2016-10

Being "Cool" in Middle School

A new study shows that gentle and quiet kids in middle school will grow up to rule. Or, at least, they'll live healthier and more productive lives than the "Cool" kids will.

The study looked at 13-year-olds who acted old for their age by having "cool" behavior, such as early romantic relationships. They were seen as "cool" and popular kids. But as they grew up, things changed. The study found that these kids tended to have problems with drugs and relationships by their early 20s. Their behavior was no longer linked with popularity. Instead, they were thought to be less socially skilled by their peers. Besides, the average "cool" kids, by age 22, did more poorly than the average kids in the study. They had a 45 percent greater rate of problems due to drugs and alcohol. They also had a 22 percent greater rate of criminal behavior. The study also found that these kids failed to develop important life skills. They spent so much time trying to seem cool. They didn't develop the skills needed for meaningful friendships.

The study followed 86 male and 98 female middle school students for a 10-year period. It has some surprising findings. In particular, the study notes that the so-called "cool" behavior is a predictor( 预 示 ) of future problems with drugs and alcohol. In fact, it is a better predictor than drug and alcohol use in middle school. However, one conclusion of the study is welcome. Researchers said that parents shouldn't worry too much if their kids don't seem that popular. If a kid prefers to spend Saturday nights at home watching a movie or reading instead of going out with friends, that is not a cause for concern. Many "uncool" kids, they said, do much better later on than the popular kids do.

1. Gentle kids are less healthy when they grow up.

2. "Cool" kids try to imitate adult behavior.

3. Romantic relationships seem cool to some teenagers.

4. "Uncool" kids are more likely to commit crimes.

5. "Cool" kids have better life skills than "uncool" kids.

6. "Uncool" kids spend most of their time studying.

7. The study followed the students for a decade.

8. "Cool" kids marry earlier than "uncool" kids.

9. Parents needn't worry if their kids are "uncool".

10. "Cool" kids remain popular all their lives.

二

It is estimated that there are more than 8 million restaurants in the world today. So it might surprise you to learn that restaurants as we know have only existed for a few centuries. Before 1765, there were no restaurants. There was nowhere in which a server brought you food and drink that you chose from a menu. In fact, there were no menus anywhere.

There were places where travelers could eat centuries before that. The countryside was full of inns that would serve food. And there were bars where one could get a drink. The rich could also eat meals supplied by private cooks. But there was nothing that could be called a "restaurant".

A Frenchman changed that. In 1765, he opened a place in Paris that sold soups. On his sign, he used the ten "restaurants" to describe what he was selling. Soups were considered "restorative", so he called them "restaurants". Finally, people started buying his soups even when not ill. And as time went on, people began to use the term "restaurant" to refer to the place where soup was sold rather than the soup itself. More "restaurants" opened up in France, and people began to buy soups more regularly.

Then, restaurants in Paris began to serve food other than soups. In the 1780s, menus started to appear. By the 1800s, there were many types of restaurants, and the restaurant concept was spread throughout the British Empire.

A slow start gave way to rapid growth. Cities and towns around the world are filled with restaurants today. It is estimated that there are l. 6 million restaurants in Europe. In America, there are nearly a half million restaurants. Today, diners have millions of choices.

11. Before 1765, travelers could have meals at a(n)

A. bar

B. inn

C. restaurant

D. canteen

12. The first "restaurant" only served

A. soups

B. desserts

C. drinks

D. fruits

13. The word "restorative" (Line 3, Para. 3) most probably means

A. having a special flavor

B. making you happier

C. having a pleasant smell

D. making you healthier

14. The restaurant concept started in

A. America

B. Britain

C. Germany

D. France

15. The best title for this text is

A. Definition of Restaurant

B. Importance of Restaurant

C. Original of Restaurant

D. Types of Restaurant

How to Perfect the Art of Public Speaking

If you want to become the type of speaker you've always wanted to be, read the following suggestions:

①You can't go from a nervous speaker to a star speaker overnight. You shouldn't expect to. Give yourself time to get used to a large audience. Start with smaller groups and get as much feedback as you can. Keep on practicing and developing your skill.

②Be familiar with your speech materials. That doesn't mean memorizing your speech, which can lack enthusiasm and naturalness. Know your key talking points, supporting details and ways to move from one point to the next.

