What is one of the most boring and tiresome words ever? Like discipline, responsibility is one of those words you have probably heard so many times from authority figures that you have been a bit allergic to it. Still, it's one of the most important things to grow and to feel good about your life. Without it as a foundation nothing else in any personal development book really works.
It's been said that the line between childhood and adulthood is crossed when we move from saying “It got lost” to “I lost it”. Indeed, being accountable, understanding and accepting the role our choices play in the things that happen are important signs of emotional and moral maturity. That's why responsibility is one of the main supports of good character.
Many people have been refusing to grow up and avoiding the burdens implied in being accountable. Yes, responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It asks us to carry our own weight, prepare and set goals and exercise the discipline to reach our ambitions. But the benefits of accepting responsibility are far more important than the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No one makes his or her life better by avoiding responsibility. In fact, irresponsibility is a form of self-forced servitude (苦役)to circumstances and to other people.
George Bernard Shaw once said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.” “Man must stop owing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise his will ---his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals,” said Albert Schweitzer.
The following incident shows blaming others and not taking full responsibility: Bernard L. Brow. Jr. once worked in a hospital where a patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside the patient's bed. The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked a nurse to mop it up. The patient didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the nurse while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital’s housekeeping group.
The nurse decided the spill was a large one and she called the housekeeping group. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument followed. “It's not my response. “Well, it's not mine.” she said, “the puddle is too small.”
The angry patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his night table and poured the whole thing on the floor. “Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?” he asked. It was, and that was the end of the argument.
So, responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions and reactions that shape our lives. It is a concept of power that puts us in the driver's seat. The grand sight of the potential of our lives can only be appreciated when we begin to be accountable and independent. If you want more control over your life and the pleasures, power of freedom and independence, all you have to do is be responsible. Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on.
1.Those who escape from accepting responsibility________.
A.can't achieve their goals in a short time
B.can benefit from not growing up in the end
C.can miss the advantages of being a responsible person
D.can avoid the burdens of unpleasant or frightening things
2.What does the underlined part “get on” mean?
A.Succeed. B.Struggle.
C.Serve. D.Exist.
3.What does George Bernard Shaw's saying imply?
A.We shouldn't care what kind of situations we're in.
B.We shouldn't owe failure to the sense of responsibility.
C.We should bear responsibility regardless of situations.
D.We should first step out of our present circumstances.
4.Why was the patient quite angry, with the nurse and the housekeeper?
A.Because he had slipped on the water by chance.
B.Because he had to mop up the water by himself.
C.Because he didn't like the noise made in hospital.
D.Because he found them refusing their responsibility.
5.What is the author's understanding of responsibility in the last paragraph?
A.It shapes our lives with more opportunities.
B.It enables us to react with dependable attitude.
C.It encourages us to be more helpful and independent.
D.It strengthens our ability to fight against bad circumstances.
Soaping up your hands may do more than just get rid of germs. It may wash away the inner confusion you feel right after being forced to make a choice between two appealing choices, according to a new study. The study builds on past research into a phenomenon known as “the Macbeth effect”.
It turns out that Shakespeare was really onto something when he imagined lady Macbeth trying to clean her conscience（良心）by rubbing invisible bloodstains from her hands. A few years ago, scientists asked people to describe a past wrong act. If people were then given a chance to clean their hands, they later expressed less guilt than people who hadn’t cleaned.
This finding fascinated W. S. Lee, a researcher. “Anything from the past, any kind of negative emotional experiences, might be washed away,” says Lee.
He decided to test hand washing’s effect on one kind of bad feeling: the tension we feel after being forced to choose between two attractive choices, because picking one choice makes us feel that we’ve lose the other. People usually try to calm this inner conflict by later exaggerating（夸大）the positive aspects of their choice.
He had students rank 10 different music CDs. Then he offered students one CD as a gift. Some students then use liquid soap. Others only looked at the soap or sniffed（嗅）it. “Actually, you do not need water and soap,” says Lee.
Later, the students again had to rank all the music. People who didn’t wash their hands had the normal response — they scored their take-home CD higher, suggesting that they now saw it as even more attractive than before. But this wasn’t true for the hand washers. They ranked the music about the same. “they feel no need at all to justify the choice,” say Lee.
But the implications of it just aren’t clear. Schwarz says it’s too soon to know whether people should head for a sink after making a tough choice. He says washing may help decision-makers by cleaning away mental disorder, but perhaps if they don’t go through the usual post-decision process of justifying their choice, they might feel more sorrow in the long run.
