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When us teenager Jake Olson isn’t playing football or golf for his high school, he’s often offering inspiration through his new book about his own life.
These activities might be too much for the average 16-year-old to deal with, but Jake is blind. When people ask him how he can possibly play golf without being able to see the ball, he says he is thankful for his father’s guidance.
It seems apparent that his early experience playing sports as a person with sight and muscle memory— repeating behaviors over and over until they become second nature — have also enabled Jake to hit the ball quite well.
Jake was born with a rare kind of eye cancer that took away the vision from his left eye when he was an infant and eventually his right eye, in 2009, when he was 12 years old. Rather than letting the disease hold him back, Jake used his loss of sight and his faith as sources of motivation .
“If I was going to sit on the couch all day feeling sorry for myself, I wasn’t going to do anything. I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to let it stop me and that I was going to go out and persevere (坚持不懈),” he said.
It was with that mind-set that the student from Orange Lutheran High School in California was able to write his first book, Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life. “It’s about opening the readers’ eyes to their true potential in life and making sure that they use all the abilities that they have,” Jake said.
Jake’s father, Brian Olson, said the family is impressed with what he has done with his life, including showing people that they can get through hardships. “Your darkest hour can soon become your brightest, and with every setback, there’s a setup,” Jake said. “In every one of us, there’s more potential than we can ever imagine, and it really is a choice.”
1.We can learn from the article that Jake Olson ______.
A. was born a blind child
B. could have been a golf master
C. has great muscle memory
D. is trying to find the cure for his disease
2.According to the article, Jake’s family members ______.
A. pity him deeply
B. once gave up hope on him
C. encouraged him to write the book
D. admire his efforts and determination
3.The purpose of the book Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life is to ______.
A. promote good approaches to get
ting along with disabled people
B. inspire people to discover and use their hidden abilities
C. help people come up with better life goals
D. explain different definitions of “a happier life”
4.The underlined word “setback” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. fight B. failure C. opportunity D. success
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When us teenager Jake Olson isn’t playing football or golf for his high school, he’s often offering inspiration through his new book about his own life.
These activities might be too much for the average 16-year-old to deal with, but Jake is blind. When people ask him how he can possibly play golf without being able to see the ball, he says he is thankful for his father’s guidance.
It seems apparent that his early experience playing sports as a person with sight and muscle memory— repeating behaviors over and over until they become second nature — have also enabled Jake to hit the ball quite well.
Jake was born with a rare kind of eye cancer that took away the vision from his left eye when he was an infant and eventually his right eye, in 2009, when he was 12 years old. Rather than letting the disease hold him back, Jake used his loss of sight and his faith as sources of motivation .
“If I was going to sit on the couch all day feeling sorry for myself, I wasn’t going to do anything. I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to let it stop me and that I was going to go out and persevere (坚持不懈),” he said.
It was with that mind-set that the student from Orange Lutheran High School in California was able to write his first book, Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life. “It’s about opening the readers’ eyes to their true potential in life and making sure that they use all the abilities that they have,” Jake said.
Jake’s father, Brian Olson, said the family is impressed with what he has done with his life, including showing people that they can get through hardships. “Your darkest hour can soon become your brightest, and with every setback, there’s a setup,” Jake said. “In every one of us, there’s more potential than we can ever imagine, and it really is a choice.”
1. We can learn from the article that Jake Olson ______.
A. was born a blind child B. could have been a golf master
C. has great muscle memory D. is trying to find the cure for his disease
2. According to the article, Jake’s family members ______.
A. pity him deeply B. once gave up hope on him
C. encouraged him to write the book D. admire his efforts and determination
3.The purpose of the book Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life is to ______.
A. promote good approaches to getting along with disabled people
B. inspire people to discover and use their hidden abilities
C. help people come up with better life goals
D. explain different definitions of “a happier life”
4.The underlined word “setback” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. fight B. failure C. opportunity D. success
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Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs, but the brave 32-year-old man, plays football and golf, swims, and surfs. Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and enables him to kick. He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up between his toes.
“I call it my chicken drumstick（鸡腿）,” joked Nick, “I'd be lost without it. When I get in the water I float because 80 per cent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller.”
When Nick was born his father was so shocked he left the hospital room to vomit. His distraught mother couldn't bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.
“It was so hard for them, but right from the start they did their best to make me independent. My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave me the courage to learn how to swim. ” said Nick.
