Thank You Notes: The Essential Life Lessons
There is no greater gift for any of us to give our friends and family than the gift of gratitude.1.Take a quiet moment to think about the blessings of the season and write a thank you note to everyone who made it special for you. There are some life lessons from thank you notes.
2.Even a child can make some lines on paper, help pick out a pretty stamp, and lick the envelope. This helps create a sense of ownership, confidence, and contribution. Thank you notes strengthen communication skills. Wherever you are, no skill matters more than the ability to communicate clearly and sincerely mid thoughtfully. 3.Those are the qualities that inspire people to trust and respect you.
Thank you notes remind you about what matters. Maybe the gift was thoughtless. But when we write a thank you note we have to locate within ourselves some way to be grateful and find some way to express it. We do not find happiness in what we get. 4.Not,“Thank you for the sweater. It is cool.” but “Thanks for the sweater!” Not, “Thanks for the game,” but “We had a blast playing that game.”
I think you will soon discover that the more thank you notes you send, the more you become aware of how much there is to be grateful for, and how good it feels to let people know you appreciate them.
A. Everyone can write a thank you note.
B. And that can begin with thank you notes.
C. Thank you notes must have specific details.
D. There is no other wart to convey this message.
E. You can even write to people you do not know.
F. We find happiness in being grateful for what we have.
G. It conveys maturity, reliability, confidence and thoughtfulness.
Known as GC-1, the drug reportedly speeds up metabolism（新陈代谢）, or burning off, of fat cells. “GC-1 dramatically increases the metabolic rate, essentially transforming white fat, which stores extra calories and is associated with obesity and metabolic disease, into a fat like calorie-burning brown fat,” said Kevin Phillips, a researcher in Houston.
Until several years ago, scientists thought that only animals and human babies have energy-burning, "good" brown fat. “It is now clear,” Phillips said, “that human adults do have brown fat, but appear to lose its calorie-burning activity over time.” White fat has a bad effect on people when the body has too much of it. Some published research shows that people who have more brown fat have a reduced risk of obesity. Researchers are now working on ways to “brown” white fat, or change it into brown fat.
GC-1 works, according to Phillips. He said he and other researchers have tested the drug in hundreds of mice. Obese mice, both genetically obese and those with diet-induced obesity, received GC-1 treatment daily. Genetically obese mice lost weight and more than 50 percent of their fat mass in approximately two weeks, Phillips reported. He said mice with diet-induced obesity experienced similar improvements. The drug also caused adaptive thermogenes（适应性发热）in fat cells from mice. Cells grown in a dish, as well as tissue samples taken from obese mice, showed evidence of white-fat browning. “Our data prove that GC-1 is a novel fat-browning agent that may have use in the treatment of obesity and metabolic disease,”Phillips said.
The drug has not yet been tested for weight loss in humans. However, Phillips said it wouldn’t be long before it was used as a way of losing weight.
1.What is the writer's purpose of writing this passage?
A. To prove the harm of a new drug.
B. To introduce a new drug to people.
C. To explain the development of a new drug.
D. To inform people of some health knowledge.
2.In the past, people held the belief that ________.
A. human babies have brown fat
B. animals don't have brown fat
C. only human adults have brown fat
D. brown fat may lose its activity over time
3.What can we know about GC-1?
A. It can be used to treat obesity.
B. It is a cure for heart disease.
C. It is a drug intended for mice.
D. It has been sold in the drug store.
4.Which of the following can make people lose weight?
A. Increasing more white fat.
B. Burning off more brown fat.
C. Changing white fat into brown fat.
D. Slowing down the activity of brown fat.
President Xi Jinping, while visiting a village in North China's Shanxi province, called on Wednesday for greater efforts and more effective measures to help those living in poverty.
The president has paid much attention to poverty reduction in recent years. In his New Year’s address, Xi said that what he cares most about is poor people. The people's longing for a happy life is the goal that the Communist Party of China is striving for, Xi said during a stop in the village of Songjiagou, Kelan county, during his Shanxi inspection tour. The village is newly built for local people who relocated from poverty—stricken homes nearby. He called on the villagers to “roll up their sleeves and work on” and the people's livelihoods will “rise joint by joint like sesame flowers on the stem,”the president said.
Xi recognized the local government's efforts to relocate villagers from impoverished（贫困的）areas to newly built residences. He urged local authorities to take more measures to help poor people improve living conditions and raise their incomes. In the village of Zhaojiawa, Xi held talks with civil servants who were dispatched（派遣）from the Kelan county people's congress for the village's poverty alleviation（缓和）work. He encouraged the civil servants to have intensive contacts with villagers and help them out of poverty.
Noting that the CPC has dispatched a number of officials and teams to take charge of poverty relief at grassroots organizations in recent years, Xi said that the measures are effective for poverty alleviation. The number of people living in poverty nationwide was reduced by 12.4 million last year to 43.35 million. The government will lift another 10 million people out of poverty this year, according to the Government Work Report.
1.What does the president think of the future life of the people in North China?
