How many licks （舔）does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop （棒棒糖）？
The first time I heard this in the Tootsie Pop advertisement, I was five years old. I immediately started _______ and counting. After about two hundred licks or so. I stopped. The _______ of the chewy center had proven to be too great, and I _______ my way through the hard shell （外壳）to the very center. Besides, I _______ knew it took three licks to get to the center― that’s how many licks it took the owl （猫头鹰）in the advertisement to get to the center, so that, to me, it was the _______ answer.
In high school I held to the Tootsie Pop _______ . To me, the answer was still always three licks.
In my freshman year. I joined the Model United Nations _______ in my school. The Chair position had _______ the center of the Tootsie Pop and my _______ had become various other students. The first so-called was Eric who had luckily _______ the prestigious （有威望的）Chair position. So, I decided, _______ Eric reached the center in only one lick, that's how many licks it should take me. I went to the tryouts with a view to obtaining the position but _______.
At the end of my sophomore （崗二）year, a new owl named Iris had _______ achieved the chair position after trying twice. I began working hard again. But then again, I did not make a _______ of it.
Now, slightly frustrated after _______ two setbacks, I found a new owl. Evan. It had taken him three licks to get to the "center： Three was all I could _______ . It was widely known that senior year was the _______ year to become Chair. I thought about _______ the program. but on second thoughts. I decided to continue.
Eleven years later, I visited the official Tootsie Pop website to find the real answer to the question that had _______ me my entire high school life. I finally understood. However many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop depends on however many licks I _______ to take—not how many the other owls take.
1.A.dreaming B.admiring C.licking D.chewing
2.A.appeal B.appearance C.power D.discovery
3.A.fought B.followed C.made D.bit
4.A.seldom B.never C.already D.nearly
5.A.brief B.right C.random D.temporary
6.A.advertisement B.plan C.philosophy D.custom
7.A.program B.conference C.title D.activity
8.A.become B.changed C.determined D.explored
9.A.shell B.hope C.owl D.companion
10.A.noticed B.shifted C.improved D.landed
11.A.unless B.if C.before D.until
12.A.failed B.quit C.survived D.struggled
13.A.yet B.even C.still D.also
14.A.promise B.success C.point D.joke
15.A.interacting with B.frightening away C.going through D.working out
16.A.afford B.buy C.admit D.expect
17.A.middle B.gap C.last D.initial
18.A.winning B.criticizing C.quitting D.arranging
19.A.motivated B.troubled C.attracted D.instructed
20.A.learn B.offer C.refuse D.choose
Reducing class size has traditionally been seen as an important way to improve a student’s educational experience. Many often believe that smaller classes would permit teachers to give more personal attention to their students. 1..
But one recent study suggests there's not much research-based evidence to support this idea. The research was collected by a team from Denmark's Danish Center for Social Science Research.
The study notes that one of the main problems with reducing class size is that it can have very high costs. 2.. Financial limitations make it very difficult for many schools to reduce the number of students in the classroom.
The new study began by examining 127 studies on classroom size. Its goal was to examine the major research studies already completed on the subject. 3.. In the end, the research centered on 10 main studies with possible sampling (采样)problems.
The researchers concluded that there's some evidence to suggest that reducing class size may lead to some improvement in a student 's reading achievement. 4.. They found just a 53-percent chance that a randomly selected test score from a student from a small class would be higher than the selected score of a student from a larger class. 5.. This led the researchers to conclude that there would be no benefit at all to math students in a smaller class size.
A.But they said the effect is very small
B.For mathematics achievement, the result was 49 percent
C.This can theoretically lead to improved academic results for students
D.Many public opinion studies have shown teachers favor smaller class sizes
E.The effects of larger class size can stay long after the students complete their education
F.Increasing class size is one of the most common ways school systems control education spending
G.They especially centered on those trying to measure if smaller class size led to greater academic success
People generally see themselves through achievements. In doing that, they end up caring more about their image than the reality of who they actually are. Rather than their performance at work, they end up defining themselves by external markers that they hope will earn them respect.
The problem with this is that it encourages both themselves and other people to judge their worth based on some relatively unimportant measure. For example, one day, their educational diploma may overshadow what they actually learned. Therefore, a better way to know a person, I think, is to ask a different set of questions: What motivates them? What makes them ache? What do they long for?
It’s in this spirit that I want to publicly share my values. They are the compass(罗盘) that guides my life. The kindest and most sincere thing I can do is to see, recognize, and understand another person before I make judgments. From there, I can learn to treat others appropriately, depending on the context, learning from my mistakes with time and experience. It's just a reminder that life is hard for all of us, while at the same time accepting that it's important we are all also held accountable for our actions.
