Icelanders have a beautiful tradition of giving books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. This custom is so deeply rooted in the culture that it is the reason for Christmas Book Flood, when the majority of books in Iceland are sold between September and December in preparation for Christmas giving.

“Books get attention here.” Says Baldur Bjarnason, a researcher who has written about the Icelandic book industry.

The small Nordic island, with a population of only 329,000 people, is extraordinarily literary (文学的). They love to read and write. According to a BBC article, “The country has more writers, more books published and more books read, per head, than anywhere else in the world… One in 10 Icelanders will publish a book.”

It seems there is more value placed on physical, paper books than in North America, where e-books have grown in popularity. One bookstore manager said, “The book in Iceland is such an enormous gift-you give a physical book. You don’t give e-books here.” The book industry is driven by the majority of people buying several books each year, rather than the North American pattern of a few people buying lots of books.

It sounds like a wonderful tradition, perfect for a winter evening. It is something that I would love to incorporate (吸收) into my own family’s celebration of Christmas.

1.What do Icelanders do on Christmas Eve?

A. They give books to each other and read books.

B. They buy a lot of books to read.

C. They check the mailboxes and send cards to friends.

D. They get together and sing Christmas songs together.

2.How many people in Iceland can be described as writers?

A. 329,000 B. 32,900

C. 3,290 D. 3,290,000

3.What is the difference between Icelanders and North Americas on buying books?

A. People in Iceland never buy e-books.

B. People in North America never buy physical books.

C. A few people buy a large number of books in North America.

D. In Iceland, everyone buys a large number of books each year.

When home is far away, the sense of ease and belonging that so many people feel can transform into painful feelings of longing, commonly known as homesickness. Along with feelings of insecurity, loss of control and nervousness, physical effects, including sleep issues, tiredness and loss of appetite, are also caused by homesickness. 1.Check them out below:

●Realize that feeling homesick is 100 percent normal.

Almost everyone experiences homesickness when moving to a new place—some people might just be better at hiding it. 2.Homesickness is a normal and evolutionarily healthy reaction.

●Make connections with new people in comfortable settings.

Feeling homesick when separated from loved ones motivates people to be with those supportive people. 3. When making new connections, it's best to stick to the style that works for you in order to ease homesickness.

4.

This point is vital and also one of the hardest to accomplish. Self-compassion is loving yourself just as you love the ones you care about. The most important step in practicing self-compassion is substituting negative, critical and, sometimes, automatic thoughts about yourself with thoughts that are more supportive and kind.

●Keep tabs on your negativity.

It's also useful to ask yourself how much of your homesickness is due to an event, such as being separated from loved ones, and how much is from how you're understanding a situation.5.A positive outlook on a situation can do wonders for your mood, but it often can be hard to practice. You can silence negative thoughts in many ways, including reciting positive mantras(祷文), keeping a journal or even taking a walk in a park.

If you're dealing with feelings of homesickness, remember you're not alone. Even though there's no place like home, give yourself some time and care, and you might find yourself falling in love with a new place.

A. Learn to help others.

B. Practice self-compassion.

C. Being homesick is abnormal.

D. Being homesick is not a sign of personal shortcoming.

E. We gathered a few psychologist-backed tips to help ease homesickness.

F. Taking a step back is recommended, instead of falling into the trap of a negative outlook.

G. But keep in mind that everyone is different when it comes to forming those new relationships.

Victor’s hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like England, Canada and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That’s right—stamps.

Victor’s favorite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2004. He only needed one. That was a 1974 special edition*. It was very hard to find.

He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and relatives to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Victor very sad.

“Don’t worry. Never give up,” his father said to him. “If you have enough patience, you’ll find it one day.”

“I hope so,” Victor said.

Victor also liked writing. He had a pen friend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Victor’s pen friend, Phillip, usually used new stamps to send letters. Sometimes, his mother gave him stamps to use. Once Phillip’s mother gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Victor received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked carefully at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Victor was so happy. He told his sister, his mother and his father.

“You see,” his father said. “You did find your stamp. So, it’s good to have two things in life. ”

“What are they?” Victor asked.

