One day, a friend of mine and I were walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. When we walked along the beach and shot the bull, we saw a man occupying himself with something in the distance. Curiosity drove us to find out what he was doing.
As we grew nearer, we noticed that the man kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and time again, he kept casting things into the ocean. We felt a little more confused about his odd action. So we decided to approach even closer, and then we knew that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.
My friend was puzzled. He came up to the man and asked, “Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you’re doing.” Without stopping his work, the man answered, “I’m throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it’s low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don’t throw them back into the sea, they will die up here from lack of oxygen.” “I understand,” said my friend, “but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can’t possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. You are just wasting your time doing something meaningless. And don’t you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast? Can’t you see that you can’t possibly make a difference?”
The man smiled, bent down, and picked up another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied in a firm voice, “Made a difference to that one!”
I knew what my friend would do when he looked at me.
We said goodbye to the man, tired but happy.
Hello, everyone. Today I’d like to share with you about the person I’m most grateful to.
Thank you for listening.
Located in the comfortable tropical setting of Xishuangbanna,
For the Dai people of Xishuangbanna, many plants that seem nontraditional to outsiders are cooking treasures.
In the Dai cooking recipes, fried moss stands out as a traditional delight.
Take the Dai-style eggplant dip as another example of a combination of authenticity and health, after roasting an eggplant, peeling it, and mixing it with salt, green chillies, garlic, and cilantro (香菜叶), pounding them quick produces a seasoning (调味品) that
In 2006, Calvin Lowe’s four-year-old son Tyler needed to have a serious surgery. On the day of the
As they waited
But then the doctor did something
After the surgery was over, the doctor came back to
All these years after his son’s surgery, Lowe says he is still
| A．diagnosis | B．vacation | C．appointment | D．narration |
| A．impatiently | B．desperately | C．happily | D．unwillingly |
| A．action | B．surgery | C．presentation | D．advice |
| A．made | B．pursued | C．offered | D．conducted |
| A．excited | B．relieved | C．depressed | D．regretted |
| A．unexpected | B．essential | C．splendid | D．abnormal |
| A．face | B．eye | C．mind | D．distance |
| A．encouraged | B．praised | C．claimed | D．comforted |
| A．forget | B．believe | C．doubt | D．realize |
| A．cheer on | B．make sense | C．calm down | D．speak up |
| A．greet | B．accompany | C．contact | D．meet |
| A．smile | B．surprise | C．shock | D．shame |
| A．replied | B．recalled | C．declared | D．agreed |
| A．eager | B．sorry | C．grateful | D．nervous |
| A．skill | B．disappointment | C．amazement | D．kindness |
Learning how to understand body language is essential if you’re serious about being a good communicator. When you know how to read body language, you can gain deeper insight into what others are really saying. You can also consciously improve your nonverbal communication.
Being able to read body language signs allows you to better interpret the emotions and moods of other people. This enables you to understand what they really think or feel about something.
Not everyone is comfortable sharing their true feelings or thoughts. They might be going through family difficulties at home.
When you know how to read body language, you can know how to use it to build trust. You can consciously use nonverbal cues (非语言暗示) that indicate you’re being open and honest. You can also avoid the cues that imply you’re distracted, dishonest, or hiding something
Another benefit of understanding body language is that you can use it to better get your point across. You can consciously incorporate gestures and other nonverbal cues that emphasize your point rather than contradict it.
| A．Build trust more easily |
| B．Understand others more easily |
| C．They might feel that no one would listen to them |
| D．Besides, it can help you make a good impression |
| E．You can then respond to them in the appropriate way |
| F．It keeps you from picking up what others really mean |
| G．Let’s explore the benefits of understanding body language |
Most of us look forward to the weekend as a time to relax, connect with friends and family, and handle items from a to-do list that gets unnoticed during the work week. But as the weekday does come to an end, many of us are missing out on enjoying the weekend and instead experiencing a sense of anxiety and even fear for the upcoming week. Experts call this phenomenon Sunday scaries.
Sunday scaries, also known as the Sunday blues, arise when individuals expect the upcoming work week with a combination of various factors such as work-related concerns, unfinished tasks, the end of weekend relaxation, and the pressure to start the new week. As a result, individuals may find it challenging to unwind and relax before the new week begins.
