New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. When I was a kid ,the thing I enjoyed most about New Year’s Eve was trying to stay awake until midnight. My parents didn’t ______me to go to bed early, but my heave eyelids usually _______me well before the new year arrived. When I woke up the next morning, my mum would ask me if I wanted to make a New Year’s ______. I had no ______what it was. After she ______it to me, I said I would try to_______less with my older brother. This got me a(n)______and a pat on the head from my mum. _______, the resolution lasted only until dinnertime, when my brother and I got into a(n)______about who would set the ______.
A New Year’s resolution is a decision to do or not to do something in order to _______a personal goal or break a habit. It comes at a time when people_______the past year and make an effort to _________themselves as the new year begins.
Like many _______, New Year’s resolutions have a long and interesting________.
New Year’s Day was first celebrated 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. Although the Babylonians did not have a written calendar, historians determined that they ________the start of the new year in late March with the arrival of the spring season.
If you would like to make a New Year’s resolution this year, there are some _______to consider, for example, volunteer at a church or animal rescue organization.
Remember that it takes work to keep a New Year’s resolution. Don’t worry if you______once or twice. If you are_______to what you want to accomplish, you’ll be a ________person at the end of the year than at the beginning.
1.A. suggest B. force C. demand D. forbid
2.A. betrayed B. beat C. surprised D. disappointed
3.A. wish B. guess C. resolution D. comment
4.A. plan B. opinion C. thought D. idea
5.A. showed B. passed C. left D. explained
6.A. chat B. talk C. fight D. share
7.A. complaint B. blame C. smile D. honor
8.A. Luckily B. Unfortunately C. Amazingly D. Honestly
9.A. argument B. situation C. conversation D. agreement
10.A. firework B. bed C. table D. clock
11.A. accomplish B. design C. create D. abandon
12.A. look forward to B. look back on C. look down upon D. look out of
13.A. improve B. enjoy C. entertain D. relax
14.A. habits B. places C. countries D. traditions
15.A. story B. meaning C. history D. mystery
16.A. observed B. witnessed C. fixed D. established
17.A. requirements B. factors C. rules D. choices
18.A. slip up B. make up C. turn up D. draw up
19.A. calm B. devoted C. grateful D. enthusiastic
20.A. wealthier B. smarter C. healthier D. better
Ways to Free Your Mind You’re Feeling Stuck
Have you ever like you were racing around in without making much forward progress? If you’re stuck and you don’t know how to rise, don’t look outside yourself. Look below. 1.
Go back to what’s important
When we get stuck, it can be extremely useful to come back to these three things: core values, beliefs and goals. Why? 2.
Ask for help
Very often, highly happy and successful people have a supporting group of friends, family and others who help them. 3. And don’t be afraid to reach out and help someone who’s even more stuck than you.
Embrace the natural pathways
When you get stuck, there’s no need to go back to the drawing board. Ask the people around you about the systems that are working for them, read insightful books and blog articles, and use the same methods and pathways that others have used to get unstuck. 4.
Relocate yourself to an inspiring environment
5. You can go for a walk in a nearby park. You can come out of the office for a cup of coffee. Or if you are at home, you can simply go to a different room in the house. Whether it’s urban spaces, parks, libraries, museums or even our own backyards, there are plenty of available sources that we can draw inspiration and strength from.
A. Goals are the outcomes in life that we strive for.
B. Here are some useful ways to help yourself get unstuck.
C. When you are stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
D. One way to get unstuck is to simply change your environment.
E. Because they form the basics of what is important to us as individuals.
F. Break the circle of worry and work on something else.
G. In fact, the system is nothing more than a natural pathway of thought that someone has created with their mind.
Xiaomi’s sales strategy is largely responsible for the decline, having grown indistinguishable from that of many other Chinese manufacturers, according to Hong Kong-based cell-phone market journalist Yasuhiro Yamane. When the company first arrived on the scene in 2011 and 2012, its products were sold online by reservation only, building an air of exclusivity(排外)and lending the brand a high image. This strengthened the appeal of the smart phones, which resembled Apple’s iPhones.
