Most artists have a favorite material they like to work with.For 28-year-old Kristen Alice, it happens to be garbage.The eco-friendly designer uses her incredible talent to transform garbage like empty drink bottles and candy wrappers into charming dresses that sell for thousands of dollars.

Kristen says the idea came to her after she saw how much vaster she and her three college roommates generated on a daily basis.The Fine Arts student began to dream about transforming the deserted bags and packages into beautiful garments.

Her first dress’ made from plastic bags and rolled magazines was strange, fun and even charming.However, she only made it to test her creativity.

The young designer did not consider starting a commercial venture(企业)until she spent a week working at Couture Fashion Week in New York City.There she observed the excitement generated by new and vintage(复古的)looks and decided to see if her unusual idea would result in as much enthusiasm.She began by creating a line of 12 garbage-inspired dresses.They were a huge success.

Today her company that has offices in Palm Beach, Florida and New York City, produces a wide variety of dresses ranging from cocktail dresses to ball gowns (礼服).Kristen, of course, doesn't search garbage cans for her material anymore.Instead, she seeks it from companies that have produced more than they need and are planning to throw away the extras.

However, if you think the garbage-inspired dresses come cheap, think again.The price for ready-made creations retails(零售)from $500 to $1,500.Though that may appear expensive, the designer says she has no shortage of customers.In fact she now even has garbage-inspired clothing for men that includes jackets, ties, trousers and even board shorts! While most of the clothes are strong enough to resist multiple wears, whether they can be cleaned is a little unclear:

1.What made Kristen think of using trash as her favorite material?

A.Her poor living conditions at college.

B.The education from her parents not to waste anything useful.

C.Her roommates' advice of using garbage to replace ordinary material.

D.Her consciousness of environmental protection and trained eyes.

2.Kristen decided to start a commercial venture because

A.she just wanted to test her creativity.

B.she was inspired by the enthusiasm caused by new and vintage dresses.

C.she was driven by the huge profits brought by new fashion.

D.she found there were no unique-looking but affordable clothes in New York.

3.The last two paragraphs are mainly about _ .

A.the success of Kristen's career

B.the advantages and disadvantages of the garbage-inspired clothing

C.what clothing Kristen mainly designed

D.where Kristen got garbage for her clothing

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A.New Use of Garbage

B.A New Trend of Fashion

C.A Talented and Ambitious Fashion Designer

D.Transforming Trash into Wonderful Garments

A

Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave.

He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure.

He crawled into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small diamond. The man took it and gave it to the first person to come by, a woman.

Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”

“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.

The man took him into the cave, where they found a box with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last! At last someone has broken the curse of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have devoted their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here …”

“And why does this happen?” the man asked.

“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave fills with the treasure they bring with them, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts become empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”

From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.

1.Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?

A. Because he possessed a variety of treasure.

B. Because he had to guard the treasure cave.

C. Because he wanted to find the treasure cave.

D. Because he devoted himself to a great test.

2.What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?

A. All kinds of treasure.

B. A handful of jewels.

C. A small emerald.

D. A box with jewels and gold.

3.What do we learn about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?

A. They all filled the cave with the treasure they had.

B. They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone.

C. They all found the cave empty at last.

D. The old man freed them from its spell.

4.What can we learn from the text?

A. Giving makes people healthier and happier than owing.

B. Some people never learn what is really valuable.

C. Treasure only belongs to those who possess it.

D. Different people have different views.

Do you ever feel like you are studying a mad rush of one subject after another? When things happen at such a pace, it is easy to lose sight of what you are learning. It is important to every now and then to think about what you have been learning.

Self reflection(反思)means stopping the mad rush and yourself so that your brain can evaluate what it has already .Some people prefer to do their self reflections _ _, while others keep a journal. Either method can work, depending on what your own personal is.

School textbooks are often divided into units. This can make it for someone to begin the process of self reflection. Watch for the times when you complete a unit of study. Sometimes you are reminded that the unit is _ because there is some kind of test or quiz. Use these natural as opportunities to stop and reflect.

You should find a place---anywhere without noise is OK. This can even be sitting at your desk at school when you finish something and the other students are still working. If you are going to take notes, take out your journal Write down some notes on things that you learned in this unit. Let your mind think about the notes you have written and make some .

