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The CEO of Apple,Steve Jobs’story about death
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
I was diagnosed with cancer.The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months.My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day.I was completely in despair.Later that evening, I had another biopsy (活组织检查) and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery.I had the surgery and I'm fine now. This was the closest I've been to facing death.
To tell the truth, no one wants to die.And yet death is the destination we all share.No one has ever escaped it.It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life.Don't be trapped by dogma (教条)-which is living with the results of other people's thinking.Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary. The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because________.
| A．he had to rest at home |
| B．his disease was not serious at all |
| C．his disease couldn't be cured |
| D．he had to wait for the result of the test |
How did the author feel after the diagnosis?
| A．Angry. |
| B．Excited. |
| C．Optimistic. |
| D．Hopeless. |
What does the author think of death?
| A．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of. |
| B．He thinks it is not the end of life. |
| C．He thinks it is impossible to avoid. |
| D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life. |
In Steve Jobs' opinion, we should ________.
| A．follow others' advice |
| B．take no notice of diseases |
| C．take exercise and keep healthy |
| D．have the courage to follow our heart |
First Lady Michelle Obama is a big fan of volunteering. Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. “It should be part of everyone’s life, ” she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teens volunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters , visit the elderly and more.
Some cities ---- including Seatle, Chicago, and Washingtong,D.C. ----require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities (社区).
Many parents are in favor of the idea ---- they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don’t want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it’s a choice.
Read both sides of the debate (辩论) and decide.
YES
● Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
● Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
● Not all teens will volunteer if it isn’t required. Schools should repuire students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
NO
● Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs and sports. Forcing them to do more isn’t fair.
● It should be up to each person. Helping out doesn’t feel as good if you have to do it.
● Finding a volunteer job isn’t always easy. Students shouldn’t be kept from graduating because of something they can’t control.The writer mentions Michelle Obama in order to ,
| A．introduce the topic of the text |
| B．explain what volunteering is |
| C．tell what she does for the US |
| D．show she enjoys volunteering |
According to the text, in Chicago, .
| A．finding a volunteer job is quite easy |
| B．more people would rather work for pay |
| C．volunteering is a must for high school students |
| D．college students have to volunteer before graduation |
The underlined part “are in favor of “ in the text means” .
| A．drop | B．develop | C．catch | D．like |
Which question does the text mainly discuss?
| A．Is volunteering good for students? |
| B．What is the best time to volunteer? |
| C．Should students be required to volunteer? |
| D．Which volunteer jobs should students do? |
Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose long-term health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes like curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner.
Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple’s diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, “The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration.”The underlined word “light” (in Paragraph3) probably means _______.
| A．not very heavy | B．gentle | C．less in fat and sugar | D．not serious and important |
According to the report by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre,
______.
| A．eating together in the evening is a good way to communicate for couples |
| B．women put on weight only because they want to suit their other half |
| C．when men are faced with emotional stress, they will change their dietary habits |
| D．it is wrong to change your dietary habits to suit your partner |
According to the passage, moving in with a girlfriend, men _______.
| A．have to eat more unhealthy food |
| B．have few changes of their dietary habits |
| C．don’t like foods high in fat and sugar at all |
| D．try to eat foods that their girlfriends like |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Don’t be silly any more, women! | B．Dr. Amelia Lake and his study |
| C．Boyfriends make you fat. | D．Which are better dietary habits? |
In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place.
Asians are immigrating to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before. Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West. In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university. Students must first pass the strict national examination. However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university and anyone who wants to go can go. As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university.
The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East. Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes. Because of these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West. Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”.
Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem. Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school. To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well. Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere. What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education.Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because _______.
| A．all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries |
| B．they hope their children may easily find a job there |
| C．the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries |
| D．the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends |
“Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________.
| A．with university education | B．speaking no English |
| C．without parents | D．living abroad alone |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Parents want better education for their kids. |
| B．Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family. |
| C．Parents feel lonely and miss their families. |
| D．Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem. |
Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply “yes” to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful atwork and in love.
But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (for example，you may fail to obtain a new job，another chance will come around soon), Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That's bitter reality.
Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲观者）have suspected all along. It's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better. ”
So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a back-up plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and “ Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. “ To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien，the American comedian says, ”Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”
There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A book that has recently been published. |
| B．The dangers of being too optimistic. |
| C．How to become successful in life. |
| D．The benefits of defensive pessimism. |
The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science” in paragraph 4 means .
| A．it is quite simple to understand | B．there is no real proof |
| C．it’s not a dangerous thing to do | D．the cost is not so high |
The writer would probably describe himself as .
| A．an optimist | B．a defeatist | C．a realist | D．a scientist |
Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe?
| A．“Every cloud has a silver lining.” | B．“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” |
| C．“Whatever will be, will be.” | D．“The glass is half full not half empty.” |
Inventors are always looking for ways to make our lives easier, greener and a whole lot more fun. Take a look at the following breakthroughs in science and technology. What in the world will inventors dream up next?
Superhero Suit
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a superhero? Dream no more. There’s a real Iron Man suit, XOS 2, which instantly transforms the person wearing it. The suit provides the power to lift 200 pounds with ease and break slabs（厚片）of wood with a single karate chop. It was designed to help the military with heavy lifting. One person in the suit could do the work of three soldiers.
Up, Up and Away!
It took him 30 years to develop it, and now Glen Martin’s invention is ready to take off. The Martin Jetpack allows its operator to fly 8,000 feet into the air. Unfortunately, you can’t soar through the skies too long. The jetpack holds only 30 minutes’ worth of fuel. The aircraft will sell for $100,000.
Hardworking Robot
The EMIEW2 robot is the perfect office helper. Need a document delivered? No problem! It can also guide visitors to their destinations. The three-foot-tall robot can identify different human voices and respond to commands. One day, it may serve as a receptionist or a security guard.
Green Machine
Say goodbye to gasoline! The AirPod car runs on air power. That means this car won’t pollute the environment. A high-pressure air tank can fill the car in minutes. The three-wheeler can travel about 130 miles between fill-ups.
Beef Power
All aboard the beef train! Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer runs partly on fuel that is made from cow fat. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 10%. The train travels between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Fort Worth, Texas.
Robo-Guard
EMILY is a robotic, four-foot-long buoy (救生圈). She can swim through riptides (激流) at up to 24 miles per hour. Her inventor, Tony Mulligan, says that’s 15 times as fast as human lifeguards! EMILY is powered by a tiny electric pump and operated by remote control.What is the disadvantage of Glen Martin’s invention?
| A．It uses large amounts of fuel. | B．It only flies at low altitudes. |
| C．It needs a big landing field. | D．It has a small gas tank. |
Which of the following inventions may be popular with modern companies?
| A．The EMIEW2 robot. | B．EMILY. |
| C．XOS 2. | D．The Martin Jetpack. |
How many environment-friendly inventions are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
From the passage we learn that __________.
| A．the Superhero Suit is designed for fun |
| B．the EMIEW2 robot can tell different human voices |
| C．Robo-Guard may serve as a security guard |
| D．the AirPod car travels far with a little gas |
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