Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family,and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances don’t come into play because they do. Some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.
However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And,in addition to that, in order to get really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time,time that most people won’t put in.
This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it is going to feel like unbearable pain and will likely make you quit well before you ever become good at it.
When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success,you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost.It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent,but thinking that way does you no good,and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.
Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent, hard work won’t guarantee you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.Paragraph 1 mainly talks about ________.
| A．the reasons for success | B．the meaning of success |
| C．the standards of success | D．the importance of success |
In Paragraph 2, the underlined word “that “refers to ______.
| A．being good at something | B．setting a practical goal |
| C．putting in more time | D．succeeding in life |
What is the main theme of the passage?
| A．Having a goal is vital to success. |
| B．Being good is different from being great. |
| C．One cannot succeed without time and practice. |
| D．Luck,talent and family help to achieve success. |
A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops(笔记本电脑).
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility(清晰度).But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes “mindlessly” by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers’ report said,“ While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop ,the benefit disappears.”
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can .
| A．write more notes | B．digest concepts better |
| C．get higher scores | D．understand lectures better |
While taking notes, laptop users tend to be .
| A．skillful | B．mindless |
| C．thoughtful | D．tireless |
The passage is likely to appear in .
| A．a newspaper advertisement | B．a computer textbook |
| C．a science magazine | D．a finance report |
How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right(don’t forget the insides of the teeth!)and make sure you’re brushing long enough.“It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth.“We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said“yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199,depending on features. The U.S.is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?
| A．It can sense how users brush their teeth. |
| B．It can track users’ school performance. |
| C．It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist. |
| D．It can help users find their phones. |
What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?
| A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist. |
| B．You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis. |
| C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist. |
| D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day. |
Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?
| A．It can be used to update mobile phones. |
| B．It can be used to play mobile phone games. |
| C．It can send messages to other users. |
| D．It can talk to its developers. |
What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
| A．How Serval found out his kids lied to him. |
| B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary. |
| C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth. |
| D．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush. |
HOLIDAY FUN AT THE POWERHOUSE
500 HARRIS STREET ULTIMO·TELEPHONE(02)9217 0111
Join in the holiday fun at the Powerhouse this month linked to our new exhibition, Evolution & Revolution: Chinese dress1700s to now. DON’T FORGET our other special event, the Club Med Circus School which is part of the Circus(马戏团)!150years of circus in Australia exhibition experience!
◆Chinese Folk Dancing: Colorful Chinese dance and musical performances by The Chinese Folk Dancing School of Sydney. Dances include: the Golden stick dance and the Chinese drum dance. A feature will be the Qin dynasty Emperor’s count dance .Also included is a show of face painting for Beijing opera performances.
Sunday 29 June and Wednesday 2 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm.
◆Australian Chinese Children’s Arts Theatre: W ell-known children’s play experts from Shanghai lead this dynamic youth group. Performances include Chinese fairy tales and plays.
Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm.
◆Chinese Youth League: A traditional performing arts group featuring performance highlights such as the Red scarf and Spring flower dances ,and a musician playing Er Hu.
Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,11.30 am to 1.30 pm.
◆Kids Activity: Make a Paper Horse :Young children make a paper horse cut-out.(The horse is a frequent theme in Chinese painting, including a kind of advancement.)Suitable for ages 8~12 years.
Saturday 28 June to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,12.00 pm to 1.00 pm.
◆Club Med Circus School: Learn circus skills, including the trapeze, trampolining and magic.Note only for children over 5.There are 40 places available in each 1 hour session and these must be booked at the front desk,level 4,on the day.
Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 Julyat 11.30 am & 1.00 pm.
Enjoy unlimited free visits and many other benefits by becoming a Family member of the Powerhouse.Our family memberships cover two adults and all children under the age of 16 years at the one address.
Members receive Powerline,our monthly magazine,discounts in the shops and the restaurants,as well as free admission to the Museum.All this for as little as $50.00 a year!Call(02)9217 0600 for more details.When can you watch the Chinese drum dance?
| A．On July 2. | B．On July 3. |
| C．On July 6. | D．On July 8. |
To learn the magic tricks,you can go to .
| A．Kids Activity | B．Chinese Youth League |
| C．Club Med Circus School | D．Children’s Arts Theatre |
What is required if you want to enjoy free visits to the Museum?
| A．Calling(02)9217 0600. |
| B．Gaining family membership. |
| C．Coming for the holiday fun. |
| D．Paying Powerline $50.00 a year. |
What is the main purpose of the text .
| A．To attract visitors. | B．To present schedules. |
| C．To report the performances. | D．To teach kids Chinese arts. |
Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions(探险)but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry did not even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than Larry had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
| A．His daughter had grown up. |
| B．He had become a famous diver. |
| C．His father would dive with him. |
| D．His daughter would dive with him. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A．Larry had some privileges. |
| B．Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C．Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D．Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?
| A．To protect himself from danger. |
| B．To dive into the deep water. |
| C．To admire the underwater view. |
| D．To take photos more conveniently. |
What did Larry expect his daughter to do?
| A．Become a successful diver. |
| B．Make a good diving guide. |
| C．Take a lot of photos underwater. |
| D．Have longer hours of training. |
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
What do we know about golf from the passage?
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
The author uses power walking as an example mainly because _________.
| A．it is an outdoor sport |
| B．it improves our health |
| C．it uses fewer resources |
| D．it is recommended by experts |
The author writes the passage to _________.
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．encourage us to go in for green sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |