In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach threw me into embarrassment

In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).

Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.

Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.

Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.

What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class,I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.

When Mrs. Totten reached my desk,she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered,and my face felt warm.

“Correct,” she said.It turned out that the correct answer was zero.

What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third,I would never make it as a mathematician.

If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.

1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?

A.It is wise to value one’s time.

B. It is important to make an effort

C.It is right to stick to one’s belief.

D. It is enough to do the necessary.

2.Usually, Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.

A. recite their homework together

B. grade their homework themselves

C. answer their homework questions orally

D. check the answers to their homework questions

3.The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.

A. asked questions in a regular way

B. walked up and down when asking questions

C. chose two or three questions for the students

D. requested her students to finish their usual questions

4. The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.

A. the class didn’t begin as usual

B. several students didn’t come to school

C. he didn’t try hard to make his estimate

D. Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class

When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be very difficult to let go of your grudge. But forgiveness is possible and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive have more energy, better appetite (胃口) and better sleep. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness,” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the wear and tear(消耗) on our body and make people feel more energetic.”
So when someone has hurt you, calm down first. Take plenty of breath deeply and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. “Many times the person who hurts you may never think of apologizing,” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time.” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who makes you angry. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective(视角). You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance, fear, even love. To gain perspective, you may write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.

1.The underlined word “grudge” in the first paragraph most probably means _________.

A. understanding B. forgiveness

C. pity D. anger

2.According to the writer, what is the right way to calm down after being hurt?

A. Try to make sure why you get hurt.

B. Write a letter to the person who hurt you.

C. Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt.

D. Tell yourself to accept what others have done to you.

3.Dr. Luskin advises us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because ______.

A. people seldom want to apologize

B. we’d feel worse accepting others’ apology

C. we are not patient enough

D. people don’t mean it when they apologize

4.This passage is mainly written to explain _______.

A. how to keep yourself from being hurt

B. why and how to forgive others

C. how and when to stay calm

D. how to stay mentally healthy

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

For better or for worse, school is filled with writing homework. Good writing is important for getting a good grade. 1. Luckily, anyone can improve his or her writing with the right guidance and a little practice. Here are four easy tips to help you improve your writing skills:

1. Organize your thoughts first.

Good writers outline their thoughts before starting putting their pens to paper or hands to a keyboard. Firstly, write out each main topic. Next, list subtopics(小标题) beneath much main topic. Lastly, put the topics and subtopics into a logical(符合逻辑的) order. 2.

2. Take a standpoint.

Most writing homework asks you to take a position on what you're writing about. 3. Your thesis(论点) should determine the content of your writing homework. The stronger your thesis is, and the better you back up your thesis with related information, the stronger your writing will be overall.

3. Don't copy others' homework.

4. Most teachers use detective software to catch copycats in the act. Students found copying are usually punished and what's worse, even dismissed(开除).

5.

Some students finish writing a passage and then give it to their teachers without checking it. This is a huge mistake. It's likely that there are mistakes that need to be corrected. Additionally, one's work can always be bettered and improved.

Happy writing!

A. Look over and correct.

B. Keep a dictionary handy.

C. This main idea is called a “thesis”.

D. However, it’s still a skill many students struggle with.

E. Use this outline to give shape to your writing homework.

F. And all good writing is organized with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

G. Trying to use others’ ideas as your own can get you into serious trouble.

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

If you go to Ethiopia,you’ll find a strange palm-like structure,which is called Warka Water.It gathers water from fog and condensation(水珠)and is invented by an Italian firm.

When Italian designer Arturo Vittori and Swiss architect Andreas Vogler first visited Ethiopia in 2012,they were shocked to see women and children forced to walk miles to access what,for them,had always been within easy reach,water.

Only 34 percent of Ethiopians have access to a reliable water supply.Some travel for up to six hours a day to fetch some or,even worse,have to use pond water polluted by human waste,subject to the spread of disease.

Worldwide,about 768 million people—two and a half times the U.S.population—don’t have access to safe drinking water.So just imagine if we could just pull water out of thin air?That’s what Vittori and Vogler asked once they saw the severe problem and promised to take action.Their firm,Architecture and Vision,has since come up with Warka Water,a grand palm-like structure that may look like something you’d see in a modern art museum,but it’s been designed to harvest water from the air.

Warka Water,which is named after an Ethiopian fig tree,is composed of a 30-foot bamboo frame containing a fog-harvesting nylon net that can catch water easily,can be easily lowered for repairs and allow communities to measure the water level.Collecting water through condensation is hardly a new technique,but the creators of Warka Water say their tree-inspired design is more effective,maximizing surface and perfecting every angle to produce up to 26 gallons of drinkable water a day—enough for a family of seven.

Western organizations have been working to provide clean water access in Africa for decades,so Warka Water joins a very long list of earlier attempts.So far,high-tech solutions,like the once promising Playpump,have failed,mostly due to high costs and maintenance issues.

This is where Warka Water stands apart—a lower-tech solution that is easy to repair and far more affordable than digging wells in the rocky Ethiopian plateau.

1.What does the underlined phrase “subject to” in the third paragraph most probably mean?

A.owing to B.opposite to

C.sensitive to D.giving rise to

2.Warka Water is designed mainly to .

A.gather clean water efficiently

B.reduce water supply costs

C.simplify maintenance

D.preserve water supplies

3.According to the sixth paragraph,what caused Playpump to fail?

A.Lack of advanced technology

B.Unsuccessful designs

C.Lack of money and maintenance issues

D.Unreasonable structures

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