2 . SMART Goal Setting

SMART goal setting is one of the most valuable methods used by high achievers today to actualize(实现）their life goals time after time. SMART is an acronym (首字母缩略词) that stands for-Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.     1    

Every goal ought to be specific. Being clear about your goals and expectations is the first step to reaching them.     2     For example, “I will start planning toward retirement” is vague. Instead, you could say. “I will start planning toward retirement by building up a nest egg.” This is more specific. When you are specific on your goal, it’s easier for you to identify all its components and work accordingly toward achieving it.

    3     If you can’t measure something, you can’t tell if you’re performing well or if you’re off track. Setting measurable goals lets you evaluate your performance and stay on track.

Goals should be achievable and realistic.     4     It’s also important not to get too carried away and use far-fetched or unreachable goals as motivators, constantly chasing an impossibly high goal. Allow yourself to feel motivated by the satisfaction of achievement and real progress.

Each goal has to be time-bound.     5     Actually, it’s incredibly important to make your goals time-bound. The act of having deadlines set to your goals is a motivation that drives you into action. Without a deadline, it is not possible for you to know if you’re making headway with your goals.

A．Your goals must be measurable.

B．That is because your goals are not specific enough.

C．It is the final letter of SMART that is often ignored.

D．When goals are too wide or vague, they are easy to miss.

E．To make your SMART goals work, use the following tips.

F．You may wonder if this is achievable in the given time frame.

G．It’s important to plan out goals that are within realistic capabilities.

3 . “Mama，when I grow up，I’m going to be one of those！” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three.It was the first time that my______took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training.As I grew older and was______to more，my interests in the world of dance______varied but that little girl’s dream of someday becoming a______in the company never left me.In the summer of 2005 when I was 18，I received the phone call which made that dream a______； I became a member of the company______back to 1925.

As I look back on that day now，it surely______any sense of reality.I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief______I was halfway through rehearsals(排练) on my first day.I never actually______to get the job.After being offered the position，I was completely______.I remember shaking with excitement.

Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change，it did not come without its fair share of______.Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week，I found it vital to______up the material fast with every last bit of concentration.It is that extreme______to detail(细节) and stress on practice that set us______.To then follow those high­energy rehearsals______a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day，I discovered a new______of the words “hard work”．What I thought were my physical______were pushed much further than I thought______.I learned to make each performance better than the last.

Today，when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great______of being a part of，not only as a member，but as a dance captain，I see a______that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow—and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

1.

A．hobby

B．plan

C．dream

D．word

2.

A．connected

B．expanded

C．exposed

D．extended

3.

A．rarely

B．certainly

C．probably

D．consistently

4.

A．director

B．trainer

C．leader

D．dancer

5.

A．symbol

B．memory

C．truth

D．reality

6.

A．bouncing

B．dating

C．turning

D．tracking

7.

A．lacks

B．adds

C．makes

D．brings

8.

A．while

B．since

C．until

D．when

9.

A．cared

B．expected

C．asked

D．decided

10.

A．motivated

B．relaxed

C．convinced

D．astonished

11.

A．challenges

B．profits

C．advantages

D．adventures

12.

A．put

B．mix

C．build

D．pick

13.

A．attention

B．association

C．attraction

D．adaptation

14.

A．apart

B．aside

C．off

D．back

15.

A．over

B．by

C．with

D．beyond

16.

A．function

B．meaning

C．expression

D．usage

17.

A．boundaries

B．problems

C．barriers

D．efforts

18.

A．necessary

B．perfect

C．proper

D．possible

19.

A．talent

B．honor

C．potential

D．responsibility

20.

A．victory

B．trend

C．tradition

D．desire

4 . New Zealand fishermen caught what may prove to be a world-record-breaking colossal squid (巨大的鱿鱼).
In the cold, dark waters of the Antarctic hides a creature with eight arms, two super long tentacles (触须) and eyes as big as dinner plates. Sound like something out of a science fiction movie? Think again.
On February 21, New Zealand fishermen landed a colossal squid the length of a school bus. They had been fishing with long lines for Chilean sea bass (黑鲈) in the waters off the coast of New Zealand when they caught the rare squid. With two hours of hard work, the crew skillfully pulled the creature into a net and dragged it aboard their ship.
Scientists estimate (估计) that the animal weighs about a half ton and is about 40 feet long. That would make this colossal squid the biggest on record.
First identified in 1925 after two tentacles were found in a whale’s stomach, the colossal squid has long been a mystery. The animals are not easy to observe because they can go down to ocean depths of 6,500 feet. What scientists do know from studying the bodies of a half dozen colossal squids is that they are fierce hunters.
The recently captured colossal squid has been frozen to keep it for scientific study. It will be transported to New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, in the capital city of Wellington. Experts believe it to be the first adult male ever caught undamaged. Scientists hope to learn more about the colossal squid’s diet, behavior and reproductive (繁殖) patterns.
“Scientists will be very interested in this amazing creature,” said New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton. “It adds immeasurably to our understanding of the marine environment.”
1. Why is it usually difficult for experts to observe the squid?

A．Because it moves too fast.

B．Because it is too large.

C．Because it is very dangerous.

D．Because it can go down to deep ocean.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The squid is from a science fiction story.

B．The fishermen often meet colossal squids.

C．Scientists know much about the colossal squid.

D．The fishermen had some difficulty catching the large squid.

3. What’s the purpose of catching such a huge squid?

A．To make it into food.

B．To set a world record.

C．To do research on it.

D．To display it for visitors.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The biggest squid ever found

B．Scientific research on squid

C．The lifestyle of the colossal squid

D．How the fishermen caught the squid