When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Because in some ways, it is.
Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves.
And that’s only natural: most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes. We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.
Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world: they make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible.
By trial and error—trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly.
Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible.
Think about how we learn: we don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don’t just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing, then you make mistakes and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something. That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do. You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey.
So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?
| A．Because mistakes make us suffer a lot. |
| B．Because it’s a natural part in our life. |
| C．Because we’ve been taught so from a young age. |
| D．Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers. |
According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes?
| A．We should try to avoid making mistakes. |
| B．We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes. |
| C．We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn. |
| D．We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction. |
The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means .
| A．a small child learning to walk |
| B．a kindergarten child learning to draw |
| C．a primary pupil learning to read |
| D．a school teenager learning to write |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．most of us can really grow from success |
| B．growing and improving are based on mistakes |
| C．we learn to make mistakes by trial and error |
| D．we read about something and know how to do it right away |
Teenagers who do not get enough of the nutrients commonly found in fruits and fish are easier to have bad lungs, coughing and wheezing （喘息）．Teens who eat the least of fruit and especially vitamin C have weaker lungs compared to the others．
Teens who take in less vitamin E, found in vegetable oil and nuts, are more likely to have asthma（哮喘）, Jane Bums at the Harvard School of Public Health found.
Based on these findings．Bums said that current recommended dose（一剂）of vitamin C, 85 mg a day, may not be enough for teens to have healthy lungs．Teens who eat less fruit and don't take in enough fatty acids （脂肪酸） are more likely to have asthma and the signs of breathing difficulty．
Proper amounts of fatty acids are protective, Bums said, though fish, the best source of fatty acids, is particularly unpopular with teenagers．Fatty acids are also found in some nuts as well as some green vegetables'．Smokers who avoid vitamin C will increase their chances of coughing, wheezing and developing phlegm（痰）．
More than 80 percent of teens are getting their recommended doses of vitamin C - mainly from fruit drinks．"I wouldn't approve of drinking them, but at least they're getting their vitamin C from somewhere," Burns said．
Burns added that there are several different ways to get the necessary nutrients．"I think vitamin supplements are fine．I think adding vitamin D to orange juice is fine．But I do think there are added benefits that we don't fully understand of eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables and fish," she said．The researchers did not account for poverty and other factors that often distinguish less-healthy eaters and may explain their findings．According to the passage, what is the problem with teens who don't get enough nutrients?
| A．They are becoming smokers． | B．They don't take enough exercise． |
| C．They eat too much fruit and fish． | D．They are likely to have weaker lungs． |
According to Burns, how should teens get the necessary nutrients?
| A．By drinking juice as much as possible． |
| B．By eating more whole foods． |
| C．By taking vitamin pills． |
| D．By giving up smoking． |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the researchers in the passage?
| A．The amount of nutrients teens should take in a day． |
| B．How teens can take in enough nutrients． |
| C．Whether poor teens can prove their findings． |
| D．The fact that teens don't like fish． |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Poor nutrition hurts teens' health． | B．Teens lack proper nutrition． |
| C．Teens are easy to suffer from diseases． | D．More fruit help keep teens healthy． |
"Hey, Dad," one of my kids asked the other day, "what was your favourite fast food when you were growing up?"
"We didn't have fast food when I was growing up," I informed him．"All the food was slow．" "Where did you eat?" "It was a place called 'at home'．" I explained．"Grandma cooked every day and when Grandpa got home from work, we sat down together at the dining table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I liked it．"
Some parents never owned their own houses, set foot on a golf course, travelled out of the country or had a credit card．
My parents have never driven me to soccer practice．This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer．I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed．We didn't have a television in our house until I was 11．I was 13 when I tasted my first pizza; it was called "pizza pie"．When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered（粘贴）itself against my chin and burned that, too．It's still the best pizza I ever had．
I delivered newspapers, six days a week ．The paper cost 7 cents, of which I got to keep 2 cents．I had to get up at 4:00 a．m．every morning．On Saturday, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers．My favourite customers were the ones who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change．
If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren．
Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?By saying "All the food was slow", the writer implies that ____．
| A．when he was growing up, he never ate fast food |
| B．he didn't like fast food when he was growing up |
| C．his grandma made food slowly |
| D．he had to wait for a long time for the fast food |
When the writer didn't like the food his grandma cooked when he was growing up, _______．
| A．his grandma would make something he liked |
| B．his grandma would buy him fast food |
| C．he would sit there waiting for his favourite pizza pie |
| D．he had to eat it or go without |
The writer's purpose of writing this passage is to _____.
| A．tell his children there was no fast food in the past |
| B．tell us that life has been changing |
| C．tell us how hard it is to deliver newspapers |
| D．made us understand the meaning of life |
There is a wide and deep choice of a career. Whether he’s a hand in construction or sitting behind the desk working on a computer, everyone has some ideas of what is an attractive career. However, making a career choice is not simply a matter of following a dream; for most people it means a lot of research and soul searching. Choosing the right career becomes one of the most important decisions of an individual’s life.
