Dude Ranch
If you have little cowboys and cowgirls at home, thrill them by visiting a dude ranch (度假牧场) on your next vacation. Your children can learn about nature, enjoy horseback riding, and gain an entirely new perspective. You can choose between programs that have you spending quality time with your kids, and programs that are for children only. This summer, enjoy the great outdoors — at a dude ranch!
For more information, visit: www.ranchweb.com/categorydisplay.htm
Six Flags Great Adventure
Have a classic vacation by visiting one of the most famous theme park chains. With locations all over the U.S., there’s sure to be a Six Flags near you. Take the whole family and be back at work on Monday. Escape the summer heat with countless water rides. Take your kids to have brunch with Bugs Bunny, or check out the new Safari Park, where you can interact with real animals.
For more information, visit: www.sixflags.com/national/index.aspx
Roswell UFO Festival
Do you have science fiction fans in your household? Encourage their interests and experience a special vacation at the annual Roswell UFO Festival. Come in costume (化妆服) if you wish, and join the parade (游行). Attend lectures by famous authors and researchers, or watch up-and-coming bands perform. Even if you’re not a believer, you can still enjoy the artwork, music, and great celebration.
For more information, visit: www.roswellufofestival.com
Earthplace
It’s not easy being green, but it can be fun if you visit the exhibits at Earthplace in Westport, Connecticut. This 62-acre wildlife reserve is committed to educating the public about the environment and promoting positive action to preserve nature. The exhibits provide hands-on features that make learning fun for your kids. After touring the exhibits, visit the garden and the playground, and enjoy the summer weather.
For more information, visit: www.earthplace.org/index.htmlDude Ranch and Six Flags Great Adventure are similar in that ______.
| A．they are both suitable for a family vacation |
| B．they both take place in the city |
| C．they both allow people to have brunch |
| D．they both provide water rides |
Which will you join if you want to learn how to protect nature?
| A．Dude Ranch. |
| B．Six Flags Great Adventure. |
| C．Roswell UFO Festival. |
| D．Earthplace. |
Who would be most interested in Roswell UFO Festival?
| A．A kid who loves music. |
| B．A kid who likes adventure. |
| C．A kid who is interested in aliens. |
| D．A kid who likes first-hand experience. |
Pretending to be happy can actually make you more miserable — especially if you’re a woman, according to a new study.
The research found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy. Psychologist Dr. Brent Scott, who led the study, said employers should take note because forcing workers to smile when dealing with the public can backfire. He said, “Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion, and that’s bad for the organization.”
Dr. Scott said the research showed customer-service workers who “fake smile” throughout the day worsen their mood and then withdraw from work, so their productivity drops. He added, “Bosses may think that getting their staff to smile is good for the organization, but that’s not necessarily the case.” Dr. Scott, assistant professor of management at Michigan State University, analyzed a group of bus drivers during a two- week period.
The study is one of the first of its kind to examine emotional displays over a period of time and compare the different effect that has on men and women. His team examined the effects of surface acting — or fake smiling — compared to what was termed “deep acting”, or cultivating(培养) positive emotions by recalling pleasant memories.
Dr. Scott said, “Women are harmed more by surface acting, meaning their mood worsens even more than the men and they withdraw more from work. However, they are helped more by deep acting, which means their mood improves more.”
Although “deep acting” seems to improve mood in the short-term, Dr. Scott said it’s not a long-term solution to feeling unhappy.
He said, “You’re trying to cultivate positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself anymore.”What does the underlined word “backfire” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Have the opposite effect. | B．Lead to conflict. |
| C．Drive people mad. | D．Help a lot. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Surface acting is good for organizations. |
| B．Men benefit more from deep acting than women. |
| C．Fake smiling causes more harm to women than men. |
| D．Recalling good memories is a long-term solution to feeling down. |
The findings of the research might serve as a warning to _______.
| A．employees | B．employers | C．researchers | D．customers. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Solution to feeling unhappy |
| B．How to cultivate positive emotions |
| C．How to improve workers’ productivity |
| D．Fake smiling makes you miserable |
Every time you go shopping, the vegetables and fruit look so tempting that you wish you could buy all of them. Some people are lucky and can grow the fruit and vegetables in the gardens that they have. While getting fresh vegetables, they can also achieve great cost cutting.
Mushrooms are expensive and can also go bad very quickly. Mushrooms can also be grown easily in a dark environment. In fact it’s better than growing other vegetables since you really don’t need an outdoor space. A special type of soil that is good for growing mushrooms is easily available.
