Being beautiful means a lot to teenage girls. Once it did to me too. I was the vainest person in the world, but that all changed one December night.
It was a Thursday, and I was getting ready for the wrestling tournament the following day. I was so excited; it was going to be my first tournament as a cheerleader. I walked past the mirror and stopped to check my appearance. I noticed my eyebrows were a little bushy, and that’s when my vanity kicked in. The brows could be easily fixed with the waxing kit I had purchased. I put the jar of wax in the microwave. But instead of heating the wax for 30 seconds, I pressed too many zeros and heated it for three minutes. As I reached for the jar, I dropped it, spilling it all over myself.
My mother came running when she heard my screams. The hot wax was rolling down my face and arm. My mom took a wet washcloth and tried to wash the wax off my face. This proved to be a bad idea, because the wax was honey based, and it pulled my skin off with the wax.
The 15-mile drive to the emergency room seemed to take hours. When we finally arrived, the nurse didn’t waste any time. They took me straight to a doctor and gave me extra-strength painkillers, so my mind was in confusion. The doctor explained how severe my burns really were: my arm was a combination of first-, second- and third-degree burns, and needed to stay bandaged. My face was first- and second-degree burns. If the wax had gotten any closer to my right eye, I would have lost my sight. I was covered in multi-colored “goop(药膏)”, wrapped, and sent home to recover.
I got up the next morning and the first thing I wanted to do was wash off the remaining wax. I unwrapped the bandages and “degooped”, letting warm water gently remove the rest of the wax. The next step was to do a self-evaluation of the damage. I couldn’t believe how horrible I looked. A horror-movie monster stared back at me from the mirror. All I could think was, my life is over. For someone as vain as me, this was very true. I thought I was going to be horribly disfigured(毁容的)for the rest of my life! All I could do was cry.
My mom made it worse by forcing me to go out in public. She dragged me to the grocery store and wherever else she felt like taking me. Everywhere we went, people had a million questions, none of which I wanted to answer. Then my mom declared she was going to put me through even more torture—I had to go to school on Monday. School only led to more questions from more people.
Now, two years later, my wounds have healed, leaving a few scars. I still feel self-conscious if I don’t wear make-up, and I’ve discovered that three-quarter length sleeves are wonderful for covering the scars on my arm.
After spending several months adjusting to this injury, I realized how vain I was. I had made beauty important, but it never was or will ever be that important. It took this event to teach me that no matter how much you change on the outside, you’re still the same person on the inside. After the accident, the writer has come to realize that ________.
| A．teenage girls care too much about their appearance |
| B．loving beauty will necessarily make one disfigured |
| C．we can never judge a person merely by one’s looks |
| D．sometimes being beautiful can cost you something |
Which of the four statements is a fact?
| A．The severe damage to her sight and face weren’t recovered. |
| B．The mother wished the writer to face her misfortune bravely. |
| C．From the lesson we conclude that “once bitten, twice frightened”. |
| D．The severe burns were caused by her mother’s lack of first-aid. |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph is closest to ________.
| A．beauty is not everything | B．a student shall not make up |
| C．beauty is not important | D．loving beauty will spoil you |
The author develops her composition by ________.
| A．offering accurate facts | B．giving contrast and comparison |
| C．using logical arguments | D．representing own experiences |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．The Price of Vanity | B．An Unexpected Ending |
| C．A Disfigured Girl | D．Beauty Ruins Everything |
IT'S a mystery that has puzzled scientists. Five years ago, researchers found an area in the Atlantic Ocean seabed, where a part of the Earth's outer layer, or crust（地壳）, is missing. A thick layer of dark green rock, which is usually found deep inside the planet, lies exposed.
The crust, mantle(地幔) and core（地核） are the main layers that make up the planet. The mantle rests between the crust and the core.
Last month, a team of 12 British scientists set off on a six-week trip to study the hole in the crust.
The hole is about 4,800 meters below sea level and is believed to be more than 48,000 meters long and more than 48,000 meters wide. Scientists think that there are other nearby gaps. "It is like a window into the interior (内部) of the Earth," says scientist Bramley Murton, who is part of the research team.