③Positive energy can be passed. If you're excited and enthusiastic, your audience will be, too. You'll be surprised at the positive cycle that creates: An enthusiastic audience can add even more energy to you. Use hand gestures. When appropriate, smile, smile, smile.

④Find friendly, interested faces in the audience and speak to them. Look into their eyes. It helps prevent you from staring off into the distance or reading from notes. It also helps make you feel like you are talking in a conversation rather than speaking to a group.

⑤When you look great, you feel great. That makes you confident. Looking great doesn't mean wearing new clothes. It means wearing clothes and shoes you feel comfortable and appropriate to the setting. You can't go wrong with business suit. Simple is fine, but you should look clean from head to toe.

Task 1

A Be enthusiastic

B Know your materials

C Make eye contact

D Know your audience

E Improve gradually

F Dress appropriately

Task2

16. Feedback helps speakers

17. Memorizing materials may lead to

18. Hand gestures and smiles help create

19. Looking into the eyes of the audience helps

20. Wearing right clothes may

A lack of enthusiasm

B make you look great

C a positive atmosphere

D improve their speaking skills

E stop you from reading your notes

F become a good listener

Remaining Active

Our body is an amazing object, (26)If you are inactive most of the time, your body will quickly become tired when it should be active. But if you are very active, your body will get used to the hard work, and the work will become easier for you to do.

Physical activity can help people remain active and stay healthy. (27)It also helps people sleep better. This is why active student don"t complain about being tired. They have a good night"s sleep and have the energy to study hard and have fun every day.

Physical activity also makes people look and feel good. Activity burns more calories(卡路里)than just sitting. (28)In addition, regular exercise can make your muscles and bones stronger.

There are many factors to look at when you select a new physical activity. The most important is to choose something you enjoy. If you like jumping rope, that is the activity you should do. (29)In fact, two days of basketball, three days of swimming, and two days of bicycling can be more fun than jogging every day.

(30)Some skills will improve with practice while others may always be difficult for you. If you enjoy an activity, feel free to do it. No one cares whether you can do it well or not, and you don"t need to care about it either.

Whatever activity you choose, remain active. It can make you physically fit and healthy for life.

A. But you don't have to do the same thing every day.

B. Different activities need different skills.

C. You may prefer to participate in team activities.

D. It helps the body fight off illness.

E. The more you ask of it, the more it can do.

F. It is very important to keep a healthy weight

Positive Attitude towards Failure

I clearly remember a period during which I felt like a failure. But what I(31)learned was that failing at one thing is not failing at all things. And, in fact, failure is a(32)part of growth. Life is filled with trial and(33). In order to walk the path to(34), you need to make some(35)turns along the way. What I learned was to "fail forward", to(36)each mistake to make myself better. One of the(37)problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated(38)in their lives and label them as failures. (39), they need to keep the bigger picture in mind. A successful baseball player doesn"t(40)at a mistake he makes and think of failure. He sees it within the context of the bigger picture.

A．error B．use C．eventually D．graceful E．necessary F．situations G．Firstly H．wrong I．Instead J．success K．greatest L．look

Self-reliance(自立)

Everyone has heard (hear) the word "self-reliance". Emerson wrote a(41) (fame) essay about it. He felt that people should trust in their own(42) (able). They should think and act for themselves. Like many such(43) (term), this one had no real meaning for me until it was(44) (demonstrate) to me in real life.

Last year I met a blind girl(45) (name) Gail. She was(46) (extreme) slender and weak, but she always insisted on(47) (find) her way around the school by herself. When she(48) (sit) in a room with several of us, there was sometimes a(n)(49) (easy) silence, because we thought she might resent our acting too cheerful and thoughtless in her(50)(present). On such occasions, she would say something casual or show us how fast she could write. She never asked for anyone"s pity. She truly relied on herself.

某英文报社正在举办题为"Watching Movies at Home or in a Cinema"的征文活动

请就此题目写一篇英文短文应征, 内容包括

• (1)你喜欢在家还是在电影院看电影。
• (2)理由是什么。

answers

一 BAABB CACAB

二 BADDC

五 CEAJH BKFIL

41. famous (fame)
42. ability (able)
43. terms (term)
44. demonstrated (demonstrate)
45. named (name)
46. extremely (extreme)
47. finding (find)
48. sat (sit)
49. uneasy (easy)
50. presence (present)