Actually mushrooms aren’t even vegetables; they are fungi and for this reason, you don’t even require sunlight to grow them. Well how does one go about growing mushrooms? You could always Google “growing mushrooms” and you will find a number of mushroom growing kits（成套工具）available online that are effective and not very expensive either.
Mushrooms can be added to any dish that you cook. Simply use them in pizzas, salads and anything that you pretty much fancy. Grow mushrooms in your own house and use them whenever you want. Fresh mushrooms are taster than the ones that are stored in your refrigerator.
If you have had a really good crop of mushrooms, then you can even store them. Ideally you should use the white variety of the mushrooms. Simply pick them, slice them and put them on a cookie sheet in a freezer. When they are frozen, just put them in a zip lock and you can use them when you want to. They give a really great taste to the dish that you are making. Thaw them before you use them.
You should try growing mushrooms, since it’s cost-effective. Furthermore, you can eat the fresh mushrooms any time that you want.What is an advantage of growing vegetables according to the passage?
| A．You can save a lot of money |
| B．You can eat all kinds of vegetables. |
| C．You are lucky to eat what you like |
| D．You can satisfy your desire. |
Mushrooms are different from other vegetables in that _______.
| A．they can grow well in an outdoor space |
| B．it is easy for them to go bad in a few days |
| C．they can grow without soil |
| D．they can be grown where there is no light |
Which of the following is the right order of storing mushrooms?
a. put them on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator
b. place frozen mushrooms in a zip lock
c. cut them into slices
d. choose the white mushrooms
| A．a-b-c-d | B．d-c-a-b | C．a-d-c-b | D．d-a-c-b |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．We should eat more fruit and vegetables |
| B．Mushrooms online are very expensive |
| C．It is easy and cost-effective to grow mushrooms |
| D．Mushrooms — tasty and healthy vegetables |
John, a famous musician, took his priceless antique violin and played it in the crowded subway station. The music from the violin was delicately streaming throughout the whole station. However, during the one-hour play, only six or seven people were truly appreciating the charming music. A three-year-old kid was so fascinated by the music that he forgot everything around. John only got 52 dollars for his work that day.
However, in normal days, when John is about to hold a concert, one ticket can be sold at more than 100 dollars and it is extremely hard to buy a ticket even at such a high price. Therefore, later, many passers-by in the station that day felt deeply regretful for not recognizing the famous musician and missing such a valuable but cheap music feast.
I have a very busy friend who had totally changed after knowing that his wife came down with incurable illness. He cooked by himself for the family and took a walk with his wife every day. Nonetheless, his wife still did not manage to conquer the illness and passed away after three months. After that, he often sighed miserably that due to his past busy life, he had missed a lot of beautiful time with his wife. But now, it is impossible to make up for it.
It is no use crying over spilt milk. We have missed a lot of precious things in our life without knowing to cherish them.
Actually, I also missed something precious before. The reason why we would have missed those precious things is less than simple: we had thought that we could still own them tomorrow.
Nevertheless, tomorrow is actually by no means reliable. There was a famous Buddhist monk saying that in many people’s lives, they have only done two things: waiting and regretting. The result is that they were always too late to cherish what they had before they lost it. We would often claim to do something when we grow up, or when we have money or when we become old, etc. However, when we reach the condition we have expected, we could no longer realize our wish, because we have lost it by then.The reason why people often regret may be that _______.
| A．they are too busy to notice the beautiful things |
| B．they are too careless to cherish precious things |
| C．they are lazy to observe the surroundings |
| D．they think that it’s none of their business |
The idea the author would like to get across to us seems that _______.
| A．actions speak louder than words |
| B．a bad beginning makes a bad ending |
| C．the lost will never come back |
| D．each day brings its own bread |
What method does the author employ to support his opinion？
| A．By listing data. | B．By comparing the details . |
| C．By explaining the procedures . | D．By taking examples. |
How do we understand the underlined parts “waiting and regretting”?
| A．Many people will not cherish what they have until they lost them. |
| B．Many people cannot do well until they get older. |
| C．Many people know what they are doing. |
| D．Many people regret for what they don’t possess. |
“I don’t think I can do this any more.” “Yes, you can. You only have five more radiation treatments to go. ” I held my wife Becky close.
Ever since the breast cancer diagnosis (诊断), she had tried hard to be strong for the kids and for me. When her diagnosis came, my first thought was there was no way I could lose my wife. The doctors assured us the cancer was discovered early so we were feeling positive.
