Sending your child to piano or violin lessons in an attempt to improve their academic achievement is a waste of money, according to scientists. 1. research has shown that youngsters who take music lessons are more likely to be top of their class, Professor Glenn Smith claims this link is 2. (mislead).
“Music may change you a bit, but it’s also the case that different children take music lessons,” said Professor Smith of the University of Toronto, 3. added that parents’ education had most influence on musicality.
“Children who take music lessons come from families with incomes 4. (high) than average. They come from families with more 5. (educate) parents, they also do more extra-curricular activities, they are more likely to learn 6. instrument, and they do better at school.”
“We 7. (motivate) by the fact that kids who take music lessons are particularly good students. In school they actually do better than you would predict from their IQ. So 8.
(obvious) something else is going on. We thought that 9. (person) might be the thing.” Professor Smith explained, “Clearly studying music changes the brain, but so does any learning. In fact, that is 10. learning is,” he added.
I always wanted to be a writer. When I was fifteen, I ______ to my English class that I was going to write my own books. My classmates fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be ______. Only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting Ds.” I was so
____ that I burst into tears.
That night I wrote a short sad poem about ______ dreams and mailed it to a newspaper. To my ______, they published it and sent me two dollars. I couldn’t believe it. I became a published and ______ writer. ______, I sold more poems. By the time I graduated, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never ______ my writing to my teachers or classmates again as they were dream ______.
Years later, when I was ready to write my first novel, I already had four children. I wrote on my typewriter while they napped. It took nine months to finish. I ______ chose a publisher, put my book in a ______ and mailed it off. The letter I ______ read, “I wrote this book myself and I hope you’ll like it. Thank you.”
A month later I received a contract (合同) and a/an ______ to start another book. My book, Crying Wind, became a best seller. Translated into fifteen languages, it was sold ______.
People asked what college I ______ and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None”. I’m not ______ and I just write. To those who ______ writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t ______ others.” I don’t write right but I’ve overcome the ______. Writing is ______, and anyone can do it.
1.A. announced B. admitted C. introduced D. advertised
2.A. optimistic B. enthusiastic C. silly D. sad
3.A. surprised B. confused C. worried D. ashamed
4.A. ambitious B. broken C. wild D. vivid
5.A. annoyance B. regret C. astonishment D. satisfaction
6.A. respected B. famous C. valued D. paid
7.A. Gradually B. Especially C. Finally D. Suddenly
8.A. submitted B. mentioned C. sold D. returned
9.A. savers B. makers C. killers D. seekers
10.A. randomly B. partly C. nervously D. naturally
11.A. collection B. bottle C. suitcase D. package
12.A. covered B. attached C. received D. published
13.A. request B. doubt C. instruction D. attempt
14.A. separately B. originally C. freely D. internationally
15.A. entered B. established C. attended D. operated
16.A. satisfied B. trained C. courageous D. hard-working
17.A. approve of B. dream of C. succeed in D. believe in
18.A. argue with B. rely on C. fight against D. listen to
19.A. uncertainties B. qualities C. difficulties D. curiosities
20.A. easy B. challenging C. boring D. logical
We all know that early birds get more things done by making the most out of their mornings and setting the day right for successful completion of all goals and tasks. 1. Successful people not only have healthy morning habits, they also know how to finish off their day right. Here are some habits that can help plan a more productive tomorrow:
1. Read a book. Successful people read daily. 2. By reading daily, they can achieve better results in their professional and personal lives. Reading will not only make you more likely to succeed, but if you do it before going to bed, it can really help you to reduce stress and progressively calm you down.
2. Unplug from social media. At the end of each working day, the most important thing is to switch off distractions such as WeChat, emails and messaging to create some time for yourself.
3. Go to bed earlier, take a bath, go to that cooking class you have been putting off for so long, or spend quality time with the person you love.
3. Organize the following day. 4. It is really difficult to remember all the things you need to do, so why not write them all down in a journal or a to-do list? Successful people know the importance of a well-planned day and this allows them to enjoy themselves in the evening. So before you go to bed, grab a planner or a notebook and write down your 3 most important goals for tomorrow. 5.
A.But what about the evening habits?
B.Do something you love every night before you sleep.
C.It is also really useful for improving your creative thinking.
D.They all know the importance of educating themselves every single day.
E.Having a well-written plan can really benefit the tasks you have set for the day.
F.Simply lying down and focusing on your breath and body is a significant stress reliever.
G.Be honest with yourself in setting the right amount of time to achieve each individual goal.
By age 25 John D. Rockefeller controlled one of the largest oil companies in America. By age 31 he had become the world’s largest oil producer. By age 38 he commanded 90% of the oil produced in the U.S. By the time of his retirement at age 58, he was the richest man in the country. By the time he died, he had become the richest man in the world.
But there was little in Rockefeller’s upbringing that would signal his great success. He was born in a run-down house in New York in 1839. His mother was a solid, religious woman, but his father, William Avery Rockefeller, was little more than a dishonest salesman, unable to provide for his family.
Young John grew up helping work the family farm. But he had his eyes set on greater things, and earnestly desired to rise in the world.
He had a talent for numbers, and he dropped out of high school to become better acquainted with their management. Enrolling in a 3-month business course at a commercial college, he learned the basics of book-keeping and banking.
After graduating at the age of 16, Rockefeller left his rural home to look for a job in Cleveland. As Rockefeller remembered, the job market was tight, and the response was not encouraging: “No one wanted a boy, and very few showed any interest in me.” Yet young John was not at all discouraged.
