I will be the first to say that I am not materialistic. My friends regard me as a goody-goody; my parents say I am conservative and modest when it comes to clothes. None of my skirts or shorts end above my knees.
So why, why did I feel so invited? My family and I were in Target, and there it was, waiting. A skirt, specifically designed not to cover anything. It looked like something that one of those modern schoolgirls would wear.
I checked my purse. The skirt cost $10. I had the money. I could buy it. I imagined walking into school and my friends’ jaws (下巴) dropping. Guys would ask me out, and I would be happy. I could buy it, no, — I should buy it.
I showed my mother. She was surprised but said it was my decision. My sister looked on enviously.
I went into the dressing room to try it on. So sure was I that this skirt would change me, somehow make me not what I am but what I wished to be. I slid my jeans off and put it on. I looked in the mirror. There I was — a terrible girl in a Superman T-shirt and sneakers. My glasses fogged up as I started to cry.
The skirt did not change me. Though it fit well and might make me look good in the eyes of today’s world, it was not me. I am not a girl who wears cool clothes to fit in.
I took the thing off and slid back into the comfort of modesty. My mom knocked on the door. “Emily, are you okay?”
I wiped away my tears. “I’m fine.” I looked in the mirror again and saw a slim girl with funny glasses. I saw myself.In the author’s eyes the skirt that interested her was ______.
| A．not modern | B．very short |
| C．too expensive | D．poorly designed |
The author thought if she went to school in this skirt her schoolmates would be ______.
| A．shocked | B．hurt | C．confused | D．happier |
The underlined sentence in the 3rd paragraph indicates the author ______.
| A．hesitated about buying the skirt |
| B．made up her mind to buy the skirt |
| C．was able to afford to buy the skirt |
| D．worried about others’ opinion on the skirt |
The author cried because ______.
| A．she found that she looked ugly in the skirt |
| B．she was aware the skirt didn’t fit her well |
| C．she realized it’s a wrong decision to make a change |
| D．she was disappointed the skirt failed to change her |
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I strive to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget. The author admired her mom for ________.
| A．her kindness to others | B．her excellent teaching |
| C．her quality of honesty | D．her positive attitude to life |
According to Paragraph 3, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.
| A．excited | B．angry | C．surprised | D．worried |
From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
| A．were often punished by staff | B．weren’t allowed to go outside |
| C．were once treated badly | D．all suffered from mental illness |
The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．truth | B．help | C．comfort | D．support |
What lesson did the author learn from her experience?
| A．To value what you take for granted. | B．To play with children is fun. |
| C．To love others is to love yourself. | D．To do as what your parents do. |
When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer. For this type of cancer the survival rate was low. My family was extremely upset and shocked. I was too young to understand. I had no idea that everyday with my mom had to be the absolute best because we didn’t know if it would be our last. I didn’t understand why everyone was suddenly taking time out of their busy lives to come over and sit on our couch.
The doctors told us my mom might survive with surgery(外科手术). But it could also kill her. She agreed to have it. The surgery was scheduled for the day after the Columbus Day. The day before the surgery I had off from school, and my mom planned the best day of my life. The day began with her waking me up saying, “Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come see.” The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was happy. Really happy.
The day passed and the next day, it was time for the surgery. There were no tears; I think I understood that I could lose my mom, because they did tell me she could die. We waited all day for news from the doctor. Everyone jumped when a door opened or anyone walked into the waiting room. Finally the doctor came in, and the news was what we had prayed (祈祷) for.
The experience that my family went through was truly a roller coaster. I will never forget that day together, and how her illness pulled our family closer. I understand now how lucky we were. I truly appreciate life and honor my mom for being so strong.After the author’s mother fell ill, people _____.
| A．took turns to look after the author |
| B．tried to spend more time on their work |
| C．spared more time to stay with the mother |
| D．asked the doctors to operate on the mother at once |
It can be inferred that the author’s mother ______.
| A．tried to show her love to her daughter before the operation |
| B．didn’t agree to have the operation |
| C．had always been happy before the operation |
| D．was very nervous the day before the operation |
What is the third paragraph mainly about?
| A．How the doctors operated on the mother. |
| B．How the family prayed for the mother. |
| C．How the mother struggled against cancer. |
| D．How the family waited for the operation result. |
What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the text?
| A．Life is always full of hardships. |
| B．Life is full of both pain and happiness. |
| C．Life is always filled with pleasure. |
| D．Life is fair for everyone all the time. |
Marie Curie was a Polish-born physicist and chemist and one of the most famous scientists of her time. Together with her husband Pierre, she won the Nobel Prize in 1903, and another one in 1911.
Marie Sklodowska was born in Warsaw on 7 November 1867, the daughter of a teacher. In 1891, she went to Paris to study physics and maths at the Sorbonne where she met Pierre Curie, professor of the School of Physics. They married in 1895.
The Curies worked together studying radioactivity(放射性), building on the work of the German physicist Roentgen and the French physicist Becquerel. In July 1898, the Curies announced the discovery of polonium(钋). At the end of the year, they announced the discovery of another, radium(镭). The Curies, along with Becquerel, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
Pierre’s life was cut short in 1906 when he was knocked down and killed by a carriage. Marie took over his teaching post, becoming the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne, and devoted (献身于) herself to continuing the work that they had begun together. She received a second Nobel Prize, for Chemistry, in 1911.
