2018年高考英语提分专练：第5题 七选五阅读理解

    If anyone had told me three years ago that I would be spending most of my weekends camping. I would have laughed heartily. Campers, in my eyes, were people who enjoyed insects bites, ill-cooked meals, and uncomfortable sleeping bags. They had nothing in common with me. .

    The friends who introduced me to camping thought that it meant to be a pioneer.   We  sleep  in  a  tent, cooked over an open fire, and walked a long distance to take the shower and use the bathroom. This brief visit with Mother Nature cost me two days off from  work, recovering from a bad case of sunburn and the doctor`s bill for my son`s food poisoning.

    I was, nevertheless, talked into going on another fun-filled holiday in the wilderness.    Instead, we had a pop-up camper with comfortable beds and an air conditioner. My nature-loving friends had remembered to bring all the necessities of life.

     We have done a lot of it since. Recently, we bought a twenty-eight-foot travel trailer complete with a bathroom and a built-in TV set. There is a separate bedroom, a modern kitchen with a refrigerator. The trailer even has matching carpet and curtains.

     It must be true that sooner or later, everyone finds his or her way back to nature. I recommend that you find your way in style.

    Interruptions are one of the worst things to deal with while you're trying to get work done. , there are several ways to handle things. Let's take a look at them now.

    .Tell the person you're sorry and explain that you have a million things to do and then ask if the two of you can talk at a different time.

    When people try to interrupt you, have set hours planned and let them know to come back during that time or that you'll find them then.. It can help to eliminate(消除) future interruptions.

    When you need to someone,don't do it in your own office.， it's much easeier to excuse yourself to get back to your work than if you try to get someone out of your space even after explaining how busy you are

     If you have a door to your office, make good use of it. . If someone knocks and it's not an important matter，excuse yourself and let the person know you're busy so they can get the hint(暗示) that when the door is closed, you're not to be disturbed.

    Lots of people find it hard to get up in the morning and put the blame on the alarm clock. In fact, the key to easy morning wake-up lies in resting your body clock Here is how to make one.

    ●  In order to make a change, you need to decide why it's important. Do you want to get up in time to have breakfast with your family, get in some exercise, or just be better prepared for your day? Once you are clear about your reason, tell your family or roommates about the change you want to make.

    ● Rethink mornings. Now that you know why you want to wake up, consider re-arranging your morning activities. If you want time to have breakfast with your family, save some time the night before by setting out clothes, shoes, and bags.That's a quarter-hour more you could be sleeping if you bought a coffee maker with a timer.

    ● Keep your sleep/wake schedule on weekends. If you're tired out by Friday night, sleeping in on Saturday could sound wonderful. But compensating on the weekends actually feeds into your sleepiness the following week, a recent study found.

    ● Keep a record and evaluate it weekly. Keep track of your efforts and write down how you feel. After you've tried a new method for a week, take a look at your record.If not, take another look at other methods you could try.

    Positive thinkers don't only live happier lives,and have better health but they are also more likely to reach their goals.  Even if a negative thinker managed to succeed,his life is still going to be tough because he won't be able to enjoy the success he achieved.Then how to become a positive thinker?

    ●Stay around positive people.

    Have you ever felt bad for no reason just because you were around someone who was feeling bad?  So one of the best ways to stay positive is to spend more time with positive people.

    ●Reduce the stress in your life.

    Stress isn't only harmful to your life but it can also change your opinion of the world.  If you can spend enough time relaxing and restoring your energy each day,you will become a more positive person.

    ●Train your mental muscles.

    The more you think positively,the more likely your brain structure is going to change and the more naturally positive thoughts will come to you.  The more you train your mind to think negatively,the more likely you will become a natural negative thinker.

    ●

    Read about the stories of successful people and watch movies that promote positive thinking.Whenever you get exposed to positive media your mind gets trained to think positively and as a result you will become a positive thinker.Avoid negative media at all costs for they can do the opposite to you.

A.Learn from successful people.

B.Get exposed to positive media.

C.The opposite also happens with negative thinking.