1.The Macbeth effect refers to the fact that ________.
A.Shakespeare did scientific research before writing Macbeth
B.soaping up one’s hand may help wash away the inner confusion and make a decision
C.people feel less guilty by getting rid of invisible germs from their hands
D.people feel less ashamed after washing their hands
2.According to Lee, after people make the choice ________.
A.they will overstate the goodness of their chosen choice
B.they will feel regretful for not choosing another
C.they will feel free due to the feeling of losing the other choice
D.they will think nothing of their chosen choice any more to calm their inner conflict
3.According to Lee, the hand washers consider the judgment of choice ________.
A.more scientific B.unnecessary
C.a little convincing D.absolutely useless
4.What does Schwarz need to research more?
A.Whether people need to justify their choice.
B.Whether people feel more sorrow after washing hands.
C.Whether washing hands help over a long period of time.
D.Whether washing hands is helpful to make a choice.
5.What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A.Is Washing Hands Necessary to Defeat Tension?
B.Washing Hands, Washes Our Mind
C.Washing Hands, Helps Make a Better Choice
D.Washing Hands, Reduces the Stress of Decision
I believe that my actions show my beliefs, not my words.
I wrote a letter to my kids a few years ago. It’s three pages long, and it sums up my life experience of four decades. By the time they reach adulthood, they will have heard most of their father’s advice in that letter: live in the moment, do not attach yourself to physical things, treat others the way you would like to be treated, etc. I sealed the letter in a white envelope, and wrote instructions that nobody should open it unless something horrible happened to me.
As a police officer, I have seen life disappear in an instant. I realize that could happen to me at any time. Yet knowing that letter is there in my locker makes me more comfortable with my own death.
Every day, when I open my locker, I see the letter. It makes me aware that I should be careful at work, and show my children and the people I have connection with that I try to practice everything I have written. If that day comes and my children finally read the letter, I hope that because of my actions, they will take my written beliefs to heart and improve upon my example.
But for me, it’s not enough to write down my beliefs. I try to be the best person I can be every day---even in very difficult circumstances. I am more successful some days than others, but sometimes I curse too much. Sometimes I am cynical, unwilling to believe that people have good and honest reasons for doing something. I also get stressed and upset, yelling at my kids sometimes, and sometimes I am not as loving or as sympathetic as I should be. In fact, I am far from perfect, but I hope my children will eventually realize that perfection is an illusion. What really matters is that, instead of just writing down our beliefs, we all take action to be the best humans we can be.
1.Which of the following can best describe the author?
A.Hardworking and humorous. B.Courageous and sensitive.
C.Selfless. D.Considerate.
2.Why did the author open the locker to see the letter every day?
A.He wanted to confirm his beliefs.
B.The letter served as a reminder.
C.He kept adding something new to it.
D.His kids asked him to check it.
3.What can we learn about the letter written by the author?
A.The author was in his forties when writing it.
B.The kids were too young to understand the tips in it.
C.The author was sure of its positive effects on his kids.
D.The author hoped it wouldn’t be opened until bad things occurred.
4.Which can replace the underlined word in the last paragraph?
A.Doubtful about others’ motivations.
B.Curious about everything around.
C.Particular about himself.
D.Unsatisfied about his profession.
5.What is the author’s understanding of life?
A.That fathers should take care of their children.
B.To become a perfect man.
C.To be better today than yesterday.
D.That bad guys deserve to be punished.
Places to go for Halloween fun in Chengdu
One of the most fun and fulfilling things during the season is to throw a Halloween party and boogie through the night with friends and family. When pumpkins, witch's hats and spiders make their annual appearance you can tell Halloween is approaching.
Whether it's a party for children or just one for adults, there are so many great treats, games, music and activities that you can enjoy yourselves in the city.
Dark Mirror-themed Party
With a scary theme - Dark Mirror (黑暗之镜), Lan Kwai Fong Chengdu this year will host a big Halloween party on October 31st with these elements: Ghost Parade, Haunted House, Costume Contest and so on. Participants could enjoy live music show, dance and play “trick or treat” games in the public outdoor area.
Venue：Lan Kwai Fong Chengdu, 1 Shuijing Street
Halloween Carnival Party
The Chengdu Happy Valley Amusement Park is to host a Halloween Carnival Party that features magic performances, live rock bands performance and lots of wicked events for participants. The Halloween season in the park will last till November 11 with admission from 80 to 150 yuan.
