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Sometimes when I’m flying from one speaking engagement to another, I find myself sitting next to someone who's quite talkative. This is often a pleasant experience for me because I’m a people-watcher. I learn so much by watching and listening to the people I meet and see every day. I’ve heard stories of sadness and others of delight, fear and joy, and others that would rival those on “Oprah” and "Geraldo”.
Sad to say，there are times when I’m sitting next to someone who just wants to vent(发泄） his temper or inflict(强加）his political views on an audience for 600 miles. It was one of those days. I settled in, as my seatmate began his speech on the terrible state of the world with the time worn, “You know, kids today are...” He went on and on, sharing vague notions of the terrible state of teens and young adults, based on watching the six o’clock news rather selectively.
When I gratefully got off that plane and finally made it to my hotel in Indianapolis, I bought the local paper and went to have dinner in the hotel. There, on an inside page, was an article I believe ought to have been the front-page headline news.
In a little Indiana town, there was a 15-year-old boy with a brain tumor. He was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy(化疗）treatments，As a result of those treatments, he had lost all of his hair. I don’t know about you, but I remember how I would have felt about that at his age ---I would have felt awkward and ashamed.
This young man’s classmates willingly came to the rescue: all the boys in his grade asked their mothers if they could shave their heads so that Brian wouldn’t be the only bald boy in the high school. There, on that page was a photograph of a mother shaving all of her sons’ hair with the family looking on approvingly. And in the background, a group of similar bald young men.
No, I don’t despair about kids today.
1.From the passage we can infer the author's job is .
A. meeting talkative people
B. the commitments concerning speaking, like lecturers
C. a psychologist
D. to cope with complaints
2.The word “rival” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by .
A. oppose B. compete against
C. object to D. match
3.What's the author’s attitude towards his seatmate?
A. Favorable. B. Critical.
C. Indifferent. D. Satisfied.
4.The author's purpose in telling the news about the 15-year-old boy is .
A. to show his disappointment in kids today
B. to praise the diseased boy’s bravery
C. to draw people’s attention to care for such people
D. to display his confidence and faith in today’s teens
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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Here are some undiscovered places around the world, which will surely impress you.
Byblos, Lebanon
This quiet settlement north of Beirut in Lebanon has been around a really long lime. Today, its rich history is well-represented in its ruins, which include ancient temples and tombs and Neolithic houses. Three sites in particular steal the show: the restored Roman amphitheatre (圆形剧场）, the grand 12th century Crusader castle, and the beautiful]y restored medieval open market.
Carreg Cennen, Carmarthenshire, Wales
The ruins of Carreg Cennen must be among the most noticeable sites in Wales. Carreg Cennen is defended by two drawbridges and three gate towers, although it hasn’t seen much action since it was partly damaged in 1462, during the Wars of the Roses. However, one rare feature of the castle is unchanged. Ifs the stone passage that leads down to a natural cave underneath.
Providence, Rhode Island, US
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US. Its capital, Providence, has many of the attractions. Ivy League member Brown University and the famous Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) give the city a strong student influence. Up on College Hill, east of the Providence River, are streets lined with 18th century wood framed houses.
Sequoia National Park, California, US
Not content with having the worlds tallest (coast redwoods) and oldest (bristlecone pines), California is also home to the largest tree—the giant sequoia (红杉树). It grows only to its lull size in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many of these trees are found in the Yosemite National Park, but for more quality time with the trees, it's best to head south to the far less known Sequoia National Park, which gets a quarter of Yosemite’s visitor numbers.
1.What do Byblos and Carreg Cennen have in common?
A. They were once destroyed in the history.
B. They are defended by two drawbridges.
C. They are most famous for their temples.
D. They are located in the same country.
2.If you’re interested in old house made by woods, you’d go to the place in .
A. Lebanon B. California
C. Rhode Island D. Carmarthenshire
3.Who would most probably go to Sequoia National Park?
A. People who love walking in streets.
B. People who are interested in visiting castles.
C. People who want to feel a strong student influence.
D. People who are interested in tress.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the world.
B. Yosemite National Park is located in California.
C. The Carreg Cennen castle has been totally changed. v
D. The medieval open market in Byblos has never been destroyed.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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If your child constantly moves when he's doing math homework or insists on listening to music while studying, take heart. Although it may seem like he’s trying to drive you crazy, he’s probably just using the strategies that help him learn.
“I like to study at a desk in silence, and my daughter can’t think that way. She likes to bounce around on a ball with music in the background,” says author Maureen McKay, whose website, Optimistic Outcomes, provides tips based on a child’s learning style for parents. “Sometimes kids are just doing what works for them.”
