When my brother and I said we were going to spend our Christmas holidays abroad, the whole family objected violently. But nothing could persuade us 1. (stay). Two days 2. Christmas, we went to a small town in Southern Germany. We 3. (spend) the whole of Christmas Eve sightseeing.
There were 4. many activities in the town that they added to our excitement. The streets were crowded with people 5. the shops were full of wonderful things. In the evening. We went to listen to Christmas songs 6. (sing) by children around the 7. (bright) decorated Christmas tree in the main street. We planned to have 8. meal at the best restaurant in town the next day. However, in the morning the streets were empty. What’s worse, all the shops including the restaurants were shut. As last we had to return to our hotel, 9. (feel) very miserable. Our Christmas “feast” was a bag of fruits, 10. my brother had happened to buy the day before.
The phone call came one cool winter day. I was ________ that my father was seriously ill.
It had been long since I’d seen my father. Ever since his ________ from my mom, my father had lived alone in a small trailer(房车) in California, 500 miles away from me. The real ________ between us seemed so much greater. I was in no hurry to ________ that, but somehow I heard myself ________ to the owner of the trailer to be there the next day.
The whole drive down, ________ flashed through my mind. I remembered my father, the proud Marine. He made sure the first song I ________ was the Marine Hymn(《美国海军陆战队队歌》). He tore off the Christmas ________ all the decorations the rest of us had ________ and rehung them so there was ________ the same space between them. But we didn’t need to ________ those military orders, as we were not soldiers. I remembered ________ the battles he had with my mother. I remembered hoping to hear my father say ________ once, “I love you, Patty,” only to have him ________ at me, “You can’t do anything right!”
And now here I was standing outside his trailer, trying to ________ my courage to face him one more time. I knocked on the door, my hand and my whole body ________. NO answer. Slowly I opened the door. I took a few ________ inside and stopped, too shocked to believe my eyes.
My father was sitting on his sofa, looking confused and crying. This wasn’t the ________ man I had known growing up. He seemed broken.
A sense of ________ overtook me, and I knew what I had to do. He would be my father forever. Without ________, I went back inside and packed up all of my father’s things. I would take him to my home—our home.
1.A. remindedB. convincedC. informedD. warned
2.A. divorceB. differenceC. absenceD. result
3.A. difficultyB. distanceC. challengeD. pain
4.A. destroyB. distanceC. increaseD. change
5.A. announceB. explainC. promiseD. apologize
6.A. memoriesB. doubtsC. signsD. messages
7.A. performedB. learnedC. admiredD. composed
8.A. boxB. giftC. treeD. cake
9.A. taken upB. made upC. rang upD. put up
10.A. uniquelyB. exactlyC. properlyD. specially
11.A. masterB. obeyC. admitD. recite
12.A. eventuallyB. suddenlyC. clearlyD. regularly
13.A. justB. alwaysC. seldomD. ever
14.A. pointB. lookC. laughD. yell
15.A. showB. gatherC. supportD. improve
16.A. softeningB. relaxingC. achingD. shaking
17.A. stepsB. measuresC. turnsD. jumps
18.A. selfishB. angryC. mildD. strange
19.A. sorrowB. fearC. prideD. anger
20.A. effortB. pityC. hesitationD. rest
Not all of us are outgoing and ready to take the world by storm. 1. This usually happens when a person is still in his or her teen years and going through the socialization process. So, what can a person do to overcome this tendency to be awkward. Let’s try to find answers to the questions.
Stay in shape and dress up well
Sometimes, awkwardness could be due to being overweight. When you are large in size, you tend to get very self-conscious. So, in order to avoid this, get into the habit of exercising every day. 2. If you look as if you have just stepped out of a 1980’s film when actually it is 2011, there is no doubt that you are bound to feel awkward about yourself.
Be optimistic
Another effective tip on how not to feel awkward is to always keep a smile on your face. 3. On the other hand, a smiling, happy and positive think person is appreciated by everybody. So, smile when you meet acquaintances or even strangers, say a cheerful “Hi!” and automatically some of your awkwardness will disappear completely!
Participate in team activities
This one really helps. Awkwardness generally develops when a person remains isolated from others. So, in order to change this situation, join groups. 4. Joining people in book reading sessions as well as debates will help remove your awkwardness. Choose any activity of your choice, such as playing team sports or joining a dance class, and soon you will find your comfort level around people increasing day by day!
Develop your personality
Being a book-worm or an Internet addict will not get you anywhere. For self-improvement, take up a hobby that adds meaning to your life. Learn singing or try adventure sports. 5.
A. Learn how to end a conversation.
B. Secondly, have appropriate clothes on.
C. For instance, if you are a reading lover, join a book club.
D. If you look sad, nobody will actually like being with you.
E. Something as simple as listening to music will do wonders too.
F. Many among us are shy and may even feel kept apart from others.
G. Awkwardness could be because you do not have anything in common to talk about.
Planning to go to a gym? If you are one of those who spent many days planning to join a gym or to attend it regularly, then why not choose some home exercise? Here are some home exercises without equipment.
