You must know what BYD stands for? Yes, Build Your Dream. Have you built your dream and spare no effort to achieve it? Here is an inspiring story from http//www.naijamotiveation.com
Eddie Arcaro dreamed of becoming the world’s greatest jockey（赛马骑师）. But after watching him ride a horse for five minutes, reality reflected a rough contradiction. He was awkward and clumsy, and in his early years in the saddle（马鞍 ）he couldn’t do one thing right.
In his first 100 races he never even came close to winning. Still, he got right back on and trained again. Even as a schoolboy, Arcaro had set his own track in life. Because he was only a little over five feet tall (1.5 meters) and weighed barely 80 pounds (36kg), the other students picked on him. So he skipped school, hanging out at the local race track where a trainer let him ride horses.
His father reluctantly agreed to let him pursue a career as a jockey. The trainer had told him so. “Send him back to school,” he said. “He’ll never be a rider.” In spite of that, Arcaro was determined not just to ride, but to become the world’s greatest jockey. But first someone would have to give him a chance.
He finally got to ride in a real race. Before it was over, he’d lost his whip and his cap and had almost fallen off the saddle. By the time he finished the race, the other horses were on their way to the stables（马厩）. He’d come in dead last. Nevertheless, Arcaro went from track to track, looking for any opportunity to ride.
Finally, a trainer who pitied him took him in and gave him a chance. One hundred losses later, he was still giving him chances. He saw something in this unlucky jockey, something he couldn’t define.
There were many brushes with death and several broken bones. Every time he would return to the saddle. Then Arcaro began to win. In thirty years of riding, he won 4, 779 races, becoming the only jockey in history to win the Kentucky Derby five times. By the time he retired in 1962 he was a millionaire and a legend in his own lifetime.The underlined phrase “picked on” in the passage probably means _______.
| A．paid attention to | B．made fun of |
| C．offered help to | D．took special care of |
The trainer who believed in Arcaro gave him chances because __________.
| A．Arcaro had shown great talents in horse racing |
| B．he thought all that Arcaro needed was a bit of luck |
| C．he had sympathy for Arcaro for his unfortunate experiences |
| D．he was impressed by the way Arcaro stuck to his dream |
The key message the author wants to convey through the passage is that _____.
| A．a man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds |
| B．you can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf |
| C．winners in life set goals and follow through on them |
| D．life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you hold. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the passage?
| A．The Man With The One Track Mind |
| B．A Star With Many Skills |
| C．An Inspiring Website Story |
| D．Inspiration Is Around Us |
Much of European train is about efficiency and comfort --- leaving and arriving on time and having a comfortable seat. But the following European trains don’t necessarily offer the fastest journeys --- just the most memorable.
| Sweet Switzerland: The Chocolate Train Route: Montreux to Broc, Switzerland Time: 9 hours, 45 minutes, roundtrip www.raileurope.com This charming train, running in summer and fall, climbs from Montreux overlooking Lake Geneva to the old town of Gruyeres, population 1,600, home to the cheese of the same name. Tour the cheese factory and the local castle, have lunch, then reboard the train and continue on to Broc. There you’ll be bussed to the Cailler-Nestle chocolate factory, lying between Lake Gruyeres and mountains. |
| Tunnels Galore: The Bernina Express Route: Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy Time: 4 hours, 14 minutes www.visitflam.com This train takes on seven-percent inclines (斜坡), 55 tunnels, and 196 bridges --- reaching a height of 7,391 feet and then dropping to 5,905 feet before coming to a stop. It travels through the Alps south from Switzerland’s oldest town to an Italian town of just under 10,000 people. |
| A Hotel on Wheels: Francisco de Goya Route: Paris, France, to Madrid, Spain Time: 13 hours, 30 minutes www.elipsos.com Leave Paris in the evening, enjoy a three-course dinner and the increasingly rural scenery, sleep with the rhythm of the rails, and wake the next day as you arrive in Madrid, rested and ready to tour the most populous (人口密集的) city in Europe. First class includes a welcome drink, good dinner, breakfast, and an in-room bathroom with shower. |
| The Epic Journey: Trans-Siberian Railway Route: Moscow to Vladivostok, Russia Time: 19 days www.trans-siberia.com This route, a symbol of Russian culture, crosses eight time zones to connect the Russian capital with a port on the Pacific Ocean. On board, poor stay with rich, young with old, foreigners with locals. Social differences disappear as passengers share a unique rail experience. |
Travelling from Montreux to Broc on the Chocolate Train, you ____________.
