Being young is great. Most of the parts of your body still work great, you have a full head of hair, you’re energetic, and you have a world of opportunity in front of you. However, there’s going to come a time when you start to get older. And as you get older, you’ll have new responsibilities, complete independence, and perhaps most importantly, less time to recover from mistakes.
You see, we all make mistakes in life. Maybe you spent more money than you should have on a car, you passed up on a great job opportunity, or you didn’t try as hard as you could have in school. It’s a part of life and we learn from it. But there are certain mistakes that are much better made while you’re still young and have plenty of time to recover.
I’m definitely not telling you that you should purposely go out and make these mistakes (because they’re a pain to recover from). But these are all mistakes that are much better made when you’re younger so that you can learn from them and not have them ruin your entire life.
Starting the wrong career
Wouldn’t you hate to be 45 years old and discover that you absolutely hate what you do for a living? It’s a reality that a lot of people face and it can be difficult to fix. You see, when you’re 23 and find out you don’t like the career path you’ve chosen, you can easily explore new career options.
We no longer live in an age when people are expected to stay with one company until they retire. You can bounce around a little bit and find out what you want to do. When you get older, just switching careers whenever you want isn’t as simple.
You have to consider your family, retirement, the difficulties you might run into with starting from the bottom in a new industry, and plenty of other issues that someone in their early 20’s just doesn’t have to deal with.
Dating the wrong person
The divorce rate in the U.S is extremely high. Other parts of the world aren’t doing too much better either. While everyone gets divorced for their own reasons, I think we can all agree that it’s better to find out that the person you’re with is wrong for you sooner rather than later.
Hopefully you find out whether or not the person you’re with is right for you before you tie the knot, because around 50% of first marriages end in divorce.
Messing up your credit
Ruining your credit is never a good idea. Even if you ruin it while you’re young, it could affect you in the future. The upside of having bad credit while you’re young instead of older is that you have time to build it back up.
It can take 7-10 years to rebuild your credit if you have a history of late payments, loan defaults, foreclosures, or bankruptcy. During those 7-10 years, you’ll have a hard time financing anything unless you have a cosigner or put down a substantial down payment.
Most people tend to make most of the bigger purchases in life when they get older such as a house or their dream car. If you have bad credit, you can kiss all of that goodbye.
Making bad investments
If you’re investing money for your retirement, making bad decisions can mean you’ll be working your entire life. Whether you choose to pay someone to do the investing for you or handle it all yourself, it’s a lot better to take risks when you’re younger.
If you invest in stock or even real estate while you’re young and the market takes a hit, you’re not ruined. Investing is a long-term venture, so the younger you start, the more fluctuation you can withstand and still come out with a positive return.
Blowing your money
What would you do if you went broke at 60 years old? You would be working your behind off when you really should be relaxing and getting ready to retire soon.
But if you’re 25 and broke, you still have plenty of time to earn more money. Also, nobody will judge you because it’s not unusual for people in their 20’s to not have money these days. You might have blown your money on a nice car or have an obsession with all the newest gadgets.
When you get older, you’ll be able to look back and realize how dumb you were for spending $20,000 on a brand new car when you were only 20 years old. But when you’re older and waste your money, you’ll REALLY have nothing to show for it.The following are all the advantages of being young EXCEPT ___________.
| A．you have more time to recover from mistakes |
| B．most of the parts of your body still work great |
| C．you have many responsibilities and complete independence |
| D．you have a world of opportunity in front of you |
You can bounce around a little bit and find out what you want to do. “Bounce” in this sentence is most similar in meaning to __________.
| A．My father would burst into the kitchen bouncing a football. |
| B．The wind was bouncing the branches of the big oak trees. |
| C．I was an army brat, I always bounced a lot when I was young |
| D．The ex-boxer's job is to bounce people who want to enter this private club. |
What does the author really mean by saying “it’s a lot better to take risks when you’re younger”?
| A．You should purposely go out and make these mistakes so that you can learn from them and not have them ruin your entire life. |
| B．There are certain mistakes that are much better made while you’re still young and have plenty of time to recover. |
| C．When you get older, you’ll have rich experiences to share with your friends and families however dumb you were |
| D．The younger you start, the fewer risks you can withstand and still come out with a positive return. |
We can infer from the passage that ___________.
| A．about 50% of first marriages end in divorce in the U.S, much higher than other parts of the world |
| B．never tie the knot before you make sure he or she will not divorce you |
| C．it usually takes 7-10 years to rebuild one’s credit if it is broken for any reason |
| D．it’s unusual for people in their 20’s to have money these days |
The author wrote this article mainly to tell the young ____________.
| A．if you are to take risks, the earlier, the better |
| B．it’s better for the young to take any risk than the older |
| C．that they should make big purchases such as a house when they get older |
| D．if you don’t take risks when young, your youth will be dumb |
Some of my friends are making big decisions in their life: Which universities should they apply to? I also notice that many high school students in China are thinking of studying at universities abroad. Unluckily, from what I’ve seen, the information given by some websites and other media about studying abroad is very limited and sometimes even wrong.
