What was the best gift I ever received? Well, I’m a music lover, so I’d have to say it was either a Spotify subscription or my top-of-the-range Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Together they’ve provided me with countless hours of high-quality audio accompaniment. Growing up in a loving, well-off family in one of the richest countries in the world, what more could I want?
Giving gifts to loved ones is great: it’s a rewarding way to spread joy and strengthen friendships and family ties. But at this time of year I’m always reminded of how many people not only get no presents but also lack the basics to allow them to live healthy lives. For me, luxury headphones were the perfect gift; for the world’s poorest, it would be nutritious food, clean water and health care.
The poorest 10% of the world’s population, some 700 million people, live on less than $1.90 per day. And that’s adjusting for local purchasing power: they live on what $1.90 would buy in the
U.S. Faced with this kind of budget, and often geographically isolated, they are forced to eat whatever they can find and drink and wash in unsafe water. They can only pray that they don’t succumb to malnutrition, malaria or any number of other diseases that, while perfectly curable in rich countries, frequently ruin or end lives in the developing world.
I don’t seek to make anyone feel guilty for exchanging luxury goods with the people they love. But it seems to me that there’s another type of giving that is, if anything, even more profound: giving the basics of life to those most in need. Sure, you might not get a thank-you letter(who does these days?), but you’ll have done something extraordinary.
However, I’m not just interested in people giving more to charity(although that is important). I’m also passionate about people giving smarter, because where you give can make a huge difference on the impact you’ll have.
What do I mean by that? Well, to start with, there’s a reason I’ve been talking about the developing world. Even average earners in the West are incredibly rich compared with the global poor, so a sum of money considered moderate for some could make a huge difference in the poorest countries.
That’s not to say that all developing world poverty-relief charities ate good at making a difference—that’s certainly not the case. Plenty of money donated in good faith is lost to local corruption, poor administration or programs of intervention that sound great in theory but don’t achieve much in practice. As a result, it’s crucial to look at the effectiveness of the work a charity does before committing your money. How much good does it achieve for each dollar donated? Is there robust evidence for the impact of its programs?
It’s not always easy for people to find the answers, but they are vital questions to ask. That’s why there are now organizations devoted to finding and promoting the best charities. As part of the effective-altruism(利他主义) movements, they are dedicated to helping people make the biggest possible difference with their donations.
I love my music, and I love my headphones. But this year, the best gift I could get is to see as many people as possible giving generously to the most effective charities in the world.
1.What does the phrase “succumb to”(paragraph 3, line 5)mean?
A.be unaffected by B.cease opposition to
C.be unconnected with D.help to cause
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The author thinks that people giving luxury gifts to the ones they love should feel guilty.
B.The author believes that there is nothing more he wants because he grows up in very rich family.
C.The author argues that compared with those poor, an ordinary worker in the West doesn’t earn much.
D.The author says that some diseases which might be deadly in poor countries can be cured in developed countries.
3.Which of the following statements can you possibly infer from the passage?
A.People used to receive a letter of compliment from the receiver after they donated money to charities.
B.Giving smarter means that those who donate should know clearly how the charity works with the government.
C.Some charity programs fail to achieve much and seem to be less effective because they are not very practical.
D.The organizations devoted to finding the best charities aim to appeal to people to donate more money.
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Giving the basics of life to those in need
B.Giving best gifts to your beloved ones
C.Making the best gift count
D.The effective-altruism movement
Think the world loves your selfies as much as you do? Not exactly.
It’s become something of a ritual for many of us. When you’ve binge-watched everything on Netflix and you are tired of online shopping, you head to the bathroom to put on your very best makeup. Your goal is clear; to get the perfect selfie for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat…or, more likely, all of the above. After perfecting your eyeliner and curling your lashes, you’re ready. You hold up your phone, pout those lips real tight, and in an instant, snap.
But wait, have you ever wondered what’s behind your burning desire to self-document? Most people would say that this is a form of expression or perhaps even a way of boosting their self-esteem. Whatever your reasons may be, the moment you upload that picture, it’s no longer yours to judge. Indeed, you pass over that immense power to the online world.
While you may think that your ever-growing collection of selfies endears people to you, quite the opposite may be true. That is, at least, according to a recent study, conducted by Sarah Diefenbach, a professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and published in Frontiers in Psychology. Diefenbach surveyed a total of 238 people in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to find out how many people regularly take and upload selfies and what they thought when others did the same thing.