I have learned that we are all deeply self-interested. I hope to be self-aware enough to check out of the power and status games. That means I'm not competing with anyone for a shiny object; I'd rather compete with myself. It's about becoming so uniquely different that it would be an insult for me to measure myself against someone else. I believe if I do the work to be internally free from the pull of the power and status games, then I can add value to others based on my unique knowledge and experience.
If this resonates with(与……共鸣) you, I invite you to join me on this journey in understanding and relating to this complex world. It's a wonderful mystery, and I think together we can better define it—not just personally, but also collectively.
1.According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
A.People generally judge others' worth by what they have achieved.
B.The external markers are better ways to know a person.
C.The author is someone who is keen on power games.
D.Learning from mistakes is the first step of treating others kindly.
2.What does the underlined word “overshadow” probably mean?
A.be relatively similar to B.cause something to be stronger than
C.make something less important D.block off light from something
3.Which of the following might the author agree with?
A.People should be self-aware enough and compete with themselves.
B.Life is hard, so we shouldn't criticize others when they are not responsible.
C.Everyone is unique, so showing off uniqueness is an insult to others.
D.One should see and understand another person using a real compass.
4.What is the writer's purpose of writing the article?
A.To promote harmonious living.
B.To ask people not to judge others.
C.To call on readers to learn his values.
D.To share his values of understanding the world.
China has long been tipped to be the next Silicon Valley, but now the finances and support are in place to make it happen.
There is a growing consensus ( 共 识 ) that while Silicon Valley is not about to disappear anytime soon, its next biggest rival is already on the verge of bursting onto the international scene — not in the US, nor in the EU, but in Asia. More specifically, China.
This is not just an observation based on the rise of companies like Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent. It is grounded in a more widespread move to fund start-ups in Asia to the point where more money is being invested there than in Europe. Just five years ago, Europe and Asia are neck and neck in terms of investment.
In 2013, Europe made slightly more deals, 1550 compared to Asia’s 1071, but the total value of investment was $7bn. Just five years later, Asia is now four times the size of Europe with twice as many deals carried out.
Between 2013 to 2018, the number of deals in Asia increased nearly fivefold, and their value leapt to $81bn, compared to the $21bn raised in Europe. The Asian figure also shows that the continent is closing the gap on the US which saw $105bn worth of deals.
One of the main reasons that makes the country so attractive is not just the huge growth in investment and high education standards, but also local and national governmental support benefiting tech companies.
In fact, one of the conclusions of a recent Fortune tech conference was that China’s tech companies will soon be beating American companies on their home turf. One of the reasons is that investors believe US immigration policy is making it more difficult for the best talent around the world to find work there. Plus, Chinese companies are now able to start paying salaries that can keep pace with those on offer in Silicon Valley.
Hence, when Ian Roger, Chief Digital Official at luxury group LVMH was asked where he thought the next Facebook or Google would come from, he suggested it would be a close call between Silicon Valley and China. The latter had the investment that is needed as well as a hard work culture of a six-day week. It also has a superb education system and a huge population.
As Silicon Valley appears to be heating up a little too hard for some people, China would appear to be warming up at just the right pace.
1.What does the expression “on the verge of ” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.on the way of B.on the list of
C.on the condition of D.on the point of
2.Which of the following is NOT a reason why China attracts foreign investment in tech companies?
A.High education standards. B.Huge growth in investment.
C.Support from the government. D.Higher salaries than those in Silicon Valley.
3.It can’t be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.the US immigration policy is strict but talent-friendly
B.Ian Roger believes the next Google might come from China
C.employees of Baidu might be accustomed to overwork
D.Chinese tech companies can provide highly competitive salaries now.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The total value of investment in Asia is four times that in Europe.
B.Finances, high education standards and support make it possible for China to become the next Silicon Valley.
C.Asia attracts worldwide best talents to tech companies.
D.American tech companies will soon be beaten by those in China.
We’ve all heard the stories of an actor’s struggles before a career breakthrough: living a hard life, working part time, being a couch potato before getting that major role. Shelby, the star of “A Dog’s Way Home,” has a hard-luck tale that could top them all. Before her big break, she was living in a landfill, rooting through garbage for her next meal.
Shelby’s big break came in April 2017, when animal-control officer Megan Buhler was driving in Cheatham County. Tennessee. Out on an unrelated call, Buhler spotted and approached what she recalled was a noticeably scared puppy emerging from the dump. “I knelt down and just said, ‘Oh, come here, baby,’” said Buhler. “She was so scared, but she came right up to me, and I was able to put her in my truck.” The pair headed to the county animal shelter, where the staff began calling the new resident Baby Girl.
