Discouraged by reading bad news daily and with his marriage failing, Canadian Neil Pasricha decided to try to focus on the positive and come up with 1,000 simple, free, awesome things, posting one each day on a blog.
Pasricha said his blog aimed to highlight life's simple pleasures, which were often take
n for granted, such as finding forgotten money in a pocket, or fixing a TV set with a heavy blow.
Little did he realize his blog would strike a nerve and attract 40,000 people a day to join his discussions on how to enjoy the last triangle of a potato crisp, or the pleasure of laughing so hard that you cry.
Pasricha, aged 30, was amazed to win two Webby awards, known as "the Oscars of the Internet," something positive at a time when his marriage broke up and one of his closest friends committed suicide.
"I turned the worst year of my life into my best year by focusing on the positive. " Pasricha told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Every day I try to find something that is happy, free and universal to share, like the smell of a bakery or when a cashier opens up a new line at a store. "
Pasricha said when he began his blog in June 2008 he thought he might have trouble coming up with 1,000 simple, happy moments in life but now he is more than halfway through and ideas keep flooding in, from himself and from followers of his blog.
"These moments can start a huge conversation. Most of our life is really about hitting green lights on the way home from, or waking up before your alarm goes off and realizing you have more time in bed. But it is those small moments we forget about."
Despite the success of his blog, Pasricha does not want to change his daily life. “I travel regularly for an hour a day to work in the suburb. I like work because I like the people in my office. I’m not a writer and I don’t know how to use punctuations correctly. I just like observing the world and putting it down,” he said.Neil Pasricha determined to post positive feelings or things on his blog because .
| A．daily bad news and broken marriage saddened him |
| B．1,000 simple, free, happy things excited him |
| C．he wanted to forget his marriage life |
| D．he wanted to make his blog successful |
Which of the following will Pasricha probably NOT post onto his blog?
| A．Coming across an old schoolmate. |
| B．Finding his lost dog come back home. |
| C．Falling off his bike and getting injured. |
| D．Buying his favourite book at a special price. |
According to the passage, Pasricha .
| A．gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things with trouble |
| B．gets ideas for 1,000 simple, free, happy things on his own |
C．is on his way to collecting 1,000 simple , free, happy things |
D．has finished coll ecting 1,000 simple, free, happy things |
Which of the following might be the best title for the poassage?
| A．Hard life for a Canadian blogger | B．Busy life for a Canadian blogger |
| C．Great awards for a Canadian blogger | D．Great success for a Canadian blogger |
Jacqueline Bouvier Rennedy OnassIis was one of the most private women in the world, yet when she went to work as an editor in the last two decades of her life, she revealed(展现) herself as she did nowhere else.
After the death of her second husband, Greek shipping magnate (巨头 ) Aristotle Onassis, Jacqueline's close friend and former While House social secretary Letitia Baldrige made a suggestion that she consider a career(职业) in publishing. After consideration, Jacqueline accepted it. Perhaps she hoped to find there some ideas about how to live her own life .She became not less but more interested in reading. For the last 20 years of her life, Jacqueline worked as a publisher's editor, first at Viking, then at Doubleday, pursuing (迫求 ) a late-life career longer than her two marriages combined. During her time in publishing, she was responsible for managing and editing more than 100 successfully marketed books. Among the first books were in the Russian Style and Inventive Paris Clothes. She also succeeded in persuading TV hosts Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell to transform their popular television conversations into a book, The Power of Myth. The book went on to become an international best-seller. She dealt, too, with Michael Jackson as he prepared his autobiography(自传)，Moonwalk.
