When someone gives you advice, listen without judgment, try to find value in what you’re hearing, and say: “Thank you.” This wise advice is easy to understand yet hard to practice. I’ll give you an example from my life when I totally blew it in terms of practicing what I teach.
In my work I travel constantly. I always put off going to the airport until the last second. My wife, Lydia, was sitting next to me in the front seat. I was racing along and not paying much attention. Lydia cried out: “Look out! There is a red light up ahead.” Being a trained behavioral science professional—who teaches others the value of encouraging advice—I naturally screamed at her: “I know there is a red light up ahead! Don’t you think I can see?” When we arrived at the airport, Lydia didn’t speak to me. I wondered why she seemed mad at me.
During the flight to New York, I did a cost-benefit analysis. I asked myself: “What was the cost of just listening when Lydia called out the warning? Zero.” I then reasoned: “What was the potential benefit? What could have been saved?” Several potential benefits came to mind, including her life, my life, and the lives of other people. I landed in New York feeling ashamed of myself. I immediately called Lydia and told her my cost-benefit story. I convinced her: “The next time you help me with my driving, I am just going to say, “Thank you.”
A few months passed, and I had long forgotten the incident. Again, I was racing off to the airport, when Lydia cried out: “Look out for the red light!” I was embarrassed, and then shouted: “Thank you!”
I’m a long way from perfect, but I’m getting better. My suggestion is that you get in the habit of asking the important people in your life how you can do things better. And be ready for an answer. Some people may tell you things like “Look out for the red light.” When this happens, remember that there is possibly some potential benefit. Then just say: “Thank you.”
1.What do we know about the author?
A.He is expert at behavioral science.
B.He is gifted in cost-benefit analysis.
C.He seldom takes his wife’s advice.
D.He often runs the red traffic light.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that people _____.
A.tend to be defensive when given advice
B.intend to follow others’ suggestions
C.had better study behavioral science
D.should give their opinions patiently
3.The purpose of the passage is to advise people to _____ .
A.do a cost-benefit analysis in daily life
B.treasure others’ suggestions
C.learn from the author’s experiences
D.discover potential benefits
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Almost everyone has heard the expression, “the calm before the storm”. It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument. British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become static and the winds would drop.
But why is it often so calm before a storm?
Science has given us the answer. According to US infotainment (资讯娱乐) website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, draw in all the warm and humid air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air descends, it becomes warm and dry. Warm, dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First, count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. Roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about 3 kilometers away. A good gauge (评估) is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms are preceded(先于) by calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and chilling winds.
So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That’s the most reliable and sensible way to predict the next display of nature’s temper.
1.The underlined word “static” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.violent B.quiet
C.fast-changing D.warm
2.If there are 15 seconds between a flash of lightning and a thunder clap, how far away is the storm?
A.Three kilometers. B.Four kilometers.
C.Five kilometers. D.Six kilometers.
3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.It is not always quiet before a storm.
B.Storms have a big influence on life.
C.Heavy storms don’t usually last for a long time.
D.Weather reports may fail to predict a storm.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Can small, organic agriculture really feed the world? Won’t we need science to produce enough food as the world population is growing to 9 billion by 2050? The answer to both questions is YES—but that science may look different than you think.
We have been told that the only way we will be able to feed the growing population is through the science of GM(转基因) crops and chemicals. But the latest scientific studies are saying just the opposite. In study after study, the message about agriculture is: To feed the world, we need to support sustainable(可持续的) agriculture on different, local, family farms that work with nature.
In 2008, an international study found that sustainable agriculture, not GM crops, shows more hope of ending hunger. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (known as the IAASTD), calls for a change of the world’s food and farming systems.
The Assessment said that industrial agriculture has greatly destroyed the world’s soils and other natural resources, and now is doing harm to water, energy, and weather safety. The report warns that expensive, short-term ways—including GM crops—are not likely to cut down long-term hunger, and could even make environmental and social problems worse in many places.
A recent report by the UN Environment Program shows that food problems will become more serious because of environmental problems and strongly supports sustainable agriculture on small family farms. It also showed that a worldwide change to organics could actually increase the world’s food production by as much as 50%—enough to feed a population of 9 billion people with the land we have now. GM crops, once popular, are now being questioned worldwide.
