I am a parent of a disabled teenager. My son is in and out of hospital and school. His learning disabilities and behaviour issues are a barrier for him, and he is teased on campus. At home, he swears and punches me.
He is on a waiting list for his disorder which contributes to his anxiety. Meanwhile, there are hospital appointments to manage, at least four consultants on the go, and an imminent transfer to adult services. The bureaucracy of caring keeps me busy.
I used to work in the theatre industry but had to quit when my son kept getting excluded from school. I never expected that my life would turn out like this. But now, amazingly, I am doing a PhD at a Russell Group university，looking at nonwhite protagonists in historical drama. It is fascinating: underrepresented characters!Hidden histories! Diversity!
I am starting to win awards for my research and I feel like a success story. Almost. There's just one problem: I can't get funding. I keep missing out on studentships and scholarships. These awards—which are mainly funded by research councils or universities directly—are worth about ￡14，000－￡16，000 a year and usually include a fee waiver (saving a further ￡5，000). That's a lot of money.
But the funding tends to go to students half my age with straightA academic results—not to people like me, who have taken an unusual path to academia. When I was turned down for the last studentship I applied for, I asked why. The decision maker—a professor in my department and the head of a research institute—told me “it all comes down to excellent academic results”．
They don't say this on the application forms: it's all about the originality of your project, your research statement, your supervisor's supporting statement, the panel that considers you, the level of competition. But when it comes down to it, this is clearly what they want. Someone with my background is never going to get a studentship if the decisive criteria are undergraduate and master's results.
When I started my PhD and realised that I would need financial help, I went to the student advice office and told them that I am a carer. They asked what that meant and then offered me advice on benefits, but not funding. I went to the student union advice service—they referred me back to student advice. I went to the graduate school. Same response. I spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain. I had to tell them what a carer is. You get the picture. I was invisible. So I gave up, decided to apply annually for the studentships and kept my parttime job.
UCAS announced this year that young carers will now be able to identify themselves in their applications, so that universities will be able to support them. But how is this going to happen if staff at these institutions don't even know what a carer is?
The student welfare vicepresident at the union has finally agreed with me that carers are an undersupported and underrepresented group on campus. We are going to ask student records to add an option to the equality and diversity monitoring section, so that we can identify as carers and hopefully raise awareness. Wish us luck.
1.Put the following events in the correct order.
a. The author won awards for her research.
b. The author spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain.
c. The author decided to apply annually for studentships.
d. The author started her PhD.
A.dabc B.dcba
C.cdab D.cdba
2.According to the decision maker，the writer's application for funding was turned down mainly because ________．
A.she has a disabled son B.her academic results were not good enough
C.the bureaucracy of caring kept her busy D.the competition was too fierce
3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________．
A.the writer likes reading success stories
B.the writer is a nonwhite woman
C.carers deserve our attention and help
D.carers are favored in the process of application and enrollment
4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Only undergraduates and masters can get the studentship.
B.In spite of her son's illness, the writer continued to work to feed her family.
C.The writer shows great interest and enthusiasm in her academic research.
D.The writer's disabled son does not respect his mother.
5.The writer's purpose is mainly to ________．
A.call on more people to care about disabled teenagers
B.complain about the barriers she met in getting funding
C.inform the readers of a carer's difficulties
D.give advice on how to get a studentship
Are you aware that every single person on this planet who has ever lived, lives now or will live, has a different perception of reality? The way each of us perceives the world is to some degree different than any other person's perception of reality. __①__ What is absolutely real and right for you may be an illusion, or nonexistent, or completely false for another!
It's important to know this. __②__ For example, the news media loves to create drama, and one of their favorite methods is to elicit(引起) fear: fear of other people, fear of the weather, fear of the economy, etc. The news media tells us how to perceive the world—and if a person takes the newscasters at their word, they perceive the world to be very dangerous and hostile. To that person，the mental images and emotions suggested by other people create a version of reality that is completely different from the reality perceived by someone who does not watch the news.
Things are not always what they seem. For most people, seeing is believing, which is why magicians, artists and marketers are so successful. Just like the TV news, they show you only what they want you to see and it is perceived as reality. But how would that reality change if you saw what went on behind the scenes or what was left out?
What's your story?
We all have a story. Over time, your story takes on a life of its own and you become your story. But who's the author and why did him put so much crap in there? All that unnecessary suffering, struggle, heartache, worry and pain... wouldn't it be better to live a story without all that? Who wants to live in a story with that much boredom and unfulfilled longings?
