One day I went to a store to get some needed items for my family. I gathered up my goodies and headed for the ________ counter, only to be ________ in the narrow aisle (通道) by a young man who ________ to be about sixteen years old. I wasn’t in a hurry, so I ________ waited for the boy to realize that I was there. It was obvious now, he was mentally ________ and a little shocked as he turned and saw me standing so ________ to him, waiting to ________. I said, “Hey Buddy, what’s your name?”
“My name is Denny and I’m ________ with my Mommy,” he responded proudly.
“Wow,” I said, “that’s a(n) ________ name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve. How old are you Denny?”
“How old am I now, Mommy?” he asked his mother as she slowly ________ from the next aisle. “You’re fifteen years old, Denny”. Then he headed toward the toy section.
Denny’s mom ________ me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn’t ________ look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my ________ and that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God’s Garden; ________, “Blue Roses” are very ________ and should be appreciated ________ their beauty and distinctiveness.
You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and ________ someone doesn’t stop and ________ that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they’ve ________ a blessing from God. So, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don’t turn your head and walk off. ________ to smile and say Hello.
1.A. customerB. checkoutC. salesmanD. office
2.A. blockedB. troubledC. metD. found
3.A. pretendedB. appearedC. declaredD. tended
4.A. slowlyB. slightlyC. kindlyD. patiently
5.A. tornB. brokenC. challengedD. wounded
6.A. closeB. friendlyC. nextD. happily
7.A. steal awayB. hurry outC. squeeze byD. break in
8.A. swimmingB. shoppingC. singingD. travelling
9.A. coolB. badC. ordinaryD. old
10.A. went awayB. walked byC. came overD. turned up
11.A. thankedB. stared atC. praisedD. chatted with
12.A. everB. stillC. yetD. even
13.A. courageB. pleasureC. habitD. faith
14.A. thereforeB. besidesC. meanwhileD. however
15.A. rareB. bigC. brightD. colorful
16.A. withB. byC. forD. in
17.A. unlessB. ifC. beforeD. after
18.A. smellB. pickC. buyD. see
19.A. wantedB. forgottenC. missed D. invited
20.A. Be braveB. Be proudC. Take it easyD. Take the time
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
The Science of Risk-Seeking
Sometimes we decide that a little unnecessary danger is worth it because when we weigh the risk and the reward, the risk seems worth taking. 1. Some of us enjoy activities that would surprise and scare the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may have to do with how our brains work.
The reason why any of us take any risks at all might have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better at hunting, fighting, or exploring. 2. As the quality of risk-taking was passed from one generation to the next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a tolerance for risk.
So why aren’t we all jumping out of airplanes then? Well, even 200, 000 years ago, too much risk-taking could get one killed. A few daring survived, though, along with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans developed a range of character types that still exists today. So maybe you love car racing, or maybe you hate it. 3.
No matter where you are on the risk-seeking range, scientists say that your willingness to take risks increases during your teenage years. 4. To help you do that, your brain increases your hunger for new experiences. New experiences often mean taking some risks, so your brain raises your tolerance for risk as well.
___5. For the risk-seekers, a part of the brain related to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us, a part of the brain related to fear becomes active.
As experts continue to study the science of risk-seeking, we’ll continue to hit the mountains, the waves or the shallow end of the pool.
A. It all depends on your character
B. Those are the risks you should jump to take.
C. Being better at those things meant a greater chance of survival.
D. Thus, these well-equipped people survived because they were the fittest.
E. This is when you start to move away from your family and into the bigger world.
F. However, we are not all using the same reference standard to weigh risks and rewards.
G. New brain research suggests our brains work differently when we face a nervous situation.
Stop wasting your time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem (自信心). Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power，or responsibility for their lives. They are always victims. They are leaves tossed (摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause，we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
If you associate with positive-thinking people，you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary，the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding，planting，and nurturing (培育) the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks (挫折).
In short, in all areas of your life，whether they are financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it. You are on the road to success.
1. Why people with low self-confidence are compared to leaves?
A. Because they can’t exercise control over themselves
B. Because they are easily affected by windy weather
C. Because they don’t have the power to face their fate
D. Because they are ready to change their minds
2.What would losers think?
A. Success is the result of hard work
B. Working hard will lead to success
C. They fail only because of bad luck
D. They don’t make efforts to succeed
3. What can be inferred from the fifth paragraph?
A. Setting our expectations is essential before taking action
B. Knowing cause and effect is the key to future success
C. Thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind
D. Whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes
4. What does the last paragraph serve as?
A. The proof of the author’s points
B. The conclusion of the argument
C. An introduction to another topic
D. A comparison between two views
“We are good mothers,” I said to my friend, as we sat on our comfortable beach chairs under our beach umbrella and watched our children playing in the waves.
Out of nowhere, the children took off running. About fifty yards from us, a man—maybe in his fifties—was fishing. The children stood next to him and watched with their little mouths hanging open as he cast the fishing lines. He smiled at them. They ran back to us—all except my three-year-old daughter, Drew.
