If you walk through the park in the morning, you are probably used to seeing 1. series of beautiful movements performed in a slow, focused manner with deep breathing.
Today, Tai Chi’s incredible powers are shown in its popularity. Millions of lovers of Tai Chi around the world are using the form of martial arts (武术) 2. an important healthcare practice to get control of their health, manage stress and slow down the process of gelling old. On Mar3, a new report from London showed that Tai Chi had helped hundreds of older people in Britain’s capital to Slav 3. (fit) than ever.
In traditional Chinese culture, often Tai Chi 4. (link) to the Chinese idea of yin and yang, the idea that one can see two sides in everything. According to a legend, one day Taoist Zhang Sanfeng saw a hawk attacking a snake in the Wudang Mountains. 5. (inspire) by the snake’s defense, he created a set of 72 movements, 6. used softness and power from inside to defeat brute (残暴的) force.
Tai Chi can be practiced anytime and anywhere without 7. (equip) or gymnasium. Of course Tai Chi’s benefits go beyond physical 8.. For Marleni Calcina from Peru, who has practiced Tai Chi for more than 10 years, it’s not only a sport, but also a way of life, It’s Tai Chi 9. has taught her how to “gain peace and inner harmony”. “For me now, practiced Tai Chi is like 10. (speak) with my soul,” she says.
At the age of sixteen, I went on my first volunteer project with Dad in West Virginia. The family ____ was living in a trailer (拖车) that was in ____ condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but one problem after another ____.
We decided the only ____ was to build a new ____. The family was ____. Tuesday that week, we began to ___ the bedrooms for the family’s three boys. Josh, Eric and Ryan. ____ toys and other gadgets (小玩意) that children usually ____, we were astonished when Josh responded, “ I just warn a ____.”
The boys had ____ slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we decided that beds would be the perfect ____. As we ____ the frames of the beds together, Erie ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed ____ from the doorway.
As my Dad ____ one of the pillows into a pillowcase (枕套), Erie asked, “What is that?” Dad told him it was a pillow. “What do you do with it?” Eric continued to ask. “____ you sleep, you put your head on it” I answered softly. Tears came to my eyes as I ____ Eric the pillow. “Oh…that’s ____,” he said, hugging it tightly .
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems very ____. Dad gently asks,” Do you have a ____?” We know exactly what he means.
1.A. in danger B. in need C. on guard D. on duty
2.A. poor B. dusty C. perfect D. fierce
3.A. acted B. disappeared C. died D. surfaced
4.A. request B. attempt C. solution D. purpose
5.A. house B. room C. truck D. garage
6.A. overjoyed B. interested C. privileged D. determined
7.A. guarantee B. process C. brush D. furnish
8.A. Requiring B. Expecting C. Offering D. Listing
9.A. ask for B. donate C. put away D. praise
10.A. room B. pillow C. bed D. mat
11.A. even B. still C. ever D. never
12.A. service B. memory C. gift D. happiness
13.A. fitted B. applied C. tore D. unfolded
14.A. spirit B. anxiety C. enthusiasm D. confidence
15.A. escaped B. slipped C. broke D. cut
16.A. Once B. As soon as C. Until D. When
17.A. lent B. handed C. collected D. sent
18.A. flat B. handy C. vacant D. soft
19.A. urgent B. complex C. difficult D. disturbing
20.A. bed B. pillow C. toy D. family
Mondays are kind of annoying. 1. A recent survey says that most people get the pre-work “Sunday blues”. Starting your Monday feeling sad, anxious and unorganized is hardly the way to kick off a healthy week.
The solution? Set aside a little time on Sunday to purposefully prepare yourself for the five days ahead, suggests women’s health expert Marsha Hudnall. 2.
Do some meal preparations.
Figuring out what to have for dinner on weeknights can be surprisingly stressful. Stretching out a menu plan on Sunday and swinging by the grocery store for ingredients will help you eat well. Go a step further by chopping and cooking vegetables and a protein (like a roast chicken or scrambled eggs). 3. Or finally attempt a different diet you’ve been meaning to try. For easy dinner planning, just order, and you’ll have a week’s worth of raw materials for delicious and healthy meals.
Start a Sunday stress-relief habit.
“To be healthy, we have to take care of body and mind,” says Hudnall. Stress has a major impact on health and our ability to concentrate. 4. Four ideas to try: a guided meditation with the help of an app; forest bathing－a practice known as shinrin-yoku in Japan, which basically means taking a long walk or hike in a wooded area; gentle exercise like yoga; or time cuddling and playing with your pet.
5.
Why not prepare your favorite clothes for Monday? Studies show that what you wear can have a significant effect on your mood. So make Monday the day you wear your favorite clothes or show the latest addition to your wardrobe (衣橱). It’s also a good idea to get some nice coffee or music ready, which will give you something to look forward to on your Monday commute.
A. Give yourself something to look forward on Monday.
B. Even Sunday afternoons turn sour as we think of the workweek ahead.
C. Then all you have to do is heat and plate when you come home from work.
D. Therefore, starting a Sunday stress-relieving habit can begin a week feeling strong and focused.
E. Try creating a relaxing and winding down Sunday night so that you can recharge and get ready for Monday.
F. Taking on just a few of these simple lips every Sunday will help you launch a productive, less stressful week.
G. Wailing until the last moment to do weekend chores like paying bills or doing laundry can leave you anxious and stressed on Sunday.
Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane（飓风）Hugo 10 years ago. Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building rules wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. Soon after Hugo, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced rules. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Level 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern (灯笼)” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage. Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings－long, slim wood pieces anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also raise the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. ‘These waves come ashore at terrible speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially hidden by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs (裤腿) pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
1.After the Hurricane Hugo, new houses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required .
A. to be easily reinforced B. to meet stricter building standards
C. to look smarter in design D. to be designed in the shape of cubes
2.Why is the award-winning beach house strong and hurricane-proof?
A. It is in the shape of a shell. B. It is made of redwood.
C. It is strengthened by steel rods. D. It is built with timber and concrete.
3.What’s the purpose of Huff raising the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings?
A. To anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand.
B. To prevent water from rushing into the house.
C. To withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr.
D. To make the house look more hurricane-proof.
4.According the last paragraph, the main function of the shell is .
A. to give the house a better appearance
B. to strengthen the pilings of the house
C. to protect the wooden frame of the house
D. to slow down the speed of the big waves
To eat only a vegan（素食的） diet might sound difficult, especially with many popular dishes containing meat or other animal products. Yet in 2017, veganism was described as “the fastest - growing lifestyle movement” in the UK, according to BBC news.
A study by a UK market research organization, suggests that over 542,000 Brits went vegan during the previous decade, an increase of 360%. And the main force behind this increase was those aged 15-34 years old — 42% of recent vegans fall under that age range.
So why exactly has veganism become so popular among young Brits?
One reason could be that many young people want to protect the environment, as less meat consumption is known to be beneficial to the environment. Global meat manufacturing is believed to cause 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions（排放）, even more than that of all the world’s cars, trains and planes combined. Another reason is that many of today’s young people believe that it’s wrong to kill animals to be used as food.
Jess Murray, 22, a student at University College London, said that he chose to become vegan after realizing that eating animals is a choice that people make, rather than something that we need to do to survive. “Becoming vegan was an ethical (道德的) decision,” he told the Guardian.
Social media is also believed to have given rise to the increase in veganism. Platforms such as Facebook allow young vegans to connect with each other much easier, while others such as Instagram have led to the creation of “vegan celebrities (名人)”, who share lips on vegan lifestyles.
Despite the rising of veganism, Laura Wyness, an expert in diet and nutrition, said that meat is very important for people’s health. “A strict vegan diet makes it difficult to get some minerals and vitamins that your body needs,” Wyness told BBC news.
However, the popularity of veganism doesn’t seem to be fading. “It feels more like this is something that is sticking.” said an expert of the Vegan Society, a UK charity that promotes veganism.
1.What can we learn about veganism, “the fastest-growing lifestyle movement” in UK?
A. It has created many popular dishes.
B. It is backed up mainly by old people.
C. It has led to further market research.
D. It has grown steeply in the past 10 years.
2.The following may account for the increase in veganism EXCEPT .
A. Young people prefer an environment-friendly life.
B. Young people want to become ethical celebrities.
C. Meal manufacturing contributes a lot to the world’s greenhouse gas.
D. Social media allow the vegan message to spread quickly around.
3.The underlined word “sticking” in the Iasi paragraph is equal to in meaning.
A. important B. special
C. lasting D. impressive
4.Which of the following will serve as the best title of the passage?
A. Young Brits Going Vegan B. Veganism Comes First
C. How to Start a Vegan Lifestyle D. Veganism and the Environment
Customers who come into the Waffle House recognize server Evoni Williams, a soft-spoken 18-year-old from Texas City. It all started with a Facebook post. On the morning of March 3, Laura Wolf was eating breakfast at the Waffle House in La Marque when she overheard an older man, who reminded her of her late father, tell Williams he had trouble with his hands. The man, later identified as regular customer Adrien Charpentier, had an oxygen tank nearby and needed help cutting up his food. “Without hesitation,” Wolf wrote, Williams “took his plate and began cutting up his ham.”
Impressed, Wolf posted the moment on her Facebook page to share the warmth and kindness with all. The following day, Williams’s Facebook notification（关注）began to light up. Her friends saw Wolf’s post and tracked her in it.
Williams had no idea that someone took a photo that morning. The diner was so busy that a line extended outside the door. She said helping Charpentier was reflexive. She has been working at Waffle House since last June to save for college, and this, she figured, was just the right thing to do. “I would want someone to help my grandmother or grandfather,” Williams said.
The post began to make its rounds in La Marque and eventually landed in front of the city’s mayor, Bobby Hocking. He decided to declare March 8 as Williams’s day, and also received an email from Texas Southern University President Austin A.Lane, asking if the school could present Williams with a scholarship.
Williams still works at Waffle House five days a week and plans to do so until she starts classes in the fall at Houston-based Texas Southern. Wolf said Williams does not have a car to get to classes, but some people have offered to start a GoFundMe page for her, proving that a moment of a kindness can change a life.
1.Why did Wolf post the photo on Facebook?
A. The photo reminded her of her late father. B. It could satisfy her inner needs.
C. She was touched by the sight. D. The customer had trouble with his hands.
2.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Without a second thought. B. After careful consideration.
C. Winning a reward. D. Better serving customers.
3.What can we infer about Evoni Williams?
A. She seldom saw Charpentier come to the House for breakfast.
B. It was GoFundMe page that led to her good luck.
C. She is no longer working in service business.
D. She has probably received a scholarship for her college education.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing the article?
A. To help Williams receive higher education.
B. To introduce a random act of kindness.
C. To show that young generation can always help.
D. To emphasize the influence of the social media.
