“Do not decide something too fast; otherwise you will regret it later.” This is what my _______ told me when I was young. In May 2, I went to window shop to buy a beautiful _______ in Siam Square with my friend for my first party. Having walked for 5 hours, we were so _______ that our shirts .stuck to our body. We were like robots only _______ to find beautiful dresses. Then we found one _______ with many dresses hanging on the wall. We ran in and found a pink dress which looked _______ than any other we saw. I immediately bought the dress with a smiling face, though not _______ to buy it on that very day.
When I went back home, I started to feel like something was _______. Did my dress look cheap or too ordinary or match me? The _______ was going around my brain for a whole day. ________ that party was the first one in my life. I really wanted to look beautiful.
Two weeks later, I went to Siam Square again with my same ________ to buy accessories for the party. We walked to the same place again and ________ a shop which we did not see on the dress choosing day. We went in and found the shop full of brilliant dresses. After trying on a dress ________ by my friend, I found it simply ________. The color was perfectly beautiful pink; the shape was exactly what I ________, and the price was lower than the one I had bought. Thinking of the dress bought last time, my excitement for the party ________.
On June 2, I went to party with no confidence on myself. Seeing many people with wonderful dresses, I could not stop ________ the pink dress. From this ________, I learned what my father said was correct. I should have been more ________. Each time I look at my dress in wardrobe, I remember the ________ decision that I made by being too hurried.
1.A. father B. teacher C. grandpa D. relative
2.A. hat B. dress C. skirl D. coat
3.A. exhausted B. shocked C. relieved D. accustomed
4.A. helping B. failing C. moving D. Agreeing
5.A. case B. shop C. party D. exhibition
6.A. cheaper B. larger C. newer D. better
7.A. affording B. promising C. planning D. remembering
8.A. special B. wrong C. vital D. fashionable
9.A. test B. image C. direction D. question
10.A. If B. When C. Because D. While
11.A. purpose B. friend C. money D. shirt
12.A. forgot B. missed C. found D. researched
13.A. made B. recommended C. donated D. distributed
14.A. unpopular B. single C. ordinary D. awesome
15.A. wanted B. bought C. deserved D. designed
16.A. doubled B. expected C. increased D. disappeared
17.A. trying on B. thinking about C. picking out D. judging from
18.A. task B. journey C. experience D. performance
19.A. energetic B. generous C. active D. careful
20.A. stupid B. final C. eager D. common
Fear of Puberty (青春期)
When young people Ret to puberty, it causes the physical and mental changes that can bring stress and even fear to them. Understanding your feelings better can make you a lot easier to deal with them.
• Grief at the passing of childhood.
If you have had a happy childhood it’s natural to feel sad at the realisation that it’s coming to an end. Many aspects of adult life can be discouraging. 1.
• Stress about putting on weight.
Many people find themselves getting fatter during puberty and others’ reactions to this can be cruel. 2. Exercise and healthy eating will help you get rid of it sooner.
• 3.
It can be disturbing to suddenly be seen in a sexual way if you don’t fed ready for it. Remember that you have a right to set boundaries and be treated with respect.
• Feeling your body doesn’t fit you.
Sometimes bodies develop in a way that just doesn’t reflect the people inside them, and this can be very stressful. Getting help early can help reduce the problem or make you more able to deal with it. 4. Your doctor can provide support on body issues and you can insist on seeing the doctor alone if that makes it easier.
5. Most teenagers have to face them, too. And there are ways to deal with many of the specific problems puberty can cause. The sooner you seek help, the sooner it will get better.
A. You are not alone in your feelings.
B. Discomfort with how people treat you.
C Get into the habit of comforting yourself.
D. You should learn how to get rid of the fear.
E. The good news is that this fat is usually temporary.
F. You can turn to Childline at any time of the day or night.
G. But remember that you don’t have to face them all at once.
Most of us don’t reach for that gnarled (多节的) carrots when selecting our produce at the local supermarket. That’s exactly why Americans waste up to 40% of eatable food every year. This unbelievable number has sparked the “ugly food” movement, and inspired many companies to sell misshapen fruit and vegetables to consumers, rather than throw them in the trash.
