Tired of bad handwriting, Richie decided to perfect his penmanship (书法) last January. Though the year progressed, his writing didn’t. “My penmanship just got worse,” he says. “I get tired of trying to write neatly.”
Like Richie, many teenagers make resolutions in the New Year. More than half of Americans say they make a New Year’s resolution – but only one-third of them keep to it, reports the University of North Carolina, US.
Demanding (追求) perfection stops people working on their resolutions, says Chicago life coach Alison Miller.
Resolutions sometimes can be unrealistic (不现实).. Going for a goal that’s too hard to achieve can leave a person feeling sad. “Saying ‘I’m going to look like a super-model’ is going to make you unhappy,” she says.
Sure, it’s a great idea to aim for improvement, but not all resolutions are helpful. The difference between good and bad resolutions is whether you expect too much from yourself, Miller says. For example, it’s OK to say, “I’m going to eat fewer French fries,” but striving (力争) for a perfect body isn’t reasonable.
Timing can also damage a resolution. Kevin M., 16, says he doesn't set resolutions because 12 months is unrealistic. “It’s too long and you start putting off keeping your resolution during summer,” he says.
He’s considering a career in music, but says school is his main focus. Knowing how hard he has to work, he says he’ll “be lucky to get 30 minutes a day” of practice. But a bit is better than nothing, and making reminders can help you make progress. Miller says teenagers should write down their goals and say to themselves, “What can I do today to make my goal a reality?”
“It’s just small steps along the way. It’s not about doing it all at once,” Miller says.What’s the writer’s purpose by talking Richie in the first paragraph?
| A．To advise people to keep their New Year’s resolutions. |
| B．To show that some people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions. |
| C．To tell readers why Richie isn’t a good hand writer. |
| D．To show why New Year’s resolutions are important. |
Many Americans stop working on their New Year’s resolutions because ______.
| A．they think it is silly to make resolutions |
| B．they find keeping resolutions is boring |
| C．the time of keeping resolutions is too short |
| D．their choice of resolution turns out to be unrealistic |
Which of the following statements would Miller probably agree with?
| A．Teenagers should set themselves perfect goals. |
| B．To achieve your goals, you needn’t write them down. |
| C．People should try to realize their goals step by step. |
| D．A good resolution helps people realize their possibility. |
根据短文内容, 选出五个句子填入文中空缺处, 使短文内容完整正确。答案E用“AB”表示，答案F用“CD”表示。（共5小题，计5分）
We were standing at the top of a church not far from my home. .
“Look down,” Father said. I tried and saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the streets to the square. “See, Elsa,” Father said. “ If you can’t get where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Earlier that day, I asked Mother to do something about what we had for lunch at school. When I turned to Father for help, he brought me to the church.
At school the next day, I filled a bottle with the soup for our lunch and took it home. I told the cook to pour the soup in a plate and bring it to Mother. She drank it and cried out, “What’s the matter with the soup today?” , and Mother said that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day .
Now I really understood why Father had taken me to the church. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every way to my goal.
| A. There is more than one way to the square. B. We had a good time. C. I at once told her what I had done D. I didn’t know why. E. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. F. But she didn’t think the food was as bad as I said. |
Does this ever happen to you? Someone introduces you to a friend, you hear his or her name, and then two minutes later, you forget it. Or you go to the same restaurant every day and the owner always says “Hello” to you but you can never remember her name. If this happens, you are typical — actually most people have the problem remembering names.
Here are some ways that can help people remember names.
※Repeat the person’s name loud at least three times while you talk together. For example, instead of saying “Nice to meet you.” say “Nice to meet you, Jack (for Sue or whatever the person’s name is).” Instead of saying “Where do you live?” you can say “Where do you live, Jack?”
※Introduce the person by name to someone else right away.
※Write the name down (with a little information about the person) as soon as possible.
There are other ways which may seem a little strange. However, try them.
※Think of a story using the person’s name. For example, think to yourself, “Jack has a nice jacket.” Imagine Jack in a nice jacket.
※Think of a rhyme（押韵）for the person’s name. For example, think to yourself, “Jack would look nice in black.” Imagine Jack wearing black clothes.
All these ways have one thing in common. You must pay attention to the people you meet. You can’t just meet someone, nod your head, say hello, and walk away. Remembering names takes work and practice.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子正误。正确的用“A”表示，不正确的用“B”表示。 Few people have problems remembering others’ names.
The word “typical” probably means “common”.
It may seem unusual to help remember a name by making up a story with it.
If you want to remember names easily, you must talk politely to the people you meet.
This passage mainly tells us how to get on well with others.
It was the first day of second grade, and Sarah had been looking forward to this moment. The night before,she laid out her favorite clothes: a white coat and a bright yellow shirt.
When having breakfast, Sarah dropped some food on her shirt, so she had to change into her second-best clothes, blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt.
