I always wanted to be extraordinary at something. Not just as in,”Great job, Jimbo!” No, I wanted to be best-in-class, awe-inspiring, tiptop; a world-famous genius,like Michael Phelps or Mark Zuckerberg.
Unfortunately, my version of reality did not quite line up with this delusional vision. I was a good swimmer, but I peaked at the collegiate State Championships level. My academic record was pretty solid, but I never would have made it into one of those ivy-league schools.
Though I rose to above-average status in a couple of areas, the disappointing truth was that I would never amount to anything more than a mid-sized fish in a small pond. God apparently had other plans.
What drove me crazy, though, was the superstar talent thrown in my face at every turn. Some folks just seemed to get an unfair intensive dose(剂量)of it. Why couldn’t I be like Bernie William, the famed New Yorkees player who also happens to be a world-class jazz guitar virtuoso(艺术大师)?
Some say greatness is simply a function of putting in the practice time. Around ten thousand hours, to be precise, according to author Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t question the theory of devoting extraordinary efforts to developing one’s expertise, but it seems that raw talent is equally important. You either have it or you don’t.
I’ve heard that as people approach middle age, their life satisfaction increases because they begin to accept the gap between the expectations for themselves and the reality. After a few decades of frustration without the desired results, we eventually come to terms with how our lives turned out, even if it falls far short of our idealized youthful expectation.
Hope bends, it seems.
1.What does the word “delusional” in Para2 most probably mean?
A.Imaginary B.Realistic C.Abstract D.Practical
2.In the passage, the writer thinks of himself as .
A.a world-famous genius B.a mid-sized fish in a small pond
C.a world-class virtuoso D.a student in an ivy-league school
3.According to the writer, what makes “greatness”?
A.Extraordinary efforts B.Ten thousand hours of practice C.Raw talent D.Talent and time
4.Which of the following might be the best title ?
A.Hope Bends B.Frustrating Decades
C.Practice Works D.Youthful Expectation
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I was thrilled to go on an adventure with my master Rev.Young, a tall man with kind eyes.Mr. Muir was going too. But he said, “Such a helpless creature will only be in the way.” I was disappointed when I heard what he said, and yet I still wanted to follow him.
One stormy morning, Mr. Muir set out alone to study nature. He ordered me to stay behind. But I could not let him go alone, so I followed him into the wild weather. We crossed Taylor Glacier and endless sheet of ice, which was cut by cracks. I was unafraid and sailed over these bottomless holes. Mr. Muir was delighted that he was not crossing them alone.
As dusk fell, we reached an enormous crack that was impossible to jump across. In between the two sides was a U-shaped bridge of ice, so thin that one wrong step would mean dropping to your death. Daylight was disappearing, and gusty winds blew snow into my eyes. I turned to return to camp the way we came. However, Mr. Muir decided to cross the crack. He sat down and rode the narrow U-strip as if it were a horse. Once safe on the other side, he called out to me. But I had never been so terrified before. “I am not good at climbing steep slopes.” I was scared and thought.
Then I looked at Mr. Muir, already across on the safe side. Slowly, I began to cross it. I could feel his eyes on me the entire way. Before I knew it, I made the happiest landing of my life. I ran round and round and jumped up and hugged him. From that day on, we spent every moment together.
1.Why didn’t Mr. Muir want to take me with him at the beginning?
A.He suggested that I need some rest.
B.He possessed great self-confidence.
C.He considered me as a burden to him.
D.He thought I was too weak to make a trip.
2.How did Mr. Muir manage to cross the crack?
A.By climbing steep slopes.
B.By sliding over the U-strip.
C.By leaping across the crack.
D.By riding the narrow ice bridge.
3.Which of the following words best describes their trip?
A.Horrible. B.Risky. C.Well-planned. D.Pleasant.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Life for almost anyone is increasingly influenced by screens. Not only are screens themselves cheap to make, but they also make things cheaper. Any place that can fit a screen in can cut costs. And any activity that can happen on a screen becomes cheaper. The physical experience of learning, living and dying is becoming smooth glass. All of this has led to a curious new reality: Human contact is becoming a luxury good (奢侈品).
“What we are seeing now is the luxury of human engagement,” Milton Pedraza, the chief of the Luxury Institute, said. Expected spending on experiences such as enjoyable travel and dining is outpacing spending on goods, according to his company’s research, and he sees it as a direct response to the rapid increase of screens.
Screens exposure starts young. And children who spent more than two hours a day looking at a screen got lower scores on thinking and language tests, according to early results of a landmark study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study focuses on brain development of more than 11,000 children. Most disturbingly, the study is finding that the brains of children who spend much time on screens are different. For some kids, their cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) would become thinner before expected time. In adults, one study found an association between screen time and depression.
