The walls of failure surrounded me.My teacher's eyes stared at my every move.My mom's blank expression showed1.(disappoint).“He is not giving his full potential,”I heard my teacher say.I gazed down,afraid,ashamed, and2.(determine).My determination was not to put my best effort to improve but to give up.
My native language is Spanish.3.hard I tried,English would not take root in my brain.I tried hours on end 4.(improve) my grammar,pronunciation,and vocabulary.After the parent-teacher conference,my mother5.(tell) that I was totally lacking interest.I spent that whole afternoon listening to my mother tell me6.I should try.“You can never achieve what you do not try,she told me.The simple statement stuck deeply7.my rune-year-old mind.
The next day,I found myself learning English words I never knew.A simple change in attitude made me successfully learn those words.My teacher's welcoming smile,patience,and bright attitude,in addition to my desire to learn,were enough to make8.difference.Within days,I found9.(I) having complete conversations in English and even10.(use) idioms correctly.My mother's words helped me to learn that success in life requires desire.
Most people know me as an ordinary dentist,wife and mom of two young kids.But when I'm not hanging out with my____or fixing teeth.I'm addicted to winning radio contests.
When everyone else____the radio,they stay on one channel,listen to a song and change the____when commercials start.But I change channels almost____,hunting for a contest.I know the best time to____in,and I know what radio stations are____to win on.
I've won a couple of DVD sets,movie passes and a boatload of concert____,Dave Matthews Band,French Montana and soon.My biggest____was an all-expense-paid trip to the Hollywood Film Awards.
I got my first taste of____way back in middle school.I was the 100th caller to my favor radio station,and I____. From then on,I was____and whenever I listened to the radio,I would____my and all contests.When coupons（优惠券）followed,radio contests____memory.
A short time ago,I was going to my____from being on call at the hospital____I heard a contest coming on.It was 3 am and I called in,not knowing what the contest was____.I won a DVD boxed set of season 12 of the show ER.I had never____it,but it still excited me greatly.
So when you see me in my dentist garb（装束）and you think little of it,remember that I'm a ____radio-contest superhero,not because I'm really strong or have a desire to throw myself into danger to____others.It's because I'm going to the hot concert in town for____.
1.A. patients B. friends C. workmates D. family
2.A. listens to B. switches in C. turns to D. picks up
3.A. content B. station C. radio D. memory
4.A. unwillingly B. suddenly C. constantly D. quickly
5.A. call B. cut C. carry D. get
6.A. easy B. ready C. splendid D. enjoyable
7.A. programs B. parties C. tickets D. halls
8.A. desire B. award C. bet D. ambition
9.A. responsibility B. failure C. pleasure D. victory
10.A. made it B. got it C. put through D. set off
11.A. astonished B. attracted C. admired D. attached
12.A. choose B. admit C. include D. enter
13.A. faded into B. escaped from C. insisted on D. associated with
14.A. restaurant B. hotel C. concert D. house
15.A. though B. if C. because D. when
16.A. of B. for C. to D. in
17.A. noticed B. watched C. enjoyed D. ignored
18.A. obvious B. lucky C. secret D. natural
19.A. follow B. treat C. protect D. support
20.A. more B. sure C. free D. most
When we choose to worry over what we don't possess,we actually stand at a risk of losing whatever we already have.1.Therefore,there is no way we can succeed in life unless our mind is first happy and satisfied and then yearns for more.Here are some ways to help you to be more grateful.
Choose to be grateful.Well,whether to complain about what you don't have or to be thankful for what you have is a conscious choice you make yourself.Treasure what you have and strive for what you need next.Some are always worrying over what they don't have or can't achieve in the present.2.
Look around you.When in fear or frustration,look around yourself for examples of patience and gratitude.3. Observe how trees stand tall and brave the fury of storms,rains and the ever-changing seasons.
4.Once you have the mindset to be first thankful for the life you have,you will find hundreds of ways to do that.As you live your normal daily routine,you will find a number of hidden opportunities to be thankful for the bounties you have.
Think positive to achieve positive.5.Have you ever noticed that if you keep telling yourself that the present tough times shall pass and you are happy with what you have,you actually get the.courage to deal with the crisis? The human mind is a powerful machine.To flunk positive and steer the course of actions that way is a power that lies absolutely within!
A.Your thoughts can shape your life.
B.Look for hidden ways to be thankful.
C.Think about why you should be grateful.
D.After all,it is our mind that rules our body.
E.Helping others is just one of such examples!
F.Learn to observe how birds are grateful to nature for their food.
G.Actually,it is merely a way to waste the precious present moments.
As a manager,you want to help your employees.And that's great.When an employee comes to you with a problem,you may tend to jump in and offer advice.While your intentions are noble,you may end up helping where it isn't actually needed or taking over the conversation altogether.
You go into rescuer mode,and it's understandable.You're trying to help out wherever you can.But at the end of the day,you're very;tired because you've taken on more than you should have,and your team member is depressed because responsibilities were taken away from them.You thought you were helping as much as you could,but instead you undermined their morale as they had no chance to achieve something independently.
The easiest way to avoid this situation is to be lazy.You just ask questions,especially,ask the laziest coaching question:"How can I help?"
This is the laziest way to find out what your employee needs from you.By asking something like this,you force the person to decide what they need exactly—they might not even know yet themselves.Or they know what they need and will tell you,in the hope that you'll agree with whatever it is.Either way,asking the lazy question creates a win-win situation,as it results in a clear and direct request that will lead to the solution your employee is looking for.
By asking this lazy question,you avoid jumping in to help in the way which you first think is needed—no more rescuer mode!Asking questions is a self-management tool because it keeps you lazy and yet shows your curiosity.