Three basic learning styles are auditory, kinesthetic(肌肉运动知觉的), and visual ones. Auditory learners prefer listening to explanations to reading them and may like to study by reciting information aloud. This type of learner may want to have background music while studying, or they may be distracted by noises and need a quiet environment to study. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing and touching something. They may have trouble sitting still while studying, and they are better able to understand information by writing it down or doing hands-on activities. Visual learners process new information by reading, looking at graphics, or watching a demonstration. Children with this learning style can grasp information presented in a chart or graph, but they may grow impatient listening to an explanation.
Most people use a combination of styles but have a clear preference for one. Understanding your child’s learning style can reduce homework frustrations and make it easier for families to communicate, says McKay. She observed different learning styles while working as a teacher’s assistant, and she started researching strategies for working in different learning styles when her daughter began having trouble in elementary school.
Because her daughter had difficulty listening in class, McKay looked for exercises to strengthen listening skills. Her daughter is now doing well in middle school, and she owes her success to the fact that her teachers and parents came to understand her unique style of learning.
1.What does the underlined part “take heart” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Take care. B. Work hard.
C. Don't worry. D. Don't mention it.
2.It's implied in the passage that McKay's daughter studies in .
A. both auditory and kinesthetic styles
B. a kinesthetic style
C. both visual and auditor’s styles
D. a visual style
3.According to the passage, McKay would agree that .
A. parents should explore their children's learning styles.
B. teachers should reduce their students’ homework
C. students always enjoy trying different learning styles
D. schools are giving up their traditional teaching methods
4.In the case of her daughter, McKay .
A. helps a lot with her homework
B. teaches her in person at school
C. lets her read many books
D. values her personal learning style
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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If ever a drink were invented to satisfy the thirst of social media, this may be it.
With its fantastic name, bright pink and blue twist topped with a pillow of whipped cream, Starbucks’ new Unicom Frappuccino(独角兽星冰乐) practically asks to be posted on social media.
And a glimpse at Twitter shows Unicom Frappuccino is indeed gaining attention.
So what's in it? As Starbucks describes it: “A sweet dusting of pink powder, mixed into a Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping.”
A look at the ingredients reveals a list less fantastic. The pink powder is actually sugar and "Fruit and Vegetable Color.”
Starbucks advertises the drink “,as rare as a unicorn." But unicorn food is actually a thing. The BBC reports, it's fashionable to post pictures of rainbow colored food which reminds of the fairy tale creature.
Rainbow sushi, anyone?
As for the Unicorn Frappuccino, Lori Aquino said the drink caught her eye on social media. Then people at work were talking about it. “I saw it was coming out today, so I decided to try it,” Aquino said at a Washington D.C. Starbucks. “I'll probably put it on Snapchat or Instagram.”
She bought one to share with her two coworkers.
And the opinion?
“It’s kind of nasty,” Aquino said.
Letitia Winston agreed: "Nope. That will not be something I come looking for."
But Moriam Animashaun was more forgiving. "It's not bad,” she said, “It's just really sweet.”
A 16-ounce medium, or a grande in Starbucks speak, comes in at 410 calories, 59 grams of sugar and 16 grams of fat.
One thing the women agreed on was the drink’s appearance. “It’s pretty," said Animashaun.
“It looks nice," agreed Winston.
And in the age of likes, snaps and tweets, the fantasy image may be all that matters.
The Unicom Frappuccino is available April 19 through April 23 at participating stores in the United Stales, Canada and Mexico.
1.What do we learn about Starbucks’ new Unicom Frappuccino from the passage?
A. The customers are attracted to try it by its fantastic name only.
B. Lori Aquino first learned about the drink from her coworkers and then saw it get popular on social media,
C. You can purchase a Unicom Frappuccino at any Starbucks store in North America from April 19 to April 23.
D. The author may agree that the fantasy image helps the Unicorn Frappuccino gain great popularity.
2.What was Lori and her co-workers’ reaction after they tasted the Unicom Frappuccino themselves?
A. They thought it was good value for the money.
B. They thought it lived up to their expectations,
C. They agreed that the look of the drink was attractive.
D. They thought it was the very drink they were looking for.
3.Which do you think is most probably the title for this passage?
A. Unicom Frappuccino is Coming Soon
B. Unicorn Frappuccino is Getting Popular
C. Unicom Frappuccino: A Digital Age Drink
D. Unicorn Frappuccino: An Eye-catching Healthy Drink
难度: 中等查看答案及解析