Have you ever thought about what kind of job you would like to have when you grow up? Many people think that we can have only one job in our lifetime. We all know that this is not true, but quite a few people actually think this way. For example, when people choose a major (专业) in college, they think that the decisions they make now will decide their jobs for the rest of their lives. However, there are many examples where people became successful after changing their careers (职业) later in life.
J. K. Rowling, writer of the famous novel Harry Potter, was actually a school teacher before she began writing books. In fact, she was out of work before the first Harry Potter book came out.
Former US President Ronald Reagan began as an actor when he was a young man. He later decided that he wanted to do political work. This kind of passion (激情) finally led him to become President of the United States.
The famous 19th century artist Vincent Van Gogh was not a painter from the beginning. He once worked as an art salesman and later became a preacher. It was only 10 years before he died that he decided to become an artist.
Careers are always open to change. The important thing is to find what you are really good at or what you really want to do. Once you find that passion, it’s all a matter of how hard you try.______ was a teacher before he (she) became famous.
A.Vincent Van Gogh | B.Ronald Reagan |
C.J. K. Rowling | D.Harry Potter |
The underlined word “political” in Paragraph 3 means ______ in Chinese.
A.政治的 | B.艺术的 | C.文学的 | D.经济的 |
According to the passage, the most important thing to think of when choosing a career is ______.
A.what major you choose in college |
B.how much money you can make |
C.changing jobs as often as possible |
D.finding what you really want to do |
How is the passage organized? (Par = Paragraph)
A.Par 1→Pars 2~4→Par 5 |
B.Pars 1~2→Par 3→Pars 4~5 |
C.Par 1→Pars 2~3→Pars 4~5 |
D.Pars 1~2→Pars 3~4→Par 5 |
Happy New Year, everyone!
The year of 2014 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar(农历). It begins on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015. People say 2014 is the Year of Wood Horse. Wood is something about trees or green, so it is also called Year of Green Horse. 2014 is the jiăwŭ (甲午) year.
Horses are our good friends for a long time. In the past, horses helped people carry heavy things and travel far. Today many people ride horses for fun.
Horses are hard-working and loyal animals. So are the people born in the Year of Horse. They are true to others. If you have some friends like that, be nice to them. They could be your friends forever.The year of 2014 is the Year of the ____________.
A.Snake | B.Dragon | C.Monkey | D.Horse |
The underlined word “loyal” in the last paragraph means __________ in Chinese.
A.令人畏惧的 | B.自信的 | C.忠诚的 | D.固执的 |
Apart from keeping fit, students can learn many important lessons about life from life doing sports. Sports can teach students about winning and losing, When they win, they will get a lot of ___, but they will also have to
it when they lose. This will help students understand competition, and make them more
___ and hardworking. All this will
them for the difficult challenges they will face at school and in
____.
The introduction of school uniforms has helped to ___ school violence. Much of school violence is linked to the clothes which different youth gangs wear. In schools with youth gangs, the number of fights
___ by 40 percent after uniforms were introduced. Uniforms also
____ a message that students are at school to study, not to play. They create school
_____. These things help to reform problem students and improve their
____ at school.
For travelers with a sense of adventure and who so want to experience some of the history and mystery of the ancient world, here is a list of cool destinations that you may want to consider for your next holiday.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat (meaning “capital monastery”) was a temple in the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It is Cambodia’s best-known tourist attraction and appears on the country’s flag. The temple is known for its beautiful architecture and reliefs. You'll need at least three days to fully discover the delights of the magnificent site.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was built high in the Andes Mountains of South America by the Inca in the 15th century. Although well preserved its exact purpose is unknown. It is famous throughout the world not only for its incredible design but also for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Give yourself a week to explore this magnificent site and make you’re fit as there will be a lot of climbing.
Stonehenge, England
The entire Stonehenge site was constructed over thousands of years. But why and how it was built remains a mystery. As the weather can be pretty bleak in winter and the crowds huge in summer, we suggest autumn is the best time to visit these monster rocks.
Pompeii, Italy
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., Pompeii was buried under many layers of ash, preserving the city exactly as it was when the volcano erupted. Because so many objects were preserved, archaeologists and visitors are able to better understand daily life in the ancient Roman Empire.Which location offers the most direct view into daily life in the ancient world?
A.Pompeii. | B.Stonehenge. |
C.Ankor Wat. | D.Machu Piccu. |
Why may people want to visit Machu Piccu?
A.To climb the Andes Mountains. | B.To discover how it was built. |
C.To explore both history and nature. | D.To learn to speak Spanish. |
When is the best time to visit Stonehenge?
A.Summer. | B.Spring. | C.Winter. | D.Autumn. |
Where would you probably read such an article?
