My students often tell me that they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork.
My reply is often a brief “You have as much time as the president.” I usually carry on a bit about there being twenty-four hours in the day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to prove to one of my professors by saying that I was working hard. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant (无关的). What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to think carefully about the “hard worker” dodge (诀窍), and I have come to some conclusions — all relevant to the problem of how much time we have.
If you analyze the matter, you can identify two parts of the problem: There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the problem of “work” during that time. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not how hard one works but the quality of the product that’s important.
That led me to a new idea: the quality of the work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office: “Don’t work harder. Work smarter.” There is a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of the work. That means thinking of ways to get more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “study habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off in all your studies.We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that we students still _____ .
| A．have enough time | B．can meet the president |
| C．get everything done well | D．should accept the explanation |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author’s students make good use of their time to do all their homework. |
| B．The author tried to tell the professor that he/she (author) had done a good job. |
| C．You can’t improve the quality of the work if you can’t get more time. |
| D．You’ll try to improve your skills in reading and writing if you’re a clever student. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Students don’t have enough time. | B．Don’t work harder; work smarter. |
| C．No one can get more time. | D．Read better and write better. |
Mary Allen was my best friend-like the sister I ever had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, and horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Mary and I kept in touch through letters and we saw each other on special occasions(场合)- like my wedding and Mary’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back stamped "Address Unknown ".
Over the years, I thought of Mary often. I wanted to share stories of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Mary could fill.
One day I was reading the newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked a lot like Mary and whose last name was Wagman--Mary’s married name. "There must be thousands of Wagman. "I thought, but I wrote to her anyway.
She called as soon as she got my letter. "Mrs Tobin!" she said excitedly. "Mary Allen Wagman” is my mother. Minutes later I heard a voice recognized immediately,even after 40 years. We laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives.
Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Mary and I know for sure: We don’t lose each other again. I want to find Mary ______________ .
| A．to share my stories | B．to share my sorrow |
| C．to fill the empty in my heart | D．all of the above |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．We never see each other again when I moved away when I was 13. |
| B．I find my friend in the newspaper |
| C．It is 40 years since we last saw each other |
| D．My friend’s husband is Mr Tobin |
The best title of the passage is ________
| A．My Good Friend | B．Friend Like the brother |
| C．An Important Friend | D．Friends Again- Forever |
The popularity of farmers’ markets combined with concerns over food security is making the number of school leavers taking agriculture courses increase rapidly, according to a study.
Large numbers of 16- to 18-year-olds are going to study subjects such as agriculture, food and gamekeeping despite having no background in farming. Jeanette Dawson, principal of Bishop Burton College, said women were also taking up courses at an increasing rate.
She said it was related to a series of food scandals (丑闻)such as the discovery of horsemeat in frozen meals stocked by major supermarkets.
But the movement was also promoted by an increased awareness of the importance of local food and produce, she said. The number of students taking courses in “land-based subjects” has increased by a quarter in the last 12 months alone – from 5,138 to 6,482.
Mrs. Dawson said there were a lot of young people who weren’t from farming backgrounds. But there had been a growth in the number of them accessing agriculture programes with a view to a career in the industry. She said agriculture was an “applied science, with the great outdoors as its laboratory”. And it was increasingly seen as an attractive job for school leavers.
“I never underestimate (低估) the ability of teenagers to pick up on it. The more it is in the media, the more it interests young people. Whenever I go in my local pub, it has on the blackboard where the sausages (香肠) are from. Everyone is interested in buying local food and knowing where their food is from.
The comments were made as Bishop Burton prepares to expand, with a ￡I3 million project to build a new campus in Lincolnshire. The site – due to open in September 20l5 – will be the college’s second in the county, in addition to one at nearby Riseholme.What is making large numbers of students take agriculture courses?
| A．Agriculture is very important to a country. |
| B．People are increasingly concerned about food security. |
| C．Many colleges are offering agriculture courses. |
| D．Agriculture is an applied science. |
The example of horsemeat in the third paragraph illustrates(证明) the necessity of_________ .
| A．protecting animals |
| B．strengthening food safety |
| C．protecting the environment |
| D．forming healthy eating habits |
What does the writer mainly discuss in the passage?
| A．Why the government should strengthen agriculture. |
| B．How to strengthen food safety. |
| C．Why agriculture courses are becoming popular among students. |
| D．How to do well in agriculture courses. |
The historical documentary, Mr. Deng Goes to Washington, which was first shown in the capital on May 12, not only reveals the details of an attempted assassination(刺杀) of Deng, but is also the first time that animated (动画的) images of China’s leaders have appeared on the silver screen. The film tells the story of Deng’s nine-day visit to the US in 1979, only a month after China established diplomatic(外交的) relations with the US for the first time after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Lv Muzi, the film’s producer, said the film includes 12 animated sequences of Deng, drawn in French, American and Japanese styles, as well as China’s traditional shadow puppetry(皮影) style.
Hu Yuchen, who has drawn cartoons for leaders including former premier, Wen Jiabao, is the artist behind the animated images of Deng. Among the three versions of images he drew, director, Fu Hongxing, chose to use the version which was moderately realistic.
