When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish (珍视) it like it’s the most precious thing in the world, because in some ways, it is.
Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves.
And that’s only natural. Most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, and we should try to avoid mistakes. We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious（无意识的）reaction.
Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world. They make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible.
By trial and error—trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly.
Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, and make works of genius possible.
Think about how we learn：We don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don’t just read about painting，or writing，or computer programming，or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing usually...then you construct a model in your mind...then you test it out by trying it in the real world...then you make mistakes...then you revise the model based on the results of your real world experimentation...and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something. That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do. You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey is made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey.
So if you value learning，if you value growing and improving，then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?
| A．Because mistakes make us suffer a lot. |
| B．Because it’s a natural part in our life. |
| C．Because we’ve been taught so from a young age. |
| D．Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers. |
According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes?
| A．We should try to avoid making mistakes. |
| B．We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes. |
| C．We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn. |
| D．We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction. |
The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means ________.
| A．a small child learning to walk |
| B．a kindergarten child learning to draw |
| C．a primary pupil learning to read |
| D．a school teenager learning to write |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．most of us can really grow from success |
| B．growing and improving are based on mistakes |
| C．we learn to make mistakes by trial and error |
| D．we read about something and know how to do it right away |
What is the best title of this passage?
| A．Value Mistakes | B．Mistakes Make Things Possible |
| C．Try to Avoid Mistakes | D．Life is a Journey Full of Mistakes |
Shark on the bait （诱饵） !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors． His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water． Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait．The shark followed． No one asked what kind of shark it was． Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark．
Andre lifted the bait aboard． Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor． “My goodness Andre!” I said． His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water． Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently． No one spoke． No one breathed． The moment seemed endless． In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back．
Still nobody spoke． Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident． I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor． Sharks are attracted to motors by their electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable． " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years． "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it．"
Nearly every encounter （遭遇） we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical． The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years． Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice． Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food． Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death． Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite．The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when ．
| A．Andre was about to fall into the water |
| B．Andre was about to touch the shark |
| C．Andre was followed by the shark |
| D．Andre was bitten by the shark |
What does the author think of the encounters with great whites?
| A．Exciting． | B．Educational． |
| C．Frightening | D．Reasonable |
Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because .
| A．they are taught how to fight off sharks |
| B．sharks discover they are no threats |
| C．they manage to swim to safety |
| D．sharks stop attacking them |
The latest fashion in kitchen is the food steamer． All the stores are selling them; everyone wants one． Steaming is one of the simplest and healthiest ways of cooking food．However, that cooking time is usually longer than with other methods． In case you’re thinking of buying a steamer, I've done a survey about the steamers available on the market to help you decide which will suit you best．
●Folding Steamer
The simplest and least expensive is the folding stainless-steel （不锈钢）version．
Advantages: This is a good, basic design which sits inside a variety of different shapes of pans with the water under it; a ring in the center allows for easy lifting and it's easy to clean．
Disadvantages: It only holds small dishes． Also, if you put too much water in the pan, it will boil up through the vegetables and they will be watery． If you put too little water in and let it get dry, you will burn the pan and get strange-smelling vegetables．
●Steaming Pan
This is a three-layered black Teflon-coated version with a lid and two double-handled steamers, which sits on the oven ring． The brand I bought is called Nutritious Living．
Advantages: This is an excellent steamer, lightweight, easy to clean, and of all the steamers I've tried, this cooks the fastest． Fish and chicken can be cooked on the bottom with rice or vegetables on the top． It's easier to store．
Disadvantages: Water can boil away until the pan is dry, but if you make sure you fill the pan up to the suggested level and do not overcook the food, this should not happen．You cannot see the food cooking from the top． It doesn't supply a dish for cooking rice．
For serious users of steamers, I recommend having one of each version． If you just want to try it, get the folding stainless-steel type．Why did the author carry out the survey?
| A．To inform people of different steamers |
| B．To run an advertisement for steamers |
| C．To find out a suitable steamer to buy |
| D．To learn how to cook with steamers |
What can we learn about the folding steamer?
