We Chinese are not big huggers. A handshake or a pat on the shoulder is enough to convey our friendship or affection to one another. So when our newly-acquainted Western friends reach out in preparation for a hug, some of us feel awkward.
Many questions go through our head. Where should I put my arms? Under their armpits or around their neck? What distance should I maintain? Should our chests touch?
It’s even more difficult with friends from some European countries. Should I kiss them on the cheek while hugging? Which side? Or is it both cheeks? Which side should I start on?
But it isn’t just people from cultures that emphasize a reservedness in expressing physical intimacy(亲密) who find hugging confusing. Hugs can cause discomfort or even distress in people who value their personal space.
In a recent article for The Wall Street Journal, US psychologist Peggy Drexler said that although the US remains a “medium touch” culture — “more physically demonstrative than Japan, where a bow is the all-purpose hello and goodbye, but less demonstrative than Latin or Eastern European cultures, where hugs are strong and can include a kiss on both cheeks”, Americans do seem to be hugging more.
From politicians to celebrities, hugs are given willy-nilly to friends, strangers and enemies alike; and the public has been quick to pick up the practice. Public figures know that nothing projects like the ability as a good hug. US First Lady Michelle Obama has put her arms around icy foreign leaders like Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the Queen of England, on the latter occasion actually breaking the rule of royal manners.
But not all are grateful to be embraced, even by the most influential and famous. To them, any hug is offensive if it’s not sincere.
Amanda Hess, writing for US magazine Slate, says public figures should stop imposing hugs on everyone they meet. For them, a hug is rarely a gesture of sincere fellowship, compassion or affection. It’s all part of a show. Hugs are falsely intimate power plays used by public figures to establish their social dominance over those in their grasp.
Cecilia Walden, a British journalist writing for The Telegraph who lives in New York, holds the same opinion. “Power-hugging”, as she calls it, is “an offender dressed up as kindness”. It has become a fashion in the US where “bosses are already embracing their staff (either shortly before or after firing them), men and women ,their friends or enemies, in a thousand cheating displays of unity”.
1.From the first four paragraphs, we can see that ___________.
A. we Chinese people don’t know how to hug
B. people from European countries often get puzzled about hugging
C. people in Western countries seldom use hugs to express their physical closeness
D. hugs can bring pressure to people when used improperly
2.The example of US first lady Michelle Obama is given to show that __________.
A. Americans hold a “medium touch ”culture
B. public figures know hugging functions well in public
C. she is much liked by American people
D. hugs are forbidden in England
3.“Power-hugging” in the last paragraph actually means that _________.
A. hugs are only used sincerely by some people with power
B. hugging is powerful to bosses in US
C. public figures sometimes use hugging just for a show of power
D. public figures can hug anyone in their grasp freely
4.What can be the best title of this passage?
A. Hugs, vital or not? B. Hugs, tricky affair?
C. Hugs and public figures D. Hugs and power
Doctors sometimes use light therapy to treat a form of depression in people who get too little morning sun. But too much light at other times may actually cause such mood disorder. Long-lasting exposure to light at night brings depression, a new study finds, at least in animals.
The new data confirm observations from studies of people who work night shifts, says Richard Stevens of the University of Connecticut Health Center. Mood disorders join a growing list of problems, including cancer, obesity and diabetes that can occur when light throws life out of balance by disturbing the biological clock and its timing of daily rhythms.
In the new study, Tracy Bedrosian and Randy Nelson of Ohio State University exposed mice to normal light and dark cycles for four weeks. For the next four weeks, half of the mice remained on this schedule, and the rest received continuous dim light throughout their night. Compared with mice exposed to normal night-time darkness, those getting dim light at night lost their strong preference for sweet drinks. “A sign that they no longer get pleasure out of activities they once enjoyed,” Bedrosian says.
In a second test, mice were clocked on how long they actively tried to escape a pool of water. Those exposed to night lights stopped struggling and just floated in the water, a sign of “behavioral despair”, 10 times as long as the mice that had experienced normal night-time darkness. All symptoms of depression disappeared within two weeks of the mice returning to a normal light-dark cycle, the researchers report. The scientists could also quash the behavioral symptoms by injecting the brains of animals with a drug that prohibits the activity of certain molecules linked with human depression. This finding further suggests that light at night may cause something related to depression.
Human studies linking night-time light and mood disorders are important but can not easily detect molecular underpinnings(分子基础) as animal studies can, says George Brainard of Thomas Jefferson University. The new work, he says, suggests that the change of the biological clock by light at night can be “an extremely powerful force in regulating biology and behavior”.
1.After being exposed to continuous night-time light, the mice __________.
A. changed their preferences
B. escaped from the water more eagerly
C. remained active as before
D. showed less interest in their favorites
2.What does the underlined word “quash” in paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. study B. predict
C. ease D. cause
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that _______________.
A. light at night may have practical value
B. the biological clock is beneficial to humans
C. human mood disorders cannot be healed easily
D. human studies are more important than animal studies
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Night-time light may cause depression.
B. A drug has been found to cure mood disorders.
C. The study on animals can be applied to humans.
D. Human biological clock can be controlled by light.
I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch(养马场). He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying: “I want to tell you a story. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.
“He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’
“The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive an F?’ The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, ‘If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’ Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’ ”
Monty then turned to the group present and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough courage not to give up yours.’ ”
“Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what,” Monty at last concluded.
1.The teacher asked the boy to rewrite the paper because __________.
