From Disappointment to Purpose
I’m known for my determination. If I want something, I ________ for it; I refuse to give up until I succeed. Over the years this attitude has worked well for me and helped me achieve my goals. ________, when I wanted to be on the dance team at school, I learned all the dances and practiced until I could hardly _______. And when I wanted money for a new computer, I washed cars, babysat, and walked dogs for all my neighbors.
_____ this year everything changed. I had set my sights on a summer _____ that I was determined to get at the Water Zone, because the employees there could go on the water rides after their work and get free food at the snack bar. It was the ________ job to have on hot summer vacations. So just as I had achieved every goal in the past, I set out to ________ the job. I completed the application in my neatest handwriting, carefully prepared for my interview, and gathered a pack of recommendation letters. I was certain that nothing ________ keep me from my dream job.
But after my ________, the manager of the Water Zone told me that he could hire only those with experience in water safety. I was _______. I felt like a failure.
On the last weekend before school ended, my teacher, Mrs. Keller, asked me _____ I would be interested in the kids’ summer day camp. I decided that I had nothing to ________, so I called the manager and ________ an interview. She was ________ by my babysitting experience and employed me. In less than a week, I had completely ________ about wanting to work at the water park. Each time I comforted a little boy who missed his mother or a little girl who needed to help tying her shoes, I felt I was doing something ________. I realized that I had discovered my life’s _______: to work with children. I now have a new goal. I’m going to study to become an elementary school teacher.
Sometimes in life we don’t get ________ what we want. Our dream guy or girl may not be interested in us. The coach may not select us for the team. A certain employer may not choose to hire us. It’s natural to feel _______; I sure did. But I also learned an important lesson. Occasionally, when we don’t get what we want, something even ________ is waiting for us around the corner!
1.A. go B. apply C. cheer D. wait
2.A. In addition B. For example C. Before long D. As a result
3.A. smile B. speak C. think D. move
4.A. Otherwise B. So C. But D. Therefore
5.A. day B. course C. job D. camp
6.A. perfect B. tough C. regular D. potential
7.A. land B. give C. change D. keep
8.A. should B. must C. need D. could
9.A. practice B. interview C. expectation D. experiment
10.A. promoted B. punished C. selected D. refused
11.A. how B. whether C. what D. why
12.A. save B. learn C. lose D. regret
13.A. scheduled B. cancelled C. mentioned D. gave
14.A. inspired B. impressed C. touched D. puzzled
15.A. doubted B. complained C. forgotten D. known
16.A. challenging B. reasonable C. traditional D. significant
17.A. track B. motto C. belief D. purpose
18.A. only B. exactly C. properly D. immediately
19.A. curious B. nervous C. disappointed D. interested
20.A. better B. easier C. higher D. crazier
Moving into a new home in a new neighborhood is an exciting experience. Of course, you want to make sure that you become an acceptable and valuable part of your neighborhood . the easiest way to accomplish this is to make sure you conduct yourself as a good neighbor should. 1.
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do as a good neighbor is to keep your property(房产) neat, clean, and in good repair. 2. By choosing to keep the outside of the home in great shape, you will help to improve the look and feel of the area.
Second, take the overall appearance of the neighborhood seriously,. When going for a walk. Take a small garbage bag. 3. This small act will let your neighbors know that you care about the area.
4. If a neighbor is going to be out of town, offer to collect mail and newspapers. If a neighbor suffers an illness, offer to do the grocery shopping . Let them know you are there to help in any way this acceptable, while still respecting the privacy of your neighbor.
5. By following the basic rules of respecting others, taking care of what belongs to you, and taking pride in the appearance of the neighborhood in general, you will quickly become a good neighbor that everyone appreciate.
A. In general, keep an eye on their property while they are gone.
B.A good neighbor is also one who likes to help out in small ways.
C. Being a good neighbor is more or less about considerate behavior.
D. Sometimes neighbors may go to the supermarket together to do shopping.
E. Should you come across waste paper thrown out of a passing car, pick it up.
F. People tend to lake pride in keeping everything in their street fresh and inviting.
G. Here are a few tips to help you win over everyone in the neighborhood quickly
Preparing Cities for Robot Cars
The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.
