Gratitude: Gifts from the heart
According to legend（传说）,a young man while travelling through the desert came across a spring of delicious water.The water was so sweet that he____his leather container so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.After a four-day journey he____the water to the old man who took a(n) ____drink,smiled warmly and thanked his student for the sweet water.The young man____to his village with a happy heart.
____,the teacher let another student taste the water.He spat（吐）it out,____it was terrible.It____had become stale（不新鲜）____the old leather container.The student____his teacher, "Master,the water was stale.Why did you____to like it?"
The teacher replied, "You____tasted the water.I tasted the____.The water was simply the container for a(n) ____of loving-kindness and____could be sweeter.Heartfelt gifts deserve the____gift of gratitude.
I think we____this lesson best when we receive innocent gift of love from young children.Whatever they are, the natural and proper____is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea____ the gift.
Gratitude doesn't always come____.Unfortunately,most children and many adults value only the thing given ____the feeling hidden in it.We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude.
1.A. emptied B. sold C. delivered D. filled
2.A. presented B. sent C. got D. made
3.A. exciting B. deep C. quiet D. short
4.A. adapted B. headed C. returned D. turned
5.A. Later B. Soon C. However D. Otherwise
6.A. believing B. pretending C. hearing D. saying
7.A. unexpectedly B. obviously C. strangely D. surprisingly
8.A. in terms of B. apart from C. owing to D. in spite of
9.A. challenged B. demanded C. charged D. blamed
10.A. happen B. ignore C. pretend D. seem
11.A. still B. hardly C. previously D. only
12.A. talent B. gift C. leather D. stream
13.A. attempt B. sign C. act D. measure
14.A. anything B. none C. nothing D. something
15.A. rewarding B. return C. interesting D. pretended
16.A. understand B. need C. seek D. acknowledge
17.A. plan B. meaning C. idea D. behavior
18.A. within B. about C. between D. beyond
19.A. naturally B. smoothly C. obviously D. independently
20.A. apart from B. other than C. rather than D. as well as
How to Live Peacefully with Your Parents
As a teen,you are going through big changes physically and mentally.Your interests are expanding.1..
Here is the challenge: kids need to explore the world in new ways,and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in the world.These conflicts（冲突）can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm house. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided.But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships,you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.
For example,try to find time to talk when your parents are not angry,tired,or hungry.A good time to talk is when you are all relaxed.Timing is everything.If the conversation begins to turn into an argument,you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop it.2..Listen to what your parents are saying,and repeat it back to them.This shows them that you are listening.3. .
Respect is the building block of good communication.People who respect each other and care about each other's feeling can disagree without getting things ugly.
4..How do you build trust?Trust,comes by actually doing what you say you are going to do.Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships.Sometime we forget that parents are more than rule makers---they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping---just like their teenagers!
What do you do if you are trying your best,but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky?5. You can find supportive adults,such as a teacher or a coach,who can lend an ear.Remember you can only change your own behavior.Your parents are the ones who can change theirs.
A.You may consider seeking outside help.
B.Faced with this challenge,children don't know what to do.
C.And then you will be able to accept what your parents say.
D.You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.
E.And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.
F.It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you are not on the same page.
G.You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.
It all began with a stop at a red light.
Kevin Salwen was driving his 14-year-old daughter,Hannah,back from a sleepover in 2006.While waiting at a traffic light,they saw a black Mercedes Coupe on one side and a homeless man begging for food on the other.
"Dad,if that man had a less nice car,that man there could have a meal," Hannah protested.The light changed and they drove on,but Hannah was too young to be reasonable.She pestered（纠缠）her parents about inequity,insisting that she wanted to do something.
"What do you want to do?" her mom responded. "Sell our house?"
Warning!Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager.Hannah seized upon the idea of selling the luxurious family home and donating half the proceeds（收入）to charity,while using the other half to buy a more modest replacement home.
Eventually,that's what the family did.The project—crazy,impetuous（鲁莽的）and absolutely inspiring—is written down in detail in a book by father and daughter scheduled to be published next month: The Power of Half.It's a book that,frankly,I'd be nervous about leaving around where my own teenage kids might find it.An impressionable child reads this,and the next thing you know your whole family is out on the street.
At a time of enormous needs in Haiti and elsewhere,when so many Americans are trying to help Haitians by sending everything from text messages to shoes,the Salwens offer an example of a family that came together to make a difference—for themselves as much as the people they were trying to help.In a column a week ago,it described neurological（神经生物学的）evidence from brain scans that unselfishness lights up parts of the brain normally associated with more primary satisfaction.The Salwens' experience confirms the selfish pleasures of selflessness.
Mr.Salwen and his wife,Joan,had always assumed that their kids would be better bigger house.But after they downsized,there was much less space to retreat to,so the family members spent more time around each other.A smaller house unexpectedly turned out to be a more family-friendly house.
1.What does the underlined word "inequity" most probably mean in Paragraph 3?
A. Unfairness. B. Satisfaction.
C. Personal attitude. D. Reasonable statement.
2.What is suggested in the underlined sentence "Never suggest a grand gesture to an idealistic teenager." in Paragraph 5?
A. Never give a quick answer to an idealistic teenager.
B. Unless a child is realistic,never give an answer immediately.
C. Give an answer if the child is reasonable.
D. Don't respond to a child's demands firmly without consideration.
3.Which of the following statements is IRUE according to the passage?
A. Mercedes Coupe is only an ordinary car which is quite cheap.
B. Unselfishness has nothing to do with people's primary satisfaction.
C. Hannah asked her parents to do charity and they sold their house.
D. The writer's children asked him to sell their house.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. The Salwens regretted selling their house.
