As prices and building costs keep rising, “the do-it-yourself”(DIY)trend(趋势) in the US continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Kose, “and we didn’t have enough money to buy it.” So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs. John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling (努力)to make a home when the cost of living is very high. The Koses took a 2-week course for $ 280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe-making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was very upset about it. Now I’ve finished a car repair course. I should be able to fix the car myself. ”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how to do things yourself.
We know from the passage that many people ________ .
A.seldom go to a department store to buy things |
B.take DIY courses run by the government |
C.like to learn to make their own furniture |
D.find it hard to pay for what they need |
John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to _______ .
A.improve the quality of life |
B.save time and money |
C.make or repair things |
D.run a DIY shop |
When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim ______.
A.keeps house and looks after his children |
B.does his own car and home repairs |
C.does extra work at night |
D.make shoes in his home |
Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourself when ______ .
A.he had to raise the children all by himself |
B.he could not possibly do two jobs |
C.the car repair class was not helpful |
D.his car repairs cost too much |
How can people learn DIY?
A.Go to classes. |
B.Read books. |
C.Go to classes and read books. |
D.The passage doesn't tell us. |
Earning a black belt in martial arts and being issued a pilot’s license are both impressive accomplishments that take year of effort to achieve, but 30-year-old Jessica Cox has done both despite being born without arms.
In spite of all difficulties , but with strong faith and the help of her family ,Cox put herself through high school and then college, typing papers with her toes, She became the first armless black belt in American Taekwondo (跆拳道)Association and now has two black belts, She got her driver’s license and then, astonishingly, her pilot’s license in 2008, The achievement earned her a place in the Guinness Would Records, which recognized her for becoming the first person without arms to fly an airplane.
Now Cox is the subject of a new documentary, Rightfooted, Which Cox says the hopes will inspire disabled young people around the world, “Had I watched a film similar to this one earlier, in my life ,I know it would have make a difference.” Cox says in a trailer (预告片) for the documentary.
The young woman says her current goal is to become a motivational speaker, particularly for chileren born without arms , She says she believes her message can reach millions of people working to overcome a variety of disabilities.
As the next step, she has been invited by non-governmental organization Handicap International to work with disabled children in Ethiopia Cox is extremely excited for the opportunity, She hopes that sharing her story will inspire children with disabilities and encourage Ethiopians to include all children in school because in Ethiopia only one percent of children with disabilities are educated and their parents do not think they can benefit from going to school, She also hopes to meet with government officials to inspire change.What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?
A.Cox earned a place in the Guinness World Record |
B.Cox can type papers as a common person does |
C.Cox has little difficulty in doing things by herself |
D.Cox has made some great achievements |
What’s the purpose of the documentary Rightfooted?
A.To inspire all young people with disabilities |
B.To tell the story of Cox’s life and her desire |
C.To show how important one’s foot is |
D.To show how Cox works in Ethiopia |
Why does Cox want to be a speaker?
A.To give her message |
B.To prevent children born without arms |
C.To help people overcome disabilities |
D.To prove she can also be a successful speaker |
The goal of Handicap International in Ethiopia is to .
A.meet the government officials |
B.help disabled children find jobs |
C.run education projects for children with disabilities |
D.help Cox realize her dream of becoming a speaker |
What is true of Jessica Cox?
A.She is the first woman pilot |
B.She is a disabled Taekwondo champion |
C.She is the director of a documentary |
D.She is an armless woman with strong faith |
In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
A.They are hardworking and courageous. |
B.They are stubborn and bold. |
C.They are creative and persistent. |
D.They are curious and modest. |
In the third paragraph, the underlined phrase ''wild vision" refers to______.
A.the tragic accident | B.the building of the bridge |
C.the brain damage | D.the discussion and persuasion |
What can we learn about Washington's wife?
A.She could understand Washington and helped him a lot. |
B.She couldn't understand him but took good care of him. |
C.She didn't like Washington's idea about building the bridge. |
D.She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge. |
From the passage, we know that_______ when Roebling proposed building the bridge.
A.people all over America supported him |
B.almost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
C.his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
D.many people considered it would be a great feat |
The passage suggests that______.
A.NO pains, no gains. | B.Many hands make light work. |
C.A lighted heart is a good medicine. | D.Passion creates wonder. |
Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blankets by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Like our body, our memory needs regular exercise to be in good condition. Like the sportsman who must train to allow the body to respond to difficult times, the memory needs its own special training in order to stay in “shape” and improve.
There are many factors that can cause poor memory like insomnia (失眠), depression and alcohol. However, there are simple ways which you can follow to keep your memory in shape and actually help you to improve your memory’s condition and performance.
Never stop learning. Look for topics that interest you and really get involved in learning new information about them. Reading and attending lectures or programs are sources of continuous education of your brain with beneficial results to your memory.
Develop your social and family relationships. The more social you are, the better it is for your brain. Studies have shown that the brain and heart have a lot to gain from good family and social relationships.
Exercise your mind with games. The more you use your brain, the more you help your memory stay in shape. There are many games that can make you an intelligent person as well as entertain you such as chess, puzzles and board games.
Exercise physically can improve your memory. This type of exercise improves the circulatory (血液循环的) system. Even the simple but regular daily exercise such as fast walking can improve the heart and oxygenation(供氧) of the brain. The benefits of exercise affect positively many body systems, as well as our memory and other cognitive(认知的) capabilities.
Eat more fruit and vegetables. What we eat every day affects the performance and long-term condition of our memory. Fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of antioxidants(抗氧化剂) and vitamins that can help and benefit the nervous system.
