It’s 5:00 in the morning when the alarm (闹钟) rings in my ears. I get out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart races as I force my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise, I feel extremely tired, but a smile is on my face. It’s not a smile because the DVD is over, but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit.
Some people enjoy shopping, smoking, food, work, or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother’s chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my “no thank you,” or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years, I have learned it’s okay to just say “no.” I shouldn’t feel sorry for refusing food that I don’t want to eat.
So what drives me to get out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say no to ice cream? Commitment. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily worry, increases self -confidence and energy, extends (延长) life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right. It’s through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out.Why is there a smile on the author’s face in the morning?
| A．Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully. |
| B．Because she finishes her favorite exercise |
| C．Because she enjoys the interesting DVD |
| D．Because she feels a sense of achievement |
Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?
| A．She doesn’t treat others politely |
| B．She likes to make others surprised |
| C．Others don’t understand what she does |
| D．Others try to help her by offering her food |
What does the underlined word “commitment” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．Good health | B．Strong belief |
| C．strong power | D．good habits |
What can we learn about the author from the text?
| A．She acts in a strange way |
| B．She wants to look different from others |
| C．She aims to develop a good body shape |
| D．She has difficulty getting along with others |
If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children "I'm sorry I got angry with you, but...", what follows that "but" can make the apology ineffective:"I had a bad day" or "your noise was giving me a headache" leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
Another means by which peaple appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say "I'm sorry you're upset"; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
Then there is the general, all-covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that is particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying "I'm useless as a parent" does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
These pseudo-apologies(假道歉) are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not take these pseudo-apologies.
But even when presented with examples of real apology, childfen still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in un- derstanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children's expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that destroying the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that
borrowing a parent's clothes without permission is not.If a mother adds "but" to an apology, ________.
| A．the child may find the apology easier to accept |
| B．the child may feel that he owes her an apology |
| C． she promises never to do it again |
| D．she does not realize that the child has been hurt |
According to the author, saying "I am sorry you are upset" most probably means “_______”
| A．You have good reason to get upset |
| B．I apologize for hurting your feelings |
| C．I am at fault for making you upset |
| D．I am aware you are upset, but I am not to blame |
It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because _______.
| A． it is not clear and ineffective |
| B． it is hurtful and insulting |
| C． it may make the other person feel faulty |
| D．it gets one into the habit of making empty promises . |
We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry_______
| A．the complexities involved should be ignored |
| B．parents need to set them a good example |
| C．their ages should be taken into account |
| D．parents should be patient and tolerant |
It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is________.
| A．a sign of social,progress |
| B．not as simple as it seems |
| C．not necessary among family members. |
| D．a social issue calling for immediate attention |
Sarah came running in saying, "Look what l found. " Over the top of the paper I was reading I saw a long object that made me jump. It was a piece of snakeskin that had been shed （脱皮) by one of our garden snakes.
'Isn't it beautiful?" said my wide-eyed 7~year-old daughter. I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really was not that beautiful, but I did not want to disappoint Sarah. Everything children see for the first time is elementary to their sense of beauty and creativity. They see only merit (忧点) and excellence in the world.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked. I like to teach my children that there is something else going on besides what they see in front of them. "Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves," I explained.
"Why do they need to renew themselves?" Sarah asked. "We often need to shed our skins, those coatings that we cover ourselves with," I said to my now absorbed daughter. "We outgrow some things and find other stuff unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too old, and the snake probably doesn't think it looks as smart in the skin as it once did. Like buying a new suit. "
Of course, I'm sure this explanation won't suit naturalists. But Sarah got the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to understand that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, and rooms and schoolwork and creativity, and she began to see what we need to keep and what need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this is a natural process, not one to be forced.
