In six months, I will be 50 but I already know what I’ll regret. This is the answer. “if anything had been different, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” Being like what I am today is so great that I’d never want to change it. But…1.
KIDS. I wish I had spent more time with my kids. 2. But I worked really hard and, I admit, I probably avoided them when they were really young and difficult to wake up and get ready for school when they were younger.
MONEY. I wish for 15 years or so I wasn’t so focused on money.
CREATIVITY. I began my career in my 20s doing things that were really creative that I loved. I was trying to write a novel. I was trying to do a TV show. I was always around people I loved so much. And I spent time with them because I loved them and not because I wanted anything else. I wish I had stuck with that. Now, in my 40s, I’m trying to catch up. 3.
HUMILITY. When I first made some money, I became a bit too proud. I started investing in all of these horrible companies and having horrible friends. 4. If I were humble and just went back to what I loved, I bet I’d be happier.
DISAGREEMENT. 5. I still have a hard time with that. I wish when someone does something that I don’t like or agree with I would say “no” a bit more often. I’ve gotten into a lot of bad situations because I didn’t say “no”. Here are two cases where I should have said “no” more often: when someone treats me badly and when I don’t want to do something but I feel bad about hurting someone.
Anyway, if I had a time machine, would I go back in time? I’m not sure. It’s OK to feel regretful some times.
One early morning, I went into the living room to find my mother reading a thick book called Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again. My interest was aroused only by the fact that the word “Poems” appeared in big, hot pink letters.
“Is it good?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she answered. “There’s one I really like and you’ll like it, too.” I leaned forward.
“‘Patty Poem,’” she read the title. Who is Patty? I wondered. The poem began:
She never puts her toys away,
Just leaves them scattered①where they lay,…
The poem was just three short sections. The final one came quickly:
When she grows and gathers poise②,
I’ll miss her harum-scarum③noise,
And look in vain④for scattered toys.
And I’ll be sad.
A terrible sorrow washed over me. Whoever Patty was, she was a mean girl. Then, the shock.
“It’s you, honey,” My mother said sadly.
To my mother, the poem revealed a parent’s affection when her child grows up and leaves. To me, the “she” in the poem was horror. It was my mama who would be sad. It was so terrible I burst out crying.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asked.
“Oh Mama,” I cried. “I don’t want to grow up ever!”
She smiled. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re not growing up anytime soon. And when you do, I’ll still love you, okay?”
“Okay,” I was still weeping. My panic has gone. But I could not help thinking about that silly poem. After what seemed like a safe amount of time, I read the poem again and was confused. It all fit so well together, like a puzzle. The language was simple, so simple I could plainly understand its meaning, yet it was still beautiful. I was now fascinated by the idea of poetry, words that had the power to make or break a person’s world.
I have since fallen in love with other poems, but “Patty Poem” remains my poem. After all, “Patty Poem” gave me my love for poetry not because it was the poem that lifted my spirits, but because it was the one that hurt me the most.
1.Why was the writer attracted by the book Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again?
A. It was a thick enough book. B. Her mother was reading it with interest.
C. Something on its cover caught her eye. D. It has a meaningful title.
2.After her mother read the poem to her, the writer felt ______ at first.
A. sad B. excited C. horrified D. confused
3.The writer’s mother liked to read “Patty Poem” probably because______.
A. it reflected her own childhood B. it was written in simple language
C. it was composed by a famous poet D. it gave her a hint of what would happen
4.It can be concluded from the passage that “Patty Poem” leads the writer to _______.
A. discover the power of poetry B. recognize her love for puzzles
C. find her eagerness to grow up D. experience great homesickness
With the clicking of walking sticks and determined steps, a long line of walking group along the winding road is a fantastic sight. Almost each of the walkers is using some kind of fitness tracker. A few Fitbits, some Xiaomi wrist bands (手环), a couple of phone apps and some other pedometers (计步器) — and all, they say, are counting their steps.
Fitness trackers are in. Sales figures for 2016 released by Internet Data Center (IDC) indicated 25% market growth compared to the previous year, with Fitbit taking the lion’s share, followed by the brand Xiaomi.