My heart beat fast with horror. “Drew! Come here! Play with your friends!” I shouted, very aware that my speeches about not talking to strangers weren’t working. It seemed that many parents heard of horrible stories about children being taken away by strangers. Responsible mothers should teach their children that the world is a dangerous place. So I felt relieved when Drew ran towards me and took hold of a shovel (铲子). Then she looked me in the eye: “I want to be with the person.”
Again, she approached the middle-aged man, and started digging next to him.
Several seconds later, she returned, waving something shiny.
“Look, Mommy! A toy fish!”
It was, indeed, a toy fish—yellow and rubber. This must have been what he was using to attract the fish. And he’d given it to Drew. The three other children were deeply impressed, and they didn’t try to hide how jealous(妒忌的)they were—clearly, they all wanted the fish.
“My friend gave me that fish!” Drew shouted loudly. The sand in front of the umbrella turned into a preschool cage match with a yellow rubber fish flying through the air. I felt like I might cry myself.
Unexpectedly, there he was: the man, standing right next to us with three more rubber fish in hand. He handed them to each of the children. By their faces, you would have thought he was actually the really kind big brother.
“Thank you,” I said, realizing that there is good and kindness in strangers.
1. How did the author feel when Drew stood beside the man?
A. relieved B. angry C. concerned D. calm
2. What does the author think good mothers should do?
A. be around their kids
B. warn their kids of danger
C. teach their kids to behave well
D. devote themselves to helping their kids
3. When was the author at a loss(迷茫)?
A. Drew handed her the toy fish
B. The kids fought for the toy fish
C. The toy fish was covered with sand
D. The stranger appeared from nowhere
4. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Give a kid a fish
B. We are good mothers
C. The world is dangerous
D. Teach kids to be kind
We know that hugs make us feel cosy inside. And this feeling could actually ward off stress and protect the immune (免疫) system, according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University.
It’s a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that comes with interpersonal conflict.
“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety, ” the study’s lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. “We have tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and thus protect a person against infection.”
In the experiment, over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived (感知到的) social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks. They were asked about the frequency that they engaged in interpersonal conflict and received hugs that day.
Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms.
“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the effects of stress,” Cohen said. “The apparent protective effect of hugs may result from the physical contact itself or hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and closeness. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection.”
If you need any more reason to wrap your arms around someone special, consider this: hugs also lower blood pressure, reduce fears, improve heart health and decrease feelings of loneliness.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined words “ward off” in Paragraph 1?
A. produce B. increase C. prevent D. support
2.What does Dr. Sheldon Cohen’s experiment show?
A. Hugs can hide serious illness symptoms
B. Social conflicts can monitor sign s of infection
C. Social support can reduce the risk of having a cold
D. Depression and anxiety result from less social support
3.What does the passage aim to convey?
A. Hugs can have protective effects
B. Social support can cure diseases
C. Interpersonal conflicts cause infections
D. Stress can weaken our immune system
4.Where is the passage most likely to be found?
A. A social science magazine
B. A commercial brochure
C. A medical report
D. An academic essay
Geneva(日内瓦)Tourist Guide
* Universal compact app for iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPhone 5 / iPhone / iPod / iPad GENEVA TOURIST GUIDE with attractions, museums, restaurants, bars, hotels, theatres and shops with traveler reviews and ratings, pictures, rich travel information, prices and opening hours.
Discover what's on and places to visit in Geneva with our new cool app. It will guide you to top attractions and shopping malls, and tell you directions to hotels, bars, and restaurants. This is an all-in-one app for all the local attractions. Our travel guide to Geneva features up-to-date information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, travel tips and more.
Highlights :
◆ Geneva Information -- Overview, climate, geography, history and travel
◆ Attractions -- Ancient sites, beaches, botanical gardens, coffee farms, museums, scenic drives, towns, waterfalls, religious and historical sites, etc.
◆ Hotels -- From luxury hotels to budget accommodations, including reviews, price comparison, address and more.
◆ Map -- It is an interactive map and get turn-by-turn driving directions. Find traffic details, road conditions, street maps, multi map, satellite photos, and aerial maps. Allow you to easily search and find local businesses with directions.
◆ Gallery -- Picture galleries of Geneva's most beautiful sights, interesting events, unusual occasions and more.
◆ POI Search -- Search everything at Geneva.
Enter any keyword or name to search. Find Name, address, distance, route map, call, and directions to every business location.
◆ Translator - Supports 52 languages, Large text Translation.
◆ World Clock - All major cities of the world (1000 Cities).
1. What is Geneva Tourist Guide?
A. An app B. A book C. A map D. An advertisement
2. Which of the following Geneva Tourist Guide can’t help tourists?
A. To discover what’s on and places to visit in Geneva
B. To guide tourists to top attractions and shopping malls
C. To offer latest information on attractions in Geneva
D. To help tourists make friends with Geneva locals
3.Which of the following is not among highlights of Geneva Tourist Guide?
A. Information about both expensive and cheap hotels in Geneva
B. Chances to visit Geneva galleries without paying any money
C. A search system that can find everything at Geneva
D. Being able to be used by tourists from all over the world