One San Francisco organization is taking a unique approach to this idea. The Salvage Supperclub hosts fancy dinners inside dumper truck (卸车) where they serve dishes entirely prepared with food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Josh Treuhaft, founder of these ugly food dinners, originally came up with the idea 10 bring awareness to America’s food waste problem. “There is undeveloped potential in their food that for some reason, not to their own fault, is going to waste,” he told Seeker’s Laura Ling.
Treuhaft isn’t alone in his effort to reduce America’s food waste. A Change, org last year willed for Whole Foods to become part of the ugly food movement. They sold misshapen fruit and vegetables in Northern California stores.
Selling imperfect produce is still relatively rare right now, which can be partially due to a supply issue rather than a lack of willing participants. Raley’s, a Sacramento-based grocery chain, started an ugly food pilot program called “Real Good”, but discontinued it after 90 days saying they had “some challenges sourcing the product”. A grower might have large amounts of ugly produce one year due to terrible weather, but much less the next year if the weather has been more ideal. Harvests constantly vary and retailers are more likely to buy ugly produce in large number rather than just a few pounds at a time.
This is why organizations like Imperfect Produce and Salvage Supperclub are playing an important role in the prevention of food waste. Salvage Supperclub takes it a step further by not only buying the ugly produce, but turning it into a good dining experience as well.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A. People usually prefer Rood-looking produce.
B. Gnarled carrots mostly appear in the supermarket.
C. Many companies find new business opportunities.
D. Americans eat less fruit and vegetables than expected.
2.Why does the Salvage Supperclub have dinners inside the dumper truck?
A. To prove his fancy idea.
B. To remind people not to waste.
C. To show waste can be eaten.
D. To advise people lo dine in dumper truck.
3.What’s Josh Treuhaft’s advice to reduce America’s food waste?
A. People should reduce the ugly food.
B. People should make full use of ugly food.
C. People should be more aware of food shortage.
D. People should develop their potential in producing food.
4.Why did Raley’s stop its “Real Good” after 90 days?
A. Retailers’ pursuing larger profit.
B. Bad harvests due to bad weather.
C. Lack of steady sources of produce.
D. People’s unwillingness to buy imperfect produce.
Young sunflowers turn and swing every day. New findings add to evidence that the plants are animal-like.
Harmer, a professor in the University of California at Davis’ Department of Plant Biology, carried out a series of experiments on sunflowers in the field, in pots outdoors and in indoor growth chambers.
By staking plants so that they could not move, Harmer showed that he could destroy their ability to track the sun. He also noticed that sunflowers prevented from moving were not as tough and leafy as those that were free to move. When plants were moved indoor with a settled overhead light, they continued to swing back and forth for a few days.
The indoor plants did start tracking the “sun” again when the apparent source of lighting was moved across the room. The plants could reliably track the movement and return at night when the artificial day was close to a 24-hour cycle, but not when it was closer to 30 hours.
When sunflowers track the sun, the cast sides of their stems grew more rapidly than the west sides. Ai night, the west sides grew faster as the stem swung the other way. The team identified a number of genes that were expressed at higher levels on the sunward side of the plant during the day, or on the other side at night. A plant growth-regulating hormone, called auxin, appears to be a key driver.
The “dance” to the sun cycle obviously slows when the sunflower matures and its flowers open up. At that point, the plants stop moving during the day and settle down facing the sun in the east.
“Bees like warm flowers.” Harmer said, adding that the bees are cold-blooded, so landing on a warm flower saves them energy and perhaps feels really good.
“The morning warmth changes the flowers in a way to make them more appealing to insects, perhaps causing them to release more attractive scents earlier in the day.” he said. “We’re currently testing this idea.”
1.Why did Harmer do the experiment on sunflowers?
A. To see how sunflowers grow up.
B. To show what sunflowers’ genes are.
C. To study why sunflowers track the sun.
D. To check if sunflowers swing in cloudy days.
2.What does the underlined word “slaking” probably mean in Paragraph 3?
A. Tracking. B. Fastening.
C. Preserving. D. Researching.
3.What is the result of sunflowers being stopped from moving?
