My trip with my sister and my daughter to Manhattan wedding gown(长袍，长外衣) shop, cannot be understood without further focusing on Marina, my 14-year-old daughter Ive asked to try on dresses.
This was the girl I took to Kleinfeld, the fancy store featured on the television program Say Yes to the Dress. As the trip approached, I asked Marina if she was excited. Sure, Mom. shed say, shrugging. Marina was more excited about getting a tattoo(文身) on her ankle to represent my fight with ALS(肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化症) than trying on $ 10,000 wedding gowns.
My sister, Stephanie, had arranged for a car with a wheelchair lift to drive us from the hotel to Kleinfeld. The car driver wheeled me in.
At Kleinfeld with flower arrangements ten feet high, I felt like rolling into a dream. “Wow!” I said. I was wearing a new black outfit. Marina wore jean shorts, a sleeveless(无袖的) shirt, and sneakers. She stood with her hands crossed over her chest, like this was the last place on the planet she wanted to be. The kind Kleinfeld ladies pointed out rooms like tour guides, naming the designers one by one on display: Alita Grham, Pnina Tornai… With Marina walking beside me, Stephanie pushed my chair up and down rows and rows of dresses that made Princess Diana’s dress look modest.
Marina didn’t say a word. We turned a corner into the storage room, where hundreds of dresses hung in plastic protector sleeves. Marina and I were overwhelmed.
“Want to try one on ?” I said, touching Marina’s hand.
“OK,” Marina said in her sharp, unsure voice.
“Tell them the style you’d like.”
Marina stood silent. I felt bad for bringing her, for forcing such an adult experience on a child.
Marina picked an A-line dress. Or, more precisely, the ladies of Kleinfeld picked it for her. Marina was too shocked to do more than nod. As she took the gown into the dressing room, I tried not to think of my little girl on her wedding day or of her as a baby in my arms. I tried not to think of her with her own baby in her arms one day.
I tried not to think of Marina right now, embarrassed by her mother’s plans, by things she could not and should not yet understand.
I am leaving money in my will for Marina’s wedding dress. Stephanie has promised to bring her back to Kleinfeld to purchase it.
“No pure white!” I said to Stephanie. “Ivory. Not too much tulle(薄纱). Think lace.”
“Think royalty when picking a dress,” I advised Steph as we waited outside the dressing room. “Think Princes Kate. Elegant. Think long sleeves. They make dresses more formal.”
Marina came out, sleeveless, flared(下摆宽大的). She looked like a 14-year-old girl in the middle of a giant cupcake.
“I don’t like the loose gown.” she said.
That’s my girl!
“How about trying on one with long sleeves?” I asked her.
The ladies brought out a dress with long lace sleeves, an Empire collar, a ruched(有褶饰的) fitted waist, and a long, smooth silk skirt.
Marina disappeared into the dressing room. When the door opened, she looked a foot taller and a decade older. I could clearly see the beautiful woman she will be one day. I simply stared.
What do you do when you glimpse a moment you will not live to see?
I dipped my head. Breathe, I told myself. I looked up. I smiled. Marina smiled back.
I worked my tongue into position to speak. “I like it,” I said.
In that dress, Marina stood straight, shining brightly, and tall.
“You are beautiful,” I whispered, my tongue barely cooperating. I don’t know if she heard me. We took some photos. And moved on. A memory made.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The mother made the payment for the wedding gown for her daughter on the spot.
B. The mother was disabled and unable to move around without a wheelchair.
C. The daughter well understood why she was asked to try on wedding gowns.
D. The mother thought pure white is more suitable for her daughter on the wedding.
2.According to the story, we can conclude that Marina ________.
A. finally picked out her favorite wedding gown herself after careful selection
B. amazingly grew taller and older after wearing her new wedding gown
C. was a different girl who liked marking pictures on skin to show her uniqueness
D. was more concerned about her mother than trying on new wedding gowns
3.The underlined sentence in Para.4 means ________.
