I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early_______of gardening may not have originated from my_______for nature. It was to annoy my parents.
At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with _______at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her. Seeing the neighbors busy with _______, my father ever thought it a waste of time.
At that age, I always did something_______to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found _______, I would plant a garden!
I planted some lily seeds in the yard. But they_______to come up. I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild _______joy, I found the first rose bloom. One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. Eventually, I was _______by this land of wonder.
__________, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even __________at me because he found it was__________to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother's __________, I put in her vase my real roses which, in her eyes, were simply weeds rather than __________.
Regardless of their __________, I kept on planting my garden and__________to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they__________to care and love.
It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to__________my parents. Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show which makes my parents feel very__________. And now I could say it is my affection for __________that makes me a real gardener.
1.A. memory B. dream C. intention D. design
2.A. hope B. need C. idea D. love
3.A. doubt B. appreciation C. surprise D. excitement
4.A. working B. playing C. gardening D. travelling
5.A. equal B. similar C. superior D. opposite
6.A. harmful B. valuable C. upsetting D. interesting
7.A. failed B. liked C. grew D. happened
8.A. to B. with C. in D. by
9.A. puzzled B. defeated C. caught D. touched
10.A. Instead B. However C. Therefore D. Besides
11.A. shouted B. laughed C. glanced D. jumped
12.A. unusual B. troublesome C. impossible D. dangerous
13.A. sadness B. displeasure C. delight D. relief
14.A. beauty B. kindness C. flowers D. plants
15.A. dislike B. encouragement C. threat D. suggestion
16.A. decided B. waited C. continued D. struggled
17.A. devote B. turn C. respond D. lead
18.A. educate B. satisfy C. respect D. challenge
19.A. proud B. comfortable C. strange D. disappointed
20.A. freedom B. life C. growth D. nature
How to Buy Used Electronics
We buy used cars, furniture, and sometimes clothes but buying used electronics may be the riskiest of all. 1.. Still, buying used electronics may save you money and help reduce environmental waste. Fortunately, you can come out on top if you ask the right questions and take the following steps.
●Research the product itself.
2..Some do not last as long, for instance they might have an expensive rechargeable battery that cannot easily be replaced if it has worn out.
●Ask about who fixed the product.
If the producer did it, then there is less risk involved than if it was done by a third party.3..
●Make sure the product comes with a proper insurance.
If you are buying from a retail chain or other respectable sellers, chances are that some sort of insurance is available. Find out how long this lasts and what it covers.
●4..
If you are buying from someone besides a retail chain, this is especially important. While this will not guarantee that it will not break later, it at least makes sure that you have a current working product.
●Hold on to any receipt you received.
This is especially important if you are paying with cash. Receipt can prove that you purchased it and when. 5.. You never know when it can come in handy.
A. Keep it in a safe place
B. Test the product before buying it
C. Some products have lots of life left
D. Ask about return and exchange policy
E. They do not always have a solid quality
F. You will be told if there is anything missing
G. You might also need to find out what was fixed
There's a curious thing about people. All of us are driven in some way or another to achieve—we want to run faster, be more creative, win more awards, and earn more money. But here's the thing: if you want to offer warm of wisdom, constructive criticism or "360-degree feedback", then think again. Most of us would rather not hear it.
Our easily-broken egos(自尊心) are partly to blame. We all want to meet our own expectations of ourselves, and so being critiqued can present a huge threat to our egos. Yet as decades of psychological theory and research have indicated, people have endless tricky strategies of remaining positive in the face of criticism. For this reason, rather than us welcoming feedback with open arms, our first response is often an automatic defense. These reactions serve to make us feel better about ourselves.
Psychological research exposes this unhealthy appetite for ignorance. In one study, students watched a false educational film about a serious disease called "TAA Deficiency". In fact, TAA Deficiency is completely fictional, but the students were not told this information; instead, they were asked whether they wished to provide a cheek test for assessing(评估) their risk of developing the disease. Half of the students were told that if they ever developed TAA Deficiency, then the treatment would involve them taking a two-week course of pills. Of this group, 52% agreed to provide the cheek test. The other half of students learned the treatment would involve taking the pills for the rest of their lives. Of this group, only 21% agreed to the test.
These findings show a common pattern seen in other studies within and beyond the context of healthcare. That is, people are especially resistant to hearing feedback when they believe it could lead them to do something difficult—or unpleasant.
1.The author implies in Paragraph 1 that people should ________.
A. be cautious when giving advice B. be satisfied with what he has
C. offer constructive criticism D. care less about others
2.How do people usually react when facing criticism?
A. They try to avoid it. B. They deal with it seriously.
C. They tend to defend themselves. D. They turn to psychological theory.
3.Why didn't most of the second group agree to the test?
A. They didn't believe in it.
B. They knew it was just an experiment.
C. They were sensitive to the negative result.
D. They didn't like the way they were treated.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Meeting Criticism B. Rethinking Feedbacks
C. Improving Healthcare D. Fighting TAA Deficiency
A bite from a tsetse fly is an extremely unpleasant experience. To make matters worse, several species of tsetse fly can transmit diseases. One of the most dangerous is a parasite(寄生虫) that causes "sleeping sickness".
