Some students get so nervous before a test, and they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock has studied these highly anxious test-takers.
Sian Beilock：“They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about1. this exam is going to prevent2. from getting into the college they want. And when we worry, it 3. (actual) uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about it as your cognitive horsepower that you could otherwise be using to focus on the exam. ”
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed4. possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes5. (write) about their worries about the test.
Sian Beilock：“6. we think happens is when students put it down on paper, they think about the worst that could happen and they reassess the situation. They might realize it's not as hard as they might think it was before and, in fact, it7. (prevent) these thoughts from popping up when they’re actually taking a test. ”
The 8. (research) tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. 9. the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly 10. write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
BELJLNG — Eating at a Beijing restaurant is usually an adventure for foreigners, and particularly when they get the chance to order “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head”.
Sometimes excited but mostly confused, embarrassed or even terrified, many foreigners have long complained about mistranslations of Chinese dishes. And their complaints are often valid, but such an experience at Beijing’s restaurants will apparently soon be history.
Foreign visitors will no longer, hopefully, be confused by oddly worded restaurant menus in the capital if the government’s plan to correctly translate 3,000 Chinese dishes is a success and the translations are generally adopted.
The municipal（市政）office of foreign affairs has published a book to recommend English translations of Chinese dishes, which aims to help restaurants avoid bizarre translations. It provides the names of main dishes of famous Chinese cuisines in plain English, “an official with the city’s Foreign Affairs office said .” Restaurants are encouraged to use the proposed translations, but it will not be compulsory .“ It’s the city’s latest effort to bridge the culture gap for foreign travelers in China.
Coming up with precise translations is a daunting task, as some Chinese culinary（烹饪的）techniques are untranslatable and many Chinese dishes have no English-language equivalent. The translators, after conducting a study of Chinese restaurants in English-speaking countries, divided the dish names into four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste and name of a person or a place. For some traditional dishes, pinyin, the Chinese phonetic system, is used, such as mapo tofu (previously often literally translated as “beancurd made by woman with freckles”), baozi (steamed stuffed bun ) and jiaozi (dumplings) to “reflect the Chinese cuisine culture,” according to the book.
“The book is a blessing to tourist guides like me. Having it, I don’t have to rack my brains trying to explain Chinese dishes to foreign travellers,” said Zheng Xiaodong, a 31- year – old employee with a Beijing-based travel agency.
“I will buy the book as I major in English literature and I’d like to introduce Chinese cuisine culture to more foreign friends,” said Han Yang, a postgraduate student at the University of International Business and Economics.
It is not clear if the book will be introduced to other parts of China. But on Tuesday, this was the most discussed topic on weibo.com, China’s most popular microblogging site.
1.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. An adventure for foreigners who eat in Beijing.
B. Confusing mistranslations of Chinese dishes
C. Chinese dishes to have “official” English names
D. The effort to bridge the culture gap
2.“chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head” are mentioned in the beginning of the passage to show__________.
A. some Chinese dishes are not well received
B. some Chinese dishes are hard to translate
C. some Chinese dishes are mistranslated
D. some Chinese dishes are not acceptable
3.What measure has the municipal office taken?
A. Recommending a book on Chinese dishes
B. Advocating using precise translation for Chinese dishes
C. Publishing a book on China’s dietary habits
D. Providing the names of main Chinese dishes
4.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “daunting” in paragraph 5?
A. discouraging B. disappointing
C. confusing D. worthwhile
5.What’s the attitude of most people to the book according to the passage?
A. not clear B. excited
C. favorable D. divided
It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for "Six days shall you labor and do all your work" was taken seriously back then. Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning. Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets, they had sent him to the kitchen for more string(线). It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.
My mother looked at the sitting room, its furniture disordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she cast a look toward the window. "Come on, girls! Let's take string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute."
On the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something wrong, together with her girls.
There never was such a day for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, just for the joy of sending it up again.
Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. "Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven," I thought confusedly.
It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to the house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was, we didn't mention that day afterward. I felt a little embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep "the things that cannot be and yet they are."
The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to "go park, see duck."
"I can't go!" I said. "I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that far."
My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from the peas she was shelling（去皮）. "It's a wonderful day," she offered, "really warm, yet there's a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?"
I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The locked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. "Come on," I told my little girl. "You're right, it's too good a day to miss."
Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath (余波) of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of — what dark and horrible things?
"Say!" A smile sipped out from his lips. "Do you remember — no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me."
I hardly dared speak. "Remember what?"
"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp (战俘营), when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?"
1.Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because she thought_________.
A. she was too old to fly kites
B. she should have been doing her housework then
C. her husband would make fun of her
D. her girls weren’t supposed to play the boy’s game
2.By "we were all beside ourselves," the writer means that they all _________.
A. felt confused B. looked on
C. went wild with joy D. forgot their fights
3.What did the writer think after the kite-flying?
A. The boys must have had more fun than the girls.
B. All the others must have forgotten that day.
C. Her parents should spend more time with them.
D. They should have finished their work before playing.
4.Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?
A. She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother.
B. She thought it was a great day to play outside.
C. She had finished her work in the kitchen.
D. She was reminded of the day they flew kites.
5.The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that _________.
