When it came to role models, Diana Ortiz said her mother, Marcia Dominguez, was the “hero”. Ms. Dominguez came to the United States from Cuba in 1979. She went to college and got a job as a social worker --- all the while raising three children in America mostly on her own.
“It was always school first,” Diana said, “My mom had us in a straight line. If we got out of line, she corrected us. She was a perfect woman. She was beautiful, she had the education and she had everything --- but the illness took over. When I was 11, it frightened me to see how quickly my mother’s health was ruined by cancer. A week before I turned 14, my mother died at age 50. I had tried to prepare myself, but on the first morning I woke up without my mother, the sense of loss was painful.”
Diana had not seen her father for five years, who refused to provide for her. Diana then entered the city’s foster care system. She has spent about four years in foster homes.
Despite Diana’s hard teenage years, the values her mother had planted in her mind inspired her to go after higher education. Since August 2010, she has been a fulltime student majoring in law. A public organization offers her tuition but she has part-time jobs to help people like her and earn more life experience. Her goal is a job in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
For now, Diana works 20 hours a week as a cashier at Marshalls, earning $7.25 an hour. In November, she moved into her own public housing studio apartment on the Lower East Side. She pays $236 a month in rent. Although she is out of foster care, Diana has been speaking at workshops for foster youths. She emphasizes that nothing should get in the way of their success, not the trials of their lives or what they may have lost.
“I tell the young who have the similar experience like me, ‘Why are you going to let what happened to you affect you in the long run?’ ” Diana said. “ ‘Why are you going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself? You’re wasting precious time.’ It is a message my mother would approve of. My mom taught me that everything is not given to you. You have to go out and get it.”Which of the following words can be used to describe Ms. Dominguez?
| A．Learned, independent and strict. |
| B．Positive, simple and graceful. |
| C．Hardworking, dependent and tough. |
| D．Kind, determined and lonely. |
What did Ms. Dominguez find most important for her children?
| A．Staying in a straight line for coherence. |
| B．Making punctual self-correction. |
| C．Struggling to run after perfection. |
| D．Receiving excellent education. |
How did Diana grow up after her mother passed away?
| A．She was provided for by a law institute. |
| B．She depended on foster care system. |
| C．She relied upon the people like her. |
| D．She supported herself by doing part-time work. |
What made Diana go on with her education despite there are so many difficulties?
| A．The sense of loss from her mother’s death. |
| B．The eagerness to achieve success. |
| C．The deep influence of her mother’s values. |
| D．The wish to win prizes to please her mother. |
With provided tuition, Diana still works after school because she knows ______.
| A．success comes with her own struggle and efforts |
| B．rich experience helps her find better jobs |
| C．her tuition will be increased sharply |
| D．nobody is perfect in the world |
Students in American schools learn from an early age to give presentations(演讲) as part of their regular classroom activities. Children as young as five years old often give brief talks about objects they bring in to school – called “show and tell,” and this training is a basis for later public speaking. Even so, many native English-speaking adults are afraid to speak or give presentations in front of a large group.
Speaking English in public meetings is necessary for many students and employees. The best way to improve is to practice public speaking in a friendly environment. Learners need to receive feedback about what they are doing well and about their mistakes. One group that gives members the chance to practice is Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an international organization that holds weekly meetings. At the meetings, members each give a speech and give others advice about their speeches and speaking style.
Charles LeBeau is a public speaking professor and consultant. He began his career in Japan in 1982. Currently, he teaches at two universities and at the Toshiba International Training Center. He has also written books on the subject.
English language learners around the world use his book Speaking of Speech. Speaking of Speech tells about a method of teaching public speaking for non-native speakers. Mr. LeBeau says a simple approach helps English learners.
