If practicing an attitude of gratitude(感激) during the storms of life is too much for you right now, that’s OK. When things are tough, most people have a hard time being thankful. They’re so caught up in what’s wrong in the present moment that they simply can’t see some things are still right.
If that’s true for you, then accept it. You’re going through a particularly difficult or unhappy period of time, and you don’t like it one bit. Very normal, very human. But remember this: there is always something to be grateful for. It maybe only a small comfort right now, but it is a start. Make a list of some of the terrible things that didn’t happen. For example:
●You’re in debt...but you’re not homeless.
●You lost your job...but you didn’t lose your health.
●You broke your leg...but you didn’t break your neck.
●Your mother has Alzheimer’s disease...but your father doesn’t.
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened, but didn’t. It does help a lot. Of course, you may not be thankful for everything— but you can always be thankful for something.The passage is intended for those who ________.
| A．have done a lot for others | B．have met with difficulties in life |
| C．have something to do in return | D．don’t know how to be thankful |
The writer thinks it ______ for people to feel unhappy in time of difficulty.
| A．understandable | B．necessary | C．impossible | D．helpful |
How many “terrible things that didn’t happen” are listed in this passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To discuss ways to make a list of terrible things. |
| B．To explain what is gratitude towards the storms of life. |
| C．To persuade people to be thankful for what didn’t happen. |
| D．To show people different ways to consider their tough situations. |
How is the passage organized?
| A．Explanation—Comparison—Topic |
| B．Argument—Opinion—Discussion |
| C．Comparison—Argument—Explanation |
| D．Introduction—Discussion—Conclusion |
A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.
Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.
When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."
The son was missing. If she had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.
Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful. What is the meaning of the underlined phrase “the apple of their eye”
| A．A person who always has a sweet smile in their opinion. |
| B．A person who is as pretty as an apple in their opinion. |
| C．A person who is loved more than anyone else in their opinion. |
| D．A person who looks like an apple in their opinion. |
Why didn’t the father pick the boy up himself?
| A．He was very lazy. |
| B．He thought the mother had picked him up. |
| C．He forgot to pick him up. |
| D．He was too tired to do it. |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Be careful in everything you do. | B．Love is the most important thing. |
| C．Learn to forgive others. | D．Everyone can make mistakes. |
What do you think of the husband?
| A．Warm-hearted. | B．Careful. | C．Hard-working. | D．Broad-minded. |
根据所给汉语，写出单词正确形式（每小题2分，共20分）I know you don’t like her but try not to make it so o__________ （明显的）.
The hotel offers its guests a wide v______ (种类) of amusements.
The v________ (志愿者) for community service are doing a good job.
He s_________ (受苦) a lot when he was a child.
Today there are about 5,000 e_______(濒危) animals and at least one species dies out every year.
We are g________ (感激的) to you for your timely help.
They r________ (与......相似) each other in shape but not in color.
We want to make our products a________ (可获得的) to a wider market.
The s________ (斗争) for independence was long and hard.
While I was working as a waiter last month, my friend was l_____ (躺) on the beach.
Bright red post boxes, the Queen and queuing—what do they all have in common? They are all important parts of British life. At least I thought so.
However, the ability to queue for long periods of time, once believed to be a traditional characteristic of the British, is no longer tolerated by people in the UK, according to a survey done for British bank Barclays.
Once upon a time, queuing was seen as normal. During World WarⅡ, everyone had to queue up to receive their daily supply of foods. In fact, if you didn't stand up and wait in line with all the others, it was seen as uncivilized.
The famous English double-decker buses, with only one entrance, might also help explain why queuing was seen as a part of British life. Almost always, there is queue to get on.
But perhaps the British are tired of being pushed past by the Spanish, the Italians or the French as they queue up to get a table at a restaurant. The people of these other European countries have more than one entrance to their buses, which explains their more relaxed attitude to the queue.
Two minutes is now the longest time most British people are prepared to stand and wait. But could it be that the Internet, which allows us to carry out tasks quickly, is the main reason why British people are no longer prepared to queue?
"Used to buying without delay, customers are even giving up purchases rather than wait their turn," says Stuart Neal of Barclaycard. "Shoppers are also less likely to queue for long if the item they are buying is of low value."
Perhaps I will have to replace "queuing" with "impatience" in my list of things I relate to the British. What can we learn about the tradition of queuing in Britain?
| A．It was considered a symbol of a civilized behavior. |
| B．It was a long time tradition as old as the Queen. |
| C．It was a product of the slow pace of life. |
| D．It has made the Britain different from other Europeans. |
According to the passage, the British gradually stopped queuing because ______.
| A．they prefer shopping online |
| B．the Internet has changed their way of life |
| C．what they are buying is of low value |
| D．they follow the example of foreigners |
It can be learned from the text that ______.
| A．the British used to buy without delay |
| B．the British have to queue to receive food |
| C．the British get impatient with queuing for long |
| D．the British prefer to take double-decker buses |
The author's main purpose of writing the passage is _______.
| A．to tell us the influence of the Internet on the British ways of life |
| B．to compare the cultural difference between Britain and other countries |
| C．to report his research on the British ways of life |
| D．to talk about the changes in the attitude to queuing in Britain |
Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big. All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slowly that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?
| A．By giving an example. | B．By listing the facts. |
| C．By telling a story. | D．By giving a comparison. |
What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．It is made up of various kinds of plastic products. |
| B．It is a solid mass of floating waste materials. |
| C．It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California. |
| D．It is described as a kind of oceanic land. |
Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water. |
| B．Because the polluted plastic products will affect the food chain. |
| C．Because it maybe form an island in the pacific. |
| D．Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste. |
For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs. Coupled with the aging of the baby-boom (生育高峰) generation, a longer life span(寿命) means that the nation’s elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change brings many problems for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law and business as well. “In addition to the doctors, we’re going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers,” says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Gerontology (老年学).
Lawyers can specialize in “elder law” which covers everything from trusts(信托) and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination. Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees(退休者) in human history. “Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money,” one professor says.
Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was “really bored with bacteria.” So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, “I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying.”.“…Old is suddenly in” (Line 1, Para. 1) most probably means “_____”.
| A．America has suddenly become a nation of old people |
| B．more elderly professors are found on American campuses |
| C．gerontology has suddenly become popular |
| D．American colleges have realized the need of getting older students |
Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder market?
| A．The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power |
| B．They can employ more gerontologists |
| C．Retirees are more generous in spending money |
| D．There are more elderly people working than before |
Who can make big money in the new century according to the passage?
| A．Retirees who are business-minded |
| B．The volunteer workers in retirement homes |
| C．Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology |
| D．College graduates with an MBA or law degree |
.It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America’s elderly population ______.
| A．will provide good job opportunities in many areas |
| B．will cause a heavy burden on society |
| C．may lead to nursing home abuse and age discrimination |
| D．will create new fields of study in universities |