Tim Richter and his wife, Linda, had taught for over 30 years near Buffalo, New York—he in computers, she in special education. “Teaching means everything to us.” Tim would say. In April 1998, he learned he would need a heart operation. It was the kind of news that leads to some serious thinking about life's purpose.
Not long after the surgery, Tim saw a brochure describing Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton's foundation (基金会) that mailed a book every month to children from birth to age five in the singer's home town of Sevier, Tennessee. “I thought, maybe Linda and I could do something like this when we retire.” Tim recalls. He placed the brochure on his desk, “as a reminder”．
Five years later, now retired and with that brochure still on the desk, Tim clicked on imaginationlibrary.com. The program had been opened up to partners who could take advantage of book and postage discounts.
The quality of the books was of great concern to the Richters. Rather than sign up online, they went to Dollywood for a looksee. “We didn't want to give the children rubbish.” says Linda. The books—reviewed each year by teachers, literacy specialists, and Dollywood board members—included classics such as Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day and newer books like Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama series.
Satisfied, the couple set up the Richter Family Foundation and got to work. Since 2004, they have shipped more than 12,200 books to preschoolers in their area. Megan Williams, a mother of four, is more than appreciative：“This program introduces us to books I've never heard of.”
The Richters spend about $400 a month sending books to 200 children. “Some people sit there and wait to die.” says Tim. “Others get as busy as they can in the time they have left.”
1.What led Tim to think seriously about the meaning of life?
A. The news from the Web. B. His love for teaching.
C. The influence of his wife. D. His health problem.
2.What did Tim want to do after learning about Imagination Library?
A. Give out brochures.
B. Write books for children
C. Do something similar..
D. Retire from being a teacher.
3.According to the text, Dolly Parton is ________.
A. a wellknown surgeon
B. a singer born in Tennessee
C. a mother of a fouryearold
D. a computer programmer
4.What can we learn from Tim's words in the last paragraph?
A. He considers his efforts worthwhile.
B. He wonders why some people are so busy.
C. He tries to save those waiting to die.
D. He needs more money to help the children.
Have you ever monitored something about yourself? Perhaps you’ve tracked how many kilometers you’ve run, how many hours you’ve slept or how many calories you’ve _______ in a day.
If so, you’ve ________ a movement called the “Quantified Self Movement.” Individuals gather information about their daily activities in this widespread movement, also called self-tracking. This may sound _____, but technology is making the process easier.
Perhaps you’ve wanted to _____ a bad habit and couldn’t. Self-tracking may be our answer. The idea is to take information about your everyday activities and analyze it to help get a _______ lifestyle.
Recently, tools such as smartphones, journals and apps, along with newly ________ wearable gadgets (工具), are making self-tracking extremely easy. Today, one can use Fitbit, the Jawbone UP, Google Glass or a smart watch to ________ personal data including hours slept, stress levels, heart rate and mood.
So why does a person self-track? Someone may be trying to lose weight or improve their sleep patterns. Another person feels tired after eating. Self-tracking could help him to _______ what foods make him sleepy and modify his diet accordingly.
Monitoring daily activities isn’t a new concept. In years past, athletes and their coaches kept notes detailing nutrition, training and sleep patterns in order to achieve an athletic goal. ______, doctors have also helped patients to document parts of their lifestyles and eating habits to help fight allergies (过敏反应), headaches and other health issues. ______, it wasn’t until 2007 that Wired magazine editors Gary Wolf and Kim Kelly, who started tracking every move they made, coined the ________ “Quantified Self.”
Although self-tracking has many advantages, Dennis Nash, president of Data Speaks Health Solutions, says self-tracking has its ________. Once people start tracking their daily activities, it can become an addiction. Also, they might begin to worry too much about their health.
While self-tracking doesn’t ________ that one’s quality of life will improve, it can highlight the importance of eating well and exercising daily. ______, the quantified Self Movements’ primary focus is _______ people to employ enough energy to make healthier choices.
1.A.gatheredB.managedC.eatenD.counted
2.A.taken part inB.taken notice ofC.known aboutD.carried out
3.A.strangeB.interestingC.valuableD.difficult
4.A.changeB.acquireC.learnD.reduce
5.A.happierB.healthierC.clearerD.simpler
6.A.discoveredB.trackedC.releasedD.built
7.A.exchangeB.searchC.processD.record
8.A.identifyB.increaseC.decreaseD.choose
9.A.ParticularlyB.SimilarlyC.SurprisinglyD.Generally
10.A.FurthermoreB.HoweverC.ThereforeD.Meanwhile
11.A.movementB.subjectC.termD.equipment
12.A.characteristicsB.functionsC.reasonsD.drawbacks
13.A.guaranteeB.expectC.concludeD.prove
14.A.In generalB.As a resultC.After allD.At last
15.A.forcingB.applyingC.persuadingD.motivating
Many people believe that classical music is not relevant to young people today. However, this issue ___1.__ caused heated debate.
Some people say that classical music is __2.__ only with old people. For example, if you look at the audience at a classical concert, the ___3.__ is over the age of fifty.
Other say it is more popular than we first imagine. Many young people listen to classical music without realizing it. It is often used in films and advertisements. For example, a famous piece of classical music was used as the ___4.____ music for the 1990 World Cup. Not many people could have given its name, but millions enjoyed it..
Also, some people point out that young people produce new music ___5.___ on classical ideas: for example, it is said that rap music was ___6.____ by a classical musician in 1912, but it is now used by young people in pop music.
However, young people point to the fact that classical music has been outstripped by technology. To pay a classical instrument, such as a violin, you need to study hard and practise for hours. Nowadays, you don’t need to get ___7.____ arms from practicing. A teenager can write and make music using a computer program in the comfort of their own bedroom.
A final point to ___8.___ in mind is that the term “classical music” is used to ___9.____ to a great variety of music, from jazz to pieces for large orchestras. This makes it even more difficult to say whether classical music is relevant to young people.
So, it may be only a ___10.___ of young people who play classical instruments, but when it comes to enjoying classical music, it depends on the piece of music. It may be more relevant to young people in the modern world than they realize!
A. themeB. referC. bearD. associatedAB. invented AC. frequentlyAD. achingBC. minorityBD. majorityCD. rarely ABC. based |
There can be little doubt _____ bombing Libya would drive thousands more to take up arms.
A. why B. Whether C. that D. How
The train was crowded and I had to get into a carriage _______ there were already seven other passengers.
A. which B. where C. what D. when
_______you write on a subject,you join in an ongoing, trans-historical conversation with others who have written about your topic.
A . No matter what B. Wherever
C. Whenever D. No matter how