A. she was more satisfied with her own clothes than wedding gowns
B. she was too excited to say anything seeing so many wedding gowns
C. she was quite nervous and uneasy in a place intended for adults
D. she was amazed to see so many wedding gowns on display
4.By saying “I tried not to think of my little girl on her wedding day or …”, the author probably felt ________.
A. heartbroken B. disappointed
C. embarrassed D. ashamed
5.What is the main purpose for mother taking her 14-year-old daughter to the wedding dress shop?
A. To take memorable photos of her daughter who wears the wedding gown.
B. To buy her daughter the most beautiful wedding gown for her wedding day.
C. To fulfill her desire to see what her daughter will be like in her wedding gown.
D. To choose the most suitable wedding gown as the last gift for her daughter.
6.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Mother’s Final Wish
B. A Particular Wedding Dress Shop
C. An Embarrassing Plan
D. Daughter’s Wedding
Robots are common in todays world. They manufacture cars, work in space, explore oceans, clean up oil spills and investigate dangerous environments. And now, scientists at the University of Manchester are using a robot as a laboratory partner.
The researchers at the university created the robot in 2009 and named it Adam. Despite the name, Adam is not a humanoid robot. It is about the size of a car.
Adam was built to do science and make discoveries. Ross King is the leader of the University of Manchester research team. He says the robot made a discovery about yeast（酵母）, a kind of fungus used in science as a model for human cells.
“Adam hypothesized certain functions of genes within yeast and experimentally tested these hypothesizes and confirmed them. So it both hypothesized and confirmed new scientific knowledge.”
Adam's success as a scientist led to the creation of another robot scientist named Eve. Researchers developed Eve to design and test drugs for tropical and neglected diseases. These diseases kill and infect millions of people each year.
Drug development is slow and costly. Experts say it can take more than 10 years and about $1 billion to discover and develop new medicines. Drug manufacturers are unlikely to get their investment money back.
So the University of Manchester developed a low-cost test that shows whether or not a chemical is likely to be made into an effective medicine. Mr. King says that other drug testing methods were not very effective.
“How it works conventionally is you use robotics(机器人技术) as well and you have a large collection of possible drugs. You test every single compound(复合物). And you start at the beginning of your library and continue until the end, and stop. So it’s not a very intelligent process. The robotics doesn’t learn anything as it goes along, even if its tested a million compounds, it still doesnt have any expectation of what will happen next when it tests a new compound.”
Mr. King says that Eve is different because the robot learns as it tests different compounds. He says the robot is designed to ignore compounds that it thinks unlikely to be good. It will only test the compounds which have a good chance of working.
Eve has discovered that a compound known to be effective against cancer might also be used to fight against malaria and other tropical diseases.
Mr. King says he hopes to completely automate the drug testing process with robots like Eve to create and test new chemicals. But he says humans remain in control of the manufacturing process.
1.Adam can do all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. making discoveries B. working in space
C. helping researchers D. doing scientific research
2.The underlined word “hypothesized” probably means ________.
A. learned B. guessed
C. discovered D. created
3.The development of new drugs is slow because ________.
a. It takes long to test new drugs.
b. It takes long to produce new drugs.
c. New drugs are less effective.
d. It takes long to profit from new drugs.
e. Conventional testing methods dont work well.
A. abc B. bcd C. cde D. ade
4.Eve has an advantage of ________.
A. testing a million compound at a time
B. controlling the manufacturing the process
C. expecting what will happen while testing drugs
D. making scientific research
5.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Robot Scientist Helps Design New Drugs
B. Adam—the Smart Robot
C. New Methods to Test Drugs
D. Scientists Develop Humanoid Robots
Nowadays, Chinese love to consume TV shows, particularly American TV shows. Some shows have become especially popular for certain reasons. When you meet Chinese people, try to mention these shows to strike up a conversation with them, as it is likely that they are fans of these shows.
1. The Big Bang Theory
Talk to any young Chinese person, and chances are that they are crazy about the lives of Sheldon, Raj, Howard, and Leonard. Many viewers describe themselves as in love with Sheldon, and they appreciate the science jokes and content on the show. People admire the young geniuses on the show and the large amount of funny jokes, but also recognizes the show’s message that being smart isn’t everything in life. The university lifestyle depicted on the show and the friendships and witty arguments between the main characters are especially attractive to Chinese audiences.
