Just turn on the news and you can hear about hurricanes, earthquakes, and more happenings in our world every day, and these tragedies can reach us on a minute-by-minute basis. Furthermore, when we hear about the disasters, it is hard for us not to react emotionally, even when we are not directly affected by them. Therefore, learning how to cope in a world full of tragedy is something everyone needs.
What we put into our mind has a powerful effect on our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. If you are exposing yourself to negative media sources for hours each day, then you are likely to begin feeling negative. It is good to be informed about world events and what is happening around the globe. However, it is another level to dwell on(细想) these events. If you find yourself constantly thinking about all the terrible things happening in the world, then you may have to limit your intake of negative things.
Disasters are inevitable(不可避免的) in this world. When you are feeling that what is going on in the world is affecting your emotional well-being, it is time to make sure you are still keeping up with your life. Don’t stop your normal activities as a result of a disaster striking on the other side of the country. Donate and then move on with your life. It is even better if you can volunteer. What’s more, let the affected know you are concerned for them and hope that all is OK with them and their home. You will find that your expression of care toward others is cathartic(起渲息作用的) for your own emotional well-being.
If you are having feelings of sadness, anxiety, or depression because of what is happening in the world, then you should talk to someone. Share your thoughts and feelings with someone who cares about you, as they will be more willing to take the time to listen. If you find you are still feeling heavy, then you should contact a professional. They can help you work through your emotions.
There is no such thing as a perfect world or perfect people, therefore natural and human disasters will continue. However, there is goodness in this world. There are good people and good things happening if you look for them. You’ll find yourself with a happier and more joyful spirit when you focus on the positive. When earthquakes happen, people often die. This is a sad reality. However, you can also read about stories of heroism and people helping others. These stories are what need to be celebrated. Find the glimmer of hope, heroism, or human decency(正派) in any situation and you will find yourself better dealing with the reality of the bad things that happen in today’s world.
How to deal with negativity when disasters happen | |
Introduction | It is necessary to be able to deal with negativity since we can hear about all the 1. things going on around the world immediately they happen and we can be emotionally affected by them. |
Limit your exposure to negative media | We are likely to become a(n) 2. of what we expose ourselves to over time. It’s fine to learn about what is happening in the world, but don’t spend too much time 3. the negative news. |
Keep up with 4. activities. | Reach out to the 5. people as soon as you can, and make contact with them to show your 6., which can also benefit you. |
Talk it out | Disasters may make you feel sad and having a friend to listen to you will be a(n) 7.. If necessary, 8.a professional. |
Look for the positive around you | 9. that there are always disasters. When disasters happen, try to focus on stories that can 10.your heart. |
1.He had been ill for a long time and c___________ he fell behind in his work.
2.The agreement, i________ to encourage children not to smoke, was signed last year.
3.The teacher felt satisfied with the experiment c________ by the students.
4.The surgeon cut the diseased t_________ out from the girl’s leg.
5.The birds, f __________ by the presence of the scientists, disappeared really quickly again.
6.Seeing his painting is a kind of ________ (视觉的)enjoyment.
7.I made a ____________(急奔)for the front door but he got there before me.
8.At every ________ (时期) of life we take losses and grow in the process.
9.While the ________(技术的) worker has limited knowledge, he has a lot of experience.
10.Buying a train ticket doesn’t __________ (保证) you a seat.
The First Hello
The man from the telephone department got off the bus, and made his way to the tea stall, wiping the sweat off his head, face, then slipping his handkerchief under his shirt to wipe his neck and back. It was a year ago that the phone line had been installed, six months later men from the public works department had come to put up the phone booth — a neat box-like structure, with a glass window, and wooden ledges, yellow in color. And days after that, a painter had taken an entire day to color in broad, black brushstrokes, the words: STD Booth, local and STD allowed.
No one could tell that the last word had been misspelled. Besides, he had taken the entire day. After he had a cup of tea, he had left, waving cheerfully. And now months later, someone else was here again.
Everyone watched the man as he sat on the bench. No one said a word, and soon the sound of him slurping his tea filled the hot afternoon. A few leaves fell, heavy in the heat, and sometimes a car passed, on its way to the main city farther away.
When the man had finished, he made to pay but the tea shop owner who sat behind his steaming kettle and the washed upturned cups, waved him away.
“You are our guest here.”
So the man took his handkerchief out again and wiped his face.
They crowded around him as he shut himself up in the phone booth. When the children pressed their nose against the glass, he shooed them away, as he took out a shiny black instrument and placed it on the narrow shelf. A sigh of satisfaction passed through everyone that soon changed to an excited yell as they saw him dial a number, pressing a finger into the ringed dialer of the phone and letting it go all the way in a half-circle. A while later, they hear him say into the mouthpiece, “Hello.”
