1 . You’re primarily left-handed if you use your left hand for most activities — even if you tend to write with your right hand. Historically, there used to be a social prejudice against lefties (左撇子) .     1     But no evidence has suggested lefties are at any sort of physical or psychological disadvantage.

It’s estimated that 8 to 15 percent of the adult population is left-handed. Of course, we now know that handedness is determined by genetics and random chance. What we’re just learning, however, is far more interesting.     2    

Lefties may be quicker thinkers. According to an Australian study published in 2006, left-handed people tend to have faster connections between the right and left sides of the brain.     3     It accordingly leads to quicker and more efficient information processing.

    4     While less than 15 percent of the general population is left-handed, 25 percent of Major League Baseball players are lefties. Studies have found that lefties seem to have a real advantage in interactive sports, such as boxing, fencing, and baseball. It’s possibly because lefties are able to throw off right-handed opponents who are used to going up against other righties.

Emotions seem to be arranged differently depending on handedness.     5     That might help to explain why lefties seem to have higher rates of depression and certain other mood disorders.

A．Lefties have the upper hand in some sports.

B．Lefties experience the world in a different way.

C．In fact, there’s nothing special about the left-handed.

D．So they can use both sides of their brain more easily.

E．Lefties are more likely to have certain health problems.

F．Even schools once tried to break left-handed students of their “bad habit” .

G．For lefties, feelings is more likely to come from the right side of the brain.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Henry Tyler made the catch of the year on the weekend. When he saw a young child hanging from a sixth-floor apartment balcony (阳台), Henry ran one hundred metres, jumped over a 1.2-metre fence, and held out his arms to catch the     1     (fall) child.

Eric Brown, only three years old, knocked Henry down when he fell. The boy is in the hospital and doctors say he'll be OK.

    2     Brown family live in an apartment building outside Toronto. On the day of the accident, Mrs. Brown was at work and Eric was at home with his father. They both fell     3     (sleep) while watching TV.

Eric woke up a little later when he heard children playing outside. He pushed a chair onto the balcony, and climbed up     4     (see) them. When he looked down, he     5     (accidental) slipped and fell over the edge. He hung on for a few minutes     6     screamed for his father, but his father didn't hear him.

Henry     7     (fix) his car when he heard the screams. He looked up and saw Eric hanging from the balcony. He quickly     8     (throw) his tools aside, and started running, arms out.

"He saved my     9     (son) life," said Mrs. Brown. "I don't know     10     to thank him.”

"I just didn't want the boy to be hurt," said Henry.

3 . If you’re a chronic procrastinator (慢性拖延者), you’re familiar with the pain and stress that goes hand in hand with leaving things to the last minute. Even if you want to accomplish or finish a task, you’re probably having trouble getting started in the first place!     1    .

Start your day with the hardest tasks. Make yourself a plan in the morning and pick the hardest task first. You’ll be most energized in the morning once you’ve eaten breakfast and woken up fully.     2    . You’ll feel better once it’s done, and then you can move on to a few easier tasks for the rest of the day.

    3    . It can be astonishing to think about finishing a whole essay or getting through an entire week’s worth of tasks. Instead of thinking about everything you have to do like one big barrier, break it all down into tiny pieces. You’ll be able to get started on the smallest crumb and go forward from there.

Tackle your most important task for 15 minutes. Instead of thinking about the total number of hours you’re about to work for, just start.     4    . This will deal with the fear factor, and you'll likely spend much longer than 15 minutes on your task before you stop working again.

Promise yourself you’ll get a reward when it’s done. You’re probably scared of the next however many hours you need to finish this task. Just tell yourself that when it’s over, you get to celebrate with one of your favorite things.     5    

A．Write a to-do list to set goals first.

B．Break tasks down into small parts.

C．There are several ways that can help you.

D．Stop punishing yourself for procrastinating.

E．Tell yourself you’ve only got to do it for 15 minutes.

F．Handle your hardest thing on your schedule right then.

G．Use that expectation to push yourself through the pain.

4 . How to Have an Attractive Personality

Being attractive comes more from your personality than your appearance, and demonstrating an attractive personality is key to having lasting relationships.     1    The following tips help foster your ability to fascinate others.

Laugh at yourself. If you make a fool of yourself, laugh at yourself instead of feeling embarrassed. It shows that you’re comfortable in your skin. A sense of humor makes someone more engaging and delightful to be with.     2     It is a great ice-breaker or stress reliever, but don’t ruin a serious conversation with inappropriate jokes.

Speak sincerely. Tell people the truth. If you can’t commit to something, it’s better to be honest about it than to have to tell them last minute that you can’t make it. When people ask for your opinion, you should be honest.     3     For instance, if you don’t like your friend’s shirt, respond with, “I really like you in blue instead,” rather than, “I hate it, it’s ugly.”  

    4     If you see value in making others laugh and keep yourself positive, you’ll be a happier person, making others drawn to you as a result. A great way to remind you to laugh more is to have daily jokes on your phone or email. Set them for a time of day when you notice yourself start to feel drained.

Have confidence in your body. You don’t have to have the “perfect body” to be confident in it. People will be more attracted to you if you dress well and carry yourself well. If you need a little boost, place posters around your mirror that remind you of the charming parts of your body.     5    

A．Speak in a positive way.

B．Make laughing a priority.

C．Remember, there is a time and place for humor.

D．There is difference between being frank and rude, though.

E．Focus on these rather than what you’re self-conscious about.

F．Actually, developing engaging personalities is not that far out of reach.

G．But having charming appearance is only skin-deep and far from enough.

5 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I was walking along the road to school one day and I met my friend Raine. He suggested that we skip school and go to the movies. I refused as my dad was very fierce and strict. After much persuasion, I gave in. There was a Will Smith movie on and I was a fan.

So we set off to the movies together, bought our tickets, popcorn and drinks and settled down comfortably. As we were early, the lights were still on. We watched people come in groups, families and there were couples too. Some of them looked like school students playing truant（逃学）like us. As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of my uncle Andy and Aunt Jane walking in. They were kind and cared about me very much. I sank into my seat quickly to avoid being spotted. I signaled to Raine that there was someone I didn’t want to see and Raine made it more obvious by turning around and asking “Who? And where?” loudly. It made me sit even lower in my seat.

To make things worse, they came and sat in the row behind us and were saying to each other how I would have loved to come to this movie as I adored Will Smith. They were even commenting about the students playing truant. Soon the movie began and I was glad when the lights were turned off but I didn’t enjoy the movie at all for fear of being spotted. So, I sat there like an astronaut, peering over the front seat.

Every now and then I would secretly take a quick look at my aunt and uncle. I was sure they were also looking at me. Feeling nervous and anxious, I kept wondering how I could leave the cinema without being noticed.

注意：
1.所续写短文词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

When the movie ended and the lights came on, I remained seated.

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In front of us were my aunt and uncle, waiting at the gate.

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