初中英语拓展阅读(1)APersonalities of some Chinese Birth SignsThe Rat (SHU)People born under the year of the Rat are generous and easygoing to those that they love and care for. They generally have happy and lively personalities and are very outgoing, although they lose their temper sometimes. On the whole they are successful in what they choose to do, full of imagination and have very good memories. The Rat is a lover of money and a hater of waste and idleness.The Rabbit (TU)People born under the year of the Rabbit don’t often get into trouble and seldom make enemies. They are considerate, kind and thoughtful towards others. The Rabbit is the symbol of a long life. They are said to draw their life energy from the moon. They like an easy and good time and give good advice, although they shy away from promises.The Dog (GOU)People born under the year of the Dog seem to be liked very well as it is one of the most popular animals. Dog people are truthful and clever, with a strong sense of fairness. They never avoid their duties. They always do their fair share of things and will always “listen to reason”. They are helpful, open-minded, never envious, and have great insight into human nature. They are also brave and practical. However, if you try to look into their affairs, they can become secretive and also give a cold shoulder to those who they don’t really like.Choose the best answer for each question.( )1. People born under the year of the Rat _______.A. love money better than anything elseB. are hard-workingC. are good at choosing thingsD. think much but do little( )2. People born under the year of the Rabbit _______.A. don’t like to tell others what they thinkB. enjoy living a busy lifeC. often get on well with othersD. don’t believe others’ promises( )3. People born under the year of the Dog _______.A. like to do something secretlyB. are unhappy when others have done something betterC. often make excuses for their mistakesD. are good at seeing straight through others( )4. Which of the following is TRUE?A. Rat people can keep few things in mind.B. Rabbit people prefer the moon to the sun.C. Dog people like to look into others’ affairs.D. Dog people are willing to help others.( )5. What kind of people will not show their dissatisfaction to others?A. Rat people.B. Rabbit people.C. Dog people.D. All the above.Help: personality n. 个性generous adj. 慷慨的lose one’s temper 发脾气idleness n. 懒惰;闲散considerate adj. 考虑周到的shy away from 躲避;羞于listen to reason v. 服理envious adj. 嫉妒的insight n. 洞察力dissatisfaction n. 不满BIf you’re having difficulties in class and it seems that your teacher is unfair to you, take some time to think hard about what’s happening. Try to find out whether your teacher really dislikes you, or whether something else is going on. Here are some questions to ask yourself:1. Are you the only person being treated badly, or is your teacher rough on the whole class? Ask your classmates if they are having trouble with the teacher, too. If they say yes, perhaps your teacher is having problems outside the school, or is new and at a loss.2. Are you working up to your ability? Maybe you got a C in your last test, and your teacher told you that you could do better. But the kid sitting beside you got a C, too, and the teacher didn’t say anything to him! Isn’t this unfair? Well, it could be that your teacher knows that you could get a better grade if you put more effort into it. Teachers often grade students by different standards. It’s their way of encouraging a student to try a little harder.3. Are you more sensitive than other students? There’s nothing wrong with being sensitive, but if you react to criticism quite differently from others, this could be a reason why you think your teacher doesn’t like you.4. Does your teacher seem to act unfairly all the time, or just once in a while? Think about the harsh things your teacher has done or said to you. Are these things happening every day, or just once or twice a month? If your teacher really hates you, you would probably be picked on all the time. If your teacher has acted unfairly only a few times, then there’s probably something else going on.If y ou take the time to ask yourself these questions, you’ll get a better sense of what’s happening between you and your teacher.Choose the best answer for each question.( )6. If you feel your teacher is unfair to you, you should _______.A. work harder at your lessonsB. care nothing for itC. ask your classmates for helpD. make it clear if this is true( )7. Which of the following is TRUE?A. Teachers are often rough on the students who get a C grade.B. If a teacher hates you, he will criticize you once or twice a month.C. A new teacher is often rough on the whole class.D. Sometimes your teacher criticizes you to make you work harder.( )8. If you find your teacher only treats you badly all the time, maybe _______.A. he has problems outside the schoolB. he really dislikes youC. he is more sensitive than other teachersD. he is new and wants to have some experience( )9. What does the underlined word “it” in the third paragraph mean?A. Your ability.B. A C grade.C. Your study.D. Your teacher.( )10. What’s the best title for this passage?A. Is your teacher really unfair to you?B. How to get on with your teachersC. Know more about your teachers!D. How to get a better sense in schoolHelp: rough adj. 粗暴的at a loss 不知所措standard n. 标准sensitive adj. 敏感的react v. 反应criticism n. 批评harsh adj. 苛刻的pick on 故意刁难;挑剔CWhat will you do to make sure you reach your goals? There are three main steps to get to where you want to go.First, sit down and write your dreams out. By writing them you will get a better idea of where you really want to go. Imagine yourself at the end of the year or maybe in five years. What do you see? How do people see you? What are you doing? Are you successful?Well, a dream is just that. It’s a vision of how you see yourself in the future. Once you know the direction in which you want to go, you can begin working on some goals.Secon d come the goals. Goals are “wants”. So are dreams, but goals are more specific. If you want to be rich, tell how much money you need to be rich. If you want good grades, tell what you mean by “good”. In fact, the more specific the goal is, the easier it w ill be to get it. Give numbers and times. Don’t use words like “lots” or “more”. For example, I want a “B” in each of my subjects.Third are the objectives. They tell exactly what you will do and when you will do it. When you think about what you will do, don’t use words like “try” or “maybe”. Be sure your objectives can be measured. Every day or every week you can say, “Did I do this?” and you can answer with either a yes or a no. Don’t leave room for “maybes”.OK. Here is another example. I say I want a “B” in each subject. My objectives are:I will go to every class every day.I will sit in the middle of the classroom.I will re-read my notes from every class every day.I will finish every assignment the day when it is given.Well, you get the idea. Each of my objectives is specific and each one can be measured. If Ido all these things, there is a pretty good chance for me to get what I want, which means I’ll fulfill my dream.Fill in the blanks with proper words according to the passage.11. The writer advises you to write your _______ out so that you can get a better idea of where you really want to go.12. Dreams are not so _______ as goals.13. _______ tell exactly what to do and when to do it.14. “I want to learn more English in the future” is a dream, while “I want to go to the English Department of Wuhan University” is a _______.15. Most of the objectives should be fulfilled every _______ according to the second example. Help: vision n. 想象;幻想specific adj. 详细的;明确的objective n. (客观的)目标measure v. 测量;估量assignment n. 任务;作业fulfill v. 实现Key: 1-5 BCDDB 6-10 DDBCA11. dreams 12. specific 13. Objectives 14. goal 15. day。