Reading and Optional Choices閱讀七選五

根據(jù)短文內容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。

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A report says plastics are responsible for $13 billion in damage to the oceans and the undersea environment.? Plastic thrown away carelessly makes its way into rivers and other waterways.? After a while， it collects in the sea. And plastic never goes away. It just breaks up into smaller pieces over time. The oceans contain a lot of chemicals and other pollutants.? That means harmful material may get into our food supply.

Human beings cause pollution and they can take steps to stop it. They can use fewer single use product containers and throw plastics away correctly. Plastic recycling programs also works—where old bottles and other plastics are collected， broken down and used to make new products. We could， when we get rid of that plastic， recycle it and reuse it， which replaces the need for raw materials.

The report also calls on companies to improve methods for using plastics.? And it calls for information about the way plastic is thrown out or removed from use. By putting a new value on plastic， industry has a special reason to clean up the environment.

A. Then， fish may eat the plastics.

B. But people can make a big difference.

C. Plastics should be gathered together and reused.

D. It is convenient to use plastic bags in everyday life.

E. It asks them to better measures and direct plastic use.

F. The plastic eventually reaches coastal areas and ocean waters.

G. The report tells about harm to sea life and what might be done to improve the situation.

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Why play sports？ You might say “to get exercise” and youd be right.

To have fun？ Thats true， too. But theres more.? According to the Womens Sports Foundation， girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time.? ?Exercise improves learning， memory， and concentration， which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills.? When working with coaches， trainers， and teammates to win games and achieve goals， youre learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Playing sports improves self-confidence.? Why？ It builds confidence when you know you can practice， improve， and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape， keep a healthy weight， and make new friends.

Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How？ The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a persons mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being in a team creates tight bonds between friends. Its good to know your teammates will support you—both on and off the field！

A. Exercise cuts the pressure.

B. Sports teach valuable life skills.

C. Regular exercise increases quality of life.

D. In fact， there are at least five more reasons.

E. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves.

F. Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits.

G. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who dont.

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With modern technology， much written communication tends to focus on the keyboard， but handwriting is still a necessary and important skill.? ? ? ? 1? ? ? ? Here are some tips for you to improve your handwriting.

Examine your handwriting.

2? ? ? ? Look through your writing to decide what makes it difficult to read or what makes it unattractive. If your letters are small， put more effort into writing larger letters. If certain letters trip you up， practice those letters separately and within words.

Write correctly.

Positioning and technique play a role in how your handwriting looks. Hold the pen between your thumb and first two fingers so that it rests against your fingers. Hold it firmly enough to control the tip but not so hard. Lighter pressure on the paper helps you create smooth lines and focus on your letter formation.? ? ? ? 3

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Letters are formed from several basic strokes （筆畫）. Practice those strokes separately to get your hand used to forming them. Build on those to practice specific letters.

Write for a purpose.

Write in meaningful contexts. Use that same idea by picking up a pen to write lists and notes by hand instead of typing. Keep a journal daily with slow， correct strokes.? ? ? ? 5? ? ? ? These true and sincere writing opportunities make the practice meaningful.

A. Build on basics.

B. Practice makes perfect.

C. Focus on improving your correctness instead of speed.

D. Writing at a slower speed also helps you focus on letter formation.

E. Put a handwritten letter in the mail to surprise a friend or a relative.

F. Handwriting requires your brain， eyes and hands to work together to form letters.

G. Before you can improve your handwriting， you need to know where youre falling apart.

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Everyone is aware that taking good care of our bodies can prevent many medical problems from occurring later. However， we often have less awareness of preventative actions we should take to help with mental health problems. While our mental health may be fine right now， many of us will struggle at some point.? Its impossible to get through life without challenges， but our mental health prevention habits can help us get through difficult times.

Keep active. The more active you physically， mentally and socially are， the higher the level of your mental wellness is likely to be. So go for walks and learn something new. There are many other ways to be active.

Be connected. Regular involvement in social activities with supportive friends and family improves your ability to handle disappointments， and everything else life throws at you.? But you can be involved in any manner; even volunteering for an organization can help you be more social.

The nature of these activities varies widely from person to person. The key is to identify what gives your life meaning. Volunteering， coaching， teaching， etc. all can contribute to increasing your sense of confidence and satisfaction with life. The key is to make a plan and stick with it. If you are already struggling， begin to practice these ways to help your recovery.

A. Here are three practical steps.

B. However， good mental health is important.

C. Take up lifes challenges when they happen.

D. Stresses， disappointments and disasters happen.

E. Be committed to activities that give life meaning.

F. The key is to find what keeps you interested or excited.

G. This can be difficult when you move to a new town or as you get older.

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Most people have practiced some form of hobby at a point in their lives. There are many different reasons and skills for taking up a hobby.