So our memory is like a sportsman. The more we practice our brains and memory, the better their performance will be.
Title: How to improve memory
Topic |
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Ways to improve memory |
Never stop learning |
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Develop social and family relationships |
Good family and social relationships are beneficial to your brain and contribute to |
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Exercise mind with games |
Play chess, puzzles or board games, which is of great benefit to your intelligence and also offers you |
|
Take |
Physical exercise improves the |
|
Eat more fruit and vegetables. |
Fruit and vegetables are |
|
If we practice brains and memory more, they will |
You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs, then it’s likely you will burn out, or feel upset .When you take and take without giving anything back ,you never feel fulfilled, so you are always searching for ways to fill the void in your life.
The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving is to know and then live by your values .I break values up into two groups which I call being and having values. Your being values are the character traits of the ideal person you would like to be. I suggest to my clients that they choose three being values that they are willing to make a commitment to live by. An example of some being values are: kind, loving, generous, inspirational, peaceful, wise and even powerful. By acting on these values you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by being a positive role model. Mastering being these character traits becomes your life purpose.
Your having values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship, achievement, support, being valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life.
When you make a commitment to live by your being values, it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary ones. If your usual pattern is to talk about your problems, you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk, meditate, or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry, you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words, you would act like the person you choose to be—this is the key to personal power.
When you choose to act on your values, you not only feel good about yourself, you reinforce your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world, and in turn the way other people think of you.The main purpose of this passage is to___________.
A.persuade the readers to make a commitment |
B.inform the readers how to be truly happy |
C.explain to the readers what personal values are |
D.instruct the readers how to make wise choices |
According to the text, living by your being values ,you would___________.
A.gain a lot of power | B.fill your own needs |
C.seek all human virtues | D.form positive personality |
The underlined word “void” in Paragraph 1 means___________.
A.a feeling of emptiness | B.an absence of one’s mind |
C.a break of continuity | D.a state of confusion |
Which of the following does not belong to “your having values”?
A.your success in the competition | B.the help from your friends |
C.your own peaceful mind | D.the friendship |
What can be inferred from the text?
A.Having values are better than being values. |
B.The way other people think of you decides who you are. |
C.A calm person does not choose to complain. |
D.A responsible person does not care about financial security. |
One of my China Dialogue colleagues in Beijing recently bought a Philips energy-saving light bulb to replace a standard one.He was happy with his choice.It may have cost 30 yuan (just under US$4.50) - ten times the price of a filament (灯丝) bulb - but he wanted to save energy as part of his low-carbon lifestyle.And according to the shopkeeper, he would save, in the long run, much more than the 30 yuan he was spending.
Yet only one month later, his expensive light bulb blew up, before he had saved even a small part of the purchase price.Will he stick to his high-cost, low-carbon lifestyle?
China's environmental organizations have started to advocate low-carbon lifestyles and the decrease of carbon footprints to help fight against climate change.But they have overlooked one fact: in China, low-carbon living comes at a high cost.It means buying energy-saving bulbs and appliances, and environmentally friendly building materials and daily goods.Cost can no longer be the only standard for purchases.An energy-saving and environmentally friendly product is more expensive than a standard alternative - whether it's a simple light bulb or the house it shines.For average consumers, even buying an ordinary bulb is a huge burden.How can we persuade ordinary people to choose an energy-saving residence? This is not a trend they can afford to follow; perhaps this fashion is only for the rich.
Most consumers today do not cause huge carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.Their responsibility lies not in choosing a low-carbon lifestyle today, but in avoiding a high-carbon life in the future.The principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - a basis of sustainable development - can be applied here as well.
In China, low-carbon living still is resisted by a lack of social infrastructure(基础设施). Even if your salary allows you to make that choice, nobody is there to help you accomplish it.
Consider energy-saving homes. You need to find out whether or not the developer has used natural materials wherever possible; how effective the insulation(绝缘物、隔热物) is; and what the green credentials of installed equipment are.You can read up a little, but you'll still be lucky to avoid being puzzled by the developers' marketing.Many so-called energy-saving buildings are nothing of the sort, and some are even more energy-hungry than the average home - as Li Taige warned in his article "Energy-efficient buildings? Not always", on China Dialogue last August.What may probably be the best title of this passage?
A.To purchase a cheap bulb - your wise alternative. |
B.To choose an energy-saving residence - a must of your life |
C.To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - each citizen's responsibility |
D.To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - a promising but difficult purpose |
Why does the writer say this fashion is only for the rich in the fourth paragraph?
A.Because the cost is a very important standard for purchases. |
B.Because buying an ordinary bulb is very expensive. |
C.Because energy-saving products are more expensive than the common alternatives. |
D.Because rich people like to follow this trend. |
What does the writer think of energy-saving homes?
A.Most of them are environmentally friendly. |
B.They are musts of low-carbon lifestyle of Chinese. |
C.They are huge burdens for Chinese people. |
D.Many of them are more in name than in reality. |
We can infer from the passage that ____.
A.Using energy-saving bulbs and appliances is a fashion. |
B.It's easy for most Chinese to try to learn a low-carbon lifestyle. |
C.All citizens in China don’t have the same responsibility in living a low-carbon lifestyle. |
D.Most Chinese families cannot afford to purchase an energy-saving residence. |
What is the writer's attitude towards the low-carbon lifestyle?
A.informative and entertaining | B.supportive but cautious |
C.negative but wise | D.positive and active |