People have speculated (思索) for centuries about a future without work. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by inequality: A few wealthy people will own all the capital, and the masses will struggle in a wasteland. A different prediction holds that without jobs to give their lives meaning, future people will simply become lazy and depressed.
But it doesn’t necessarily follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with dissatisfaction. Such visions are based on the downsides of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment. In the absence of work, a society designed with other ends in mind could provide strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure.
These days, spare time is relatively rare for most workers. “When I come home from a hard day's work, I often feel tired,” says John Danaher, a lecturer at the National University of Ireland, adding, “In a world in which I don’t have to work, I might feel rather different — perhaps different enough to throw himself into a hobby with the enthusiasm usually reserved for professional matters.”
Daniel Everett, an anthropologist (人类学家) at Bentley University studied a group of hunter-gathers in the Amazon called the Piraha for years. According to Everett, while some might consider hunting and gathering work, hunter-gatherers don’t. “They think of it as fun,” he says. “They don’t have a concept of work the way we do.”
Everett described a typical clay for the Piraha: A man might get up, spend a few hours fishing, have a barbecue, and play until the evening. Does this relaxing life lead to the depression and purposelessness seen among so many of today’s unemployed? “I’ve never seen anything like depression there, except people who are physically ill,” Everett says. While many may consider work necessary for human life, work as it exists today is a relatively new invention in the course of human culture. “We think it’s bad to just sit around with nothing to do,” says Everett. “For the Piraha, it’s quite a desirable state.”
1.What might be some people’s attitude towards the work-free world?
A.Objective. B.Negative.
C.Skeptical. D.Cautious.
2.What does the underlined word “downsides” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?
A.Risks. B.Losses.
C.Challenges. D.Disadvantages.
3.John Danaher might agree that _____.
A.work plays an important role in our future life
B.people don’t know how to balance work and life
C.people’s work-free future life will be full of charm
D.higher unemployment makes life tougher for workers
4.Why is Daniel Everett’s study mentioned?
A.To justify John Danaher’s opinion. B.To show a future life without work.
C.To compare different views on work. D.To introduce the Piraha in the Amazon.
Bombardier beetles are known for their skillful response to predators (捕食性动物).If they are about to be eaten, the insects spray their predators with boiling-hot chemicals. If they get swallowed anyway, they have plan B: Blast (爆炸) their way out from the inside.
In an experiment, scientists watched as a Japanese stream toad readily swallowed an Asian bombardier beetle. But 44 minutes later, the toad vomited (呕吐) the contents of its stomach. The insect ran away, physically unharmed.
“The vomited beetle was alive and active,” study authors Shinji Sugiura and Takuya Sato of Kobe University in Japan reported in the journal Biology Letters. Why, the researchers wondered, does luck always favor the escape artists? To find out, they needed more of them, and they needed to feed them to more toads. Scientists gathered 15 species of ground beetles, including the bombardier beetle. They also collected Japanese common toads, which are natural bombardier beetle predators, and Japanese stream toads, which do not live in the same place as the insect.
Sugiura and Sato hypothesized (假设) that over years of exposure, the common toad species developed a greater tolerance to the bombardier beetle's poisonous chemicals than the stream toads had. The bombardier beetles were divided into two groups. Some were poked (戳) with special tools, which caused them to release all their poisonous chemical spray. Other beetles were left alone. Then they were fed to the toads.
The toads that swallowed a fully loaded bombardier beetle were in for a surprise. “An explosion was heard inside each toad, which indicates that the bombardier beetle sent up a chemical spray after being swallowed, the authors wrote. The common toads vomited their prey 35 percent of the time. The stream toads vomited their prey 57 percent of the time. That confirmed their hypothesis about the toads' evolutionary adaptation. All 16 of the vomited insects were “alive and active” 20 minutes later. Almost all the beetles that released their defensive chemicals before meeting the toads were “successfully digested”. The test told the researchers that the beetles' boiling chemical spray was indeed their ticket to freedom.
1.When Bombardier beetles are in danger, they can ______.
A.have relevant ways to escape B.bring up the content of stomach
C.cause damage to their enemies D.make no response to outside attack
2.What was the scientists’ assumption before the experiment?
A.Bombardier beetles were always lucky to escape.
B.Japanese common toads were natural predators.
C.Common toads had the ability to resist the poison.
D.Bombardier beetles could release poison constantly.
3.What do we know about Sugiura and Sato’s test?
A.It showed the process of the insects’ evolution.
B.It demonstrated the harm of explosion in the toads.
C.It stressed the importance of a balanced ecosystem.