There is also the reality that in our culture of increasing separation, in which so many of the traditional gathering places and social structures have disappeared, screens are filling a vital gap.
For normal people, running away from the screen becomes impossible. It’s not a luxury, and it’s easy to get. It is normal for more people to need the network constantly. In addition, it has become an important part of social interaction.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A.Screens make everything in life cheaper.
B.People’s life is totally controlled by screens.
C.It is difficult for people to contact each other.
D.Face-to-face communication is decreasing nowadays.
2.According to the text, which of the following WON’T be caused by long screen time?
A.More social interaction. B.Depressive state of mind. C.Different brain structures. D.Poorer academic performance.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards the popularization of screen?
A.Favorable. B.Skeptical. C.Concerned. D.Opposed .
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What will the man do first?
A.Learn more about prices. B.Find a supplier. C.Do reports.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When will the meeting be held?
A.At 11:30. B.At 12:00. C.At 1:00.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Why is the woman leaving work early?
A.To take care of her mother. B.To post a package. C.To pick up a car
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What are the speakers talking about in general?
A.trip. B.Food. C.The weather.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What relation is the man to the woman?
A.Her customer. B.Her co-worker. C.Her boss.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will the woman do on Saturday afternoon?
A.Do her homework. B.Enjoy a concert. C.Watch a game
2.Where will the woman go on Sunday?
A.To a park. B.To a hospital. C.To the man’s house.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman’s opinion about the computer screen?
A.Big B.Nice C.Stylish.
2.What brings the man a bit of trouble?
A.The screen. B.The keyboard. C.The mouse.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the purpose of the call?
A.To accept a position.
B.To advertise a job opening.
C.To check on a job application.
2.For what day is the man’s appointment scheduled?
A.Tuesday. B.Thursday. C.Friday
3.What does the woman ask the man to do?
A.Call her later.
B.Meet with Victoria Smith.
C.Wait at the front desk.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Which city does the man book a shuttle bus for?
A.London. B.Milton. C.Toronto.
2.What is the woman doing?
A.Taking the man’s information.
B.Offering the flight timetable
C.Conducting an interview.
3.When will the man probably leave for Milton?
A.At 11:30. B.At 12:00. C.At12:30.
4.What does the woman advise the man to do?
A.Book his return ticket in advance.
B.Collect his luggage first.
C.Have some coffee.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why did Fagin come to the speaker?
A.To rent her house. B.To buy her house. C.To decorate her house.
2.Why was the speaker hesitant about Fagin’s offer?
A.She disliked him.
B.The money was not much.
C.They’d damage some of her belongings.
3.How long did it take to prepare the house for he film？
A.Four days. B.A month. C.Two months.
4.What did the speaker do when the crew left?
A.She watched a film. B.She visited her relatives. C.She repainted the living room.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Friends should always be honest with you, right? So when they lie, it can be really hard to take. You want to trust your friends and that means knowing that they’ll tell it to you straight no matter what it is. 1.Why does this happen?
2.
One of the biggest reasons friends lie is simply to avoid hurting your feelings. Some people don’t understand the difference between being gently honest with a friend and being so straightforward that they leave a verbal wound. They choose to avoid these two extremes in the form of a lie.
They feel embarrassed.
Sometimes friends will lie about things in their life because they are too embarrassed to admit the truth. Maybe they are going through a rough time and they just don’t want you to know about it. Avoid trying to badger ( 纠 缠 ) your friends into telling you what’s wrong.3.
Avoid an argument with you.
Perhaps your friends know that if they tell you the truth, you’ll get angry with them. Make sure that if a friend tells you something unpleasant, you don’t overact.4. If you do end up arguing, do it in a respectable way.
Exclude you.
Lying isn’t always a sign that friends are trying to protect you, however. 5. When you find out with certainty that your friend is lying to you, try and face it. If you feel your friend is lying because he or she doesn’t want to be around you, that’s your wake-up to move on.
A.Protect your feelings.
B.They want to be your closer friends.
C.But a friend who lies isn’t always trying to hurt you.
D.Consider what’s being said and why your friend is telling you this.
E.Being honest and making a sincere effort can keep the friendship strong.
F.Sometimes they lie because they don’t want you to be included in their plans.
G.Instead, make it clear that you are there for them when and if they are ready to talk.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I was a shy girl and I was afraid to talk to people I didn’t know. I enjoyed the___ of exploring nature. _____, at school I had to spend all day in the company of others. My______was reading. I spent a lot of time studying and was ____ good grades. My only failure was Spanish - I’d get all As on my written work and tests, but Ds and Fs on the___ part.
Eventually I went to college. During my third year of college, I had____of being shy and determined to change my outlook and behavior. One day while at school, I noticed an advertisement for ___on the local classical music radio station. I had _____listening to classical music, and I could easily pronounce names such as Tchaikovsky and Chopin.
