When it comes to gifts, it’s not easy to shop...

When it comes to gifts, it’s not easy to shop for someone when you’re not sure what they’re into. Thankfully, Crate and Barrel’s sister store — the modern, fancy version — CB2 has a gift collection that is just as beautiful as it is practical. They’re known for their modern designs. We’ve edited a list of some of our favorite gift ideas from CB2 so you'll know just what to get.

Galactic Jewelry Box ($21)

This jewelry box is not only a place to store your jewels, but it looks like one itself. “Designed by UK-based Seascape Curiosities, the jewelry box brings deep space to your room. Open storage space lined with light grey cotton velvet holds most-precious possessions,” CB2 states. The best part? It’s under $25.

Flamingo Catchall ($29.95)

Designed by the British fashion designer Matthew Williamson, this flamingo catchall is a pop of color in every room and offers a secure place to store some of your favorite rings, earrings, or little items. Not only is it an awesome addition to just about any home, it’s also a great conversation starter at dinner parties.

Heritage Navy Leather Activity Ball ($49)

It’s a great gift for the man in your life who loves sports. Crafted with design and function in mind, handmade activity ball (think of it as a smaller basketball) stands up to years of play and even gets better looking with age. It’s a super addition to any bookshelf.

Black Nickel Cocktail Shaker ($24.95)

This cocktail shaker starts off with a smoky black finish and fades into grey. It’s fashionable, functional, and — above all — easy to clean.

1.Which of the following gifts would you like to choose if your brother loves football?

A. Galactic Jewelry Box.　　 B. Flamingo Catchall.

C. Heritage Navy Leather Activity Ball.　　 D. Black Nickel Cocktail Shaker.

2.What can we learn about the four gifts?

A. Galactic Jewelry Box is easy to clean.

B. Flamingo Catchall can inspire people to start a topic.

C. Made by hand, Leather Activity Ball is fragile.

D. Black Nickel Cocktail Shaker is the cheapest.

3.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To advertise gifts from CB2.　　 B. To explain the functions of gifts.

C. To sell products created by CB2.　　 D. To strike a deal on fashion design.

高三英语长对话或独白中等难度题查看答案及解析

When it comes to gift-giving, not only must the gift giver attempt to infer the recipient's(接受者的) tastes, needs, desires, and reactions, the gift selection may also be affected by the information which it would appear to convey about the giver and the giver-recipient relationship. The ancient practice of gift-giving is still common and important in modern cultures. For instance, Lowes Turner. and Willis (1971) mention a series of British Gallup Polls from 1963-1967, in which it was found that over 90 percent of the adult population did some Christmas gift-giving each year.

Gift-giving has been treated from a variety of related theoretical aspects. A famous theoretical analysis of the gift-giving process is an essay by French anthropologist- sociologist Marcell Mauss(1923). Based on his examination of gift-giving, Mauss concluded that gift-giving is a self-perpetuating(不停的) system of reciprocity. More specifically, Mauss summarized three types of obligations (义务): the obligation to give; the obligation to receive; the obligation to repay.

The obligation to give may be based on moral or religious necessities, with the need to recognize and keep a status hierarchy(等级制度) or the need to establish or keep peaceful relations. Receiving is seen as similarly obligatory. Mauss noted however that there is a certain tension created in receiving a gift since acceptance is an implied recognition of dependence on the giver. This tension may then be reduced by meeting the third obligation, the obligation to repay. Failure to repay or failure to repay adequately results in a loss of status and self-esteem. Adequate or overly adequate repayment, on the other hand, creates an obligation to repay on the part of the original giver, and the cycle is reinitiated.

Schwartz (1967) noted that beyond the functions served by the general process of gift exchange, the characteristics of the gift itself also act as a powerful statement of the giver’s perception(洞察力) of the recipient. He also suggested that acceptance of a particular gift constitutes an acknowledgment and acceptance of the identity that the gift is seen to imply. Among children this may lead to lasting changes in self-perceptions, but probably gifts have less influence on the self- concept of an adult.

There can be little doubt that gift-giving is a common experience in human life and consumer behavior.

1.What does the author want to stress by mentioning the example in Paragraph 1?

A. The anxiety between gift-givers and receivers.

B. The recent increase in gift-giving around Christmas time.

C. The common practice of gift-giving on special occasions.

D. The differences in gift-giving between ancient and modern times.

2.We can conclude that Mauss suggests a self-perpetuating system of reciprocity ______.

A. requires equal participation in a relationship

B. functions as a form of showing different status

C. shows an increasing amount of pressure on gift-giving

D. is a form of communication between gift-givers and recipients

3.What does the underlined word “ reinitiated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. Started again.　　 B. Prevented again.　　 C. Examined again.　　 D. Explained again.

4.How would Schwartz describe the gift-exchange process?