Jacqueline may have been hired for her name and for her social relations , but she soon proved her worth. Her choices, suggestions and widespread social relations were of benefit both to the publishing firms and to Jacqueline herself. In the books she selected for publication, she built on a lifetime of spending time by herself as a reader and left a record of the growth of her mind. Her books are the autobiography she never wrote, Her role as First Lady, in the end, was overshadowed by her performance as an editor. However, few knew that she had achieved so much. We can learn from the passage that Jacqueline________.
| A．became fond of reading after working as an editor |
| B．was in charge of publishing 100 books |
| C．promoted her books through social relations |
| D．gained a lot from her career as an editor |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that______.
| A．Jacqueline ended up as an editor rather than as First Lady |
| B．Jacqueline’s life as First Lady was more colorful than as an editor |
| C．Jacqueline was more successful as an editor than as First Lady |
| D．Jacqueline’s role as First Lady was more brilliant than as an editor |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Jacqueline’s two marriages lasted more than 20 years |
| B．Jacqueline’s own publishing firm was set up eventually |
| C．Jacqueline’s view and beliefs were reflected in the books she editor. |
| D．Jacqueline’s achievements were widely known |
The passage is mainly______.
| A．an introduction of Jacqueline’s life both as First Lady and as an editor |
| B．a brief description of Jacqueline’s lifelong experiences |
| C．a brief account of Jacqueline’s career as an editor in her last 20 years |
| D．an analysis of Jacqueline’s social relations in publishing |
A mother from Colorado who doctors said had died while giving birth to her son, has said it is a Christmas miracle that both she and the boy are alive.
Tracey Hermanstorfer’s heart stopped beating and her son Coltyn appeared lifeless after the Caesarean (剖腹产) section on Christmas Eve. However, a few minutes after he was born, both began breathing again. Dr. Stephanie Martin told Good Morning America she could not explain how the pair survived. Mrs. Hermanstorfer and her husband Mike told the American television show that they were doing “good” following the drama at Colorado Springs Memorial Hospital.
The couple, who already had two children, had to go into the hospital seven weeks earlier than planned. Her husband, 37, said his wife was tired after receiving an epidural (硬膜外麻醉) during the labor (分娩) but after closing her eyes, she “wasn’t waking up”. She stopped breathing and she is believed to have suffered a heart attack before her heart stopped beating entirely.
Dr. Martin said she was called in and that the outlook was grim since in most situations like this, “despite the best efforts of the team”, the mother was often unable to be revived. In that case doctors then tried to focus on delivering the baby but when he was born he was “completely lifeless”.
Mr. Hermanstorfer told the Associated Press news agency,“I had everything in the world taken from me, and in an hour and a half I had everything given to me.”
Dr. Martin said she did not have a “great explanation” for why Mr. Hermanstorfer’s heartbeat returned. “Somewhere between four and five minutes she had been without heart rate and had stopped breathing a minute or two prior to her heart stopping,” she said. The doctors were then able to bring the baby back to life, and the mother was alive after that.
Despite tests, she said doctors were still not sure about what had happened. However Mrs. Hermanstorfer and her husband Mike have said they believed it was down to a miracle. She said:“I got a second chance in life.” The story happened on_______.
| A．December, 24 |
| B．December, 25 |
| C．December, 31 |
| D．January, l |
What might have happened to Tracey Hermanstorfer just before her heart stopped beating?
| A．She became unconscious. |
| B．She took a nap. |
| C．She had a bad headache. |
| D．She suffered a heart attack. |
Which of the following is the correct order of what happened to Tracey Hermansrorfer?
a. suffering a heart attack
b. stopping heart beating entirely
c. stopping breathing
d. coming back to life
e. receiving an epidural
f. producing a baby
| A．acfdbe |
| B．fcadbe |
| C．eacbfd |
| D．eabcfd |
What feelings did Mr. Hermanstorfer have during the incident?
| A．Sad and delighted. |
| B．Disappointed and depressed. |
| C．Sad and angry. |
| D．Touched and regrettable. |
Which of the following words best expresses Dr. Martin's attitude towards Tracey Hermanstorfer's coming back to life?
| A．Shocked. |
| B．Puzzled. |
| C．Normal. |
| D．Curious. |
If Confucius(孔子) were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge the foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to_______.
