Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions.
Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes? It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must negatively affect people. A person's conception of himself or herself is reflected in the way he or she behaves, and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people, having low self-esteem, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing "the right thing." Shy people are very sensitive to criticism; they feel it confirms their feelings of inferiority. They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliment with a statement like this one, "You're just saying that to make me feel good. I know it's not true." It is clear that while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determined and patient efforts in building self-confidence. Since shyness goes hand in hand with a lack of self-esteem, it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Each one of us is a unique, worthwhile individual, interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential. Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fulfilling life.
1.The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
A. the cause of shyness
B. the feeling of shy people
C. the effect of shyness on people
D. the question in the minds of shy people
2.According to the writer, self-awareness is __________.
A. harmful to people
B. a healthy quality
C. the cause of unhappiness
D. a weak point of shy people
3.What is the shy people’s reaction to praise?
A. They are pleased by it.
B. They feel they are worthy of it.
C. They are very sensitive to it.
D. They feel it is not true.
4.What can learn from the passage that shyness can _______.
A. be overcome with determination
B. help us to live up to our full development
C. enable us to understand ourselves better
D. have nothing to do with lack of self- respect
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
The First Try
Every girl dreams and Li Xie is no exception. She has read dozens of books on how to be a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员). “Swan Lake” is her favorite. She hopes one day her dream will come true. She has taken ballet lessons and all her teachers confirm she is a good student.
One day she saw an advertisement that a famous ballerina group will be performing in her hometown. "I must meet up with the leader of the group and show him my skills," she whispered to herself. She dressed herself and hid in the dressing room. To her luck the leader entered and she timidly (胆怯地) knocked at the door. She bravely approached him and handed him a bunch of red roses. The thorns (刺) hurt her hand but she did not care about the pain. The leader observed her action as she told him her dream. "Alright, you dance and I will give you my conclusion." But half way through the dance he stopped her and said, "I'm sorry you're not good enough!" On hearing this Li Xie ran as fast as her legs could carry her and was ashamed. She gave up her dream.
Many years later, she heard that the same ballet group was performing in her town again. Bitter memories of the leader's crude words came flooding back to her. This time she was determined to find out why the leader had told her she was not good enough. This was his reply, "I tell this to every student." She angrily shot back, "You've ruined my life! 一 Then she got a further shock, "
"I remember your gift of roses and how the thorns(刺)had hurt your fingers but you carried on bravery. If you only had treated ballet like that and did not give up so easily; therefore, you still deserve my conclusion! "
1.What is “Swan Lake”?
A. a kind of food B. a song C. a ballet D. a book
2.Why did Li Xie go to meet up with the leader of the group?
A. She wanted to join the group.
B. She wanted to give him a gift.
C. She wanted to see the performance.
D. She wanted to show him her skills.
3.What do you think of Li Xie?
A. positive B. weak-willed
C. clever D. determined
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Last year, the most-read children' s books at least in UK were almost all fantasy novels. But why is this the case? What. exactly does fantasy offer to young readers？
What' s important to point out here is that fantasy writing has come to be considered as belonging to popular culture, and is therefore generally regarded as being of lower quality than realism.
This idea was formed in me during childhood by my mother, who believed that fantasy was "rubbish". She was always trying to persuade my two brothers to let go of their dog-eared copies of American author David Eddings' books and read something "proper".
I had also met some people who were against reading fantasy. While living in Finland, where I joined a book club, I was told at my first meeting that the club didn't read "genre" books, which meant that realism was in", but everything else including fantasy was " When it comes to the subject of children, discussions about which books are "better" for them often focus on the fantasy and realism debate, causing Professor John Stephens to write that: one of the more curious sides to the criticism of children's literature is the strong wish to separate fantasy and realism into competing types, and to state that children prefer one or the other, or "progress" from fantasy to realism or vice versa（反之亦然).
A quick survey of the big children's publishing trends over the past ten years confirms that fantasy is as popular as ever in the children' s book scene. From the 450 million copies of Harry Potter books sold over this period to the more recent Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, it would seem that children are as enthusiastic about fantasy as ever before and rather than "progressing" out of fantasy, the popularity of fantasy in the young adult market would suggest just the opposite.