There was once a Chinese girl who hoped that she could go to Columbia University in the US because she wanted to major in journalism. However, they have no journalism program at the undergraduate level! What’s more, in both Canada and the US, it’s not suggested that students throw themselves into journalism right after high school. School say that students should take in more knowledge about the world and writing before entering that field.
The University of Waterloo, a Canadian university famous for its engineering program, is another example. The emphasis (重视)of engineering in this school may go beyond your expectations. According to our teachers, this university spent millions of dollars building a library just for engineering students. The school’s computer science, mathematics and accounting are also great programs for students.
But, to be honest, according to my friends who have visited this university, the campus and the food are not very nice. Maybe this is because the school stresses its academic( 学术)strengths too much, thereby paying little attention to personal comforts.
Now you see, choosing a university is really not that easy. We need to do good research and consult as many people as possible before making a decision.For high school students it’s very important to __________.
| A．choose a proper university |
| B．study at American universities |
| C．learn the information about websites |
| D．supply the information about studying abroad |
Who can major in journalism program in Columbia University?
| A．Chinese girls. | B．Graduates. |
| C．Undergraduates. | D．High school students. |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4 we can learn in the University of Waterloo _______.
| A．engineering program is as famous as computer science |
| B．engineering students are the most intelligent |
| C．the campus is very small and dirty |
| D．the library for engineering students is very good |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Choosing a university is not easy. |
| B．How to study at universities abroad. |
| C．A Chinese girl and Columbia University. |
| D．Academic strengths of the University of Waterloo. |
China’s new popular word, “tuhao”, may be taken in next year’s Oxford English dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary’s editing team after BBC’s recent program on influential Chinese words.
“If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words,” said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team. Kleeman told the Beijing Youth Daily that “tuhao” has some similarities with the English word “bling”, which refers to expensive, ostentatious (阔绰的) clothing or jewelry. Both the two words have existed for long but later on took a new meaning.
In Chinese, “tu” means rude and “hao” means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China’s rural areas. In recent years, people in the ACG (anime, comic and game) circle borrowed the term to describe those who spend money in an unreasonable manner.
The word gained acceptance in September with the launch (投放) of Apple’s new gold-colored iPhone, an item loved by China’s nouveau riche (暴发户). The color became known as “tuhao gold”.The word is now often used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it.
Kleeman also mentioned another Chinese word “dama” which may also be taken in the dictionary.
“Dama”, meaning middle-aged women, was first used in the Western media by the Wall Street Journal in May when thousands of Chinese women were buying up record number of gold. They were the driving force in the global gold market between April and June when the gold prices had dropped. “People can have an intuitive (直觉的)grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin”, Kleeman said adding that people avoided using an English word to keep the original meaning. The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months.Why is the word “tuhao” likely to be taken in Oxford English Dictionary?
| A．Because it represents noble and rich |
| B．Because it has the same meaning with an English word. |
| C．Because its influence becomes bigger and bigger |
| D．Because it is popular in online game circle. |
What’s the similarity between “tuhhao” and “dama”?
| A．Both take new meanings. |
| B．Both were created in British. |
| C．Both will be uploaded in the next dictionary version. |
| D．They have the same meaning. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
A, The popularity of the two words “tubao” and “dama”.
B. The possibility to be taken in Oxford English Dictionary for “tuhao” and “dama”.
C. The new meanings of the two words “tuhao” and “dama”
D. The influence of Chinese in modern world.The passage most probably belongs to _____________.
| A．a social survey | B．an advertisement |
| C．a news report | D．a publishing notice |
Career education is instruction intended to help young people identify, choose, and prepare for a career. Such instruction may focus on a person’s role in work, leisure, or family life. Career education differs from vocational education, which is designed to teach specific occupational skills.
Career education includes the formal and informal learning that occurs in the family, in the community, and in schools. In schools, career education consists of instructive activities included in many courses. These activities are designed to improve the attitudes, knowledge, and skills important for work roles. Career education helps students develop self- understanding and use it to plan their education and working life.
