. And that creates problems.
First, there’re the environmental costs. Manufacturing any kind of textile costs resources. For example, synthetic fibres, which are made from plastic, have a larger carbon footprint than natural ones. Natural fibres, although more carbon-efficient, still require more water to grow. And further resources are used as the cloth is dyed, made into clothing and transported to retail for sale. Secondly, the fast-fashion industry is under pressure to put the latest trending items on shelves faster, which can lead to workers being exploited and forced to labour in poor working conditions. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Philippines, workers are paid wages that are insufficient to live on. One worker in Ethiopia told the BBC that they had to deal with intolerable conditions, such as withheld overtime payments, verbal abuse, and unsanitary toilets.
So what can be done in the UK to reduce clothing waste? The EAC has recommended eighteen improvements to the UK government, from increasing tax on purchases to fund recycling centres to introducing more sewing lessons in schools, encouraging a make do and mend attitude when things become worn out.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________随着全球化进一步发展，我国非遗之一的地方戏剧文化正在遭受前所未有的冲击。作为中国十大戏曲之一的沪剧也面临着消亡的危机。针对这种现象，我校此次校园文化节准备推广沪剧，请你为此设计一个活动方案。
内容包括：1. 沪剧文化现今状况 2. 活动的主题 3. 活动的安排 4. 活动的意义
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The Sounds of Relaxation
In a fast-paced world, where stress and mental fatigue seem commonplace, we're constantly looking for new ways to unwind. Some people take a hot bath, watch a film, go for a run, or listen to slower tempo music to help them relax. But what about the chirrups (小鸟唧唧叫) and whistles of birdsong or other nature sounds? Could they also help people to let go of the tensions of modern life?
According to a study by King's College London in 2022, seeing or hearing birds could help to boost the mental wellbeing of people. Taking a trip to a place rich in birdlife like parks, forests and canals and encountering birds chirping and warbling to each other in the trees could even help to treat some mental health conditions. And it's not just birds that could have a therapeutic effect on our moods. Another study commissioned by the National Trust compared the effects of woodland sounds with voiced meditation apps. The study found listening to birdsong as well as other woodland sounds like leaves crunching underfoot or the gentle trickle of a stream boosted feelings of relaxation 30% more than an app. Other sounds which may help to chill people out are waves lapping on the shore, gentle breezes, and light rainfall.
However, not all of us live in rural surroundings, and depending on where we live, a trip to the countryside to see birds may not be an option. But could the nature sounds that originate there still help you? According to research by California Polytechnic State University, even a recording of the sounds of birds had a profound effect on people's mood, while other studies saw people listening to soundscapes (声景) of the coast and forests with similar outcomes to their wellbeing.
So, wherever you live, you can access the wonderful sounds of birds and nature, be it during a stroll through a wood or via some headphones. And maybe listening to the chirps, trills, warbles and whistles of some birds could help you to relax after a long, hard day.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________近日，有人大代表提议：为了锻炼学生意志、提高学生身体素质，即使遇到极端天气时，学校不应该随意停课(suspend classes at will)，而是应该在保证学生安全的前提下，鼓励学生继续上课。假如你是学生李明，你对此话题很感兴趣，在学校英文杂志上回应该提议，内容包括:
1)你支持还是反对该提议；
2)结合生活实际给出相应的理由。
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Ways to Stay Motivated
Many distance learners agree that the most difficult part of studying online is staying motivated. Because students must take the initiative to complete their courses completely on their own, without the physical presence of teachers and other peers, many students find it easy to become distracted and discouraged in their work. Don’t let this happen to you-plan ways for yourself to stay motivated before you’re tempted to stray from your books. Use the following motivational tips to stay on task.
Find a friend or relative who has similar interests or who would enjoy hearing about your studies and let them know what’s going on in your classes. You’ll understand the material better when you have a chance to explain it out loud and will be motivated to stay on task in order to keep up with the conversation.
Don’t rely on campus consultant; design your own map of completed classes and post it somewhere that is visible daily. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes with watching your goals be accomplished. When times get hard, you can always turn to your chart and see how far you’ve come.
You get rewarded for good credit and safe driving. Why shouldn’t you reward yourself for doing well in your coursework? Whether it be a night on the town, a new dress, or even a new car, setting up a reward system just may be the extra push you need to succeed. If you stick to your system, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.
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