When I was a kid, most of my friends could stay home from school due to a stomachache or a fever but not me. I had to be lying in order to ______ home. My parents used to say that they were teaching me how to have a ______ work ethic (职业道德). I didn’t see the ______ until last week.
I was on the train and sat behind a young man who was ______ to his friend about his life. His dream in life was to make movies but he wouldn’t ______ it because he had no clue if he could make enough money and he didn’t want to ______ time because it probably would take months or years to make it ______. He then admitted to thinking about becoming a(n) ______ because he thought he could easily make six figures within one year. His ______ agreed because as he put it, “I have no ______ to work long hours and not make much money. Besides, defending cases in court is good because you can make a lot of money and only work short hours.”
Many people these days don’t ______ that when things seem to happen immediately, it is only because a lot of ______, determination and time have ______ into it. It wasn’t due to some unbelievable ______. Someone once told me that you may know ______ someone is an expert in his given field or not by how easy he makes it look. The ______ it looks, the more hours go into it.
There is no excuse for ______. In the television show Fame, the dancer teacher told her students, “If you want fame, fame ______ and here’s how you start paying for it, in sweat.” Every time I watch that show, my dad would state how ______ she was because in order to ______ you have to work hard. He would go on and on about how bad it is to be lazy.
1.A. leave B. stay C. get D. call
2.A. reliable B. different C. good D. new
3.A. answer B. evidence C. result D. connection
4.A. explaining B. complaining C. writing D. lying
5.A. read B. follow C. appreciate D. change
6.A. share B. get C. save D. waste
7.A. big B. important C. strong D. proper
8.A. expert B. artist C. editor D. lawyer
9.A. companion B. teacher C. parent D. brother
10.A. choice B. time C. desire D. chance
11.A. convey B. ensure C. show D. realize
12.A. potential B. pressure C. effort D. intelligence
13.A. put B. gone C. broken D. reached
14.A. event B. accident C. story D. speed
15.A. because B. why C. whether D. when
16.A. easier B. lighter C. better D. harder
17.A. sorrow B. laziness C. despair D. envy
18.A. splits B. arises C. works D. costs
19.A. natural B. beautiful C. right D. kind
20.A. succeed B. develop C. finish D. rest
How to change the world
You want to change the world, but you aren’t sure where to start. First, remember that changing the world can mean so many different things.
Understand what's wrong.
1.The world is such a big place, so you won't be able to change much if you don't understand what's going on out there. Try to learn about what is happening both home and abroad.
Know that change doesn't come overnight.
2.Try to live your values each day, even if you don't see much appreciable change on a day-to-day level. Work hard and don't give up.
Start small.
Find ways to make a difference every day. It may feel as though you are just one tiny part of a huge system. At first, you almost certainly will be. Be patient.3.. Try to put your activism into practice and make it a reality.
4.
Write letters to newspapers; post an article, video, or idea on the internet; wear a T-shirt. If you think that it is important and worthy of attention, try to raise awareness(意识) by telling as many people as you can.
Consider a career.
Think about which sort of job might put you in the best position to change the world. 5.There are a lot of ways to get paid for adding value to the world. Start researching to find jobs in fields that feel valuable.
A. Read the news.
B. Spread the word.
C. All things begin small
D. Remember that you don’t need to do it alone
E. You could be a teacher, a reporter, or something else.
F. There are other, less public ways to show your support!
G. Don’t expect to change the world with one big heroic act.
Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said, “Let’s do something to pass the time.”
“What do you want to do?” the businessman asked. “We can ask each other riddles.” The farmer said, “you star.” “Let’s make the rules first,” the businessman said. “That’s not fair. Your are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer.”
“That’s true.” The businessman said. “What do you want we should do?” “If you don’t know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50.” The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, “OK. That’s fair. Who will go first?”
“I will,” The farmer said. “Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” The business man repeated the riddle, “What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that’s a good one. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” He gave the farmer $100, then said, “Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” “I don’t know.” The farmer said and gave him $50.
1.The story happened______. .
A. on a farm B. in a shop
C. before a long plane journey D. between two passengers
2.What does the word “riddle” mean in this story?
A. A difficult question to find the answer to
B. Something to help to make rules
C. Something to win money
D. a kind of game in doing business
3.Why did the businessman agree to give more money if he lost?
A. 
He made much more money than the farmer
B. He thought he knew more than the farmer
C. He was interested in making riddles
D. He was better at playing riddle games
4.The farmer________. .
A. enjoyed himself on his long journey
B. didn’t want to pay even one dollar
C. spent all his money on the plane ticket
D. won fifty dollars by playing the riddle game
In an effort to discourage people from using plastics, scientists have been hard at work inventing alternative packaging products.
The idea of using seaweed（海草） to make eco-friendly water bottles has been around for a few years. Recently, Ari Jonsson took his invention—a water bottle made from red seaweed—to show off at a festival. The bottles will only hold their shape as long as they are filled. As soon as these bottles are empty they will begin to break down, though they would be perfectly safe to eat. Ari Jonsson's bottles are a step closer to a widely used alternative to the current plastic ones.