A. the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories
B. his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life
C. childhood friendship means so much to the writer
D. people like him really changed a lot after the war
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen. I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months. Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily. My sister Liz, a prisoner of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up. Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms. This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt. I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player. I was excited. However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen. “We have one more gift for you.” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage. There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained. “I worked so hard for my bike and it’s not even new. Then Liz gets a new bike. She didn’t have to do anything for it. ” My dad smiled. “She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’ s not really for her,” he said. What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up. As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later. That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me. He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel. He gave me my best friend.
1.What do we know about the author’s bike?
A. It was worth $120.
B. Allen bought it for him.
C. It was very fashionable.
D. He didn’t like it actually.
2.Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
A. He had paid off his debt.
B. He had learned to ride a bike.
C. He could also own Liz’s bike.
D. He could sell his bike to Liz.
3.Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
A. His sister got a new record player.
B. His father didn’t care about him.
C. The record player wasn’t new.
D. His sister got a better gift.
4.Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt ________.
A. moved B. satisfied
C. puzzled D. disappointed
5.The author finally realized that ________.
A. the new bike actually belonged to him
B. the new bike wasn’t bought by his father
C. his father actually gave him a more valuable gift
D. his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact
Butterflies are some of the most fascinating and beautiful insects in the world. Adult butterflies will live about 2 to 4 weeks. They use their senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste to survive in the world, find food and mates, lay eggs in an appropriate place, migrate, and avoid hungry enemies.
Butterflies have large compound eyes(复眼), which allow them to see in all directions without turning their heads. Like most insects, butterflies are very nearsighted, so they are more attracted to a sea of flowers than individual plants. Butterflies do not “see” colors such as red, green, and yellow, but they can sense sunlight, which indicates the direction the sun is shining, as well as ultraviolet light（紫外线）, which is present on many flowers and guides butterflies to honey sources.
Butterflies have a very well-developed sense of smell, but it is not in their nose, since they don't have one. Sense receptors are located in their antennae（触角）, feet, and many other parts of the body. They can help butterflies find their favorite flower honey food, and mates.
Butterflies' feet have sense organs that can taste the sugar in flower honey, letting the butterflies know if something is good to eat or not. Some females also carefully choose host plants by tasting to find appropriate places to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies feed their babies using a long tube. Butterflies force blood into the tube to straighten it out, allowing them to feed. Butterflies get all their food from this tube.
Butterflies don't have ears. Instead they “hear” sounds through their wings by sensing changes in sound vibrations（振动）.
Butterflies may possess senses we don't even know about yet, because their body structure is very different from ours, and therefore difficult to understand, when observed through our own human senses.
1.What can we learn from the 2nd paragraph?
A. Butterflies have good eyesight.
B. Butterflies can see in all directions and don't need to turn heads.
C. Butterflies are sensitive to bright colors including red and yellow.
D. Butterflies cannot sense the ultraviolet light.
2.How do butterflies hear sounds?
A. Using their feet to sense the vibration of things
B. Using their ears to listen directly
C. Using their wings to sense the sound vibrations
D. Using their antennae to judge the sound
3.Why do female adult butterflies carefully choose the host plants?
A. To find high-qualified honey.
B. To have a good place for living.
C. To make it easier for them to hide from the enemies.
D. To find a proper place for their eggs.
4.What does the last paragraph imply?
A. There’s a long way to understand butterflies well
B. Butterflies give great help to human beings
C. Butterflies are the most beautiful insects in the world
D. Butterflies possess more senses than humans
5.The text mainly focuses on ________.
A. butterflies' living habits B. butterflies' beauty
C. butterflies' daily activities D. butterflies' senses
It was pouring outside. We all stood there , some patiently；others annoyed nature messed up their hurried day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens away the dirt and dust of the world.
“Mom, let’s run through the rain,” a girl’s voice me.
“No, honey. We’ll wait until it down a bit,” Mom replied.
The young girl waited about another minute and : “Mom, let’s run through the rain.”
“We’ll get wet if we do,” Mom said.
“No, we won’t, Mom. That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she her Mom’s arm.
“This morning? did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?”
“Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ‘If God can get us through this, he can get us through .’”
The entire crowd turned . Mom paused and thought for a moment about she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. then, we heard, “Honey, you are . Let’s run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we just need washing,” Mom said. Then they ran.
We all stood , smiling and laughing as they ran past the cars. Yes, they got wet. But they were by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the to their cars. Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, and they can even take away your . But no one can take away your precious . So, don’t forget to make time and take the to make memories every day! I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.
1.A. talking B. waiting C. complaining D. expecting
2.A. as if B. even if C. because D. that
3.A. taking B. putting C. driving D. washing
4.A. caught B. broke C. impressed D. called
5.A. keeps B. comes C. pushes D. slows
6.A. asked B. repeated C. required D. added
7.A. pulled B. touched C. waved D. felt
8.A. Why B. How C. When D. Where
9.A. rain B. disease C. anything D. something
10.A. still B. angry C. serious D. silent
11.A. what B. how C. whether D. if
12.A. However B. But C. After D. Though
13.A. stupid B. wrong C. right D. clever
14.A. off B. along C. on D. over
15.A. sighing B. joking C. discussing D. watching
16.A. followed B. guided C. respected D. praised
17.A. time B. way C. same D. best
18.A. house B. money C. health D. time
19.A. children B. experience C. courage D. memories
20.A. possibilities B. opportunities C. risk D. challenge
