I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And   36    assigned(指定)a seat by the teacher, I always   37  to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this   38  after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy  39   because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the  40   to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “  41  for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.

   Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the   42   of it! When I first started  43    the practice sessions(练习赛), I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much   44  what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get    45   and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.   46   , I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to   47   on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t    48  “just yet”. 

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the   49  and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive   50  in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the   51   — friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!

With my   52   self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from   “53” in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself,   54   raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent   55  I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

1.A. as            B. until             C. though              D. unless

2.A. hoped         B. agreed           C. chose               D. meant

3.A. continued      B. changed          C. settled              D. started

4.. A. idea           B. plan             C. belief               D. saying

5.. A. right          B. chance           C. patience             D. ability

6. A. going          B. looking          C. cheering             D. applying

7.. A. point          B. half             C. rest                 D. basis

8. A. enjoying       B. preparing        C. attending             D. watching

9.. A. further         B. later            C. worse               D. less

10.. A. confused       B. motivated       C. embarrassed           D. committed

11.. A. Interestingly    B. Fortunately      C. Obviously            D. hopefully

12. A. try            B. act             C. focus                D. rely

13.A. want          B. do             C. support               D. know

14. A. rules          B. orders          C. steps                D. games

15.. A. roles          B. part           C. mind                D. value

16.. A. movement      B. operation       C. process              D. situation

17.. A. expressed      B. improved       C. preserved             D. recognized

18.A. dreaming       B. playing         C. relaxing           D. hiding

19.. A. to            B. for            C. with               D. by

20.A. lucky         B. happy          C. sure               D. satisfied

 

A federal agency on Tuesday called for a ban on all cellphone use by drivers -- the most far-reaching recommendation up to now — saying its decision was based on a decade of investigations into distraction-related(与分散注意力有关的) accidents, as well as growing concerns that powerful mobile devices are giving drivers even more reasons to look away from the road.

As part of its recommendation, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to ban drivers from using hands-free devices, including wireless headsets. No state now has made laws to ban such activity, but the Board said that drivers faced serious risks from talking on wireless headsets, just as they do by taking a hand off the wheel to hold a phone to their ears.

However, the concern was heightened by increasingly powerful phones that people can use to send e-mails, watch movies and play games.

"Every year, new devices are being on sale." she said. "People are attracted to update their Facebook page, to play music with cellphone, as if sitting at a desk. But they are driving a car."

The agency based its recommendation on evidence from its investigation of numerous crashes in which electronic distraction was a major contributing factor.

Ms. Hersman said she understood that this recommendation would be unwelcome in some circles, given the number of drivers who talk and text. But she compared distracted driving to drunken driving and even smoking, which required wholesale cultural shifts to change behavior.

"It's going to be very unpopular with some people." she said. "We're not here to win a popularity contest. We're here to do the right thing. This is a difficult recommendation, but it's the right recommendation and it is time."

The agency's recommendation is not required for states to adopt such a ban. And it won't likely be agreed upon by state lawmakers who are unwillingly to anger those who have grown accustomed to using their device behind the wheel.

The ban also deserves attention because it is the first call by a federal agency to end the practice completely, rather than the partial ban that some lawmakers have put in place by allowing hands-free talking.

1.The ban on all cellphone use by drivers was put forward______.

A.after a long discussion and recommendation

B.after about ten years' investigation in it

C.because of the most powerful mobile devices

D.for the reason of heading away from the road

2.From the second paragraph we know that now______.

A.it is legal to use wireless headsets while driving

B.wireless headsets are illegal in some states

C.it is safe to talk on wireless headsets while driving

D.hands-free devices can be used in some states

3.We can know from the passage that______.

A.electronic distraction resulted in numerous crashes

B.numerous crashes were caused by drunk driving

C.electronic distraction contributed much to the ban

D.the recommendation was based on electronic distraction

4.Ms Hersman thinks that distracted driving, drunken driving and smoking______.

A.are just common behaviors

B.can be shifted to behaviors

C.are behaviors to be changed

D.are just cultural behaviors

5.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A.Cellphone Ban inCars

B.Valuable Ban for Cellphones

C.Drivers Ban Cellphones

D.Cellphone Ban while Driving

 

I've been writing for most of my life. The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one difference and one practice that have greatly helped my writing processes. The difference is between the creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to use both of the creative mind and the critical (批判) mind to reach a finished result,they cannot work in parallel (平行,并行) no matter how much we might like to think so.

 Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest trouble with writing that most of us meet. If you are listening to a 5th grade English teacher correcting your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting(稍纵即逝的)thought, the thought will die. If you catch the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking as it is.

 The practice that can help you overcome your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls“free writing”. In free writing, the goal is to get words down on paper non-stop,usually for 15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The aim is to get the words flowing. As the words begin to flow,the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen.

 Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you’ve persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely,you will believe that this will take more time than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.

 Instead of staring at a blank start and filling it with words no matter how bad they could be,stop halfway through your available time and rework your raw writing into something closer to the finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.

1. When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind“cannot work in parallel”in the writing process,he means _______.

A. no one can be both creative and critical               

B. they can’t be regarded as equally important

C. they are in constant conflict with each other 

D. one cannot use them at the same time

2. What usually prevents people from writing on is _______.

A. putting their ideas in raw form             B. attempting to edit as they’re writing

C. ignoring grammatical problems            D. trying to capture their fleeting thoughts

3. What is the chief purpose of the first stage of writing?

A. To organize one’s thoughts logically.     B. To choose an appropriate topic.

C. To get one’s ideas down quickly.           D. To collect many more raw materials.

4.In what way does the critical mind help the writer in the writing process?

A. It refines(improves) his writing into a better shape. 

B. It helps him to come up with new ideas.

C. It saves the writing time available to him.

D. It allows him to sit on the side and observe.

 

Eat to Excel

 

How fit are you? Do you look after yourself? Do you eat healthily or do you eat anything you like? Premier League football club Aston Villa are encouraging their players and local children to eat healthy food. They know that what you eat is the key to success.

How fit is a footballer?

Could you run ten kilometers in 90 minutes? A professional footballer can. Footballers have to be strong, quick, skillful and creative in their moves. Every Premier League club makes sure it has a good coaching scheme and a well-planned fitness program. They also ensure that players have the practice and training that will prepare them for matches. What else do you think clubs pay special attention to? A good stadium? Anything else? What about the food they eat?

Eating the right thing

A good diet is a fundamental part of sport these days. Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill’s sport and health experts have chosen a secret weapon --- organic food (food grown without chemicals). Fitness manager Jim Henry eats with his players and said: “I chose to switch to organic food for Aston Villa because I’ve read studies showing that organic food has higher levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.” He believes that the best way to get these is to eat the very best fresh food.

What to eat after the match

Head chef at Aston Villa, lan Edge, feeds players with the best food as soon as they finish an away match. He says: “Food is very important to sports stars and particularly after a game. There is an hour of opportunity when they need to eat to get the best muscle strength, so I hand out meals on the coach on the way home. If we can make one per cent difference to the players by using organic food, then it is worth it.”

Teaching healthy eating

Everyone at Aston Villa enjoys organic food at their training ground. But the club is also worried about the unhealthy diet among local children who prefer sweets and unhealthy fast food. As part of their work in the community, Aston Villa has opened up their kitchen and invited children from local schools to come and learn how to cook with the help of the Villa head chef. Villa midfielder, Nigel ReoCoker, visited the children on the opening day. “The kitchen promotes healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.” he said.

A final word from the kitchen

Head chef Ian says: “Footballers know how important food is to their profession and nine times out of ten, they go for the healthiest option.” Do you watch your diet? If you do and you keep yourself fit, you can be a winner!

1.Every Premier League Club provides footballers with ______________.

A. a good coach

B. a fitness center

C. proper practice and training

D. a delicious diet

2.According to Jim Henry, ___________________.

A. he believes the studies he has read about organic food

B. he will only eat organic food with his players

C. he thinks food is especially important after a game

D. he chose organic food as a secret weapon for footballers

3.We can learn from the passage that ___________________.

A. people can make one percent difference to players by using organic food

B. only a few footballers pay attention to the healthy eating

C. footballers in Aston Villa usually eat on their way to the match

D. footballers in Aston Villa usually eat some food within an hour after a match.

4.Why has Aston Villa invited children from local schools?

A. Because they want to teach kids how to cook delicious food.

B. Because they want to teach kids to play football.

C. Because they are fond of the kids in the community.

D. Because they intend to promote healthy eating.

 

 

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