Becky had received an operation and was recovering from it. After six weeks of radiation therapy(治疗), she was facing her final five treatments. She was weak and tired, in low spirits. Seeing her suffering, I felt so helpless and powerless.
As soon as I was outside, long-held frustration and anger erupted in me like a volcano. I took a hammer and suddenly was swinging as hard as I could, beating heavily on the front porch(门廊). While doing so, I imagined I was beating my wife’s cancer. With all my strength, I destroyed the porch.
During the treatment, my wife had been very brave. She said she had it easy, but I don’t think it was easy for her.
Seeing the porch gone, Becky shook her head at the window. I came into the room, not knowing how she would react to what I had done.
“Becky, are you mad at me?” She looked at me in surprise. “For what?” I pointed at the gate. “For tearing down the porch.” She laughed. “Look how sunny this room is now. I love that it’s bright in here.”
“You comforted me in my darker hour, Vince. You’ve found a way to deal with your own frustration. By destroying the porch, you let the sunshine in.”
As I looked around the brightened room, I realized the light that filled the space was the light of hope that shone so bright after the darkness. We never did re-build the porch.When the diagnosis came out, _______.
| A．the author had little hope that his wife would survive |
| B．the author was determined to save his wife’s life |
| C．the author’s wife refused to receive radiation treatments |
| D．the author felt lucky that his wife’s disease was not serious |
The author went outside to destroy the porch because _______.
| A．he wanted to release his frustration |
| B．he was disappointed with his wife |
| C．he intended to let sunshine in |
| D．his wife didn’t like it at all |
How did the author’s wife feel about him seeing the porch gone?
| A．Sympathetic | B．Angry |
| C．Understanding | D．Happy |
What lesson can we learn from the passage?
| A．Tragedy cannot separate loving couple |
| B．A day without sunshine is like night |
| C．True love is based on understanding |
| D．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart |
The news that China bans time-travel TV dramas and movies got a lot of attention on the internet. Yet, time travel in China is a bit different from time travel in common sense．It is anything but science fiction and always goes backwards in time．There is minimum imagination involved--no ever-ending circles that mess up present and future, no advanced technology, no new social orders or new human forms from the twenty--whatever century, everything is a known historical fact when you travel through in China．
It is not even called time travel; rather the Chinese people refer it as time crossover．Time crossover has been an extremely popular theme for online novels for years(in fact , it is an indispensible part of China’s online culture), and didn’t get picked up by TV and the big screen until recent two years．Most of time-travel dramas and movies are adapted from popular online novels and like in other cases adaptations are never better than the original books．
The main plot of time-travel novels or TV dramas can be very well summarized in one sentence: from nobody to somebody．Time travel in China is more about escaping from the reality than about realizing wild dreams．
In China , there is no need of time machine either．People travel backwards in time via the possession of antiques presence at historical places of interest encounter of life-threatening accidents or simple a look into the mirror．Some time-travel novels even start with “I wanted to go back to history so much that one morning when I opened my eyes I was back．” Technology is not relevant at all．
Though China is not short of histories to go back to, people have their own preferences and it is pretty much a gender （性别）thing．If the main character is male then he usually goes back to special times in history when he is able to help build up or tear up a dynasty．A typical example is A Step Into the Past(寻秦记), the first time-travel TV drama in China, which tells the story of how a SWAT member helps to unite China and build up Qin Dynasty ．
On the other hand , female characters primarily go back to Qing Dynasty partly because Qing Dynasty has the most number of princes to fall in love with．Yongzheng Emperor is the favorite．As can be seen in Startling by Each Step（步步惊心）, a Qing time crossover classic, a girl goes back to Qing Dynasty and falls in love with Yongzheng Emperor and his brothers．As for time travel in China, which of the following ideas does the writer agree to ?
| A．it is complicated and can be classified into science fiction. |
| B．it is often based on the familiar story in history. |
| C．it sometimes messes up the times and social orders. |
| D．it always occurs in any times but the time before. |
The writing purpose of this passage is to .
| A．analyze why the time -travel TV dramas are banned in China |
| B．introduce the characteristics of the time-travel TV dramas in China |
| C．show the difference between time travel in China and in other cultures |
| D．advise people to watch the time-travel TV dramas in China |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．China now has banned any forms of productions about time travel |
| B．adapted from online novels, time-travel TV and movie productions enjoy more praise |
| C．the main character always follows a set pattern in the time-travel TV dramas in China |
| D．all the time-travel productions are about heroes and their success |
The news mentioned in the very beginning is intended to .
| A．prove author’s view | B．introduce the topic |
| C．give an example | D．work as a topic sentence |
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