As a child, I started learning to play the piano, my favorite musical ________, but I was forced to give up when I started my middle school ________ I could concentrate more on my studies.
It’s one of my biggest ________ to stop practicing the piano when I recall sadly today. During the following years, I kept telling my piano teacher that I would ________. However, I didn’t keep my promise because I was ________ with my study. ________ I lost touch with my teacher. Some years later, my teacher died. I was very sad because I lost such a good teacher. She was a very warm and gentle person. It hurts me to think she may have been ________ that I never returned. I haven’t taken lessons since then but to be honest, I ________ to. Sitting at the piano, I couldn’t help recalling many ________ — times of my practising at home and playing before my teacher and one time my teacher ________ me after I played entire pieces of music wrong in front of her colleagues. I was so ________ that I could hardly say anything. But her ________ helped me ease my shame. These memories, ________, good or bad, never caused my ________ for playing the piano again.
This thought then led me to think that ________ is like music, and that we all try to play different ________ in the instrument of our life. Sometimes the pitch(音高) is ________ when we play it well, but sometimes we are out of tone. However, we all continue to create our own ________ style of music. No matter what style our music is, it is ________ that we sing the songs of joy, quietness and love. Though I may never make it back to piano lessons, it doesn’t ________ that I’ve stopped making music.
1.A. instrument B. performance C. room D. stage
2.A. in that B. so that C. now that D. except that
3.A. successes B. regrets C. decisions D. hobbies
4.A. play B. graduate C. leave D. return
5.A. occupied B. angry C. satisfied D. patient
6.A. Actually B. Constantly C. Suddenly D. Gradually
7.A. astonished B. glad C. disappointed D. amazed
8.A. liked B. needed C. wanted D. decided
9.A. dreams B. expressions C. words D. memories
10.A. instructed B. hurt C. punished D. respected
11.A. frightened B. moved C. embarrassed D. excited
12.A. happiness B. satisfaction C. comfort D. sigh
13.A. instead B. meanwhile C. therefore D. however
14.A. hope B. courage C. feeling D. effect
15.A. life B. learning C. attitude D. enjoyment
16.A. cards B. sports C. roles D. games
17.A. hard B. wonderful C. surprising D. complex
18.A. unique B. boring C. common D. similar
19.A. necessary B. strange C. possible D. important
20.A. matter B. mean C. report D. appear
How to Make a Chinese Hot Pot
Eating a Chinese hot pot is a very common experience. People gather around the pot, dipping their food, waiting for it to cook, mixing their own seasonings (调味品) and enjoying each other's company. 1.
Firstly, prepare a large pot of soup. There is no right or wrong way to prepare a soup, so feel free to make your own. A simple soup can be made by boiling water with the addition of meat bones or fish heads and a mixture of herbs, seasonings and vegetables.
Then, cut a variety of meats and fish into thin slices.2.. Choose any food that you enjoy. Some common choices for Chinese hot pot include thin pieces of beef, pork, lamb and so on. You can make your hot pot using the more traditional method of using the meats and seafood that are local to you. Meanwhile, select, wash and prepare some vegetables. 3. Mushrooms of all kinds are also common to Chinese hot pot preparations.
4.At home, a single hot pot would work well up to 4-8 people depending on the size of the pot. Make sure everyone is sitting in a circle and has easy access to everything on the table. Prepare a separate small dish for each guest to mix their seasonings. 5.!
A. Finally, arrange the seating reasonably
B. Now comes the turn to enjoy your hot pot
C. It will guarantee that the items will cook quickly and fully
D. Here are some easy steps to make a Chinese hot pot at home
E. For more variety, consider dumplings, rice cakes and tangyuan
F. Popular choices include: cabbage, pea leaves, winter melon and tomato
G. It usually lasts a couple of hours because you are cooking and eating in small parts
Loneliness has been linked to depression(抑郁) and other health problems. Now, a study says it can also spread. A friend of a lonely person was fifty-two percent more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. And a friend of that friend was twenty-five percent more likely to do the same.
Earlier findings showed that happiness, obesity(肥胖) and the ability to stop smoking can also spread like infections within social groups. The findings all come from a major health study in the American town of Framingham, Massachusetts.
The study began in 1948 to investigate the causes of heart disease. Since then, more tests have been added, including measures of loneliness and depression.
The new findings involved more than five thousand people in the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study. The researchers examined friendship histories and reports of loneliness. The results established a pattern that spread as people reported fewer close friends.