The eatable water container is not the only product to add to our image of the future. Narayana Pessapaty has also created eatable spoons. After the success of his
spoons, Mr. Pessapaty is ready to expand and introduce forks and chopsticks to his menu. His aim is to largely reduce the amount of plastic waste, which is a huge problem for waste sites all over the world, It is a product that may take up t0 500 years to break down, and recycling companies worldwide are struggling to deal with it.
Aside from the obvious benefits to the environment, this new packaging is also cheap to produce and therefore cheap to buy. Even better is the fact that similar eatable cutlery can be made at home, possibly a science project for children or just fun with friends. Why not experiment and create your own recipes?
1.Why do scientists invent alternative packaging products?
A. To make people's life more convenient.
B. To show off their inventive talents.
C. To change the way we picnic outside.
D. To reduce the amount of plastic waste.
2.What makes Art Jonsson's water bottles eco-friendly?
A. They can be made at home.
B. They are cheap to produce and buy.
C. They will hold their shape when they are filled.
D. They will break down themselves when empty.
3.What do Ari and Narayana's inventions have in common?
A. They are convenient to carry.
B. They are safe to eat.
C. They can be used for a short time.
D. They are heavier than plastics.
4.What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Home-made eatable cutlery is likely to be popular.
B. Eatable cutlery will completely replace plastics in the near future.
C. No recycling companies can break down plastic waste.
D. It's unsafe for individuals to invent eatable cutlery at home.
I had dressed quite nicely for my first day as a student at St. Anne's College of Further Education. In celebration of this new beginning, I had changed my unusual clothes to formal clothing.
Like many young people my age, I was under the impression that the best way to show your personality was by wearing the kind of clothing that my mother considered was not fit to be seen in public. But for my first day as a student I had made an effort to look what my mother called ‘respectable’.
There were fifteen of us, sitting in the theatre hall, while the head of the drama department, Mr. Wilson, gave us a warm welcoming speech. To my horror (恐惧), he then invited us to say why we had decided to do a drama course. I had no idea what I would say. The truth was that although I had a taste for unusual clothing, I was painfully shy.
My worry grew as it came closer to my turn. One by one, the new students excitedly explained their reasons. Then it was the turn of a girl who I hadn't really noticed until that moment because I was too busy thinking about what I would say. ‘My name’s Tracy and I'm from Blackburn’, she said, and then added no further information.
Everyone smiled politely in silence but I was impressed at her bravery in saying almost nothing even under pressure (压力). I relaxed, knowing that you could get away with saying so little about yourself. It gave me confidence.
After Mr. Wilson at long last let us out of the hall to go to lunch, I managed to find the courage to go up to Tracy. She looked very unfriendly. Taking a deep breath, I introduced myself. To my surprise, she looked up at me and gave me a very bright, sweet smile. That was twenty-seven years ago, and although we never did become famous stars, we're still best friends.
1.Why did the author dress nicely for her first day at college?
A. She felt a need to dress properly.
B. She wanted to fit in with the other students.
C. She was under pressure from her mother.
D. She wanted to look like a great star.
2.Why did the author feel nervous?
A. Because she had never spoken in public
B. Because it was her turn to start first
C. Because she didn't know what to talk about
D. Because the other students were so excited
3.What does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. Tracy also seemed extremely worried.
B. Tracy hadn't said very much.
C. The other students reacted politely to Tracy.
D. All attention was on Tracy.
Yuoki, a restaurant in Germany, is not your everyday all-you-can-eat buffet (自助餐）. For starters, there isn't an actual buffet to fill your plate. Instead, customers are seated at a table and provided with iPads which they can use to order up to five small dishes every ten minutes. They can eat as much as they want for 120 minutes, but having the food served at short intervals (间隔) allows diners to constantly assess how hungry they are and order accordingly, preventing food waste. Also, the owner, Luan Guoyu, believes, “our eyes are bigger than our stomach”, so not being able to see the cooked food at the buffet prevents people from ordering more food than they can actually eat.
But Luan Guoyu's most effective way of fighting food waste, and the one that has attracted media attention, is his €1 ($1.15) fine for food still left on the plate. “It’s called ‘ all-you-can-eat’ ” he says, adding that the extra charge is not meant to increase his income, but to act as a warning against wasting food.
Luan Guoyu's system is unique in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, but not in Germany. Okinii, a Japanese-style restaurant in Dusseldorf, has also been charging customer, the same € 1 tax for unfinished food on their plates since 2013.
With so many people living on the edge of their nations, and food waste becoming a serious problem in developed countries, it will be interesting to see if more restaurants will start carrying out the “eat up or pay up” policy. Even if they give the money from this fine to charity, it would still help them to save money in dealing with waste, so it's a win for everyone.
1.What does the underlined word “assess” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Doubt. B. Realize.
C. Judge. D. Compare.
2.What will Luan Guoyu do when people can’t finish the food on their plates?
A. He will charge them extra money.
B. He will advise them to eat up the food.
C. He will ask them to take the food away.
D. He will warn them to order less food next time.
3.What is the text mainly about?
A. Various German restaurants.
B. The seriousness of food waste.
C. Secrets of managing a restaurant.
D. Special ways to fight food waste.
4.What does the author think of the “eat up or pay up” policy?
A. Unfair. B. Funny.
C. Reasonable. D. Doubtful.
