I believe that I always have a choice.
I believe that I always have a choice. No matter what I'm doing and what is happening to me.
I used to write my books, typing on a keyboard, ____now I can no longer _____ my hand. Today I am sitting at my computer, speaking these words through a microphone. In 2008, I was diagnosed with ALS, a(n) _____ disease, which would weaken and finally ______every important muscle in my body. That is to say, I will be _____ unable to move, to speak, and finally, to______. Only largely depending upon others could I live. I was lost and felt everything around me become dull.
I was ____ to give up writing completely and remained ____ all day long. In the ____, some of my friends and relatives came to ____ me. However, It wasn’t long _____I became lonely again, wondering the meaning of life. Sometimes I came up with the _____ that I’d better end my life because I couldn’t ____ the complex(复杂的) expressions on my family’s faces. I became depressed, doubtful and _____. Then one day as I was wheeling myself along a nearby street, I found an old guy in dirty clothes with no legs ___ in the street. I was shocked and woke up at once. I was more ____ than him. I have thousands of ___ to live on. When he came to me begging, I was so inspired and offered all that was in my purse. From then on I _____ to go through the process of learning to use voice recognition software. Old woman ____I was, I wrote more now than ever.
Every day now I have a ____ on not only whether I will live, but how I will live. I can choose to see it as an invitation—an opportunity to learn who I really am.
1.A. andB. soC. butD. until
2.A. liftB. controlC. removeD. wash
3.A. curableB. unknownC. commonD. terrible
4.A. destroyB. rebuildC. cancelD. remove
5.A. hardlyB. actuallyC. graduallyD. totally
6.A. communicateB. behaveC. breatheD. die
7.A. determinedB. forcedC. encouragedD. advised
8.A. positiveB. disabledC. dependentD. silent
9.A. beginningB. endC. eveningD. hospital
10.A.guideB. admireC. entertainD. comfort
11.A. sinceB. whenC. untilD. before
12.A. opinionB. ideaC. imaginationD. choice
13.A. understandB. guessC. forgiveD. bear
14.A. hopelessB. adventurousC. disabledD. impolite
15.A. sleepingB. beggingC. singingD. dancing
16.A. unluckyB. miserableC. confidentD. fortunate
17.A. chancesB. excusesC. reasonsD. purposes
18.A. managedB. continuedC. intendedD. stopped
19.A. butB. asC. even ifD. that
20.A. wayB. methodC. thoughtD. choice
I’ve been keeping an English blog for many years．These practical tips have helped me over the course of my blogging．
● Read quality books, blogs, journals, etc．which are written in English．Blogging is not always about writing． 1. Reading also improves your English comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and writing．
● Practice helps, so continue writing． 2. Trying to make a perfect post （帖子） free from grammar and spelling mistakes is good but you’re not making use of your time efficiently （有效地）．
● 3. Think about the main points you want to raise．I prepare an outline of my post and a list of the points I want to talk about．Doing this has helped me stay on track and focus on my main points．The outline and the list of points I want to write about serve as my guidelines when I’m writing．
● When writing, use simple words and sentences．Using simple sentences makes your job as a blogger easier． 4. Always remember this: The aim of your writing is to get your message across and the only way to become an effective writer is successfully conveying your message to your readers．
● Write your posts ahead of time． 5. To free yourself from the pressure of making a post on daily basis, which might affect your writing, consider making your posts ahead of time．
A．Also, it makes your posts more understandable to your readers．
B．Welcome comments from your blog readers．
C．There are advantages of daily blogging , but if it becomes tiring, forget about it．
D．Don’t be afraid of making mistakes．
E．Mistakes can be reduced with the help of your readers．
F．You need to read to be able to write fluently
G．Prepare an outline of your post．
READY or not, the college application season has begun. There are two main kinds of early admissions programs: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action is a great choice for the well-prepared student. Students apply early, and are allowed to apply under an Early Action program to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest advantage for students is that colleges let them know early – in most cases, before Jan 1. Roughly 15 percent of colleges and universities offer an Early Action option. Oct 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities. This movement toward earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast, with many of the large public universities leading the way. North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia all have an Oct 15 Early Action deadline.
