Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. Many others and I

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Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. Many others and I have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot. My words for last year were“passion”, “focus”and“delegate”and I stayed true to them. This year, 2013, my goals are more personal and less professional.
FOCUS
Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I’m too much of a multitasker. The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer, all my projects were handled via a schedule, I’m putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule.
HEALTH
I get so busy taking care of everyone else, and I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check, not only for me but because I promised my 9-year-old son. I’ll make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss being thin, and it’s time to get it back.
CELEBRATE
What good is having it if I’m not taking time to enjoy it? I have a wonderful job, a happy family, and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working? Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years, the best thing I’ve done for myself and my family in a long time. This year, I’m making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings.
Do you have any words for 2013?
小题1:The underlined word “multitasker” probably refers to a person who　　　.

A．makes a living by writing

B．always fails to finish a task on time

C．has several things to do at the same time

D．pays more attention to fitness and housekeeping

小题2: Why does the writer have“HEALTH”as one of his three words?

A．He wants to take better care of others.

B．He’s gaining weight and feeling bad.

C．He did not take any exercise in the past.

D．He got the idea from his son.

小题3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．The word“CELEBRATE”can remind the writer to enjoy life.

B．The writer has a vacation with his family every four years.

C．The word“FOCUS”can help the writer focus on his family.

D．The writer used to be overweight for lack of exercise.

小题4:The best title for the passage might be　　　.

A．Three Words for 2013

B．Health Should Go First

C．Keep Organized

D．Goals for 2013

答案

小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:A

解析

作者介绍了2013年自己的三个重要单词: focus, health, celebrate, 说明了选择这三个单词的原因。
小题1:选C。词义猜测题。从第二段的句子The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. 可知这个单词是“一次有很多任务的人”。
小题2:选B。细节理解题。从第三段的句子My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check可知作者的健康和体重出了问题。
小题3:选A。细节理解题。从倒数第二段的句子I’m making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings可知celebrate这个词提醒作者要享受生活。
小题4:选A。推理判断题。从最后一段的句子Do you have any words for 2013? 可知这篇文章讲的是2013年的三个单词。

举一反三

NO matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you’ll see Lonely Planet guidebooks in the hands of travelers.

Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. This year marks the company’s 40th anniversary. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts, all dedicated to travel.
Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They save you time and keep you from missing the very best things in a place. And of course, their reviews of hostels, hotels and restaurants, in addition to ticket information about your destination, are useful.
This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map, directing the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.
But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自发性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also lament(哀叹)that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same things and having the same experiences as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same trail.
Another criticism of travel guides is that they have an overly(过度的)large influence on local communities. For example, some locals dedicate their lives solely(仅仅)to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They fake a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses just to attract tourists’ dollars.
小题1:The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that　　　.

A．it can help you to save time and money when traveling

B．you will not miss the best things without having to make choices

C．it provides a lot of useful information about your destination

D．you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city

小题2:Who will find a Lonely Planet guidebook very useful?

A．Someone who always takes a taxi when traveling.

B．A tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences.

C．A person who’s nervous touring an unfamiliar place.

D．A native traveler who is traveling alone.

小题3:People criticize the guidebook because　　　.

A．the guidebook is not as useful as most travelers expect

B．travelers using it will be bored with meeting the same people on their journey

C．travelers using it may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures

D．local people keep their old lifestyle under the guidebook’s influence

小题4:What does the underlined word“fake”in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．mistake　　

B．learn　　

C．pretend　　

D．create

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小题1:You will save around________ against the cover price with Continuous Renewal Guarantee in
two years．

A．$46

B．$73

C．$23

D．$71

小题2:Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A．If you stop the continuous renewal，you can’t take the money back．

B．If you continue to subscribe it，the former service will expire．

C．If you want to stop the service，you can visit the website to cancel it．

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小题3:We can know from the advertisement ＿＿＿＿.

A．only readers in America call get the discount

B．1-year subscription covers 12 issues and free delivery

C．all subscribers will be guaranteed to get free iPad editions

D．if you Pay money，you can access the digital edition without limit

小题4:What is the purpose of the advertisement?