After breakfast Sarah rushed to catch the school bus and when she was just reaching the door the bus driver opened it. The door hit right in Sarah’s face and blood dripped from her nose. The driver wanted to send her home, but she refused, "It is the most important day of the year! I can’t miss it!"
Before classes, Sarah went to her favorite swing(秋千). When rising high, she saw her best friend little Jack. She let go of the swing and waved to him with one hand. Unfortunately, she flew out of the swing and landed hard on the sand, breaking a leg and an arm. As she lay in the sand, she noticed a shiny thing on the ground beside her. With her good hand she took it.
When Sarah’ mother rushed into the ward she was surprised by what she saw: her girl was lying in bed with an arm and a leg in the splint (夹板), a broken nose, and blood stains on her second-best clothes. Expecting to see her child crying, she was confused when she saw a big, bright smile on Sarah’s face.
"Sarah, look at you!" her mother cried. "You were hurt so badly and why are you smiling?" "Look, Mommy, I found a diamond!" Sarah laughed.
Life can be like that. It can be tough, even painful sometimes. But there are always treasures that make the pain worth suffering.When Sarah went to school, she was wearing ________________.
| A．a white coat and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt |
| B．blue jeans and a yellow shirt |
| C．a white coat and a yellow shirt |
| D．blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt |
Sarah fell off the swing because _____________.
| A．she seldom played swing |
| B．she rose too high |
| C．she waved one hand to her friend |
| D．she was pulled down by her friend |
When Sarah’s mother saw her in the ward she felt _______________.
| A．upset | B．puzzled |
| C．relaxed | D．disappointed |
Which of the following can be used to describe Sarah’s story?
| A．Every cloud has a silver lining.（衬里） |
| B．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
| C．First think, then act. |
| D．No pains, no gains. |
Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California's Santa Ana Freeway. It was an hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn't reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I'd just head east. A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night. She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for.
After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield (挡风玻璃). It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver. “I just can't leave you here,” she said. “This isn't the nicest place. I'll give you a ride home.” “You'll drive me home in the bus?” I asked, perplexed (困惑). “No, I'll take you in my car,” she said. “It's a long way,” I protested. “Come on, ” she said. “I have nothing else to do.”
As we drove from the station in her car, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car. “I'm just passing the favor along, ” she said. When I offered her money as a thank-you, she wouldn't hear of it. “That wouldn't make it a favor, ” she said. “Just do something nice for somebody. Pass it along.”Why did the writer say that he would have a long night?
| A．He wondered how long he had to wait for the next bus. |
| B．No driver would give him a ride. |
| C．He didn't know the routes. |
| D．He perhaps would have to take a taxi. |
Judging from its context, the place where the writer waited for the second bus was_____.
| A．very quiet and peaceful |
| B．dark without street lights |
| C．neither clean nor beautiful |
| D．a little unsafe |
The bus driver drove the writer home later because ________.
| A．she happened to go in the same direction |
| B．she wanted to do something good for other people |
| C．her brother told her to do so |
| D．she wanted to earn more money |
The bus driver hoped that the writer ________.
| A．would do as she did |
| B．would keep her in memory |
| C．would give the money to others |
| D．would do her a favor |
Everyone knows that chickens lay eggs(产卵). Most people know that all the other birds do as well. But have you ever thought about other animals that lay eggs? They include bees, snakes and some sea animals. When a mother lays eggs, many more babies can be born at once, or in a few days, because there is very little development inside the parent. Animals that do not lay eggs often have fewer babies. Animals lay many eggs because other animals may eat the babies. However, even though some of their babies are eaten, they will still have some more to continue their family.
Some animals that lay eggs do not take care of their young. Turtles come onto the beach and dig holes. Then they put their eggs in the sand and leave. A turtle mother can lay as many as 150 eggs. When the babies come out of the eggs, they must find their own way to the ocean. They must learn how to live on their own. Many young turtles get eaten by other animals.
Most eggs have an outside shell that keeps the growing animal inside safe. The egg shellalso keeps the young animal from drying out. After the animal is fully developed, it comes out of the egg.
The animal grows bigger and bigger. Then it can have its own young.Why do animals lay many eggs?
| A．Because other animals may eat their babies. |
| B．Because they use their eggs for food. |
| C．Because they want to have fewer babies. |
| D．Because they want to eat their babies. |
What do we know about turtles?
| A．They don’t look after their babies. |
| B．Baby turtles hate their mother. |
| C．Other animals can’t eat turtle babies |
| D．Turtle babies can’t take care of themselves. |
Egg shells can be used to______.
| A．make eggs more beautiful |
| B．make eggs more tasty |
| C．let the young animals dry |
| D．protect the young animals |
The passage is probably from___________.
| A．a newspaper | B．a science book |
| C．a sports magazine | D．a story book |