Be lazy and also be outspoken.Ask your employee,“What do you want from me?”Of course,be careful of how you say this,because not everyone will like this.Ask your employee,really,truly,“What can I do to help?”
It sounds easy,but it can be hard to resist the temptation to jump in and help someone,or to offer advice. However,in the end,you'll find that asking the lazy question makes you more useful to those you manage,and it will help you work less hard and.have more impact.
1.What does the underlined part "undermined their morale" mean in Paragraph 2?
A. Lowered their salary.
B. Made them much lazier.
C. Gave them more freedom.
D. Affected their growth and enthusiasm.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Most people like to be in control of the conversation.
B. It's unwise to ask what an employee actually needs.
C. Sometimes we can't help offering help to others.
D. It is best to offer advice when you're asked to.
3.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A. Being a Lazy Manager is a Good Thing
B. How to Offer Advice at Proper Time
C. Why People are Willing to Help Others
D. How to Become an Independent Employee
Vitamin D is essential for bone-building,cognitive function,joint health,immune function,blood sugar control, positive mood and more.It can help prevent many diseases.Some studies suggest that the lower your vitamin D level is,the higher your risk of death from any cause will be.However,it's not a great idea to just grab a supplement（补充物）off the drugstore shelf and start taking it.
Since many of us are deficient in vitamin D,also known as the "sunshine vitamin”,doctors will often give us a prescription（处方）for high levels of vitamin D supplements,with doses ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 IU (International Units) per day,up to 50,000 IU per week,and sometimes even more.But like all good things,it's possible to get too much of it."Very big doses of vitamin D can cause a build-up of calcium in the blood,which leads to nausea,vomiting,poor appetite,weakness,and weight loss,"says Madeline Basler of Real You Nutrition.Here's the bigger issue: any extra intake of,vitamin D can get stored in the body."A build-up of stored vitamin D can cause avoidable problems,"says Marra Francis,Medical Director at Everly Well,"leading to problems such as kidney stones."
The average daily recommended amounts vary based on your age.The National Institutes of Health set the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D at 600 IU daily for infant,children,and adults up to 70 years old. Adults aged 71 and older need 800 IU,since the ability to absorb vitamin D drops with age.People who are obese may also need more vitamin D because the fat cells take it up,making it less available for use by the body.In winter when you're getting less sun exposure,some experts say it's safe to take daily doses of around 1,000 to 2,000 IU without any risk of complications（并发症）.
Though you'll get a bit of vitamin D from foods—including fatty fish beef liver,cheese,egg yolks and mushrooms,plus fortified foods like milk,orange juice,and cereal—the amounts are so small that there's little need to worry that they’ll put you over the daily does.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A. We can actually reduce the risk of death.
B. People don't really know vitamin D well.
C. Vitamin D supplements are necessary for everyone.
D. Vitamin D should be supplemented carefully despite its importance.
2.The underlined part "are deficient in" in Paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.
A. having an inadequate amount of B. paying much attention to
C. being interested in D. being concerned about
3.How much vitamin D should a healthy 60-year-old lady take daily in summer?
A. About 800 IU. B. About 600 IU.
C. No less than 1,000 IU. D. No less than 5,000 IU.
4.What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
A. What other ways people can take to get vitamin D.
B. What foods we should eat every day to balance our diets.
C. Whether daily foods would overdose people with vitamin
D. D.Whether vitamin D can be supplemented by the foods we eat.
As a legally blind student,the first day of school holds special meaning for me.Along with excitement and nerves over new teachers and new classes,that day in each August also affirms my sense of belonging—a sense that lam claiming a right just as other students do when they.board the school bus or walk to campus.
Since it was passed over thirty-five years ago,the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has required state and local schools receiving federal funding to provide students with disabilities with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).Currently,over 6 million students across the country with various types of disabilities benefit from the IDEA's protections.But parents and school districts have contested exactly what that actually requires.
The case arose,after the parents of Endrew F.,a student with autism,decided his school was not doing enough to educate their son.Each year from preschool to fourth grade,the school district renewed Endrew's individual education goals without making substantial（大量的）changes.This suggested the plan was failing to help make meaningful progress.
Eventually,Endrew's parents enrolled him in a private school,where he improved significantly through a new plan designed to address specific behaviors and goals.When his parents attempted to re-enroll Endrew in public school again,the district offered a version of its previous plan.The school district argued that was sufficient because it provided Endrew "some" educational benefit.
IDEA empowers（使有能力）students with disabilities to aim high with support from school administrators and input from parents.For me,the Act did just that.From preschool through twelfth grade,I received my right to accommodations such as enlarged papers,a seat in the front of the classroom,and support from vision and mobility specialists outside the classroom.At the same time,my parents,like Endrew's,demanded that my disability should not stop me from becoming independent.Each year,they met with school officials to insist on adjustments to my learning plan as necessary.
1.What's the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A. To introduce the theme of the passage.
B. To show the importance of the first school day for disabled students.
C. To show the difference between disabled students and healthy ones.
D. To reveal the author's sympathy towards disabled students.
2.What can we know from the passage?
A. Parents often doubt the benefit of IDEA.
B. The IDEA has many difficulties in practicing.
C. Endrew's education goals remain the same every year.
D. Disabled students can't make progress in public schools.
3.By taking the example of Endrew,the author means to_______.
A. discuss whether the IDEA applies to children with autism
B. argue Endrew is not suitable for studying in public schools
C. illustrate public schools should do more to help disabled students
D. show public schools lack experience in helping students make progress
4.What's the author's attitude towards IDEA according to the passage?
A. Disapproving. B. Approving.
C. Objective. D. Unconcerned.