D.Start right now to train your mind on positive thinking.

E.People infect each other with their emotions and beliefs.

F.The more stressed you become,the more likely you are to worry.

G.Negative thinking ruins people's lives and prevents them from succeeding.

Why Walking Your Dog Is Great Exercise

    Having trouble sticking to an exercise program?Research shows that dogs are actually nature's perfect personal trainers-loyal,hard-working,energetic and enthusiastic.Your friends may skip an exercise session because of appointments,extra chores or bad weather.

    Is dog walking really effective exercise?Many people are becoming interested in exercise to help lose excess weight.Dog owner-ship and obesity were evaluated in Seattle,Wash.,and Baltimore,Md.,in a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine in September 2008.Dog owners who reported walking their dogs were almost 25 percent less likely to be obese than people without dogs.

    What are the benefits of regular exercise?Dr.Joanna Kruk reviewed medical literature describing the health benefits of exercise.Her research showed that the risk of developing a number of serious health problems is reduced by physical activity and exercise.

    It's easy to forget about healthy walking plans,so set the stage for a successful program: Establish a walking schedule; plan to walk 30 minutes total each day.This might include a 10-minute neighborhood walk in the morning and a 20-minute romp at the dog park after work.Or maybe three 10-minule walks or one 30-minute walk fit in better with your day.

    If dog walking is "scheduled" each day,you'll feel more responsible for sticking with your program.Most importantly,daily walking your dog will keep it fit and give it an opportunity to utilize their senses while also engaging their mind.

    So,grab a leash,whistle to the pup,and go for a walk-today and every day! Take action!

A.Plan for success.

B.Track your progress.

C.This will reinforce your good behavior.

D.Dog walking is a great way to start a healthy lifestyle program.

E.However,dogs never give you an excuse to delay exercising.

F.Plus,your dog will also get used to the routine and remind you when "it's time"!

G.Obesity is affecting about one in every three to four adults in the United States and Europe.

    Third-Culture Kids

    Did you grow up in one culture, your parents came from another, and you are now living in a totally different country? If so, then you are a third-culture kid!

    The term “third-culture kid” (or TCK) was coined in the 1960s by Dr. Ruth. She first came across this phenomenon when she researched North American children living in India. Caught between two cultures, they form their very own.   About 90 percent of them have a university degree, while 40 percent pursue a postgraduate or doctor degree. They usually benefit from their intercultural experience, which helps them to grow into successful academics and professionals.

     In fact many hardships may arise from this phenomenon. A third-culture kid may not be able to adapt themselves completely to their new surroundings as expected. Instead, they may always remain an outsider in different host cultures. Max, for example, experienced this fundamental feeling of strangeness throughout his life as a third-culture kid. While this can be a way to create a network of friends all around the world, it can be difficult for a third-culture kid like Max to maintain close friendships and relationships.

    For a third-culture kid, it is often easier to move to a new foreign country than to return to their “home” country. After living in Australia and South Korea for many years, Louis finally returned to Turkey as a teenager. But she felt out of place when she returned to the country where she was born.  She did not share the same values as her friends' even years after going back home.

    While a third-culture kid must let go of their identity as foreigner when he/she returns, the home country can prove to be more foreign than anything he/she came across before. The peer group they face does not match the idealized image children have of “home”.

    As a part of the growing “culture”, TCKs may find it a great challenge for them to feel at home in many places.

A. Yet being a third-culture kid is not always easy.

B. In general, they often reach excellent academic results.

C. This often makes it hard for them to form their own identity.

D. However, their parents can help them see the opportunities of a mobile lifestyle.

E. Their experience abroad helps them to gain a better understanding of cultural differences.

F. Unlike other teens of her age, she didn't know anything about current TV shows or fashion trends.

G. Additionally, making new friends and saying goodbye to old ones will at some point become routine for a third-culture kid.

Common public speaking problems

    The use of “I feel”, “I think” and “maybe”

    In the question-and –answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like “I feel”, “I hear”, “maybe” and “perhaps”. These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view.

