Indeed, many failures are experienced in our lives and the effect could be extremely unpleasant. I do have a share of my experience and you might have yours too. As the sayings goes, “Experience is the best teacher.” Many people believe it’s the other way around. Experience, in fact, can be the worst teacher since it takes the first before you learn the lesson.
Often, when people around us try to comfort us that we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves, we say “sure”, yet we are doing otherwise. We are becoming too hard on ourselves because failure is something that wouldn’t leave your mind quickly. Failure is something that can make you regret spending money, time, and effort but all go down the drain. But it is common everywhere and it usually leads us to success.
“There were once two prison men sitting behind the bars. One saw mud while the other saw stars.” In this story, those two prison men were paying the costs of their actions. However, as they faced their situation, one prisoner was completely defeated by his depression. But the other prisoner held his head up with his hopes and dreams. As you may well notice, failure happens, but people deal with it quite differently.
However, true failure comes in when you react negatively to the situation. True failure is about giving up completely. It is about being unable to recognize that if you look at the midnight skies, the stars are still shinning. See, no matter how disheartening and discouraging your fall was true failure is about not getting up and not moving on. You must accept failure as a great opportunity for you to learn. You will also be able to learn from the failures of other people. But it’s your own failure that will help you meaningfully.
The saying “Experience is the best teacher.” in Paragraph 1 means_____.
A.experience is really good at teaching |
B.the best teacher usually experiences a lot |
C.something valuable can be learned from failure |
D.the worst teacher can teach you how to be successful |
The writer tells us people’s attitudes toward failure by_____.
A.listing some true facts |
B.mentioning a story |
C.showing some figures |
D.blaming the two prison men |
Which of the following is TRUE about the failure according to the text?
A.We can’t live without failure |
B.It is easy to get rid of failure |
C.People should try to avoid failure |
D.People should treat failure properly |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.Failure opens the door to learning |
B.Experience is interesting and pleasant |
C.Success is not easy for us to achieve |
D.Everything comes from failure |
The Tropical Paradise Holiday
Welcome to St Anna, our tropical paradise just off the coast of Latin America. You can spend two weeks in our luxury four-star hotel. The cost of your flight is included in the holiday, and you can be picked up from your home by our special airport bus. On your arriving, our coach will be waiting to take you to the hotel. All flights leave from Heathrow on a Monday morning.
The Cowrie Hotel is built right on the beachfront, and many rooms have wonderful ocean views. If swimming and surfing are not enough for you, the hotel also offers horse rides on the island, and a discount membership of the golf club.
The Rain Forest Adventure Holiday
Every year Broughton holidays offer twelve days of unforgettable adventure in a tropical rain forest. You may have a choice of Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia, or even to the greatest rain forest of them all, the mighty Amazonian forest.
You will fly to our special base camps at the edge of the forest, where you will be given five days of survival training, and talks on the local wildlife.
Then you take a bus into the forest. You will have to walk the final five miles to the camp sites to avoid disturbing the local ecology. All of the camp sites have been carefully built to cause the minimal amount of disturbance to the local wildlife.
Remember that these adventure holidays take you deep into the wilderness,and they are not suitable for families with young children. Also remember that no more than two dozen guests can stay at any camp at one time, so if you want to go on one of these very special holidays, you will need to book early ! Choosing the Tropical Paradise Holiday, travellers can enjoy ______.
A.a welcome party |
B.beautiful ocean views |
C.different indoor activities |
D.free membership of the golf club |
What can we learn about the rain forest holiday?
A.Different means of transportation will be used. |
B.Travelers will learn to talk with wild animals. |
C.The holiday will end with a survival training. |
D.Booking early, travelers will get a discount. |
What kind of people will probably choose the rain forest holiday?
A.People loving water sports. |
B.People travelling with children. |
C.People preferring comfortable hotels. |
D.People concerned with environment and wildlife. |
Which of the following is mentioned in both holidays?
A.Price. | B.Transportation. |
C.Reservation. | D.Departure time. |
More than great drinks, great rewards
Enjoy all the benefits and more with your membership to our Loyalty Program!
Whenever you pay with your membership account, you’ll earn a Star.
Collect more Stars, earn more rewards.
Three ways to join us
Buy a Starbucks Card handy to create an account
Track your Stars online or through the mobile app, and we’ll send an email when you’ve earned a reward.
You can also join from your phone.
Download the Starbucks® App.
One of the most exciting benefits of being a member is using our mobile app to:
pay for purchases; view your Stars and rewards; access iTunes®Pick of the Week; see current offers.
Or you can join with specially marked coffee purchased at the grocery store.
Enter your Starcode (limit 2 per day).
Look for the Starcode symbol on specially marked Starbucks® products where you buy groceries.
Three levels with increasingly greater rewards
To reach each level in our Loyalty Program, you need to collect more Stars. (Remember, to earn a Star you must pay with a registered Starbucks Card.)
Welcome level
To earn your first rewards, just register a Starbucks Card.
Birthday drink or treat on us; birthday coupon (优惠券) for 15% off a purchase at StarbucksStore.com.
Green level
Collect 5 Stars within 12 months and you’ll be in the Green level.
• What is included in the Welcome level plus
♦Free in-store refills (续杯) on hot or iced brewed coffee or tea
Gold level
Collect 30 Stars within 12 months and you’re at the Gold level.
• What is included in the Green level plus
♦ A free food or drink item after another 12 Stars earned
♦Personalized Gold CardWhich of the following is a way you can apply for membership?
A.To enter a Starcode from specially marked Starbucks® products. |
B.To buy a Starbucks Card over the phone. |
C.To update the Starbucks® App from the official website. |
D.To buy a drink at a Starbucks on weekends. |
With the Starbucks® App, you can _______.
