Last year, I was on a plane with my friend, waiting for it to take off. The pilot’s voice was heard throughout the plane: “Sorry for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Our engines don’t work. We are going to jump-start them. Once we get them going, we’ll get up in the air and see what happens.”
That was all he said. “See what happens? Shouldn’t we have had a better plan than that?” At that point, I could only laugh nervously. One woman started crying: “Oh, no! We are going to crash!” There are sighs of desperation and anxiety, and we hadn’t even taken off yet.
The pilot even seemed unhappy. He told us one engine was working double time, and his plan was to get up in the air and see what happens! Then we did. We got up in the air, and what happened? Nothing. We arrived in Norfolk, and no sooner had the wheels touched down than applause burst out as everyone on the airplane breathed a sigh of relief.
All too often, people stop achieving their goals just because they don't have a guaranteed result. But success will never be guaranteed. The best thing that you can do is to just get up in the air, and see what happens.
If your aim is to build a business, then get up in the air and see what happens! Don't give yourself all the reasons why you can’t. Do not wait until you have everything you need. You never will.
If your goal is to start a friendship, say “Hello”, get up in the air and see what happens! The results could be very rewarding. If your goal is to learn a new skill, get up in the air and see what happens! It might not be as difficult as you think. It could be fun!
1.How did the author feel when the pilot said the engines didn’t work?
A. Disappointed B. Anxious
C. Curious D. Relieved
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The passengers began crying after the plane took off.
B. The engines often worked double time to get started.
C. The pilot tried to comfort the nervous passengers.
D. The passengers reached the destination safe and sound.
3.The underlined sentences in the last paragraph means “______________”.
A. think carefully before you make friends.
B. start to fly the plane to see what will happen.
C. make an effort even if the result is uncertain.
D. get up from the chair and greet somebody.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. We Will See What Happens
B. I Survived An Adventurous Flight
C. The Pilot Risked Our Lives
D. Making Plans Is Better Than Taking Chances
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
We get it: You’re tired. You’re busy. And your shoes are away over there. Excuses are OK sometimes, but not every day—and especially not today. So put on your sneakers, get up off the couch, and let us kick your excuses to the curb (路边).
“I…dislike…panting !”
Being really out of breath may mean you’re trying too much too soon, which will kill your confidence. But you don’t have to be huffing and puffing to get a workout. Being active doesn't have to mean high-intensity. It’s just about moving.
“I hate exercise.”
It may seem unbearable, but you just have to get started. Exercise releases endorphins (your brain’s own feel-good chemicals), which can be habit-forming. What’ s the best exercise? The one you’ll do regularly. So you may hate running. Don’t run! Ride your bike or just dance. Even cleaning your room is active. As long as you’re moving and getting your blood pumping, it counts. So get creative.
“I don’t have time.”
You may not have lots of time to spare when you’re busy with schoolwork, but we bet you can find 10 minutes. Bonus: An activity break will send oxygen to your brain, making you super-alert and more creative too. Famous thinkers like Aristotle and Steve Jobs liked “walking meetings," and you can follow in their footsteps by moving around while you brainstorm about a tough task or memorize your English vocabulary.
“I never see results!”
Even if you train with the help of a professional, you won’t see results right away. But you will feel them almost immediately. Don’t focus on how your body looks—focus on how you feel. Keep a journal of when you exercise (or don’t) and how you feel that day: Stressed? Focused? Tired? When you start noticing the amazing effects of exercise, you’ll have no excuses.
1.The underlined part “huffing and puffing” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “_________”.
A. moving around B. breathing heavily
C. feeling confident D. wearing nice shoes
2.In the author’s eyes, the best exercise is the one that _________.
A. is very relaxing B. you will stick to
C. produces good results D. you can spare time on
3.Steve Jobs is mentioned to prove that doing exercise__________.
A. is good for one’s figure
B. is good for one’s health
C. makes one much happier
D. makes one more productive
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Emily and her boyfriend had just had a fight. She felt alone and hopeless. Then she went into the kitchen and grabbed what she needed before going back up to her room quietly. She switched on the TV and started eating…and eating…for hours, until it was all gone.
What Emily didn't know at the time was that she was suffering from an illness called binge-eating disorder(BED)(暴饮暴食).
