Our oldest daughter is having trouble letting go of an old red couch.
It’s not the couch she’s having trouble letting go of as much as the memories. It was their first sofa. It has been loaded and unloaded onto moving trucks seven times. Three kids have eaten on it, dripped on it, and jumped on it.
Yet she’s having a hard time letting go and asked if I thought that was strange.
“Completely,” I said. “You get it from me.”
When we were ready to get rid of our baby things, I sold our crib (婴儿床) at the neighborhood garage sale. I had pieces of it in the garage and the other pieces of it still in the house. A young woman said she wanted to buy it.
My throat tightened and the tears began to well. She pulled out cash and I perked up.
But by the time I returned with the other pieces to the crib, I was all sobbing. “Have you considered that maybe you’re not ready to sell it?” the woman asked.
“No-o-o-o,” I cried. “It’s fine, really,” I said. “Take it.”
Our attachment to stuff grows in direct relationship to the amount of time it has sat in one place. The longer it sits, the harder it is to get rid of it. You think: “Hey, we’ve hung onto it this long – it must be valuable!” As though yellowing and a layer of dust increase value.
People who find it extremely hard to part with things have been made into entertainment in a television show called Hoarders. If an episode of that isn’t depressing enough for you, producers now offer Extreme Hoarders. Both of which are not to be outdone by Storage Wars, a show about aggressive people who bid (出价) on other people’s storage units.
Let the sofa go, I told my daughter. It served its purpose. You can get a new one. Give the kids some crackers and juice and it will be like the old one in six weeks.
1.What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence “You get it from me”?
A. “You can get another sofa from me.”
B. “You can get mental support from me.”
C. “You behave just the same way I do.”
D. “You are asking the right person to help you.”
2.When the writer was selling the crib, _____.
A. she felt relieved that there was someone willing to buy it.
B. she showed a strong attachment to the old item.
C. she couldn’t decide whether or not to sell it in the end.
D. she changed her mind in hopes of keeping it and increasing its value.
3.The writer refers to the television shows to _____.
A. prove that it’s depressing to get attached to old stuff
B. explain what contributes to people’s attachment to old stuff
C. show that people in TV shows live the same lives as ordinary people do
D. prove that it’s actually common for people to find it hard to abandon old stuff
4.Which opinion might the writer agree with according to the article?
A. If you give away old stuff regularly, you are wasteful.
B. If the old stuff has done what it was supposed to, then let it go.
C. Nothing is more valuable than your love for your old stuff.
D. The older your stuff is, the less trouble you have getting rid of it.
5.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Family Ties.
B. Sofa of Memories.
C. Values of Old Things.
D. Attachments to Things.
It seems like people today are more easily offended than ever before.
If smoking in an elevator or talking in a movie theater were normal in the past, they are considered to be rude today. We used to be obliged to answer whatever questions a family elder directed our way, but now when a prying (爱打听的) relative asks about our test grades or dream university --- information that we’d rather keep to ourselves --- we feel offended, even if they mean well.
The boundary between “politeness” and “rudeness” has changed over the years, especially among young people.
But this change doesn’t just go one way --- things that used to be considered rude may also go across to the other side of the boundary. For example, to stand up for themselves, some youths may try to make statements by using phone cases printed with phrases like “Leave me alone” or “None of your business”. In their eyes, this is more like being independent than being rude.
“These phenomena involve rejecting previously moral order to ignore insults, recognize the good intentions of those who accidentally give offense, and be charitable (体谅的) toward those with whom we disagree,” wrote Time. “They suggest a new morality.”
And this fresh morality is introduced by a new group of people. According to The Economist, young people, or millennials (千禧一代), are “the best-educated generation ever”, which is why they tend to be more conscious about their privacy and personal space. They are also freer than previous generations, more eager to explore the world and refuse to be tied down by elders’ rules.
But there are, of course, people who think that millennials have gone too far to defend their own needs. An earlier Time article called millennials the “Me Me Me Generation”, saying that they are self-involved, less grateful and less tolerant of people.
But Lauren Martin, a lifestyle writer in the US, and a millennial herself, has a theory.
“Our generation is an anomaly (与众不同的事物),” she wrote on Elite Daily. “We refuse to do things their way, so they call us entitled. We refuse to sit in cubicles (办公室隔间), so they call us spoiled. We refuse to follow their plans, so they call us stubborn. What they are slowly realizing, however, is we’re not lazy, stubborn or entitled. We just refuse to accept things as they’re given to us.”
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. Why people today are more easily offended.
B. The definition of “politeness” and “rudeness”.
C. The morality of millennials and some views on it.
D. Key characteristics of the millennial generation.
2.What can we conclude from the first four paragraphs?
A. A prying relative always makes people feel offended.
B. Many young people can’t tell politeness from rudeness.
C. Young people today are more independent than ever.
D. Traditional morality has been rejected by some.
3.According to The Economist, millennials ______.
a. are more curious about the outside world.
b. are less thankful and understanding.
c. are more concerned about their privacy.
d. are more likely to challenge elders’ rules.
e. enjoy more freedom and are self-involved
A. a, b, c B. a, c, d C. b, d, e D. c, d, e
4.What does Lauren Martin think of millennials?
A. They are too stubborn to listen to others.
B. They cannot get along well with others.
C. They have their own ways of viewing things.
D. They should adjust their way to defend their own needs.
5.What does the underlined word “entitled” mean?
