How to Make the Most of Your Time
Time management is important in our daily life. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish all you need to do. Here are some tips that might be of some help to you.
1. Set up a plan. Go for a week at a time, and prioritize the most important ones. Include things you want to accomplish. Focus (关注) mostly on the things that are important to you.
2. Control your stress. No matter what kind of pressure mounts on you, try to keep cool. Stressing-out can lead to an early breakdown , which is definitely counter-productive (事与愿违) when you have a list of things to do. It’s easier to take a 10-minute break and cool off than work all week with built up stress.
3. Shut your door. When working under a schedule, perform your important tasks with your door shut to get them done. This will ensure a better quality time to get what needs to be done.
4. Focus on one thing at a time. Forget trying to multi-task! You will lose concentration and it will take you longer to accomplish what you set out to do.
5. Just say “no”. If you are constantly interrupted, and you really don’t have the time to help out, just say “no”. You’re only one person, and you can’t save the world by yourself!
6. Stop wasting time on the phone. While talking on the phone, keep your conversations short, and to the point and you’ll waste much less time.
7. Be realistic. You can only do what you can do. Don’t set out to accomplish the impossible. Do your best, but keep realistic expectations of yourself.
8. Relax. The most important thing is remember to take time to relax, and regroup. You need a break every now and then to keep working efficiently. Even if it’s a 10-minute walk, get away from your list and get refreshed.
As families today get busier and busier, it’s important to your own mental health to keep things on track. Don’t delay; get your life on order now.
48. What does the underlined word “prioritize” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. choose something by thinking carefully.
B. recognize the difference between things.
C. put many things in order of importance
D. get rid of something that is unwanted
We should avoid stressing out because ________________.
A. it may cause us to fail to work efficiently
B. it may limit the speed to get things done
C. we don’t have enough energy to keep working
D. we are supposed to have a break while working
50. Which statement would the author agree to?
A. Try multi-tasks, and we can get more done.
B. It is impolite to refuse to help others at work.
C. Having breaks regularly may delay our tasks.
D. It is wise to be aware of what we can achieve.
51. By writing the text, the author would like to _______________.
A. ask readers to share their time management skills.
B. offer some advice on how to make full use of time
C. invite readers to discuss how to improve life quality
D. persuade readers to spend less time on daily routine
Ben Olsen had great careers as professional players. His story tells a lot about the past, present and future of professional soccer in America.
Ben Olsen was an important part of D.C. United's early success. He was the top new player, or rookie of the year, in 1998. His young professional career reached a high point the next season. D.C. United won the M.L.S. Cup, the league championship（锦标赛）, on the strength（力量） of a Most Valuable Player performance by Olsen. He scored one of two goals for his team in the win against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Ben Olsen looks back on his score in that championship as his most memorable. "I'd lost a lot of championships before that year, so that was a special game." said Ben Olsen.
Like many top American soccer players, Olsen played overseas. He joined the club Nottingham Forest in Britain. He says different leagues have different styles of play. "Some teams are very fast and athletic. Some teams are a little bit more low pressure on the ball and more skillful players. England has always been known to be a fast and physical league."
Olsen was also a part of the United States World Cup team of 2006. He says playing for his country was something he will never forget.
Ben Olsen has had five operations for severe ankle（脚踝） injuries. Still, he had one of his best years in 2007. He scored seven goals including a "hat trick"-- three in one game.
Ben Olsen celebrates his third goal in one game against the New York Red Bull in June of 2007
He was recognized for his outstanding play with an M.L.S. Best Eleven award. He accepted the award in a wheelchair after a minor operation became major ankle surgery（外科手术）. Ben Olsen retired after the 2009 season. Today he is an assistant coach with D.C. United.When did Ben Olsen begin to win championship?
| A． In 1998 | B．Next season | C．In 1999 | D．In 2006 |
What does the underlined word ‘rookie’ mean in this sentence?
| A．Success | B．New player | C．professional career | D．championship |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Ben Olsen has a deep love for his country |
| B．Ben Olsen scored three goals in 1999 |
| C．Top American soccer players never played oversea |
| D．He scored ten goals in 2007 |
What do you think is the best title for the passage?
