Christmas is long gone. and Valentine’s Day is a distant memory. That means it's a slow time for jewelers, and a good time for you to make a purchase. Whether you’re out shopping for gold, or silver, here fife a few things you need to know:
What determines price?
The purity of the metal is one of the elements that determines the price. Gold purity is indicated with a stamp of 10K, 14K, 18K, or 24K. And different countries have their own standards. For example, for a piece to be considered gold in the US, it must be at least 10K. In Britain and Canada: 9K. In Italy and France: l 8K. Anything over l 8K is really too soft for everyday wear. That’s why jewelry stores in the US sell mostly 14K.
How much can you expect to pay?
That depends on the weight of the metal and the gemstone(宝石). So keep that in mind, especially when buying online. To keep yourself from getting ripped off, ask yourself the following:
●How long has the company been around?
●What is its return policy?
● Is the jewelry featured on the website visible from all directions?
● Is the company transparent with the gram weights and the size of the gemstones?
Yellow gold? White? Rose?
Yes, it's confusing, and while this is largely a personal decision, there fife a few things to keep in mind. For starters. white or rose gold costs about l 0% more than yellow gold. If you want the “look for less”, consider gold. plated jewelry. “Gold plated” and “gold overlay” mean the same thing and guarantee a thicker layer of finish than “vermeil” which is a flash finish that is thinner and less consistent, but more affordable. Buy vermeil finished pieces you want for a season or two just to follow the fashion. For pieces you want to wear for a lifetime, solid gold is best.
What about sterling silver(标准纯银)?
Sterling silver has been。an alternative for white gold during the difficult economy, and while it used to be more popular with just the younger these days it has much more mass appeal. So much so that retailers are now offering fine gemstones with silver--something you used to see only with gold.
Keep in mind that in the US. the sterling silver standard is 92.5% real silver. Don’t buy it if there isn’t a “925” stamp on it. And keep in mind that the lower price you’re paying for silver means more maintenance. To keep silver jewelry from becoming less shiny, consider keeping a piece of chalk in your jewelry box.
【小题1】According to the passage, the underlined phrase “getting ripped off” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”.

A.being chargedB.being cheatedC.being affected D.being attracted
【小题2】Which of the following is relatively good for only wearing a short time?
A.A 14K necklace. B.A gold-plated ring.
C.A vermeil ear ring. D.A gemstone necklace.
【小题3】We call infer from the last paragraph that silver jewelry should be kept ________
A.in a dry placeB.in a cold placeC.in a wet placeD.in a hot place
【小题4】The author writes the passage mainly to ________.
A.encourage young people to buy fashionable jewelry
B.tell people the best time to purchase gold and silver
C.introduce the real value and popularity of gold and silver
D.inform people of the factors to consider in buying jewelry

When I was learning calligraphy (书法), my teacher told me a story.
A calligrapher taught handwriting. One of his students who often practiced handwriting with old sheets of newspaper complained that he made very little progress though he had learned it with the calligrapher for a long time. His teacher said to him, “Try to use the best paper. Maybe you'll write better.”
The student did as he was told. It really worked. He made headway not long afterwards and felt curious. He asked his teacher about the reason. The calligrapher answered,“When you used old newspaper to practice handwriting, you would think you were writing a draft. It didn't matter if you wrote badly as old newspaper was plenty in supply. In that case you wouldn't pay much attention to it. Now you use the best paper and you'll treasure it. Each time you write you feel strongly about the rarity of chances and you'll devote to it with all your heart and soul; you'll do the handwriting much more attentively than practicing. Of course you've made rapid progress.”
Indeed, we spend our ordinary days just as they are worthless “old newspaper”.We don't care if we scrawl and waste it, thinking that it will come endlessly—the “old newspaper” is inexhaustible. In such a mood we may each day pass by opportunities but fail to catch any of them.
Life is not a military exercise but an actual war in which real weapons are used. In everyday life there's no chance for us to draft. That's because what we call “draft” actually is the answer sheet we write that cannot be changed.
Every day of our life is something new. Let us take every day as a sheet of the best paper.
【小题1】The calligrapher in the story told the student to write on the best paper because he thought ________.