It used to be that one followed in the footsteps of their father or grandfather or took over the family’s business when it came to making a career choice. These days, a career path can start anywhere and then veer off into something totally different.
Career choices must be realistic and well thought out. It is not uncommon for persons to start a career path and realize they have made a terrible mistake, feeling as if it may be too late to turn around. Not only does a career choice concern your strongest skills and interest, it is also something that you will be doing continuously to bring in income. This is why a career choice can be such a personal decision. Formerly it used to be unusual for someone to change occupations or careers more than once or twice in a lifetime; it is now even more unusual to keep the same career during someone’s working life.
There are a great many measures in helping one choose the right profession. A number of websites offering tools such as career tests and information, educational resources, resume services and the kind can be found. It is important for one to research one’s career in this changing economy situation, and choose the best from several related career choices.According to the author choosing the right career _________.
| A．is not difficult at all | B．needs a lot of dreams |
| C．is an interesting thing | D．needs a lot of thoughts |
The underlined phrase “veer off” in the second paragraph probably means _________.
| A．set out to do the same job | B．change the former course |
| C．compare two different things | D．dream of getting an easy job |
Nowadays it is common for one to _________.
| A．change his job often | B．do the same job all his life |
| C．find a few good jobs at a time | D．live without a job for many years |
All of the following are the tools on profession offered by websites EXCEPT _________.
| A．tests and information | B．training courses |
| C．employer’s phone numbers | D．instructions on resume |
As the new term starts, freshmen around the world are asking the same question: how can I make the best of four years at college? The New York Times received suggestions recently from PhD students and seniors at some of the top universities . Here is their advice.
“Many young people today are raised in a protective cocoon(茧)”, wrote Tim Novikoff, a PhD student at Comell. “College is a time to explore the world beyond and a chance to learn new things about yourself. Take classes in different subjects. Try lots of different clubs and activities.”
Remember also to take some time away from campus, suggested Willie Lin, a student at Washington University. “If you spend all of your time in school, then it becomes too easy to let criticism from an unkind professor or a conflict with a roommate take up large proportions.”
Try to find work assisting a researcher or a professor---this is the advice from Aman Singh Gill, a PhD student at Stony Brook University. And he also said, “With a window into the world of research, you will find yourself thinking more critically, accepting fewer states at face value and perhaps developing a brave sense of what you can accomplish.”
Many young people can’t imagine even a single day without devices such as computers and cell phones. But try to keep yourself off them, cautioned Christine Smallwood, a PhD student at Columbia University.
Start by scheduling a few Internet-free hours each day, with your phone turned off. It’s the only way you’ll be able to read anything serious. “This will also have the benefit of making you harder to reach, and thus more mysterious and fascinating to new friends and acquaintances(熟人),” she suggested.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 means we should _________.
| A．spend more time at school | B．take some time out of school |
| C．listen to criticism more | D．not argue with roommates |
Who thinks it is important to consider something critically?
| A．Aman Singh Gill | B．Christine Smallwood |
| C．Tim Novikoff | D．Willlie Lin |
As for modern information devices, the last two paragraphs mean to tell us ________.
| A．to keep ourselves off them forever not to use them |
| B．to turn them off |
| C．to make a schedule to use them |
| D．not to use them |
This passage is mainly about _________.
| A．tips from some students for college life |
| B．ways to read something serious regularly |
| C．days without cell-phones and computers |
| D．chances to go to university you really like |
Talking behind someone’s back is considered to be rude and mean. Such a conversation can cover all kinds of criticism, from their looks to their work and personality.
The other day at lunch I was with a group of colleagues, and we were talking about our boss. She is the new headmaster of our middle school.
We talked about how kind she is to us. She handwrites notes to wish us happy holidays or to thank us for jobs well done. She checks on us when she knows we’re facing difficulties outside school with our health or with our families. We talked about the good role model that she is for the young women in our school and the fair but firm way she treats students and parents.
I thought about this after lunch. Sometimes we have the good fortune to be part of another kind of “talking behind someone’s back”. And too often when we say something good about someone behind their backs, they never know about it! That night, I sent her an email to report the conversation. She replied by saying how much she appreciated hearing about this, and how it made a bright spot in a tough week of testing.
Watch for your next opportunity to be the reporter! Make sure you tell them about the nice things said behind their backs! Because how will they know unless we tell them?What do you conclude from the text the writer might be?
| A．A student | B．A teacher | C．A parent | D．A boss |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Conversations about others | B．Rude and mean talking |
| C．Kinds of conversations | D．Talking behind someone’s back |
The author strongly agrees on _________.
| A．Don’t talk behind others’ back |
| B．Talking behind others’ back is rude |
| C．Do tell the person about the nice things said behind his back |
| D．There is no one who never talks behind someone’s back |
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