Early Decision is a promise that cannot be reversed. Students who are accepted must take back their other applications and should attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school under an Early Decision program. Early Decision deadlines are in early November, with colleges letting students know by mid-December. Many students believe that they are more likely to be accepted if they apply for Early Decision, but it actually depends.
In some cases there is big increase in students being accepted, and at other colleges it is not that big at all. Generally, the strongest students are applying early. Athletes and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply for Early Decision
Choose the best answer:
1.What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?
A. To explain the process of applying to study in the US.
B. To describe two types of US college early admissions programs.
C. To encourage students who want to study in the US to apply early.
D. To list the advantages of early admissions programs.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE of Early Action according to the article?
A. A student who is accepted as an Early Action applicant must attend the college they apply to.
B. The deadline for Early Action is usually two months earlier than the one for Early Decision.
C. Students can apply to several colleges at the same time under an Early Action program.
D. Students can apply for Early Action at the majority of universities and colleges in the US.
3. The underlined word “reversed” in Paragraph 6 probably means _______.
A. changed B. balanced C. accepted D. arranged
4.What can be concluded from the article?
A. Students are not allowed to apply for both Early Decision and Early Action at the same time.
B. Students applying for Early Decision impress colleges because they tend to be more active than others.
C. Early Decision is most fit for students who are skilled in some field.
D. Those applying for Early Decision have a better chance of being accepted than those applying for Early Action.
OF course, Ms Cratty wasn’t really my aunt and, out of fear, I never called her that to her face. I only called her “My Aunt Fannie (俚语)” because the name always made my father chuckle (轻声地笑) and caused my mother to look seriously at both of us – at me for being disrespectful of my elder, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions so I looked for every opportunity to work the name into as many conversations as possible.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large farmhouse owned by Ms Cratty and her twin brother. Neither had married, and they had no children. My father once told me that it was because they were both too mean to share their family’s money or pass it on. Ms Cratty was famous for her jam and for never sharing the recipe with another one. Even though my mother knew the recipe , she never made the jam without Ms Cratty kitchen to direct the process and keep the secret.
Each August, my mother would prepare me for Aunt Fannie’s visit. One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam process Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise that I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and someday you will be rich. I still have my very first quarter, given to me by my grandfather.” It had obviously worked for her. So, I put the quarter in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has made me wealthy, but I keep them as reminders to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is the relationships and the memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
1.Why did the author prefer to call Aunt Fannie “My Aunt Fannie”?
A. Because she wanted to show respect for her.
B. Because she believed that made her seem closer to her.
C. Because she loved to see her parents’ responses to it.
D. Because she didn’t like her and thus made fun of her.
2.According to the second paragraph, the author’s mother _______.
A. owned the large farmhouse with Aunt Fannie
B. disliked Aunt Fannie’s meanness and the way she would never share
C. didn’t know the exact way to make the jam
D. tried to make Aunt Fannie believe that the secret recipe was safe
3.The author used to believe that the quarter given to her by Aunt Fannie ______.
A. was a reminder of the valuable things in her life
B. would bring her good luck and make her rich
C. was a small reward for her help with the jam process
D. was the exact one that Aunt Fannie had received from her grandfather
4.The author thinks that we can feel wealthy if we _______.
A. have a certain secret recipe
B. have lasting love and friendship
C. share our wealth with others
D. have good fortune and money
HOW many of you have used rock, paper, scissors (RPS) as a “fair” way to settle something? If you think it is a game of chance, think again, according to scientists.
RPS is a game as popular in the East as it is in the West. The rules are the same: Two players make one of the three hand signs. To decide the winner, rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock.
Many of us play with no game plan in mind. But researchers have worked out several winning patterns. The World Rock Paper Scissors Society holds tournaments (联赛) in Toronto, Canada. According to their data, players choose rock (35.4 percent) and paper (35 percent) more than scissors (29.6 percent).