Jumping jacks
This one is the best home workout without weights which is a great exercise that will work your hands and legs. Perform this exercise by standing with your feet placed together and arms at your sides. Now tuck in your abs(收腹) and jump by bending in your knees. At the same time, move your feet apart as much as you can and raise your hands to bring in line with your shoulder. While you come back you must be in a starting position, feet together, hands at sides and knees bent. You must land on your heels and again jump.
Jogging
Jogging is one of the best home exercises without weights. You don’t need to have a lawn or jogging track at home to perform this exercise. There are many benefits of jogging. It will work your entire legs. Moreover, it is a classic cardiovascular(心血管) workout. Make sure you wear jogging footwear even if you are jogging at home to avoid any stress on your feet. Also, you can gradually increase the jogging time and speed.
Rotating(旋转) exercise
Start by rotating your wrists, clockwise(顺时针地) and anticlockwise. Now, alternately rotate your feet in the same fashion. Now place both your hands on the shoulder and start rotating your shoulder clockwise and anticlockwise. Place an exercise mat and lie flat on your back. Now lift your left leg and rotate it clockwise; do not bend your knees. Now rest the left leg, lift your right leg and rotate it anticlockwise.
It is necessary to set a perfect mood for exercise which will help you stick to the exercise routine and excitement. Make sure you wear proper exercise clothes to perform the workout with ease. Also, putting on your favorite music will make your exercise session more lively. If you get bored with exercises, just dance, after all it’s also one of the best home exercises.
1.To carry out jumping jacks effectively, you ________.
A. need to keep your two feet apart at first
B. must stand straight first and bend your abs
C. must use your arms to support your body
D. need to use your heels to touch the ground
2.What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
A. You may exercise your body entirely by jogging at home.
B. It may do harm to your feet to jog at home without shoes.
C. You’d better choose a space as the jogging track at home.
D. You must stick to a fixed time and speed while jogging.
3.What is the right order of your body parts during rotation exercise?
A. hands—legs---back----legs.
B. wrists—hands---feet---shoulders.
C. wrists---feet---shoulders---legs.
D. hands---shoulders---knees---legs.
4.To carry out home exercises continuously, you need ________.
A. a good atmosphereB. a good coach
C. a dance teacherD. a good timer
You may have heard of the book Moby Dick(《白鲸记》), written by the American author Herman Melville. You may also know that Moby Dick is considered one of the greatest novels ever written. However, it might surprise you to find out Herman Melville was not always a highly regarded author.
Melville’s first two novels, Typee and Omoo, were widely read and financially successfully. They were both exciting tales of adventures at sea and experiences with people in foreign lands. Melville became quite famous. However, upon the publication of his third book, Mardi, Melville’s popularity began to weaken. He was no longer interested in telling tales of pure adventure, and his writing took on a style that alienated(使疏远) the general reading public of his time.
Melville published Moby Dick in October of 1851. It was an original novel, combining aspects of sociology and philosophy, which confused readers by its complex symbolism. The book sold poorly.
Melville’s next book, Pierre, was almost completely disregarded by the public. Debt frustration and ill health finally forced Melville to take a low-paying job as a customs inspector. Eventually, Melville abandoned prose(散文) and began to write poetry.
The Civil War is the main subject of Melville’s poetry. He and his brother made a trip to the front line, and he published a book of poems, Battle-Pieces and Aspects of War, based on this experience.
Melville died in 1891 at the age of 72. At this point, his work had been completely forgotten by the public. His talent was to go unrecognized for the next thirty years. Then, in 1920s, his reputation began to improve as critics and readers rediscovered his work. Today Moby Dick is one of the best-known novels ever penned by an American author.
1.What were Melville’s first two novels mainly about?
A. His travel experience.
B. His successful communication skills.
C. Adventurous experiences in the front line.
D. Adventurous voyages and foreign experiences.
2.We can learn from the text that Moby Dick ________.
A. sold a little better than Pierre
B. was Melville’s favorite novel
C. was copied from other books
D. made Melville popular again
3.The text may be taken from ________.
A. a writing guide
B. a literary journal
C. a science magazine
D. a critical book on literature
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. The main works of Melville.
B. The skills in Melville’s writing.
C. The ups and downs of Melville.
D. The reason for Melville’s failure.
It has always been thought that alcohol causes people to put on weight because it contains a lot of sugar, but new research suggests a glass a day cold form part of a diet. Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight; those who drink in moderation can actually lose weight.
A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, “Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain.” The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.
Boston University’s Dr. Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms(生物学机制) relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes(糖尿病), which relate to increasing obesity. Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.
The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and are not stored in fat, and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods. They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks, taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight.
For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one’s risk of becoming obese. What’s more, a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine destroys fat cells.
1.The passage is mainly for those_________.
A. who produce wine
B. who have a drinking habit
C. who go on a diet
D. who are eager to lose weight
2.The underlined phrase“ in moderation” in the first paragraph means _________.
A. excitedlyB. carefullyC. frequentlyD. properly
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Current data clearly show that moderate drinking increases weight.
B. Resveratrol is proved to increase the risk of becoming fat.
C. The research found moderate drinking has a strong protective effect.
D. The specific roles of different types of alcoholic drinks are very clear.
4.What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A. How to do some easy experiments.
B. How to reduce the calories contained in wine.
C. How to prove the finding mentioned above.
D. How to make wine in a healthy way.