A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
1.According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.
A. help deal with transportation-related problems
B. provide better services to customers
C. cause damage to our environment
D. make some people lose jobs
2.As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?
A. Safety. B. Side effects.
C. Affordability. D. Management.
3.What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
A. Doubtful. B. Positive.
C. Disapproving. D. Sympathetic.
The China Daily newspaper group is looking for English-language senior business editors，senior copy editors，copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team．We offer a competitive salary package，free accommodation with utilities paid for，90 percent medical reimbursement，a seven-day paid leave，eleven-day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence．
Senior Business Editor
You must：
·assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them；
·be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff；
·ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails；
·have had at least five years’ editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software．
Senior Copy Editor
You must：
·work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print；
·edit or rewrite copy and give smart headlines and captions；
·have had at least two years’ editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software．
Copy Editor
You must：
·be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing smart headlines and captions；
·be able to work on shifts for different pages，and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print；
·have two years of editing experience working on copy desks，and be familiar with industry software．
Graphic Designer
You must：
·have excellent skills in information graphics；
·be good at illustrations and freehand drawings；
·be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts；
·have a good sense of typography；
·have good news judgment；
·be skilled in Macintosh software，including in Design，Illustrator and Photoshop；
·be fluent in English．
For enquiries or to apply，write to job @ chinadaily.com.cn．
1.What is the purpose of this passage?
A. To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group．
B. To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group．
C. To advertise for hiring some good employees．
D. To tell you how to become good editors and designers．
2.What is not required about Graphic Designer?
A. Being good at Photoshop．
B. Having excellent skills in information graphics．
C. Having a good sense of typography．
D. Writing smart headlines and captions．
3.How many positions need editing experience?
A. Two． B. One．
C. Three． D. Four．
Stephen Hawking, a world famous British physicist, also wrote a children’s book with his daughter. Hawking said the book would be “a bit like Harry Potter” but without the magic. “It explains the wonders of the universe,” said Hawking, while he was on a visit to Hong Kong over 10 years ago.
Hawking, is probably the world’s most famous scientist after Albert Einstein. He is an expert on black holes. He has put his whole life into digging into the beginning (and the end) of the universe. “My goal is simple,” Hawking once said. “It is to completely understand the universe, why it is as it is and why it is there at all.”
Hawking has a bad illness that stops him from moving or talking. For a period of time, he had no way to communicate except by blinking.
Now he sits on a wheelchair with a computer by his side. To communicate, he moves two fingers to control the computer’s mouse. He selects his words from the screen, which are then spoken by a voice synthesizer.
“I have had the disease for most of my life,” Hawking once said. “Yet it has not stopped me from being successful at my work.”
Although Hawking is such a disabled man, he made great achievements. He has received many awards and prizes for his work over the years. This includes winning the Albert Einstein Award. It is the highest achievement in theoretical physics.
1.In the first paragraph, the book that Stephen Hawking wrote is_____.
A. the same as Harry Potter B. is quite different from Harry Potter.
C. about the magic D. about science
2.From the text we can learn _____.
A. Hawking is more famous than Einstein
B. Hawking is less famous than Einstein
C. Both Hawking and Einstein are very famous
D. Neither Hawking nor Einstein is famous
3.What does the underlined pronoun “It” in the second paragraph stand for?
A. The goal. B. The magic.
C. The universe. D. The book.
4.According to the text, which of the following statements is the fact?
A. Hawking has received many awards and prices except the Albert Einstein Award.
B. The illness keeps him from moving and talking.
C. He communicates with others by speaking.
D. The illness stopped him from being successful.
假定你是李华，你的美国笔友Smith 来信说对中医感兴趣，想来中国学习。请你给他写回信，内容如下：
1. 支持他的决定；
2. 简单介绍中医及其优点。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Smith,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