A．To sell Reader’s Digest Digital Edition．

B．To offer customer service to readers．

C．To introduce subscription to Reader"s Digest．

D．To recommend continuous renewal subscription．

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Dr．Ferguson energetically pushed the preparations for his departure，and in person directed the construction of his balloon．For a long time past he had been applying himself to the study of the Arab language and the various Mandingoe idioms，and，thanks to his talents in language，he had made rapid progress．

In the meanwhile，his friend，the sportsman，never let him out of
his sight-afraid，no doubt，that the doctor might take his departure，without saying a word to anybody．On this subject，he tried to discourage him with the most persuasive arguments，which，however，did NOT persuade Samuel Ferguson，and wasted his breath，by which the latter seemed to be but slightly moved．In fine，Dick felt that the doctor was slipping through his fingers．
The poor Scot was really to be pitied．He could not look upon the
blue sky without a wild terror: when asleep，he felt dizziness(眩晕)that made his head turn around；and every night he had visions of crashing down from immeasurable heights．
We must add that，during these nightmares，he once or twice fell out of bed. His first care then was to show Ferguson a severe bump(肿块)that he had received on the fall．“And yet，”he
would add，with warmth，“that was at the height of only three feet一not an inch more一and such a bump as this! Only think，then!”
This appeal，full of sad meaning as it was，did not seem to touch the doctor"s heart．Not even the shadow of a doubt was ever suggested；and Samuel made an intolerable misuse of the first person plural：“‘Our’balloon，‘our’ car ；‘our’expedition.”
Dick trembled at them，although he was determined not to go ; he did not want to annoy his friend．Let us also disclose the fact that，without knowing exactly why himself，he had sent to Edinburgh for a certain selection of heavy clothing，and his best hunting-tools and fire-arms．
小题1:Why did Dr．Ferguson start to learn new languages?

A．To keep himself occupied．

B．To get ready for the departure．

C．To show his talent in language．

D．To Know more about balloon construction．

小题2:We Call infer from the passage that Dick ＿＿＿＿.

A．suffered from a disease during the nights

B．got hurt in a fall from the balloon in the evening

C．decided to take the adventure with the doctor at last

D．equipped himself with arms to frighten his friend

小题3:Which word best describes Dr．Ferguson’s attitude towards his balloon flight?

A．Excited．

B．Optimistic．

C．Worried.

D．Determined

小题4:What’s the writing pattern of the passage?

A．News．

B．Fiction．

C．Journal．

D．Biography．

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In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves.There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asia societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have.
小题1:The writer’s purpose of writing this passage is .

A．to share his idea with others in a new way

B．to introduce two different systems of education through contrast

C．to criticize the society that values memorization

D．to prepare students for society

小题2:Which is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East

B．Japanese students learn much more about science than American students.

C．Canadian students are more individual than Korean students.

D．Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia.

小题3:From the facts, we can infer that .

A．Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students

B．Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students

C．the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system.

D．the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system.

小题4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System.

B．The Value of Individualism.

C．Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West.

D．Memorization-an Important Learning Method.

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Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us，shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me．it"s something I would rather avoid．Thank goodness for the Internet! It"s more convenient to buy CDs，electrical items，even food，from the comfort of your sofa．But that’s not the only reason：price is an important factor．We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy．This has led to a type of shopping called “showrooming”．
Showrooming is something I"ve done．I will go to a shop to see，touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock—down price．I"m not alone in doing this．Research by a company called Foolproof，found 24％of people showroomed while Christmas shopping in 2013．
Amy Cashman，Head of Technology at TNS UK，says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that“people are lacking time，lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying．”She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around．
But does this mean technology will kill shops? Certainly shops will change．They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in—store discounts or free girls．
We mustn’t forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare．It’s good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen but at least by showrooming，you get the best of both worlds!
小题1:The two questions in Paragraph l are raised to

A．introduce the topic	B．give two examples
C．compare different opinions	D．get answers from readers

小题2:What does showrooming mean in the text?

A．Trying in shops and buying online．

B．Showing products in a room．

C．Buying something in a store．

D．Shopping on the Internet．

小题3:According to Amy Cashman，which is not the reason for showrooming?

A．The lack of time．	B．The comfort of the sofa．
C．The shortness of money．	D．The security of the product．

小题4:What can be inferred from Paragraph 4 ?

A．Online shops will disappear．

B．Free gifts will surely promote sales．

C．Shops need necessary changes．

D．Shops will be replaced by online shops．

小题5:The author"s attitude towards showrooming is

A．critical

B．neutral

C．supportive

D．casual

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