A. Ben Olsen—the best soccer player
B. Ben Olsen’s professional career
C. Ben Olsen and D.C. United
D. An introduction to Ben Olsen
The ISS project is a partnership of five - the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.
At the moment, no program for its use nor any money has been put in place to support the platform beyond 2015.
One of the biggest issues stopping an agreement on station-life extension（延长期） is the human spaceflight examination ordered by US President Barack Obama.
The Americans are developing a new vision for space exploration, and the rockets and spacecraft they will need to start it. The future of US joining in the ISS is closely tied to the result of the examination.
Mr Dordain, the European Space Agency's (Esa) Director General, said no one partner in the ISS project could alone call an end to the platform. A meeting would be held in Japan later in the year where he hoped the partners could get something clearly going forward. He said it was also necessary the benefits（成效） were increased and the costs were reduced. Increasing the benefits could include finding new uses for the station.
Esa has called for ideas on how to use the ISS as a platform for Earth observation（观测站）. Mr Dordain said the agency had received about 20 very good proposals.
On the issue of reducing costs, there were many ideas on the table, he explained.
He also questioned whether it was necessary for the station to have six astronauts at all times. If there were periods when little maintenance（维修） was required or the experiment load was light, could the ISS run on a smaller group of people, he suggested.
Construction of the space station should finish this year. Next month, two components built in Europe - a connecting node and a robotic control room - will be flown to the platform by the US shuttle Endeavour.
Tranquility and the Cupola, as they are known, will complete the non-Russian side of the ISS.Why will America joining in the ISS be tied to the result of the examination?
| A．Because America is the greatest power among them |
| B．Because America provides most of the money |
| C．Because they need America’s rockets and spacecraft |
| D．Because Obama ordered the human spaceflight examination |
According to Mr Dordain, how should they do to reduce costs?
| A．To find new uses for the station |
| B．To make little maintenance |
| C．To reduce the experiment load |
| D．To have fewer astronauts sometimes |
Where do you think you can read this passage?
| A．In a story book | B．In a handbook |
| C．In an advertisement | D．In a newspaper |
Chicken feathers are useful, and not just to a chicken. Some go into pillows, coats and other products. But countless chicken feathers go to waste.
In the United States, billions of chickens are produced yearly. Most of their feathers are thrown away.
But instead of being buried in land, some feathers could find a future in plastics（塑料）.
One of the products they have developed is a flowerpot（花盆）. It may look like other flowerpots. But the container breaks down in the earth within one to five years. And as it breaks down, it naturally becomes nutrient（营养物） in the soil.
The environmentally friendly flowerpot is the work of two researchers. Walter Schmidt is with the Agricultural Research Service, part of the United States Agriculture Department. Masud Huda is with the Horticultural Research Institute, a private（私人） organization（组织）.
Walter Schmidt has been working to find uses for chicken feathers since the 1990s. Progress in 2002 showed that plastic made from feathers could be formed like other plastics.
He says feathers are much stronger and last（持续） longer than another plant material. "Feathers are stronger. By design, feathers are also more durable（耐用的）. And the other part about it is if feathers were twice as heavy, or half as strong, then birds couldn't fly."
He points out that traditional flowerpots made from other plastics can last much longer. But he wonders if there is really a need. He says most flowerpots are never re-used.
"Why would you want a plastic that you use for a year to last for two hundred years? It makes no sense. You want to match the product with the use." said Walter Schmidt.
