Sitting in the garden for my friend's birthday. felt a buzz（振动） in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender's name. The email started off："Dear Mr Green，thank you for your interest" and "the review process took longer than expected." It ended with "We are sorry to inform you…"and my vision blurred（模糊）.The position﹣measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme﹣had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for. I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying，and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.
So I was shocked when，not long after the email，Professor Mary Devon，who was running the programme，invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance，and a few weeks later I was equally shocked﹣and overjoyed﹣when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn't seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to，but I was going to give it my all.
I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project，which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert，not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn't. In the end. I had a new scientific interest to pursue.
When I applied to graduate school，I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit，it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective（视角）to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.
Rather than setting plans in stone，I've learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered，even if they don't sound perfect at the time，and make the most of them.
（1）How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender's name？
| A． |
Anxious. |
| B． |
Angry. |
| C． |
Surprised. |
| D． |
Settled. |
（2）After talking with Professor Devon，the author decided to .
| A． |
criticise the review process |
| B． |
stay longer in the Sahara Desert |
| C． |
apply to the original project again |
| D． |
put his heart and soul into the lab work |
（3）According to the author，the project with the robotics professor was .
| A． |
demanding |
| B． |
inspiring |
| C． |
misleading |
| D． |
amusing |
（4）What can we learn from this passage？
| A． |
An invitation is a reputation. |
| B． |
An innovation is a resolution. |
| C． |
A rejection can be a redirection. |
| D． |
A reflection can be a restriction. |
Mo was waiting in the corridor outside her class. She was feeling sick. She had two exams that day and physics was first .She really hated physics. It was her worst subject. Terry Looked back at her from the front of the line, and then looked away quickly. Mo thought she looked guilty. She didn't have a problem with physics she didn't have a problem with anything ...Miss Perfect!
"Hi, Mo, it's your favorite exam today, "said Nima, laughing as she joined the line .Terry was looking at Mo again. “So what's wrong with her?” asked Nima."I thought you were friends." “Yes, so did I," said Mo." But she hasn't spoken to me for two weeks now. She promised to help me review for the physics exam too, but then she's ignored all my calls and texts .And when I rang her house, her mum just told me she was busy. She's forgotten who her friends are!" said Mo angrily. "Are you listening to me?" Mr. Reed was talking to the class and the other students were going into the exam room. Mo gave Nima a worried look and followed them.
Mo couldn't answer question number five. She looked up and saw Terry sitting two rows in front of her. Mo couldn't believe it! Terry was holding her phone on her knee under the table and reading from it. Is that how Terry always got such good grades? She felt really angry at Terry, but she didn't know what to do. She thought about telling the teacher, but what would everyone else think of her? "Stop writing and put your pens down" said Mr. Reed as he started to collect the exam papers. Oh no, Mo hadn't answered two of the questions. She was going to fail again!
Mo wanted to talk to Terry at lunch time, but she couldn't find her anywhere. The next exam was history. That was Mo's favourite subject but she wasn't feeling good. Mo went to the library to study, but she couldn't concentrate. She didn't know what to do about Terry. She thought about telling a teacher, but everyone would hate her if she did that. "It wasn't fair!” she thought. "Terry was getting good grades by cheating all that time.” thought Mo. Just then, Mr. Reed walked past her table. “Mr. Reed.”
Mo was sitting behind Terry again in the history exam that afternoon. Mo was feeling terrible. Why had she told Mr. Reed? But it was too late now. And anyway, Terry didn't want to be her friend! Mr. Reed wanted her to look at him and nod if she saw that Terry was cheating in the exam. She was working on the last question when she saw that Terry had her phone under the table. Without thinking, Mo looked up and nodded to Mr. Reed. Terry was too busy looking at her phone and she didn't hear him as he walked silently up to her table. Mr. Reed didn't say anything. He just picked up her exam paper, tore it in half and pointed to the door, to tell Terry to leave the room. Terry was crying as she walked to the door. Everyone was staring at her and Mo felt really guilty now. Why did she tell Mr. Reed?