I had no background in radio, and absolutely no hope of getting the job. The idea of___ thousands of listeners in “radio land” terrified me. However, I ____ survived the interview. I was given brief descriptions of symphonies(交响乐)and a public service announcement to read, and a list of composers’ names___ . It wasn’t hard for me. I left the recording session(录音场次)with a sense of relief and a sense of _____. About two weeks later I actually landed the job. It was a ____ job, but I grew to___ it greatly. I began to feel comfortable talking to people.
Although I now spend many hours each week talking with people, I’m____ basically a quiet person. Perhaps it is my soft voice and my ______ nature that helps draw people out when they respond to my questions when I___ them. My former shyness is a____, as I can relate to people who feel discomfortable when they talk to reporters. I still enjoy moments of loneliness and the___ found in nature. But I’m also glad I decided to make a___ in my life that has opened many doors and opportunities that I never knew existed.
1.A.loneliness B.adventure C.pleasure D.excitement
2.A.Therefore B.However C.Besides D.Additionally
3.A.excuse B.reason C.escape D.assignment
4.A.mixed with B.provided with C.rewarded with D.awarded with
5.A.written B.spelt C.listened D.spoken
6.A.enough B.nothing C.much D.little
7.A.assignments B.positions C.professions D.careers
8.A.woken up B.picked up C.taken up D.grown up
9.A.explaining to B.talking to C.listening to D.complaining to
10.A.deliberately B.occasionally C.luckily D.randomly
11.A.to pronounce B.to type C.to identify D.to copy
12.A.depression B.humor C.failure D.accomplishment
13.A.pleasant B.challenging C.comfortable D.painless
14.A.hate B.tolerate C.enjoy D.adjust
15.A.even B.also C.seldom D.still
16.A.quiet B.outgoing C.optimistic D.lively
17.A.persuade B.inform C.remind D.interview
18.A.fortune B.devotion C.heritage D.commitment
19.A.wealth B.sound C.peace D.wildness
20.A.study B.change C.promise D.conclusion
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
It is widely accepted that optimistic attitudes promote health as well as happiness. The secret of a long life is 1. (universe) desired and has long been sought. Today we can reveal it: always look on the bright side. A huge research project2.(lead) by scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine concludes that optimists live3. (long).
Lewina Lee, lead author of the study, said, “A lot of evidence4.(suggest) that exceptional longevity( 长 寿 ) is widely accompanied by a longer span of good health and living5. disability. Therefore our findings raise an exciting possibility6. we may be able to promote health and happiness by7.(develop) positive attitudes such as optimism.”
However, the study doesn’t suggest that we should aim for great pleasure. Sadness is8. important part of the human condition. Any normal person sometimes experience disappointment, ambitions and the9.(lose) of loved ones. But for many people, these matters of human existence 10. (transform) into an abnormal state of despair. There is a vital place in public health for providing mental treatment in helping to correct these cognitive errors. It is not weakness to be defeated by setbacks. It is merely a mistake.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你的外籍朋友 Mr Brown 对中国文化很感兴趣，请给他写一封邮件，邀请他来参加浙江非物质文化遗产(non-material cultural relics)展览活动。内容包括:
1. 写信目的； 2.时间、地点； 3.活动内容。注意:
1. 词数 80 左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇 60 词左右的内容概要。
Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying “curiosity killed the cat.” It’s a phrase that's often used to warn people - especially children - not to ask too many questions. Yet it’s widely agreed that curiosity actually makes learning more effective. In fact, research has shown that curiosity is just as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school.
Curiosity can also lead us to make unexpected discoveries, bring excitement into our lives, and open up new possibilities. In science, basic curiosity-driven research can have unexpected important benefits. For example,one day in 1831, Michael Faraday was playing around with a coil and a magnet when he suddenly saw how he could produce an electrical current. At first, it wasn't clear what use this would have, but it actually made electricity available for use in technology, and so changed the world.
However, curiosity is currently under the biggest threat, coming from technology. On one level, this is because technology has become so advanced that many of us are unable to think too deeply about how exactly things work any more. While it may be possible for a curious teenager to take a toaster apart and get some sense of how it works, how much do you understand about what happens when you type a website address into a browser? Where does your grasp of technology end and the magic begin for you?
In addition to this, there’s the fact that we all now connect so deeply with technology, particularly with our phones. The more we stare at our screens, the less we talk to other people directly. All too often we accept the images of people that social media provides us with. Then we feel we know enough about a person not to need to engage further with them.
That means we end up inside our own little bubbles, no longer coming across new ideas. Perhaps the real key to developing curiosity in the 21st century, then, is to rely less on the tech tools of our age.
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难度: 中等查看答案及解析