A. the boy was too poor to achieve his dream
B. the teacher doubted his chance of success
C. the boy was not good enough to achieve his goal
D. the teacher looked down on the boy absolutely
2.Which of the following could best express the teacher’s feelings when she said the words before leaving the ranch two years ago?
A. Regretful and proud. B. Regretful and guilty.
C. Honest and sorry. D. Embarrassed and proud.
3.From the passage we can conclude that __________.
A. the boy was an unrealistic person
B. the boy’s father was irresponsible for his education
C. the boy had great courage and determination
D. the teacher often found fault with his students
4.What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Set a practical goal
B. Try to be realistic
C. Prove yourself through success
D. Keep your dream
When Jane put out the idea of homeschooling to her parents, the first reaction they gave was, “You are cutting the child off the world.’’ “Did the child really get cut off or did the child socialize better?”
The moment we hear of homeschooling, we think the child will have no opportunities to interact with peers. However, in my friend’s opinion, we forget that when attending a regular school, the child is not into socializing all the while. The child is restricted to so many other activities. Studies take a major role in a child’s life. The child hardly has the time to interact at school.
The child might be meeting and studying along with many peers; however, how many kids interact with all the kids in a class? But in homeschooling system, as my friend mentioned, the kid has all the time and can plan his day accordingly. During the day the child studies just like other school-going kids but with no burden of homework and project work, the child has so much free time in the evening as to effectively interact and play with peers. The quality time the child spends in education is really impressive.
Homeschooled kids have the opportunity to socialize more often as they have a lot of time in their hands. They can also make socializing a regular habit. Just as my friend said, her child goes to a neighboring park almost every day and has a set of friends who go there daily. Other children get back home to finish off homework and project work whereas her child who is already through with studies gets the opportunity to spend time with family members.
When I heard this, I really felt how lucky the child was. Definitely the child had a better opportunity to socialize when compared with my kid. However, I might not consider homeschooling for my kid, as I am so used to the conventional schooling system and feel regular schooling the safest bet.
1.The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to_____________.
A. express his views on homeschooling
B. explain what homeschooling is
C. share his ways of teaching his children
D. promote homeschooling
2.What is the biggest advantage of homeschooled children?
A. They will become braver. B. They can be more popular.
C. They can socialize better. D. They will know how to arrange time.
3.What do we know about homeschooled children?
A. They don’t interact with their peers often.
B. They have more spare time to play.
C. They are restricted to certain activities
D. They can’t gain enough knowledge.
4.How does the passage mainly develop?
A. By following the order of importance.
B. By following the order of time.
C. By making comparisons.
D. By presenting data.
“I wouldn’t buy that woman a Mother’s Day card, even if my life depended upon it,” said the woman standing by the card shelf at Wal-Mart. I looked up and saw a(n) of total complaint and dislike.
Having been at a Florida orphanage at age four, I never knew what it felt like to have a mother or a father. Never once had I received a hug or a kiss from my parents. That part of my life is a total .
She looked up, saw me looking at her and angrily, “Just what are you looking at, you fool?”
“Sorry Ma’am. I never had a mother, and I was by your words.” I reached over and picked up a nice-looking , opened it and began to read, “Thank you for being my mother.”
“Do you think your mother would like that card? Mine would, I think,” I said.
“Do you know what it is like to be at for years, and never be told that you are loved?” she asked.
“My mother didn’t me, let alone shout. She just took me to the orphanage where I stayed until I grew up,” I replied.
“Don’t you her?” she asked.
“Oh, I can’t. She’s my mother. Being a mother is a position to be , even if she is not a very nice person,” I told her. The woman stood there her head.
I looked down at the floor and said, “I know your mother might have done a lot of things that you. It appears as if you hate her. But I can tell you this from my that disliking her, or even hating her, feels nowhere near as as never having known a mother at all—good or bad. At least, you feel . For me, it’s all just a large blank of loneliness inside my heart, and that’s I’ll feel until I die.”
The woman stood there for a moment. , she reached out, took the card from my hand, smelled it, and placed it in her cart.
After she left, I a nice card for my mother. I took it home, it, and placed it with the other Mother and Father’s Days cards bought all these years, each marked “Address Unknown”.
1.A. idea B. appearance C. expression D.impression
2.A. deserted B. lost C. reserved D. rescued
3.A. dark B. pain C. misfortune D. blank
4.A. requested B. considered C. screamed D. refused
5.A. relieved B. annoyed C. disappointed D. shocked
6.A. cart B. card C. book D. magazine
7.A. simply B. largely C. originally D. basically
8.A. shouted B. glared C. laughed D. pointed
9.A. set aside B. leave behind C. care about D. know about
10.A. miss B. love C. accuse D. hate
11.A. depended B. obeyed C. respected D. observed
12.A. shaking B. dropping C. raising D. nodding
13.A. hurt B. blamed C. disturbed D. punished
14.A. conscience B. efforts C. experiences D. nature
15.A. fragile B. lonely C. hateful D. anxious
16.A. anything B. everything C. nothing D. something
17.A. whether B. how C. where D. why
18.A. Cheerfully B. Eagerly C. Hesitantly D. Seriously
19.A. picked out B. packed up C. brought out D. took up
20.A. mended B. exposed C. addressed D. signed
It is typical of Jim to feel shy; he will feel ______ in the presence of strangers.
A. out of order B. out of place
C. out of control D. out of breath