A clinical psychologist, Renée Goff, said, “Sunday scaries are more than a physical heaviness for them, but they could even jump out of their skins due to the upcoming week. The negative emotions associated with Sunday scaries can have a significant impact on one’s mental well-being and overall productivity.”
“As a matter of fact, such anticipatory anxiety is a natural response that happens in preparation for anything that can cause pain or discomfort,” explains psychotherapist Angela Ficken. “Sunday scaries might even start bubbling up as early as Saturday, but tend to become less intense by the time Monday morning rolls around when you start your work week. This doesn’t mean we leave them unchecked.”
To battle anticipatory anxiety for the upcoming week, individuals can adopt self-care practices that promote relaxation and stress reduction. This may include engaging in hobbies, spending time in nature, exercising, practicing mindfulness or simply dedicating time to disconnect from work-related thoughts. Additionally, we can organize tasks for the upcoming week in advance to create a sense of control, reduce the Sunday scaries and promote a healthier work-life balance.
1．What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. | B．To tell background for the text. |
| C．To offer suggestions to readers. | D．To stimulate readers to imagine. |
| A．Avoidable. | B．Imaginary. | C．Normal. | D．Harmful. |
| A．They strengthen on Monday morning. |
| B．They tend to die down before Saturday. |
| C．They should be brought to our attention. |
| D．They will in no case disappear naturally. |
| A．Theoretical basis for Sunday scaries. |
| B．Approaches to fighting Sunday scaries. |
| C．Positive aspects of anticipatory anxiety. |
| D．Extreme suffering from Sunday scaries. |
Orla Walsh was not exactly an example of good health. Back in 2014, the 25-year-old then was fully occupied with her work and graduate study in Dublin, mostly eating on the go. “I was feeding on quick, easy food like sandwiches,” she said. “I stayed up a lot and the gym was a foreign concept for me for I did not work out at all.”
That changed the following year when Walsh needed a convenient, reliable and budget-friendly way to get to and from class. “Driving was expensive, and public transportation in the Irish capital left much to be desired,” she said. She turned instead to cycling.
At first, Walsh was doubtful. “I didn’t want to wear the same suits like other riders because it looked strange for me,” she joked. But as soon as she gave it a go, she was spellbound. The six miles she had to cover on her commute (上下班往返) each way didn’t seem like so much. “I can’t believe how quick and easy that was,” Walsh said. “The more I cycled, the easier it got, and I started getting faster. I think what I enjoyed the most was the freedom the bike gave me.”
In early 2016, she took the next step and joined a local cycling club, where she took part in long group rides. But something incredible was happening at the same time. As her weekly mileage (里程数) increased, her unhealthy habits fell by the wayside. She cleaned up her diet and cut back on burning the midnight oil. “I gradually got rid of that bad habit after joining in training,” she said.
Then, thanks to the encouragement of other club members, she tried open road racing. At first, she was overwhelmed by the competition, getting dropped by other members on every climb. Yet she kept pushing and viewing the failures as learning experience. “I was enjoying the challenges and was more confident,” she said.
1．Which of the following can best describe Walsh’s lifestyle in 2014?| A．Simple. | B．Decent. | C．Fashionable. | D．Unhealthy. |
| A．Poor means of transportation. | B．Her wish to break bad habits. |
| C．Her curiosity about cycling. | D．Club members’ encouragement. |
| A．Threatened. | B．Bored. | C．Fascinated. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．By inspiring her to realize her dream. |
| B．By teaching her to brave challenges. |
| C．By encouraging her to be competitive. |
| D．By pushing her to connect with others. |
These are four cities which have traditional French Christmas markets.
Head to Arras for history, culture and tradition in abundance at the Christmas market. The town is swept into Christmas with every corner decorated with complex decorations and a breathtaking light show illuminating (照亮) the Unesco-listed Beffroi d’Arras.
The Avignon Christmas Market blends tradition and festivity with the addition of local Provencal specialities. From the end of November to the end of December, the city’s historic centre is transformed with over 120 wooden cottages decorated with twinkling lights and festive decorations lining the streets. Walk further into the market to the Chemin des Crèches, a charming light trail showcasing elaborate (精心制作的) scenes illuminated by unique light.
The market is located in the heart of Toulouse, on the Place du Capitole. It’s surrounded by beautiful buildings, including the Capitole itself and the Jacobins church. The city is well-known for its terracotta architecture which serves as a fairytale exterior (外观) to their Christmas market.