2. House of Cards
China is ridding itself of corruption(腐败) today. It’s no surprise, then, that a thrilling and brilliant drama about political corruption currently catches on in China. China is the top country where the show is being wildly pirated(盗版) on Chinese websites. The Chinese government has also featured prominently on the show. Even high-ranking Chinese political officials have been known to watch religiously this show and keep up with the exploits of Frank Underwood. Some Chinese politicians consider Underwood as a role model, fans create special videos to honor the show, and many viewers like to learn about American politics and society from the show, even though what they learn from the show may not be totally accurate. It’s interesting to wonder what a Chinese version of this show would be like.
3. Gossip Girl
China has become much wealthier in the last several decades, and people across the world always like to observe rich people’s lives and imagine themselves being rich as well. Like the Chinese movie series Tiny Times, Gossip Girl rose to fame in China because Chinese viewers enjoyed watching the lives of rich Westerners and living wealthily through the characters. Many Chinese fans also admired the romance between Chuck and Blair, and strongly supported them getting married. The show is full of passionate love affairs, pleasant young people, and brilliant drama that fascinated Chinese audiences.
4. Two Broke Girls
Many young Chinese viewers like following the struggles of Max and Caroline as they attempt to earn money and build their own cupcake business. This show has become extremely popular in China and is frequently downloaded online. One reason why this sitcom has been successful in China is that for many Chinese who are young like Max and Caroline, they must deal with the same problems in life. Finding work and earning enough money to join the middle class is difficult for many Chinese people today. The Chinese TV show WoJu (蜗居) shows a family working to save money for an apartment and dealing with many situations caused by poverty, wealth, and greed. Young Chinese work extremely hard to earn enough money to buy cars, homes, and find someone to marry, and they can easily sympathize with characters living in poverty and working towards similar goals.
1.Para 1 suggests that ________.
A. China has been open to America
B. American movie industry develops well
C. American shows are very popular in China
D. Chinese enjoy talking about American shows
2.Viewers struggling for life probably sympathize with characters by watching ________.
A. The Big Bang Theory B. House of Cards
C. Gossip Girl D. Two Broke Girls
3.Which of the following is NOT right?
A. The Big Bang Theory tries to convey that being smart means everything.
B. House of Cards is pirated more in China than other countries.
C. Gossip Girl and Tiny Times have a similar theme.
D. Two Broke Girls tells about a story of struggling for a better life.
4.The underlined word “depicted” means ________.
A. learned B. described
C. made D. accepted
Jennifer Lynn is turning into a master storyteller. She writes about young adults brilliantly. However, I have got to say Stay With Me wasn’t my favorite in this series, but I still really enjoyed it and I would absolutely recommend it to fans interested in the world of young adults.
Stay With Me is the third book in Jennifer’s Wait For You series, which features a couple that have been in previous books but have their own unique story and can be read as a standalone. I like that about this series. It’s nice to be able to pick up a book and read it, finish it and move on to the next, but the Wait For You series has the added bonus of a more deeper character connection, as theyve appeared previously, you have more of a feel for them and you look forward to their story.
Stay With Me is Calla and Jaxs story. Calla has a wreck(严重受损的人) of a mother, but she is finally coming to the end of college and is looking forward to a career in nursing. She has done pretty well up for herself and now it was her time to shine. Unluckily, it falls through when her mother robbed her of every penny and took her identity. Calla has to go back to her small home town and into the arms of Jax.
Jax is handsome and cheerful! He is a waiter in a bar and knows Calla’s mother very well and he agrees to help Calla. He is true alpha, with a sweet side and is very protective of Calla. I loved him, but not as much as Cam, sorry Jax! And that’s why Stay with Me isn’t as good as Cam’s book, Wait for You. Don’t get me wrong. Jax is an incredibly great character, well fleshed out and I did care for him, but he just wasn’t as lovely as Cam.
