Let’s look back all these years you’ve gone through, what have you done for your life? Are you spending your time wisely to make your life worthwhile? Neal Wu shared some ways we should do to make our short time of life meaningful, find out what you need to do next:

a. Make friends as opposed to networking

Your friends will go a lot further than the professional contacts you make, especially since only one of the two groups is invested in your personal happiness.

b. Become an expert by learning as much as you can and deeply seeking out the things you are curious about

Find the things you enjoy and practice the skills you want to develop. If you can achieve expertise then it will be easy to obtain an audience.

c. Volunteer to help out those less fortunate

In the process you will gain a ton of new perspective and will better understand other people’s real problems. In a society that always looks upward, these people are being forgotten easily.

d. Become as independent as possible

Even though you work in a big company, you should constantly make small steps to reduce your dependence on your job. Write a book, build an app, or start a small business on the side. Release your inner entrepreneur.

e. Don’t spend too much time worrying about your personal brand

Accomplish(完成) things, and the recognition will follow.

f. Stop treating life as a competition and do things for their own sake

Genuine(真正的) interest should be what drives you to improve yourself, rather than a desire to beat others. Find a community of people who are interested in the same things as you do, and drive each other to keep improving.

1.How many ways to make life meaningful did Neal Wu share?

A. 4 B. 5

C. 6 D. 7

2.To make your life meaningful, you are advised to __________.

A. protect yourself and hardly help others

B. communicate more with the experts than your friends

C. rely more on your families than friends

D. explore the aspects of life you are interested in

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined words personal brand?

A. one’s particular interest shown in some aspects

B. an impression in the mind of others about an individual or group

C. something you are concerned about

D. private possessions

4.Where can you most likely to find this article?

A. The News of the World B. The New York Times

C. Life D. Scientific World

After I mastered my first (协奏曲) at age 14, my parents decided to get me a nice violin. I tried out dozens of instruments before I found my match: a German violin. It was beautiful, but what I liked best about it was its voice. Confident and strong, it was everything I longed to be.

I'm not sure how much that violin cost, but my parents made me promise never to let it out of my sight. They didn't understand that dragging a large violin case ran counter to my daily middle school task of being invisible (看不见的). I was a strange, absent-minded kid. When I spoke up in class, my comments brought confused silence from teachers and wild laughter from students. Like a deer in a wolf pack, I tried to be quiet and still.

In contrast, my new violin was almost shockingly loud. Together, we could drown out the rest of my middle school orchestra(管弦乐队) — which was encouraged, since the other kids made sounds like cats’ crying. For one glorious hour every day, I was showered with attention. Everyone wanted to hear what I had to say.

Between classes, I bent under the combined weight of my violin case and a backpack filled with books. My posture suffered, but my confidence grew. With my violin by my side, I found my voice. More and more, I contributed to class discussions and even made a couple of friends.

Today, I'm just an amateur violinist with a regular day job. As I sit in my community orchestra, sometimes I feel jealous(嫉妒的) my fellow musicians’ instruments with their elegant voices. I may not be the best violinist around, but at least I'm still the loudest.

1.The underlined part “ran counter to” in Paragraph 2 probably means__________.

A. was similar to

B. went along with

C. was the opposite of

D. had something in common with

2.We know from Paragraph 2 that the author___________.

A. did not fit in at school

B. was an excellent student

C. was strong and confident

D. did not attend classes regularly

3.What kind of feeling is expressed in Paragraph 3?

A. Disappointment. B. Anger.

C. Pride. D. Regret.

4.What can we infer from the text?

A. The violin changed the author in some way.

B. The author hated the loud voice of his violin.

C. The violin always made the author embarrassed.

D. The author was the best violinist in his community orchestra.

“Community” is not a concept that is easy to define (定义) . In this essay I will examine what turns individuals into a community, and discuss some different types. I will also look at what all communities have in common, the benefits they offer and draw conclusions about their increasing importance.

The word “community” may make you think of traditional communities in the developing world, where large families live together. We may also imagine the neighbours as people who are happy to help out whenever it is needed. The stereotpical(老套的) view is that of a village, where people have little but can feel very rich because everyone takes responsibility for the welfare of the others.