A.the student would practice more carefully on the best paper
B.it was comfortable to write on the best paper
C.the student had enough money to buy the best paper
D.the student could write more on the best paper
【小题2】The student didn't make much progress at first because ________.
A.he didn't follow his teacher's advice
B.he was too poor to buy better paper to write on
C.he regarded his writing on old newspaper just as a draft
D.he was not used to the calligrapher's teaching manner
【小题3】We learn from the passage that ________.
A.the student finally gave up
B.the student made rapid progress by practicing more carefully
C.the calligrapher was strict with his students
D.old newspaper is not useful
【小题4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.What teachers say is always true.
B.Success calls for attentiveness.
C.Handwriting is easy to practice.
D.New things are always better than old ones.
【小题5】The writer wants to tell us that ________.
A.there are some good ways to practice handwriting
B.life is like old newspaper
C.we should learn from the student in the story
D.life will not give us a chance to draw a draft

I’m lying on my back in my grandfather’s orchard(果园),looking up at the branches above me.It is one of the last days of summer.Already the days are shorter and the nights are cooler.Some kinds of apples are already ripe(成熟的).Others will be ready to pick soon.I think of my grandmother’s apple pie,and how I used to make it with her.She died last year,before the apple harvest,and I have not had her pie since.I really miss her.I hear bees busily humming about,visiting the late summer flowers.The gentle hum of their wings nearly sends me to sleep.

The sky is as blue as my grandfather’s eyes.Above me,big white clouds race across the sky like pieces of cotton blowing in the w ind.School starts in another week,and time seems to have slowed down.

“Sophie!”calls my  grandfather.“Is that you?”I stand up,take his hand,and tell him all about my day as we walk through the orchard.We talk about apples,and bees,and Grandma.He tells me that he misses her too.

He puts his rough,brown farmer’s hand around my shoulder and pulls me close.“You know,Sophie,”he says,“I spent the morning in the attic(阁楼),and you’ll never guess what I found.It’s the recipe(烹饪法) for Grandma’s apple pie.I used to help her make it sometimes.I can’t do it all alone,but you used to help her too.Maybe between the two of us,we ca n work it out.Want to try?”

“But it won’t be the same without Grandma,” I tell him.

“That’s true,”he says,“but nothing_is_the_same_without_Grandma.Still,I don’t think that she would want us never to have another apple pie.What do you say?” I nod yes,and we walk towards home...towards an afternoon in the farmhouse kitchen,making Grandma’s famous apple pie.

1.We learn from the passage that Sophie    .

A.likes to watch clouds in the attic

B.comes to the orchard after school

C.enjoys Grandma’s apple pie very much

D.picks many apples in the orchard

2.Sophie’s grandfather spent the morning in the attic______   .

A.looking for Grandma’s recipe for apple pie

B.helping Sophie’s grandmother make apple pie

C.trying to make apple pie all alone for Sophie

D.talking about apples,and bees,and Grandma with Sophie

3.The underlined part in the last paragraph shows

A.how much Sophie’s grandmother loved Sophie

B.how much Sophie’s grandfather likes apple pies

C.how much Sophie loves her grandfather’s orchard

D.how much Sophie’s grandfather misses Grandma

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A.My grandfather’s orchard           B.My grandmother’s apple pie

C.A morning in the attic              D.The last days of summer

 

I'm fat, I'm too skinny.I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs.

Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you' re not alone.As a teen, you're going through many changes in your body.And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself.Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem (自尊) .

If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are.This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growing up, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally.Developing these parts of yourself can help boost (提升) yourself-esteem.

A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as exercising and eating right) are a great combination for building good self-esteem.

Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.

The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size or color it comes in.If you are very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify (核实) that things are OK.But it is no one's business but your own what your body is like—ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself.

Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't.Everyone has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept—like their height, for example, or their shoe size.

When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop.Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three good things every day.By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself.

The most important thing is to get help if you feel like your body image and self-esteem are affecting your life.

1.If we have a positive body image, we will_____.

    A.concentrate on our body image only      B.not develop strong self-esteem

    C.like and accept ourselves as we are    D.be less independent of our parents

2.______ can NOT help to boost your self-esteem.

    A.Growing independent from your parents

    B.Accepting your own body as it actually is

    C.Having a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle

    D.Improving your body image as much as you can

3.To improve our body image, we have to _____.

    A.think about ourselves                   B.be happy with ourselves

    C.change the shape, size or color of one's body

    D.check with our doctor to verify that our body is OK

4.Which is probably the best title of the passage?

    A.Importance of Body Image                B.Effects on a Person's Self-esteem

    C.Tips for Improving Body Image           D.Self-esteem and Body Image

 

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