"Snakes don't peel off their skin when they feel like it," I explained. "lt happens as part of their growth. "
"I see, Dad. " said Sarah. She then jumped off my lap, grabbed the snakeskin, and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. Often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of community and culture we are cloaked (掩饰) in year after year, we need to start examining these layers. We need to gently peel some away, as we recognize them to be worthless, unnecessary, or flawed (有缺陷的); or at best, remember the things we discard（丢掉）to teach us how we can improve.When Sarah asked the author whether the snakeskin was beautiful,___________
| A．he was shocked and jumped |
| B．he tried to understand her point of view |
| C．he thought that telling the truth was a merit |
| D．he decided to teach her something about the garden |
How did Sarah feel about the author's explanation?
| A．Confused. | B．Boreci | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
Which of the following would the author agree with?
| A．By reflecting on ourselves, we can better ourselves. |
| B．It is necessary to force others to remove some things. |
| C．The community and culture force us to change. |
| D．It is natural to keep some old clothes. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author___________.
| A．does not like nature much |
| B．takes the chilcl's feelings lightly |
| C．is both a logical and thoughtful person |
| D．loves to see his daughter excited about animals |
Which of the following could be the best title for the article?
| A．The things we should cast off | B．A shed snakeskin in Sarah's eyes |
| C．A natural part of our growth | D．Renewal for snakes and us |
As a senior high school student, my future is always on my mind. To be exact,thoughts of the future have kept me up countless nights and made me worry enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a source of comfort.Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford's graduating class in 2005 and his words resound repeatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future.
It started when l became a junior, when college came into view. It's the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well.
This doesn't mean that students shouldn't attend college, but rather that they shouldn't worry so much. You'll get where you need to go, even if your path is a bit morewinding(蜿蜒的)than you'd like.
Jobs talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got where he was meant to be, which restates the point: don't panic.One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted(引用)thc saying"Stay hungry, stay foolisll" and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing thatyou are still a fool, no matter how much you've learned or experienced. There is always more to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are still uneducated.
Steve Jobs' level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it's my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, I will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I'll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom a person could wish for. The author felt worried when_____.
| A．he had to take tests at school |
| B．he had lots of sleepless nights |
| C．he thought about his future |
| D．he searched for words of wisdom |
It is suggested in Paragraphs l and 2 that_____
| A．the author is a college student |
| B．the author cares much about his future |
| C．Steve Jobs failed because of his decision |
| D．Steve Jobs' words had no effect on the author |
What did the author gain from Jobs' speech?
| A．Courage to drop out of school. | B．Confidence in defeating Jobs. |
| C．Interest in computer industry. | D．Bravery to face uncertainties. |
What did NOT Steve Jobs encourage students to do in his speech?
| A．Be content with what they know. |
| B．Have the desire to learn more. |
| C．Stay calm in the face of hardships |
| D．Be modest so as to learn more. |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．an experience of a speech |
| B．a memorable meeting with Jobs |
| C．the most impressive quotation in life |
| D．the wisdom drawn from a speech |
How could I turn down an opportunity for a weeklong cruise on a luxury motorsailer in the Andaman Sea? Without a second thought, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to Singapore, and the following day I found myself looking out the airplane window at the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Langkawi off the coast of Malaysia.
The last time I was in Langkawi was in 2001, when it was relatively quiet. Langkawi has come a long way since then; there are 4, 5, and even 6-star hotels, as well as spas, golfing, horseback riding and even a cable car taking visitors to the highest point on the island.
At the Langkawi International Airport I met my shipmates and we were driven to Pantai Tengah with a quick pit stop for sunblock and duty-free goodies. Many other shopping opportunities abound since Langkawi was designated as a duty-free zone in 1987 to entice tourists to the island.
A luxurious yacht tender picked us up. Phillipe, the first mate, maneuvered the tender between sailboats and as we went around a small island there she was, S/V Blue Gold. This majestic 10-passenger sailboat—all 165 feet of her—had been built in Italy and recently underwent a full retrofit. Once aboard, the crew welcomed us with refreshments and big smiles. Before we got too comfortable and settled into the plush comforts of the boat, Alain, the captain, took us on a tour of Blue Gold’s impressive accommodations. The master suite had a king-size bed, with a lounge area and “his & hers” wardrobes. The VIP cabin had a queen-size bed, also with a lounge area. Both had ensuite bathrooms.