But starting in 2013, Xiaomi began concentrating on high-volume sales, allowing many more resellers to carry its phones—a critical turning point in the company’s fortunes. While sales increased, Xiaomi’s products became viewed less as premium items and more as widely available, mass-market phones, according to Yamane.
To keep consumers from losing interest, Xiaomi introduced a lower-end brand, Redmi, in July 2013. Phones in that family sell for 1000 yuan($150) or less, around half the price of products from the flagship Mi series.
When China’s economy began to skid at the end of 2014, the company leaned harder on the Redmi brand to hold on to market share in the following year—a grave mistake. Though it had some effect, the strategy ultimately “drove home the image of Xiaomi as a low-cost phone maker,” Yamane said.
This should serve as a warning to other makers in China, where companies tend to emerge and quickly disappear due to their focus on short-term gains over long-term planning. “There is still a chance that Xiaomi could right itself and regain its old appeal,” Yamane said.
1.What made people consider Xiaomi a high image in 2011?
A. The fact that it is expensive
B. The fact that it is different from other Chinese manufacturers
C. The fact that it is like Apple’s iPhones
D. The fact that people could only buy its phones from the Internet
2.According to the passage, what was Xiaomi’s plan mainly about in 2013?
A. Making Xiaomi more available B. Fixing on Xiaomi fortune
C. Increasing its sales D. Setting its turning point
3.How did Xioami hold on to market share when the economy declined?
A. . By focusing on long-term planning B. By righting itself
C. By introducing new brands D. By depending on lower-end brands.
4.Which of the following statement is likely to be Yamane’s opinion?
A. Allowing many resellers to sell its phones is the turning point of Xiaomi
B. The strategy Xiaomi made had no effect at all
C. The companies in China should concentrate on short-term gains.
D. Redmi is popular among all the consumers
Imagine possessing something that you loved so much. Imagine what it would feel like if you lost it. While that item may be something as simple as a doll, you would still feel very upset, but you could replace it with a new one. Now imagine losing something that you depend on for survival and cannot be replaced. That is what it would be like if we lost the natural environment around us.
Firstly, I believe the environment should be preserved because it supports human life. One of the largest examples is that we get all of our food and drinks in the environment. If the environment were to be destroyed beyond revival, then the human race would be over in months. Scientists have yet to find another planet with similar conditions to the Earth, and if it’s found, we don’t have the technology to get to that planet on time.
Secondly, I believe that the environment serves as an amazing educational tool for students. When I was in second grade, I had an absolute interest in animals. When we had a field trip to the Daggerwing Nature Center, I was very excited. When we got there, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. There was a bridge to get to the main building, and under the bridge was a small swamp(沼泽) with turtles, fish, and my personal favorite, alligators. I was so surprised that I almost ran into the tour guide. We walked into the building and saw various animals in their habitats. I was so inspired by this visit. Six years later, I have taken an animal behavior class for three weeks. Meeting by chance with the environment can inspire people, and if preserved it will continue to inspire people.
In conclusion, the environment is so valuable because it can’t be replaced, keeps us alive, and serves as a great educational tool.
1.The first paragraph leads to the theme of the text by______.
A. analyzing causes B. presenting differences
C. showing similarities D. describing a process
2.What does the underlined word "revival" in the paragraph 2 mean?
A. Health. B. Activity.
C. Recovery. D. Revision.
3.Why did the author take a class on animal behavior?
A. Because he thought it a promising subject.
B. Because he wanted to be an animal expert.
C. Because his teacher encouraged him to do so.
D. Because he was inspired by animals he once saw.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Which Planet Can Replace the Earth
B. Why the Environment Is So Important
C. What People Can Do to Stop Pollution
D. How People Should Protect the Environment
When I was in university, I spent a semester studying abroad at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. In my brief time there, I came to love Scotland for its local culture, food and scenery .