Buhler and others didn’t know that 3,200 kilometers away, Hollywood was looking for a dog to play Bella in a film written by Cathryn Michon. The find-a-Bella job went to freelance trainer Teresa Ann Miler. Her mission was to search shelters nationwide for a dog that could play Bella. One day, Miller spotted Baby Girl’s adoption photo. “Honestly, it was a really good picture, and she was flat-out smiling,” Miller said. Then she met Baby Girl, and assessed her on personality and the ability to respond to simple commands. After assessment, she adopted Baby Girl from the shelter, renamed her Shelby and took her to California for training. Miller and Shelby trained for just over three months before filming began. Then they were together each day on the set.
Most of the film’s reviews have praised Shelby’s performance. Variety made the comments “an amazing dog, perfect performance!”
Shelby has come a long way from the dump. But Buhler said she saw Shelby recently had needed only a second to compare the movie star with the dog she found from piles of trash. “She’s exactly the same,” Buhler said.
1.Why does the author mention an actor’s struggle before a career breakthrough at the very beginning?
A.To make a sharp contrast between an actor’s struggle and a dog’s struggle.
B.To introduce a dog’s similar but even more striking experiences.
C.To attract reader’s attention by giving dramatic examples.
D.To clearly point out the main idea of the passage.
2.What finally helped Baby Girl get the big role in the film?
A.Her adoption picture. B.Her flat-out smiling.
C.her personality and ability. D.Her miserable experiences.
3.By saying “She is exactly the same” in the last paragraph, Buhler probably means _______.
A.the dog returned to the piles of trash where she found it
B.it took quite a lot of trouble for the dog to change her own fate.
C.she’s really excited to see the dog she helped live such a happy life
D.the dramatic change of the dog’s life hasn’t changed her inner quality
4.What do you think may serve as the best title of the passage?
A.The Success of “A Dog’s Way Home”
B.From a Landfill Puppy to a Movie Star
C.The Trainer and Her Star Dog
D.Shelby’s Hard-luck Story
Bilingual Secretary Wanted
Our International Exchange Department requires one part-time bilingual secretary for our office. He/She must be native Mandarin with excellent English competence （better with Japanese）. We ask for 8 hours a week （from Monday to Saturday）, and working schedule is negotiable. However, English corners are arranged on Thursdays, and therefore we need you to be on site from 3pm to 5pm. Attractive salary and good benefits package. including chances to exchange to foreign countries, are offered to junior and senior year students with excellent secretarial skills, the ability to communicate, an outgoing personality and a strong sense of responsibility.
Please hand in applications with photo, and email to uniied@gmail.com, or call 400-800-100 during office hours to get further information.
International Exchange Department
Advanced Math Teaching Assistants in Need
The Mathematics Department is looking for two Advanced Math teaching assistants. The job is mainly to help freshmen students to deal with math assignments and projects, as well as prepare them for final exams in Week 16.
We hope those applying for the position could meet the following requirements. First, it's necessary for the applicants to be skilled at math. Second, he/she should have at least 2 As in math-related courses with GPA no less than 4.0. Third, the job asks for excellence in both professional skills and patience.
For those who are interested in the position, please send your resume to unimd@gmail.com before September 15th.
Dr. Jessica Smith
Mathematics Department
Part-time Job Recruitment
Technology Support Department lacks several assistants to work at its help desk.
Contents: A customer service job—answering questions, helping people solve their computer problems, providing basic teaching to new users, elc.
Requirement: The Advanced Computer Test certificate; good interpersonal skills; enthusiasm. Work hours:
from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
early mornings (6 a.m-9 am.): 2 persons; mornings (9 a.m.- 12 a.m.): 1 person afternoons (12 p.m.- 6 pm): (full)
evenings (6 p.m. - 11 p.m.): (full)
late nights: (11 p.m.-2 a.m.): 2 persons; weekends: 3 persons
If you are interested, please come to Luking Library 2F (East Side) Room 213 and fill in the forms. An interview will be arranged afterwards. New position for the next semester will be released in December.
Mr. Luke Johnson
Technology Support Department
1.If you get the position as a secretary, you____.
A.have to assist in English comer
B.have a tight schedule during the week
C.have the chance to be an exchange student in foreign universities anytime during university
D.must be a native English speaker who can speak fluent Chinese
2.Why are there so many job vacancies in Technology Support Department?
A.Because the interview is challenging.
B.Because applicants have to fill in complicated forms.
C.Because applicants have to work irregular hours.
D.Because you have to help other people all the time.
3.Which of the following statements is correct according to the advertisements?
A.The advertisements can be found on the school website.
B.Call for further information of math teaching assistants before September 15th.
C.More job vacancies in the Mathematics Department will be available in December.
D.The International Exchange Department needs a communicative and responsible secretary.
