How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
"In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes （糖尿病）. Believing my career （职业生涯）was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn't difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way."
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
"I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success-you can't follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. "Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you'll be a step closer to achieving them."
Kirsten Best
Poet ＆ Writer
"When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can't achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as 'calm', 'peace' or 'focus', either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological （心理的） tool."
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What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
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| 2． |
What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
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What does the underlined word "distractions" probably refer to?
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| 4． |
According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
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San Francisco(People's Daily Online)-- Apple Inc. Tuesday introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay alongside the company's iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California.
What apple does is to replace consumers' wallet with its cell phone. Apple said it hopes to speed up the checkout process, make credit-card payments more secure and ultimately, to replace physical wallets.
With the near-field communication technology, Apple's gadgets like iPhone and Apple watch can transmit a radio signal between the device and a receiver when the two are in an inch apart. "To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent," Apple says on its official website.
Apple said that each transaction (交易)would be authorized(授权) with a one-time, unique number, creating a security code that it said is more secure than the one on the back of your credit card because cashiers wont see your name, card number or security code. The service will work with the three major payment networks —American Express, MasterCard and Visa —and Apple said that there are 220,000 merchant locations that accept these contactless payments.
When some applaud this disrupted service that will compete with Paypal and endanger other online payment companies, some others concern about its safety, especially when another retailer Home Depot confirmed a data opening yesterday and iCloud was reported exposing nude (裸体)pictures of celebrities (名人) a week ago.
Leo Zheng, a technology reporter in Silicon Valley said: "When Apple attracts consumers to put all their cards into one iPhone and promised the security, Jennifer Lawrence should say something."Which can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Apple announces mobile payment service to replace consumers' wallet. |
| B．Consumers can pay in cash through mobile phones. |
| C．Apple Inc. will introduce new models to the market. |
| D．Mobile payment will be popular soon. |
After reading the third paragraph, we know.
| A．Apple’s new products are popular |
| B．Apple can be used as an ID |
| C．Apple's gadgets can receive message easily |
| D．how Apple's gadgets work |
The attitude of the writer towards the mobile payment is .
| A．indifferent (冷漠的) | B．objective |
| C．skeptical | D．positive |
What could have happened to Jennifer Lawrence?
| A．She made great contributions to Apple. |
| B．She put all her cards into her iPhone. |
| C．Her nude pictures were spread online. |
| D．Her iPhone often broke down. |
Your House Will Take Care of You In Old Age
Have you ever thought what your life would be like in old age?
Everyone talks about the “aging” society with large numbers of elderly people needing home care. Now German researchers have set up a “smart”house, programmed to help the elderly live at home with dignity. Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute say the house combines existing technology with future-oriented technology.
For example, the “smart”bathroom has a touch screen mirror that can remind people to take their medicine, wash their hands or brush their teeth. The hardware behind Fraunhofer’s electronic bathroom is not new, and the software runs on a regular personal computer.
When the medicine cabinet is opened, a display in the middle of the mirror tells the person how many pills to take. The mirror is linked to a care provider, who can remotely check whether a patient at home is actually taking medicine and brushing his or her teeth. As many elderly people have arthritic(关节炎的) conditions that make it difficult to operate water taps, the mirror also has displays that turn the water tap on or off or control the water temperature.
The bathroom is only the start. Kitchens, bedrooms and all other parts of the intelligent”home will become “user-friendly”to meet all kinds of individual needs. Sensors in doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets detect every activity and record them electronically. Doctors or care staff can see from the computer records what personal hygiene tasks have been completed, how often the elderly person visits the bathroom or uses the toilet. In case of an emergency, the computer automatically alerts the chosen contact person or calls the care center.The smart bathroom has a touch screen mirror ____.
| A．that can remind people to do many things |
| B．which is linked to a nursing house |
| C．behind which is a medicine cabinet |
| D．that can help the elderly brush their teeth |
The underlined word them in the last paragraph refers to ___.
| A．sensors |
| B．doors, toilets, taps, light switches and carpets |
| C．individual needs |
| D．every activity |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring. | B．By comparing. |
| C．By listing examples. | D．By introducing a practical method. |
The author of the text mainly ___.
| A．calls on people to care for the old |
| B．introduces a new house |
| C．promotes a new house |
| D．encourages the old to live with dignity |
Many people in the United States like eggs for breakfast. There are many different ways to cook eggs. One of the most common kinds of eggs for breakfast is scrambled eggs. In addition, this is one of the easiest dishes to cook. Read this recipe(秘法)for scrambled eggs and you will see how easy it is.
| Scrambled Eggs |
|
| Utensils |
Ingredients |
| a frying pan a spatula(刮勺) 1 tea spoon a fork or spoon a small bowl |
eggs 2 tablespoons of milk or butter salt pepper(胡椒) |
Steps:
1) Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium(适中的)heat.
