Living in two different cultures is not an easy thing. When I was ten years old, my parents 1. (move) to the US from Sri Lanka, which is 2. island off the coast of India.
3. we now live in the US, we follow the customs and traditions of Sri Lanka. I have learned 4. (speak) 3 languages，including English. I eat a variety of foods and celebrate different holidays that have little to do with my culture.
However，there are many 5. (advantage) of being part of two cultures. Sometimes，speaking a language at home and speaking another language in school can be confusing; sometimes I have trouble 6. (express) my thoughts in English because they 7. understand me well；sometimes my culture does make me feel far away from others because I feel too different. I am 8. (close) to my culture of Sri Lanka than that of the US. I don’t listen to English music as much as I listen to Indian music. 9. , I feel very separated from my friends when I don’t know what song 10. are talking about.
A single mother and her daughter living in my community are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally , mixing with nobody. As they drive past neighbors they keep their eyes looking away and make no sign of other people. The only fame they have is making a nuisance (讨厌的人) of themselves to the local police station by music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other little .
Upon moving into this neighborhood, I was of these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast (猛烈抨击 ) me with some or other. I answered politely and made sure I as they went past my place and also made the effort now and then to make a kind about their garden or pets.
Time passed and in October, as part of the Kindness Rock Give, Maureen and I decided to place a kindness rock in their garden. Their remained unchanged, however, and I continued to be as friendly as possible. During the Easter give, we decided once again to these two unhappy ladies to our list and a packet of cookies on their gate. Imagine my when two days later they at my gate and jokingly said they were hanging their Christmas stocking on their gate, and they brought me a bunch of（一束）flowers!
So, my fellow gifters, do not give up on your random（随机的）gifts of kindness. You may never just what this to others, nor how many broken or hearted people you may just change a simple act of kindness.
1.A. protected B. depressed C. separated D. worried
2.A. helping B. greeting C. hating D. blaming
3.A. accepting B. requesting C. reporting D. refusing
4.A. events B. mistakes C. accidents D. affairs
5.A. informed B. warned C. reminded D. told
6.A. challenge B. success C. failure D. chance
7.A. quarrels B. opinions C. explanations D. complaints
8.A. seldom B. never C. always D. sometimes
9.A. waved B. stared C. noticed D. laughed
10.A. change B. smile C. gesture D. remark
11.A. smile B. attitude C. decision D. anger
12.A. add B. lead C. refuse D. include
13.A. shared B. saved C. left D. threw
14.A. fear B. anxiety C. surprise D. doubt
15.A. whispered B. stopped C. shouted D. lay
16.A. imagining B. watching C. considering D. recalling
17.A. admit B. regret C. know D. doubt
18.A. refers B. means C. relates D. donates
19.A. kind B. willing C. hard D. weak
20.A. to B. for C. by D. with
Building Healthy Interpersonal Relationships
1. .
Human beings are social creatures and thrive(茁壮成长) in relationships with others. A healthy part to being a well rounded, happy individual is engaging in healthy relationships with others. These friendships can provide safe environments in which individuals can thrive and help promote general well-being. Building healthy interpersonal relationships requires a willingness to work and participate in the growth of the friendships.
2. .
One of the first steps to build healthy interpersonal relationships is understanding one’s value. When an individual is aware of and treasures what she or he has to offer any relationship, the building of relationships can be founded on that knowledge. Everyone has worth. Everyone has talents. When this worth is discovered, a person can then use these skills in approaching interpersonal relationships.
3. .
Along with understanding one’s worth is recognizing and understanding the worth of others. In a healthy interpersonal relationship, both parties should be respected and feel as if they are valued in the friendship. At the point that contributions to the relationship become one-sided，resentment(怨恨) can begin and the relationship will move from healthy to unhealthy.
4. .
Also, 1iving within the same value systems and lifestyles can provide a link of familiarity on which the friendship can grow. Trust also can develop from these similarities and goes a long way in developing a healthy friendship. Therefore，it is necessary to seek out individuals with the same value systems and lifestyles to build healthy relationships. Not knowing whether or not a friend will lead an individual into dangerous situations or behave in ways that cause trouble can place stress on friendships.
5.____________________.
A healthy interpersonal relationship cannot be built on dishonesty. Individuals must always behave in ways that are true to the person they are. Attracting people into relationships with dishonesty can have results that are not healthy. One may begin to feel fooled into a friendship if a friend turns out to be a different person than he first showed himself to be.
A. Know your worth. B. Be true to yourself. C. Recognize the value in others. D. Value and develop a healthy relationship. E. The importance of interpersonal relationships. F. Look for individuals with similar value systems. |
A sun-starved Norwegian town has finally seen the light—by installing giant mirrors on the surrounding mountains to reflect rays onto its market square.