Walter Schmidt and Masud Huda are now adding another chicken product to their flowerpots -- chicken waste. The waste will add more nutrients to the soil as the pot breaks down. The scientists say they hope their flowerpot will be on the market in a year or two.What do people mainly deal with feathers?
| A．Feathers are used to make pillows, coats and other products. |
| B．Most feathers are paid no attention to. |
| C．Most feathers are used as nutrient |
| D．Most feathers are used to make flowerpots |
What’s the advantage of the flowerpots?
| A．They won’t last long. | B．They can’t break |
| C．They are environmentally friendly | D．They can be reused |
What does Walter Schmidt think of traditional flowerpots?
| A．Too heavy | B．Too old |
| C．Never re-used | D．lasting longer but unnecessary |
What do you think is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Chicken and its feathers | B．How to deal with feathers |
| C．feathers made into flowerpot | D．New flowerpots |
Experts say the temperature in Eyjafjallajokull's hole appears to have fallen to 100C, meaning it is now producing steam, not magma（岩浆）.
But officials warned that it was too early to say whether the eruption was over completely.
Ash clouds from the volcano grounded thousands of flights last month.
Steinunn Jakobsdottir, a geophysicist from the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told the BBC that the volcano was "kind of not active for the moment".
"The history of the volcano is such that it calms down and then it gets energy again," she said.
"There are still earthquakes under the volcano, and the small earthquake is still not quite down to what it was before the eruption."
'Difficult to say'
Magnus Gudmundsson, of Iceland University, flew over the volcano on Sunday and said information from heat cameras showed the temperatures at the crater had fallen below 100C.
But he told the AFP news agency that nothing was promised and that the previous eruption at the volcano had lasted 13 months, from 1821-23.
"It stopped and started again several times with different intervals（间隔）, so it's difficult to say, difficult to give a timeline," he said.
He also said it was impossible to say whether the neighbouring Katla volcano - a much larger mountain - might also erupt.
At the height of its activity, the volcano sent out huge clouds of ash, which led to airlines grounding their planes for fear it could interfere with plane engines.
It was the biggest action of closing airspace in Europe since World War II, and affected at least 10 million passengers worldwide.What do expert think Eyjafjallajokull is like now?
| A．Magma is still coming out |
| B．The hole appears about 100 degrees C |
| C．The eruption was not over |
| D．It is very cold. |
How do expects know the temperature in Eyjafjallajokull's hole?
| A．By taking photos | B．By taking its temperature |
| C．By going close to it | D．By driving past it |
What does Steinunn Jakobsdottir think of Eyjafjallajokull?
| A．It will erupt again soon |
| B．It will be sleeping |
| C．Another mountain might also erupt |
| D．It’s uncertain |
What do you think the main idea is?
| A．the biggest action of closing airspace in Europe |
| B．the temperature in Eyjafjallajokull's hole |
| C．The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland |
| D．The earthquake in Iceland |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
1________
Examinations are almost always stressful Students rarely know exactly what to expect on the test, and those who suffer from exam fear or exam anxiety can see their grades suffer as a result of this stress. For some students，exam fear causes them to “ seize up ’’ and forget what they have studied.
2______Good study habits and learning how to relax can help students overcome exam fear.
3 ______According to Penn State University and Kids Health，proper study habits and preparation are the keys to cutting out exam fear. Avoid last-minute “cramming” for exams and actively listen while in class.
Focus on positive thoughts, relax the night before your test and reward yourself after the test is over. Often, people who suffer from exam anxiety cannot shut out negative thoughts or emotions about the test, and this can contribute to feeling more anxiety than normal 4______
Keep your mind and body healthy by getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising. Healthier people who are well-rested often do better on exams.
5_____ Exam fear is normal When that anxiety severely interferes (干扰)with your ability to take the test, however, outside help might be needed. Ask your teachers and family for support and help.
| A．How To Succeed hi An Exam |
| B．How To Overcome Exam Fear |
| C．Develop good study habits. |
| D．Understand that you are not alone and ask for help if necessary. |
E.Remind yourself that it’s just one test and that you can get through it
F.Battling this type of performance anxiety can be hard, but it is not impossible.
G.Remind yourself to read the instructions carefully.