Mo was walking towards the school gate, when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Terry. “Mo, please wait! I want to talk to you.” Mo could see that Terry had been crying, her face was pale and her eyes were red. Mo couldn't say a word. “Listen," said Terry. "I'm really sorry I haven't answered any of your calls, but we're having a terrible time at home. My dad had a heart attack two weeks ago and he's in hospital. He had a big heart operation today and I was very worried about him. I know it was stupid, but I was reading texts from my mum to see how the operation was going, but Mr. Reed caught me with my phone. He thought I was cheating. He believes me now, but I have to take the exam again. I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was happening. I haven't forgotten that you're a good friend'. Will you forgive me? ”At the beginning of the story Mo felt sick most probably because ______.
| A．Terry was looking at her form the front of the line |
| B．she was worried that she would fail the physics exam |
| C．she had to take two different exams within one day |
| D．she had been waiting in the line for too long a time |
Who does “Miss Perfect” in the first paragraph refer to?
| A．Mo | B．Nima | C．Terry | D．Terry's mum |
It can be inferred from the above passage that___________
| A．students didn't like those who were not faithful to their friends |
| B．Mr. Reed was a strict teacher who never corrected his mistakes |
| C．The physics exam was much more difficult than the history exam |
| D．Mo was angry because Nima laughed at her relationship with Terry |
Terry didn't help Mo review for the physics exam because_______________
| A．she didn't consider Mo as a true friend |
| B．she herself was quite bad at physics |
| C．she had to look after her sick father |
| D．she was selfish and hated to waste time |
At the end of the story Mo probably felt_______________
| A．confident and optimistic | B．glad and inspired |
| C．sad and angry | D．regretful and guilt |
What lesson can we learn from this passage?
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Friendship should be based on trust. |
| C．Old friends and old wines are the best. |
| D．A life without a friend is a life without a sun. |
Reading for pleasure is declining among primary-age pupils, and increasing numbers of "time poor" parents are dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children once they start school.
Research presented to a conference last week found that, while parents read to preschoolers, this later tails off, and by the final year of primary school only around 2% read to their children every day. Once children can read skillfully, parents tend to step back, and this usually happens at the age of seven or eight. The report also found that 82% of teachers blame the government's “target--driven" education policies for the fact that fewer children are reading for pleasure.
They believe that a straitjacket (束缚) of strictly organized schooling is containing young people's ability to read more widely. Two-thirds of teachers surveyed said they lacked time in the school day to introduce a variety of books and that this was a “major obstacle to being able to develop a level of reading". Teachers also cited as main factors the reduction in the number of school librarians, who could put interesting books before children, and the rise in "screen time", switching children from reading to playing games.
The majority of teachers said the curriculum's (课程) " emphasis on reading as a skill to be mastered" was increasing the pressure. This was compounded by parents who saw reading just as a focus of learning, a skill critical to career advancement in a competitive world.
Reading habits and the digital revolution in publishing were key topics of debate at the conference. The theme of the lack of British culture was supported by children's writer Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote the scripts(手稿 ) for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics.
“We discovered the whole nation had forgotten that they did the industrial revolution," he said.
“Books are so central to it; books can be written by anyone. A lot of the pleasure of a book is listening to somebody read it to you. "
"We found a real love of reading among teachers, and a strong desire ,to encourage more children to read for pleasure ,”said Rob Cheney," However, the teachers also had an overpowering sense of frustration with their situation." "Touch-screen phone and tablets ( 平板电脑）are naturally attractive to children ," the survey Said ,and predicted a period of awkwardness as everyone else adapts . By 2018, children's television will have adopted the presence of this second screen, and it "will be strange not to have children, at home drawing along on tablets and then having these appearing live in the show ".