The story got its start when you were born, and was coauthored by you along with the influences in your life. __③__ Anytime you were influenced by someone or something, you unconsciously handed your pen over and said “Here, you write this about me.” So you are not even writing your OWN story! No one does—until they recognize that fact, and make a conscious decision to take control of the pen. You CAN write your story the way you want it to play out.
________________
It is helpful to understand how the brain takes reality and filters it to create your unique perception of reality. It's an automatic unconscious action that is based on：
● Physical experiences (which is why some optical illusions are extremely unsettling)
● Past conditioning (how you are programmed to see the world)
__④__ When you become aware of the fact that you are constructing your own reality, you can take charge and build one that is more pleasing. If you change your mind, your vibration and your intentions, you can change your circumstances! Instead of, “I am a victim of circumstance，” imprint in your mind, “I am the cocreator of my life”； Instead of, “I am sick and tired of...” imprint in your mind，“I am in control and enthusiastic about what I do”．
Raise your vibration by thinking, talking and acting more positively. As positiveness becomes a mental habit，that change will become your new inner reality, which will soon manifest in your outer reality.
The power of perception is immense. Choose to see more good than bad, more abundance than lack, more love than indifference and more success than struggle.
1.How does the author present his viewpoints in the first three paragraphs?
A.By answering questions. B.By giving examples.
C.By making comparisons. D.By drawing conclusions.
2.The sentence “Because if you are not aware, your perception, world view and reality are created by other people.” should be put in ________．
A.① B.② C.③ D.④
3.Which of the following subtitles can be filled in the blank?
A.Seeing is not believing
B.Live up to your expectations
C.Change your perception and create a new reality
D.Physical experiences and past conditioning really count
4.What is the tone of the passage?
A.Instructive. B.Humorous.
C.Critical. D.Ironic.
Rivers are earthly arteries(要道) for the nutrients, deposits and freshwater that sustain healthy, diverse ecosystems. Their influence extends in multiple dimensions—not only along their length but belowground to aquifers(蓄水层) and periodically into nearby floodplains.
They also provide vital services for people by fertilizing agricultural land and feeding key fisheries and by acting as transportation corridors. But in efforts to ease ship passage, protect communities from flooding, and draw off water for drinking and irrigation, humans have increasingly constrained and broken these crucial water ways. “We try to control rivers as much as possible,” says Gunther Grill, a hydrologist at McGill University.
In new research published in May in Nature, Grill and his colleagues analyzed the barriers to 12 million total kilometers of rivers around the world. The team developed an index(指数) that evaluates six aspects of connectivity—from physical fragmentation (by dams, for example) to flow regulation (by dams or levees) to water consumption—along a river’s various dimension. Rivers whose indexes meet a certain threshold(临界值) for being largely able to follow their natural patterns were considered freeflowing.
The researchers found that among rivers longer than 1,000 kilometers (which tend to be some of those most important to human activities), only 37 percent are not blocked along their entire lengths. Most of them are in areas with a minimal human presence, including the Amazon and Congo basins and the Arctic. On the contrary, most rivers shorter than 100 kilometers appeared to flow freely—but the data on them are less comprehensive, and some barriers might have been missed. Only 23 percent of the subset of the longest rivers that connect to the ocean are uninterrupted. For the rest, human infrastructure is starving estuaries(河口) and deltas (such as the Mississippi Delta) of key nutrients. The world's estimated 2.8 million dams are the main cause, controlling water flow and trapping deposits.
The new research could be used to better understand how proposed dams, levees and other such projects might impact river connectivity, as well as where to remove these fixtures to best restore natural flow. It could also help inform our approach to rivers as the climate changes, says Anne Jefferson, a hydrologist at Kent State University, who was not involved in the work. Existing infrastructure, she says, “has essentially been built to a past climate that we are not in anymore and are increasingly moving away from.”
1.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a function of rivers?
A.Easing ship passage. B.Fertilizing agricultural land.
C.Transporting people or goods. D.Sustaining healthy ecosystems.
2.What does the underlined word “constrained” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.Exhausted. B.Restricted.
C.Consumed. D.Expanded.
3.The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refers to “________”．
A.earthly arteries B.human activities
C.entire lengths D.unblocked rivers
4.What does Anne Jefferson mean by the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
A.Existing infrastructure has been perfectly built.
