Who is a great person? To answer this question, we often think of someone , such as the South Africa hero Nelson Mandela or the NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant. But often a great person is next to us—but we never see the greatness unless a difficult comes up.
In May, 2008, a high school girl in Beichuan, Sichuan, a hero just next to her. When the earthquake hit, her school on top of the students. Just next to her was her classmate Li Anqiang. Li worked to move rocks to make for her. Before rescuers reached them, , aftershocks brought down rubble(碎石) around them. Li’s earlier efforts kept his classmate from danger, but the new rubble that fell on his legs crushed (压碎) them beyond .
Today, Li is in a wheelchair; he is missing both of his legs, but he is not missing the good that made him a hero during the earthquake. He still the sports he played before the earthquake, table tennis and basketball—and still his hero, Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant, however, considers Li a hero. In reply to Li’s letter, Kobe praised Li as “a strong boy whose attitude toward was amazing”. He encouraged Li in his love of basketball, telling Li that he looked cool in a photo of his a basketball from his wheelchair.
So that we have great people next to us every day—in school, at work, on the bus. There may not be a to show us who they are, but we can be sure they are . Who knows? you are one yourself.
1.A. active B. famous C. brave D. exciting
2.A. ever B. still C. right D. even
3.A. situation B. decision C. duty D. adventure
4.A. found B. helped C. understood D. realized
5.A. built B. landed C. bombed D. fell
6.A. room B. difference C. peace D. allowance
7.A. instead B. however C. therefore D. fortunately
8.A. enough B. more C. deadly D. many
9.A. calm B. healthy C. safe D. clear
10.A. reach B. hope C. repair D. doubt
11.A. habits B. grades C. reputation D. quality
12.A. dislikes B. studies C. advertises D. enjoys
13.A. drops into B. looks up to C. looks out for D. sets an example to
14.A. fan B. invitation C. recommendation D. introduction
15.A. fate B. choice C. sports D. history
16.A. watching B. holding C. shooting D. drawing
17.A. appreciate B. see C. remember D. decide
18.A. report B. luck C. direction D. disaster
19.A. nearby B. hidden C. awarded D. normal
20.A. Accidentally B. Perhaps C. Eventually D. Obviously
In order to achieve big things in your life, you must be willing to think big. 1._______When you’ve busy working toward bringing your goals to life, you also feel happier in your journey. Follow these steps to make your goals a reality.
2.____ Where do you see yourself in a year, five years or ten? Do you see yourself with a family, children, a good job and a college degree in ten years? Try to think as far ahead as you can. Pay attention to every detail, and let your dreams come to life in your mind, showing you what matters most to you.
3. _______Write down everything you imagine. 4._____ write down the most important achievements that you want to center on and the details about each. What matters most to you? Once you have a list of goals in mind, work out a plan. How will you achieve these goals? Divide your goals into achievable steps.
Start achieving goals today. Put your plans into action today. 5. _______ Move forward every day, even if you are only taking a small step at a time.
When you can picture what your desired life is like, you can better decide the goals you need to set and achieve. All it takes are small steps toward your desired future, and you can achieve the life you want.
A. Center on what you want to achieve.
B. Close your eyes and imagine your future.
C. Take a small step toward the future each day.
D. You should dream big and try to make your goals happen.
E. It’s okay to change your dream sand goals based on your needs.
F. Use as much detail as you can when writing down what you remember.
G. Think about where you want to be in the future and how you want to get there.
Traditionally, across the world, boys and girls attend a mixed school, where they study together. But boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions (情感) and encourage them to take part in activities such as art, dance and music.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to take part in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to correspond to(和…相符) the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
The findings of the study go against accepted wisdom that boys do better when taught together with girls.
Tony Little, head master of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when girls do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor (量身定做) lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine（女性的） and prefer the modern genre （类型） in which violence and sexism are major themes," James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel that they had to be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools, boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported.
1.The author believes that a single-sex school would __________.
A. force boys to hide their emotions to be "real men"
B. help boys to be more competitive in schools.
C. encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
D. naturally strengthen boys’ traditional image of a man
2.It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys __________.
A. behave more responsibly.
B. grow up more healthily.
C. perform relatively better.
D. receive a better education.
3.According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is __________.
A. teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B. boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C. boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D. teaching can be designed to promote boys' team spirit
4.What does the underlined word “acute” in paragraph 8 mean?
A. lovely B. sharp C. serious D. dull
Andy was still traveling in Spain when he realized he had to confirm (确认) his flight home with the airline company (航空公司). He was visiting Spain in order to improve his Spanish. When he was speaking to people face to face, he had no difficulty understanding what they said. However, when he was speaking on the phone, he still had a problem. Andy called the airline. And the clerk confirmed that his plane was leaving at nine o'clock three days from that day. She also told Andy to be at the airport two hours earlier in order to check in his luggage and get a seat.
Since he was leaving in three days, Andy didn't lose any time. He visited as many places as he could. He thought that it would probably be a while before he had enough money again. He wished he could come back and spend a year in Spain.
Too quickly, the final day arrived. Andy left early for the airport to arrive two hours before take-off. He hated to rush. He went to the clerk to show his ticket. The clerk looked at the ticket in surprise. "Why, sir, but your flight was at nine o'clock in the morning, and now it is eight in the evening." "But I confirmed my flight," insisted Andy. "Will I have to pay for another ticket?"
"No, sir. However, the next flight out will be three days from now."
Andy's look of shock turned to pleasure as he realized that now he could continue his vacation.
1.Why was Andy in Spain?
A. He was there on a business trip.
B. He hoped to learn Spanish better.
C. He liked to visit places of interest in Spain.
D. He was visiting friends there
2.Andy missed his flight because________.
A. he forgot his flight time
B. the clerk gave him the wrong time of his flight
C. the clerk misunderstood him
D. he misunderstood the clerk
3.Which word can best describe the feeling of Andy when he came to know that his stay in Spain would be longer?
A. happy B. shocked C. upset D. angry
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Travelers always have to confirm the time of flight with airline companies by phone call.
B. It’s more difficult for Andy to understand others in Spanish face to face than on the phone.
C. Andy was enjoying himself when visiting places in Spain.
D. Andy would spend the next three days at the airport.
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name mad pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use associations.
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example，you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng—tall, black hair. ” To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show upon time. That’s fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others—an automatic review for you.
1.How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
A. They will be moved. B. They will be annoyed.
C. They will be delighted. D. They will be discouraged.
2. If you can’t remember someone’s name, you may ________.
A. tell him the truth B. tell him a white lie
C. ask him for pity D. ask others to help you
3.When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember ________.
A. all their names B. a couple of names first
C. just their last names D. as many names as possible
4.What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Tips on an important social skill.
B. Importance of attending parties.
C. How to make use of associations.
D. How to recite and repeat names.
It'll soon be the birthday of one of my closest friends, Susie. I still cannot decide what to give her. She's a rare friend because she has been there for me all the time whenever I need a friend to talk to. I can always depend on her to be the first to arrive to give me advice when I have problems. I guess I am so lucky to have her as a friend.
It's more than seven years since I first met Susie in our school. I joined the theater group and she was a director then. At first I thought she was intimidating but in the end I realized that she needed to keep a strict image in order for her actors and actresses to take her seriously. And then during practice I got a chance to know her better. In fact, she was a friendly and warm-hearted person. Soon we become good friends.
I don't know exactly what to give my friend on her birthday as I believe she has everything. So it's really hard to buy her a gift she will like. This year I want something different and special but I don't know what to give. One day I searched the internet without any purpose and to my surprise there is a really lovely site where you can buy all kinds of gifts.
I scanned（浏览）some of their items and I found cool and exciting gifts. I chose a special personalized bracelet（手镯）. I'm sure that this will look perfect on her. I put our arms as part of the design of the bracelet so that it'll remind us that we'll forever be friends. I can't wait to give her my gift but I won't tell her yet. I don't want to destroy the surprise.
1.Why does the author consider Susie as a rare friend?
A. Susie is good at solving problems.
B. She and the author have lots of things to talk about.
C. Susie is a friendly and warm-hearted person.
D. She can always offer help when the author is in need.
2.Finally the author found a nice gift for her friend_____
A. with the help of somebody else B. while going online
C. while doing shopping in a store D. without difficulty
3.The author wanted to put her and her friend's names in the bracelet in order to _____.
A. give her friend a big surprise
B. make the present more special
C. remind her friend of their difference between them.
D. make her friend remember their friendship forever.