If your opponent is a man or an angry person, it’s quite possible they will start the game with rock, researchers have found. If your opponent is a woman or a beginner, you should expect them to start with scissors.
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists asked 360 students to compete in a RPS tournament at Zhejiang University. Scientists found that winners tend to choose the same action they won with, while the loser tends to change to the next action in the order of rock, scissors, paper. This is called the “win-stay lose-change” strategy(策略). Humans use this strategy in many competitive situations.
Expert RPS players have many other techniques. Monica Martinez, 2008 winner of the World RPS Tournament, said that she read faces.“I didn’t worry about what I was going to do, I just did what I thought they were going to do,” she told The Telegraph. If your friends are similar experts, learn from Jonathan Monaco, winner of the 2009 USA RPS Tournament. He wears dark sunglasses to cover his expressions during the game.
Remember, the strategy for playing RPS depends on how skilled your opponent is. But if you’re looking for a quick, simple winning rule for a match, choose paper. Scissors is the least popular choice, and men favor rock. Both are reasons to choose paper.
1.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A. The popularity of RPS games around the world.
B. The general rules of RPS games.
C. A game plan for RPS games.
D. The fairness of RPS games.
2.According to the article, researchers worked out some winning patterns for RPS games mainly by _______.
A. studying the rules of the game
B. analyzing game data
C. interviewing expert players
D. organizing major tournaments
3.Which of the following statements about Monica Martinez is TRUE according to the article?
A. She likes to use the same actions many times in a row when playing the game.
B. She usually follows the order of rock, scissors and paper when playing the game.
C. She is good at reading her opponent’s moves when playing the game.
D. She often wears dark sunglasses when playing the game.
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that _______.
A. scissors is the most popular choice of skilled RPS players
B. paper is a safer choice than rock and scissors for RPS players
C. beginners have barely any chance of winning against skilled RPS players
D. men are usually better at RPS games than women
I have happy memories of trips to Europe, but my trip to Romania was unique. My husband was born there, but his family sent him to study in Italy. He hasn’t seen his family since he was 16.
When we reached Bucharest, his family was waiting outside to greet us. After a lot of hugging, kissing, and crying, his family also embraced (拥抱) me, the American wife with two young children. They had great interest in me. Few Americans visited Romania at that time, and most Romanians had little chance to travel. His family loved our gifts. We made trips to the Black Sea and the Carpathian Mountains. Eating at outdoor cafes to the sound of gypsy violins was very different, but nothing was as unforgettable as family dinners.
Most Romanian homes had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers. It was a hot summer. My husband’s relatives didn’t want to risk dirtying their clothes. Their solution was as simple as it was surprising: The women had dinner in their bras (文胸) and slips (衬裙). The men were shirtless. They all had jobs, so time was precious. Disrobing (脱去衣服) for dinner was a small inconvenience compared with the effort of doing laundry – at least in their household, and perhaps all across Romania. I washed my clothes by hand and hung them outdoors to dry. I, of course, having just met them, ate fully clothed.
On the last night of our three-week stay, we had a large family dinner. I was tired of washing my clothes. So I pulled my dress over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. The table applauded. Even with my poor Romanian, I understood that they were saying: “She’s part of our family now.”
1.When the author arrived in her husband’s hometown, _____.
A. his family showed no respect for her at first
B. she intended to talk to his family in English
C. she got extra attention from his family for her nationality
D. she found that she hadn’t brought enough gifts for his family
2.What surprised the author most during her visit to her husband’s family?
A. Most of his family members didn’t travel a lot at the time.
B. Women in his family had dinner in only their underclothes.
C. Most of her husband’s relatives didn’t like doing laundry.
D. They had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers at home.
3.On the last night of the author’s stay, the family applauded her because _____.
A. the author disrobed for dinner as the family did
B. they just wanted to show their love for the author
C. the author could finally understand them easily
D. it was time for the author to give a speech
