My students often tell me they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork. My reply is often brief –You have as much time as the president. I usually carry on a bit about there being 24 hours per day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to justify myself to one of my professors by saying that I was working. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant. What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to reflect on the “hard worker” dodge(伎俩), and I have come to some conclusions – all relevant to the issue of how much time we have.
If you look at the matter analytically, you can identify two parts of the problem. There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the issue of “work” during that time, which can vary in intensity. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not diligence but the quality of the product that is important.
That led me to a new idea, the quality of work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office – Don’t work harder but work smarter! There’s a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of work. That means thinking of ways of getting more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “learning habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off across the board in all your studies.From the passage, we know that the author is _____.
| A．a poet | B．an educator |
| C．an editor | D．a director |
We can infer from the first two paragraph that we students _____.
| A．have enough time | B．can meet the president |
| C．get something done well | D．should accept the explanation |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means _____.
| A．That is impossible | B．That is not important |
| C．That is unbearable | D．That is not acceptable |
The main purpose of writing the passage is to give _____.
| A．information | B．encouragement |
| C．criticism | D．advice |
When Steve Jobs was born on Febuary24, 1955, in San Francisco , California, his unmarried mother decided to put him for adoption because she wanted a girl. So in the middle of the night, his mother called a lawyer named Paul Jobs and said, “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” But his mother told his future parents to promise that they would send Jobs to college. After Steve Jobs graduated from high school, he went to college but decided to drop out because it was so expensive that he had to sleep on the floor in his friends’ rooms.
At 20, he and a friend(Steve Wozniak) started a company in a garage on April 1, 1976. Jobs named their company ----Apple in memory of a happy summer he had spent as an orchard (果园) in Oregon.
After 10 years of hard time and failures, starting from two kids working in a garage, Apple computer eventually grew into a big company with over 4000 employees.
At 30, Jobs , however, was fired from the company he co-founded. But after he had to leave the company, Apple was under heavy pressure from rival (对手) Microsoft and in 1996 posted billions of dollars in losses. Apple needed Steve Jobs and he was appointed as Apple’ CEO in1997. Under his leadership, Apple returned to profitability and introduced new products such as tthe iPhone and the iPad.
Steve Jobs once said, “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick, Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.Which of the following is right according to paragraph 1?
| A．Jobs’ unmarried mother adopted him. |
| B．Paul Jobs was a college teacher. |
| C．Jobs’ finished his education. |
| D．Jobs’ unmarried mother wanted a girl. |
Steve Jobs didn’t finish his college education because he ______.
| A．wanted to start a company. |
| B．had financial problems. |
| C．took no interest in his major. |
| D．hated to share rooms with his friends. |
It can be inferred that Apple____.
| A．was founded in Oregon |
| B．developed from a garage |
| C．had a difficult beginning |
| D．had a successful beginning |
What can we learn from what Steve Jobs said?
| A．Interest is key to success. |
| B．Hope helps us succeed. |
| C．Attitude is everything. |
| D．Courage goes with confidence. |
The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life. Why does the earth have life while the other planets (行星) don't? For one thing, the earth is just the right temperature. As the_third_planet from the sun, the earth seems to be just the right distance away. The planets which are closer to the sun are hot that their surfaces bake (烘烤) in the sun. The farthest planets are cold balls.
When the earth developed — which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago — many gases covered the earth. The gases caused the earth to be hot. But something wonderful happened. The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form. It rained very hard for a very long time. This gave the earth its oceans. Water made it possible for plants to grow. The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe.
Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth. That planet is Mars (火星). Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. But it is not too cold for humans. On some days, the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States. If you wore a special space suit, you could walk around on Mars. You would have to bring your own air to breathe, the air on Mars is too thin to breathe.
Mars has the largest volcano (火山) in the solar system. It is sixteen miles high. The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high. The most unexpected (未预测到的) sight on Mars is dried up river beds. Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now. Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars? Scientists are not sure, but there has been no sign so far.Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life?
| A．The earth is just the right temperature. |
| B．The volcanos on earth are lower than those on Mars. |
| C．There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth. |
| D．The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun. |
The underlined phrase “the third planet” in the first paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the Sun | B．the Moon |
| C．the Earth | D．the Mars |
Which of the following about the Mars is NOT true?
| A．There could have been living things on Mars. |
| B．Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system. |
| C．There is almost no oxygen in the air on Mars. |
| D．Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. |
There are a number of different ways to study a language, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. You may find a combination of these is a best choice for you.