Sometimes just pausing to think deeply allows your brain to make connections _ new information can quickly appear when you it again. Next, think about things that you still wonder about. , maybe you learned about a certain body system, but you don't how it works with the other body systems. Maybe you learned a new way to solve a math problem, but you are not sure when to use it. Writing down your will help you remember to continue seeking answers the next time your the same topic.

Self reflection is an essential skill for a student. If you have never taken the time to reflect, try it now.

1.A. fast B. steady C. relaxing D. unique

2.A. change B. check C. stop D. exercise

3.A. calming B. enjoying C. behaving D.helping

4.A. dealt B. forgotten C. found D. received

5.A. personally B. mentally C. slowly D. directly

6.A. pace B. grade C. style D. skill

7.A.quick B. possible C. suitable D. easy

8.A. finished B. divided C. interrupted D. covered

9.A. units B. tests C. breaks D. periods

10.A. quiet B. familiar C. safe D. remote

11.A. early B. correctly C. finally D. independently

12.A. actively B. newly C. rapidly D. carefully

13.A. choices B. decision C. connections D. improvements

14.A. so that B. in case C. even if D. as though

15.A. seek B. share C. show D. need

16.A. In genera B. Of course C. For example D. As usual

17.A. know B. doubt C.believe D. remember

18.A. opinions B. questions C. worries D. methods

19.A. come across B. get through C. think of D. take away

20.A. talented B. young C. serious D. successful

My son Tom taught me a beautiful lesson today. He is three years old and it is amazing watching him grow up.

He called out to me today saying“Papa, sit.” That usually means everything and going next to him and sitting down to play with him. I did that, as he can be stubborn and will not stop calling out until I . He was playing with beads (珠子) , pushing a string through them. Then after he finished playing with the beads, it was time to put back in the box that they are stored in. I saw him pick up each bead, look at it as if it were made of chocolate and then placed it into its box.

With over a hundred beads to go, I was getting . “ What a long time it will take ! Why cannot he grab ten beads in one go and drop them in?” said my anxious mind. I noticed that he did this with as much as he had while we were playing. I didn’t see any difference between his play and his the toy. Obviously he enjoyed both.

Then it suddenly me that this boy was enjoying the whole .The journey was his goal. For him the was in the game and after the game, not just in the fun part. What a great perspective to live each moment as it is the moment; to do each task as it is the most awesome task. Nothing else matters.

Looking at how my son was putting beads into the box me that the process was the goal.

1.A.wastingB.leavingC.takingD.preparing

2.A.fell downB.turned roundC.burst outD.gave in

3.A.gratefullyB.eagerlyC.carefullyD.quickly

4.A.curiousB.satisfiedC.impatientD.energetic

5.A.confidenceB.strengthC.inspirationD.involvement

6.A.putting asideB.giving awayC.putting awayD.setting aside

7.A.occurredB.flashedC.excitedD.struck

8.A.procedureB.processC.experimentD.experience

9.A.victoryB.challengeC.difficultyD.pleasure

10.A.perfectB.urgentC.necessaryD.dangerous

11.A.successfullyB.peacefullyC.responsiblyD.cautiously

12.A.guaranteedB.warnedC.taughtD.promised

My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled(翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.

As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller(耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow corn, and our favorite--- red tomatoes.

As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.

But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be.

For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone’s garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the corner of my eye and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.

1.Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?

A. He wanted to be a garden-crazy like his father.

B. He loved being in the garden with his father.

C. The garden was full of his favorite food.

D. The garden was just freshly tilled.

2.When all the kids started their own families, the author’s father _____.

A. stopped his gardening

B. turned to other hobbies

C. devoted more to gardening

D. focused on planting tomatoes

3.What happened to the garden when the author’s father was seriously ill?

A. There was a great harvest.

B. The garden was almost deserted.

C. No plant grew in the garden at all.

D. The author’s son took charge of the garden.

4.Why did the author start his garden with tomatoes?

A. He wanted to honor his father.

B. His son liked the fields of tomatoes.

C. He only knew how to grow tomatoes.

D. He thought tomatoes were easy to manage.

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