1.How can we feed the growing population of the world according to the passage?
A.In expensive, short-term ways.
B.By encouraging industrial agriculture.
C.By developing small, organic agriculture.
D.Through the science of GM crops and chemicals.
2.We can learn from the passage that there will be no food problems if _____________ .
A.the world supports sustainable agriculture
B.we increase a lot of farm land
C.the environmental problems are solved
D.all the small family farms are used
3.Which of the following best describe sustainable agriculture?
A.The science of GM crops.
B.Working on small family farms.
C.A fast way to increase the world’s food production.
D.An approach to agriculture without harming the environment.
4.What might be talked about if there is one more paragraph?
A.The causes of food problems.
B.The disadvantages of GM crops.
C.The development of industrial agriculture.
D.The disadvantages of sustainable agriculture.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia (百科全书), is the largest encyclopedia ever. An encyclopedia is a collection of informative articles about various things. Encyclopedias used to be printed as books. 1.
“Wiki” is an internet term that means "a website that can be edited by the public." It comes from “wikiwiki”, a Hawaiian word for "quick". Two Americans, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, created Wikipedia in 2001. 2.It has about 6 million articles in 300 languages and is visited by billions of people each day, who want to find information on just about anything – science, math, languages, art, culture, and company histories. There are articles on sports stars, too, and even long-forgotten soap operas from the 1970s.
3.Except for a small number of pages, anyone can edit articles, anonymously (匿名地) or with a user account, and registered (注册的) users can create their own articles. Editing is unpaid, although Wikipedia does employ a small staff. Wikipedia is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. Its founders hoped that the model would make use of humanity's collective knowledge.
4.Many Wikipedia pages contain errors, although the organization has a content review system that works to fix this problem. Several studies have concluded that Wikipedia is as accurate as most print encyclopedias. Indeed, a 2005 report in the journal Nature found it to be only slightly less reliable (可靠的) than Encyclopedia Britannica.
5.It does not rely on advertising. Instead, all of its funds (资金) come from donations. Perhaps more importantly, the number of its volunteer editors is shrinking.
Despite these difficulties, Jimmy Wales says he will still stick to his dream. He has big plans for the future. He wants Wikipedia available in all of the world's languages.
A.Today Wikipedia faces many challenges.
B.Wikipedia employs an open editing model.
C.It allows users to get information within seconds.
D.It is now the fifth-most visited website on the internet.
E.Most of its editors are volunteers.
F.Now, they are mostly found online.
G.However, some people doubt the accuracy (准确性) of Wikipedia's content.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Forgiving My Father
I grew up on a small farm. My father worked in the city as a welder (焊工). He was quiet, distant. He was a man made of leather and chewing tobacco who tried to teach me useful things, including respect. He also had a _______. I did not like him very much.
One day I came home from school. Once inside, I was told by my mother that he didn't feel well. His back hurt. Multiple myeloma, I _______, is a type of blood cancer. For the last year of my father's life, his entire day consisted of rising from his hospital bed in the living room and walking to his _______to sit and think. He was _______in that chair when I came home one day during the ninth grade. I do not remember where my mother and brother were, but the two of us were alone. He asked me to sit down.
What followed still _______me these decades later. He told me about his _______: his family growing up, what it was like in the Pacific during World War II, his loves, his heartbreaks. It was as if a pipe had _______, his inner self rushing out to me in a great flood. He had been speaking for maybe an hour or more when I realized that he was doing more than _______. He was asking to be _______. All it took was understanding that that was what he________, and I forgave everything, immediately.
When he died, I didn't ________to school for a few days. My biggest ________going back was gym class. It was poorly ________, and bullies ran the show. On my first day, I was standing there when a (an) ________voice yelled, ''Lensch! '' It was a guy who had given many of us a few lumps (包，肿块) over the years. I turned to face him and said, ''What do you want? '' The other boys didn’t say a word as they waited for the ________.
''I heard your dad died, '' he said. ''Is that true? ''
I quietly replied, ''Yes. ''
He didn't ________me. He didn't even move. Instead, he said, ''I'm sorry. ''
I was________. I'm sure I cried. Those two words are how I have remembered that kid ever since. What do you do when your ''enemies'' reveal that they are also ________? I think you either forgive and move ________or hold on to resentment (怨恨)and live in the past. I'm certainly not glad that my father got________, but at the same time, I realize that if he hadn't, I might never have come to love him.