A.In a history textbook. | B.In an archeology(考古) journal. |
C.In a travel magazine. | D.In an adventure novel. |
“I had a Welsh speaking test. I'd had to memorize a paragraph in front of the whole class. I just couldn’t do it,” says 13-year-old Mary. “I pretended to be ill.” But Mary did not enjoy her day off. “I watched TV all day — it was boring. I wished I had gone to school.”
Mary’s story is not unusual in Britain. According to the latest government figures, pupil absences are rising, despite schools taking a hard line on truancy (逃学).
Philippa James, a PhD researcher at Cardiff University’s school of social sciences, thinks she knows why: “The more schools improve methods of detection(检查), the more children work out better methods of deception.” Teenagers told her it was now harder to skip a single lesson, so they’d miss whole days to avoid being caught.
For several years, James has researched student truancy of 60 teenagers, aged 13 and 14, including Mary, to see how the teenagers truant, for how long, and why.
Through online conversations and face-to-face interviews, she discovered that most truancy was “a response to factors within the school”. Truants are not necessarily less advanced or less intelligent. They complained of teachers who failed to engage them, and of “boring” lessons. “Many truants really enjoy school and believe in education, but drop out when aspects of it were ineffective.” James says.
The views of students like Adam, who believes that skipping lessons has little impact on his schooling, were common. “I only take-off for a lesson, or a couple of days. It doesn’t affect my education,” he told James.
James’ study concludes that schools need to address the question of why pupils want to leave in the first place. “Pupils need help from the start.” she says. “It’s a two-way process – schools must be responsive. We need to look at the reasons for truancy rather than the number, so that instead of walking away from school, students have the skills and chances to talk through problems and make a change.”What is one of the reasons for school truancy according to James’ study?
A.Truants are fallen behind in their studies. |
B.Truants have no interest in school subjects. |
C.Truants have more interesting things to do. |
D.Truants are not satisfied with the teachers. |
The underlined phrase “taking a hard line” (paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to“”.
A.experiencing a problem with | B.having a strict attitude towards |
C.finding it difficult to solve | D.having little success with |
By citing Adam's remark, James wants to show that.
A.school education is not efficient and needs improvement |
B.it’s a popular belief that occasional truancy won't cause much harm |
C.school truancy is becoming more serious and needs more concern |
D.even good students may sometimes need a break from school |
What is Philippa James’ suggestion to schools?
A.Schools should solve the problem of teachers. |
B.Schools should be more active in helping beginner truants. |
C.Schools should have a better control of hidden truants. |
D.Schools should find out who truant and how they it. |
With only fish and birds for company, Eric Erden has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in his 23-foot-long boat since he left California on July 10, 2009.
But crossing the Pacific is only part of his incredible journey. Eric has decided to go all the way around the world using only his own energy. He will row, bike, and walk without help from any motors at all. Oh, and his plan includes climbing the tallest peak on six of the continents along the way, to honour the memory of a fellow climber.
He says he is doing this to show kids that they can achieve any goal, but he hopes to have some great adventures along the way.
As a solo traveller, Eric has already faced disappointments and challenges. Because he has to row about ten hours a day, he brought along an MP3 player to listen to music and pass the time. Unfortunately, the nearly daily tropical rain for several months has forced him to keep his player packed away where it's safe and dry.
Storms and huge wave wind regularly force him in the wrong direction and even threaten to overturn his boat. “Sometimes I really feel scared,” says a somewhat embarrassed Eric. “But that’s all part of the journey. I knew this wouldn’t be easy when I started. That's why I gave myself two years to finish.”
Protein bars(蛋白棒) give him energy, and he boils water to heat freeze-dried meals on a one-burner stove. A solar-powered machine removes salt from ocean water so he can drink it, but only when the sun shines. When that fails he sometimes tries to collect rainwater in buckets.
He’s not bothered by any of the hardships. Eric sees the world as a laboratory where there is much to learn. And when his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people - especially children. He has already visited several schools and shared his story.Why is Eric making this trip?
A.To encourage children to reach for their goal. |
B.To learn more about the world around us. |
C.To have many great adventures in strange lands. |
D.To honour the memory of a fellow climber. |
What does Eric plan to do on each of the six continents he will visit?
A.Visit schools to share his story. |
B.Study the culture of the local people. |
C.Climb the tallest mountain. |
D.Cycle from one end to the other. |
When does Eric expect to finish his journey?
A.July 2009. | B.June 2010. |
C.January 2011. | D.July 2011. |
Which of the following words best describes Eric’s character?
A.Determined. | B.Intelligent. |
C.Fearless. | D.Lonely. |