| A．It comes in different kinds of shapes and sizes． |
| B．It is designed for large families． |
| C．It is able to clean itself． |
| D．It is easy to take out． |
The Nutritious Liuing steamer ．
| A．is more difficult to store |
| B．provides a dish to cook rice with |
| C．cooks different foods at the same time |
| D．cooks fish and chicken faster than vegetables |
According to the author, you should ．
| A．use steamers to save cooking time |
| B．buy a steamer with dishes supplied |
| C．do a survey before choosing a steamer |
| D．buy a folding steamer if you want to try |
The Enigma（谜）of Beauty
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents．Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup．In 18th-century France，wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) of long，white hair to make themselves attractive．Today，people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance．
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power．Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money，get called on more often in class，and are regarded as friendlier．
But what exactly is beauty？ It’s difficult to describe it clearly，and yet we know it when we see it．And our awareness of it may start at a very early age．In one set of studies，six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs．The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students．In the studies，the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones．
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers．In studies by psychologists，men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes，fuller lips，and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist．According to scientists，the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits―the full lips，clear skin，strong shoulders―equal health and genetic well-being．
Not everyone thinks the same way，however．“Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations—mostly cultural,” says C．Loring Brace，an anthropologist at the University of Michigan．What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another．Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin．But is this “perfect” body type for women worldwide？ Scientists’ answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world．They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures．
For better or worse，beauty plays a role in our lives．But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another．Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing，it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single，uniform standard．Beauty really is，as the saying goes，in the eye of the beholder．People’s ideas about beauty _______．
| A．have existed since ancient times |
| B．can be easily described |
| C．have little influence on a person’s success |
| D．are based upon strict criteria |
In Paragraph 3，the babies in the study _______．
| A．were rated for their appearance |
| B．were entered in a beauty contest |
| C．were shown photos of a group of college students |
| D．were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones |
The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______．
| A．qualities | B．measurements | C．judgments | D．standards |
We can learn from the passage that _______．
| A．the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up |
| B．the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence |
| C．the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches |
| D．the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds |
Culture and Cuisine
The United States is known for jazz and blue jeans．But travel to Paris and ask your average French citizen about American cuisine (烹饪) and he’s likely to answer，“ McDonalds．” Ask the same thing of any American citizen on any American street and I’m afraid you’d get the same answer，or something close to it．
Hamburgers and hotdogs and fries are all fine，but with American malls and other outlets standardizing everything from clothing to food，the sad truth is that American cuisine is becoming more homogeneous―all the same―no matter where you live．True，many Americans are eating more varied foods these days，but these are largely the cuisines of immigrant groups，and they are quite likely to be affected by homogenization of American cuisine．
So what exactly is American cuisine？ Well，to some extent it is a reflection of our melting pot culture，meaning that Europeans made huge contributions in the form of wheat，dairy products，pork，beef and poultry．But American cuisine also includes products that once were known only to the New World，including potatoes，corn，pumpkin，sweet potatoes，and peanuts．
The one region of the country where you still find all these things in daily use is the Deep South．The South lost the Civil War，but children of the southerners are winning the battle to preserve and advance their cooking traditions—and in this case one of the few cuisines can truly be called American，which is why we’re pleased to have Low Country cuisine in this issue of food creation．That’s right，grits and gravy are back in a big way in cities like Charleston and Savannah．Truth is，they never really left，but up until a decade ago Low Country cuisine was more common at home than in restaurants．
In fact，a large number of tourists now go to the lower Atlantic region in order to experience this extraordinary cuisine for themselves．Time will tell whether Low Country cuisine becomes popular in other regions of the country in the way that，say，Italian cuisine has，but it’s amazing and heartening to see one of our true cultural treasures enjoying renewed popularity in these increasingly homogeneous times．According to the passage，American cuisine impresses people as being _______．
| A．dull and changeless |
| B．rich and various |
| C．popular and delicious |
| D．disagreeable and unpleasant |
It can be seen that the writer feels regretful that _______．
| A．cuisines of other countries play a more important role in America |
| B．American cuisine has become increasingly lacking in variety |
| C．American cuisine tends to vary because of immigration |
| D．American cuisine is being changed by foreign cuisines |
From the passage，we know that grits and gravy _______．
| A．were cooked with new materials after the Civil War |
| B．are gaining popularity in the south of America |
| C．were more popular over ten years ago |
| D．are seldom served in restaurants |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the renewal of Low Country cuisine in America？
| A．Concerned and cautious． |
| B．Hopeless and doubtful． |
| C．Positive and supportive． |
| D．Critical and disapproving． |
“The 13th of June，1325，I left Tangier，my birthplace，with the intention of making the pilgrimage（朝圣）to Mecca ．．．to leave all my friends，to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests．” So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris—the travel diary of Ibn Battuta．
Almost two centuries before Columbus，this young Moroccan set off for Mecca，returning home three decades later as one of history’s great travelers．Driven by curiosity，he journeyed to remote corners of the Islamic world，traveling through 44 modern countries，three times as far as Marco Polo．Little celebrated in the West，his name is well known among Arabs．In his hometown of Tangier，a square，a hotel，a cafe，a ferry boat，and even a hamburger are named after him．
Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years，but the urge to travel soon took over．In one adventure，he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the sultan—the Muslim ruler of Delhi．On the way，he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot，and two horsemen: “… I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another，but God in his grace preserved me ．．．” In Delhi，the sultan gave him the position of judge，based on his previous study at Mecca．But the sultan had an unpredictable character，and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave．When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China，he agreed．Ibn Battuta set off in three ships，but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore．A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships，scattering （散播）treasure and drowning many people and horses．As he watched，the third ship，with all his belongings and slaves—one carrying his child—was carried out to sea and never heard from again．
After a lifetime of amazing adventures，Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the Sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world．Fortunately，he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages，allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys．What can we learn about Ibn Battuta from the passage？
| A．He had great interest in the Islamic world． |
| B．He returned to his homeland to write a book． |
| C．His journeys were less important than Marco Polo’s． |
| D．His journeys were very common for people of that time． |
The Sultan of Delhi gave Ibn Battuta a position of judge because _______．
| A．Ibn Battuta had studied in Mecca |
| B．Ibn Battuta had been a judge before |
| C．Ibn Battuta had worked as a translator |
| D．Ibn Battuta had traveled to many countries |
Which is the best title for the passage？
| A．The Learned Ibn Battuta |
| B．A Visitor to Mecca |
| C．The Travels of Ibn Battuta |
| D．Desire for Adventures |