The small town of Rjukan sits deep in the narrow Vestfjord Valley，in the Telemark region south-west of Oslo. The towering peaks that surround it rise to almost 2,000 meters above sea level and block out the sunlight for half the year, meaning Rjukan residents live in a permanent shadow from September to March.
But all that changed this week, with the official launch of a project first proposed a century ago. Three high-tech mirrors，with a combined reflective surface of 50 square meters, have been put into operation on a ridge(山脊) on Gaustatoppen mountain，brightening up the previously gloomy town center by flooding it with up to 600 square meters of sunlight.
Twenty-first century technology has made the $850, 000 project possible, with heliostats—computer-powered mirrors—shifting every 10 seconds to track the movements of the sun during the day.
But the idea to lighten up the dark town actually dates back 100 years. Rjukan was originally founded as a company town for Norsk Hydro, which set up a fertilizer plant here to make use of the hydro power from the nearby 104 meter Rjukanfossen waterfall. The story goes that the aluminum(铝) and renewable energy company’s founder，Sam Eyde，wanted a way to brighten up the existence of his shadowed 1aborers--and also to make them work more effectively during the winter.
The local newspaper published a suggestion by local bookkeeper Oskar Kittelsen to use a mirror to reflect sunlight onto the town，and Eyde picked up on the idea. Technological limitations of the day meant the plan never came to fruition，however, and instead northern Europe’s first cable car was built in 1928 to give Rjukan residents sunlight exposure at the top of the mountain.
1.Rjukan residents used to 1ive in a permanent shadow from September to March .
A. because it sits near the Arctic Circle(北极圈)
B. because it is located in a deep valley
C. because the sunlight was stopped by peaks
D. because it 1ies to the southwest of Oslo
2. The underlined word“flooding”in the third paragraph means .
A. covering B. counting
C. widening D. viewing
3.Norsk Hydro set up Rjukan because .
A. there were quantities of cheaper labors
B. there existed large amounts of hydro power
C. it was very convenient to use water
D. there was rich aluminum and water resources
Based on new analysis, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society and the environment could be quite severe. Geographers predict that within the next eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate (迁徙) north.
Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear.
According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today’s familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today’s world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the whole world. The planet itself has been showing signs of change. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.
Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously thought. At this point, it doesn’t matter what is causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What’s more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There is war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.
However, other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection between this. No one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.
1.Which of the following would be the best title for the Passage?
A. Ways to protect our planet.
B. Solutions to climate change.
C. Be prepared for climate change.
D. Climate change and its effects.
2.What is the author’s purpose in using the examples of earthquakes?
A. To show the damage earthquakes caused.
B. To remind people to prevent future earthquakes.
C. To show major changes are taking place on the planet.
D. To tell us more earthquakes will happen in the future.
3.What does the underlined word “devastated” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Separated. B. Destroyed.
C. Removed. D. Affected.
4.What can be inferred from the Passage?
A. Animals and plants won’t die out as long as climate changes slowly.
B. There’s enough data for us to predict the future of climate change.
C. The world is getting more unstable because of animal migration.
D. The earth is not the only planet that is experiencing climate change.
It’s a great sunny day, so it’s time to get out and enjoy the weather. Many of us would like to, but we have projects due, tasks that need to be done, people that we need to see and money that needs to be made.
What if your company gave you that time off as compensation for the great effort that you gave to the team to finish a project on time? See, when it comes to teamwork, the main focus is for the team to work together. In a ‘‘winning” team there is an equal balance of people who have unique strengths and weaknesses.
Take the example of the Chicago Bulls(芝加哥公牛队) of the 1990s. Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player to play the game, but did they win a championship every year when Michael had played? No. It took a (D-type) Michael Jordan to lead the team and control the outcome. It took a(n) (I-type) wild and energetic Dennis Rodman to keep the team fun and interesting. It took (S-types) Scottie Pippin, Bill Cartwright, and John Paxson to support the team. And it took the (C-type) analytical mind of Coach Phil Jackson to create a foundation for the players to play on. In the end they, the Chicago Bulls, were able to win six championships within eight years.
What is your team made up of? All Jordans? All Jacksons? All Rodmans? Or all Pippins, Cartwrights and Paxsons? It is you who can choose who’s on your team. Try finding the right people for the right job, and you will have a “winning” team every time!
1.The underlined word “compensation” in the second paragraph means “ ”.
A. reward B. present C. money D. duty
2.According to this passage, a winning team is made up of .
A. a group of people who are tall and strong
B. a group of people who don’t have weaknesses
C. a group of people who don’t quarrel with each other
D. a group of people whose strengths and weaknesses can get to balance
3. The Chicago Bulls were able to win six championships within eight years because .
A. Michael Jordan was a good team leader
B. Coach Phil Jackson created a foundation
C. all the players and the coach worked together
D. Dennis Rodman kept the team fun and interesting
4. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Working Is Happy B. The Story of the Chicago Bulls
C. Good Choice D. Working Together for a Team