“Hello,” the children around the booth took up the cry, the teashop owner broke into a smile and the men waiting for a bus smiled and said hello to each other. The sadhu(印度的僧人) who sat under the banyan tree nodded wisely. As the sound carried, more hellos were heard. The women winnowing grain giggled as they tried the word tentatively, the shepherds feeding their flocks called out to their sheep, laughing as they used the word.
“It‘s a big occasion,” said the headman, in an awed voice.
“It is,” agreed those around him. The telephone man emerged and handed over a small chit of paper to the headman. “This is the telephone number”.
The headman looked at it reverently as if it were a mantra(符咒). The others around him read out the numbers slowly, digit-by-digit.
The telephone man was now too tired to notice the cheering around him. He knew he had to wait long before the bus to take him back arrived. As he sipped his second cup of tea, he remembered something else.
“Oh, you can’t start using the phone now. The minister will come next month and inaugurate it.”
No one said a word. No one was surprised. They had waited so long; a month more did not really matter.
1.In the story, fitting a working telephone booth __________.
A. was a process that had already taken 12 months B. was in the charge of the headman.
C. should have been finished more than a year ago D. was an artistic challenge for a local painter
2.A misspelled word on the booth __________.
A. was a joke shared by the painter and the local people B. made the painter miss his tea break
C. went unnoticed by the local people D. kept everyone occupied for an entire day
3.When the man from the telephone department arrived, __________.
A. the hot afternoon was filled with quiet expectation
B. there was a sudden rush of activity in the village
C. he was greeted like a regular customer
D. he learned about the village while having a nice drink
4.What can be inferred from the story?
A. The man from the telephone department had a mentally demanding job.
B. Only the minister had the authority to make the first call.
C. It was a distant village free from modern technology.
D. Few of the local children went to school for education.
5.The examples of the children, the teashop owner, the men waiting for the bus, the women and the shepherds are given to illustrate __________.
A. the local people’s curiosity for the new thing
B. the ignorance of the local people
C. the local people’s enthusiasm for English learning
D. the popularity of the man from the telephone department
6.What words can be used to best describe the local people?
A. Innocent and cooperative. B. Hospitable and respectful.
C. Patient and competent. D. Independent and admirable
Environmentalists said our planet was bound to die. Now one man says they are wrong. “Everyone knows the planet is in bad shape,” thundered a magazine article last year. “Species are being driven to die out at record rates, and the rivers are so poisonous that fish are floating on the surface, dead.”
But there’s growing belief that what everyone takes for granted is wrong: Things are actually getting better. A new book is about to overturn our most basic assumptions about the world’s environment. Rivers, seas, rain and the atmosphere are all getting better.
The total amount of forests in the world is not declining. The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg, professor of statistics at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, is an attack on the misleading claims of environmental groups, and the “bad news” culture that makes people believe everything is getting worse.
Now the attacks are increasingly coming from left-wing environmentalists such as Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace. The accusation is that, although the environment is improving, green groups — with profits of hundreds of millions of pounds a year — are using scare tactics (战术) to gain donations. Lomborg’s book doesn’t deny global warming — probably the biggest environmental threat — but destroys almost every other environmental claim with many official statistics.
The Worldwatch Institute claims that deforestation has been accelerating over the last 30 years. Buy Lomborg says that is simply rubbish. Since the dawn of agriculture the world has lost about 20% of its forest cover, but in recent decades the forest area’s depleting has come to a stop. According to UN figures, the area of forests has remained almost steady, at about 30% of total land area, since 1940s. Forests in countries such as the US, UK and Canada have actually been expanding over the past 40 years. Despite all the warnings the Amazon rainforest has only shrunk by about 15%.
Nor are all our species dying out. Some campaigners claim that 50% of all species will have died out within 50 years. But other studies show only 0.08% of species are dying out each year. Conservation efforts have been successful. Whales are no longer threatened and the bald eagle is off the endangered list.
Environmental groups claim that many of the improvements are the results of their campaigns. Stephen Tindale, director of Greenpeace UK, said, “There are important examples, such as acid rain and ozone, where things weren’t as bad as predicted, and that’s because our behaviour changed.”
1.What is Lomborg’s main argument in The Skeptical Environmentalist?
A. Our planet is in bad shape.
B. The world’s environment is improving.
C. Conservation efforts have been successful.
D. The total amount of forests in the world is not declining.
2.What is Lomborg’s main accusation of environmentalists?
A. They changed their behaviour toward the environment.
B. They only told people bad news about the environment.
C. They scared people into making donations.
D. They overturned our basic assumption about the world’s environment.
3.The underlined word “depleting” is closes in meaning to “_______”.