For years, Emily didn't tell anyone what she was doing. She felt ashamed, alone, and out of control. Why don't famous people confess (承认) to BED, as they do to anorexia? It's simple: There's a stigma（污名）involved. “Overeating is seen as very bad, but dieting to be skinny is seen as positive and even associated with determination," says Charles Sophy, a doctor in Beverly Hills , California.
"Some parents or friends may look at a teen with BED and think, 'Oh, a good diet and some will-power will do the trick.' But that's not true," says Dr.Ovidio Bermudez , a baby doctor at the Eating Recovery Center in Denver. "Eating disorders are real physical and mental health issues; it's not about willpower." The focus in treating BED shouldn't be on weight, because as with all eating disorders, the behaviors with food are a symptom of something deeper.
Like most other diseases, genetics may play a big part in who gets BED and who doesn't. If you have a close relative with an eating disorder, that means you're more likely to develop an eating disorder of your own.
Besides, many people with BED have tried at some point or another to control it by going on a diet, but paying more attention to food doesn't help. And it might even make things worse, like it did for Carla, who's 15 now and is recovering from BED. "My parents would always tease me about my weight, so when I was 14, I went on a very restrictive diet," she says. When you can't have something, you only want it more, so every time Carla would have a bite of something that wasn't allowed on her strict diet. She would quickly lose control and binge (狂欢).
1.What does the underlined word "anorexia" in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Eating too much.
B. Eating junk food.
C. Loss of the wish to eat.
D. Always eating in a hurry.
2.According to Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, people with BED_______ .
A. just need a lot of willpower
B. can recover with a good diet
C. can recover with the help of others
D. need to deal with their health problems
3.What can we learn from Carla's story?
A. BED is an incurable disease.
B. BED has something to do with genes.
C. Going on a diet won't help BED patients.
D. BED patients should pay attention to their food.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Arguments happen in every healthy relationship—we know it sounds contradictory, but it’s true—but they can still have a negative impact if they aren’t handled properly. 1.
Take a breath. We know that it can be hard to think clearly when you are angry, so we would first like to encourage you to try to take a second to collect your thoughts before engaging in a dialogue with your partner. 2. If you are not careful you could potentially say what might damage your relationship.
Take the situation as it is. Even though you are angry and it can be hard to be objective, try to see the situation for what it is. Do not escalate (不断恶化) the argument. 3. Try to understand the purpose behind the action—if something happened accidentally, you should not treat as if it were done intentionally.
4. If you have done something wrong, the best possible option for you is to admit it. Denying something only makes it more hurtful and often your partner will be able to forgive you much more quickly if you are honest.
Set ground rules. After a fight you and your partner can have a heart-to-heart talk of what happened. 5. At this point you can set some ground rules for future fights, like not cursing each other or calling each other’s names, which might help reduce the intensity of your fights.
Fighting with someone is never easy. And it’s especially difficult when you are arguing with someone that you care about. Thinking carefully and controlling yourself during an argument can help you avoid saying something that could permanently hurt your relationship.
A. Take positive action.
B. Avoid making excuses.
C. Anger can be poisonous.
D. Here is how to maintain good relationship.
E. You can discuss what hurts each of you and how you can move forward.
F. The trick to prevent an argument from destroying your relationship is learning how to fight fair.
G. Ask yourself if this situation is worth arguing about.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My wife and I moved to the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee in November, from New York to a very rural area. While moving we had the _________ of our adult daughter.
During the _________ days of moving into our new home, we _________in the local community a lot. One evening we decided to have a meal at a buffet style restaurant. It had been a long day of _________ boxes and furniture, and the next day would see us on the long drive back to our former home for another _________ , a thousand mile long trip. We were all _________. But the buffet was great, and we_________ our meal feeling rested and relaxed.
When I went to pay our bill, _________ in hand, the waitress cashier told me that they didn’t _________ credit cards. Being from the big city, it was _________ to use a credit card. Oops!
I had no _________ in my pocket, but about 10 miles back down the road I’d seen a bank with an ATM. I told the lady that I would _________ my family there and return in a few minutes to pay for our meals. “ Oh, you _________ do that,” she told me. “ You just come back _________ time and pay us then.” WHAT? I looked at her in _________. These people had _________ seen me before, did not know if I would ever return, yet they _________ me to return to pay for three adult meals? This is not something that I had ever experienced in the big _________ , that’s for sure.