1.What was the author's mother's attitude towards fantasy?
A. Uncaring. B. Cautious.
C. Unfavorable. D. Enthusiastic.
2.The book club the author joined in Finland ________
A. didn't have a realistic aim
B. was always full of people in and out
C. had a tense atmosphere in most cases
D. was not acceptive of various literature styles
3.According to Professor John Stephens, the critics of children's literature
A. want to separate children into different groups.
B. want to divide fantasy and realism into separate groups
C. aim to get children to progress from fantasy to realism
D. wish to explore the difference between fantasy and realism
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Fantasy books are and continue to be popular among children.
B. Realism books are the bestsellers of the present time.
C. Young readers are moving away from fantasy .
D. Fantasy books are better than realism ones.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Tight-lipped elders used to say , “ It’s not what you want in this world , but what you get . ”
Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things．You can make a mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living．If we intend to have friends to dinner, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, decide which food to cook first, and such planning is essential for any type of meal to be served．
Likewise, if you want to find a job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself．In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your services．
This account of yourself is actually a sketch of your working life and should include education, experience and references．Such an account is valuable．It can be referred to in filling out standard application blanks and is extremely helpful in personal interviews．While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your “ wares ” and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner．
When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something tangible to sell．Then you are ready to hunt for a job．Get all the possible information about your could-be job．Make inquiries as to the details concerning the job and the firm．Keep your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment．Spend a certain amount of time each day seeking the employment you wish for, and keep in mind: Securing a job is your job now．
1.What do the elders mean when they say, “It’s not what you want in this world, but what you get?”
A. You’ll certainly get what you want．
B. It’s no use dreaming．
C. You should be dissatisfied with what you have．
D. It’s essential to set a goal for yourself．
2.A blueprint made before inviting a friend to dinner is used in this passage as ________．
A. an illustration of how to write an application for a job
B. an indication of how to secure a good job
C. a guideline for job description
D. a principle for job evaluation
3.According to the passage, one must write an account of himself before starting to find a job because ________．
A. that is the first step to please the employer
B. that is the requirement of the employer
C. it enables him to know when to sell his services
D. it forces him to become clearly aware of himself
4.When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something ________．
A. specific to offer B. imaginary to provide
C. practical to supply D. desirable to present
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Theme park getaways are popular with families, but they sure aren’t cheap. Happily, there are some golden rules of ticket-buying that apply to pretty much every theme park, and they can help you chip away at the cost of tickets. 1..
●Buy tickets online.
Never ever pay the walk-up ticket price at a theme park. 2..You're guaranteed to save a significant sum-sometimes as much as $$ 20 per ticket-even for same-day tickets.
●Buy in advance.
3..For instance, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, slices off $$25 per ticket when you make your purchase at least three days ahead.
● 4..
This one is a universal no-brainer. Single-day ticket prices at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, are about 30 percent less than admission on Saturdays and Sundays. But the big bonus is that lines will be much shorter, allowing you to spend less time waiting in lines and more time having fun.
●Go in the afternoon.
5..For example, Hersheypark’s sunset tickets allow entry after 4 pm or 5 pm, depending on the day. You'll still get between four to six hours of fun before the park closes, and you'll pay up to 50 percent less than the full-day ticket price.
A. Avoid weekends.
B. Buy more tickets than you need.
C. Here are some ways to lower your theme park spending.
D. At larger parks, you’ll save money when you buy a package.
E. Instead, visit the theme park website and print out your tickets before you go.
F. Some parks offer deeply discounted tickets for visitors arriving later in the day.
G. Most theme parks offer a price cut if you buy tickets at least a few days before you arrive.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Not so long ago, a terrible fire broke out in an apartment in the city of Pitesti, just west of Bucharest. In no time,_________were welcomed by 5-metre-tall flames and roaring smoke._________, using their advanced equipment, they quickly brought the beast under________.