Realize you have more time than you think.

This is probably the one thing that keeps most people back from practicing a hobby.? ? ? ? 1? ? ? ? But we waste so much time on social media， television commercials and worrying about life which we could have used to practice a hobby. Schedule （安排） some time for a hobby into your day.

Involve other people.

Why？ Well， have you ever noticed that you stick to something longer when you feel that you cannot let another person down？ So， get someone to jog with you， or share recipes with you. Plus， you will inspire them to keep on practicing their hobby.? ? ? ? 2

Put your money where your mouth is.

3? ? ? ? So give out a bit of your budget （預算） to your hobby of choice so that you cannot blame a lack of “materials” for not doing anything.

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For me， this has been the most important step in going out and doing a hobby. If you jog， decide which races you want to do this year.

Find the pleasure in what you do.

As with most things， starting of getting something ready to start can be difficult. But dont give up.? ? ? ? 5

A. It is a total win-win.

B. Work towards something.

C. Think of a hobby that might interest you.

D. Others help will definitely do you good.

E. You think that you don t have enough time to even start.

F. The fact is that people spend money where their heart is.

G. Once you have started youll find the beauty and relaxation in it.

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Body language provides a lot of information on what other people are thinking. A research has shown that 55% of communication comes from body language.? Next time youre in a meeting， watch for these cues （暗示）：

Real smiles crinkle （使起皺紋） the eyes. When it comes to smiling， the mouth can lie but the eyes cant. Real smiles reach the eyes， crinkling the skin to create crows feet around them. So the next time you want to know if someones smile is real， look for crinkles at the corners of their eyes.

Copying your body language is a good thing. Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs， they do the same？ Or perhaps they lean their head the same way as yours when youre talking？? It means that the conversation is going well and that the other party accepts your message.

Eyes that lie. People will often try to hold eye contact， hoping to cover up the fact that theyre lying.? If youre talking with someone whose gaze is making you uncomfortable， something is up and they might be lying to you.

Even if you cant read a persons exact thoughts， you can learn a lot from their body language.

A. Thats actually a good sign.

B. If they arent there， that smile is hiding something.

C. Good signs lead to good conversations in a meeting.

D. Youll have to find out how long they have looked at you.

E. Learning how to understand that 55% can give you a lot of help.

F. Thats especially true when words and body language dont match.

G. The problem is that most of them will hold eye contact until it feels uncomfortable.

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Celebrate！

Pi?atas

In Mexico， children often get pi?atas on their birthday. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the pi?ata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the pi?ata with a stick.? ? ? ? 1

Noodles

In China， people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends， and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin.? ? ? ? 2? ? ? ? You cant cut them. In Chinese culture， long noodles mean you will have a long life.

Business birthdays

A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the US celebrate important birthdays， like 10， 50 or 150 years.? ? ? ? 3

Sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

As well as a birthday， many people in Southern Europe also celebrate their name day.? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts， often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

In Muslim countries across the world， people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid， people visit family and friends， as well as people who are sick or in hospital.? ? ? ? 5? ? ? ? Children receive toys， too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.

A. You have to eat them in one piece.

B. They go out for a meal to celebrate.

C. Companies hold parties and send cards.

D. They give presents， such as sweets and food.

E. It breaks and the sweets fall out onto the ground.

F. This is one of the two important festivals in the country.

G. In Greece， name days are more important than birthdays.

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It can take time to practice critical thinking， and its never too late to start. The Foundation for Critical Thinking suggests that practicing the following four steps will help you become a critical thinker.

Ask questions.

Critical thinkers start by asking questions about whatever is in front of them.? If this， then what？ If that， then how is the outcome different？ They understand that every action has a consequence.

Seek information.

Once you have asked every question you can come up with about a matter， seek information that will help you answer those questions.

You can learn almost anything on the Internet， but its not the only place to do your research. Interview people！ Ask the experts around you. Gather information and various opinions you can use to make your own determination.

Analyze （分析） with an open mind.

Youve got a pile of information， and now its time to analyze it all with an open mind.? It can be pretty difficult to recognize the stereotypes （慣性思維） that were fixed in us from our first families.

Try to be as aware as possible of those stereotypes and biases （偏見）， and turn them off.? Are you being objective？ Accepting anything as truth without checking？ This is the time to look at every thought as purely as possible.

Once youve reached a conclusion through critical thinking， its time to communicate and present a solution if one is called for. Not everyone involved will have thought the situation through as critically as you have. Its your job to understand that， and to present solutions in a way that everyone can understand.