There is one food in particular linked to the city, and that is chocolate. Steeped in chocolate-making heritage since 1969, the Bordeaux region has many famous chocolate factories. The market has numerous stands showcasing this exquisite local craft. You can expect to find different kinds of chocolate, all made with the high-quality ingredients, which you can take home.
1．What does Arras and Avignon have in common?| A．They both have particular food. |
| B．They provide the fantastic light show. |
| C．They are decorated with festive decorations. |
| D．They are both famous for their unique architecture. |
| A．At 9:00 pm on Sunday. | B．At 4:30 pm on Saturday. |
| C．At 10:00 am on Thursday. | D．At 8:30 am on Tuesday. |
| A．Arras. | B．Avignon. | C．Toulouse. | D．Bordeaux. |
We all love butterflies. Their beautiful wings attract us, and their presence lights up our garden. Well, that’s our view of butterflies, but have you ever wondered what plants think of them?
The butterflies’ eggs lie on the underside of the leaves. The eggs themselves don’t damage plants. However, upon coming into contact with the eggs, the plants become oversensitive. It means that once a plant recognizes a pest, it will cause death in the contacted plant part. When these dead leaves or partial leaf parts break away from the plant, the eggs on them fall off. Along with the hypersensitivity response, plants also produce something special, which can attract animals to cat the eggs, thus preventing damage in the future.
After the baby butterflies come out of their eggs, the caterpillar (毛虫) stage begins. Most caterpillars feed on the leaves of the plants, damaging some of the plants in your own garden. Incredibly, they are major plant pests that bring about major losses to farmers. The next stage is pupa (蛹). The caterpillars begin their change into an adult. They don’t depend on the energy that the leaves provide. Finally, they become adult butterflies that have wings and move from one plant to the other. They feed on the sweet liquid produced by flowers.
While on their search for food, the butterflies carry pollen (花粉) on their body. They are key pollinators that place pollen from one flower to another in ecosystem. Plants that have flowers will create some special features to draw these pollinators’ attention. Certain plants have flowers giving off smells that can charm butterflies when they are looking for a mate. Some plants even have flat flowers to assist butterflies when landing.
Butterflies aid in pollination during their final adult stage. Thus, they change into beneficial insects to plants. This change makes butterflies an important friend of plants, despite being a hated enemy in previous life cycle stages!
1．How does a plant respond to butterflies’ eggs?| A．It tries to get rid of them. | B．It tries to appeal to them. |
| C．It grows a little better with them. | D．It protects them from being eaten. |
| A．In the period of egg-laying. | B．In the period of pupa. |
| C．In the period of caterpillar. | D．In the period of adult. |
| A．Describe the process of pollination. |
| B．Show how flowers attract butterflies. |
| C．Stress the importance of pollination. |
| D．Explore how adult butterflies develop. |
| A．Why do flowers need butterflies’ pollination? |
| B．How do plants defend themselves from pests? |
| C．Are butterflies’ life cycles similar to the plants’? |
| D．Are butterflies beneficial or harmful to plants? |
In a small town, there was a community talent show held every year in the local park. The event was a highlight for many, with performances from various local talents. Among the audience was a woman named Emily, a kind-hearted local librarian, along with her 12-year-old daughter Anna. Both of their eyes were filled with excitement.
As the show began, Emily and her daughter watched a young girl in amazement, about eight, confidently sing a song. Her voice was surprisingly powerful for her small body. Then a group of teenagers followed. Their hip-hop dance routine was full of energy, leading to cheers from the crowd. There was even an elderly gentleman who performed a series of magic tricks. However, as the sun began to set, many in the audience grew tired and the applause (掌声) after each act became less enthusiastic (热情的).
Then came the turn of a young boy, around ten years old, nervously holding his violin. As he started playing, it was clear that he was a beginner. His notes were shaky and he missed a few beats. The audience, already tired, responded with only a little polite applause. Emily noticed the boy’s frustrated face as he finished his performance.
It was at this moment that Emily recalled a powerful memory from her own childhood—the time when she had stood on a similar stage, her voice trembling (颤抖) through a song. But the kindness she had received from a stranger in the audience pushed her to carry on. Drawing from the lesson she had learned from the past experience, Emily stood up, clapping loudly and cheering for the boy. “Great job! Keep practicing, and you’re doing wonderfully!”she called out. Her enthusiasm inspired other members of the audience to join in the applause, their clap growing louder and more sincere.
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