“The approach that I’ve taken is to simplify and break it down. First if we look at a presentation, what’s going on, there are basically three messages that the presenter is giving the audience, all simultaneously(同时). There’s what I call the physical message. Physical message is basically body language. It’s the way that my body, as a speaker, is talking to the audience. And then there’s also the visual message. The visual messages are the slides that we now make and show the audience. The third message is the story message. The story message is the content of our presentation. So another way we can think of the story messages is that it’s the verbal message, and it’s what we say to the audience. The story message also includes how we organize our ideas to present to the audience,” LeBeau said. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The best way to improve is to practice public speaking in an unfriendly environment. |
| B．Toastmasters is an international organization that holds meetings every two weeks. |
| C．Only non-native English-speaking adults are afraid to give presentations in front of a large group. |
| D．At the meetings of Toastmasters, members give not only a speech but also advice. |
What are the three messages given in Mr. LeBeau’s simple approach that helps English learners?
a. the physical message
b. the visual message
c. the story message
d. the verbal message
e. the basically body language
| A．a b c | B．b c d | C．a b e | D．c d e |
The book Speaking of Speech by Charles LeBeau is mainly intended for___________.
| A．children as young as five years old |
| B．non-native English speakers |
| C．native English speakers only |
| D．students in American schools |
Which could be the best title for this passage?
| A．Necessity of Speaking English in Public Meetings |
| B．Toastmasters, an international organization |
| C．Tips for Public Speaking |
| D．Charles LeBeau, a public speaking professor and consultant |
The Gold Coast Wax(蜡)Museum is one of the Gold Coast’s longest running attractions. It’s a collection of famous figures. It’s Australia’s largest museum of its kind, featuring more than 110 life-size copies of wax figures of British and Australian History．
The Wax Museum is visited by many thousands of the people each year who are amazed at the amazing realism of the life-size figures in real costumes. This is your invitation to wander through at your leisure and meet many important and famous people’s figures on Queensland’s Gold Coast．
Come face to face with such famous people as Michael Jackson, President Barack Obama，Past President John F. Kennedy, King Hussein’s Royal Family members, and many others whose lives have all left an unforgettable mark on our world. Information cards are located alongside each figure, helping visitors know them well．
The old Coast Wax Museum contains figures which have been crafted by leading local and overseas sculptors to international standards’ equal in quality to the world’s best, as seen in Europe, the United Kingdom, and USA. The detail in the figures is amazing and includes hair applied one strand(线)at a time, requiring many working hours for one hand and the eyes so real that they seem to follow the viewer around．
Price
Child (1～3 yrs): free
Child (3-~12 yrs): $22.00
Adult: $29.00
Open hours
Open 7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm
Closed Christmas Day (25 Dec.) and Anzac Day (25 Apr.)
Location
Ferny Ave, Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) QLD
How to get there
You can choose any of the Gold Coast airport transfers, car rentals, shuttles and private transfers to／from your hotel．
Notice to visitors
●All carried items including food and drinks will be inspected upon entry．
●Coats, umbrellas, etc. should be left in the checkrooms (行李寄存处) (max size 40×40×50 cm and max weight 8 kg).
●The checkroom is to the left of the Main entrance (￡1.50 per item)．
●When maximum checkrooms capacity is reached the Museum cannot accept any more items．
●Bring your sense of adventure and your camera with you and see something exciting and quite unique．
For further information, please click here to see more about gold coast wax-museum／contact Us Page． According to the passage, visitors can______ .
| A．visit the Gold Coast Wax Museum anytime |
| B．enjoy some world-class vivid wax works in the Gold Coast Wax Museum |
| C．see many members of the Royal Family in person in the Gold Coast Wax Museum |
| D．meet many leading local and international sculptors in the Gold Coast Wax Museum |
If a couple and their 10-year-old son want to visit the Gold Coast Wax Museum, they may pay_______.
| A．$58 | B．$68 | C．$80 | D．$87 |
When people come to visit this exhibition, they________.
| A．should have all their carried items checked at the entrance |
| B．can leave their carried items in the checkrooms free of charge |
| C．can take all their carried items with them without inspection |
| D．should leave all their carried items in the checkrooms upon entry |
British MPs (国会议员) have voted in favour of the creation of babies with DNA from two women and one man, in a historic move. The UK is now set to become the first country to introduce laws to allow the creation of babies from three people. In a free vote in the Commons, 382 MPs were in favour and 128 against the technique that stops genetic diseases being passed from mother to child. During the debate, ministers said the technique was “light at the end of a dark tunnel” for families.
