Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “shouldn't I be learning more moves?”“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy skillfully used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.
“No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. “Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?” “You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
1.we can infer from Paragraph 2 that the teacher__________.
A. was unwilling to teach the boy
B. regarded mastering one move as extremely important.
C. worried about the boys ability
D. trained the boy to win judo tournaments
2.After the boy came in the finals, __________.
A. he feared to get hurt.
B. the teacher felt satisfied
C. he thought of giving up.
D. the judge stopped the game.
3.The underlined expression “be overmatched” in Paragraph 3 is closed in meaning to__________.
A. lose heart
B. lose patience
C. be defeated
D. be monitored
4.How did the boy’s teacher explain his success of the tournament?
A. His opponent was too confident and careless.
B. The boy was experienced in playing the games.
C. His opponent didn't notice the boys left hand.
D. The boy made use of his judo skill and weakness.
5.What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To suggest we turn weakness into strength.
B. To encourage us to insist in a match.
C. To show us how to win a match luckily.
D. To tell us to choose an experienced teacher.
The deep sea is one of the most mysterious places on earth. Scientists rarely go there. Those few do discover new species all of the time. Many places of the deepest parts of the ocean, where it's forever dark, can light up. Now, a teen's research has shown new light on how one of these swimming animals behaves in darkness.
The giant flashlight fish lives in the Indian Ocean as well as in tropical parts of the central and western Pacific. It lives at depths of up to 400 meters, (about 1,300 feet). But not always. Sometimes it lives in coral reefs in shallow waters. In those shallow waters, the blackish-blue fish comes out only at night. Reef-dwelling members of this species tend to be smaller than those living in deeper waters. Those biggies can grow to lengths of 35meters (14inches). That may not sound like a giant, but they are the largest of their type of fish.
The giant flashlight fish gets its name from a small glow-in-the-dark patch found in a packet of tissue under each eye, explains Caroline Edmonds. She is a 13- year-old student from Fountain Valley, Calif. There, she attends Talbert Middle School. She said that the eye pockets in these fish contain light-producing bacteria.
These bacteria and their host fish have built a relationship that helps both. The fish use the bacteria as a way to communicate with creatures around them. The bacteria gain nutrients from the fish and a safe place to live. When a fish wants to “ flash” its light, it turns the bacteria-filled pocket toward the outside of its body, Caroline explains. When a fish wants to hide its light, it turns the pocket back toward the inside. According to her data, the fish flash most often when they are being fed. They flash least often late at night, when they are resting.
1.The deep sea is dark and mysterious, but _________
A. a teen's research is going to light it up.
B. in the deepest part, lives a swimming animal.
C. scientists are looking for a new species to light up.
D. a kind of glowing fish has been found there.
2.What do we know about the giant flashlight fish?
A. It doesn't like living in warm places.
B. It can be found in coral reefs at times.
C. It doesn't like moving around at night.
D. It always lives at depths of up to 400 meters.
3.From where does the giant flashlight fish produce light?
A. Between its wings.
B. Inside its body.
C. Inside its back.
D. Near its eyes.
4.We can infer from the passage that Caroline Edmonds _________
A. is probably on a research team.
B. has learned about the fish in the library.
C. has always focused on her studies at school.
D. is one of the most famous American scientists.
5.What is implied in the last paragraph?
A. The light is usually on when the fish is excited.
B. The fish is sometimes troubled by the light.
C. The fish can decide when to “flash” its light.
D. The light is usually on when the fish is resting.
As a volunteer, you will discover the unique opportunity of visiting the real world beyond the tourist window and became immersed（沉浸）in the culture you visit. For most travelers, this time spent working on meaningful projects, and getting to know the local area and its people, is often cited as their most memorable, enjoyable and fulfilling life experience.
Who can volunteer？
Kaya Volunteers are 18-80 years old people with an adventurous spirit. Whether you have time for a 2-week trip or a 6-month break, travelling on your own, with a group or with your family, or you are a student, taking a break from your job, or have even retired, they will find a project that can use your help.
Countries where you can volunteer:
Asia-Pacific (Australia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam.)
Africa (Botswana,Ghana,Kenya,Mozambique,South Africa,Zambia,Zimbabwe)
Latin America (Belize,Bolivia,Brazil,Costa Rica,Ecuador,Peru)
What type of projects can you do?
Kaya's Project advisors work with you to decide which project is best for you and what type of work you would like to do. you can work in the following fields:
Environmental preservation- From the Ecuadorian rain forest to the jungles of Thailand, repair the damage done to some of the most beautiful and diverse places on earth.
Work with children- They have over 40 projects working with children across the world in orphanages, schools and shelters for the abused, disabled and disadvantaged.
Sports - Through sports, their projects that can provide opportunities for health education and the development of life skills, such as teamwork, communication, discipline and self- confidence.