Throughout his childhood Nick dealt with the typical challenges. At the age of seven, Nick tried out some specially designed electronic arms and legs, in hope that he would be more like the other kids. During the short trial period of the electronic arms and legs, Nick realized that even with them, he was still unlike his peers at school, and they turned out to be much too heavy for Nick to operate, affecting his flexibility quite significantly.
“When I was 13 I read a newspaper article about a disabled man who had managed to achieve great things and help others,” said Nick, “I realized why God had made us like this － to give hope to others. It was so inspirational to me that I decided to use my life to encourage others and decided to be thankful for what I do have, not get angry about what I don't.”
“I tell people to keep on getting up when they fall and to always love themselves,” he said. “If I can encourage just one person then my job in this life is done.” By now, he has visited 35 different countries, touring the world as a motivational speaker.
1. What makes it possible for Nick to swim in the water?
A. His small size. B. His small foot.
C. His light weight. D. His big lungs.
2.The underlined word “distraught” in paragraph 4 probably means _____.
A. cold-blooded B. bad-tempered
C. really crazy D. extremely upset
3.Nick abandoned the electronic arms and legs because ________.
A. his family couldn’t afford them
B. his classmates didn’t like them
C. they were too heavy to handle
D. they affected his appearance
4.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Nick’s parents were very strict with him.
B. Nick’s family accepted his disability at his birth.
C. Nick’s mother was to blame for his disability.
D. Nick learned to be independent at a young age.
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Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular free time activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers (慢跑者) jog, they don’t run the streets. Every one of them automatically heads to the park or the river. It is my firm belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD (多动症). Those whose housing had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, the entire school would do better in studies.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy (等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying (恃强凌弱) is found in schools where there is a tarmac (柏油碎石) playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School, with its hard tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners dreaming about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs. Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is much better when they have access to nature. The most important for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its process helps reduce anger and behavior that people might regret later.” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to think human beings are doing nature some kind of favor when we are protecting nature. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is damaging.
Human beings are a species of animals. For seven million years we lived on the planet as part of nature. So we miss the natural world and long for contact with non-human life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a glass of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is necessary to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without other living things around us we are less than human.
1.What is the author’s firm belief?
A. People seek nature in different ways.
B. People should spend most of their lives in the wild.
C. People have quite different ideas of nature.
D. People must make more efforts to study nature.
2.What does the author say people prefer for their children nowadays?
A. Personal freedom. B. Things that are natural.
C. Urban surroundings. D. Things that are purchased.
3.What does a study in Sweden show?
A. The natural environment can help children learn better.
B. More access to nature makes children less likely to fall ill.
C. A good playground helps kids develop their physical abilities.
D. Natural views can prevent children from developing ADHD.
4.Children who have chances to explore natural areas ________.
A. tend to develop a strong love for science
B. are more likely to dream about wildlife
C. tend to be physically tougher in adulthood
D. are less likely to be involved in bullying
5.What does the author suggest we do to help children with ADHD?
A. Find more effective drugs for them.
B. Provide more green spaces for them.
C. Place them under more personal care.
D. Engage them in more meaningful activities
6. In what way do elderly people benefit from their contact with nature?
A. They look on life optimistically. B. They enjoy a life of better quality.
C. They are able to live longer. D. They become good-humored
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The boys arguing over whether to play baseball or football finally ___ by voting.
A. reached goals B. came to terms C. came to an end D. gave up
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— Hello, Paul, do you like to join us in playing football? We need one more person to ____ a team.
— Yes, I’d like to.
A. pick up B. pick out C. make up D. make out
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— Hi! John, would you like to play football with us?
— Oh，I can’t. I ___ my lesson all the morning and still need half an hour.
A. am reviewing B. have been reviewing
C. have reviewed D. reviewed
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Male fans love to play football. Football is also a bonding experience for fathers and sons. When male football fans are younger, they probably spend hours1._______ watching football games with their fathers. Male football fans also probably spend a lot of time playing football 2._______ their friends.
Female fans do love the game, too, 3.________ most started watching football because a cute player caught their eyes. This is 4.________ I started watching football. I was5.________ interested in football until I saw the movie Goal. While watching the movie, I spotted Kuno Becker and I quickly became interested in 6.________ game. Other female fans probably became interested after watching a game with a boyfriend 7. ________ their husband. Whatever the reason why people start watching football 8._______, it’s very addictive and hard to stop once you start.
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Time ______, they'll come here to watch us ______ football.
| A．permitted, playing | B．permitted, to play | C．permitting, play | D．permitting, to play |
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He _____ football regularly for many years when he was young.
A. was playing B. played C. has played D. had played
ting along with disabled people