The hope is “that user-friendly screens could, if material is adapted and downloaded easily, present an opportunity for more ambitious publishing - for example, books children can either read or choose to have read to them; or digital books with moving pictures instead of photos to clarify factual and scientific points. Parental controls that are easy to use would be key, the conference was told, such as "a warning for when devices use the Wi-Fi, especially after bedtimes", to allow parents to shut off access to children in the home.What leads to parents' dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children?
| A．Children have less time to spend with their parents after they start school. |
| B．Parents think it unnecessary to do so when children can read themselves. |
| C．The government’s education policies have placed much burden on children. |
| D．Children don't like parents reading stories to them when they are seven or eight. |
Which of the following is not teachers' point of view?
| A．Children are prevented from reading widely enough in school. |
| B．Schools pay attention to reading skills instead of reading for fun. |
| C．Playing video games reduces children's time spent on reading. |
| D．School libraries can't provide good books for lack of money. |
The word "compounded" (Paragraph 4) most probably means ______.
| A．worsened | B．preserved | C．reduced | D．improved |
It can be inferred from the article that ______.
| A．children don't like reading because books are not attractive |
| B．British people enjoyed reading books very much in the past |
| C．teachers forbid their students to read more books for fun |
| D．children should enjoy more freedom to use the Wi-Fi at home |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Parents should set a limit to their children's using electric devices at home. |
| B．Children are encouraged to read as many interesting books as they can. |
| C．Children miss out on pleasures of reading a good book in modern life. |
| D．Experts appeals to the government to reduce the heavy burden on children. |
Some say college is wasted on the young. So many of us look back at our own college years and realize what we could have done differently to make the most of them. While we can’t go back, we certainly can offer our sons and daughters our best advice to help them make the right choices in college. Hopefully, they will have fewer regrets than we do. Following are five guidelines parents can share with their college-bound kids to put the whole experience in perspective.
EDUCATION IS YOUR FIRST PRIORITY
As soon as you arrive on campus, there will be competing interests. Feel free to check them out but always remember that you are there first and foremost for your education. Go to class prepared and on time. Be engaged during class. Make sure your professor knows you and realizes that you care.
BE RESPONSIBLE
There are many layers of responsibility. Do what you say you will do and, if you can’t, own up to it early and communicate clearly. But being responsible isn’t just about meeting your commitments; it is also about taking care of you, your body, and your friends. For example, more than 1800 college students die annually from alcohol-related injuries. Look out for yourself and other people. Make moderate, sensible decisions so you aren’t reeling from the consequences later.
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY
Incredible opportunities will present themselves: studying abroad, interning at a unique place, trying new things. Don’t let fear prevent you from taking advantage of them. There may never be so much time or as many resources devoted to your betterment again in your life. Say yes to opportunities that will help you grow.
FIND AND BE A MENTOR
Some of the best lessons available to us can come outside of the classroom in the form of a mentor. One of the most powerful growth opportunities is being a mentor. Early on, find someone on campus who you feel can help you grow and develop a relationship with him or her. Also find someone for you to mentor. You will reinforce and enrich your own learning experience by teaching someone else.
GET THE JOB DONE
It is natural to occasionally feel you want to quit, when it makes more sense to you to go find a full-time job. Resist that urge. As Jocelyn Negron-Rios, a mother of two, who is currently completing her degree, advises, “No matter how difficult it seems, keep at it because however insurmountable it feels now multiply that by 10,000 and that is how it feels when you are in your thirties with a full-time job and a family and are trying to pursue a degree.”According to the passage, the most important thing for college students is ______.
| A．taking part in different activities |
| B．working hard to get a degree |
| C．seizing every chance to try new things |
| D．improving themselves by learning from the others |
Which of the following about college life is true?
| A．Passing on what you’ve learned in college can help you enrich your learning experience. |
| B．Make sure that you are responsible for yourself rather than others. |
| C．Professors will not assess your performances in class but the grades you get in exams. |
| D．You can make full use of the opportunity whenever you want. |
What can we infer from the words said by Jocelyn in the last paragraph?