A. Arrogant. B. Lazy. C. Conscious. D. Independent.
Literary festivals across the world
London Book Fair
Time: held annually in April for 3 days
Place: London, UK
The London Book Fair is a part of the London Book Screen Week.
Visitors include anyone who is involved with the creation, distribution, sale or treatment of content. Authors, talent scouts, editors, designers, and digital gurus all walk the floor- meeting, talking, observing, discovering. It’s a great opportunity to meet all kinds of people.
BookExpo America
Time: held annually in May or June for 4 days
Place: various cities in the US
Unlike most book fairs, Bookexpo America doesn't have a base city. It moves to different places every year-- mostly big cities such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago.
It is the largest gathering in the United States of librarians, booksellers and industry professionals, as well as a great place to discover the latest trends in technology while networking with others in the business, go to autograph and book signing sessions with your favorite authors, and participate in panel discussions with top writers while you enjoy breakfast. With hundreds of participating authors, there's lots to do, see and read.
Frankfurt Book Fair
Time: held annually in October for a week
Place: Frankfurt, Germany
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's biggest and oldest book event with more than 500 years of history, yet it never stops developing with time.
Thematic tours are provided, during which trade visitors and the general public can learn more about the Frankfurt Book Fair. Led by experts, these topical tours take interested groups to stands and other locations around the fair that are relevant to specific themes, such as education, science, kids. With our Book Fair app, visitors have the possibility to take a time-independent, thematic tour.
Tokyo International Book Fair
Time: held annually in September for 3 days
Place: Tokyo, Japan
Being Asia's leading book fair, the Tokyo International Book Fair has several sub categories, including the Natural Sciences Book Fair, the Humanities Social Sciences Book Fair, and the Children’s Books Fair.
One of the highlights of the event is the e-books expo, which shines a spotlight on the fact that people's reading habits are switching from printed books to digital books.
Besides book products, the newest e-learning software and digital publishng technologies are also presented.
1.The largest and oldest book fair in the world is held in___________.
A. April B. May or June
C. October D. September
2.How is BookExpo America different from the other three book fairs?
A. It is held in different cities every year.
B. It attracts many famous writers.
C. It displays the latest trends in technology.
D. It is the longest annual book fair.
3.According to the passage, you are more likely to have a discussion with your favorite author in _________.
A. the UK and Japan
B. the US and Germany
C. the US and Japan
D. the UK and the US
4.Which book fair provides tours of specific themes?
A. The London Book Fair
B. BookExpo America
C. The Frankfurt Book Fair
D. The Tokyo International Book Fair
5.What do we know about the Tokyo International Book Fair?
A. It is the most popular book fair in Asia.
B. It is a great place for e-book lovers.
C. It mainly focuses on natural science books.
D. It mainly displays printed books for schools.
My mother spent her childhood with her father on their farm in the US. She learned how to mend fences, plow fields, and make cheese. And she learned farm life doesn't offer ______ rewards, but if you stick with it, the effort and the long days ______．
My grandpa spent his later years living on a comer of the ______, named Cherry Ridge, where they ______ riding horses together every Saturday before he died in 2012.
Since that time, the farm has ______ into Cherry Ridge Therapeutic Learning Programs, a center for learning, horseback riding and companionship.
"I am a 'road scholar', learning in an experiential way," Mom told me. "I feel I was ______ with eyes to see the needs of a(n) ______ spirit," she added. She has partnered with a ______ called Working to Empower Students Together (WEST), which helps young people with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral challenges, or unstable home environments.
Mom's latest project, the Farm Day Grief Camp, was ______ out of her grieving after the ______ of my grandpa.
"I'm an adult woman who lost my ______ only six years ago," Mom said. "There is nothing ______ than nature and animals to help with the ______ process." The camp's first visitors were five kids mourning the loss of a 7-year-old who died of cancer. ______ included painting and recalling the child's favorite things; and a balloon launch they called Sentiments to Heaven.
"Each camper wrote one thing they wished they could ______ with their departed（去世的）loved one on their ______," Mom-said. Children living with physical disabilities are also ______ at Cherry Ridge. Recently, a student in a wheelchair smiled ear-to-ear as he led the farm's mini horses around.
Mom's vision ______ children, ensuring the lessons she learned on the farm will be ______ for years to come. I know my grandpa would be ______.
1.A. good B. real C. different D. instant
2.A. run out B. come back C. go by D. pay off
3.A. farm B. school C. town D. country
4.A. imagined B. avoided C. enjoyed D. missed
5.A. developed B. divided C. looked D. bumped
6.A. unable B. confused C. gifted D. annoyed
7.A. happy B. curious C. determined D. hurt
8.A. course B. program C. game D. product
9.A. born B. ready C. found D. grown
10.A. illness B. trouble C. loss D. failure
11.A. mom B. dad C. husband D. child
12.A. better B. worse C. easier D. stranger
13.A. learning B. thinking C. relaxing D. grieving
14.A. Trainings B. Activities C. Methods D. Rules
15.A. share B. agree C. play D. provide
16.A. painting B. balloon C. door D. book
17.A. reliable B. upset C. cautious D. welcome
18.A. protects B. challenges C. inspires D. questions
19.A. abandoned B. changed C. preserved D. recognized
20.A. worried B. proud C. thankful D. surprised
Amy joined a painting group but didn't seem to , so she left.
A. fall for B. come across C. fit in D. come over
______to work overtime that evening,I missed a wonderful film.
A. Having been asked B. To ask
C. Having asked D. To be asked
