The word “conservation” has a thrifty meaning. To conserve is to save and protect, to leave what we ourselves enjoy in such a good condition that others may also share the enjoyment. Our forefathers had no idea that human population would increase faster than the supplies of raw materials: most of them, even until very recently, had the foolish idea that the treasures were “limitless” and could “last forever”. Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
Fifty years ago, nature study was not part of school work; scientific forestry was a new idea; wood was still cheap because it could be brought in any quantity from distant woodlands; soil destruction and river floods were not national problems; nobody had yet studied long-term climatic cycles in relation to proper land use; even the word “conservation” had nothing of the meaning that it has for us today.
For the sake of ourselves and those who will come after us, we must now set about correcting the mistakes of our forefathers. Conservation should be made part of everybody's daily life. To know about the water table (水位) in ground is just as important to us as a knowledge of the basic math formulas(公式). We need to know why all watersheds (上游集水区) need the protection of plant life and why the running current of streams and rivers must be made to give their full benefit to the soil before they finally escape to the sea. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them. We need to know the importance of big, grown trees, because living space for most of man's fellow creatures on this planet is figured not only in square measure of surface but also in cubic（立方体的） volume above the earth. In a word, it should be our goal to restore as much of the original beauty of nature as we can.
1.The author's attitude towards the use of natural resources is_________.
|
A．positive |
B．uninterested |
C．optimistic |
D．critical |
2.According to the author, the greatest mistake of our forefathers was that________.
|
A．they had no idea about scientific forestry |
|
B．they had little or no sense of environmental protection |
|
C．they were not aware of the importance of nature study |
|
D．they had no idea of how to make good use of raw materials |
3.To avoid repeating the mistakes of our forefathers, the author suggests that ________.
|
A．we plant more trees |
|
B．natural sciences be taught to everybody |
|
C．environmental education be given to everybody |
|
D．we return to nature |
4.How can you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
|
A．Our living space on the earth is getting smaller and smaller. |
|
B．Our living space should be measured in cubic volume. |
|
C．We need to take some measures to protect space. |
|
D．We must preserve good living condition for both birds and animals. |
A friend of mine, in response to a conversation we were having about the injustices of life, asked me the question, “Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?” Her question was a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngster: life isn’t fair. It’s a disappointment, but it’s absolutely true. One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It’s not and it won’t be.
One of the nice things about surrendering(屈从) to the fact that life isn’t fair is that it keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have. We know it’s not “life’s job” to make everything perfect: it’s our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand; everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions; and everyone has those times that they feel unfairly treated.
The fact that life isn’t fair doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. To the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don’t recognize or admit that life isn’t fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a self-defeating emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When we do recognize that life isn’t fair, however, we feel compassion(热情)for others and for ourselves. And compassion is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving-kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact. You may be surprised that it can make you out of self-pity and into helpful action.
1.The writer thought of his friend’s question as a good one because .
|
A．he also wanted to know who held such an opinion. |
|
B．it made him recall something during his childhood. |
|
C．many people thought life was fair |
|
D．like his friend, he also thought life was unfair. |
2.The second paragraph of the passage mainly tells us that .
|
A．it’s nice to complain about life |
|
B．it’s nice to accept the injustice of life |
|
C．we should not feel sorry for everything |
|
D．everyone should be treated fairly |
3.From the passage, we can learn that the author’s attitude to life is .
|
A．positive |
B．negative |
C．self-pity |
D．indifferent |
4.Which of the following could be the best title of the text?
|
A．A Helpful Action: Try to Feel Compassion |
|
B．A bad Question: Why Life Isn’t Fair |
|
C．Surrender to the Fact That Life Isn’t Fair |
|
D．Do Our Best to Improve Ourselves |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!
This guy's a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents (对手) says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
1.How much did the lottery winner lose?
|
A．One hundred dollars. |
|
B．Two hundred dollars. |
|
C．Three hundred dollars. |
|
D．Four hundred dollars. |
2.We may infer that the author believes people should ______.
|
A．buy lottery tickets |
|
B．make use of half-truths |
|
C．not take anything at false value |
|
D．not trust the Yucky Company |
3.What do the underlined words “net gain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
|
A．final increase |
B．big advantage |
|
C．large share |
D．total saving |
4.What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement?
|
A．False statements are easy to see through. |
|
B．Half-truths are often used to mislead people. |
|
C．Doctors like to act in advertisements. |
|
D．Advertisements are based on facts. |
Once there was a young woman who didn’t like her job. Everyday when she came home from work, she told her husband how terrible her day had been, how tiring the work and how unreasonable her boss. “Leave that job,” her husband told her.
“Oh, I will,” she said. “But not yet. I have too many friends there for me to leave.” And so she remained unhappy at work until the years became decades and her children had children. “Leave that job,” her grandchildren told her. “Oh, I will,” she said. “But not yet. There are only seven more years until I reach thirty years of service and can retire. So I can’t just yet.”
I know this woman. And her story reminds me of an old dog half asleep on the porch of a general store, moaning and groaning in the sun. “Why is your dog acting that way?” a customer asked the store owner. “Oh,” answered the man. “He’s lying on a nail.” “Well, why doesn’t he move?” “Because it’s not hurting him bad enough.”
That’s true for people, too. We convince ourselves the pain is not bad enough to leave the workplace we know. But we’re wrong. Prolonged work pain is continuing. Some work pain damages our self-esteem, kills our passion or destroys our dreams.
Wilbur Wright once commented, “We could hardly wait to get up in the morning. I know that exhilarating feeling of being so passionate about something I was working on that I couldn’t wait to get back to work. And people who are winning at working know that kind of passion, too.”
They get excited about work. They offer their unique gifts and talents eagerly. And when things don’t change as they sometimes will, they refuse to let environment hijack(劫持) their self-esteem, passion or dreams.
1.The woman complained to her husband every day because .
|
A．she didn’t have enough money to support her family |
|
B．her boss criticized her for what she had done |
|
C．she was not satisfied with her job at all |
|
D．her work was difficult and her boss was cruel |
2.From the second paragraph we can know that the woman .
|
A．liked making friends with others |
|
B．loved all of her children very much |
|
C．left her tiring job at last |
|
D．did exactly the same job all along |
3.The underlined word “Prolonged” (in Paragraph 4) means .
|
A．lasting |
B．slight |
C．serious |
D．hard |
4.People who are getting along well with their work .
|
A．have to get up early every day |
|
B．are not willing to go to work |
|
C．need more unique gifts and talents |
|
D．are likely to change with the situation |
Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement(毕业典礼).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown(方帽长袍).
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(对美国的忠孝宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
1.What’s the article mainly about?
|
A．An American high school’s graduation ceremony |
|
B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
|
C．A presentation of college diplomas. |
|
D．A US college’s farewell party. |
2.Which of the following statements about the author is FALSE?
|
A．She was one of the graduates. |
|
B．She was a foreign exchange student. |
|
C．She was excited to receive her diploma. |
|
D．She felt it great to be at the ceremony. |
3.The right order of the following events is_____________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates.
b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played.
d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.
|
A．b,c,a,d,e |
B．c,d,b,e,a |
C．d,b,e,a,c |
D．e,d,c,b,a |
4.From the text, we can conclude that_______.
|
A．a diploma ensures a good job |
|
B．a diploma guarantees a bright future |
|
C．the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
|
D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”
The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.
Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.
Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.
Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.
1.According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?
|
A．well balanced |
B．hold still |
|
C．remain stable |
D．keep calm |
2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
|
A．Poise isn’t born with people, so it can be acquired. |
|
B．Under different pressures, people hope to keep calm. |
|
C．“Hold steady” comes from a lecture given by a fashion queen. |
|
D．In western culture, holding steady is a quality of well-mannered people. |
3.Which of the following is NOT the way to hold steady?
|
A．learn to use self-encouragement. |
|
B．Write the goals to be achieved |
|
C．Practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves. |
|
D．Take deep breaths when facing difficult situations. |
4.The purpose of this passage is to_______.
|
A．introduce the Internet hot term “hold steady” |
|
B．tell funny stories about how to hold steady |
|
C．demonstrate how to keep calm under pressure |
|
D．give advice on how to keep cool in daily life |