A. It is quite promising. B. It will be like a stem.
C. It will remain the same. D. It will become harder.
2.How many people were living under poverty the year before last?
A. 12.4 million. B. 43.35 million.
C. 55.75 million. D. 33.35 million.
3.Which of the following is the best title of the article?
A. President's Inspection Tour in South China
B. President's Urge for Poverty Reduction
C. Government's Efforts to Relocate the Villagers
D. Government's Plan for Poverty Alleviation
If you are a student, you may be probably required by your teacher to read quickly in class. You have been taught to skim or scan, to look for key words so as to understand the main idea of the article and the important points in the article. Skimming and scanning is a good strategy when you are pressed for time, such as when you are taking an exam, but today, many people skim and scan everything and they have lost the ability to enjoy reading.
In response to this, something called the "slow reading movement" has become popular. The idea is that people should shut off their computers and mobile phones for half an hour or forty-five minutes each day and enjoy the pleasure reading a good book—slowly! In many cities there are even slow reading clubs where members go to a cafe, not discuss books, but to sit quietly with each other, drink coffee and just read.
Researchers have found that reading slowly, especially books of fiction, helps people concentrate, relax and think about what they are reading. It also helps people empathize.This last point is important. When you read a novel slowly, you get to understand the characters’ emotions and to see the world through their eyes.
Reading, of course, isn't easy. You have to sit still, for one thing. And it can seem boring when compared to the excitement of playing video games. But, for me, reading has been an enduring pleasure in my life. From the age of ten, when I got my first library card, I’ve enjoyed the company of pirates and heroes, of evil criminals and clever detectives, of thousands of interesting people I would have never met in real life. Reading provided me with escape, but it also enabled me to understand the world around me. It was an education in a classroom that had no walls.
In your classroom, you have learned to read “fast”. Outside of the classroom, you should try to learn to read “slowly”. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
1.When you are having an exam, it's acknowledged that ________.
A. reading slowly is the best way
B. reading word for word is a good method
C. reading fast is a good strategy
D. reading casually is a wonderful choice
2.Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of "slow reading movement"?
A. Enjoying the pleasure of reading a good book slowly.
B. Helping people refresh and relax.
C. Understanding the characters' emotions more accurately.
D. Getting the main idea of the article quickly.
3.What does the underlined word “empathize” (para.3) mean?
A. Benefit from something.
B. Feel sympathy for somebody.
C. Be interested in something.
D. Share feelings with somebody.
4.Why does the writer call reading “an education in a classroom that had no walls”?
A. Because there is no need to build walls for the books.
B. Because a library card is what you need to enjoy reading in the library.
C. Because reading enables people to better understand the world around them.
D. Because there are thousands of interesting people in the books who can help you escape.
Want an ideal home in magical Lucas Valley? Here is a room rented for the summer.
Home features:
*3 beautiful bedrooms, about 10’×11’ with 4’ window faces morning sun and beautiful view of courtyard garden and flowers. Can be furnished or unfurnished.
*Sunny island kitchen, floor to ceiling glass with garden views. Share use of all amenities of home, beautiful sunny yard, organic gardens, picnic table.
*Great outdoor pool, yoga and tennis 2 blocks away; 2 great farmers markets weekly 5 minutes away at SR Civic Center. Peaceful quiet neighborhood, easy parking right outside, 1.5 miles from 101, great access to all Bay Area.
Please be healthy and environmentally conscious, clean and considerate, no smoking, no drugs, no pets. Quiet and friendly prof F (author, healer, consultant)—works from home p/t, 1 dog, NO cats, sorry, NO pets possible—dog is NOT pet friendly. Minimum lease till end of October 2017, longer fine.
Partial rent reduction option available for the right person—read more if interested:
Holistic（整体的）health author seeking great P/T reliable help with routine home and office help (filing, organizing papers) garden watering and dog walking (up to 5 hours per week,prefer 1 hour available each morning M-F between 7-9am) or time on Saturdays.Please leave your phone number in response.
PLEASE PUT in your EMAIL:
*your phone number
*what date you are available to move in
*what skills you can contribute
1.What is the advantage of living in the advertised room?
A. You can swim without leaving home.
B. You can form a habit of protecting the environment.
C. You can save some money by helping the owner.
D. You can enjoy the setting sun through the window.
2.Who may be the right person to share the house with the author?
A. Tom, a student who is thoughtful and helpful.
B. Jim, a healthy young man who hates animals.
C. Mary, an outgoing girl who loves animals and raises a cat.
D. Mr Green, a warm-hearted man who smokes occasionally.
3.How far is the house from 101, great access to all Bay Area?
A. 2 blocks away. B. 1.5 miles.
C. 5 minutes’ walk. D. 2 miles.
4.How can you get in touch with the author?
A. By fax. B. In person.
C. By telephone. D. By email.
假如你是中学生李华，在上个月的英语演讲比赛准备过程中，认识了外教Mr. Smith, 并得到他的帮助。现在你给他写封信表达谢意。要点如下：
1.致谢；
2.获益；
3.其它。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Mr. Smith,
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Yours ,
Li Hua
