English is full of colorful phrases to describe shyness. Someone shy might be called shrinking violet or a wallflower, while for especially nervous types we have the curious expression: they wouldn’t say boo to a goose.
None of these are traditionally seen as positive descriptions, even if you like geese. In a culture of go-getting, high achievers, shy people don’t come first. Or that’s what the self-help industry would have you believe. Bookshops are filled with vital tomes(巨著) that promise to help beat social fears and find success in life, love and business. That is why one book, Shrinking Violets: A Field Guide to Shyness, bucks the trend. It became a sudden success across English-language media recently for its new take-on shyness.
Author Joe Moran says that despite struggling with shyness and longing for loneliness all his life, being shy can also be "a gift". Freed from the constant urge to participate and compete in social situations, people are liberated to look at the world in new ways, and gain fresh insights.
Indeed, many of the world’s great thinkers and artists are introverts(内向的人). Scientists Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein preferred their own company; actress Keira Knightley often finds herself tongue-tied at parties; and Harry Potter author JK Rowling claims she used to be too nervous to even borrow a pen.
Moran told BBC Future: "I think shyness probably does turn you into an amateur anthropologist(人类学家), really-you are more likely to be an observer."
So, while extroverts make all the noise, they don’t necessarily have the best ideas.
If you’re shy, you’ve probably known this for a long time. You just don’t shout about it.
1.When someone is being called a wallflower, he is being ________.
A. praised for his grace B. admired for his character
C. laughed at for his shyness D. told off for his nervousness
2.The underlined phrase “bucks the trend” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.
A. going against the trend and succeeds
B. changing the public idea completely
C. becoming unpopular and unaccepted
D. becoming the major concern of people
3.The author mentioned many famous shy people in order to ________.
A. point out the harm shyness brings
B. disconnect shyness and success
C. shows the reasons for shyness
D. prove shyness contributes to science
4.What is the author’s attitude towards shyness?
A. Opposed. B. Indifferent.
C. Supportive. D. Critical.
I grew up in a troubled home in the 1970s, on the outskirts of downtown Orlando, Florida. Not far away, a three-story house attracted my eyes.
It was nothing like the one I lived in with my mother, a small dark place with rules about befriending others. “Don’t. Never, ever talk to anyone,” my mother said.
One day, in sixth grade, a black-haired woman was introduced to our class: Mrs. Reese. Reese explained that she was starting Spanish Club. She invited anyone interested in learning Spanish language and culture to stay after school.
I could not take my eyes off her bracelets(手镯) and shining rings. The bell rang, and to my shock, no one went up to Mrs. Reese. I was under strict orders to go straight home. But that day, I stayed. I asked Mrs. Reese when the club started.
“We could begin right now if you like,” she said with a smile. I felt beautiful. That day I learned that the house of my dreams was her house. I learned how to answer questions about my age and my favorite food in Spanish. And I learned, “Do you want to come over tomorrow for cooking lessons?”
I wanted to say “Yes”, but Mom’s words held me back.
I begged my mother all summer and into fall, well after Spanish Club had dissolved. I wept at night sometimes, so worried that Mrs. Reese and her family would move away.
At some point, I managed to wear my mother down and one Saturday afternoon. I rode out to Mrs. Reese’s house.
The details of that afternoon are marked in my mind: We had tea. She painted my toenails red. We made a garlicky picadillo. We spoke in Spanish. In Spanish, my voice was loud and romantic. This is the real me! I remember thinking.
My mother never permitted me another visit to Mrs. Reese’s house. But four decades later, I still remember that day and the life she showed me, proof of a possible future.
1.What kind of family was the author from?
A. Hard-up. B. Two-parent.
C. Stress-free. D. Disease-ridden.
2.Why did the author choose to join the club?
A. She wanted to stay longer at school.
B. She intended to comfort Mrs. Reese.
C. She was deeply attracted by Mrs. Reese.
D. She hoped to befriend the owner of her dreamt house.
3.The author went to Mrs. Reese’s house ________.