A. They won’t grow well.
B. They will grow faster than usual.
C. They won’t swing back though set free.
D. They will produce a number of new genes.
4.What is the advantage of sunflowers’ dance to the sun?
A. They attract more insects. B. They save more energy.
C. They mature more rapidly. D. They produce more flowers.
Other people may have their own agenda (议程) for our life; we can value their input but we don’t have to take it to heart.
As children, our parents had dreams for us. They warned us to do well in school, and to do whatever was necessary to reach our highest potential. Later in life, friends may try to set us up with their idea of the perfect partner or the perfect job. People close to us may have ideas about how we should live our lives, ideas that usually come from love and the desire for us to be happy. Other times, they come from a place of need within them-whether it is the parent who wants us to live out his or her dreams or the friend who wants us to play an already-defined role. Whatever the case, we can appreciate and consider those people’s input, but finally we must follow our own guidance.
There may come a time when all the suggestions can become overbearing (霸道的). We may feel that the people we love don’t approve of our judgment, which can hurt our feelings. It can disturb the choices we make for our lives by making us doubt ourselves before we’ve had a chance to decide what we want.
We can tell our loved ones how much we appreciate their thoughts and ideas, but that we need to live our own lives and make our own decisions. We can explain that they need to let us learn from our own experiences. When they see that we are happy with our lives and the path we are taking to reach our goals, they can make sure that all we need them to do is to share in our joy.
1.People close to us often tell us ideas to show their .
A. authority B. concern
C. potential D. happiness
2.What should we do when we disagree with our friends’ advice?
A. Prove that our choices are right.
B. Make them follow our decisions.
C. Tell them our choice directly without compromise.
D. Let them know we should make our own decisions.
3.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Offering suggestions B. Appreciating suggestions
C. Accepting suggestions D. Exchanging suggestions
Tampa Bay has a long and colorful history, which is located on the west coast of Florida. And there are plenty of events on holidays every year. The following are the top things to experience in Tampa Bay over Christmas.
Jackie Kvancho
The superstar exploded on to the national scene after her first performance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, which left audiences and judges at the talk show astonished that such a voice could come from a 10-year-old girl. 7:30 pm, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $ 39.50〜$ 89.50. (727) 791-7400.
Holiday Lights in the Cardens
Stroll through the gardens with more than 1-million twinkly lights, lasers. Florida-style displays, animated figures, visits with Santa and entertainers lining the pathways. 5:30 pm, Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road. Largo Donation of $ 4 suggested; 12 and younger free. (727) 582-5800.
Wordier than Thou
Prose and Short Story Open Mic: A unique open mic series focusing on storytelling. Poetry and musical performances are not allowed. The event includes a performance by a featured reader followed by numerous l0-minute open mic slots. 7 pm, Stucfio@620, 620 First Ave. S, St, Petersburg. $ 5. (727) 895-6620.
Rockapella Christmas
The five-man contemporary pop vocal phenomenon sing takes on classic holiday favorites and branch new originals. 7:30 pm, Capitol Theatre. 405 Cleveland St. , Clearwater. $ 30〜$ 59. (727) 791-7400.
Holiday Classic Movie Series
It’s A Wonderful Life: Enjoy select holiday classics with a singalong to holiday carols by the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ before each show. 7:30 pm, Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St. , Tampa. $ 10, $ 8 members / children. (813) 274-8982.
1.What can we learn about Jackie Evancho?
A. She is a super musical star.
B. She broadcasts news at 7:30 pm every day.
C. She has a special talent for speech.
D. She began to speak when she was 10.
2.Which activity is admission free?
A. Rockapella Christmas.
B. Holiday Lights in the Gardens.
C. Holiday Classic Movie Series: It’s A Wonderful Life.
D. Wordier than Thou: Prose and Short Story Open Mic.
3.Where should you go if you are a story lover?
A. Studio@620. B. Capitol Theatre.
C. Ruth Eckerd Hall. D. Florida Botanical Gardens.
4.What do Rockapella Christmas and Holiday Classic Movie Series have in common?
A. They both Iasi for two hours. B. They are free for children there.
C. They have special music for Christmas. D. They are both singing competitions.
