Living gratefully has a huge transforming power, not just when something wonderful or special happens, but every day no matter what is happening.
I’ve recently been involved with two people whose lives were challenged by bad luck. I have seen how grateful living had the power to keep one of them going and how it’s beginning to lift the other. One was a friend and the other is my sister.
My friend seemed to be in good health when she received a deadly diagnosis: a disease with no effective treatment. She had all the emotions that a tragedy brings, but she also had a powerful response to despair (绝望) that gave her “the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” She wrote online daily, honestly sharing the details of her situation.
She wrote that even though it was difficult to move, this gave her more time to notice small things. She was grateful not only for the love and help of family and friends, but also for time to see the sun rise and watch the birds in her yard. No opportunity for gratefulness was wasted.
She taught that gratefulness is not a false cheerfulness. It’s taking every opportunity to celebrate the blessings of small things. We can be grateful for the challenges that help us develop sympathy for each other. Life is a precious gift.
She repeatedly blogged that she was happier than she had ever been.
When she wrote about “the worst day”, she ended with “life is still a lovely gift.” She died later that day.
Her message, however, changed my sister’s life. My sister’s health was getting worse and worse, though nothing life-threatening. She did have a very painful knee. Her life was in danger from her defeated spirit. She was bed-bound (卧床不起), getting weaker and weaker. Fearful, angry and depressed, she felt out of options for recovery.
I read my sister a few of my friend’s messages. I was careful not to say, “Why can’t you be more like her?” Instead, I let the words do their work. I’m grateful to say that an attitude of gratitude began to replace her anger and fear. I believe this helped her to heal.
We can’t be grateful for all that happens, but we can practice gratefulness for life itself, for all we can learn to deal with, for all the ways we can help each other grow and heal.
1.What happened when the author’s friend found she had an incurable disease?
A.She complained that life was unfair to her.
B.She started to appreciate and enjoy the small things in life.
C.She tried her best to look for treatment.
D.She repeatedly blogged about how painful it was.
2.How did the author’s sister feel when she was ill?
A.Calm. B.Lonely. C.Sad. D.Confused.
3.What does the underlined “this” refer to in the article?
A.Writing a blog. B.Eating healthy food.
C.Talking with family. D.Being grateful for life.
4.What message does the article mainly convey?
A.A friend in need is a friend indeed.
B.Gratitude has the power of lifting people’s spirits.
C.Health is the most important thing for people.
D.Families will always be there no matter what happens.
Nature is like a great magician, performing wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed "the lungs of our planet", it generates about one-fifth of Earth's oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is currently in dange.
Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These blazes have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the "most intense" in almost a decade, according to BBC News.
The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.
Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events, such as lightning strikes. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture to clean land, reported CNN.
The disaster has raised concern around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest's capacity （能力）to absorb carbon is reduced.
Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he's worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a "tipping point （临界点）where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah （大草原）.
Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.
The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the crisis.
The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest preservation （保护）."Every little bit helps in a tragic situation like this," commented Gizmodo.
1.The underlined word "intense" in Para.2 probably means _______.
A.natural B.fierce C.common D.unexpected
2.What is the main cause of forest fires in the Amazon rainforest this year?
A.Lightning strikes. B.Hot weather.
C.Agricultural activities. D.Garbage left by tourists.
3.What was Nobre worried about in the article?
A.Global temperatures will rise.
B.The Amazon rainforest is close to disappearing.
C.Animals in the Amazon rainforest are under threat.
D.It will take decades for the Amazon rainforest to recover.
4.What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?
A.What the Brazilian government has done to fight fires.
B.Celebrities who care about rainforest preservation.
C.The possible future of the Amazon rainforest.
D.Efforts made to save the Amazon rainforest.
Feel tired and want to have a break? People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation.
Although it might seem like a good time, looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.
For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. Halfway through the task, the students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn’t take any break at all.
Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles.
The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task, and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.
Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break – but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.
“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different than how we use other screens like computers, and laptops,” Kurtzberg told Science Daily.
This is echoed (呼应) by a 2017 study from the US University of Chicago. It found that even if cellphones are turned off or turned face down, their mere presence reduces a person’s cognitive capacity (认知能力).
So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone away. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap (小憩). You may be surprised by the result.
1.What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?
A.It could make people more motivated at work.
B.It could reduce one’s ability to solve problems.
C.It could be beneficial both physically and mentally.
D.It could affect one’s relationships with others.
2.What does the underlined word “activate” probably mean in paragraph 7?
A.motivate B.associate. C.appreciate D.imitate.
3.What can we learn about cellphones from Kurtzberg’s words?
A.They may influence people in the same way as computers do.
B.They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work.
C.Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid.
D.They have become a necessary part of people’s lives.
4.What does the author suggest people do during break time?
A.Turn off their cellphones. B.Keep their cellphones face down.
C.Replace cellphones with laptops. D.Keep their cellphones out of sight.
For some in China, the aim of travel is to create 15-second videos on a social-media app, dou yin. As a matter of fact, tourism is for recreation and leisure. The world Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours.Nowadays, apart from the traditional forms , a variety of new types of traveling are emerging.
Experiential travel
Last year's travel trend was "experiential travel". This is where tourists look for ways to get to know local culture and interact with local people so they feel less like an outsider but more like a resident.
Transformative travel
It usually goes through three stages – you go to a place that has a very different background than where you come from, you learn wisdom from the new culture and the people you meet, and finally you return home and apply the knowledge to your own life and the lives of those around you.
This last stage is how the “transformation” is completed and what separates transformative travel from experiential travel.
Eco-friendly travel
One way to plan a low-impact trip is to travel a shorter distance, which can reduce your carbon footprint. "One trans-Atlantic flight equals a year's worth of driving, so consider planning an adventure closer to home," according to US News.
Dark travel
Chernobyl is one of the most popular examples of the phenomenon known as dark tourism — a term for visiting sites associated with death and suffering, such as Nazi concentration camps in Europe or the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York.
1.In which column can we read this passage in the newspaper?
A.Advertising B.News C.Sports. D.Entertainment
2.Choosing the Transformative travel, you can__________
A.feel less like a local resident B.reduce carbon emission
C.put what you have learned into practice D.pay a visit to the sites related to sufferings .
3.Which of the following is suitable for the environmentalists?
A.Experiential travel B.Transformative travel
C.Eco-friendly travel D.Dark travel
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How do students enter the library?
A.With a library account. B.With a student card. C.With a password.
2.What is the maximum number of books current students can borrow?
A.12. B.11. C.9.
3.What kind of books have to be returned within one week?
A.Books borrowed by local residents. B.Books liked by a lot of people.
C.Books published recently.
4.What will the speaker do next?
A.Tell the students where to get bottled water.
B.Take the students on a campus tour.
C.Show the students around the library.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman doing?
A.Hosting a TV show. B.Giving a lecture on poetry.
C.Conducting a radio debate.
2.How did the man’s mother contribute to his success in poetry?
A.She sent him to poetry classes. B.She taught him to write business plans.
C.She asked him to read from early childhood.
3.What does the man find most difficult in writing?
A.Choosing the right words. B.Describing real experiences.
C.Getting an appropriate opportunity.
4.What does the man say about his own writing?
A.Creative. B.Successful. C.Encouraging.