As for Calla, I liked her character, and I liked the connection between her and Jax. I loved how he came out of his shell and showed her to love herself, despite her unsatisfactory past. There are a lot of intense moments between these two characters and they are so well written. Jennifer’s writing is addictive and she wrote the scenes between Jax and Calla beautifully. Calla has never been, what she would call boyfriend material, and so she struggles to see what Jax sees in her and she bats him off and ignores it. There’s a lot of push and pull between them, and it’s very charming. At times I did get a little annoyed with Calla, especially with her insecurity but Jax soon made up for that!
Overall I really enjoyed Stay with Me. Anyway, they are a wonderful pair together. Despite all the troubles that Calla was going through, their relationship seemed more realistic and was made to last.
1.Who would like to read Stay with me most?
A. Adults. B. Young adults.
C. Fans of young adults. D. Parents.
2.The author shows a preference for Calla by ________.
A. analyzing some plots from the book
B. comparing her with Jax
C. stating what Jax did to her
D. presenting her sad past
3.The underlined expression “came out of his shell” probably means ________.
A. fell in love with others
B. expressed his ideas
C. left his home town
D. overcame the difficulties
4.The author’s overall attitude towards Stay With Me is ________.
A. Unclear B. Negative
C. Indifferent D. Positive
5.What style does the passage belong to?
A. An essay. B. A novel. C. A review. D. A debate
Studies have shown it takes a physician about 18 seconds to interrupt a patient after they begin talking.
It was Sunday. I had one last patient to see. I her room in a hurry and stood at the doorway. She was an older woman, sitting at the edge of the bed, to put socks on her swollen feet. I crossed the threshold(门槛), spoke to the nurse, and scanned her chart noting she was in stable condition. I was almost in the clear.
I leaned on the bedrail looking at her. She asked if I could help put on her socks.
, I began a monologue that went something like this: “How are you feeling? Your sugars and blood pressure were high but they’re today. The nurse mentioned you’re anxious to see your who’s visiting you today. It’s nice to have a family visit from far away. I bet you really look forward to seeing him.”
Each story is . Some are detailed; others are vague. Some have a beginning, middle and end. Others wander without a clear . Some are true; others not. Yet all those things do not really . What matters to the storyteller is that the story is —without interruption, assumption or judgment.
Listening to someone’s story costs than expensive diagnostic testing but is key to healing and diagnosis.
I often thought of the woman taught me, and I reminded myself of the of stopping, sitting down and truly listening. And, not long after, in an unexpected , I became the patient, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis(诊断为多发性硬化症)at age 31. Now, 20 years later, I sit all the time —in a wheelchair.
For I could, I continued to see patients from my chair, but I had to resign when my hands were . I still teach medical students and other health care professionals, but now from the perspective of and patient.
I tell them I believe in the power of . I tell them I know firsthand that immeasurable healing takes place within me someone stops, sits down and listens to my story.
1.A. entered B. stepped C. passed D. approached
2.A. hoping B. wishing C. struggling D. pulling
3.A. quickly B. slowly C. carefully D. carelessly
4.A. away B. up C. around D. down
5.A. However B. Instead C. Therefore D. Moreover
6.A. good B. better C. more D. well
7.A. son B. daughter C. friend D. sister
8.A. unique B. similar C. different D. wonderful
9.A. way B. direction C. conclusion D. instruction
10.A. attract B. exist C. appeal D. matter
11.A. appreciated B. told C. enjoyed D. heard
12.A. less B. more C. higher D. cheaper
13.A. which B. how C. what D. that
14.A. pleasure B. difference C. behavior D. importance
15.A. twist B. accident C. occasion D. thing
16.A. as good as B. as long as C. as soon as D. as well as
17.A. wounded B. affected C. injected D. hurt
18.A. physician B. hospital C. teacher D. school
19.A. stopping B. talking C. listening D. sitting
20.A. before B. when C. until D. unless
—Excuse me, Tom. How many miles is five kilometers?
—Sorry. _______
A. It all depends. B. You know.
C. Let me see. D. You’ve got me there.