Education - From English teaching to education programs for special needs and minority groups, give greater opportunity to the disadvantaged through education.
All projects include airport pick-ups and drop-offs, accommodation, orientation and 24-hour support. Many of their placements also include all meals and some language classes so that you can get even more involved.
1.The author wrote the passage for the purpose of __________.
A. explaining different projects for volunteers
B. calling in volunteers for sightseeing projects
C. showing us the advantages of volunteers
D. encouraging us to do some voluntary work.
2.While doing the advertised voluntary work, a volunteer can __________.
A. pay a visit to his or her placement
B. receive some extra pay for his work
C. be free of charge while visiting around
D. get in touch with the local people
3.What can we infer from the second part of this passage?
A. Only experienced people are needed.
B. Only grown-up people are welcome.
C. There isn't any restriction set on volunteers.
D. Few people are willing to do the voluntary work.
4.Some voluntary placements offer free meals and language classes to __________.
A. attract more people to do voluntary work.
B. encourage voluntary as to work harder.
C. save more money for the volunteers.
D. help volunteer get more involved.
5.According to the article, volunteers can get the following except __________.
A. air tickets.
B. accommodation.
C. 24-hour support.
D. pre-job training
Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost ￡169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost ￡118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you're looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was ￡95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was ￡75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just ￡62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self－catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for ￡420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London's “Boris bikes” have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around ￡1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or ￡5 per day)．
1.The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may ________．
A. help travelers pass time
B. cause travelers to pay more for accommodation
C. allow travelers to make flexible plans
D. attract lots of travelers to the UK
2.“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably ________．
A. an ideal holiday destination
B. the tube line to Covent Garden
C. a hotel far away from the train station
D. the name of a travel agency
3.The passage shows that the O'Neill Flat ________．
A. provides cooking facilities for tourists
B. is located in central London
C. lies on the ground floor
D. costs over ￡100 on average per day in late September
4.Cardiff's program allows a free bike for a maximum period of ________．
A. two hours
B. one hour
C. one hour and a half
D. half an hour
5.The main purpose of the passage is ________．
A. to tell visitors how to book in advance
B. to offer visitors some money－saving tips
C. to show visitors the importance of self－help
D. to supply visitors with hotel information
A concert violinist is performing a difficult piece in front of a large audience. Suddenly there is a loud noise. The audience immediately knows that a string has broken. The concert is fully expected __1.________ (put ) off until another string or instrument is brought to the musician.
But instead, the violinist calms 2.__________ down, closes her eyes and then signals the constructor to begin again. The orchestra restarts and now the musician plays the music on three strings. A work that few people can play well on four strings, the violinist plays on three with the broken string.
When she finishes, 3.__________ awesome silence hangs in the room. And then the crowd rises to their feet and cheers 4.__________ (wild). The violinist smiles and wipes the sweat from her brow. When silence returns to the room she explains 5._________ she continued to play in spite of a broken string. “You know,” She says, still 6._________ (breath), “sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make 7._________ what you have left.”
There will come a time 8.__________ we all experience loss. Maybe disease has robbed us 9.__________ our ability to work. Or maybe a meaningful relationship has ended and we feel lonely in the world. Can we still make music? And if it takes extra courage to make music, many 10._________ (praise) you for your effort.
One night, when I was eight, my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you’ve done and allowing you to skip a grade, but you’ll have to your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me for the rest of the night. I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the decisions adults had to make.
For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I’d wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.
During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large apartment, I became how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on family and work. difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn’t know whether you made the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a attitude.
Back home , I myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable .
My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the has really taught me. Sacrifices in the end. The separation between us has proved to be for me.
1.A. attract B. surprise C. promote D. praise
2.A. well B. much C. little D. wrong
3.A. leave B. refuse C. contact D. forgive
4.A. explaining B. wandering C. regretting D. wondering
5.A. poor B. timely C. final D. tough
6.A. politely B. eagerly C. nervously D. curiously
7.A. presence B. patience C. intelligence D. Influence
8.A. Comfortable B. Empty C. Expensive D. Modern
9.A. satisfied with B. Interested in C. doubtful D. aware of
10.A. when B. that C. which D. where
11.A. abandoning B. comparing C. balancing D. mixing
12.A. Depending on B. Faced with C. supplied with D. Insisting on
13.A. different B. friendly C. positive D. general
14.A. reminded B. informed C. warned D. criticized
15.A. expected B. offered C. attempted D. managed
16.A. grateful B. energetic C. independent D. practical
17.A. examples B. limits C. rules D. goals
18.A. question B. experience C. history D. occasion
19.A. pay off B. come back C. run out D. turn up
20.A. failure B. gathering C. blessing D. pleasure
