Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.
1.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.
A. most people’s thoughts are controlled by others
B. most people have a variety of thoughts
C. we have thoughts similar to those of others
D. other people’s thoughts are more important
2.What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?
A. We need to pay for what we want to get.
B. Changing opinions may cost us our freedom.
C. We may lose ourselves to please others.
D. The price of taking drugs is freedom.
3. In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.
A. care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time
B. guide ourselves by means of values from the outside
C. stick to our own values
D. persuade others to accept our opinions
4.It can be concluded from the passage that __________.
A. it’s important to accept others’ opinions
B. it’s better to do what we like
C. we shouldn't change our own opinions
D. we shouldn’t care what others think too much
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A Hong Kong Disneyland park admission ticket is your passport to a full day of magical adventures. Learn the ways to buy your tickets now.
Three types of 1-day ticket are available:
Ticket Type Price
General Admission Ticket (aged 12—64)
HK $ 499
Child Ticket (aged 3----11) HK $ 355
Senior Ticket (aged 65 or above) HK $ 100
Free admission for Child aged under 3.
Book Online Now
Purchase tickets conveniently through our website, then pick up your tickets starting from 1 hour after you have purchased online.
Purchase Tickets Directly at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express
You can purchase tickets at the Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express, conveniently located at the MTR Hong Kong Station. Open from 9:00 am ---- 8:00 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9:00 am ---- 5:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Purchase 2 Park Tickets at one of the following locations and receive a FREE limited-edition Disney gift:
★ Avenue of Stars Kiosks
You can purchase tickets at Avenue of Stars Kiosks in Tsim Sha Tsui. Open daily from 9:00 am ----10:30 pm.
★ Asia World-Expo Box Office
You can purchase tickets at Asia World-Expo Box Office. Open Mondays to Fridays from 10:00 am ---- 6:00 pm.
Reserve Tickets for Hotel Guest
As a hotel Guest of Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Park tickets are reserved for your purchase at front desk. Open daily from 9:00 am ---- 8:00 pm.
Buy at Hong Kong Disneyland Main Entrance
Guests can purchase tickets on the day of their visit at the Main Entrance Ticket Booths or Guest Relations Windows. Open daily from 30 minutes before Park opening until Park closes.
1.In which place can you get a free gift for buying two tickets?
A. Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express.
B. Asia World-Expo Box Office.
C. Hong Kong Disneyland main Entrance.
D. Disney’s Hollywood Hotel.
2.For a young couple with a 2-year-old kid spending a day in the park, they have to pay at least .
A. HK $ 998 B. HK $ 854
C. HK $ 499 D. HK $ 1353
3.To buy tickets at Hong Kong Disneyland Ticket Express on Sundays, you have to get there before .
A. 10:30 pm B. 6:00 pm C.8:00 pm D. 5:00 pm
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Thousands of taxi drivers in Shenyang, Liaoning province, reportedly blocked streets with their vehicles on Sunday in protest against unlicensed vehicles using taxi-hiring apps (打车软件) and apps-based car rental companies providing passenger services, including high-end cars. Although the drivers also complained about the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy by the government, their main complaint was the loss of business because of the rising number of Internet-based car services companies.
On Wednesday, news reports came that Beijing transport authorities will take measures to stop the illegal “taxi business” of private cars through the newly rising Internet apps, following the footsteps of Shenyang and Nanjing.
It is not yet clear how the Shenyang city government will handle the issue and whether it will declare the services offered by market leaders such as Didi Dache, a taxi-hiring app provider backed by Tencent Holdings, and Kuaidi Dache illegal. But Shanghai transport regulators have set a rule, by banning Didi Zhuanche, or car services offered by Didi Dache in December.
Such regulations will cause a setback to the car-hiring companies and investors that are waiting to cash in on the potentially booming business. Just last month, Didi Dache got $700 million in funding from global investors, including Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings, Russian investment company DST Global and Tencent. Besides, the market is uncertain that Kuaidi Dache is about to finalize its latest round of funding after getting $800 million from global investors.