Rather unsurprisingly, a massive 77 percent of the people surveyed admitted to being obsessed with regularly taking selfies. What was more interesting, though, was the fact that an astonishing 82 percent of people said that they would rather see other selfies on social media.Diefenbach calls this the “selfies paradox”: the idea that we like taking selfies but seriously dislike looking at other people’s selfies online.
The research didn’t just inquire into whether we want to see selfies, but also looked at how we view our own selfies as opposed to those of others. According to the results, people tend to see the selfies they like as “ self-ironic” and “authentic”, whereas they think that other people’s selfies as “less authentic” and more “self-presentational”.
In short, this research suggests that there is a massive gulf of difference between how we see our own selfies and how we judge other people’s pictures. It suggests that we are comfortable with the selfies we post since we believe they are obviously not serious or vain, but we think everyone else is a total egotist for doing the very same thing.
“This may explain how everybody can take selfies without feeling narcissistic. If most people think like this, then it is no wonder that the world is full of selfies,” explains Diefenbach. So, as illogical as it sounds, this could be why weunashamedly post selfies and then judge other people for doing so. Somehow, we are able to separate our own selfies from the sea of them online and naively think that ours are the only authentic ones.
So, the next time you idly reach for your phone and flick through the filters, consider this: The people around you may not need another carefully planned snap of your face. Instead, you might be better off, giving it a break and calling off the selfie photo shoot today. While you’re at it, make sure you never post these pictures on social media either.
1.Which of the following may not be the reason for people uploading their selfies on the Internet?
A.To show others what kind of persons they are.
B.To be more confident about themselves.
C.To encourage others to make comments on them.
D.To make others like them more.
2.What does the word “paradox”(line 4, paragraph 5) mean?
A.complicated statements B.contradictory statements
C.constructive statements D.complimentary statements
3.According to the passage, what are people’s attitudes towards selfies?
A.They tend to like their own selfies more compared with others’ selfies.
B.They believe that other people’s selfies are much better than their own.
C.They think that other people’s selfies are as genuine as theirs.
D.They sometimes feel ashamed of posting selfies on social media.
Away from home, and eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full. It is a language all its own, and no words can say ‚”Glad to meet you…glad to be doing business with you…” quite like sharing a meal offered by your heart.
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say. “ Thanks, but no thanks.” Acceptance of the host, country, and company. So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow. Or, as one experienced traveler says, “Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere.’
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country’s proudest cooking achievement .What would America think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sizzling steak? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our unfamiliarity with it. After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep’s eye, and a first something you dip in butter and eat. By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep’s eyes are a delicacy, in parts of China it’s bear’s paw soup.
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites. It helps, though, to slice any item very thin. This way, you minimize the texture—gristly（软骨的）,slimy（粘滑的）and so on---and the reminder of where it came from. Or, “Swallow it quickly.” as one traveler recommends, “I still can’t tell you what sheep’s eyeballs taste like.” As for dealing with taste, the old line that “it tastes just like chicken” is often thankfully true. Even when “it” is really rat or snake.
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating. What’s for dinner? Don’t ask. Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus. Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is the chicken in that soup.
1.Who is the passage most probably written for?
A.Those who are going to have trip abroad.
B.Those who want to cook food from another country
C.Those who are going to teach people from different countries
D.Those who want to take part in an international cooking contest
2.The phrase “a cast-iron stomach” probably refers to a stomach____ .
A.equipped with iron devices B.never failing you
C.sensitive to various tastes D.not allergic to iron
3.Which of the following is NOT suggested by the passage when you are offered some food you don’t like?
A.Cutting it into small pieces B.Swallowing it without hesitation
C.Avoid figuring out what it is D.Pleasing the host while eating
4.Which of the following can be served as a conclusion for the passage?
A.Chicken is a delicacy for everyone. B.“It tastes like chicken” may help.
C.When in Rome, do as the Romans do. D.Eating various things can keep you fit.
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) --The South China Sea used to be a peaceful region before the United States poked its nose into the area. ______ its “Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific” strategy, what the United States really needs is to “rebalance” its attitude toward the issue.