1.A.temper B.taste C.fame D.nerve
2.A.meant B.doubted C.learned D.felt
3.A.bench B.chair C.bedroom D.balcony
4.A.predictably B.acceptably C.hopefully D.surprisingly
5.A.touches B.annoys C.educates D.encourages
6.A.life B.career C.youth D.achievement
7.A.burst B.leaked C.moved D.frozen
8.A.teaching B.telling C.supporting D.complaining
9.A.known B.forgiven C.mistaken D.forgotten
10.A.found B.received C.needed D.escaped
11.A.contribute B.adapt C.head D.return
12.A.relief B.favor C.lesson D.fear
13.A.understood B.prepared C.regulated D.attracted
14.A.angry B.warning C.pitying D.familiar
15.A.defeat B.quarrel C.miracle D.fight
16.A.punish B.beat C.disappoint D.scold
17.A.frustrated B.shocked C.thrilled D.frightened
18.A.classmates B.friends C.humans D.families
19.A.backward B.away C.around D.forward
20.A.depressed B.hurt C.sick D.lost
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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。
Few words 1. (speak) more often every day on the streets of Britain than “I’m sorry”. This phrase has become such a common 2. (respond) that it has taken on a lot of meanings. Sorry means to apologize. This is simple and easy to understand. But in Britain, it takes on another meaning. It is a 3. (culture) expression. Imagine this: a man walks down the street, 4. (look) down at his phone. A woman is walking in the opposite direction, toward the man. She sees him, but she can’t get out of the way in time. The man 5. (knock) into the woman. Naturally, the man should say sorry, because it was he who wasn’t looking 6. he was going. Yet in Britain, it is common 7.both to apologize. Other times 8. may sound funny to hear “sorry”. Some of my friends say it at restaurants, as they ask the waiter: “sorry, but can I order another drink?” It is not to apologize, 9. just to express that we need the waiter. In Britain, sorry doesn’t always mean 10. (exact) what you think.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，目前，随着全球新型冠状病毒肺炎确诊病例数量不断攀升，你的英国笔友Jack发来邮件询问你在家抗“疫”和学习的注意事项，请你给他回信，内容包括：
1. 表达关心
2. 介绍经验
3. 分享感受
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
提示词：新冠肺炎疫情the novel coronavirus pneumonia 或 COVID-19 pandemic
Dear Jack,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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。
We lived not far from the sea, but I had never been allowed by my parents to play in the sea water. It was said that there was weed(水草) at the bottom of the water along the beach and of course it was dangerous to swim in the water. But I didn’t believe it and that day, I agreed to play with my friends on the beach. I had to lie to my parents since I would never get a chance to go out if I told them I would go to play on the beach without them in sight.
After breakfast, I read a book in my room for some time to wait from my mum to leave the house. But she kept working in the kitchen. I couldn’t waste time any more. Otherwise(否则，要不然), Bobby and Jimmy would be angry.
I went downstairs slowly and tried to walk casually(随意地) towards the back door. Mum asked me without looking up from her work of dishwashing, “Where are you going?’ I answered without hesitation(毫不犹豫地), “I am going to the outside on the grass to play with Jack and Tim.” After I got out of the room, I breathed a sigh of relief(松了一口气). My plan had worked out fine so far. I climbed the fence and jumped onto the muddy field a few feet away from my house and started running towards the bus stop at top speed. I was on the beach scanning the crowd for my friends Jimmy and Bobby about ten minutes later. After a while, I saw them near a coconut (椰子) tree. I ran towards them and got into my swimming trunks(游泳裤). For about an hour, we played volleyball happily. Suddenly, Bobby hit the ball too hard and the ball fell onto the sea. Just as Bobby was going to pick up the ball, the tide(潮水) came in and carried the ball further and further away from the shore. I wanted to show off my swimming skills, so I declared (宣布) to help get the ball for them.
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:
I dived into the water and started swimming at a steady pace(以稳定的速度).
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Paragraph 2:
I struggled to keep afloat (漂浮的) but it was no use.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析