A further vote is required in the House of Lords. If everything goes ahead then the first such baby could be born next year. Supporters said it was “good news for progressive medicine” but critics say they will continue to fight against the technique that they say raises too many ethical (伦理的) and safety concerns. Estimates suggest 150 three-person babies could be born each year.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We're not playing god here; we're just making sure that two parents who want a healthy baby can have one.” The method, which was developed in Newcastle, should help women like Sharon Bernadi, from Sunderland, who lost all seven of her children to mitochondrial (线粒体的) disease. Ms Bernadi said she was “overwhelmed” by the decision.
Mitochondria are the tiny compartments (隔间) inside nearly every cell of the body that transform food into useable energy. They have their own DNA, which does not affect characteristics such as appearance. Defective mitochondria are passed down only from the mother. They can lead to brain damage, muscle wasting, heart failure and blindness. The technique uses a modified version to combine the DNA of the two parents with the healthy mitochondria of a donor woman. It results in babies with 0.1% of their DNA from the second woman and is a permanent change that would be passed down through the generations. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The new technique is intended to provide the parents a healthy baby. |
| B．The mitochondrial disease can lead to various fatal illnesses. |
| C．Britain is the first country to have created three-person babies. |
| D．All of Ms Bernadi’s children died of a genetic disease. |
The underlined word “defective” is closest to the meaning of ________.
| A．strangely-made | B．normally developed |
| C．functioning perfectly | D．not functioning properly |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Mitochondria are inside nearly every cell that change food into useable energy |
| B．DNA of Mitochondria can affect a person’s appearance |
| C．in medical science ethical factors should be taken into consideration |
| D．the donor woman’s DNA will not be found in the three-person baby |
Prime Minister David Cameron _________ the creation of such babies.
| A．is in favour of | B．throws doubt on |
| C．objects to | D．is indifferent to |
He was once referred to as the Picasso of poetry. Beloved by Chileans of all classes, he is one of the most widely read and respected poets in history. And this year is the 100th birthday of Pablo Neruda(1904—1973)．
Born with the name Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto, he was a tall, shy and lonely boy. He loved to read and started to write poetry when he was ten. The American poet Walt Whitman, whose framed picture Neruda later kept on his table became a major influence on his work.
However, his father did not like the idea of having a poet for a son and tried to discourage him from writing. To cover up (掩饰) the publication of his first poem, he took the pen name Pablo Neruda.
In 1924 Neruda gained fame with his most widely read work “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair.” Yet his rich experience as a diplomat and exile(流犯) made him go beyond the theme of love. His work also reflected the political struggle of the left and development of South America. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
Neruda loved the sea which he saw as creative, destructive and forever moving. He found inspiration in the power and freedom of the waves and the seabirds on the coast. “I need the sea because it teaches me,” he wrote. “I move in the university of the waves.” He loved how the sea forever renewed itself, a renewal echoed in his work. The underlined word “Picasso” can probably be replaced by“________”．
| A．most important person |
| B．famous person from Picasso |
| C．freedom fighter in Picasso |
| D．poem fans |
Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto took the pen name Pablo Neruda because________.
| A．literary greats usually used the pen name |
| B．his father encouraged him to use the name |
| C．he wanted to prevent his father knowing the publication |
| D．he was greatly influenced by other poets |
Which of the following is not the theme of his works?
| A．Love. | B．Political struggle. |
| C．Social reform. | D．Development of South America. |
The last paragraph mainly tells us________.
| A．the sea gave Neruda vast writing inspiration |
| B．the beautiful scenery along the Chile coast |
| C．Neruda's poems were widely read overseas |
| D．Neruda loved to write his poems near the sea |
Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.
Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment.
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment. Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition.
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural.How can we live with contentment?
| A．To change our lifestyle. |
| B．To have a motivation in life. |
| C．To give less attention to what we are grateful for. |
| D．To realize the difference between needs and desires. |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Make wise decisions. |
| B．Know the present situation |
| C．Let go of regrets. |
| D．Remember the past. |
The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “__”.
| A．enjoy | B．change | C．create | D．neglect |
What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
| A．Make time for simple pleasures. |
| B．Learn from successful people. |
| C．Focus on your future goals. |
| D．Create chance to learn more. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号