Every year in America, highschool students who want to go to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT in a shortened way. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them or whether any will be admitted at all. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one's mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English part involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, handwritten on the spot. That's an interesting way to test writing ability, but content aside, have you ever seen young people's handwriting lately? Or anyone's for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They scribble class notes in what can generously be described as the written word.
Yet today's kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and clearly, for several minutes on this SAT Test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl (潦草的字迹) of young people who've been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one's score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers. And don't forget, we all have to turn to handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when power goes out.
Then how to improve the handwriting? Well, with a few simple steps you can improve your handwriting.
Position the pen. You should hold the pen between the forefinger and the thumb, then rest it near the first knuckle (指节) of the middle finger. The rest of your fingers should be curled (卷曲) under your hand and your hand should remain relaxed.
Evaluate your writing. Make changes to your letters till you like how they look.
Take your time. Speed is bound to make your writing messylooking.
Practise. Practise it a lot; it's not enough to do it once and hope for the best. It has to be something you work at to make great improvements.
1.The underlined word ＂scribble＂ in Paragraph 2 probably means ＂______________＂.
A. write quickly and roughly
B. type simply and correctly
C. paint clearly and neatly
D. describe properly and well
2.According to Paragraph 3, students with good handwriting skill______________.
A. can pass the SAT
B. can develop good characters
C. can impress their classmates
D. can get more job opportunities
3.Which of the following should you avoid when improving your handwriting?
A. Practising writing a lot.
B. Writing as fast as you can.
C. Relaxing your hand when holding the pen.
D. Changing your letters till you like how they look.
4.The text is to present the fact that______________.
A. writing seems to be very important in the SAT
B. those who will go to college have to take the SAT
C. students should practise handwriting more often
D. kids don't know how to write in the computer age
（题文）After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.
Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.
The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.
As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.
The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.
What does the underlined word ＂displaced＂ in paragraph 2 mean?
A. Tested. B. Separated.
C. Forced out. D. Tracked down.
（题文）I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film — it wanted somebody as well known as Paul — he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft（技艺）and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other— but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core（核心）of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the brief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back— he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.
What does the underlined word ＂that＂ in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Their belief.
B. Their care for children.
C. Their success.
D. Their support for each other.
（题文）A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5＇×
5＇ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container — perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.
To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.
Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.
The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink.
What does the underlined phrase ＂the water catcher＂ in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The tube. B. The still.
C. The hole. D. The cup.
Have you ever asked yourself what makes people successful? If you look around and talk to those who are very successful, you will see that they all ___ certain qualities which have proved ___ for their success.
It is evident that successful people are those who act. When they find something needs to be done, they just do it instead of waiting. They believe that ___ is taken, not given. They ___ immediately what has to be done and then do it with ___, thus strengthening their reputation.
Successful people are ___ about the things they do, especially when they ___ what they are doing. They are motivated by their own ___ and the joy they get from doing their work. They work hard ___ when no one is watching and they throw themselves into their work.
They do not ____ failure. Failures and disappointments in life are ____. It is failure that teaches us much more than success. Successful people pick themselves up after a fall and try again with more determination and ____ and learn from each failure. They ____ with those they can learn from and enjoy the company of those who ____ their achievement.
Having good IQ often gets a person what he wants but it’s ____ the EQ that keeps him there and helps him enjoy a high reputation. Successful people are polite to everyone and treat others with respect. By giving respect to others, they ____ respect for themselves.
Another important ____ of successful persons is that they never complain. It’s better to praise others. So instead of complaining about a situation, successful people always try to solve it.
To put it ____, take action and be enthusiastic. Do not be afraid to fail, ____ get up and start again. When you do so, success will be just ____ the corner.
1.A. improve B. raise C. test D. possess
2.A. vital B. individual C. personal D. mental
3.A. devotion B. responsibility C. authority D. administration
4.A. sigh B. show C. weigh D. hope
5.A. pleasure B. honor C. adventure D. behavior
6.A. enthusiastic B. characteristic C. energetic D. authentic
7.A. bring in B. believe in C. call in D. join in
8.A. effort B. satisfaction C. condition D. value
9.A. just B. right C. only D. even
10.A. represent B. expect C. fear D. want
11.A. apparent B. uncomfortable C. unavoidable D. urgent
12.A. commitment B. arrangement C. movement D. achievement
13.A. progress B. work C. associate D. celebrate
14.A. congratulate B. appreciate C. attempt D. choose
15.A. especially B. totally C. naturally D. really
16.A. pay B. receive C. require D. promise
17.A. quality B. identity C. ability D. reality
18.A. honestly B. firmly C. shortly D. deeply
19.A. so B. and C. or D. but
20.A. in B. at C. within D. around
Do you know how discipline can help you achieve your goals? Do you know that discipline is important to _____? What is the power of discipline? How to become disciplined?
You might think that many people are not self-disciplined, _____ I’m going to prove to you that people in general are disciplined, but _____, in non-beneficial ways. There are many people who smoke daily _____ the fact that it is harmful and _____ and it could kill them. Such people are disciplined at _____ cigarettes and smoking. There are people who are disciplined at drinking lots of alcohol daily. Such people are disciplined at consuming alcohol. Do you _____ where I am going with this?
One of my friends who has a _____ for running spends half an hour every single morning running. Whether it is snowing or raining, she has to run. This is the kind of _____ discipline that you are supposed to ______ and create in your life.
Do you know someone who bought a book, but didn’t finish ______ it for some reason? Do you know someone who decided to improve his ______ and start eating more vegetables and fruit, but after two weeks, he ______?
These are all examples of ______ of discipline. If you are not disciplined，then you will have a hard time to get your ______. As I mentioned in my book ＂The ultimate guide to achieving your goals＂ that you could know what you want, ______ and take action, but if you are not self-disciplined, you will ______ give up.
With discipline, you can start getting up early in the morning, exercise, and ______ yourself of the non-beneficial habits such as smoking and eating non-healthy food. With discipline, you can change negative habits to positive habits. With discipline, you can join the gym and start working on having a ______ body. Do you see what the ______ of discipline can do?
Always remember what Jim Rohn said, ＂One discipline always leads to another discipline.＂
1.A. wealth B. success C. fortune D. health
2.A. for B. and C. or D. but
3.A. unfortunately B. unwillingly C. unnecessarily D. unexpectedly
4.A. besides B. despite C. except D. without
5.A. courageous B. disgusting C. dangerous D. forbidden
6.A. selling B. buying C. getting D. consuming
7.A. care B. see C. feel D. mind
8.A. passion B. gift C. respect D. reason
9.A. formal B. positive C. negative D. religious
10.A. form B. learn C. follow D. believe
11.A. reading B. reciting C. analyzing D. reviewing
12.A. service B. diet C. skill D. performance
13.A. broke down B. turned up C. gave up D. set out
14.A. lack B. gesture C. sign D. symbol
15.A. attention B. order C. credit D. desire
16.A. plan B. listen C. ask D. hope
17.A. obviously B. practically C. likely D. quickly
18.A. persuade B. inform C. deliver D. break
19.A. healthier B. weaker C. heavier D. clumsier
20.A. demand B. power C. principle D. measure
