There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many , but because he was a good piano player, some people came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老主顾) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.
The man said, “I have never that before in public. I think I’m at playing the piano.”
But the customer . He told the waiter, “I’m listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”
The waiter across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get , sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”
in order to bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the first time. And had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung _ that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the himself!
He had talent he was on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.
You, too, have skills and . You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly , but it may be better than you think! And with persistence (坚持), most skills can be . Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you ! The is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is “How will I use whatever ability I have?”.
Just think a minute…
1.A. waiters B. players C. singers D. customers
2.A. still B. never C. ever D. only
3.A. practiced B. shown C. done D. dreamed
4.A. better B. richer C. easier D. sooner
5.A. confused B. insisted C. agreed D. charged
6.A. familiar with B. fond of C. used to D. tired of
7.A. served B. shouted C. explained D. complained
8.A. changed B. broadcast C. paid D. drunk
9.A. But B. And C. Because D. So
10.A. nobody B. anybody C. somebody D. everybody
11.A. since B. after C. until D. when
12.A. waiter B. singer C. patron D. owner
13.A. sitting B. waiting C. depending D. playing
14.A. went up B. went on C. went off D. went away
15.A. advantages B. character C. abilities D. principle
16.A. unique B. surprising C. famous D. great
17.A. improved B. wasted C. remembered D. impressed
18.A. imagine B. develop C. expect D. possess
19.A. decision B. answer C. question D. solution
20.A. even B. rather C. pretty D. fairly
Swimming in the water of Hawaii’s Big Island is a fun experience. But it can be more exciting if there are dolphins swimming around and jumping out of the sea too. For many people, it would be a wonderful dream to swim with these lovely animals! However, this may not be good for dolphins. They may get hurt because of human interaction (互动).
Dolphins are active and usually look for food at night. In the day, they like to rest in shallow bays(浅湾). Many people think the dolphins are awake during the day as they swim. But when they sleep they rest half of their brain and keep the other half awake to breathe, so they may be sleeping even when they’re swimming in the water.
From 2010 to 2013, spinner dolphins (飞旋海豚) of Hawaii’s Big Island were exposed to human activities more than 82 percent of the time, according to Julian Tyne, a researcher at Australia’s Murdoch University.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says disturbing the animals in their near-shore habitat could force them to swim to less favorable places, putting them at risk of attack by sharks and other animals.
Besides, when people are around, dolphins become more active. Thus, they can’t get enough sleep. “Disturbing their resting behaviors can actually affect their long term health and the health of the dolphin population,” Ann Garrett of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service told the Associated Press.
As a result, the NOAA wants to make rules to help protect the dolphins. For example, the agency (机构) may ban swimming with the Hawaii spinner dolphins. Or they may stop people from swimming in shallow bays when the dolphins are resting. Tour operators must also be taught to watch for signs to know when the dolphins are in their resting state.
1.Which of the following about dolphins is NOT true?
A. They spend most of their time sleeping at night.
B. They like to stay in shallow bays during the day.
C. They keep half of their brain awake while sleeping.
D. They may be sleeping even when they’re swimming.
2.When dolphins are disturbed in their near-shore habitat, they _____.
A. would swim to a crowded place
B. could move closer to sharks
C. could become less active
D. could likely sleep longer
3.Which activity is against the rules?
A. Swimming with the Hawaii spinner dolphins.
B. Swimming in bays where the dolphins live.
C. Making signs that show the dolphins’ resting state.
D. Making signs that show where the dolphins are.
4.What does the article mainly talk about?
A. What habits dolphins have.
B. What spinner dolphins are.
C. How the animals live in the sea.
D. How to protect dolphins near the shore.
Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.
When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.
Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholic drinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain.
People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825, but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.
Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. "If you give people good working conditions," he thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people."
1.For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _____.
A. improving worker's houses
B. providing the children with a good education
C. helping people to save money
D. preventing men from getting drunk
2.From the passage we may infer that Owen was born _____.
A. into a rich family B. into a noble family
C. into a poor family D. into a middle class family
3.Owen's experiment in the United States failed because _____.
A. he lost all his money
B. people who visited it were not impressed
C. he did not buy enough land
D. it was too far away for him to organize it properly
4.We may infer from the passage that no children in Britain could enjoy free education until _____.
A. 1771 B. 1816 C. 1825 D. 1860
Most people agree that eating healthy food is important. But sometimes making good food choices can be difficult. Now, there are apps that can help people learn about the food they eat to improve their health and their dining out experience.
OpenTable app
OpenTable app helps people choose restaurants when they want to go out to eat. It is a free service that shows users restaurant available based on where and when they want to dine. It gives users points when they make reservations, which can add up to discounts on restaurant visits.
Max McCalman’s Cheese & Wine Pairing app
Wine and cheese can be a great combination. But which wines go best with which cheeses? Max McCalman’s Cheese & Wine Pairing app can help. It provides information about hundreds of different cheeses and suggests wines to pair with each. Max McCalman’s Cheese & Wine Pairing app is free.