On the other hand, there are other types of communities: ultramodern(超现代的) ones, where the community members are unlikely to have actually met each other. These are online communities, where people blog or chat about particular issues that are important to them. They come across others on websites and may develop a relationship there with like-minded people, discussing the same topics. The view is often that these are artificial connections between people who are, in effect, still isolated(孤立的) strangers.

In reality, the connections are real. Moreover, there are many types of communities in between these extremes: people who join clubs, who sign up with voluntary, political or other organizations, or who take part in group discussions in their local area. They may be campaigning about issues or simply getting together for companionship and support.

Human beings are social by nature, so it should not be a surprise that we organize ourselves in groups. However, there is more going on: these groups provide something that we cannot achieve on our own. The main benefit of being part of a larger group is strength in numbers. For example, we can access and share more information, we can take part in team sports, we can complain and campaign more effectively and even if we are just having a chat, online or in person, we can feel supported in whatever we do.

Whatever forms communities take, what defines them is the sense of identity and safety that they provide for their members: the knowledge that there are people who we have something in common with and who can be relied on when we need each other.

1.In traditional communities, people_________.

A. live in a large family

B. are wealthy but unhappy

C. help and care about each other

D. are isolated and don't have connections

2.According to the text, online community members_________ .

A. develop a close working relationship

B. share opinions about issues on websites

C. communicate with each other in person

D. share the same interest but have no relations

3.Paragraph 5 mainly talks about___________.

A. the types of community

B. the culture of community

C. the benefits of community

D. the definition of community

4.Communities provide their members with___________.

A. a sense of identity and safety

B. a sense of social responsibility

C. chances of meeting new people

D. chances of developing their interests

Skating backwards on ice is a bit difficult but once you master the basis, there’s nothing like it. Follow the steps given below and you will be able to skate backwards in no time.

1.

The first thing that you need to do is, stand straight. If you feel that you are falling backwards, then just put your chin up and slightly bend your knees. Don’t worry; this happens to all.

2.

The most important step while learning how to skate backwards, is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing. How can you achieve this? By practice, Just practice rolling backwards down a gentle slope every single day or just by pushing off from a wall or something of that sort.

3.

Confident now? Great! Now the next step is to maintain your speed．While rolling in a straight line with one skate, with the other try sculling(滑浆), that is, keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke(滑动)．Now bring the skate which you were using to scull, and then again, repeat the same process．Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling．Now, try the same thing using the other foot．Again keep doing this till you are confident enough．

4.

Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot, the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed．Try some of your own tricks now．Scull with either foot or with both at the same time．

5.

While you keep one foot straight, keep sculling with the other．You can do that simultaneously with both feet．Concentrate on what you are doing but don't get so involved that you don't see where you are going．If you are not watching your back, you might just bang against something or someone．

A. Find Another to Practise with You

B. Increase Your Speed Now

C. Gain Your Courage

D. Stand Straight

E. Maintain Speed

F. Scull and Be Aware

G. Confidence is What You Need

In 2005, I had a stroke and was taken into hospital. I was paralyzed down one side, with only a pad and a pen to ______ . But on my first day, after writing a note to the nurse, I found my right _______ wandering across the page. It was so ______ because I just copied a cartoon as a child, and I hadn’t drawn since then. The act was ______; ______ when a nurse asked me what I was doing did I look down to see patterns all over the paper.

From then on I woke up every night at 2 a.m. And kept drawing until dawn. It didn’t feel _______. I’d never drawn before in my life but now couldn’t _______.

The _______explained that very occasionally, following a stroke, a patient’s brain rewired itself to avoid the damaged area. Sometimes this can ______ a new ability in a patient: in my case, _______.

I’d never had the ______ interest in art in my life. I was an engineer by trade, and now, ______, memories and thoughts appeared to me as abstract ______ . It was just something that happened. Drawing had become like breathing: something I did instinctively and without _______.