The Curies’ research was important in developing X-rays in surgery. During World WarⅠ, Marie helped fixed X-ray equipment, which she herself drove to the front lines. She helped train doctors for the International Red Cross.
Although she achieved much success, men scientists in France were still against Marie, and she never received any financial help from her work. By the late 1920s her health was beginning to become worse. She died on 4 July 1934 from her dangerous research. The Curies’ eldest daughter Irene was a scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.All the following people contributed to Marie’s first Nobel Prize EXCEPT _____.
| A．Irene | B．Pierre | C．Becquerel | D．Roentgen |
We can know from the text that Marie’s work______.
| A．won her respect from men scientists |
| B．brought her some financial help |
| C．had a bad effect on her health |
| D．had no influence on her children |
Which is the right order of the following events?
①Marie became a teacher at the Sorbonne.
②Marie helped train doctors.
③The Curies discovered polonium.
④The Curies won the Nobel Prize for Physics.
⑤The Curies discovered radium.
| A．①④⑤③② | B．③⑤④①② | C．⑤④①③② | D．②③⑤①④ |
Which of the following about Marie is NOT true?
| A．She married at the age of 28. |
| B．Her parent was a teacher. |
| C．She was the first woman teacher at the Sorbonne. |
| D．She helped the International Red Cross fix X-ray equipment. |
During communication, “words” express only 7% of meanings between people. About 23% of meanings are from the “tone of voice” and 70% of meanings come from “body language”. So next time you want someone’s attention—try body language instead.
Everyone does it, and most interestingly—most do it unconsciously. You may wonder: “Does that mean I have to study psychology to succeed in reading body language?” The answer is “no” because most people are already body language readers.
It’s a skill developed since we’re babies—think of how most babies can recognize facial expressions and get attention without saying anything. That is, you needn’t spend most of your time practicing some of your body language cues(暗示)!
However, you should know that the context(语境) is king. It suggests that, depending on the context of the situation, people will hide body language cues. So sometimes cues can be tricky: a woman who locks her arms may think you are boring—or she may just feel cold. You must learn to read into the context as well as the cues. Sometimes people care more about their body language cues. For example, poker(扑克牌戏) players will consciously hide more of their body language cues.
The first place to start when reading a person’s body language is the face. The easiest way to hide your feelings is to cover your face. This is why it’s sometimes hard to tell if an Islamic girl likes you.
If the eyes are the windows of the mind, the eyebrows(眉毛) are the windows of the eyes. So, notice how a person’s eyebrows will generally rise when they meet someone, see something they like or are surprised at. Eyes generally smile along with the mouth when someone is happy, so everyone knows “^ . ^”.The first paragraph is mainly to show _____.
| A．how to express your meanings clearly |
| B．how to draw other’s attention |
| C．the importance of body language |
| D．the role of words in communication |
Most of the time in our daily life, we ______.
| A．find body language very interesting |
| B．don’t realize we’re using body language |
| C．hardly use any body language |
| D．use body language on purpose |
What does the saying “the context is king” suggest?
| A．The context results from body language. |
| B．The context makes body language difficult. |
| C．The context helps when reading body language. |
| D．The context is more important than body language. |
Who will hide their body language cues on purpose according to the text?
| A．Scientists | B．Farmers. | C．Teachers. | D．Poker players. |
Four strange scholarships that actually exist
The scholarship for the tall
If you find yourself having to lower your head to enter doorways then you might get this unusual scholarship. If you are a boy 6'2" or taller, or a girl 5'10" or taller, then you can be in the running for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship. All you have to do is write a simple message titled “What being tall means to me,” and you could get $1,000.
The scholarship for the fat
This unusual scholarship is made available to New England high school seniors who are single, overweight, and have maintain(保持) at least a 2.5 GPA. Every year two people are awarded the $500 prize. It’s kind of like saying being fat and unpopular is not that bad after all.
The scholarship for the short
If you aren’t tall enough for the tall scholarship, maybe you are short enough for the short one. The Billy Party Foundation offers this unusual scholarship to students who are short. One needs to be shorter then 4'10" and have a medical certificate as proof of dwarfism.
The scholarship for golf caddies(球童)
Did you know that you could get a free ride to college for being a golf caddie? Okay, it’s a little harder than that, but each year the Evans Scholars Foundation covers tuition(学费) and housing for hundreds of student caddies from all over the country. Most Evans scholars go to one of the fourteen universities where the Evans Scholar Foundation owns and operates a scholarship house.The person running for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship _____.
| A．should pay $1,000 at first |
| B．should write a long passage |
| C．should be tall enough |
| D．could get $10,000 |
How many conditions should a student have for the scholarship for the fat?
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
The underlined word “dwarfism” in the text refers to the condition of being ____.
| A．short | B．tall and fat | C．clever | D．thin and tall |
Students caddies who win the scholarship for golf caddies can _____.
| A．get $1,000 for housing and tuition |
| B．get $500 for housing and tuition |
| C．only go to fourteen universities |
| D．be free from housing and schooling costs |
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