The first evening aboard was the perfect start to our voyage—a small cocktail party followed by a light meal of seared tuna salad. It was exactly what our jet-lagged bodies craved, and we all slept very well aboard what would become our new home for the next 7 days.
In the morning after breakfast, we sailed to Pulau Ta Ngah (also spelled “Pulau Tengah”; pulau means island in Malay). In the 1970s the site had been a Vietnamese refugee transit camp. Not long after the end of the war, the camp was shut down and the island was gazetted as a marine park by the Malaysian government. Officially “uninhabited,” it does boast a golf course, but we were unable to determine if it was still in operation. The most intriguing event on the island occurs in July when the giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs on a beach on Ta Ngah. Where is Langkawi?
| A．In Pulau Ta Ngah | B．In Malaysia | C．In the Atlantic Ocean | D．In The Arctic |
We know from the passage Langkawi________.
| A．has become prosperous in the past decade |
| B．was a noisy industrial city twenty years ago |
| C．has no three-star hotels nowadays |
| D．is best known for its horse riding races |
S/V Blue Gold is __________.
| A．a small island with most beautiful sceneries we have ever seen |
| B．a luxurious 6-star hotel with best food and service |
| C．a VIP cabin with 9 queen-size beds and ensuite bathrooms |
| D．a splendid boat with comfortable accommodations |
It is implied that _________.
| A．many people go golfing on Pulau Ta Ngah every year |
| B．the Vietnamese War broke out in 1970 |
| C．the author liked the party and meal provided in the voyage |
| D．people living on Pulau Ta Ngah must have earned a lot of money |
The article is probably part of __________.
| A．a news report | B．a travel story | C．an advertisement | D．an operating manual |
Anyone who ever wondered why a dying plant, say, a freshly-cut red rose may appeal to a lady friend, might take some comfort in science, which once again offers us a reasonable answer to one of the world’ s great mysteries.
Beyond a common preference in people for blue, “the long history of color preference studies has been described as ‘confusing and contradictory(矛盾的)’,” write scientists Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling of England’ s Newcastle University, authors of a new study in the journal Current Biology. “This fact is perhaps surprising,” they said, “though the popularity of the concept that little girls differ from boys in preferring pink.”
But the scientists believe they have an answer to this scientific mystery, discovering women’s preference for red, hidden above the average liking for blue.
In their study, the pair quickly flashed color cards, displaying many different aspects, at 208 volunteers, mostly Britishers but with a number of Han Chinese, who moved to the United Kingdom recently. Tested in three different experiments, the researchers found out a small but significant preference for reddish colors in the female volunteers.
Puzzled, the authors realized that most of the difference between men and women came in the form of a preference for green VS red in the color cards, regardless of the other slight differences such as the slightly blue ones that everyone liked. Why might this be?
Evolution might offer an answer, they reason. Human color perception(感知), the assessment of three separate color types — red — green — blue— in our vision (视觉) is a relatively recent addition to our line of mammals(脯乳动物)
Adding weight to their argument, they found the women who are most typically feminine(女性的) on a psychological survey also had the biggest preference for reddish colors. “My love is like a red, red rose,” wrote the Scottish poet Rober Burns in 1794.What does the first paragraph probably tell us ?
| A．Scientific research can help people solve the mystery. |
| B．When we are tired, we can turn to science for help. |
| C．Science can make our study interesting and contradictory. |
| D．We should turn to scientific invention for comfortable life. |
The word “pair” in Para.4 refers to _____.
| A．boy and girl | B．the two authors |
| C．research and result | D．pink and blue |
According to the passage, ______________.
| A．boys like blue better than girls |
| B．girls like pink better than boys |
| C．men like red better than women |
| D．men and women both like green |
How did the scientist do the research?
| A．By asking questions | B．By telephoning the interviewees |
| C．By adding numbers | D．By doing experiments |
What is the purpose of writing this article?
| A．To sell products packed in red | B．To introduce the history of color |
| C．To inform us of a research finding | D．To analyze men’s taste for color |
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