A. Do some research.

B. Communicate solutions.

C. Two heads are better than one.

D. Facts speak louder than words.

E. They consider cause and effect.

F. This is the most challenging part.

G. Question everything during this step.

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All over the world， animals and plants are in trouble. People are trying to find ways to help them.? ? ? ? 1

Adopt an animal.

Many zoos and wildlife organizations have programs that let kids donate money to help a specific endangered animal.? ? ? ? 2

Dont release fish or pets onto the wild.

3? ? ? ? Your pet is not native to where you live. Set loose， it might become an invasive species， or it might spread parasites （寄生蟲）. So keep your fish in their tank， or find them a new home but not the pond.

Pull weeds （雜草）.

Chemicals used to kill garden weeds and bugs are a big problem for animals. Maybe if you offered to pull up the weeds instead， you could help people to use fewer poisons.

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Share what you know and speak up for the animals. Write letters！ Powerful people need to know that you care and that youre keeping an eye on them to make sure they do their jobs right and protect the planet.

Make less trash.

Pollution and plastic trash are bad for animals and nature. How can you help？

5

Take your lunch in a lunchbox or reusable bag.

Bring cloth bags to the store and remind grow-ups if they forget.

A. Speak up！

B. But what can you do in daily life？

C. Bring drinks from home in a refillable bottle.

D. It might seem kind to set pets free—but it isnt.

E. Pulling weeds is a chore—but you said you want to help！

F. People are finding lots of ways to help the endangered species.

G. For your next birthday， why not ask your friends and family to help you adopt？

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Creating a good study environment takes a little planning. Many people fail to do this and wonder why they cannot concentrate. After a couple of times of studying the right way， most people will be surprised at how much they can actually enjoy studying.? ? ? ? 1

Know that concentration is the key. Reduce every possible distraction. Turn off the television and go in an area where you will not be interrupted by people.? ? ? ? 2? ? ? ? If you are studying on your computer， dont get distracted by emails and social networking sites.

3? ? ? ? If it is too dim （暗）， your eyes will be strained and leave you tired and wanting to close your eyes. Sun is a light that naturally wakes you up and helps you think.

Choose a comfortable seat.? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? Now a couch can work just fine for this as long as you dont find yourself lying flat after a few minutes. The whole point of studying is to be able to concentrate on the study matter and not on a sore back.

5? ? ? ? Now this is for the person who needs the background noise to tune out all the little noises of life going on. If you find yourself thinking about the song then maybe silence is better for you.

A. Turn on some music.

B. Find a place that is proper to read.

C. If you can， turn off your cell phone.

D. Learn more to make study environment different.

E. It should have a good back support and a good feeling.

F. Some people can study with lots of activities going on.

G. Read on to learn how to create a good study environment.

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Have you come across the term “soft skills” before？ Most likely not. However， to be truly happy and successful， you need to develop a wide range of soft skills.? ? ? ? 1? ? ? ? Without them， youll struggle to find work and happiness. Here are several important soft skills.

2? ? ? ? I remember reading a self-help book that states， “Winners make decisions quickly， losers make them slowly.” Theres definitely something to this. If you spend days making decisions， youll often find yourself left behind by those who make decisions quickly and also act on these decisions quickly.

Have great interpersonal relationship skills. Happy people know how to communicate with others.? ? ? ? 3? ? ? ? They also know how to participate in constructive conversations. The best way to learn interpersonal skills is to listen and watch others who are great at this skill.

Understand the power of team working. Being able to team up with others is a vital skill. Wherever you work， its certain that youll be part of a team.? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? And if youre a team leader， you must also know how to inspire your team.

Know how to make other people laugh.? ? ? ? 5? ? ? ? However， how about when you meet strangers？ In these situations， perhaps you withdraw into your shell. Break free， and add humor to all of your interactions. Your popularity will soar， and your personal happiness will climb too.

A. Read more self-help books.

B. Youre sure to be popular with them.

C. Have the ability to make quick decisions.

D. You must learn how to get on with others.

E. They can make a huge difference to your life.

F. Im sure with your friends and family you have a great sense of humor.

G. Theyre comfortably communicating with people from all backgrounds.

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When people succeed， it is because of hard work， but luck has a lot to do with it.? ? ? ? 1? ? ? ? Napoleon once said all the hard work and talent in the world cant make up for bad luck. However， hard work can invite good luck.

When it comes to success， luck can mean being in the right place to meet someone. Nothing can replace hard work， but working hard also means youre preparing yourself for opportunity.? ? ? ? 2

How many of the great inventions and discoveries came about through a lucky mistake or a lucky chance？ One of the biggest lucky mistakes in history is Columbus so-called discovery of America. He changed history， but he was really looking for India.? ? ? ? 3? ? ? ? It was backed up by years of studying and calculating （計算）.