The apartment’s owner Mr. Petri and his lovely dog, Sandy, were the_________of the big fire. Local firefighting hero, Costache Mugurel _______his way through the cruel flames to rescue the man and his pet. Mr. Petri,______ injured in the fire, was rushed to hospital. Sandy fell over________breathing in too much smoke and lifelessly lay on the roadside.
Mugurel, remembering his CPR(心脏复苏术) training, passionately________the chest of the dog, desperately trying to_______his life. And he began to lose hope after many________.He was physically and mentally________. Finally he performed mouth-to-mouth on the dog, screaming “______gets left behind!”. Unexpectedly the dog_____ himself and began panting. The on-looking crowd cheered and Mugurel began to weep with_________. He hurriedly carried him to the awaiting vet(兽医).
Like________, the story of Mugurel and his newfound friend spread around the city. His Facebook was_____ words of gratitude, loving emoticons(表情符号)and notes from friends and fans alike.
According to vet experts, recovering animals via CPR is rather________. The American Heart Association calculates that only less than 6 percent of cats and dogs survive if they________heart attacks.
There have been many stories related to________in Pitesti, but none have caught the_______of the population quite like Sandy’s.
1.A. firefighters B. policemen C. friends D. neighbours
2.A. Therefore B. Besides C. However D. Moreover
3.A. treatment B. control C. stress D. way
4.A. causes B. results C. victims D. heroes
5.A. battled B. lost C. pushed D. got
6.A. blindly B. hardly C. slightly D. seriously
7.A. after B. before C. in spite of D. in case of
8.A. patted B. beat C. examined D. touched
9.A. care about B. take away C. save D. stop
10.A. countings B. trainings C. shouts D. attempts
11.A. relaxed B. exhausted C. concerned D. troubled
12.A. Somebody B. Everybody C. Nobody D. Anybody
13.A. came up B. came over C. came out D. came to
14.A. joy B. pity C. stress D. fright
15.A. wildfire B. wind C. disasters D. sounds
16.A. informed of B. linked with C. reminded of D. flooded with
17.A. common B. rare C. practical D. easy
18.A. cure B. avoid C. miss D. suffer
19.A. fires B. vets C. dogs D. accidents
20.A. attention B. meaning C. breath D. heart
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
A new football competition，Man V Fat，has been organize recently in England．1. (judge) from the name, it is easy to guess that players can only join if they are fat. They can only win when they score or lose 2.(pound) after each game．So，the aim of this competition is 3.(get) overweight men to do regular exercise．
Jay Ali，a bank manager，4.(find) it a brilliant idea．He said，“I don’t want to go to weight loss classes in 5.almost all participants are women．And I don’t want to play football with my friends who are all 6. (fat)than me，so this gives me the perfect opportunity to exercise with guys who are the same7. me．Here，no one judges me，so I don’t have to get8.(embarrass)”．Mr Shanahan from Staffordshire shared the same opinion，“I took part in the competition after getting fed up with weight loss classes which were 9.(main) filled with women．”
10. seems that this football competition has offered overweight men an effective way to lose weight．
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
The central problem of translating has always been if to translate literally or freely. The argument has been going on until at least the first century BC. Up to the beginning of the 19th century, many writers was preferred some kind of “free” translation: the spirit, not the letter; the message rather than the form; the matter not the manner. This was the often revolution slogan of writers who wanted the truth to be read and understand. Then at the turn of 19th century, the view translation was impossible gained some currency. If attempting at all, it must be as literally as possible. This view peaked the statements of an extreme “literalists” Walter Benjamin and Vladimir Nabokov. Now, the context has changed, but the basic problem remained.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
学生英文报近期开辟专栏，讨论学习习惯问题，习惯成就未来,请你结合自身学习实际，按以下提示，用英文为该专栏写一篇稿件。
1．说明学习习惯与学习效果之间的关系；
2．介绍一种好的学习习惯并提出养成该习惯的建议；
3．描述自己在学习习惯方面存在的某个问题并给出改进措施。
参考词汇：学习习惯：learning habit 学习效果：learning effect
注意： 1. 词数100词左右； 2. 可适当增加细节。
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难度: 困难查看答案及解析