HappyCow app
Vegetarians do not eat animal meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. The HappyCow app is made for both groups. Users can search for vegetarian-vegan restaurants and stores around the world.
LocalEats app
Restaurant chains, like McDonalds, can be found almost anywhere a person might travel. But sometimes travelers want to eat like locals. The LocalEats app is designed for that. It can help you find local restaurants in major cities in the US. and in other countries. It costs about a dollar.
WhereChefsEat app
Where Chefs Eat is a 975-page book. Most people would not want to carry that around. But there is a much lighter app version of the same name for just $15. Six hundred chefs provide information on 3,000 restaurants around the world on the WhereChefsEat app.
1.What can users get when making a reservation with OpenTable app?
A. prizes. B. books. C. points D. cheeses.
2.Happycow app is designed for those who prefer _____.
A. local foods. B. wine and cheese
C. vegetables D. animal meat
3.What app costs you most according to the text?
A. OpenTable. B. Where Chefs Eat
C. LocalEats D. Max MeCalman’s Cheese & Wine Pairing.
When my brother Joey was 6 months old, my mother brought him home from the hospital and told me to watch him while she fixed supper. We started playing a game I called “dogs”, rolling on the floor like pups (小狗). Then I looked up and saw my mother watching us. She was crying.
“He’s blind,” she said. “The doctor told me today.”
I looked at Joey. He was laughing. “He can’t be blind,” I said. “He smiles at my face.”
“He smiles at your voice,” she said. “He’ll never see your face.”
That was that. Joey was blind. Mama went back to cooking. I went back to playing a dog. From the age of 8, Joey boarded at a school for the deaf and the blind, learning to read Braille (盲文). When he was 16, the school said he’d learned enough and sent him home with a Braille typewriter. At 21, Joey moved out to live on his own, he said, “like a man,” in an apartment 30 miles (48 km) away. He learned to cook, clean, do his own laundry, and do almost anything else he needed.
Then he met the love of his life. She, too, was blind. When Joey called to tell me, he said: “Even a blind man can fall in love at first sight.”
They shared 10 good years before he lost her to cancer. Painfully soon after, he also lost our mother, who was his champion, and our stepfather, who was Joey’s best friend.
What is left when you lose the loves of your life? My brother clung with an iron fist (拳头) to three gifts: Faith, hope and love.
His faith grew stronger. He always had hope. And his love for his family has never gotten weaker, despite death or disappointment. Loved ones leave, but love remains.
The years ahead may prove to be his hardest. His legs are growing weaker, threatening to take away the independence he’s fought so hard to keep.
My sister and I often wonder what will happen if Joey can’t live on his own. It’s not up to us. We’ll do what we can, but it’s his life. He won’t have it any other way.
You don’t find strength to do something until it’s time to do it. Joey has found it whenever he has needed it. I believe he will again.
1.When the author’s mother brought her little brother Joey back from the hospital, the author _____.
A. was sad because he couldn’t see things clearly
B. immediately introduced him to the family dog
C. worried that he might steal her mother’s love from her
D. had great fun playing a game with him
2.Which of the following order of events is CORRECT according to the article?
a. Joey started learning Braille at a school for the deaf and the blind.
b. Joey moved out to live independently and learned to cook and clean.
c. Joey was sent back home with his Braille typewriter.
d. Joey had a hard time when he lost three beloved family members.
e. Joey fell in love with a blind girl the first time they met.
A. a b e d c B. a c b e d C. a c e b d D. a e c b d
3.What is the key message the author wants to convey through the article?
A. People have to spend more time with their loved ones.
B. The disabled deserve our respect and support so that they can live an independent life.
C. Love, hope and determination can keep a man going despite hardship.
D. People should learn to get over the loss of their loved ones as love always remains.
4.What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. The belief in finding love again
B. The strength to deal with difficulties.
C. The love for his family
D. The hope to have stronger legs.
A young man named Ted received a high-priced car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Ted came out of his office, a street urchin (顽童) was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, Ted?” he asked.
Ted answered, “Yes, my brother gave it for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated(犹豫).
Of course Ted knew what he was going to wish for. He wished he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Ted greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Ted looked at the boy in surprise, and then said, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Ted, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Ted smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big car. But Ted was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Ted heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled (残疾) brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it… Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Ted got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
1.The street urchin was very surprised when _____.
A. he saw the shining car
B. Ted told him about the car
C. he was walking around the car
D. Ted received an expensive car
2.The urchin asked Ted to stop his car in front of his house _____.
A. to show he had a rich friend
B. to show his neighbors the car
C. to let his brother ride in the car
D. to tell his brother about his wish
3.From the story we know that the urchin _____.
A. wished to give his brother a car
B. wished Ted’s brother to give him a car
C. wished Ted could be a brother like that
D. wished he could have a brother like Ted’s
4. We can infer from the story that _____.
A. Ted couldn’t understand the urchin
B. the urchin’s wish came true in the end
C. the urchin wished to have a rich brother
D. the urchin had a deep love for his brother
5.The best title of the story is _____.
A. A Christmas Present
B. A Street Urchin
C. A Brother Like That
D. An Unforgettable Holiday Ride