“Deng’s animated images are not static(静止的) in the film. When he’s at meetings, the images are more serious, and when he’s at a party, he’s portrayed in a more lively way,” said Zhu.
For the young animator, animation can tell the story of that period of history better to younger viewers. “At first glance, animation may seem simple, but in reality, we need to do a large amount of homework, like checking what dishes were served at a dinner or what paintings were displayed in a particular room.” Zhu said he and the team went through a lot of historical documents and reviewed video clips (录像片段) in the process of creation.
Fu said the film is in honor of Deng’s contribution to China as well as his influence on generations of Chinese people. Production was completed last year, which marked the l10th anniversary of Deng’s birth and also the 35thanniversary of Sino-US diplomatic relations.Mr. Deng Goes to Washington uses all of the following styles EXCEPT_______ .
| A．French and American styles |
| B．Japanese style |
| C．traditional Chinese style |
| D．Korean style |
What does the underlined word in the fourth paragraph, “portrayed “, probably mean?
| A．painted. | B．acted. |
| C．imagined. | D．decorated. |
Which of the following is NOT true about the documentary?
| A．The version of Deng’s image that was chosen was moderately realistic. |
| B．This is the first time a documentary has been made of a Chinese leader. |
| C．The animator did lots of work in the process of creation. |
| D．It contains 12 animated sequences of Deng. |
Why was the documentary made ?
| A．To help younger viewers remember that period of history. |
| B．To honor Deng’s contribution to China. |
| C．To entertain the Chinese people |
| D．To emphasize the importance Sino-US diplomatic relations. |
Plastic surgery(整容手术) is not only popular in the US, but is also sweeping across Asia. It is reported that South Korea is now the world’s largest market for plastic surgery.
In order to change their looks, 20 percent of women aged between 19 and 49 in Seoul said they had gone under the knife. The growth of South Korea’s pop music industry increases the popularity. Many patients visit clinics (诊所)with photos of singers, asking doctors to copy their noses or eyes.
Joo Kwon, who founded one of the largest clinics in Seoul, recently opened a hotel to better serve customers. People will spend about US$I7,675 in a single visit. An increasing number of clients are non-Koreans, from China, Japan, the Middle East and even Africa. Leaders in South Korea say that this will help the Korean economy.
However, Mr. Kwon warned that young people should be careful when seeking such operations. “I think South Korea doesn’t understand the word “beauty”, because everyone looks pretty much the same. It is also related to low self-confidence. I think the situation will somewhat become better in future as the society becomes more different. But it will take quite a bit of time until we get there,” he told reporters.
Last year, a booklet was given out to Korean high school students by the government. There is a story that a local woman who was crazy about plastic surgery ended up with an ugly face.What is the main cause of the increase in plastic surgery in South Korea?
| A．The increasing understanding of beauty. |
| B．The increasing number of clinics. |
| C．The rise of the pop music industry. |
| D．The rise of the Korean economy. |
What is Mr. Kwon’s attitude towards plastic surgery?
| A．He feels it is worth a try |
| B．He is strongly against it. |
| C．He is not interested in it. |
| D．He is objective about it |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ____ .
| A．plastic surgery is supported by the government |
| B．high school students are encouraged to have plastic surgery |
| C．high school students in South Korea are fond of plastic surgery |
| D．plastic surgery is bad for people’s health |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．How to have plastic surgery. |
| B．Why women have plastic surgery. |
| C．The famous singers in South Korea. |
| D．Rapid growth of plastic surgery in South Korea. |
My darling daughter,
Recently I saw a diary of years. It was written when you were nine. I read your goals in the diary, and one little goal was really surprising for me. It was “to make Mom happy”.
I was so moved, and I would have told you that you made me happy every day of my life. My first thoughts in the morning were of you. When I got home from work, I couldn’t wait to see you. I liked talking to you very much and I wanted to know what your day was like. You kept my spirit alive, my mind challenged and my body active. You were, and still are, the light of my life. Without you, my life would have been boring. You made me happy and you continue to do so.
You are a mother now, with a child of your own. I know you love her, so I think you should tell her how happy she makes you. Sometimes we forget to say the words that are in our hearts. These words can be very important to a child. They can change their world completely. They can create a beautiful world for them.
You are my joy in life, my little one. You always have been, and you always will be. Never forget that, and tell that to your child. Tell her that she is the most important thing in the world for you, because she makes things joyful in your life! I love you, my dearest daughter.
MomWhat can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The diary was written when the daughter was young |
| B．The mother was not close to her daughter. |
| C．The daughter had been dead for many years. |
| D．The mother often heard from her daughter. |
The mother ______ according to the text.
| A．thought her life was boring |
| B．has a granddaughter |
| C．was a housewife |
| D．used to get up early |
According to the third paragraph, the mother advised her daughter to ______ .
| A．try her best to make her child happy |
| B．take her child traveling around the world |
| C．let her child do whatever she wants |
| D．tell her child her feelings |
The text has most likely been taken from
| A．a report | B．a letter |
| C．a piece of news | D．a poster |