Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”
The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.
Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.
Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.
Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?
| A．well balanced | B．hold still |
| C．remain stable | D．keep calm |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Poise isn’t born with people, so it can be acquired. |
| B．Under different pressures, people hope to keep calm. |
| C．“Hold steady” comes from a lecture given by a fashion queen. |
| D．In western culture, holding steady is a quality of well-mannered people. |
Which of the following is NOT the way to hold steady?
| A．learn to use self-encouragement. |
| B．Write the goals to be achieved |
| C．Practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves. |
| D．Take deep breaths when facing difficult situations. |
The purpose of this passage is to_______.
| A．introduce the Internet hot term “hold steady” |
| B．tell funny stories about how to hold steady |
| C．demonstrate how to keep calm under pressure |
| D．give advice on how to keep cool in daily life |
America is a mobile society. Friendships between Americans can be close and real, yet disappear soon if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship. This can
be quite difficult for us Chinese to understand, because friendships between us flower
more slowly but then may become lifelong feelings, extending (延伸) sometimes deeply into both families.
Americans are ready to receive us foreigners at their homes, share their holidays, and their home life. They will enjoy welcoming us and be pleased if we accept their hospitality (好客) easily.
Another difficult point for us Chinese to understand Americans is that although they include us warmly in their personal everyday lives, they don’t show their politeness to us if it requires a great deal of time. This is usually the opposite of the practice in our country where we may be generous with our time. Sometimes, we, as hosts, will appear at airports even in the middle of the night to meet a friend. We may take days off to act as guides to our foreign friends. The Americans, however, express their welcome usually at homes, but truly can not manage the time to do a great deal with a visitor outside their daily routine. They will probably expect us to get ourselves from the airport to our own hotel by bus. And they expect that we will phone them from there. Once we arrive at their homes, the welcome will be full, warm and real. We will find ourselves treated hospitably.
For the Americans, it is often considered more friendly to invite a friend to their homes than to go to restaurants, except for purely business matters. So accept their hospitality at home!The writer of this passage must be ______.
| A．an American | B．a Chinese |
| C．a professor | D．a student |
From the last two paragraphs we can learn that when we arrive in America to visit an American friend, we will probably be ______.
| A．warmly welcomed at the airport |
| B．offered a ride to his home |
| C．treated hospitably at his home |
| D．treated to dinner in a restaurant |
The underlined words “generous with our time” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.
| A．strict with time | B．serious with time |
| C．careful with time | D．willing to spend time |
A suitable title for this passage would probably be “______”.
| A．Friendships between Chinese |
| B．Friendships between Americans |
| C．Americans’ hospitality |
| D．Americans’ and Chinese’s views of friendships |
◇Share Flats Happy Valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. Quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6, 800 including bills with maid. Female nonsmoker. No pet. Sara 25720836 or 10077809.
◇Moving Sale 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; Tianjin carpet, green 3×7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140, up, each; plants, big and small. Tel: Weekend, 2521-6011/Weekday, 2524-5867.
◇Part-time Laboratory Assistant Wanted Required by busy electronics(电子) company to help with development of computer. Should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. Hours 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Fourteen days paid leave. Salary ￥6598-10230 dependent on experience. Letter of application to: Mrs. G Chan, NOVA ELECTRONICS, 45 Gordon Rd, Hung Hom Kowloon.The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _______.
| A．rent(租) a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Valley |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．take on a maid to look after herself and the flat |
according to the ads, you may _______.
| A．buy an old picture for $150 |
| B．call at 25720836 and see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for $ 400 |
| D．hire a maid by paying $6 800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture, you should_______.
| A．get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
| B．call at 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
| C．do it before you move to another place |
| D．call at either 2524-5867 on Monday or 2521-6011 on Saturday |
Once you can get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICS, _______.
| A．you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| B．you should write a letter to Mrs. G Chan |
| C．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
| D．you will get no more than $6 598 each month |
When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported (出口) to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate (单独的) schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans.The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.
| A．pink and red | B．grey and black |
| C．blue and green | D．yellow and orange |
From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.
| A．have lessons every day |
| B．have their examinations |
| C．help their parents pick coffee beans |
| D．help their parents decorate their houses |
This passage is mainly about ______.
| A．Christopher Columbus |
| B．Costa Rica |
| C．some products from Costa Rica |
| D．the education of Costa Rica |
News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:
Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky
I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase (时髦话) is going to be hard to beat.
Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio
I think the merger (合并) will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization (垄断). Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida
It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.
Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.How many companies are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive. |
| B．Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future. |
| C．Rick will support Google after the merger. |
| D．Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features. |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．the future of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| B．the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| C．the strengths and weaknesses of large companies |
| D．opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft. |
Top Four Ways to Build a Wonderful Life
1. Live Below Your Means
There will always be temptation to give up the future for immediate pleasure. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can’t afford. It might feel great at the time but unwise spending hurts a lot later on. Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don’t create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.
2. Put Your Money to Work
Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40’s or in your 60’s. A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent’s estimates, if a person in their early 20’s invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40’s. They could retire without a drop in income! Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it’s something everyone can work on. It’s definitely an area I’ll be devoting more attention to in my personal life.
3. Educate Yourself
To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life-long education. This doesn’t mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self-education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives. Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don’t mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.
4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships
Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don’t forget about them. Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to long-term happiness. Without the people you care about you’ll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.According to the passage, in order to achieve financial independence after retirement, we’d better ________.
| A．get along well with our family and friends |
| B．bring ourselves leisure as well as enjoyment |
| C．invest our money wisely when we are young |
| D．learn some new skills and try to find a new job |
From the passage we can infer that some people try to ________.
| A．gain happiness by buying themselves expensive things |
| B．save everything they can to help those in need |
| C．devote more attention to their personal life |
| D．take out a loan to promote technology |
The author of the passage may agree that the key to self-education is________.
| A．gaining as many degrees as possible |
| B．being open to new ideas and views |
| C．only focusing on very big events |
| D．creating long-term happiness |
The above passage is written in order to ________.
| A．explain what true happiness is about |
| B．offer ways to achieve a happy and successful life |
| C．introduce different definitions about happiness |
| D．persuade readers to find out the meaning of life |