Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of million at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing(见证) something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship.
“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s performing skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese Literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passers-by, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.The story is about__________.
| A．why people love magic |
| B．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician |
| C．how fashionable magic is |
| D．what magic tricks are |
People love to watch magic because_______.
| A．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen |
| B．it arouses their curiosity |
| C．they can’t figure out the secret of magic |
| D．it is a centuries-old art |
Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
| A．He was interested in magic when he was little |
| B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest. |
| C．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation. |
| D．He became an amateur magician in his spare time. |
What does the underline word “seasoned” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．experienced | B．freshman | C．amateur(业余的) | D．unskillful |
Liu Qian improved his performing skills by _____.
| A．learning from David Copperfield |
| B．learning magic in a university |
| C．performing in public on streets |
| D．joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest |
Without any hesitation, he said, “I’d be better off dead.” Hearing those words come out of my best friend’s mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met my best friend about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression. Sadness was not the only emotion that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learnt that he was physically and emotionally abused as a young child, causing him to have suicidal (自杀的) thoughts.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. In spite of this, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to say. Thus, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, for he takes priority. Sometimes he just needs the assurance of my voice telling him that everything is going to be okay and that I will not let him down.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice the scars on his arms from cutting. It seems that other kids have every right to make fun of him and to look down on him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the security he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he hadn’t had me, he wouldn’t be alive. He said that my encouraging words convinced him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single word can impact on someone’s life. With the fragility of life as it is, I believe in the necessity of encouragement.The author’s friend got into depression mainly because _____ .
| A．he lived without his parents | B．he had poor health |
| C．he received little care at school | D．he had a bitter childhood |
We know from the passage that the author’s friend_____.
| A．was better off three years ago | B．thought little of others’ judging eyes |
| C．appreciates the author’s help | D．wants to communicate with his parents |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．I believe in encouragement. | B．I enjoy friendship. |
| C．My friend and I. | D．The story of my friend. |
Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her. But Heather’s life hasn’t always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous.
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg. After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs. It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity （慈善）work that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination(提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather’s persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world. This passage is mainly about _________.
| A．Heather’s miserable life | B．Heather’s contribution to the world |
| C．Heather’s success in her work | D．Heather’s belief in life |
Heather began her modeling career _________.
| A．due to her mother’s encouragement |
| B．after her brothers abandoned her |
| C．because of her excellent intelligence and performances |
| D．because she was especially beautiful |
Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
| A．Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. |
| B．Heather began her charity work while working as a model. |
| C．Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously. |
| D．Heather has never been defeated by her problems. |
From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because _________.
| A．she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood. |
| B．she was a world-famous model |
| C．she is determined and never gives in |
| D．she made a great difference in the world |
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| A．be able to buy it at a low price | B．be the luckiest one online |
| C．try it free of charge | D．change your diet |
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| A．diseases | B．side effects | C．medicines | D．cholesterol |
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| A．it helps take cholesterol out of whatever food you eat |
| B．it has been proved useful in hospital testing |
| C．it helps people absorb at least 42% cholesterol |
| D．it sells best on Internet every month |
Where can you most probably read this passage?
| A．In a travel guide book. | B．On a university bulletin board. |
| C．In a health magazine. | D．In a doctor's prescription. |
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolutions: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently，and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and…I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another, With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the alienation index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person my more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card a voice mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn't wise…they're a great help to use. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more .I find myself hiding behind e-mail to do a job meant for conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn't really have time to talk, The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier…or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts．
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging. with people who live near me，no cell phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．The Advance of Communications Technology |
| B．The Consequences of Modern Technology |
| C．The Story of Communications Revolution |
| D．The Automation of Modern Communications |
The sentence “Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent，”means that.
| A．the people sitting beside you have to go away to receive a phone call |
| B．you can hardly get in touch with the people sitting beside you |
| C．modem technology makes it hard for people to have a face-to-face talk |
| D．people can now go to work without going to the office |
The writer feels that the use of modern communications is．
| A．encouraging | B．disappointing | C．satisfying | D．embarrassing |
The passage implies that.
| A．modern technology is bridging the people. |
| B．modern technology is separating the people |
| C．modern technology is developing too fast |
| D．modern technology is interrupting our communications |
Having one of those days—or weeks—when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood （心情）will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster, often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or taking some quick exercise can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tensions go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.
Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, including the pessimistic（悲观的）messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers.（“I still don’t have a job.” Vs” I have two interviews next week.”）
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. There include de3ep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated(复杂的)but aren’t. One easy way to visualize, close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to unhappiness is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won’t improve your mood
TV may not help much: you need to increase your energy level and stimulate（刺激）your mind-something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta(面食), produce a calming effect on people who have a desire for them.Which of the following may help us stop a bad mood?
| A．Draw a picture of something complicated． | B．Put more sugar into your coffee． |
| C．Writing down negative thoughts． | D．look ahead and write something positive． |
Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?
| A．It helps raise your spirits． | B．It brings us a new technique． |
| C．It is not complicated to do so． | D．It is an area to be easily controlled． |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You don’t have to be nice to your neighbors | B．you often feel powerful when in bad mood |
| C．Some TV shows won’t energize you | D．Slow exercise can gets you out of bad mood |
Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．How to Beat a Bad Mood | B．Energy Level and Stress |
| C．Bad Mood and Our Life | D．How to Control Your Feeling |