Regulatory uncertainties, however, could cast a shadow on the future of the Internet-based car-hiring services, which have become popular in most of China’s big cities. To be fair, these companies’ business model is anything but bad. For example, Didi Zhuanche works side by side with established car rental companies to provide high-end car service mainly for businesspeople through the Internet and mobile phone apps.
Every link in this business model chain has legal companies and services. Hence, it is hard to define it as illegal and ban it.
1.Why did taxi drivers in Shenyang block the streets with their vehicles?
A. Because they wanted the authority to increase their driving allowances.
B. Because they wanted to be taught how to use the taxi-hiring apps.
C. Because they wanted to make their main complaints known to the authority.
D. Because they wanted to appeal to passengers not to hire the private cars.
2.The author’s attitude to banning internet car-hiring service is______.
A. positive B. negative C. neutral D. unclear
3.Which of the following statements is false according to the passage?
A. The problem referred to in the passage exists in all cities
B. App-based car rental is functional to some degree
C. The government should regulate the app-based car rental market
D. Didi Dache is a China-foreign joint company
4.we can learn from the passage that _____.
A. Shenyang forbade apps-based car rental companies
B. Shanghai is the second city banning Didi Zhuanche
C. some international investment companies have strong faith in the future of apps-based car rental companies
D. it is not difficult to picture the apps-based car rental companies illegal
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Generally speaking, government regulations normally ban anything from smoking in public places to parking in certain zones. But officials in the Brazilian town of Biritiba Mirim, 70km (45miles) east of Sao Paulo, have gone far beyond that. They plan to prohibit residents from dying early because the local cemetery(墓地) has reached full capacity.
There’s no more room to bury the dead, they can’t be cremated(火化) and laws forbid a new cemetery. So the mayor has proposed a strange solution: outlaw death. Mayor Roberto Pereira says the bill is meant as a protest against federal regulations that prohibit new or expanded cemeteries in preservation areas. “They have not taken local demands into consideration”, he claims.
A 2003 decree(法令) by Brazil’s National Environment Council forbids burial grounds in protected areas. Mr. Pereira wants to build a new cemetery, but the project has been stopped because 98% of Biritiba Mirim is considered as a preservation area.
Biritiba Mirim, a town of 28,000 inhabitants, not only wants to prohibit residents from passing away. The bill also calls on people to take care of their health in order to avoid death. “I haven’t got a job, nor am I healthy. And now they say I can’t die. That’s ridiculous,” Amarido do Prado, an unemployed resident said.
The city council is expected to vote on the regulation next week. “Of course the bill is laughable, illegal, and will never be approved,” said Gilson Soares de Campos, an assistant of the mayor. “But can you think of a better resolution to persuade the government to change the environmental decree that is prohibiting us from building a new cemetery?” The bill states that “offenders will be held responsible for their acts.” However, it does not say what the punishment will be.
1.What is the bill to be proposed by the officials in Biritiba Mirim?
A. Ban on building a new cemetery.
B. Ban on parking in certain zones.
C. Forbidding buried grounds in preservation.
D. Prohibiting residents from dying early.
2.What can we infer from the phrase “have gone far beyond that” in the first paragraph?
A. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have made these regulations.
B. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have been to many places around the world.
C. The bill to be proposed by officials in Biritiba Mirim is much too unexpected.
D. The officials in Biritiba Mirim have built too many cemeteries in their town.
3.What’s the attitude of the mayor of Biritiba Mirim towards the federal regulations?
A. He remains silent about them.
B. He gives strong backing to them.
C. He objects to them.
D. He asks the residents for advice on them.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. The mayor of the town wants to build a new cemetery against federal regulation.
B. The residents of the town sing high praise for the bill.
C. No better resolution of the problems has been thought out.
D. The government is going to change the environmental decree.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
七选五
A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?
Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work. 1. What they look for is your presence — to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express her worries and fears, but don’t let them focus on those fears.
Help them get organized. 2. Together , you and your teen can work out a time—table in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.
Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It is important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. 3. If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.
4. Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and /or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise are all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.
Show a positive attitude. 5. Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.
A. A parent’s attitude will affect their teen’s emotions.
B. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.
C. They will only make the situation worse.
D. Encourage your teen to relax.
E. The best thing is simply to listen.
F. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly.