Venue: 16 Xihua Avenue
Beer Nest Halloween Party
The Beer Nest I and Beer Nest II will be decorated in a haunted (闹鬼的) house style and there will be scary movies playing on the big screens of the Beer Nest II. Entertaining activities, such as food & drink specials, live DJs, cool music and Spooky Kids Workshops, will be held and a professional markup artist from Sweden will be there for those who want to make an impression Halloween night.
Halloween E-sports Night Party
The Halloween E-sports Night to take place on October 31 is one of the highlights of the E-sports Cartoon and Animation Festival to be held in Chengdu Eastern Suburb Memory on October 31-November 1. It will offer relevant activities including cosplay showcases, e-sports competition and live music shows as a platform to communicate with celebrated anime artists and cartoon lovers.
Venue：4 Mid-section，South Jianshe Road
1.How can we tell Halloween is approaching?
A.People are eating pumpkins. B.Witch's hats are sitting on the head.
C.Spiders are weaving nets at the corner. D.Families or friends are getting together.
2.Which party offers special activities for children to enjoy themselves？
A.Dark Mirror-themed Party. B.Beer Nest Halloween Party.
C.Halloween Carnival Party. D.Halloween E-sports Night Party.
3.What is the common element of the four parties?
A.Cosplay. B.Food.
C.Music. D.Magic.
4.What can participants do at Halloween E-sports Night Party?
A.Make cartoon shows. B.Attend E-Game competitions.
C.Learn to arrange cosplay shows. D.Exchange ideas with anime artists.
5.What can we infer from the Beer Nest Halloween Party?
A.The party will be held in two places one after another.
B.Scary movies will be played in the public outdoor area.
C.A Sweden artist is expected to bring joy to the party.
D.The party will be decorated in a traditional Chinese way.
“Oh, no! You’re moving?” Such was my neighbor’s ______ when she saw household items appearing on my lawn and ______ my driveway.
“Nope. Just cleaning house!” I called back, smiling.
This yard sale had been the result of six months of ______. I had searched every ______ and overflowing closet and cupboard—crazy about my seeking to find items to ______.
I met loads of ______ and friendly people. The Mirror Lady was ______ to buy the antique mirror from my first apartment for her daughter’s first apartment; and the Futon Girl, a college sophomore, said my futon (沙发床) and frame were ______ for her dorm room.
And how can I ______ the Camera Man? Bending absorbedly over the “technology” table, he spotted my husband’s faded ______ bag from the early 80s. Zippered compartments (隔包) ______ a broken camera and a few old lenses. “Wow!” he said, as he picked it up and made me a(n) ______. I asked what he was going to do with it. “It’s just cool—I have a shelf at home for cool ______ technology.” So apparently he ______ it just so he could look at it. As he walked down the driveway with the dusty bag ______ over his shoulder, for a second I ______ my journalist husband doing the same, heading out to ______ a story. That made me feel ______.
All yard sales lasted two days. As hard as it can be to let things ______, the true value of those things is to ______ you of a place you lived in, a special time in your life, or a loved one in your heart.
1.A.acquisition B.concern C.explanation D.meaning
2.A.picking up B.getting over C.putting up D.taking over
3.A.adaptation B.protection C.preparation D.production
4.A.messy B.bare C.elegant D.tidy
5.A.measure B.present C.serve D.sell
6.A.generous B.conservative C.interesting D.cautious
7.A.thrilled B.tired C.confused D.embarrassed
8.A.famous B.perfect C.vital D.cheap
9.A.blame B.trouble C.worry D.forget
10.A.camera B.hand C.plastic D.tool
11.A.allocate B.approached C.exposed D.withdraw
12.A.appointment B.appeal C.excuse D.offer
13.A.fashionable B.old C.advanced D.portable
14.A.bought B.improved C.donated D.twisted
15.A.disappearing B.hanging C.printing D.winding
16.A.pictured B.appreciated C.stopped D.forgave
17.A.review B.report C.rhyme D.repeat
18.A.lonely B.silly C.good D.hopeful
19.A.gather B.survive C.control D.go
20.A.cheat B.inform C.remind D.warn
The exciting moment ________ Gerry will always remember is ________ he approaches the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House.
A.that; that B.that; when C.when; that D.when; when
