A famous professor was known for his interesting lessons,which attracted plenty of students to his class.This time,when the class began,he picked up a very large and __ jar and began to fill it with golf balls.He asked the students if the jar was full.They __ that it was.The professor picked up a box of small pebbles (截卵石) and __ them into the jar.He shook the jar __ to let the pebbles roll into the open __ between the golf balls.When asked if the jar was full,they __ with a firm “Yes”.
Then the professor poured a box of sand into the jar,which seemingly __ all the remaining space.The same question was asked and the same answer was given.The professor then __ two cans of beer from under the table and poured the __ contents into the jar,filling the empty space between the sand.
“Now,” said the professor,“I want you to recognize that this jar __ your life.The golf balls are the most __ things--your family,your children,your health and your friends.If everything else was lost and only they __ your life would still be full.The __ can be the other things that __ like your job,your house,your car.The sand is everything else--the small stuff.If you put the sand into the jar first,” he __.“there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for __.If you spend all your time and __ on the small stuff,you will never have __ for the things that are more important to you.Take care of the golf balls first,the things that really matter.The rest is just sand.”
One of the students put up her hand and __ what the beer represented.The professor smiled.“I’m glad you asked this.It just goes to show you that,no matter how __ your life may seem,there’s always room for a can of beer.”
1.A. valuable B. empty C. beautiful D. heavy
2.A. wanted B. expected C. supposed D. agreed
3.A. rolled B. drove C. threw D. poured
4.A. typically B. suddenly C. happily D. lightly
5.A. fields B. platforms C. space D. locations
6.A. responded B. behaved C. reacted D. described
7.A. gave up B. used up C. filled up D. picked up
8.A. drank B. reached C. took D. broke
9.A. entire B. general C. special D. strange
10.A. explains B. indicates C. compares D. represents
11.A. common B. important C. natural D. exciting
12.A. left B. remained C. struggled D. happened
13.A. sand B. pebbles C. balls D. beer
14.A. feel B. look C. serve D. matter
15.A. doubted B. replied C. commented D. continued
16.A. future B. happiness C. life D. success
17.A. interest B. salary C. energy D. strength
18.A. ambition B. room C. fun D. effort
19.A. asked B. insisted C. required D. suspected
20.A. full B. easy C. happy D. hard
My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. 1. Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.
My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon.2. She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.
3. Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. 4.She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.
Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. Wha
t a piece of good advice this is!5.This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.
A. She enjoys listening to classic music.
B. As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.
C. She loves her students and cares for them.
D. She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.
E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.
F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.
G. Can you tell us something about your mother?
When enjoying children's birthdays or a long-expected family holiday,you may usually want to keep those important moments in mind with a photograph.But if you’re one of those people who can’t stop snapping photos at an important event,be aware--you could end up forgetting it all in a flash.
Experts have warned that the addiction to recording every moment of our lives could be having an adverse effect on our memories.
Maryanne Garry,a New Zealand psychology professor,has been studying how the frequent taking of photos might change childhood memories.I think the problem is that people are forgetting to experience the moment,she says.Parents at the park taking one photo after another of their children,for example,are actually paying less attention to what is happening around them.The picture only captures a small part of the total experience.And because parents remember less about these important events,they become less effective in their role as the key people who help children learn how to talk about their experiences.As a result,children's own childhood memories are reduced.
The idea that we are experiencing less as we record more got psychologist Linda Henkel’s thinking.She wanted to explore how photographs shape our memories.
Henkel,who researches human memory at Fairfield University in Connecticut,did an experiment by sending groups of students to the university’s art museum.The students observed some objects and photographed others. Then,back at the laboratory,they were given a memory test.Henkel found what she called a “photo-taking effect”.The students remembered fewer of the objects that they had taken photos of,and they remembered fewer details about those objects.She says her students’ memories were worse because they were relying on the camera to remember the details for them.
“As soon as you hit ‘click’ on that camera,it’s as if you’ve decreased your memory.” she says.
1.What does the word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. A child’s birthday.
B. An important event.
C. A valuable photograph.
D. A family holiday.
2.How did Henkel develop her theory about the “photo-taking effect”？
A. By carrying out an experiment.
B. By giving a questionnaire.
C. By interviewing a group of students.
D. By researching the findings of the others.
3.According to Paragraph 3,why are children’s memories reduced?
A. Flash lights are causing children to forget more things.
B. Parents are into listening to children’s experiences.
C. Children are more into taking photos than experiencing.
D. Parents are less effective in helping children discuss their experiences.
4.What’s the purpose of this passage?