Small frictions in the South China Sea date back to the late 1960s when some American scientists reported the discovery of rich gas and petrol resources in the region. Some coastal countries started to ______ the islands for that reason since then. ______ in the following years, China maintained overall peace in the waters via constant and friendly negotiations with ______ countries, and reached the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea with Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries in 2002. Taking no sides on the South China Sea issue was the U.S. ______ in the past.
However, the Obama administration ______ the Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy in 2009 and started to shamelessly interfere in the area, which dis far from U.S. ______ . In 2010, then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said ______ that her country‚ “has a national interest” in the South China Sea. This May, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that China’s action could create a “tinderbox” ( 引火盒 ) in the region, ______ other countries’ aggressive actions a long time ago.
Freedom of navigation, respect for international law and strategic security are the ______ most frequently used by the United States to disguise its private interests in the region. However, since 2015, U.S. warships and military aircraft have repeatedly ______ the Nansha Islands without Chinese permission. This in fact reveals provocation and hegemony (霸权主义) behind the U.S. ______ of navigational freedom.
Outside the binding UNCLOS treaty, the United States secures the free movement of its maritime force by unilateral actions, which ______ violates smaller countries’ sovereignties or interests.
The superpower claimed that its military ______ in the South China Sea aims to protect its allies like Japan and the Philippines given the increasing tension in the region.
The United States should understand that it is only promoting regional conflicts to cover up its political interests under the guise of international law. To play a(n) ______ role in the Asia-Pacific region, Washington needs to readjust its attitude.
1.A.In spite of B.Instead of C.In view of D.Apart from
2.A.occupy B.inhabit C.settle D.grasp
3.A.Subsequently B.Surprisingly C.Consequently D.Fortunately
4.A.developed B.developing C.concerned D.native
5.A.post B.position C.posture D.gesture
6.A.abandoned B.reinforced C.launched D.supplement
7.A.government B.shores C.satisfactory D.possession
8.A.openly B.officially C.occasionally D.casually
9.A.mentioning B.acquiring C.striking D.ignoring
10.A.measures B.terms C.benefits D.privileges
11.A.invaded B.visited C.approached D.isolated
12.A.claim B.address C.independence D.announcement
13.A.incredibly B.infinitely C.principally D.essentially
14.A.presence B.interruption C.interference D.service
15.A.leading B.constructive C.dominant D.irreplaceable
Direction: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Iceland shows off nature
Found just south of the Arctic Circle, it’s far from the northernmost country on Earth. But as a travel destinations, Iceland is on top of the world.
Known as‚ “the land of fire and ice”, the country has many natural wonders. As the Today website put it, “It is 1. nature choose Iceland to be its shop window to…remind humanity that nature is still the unstoppable force.”
As the world was reminded when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted six years ago, Iceland is a country “still in the making, and few other places offer the same opportunities to see the earth 2. action, ” commented National Geographic magazine.
Ice is Iceland’s other big attraction-to be exact, the huge glaciers which travel toward the coast, 3. (make) strange pools of water. Even better are the northern lights, which are 4. (good) to see from October to March.
On Sept 28, the country’s capital Reykjavik decided to turn off all streetlights for an hour at night to give people a unique chance to enjoy the northern lights. Thanks to the glaciers and the dark sky, the bright, colourful 5. (dance) lights became “a heavenly light display”, travel guidebook publisher Lonely Planet noted.
And 6. Iceland’s unique natural features are the biggest attractions for visitors, the country also offers inspiration. Iceland has 7. higher percentage of writers in its population than any other country in the world, the BBC reported. And it is not surprising 8. the country publishes more books per person than any other country in the world, reported the NPR radio station, Iceland 9. (be) the birthplace of important literary works and authors-from the Vikings’ Iceland sagas(传说) to author Halldór Laxness, winner of the 1955 Noble Prize in literature.
“The beast in Iceland, with its harsh(严酷的) nature and bitter, ever-changing weather. We cannot escape it,” Haraldur Jonsson, an Icelandic artists, told the Observer newspaper while describing his inspiration. “So we find ways to live with it. We 10. have a rich life to fill the empty spaces.”
假如你是李华，你的朋友 Linda刚通过了英语风采大赛（talent show）的初赛，即将参加决赛。她来信请你提供建议，请你写一封回信，内容如下：
1. 表示祝贺
2. 提供建议（至少两条）
3. 鼓励
注意：1. 大约100个单词
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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