San Diego Summer The summer after my second year in high school, I finally had the opportunity to live with my super-cool sister in San Diego for three weeks. It was going to be great! I would lie on the beach in the sun. Perhaps I would surf a little or ride my bike around Coronado Island. Meanwhile, I would spend every morning, Monday through Friday, teaching YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) kids how to play tennis...for FREE. Since college wasn't too far off, and since I had practically zero hours of community service, my volunteering at the YMCA was smart. I like tennis and I even kind of like little kids. Anyway, life was going to be amazing for those three weeks. On my first day at the YMCA, I was shocked by the smallness of the children. The kids could barely grasp a racket , let alone swing one. This is when it occurred to me how potentially terrible the situation was--a group of thirty small children with rackets in hand and only four coaches. The odds were definitely against us. Luckily, the kids did not have blood on their minds, and they were ly obedient and cooperative. It soon became painfully obvious that I was the only "coach" actually coaching. Rather ironic when one considered that I was the only one of the four NOT being paid. I must admit, however, that despite all of my efforts these children were not getting much. I had to keep telling myself that while I couldn't enjoy the fruits of my labor at the moment, I would be reveling in the benefits once college application time came. Thus, I soldiered on. As I returned home the day before the opening of school, I had complete peace of mind. Although I did not spend every day at the beach as I had initially hoped to do, I did accomplish several things and I felt as if I were a better person because of my three weeks in San Diego. Before going to San Diego the author was full of _ . A) expectation B) confidence C) doubt D) curiosity
A
The words "winner" and "loser" have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one makes someone else lose. To us , a winner is one who responds authentically by being credible ,trustworthy, responsive , and genuine, both as an individual and as a member of a society. Winners are not afraid to do their own thinking and to use their own knowledge! They can separate facts from opinons and don't pretend to have all the answers. They listen to others. evaluate what they say, but come to their own conclusion. Although winners can admire and respect other people, they are not totally defined, demolished, bound, or awed by them. Winners do not play "helpness", nor do they the blaming game. Instead, they assume responsibility for their own lives! They do not give others a false authority over them. Winners are their own bosses and know it. A winner's timing is right. Winners respond appropriately to the situation. Their responses are related to the message sent. They know the importance and the value of the people involved. Winners know that for every thing there is a season and for every activity a time. Although winners can freely enjoy themselves, they can also postpone enjoyment, can discipline themselves in the present to enhance their enjoyment in the future. Winners are not afraid to go after what they want, but they do so in appropriate ways. Winners do not get their security by controlling others. They do not set themselves up to lose. A winner cares about the world and its peoples. A winner is not _ from the general problems of society ,but is concerned, compassionate, and committed to improving the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international adversity, a winner's self-image is not one of a powerless individual. A winner works to make the world a better place. This text is mainly about _ . A) differences between a winner and a loser B) the characteristics of a winner C) advantages and disadvantages of a winner D) the contribution a winner makes to the society
B
Q: Cats and dogs aren't usually friendly but they can work together well when there's a common goal. Matt Hirst's pets were recently caught on camera conspiring to open the kitchen door while the master was away. According to his post on Reddit, Hirst -- who lives in the U.K. -- had been arriving home all week to notice one of the doors open, even though he knew he shut it before he left. After the fourth time the door was open he decided to set up a hidden camera. "The first time, I assumed I just must have left the door open. The second time, I checked the whole house thinking that someone was breaking in (and began to suspect the cat). The third time I figured it must be the cat, and decided to catch him out, so set the camera up and left it going all day," he wrote. Just three hours after leaving the house, the cat jumps up onto a scratch tower and starts pawing at the door. It takes the cat just over a minute to finally break through and then both cat and dog escape to the other side. How did the cat open the door of the kitchen? A) The cat got the key to the door. B) The cat and the dog knocked the door open together. C) The cat opened the door with its paws. D) The cat opened the door with the help of its owner.
A: C
My friend got married. His mother carried two bags of cotton from the countryside by bus and train to his city. After arriving at the city, there was still a long way to his house without any bus passing by the house. His mother walked to his home breathlessly for 40 minutes without taking a taxi in order to save money. My friend felt bitter as well as funny at his mother's deeds. He pointed to the cashmere and silk quilts and said, "So long as you have money, you can buy anything in the supermarket. There is no need for you to carry so much cotton here in such a long way." But his mother insisted and said, "The cotton of this year is light and warmth-keeping. Have a try and you will know!" Maybe every parent is the same, caring for their children with stubborn love without caring about whether they know or like it. This early spring, I went to visit my grandmother. We had dry beans stew , eggplant salad bar, sauce radish for our dinner, all of which were dried by my grandmother last autumn and tasted wonderful. I loved the dishes to my heart's content and could not help praising them again and again. After a few days, my grandmother, who seldom visited us, came to my home and unpacked her bag, smilingly taking out bags of dried eggplants, dried beans and dried vegetable. She told me that I left so hastily last time that she forgot to give me some of these foods, so she took this chance to bring me what I liked. I was speechless at that time. Due to my casual complimentary her food, my grandmother, a nearly 70-year-old lady, by taking three buses from the west of the city to the east, came to my home with the food I liked. But she was bus-sick in life and even seldom went strolling in the street. My pretty girlfriend had a failed marriage in the past. After divorce, her parents shed the deepest protection and care to her by helping her attend to the child and offering financial aids. Her parents' love made her pull herself together and forgot the man who had hurt her before. Nonetheless, her father, an... From the passage we can learn the author's grandmother is _ . A) upright and honest B) loving and troublesome C) thoughtful and careful D) generous and active
C