For example, loneliness can affect relationships between next-door neighbors. The loneliness spreads as neighbors who were close friends now spend less time together. The study also found that loneliness spreads more easily among women than men.
The average person is said to experience feelings of loneliness about forty-eight days a year. The study found that having a lonely friend can add about seventeen days. But every additional friend can decrease loneliness by two and a half days.
Lonely people become less and less trusting of others. This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends—and more likely that society will reject(排斥) them.
John Cacioppo at the University of Chicago led the study. He says it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness. He says people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks.
1.As an average person, if you make 2 more common friends, how many days a year might you suffer from loneliness?
A. 48 days B. 43 days C. 65 days D. 17 days
2.What can we infer from the passage about lonely people?
A. They can overcome loneliness themselves
B. They will decrease loneliness day by day.
C. They need help to get back to normal social life
D. They can help others to repair their social networks
3.What's the best way to help lonely people according to this passage?
A. Bring them together. B. Make friends with them.
C. Help them stop smoking. D. Help them lose weight
4.Which of the following would be the topic of the passage?
A. Loneliness and social network B. Social Networks and friendship
C. Loneliness and diet. D. Help A Lonely Person
A small robot may help children who are recovering from a long-term illnesses in the hospital or at home. These children may feel isolated from their friends and classmates. The robot takes their place at school. Through the robot, the children can hear their teachers and friends. They also can take part in class from wherever they are recovering.
Anyone who has had a long-term illness knows that recovering at home can be lonely. This is can be especially true of children. They may feel left out. Now, these children may have a high-tech friend to help feel less alone. That friend is a robot. The robot is called AV1. AV1 goes to school for a child who is homebound while recovering from a long-term illness. And the child's school friends must help. They carry the robot between classes and place the robot on the child's desk.
A Norwegian company called No Isolation created the robot. The co-founders of No Isolation are Karen Dolva and Marius Aabel. Dolva explains how the robot AV1 works. She says from home, the child uses a tablet or phone to start the robot. Then they use the same device to control the robot's movements. At school, the robot becomes the eyes, ears and voice of the child.
"So, it sits at the child's desk in the classroom and the child uses a tablet or a phone to start it, control its movement with touch, and talk through it. So it's the eyes and the ears and the voice at school."
The student can take part in classroom activities from wherever they are recovering --- whether at home or from a hospital bed. The robot is equipped with speakers, microphones and cameras that makes communicating easy.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “isolated”?
A. freed B. separated C. tired D. banned
2.What can’t children do through the robot?
A. Take part in the class B. Talk with his friends
C. write on the blackboard D. Hear their teachers
3.How do children control the robot’s movements?
A. By talking with the robot B. By taking part in class activities
C. By the microphones equipped in it D. By touching the tablet or phone
4.What’s the robot mainly designed for?
A. Children who have just recovered form illnesses.
B. Children who can’t go to school for a long time.
C. Children who are bored with going to school.
D. Children who can’t see, hear or speak.
Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of their programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness, Public Speaking.
After my speech, I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speakers faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was not only appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After delivering successfully, I became more confident. I said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plan, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step.
1.Why did the author have bad feelings before the speech?
A. he feared he couldn't perform it properly.
B. he had got a high fever before that.
C. he regretted accepting the invitation.
D. he disliked the idea of giving a lecture.
2.What does the underlined part “ominous apprehensions” in the first paragraph mean?
A. Unlucky opportunities. B. Curious views.
C. Negative ideas. D. Happy comments.
3.What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Necessity is the mother of invention.
B. Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty.
C. Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud.
D. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Public Speaking Makes a Man Embarrassed.
B. Principal Provides the Best Chances.
C. Practice Makes a Man a Better Speechmaker.
D. Spoken English Develops in Speeches.
Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August.
Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.
November 7th
The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”.
December 5th
Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.
February 6th
An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.
March 6th
Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.
Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More infor:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson
London Cannal Museum
12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT
www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi
Tel:02077130836
1.When is the talk on James Brindley?
A. February 6th. B. March 6th.
C. November 7th. D. December 5th.
2.What is the topic of the talk in February?
A. The Canal Pioneers. B. Ice for the Metropolis
C. Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands D. An Update on the Cotsword Canals
3.Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames?
A. Miranda Vickers. B. Malcolm Tucker.
C. Chris Lewis. D. Liz Payne.