You might think, “Scotland isn’t so different from the US; they still speak English there!” But when I stepped off the plane, I was greeted by a gruff-voiced (声音粗哑的) lady at customs. “You’ll be coming from America, then?” she asked me, and I nodded. “But all of our lads (小伙子) are leaving Glasgow for the States!” Her thick Scottish English and sense of humor were obvious right away. I was not in the US anymore, where customs agents never joke around.
As I settled in at the university, I could feel myself getting used to hearing and even speaking the Scottish English of my customs agent. In classroom discussions, people would say “em” when they couldn’t think of what to say instead of “um”. After the first few weeks, I stopped chuckling about this. Strathclyde students stayed up late into the night, running around campus and shouting, “Here weh, here weh, here weh (curse word])go! Lat’s go, lat’s go, lat’s go (curse word) Glasgow!” Pretty soon, I was no longer saying “thanks” at the supermarket – instead, I said “cheers”.
My Scottish friends drank whiskey and ate haggis (羊杂碎布丁), a hearty dish made from sheep’s heart, liver and lungs. I drank plenty of whiskey but I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t brave enough to try haggis. Scottish bakeries usually sell bridies (肉馅饼), pies filled with salt and pepper, sliced onions, steak, butter and fat. Add a cup of tea – though I usually Americanized it by choosing coffee instead – and a bridie makes for a delicious breakfast.
Every time I took a train anywhere in Scotland, I’d gaze out at the rolling hills and wonder if grass was greener anywhere else in the world. Then I’d reflect that there’s a reason this country was the birthplace of golf.
1.How did the author feel when he was greeted by the lady at customs?
A. Amused B. Embarrassed
C. Excited D. Relaxed
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Most Scottish people prefer coffee to tea.
B. The author fell in love with Scottish whiskey and bridies
C. Coffee and haggis are traditionally combined in the Scottish breakfast.
D. The author found it hard of understand the Scottish accent.
3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word in paragraph 3?
A. Talking loudly B. Whispering angrily
C. Hearing carefully D. Laughing quiely
4.What is the article mainly about?
A. The traditional food and drinks in Scotland.
B. The author’s experience in Scotland as an exchange student.
C. A comparison between Scottish English and American English.
D. Suggestions about how to enjoy Scottish culture, food and scenery.
Belgium is the land of music festivals. There are rock, pop, world, electronic music festivals and more, so you’re sure to find a festival that suits your taste.
Groezrock
Groezrock could be considered the opener of the festival season in Belgium. This festival grew from a small event to an international festival that had 33,000 visitors in 2016.
When? April 29-30, 2017. Where? Meerhout. Music? Punk, and rock. Free? No.
Sfinks Mixed
Sfinks is a world music festival that focuses on bringing culture together. There are also plenty of things to do besides watching the performances. Good to know for families: Sfinks is a kid-friendly festival, with workshops, storytelling and performances for children.
When? July 27-30, 2017. Where? Boechout. Music? World. Free? Yet.
Graspop Metal Meeting
As the name says, this festival is all about metal, rock and punk. In 2016 the festival received 140,000 visitors When? June 16-18, 2017. Where? Dessel. Music? Metal. Free? No.
Genk on Stage
Genk on Stage is a pop musical with not only a lot of Belgian artists. 80,000 people attended Genk on Stage in 2016.
When? June 23-25, 2017. Where? Genk. Music? Pop. Free? Yes.
1.Which festival may be enjoyed most by the kids?
A. Groezrock. B. Sfinks Mixed.
C. Graspop Metal Meeting. D. Genk on Stage.
2.What do we know about Groezrock?
A. It marks the end of the festival season
B. It attracts least people among all the festivals
C. It enjoys worldwide popularity
D. It offers free camping site
3.Where may lovers of the international pop stars likely to go?
A. Meerhout. B. Boechout.
C. Genk. D. Dessel.
