How to Meditate Daily
The habit of meditation is one of the most powerful things. Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time. Meditation has been shown to have mental benefits, such as improved focus, happiness, memory, self-control and more. 1. But our concern is to form the daily habit of meditation.
Commit to just 2 minutes a day. You can do it for 5 minutes if you feel good about it, but all you're committing to is 2 minutes each day.
Pick a time and trigger(触发器).2.The trigger should be something you already do regularly, like drink your first cup of coffee, brush your teeth or have lunch.
Find a quiet spot. Sometimes early morning is best, before others in your house might be awake and making lots of noise. 3. It really doesn't matter where — as long as you can relax without being bothered for a few minutes.
4. Don't care too much about how you sit, what you wear, what you sit on. I personally like to sit on a pillow on the floor, with my back leaning against a wall.
Focus on your breath. As you breathe in, follow your breath in through your nostrils(鼻孔),then into your throat, then into your lungs and belly. 5. You won't be very good at it at first, but you'll get better with practice.
And that's it. Do this for a month and you'll have a daily meditation habit.
A. Sit comfortably.
B. There are lots of ways to meditate.
C. Train yourself to focus your attention.
D. You might find a spot in a park or on the beach.
E. There are countless reasons, but here are some of my favorites,
F. As you breathe out, follow your breath out back into the world.
G. Not an exact time of day, but a general time, like morning when you wake up.
The unquestioned role of a student is to learn as much as possible through whatever means it takes to acquire knowledge. Teachers and professors are human beings and are therefore not perfect. No one knows the correct answer to every question even when you limit the questions to a certain field of study. Having certain skepticism(质疑) about what they are being taught can help students to make the teachers even better by correcting mistakes and misinformation.
Students certainly have a huge role in their own abilities to learn. Teachers should act more as guides along the way rather than try to force each student to learn. The best teachers in the world cannot teach an unmotivated student. If the teacher, for whatever reason, cannot motivate the student, then the student must somehow find a way to motivate himself or herself.
One method of doing this is by becoming an active rather than a passive student. The more the student involves himself or herself in the act of studying, the better he or she can learn. One of the best ways to become more active is simply to ask the teacher or professor questions. Students who passively sit in a classroom and take everything that the teacher says for granted are not fully using their mental capacities to learn.
Better education comes from teachers who are able to get their students to think about a subject rather than merely absorb a certain amount of. information. Having a healthy skepticism can improve a student's ability to both think and absorb knowledge in a learning situation.
Teachers are human beings and no one is one hundred percent right all of the time, even in a classroom situation. Perhaps a teacher would simply unconsciously say the wrong word or pass on some misinformation that the teacher truly believed was correct. A student's question could prevent an entire classroom from becoming confused or misinformed.
There is of course a fine balance between a student having a healthy skepticism and just being a downright skeptic. But with the proper attitude toward learning and a little skepticism, both the students and teachers can improve upon the learning process and maximize learning efficiency.
1.Which of the following is the author's main argument?
A. Passive learning results from passive teaching in class.
B. A student's ability plays a huge role in the learning process.
C. A healthy skepticism fully depends on students' motivation and ability.
D. A healthy skepticism and proper attitude contribute to effective learning.
2.Being passive learners, the students ________.
A. use little of their mental ability while studying
B. seldom involve themselves completely in learning
C. can hardly tell the right from the wrong in class
D. simply ask their teachers questions without thinking
3.According to the passage, a good teacher should ________.
A. help the unmotivated students patiently
B. instruct students in the learning process
C. make no mistakes in the teaching process
D. answer all the questions raised by students
4.The author will most probably agree that ________.
A. keeping skepticism to a certain degree is important
B. having a good attitude can ensure the learning process
C. taking everything for granted makes a student learn nothing
D. a teacher's ability can be improved by encouraging doubts
Even as Google plans to test its fleet(车队) of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm.
"Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses.
The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator(油门) or brake pedal. "Our software and sensors do all the work," Urmson said. "The vehicles will be very basic—we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible—but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button." The prototypes(雏形) are the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building.
In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads — the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error — and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can't drive because of age or illness.
Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don't own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls.
The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerator and brake pedals to allow "safety drivers" to take control if needed.
Google says the cars are safe. The vehicles have sensors that "can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections," Urmson said. "We're looking forward to learning how the community understands and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle," Urmson said.
1.The passage informs us that self-driving cars ________.
A. will probably decrease traffic jams
B. have already passed necessary tests
C. have been purchased by some companies
D. will be able to communicate with drivers
2.According to Chris Urmson, ________.
A. software and sensors are vital for self-driving cars
B. self-driving cars can give driving orders to humans
C. self-driving cars are specially designed for the elderly
D. ordinary vehicles will be replaced by self-driving cars
3.The underlined word "intersections" in the last paragraph probably means ________.
A. accidents B. buildings
C. crossings D. vehicles
4.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Self-driving Car Avoids Human Errors
B. Self-driving Car Meets New Challenges
C. Google's Self-driving Car Enjoys Global Popularity
D. Google's Self-driving Car Graduates to City Streets
TEENSGIVING is an exciting yearly event where hundreds of New York City teens gather together annually for a remarkable day of community service. This year, TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019 participants will once again better New York City and influence thousands of lives!