A.change the prices | B.earn a Star |
C.pay for rewards | D.view current offers |
With a Starbucks Card of Green level, you will get _______.
A.a free cake | B.personalized Green Card |
C.free in-store refills | D.all purchases 15% off |
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia(百科全书).This name is a combination of“wiki" and “encyclopedia". Wiki is the Hawaiian word for quick. Wiki websites are designed to enable users to make addition or edit any page Of the site.
Wikipedia has been accused of exhibiting systemic prejudice and mistakes.Critics argue that Wikipedia's open nature and a lack of proper sources for much of the information makes it unreliable,
Mention Wikipedia within the walls of academy and you'll find no shortage of opinions.That-s no surprise.Can an online encyclopedia that is edited by anyone be trusted as a credible information source? Should students be encouraged to use this tool? And is it even possible to discourage its users?
To find out, we performed a simple experiment.We selected 100 terms from the U.S.history textbooks, We chose a mix of items that students might be asked to research for a test or paper and we entered each item into Google to find out which websites the search engine suggests as the most useful links. The results are shocking. Google listed Wikipedia as the number one: 87 times out of 100.
Several conclusions can be drawn from this finding. First, people searching for information about these historical terms are finding the entries from Wikipedia helpful.Second, 6'banning" the use of Wikipedia appears hopelessly simple-minded.Jimmy Wales, one of Wikipedia's founders, told the New York Times, "They might as well suggest not listening to rock & roll either".
To our untrained eyes, the information from Wikipedia appeared just as reliable.The reason why the content is mostly reliable is probably that these terms are rather mainstream.The high-school level content is less likely to be wrong than the subjects studied in graduate schools. So when primary and secondary students are researching history, Wikipedia is still a proper place to start.Which of the following can best describe Wikipedia?
A.Wikipedia is from the Hawaiian language with the meaning of prejudice and mistakes. |
B.Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia edited freely. |
C.Wikipedia is an encyclopedia under public attack. |
D.Wikipedia is a tool for enjoying rock & roll. |
What does "it" in the second paragraph refer to?
A.Wikipedia's open nature. |
B.Wikipedia's lack of proper sources. |
C.Wikipedia |
D.Information on the Internet. |
How cool can libraries be in an era(时代)of iPods and Kindles? More than you think.Only if you know where to go.
Central Library: Seattle, Washington, United States
The Central Library in Seattle is modern and fashionable and has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours.It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and American designer Joshua Ramus.Tours began in 2006, two years after its opening.The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events, while visitors can stop by the Chocolate cart for a coffee and scan through the gift shop anytime
Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland
The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.It is the largest single library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 0fthe library's oldest books.The Long Room houses one of the oldest harps(竖琴) in Ireland.Dating to the 15th century, the old harp is the model for the symbol foreland.
Geisel Library, University of California: San Diego, United States
At first glance, it looks like a spaceship.Architect William Pereira, who helped design actual space launch facilities at Cape Canaveral in Houston, Texas, designed the library in 1970.It has been featured in sci-fi films, short stories and novels.The library hosts "Dinner in the Library," which invites readers for cocktails, and also a special speech from distinguished authors.
TU Delft Library: The Netherlands
The library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997 and has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum.The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can't really see the actual Library.What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill.The roof covers 5,500 square meters.And it has become one of the most striking and greenest structures in the area.Which of the four libraries has the longest history?
A.Central Library. |
B.Geisel Library. |
C.Trinity College Library. |
D.TU Delft Library. |
What makes Geisel Library different from the others is that
A.famous writers often deliver speeches there |
B.it has a reoffer grassy hill |
C.Queen Elizabeth I founded the library |
D.it is the largest single library in the world |
In Central Library, you can
A.buy souvenirs | B.enjoy sci-fi films |
C.drink cocktails | D.see the old harp |
Telepathy: Mind-to-mind Contact
Telepathy is the ability to communicate without the use of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). It’s an instinct (本能) which can be woken up in times of emergency or need. When we feel that something is happening or about to happen by instinct, we’re using resources within the unconscious mind. When the resources of two persons’ unconscious minds link together into the same frequency, we call it Telepathy.
We can either send or receive Telepathy. If you know who is calling before you answer the ringing phone, you are probably a good receiver. If you think of a person and he/she calls you, you are most likely to be better at sending.
You can easily put your abilities to the test. Think of somebody and will him or her to contact you. Be patient. The other person may not be a good receiver, but they should contact you much earlier than would normally be expected. Or whenever the phones rings, but try “feeling” who is contacting you. Don’t guess, but try to feel it with your mind. However, if neither of these work for you, that doesn’t mean that you have no ability of telepathy. As mentioned earlier, telepathy is most likely to turn up in case of emergency.
Telepathy dreams often contain telepathic messages. Two people may both dream of the other and find that their dreams had a clear connection. These people are probably linking to each other’s unconscious mind.
Telepathy & Relationships. The more people spend time together, the more likely they are to be able to link up to the other’s mind, especially when separated. There are two reasons for this. One is that they understand the other’s mind through time spent together; the other is that there is usually a strong desire to communicate. A mother will often sense that her child is in danger. This is due to the child’s eagerly wanting his or her mother, knowing that this person who would always want to be there for them, and the mother’s deep desire to protect her child from harm.Telepathy turns up when we ____.
A.think of a stranger |
B.use the five senses together |
C.recall things from our memory |
D.sense a close friend in danger |
You’re better at sending than receiving Telepathy if you ____.
A.can tell who knocks at your door |
B.can feel your mom is in danger |
C.receive a friend’s call as you wish |
D.dream of a friend dreaming of you |
Which is not the way to help people gain Telepathy?
A.Help them have a strong desire to communicate. |
B.Separate them all the time. |
C.Help them link up their unconscious minds. |
D.Let them spend much time together. |