Someone once said, “The pen is even stronger than the sword (剑).” Bertha von Suttner believed in peace. She thought that none of the world’s problems could be solved until people learned to live together in peace. She used her pen to tell the world her beliefs.
Bertha Kinsky was born in 1843 to a rich Austrian family. In 1859 she heard about the horrors of war taking place in nearby areas of southern and central Europe. In 1864 she saw a war taking place in her country. The Kinsky family lost its money, and Bertha became a private teacher to the von Suttner family. She left Austria in 1876 to work for Alfred Nobel, a rich factory owner. She soon returned to Austria to marry the Baron von Suttner, but she and Nobel were still friends.
In 1898 Bertha von Suttner wrote a book against war called Lay Down Your Arms. It was immediately popular. In 1891 she started the Austrian Peace Organization. From 1892 to 1899, she was the editor of a worldwide peace magazine. Then, in 1899, she wrote her most famous book, The Machine Age.
Alfred Nobel supported Bertha von Suttner’s work in the peace movement. Before he died in 1896, some of his money was set aside to create the Nobel Prize. Every year since 1901, people who have done important work in sciences, literature (文学), and peace have received Nobel Prizes. Many believe that Nobel’s friendship with Baroness von Suttner convinced (说服) him to create the peace prize.
In 1904 Bertha von Suttner won the Nobel Peace Prize. She was the first woman to win the peace prize, and she was the second woman to win the Nobel Prize.
Bertha von Suttner died I June 1914. A week later, World War I began in Europe.
1.Did Bertha von Suttner use her pen to tell the world her beliefs?
2.When did a war take place in Austria?
3.What did Bertha von Suttner do against war?
4.Why did Alfred Nobel create the Nobel Prize?
5.What does the passage mainly talk about?
When you are learning English, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. Here are some good reading tips.
1. Read something that you can understand. If you need to stop every three words to use a dictionary, it is not interesting.
Try to increase the number of your new words. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your notebook. 2. Instead, try to guess their meaning as you read: mark them with a pen. Then come back when you have finished reading to look them up in a dictionary and write them in your own vocabulary book. Then try to remember them.
Try to read regularly (定期地). 3. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. Fix a time to read and keep to it. You could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up or at lunchtime.
Read what interests you. Choose a book or a magazine about a subject that you like, because you are going to spend time and money reading it. 4. You can also read newspapers. There are many English newspapers in China. It is easy enough to understand and also there is something interesting in it.
A. So, choose an interesting book. B. Try to read at the right level. C. For example, read for a short time once a day. D. But you don’t have to write them while you read. E. You should read as much as you can. |
Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Aristotle, a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends on be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future — for example, getting into college or getting a good job — that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.
Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience dancing, or playing a sport, such as swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.
1. The second paragraph tells us that ________.
A. we shouldn’t think about our future
B. some people fail to live a happy life
C. happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life
D. the more friends you have, the happier you will be
2.The passage gives us ________ pieces of advice on happiness.
A. one B. two C. three D. four
3.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
A. Reading a good book
B. Traveling to a foreign country
C. Playing a sport
D. Spending time with close friends
When you work long hours and Sundays are no longer a day to rest, feeling overworked can become the new normal. Take sportsmen as examples and do the same yourself, so you’ll know if you’re overworking.
Check your resting heart rate (率). Every day, before you get out of bed, take your pulse (脉搏). Usually your heart rate will stay within a few beats every minute. But when you’re overworked, the rate increases. If your heart rate is up in the morning, get a little more rest or sleep that night.
Check your emotions. Getting angry easily? If you can’t put your finger on a clear reason, there may be something wrong with your emotions. Hoping to change the condition won’t help. The only way out is a break.
Check your weight. If you lose or increase more than 1% of body weight from one day to the next, something is wrong. Maybe yesterday you were too busy and failed to notice you didn’t eat and drink enough. Or maybe you failed to notice that you were eating too much.
1. How many ways are mentioned to check if we’re overworking?
A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five
2. When should we check our heart rate?
A. In the morning B. In the afternoon
C. At noon D. At night
3.What is the best way to deal with the problem of overwork?
A. Doing more sports B. Drinking more water
C. Having more rest D. Eating less food
How do you make friends? Some students are sharing their ideas with us.
Tom Although we are quite different, Adam and I have been close friends for 5 years. We have a lot to talk. We play basketball together after school. We go for a picnic at weekends. It’s always a pleasure to be with him. |
Yumi I spend my spare time mostly with people from other countries. When I’m with them, I really get to know what they’re like and how easy they are to get along with. They help me to improve my English. |
Anna I’ve made some good friends at the gym I go to. People there are very friendly. Talking to them as I take exercise is a good way for us to get to know each other. |
Peter I can make more friends on the Internet because it keeps me in touch with the whole world. I can get worldwide stories from my friends all over the world. |
1. Adam is ______ friend.
A. Tom’s B. Yumi’s
C. Anna’s D. Peter’s
2. With the help of her friends, Yumi ______.
A. takes more exercise
B. learns English better
C. feels happier at picnics
D. knows more about the world
3. What helps Peter make more friends?
A. The story B. The sport
C. The Internet D. The language
Two years ago, Martin was a “problem child” and he often caused a lot of trouble. But he didn’t usually give his mother much trouble. However, after his father’s death, Martin’s life became much more . His mother didn’t have enough money to for his education. To do this, she had to work hard, and so she was not often at home with him.
His mother looked after him as as she could, but Martin still caused problems. He was not interested in and he was often in trouble with the police. Luckily, his mother was very patient, and didn’t give up trying to help him. In the end, she made a difficult decision: to send him to a boys’ boarding school (寄宿学校). But Martin it very much. One day, he told his head teacher he wanted to leave the . The head teacher said it was necessary for Martin to talk with his , so Martin called his mother. To his surprise, this phone call changed his life.
“ was really what I needed,” he said later. “My mother helped me to understand how much she had given me. She also told me that my father was watching me, he had died, and he would always be proud of everything good I did. I realized that after my father died, I was to be alone, and I tried to make my mother pay more attention to me.”
Martin has really changed, and he is now a student in his class. How was he able to change? His mother’s love helped to feel good about himself. As Martin says it’s very important for parents to be there for their children.
1.A. careful B. beautiful C. difficult D. wonderful
2.A. pay B. ask C. look D. wait
3.A. fast B. well C. soon D. good
4.A. eating B. playing C. fighting D. studying
5.A. had B. liked C. hated D. took
6.A. room B. library C. street D. school
7.A. mother B. father C. teacher D. head teacher
8.A. I B. It C. He D. One
9.A. if B. than C. although D. because
10.A. nice B. glad C. afraid D. careful
11.A. bad B. good C. healthy D. lazy
12.A. it B. me C. her D. him