The site where the hole is located is part of a ridge (山脉) of undersea volcanoes. There, two of the plates that make up the Earth's surface meet. The plates are always moving. When the plates move away from each other, lava rushes up from the mantle to fill the gap and form a new crust. But this did not happen in the area where the hole is located.
The hole is giving researchers a good opportunity to study what's below the Earth's surface. The team will use a special robotic tool to film the area and get samples of the exposed mantle. They hope to study everything from the chemistry of the oceans to how the Earth's surface behaves under the sea. What's the title for the passage?
| A．How to study the earth. |
| B．The formation of the earth. |
| C．A hole in the earth. |
| D．Studying the inside of the earth. |
For the main layers of the earth, which one is right?
| A．crust, mantle, core | B．seabed, crust, mantle |
| C．seabed, mantle, core | D．crust, seabed, core |
How does the hole come into being?
| A．It's because of a volcano eruption. |
| B．It's because of the plates movements |
| C．It's because lava rushes up from the mantle |
| D．It's not clear from the passage. |
By studying the hole, the scientists want to do the following except____.
| A．knowing what's below the Earth's surface |
| B．getting samples of the exposed mantle |
| C．getting the film of the hole |
| D．studying the chemistry of the oceans |
Every day we are bombarded with images, videos, music and news. In this age of visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a phenomenal comeback.
“We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast. These statistics, released by Edison Research, reveal the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day's digital podcast format. The term "podcast," was coined in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. Since the leap in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast subscription rates have only accelerated.
The appeal of the podcast partially resides in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities. You can tune in during those extra minutes of the day when you're walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney university media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTunes .”I listen while I'm pottering around the house doing something else. It makes completing a boring task a lot more enjoyable..... And it's an easy way of keeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world," she said.
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this comes down to the podcast's ability "to create intimacy and emotional connection." Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, major in social work and arts, agrees. "When you're tuned in, it feels as if the voice of the podcast's narrator is talking directly to you. It's comforting," said Proust.From the passage, we can learn that____.
| A．Radio is developing more quickly than mediums with images, videos, music and news. |
| B．Podcast has its origin in the traditional radio broadcasts. |
| C．In the last month alone, 15 percent of world adults listened to a radio podcast. |
| D．Podcast was becoming popular from 2004. |
By saying "We're at the dawn of a golden age of audio," Alex Blumberg wants to
Tell us that ______
| A．Traditional radio broadcasts will be loved by people again. |
| B．Radio has attracted more people than TV and other forms of media . |
| C．Radio will be more and more popular in the form of podcast. |
| D．The Sydney Morning Herald will help radio become popular again. |
For podcast, which is wrong?
| A．You can listen to it at any time and any place. |
| B．You can download it without pay. |
| C．You can learn new content every week from it. |
| D．You can listen to it according to your own demand. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer
| A．television and music has become less popular . |
| B．Hazel Proust has different opinions with Blumberg |
| C．podcast can build up close relationship with listeners |
| D．using podcast the narrator can talk to listeners directly |
Jackson Language School Summer
Opening and Closing Times
The Jackson Language School is open each day except Sunday. There is an English Corner also available from 6:00pm—9:00pm at the Bellevue Hall across from the school.
Class Size
Classes have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 16 in one class. Classes are equipped with earphones and an electronically controlled listening.
Teachers
Teachers are all experienced and have a minimum of 2 years’ experience and at least a certificate in teaching English as a Second Language. They are all available for tutoring if you need it.
Location
The school is located 15 minutes from central London at 34 Inverleith Row, next to the Marks and Spencer shopping Centre. It is near a bus shop and only a 5 minutes’ walk from the Tube.
Attendance
Students on student visas are expected to attend regularly. Students who are absent more than 60% of the time will be reported to the Student Office. Moreover, if students attend less than 80%, they will not be able to get a certificate form Jackson School. It is also required by the Student Office for visa extension.
Home stay
You are able to stay with a British family if you request so. Jackson has a home stay program that matches students and families according to their own requirements and needs. While generally no problems occur, students may move from a home stay household if he or she gives a 2-week written notice to the home stay family school.