A. accelerating B. limiting C. expanding D. reducing
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Are all species dying out? B. Isn’t conservation powerful?
C. Is Our Planet Bound to Die? D. Aren’t environmentalists wrong?
What do you do when somebody hurts you? Do you want to hurt that person back, or do you hold it against them for the rest of your life? If you answered “yes” to these questions, know that you are like most people. To forgive is something that most people generally have difficulty with.
People don’t forgive readily, because it is easier to hate than to forgive. Some people think to forgive is a sign of weakness, but actually to forgive takes courage and effort.
Forgiveness is a gift from a generous heart. It is not a reward for good behavior. It is not based on whether the person deserves it or whether the person has asked for it.
Besides, forgiveness is an act and a process, which often takes time. The deeper your pain, the longer it usually takes to completely forgive. It is an act because it is not just the words you say, but also your actions which show if you’ve truly forgiven someone.
Forgiveness is necessary because it releases you from the burden of bitterness and hate. It takes a lot of energy to hate and to keep that hate in place. Hate puts unnecessary stress on your body. It is a well-known fact, proven by numerous studies, that bitterness and hate can actually make you sick. The moment that affected people forgive and let go of their hate, they will start to get well. Forgiveness brings freedom, whereas revenge (报复) is neither sweet nor satisfying.
I have personal experience of this. I used to be very cynical about life and didn’t forgive easily. At the time, I also struggled in every area of my life. Things just didn’t seem to work out for me. It is as if everything that could go wrong, always went wrong. That was until somebody told me to take a look at my attitude. And when I forgave those who wronged me and changed my attitude, everything else changed. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a while, but I could see and feel the difference.
Are things not working out in your life, despite you doing all the “right” things? Is it possible that you are holding “unforgiveness” in your heart? It is worth thinking about. By Leonard J. Roost
1.Why is it hard for people to forgive?
A. Forgiveness means not giving in.
B. Forgiveness depends on good behavior.
C. Forgiveness needs good will from both sides.
D. Forgiveness requires courage and generosity.
2.What can we conclude from the text?
A. Hate may actually cause illness.
B. Revenge helps to reduce the hate in your heart.
C. When you feel sick, it makes it difficult to hate.
D. Hate goes away when you say you will forgive.
3.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
HOLIDAYS
1. The Bay Hotel
It’s a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommercialised Cornish fishing village on England’s most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is breathtaking and the sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don’t tell everyone!
TEL: 01326 280464
It’s a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommercialised Cornish fishing village on England’s most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is breathtaking and the sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don’t tell everyone!
TEL: 01326 280464
2. Willapark Manor Hotel
Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodland, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service brings our guests back year after year. Children (reductions) and pets welcome.
TEL: 01840 770782
Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodland, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service brings our guests back year after year. Children (reductions) and pets welcome.
TEL: 01840 770782
3. The Country Garden Hotel
Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs. Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome.
TEL: 0800 980 1943
Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs. Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome.
TEL: 0800 980 1943
4. Boscastle
Romantic 17th Century farmer’s cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets/smoking. Garden with furniture.
Brochure: 01633 450417
Romantic 17th Century farmer’s cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets/smoking. Garden with furniture.
Brochure: 01633 450417
5. Godshill
4 star self-served units. Non smoking. Sleeps 2－4. Open all year. Good walks. Close to pubs. Peaceful. Comfortable. No pets.
Brochure: 01983 840371
4 star self-served units. Non smoking. Sleeps 2－4. Open all year. Good walks. Close to pubs. Peaceful. Comfortable. No pets.
Brochure: 01983 840371
6. The B1akeney Hotel
Overlooking harbour, traditional privately owned friendly hotel with 60 bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the Norfolk villages, countryside and coast. Tourists only. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizens.
TEL: 01263 740797
Overlooking harbour, traditional privately owned friendly hotel with 60 bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the Norfolk villages, countryside and coast. Tourists only. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizens.
TEL: 01263 740797
7. SW France
Rural setting near Cordes. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4/5 and 6. Gardens, woodland, pool, views, excellent walks: Available all year round. Pets declined. Outstanding.
TEL: 01962 776967
Rural setting near Cordes. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4/5 and 6. Gardens, woodland, pool, views, excellent walks: Available all year round. Pets declined. Outstanding.
TEL: 01962 776967
1.Which of the following is advertised in a humorous way?
A. Boscastle. B. SW France. C. Godshill. D. The Bay Hotel.
2.All of the following hotels are close to the sea EXCEPT ______.
A. SW France B. The Blakeney Hotel
C. Willapark Manor Hotel D. The Country Garden Hotel