“Friends and patience.” He answered.

1.It was very difficult for Victor to find a special French stamp of _________.

A. 1954 B. 1974

C. 1994 D. 2004

2.Who owned the special edition stamp at the very beginning?

A. Phillip. B. Phillip’s mother.

C. Victor. D. Victor’s father.

3.The passage mainly tells us that ________ is(are)important to people.

A. a happy family B. a good hobby

C. relatives and friendship D. friends and patience

When you’re working your way through one of life’s storms, it is human nature to focus on getting back to normal, to “bounce back” as quickly as possible to a place where things are calm, familiar and comfortable.

However, actually it is unrealistic to think we can ever truly return emotionally and intelligently to where we were before the storm because every experience changes us in some way. For example, when we experience a major health scare, possibly involving some hospital time, we can never go back to being the person we were before the event even if we fully recover because we have experienced firsthand the fragility(脆弱) of life, not to mention coming face to face with death.

So, now that we can never return, what should we do?

Consider this …how is it that two people can be faced with the same hardship and while one becomes hopeless and feels anger and upset, the other is able to overcome their circumstances and grow stronger than ever as a result of the experience?

At one extreme, we may choose to accept the role of unlucky victim, or become trapped in the “Why is it always me!” negative and frustrating(令人沮丧的) situations. Either way is the result of a fixed mindset(思维模式) that is resistant to growth and change. If this is your approach to life, you will be far less likely to be active in effectively managing change and recovering from bad situations.

But there is another choice. If you are honest enough, you may consider what was once “normal” for you was just the main cause of your storm. You can choose to hug change and uncertainty and learn to grow forward through all of your experiences. Of course, this means doing the work to develop the skills and habits that will enable you to handle life’s occasional storms.

In conclusion, it is up to each of us to choose the meaning we apply to our situations at all times. Different choices will lead to different lives. Of course you can grow forward if you are determined to choose live a positive life regardless of whatever hardships you are facing.

1.What does the author try to convey with the example in the second paragraph?

A. We will understand life much better after an escape from death.

B. It usually takes a long time to recover from a health problem.

C. It’s unlikely to return to where we were after certain events.

D. We can recover from an emotional problem much more easily.

2.When faced with hardships, some people choose to be a victim because of ________.

A. their terrible experiences B. their negative thoughts

C. their poor health D. their bad luck

3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To advise us to manage bad emotions.

B. To persuade us to get back to normal.

C. To offer us useful skills to work with.

D. To encourage us to overcome hardships.

4.If you’re determined to grow forward you have to ________.

A. experience life’s fragility B. welcome uncertainty and change

C. develop new skills and habits D. overcome the fear of death

Body language is extremely important when it comes to making good first impressions.It's always helpful to know what body cues show you in a positive light,especially during interviews or networking when you're meeting someone for the first time.1.Keep these tips in mind when you're interacting with another person.

Smile slowly.If you're too quick to come to a smile,your expression may not look genuine.Real smiles happen gradually,but remember not to do it too slowly because it can also look creepy.2.

3.When you're nervous or excited,your voice may come out in a higher pitch.Take a deep breath and lower your pitch,because a deeper voice is considered to have more authority and confidence.In fact,even dogs respond better to deeper voices when you are trying to give them a command.

Make eye contact.4.Don't go overboard and gaze without breaking eye contact,because that can make people feel uncomfortable.Spend the majority of the time making eye contact,but remember to briefly take breaks.

Lean.Move your body slightly forward toward the person you're talking to.5.However,if you want to show that you're relaxed,lean back a little bit.Don't overdo the leaning or it may either look like you have no idea of what personal space is if you lean forward too much or make you look uninterested and uppity if you lean too far back.

A.Have good posture.

B.Speak in a deeper voice.

C.This reflects interest.

D.Do your best to imitate a natural smile by practicing in the mirror.

E.It can make a difference and even make you more likeable.

F.When talking to someone,making eye contact shows interest and also confidence.

G.It can make you look less professional and less confident and enthusiastic.

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