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A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves — the positive and negative (消极否定的)effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate(激励) ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. However, harsh and critical(批评的) language will most probably cause the clerk to be defensive.
Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motivate others to do their best. Negative words
destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us
B. inspiring words give us confidence
C. negative words may let us down
D. words have a lasting effect on us
2.There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because ____.
A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves
B. we can benefit from talking to ourselves
C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage
D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone
3.The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely______.
A. remind ourselves B. praise ourselves
C. make ourselves relaxed D. give ourselves entertainment
4.The author would probably hold the view that ________.
A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers
B. negative words may stimulate（激励）us to make more progress
C. people tend to remember friendly words
D. it is better to think twice before talking to others
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.
The following are some countries' birthday traditions:
Canada —Greasing(涂) the nose with butter. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child's nose is greased for good luck.
China —Noodles for lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his/her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.
England —Fortune telling cakes. Certain symbolic（象征性的）objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich.
Italy—Pulling ears. The child's ears are pulled as many times as how old they are turning.
Japan-New clothes. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes to mark the occasion.
New Zealand—Birthday claps. After the birthday cake is lit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year they have been alive and then one for good luck.
The United States—Cake, candles and song. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is.
1.The first paragraph mainly talks about _________
A. where the tradition of birthday parties started
B. how to keep away from evil spirits
C. why gifts must be given to the birthday person
D. how birthday parties started.
2.According to the passage, in which country do the birthday children receive a gift of money?
A. England B. China
C. Ireland D. Japan
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. In New Zealand, an eight-year-old birthday child receives eight claps in all.
B. In Italy, people will pull the birthday children’s ears.
C. In England, objects mixed into the birthday cake are meaningful.
D. In the US, the number of candles means the age of the birthday person.
4.Which of the following groups is true about birthday celebrations in different countries?
a. China-eating noodles
b. Canada-bumping on the floor
c. England-coin in the birthday cake
d. Japan-- butter-greased nose
e. Italy--- pulling ears
f. America--- cake with candles on top
A. a, b, c, f B. b, c, d, e
C. c, d , e ,f D. a, c , e , f
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, a
nd studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued（感兴趣的）, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin（空白处）.The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding（发芽）. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting -- 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel（翻领）.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, attractive smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump（微胖的）, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped（紧握）the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared（挺直身子）my shoulders and saluted（敬礼）and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness（痛苦）of my disappointment. “I'm Lieutenant（中尉）John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?”
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don't know what this is about, son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. “Tell me whom you love,” Houssaye wrote, “And I will tell you who you are.”
1.How did John Blanchard get to know Miss Hollis Maynell?
A. They lived in the same city.
B. They were both interested in literature.
C. John came across Hollis in a Florida library.
D. John knew Hollis's name from a library book.
2.When Blanchard went over to greet the woman, he was _____.
A. disappointed but well-behaved B. satisfied and confident
C. annoyed and bad-mannered D. shocked but inspired
3.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Don't Judge a Book by its Cover B. The Symbol of Rose
C. Love is blind D. A Test of Love
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Many of us remember being in awe(敬畏) when we saw cloned dinosaurs running wild in the film Jurassic Park. And the idea of using technology to revive(恢复) extinct species has long fascinated not only writers and directors, but scientists as well.
According to The Telegraph, woolly mammoths(长毛猛犸象), which featured in the popular Ice Age animated movie series, “may walk the earth once more” now that scientists have taken another step toward realizing a long-held dream—recreating their DNA.
Mammoths became extinct around 10,000 years ago. However, since the discovery of near-perfect preserved remains in Arctic permafrost(北极冻土带) in May 2013, a variety of research studies have been carried out since.
Geneticists from Harvard University analyzed DNA from the remains, looking for genes which separated mammoths from elephants, such as hairiness and ear size. They then used the results to reproduce exact copies of 14 mammoth genes. “It is the first time that mammoth genes have been alive—although so far it has only been done in the lab,” George Church, lead researcher of the project, told the Sunday Times.
Church then used a new technique which allows scientists to edit DNA carefully, replacing sections of elephant DNA with the mammoth genes. So “we now have functioning elephant cells with mammoth DNA in them,” he said.
However, Church ruled out the possibility of bringing the mammoths back to life via cloning from frozen remains. He said he “preferred to focus on rebuilding the full mammoth genome(基因组) by analyzing DNA from preserved remains and putting it into the cells of its closest living relative – the Asian elephant,” reported The Telegraph.
Church argued that the return of the woolly mammoth—or rather, the return of something very similar—could help bring back fragile(脆弱的) ecosystems. However, some scientists believe that bringing back the mammoth would be unethical.
Professor Alex Greenwood, an expert on ancient DNA, said: “We may face the extinction of African and Asian elephants. Why bring back another elephant from extinction when we cannot even keep the ones that are not extinct around?” he told the Sunday Times. “What is the message? We can be as irresponsible with the environment as we want. Then we’ll just clone things back?”
“Money would be better spent focusing on conserving what we do have than spending it on an animal that has been extinct for thousands of years,” he said.
1.We can learn from the article that ______.
A. cloned mammoths followed cloned dinosaurs to get revived
B. the technology to revive mammoth genes is already mature
C. George Church and his colleagues tried to reproduce mammoth DNA
D. Church and his team managed to list all the genes that separate mammoths from elephants
2.According to Church, what is the significance of his study?
A. It could help prevent the extinction of the Asian elephant.
B. It could help people better tell elephant DNA from mammoth genes.
C. It could help bring back some extinct species and save fragile ecosystems.
D. It could help bring mammoths back to life via cloning from frozen remains.
3.The underlined word “unethical” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. unacceptable B. misled
C. impractical D. illegal
4.According to the article, Professor Alex Greenwood believes that _______.
A. there is no need to worry about the extinction of African and Asian elephants at present
B. it’s necessary to bring back species that are beneficial to human beings from extinction
C. the return of the woolly mammoth would help to balance ecosystems
D. it’s more important to protect present species than to bring back extinct ones
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
nd studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
Sure enough, the current was now taking them closer to the beach and becoming_____.