When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019?
Sunday, April 20, 2019
Who participates in TEENSGIVING?
Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (aged 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019.
What projects do participants do at the agencies?
Sample projects include painting park benches, planting gardens, visiting and playing with poor and disabled children, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters.
Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING?
Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers will receive "6 hours" of community service credit, good towards honor society, high school graduation and college application requirements. Adult volunteers will be thanked with a light breakfast, a gift certificate for their troubles, and the satisfaction of helping our city's youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019 T-shirt.
This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019?
Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@92Y. org <mailto:jhyman@92Y. org> (subject: TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event!
Teens can also contact their school's Community Service Advisor.
1.What can the teenagers do in this event?
A. Give thanks to the adults. B. Take care of animals.
C. Clean the streets of New York. D. Work for high schools and colleges.
2.An adult volunteer may get ________ for his time devoted to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019.
A. a T-shirt and a gift certificate
B. community service credit and a T-shirt
C. a high school certificate and a light breakfast
D. a gift certificate and community service credit
3.The writer's purpose in writing this passage is to ____________.
A. ask readers to donate their advice to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019
B. encourage readers to ask more questions about TEENSGIVING
C. introduce TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2019 to readers
D. inform readers of some frequently asked questions
How Much Music Can You Make?
On Nov. 18, 1995, violinist Perlman, performed a concert in New York City. Stricken with polio(小儿麻痹症)as a child, Perlman painfully walked with the aid of two crutches(拐杖)to a chair in the middle of the stage. He carefully laid the crutches on the floor, extended one leg forward and the other underneath his chair, picked up his instrument and nodded to the conductor to begin.
But something went wrong. After only seconds of playing, one of the strings on his violin broke. The sound was so loud that the audience immediately knew what had happened and fully expected the concert to be stopped until another string or even another instrument could be found. However, Perlman surprised them. He closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra restarted where they had left off and Perlman played on three strings. He played with passion and power. All the time he worked out new fingering in his mind to make up for the missing string. A work that few people could play well on four strings Perlman played on three.
When he finished, an awesome silence hung in the room. And then as one, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered wildly. Applause burst forth from every corner of the concert hall as fans appreciated his talent and his courage.
Perlman smiled and wiped the sweat from his brow. Then he raised his bow to quiet the crowd and said, in a quiet tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left." Disease left him with less power than he had before, yet he went on. Playing a concert on three strings is like his motto—he went on with what he had left and still made music.
And isn't that true with us? Our task is to find out how much music we can still make with what we have left, for I'm convinced that the world needs the music only you and I can make.
1.After the string on his violin broke, Perlman__________.
A. found another instrument B. stopped the concert
C. played on three strings D. changed a new string
2.The audience cheered and clapped to show their ________.
A. appreciation B. talent and courage
C. engagement D. passion and power
3.Perlman succeeded due to his ________.
A. cautiousness B. patience
C. kindness D. faith
4.The story inspires people to ________.
A. go with the flow B. share music with others
C. employ what we have D. smile and keep quiet
It was the night before the composition was due. As I looked at the list of topics, "The Art of Eating Spaghetti（意大利面条）" caught my eye. The word "spaghetti" brought back the _________of an evening at Uncle Alien's in Belleville___________all of us were seated around the table and Aunt Pat_________ spaghetti for supper. Spaghetti was an exotic（外来的）treat in __________days. Never had I eaten spaghetti, and ______of the grown-ups had enough experience to be _____ it. What laughing ________ we had about the ________ respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth. ___________，I wanted to write about that, but I wanted to _______it down simply for my own_________，not for Mr. Fleagle, my composition teacher, _______, I would write something else.
When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no _________left to write a proper composition for Mr. Fleagle. There was no choice next morning but to ________ my work. Two days passed before Mr. Fleagle returned the________papers. He said, "Now, class, I want to read you a composition, 'The Art of Eating Spaghetti'. "
My words! He was reading my words out__________to the whole class. ________ laughed, then the whole class was laughing with open-hearted enjoyment. I did my best not to show ____，but what I was feeling was pure happiness, _________my words had the power to make people _____.
1.A. memory B. thought C. knowledge D. experience
2.A. when B. where C. since D. after
3.A. cooked B. served C. got D. made
4.A. their B. past C. last D. those
5.A. none B. one C. some D. neither
6.A. careful about B. good at C. fond of D. interested in
7.A. speeches B. lessons C. sayings D. arguments
8.A. nearly B. naturally C. officially D. socially
9.A. Especially B. Probably C. Suddenly D. Fortunately
10.A. settle B. put C. take D. let
11.A. work B. story C. luck D. joy
12.A. However B. Therefore C. As for him D. Except for that
13.A. time B. excuse C. way D. idea
14.A. give up B. continue C. hand in D. delay
15.A. written B. graded C. collected D. signed
16.A. loud B. fast C. publicly D. calmly
17.A. People B. Nobody C. Somebody D. I
18.A. shock B. wonder C. worry D. pleasure
19.A. if B. for C. while D. although
20.A. excited B. satisfied C. think D. laugh