Success comes from pure luck and no hard work can be a real problem.? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? Imagine shes been picked from nowhere because of her looks. She is going to feel insecure （無把握的）， because she knows she didnt do anything to earn her stardom. On the other hand， think about an actress whos spent years learning and working. When she finally has good luck and becomes a success， she will deal with stardom better. She knows she earns it.

5? ? ? ? When it comes to success， I think that hard work and luck go hand in hand.

A. Luck is also important in peoples life.

B. Opportunity very often depends on luck.

C. Success without some luck is almost impossible.

D. Hard work plays a very important part in success.

E. However， Columbus chance discovery wasnt pure luck.

F. For example， consider a teenage girl who becomes a movie star.

G. People who work hard help make their own luck by being ready when opportunity knocks.

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Traveling to all corners of the world gets easier and easier. We live in a global village， but this doesnt mean that we all behave in the same way.

How should you behave when you meet someone for the first time？? ? ? ? 1? ? ? ? In Japan， you should bow， and the more respect you want to show， the deeper you should bow. In Thailand， people greet each other by pressing both hands together at the chest.? ? ? ? 2

Many countries have rules about what you should and shouldnt wear. In Muslim countries， you shouldnt expose your body， especially women， who should wear long blouses and skirts.? ? ? ? 3? ? ? ? Remember to place them neatly together where you come in.

In Spain， lunch is often the biggest meal of the day， and can last two or three hours.? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? In Mexico， lunch is the time to relax， and many people prefer not to discuss business as they eat. In Britain， its not unusual to have a business meeting over breakfast.

In most countries， an exchange of business cards is necessary for all introductions. It should include your company name and your position. If you are going to a country where your language is not widely spoken， you can get the back side of your card printed in the local language.? ? ? ? 5

A. Dont make any noise when you eat or drink soup.

B. As the saying goes， “When in Rome， do as the Romans do.”

C. In both countries， eye contact is avoided as a sign of respect.

D. An American shakes your hand while looking into your eyes.

E. In China， you may present your card with the writing side up.

F. For this reason， many people eat a light breakfast and a late dinner.

G. In South Korea， you should take off your shoes when entering a house.

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Television has changed our lives in many ways. Many people now spend more time watching TV than doing anything else. Researchers has estimated that when most students leave school they have spent 11，000 hours in the classroom and 22， 000 hours watching television.

Benefits of television：

●Television helps us to learn more about the world and to know and see many new things. Television can offer present information to us in a more effective way than books.

●It entertains us. It is an enjoyable way to relax ourselves. For millions of people around the world， television is a source of companionship and helps them to cope with everyday life.

●It has increased the popularity of sports and arts.

●? In 2000， for example， 1.5 million people in 147 countries watched a TV pop concert and helped to collect more than $100 million for people in Africa.

Dangers：

●Television makes us passive.

●It encourages us to buy unnecessary things sometimes. There are many advertisements on television.

●It takes time away from activities such as reading， conversation， and games.

●Some critics say that television makes people violent. A ten-year study showed that children who watch violent television programmes are more likely to be violent themselves.

A. Television makes us active.

B. But what effect does this have？

C. It can also make things more memorable.

D. We dont have to think and our brains become lazy.

E. However， this kind of advertisement might not be suitable.

F. Television has made us aware of our global responsibilities.

G. The main purpose of them is to make customers spend money.

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Thomas Edison was one of the most successful inventors the world has ever seen.? ? ? ? 1

But people found that although Edison was good at inventing new things， he was a poor fisherman. He used to spend an hour almost every day sitting at the side of a river and fish. He always fished all alone by himself.? ? ? ? 2

People asked Edison， “Why are you so crazy about fishing when you are so bad at it？” His answer was， “I really never caught any fish because I have never used any bait （誘餌）.” Another question followed， “Why would you fish without bait？” Edison answered， “Because when you fish without bait， people dont disturb you and neither do the fish.? ? ”

Sometimes the worlds best inventor was the worlds worst fisherman. In fact， because Edison was the worlds worst fisherman， he could become the worlds greatest inventor.

Are you setting aside some time for yourself to think？? ? ? ? 4? ? ? ? Here are some ideas for you：

? Slowing down and taking long showers is a good idea.

?? ? ? ? 5

? Long walks are good， too.

? Afternoon naps have been proved to improve creativity.

A. But he never caught any fish.

B. It provides me my best time to think.

C. In all， Edison has thousands of inventions.

D. Listening to some soft classical music is also good.

E. He was asked the reason behind him being a fisherman.

F. To make your brain work better， you need to take a rest.

G. Set aside 15—20 minutes per day for you to do something relaxing.

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