Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘录) from his speech.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投篮) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.
No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.
And even when you’re struggling(奋斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄气), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?
| A．To compare these two famous persons. |
| B．To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is. |
| C．If you want to be successful, you should fail first. |
| D．To show that failure is the mother of success. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．No one can be successful without working hard. |
| B．Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way. |
| C．Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help. |
| D．One should try his best to make his dream come true. |
Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength. |
| B．One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty. |
| C．One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times. |
| D．One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness. |
任务型阅读
How can you get a neighbor to forgive( 原谅)you, if you do something wrong? It’s not easy, but work through it with care, you can get on well with your neighbor.
Get to your neighbor directly. If you haven’t faced this person with the situation, you need to do that first. Don’t be shy，just face your neighbor. You can make things better if you’re comfortable with the situation yourself.
Listen to them. However, do this with care and make sure not to argue with them. You had better listen to what they have to say, and know exactly why they think what they do about you.
Things will become worse if you aren’t honest. If you have already made the mistake of telling a lie, you should tell the truth to your neighbor. Your neighbor will feel a lot more comfortable if he or she knows that you are 100% honest.
Tell out directly how you feel. You’d better tell your neighbor everything you have to say and let them understand how you feel, even if he or she doesn’t want to listen to you.
After you have worked out the problem, wait a week or so and send your neighbor a hearty letter. If your neighbor lives close, give the letter to him or her and if not send it in the mail.
任务一：根据短文内容，用简洁的句子或短语完成下列表格。
| Suggestions |
How to get on well with your neighbor? |
| Suggestions 1 |
Get to your neighbor directly and face them |
| Suggestions 2 |
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| Suggestions 3 |
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| Suggestions 4 |
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| Suggestions 5 |
任务二：除了文中提到的建议外，你一定还有许多自己的观点，请写一条与大家分享吧。_________________________________________________________________
In the past, man did not have to think about the protection of his environment. There were not many people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited .
Today, things are different. The world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue like this, human life on earth will not survive.
Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet with modern fishing methods, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. Yet, we continue to use bigger and more powerful machines to cut down more and more trees.
We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in most countries waste products are still put into rivers or into the sea, and there are few laws to stop this.
We know, too, that if the population of the world continues to rise at the present rate, in a few years, there will not be enough food.
If we eat more vegetables and less meat, we will easily get more food. Land that is used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Finally, if we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a better and cleaner living place in the future.Is the number of people in the world just the same as it was in the past?
Are the natural resources on the earth limited or unlimited?
Why do we have fewer and fewer fish and trees now?
What is the writer’s advice on eating?
What must we do to make our human beings live happily on the earth?
Camping in your backyard is full of fun. It makes us relaxed. It offers chances to enjoy the night sky and we needn’t be as quiet as usual. It makes us close to the outside world. It also lets us have many friends to stay with us! Follow these instructions and you’ll have a night you’ll never forget!
Put up your tent.
How many family members and friends will join? It decides how many tents you need. Tell your friends to bring their tents if needed. Remember to learn about how to put up a tent on the Internet.
Prepare your bedding.
Put something soft to lie on on the floor. An air mattress (床垫) may work well. Fill the tent with soft toys and blankets. Have sleeping bags and cotton blankets. They are important if it gets too cool in the night.
Prepare a seating area.
A picnic table is the best. Or you can set up a few chairs and a small table to put drinks and food on. You can also lay out (铺开) a blanket in the sun. Be sure the grass isn’t wet!
Make memories.
Plan some activities. You’re camping in the backyard, so it’s time to make memories of being outdoors. Have a camera to take photos of them. Take one large group shot with everyone smiling and laughing. Be sure to make copies for all of you.
| Camping in Your Backyard |
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Full of fun |
It makes us relaxed. |
| It’s possible for us to enjoy the night sky. We needn’t be as |
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| It makes us close to the |
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| We can have many friends to stay with us. |
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| Put up your tent: the |
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| Prepare your bedding: You need something |
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| Prepare a seating area: You need a |
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| Make memories: Take photos of the |
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Different weather makes people feel different. It has an effect on health, intelligence and feelings.
In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States. People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month. In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times. People in these states have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.
The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ(智商) of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower. The wind can help people have more intelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower. Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).
Weather also has a strong influence on people’s feelings. Winter may be a bad time for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel unhappy during cold weather. But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer. At about 18℃, people become stronger.
Low air pressure may make people forgetful. People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days. People feel best at a temperature of about 18℃.
Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? It may be the weather’s problem.Is it easy for people to have health problems in hot and wet summer?
What does the underlined word “it” refer to in Paragraph 3?
Why is it possible that winter is a bad time for thin people?
How do people become when there is low air pressure?
At what temperature do people probably feel most comfortable?
What is the main idea of the passage? (in no more than TEN words)
Safety comes first
“Chinese style road crossing” became a hot topic in China from the end of last year. Now, many cities have started to punish these jaywalkers (乱闯马路的人).
“Chinese style road crossing” means crossing roads without thinking about traffic lights, as long as you are part of a crowd.
Beijing Traffic Management Bureau (北京交通管理局) announced that from April 6, people who do not wait for the green light to cross the road will receive a fine of 10 yuan. Officials from the bureau said that using the diagonal (对角线) to cross the road is also against the rules. Walkers should walk in an “L” shape.
Besides Beijing, many places have also taken steps to stop “Chinese style road crossing”. Provinces such as Sichuan, Shanxi and Zhejiang have already started to fine jaywalkers 5 to 50 yuan since last year.
Road traffic deaths top the list of deaths from non-natural causes in China, Xinhua reported. The action to punish behaviors that go against traffic rules calls on people to realize the importance of traffic safety.
However, many people complain that the red lights last too long. “But as long as the design of traffic lights is the same, everyone should follow the rulers. Otherwise the country will lose its order,” said People’s Daily.
Some cities have also paid attention to the problem. Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, for example, said it would not only focus on punishment, but also improve road safety facilities (设施), such as fixing traffic lights in a more proper way and building overpasses (天桥).Was the topic “Chinese style road crossing” very popular last year?
What is the right way for walkers to cross the road?
How are jaywalkers in Sichuan punished?
Why is it necessary to punish those who go against traffic rules?
Besides punishment, what else do some cities do to solve the problem?
What’s your opinion on the action to punish jaywalkers?