A. Stressful.　　 B. Symbolic.　　 C. Accidental.　　 D. Discouraging

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

It is not always easy for the public to see _____ use a new invention can be of to human life.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Gift Idea

The other day I was shopping for Grandma when I realized I had no gift ideas at all．It was not a birthday gift or anything like that．It was simply sort of a hello gift．That is how we do things in my family．We don't really give gifts for special occasions．Instead, we occasionally just give presents to each other to tell other people that we are thinking about them．

That was why I wanted a gift for Grandma．But it was like my imagination had dried up． I have gone through all of the gift ideas in previous years, fruits, wines, cheeses, little handmade crafts, and anything else that you can give to a grandmother．I had even given her gift watches, and CDs．What else was there?

I have always found gift ideas for men a little bit easier than for women, because for men, you can always get the usual things, such as video games, power tools and things like that．With a woman's gift idea, however, you have to know more about her．You cannot just get someone a book or a CD．You have to know all about her taste in movies, music, and literature．

My grandmother likes to read a lot, but what she likes is always pretty popular．I didn't want to get her a book that she might not like, but I was running out of time．I needed a gift idea for this weekend and went to visit her．After all, I hadn't seen her for a long time．I wanted to give her a gift so she would not feel ignored．

Finally, I came up with the perfect gift idea．I made a collection of all the stories I had written in the past year．It wasn't a typical gift idea like a bunch of flowers, but it really worked in the situation．You see, I am a writer and my grandma has always been my fan．

Anyway, I had been learning about bookbinding recently, and had pretty much mastered the art．I figured that I would add a little bit of handmade artwork to the stories, bind it altogether, and give it to her．It took hours to complete, but it was well worth the effort．She absolutely loved it．

1.The writer chose a gift for Grandma to _____．

A．celebrate a special family occasion

B．please her during a weekend visit

C．congratulate her on her birthday

D．beg her pardon for ignoring her

2.What gift did the writer finally decide to give his grandma?

A．Gift watches．

B．A bunch of flowers．

C．Artwork made by hand．

D．Stories written by himself．

3.How does the writer feel about giving gifts to women?

A．Interesting．　　　　　　　　　　　　     B．Challenging．

C．Time-wasting．　　　　　　　　　     D．Popular．

4.We can learn from the passage that ______．

A．the writer is a successful novelist

B．most people are particular about gifts

C．the writer's grandma has a good taste in art

D．the writer's family will give gifts on regular days

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.

You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.

Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.

Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?

Honesty, with a twist(新手法)

“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.

“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative(主动性), motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”

“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”

“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”

This answer leads with a strength that employers want —initiative —and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.

Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.

Honesty, with progress

When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.

Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.

“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.

“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”

The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes

However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.

“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”

Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

高三英语填空题困难题查看答案及解析

To forgive may be wonderful, but no one ever said it was easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your anger.

___1___ In­deed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite and better sleep patterns. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness,” says Dr. Freder­ic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good.

So how do you start the healing? Try following these steps:

Calm yourself. Take a couple of breaths and think of some­thing that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love.

Don’t wait for an apology. ___2___ Luskin says, “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time.” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean coming to terms with the person who upsets you or forgiving his or her action after your quarrel.

___3___ Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. “Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.” Luskin says.

___4___ If you attach great importance to that person, you may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance, fear and even love. To gain others’ stand, you may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.

___5___ Research has shown that people who forgive make a good show of more energy, better appetite and better sleeping patterns.

Don’t forget to forgive yourself. “For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge." Luskin says, “but it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.”

A. Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing.

B. Break away from the influence of your offender on you early.

C. But forgiveness is possible —and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health.

D. Try to see things from the other person’s stand.

E. So it is difficult to forgive others and even yourself.

F. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

G. Forgiveness is not good of people.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

________1.________Try the following steps:

Calm yourself. ________2.________ You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. ________3.________ Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

Take the control away from your offender. Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

________4.________ If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.

Don’t forget to forgive yourself. ________5.________But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender’s angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

______1._____ Try the following steps:

Calm yourself. _____2.______ You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. ____3._____ Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

____4._____ If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.

Don’t forget to forgive yourself. _____5._____ But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.

A.Why should you forgive?

B.How should you start to forgive?

C.Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D.Try to see things from your offender’s angle.

E.For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F.To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G.If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

___1.____Try the following steps:

Calm yourself. __2._____You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. __3.___ Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

_4.__ If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.

Don’t forget to forgive yourself. ___5.___ But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender’s angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

_____1._____ Try the following steps:

Calm yourself. _____2.____ You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

Don’t wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. ____3.____ Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

_____4.____ If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view.

Don’t forget to forgive yourself. ___5._____ But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don’t do it.

A.Why should you forgive?

B.How should you start to forgive?

C.Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D.Try to see things from your offender’s angle.

E.For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F.To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G.If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析