A. with the help of her tears
B. while no one was noticing
C. with her mother’s permission
D. just before the lady moved away
4.What did the author gain from Mrs. Reese?
A. The beauty of Spanish.
B. The wonder of a new world.
C. The power of self-confidence.
D. The importance of independence.
An Oceans Vacuum
There’s a collection of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s bigger than Texas-and growing. The way to clean it up now is to catch it with nets. That is both costly and slow. Instead, the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes 62-mile-long floating barriers that would use natural currents to trap trash. If next year’s trials succeed, a full cleanup operation would aim to start in 2020. It could reduce the trash by 42% over 10 years.
Easy-On Shoes
In 2012, Mathew Walzer, a high school student with a disability, sent a note to Nike. “My dream is to go to college,” he wrote, “without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day.” Nike assigned a design team to the challenge. This year, they came out with their solution: the FlyEase. The basketball shoe can be fastened with one hand. A pair of Nike FlyEase shoes sells for $130.
An Airport for Drones(无人机)
As Amazon, Google, and others get ready for drone delivery service, there is one big question: what kinds of home bases will their drones have? Rwanda, in Africa, may have the answer. There, workers will soon start work on three “drone ports”. The goal is to make it easier to transport food, medical supplies, electronics, and other goods through the hilly countryside. Construction is set to be completed in 2020.
1.What’s the advantage of the Oceans Vacuum?
A. It can be a money-saver.
B. It can grow year by year.
C. It can tear plastic into pieces.
D. It can be put into wide use soon.
2.What do we know about Nike?
A. It offers free shoes to the disabled.
B. It is designing new shoes frequently.
C. It provides customer-friendly services.
D. It responded to Matthew’s request passively.
3.Why is Rwanda setting up “drone ports”?
A. Because road travel there is rough.
B. Because there are too many drones.
C. Because they’re easier to construct than roads.
D. Because they are receptive to new technology.
假如你是李华。你打算到China Daily参加记者面试。请根据以下要点，用英语写一封自荐信。
1.应聘原因：公司声望、个人梦想；
2.个人能力：懂英语，善编辑，对新闻有敏感在嗅觉，善沟通，团队意识强等；
3.决心与愿望。
注意：1.词数100左右。信的格式已给出，不计入总词数；
2.可适当发挥，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：
声望：reputation 资格 qualification
Dear Sir,
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to your reply. Best wishes.
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
It was my 17th birthday and I was looking forward to see my friends. I arrived at my favorite restaurant, wailing for him. We would have the special birthday dinner. I looked for a familiar face but failed. Soon the restaurant was filled customers, none of which were my friends. An hour later, I went back home, lonely and disappointing. To my great surprise, I found the door was wide open while I arrived home. Nervously, I walk into the dark room. Suddenly, all the light went on and my friends were appeared shouting ‘‘surprise”. I had an unforgettable birthday.
Hongbao, a red envelope with small amounts of money in, is a gift that is guaranteed to be 1. (warm) received, not just because of the cash, but also because of its 2. (tradition) symbolism and best wishes for the future. This is true throughout China, especially in the south 3. people view receiving hongbao 4. an auspicious (吉祥的) beginning of the New Year.
Legend in the south goes that a devil (恶魔) used to appear lo harm children and the elderly 5. loud noise would frighten the devil away, as did 6. color red.
Fireworks took care of the noise and during the Spring Festival couplets (对联) also helped keep the devil away. But fireworks couldn’t go off all day so children and the elderly alsogot hongbao, red envelopes 7. (contain) money. The tradition 8. (survive) for thousands of years and giving hongbao to children and the elderly remains popular among Chinese people all over the world. It has also made its way into workplace where bosses often give 9. (employ) hongbao and most recently, companies have adopted online marketing strategies where haongbao are distributed, hoping 10. companies and staff members have a good start.
Giving hongbao at the beginning of the Lunar New Year indicates best wishes for the future.
