1 . Life is for living according to the well-used expression. Sometimes what we wish to do is not completely up to us.
Bucket lists have been called “the greatest hits of your life” and have helped some people get over anxiety to follow their dreams. Some of us may choose to write one to fill our life with new experiences, from skydiving to swimming with sharks.
This is something the BBC radio programme “All in the Mind” has been looking at. It heard from a blogger called Julie, who said she made a promise to live her bucket list.
It’s probably true that a list can encourage people to follow someone else’s idea. But why not at least dream of what we would like to do?
A.The list can sometimes be crazy. |
B.Working hard helps realize bucket lists. |
C.Creating bucket lists can certainly give us hope. |
D.How about making a bucket list once in a while? |
E.Why not reach for the stars, even if we only reach the sky? |
F.She dreams of cycling around the world and pushing her limits. |
G.But there is no harm in dreaming about what we want in our life. |
Many of you fail to seek your purpose in life. You dream and then follow it up with a list of reasons why the dream is unachievable. You fill your life
Many great companies came from a dream, were nurtured (培育) a garage or basement and
Dreaming is the easy part while
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.
1. In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
A.His daughter had grown up. |
B.He had become a famous diver. |
C.His father would dive with him. |
D.His daughter would dive with him. |
A.Larry had some privileges. |
B.Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
C.Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
D.Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
A.To protect himself from danger. |
B.To dive into the deep water. |
C.To admire the underwater view. |
D.To take photo more conveniently. |
A.Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
B.Larry was not good at math. |
C.Larry had a poor memory. |
D.Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
A.Become a successful diver. |
B.Make a good diving guide. |
C.Take a lot of photo underwater. |
D.Have longer hours of training. |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel.
Handel’s father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn’t think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel smuggled a quiet piano into the house so that he could practise in secret.
One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke’s organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel’s father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose.
Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel (决斗) over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince.
Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he’d heard that there weren’t nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera.
After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany.
In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper.
If you ever go to London, look for Handel’s grave in Westminster Abbey, where there’s a wonderful monument to him.
1. How did Handel begin to learn to compose?
A.His father was sure of his future success. |
B.His performance impressed a duke. |
C.He begged his father to send him to Italy. |
D.He practised hard and taught himself music. |
A.bought secretly | B.took secretly | C.carried in advance | D.possessed personally |
A.Because he could find better jobs in London. |
B.Because he enjoyed greater fame in London. |
C.Because his boss became King of Britain and brought him along. |
D.Because London was a wonderful place to learn about opera. |
A.bad-tempered | B.talented | C.enthusiastic | D.optimistic |
A.Handel was born in the same year with Bach. |
B.Many people worked both as a barber and surgeon. |
C.Handel quit his job to learn about opera in Italy. Handel was buried in London and was built a monument. |