In 2007, I heard about Second Life, the online virtual world. Inside, I _______art galleries selling digital art for real ______ and I decided to ______ my work for the first time. Two months later, someone ______ me saying he had bought two of my pictures online and wanted one in real life.

Now I’m a ______ artist—in my first year I’ve earned around ￡30,000. I’ve been featured in some art exhibitions, ______ many of my pictures appeared on the cover.

1.A. remember B. touch C. communicate D. grasp

2.A. leg B. arm C. foot D. hand

3.A. annoying B. comfortable C. boring D. strange

4.A. unconscious B. powerful C. useless D. stable

5.A. merely B. only C. just D. hardly

6.A. valuable B. normal C. complicated D. fascinating

7.A. ignore B. stand C. insist D. stop

8.A. artist B. scientist C. actor D. doctor

9.A. forbid B. adjust C. expose D. arrange

10.A. drawing B. writing C. singing D. thinking

11.A. deepest B. slightest C. strongest D. hardest

12.A. actually B. fluently C. logically D. suddenly

13.A. images B. ideas C. methods D. affairs

14.A. change B. style C. choice D. reaction

15.A. suggested B. enjoyed C. avoided D. discovered

16.A. money B. life C. interest D. program

17.A. show B. buy C. quit D. record

18.A. commanded B. praised C. contacted D. impressed

19.A. gifted B. hard-working C. professional D. wealthy

20.A. so B. but C. while D. through

Tower bridge is one of London’s most striking attractions that you shouldn't miss when 1.（visit）the capital. This extremely attractive and impressive piece of Victorian architecture dates back to the late 1880s, and until the mid -1970s the main bridge 2. (operate) by a steam engine.

Today tower bridge is a splendid landmark typical of London, surrounded by cafes and bars 3. tourists and locals alike can sit and enjoy the 4. (beauty ) bridge , which

looks like two small castles hovering over the Thames, just like something out of a fairy tale.

It is free to admire Tower Bridge and walk on it at any time; it’s striking to look at during the day and magical when 5. (light ) up at night, so don’t miss out on this wonderful scene !

If you would like 6.(step) inside the towers of the famous bridge , you can book Tower Bridge Exhibition tickets. During the exhibition , you can visit the famed engine rooms and impressive towers and find 7. how the bridge came into 8.(exist) through the digital displays and animations(动画片). You can also pay 9.visit to the glass room of Tower Bridge on the high-level walkways. There 10. (be) even yoga classes available on the glass floor of Tower Bridge.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌中间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：把缺词处叫个娄子符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除： 把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

We took a 20 - kilometer hike last Friday. Early in the morning, we get together and set out on foot. We all carried backpacks with water and food. Upon arrival, we were impressing with the impressive scenery and had a great time. Gradual, we started to sweat a lot. Some of us became out of the breath and some fell behind, but we encouraged each other to keep going. Suddenly one of my classmate fell down. All of us ran up to help her, forget about our own tiredness. We finally managed to walk school. We were such pleased and proud.

What a unforgettable experience! It’s a journey of hard work and challenge, in that we’ve learned to be more determined and strong-minded.

你校校报的英语专栏正在开展以“健康的生活方式”为主题的英语征文活动，你打算参加。请根据以下提示信息写一篇英语短文。

1. 营养均衡的膳食； 2. 经常参加体育锻炼； 3. 乐观的人生态度。

注意：1.字数100左右（开头已给出，但不计入总词数）；

2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

All of us want to live a healthy life. The following are some useful tips.

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1.我昨天收到了纽约的姐姐的来信。

I ________ _________ my sister in New York yesterday.

2.患难之交才是真朋友。

A friend ________ ________ is a friend indeed.

3.I’m sure that you will p_________ __________（参加）the basketball match.

4.Our leader called on everyone to ___________ (捐赠) money to the victims in the earthquake-hit area.

5.Gone are the days when HongKong was ____________ (统治) by Britain.

6.The students from Senior 3 ____________ (占用) most of the seats in the library.

7.They had enough money to live in ____________ (舒服) in their old age.

-Where can I meet you at 7:30?

-I in the gym then.

A. am working out B. will be working out

C. had worked out D. have been working out