However, the wearables market has had a rollercoaster ride in recent months. Jawbone, once a popular fitness tracker brand, announced that it is leaving the consumer market. Microsoft has removed its Fitness Band on its online store although it is still available on retail (零售) giant Amazon. Fitbit remains a key brand name at the heart of the fitness tracker revolution. But it is recently reported to be cutting down on workers, and its founder James Park said it experienced “softer than expected” sales recently.
Counting steps is probably the most common use of wearable devices (可穿戴设备), but recently experts have questioned whether the golden goal of walking 10,000 steps a day is actually worthwhile, and a US study concluded that health trackers did not aid weight loss.
Analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight used to wear a fitness tracker on either wrist. Now, however, his concern is about users’experience --- these devices don’t tell you anything new after a while. There are also battery problems and many of the older and cheaper varieties aren’t waterproof (防水的).
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “in” in Para. 2?
A. common B. wearable C. worthwhile D. popular
2.What do we know about the fitness trackers from Para.3?
A. They still have many users. B. Their sales are decreasing.
C. They sell well on Amazon. D. Fitbit is leaving the market.
3.How does the author sound about the future of fitness trackers in the last two paragraphs?
A. Pessimistic. B. Optimistic. C. Hopeful. D. Sympathetic.
Is there link between humans and climate change or not? This question was first studied in the early 1900s. Since then, many scientists have thought that our actions do make a difference. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol explained our role in the Earth’s changing atmosphere and set international limits for gas emissions（排放）from 2008 to 2012. Some countries have decided to continue these reductions until 2020. More recently, the Paris Agreement, stuck by nearly 200 countries, also aims to limit global warming. But just now how much warmer it will get depends on how deeply countries cut carbon emissions.
3.5℃: This is how much temperatures would rise by 2100 even if nations live up to the initial Paris promises to reduce carbon emissions; this rise could still put coastal cities under water and drive over half of all species to extinction.
2℃: To meet this minimum goal, the Agreement requires countries to tighten emissions targets every five years. Even this increase could sink some islands, worse drought and drive a decline of up to a third in the number of species.
1.5℃: This is the most ambitious goal for temperature rise set by the Paris Agreement, after a push by low-lying island nations like Kiribati, which say limiting temperature rise to 1.5℃ could save them from sinking.
0.8℃: This is how much temperatures have risen since the industrial age began, putting us 40% of the way to the 2℃ point.
0℃: The baseline here is average global temperature before the start of the industrial age.
1.It can be concluded from Para.1 that _______.
A. the problem of global warming will have been quite solved by 2020
B. gas emissions have been effectively reduced in developed countries
C. the Paris Agreements is more influential than the Kyoto Protocol
D. humans have made continuous efforts to slow down global warming
2.If nations could only keep the initial promises of the Paris Agreement, what would happen by the year 2100?
A. The human population would increase by one third.
B. Little over 50% of all species would still exist.
C. The Agreement’s minimum goal would not be reached.
D. Nations would not need to tighten their emissions targets.
3.If those island nations not far above sea level are to survive, the maximum temperature rise, since the start of the industrial age, should be_______.
A. 0.8℃ B. 1.5℃ C. 2℃ D. 3.5℃
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What is one reason for children gaining weight in the summer?
A. Hot weather. B. Lack of sleep. C. Watching TV.
2.How many meals do a lot of children have every day in the summer?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three.
3.What do most children choose to do when they are left by themselves?
A. Go outside and play. B. Read books at home. C. Play computer games.
4.What does the speaker suggest parents do?
A. Prepare good food for their children.
B. Spend more time with their children.
C. Pay attention to their own habits.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does Simon study at Oxford?
A. English. B. History. C. Physics.
2.What is Simon’s first novel mainly about?
A. His father’s work as a reporter.
B. His experience in South Africa.
C. His volunteer work in Vietnam.
3.What does Simon plan to do after graduation?
A. Go on to study abroad. B. Find a job in Vietnam. C. Write his second novel.