From morning until later afternoon, six days a week, for six weeks — sweating through Cleveland’s hot summer, walking its streets until his feet ached — Rockefeller continued to seek a job. He attacked this goal with patient persistence. Finally, on September 26, 1855, he heard the words he’d been waiting for: “We’ll give you a chance.” Ever after, Rockefeller referred to this date as “Job Day” and celebrated its anniversary with more passion than his own birthday, for this was the great turning point in his life. Through singular focus on a goal, and patient persistence, he had obtained a toehold in the world of business.
1.What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A. To explain why Rockefeller was so successful.
B. To attract the readers with facts about Rockefeller.
C. To entertain the readers with some stories of Rockefeller.
D. To inform the readers of the road for Rockefeller’s success.
2.Which of the following mainly contributed to Rockefeller’s success?
A. Family upbringing. B. His talent for numbers.
C. His persistence and determination. D. Training at a commercial college.
3.What happened to Rockefeller before he got his first job?
A. He had an eye problem.
B. He was turned down for many times.
C. He dropped out of his commercial college.
D. He was forced to go home by the tight market.
4.Why did he choose to celebrate the “Job Day”?
A. It changed his whole life. B. It was close to his birthday.
C. It was the hardest day in his life. D. It was the day he got his first job.
Ever since the invention of the printing press over 500 years ago, mass communication has been growing and affecting the way communities and people behave. Where once the written word was used by those with power to keep control of populations, now everyone believes that they have power over governments because of the huge amount of knowledge available to them thanks to electronic communication. At every stage of the development of communication, from the telegraph through to the Internet, societies have had to adapt to its effects. But have the effects been more positive or negative?
The saying “knowledge is power” has been an excellent motivator for people to improve their lives, but today the massive amount of information available through the Internet doesn’t always seem to be helping people in the way we’d hoped. Rather than improving people’s lives and bringing us closer together, the information age is making us more divided and irresponsible.
Nevertheless, many people find comfort in their virtual (虚拟的) worlds and are happy to connect with real-life friends and online friends from the familiar surroundings of their living rooms. However, being able to reinvent themselves online and be whoever they want to be leads to the question of whether they are losing their identities by living in a virtual world.
It’s not all bad news, however. Mass communication has helped change some attitudes for the better. Take our views on the environment for example. Internet campaigns by governments and other organizations have helped popularize the ideas of recycling, protecting wildlife and reducing pollution.
Modern electronic communication now influences every aspect of our lives — it is a powerful tool that has raised some concerns for society. However, it has also brought countless benefits to society. At the end of the day, it can be used both for good or evil and ultimately relies on the morals and sense of responsibility of the individual or community involved. In short, it needs to be used with care.
1.What does the writer imply about life before the printing press?
A. Population levels were lower.
B. The general public had little power.
C. People wanted to have more control over their lives.
D. Countries were governed by poorly educated people.
2.The writer states that the saying “knowledge is power” has ________.
A. encouraged people to get an education
B. sometimes failed to have the expected results
C. motivated people to access as much information as possible
D. been the driving force behind the development of mass media
3.What does the writer think about socialising online?
A. It can be comforting for some people.
B. Virtual lives can stop people enjoying a real life.
C. People have too many friends online to be of any value.
D. Crime is a problem for people on social networking sites.
4.Which statement best summarises the writer’s overall view of electronic communication?
A. It should be used wisely.
B. It changes attitudes much too quickly.
C. It is more powerful than many people believe.
D. It should be better controlled by the government.
Grandma Pugh sized up the baby like a pig at the farmers’ market. There was a pause and then she pronounced. “He’s got nice long legs.” She clapped her hands once in approval. But then she frowned and leaned forward. Everyone waited anxiously. The baby had opened his eyes and was staring up. “But those cross eyes won’t do,” she declared firmly, shaking her head in disappointment.
That had been Freddie Pilcher’s first meeting with Grandma Pugh. Since then, ten years had passed. Much to his grandmother’s satisfaction, she’d been proven right about the boy’s legs. He was a regular beanpole. Grandma Pugh had also been correct about his eyes. Freddie had been wearing glasses to correct his vision since he was two years old. His current pair was thick, and cheap-looking, but at least he could see.
Freddie not only had poor eyesight, but he was also clumsy. He wasn’t good at schoolwork either. But there was one thing that the boy was good at and it was all on account of the length of his legs. He could jump.
Freddie was the best jumper in school. Not only could he leap the furthest but also the highest. At breaktimes, he entertained the little ones by leaping over the school wall into Mrs Hobson’s garden and then rapidly jumping back. She had been up to see the head teacher several times because somebody had been crushing her vegetables.
It was badgers (獾), Freddie suggested, when quizzed by Miss Harpy — definitely badgers; no doubt about it. His dad had terrible problems with badgers. Only last week he had lost two rows of carrots. Freddie had woken one night and heard them tearing through the garden, a whole herd of them. They rooted up the lawn and dug up the vegetables. Terrible things, badgers. All the other children nodded their heads wisely. There was a moment’s pause in Class Three as everyone thought about the dreadful damage that badgers could do.
1.What do we know about Grandma Pugh?
A. She was present at the birth of baby Freddie.
B. She was unwilling to listen to the ideas of others.
C. She was a figure of great importance in the family.
D. She valued physical appearance over all other things.
2.Why did Freddie jump over the school wall?
A. To annoy his teacher.
B. To escape from school.
C. To amuse his schoolmates.
D. To damage Mrs Hobson’s vegetables.
3.Which of the following best describes Freddie’s physical appearance?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
4.Why does Freddie talk about badgers in the final paragraph?
A. To explain the cause of the damage.
B. To warn the class about their danger.
C. To describe what happened to his father’s garden.
D. To make up an excuse for the cause of the damage.