A. To introduce a new discovery in taking photos.
B. To discuss the effect of photo-taking on memory.
C. To explain how to use cameras in an effective way.
D. To describe the ways of remembering valuable experiences.
Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?
Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms(微生物). But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink.
However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom.
As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach(过滤) into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer. Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead.
1.Tap water begin to acquire an off taste because of ________.
A. BPAB. the glassC. the microorganismD. carbon dioxide
2.According to Paragragh 2, tap water that's been left sitting out for 12 hours ________.
A. tastes betterB. is still safe to drink
C. contains few microorganismsD. is most likely undrinkable
3.What should we do with plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car?
A. Throw them away.B. Refill them with fresh water.
C. Use them after they cool down.D. Clean them and use them again.
4.Which of the following is true about BPA?
A. It is safe for people to use.
B. It is a kind of new material.
C. It can cause great harm to people.
D. It is the main material to make plastic.
There are many Spanish gossip (八卦) magazines being published around the world.If your Spanish is good enough,these magazines will offer a lively look into the private moments of the beautiful,rich and famous,and provide entertainment and at the same time,help you practice your Spanish.
Diez Minutos: The magazine is a classic Spanish gossip feast with daily news based on many stories of love, separation,divorce and death.The two main parts are headlined “love” and “partners”.They also have an online version of the magazine for serious gossip addicts.
Hola: It is Spain’s top weekly magazine and the leader of the gossip world.It contains many pictures and a round-up of well-known and less well-known nobles and people in show business.Apart from edited highlights from the present and past issues,there is a report of the week and photo of the week.There is also a French version called OhLa!
Revista CUORE: As the third best-selling gossip magazine in Spain,it is mainly aimed at younger teenage readers who look not only for current celebrity (名流) gossip,but also for fashion and TV news.It uses a lot of oral terms.
Revista SEMANA: It is a Spanish magazine covering the latest news on the famous in Spain and Hollywood.It also offers its readers information on fashion,beauty,cooking and travel.
Revista CARAS: It is a magazine published in various countries of Latin America.It is also exported to certain parts of the United States,bringing together strange and wonderful news from around the world and the famous Latin community.
1.What does the first paragraph tell us about Spanish gossip magazines?
a.Types b.Publishers c.Functions d.Origins
A. a,b B. c,d
C. a,c D. b,d
2.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A. To promote Spanish magazines.
B. To teach Spanish-learning methods.
C. To provide entertainment for readers.
D. To recommend Spanish gossip magazines.
3.Which of the following also has a French version?
A. Hola. B. Diez Minutos.
C. Revista CUORE. D. Revista SEMANA.
4.How many of the magazines mentioned in the text can be read on the Internet?
A. One. B. Two.
C. Three. D. Four.
With more recognition than Halloween and less than Christmas,Valentine’s Day as an imported festival faces a dangerous situation in China,where it’s caught between forces of tradition and fashion.Valentine’s Day has a natural enemy in China.And it is not the Chinese equivalent,which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar,usually around half a year away from February 14.It is the Spring Festival,also known as the Chinese New Year,that will influence the Feast of Saint Valentine.
The real disagreement between East and West probably took place over a century ago,when China’s door was forced open by Western powers and Chinese scholars supported westernization as a means to strengthen our nation's ability to compete.The introduction of the solar calendar and Western measurements was both an acknowledgment of their influence and an effort to be accepted by the world order.
For a full century,we have had two systems running in parallel.When it comes to the eventual outcome, practicality usually beats all other concerns.Laws can help,such as the three traditional festivals of Tomb Sweeping, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn gaining legal status in 2008 and giving every Chinese citizen a day off,but laws cannot push what people have no feelings for.Therefore,the celebration or boycott of imported holidays or homegrown ones should be no cause for worry.If they are irrelevant,no social media will change the public's mind; and if they are accepted,there must be a need which they happen to satisfy.
Since we have no global Qin Shihuang to force one system on every country,we can always rely on a dual (双重的) approach by which we share with the outside world on one hand but preserve our own ways of life on the other.
1.What does the author think about Valentine's Day in present China?
A. It meets with a natural enemy.
B. It is better known than Christmas.
C. It strongly attacks Chinese culture.
D. It is more popular with young people.
2.According to the author,the leading factor to decide what to celebrate is .
A. current laws B. people’s needs
C. public media D. age-old tradition
3.The author believes that .
A. the conflict between the East and the West will last long
B. Chinese festivals are to be paid more attention to in years
C. both Chinese and foreign systems of festivals can co-exist in China
D. this cultural shock is normal and will be received by more people in the future