After the initial bite, sleeping sickness symptoms often start with a fever, headaches and aching muscles. As the illness goes on, those infected become increasingly tired, which is where it gets its name.
It is worth noting that sleeping sickness is no longer as deadly as it once was. In the early 20th Century several hundred thousand people were infected each year. By the 1960s the disease was considered "under control" and had reached very low numbers, making its spread more difficult. But in the 1970s there was another major infection, which took 20 years to control. Since then, better screening programs and earlier treatments have reduced the number of cases dramatically. In 2000 this figure dropped to fewer than 3,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes the disease will be completely removed by 2020. More problematically, a series of new studies have shown that the parasite is more complicated than previously believed.
Sleeping sickness has always been considered—and analyzed—as a blood disease, because the parasites can readily be discovered in the blood of its victims. However, in a recent study found that the parasite can stay in the skin and fat, as well as in the blood. There may even be a higher density（密度）of the parasite in the skin than in the blood. That means a person can have no symptoms but still both harbor the disease and spread it. The finding could explain the mysterious 1970s infection, and why the disease can spring up in areas that had previously been cleared.
1.What's the danger of a tsetse fly bite?
A. It makes people sleepy. B. It causes skin disease.
C. It brings about deaths. D. It transmits deadly parasites.
2.What can we infer about sleeping sickness from Paragraph 3?
A. It's still a threat to human health.
B. It's not that dangerous at present.
C. It's incurable in the early 20th century.
D. It's completely under control in the 1960s.
3.What does the underlined "harbor" most probably mean?
A. carry B. resist C. exchange D. hide
4.What does the latest research indicate according to the passage?
A. Sleeping sickness is a blood disease.
B. Skin is more suitable for the parasite to grow.
C. Sleeping sickness can be spread with no signs.
D. Parasites in the skin caused the 1970s infection.
I was nervous, no doubt about it, but I felt pretty fearfully sitting there unmoving on top of the horse, so I picked up my canter（使马慢跑）. I went a few times around the stadium, saying I was warming up my horse. But really, I was taking some time to collect my thoughts and prepare myself before I jumped. Or to put it in a more simple and realistic tone, I was delaying.
Finally the time came when I had to just suck it up and jump the horse. I swallowed, turned, and began heading straight for the jump. My palms began to sweat and I tightened myself. There was no turning back from this now.
I sat up in my jumping position as my horse picked up his speed to jump. Fear rushed through me as well as a sense of excitement. Before I knew it, I was up in the air, flying over the jump. As scared was, I was determined not to mess this up. My horse landed with a small beat on the other side of jump and continued cantering around the field like nothing had ever happened. Miraculously, I was seated firmly on the horse, unharmed. Surprised, I slowed down to a smooth running to process that I hadn't just been thrown off a leaping animal.
My riding instructor congratulated me, proud that I got through it. I admit that I was proud as well. I'm not usually the kind of person that faces their fears. Instead, I usually run away from them.
1.What is the author's real purpose to go around the stadium several times?
A. To warm his horse up. B. To judge the distance.
C. To make sure to succeed. D. To calm himself down.
2.How did the author feel before the horse landed?
a.interested b.excited c.frightened d.proud
A. a; b B. b; c C. c; d D. a; d
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. The instructor used to be proud of the author.
B. The author used to stay away from challenges.
C. The author feared nothing much from then on.
D. The instructor believed the author could succeed.
"Guinness" is on Tuesday nights on Fox. It is a disgusting show that I regret watching. The producers seem to show the sickest records. There is nothing wrong with the book, and it's an honor to be in it, for the most part. The program, however, doesn't show the record for the person who lifted the most weight. Instead, they show the person who lifted 30 pounds with his ears and tongue, which was truly disgusting. Television can do without a show like this.
"Saturday Night Live" is not the same show that it once was. Now the weekly comedy show struggles to come up with a single funny scene. Despite the good acting and the interesting hosts, the humor is simply not there. As the ratings continue to drop, the show must find a solution to its growing problem of lack of funny material. Until then, it will probably get worse. "Saturday Night Live" can be seen on NBC on Saturday nights from 11:30 p.m—1.00 a.m.
"The Wayans Bros.", an exciting comedy starring Shawn and Marion Wayans, airs every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. In the show, Shawn and Marion play brothers who live together and own a news stand. Shawn, the smooth-talking one of the two, and Marion, the younger brother who is forever acting like a five-year-old, seem to have a conflict every week, but always resolve it with a brotherly hug.
"Gilmore Girls", now in its seventh (and final) season, is an amazing television show that follows the lives of the mother/daughter team of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Lorelai got pregnant with Rory at the age of 16 and decided to move out of Hartford, Connecticut, to seek refuge in a small town nearby. She and Rory have a close relationship and share everything.
1.What makes the author regard "Guinness" as disgusting?
A. The time the program is shown. B. The mood the show presents.
C. The record the book contains. D. The way they lift weight.
2.What type of show is "Saturday Night Live" supposed to be?
A. Comedy. B. Tragedy. C. Cartoon. D. Thriller.
3.Which of the following tells stories between different generations?
A. Guinness B. Saturday Night Live C. The Wayans Bros D. Gilmore Girls
4.Where does the article most probably come from?
A. TV forecast. B. TV review. C. TV advertisement. D. TV news.
