根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

         Improve your memory, improve your life

         Mark began to introduce the guest speaker to the audience, but then he paused in horror. _________

         Barbara hid her jewelry when she went on vacation. When she came back, she couldn’t remember where she’d put it.

         __________. Most people have. But memory can be developed.

         First, relax. If you’re overanxious about remembering something, you’ll forget it. ________.Take a deep breath and tell yourself that you have all the time in the world to remember.

         Second, avoid being negative. If you keep telling yourself that your memory is bad, your mind will come to believe it and you won’t remember things. When you forget something, don’t say, “ Gee, I need to have my brain rewired(重装电线).”

    To improve your memory, you’ll need to take an active role. Like your body, your memory can be strengthened through exercise. ______ For example, if you’ re learning a language, try to actively remember irregular verbs.

         You may also want to make associations, or links, between what you’re trying to remember and things you already know. For example, if you need to catch a plane at 2:00pm, you can imagine a plane in your mind and notice that it has two wings. ___________.  

A. Don’t worry.

B. He had forgotten her name.

C. Perhaps you’ve had experiences like these.

D. Look for opportunities to exercise your memory.

E. Jokes like this will have a negative effect on your memory.

F. You are now ten times more likely to remember the take-off time.

G. Relaxing will help improve your awareness and ability to concentrate.

 

We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.

So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”

Cheep up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.

If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.

1.The title for this passage may be           .

A. Do Not Make a Long Speech    B. How to Give a Good Speech

C. How to prepare for a Speech  D. Try to Enjoy a speech

2.Paragraph 2 implies that          .

A. many people are happy to give a speech

B. many people are afraid of giving a speech

C. many people don’t prepare for a speech

D. many people talk too long

3. The phrase “talk over their heads” means           .

A. speak too loudly             B. look at the ceiling

C. look down upon them          D. use words and ideas that are too difficult4.All of the following statements are TRUE except           .

A. not many people know how to make good speeches

B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech

C. research is important in preparing a speech

D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability

 

Become a confident speaker. How to improve your English speaking skills and make you able to communicate more easily and effectively? The following tips will help you to become a more confident speaker.

Practice where you can and when you can. And practice is good — whether you speak to someone who is a native English speaker or not.

It’s important to build up your confidence. If possible, use the simple sentence structure that you know is correct, so that you can concentrate on getting your message across.

Try to experiment with the English you know. Apply (应用) words and phrases you know to new situations. Native English speakers are likely to correct you if you use the wrong word. They usually don’t mind if you use wrong grammar.

Try to respond to what people say to you. You can often get clues to what people think by looking at their body language. Respond to them in a natural way.

Never translate everything into your own language. It takes you much time and you’ll find it difficult to find an English answer right away. You don’t know how to do well. The more you want to act well, the more slowly you act. This will make you hesitant.

If you forget a word, do what native English speakers do all the time, and say things that ‘fill’ the conversation. This is better than remaining completely silent. Try using ‘um’, ‘er’, if you forget the word.

Don’t speak too fast! It’s important to use a natural rhythm (节奏) in speaking English, but if you speak too fast it will be difficult for people to understand you.

Try to relax when you speak, and you’ll find that your mouth does most of the pronunciation work for you. Speak English at a normal speed.

Final tips: Try to become less hesitant. Don’t be shy to speak — the more you do it, the more confident you’ll become. Remember to be polite — use “please” and “thank you” if you ask someone to do something for you.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A．Good ways of studying English well.

B．Suggestions on becoming a confident speaker.

C．Things to pay attention to when speaking English.

D．How to correct your mistakes as you speak English.

2.How many tips does the author offer in this text?

A．9.               B．10.               C．11.              D．12.

3.In this passage, the underlined word “hesitant” in the sixth paragraph means “________”.

A．sure about what to do

B．fast to make a good decision

C．successful in answering questions

D．uncertain about how to express yourself

4.This text is most probably written for ________.

A．English beginners                       B．native English speakers

C．English teachers                        D．language experts

 

A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex (反应), I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.

In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．

In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．

But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．

1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that________________________________．

A．the author regretted his act of prejudice

B．the blind woman needed the money badly

C．the author was as poor as the blind woman

D．the author was a native American

2.According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably________．

A．rather hurt        B．very excited       C．deeply moved      D．greatly inspired

3.According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should_______________．

A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled

B．try to experience different kinds of life

C．treat others equally with love and respect

D．think about one’s past as often as possible

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

A．Learn from Your Past                     B．How My Dream Comes True

C．A Belief That Will Never Change            D．A Priceless Lesson in the Street

 

Every time Lionel Messi breaks a record, it seems appropriate to compare him to the legends that came before him.

In 2012, he rewrote soccer history on multiple occasions, and his latest record came when he scored his 86th goal of the calendar year, breaking Gerd Muller’s previous mark, before wrapping up the year with 91 goals.

All statistics indicate that Messi is currently the best player in the world, and that he will go down in history as the top footballer of his generation. But when he is judged against all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona, he still has work to do.

We don’t know whether the Barcelona striker will have another year in which he records more than 90 goals, but he must still sustain(维持)a similar level of production for the next several seasons.

Messi has already taken part in three of Barcelona’s victorious Champions League(冠军联赛)campaigns, and he played an important role in two of them. In order to firmly establish himself as the greatest club football player in history, he must win the tournament a few more times.

Most importantly, the Argentine(阿根廷人)needs to win on the international stage. Regardless of what Messi does for Barcelona, his legacy will be incomplete if he cannot win the World Cup with Argentina.

Both Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers, and Messi’s performances for his country have been severely disappointing.

While he was still a teenager in 2006 —and his lackluster(平淡的)showing is excusable due to his youth—he cannot brush off the disappointment that characterized Argentina’s performance in 2010.

But the 4-0 loss to Germany in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final seems to have sparked Messi. He scored 12 times for Argentina last year, and the next World Cup could finally be Messi’s breakout performance in blue and white stripes.

Due to all of his accomplishments, it is easy to forget that the extraordinary footballer is just 25 years old. If he can avoid injury or lengthy slumps(低潮状态)until his speed and skills start to decline due to age, he may continue to break records and win trophies.

56. What will Messi have to do in order to be complete in his soccer career?

A. He must win the World Cup with Argentina.

B. He must win the tournament a few more times.

C. He must defeat Pele and Maradona.

D. He must avoid injury or lengthy slumps.

57. How was Messi’s performance in 2010 World cup?

A. Excellent　 　 B. Inspiring　 　　 C. Disappointing 　　D. Normal.

58. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Messi has firmly established himself as the greatest club soccer player in history.

B. Messi will try his best to win the next World Cup with Argentina.

C. Messi can avoid injury and lengthy slumps to break records and win trophies.

D. Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers.

59. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Lionel Messi, the Best Soccer Player of All Time ?

B. Lionel Messi, the Greatest Soccer Player in History.

C. Barcelona and Lionel Messi.

D. World Cup and Lionel Messi.