I grew up with a fat dad—450 pounds at his heaviest.Every week he would try a new diet,and my family ended up eating whatever strange food he was trying at that moment.
After my thirdgrade year,my dad landed a lifechanging job in Manhattan.My mom,my little sister and I had to move away from our hometown,Chicago,and leave my grandmother and her beautiful food behind.
Leaving my grandmother was far more frightening than the move to New York City.There would be no more special weekends at my grandmother’s house,the only place I can remember feeling happy,safe and nourished (有营养的).It was what I desired.In this new city,I felt extremely alone and lost,and I missed my grandmother terribly.
My grandmother knew just how I felt—And she knew the cure.Every week,she would send me a card with a $20 bill,a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market.It kept us bonded,and her recipes filled my body and soul.
Over the years,I have grown to better understand my father’s struggles with weight and the toll (代价) it took on him and those who love him.I have come to realize he was driven not by vanity (自负) or selfishness as much as by a deep pain.And in spite of growing up in such an unhealthy eating environment (or perhaps because of it),as an adult I found a passion and a career as a nutrition consultant.
Today,my father weighs 220 pounds and is a vegan (素食者).How he got there is a story I hope to share in the coming weeks.More importantly,food is no longer a barrier that keeps us apart,but a bridge that keep us connected.There is nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weightloss victories.And now I am the one regularly sending recipe cards to my father’s house,just as my grandmother did for me. What kind of person was actually the author’s father?
| A.He was a man of vanity and selfishness. |
| B.He didn’t like to eat with his family. |
| C.He was more painful than selfish. |
| D.He forced his family to eat what he liked. |
The author desired to go to his grandmother’s________.
| A.to see his father | B.for tasty food |
| C.for pocket money | D.to avoid his family |
The underlined word “cure” in Paragraph 4 is the nearest in meaning to “________”.
| A.solution | B.concern |
| C.operation | D.situation |
The author became a nutrition consultant mainly because________.
| A.his father often talked with him about dietary theories |
| B.he was determined to change his own daily habits |
| C.he wanted to study the recipes his grandmother had given him |
| D.his childhood experiences gave him too deep an impression |
What can we learn about the author from the last paragraph?
| A.He often quarreled with his father about food |
| B.His father will tell him his story in the following weeks |
| C.The most he talks about with his father is nourishment |
| D.He often sends recipe cards to his grandmother in return |
In nineteen ninety-nine, twelve percent of public elementary schools in the United States required students to wear uniforms. Just three years later, estimates were almost double that.
A study of six big-city Ohio public schools showed students who were required to wear uniforms had improved graduation, behavior and attendance rates. Academic performance was unchanged.
Some middle and high schools in Texas have also joined the movement. Yet studies find mixed results from requiring uniforms. And some schools have turned away from such policies.
Supporters believe dressing the same creates a better learning environment and safer schools. The school district in Long Beach, California, was the first in the country to require uniforms in all elementary and middle schools. The example helped build national interest in uniforms as a way to deal with school violence and improve learning.
Findings in Long Beach suggested that the policy resulted in fewer behavior problems and better attendance. But researcher Viktoria Stamison, who has looked at those findings, says they were based only on opinions about the effects of uniforms.
She says other steps taken at the same time to improve schools in Long Beach and statewide could have influenced the findings. The district increased punishments for misbehavior. And California passed a law to reduce class sizes.
In Florida, for example, researcher Sharon Pate found that uniforms seemed to improve behavior and reduce violence. In Texas, Eloise Hughes found fewer discipline problems among students required to wear uniforms, but no effect on attendance.
Sociologist David Brunsma has studied school uniform policies since nineteen ninety-eight. He collected the reports in the book. In his own study, he found that reading and mathematics performance dropped after a school in rural Pennsylvania required uniforms.
Political and community pressures may persuade schools to go to uniforms to improve learning. But David Brunsma and others believe there is not enough evidence of a direct relationship. In fact, he says requiring uniforms may even increase discipline problems.
52. What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. More and more students are required to wear uniforms in the US.
B. Wearing uniforms contributes to good academic performance.
C. Researchers in the US argue for school uniform policies.
D. Evidence for school uniform policies in the US is seen as weak.
53. Which was/were the first in the US to require uniforms in all elementary and middle schools?
A. Six big-city Ohio public schools.
B. The school district in Long Beach, California.
C. Some middle and high schools in Texas.
D. Some elementary and middle schools in Florida.
54. Which of the following researchers are NOT supporters of school uniform policies?
A. Viktoria Stamison and Sharon Pate.
B. Sharon Pate and David Brunsma.
C. Eloise Hughes and Sharon Pate.
D. Viktoria Stamison and David Brunsma.
55. The underlined word “misbehavior” in the sixth paragraph probably means ______.
A. serious crime B. bad performance
C. absence for class D. action against wearing uniforms
56. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. more work is needed to get better information about uniform’s effect
B. the number of schools requiring uniforms in the US will decline sharply
C. wearing uniforms has little to do with behavior and learning
D. politicians and communities won’t vote for uniform policies
10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking
By The Princeton Language Institute, Lenny Laskowski
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Warner Books
ISBN: 0446676683
This book is a course on giving public talks. It’s written by an expert in the field and has the tools to make you a relaxed, effective, and commanding public speaker. You can find clear, brief, step-by-step to help you: Overcome nervousness and discover your own natural style. Set up an immediate connection with your audience.
