If you live in America in the 21st century you'll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It's become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing:"Busy!""Crazy busy!".It is,pretty obviously,a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:"That's a good problem to have,"or"Better than the opposite."
Notice it isn't generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are.What those people are is not busy but tired.Exhausted!Dead on their feet.It's almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed:work and obligations they've taken on voluntarily,classes and activities they've "encouraged" their kids to participate in.They're busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety,because they're addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence.
Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren't either working or doing something to promote their work.It's something they have chosen.Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保证），a measure against emptiness,obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy,completely booked,in demand every hour of the day.
Idleness is not just a vacation.It is as necessary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body,and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets.The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole,for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration."Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do,"wrote Thomas Pynchon.Archimedes' "Eureka"in the bath, Newton's apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.
1.When many Americans say"Crazy busy", they mean______.
A．they are really tired of their present situation
B．they are really proud of their present life
C．they are complaining about their current work
D．their life are full of all kinds of problems
2.The writer mentions Archimedes' "Eureka"and Newton's apple to show that________.
A．history is full of interesting stories
B．Archimedes and Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveries
C．people may get inspiration when they are idle
D．inspirations come from hard work
3.The word "its" in the second paragraph refers to_______________________________.
A．ambition B．anxiety C．busyness D．dread
4.From the article,we can infer that ___________________________________.
A．generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busy
B．"Dead on their feet" means "being tired out"
C．all the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation
D．The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness
The homeless dog, known as Xiao Sa, has been following a team of cyclists for 24 days along 1,833 kilometers of highway from Kangding, Sichuan province, to Lhasa in Tibet.
Nobody knows where the white dog came from or how long she has been straying on highway G318. Netizens call her the "dog with determination" and the micro blog "Go Go Xiao Sa" recording her life has attracted more than 37,000 followers in two weeks.
A picture of Xiao Sa in the arms of a young man in front of the Potala Palace on Thursday night drew more than 4,000 comments congratulating the small dog and expressing dreams of going to Lhasa.
The young man in the picture is Zhang Heng, 22, a student in Wuhan, Hubei province. As his graduation trip, he decided to face the challenge of riding to Lhasa alone. On the way he met a lonely dog. "She was lying, tired, on the street around Yajiang, Sichuan province," he said. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team.”
"We felt she might want to come along with us, so we decided to bring her along to the end." A week later, Zhang and his buddies opened a micro blog account for her. "We thought the dog was encouraging us, and wanted others to know its story," he said. They created the name Xiao Sa by combining xiao meaning "little" with the last syllable of Lhasa.
During their journey, Xiao Sa, Zhang and his team covered more than 1,700 kilometers and climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters. Xiao Sa just ran up the mountains or along dirt roads.
"Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," he said. Zhang put the dog on the back of the bike when the team was riding downhill. "The speed can reach 70 kilometers per hour, impossible for the dog to catch us."
Zhang Heng, who accompanied Xiao Sa for 20 days, called her "a buddy and a friend". "I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."
1.How did the netizens feel when they read the micro blog related to the dog?
A．inspired B．sympathetic C．pitiful D．unbelievable
2.Zhang Heng and his team opened a micro blog account for the dog just because __________.
A．the dog is very cute and friendly
B．the dog encouraged them and they wanted more people to know its story
C．it is the first dog to travel to Lhasa
D．They had nothing else to do on their journey
3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A．The dog had been straying on highway G318 before it met the team of cyclists .
B．During their journey, Zhang and his team climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000 meters .
C．The micro blog “Go Go Xiao Sa ”has attracted more than 37,000 followers in two weeks .
D．The dog ran alone behind them when the team was riding downhill.
4.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A．A Dog with Determination B．A Micro Blog and a Dog
C．Travel to Lhasa with a Dog D．A Dog Follows a Team
Humans aren't the only species on the planet with a penchant for electronic gadgets(小配件）.Zookeepers across the US and Canada are discovering that apes also get excited about Apps.
As part of a program called"Apps for Apes",12 zoos across the two countries have been introducing iPads into the entertainment time for orangutans,the giant furry red primates native to Indonesia and Malaysia.
"We are finding that,similar to people,they like touching the tablet,watching short videos of David Attenborough for instance,and looking at other animals and orangutans," said Richard Zimmerman,founding director of Orangutan Outreach,the non-profit that runs the program.
Twice weekly,orangutans are provided with access to the tablets.The animals spend from 15 minutes to half an hour using different Apps depending on their attention span.Apps designed for children that stimulate activities such as painting,music and memory games are among the most popular Apps with the apes.
"It is a lot like when we're showing children pop-up books,"said Zimmerman,adding that the orangutans are among the most intelligent primates,with the intelligence level of a young child.
The program,which relies on donated iPads, will soon be expanding to zoos across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe.
1.The word"penchant" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to________________.
A．awareness B．addiction C．impression D．devotion
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the article?
A．12 zoos are involved in the program in the US.
B．Orangutans were originally found in Indonesia and Malaysia.
C．Orangutan Outreach is a successful company which earns much money.
D．All the animals in the zoo spend from 15 minutes to half an hour using different Apps.
3.It can be concluded from the passage that______________________________________.