Language Policy
As the course is an immersion (浸入式）program, students are expected to speak English the entire time they are at the school. If they speak any language other than English at the school, they may be asked to leave the school for a day.If you attend more than 80% of your classes, ______.
| A．you will be likely to get a certificate |
| B．you will not obtain a visa extension |
| C．you may be reported to the Student Office |
| D．you may not he able to get a certificate |
The students are expected to speak English______
| A．part of the time while at Jackson |
| B．the entire time they are at the school |
| C．no matter when they want to |
| D．when they are in home stay family |
At Jackson School, ______.
| A．you can’t move out of a home stay family |
| B．you can’t take part in an English Corner. |
| C．you can turn to a tutor when necessary |
| D．you can study in a class less than 10 students. |
Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the change. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the eyewear is likely to include.
" I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open," said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
"As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. " We're used to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added, "and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars. "[
Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones. "It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. "There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. " One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to ____.
| A．program the opening hours of a bar |
| B．supply you with a picture of the future |
| C．provide information about your surroundings |
| D．update the maps and GPS in your smartphones |
The underlined phrase "pop up" in the third paragraph probably means " ____".
| A．develop rapidly | B．get round quickly |
| C．appear immediately | D．go over automatically |
According to Sam Biddle, the smartphone-like glasses are ____.
| A．necessary for teenagers |
| B．attractive to New Yorkers |
| C．available to people worldwide |
| D．expensive for average consumers |
We can learn from the last two paragraphs that the smartphone-like glasses ____.
| A．may have a potential market |
| B．are as common as smartphones |
| C．are popular among young adults |
| D．will be improved by a new technology |
Dear Sharon Draper,
A lot of books have flashes of insight, but only few of them can open the readers’ mind and make them realize something new. Your book, Out of My Mind, filled me with those sparks. I enjoyed getting to know Melody. Despite the fact that she had cerebral palsy(脑瘫)，Melody had an amazing character that shone brightly. Out of My Mind helped me learn a life-long lesson.
Your book has changed my point of view. I never teased those who had special needs, but I never really felt comfortable around them either. When I started reading your novel, I saw how Melody was a smart and talented girl. At the beginning of the book, I asked myself, “Would I be Melody’s friend?” The voice in my stomach told me the sad truth: no. I carried on with your book from start to finish, and when I closed it, I asked myself the same question, “Would I be Melody’s friend?” I realized, with a smile, that the answer was right in front of me. Throughout Out of My Mind, I had become Melody’s friend.
Last year, there was a boy in my class who had Asperger’s syndrome(阿斯伯格综合症). I didn’t really know him; he just seemed different to me. This was around the time that I read your novel. Melody showed me how she was just as good as anyone else in her classroom and how the same goes for anyone else with disabilities. The boy in my class amazed me by what he was capable of doing. As the days went by, I started helping him instead of avoiding him.
Melody opened my eyes and cleared the world around me. She showed me how a girl with cerebral palsy was the same as a girl like me. Now it is time for me to thank you for writing this amazing novel. I will never forget your fantastic book.
Sincerely,
Margaret LimBefore Margaret Lim read Out of My Mind, she ________.
| A．often laughed at those who are disabled |
| B．liked to help those who had special needs |
| C．wouldn’t make friends with the disabled |
| D．looked down upon those who are different |
According to the passage, the author mainly thinks Out of My Mind is ________.
| A．beautiful in words |
| B．influential to readers |
| C．skillful at writing |
| D．successful in sales |
What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．The characters of a disabled girl. |
| B．The change of Margaret’s attitude toward the disabled. |
| C．The friendship between Margaret and Melody. |
| D．The main content of Out of My Mind. |
What can we learn from the third paragraph?
| A．Melody became Margaret Lim’s classmate and they became good friends. |
| B．The boy who had Asperger’s syndrome was different from his classmates. |
| C．The disabled can deal with many things as well as the healthy people. |
| D．Margaret Lim often helped the disabled boy since they became classmates. |
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