If you can find a course in the language you want to learn in your country, this is quite a good way to study. A variety of courses are usually available, including part-time and full-time courses. If you look around, you can probably find a course that suits your needs.
The main advantage of such courses is that you’ll have a teacher to provide you with instructions, support and with whom to practice your language. You will also be studying with others who are at more or less the same level and you can exchange ideas with them and help one another.
One choice is to study a language in a country where it’s spoken. There are many schools teaching English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, but far fewer teaching other languages. The main advantage of studying abroad is that you are totally in the language, not just in class, but the rest of the time as well. As a result, you can make rapid progress.
The main disadvantage of studying abroad is the cost, not just of your course, but also of your food and travel. However, if you’re a native speaker of English, you could get a job teaching English in a country where the language you want to learn is spoken.
Studying online is also a good choice. There are plenty to choose from a lot of languages. Many are free but there are some you have to pay for. Some of the paid ones provide support from teachers via email, chat programs, video conferencing, telephone or even face to face.Studying in your country has many advantages except that _____.
| A．there are many courses to choose from |
| B．you can study with others of the same level |
| C．all the courses are free of charge |
| D．the teacher can offer you instructions and practice |
Compared with two other ways, the obvious disadvantage of studying abroad lies in its _____.
| A．various courses | B．high cost | C．studying time | D．job chances |
The online courses ________.
| A．are all free of charge |
| B．can’t be found everywhere |
| C．can be easily taken on the Internet |
| D．are all supported by teachers |
What can we learn from this passage? ________
| A．Studying abroad is the only good way to study English. |
| B．All the online courses are very easy to study. |
| C．If you study a language in your own country, you can study with more partners of the same level. |
| D．You can get any job you like after studying abroad. |
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because ______.
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
| D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
The best title for this passage should be ______.
| A．Valentine’s Day | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine’s Day in China | D．A Romantic Man |
The aims of the Illustrators(插图画家)Exhibition，staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair，organized by BolognaFiere and held from 19 to 22．March 2012，are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers．
QUALIFICATIONS
*Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, if they were born before 31st December l994，whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books，are qualified to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools．
*Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Non-fiction Category．Illustrators may only enter one category.
*Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be re-entered．
*The confirmation form must be filled in and a photograph attached, then presented together with illustrations no later than 26 September 2011．
SHIPMENT
Entries may be delivered by post，express delivery service or by hand．From abroad，please use the following forms：Form “A” for registered mail or post by air；Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline.
To avoid deiays, material should not be sent by normal post．Material should be sent “carriage paid”，including any customs and delivery costs．
BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the non-arrival or late arrival of artwork．All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number，publisher’s name and address．
REQUIREMENTS
The illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed (超过) the following dimensions：
Fiction：32*42cm(or 42*32cm)
Non-fiction：50*70cm(70*50cm)
Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered，nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere．The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board，maximum thickness 2mm(for scanner separation purposes).
SELECTIONPROCESS
All artwork received by the stated deadtine and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group(whose decision is final)，inclnding five members(from publishing houses and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.
ANNUAL
Each illustrator selected by the Committee will be granted two pages in the Annual，for the reproduction of all or some of the illustrations as well as a space for the bibliography(参考书目). BotognaFiere has the fight to choose the works to be published in the Annual and to make complete or partial reproductions．
EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
After the Bologna event，the illustrator Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY．The illustrator exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues(场馆)in other countries，The Exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the illustrator Exhibition，and the provision(条款)of the regulations are extended to tile organizers of the exhibitions held abroad．
RETURN OF ARTWORK
All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere by the end of July 2012．According to the text，the Illustrators Exhibitions
| A．will last five days in all in July every other year |
| B．is intended for college students who are good at painting |
| C．is held by the Bologna Children's Book Fair |
| D．can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers |
The illustrators of the Illustrators Exhibitions
| A．should be at least 16 and no more than 25 |
| B．may re-enter their artwork after it is returned |
| C．should state the category of their artwork clearly |
| D．may choose to attach a photo to the application form |
Which of the following is unacceptable for delivering entries?
| A．Normal post． | B．Airline post． |
| C．Registered mail． | D．Express delivery． |
What is BolognaFiere responsible for?
| A．Paying for the delivery costs． |
| B．Late arrival of artwork． |
| C．Confirmation of the ISBN number． |
| D．Returning the illustrator’s works． |
The Illustrators’ works will not be considered if they
| A．are received after the day of 26 September 2011 |
| B．are smaller than the size 32*42cm |
| C．are thinner than 2mm |
| D．don’t meet the demands of the international cxperts |