A．the program has been successful in Europe
B．orangutans are nearly as smart as children of young ages
C．orangutans are the animals with thick shell
D．Apps are designed for orangutans to stimulate activities such as painting, and memory games
4.Which can be the best title for the text?
A．Using Apps for Apes B．Let’s Help Zoos
C．Wonderful Zoos Welcome You D．A Traditional Program Will Expand
At the onset of a northern winter, many dream of warmer climates.In 1934 the Canadian-born composer Colin Mcphee did more than dream. He set out for the island of Bali.
In his book A House in Bali,Colin Mcphee described how he first gained insight into the essence of Balinese music.For about a month he had been working on transcribing a complete score to a Balinese play he had seen. It seemed impossible that so much beauty could be achieved with a scale(音阶)of only five tones.
But the distinctive embellishments(修饰音)of the music eluded him.Fortunately a young household helper and his friend decided to assist. One morning they set two objects next to Mcphee’s piano.They were gangas--metal keyed instruments.The two boys played them in what struck Mcphee as”a fast duet(二重奏） in Morse code”.
At last the composer had found the key to Balinese music.“Wait!” Mcphee would call out from the piano as the boys flew along,“Stop!Please!That bit once more!”
Patiently the boys would stop and began again.But soon they were flying again,faster than ever, amazing Mcphee with their memory and precision. Sometimes the patterns repeated.Sometimes they opened up into something new. Then, suddenly the whole duet would fly apart and the boys would burst out laughing,breaking the spell.
Although Colin Mcphee left the island in 1939,he remained spellbound by Balinese music.And its rich,distinctive sound would colour many of the compositions he would write for the next quarter century.
1.From the passage we can learn that_______________________.
A．Colin Mcphee set foot on the island of Bali in late winter
B．The book A House in Bali detailed how Colin Mcphee understood the life of the island
C．Colin Mcphee actually acquired much beauty of Balinese music
D．For a month Colin Mcphee had been watching a Balinese play he had seen before
2.The word “eluded” in the third paragraph can be replaced by________________.
A．attracted B．shocked C．disappointed D．puzzled
3.Colin Mcphee was astonished because________________________.
A．the two locals played part of Balinese music once more unwillingly
B．Colin Mcphee eventually found the key to Balinese music
C．The two boys played their instruments so precisely and skillfully
D．The Balinese music displayed something new for Colin Mcphee
4.The passage is mainly about_______________________.
A．a book introducing the island of Bali
B．two Balinese boys playing gangas
C．a composer named Colin Mcphee
D．Balinese music touching Colin Mcphee
Our children grew up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, although my husband and I sometimes sneak one late at night with a glass of milk. I believe that the success of this 31 lovedconcoction(混合物) lies not in the brand of peanut butter, 32 in the jelly. The right jelly 33 the palate, and homemade is the only choice.
My mother-in-law was the jelly maker in this family. This limited choice was a welcome 34 in the days of toddlers, siblings and puppies. All I did was to 35 baby food jars, which my mother-in-law would seal with wax(蜡) and 36 back home with us. 37 I wanted to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich , all I had to do was reach for one of little jars. Jelly making was just a way of 38 for my mother-in-law. She always did it, setting the 39 jelly on the shelves .
My father-in-law died several years ago and this past December, she also 40 . Among the things in the house to be divided by her children were the 41 canned goods.
The other day I reached my pantry(储物间) for jelly for a quick sandwich. Sitting all alone on the far side of the shelf was a small jar of grape jelly, whose lid was 42 in places. 43 on it were “GR” for grape and the year when the jelly was made.
As I picked up the jar, I suddenly realized something that I had 44 to see earlier. This was the last jar we would ever have from the 45 , loving hands . We hardly ever opened a jar of jelly at table without 46 about those thousands of little jars she had filled. It seems like such a small thing, and most days it was something that was 47 for granted.
No longer was it just a jar of jelly. It was the end of a family 48 . We have hundreds of pictures and many more memories that we expect to 49 the years and to pass on to our children. The jar of jelly won’t keep that long. It will either have to be eaten or 50 ...but not today.
1. A．consequently B．mentally C．universally D．absolutely
2. A．rather than B．but rather C．or rather D．other than
3. A．frustrates B．excites C．surprises D．delights
4. A．alarm B．reminder C．relief D．belief
5. A．save B．protect C．tick D．possess
6. A．hold B．put C．check D．send
7. A．Wherever B．Whenever C．Whatever D．However
8. A．life B．competence C．challenge D．profession
9. A．flattered B．flashed C．accomplished D．figured
10. A．gave away B．broke away C．passed away D．put away
11. A．fragrant B．charming C．historic D．remaining
12. A．rusty B．dull C．awkward D．musty
13. A．Written B．Attached C．Described D．Conveyed
14. A．postponed B．rejected C．failed D．avoided
15. A．superb B．patient C．academic D．mature
16. A．kidding B．remarking C．recommending D．commenting
17. A．considered B．taken C．looked D．treated
18. A．rule B．principle C．religion D．tradition
19. A．reflect B．survive C．associate D．remind
20. A．put out B．run out C．thrown out D．brought out
Somehow this seems to me to be ______. How could a team that had fought for Canada before suddenly become citizens of the USA?
A．out of place B．out of shape C．out of question D．out of control