A complete career education program in school begins in kindergarten and continues at least through high school. Many colleges and universities also offer career education through their counseling(咨询) programs. In kindergartens and elementary schools, youngsters learn about different types of work. In middle schools or junior high school, children begin to explore the occupations and leisure activities that interest them most. In high school, students get more specific information about occupations and life styles. They may be in classroom, small group, or individual sessions where they learn how to make career decisions. They also should obtain the skills they need for further study or for a job after graduation. Counselors provide information on such matters as how to locate and apply for jobs and how to be successful in interviews. Teachers and counselors use a variety of methods to provide career education, including films about occupations or industries. Children may invite parents or other adults to come to school and describe their jobs. A student may accompany a worker on the job. Cooperative education combines classroom study with practical work experience.According to the passage, which statement is true?
| A．Career education is carried out in primary schools only. |
| B．Career education is carried out in middle schools only. |
| C．Career education is carried out in colleges only. |
| D．Career education is carried out in the whole process of people’s education—from kindergarten to university. |
It may be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．not only teachers but also parents are responsible for youngsters’ career education |
| B．in high schools, students know more specific information about occupations |
| C．career education may be in classroom, small group, or individual sessions |
| D．teachers use a variety of methods to provide career education, including films |
A child may get career education in all the following places EXCEPT _________.
| A．schools | B．homes |
| C．communities | D．public places |
The underlined word “combine” in the last paragraph means “to ________”.
| A．connect | B．force |
| C．provide | D．attempt |
“I don’t like my parents. They always tell me I should do this, and should not do that. It sometimes makes me angry,” said Li Ping, a middle school student in Hunan. Do you have the same problem? Perhaps your parents had the same problem when they were your age long ago. Why does it seem that some parents are not so friendly in their children’s eyes?
One of the biggest things is when someone becomes a parent, he/she likes worrying things. They worry about everything about you, from the time you were born. They do a lot for you, though something would make you angry, because they care about you and worry about you. They worry about your choices of friends, the food you eat, your work at school, how much sleep you get, etc. All these things are part of your life. They want you to grow up healthily and happily.
So how can you make things easier on yourself? It’s easier than you think. Just make sure your parents know what you’re doing. Get them to know your friends. Phone if you stay somewhere else so that your parents don’t call every hospital in the phone book looking for your body. Say sorry to them when you make mistakes. Take responsibility (责任) for what you have done. Talk about your ideas with them. They may talk about theirs with you.
Most of all, try to think about why your parents do this or do that. They are still practicing being parents and need help you can give them. Someday, when you become a parent, they may be able to help you know how to get on with your children.What does the writer think we should do if we go back home later than usual? We should___________.
| A．tell our friends |
| B．tell the teacher |
| C．say sorry to our parents |
| D．make a telephone call to our parents |
The writer thinks___________.
| A．it’s wrong of parents to worry about their children too much |
| B．some parents are unfriendly, which makes their children angry |
| C．children should do everything as their parent say |
| D．parents love their children very much and the children should understand them |
Which do you think is the best title for the passage?
| A．Parents’ Responsibility |
| B．How to Get on with Parents |
| C．Zhang Hua’s Problem |
| D．What Are Parents Worrying about |
Last week the manager of an old jeweler’s shop received a letter marked “personal”, so of course his secretary gave it to him unopened. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. Then he opened it and a ￡10 note fell out onto his desk. With the note was a short letter. This is what it said:
Dear Sir,
In 1935 I got engaged. But unfortunately at that time there was a lot of unemployment and I lost my job. I was six months without a job and then I got work again. But of course was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring. The assistant brought some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girl-friend’s finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring.
My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for her ring has been on my conscience (良心) all these years. At the time the ring cost ￡2 so I reckon (估计) that is about ￡10 at today’s price. And I am sending you that amount.
Yours truly,
A customer
“Well, well, well,” said the manager, “life is full of surprises!”Why didn’t the secretary open the letter? Because _______.
| A．he was very busy |
| B．it was a personal letter |
| C．there was a ￡10 note in it |
| D．the letter was unimportant |
What was true about the assistant?
| A．She lost her job. |
| B．She was short of money. |
| C．She was called away while serving the customer. |
| D．She put one of the rings in her pocket. |
What happened to the writer of the letter in 1935?
| A．He married a girl. |
| B．He was out of work for six months and short of money. |
| C．He lost a ring. |
| D．His parents died. |
The best headline for this article would be _______.
| A．A Customer Pays His Bill | B．An Old Jeweler’s Shop |
| C．The Manager and the Letter | D．A Letter with ￡2 |
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