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence. Instead of the empty-sounding “I guess”, using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    Don't stick to the same tone. It can be boring. Try to mix it up. For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles tighter.  , rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

     . you're responsible for your words. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish. So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy(盗版), started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution.  . is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

A. Try mixing more than one style.

B. Improving your communication skill.

C. Using only one speaking style

D. It's important to involve your audience.

E. Public speaking is different from personal conversations.

F. The key is to work out what question is being asked

G. To the judges and audience, this lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable.

Make Your Brain Smarter

    You know that eating a proper diet and getting plenty of exercise help make your body healthy and strong. But did you know that there are ways to make your brain healthier and smarter? Studies show that when the brain is forced to do something new, it creates new neural (神经的) pathways.  

    ● Limit your TV viewing.

    Watching an average TV show requires very little brain power and brings the same result as neglecting (忽视) physical exercise. If you watch TV, choose something educational and informative.

    ● Use your non-dominant (非支配的) hand.

    If you are right-handed, use your left hand for everyday activities, or use your right hand if you are left-handed. Doing familiar things in a new way will cause your brain to create new neural networks. Brushing our teeth is something we do daily.  But maybe we should. Experts suggest that we can force the brain to work by changing things up and working with our non-dominant hand. So the next time you brush your teeth, open the tube, apply your toothpaste and brush with the opposite hand.

    ●

    Jump in the shower and shut your eyes. Even if you drop the soap—that's okay.  Searching for the soap while feeling the textures (质地) with your eyes closed works. Using your fingers to make fine distinctions between objects or textures can reconnect the brain areas involved in touch, suggests Larry Katz, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and author.

A. Shower with your eyes closed.

B. Smart people rarely follow a set pattern.

C. The more pathways you have, the smarter you will be.

D. Use your different senses.

E. We really don't put that much thought into it.

F. Put your brain to best use.

G. Your brain will become weak just as your muscles do.

     Becoming Refreshed without sleeping

Sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day to get everything done and get a good night's rest. Once in a while you can get away with a sleepless night and still feel reasonably good by adjusting your meals and activities.

      The last thing you want to do when you are tired is get warm and cozy, this will cause you to fall asleep. Keeping the air conditioner on will make you feel much more alert and refreshed.

     Eat small amounts. Eating small amounts of healthy food will help refresh you. Fruit and nuts are a good choice because they are nutritious and will energize you Try to stick to low carbon meals to keep you going. Chewing gum after your snack or small meal will also help keep you awake.

     Keep it bright. When it is dark your body thinks it is time to go to sleep. Turn on lots of lights, which will trick your body into waking up and feeling better.  You get double the benefits if it is daytime.

     Take a break. Taking a little break will help you in the long run. Turn up some energizing music to get yourself positive. Relax and talk to a friend in person or on the phone for a few minutes.

A. Keep it cool

B. Calm down and sleep

C. Avoid big, heavy meals as they will make you tired

D. Going outside whether it is day or night for some fresh air

E. Missing sleep regularly can make you sick and should be avoided

F. When you are tired, you may just want to sit around and do nothing

G. Having a good time for a few minutes will refresh you quicker than anything else.

Four Habits to Help You Succeed

We all want to succeed, whether it's in losing weight or learning the guitar. For those who have tried and failed, success seems difficult to understand. Why does one person succeed where another person fails?

1）Identify your core values.

    Finding your core values is in line with creating inner motivation.Pick a handful of things and actually write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day, and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

2）Pick a goal and focus on it.

    Choose one goal to start something large enough that will give you a sense of achievement, while adjusting well to your core values. Focus is key here.If you perform many tasks at a time, you might never complete your projects because they will take far too long.

3）Set a deadline for success.

    Set a date for success. Identify when you hope to achieve your goal.By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.

4）

Failure can’t be avoided when you take risks. By its very definition, the desire to succeed means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don’t fall into this trap! Remember your mindset earlier. Know it will happen. A failure is merely you working out the details, and learning what works and what doesn’t. Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and move on!