B.Existing infrastructure doesn't depend on the past climate.
C.Existing infrastructure determines the future climate.
D.Existing infrastructure doesn’t fit the changing climate.
Keep Shower Doors Spotless Longer Waterrepelling sprays (such as RainX) aren't just great for your car. Applying a coat to your shower doors will prevent the buildup of mildew(霉菌) and other residue. |
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Pick Up Glass Fragments Easily Collecting the larger pieces of a broken glass or dish is usually easy enough, but picking up those tiny slivers and shards can be tricky. One way to do it is to press a slice of soft bread over the area. Just be careful not to cut yourself when you toss the bread in the garbage. |
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Sweeten Your Yogurt Without Sugar Flavored yogurts often contain dozens of grams of sugar, but plain yogurt can be pretty blah. Add flavor without many calories with a few drops of vanilla, mint, or almond extract. You can also microwave your favourite into a compote(蜜饯) and, once it's cool, swirl it into the yogurt. |
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Spend Less on Hotel Rooms Weekend bookers tend to luck out when it comes to snagging the best rate. Prices are lowest on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the most recent data from travel site kayak.com. Absolutely avoid booking on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, when prices are highest. |
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1.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.covering the shower door with your coat keeps it spotless longer
B.soft bread can be used to pick up tiny glass fragments
C.yogurt can be made sweeter if you add your favourite fruit and microwave it
D.prices of hotel rooms are the lowest on Fridays and Saturdays
2.In which newspaper column can the article most probably be found?
A.Drama in real life. B.Everyday miracles.
C.Tell your stories. D.We found a fix.
South Carolina is my home state and I am the aunt, granddaughter, daughter, and sister of Baptist ministers(牧师). The church was a center of Black children's social _______ and caring Black adults were buffers(缓冲) against the segregated(种族隔离的) and hostile outside world that told us we weren't _______. But our parents said it wasn't so, our teachers said it wasn't so, and our ministers said it wasn't so. The _______ of my childhood was clear: let no man or woman _______ on you, and look down on no man or woman.
We couldn't play in public playgrounds or sit at drugstore lunch counters and _______ a Coke，so Daddy built a playground and canteen behind the church. In fact, whenever he saw a need, he tried to _______. There were no Black homes for the aged in Bennestsville, so he began one across the street for which he and Mama and we children cooked and _______ and cleaned.
We learned early what our parents and extended community “parents” valued. Children were _______—not by sermonizing(说教), but by personal example—that _______ was too lowly to do. I remember a debate my parents had when I was eight or nine as for ________ I was too young to go with my older brother, Harry，to help clean the bed and bedsores of a very sick，poor woman. I went and learned just how much the ________ helping hands and kindness can mean to a person in need.
The adults in our churches and community made children feel ________ and important. They took time and paid attention to us. They tried to find ways to keep us busy. And ________ life was often hard and resources ________，we always knew who we were and that the ________ of our worth was inside our heads and hearts and not outside in our possessions or on our backs. We were told that the ________ had a lot of problems; that Black people had an extra lot of problems; but that we were able and ________ to struggle and change them; that being poor was no ________ for not achieving; and that extra intellectual and material gifts brought ________ them the privilege and responsibility of sharing with others less ________．
1.A.attitude B.existence C.background D.media
2.A.friendly B.powerful C.important D.intelligent
3.A.advantage B.vision C.direction D.message
4.A.come down B.look down C.catch up D.give up
5.A.order B.share C.make D.find
6.A.research B.reply C.respond D.reflect
7.A.played B.ate C.helped D.served
8.A.rewarded B.disciplined C.taught D.assessed
9.A.nothing B.something C.everything D.anything
10.A.why B.whether C.where D.how
11.A.greatest B.smallest C.strongest D.weakest
12.A.impressed B.accomplished C.valued D.protected
13.A.since B.unless C.before D.while
14.A.scarce B.precious C.necessary D.available
15.A.security B.defense C.description D.measure
16.A.world B.community C.people D.church
17.A.contented B.obliged C.relieved D.delighted
18.A.condition B.exception C.reason D.excuse
19.A.for B.to C.with D.in
20.A.fortunate B.smart C.wealthy D.kind
—We are going to have a picnic this afternoon. Are you excited?
—________．
A.You know B.You bet C.You name it D.You mean it