2) In a small bowl, mix the eggs and the milk. Use the fork (or the spoon) to mix these well.
3) Pour this mixture into the pan.
4) Stir the eggs from time to time with the spatula. Continue until the eggs are no longer liquid.
5) Add salt and pepper, Add a little or a lot, as you like.For this recipe, you do not need __________.
| A．a knife | B．a spatula | C．a bowl | D．a fork |
Which of these steps comes first?
| A．Stir the eggs with the spatula. |
| B．Eat the eggs for breakfast. |
| C．Add salt and pepper. |
| D．Mix the eggs and the milk. |
Which of these words means “to change from solid to liquid”?
| A．pour | B．melt | C．stir | D．scramble |
Read the recipe again, in which of the five steps do you scramble the eggs?
| A．Step 2 | B．Step 3 | C．Step 4 | D．Step 5 |
Americans won’t live without cars! Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets, as millions of new cars are produced. One out of every six Americans work at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars with gas.
Most Americans find it hard to think what life would be without a car. However, some have realized the serious problem of air pollution by cars. The polluted air is poisonous and dangerous to health.
One way to get rid of the polluted air is to design a new car that does not pollute. That’s what several large car factories are trying to do. But to build the new car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.
Another way is to take place of the car engine by something else. Engineers are now working on some new cars. Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.
To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we’ll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down the number of their cars they are encouraged to travel and go to work by bike. Riding a bike is thought to help keep the air clean.
But this change does not come easily, a large number of workers may find themselves with no jobs if a car factory closes down. And the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment.If the number of cars is cut down, the most serious problem in American workers is_______.
| A．to keep the air clean | B．to have no work to do |
| C．to get a better life | D．to go to work by bike |
Large car factories are trying to build a clean car, .
| A．which is clean itself |
| B．which does not pollute the air |
| C．which is used to clean streets |
| D．which is easier to make |
What is the conclusion of the writer?
| A．Bicycling is the only way out. |
| B．The number of cars must be cut down. |
| C．Cars bring us nothing but serious problems. |
| D．Cars bring us not only a better life but serious problems. |
How to Make a Budget(预算)
Most likely, you aren’t the family breadwinner. But doing a small job or getting a weekly allowance would put some money in your pocket. For kids and grown-ups alike money is easy to spend. If you aren’t careful, it can be gone in no time.
Being responsible with your money is an important skill to learn and the sooner you start the better. Whether you are tracking your spending or saving for something special, creating a budget can help you deal with expenses and plan for the future. All you need are paper and a pencil and some self-control.
First, take a look at our sample monthly budget. Then, use a separate sheet of paper to plan your own. In the first two columns, list your sources of income and how much you expect to earn from them. In the third and fourth columns, list what you expect to spend your money on and the amount.
Sample Monthly Budget
| Monthly income |
Amount |
Monthly Expenses |
Amount |
| Allowance |
$ 20.00 |
Snacks |
$ 26.00 |
| Money earned selling drinks |
$ 25.00 |
Music downloads |
$ 12.00 |
| Money earned babysitting |
$ 12.50 |
Movies |
$ 18.00 |
| Money earned delivering newspapers |
$ 30.00 |
Video Rentals |
$ 10.00 |
| Total: |
$ 87.50 |
Total： |
$ 66.00 |
The left-hand total should be more than or equal to the right-hand total. If it is, you have an effective budget.
Budgets are not complex, but sticking to them can be tough. When planning your budget, be realistic about your expenses. If you know that you drop $18 at a movie, don’t write $12 in that space simply because you wish you were spending less.
If you are eyeing a big purchase, such as a $150 skateboard, spend less and save more until you have the total amount. No matter how attractive it may be, avoid spending your savings. One day, you will thank yourself!The purpose of making a budget is to help people ___.
| A．learn to be realistic |
| B．manage their money well |
| C．increase their savings |
| D．test their power of self-control |
What should people do when planning a budget?
| A．Fill in the expenses as they really are. |
| B．Avoid spending money on expensive things. |
| C．Set aside a fixed amount of money as savings. |
| D．List income and expenses on two pieces of paper. |
Who is the passage written for?
| A．Bank manager | B．Parents |
| C．Breadwinners | D．Children |