G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
完形填空
Last Christmas while staying with my parents, I _________ across some old love letters that my parents wrote to each other. These letters were all piled up in a basket, dirty and _________ with dust. Deciding to read and sort them, I asked them if I could take the letters back to my Illinois home. They _________ .
As I carefully opened each letter, _________ of them fragile with age, I discovered a new page _________ unknown to me in this private chapter of my parents' lives.
My father used to _________ in the army. So his letters were full of frontline _________ of the things about the war. Each of my mother's letters was marked with her 1944 dark red lipstick kiss. I was _________ to these letters like a magnet（磁铁）.
Just six weeks after our Christmas visit, Daddy became very _________ and was hospitalized. This time, he was fighting a _________ kind of war. As I sat by his bedside, we discussed the _________ . He told me how much receiving those lipstick-kissed letters had _________ to him when he had been so far from home.
It so happened that the next day would be February 14. From the _________ letters I chose the card my father had sent Mother in 1944 and brought it to my father’s bedside.
At his bedside, I talked with him, saying _________ , "Today is Valentine's Day, don’t you want to send Mother a present?" He became _________ when I handed him the old _________ . He carefully opened it and took out the card, and when he _________ it, his eyes were filled with tears.
My father, in a _________ tight with emotion (情感) read the loving message he'd sent to my mother fifty-six years _________ . And this time, he could read it to her in _________ .
1.A. came B. hit C. drew D. fell
2.A. hidden B. covered C. buried D. filled
3.A. refused B. smiled C. shocked D. agreed
4.A. all B. none C. both D. neither
5.A. recently B. usually C. previously D. occasionally
6.A. work B. study C. serve D. report
7.A. accounts B. documents C. introductions D. occupations
8.A. devoted B. addicted C. thrown D. drawn
9.A. sad B. dead C. dangerous D. ill
10.A. typical B. traditional C. different D. familiar
11.A. wars B. illnesses C. letters D. hospitals
12.A. meant B. intended C. planned D. said
13.A. divided B. sorted C. separated D. updated
14.A. sadly B. angrily C. softly D. loudly
15.A. curious B. regretful C. fantastic D. positive
16.A. card B. envelope C. basket D. lipstick
17.A. found B. wrote C. recognized D. missed
18.A. sound B. noise C. whisper D. voice
19.A. later B. earlier C. before D. ahead
20.A. person B. private C. danger D. peace
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Enough sleep is important to health. The amount of sleep 1. (need) depends on the age of the person and the conditions in 2. sleep takes place. The young may need more sleep than 3. old, but usually eight hours are enough for the health of grown-ups. Some can do with 4. than this amount, but others may need more. Every person knows his own need. 5. is then a matter of good judgment to satisfy his need. Sleep should always be enough to make one bring back his 6. (strong) and get ready for a day’s work.
Fresh air is necessary to sound sleep. So it is not without reason for some people to think that it is practicable to sleep 7. the open air. A bath at bedtime, 8. hot nor cool but of body temperature, may be helpful 9. sleep. Sleep-producing drug should never be taken except when 10. (suggest) by a doctor.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
短文改错
Dear Sir,
I’m glad to learn that part-time assistants were wanted in your studio and I’d like to have a try.
I’m a student who is graduated from high school soon. Before attending the college, I’ll have a long holiday and I’m determined to make the best of them. Since childhood, I have developed a strong interest in storytelling and watching films. My teacher thinks high of my performance in the language class, when I have also acquired a good knowledge of American movie industry. Except that, I am monitor of my class and thus have gained many experience in management.
I will undertake full responsibility and spare no effort to do my share of work. I am fully convinced that through communication with the staffs, I can get some valuable work experience as well as develop my social skills.
I’m looking forward to receiving your reply soon. Thank you for your consider.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假如你是李芳，你的美国好友Jane数学学得不好，对自己失去了信心，产生了厌学情绪。请你给她发一封电子邮件开导她，要点如下：
1．没有必要过于伤心；
2．要振作起来，尽量减少焦虑心理；
3．和老师交流有助于你改善；
4．探索适合自己的有效学习方式。
注意：
l．词数100左右。
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jane，
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Yours
Li Fang
难度: 中等查看答案及解析