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students_______
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．taken an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in_______.
| A．a biography |
| B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper |
| D．a philosophy textbook |
Astronauts on shorter shuttle missions (使命) often work very long days. Tasks are scheduled so tightly that break times are often used to finish the tightly that break times are often used to finish the day’s work. This type of scheduled is far too demanding for long missions on the International Space Station (ISS). ISS crewmembers usually live in space for at least a quarter of a year. They work five days on and two days off to mimic the normal way they do things on Earth as much as possible. Weekends give the crew valuable time to rest and do a few hours of housework. They can communicate with family and friends by email, internet phone and through private video conferences.
While astronauts cannot go to a baseball game or a movie in orbit, there are many familiar activities that they can still enjoy. Before a mission, the family and friends of each ISS crewmember put together a collection of family photos, messages, videos and reading material for the astronauts to look at when they will be floating 370 kilometers above the Earth.
During their mission, the crew also receives care packages with CDs, books, magazines, photos and letters. And as from early 2010, the internet became available on the ISS, giving astronauts the chance to do some “web surfing(冲浪)”in their personal time. Besides relaxing with these more common entertainments, astronauts can simply enjoy the experience of living in space.
Many astronauts say that one of the most relaxing things to do in space is to look out the window and stare at the universe and the Earth. Both the shuttle and the ISS circle the planet several times each day, and every moment offers a new view of the Earth’s vast land mass and oceans.What does the word “mimic” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Find |
| B．Copy |
| C．Change |
| D．Lose |
Which of the following best describes the families of the astronauts on the ISS?
| A．They are caring and thoughtful. |
| B．They are worried and annoyed. |
| C．They are impatient and annoyed. |
| D．They are excited and curious. |
In the final paragraph, the author shows that astronauts______.
| A．get more pleasure in space than on the Earth. |
| B．finding living in space a bit boring and tiring |
| C．regard space life as common |
| D．love to see the Earth from space |
The passage mainly discusses how astronauts_______.
| A．work for longer missions in space |
| B．connect with people on the Earth |
| C．observe with Earth from space |
| D．spend their free time in space |
Some schools in the United States offer Chinese language classes with government support from China.
Saint Mary’s School is a private college preparatory school in Medford, Oregon. Carly Irvine is in her fourth year of learning Mandarin. Carly Irvine said, “Since China and America are working so closely and our relationship is growing more and more, I think it will be very important in the future to know Chinese.”
Saint Mary’s School also teach Spanish, German and Latin. It added Mandarin in 2005. Two years ago, it became the first school in the country to join the Confucius Classroom Program. China’s Education Ministry also provides books and other material.
Saint Mary’s school principle, Frank Phillips, says knowing Chinese will help students in a world where China is quickly gaining economic power.
Zheng Ling, a teacher at Saing Mary’s school, came from China in 2008. She said, “People do not know much about China, especially the latest development. So I think this is a chance for them to know more about China, what China is really like. It’s quiet different from what ot was twenty years ago.”
The Confucius Classroom Program is in about forty countries, including more than fifty American schools and universities.
A recent report said more schools in the United States are teaching Chinese and Arabic, although the numbers are still low.What does Carly Irvine think of learning Chinese?
| A．Helpful |
| B．Useless |
| C．Unnecessary |
| D．Terrible |
Which of the following is TRUE about Saint Mary’s school?
| A．It is a public college preparatory school. |
| B．It added Mandarin in 2006. |
| C．It’s the first American school to join the Confucius Classroom Program. |
| D．It also teaches Spanish, Germanand French to its students. |
How many American schools and universities have the Confucius Classroom Project?
| A．About 40. |
| B．42. |
| C．50. |
| D．More than 50. |
According to the passage, we can learn that Zheng ling ______.
| A．Doesn’t know a lot about China and latest development. |
| B．Has been a teacher at Saint Mary’s School for several years. |
| C．Is principle of Saint Mary’s School. |
| D．Thinks Saint Mary’s School is quiet different now. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Some US students learn Mandarin with China’s help. |
| B．China is quickly gaining economic power. |
| C．Saint Mary’s School. |
| D．Carly Irvine. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号