We have lived there for almost six years, and every single week I see other acts of trust like this happening. It may be a “country” thing, or just _________ Southern hospitality. Whatever it is, I certainly like it, and I pass on this _________ every chance I get.
1.A. help B. advice C. attention D. command
2.A. cold B. quiet C. big D. busy
3.A. starved B. traveled C. ate out D. worked out
4.A. choosing B. moving C. designing D. watching
5.A. load B. sleep C. visit D. rest
6.A. bored B. tired C. pleased D. excited
7.A. prepared B. cooked C. ordered D. ended
8.A. card B. key C. bill D. menu
9.A. believe B. accept C. need D. admit
10.A. special B. necessary C. common D. difficult
11.A. food B. phone C. wallet D. cash
12.A. send B. leave C. lose D. show
13.A. needn’t B. can’t C. shouldn’t D. mustn’t
14.A. each B. last C. some D. that
15.A. fear B. satisfaction C. anger D. astonishment
16.A. ever B. seldom C. never D. sometimes
17.A. trusted B. demanded C. forced D. invited
18.A. neighborhood B. country C. family D. city
19.A. serious B. plain C. unusual D. formal
20.A. confidence B. courage C. kindness D. wisdom
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
“What are you busy with yourself, Mother?” The girl of less than six years old asked her mother _1. (curiosity). “ __ 2._ (make) dinner for the neighbor’s aunt.”
“ Why?” “ 3. the other day the aunt 4. (lose) her daughter and is so sad now. We must take good care of her these days.”“ Why need our care?” “ Because _ 5. then on the aunt can’t do 6. they like to along with her daughter. She is very pitiful. In her distress, making dinners and doing chores are also becoming so difficult. My dear, can you help Mother hit an idea to help the aunt in other ways?” At her mother’s proposal, the girl thought for a long while. All of 7. sudden, she went to the neighbor and knocked at the door.
The neighbor with a look of 8. (tired) opened the door. “What can I do for you?” asked the neighbor. “I 9. (hear) my mother say you’re very distressed for losing your daughter...” The girl timidly handed the band-aid tightly 10. (hold) in her hand to the neighbor.
The neighbor suddenly choked with sobs, her tears gushing from her eyes. She hugged the girl and said, “ Thank you. This band-aid will cure my wound.”
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
应用文写作
假定你是Jane，你的笔友李华最近因为考试密集、学业繁重，身体感到不适，严重影响了学习。因此，他发e-mail给你，寻求你的建议和帮助。请你根据以下要点提示予以回复。
写作要点：1. 合理的饮食； 2. 适度的锻炼；3. ......
注意：1. 词数80左右
2. 开头和结尾部分已写好，不计入总词数。
3. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Li Hua,
I’m sorry to hear that you are feeling ill these days. ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes!
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
读后续写
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
One day, my brother and I were alone in our apartment. The reason was that my parents had both gone for a ball party and had left me in charge of everything. I was doing my homework while my younger brother was watching television. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! My younger brother had rushed to the door before I decided to answer the door. We both thought that our parents had come home. As a result, he unlocked the door and opened it.
Outside of the house stood a man who wore a black raincoat and black rubber boots. He looked no different from other people and he said that he was a salesman and asked politely if our mother or father was at home so he could talk with them.
Without any thinking, my brother said, “No.” He asked if we would like to buy some comic books, which he was selling. I quickly explained to him that we were not supposed to buy anything without our parents’ permission. However, it seemed that he was not willing to follow my advice and he had an intention to enter our house.
Then I realized something terrible would happen. As I was about to close the door, he forced his way into our house. He took out a knife and forced me to tie up my brother’s hands with some rope which he took out from his pocket. I tied up his hands but I tied in a special way so my brother could untie himself as we often did. The man then tied my hands up and locked both of us in the kitchen.
Soon he went upstairs to search the bedroom for something valuable. I managed to teach my brother to untie the rope on his hands. He then untied me. I rushed to the telephone to call the police, but the line was dead.
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
The doors were all locked from the outside and what’s worse, I did not have the keys. __________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Just at the same time our parents came back home. ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 中等查看答案及解析