D.It provided convincing evidence for their assumption.
405 Seymour River Place
North Vancouver
Phone: 604-929-5610
General information:
Officially open to the public in 1975, and now home to over 200 domestic animals and birds, Maplewood Farm tries to provide a unique experience, combining enjoyment and education.
Highlights:
This farm offers children and adults an opportunity to meet and interact with all the animals you would come across on any rural farm from the large residents to the smallest baby chick. Walk around the farm at your own pace — you could easily see it all in 30 minutes, or take your time and spend a little longer with the animals you and your children like best.
Self-guided tours:
The farm offers a booklet full of information about the animals as well as rules for visiting the farm. When you make your school group reservation, one “Guide to Maplewood Farm” can be mailed to you free of charge to help you plan your visit.
Tips:
·Do not chase animals or birds.
·Use caution when petting any animals.
·Please wash your hands thoroughly after touching any animal and before eating. A sink is available for washing hands.
·We all know it seldom rains in North Vancouver. When it does Maplewood is still open and fun. They even have umbrellas to lend you!
·Be aware of the warning signs that all animals can bite. And despite how friendly the animals may seem, this is true. So keep little hands away from the animals’ mouths.
·Bring a stroller (婴儿车) for younger kids. The farm is easy to navigate with gravel paths throughout.
·Stick around for the cow milking. It is very informative.
1.On Maplewood Farm, visitors can ______.
A.receive free mails before making group reservations
B.enrich their experiences of interacting with animals
C.learn from employees how to train and raise animals
D.find it a challenge to see the farm around in 30 minutes
2.What action may present potential risks to the visitors?
A.Forget to bring an umbrella. B.Borrow strollers in the farm.
C.Watch a cow milking nearby. D.Use hands to feed the animals.
Last summer, Katie Steller drove to work in Minneapolis. She stopped at a traffic light, where a man was asking for _______ with a sign. She _______ her window.
“Hey!” she shouted. “I’m driving around giving free haircuts. If I go grab my _______, do you want one right now?” As Steller likes to tell the _______ , he paused. “_______,” he said, “I have a funeral to go to this week. I was really hoping to get a _______.”
She drove off, and went to the salon she _______. One of her stylists helped her _______ a red chair into her car. Then the two drove back and trimmed (修剪) the man’s hair. He told them stories.
To date, Steller has given 30 or so such haircuts, and she is keenly _______ of the power of her cleanup job.
“It’s __________ a haircut,” she says. “I want it to be a gateway, to show value and respect, but also to get to know people. I want to build __________.”
Steller knows that a haircut can change one’s __________. As a teen, she suffered from a disease that was so severe, her hair __________ in an extreme manner. Her mother arranged for Steller’s first professional haircut.
“To have somebody talk to me like a person and not just an illness helped me feel __________ and less alone,” she says.
After that, Steller knew she wanted to have her own salon so she could help people. In 2009, she began her Red Chair Project, __________ people on the streets.
Those who __________ acts of kindness are invited for a free makeover at Steller’s salon. __________ , they tell their stories, which Steller __________ on her website. Steller listens to people’s stories of loss, addiction, and __________ to get back on their feet. Her hope is that by reading about kind acts, others will be __________ to spread their own.
1.A.advice B.trouble C.information D.help
2.A.turned down B.pulled down C.rolled down D.laid down
3.A.chair B.partner C.sign D.car
4.A.truth B.story C.fortune D.time
5.A.Hopefully B.Actually C.Thankfully D.Generally
6.A.ride B.chair C.handcraft D.haircut
7.A.owns B.favors C.trusts D.knows
8.A.squeeze B.shape C.wrap D.load
9.A.jealous B.fearful C.aware D.typical
10.A.rather than B.other than C.more than D.better than
11.A.relationships B.organizations C.memberships D.communities
12.A.condition B.life C.image D.career
13.A.faded B.thinned C.shrank D.darkened
14.A.cared about B.left behind C.calmed down D.carried away
15.A.holding on to B.losing out to C.reaching out to D.catching on to
16.A.commit B.advocate C.prepare D.consider
17.A.In reality B.In addition C.In consequence D.In exchange
18.A.reveals B.shares C.announces D.explains
19.A.promise B.hesitation C.struggle D.intention
20.A.invited B.induced C.persuaded D.inspired
—What was the first day of your job like, Tony?
—Oh, _____. It was as good as could be expected.
A.don’t mention it B.I can’t complain C.it makes no difference D.I’ll see to it
Generally Andrew takes advantage of the public transport, but _____ he drives to his workplace.
A.on schedule B.on average C.on purpose D.on occasion