Practise new techniques daily in conversations with friends. Write a speech that builds to an unforgettable conclusion. Mix together humour and anecdotes into your talk. Use special techniques to memorize your speech.
In the Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing
By Janet E. Esposito
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Strong Books
ISBN: 1928782078
In the Spotlight is a gift for people experiencing any degree of fear or discomfort in speaking or performing in front of others, either in formal settings. The book has many different methods to help you get beyond stage fright and learn to speak or perform with ease and confidence.
The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One and How to Deliver It
By Richard Dowis
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: American Management Association
ISBN: 0814470548
Here’s expert guidance on how to write a forceful speech. Attractive slides, confident body language, and a lot of eye contacts are fine. Now everyone can learn to give a powerful, direct speeches that catch an audience’s attention. The key is not just in the delivery, but in using the power of language. It requires interesting ideas, presented in a clear and memorable way.
It’s speech-writing guide made by an award-winning writer. It has everything from researching and writing the speech to preparing the text to delivering the speech to handling questions from the audience.
Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
By William Bathe
Paperback: 1,055 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393040054
This is a collection of more than 100 speeches that seeks to show the enduring power of human eloquence (雄辩) to inspire and uplift (振奋). These speeches are said to have moved millions and changed history. There is an introduction to each speech, and an essay on the art of public speaking.
This collection is edited by a former presidential speechwriter-William Satire. He knows firsthand, the importance of putting together the right words for the right movement.
These speeches prove that, even in the digital age, the most forceful medium of communication is still the human voice speaking directly to the mind, heart, and soul.
49. The purpose of the above books is to _______.
A. give you encouragement in making a speech
B. tell you how to make a forceful speech
C. show you the skills of making a good speech
D. tell you how to catch an audience’s attention while making a speech
50. If you want to improve your speaking skills by reading some great speeches by famous people, you will read ______.
A. Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
B. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One and How to Deliver It
C. In the Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing
D. 10 Days to More Confident Public speaking
51. Which of the following people used to write speeches for presidents?
A. Rechard Dowis. B. Janet E. Esposito.
C. Lenny Laskowski. D. William Satire.
Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that’s long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing ------ paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test paper. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seem to run out of ink at the critical moment.
A “paperless classroom” is what more and more schools are trying to achieve.
Students don’t do any handwriting in this class. Instead, they use palm size, or specially-designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student’s personal computer.
Having computers also means that students can use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they’re studying from math to social science.
High school teacher Judy Harrel in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan (阿富汗) before.
“We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps (难民营)”, she said. “Using a book that’s three or four years old is impossible.”
And exams can go online too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book.
A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie Sorrell in Kentucky, US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.
“Think about the money and trees we could save with the computer,” she said.
But, with all this technology, there’s always the risk that the machines will break down. So, in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi-tech students.
46. What does “run out of ink at the critical moment” in the first paragraph mean?
A. Pens may not write well at the critical moment.
B. Pens get lost easily, so you may not find them at the critical moment.
C. Pens may have little or no ink at the critical moment.
D. Pens use ink, while pencils don’t.
47. The high school teacher, Judy Harrell, used the example of her class to show that ______.
A. the Web could take them everywhere
B. the Web taught them a lot
C. the Web is a good tool for information
D. the Web, better than the textbooks, can give the latest and comprehensive (全面的) information
48. The paperless classrooms will benefit ______ most.
A. students B. teachers C. trees D. computers
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a product that can easily be identified and measured.The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast (对照) , the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way.The process is not the road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have , and their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected difficulties.In this process, the journey never really ends;there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first.How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow.Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences.Do we think we’re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we are slow to adapt (适应) change or that we’re not smart enough to deal with a new challenge.Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow.If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing.We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.
72.In the author’s eye, one who views personal growth as a process would ______.
A.succeed in climbing up the social ladder
B.grow up from his own achievements
C.face difficulties and take up challenges
D.aim high and reach his goal each time
73.Which of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growth?
A.Our manager was always willing to accept new challenges.
B.Jane won the first prize in the speech competition.
C.Jerry picked up French during his stay in Paris.
D.Father’s salary rose from 5, 000 to 7,000.
74.For personal growth, the author is in favor of all the following EXCEPT _______.
A.being curious about more changes
B.being quick in self-adaptation
C.having an open mind to new experiences
D.staying away from failures and challenges
75.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.It is not so easy to measure personal growth.
B.To try and fail on the new road facing the unknown is unavoidable.
C.There are only two ways to see a person’s growth.
D.If you are too shy to take any risks in life, you cannot grow up.
In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves.”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity.
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean.“The winds start out by making little ripples (波纹) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said.“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮) .The turbine can then power an electrical generator (发电机) .
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland.
The resource is huge.We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal.
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface.That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world.There are some drawbacks, however.
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money.He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown.Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said.“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world.Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day.”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
68.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Wave power costs too much money.
B.Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources.
C.Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic.
D.Wave power may affect marine animals.
69.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy
B.wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world
C.wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world
D.wave power doesn’t create any pollution
70.The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______.
A.regrets B.adventures C.disadvantages D.difficulties
71.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.How to Get Electricity by Waves. B.The Advantages of Wave Energy.
C.Can Waves Make Electricity? D.The Disadvantages of Wave Energy.