| A．will spend about five hours |
| B．have to go in winter and spring |
| C．will see a famous chocolate factory |
| D．can have lunch on the train |
Which of the following websites offers more information about Francisco de Goya?
| A．www.trans-siberia.com | B．www.visitflam.com |
| C．www.raileurope.com | D．www.elipsos.com |
Which of the following trains can help you learn about Russian culture?
| A．Trans-Siberian Railway. | B．The Chocolate Train. |
| C．Francisco de Goya. | D．The Bernina Express. |
The passage is most probably taken from a _____________.
| A．news report | B．book review |
| C．travel magazine | D．geography textbook |
The grandfather of Nell Trent owns a shop of odds and ends. He wants to make sure his grandfather is provided for when he dies. His memory of his daughter’s suffering and early death gives him a fear of poverty. Gambling(赌博) becomes an addiction for Nell’s grandfather, which results in his financial and physical ruin. Nell and her grandfather flee from their home and begin a journey that has no destination. For Nell, all she wants is a peaceful existence with enough to live on.
They come across many interesting people on their travels and often meet with the kindness of strangers. Yet, in a colorful world, they also face the reality of the Industrial Revolution. From simple villages and fields of flowers, they go into a dirty city full of mass unemployment and plague (瘟疫) victims --- where children die of starvation and many are abandoned.
The story isn’t only about Nell and her grandfather, but also the people who are connected to them directly or indirectly. There is Richard Swiveller, a careless young man who is a friend of Nell’s older brother, who wants Swiveller to marry Nell for the fortune he thinks she has. Daniel Quilp is a cruel moneylender, who manages to fool the grandfather into borrowing large sums of money from him. There is honest Kit, a boy employed at the shop, who becomes a victim even though he never harms other people. Kit desires to help Nell, whom he considers an angel that has always inspired the best in him. The mysterious Bevis Marks, who is a generous customer to some people and an enemy to others, also has his own reasons for looking after Nell and her grandfather.
Unlike Dickens’ other works, The Old Curiosity Shop is a book of contrasts: the purity of Nell compared to the dishonesty of Quilp, fresh air and scenic villages to the polluted, stone-covered city, etc. Even people’s reaction to the book presented a cruel contrast. At first, Nell Trent was praised and considered Dickens’ best character. Later, she was criticized by many well-known people like Oscar Wilde. While characters in Dickens’ other books are moving towards a better future, Nell and her grandfather are fleeing for their life and their story is moving towards a sad ending.We can infer from the first two paragraphs that ___________.
| A．Nell’s mother died young because of poverty |
| B．Nell’s grandfather made a fortune by gambling |
| C．Nell died of starvation during her journey |
| D．Nell had no one to turn to on her travels |
What’s the third paragraph mainly about?
| A．The plot (情节) of the story. | B．The characters in the story. |
| C．The background of the story. | D．The inspiration behind the story. |
The Old Curiosity Shop is different from Dickens’ other works because it ___________.
| A．is full of contrasts | B．has a surprise ending |
| C．reflects Dickens’ own life | D．is set in the Industrial Revolution |
Have you ever wondered: What drives successful people? Take a look around and talk to your friends and seniors who are very successful, you will see all of them have adopted certain values which have proved vital for their success.
It is evident that successful people take initiative (主动性). When they find something needs to be done, they just do it instead of waiting. They believe that responsibility is taken, not given. They weigh immediately what has to be done and then do it with pleasure, thus strengthening their reputation.
Successful people are enthusiastic about the things they do, especially when they believe in what they are doing. They are motivated by their own satisfaction and the joy they get from doing their work. They work hard even when no one is watching and they throw themselves into their work.
They do not fear failure. Failures and disappointments in life are unavoidable. It is failure that teaches us much more than success. Successful people pick themselves up after a fall and try again with more determination and commitment and learn from each failure. They associate with those they can learn from and enjoy the company of those who appreciate their achievement.
Having good IQ often gets a person what he wants but it’s really the EQ that keeps him there and helps him enjoy a high reputation. Successful people are polite to everyone and treat others with respect. By giving respect to others, they command respect for themselves.
Another important quality of successful persons is that they never complain. It’s better to praise others and win favor with them. So instead of complaining about a situation, successful people always try to solve it.