B. The family members get much closer.
C. Small houses can bring happiness.
D. The Salwens intend to buy another big house.
An absolute description of the threat hanging over the world's mammals,reptiles,amphibians and other life forms has been published by the well-known scientific journal,Nature.A special analysis carried out by the journal indicates that an astonishing 41% of all amphibians on the planet now face extinction while 26% of mammal species and 13% of birds are similarly threatened.
Many species are already critically endangered and close to extinction,including the Sumatran elephant,Amur leopard and mountain gorilla.But also in danger of vanishing（消失）for the wild,it now appears,are animals that are currently rated as merely being endangered.
In each case,the finger of blame points directly at human activities.The continuing spread of agriculture is destroying millions of hectares of wild habitats every year,leaving animals without homes,while the introduction of newly-come species,often helped by humans,is also damaging native populations.At the same time,pollution and overfishing are destroying ocean ecosystems.
"Habitat destruction,pollution or overfishing either kill off wild creatures and plants or leaves them badly weakened," said Derek Tittensor,an ocean ecologist at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge. "The trouble is that in coming decades,the additional threat of worsening climate change will become more and more common and could then kill off these survivors."
The problem,according to Nature,is worsened because of the huge gaps in scientists knowledge about the planet's biodiversity.Evaluations of the total number of species of animals and plants alive vary from 2 million to 50 million.In addition,evaluations of current rates of species' disappearances vary from 500 to 36,000 a year. "That is the real problem we face," added Tittensor. "The scale of uncertainty is huge."
In the end,however,the data indicate that the world is heading cruelly towards a mass extinction-which is defined as one involving a loss of 75% of species or more.This could arrive in less than a hundred years or could take a thousand,depending on extinction rates.
1.What's the main idea of the first two paragraphs?
A. Figures about some wild animals are astonishing.
B. Nature is the famous journal around the world.
C. Many endangered species are close to extinction.
D. Some rare species have appeared around the world.
2.From paragraph 4 we know that another future threat is .
A. destruction of habitats B. overfishing and pollution
C. the worsening climate change D. killing off wild creatures and plants
3.What is the real problem we are facing now according to paragraph 5?
A. The killing of wild creatures and cutting of trees.
B. The global warming caused by human beings.
C. The destruction of ocean ecosystem by pollution.
D. Evaluation of current rates of species' disappearances.
4.What does "This" in the last sentence refer to?
A. mass extinction. B. extinction rates.
C. extinction time. D. 75% of species or more.
Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk,I went to a friend.He looked at me for a moment,and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I've ever had: Be bold and brave—and mighty（强大的）forces will come to your aid.
Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past,it was seldom because I had tried and failed.It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all.On the other hand,whenever I had plunged into deep water,forced by courage or circumstance,I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.
Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat.And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces.They are potential powers we possess: energy,skill,sound judgment,creative ideas—even physical strength greater than most of us realize.
Admittedly,those mighty forces are spiritual ones.But they are more important than physical ones.A college classmate of mine,Tim,was an excellent football player,even though he weighed much less than the average player. "In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player,who had nothing but me between him and our goal line," said Tim. "I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet—and stopped him cold."
Boldness—a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight.But it can be taught to children and developed in adults.Confidence builds up.Surely,there will be setbacks（挫折）and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee（保证）of success.But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.
So,always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you'll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.
1.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?
A. He faced huge risks. B. He lacked mighty forces.
C. Fear prevented him from trying. D. Failure blocked his way to success.
2.What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?
A. Swallow more than you can digest. B. Act slightly above your abilities.
C. Develop more mysterious powers. D. Learn to make creative decisions.
3.What was especially important for Tim's successful defense in the football game?
A. His physical strength. B. His basic skill.
C. His real fear. D. His spiritual force.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A. To encourage people to be courageous.
B. To advise people to build up physical power.
C. To tell people the ways to guarantee success.
D. To recommend people to develop more abilities.
FOREIGN TEACHERS ARE NEEDED ALL OVER CHINA
Ad No.90347
Posted July 12,2016 14:00 by Amanda
Expire Date August 12,2016
Tag: Beijing Language Teaching Part Time
We are looking for teachers,whose native language is English,willing to teach in China.Most schools are in the south of China.
The benefit package for ESL teachers includes:
One-year contract: 1st September 2016 to 1st August 2017
Salary: ￥4,000 to￥5,000/mouth
Teaching load & schedule: 20 teaching hours per week
A rent-free,fully furnished apartment with a living room,bedroom,kitchen and bathroom
Kitchen facilities provided,other electric appliances will be supplied: water,heater,microwave etc.
If you are interested,please read the information above and kindly send your application to attach the following documents (in doc or JPEG format).The subject to be mentioned,as "teach in China"
l).CV/Resume（简历）
2).A copy of academic degree,diploma,certificate or college transcript
3).A photocopy of the data page of valid passport
4).A recent color photo
5).A letter of recommendation or release（释放）letter from your previous Chinese school (Only if you worked in China previously)
6).Any other relevant information that you think might help your application
1.This advertisement is about .
A. introducing a school B. taking on English teachers
C. seeking a teaching position D. attracting foreign students
2.If you are employed,you will .
A. not have to pay the apartment rent B. work full time
C. prepare furniture yourself D. work four months for two years
3.What is NOT needed to apply for the job if you come to work in China for the first time?
A. Your resume B. Your personal passport data
C. Your academic history D. A release letter