| A．Persistence is the key to success when you meet with difficulties in your learning process. |
| B．It is better if you gain more working experience before you finish your education. |
| C．As long as you work hard, you can gain a degree even when you are in your thirties. |
| D．Youth is the best time to learn since you have less burden. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To give some rules for the college students. |
| B．To call on the students to make full use of college years. |
| C．To summarize some tips for parents to share with their children. |
| D．To analyze the benefits and difficulties of college life. |
By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you (it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television), all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy torch on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Other than that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those?
I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that "you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop.
As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the Internet all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so very urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that.
One of the most peculiar effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation (导航) systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time?! How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependent on online maps, what happens to those great places you find just by chance? You can't exactly find out from Google maps the journey from "here" to" that hidden cafe with the tasty-looking cakes" , or to "that pond next to the church which looks really pretty in the evening sun. " It is, of course, true that we all occasionally need to be pointed in the right direction, but I find that there are often real life humans you can ask.
There are many benefits of having a very basic mobile phone, like the face that it cost me about twenty pounds, and that I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen .But the main benefit has to be the fact that it provides me with the word 'greatest excuse for my bad habits. Whether it's turning up late to events ,or getting lose on a trip ,or missing buses or trains ,or forgetting about an appointment at work ,I'm pretty sure I'm covered with the following explanation: “I’m really sorry, I don't have a smartphone."The writer uses his Nokia 1616 mainly to _______.
| A．play online games |
| B．do calculating work |
| C．check social network sites |
| D．make calls and text messages |
It can be inferred from the above passage that_______.
| A．work-related emails should be answered immediately |
| B．a laptop and a smartphone share many functions |
| C．smartphones should always be connected to the net |
| D．a Facebook update is usually very important |
According to the passage, if you use navigation systems, you may _____
| A．miss some really wonderful places |
| B．find a boring trip actually exciting |
| C．be persuaded to eat in a certain café |
| D．be misled to a totally wrong place |
To the writer, one benefit of having a basic mobile phone is that__________.
| A．it can remind him of important appointments |
| B．it can often be found back after it is stolen |
| C．it can be used as an excuse for his bad habits |
| D．it can save him the trouble of catching trains |
The writer's purpose for writing this article is to_____.
| A．explain why he doesn't want a smartphone |
| B．warn readers of the risks of using smartphones |
| C．complain about the troubles caused by smartphones |
| D．inform readers of the latest development of mobile phones |
From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face a cold prospect of losing their jobs as a global recession(衰退) starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut.
Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian companies try harder to preserve jobs in difficult times, which will prevent unemployment and may help Asian economies survive at a time of slowing exports. The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for companies to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, but build up a more loyal and devoted group.
"In the Confucian mindset(儒家思想), the right thing to do is to share the burden（负担）, which is the sense of collective responsibility. While in the West, it's more about individual survival," said Michael Benoliel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University (SMU).
In contrast, local Western companies from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousands, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals or western units of Asian groups, job cuts will probably be less severe.
Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January.
Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals(对手) from abroad.The underlined word "prospect" in the first paragraph most probably means _________.
| A．future | B．scene |
| C．weather | D．place |
Compared with job cuts, pay cuts can bring the following benefits EXCEPT that _________.
| A．it's helpful to the economy recovery |
| B．it can form a team working harder and more loyally |
| C．it will keep the experienced and skilled workers |
| D．it costs the company less money to survive |
According to Michael Benoliel, the Confucian mindset focuses on _________.
| A．human rights |
| B．personal profits |
| C．sharing responsibility |
| D．individual survival |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
| A．the difficulties all the companies around the world will meet with today |
| B．the different labor solutions of Asian and Western in global recession |
| C．the ways to cut down the cost of the companies in economic downturn |
| D．the cultural differences between Eastern and Western world at present |
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