To put it shortly, take initiative and be enthusiastic about them. Do not be afraid to fail, but get up and start again. When you do so, success will be just around the corner.
Title: What Makes People Successful?
| Brief introduction |
Successful people all have adopted certain values which are（1）__________ for their success. |
|
| （2）_________ of successful people |
Taking initiative |
◆They take immediate action without hesitation. ◆They take responsibility for what has to be done and do it（3）__________. |
| Being self-motivated |
◆They’re enthusiastic about the things they do with a（4）_______ in what they are doing. ◆They devote themselves to their work. |
|
| （5）__________ from failure |
◆They get up and start again after a failure. ◆They keep company of those (6)__________ their achievement. |
|
| Giving respect to others |
◆They are polite to everyone and treat others respectfully. ◆They earn respect in （7）_________ by giving respect to others. |
|
| Making no（8）________ |
◆They praise others and win favor with them. ◆They always try to find any possible（9）__________ to the difficult situation. |
|
| Summary |
When you can combine the above into your action plan, you’ll have（10）___________ to success soon. |
Ball Management
Players should always keep a tennis ball in their hand or pocket during a match. Even the most patient tennis players despise waiting for their opponent to find a ball to serve(发球).
Behavior & Attitude
Even if you’re playing badly, you should not shout or look depressed in a friendly match. Undoubtedly, your attitude affects how you play, so try to have fun and stay positive.
Pace
Do not deliberately slow the game down. Play at the pace of the server and look ready. Servers also should not rush to start each point. You should re-do the point if you serve the ball before the receiver is ready. The receiver is out of luck, however, if he claims he was not ready after making an attempt at returning the serve.
For Spetators(观众)
Cheering
While it is seen as proper etiquette(礼仪）to remain silent during the live play, loud and spirited cheers are welcome after a hard-earned point. The players appreciate the recognition for their efforts and are encouraged to continue playing at a high level when the crowd is actively involved.
Leaving and returning to your seat
During live play it’s expected that all spectators will remain seated until the next break between games. Movements in the stands(看台) can serve as a distraction(分心的事物) to the players and can also block the view of other audience.
Photography
The issue of camera shutter(快门) noise has earned a lot of attention in golf, but luckily for tennis fans it’s much less of a concern on the court. While the noise produced by the camera is not seen as a major issue, flash photography should be avoided during live play.During warm-ups, tennis player ______________.
| A．ought to hit a full pace |
| B．can place their shots anywhere |
| C．should not practice competitively |
| D．had better run around the whole court |
According to the text, during tennis matches, _____________________.
| A．players can slow the game down when tired |
| B．players don’t have to keep a ball in their hand |
| C．the receiver shouldn’t return the serve if not ready |
| D．loud cheers are not allowed even after hard-earned points |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ____________________.
| A．flash photography is acceptable on the golf court |
| B．tennis fans can use flash photography during matches |
| C．the noise from cameras is not permitted in tennis matches |
| D．tennis matches require a less degree of quiet than golf ones |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．Some tips for tennis players to win a match. |
| B．What to do while watching tennis matches. |
| C．How to behave properly in tennis matches. |
| D．Rules tennis players must obey in matches. |
Astronomers have captured(捕获) the first direct image of a planet being born.
Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.
The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Called LkCa 15b, it’s the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.
Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Observing planets while they’re forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.
Planets can change orbits(轨道) after forming, so it’s difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.
“These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now,” Kraus said.
Scientists hadn’t been able to see such young planets before because the stars they’re circling around outshine(光亮强过) them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.
One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion(扭曲) created by the Earth’s atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.
The star LkCa 15—the planet is named after its star—was the team’s second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star.The research on younger planets helps scientists _____________.
| A．study why planets change orbits after forming |
| B．understand how planets move around their stars |
| C．answer questions about the age of stars and planets |
| D．know the relationship between planets and their stars |
Why are young planets like LkCa 15b hard to discover?
| A．Their stars are brighter than them.. | B．They are very far from the earth. |
| C．They are generally too small. | D．They rarely form. |
According to the text, Kraus and Ireland _____________.
| A．have been working in the same university |
| B．observed the planet on a volcano in Hawaii |
| C．used two new methods in the observation |
| D．cut holes in the mirrors when observing |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Youngest planet seen as it’s forming. |
| B．Planet 450 light years away discovered. |
| C．World’s first direct image of a planet taken. |
| D．New technique helps discover young planets. |