To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes(误用的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this, “ To err is human, to forgive is divine(神圣的).” This saying mirrors an ideal: People should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite — find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity(成熟).
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(推论)to that: If a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1.According to the passage, which of the following seems the most human?
A. To search for truth..
B. To achieve one’s ideal.
C. To make fun of others’ mistakes.
D. To criticize others for one’s own error.
2.According to the author, what is a sign of a man’s maturity?
A. Doing things his own way.
B. Making as few mistakes as possible.
C. Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.
D. Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.
3.What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.
B. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
C. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
D. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
4.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Truth or Excuse.
B. A Mark of Maturity.
C. To Blame or to Forgive.
D. A Mirror of Human Nature.
Most of Bangladesh is at or below sea level. Rising seawaters linked to climate change has severely affected the country. High water from storms in coastal areas also adds salt to soil. The land is becoming salty. Crops are less productive and many areas of cropland in the country are becoming unfit for farming. These are big problems for the small country. More than 155 million people live in Bangladesh. Growing crops is the most common way Bangladeshis support themselves.
To find a way out, farmers in the country are learning to grow vegetables in so-called “vertical gardens”. The soil in these gardens is better because heavy rains have removed much of the salt.
A vertical garden is easy to make. Villagers fill containers with good soil and natural fertilizers. They put the containers on bricks so they are off the ground. They add pieces of the bricks to the soil to help water flow and drain(排水).
The farmers cut small holes into the sides of the containers. This permits vegetables with short roots a place to grow. Vegetables with long roots grow on top of the container. One bag of soil can produce up to eight kilograms of vegetables in one season.
The farmers also grow vegetables in containers made from large, thin pieces of plastic supported by bamboo. This “vertical tower” measures more than a meter wide. Each of these towers can produce more than 100 kilograms of vegetables. It costs about $12-S13 to build.
1.What is mentioned as a big problem for Bangladesh?
A. Severe climate conditions.
B. Too many people to support.
C. Lack of enough fresh water.
D. Reduced crop productivity.
2.Which mainly makes vegetable growing in vertical gardens successful?
A. Places in the soil for roots.
B. Heavy rains kept in the soil.
C. The good soil with little salt.
D. Brick pieces added to the soil.
3.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Bricks. B. Fertilizers. C. Villagers. D. Containers.
4.What can we infer about the vertical tower?
A. It is off the ground.
B. It drains very improperly.
C. It uses bamboo for containers.
D. It is unfit for growing vegetables.
I considered an active social life as basic human necessity. Yet when it dawned on me just how much time I was spending socializing, I realized I may be taking it to an extreme. I calculated that, on average, I was spending 22 hours or more each week on social activities. So, to see what would happen to my work output, health and wellbeing, I decided to try and cut out my social life entirely.
I knew, at times, I filled my schedule simply out of fear of missing out (FOMO), but also as a way to shift focus away from my work. For one month, I declined all in-person activities with friends: going out for drinks; dinners; parties and non-work related events, to see if it would make me more productive, improve my focus and career prospects.
On day one of the month-long experiment, I had to fight some anxiety over missing out. But as the days passed, I started to relax. I only had one option to consider for Saturday night—to stay home—and this limitation left me more satisfied in my decision. I felt more content working, reading or watching TV.
While I found more time to work, I also noticed a change in my overall health. I found myself cooking more at home, doing daily exercise, getting to bed earlier each night, reading, and enjoying moments of rest and boredom throughout the day.
Having no social life left me more free time than I’d imagine. Such idle moments are vital for creativity, and mind wandering has been linked to creative problem solving. During the experiment I found myself regularly brainstorming new ideas and reimagining existing projects.
Of course socializing is an important way to build work contacts. While one month of no social life did not impact my relationship with existing clients, if I had continued, it may harm my ability to build new ones.
1.What did the author realize about his socializing?
A. It was difficult for him to contact people.
B. It’s a necessary part of his life and work.
C. He had spent too much time in socializing.
D. He should have spent more time socializing.
2.How did the author feel on the first day of his experiment?
A. He felt anxious that he might be left out.
B. He felt more energetic to get down to work.
C. He felt relaxed not having to contact people.
D. He felt doubtful whether he could hold on.
3.What benefit did the author find to let his mind wander lazily?
A. He could have more time with his family.
B. He could solve problems in a creative way.
C. He could be more concentrated on his work.
D. He could free himself from the work contacts.
4.What would the author do after the experiment?
A. Live a quiet life with his family away from the outside.
B. Make a new social life with any possible customers.
C. Spare some time regularly for creative thinking alone.
D. Continue his work contacts with his customers.
You have a choice of three Supafone Mobile Digital access plans: Leisuretime, Executive and Highflier. They are designed to meet the needs of light, moderate and high-volume users. Calls in each plan are charged at only two rates: short-distance and long-distance. You enjoy big savings with off-peak calls.
LEISURETIME
Your mobile phone is mainly for personal use. You use your phone to keep family and friends in touch. You don’t want to strain your budget(预算紧张).
With this plan you enjoy the lowest monthly access fee and extremely competitive costs for calls. However, a monthly minimum call charge applies.
EXECUTIVE
You’re in business and need to be able to call your office and your clients whenever the need arises. You value the convenience of a mobile phone but need to keep a close eye on costs.
For frequent users: the monthly access fee is slightly higher, but you enjoy the savings of a discounted call rate.
HIGHFLIER
You are always on the move and communications are critical. You need to be able to call and be called wherever you are—world-wide.
As a high-volume user you pay an access fee of just $60 a month but even lower call rates.
1.You will have to pay a minimum amount for call each month for .
A. the Leisuretime plan. B. the Executive plan.
C. the Highflier plan. D. all of the three plans.
2.The Executive plan is primarily intended for people who need a mobile phone for .
A. their work. B. keeping in contact with their family.
C. global communication. D. personal use.
3.It costs for a 50-second short-distance call at 8 p. m., Friday, on Highflier plan.
A. 30.2 cents. B. 15.2 cents. C. 15 cents. D. 30 cents.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What does the Golden Rule ask people to do?
A. Develop personal rules .
B. Respect their families and ancestors.
C. Treat others as they wish to be treated.
2.Which is Confucius’ teaching?
A. Governments should be mora.l
B. Husbands should respect wives.
C. People should memorize rules of behavior.
3.How did Confucius teach lessons?
A. Through arguments.
B. Through reasoning.
C. Through personal examples.
4.What does the speaker say about Confucius?
A. He used to be even more important.
B. He has influenced many cultures.
C. He has little effect on people today.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Which decorations are on the sofa?
A. The Christmas ones.
B. The Halloween ones.
C. The Thanksgiving ones.
2.What did the man use to get the box out?
A. A pole.
B. A chair.
C. A ladder.
3.Where might the conservation take place?
A. In the basement.
B. In the bedroom.
C. In the living room.
