For as long as there have been gifts, we naturally make choices based on the recipient (接受者). But what if we have been wrong all along and that we could turn things around, which not only made gift buying easier, but the recipient happier?
In 2015, psychologists Lauren Human and Lara Aknin conducted an online survey, which suggested that when people buy gifts, they prefer to choose something based on the recipient’s personality and tastes. Most people also said that they preferred receiving gifts bought with them in mind: gifts for them.
But Human and Aknin wondered if this approach to giving failed to take advantage of the way we connect as people. So they sent 78 volunteers into a shopping centre before Mother’s Day. Half were told to buy a card that “reveals(揭示) your knowledge of the recipient” while the others set out to buy a card that “reveals your true self”. After the purchase, the givers who had thought partly of themselves reported feeling emotionally closer to their mothers.
To find out how that approach goes down with recipients, the psychologists did another test, asking more than 100 students to choose a song on iTunes to give to a friend, partner or family member. Each half of the group received the same instructions as the card buyers. Results revealed that recipients of songs that revealed something of the givers felt closer to them than those who received gifts bought only with them in mind.
Human and Aknin suggest it might apply to all gifts. “If building stronger social connections is the underlying (潜在的) goal” of a gift and surely it should be—then we “may well be advised to offer more self-reflective gifts”. In short, for a present to be meaningful, you need to give away a bit of yourself, even if there is a risk that the gift might not so closely suit the recipient’s practical needs or tastes as one acquired purely with that in mind.
Moreover, giving something of oneself can be a safer act, the psychologists added. Because it reduces the risk of revealing poor knowledge of a recipient by attempting to buy something that fits their character—and failing.
But a note of caution here: what the research does not examine is the potential risk in repeated, unsympathetic giver-centered giving, which, according to Human and Aknin “could signal self-obsession” —and nobody wants to reveal that about themselves.
1.From the Mother’s Day card test, we can conclude that .
A. gifts chosen with the giver in mind work well on the giver
B. most people choose gifts with the recipient in mind
C. most people choose gifts based on their personal tastes
D. gifts chosen with the giver in mind work well on the recipient
2.What do the underlined words “them, them” refer to in order of appearance?
A. The recipients; the givers. B. The givers; the recipients.
C. The givers; the givers. D. The recipients; the recipients.
3.What does the author think is the significance of gift giving?
A. Making the giver’s life happier.
B. Showing one’s knowledge of the recipient.
C. Establishing and strengthening social connections.
D. Meeting the recipient’s practical needs.
4.Which of the following is Human and Aknin’s advice on gift giving?
A. Choose gifts that reflect more of yourself.
B. Just focus on your own tastes when choosing gifts.
C. Buy something that fits the recipient’s character most.
D. Be careful not to signal your true personality.
5.Which is the best title of this passage?
A. The tradition of gift giving. B. The purpose of gift giving.
C. The effect of gift giving. D. The psychology of gift giving.
Tiny microbes(微生物) are at the heart of a new agricultural technique to manage harmful greenhouse gas. Scientists have discovered how microbes can be used to turn carbon dioxide into soil-enriching limestone(石灰石), with the help of a type of tree that grows in tropical areas, such as West Africa.
Researchers have found that when the Iroko tree is grown in dry, acidic soil and treated with a combination of natural fungi(霉菌) and other bacteria, not only does the tree grow well, it also produces the mineral limestone in the soil around its root.
The Iroko tree makes a mineral by combining Ca from the earth with CO2 from the atmosphere. The bacteria then create the conditions under which this mineral turns into limestone. The discovery offers a new way to lock carbon into the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere. In addition to storing carbon in the trees’ leaves and in the form of limestone, the mineral in the soil makes it more suitable for agriculture.
The discovery could lead to reforestation(重新造林) projects in tropical countries, and help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the developing world. It has already been used in West Africa and is being tested in Bolivia, Haiti and India.
The findings were made in a three-year project involving researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh, Granada, Lausanne and Delft University of Technology. The project examined several microbiological methods of locking CO2 as limestone, and the Iroko-bacteria way showed best results. Work was funded by the European Commission under the Future&Emerging Technologies(FET) scheme.
Dr Bryne Ngwenya of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the research, said:“By taking advantage of this natural limestone-producing process, we have a low-tech, safe, readily employed and easily operating way to lock carbon out of the atmosphere, while improving farming conditions in tropical countries.”
1.The passage is mainly introducing .
A. some useful natural fungi and bacteria
B. a new way to deal with greenhouse gas
C. a newly-found tree in West Africa
D. the soil-enriching limestone created by scientists
2.Which of the following is True about tiny microbes?
A. Most tiny microbes like living in dry, acidic soil.
B. CO2 can be broken down by natural fungi and bacteria.
C. The more greenhouse gas is, the more active tiny microbes become.
D. Tiny microbes get along well with the Iroko tree in special soil.
3.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 probably refer to?
A. Carbon dioxide.
B. Carbon.
C. Soil.
D. Limestone.
4.According to the passage, what can we infer?
A. The action of the tiny microbes can increase the oxygen in the earth.
B. Researchers have done the experiment on trees in Africa for three years.
C. Researchers tend to use natural power to solve their problem.
D. West Africa is one of the most polluted areas all over the world.
5.According to the passage, the Iroko-bacteria method .
A. can be used to improve the farming land
B. can save a lot of seriously destroyed woods
C. has been popularized in Bolivia, Haiti and India
D. should be spread all around the world in the future
Susan Sontag (1933—2004) was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything—to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American culture life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.
Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong mottos, but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poorly-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In Notes Camp, the 1964 essay that first made her name, she explained what was then a little-known set of difficult understandings, through which she could not have been more famous. Notes on Camp, she wrote, represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’”.
By conviction(信念) she was a sensualist(感觉论者), but by nature she was a moralist, and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the latter side of her that came forward. In Illness as Metaphor—published in 1978, after she suffered cancer—she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed (被压抑的) personalities, a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact, re-examining old concepts was her lifelong habit.
In America, her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California, won the National Book Award in 2000. But what made her achieve lasting fame was a tireless, all-purpose cultural view.
“Sometimes,” she once said, “I feel that, in the end, all I am really defending… is the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.” And in the end, she made us take it seriously too.
1.It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that Sontag .
A. was a symbol of American cultural life
B. developed world literature, film and arts
C. published many essays about world culture
D. kept pace with the newest development of world culture
2.She first won her name through .
A. publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review
B. her story of a Polish actress
C. her explanation of a set of difficult understandings
D. her book Illness as Metaphor
3.From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s, we can learn that .
A. she was more of a moralist than a sensualist
B. she was more of a sensualist than a moralist
C. she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness
D. She would like to re-examine old positions
4.According to the passage, Susan Sontag would agree to the ideas except .
A. We should try hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art.
B. Cancer can be defeated because it is a special problem of repressed personalities.
C. ‘Form’ should be over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ should be over ‘morals’.
D. We should defend the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A lifelong motto: seriousness.
B. Susan Sontag is the symbol of American culture.
C. How Susan Sontag became famous.
D. An introduction to Susan Sontag and her motto.
What is Small-sided Soccer?
Small-sided Soccer starts with games of 3-on-3 from the youngest participants and progresses to 4-on-4, 7-on-7, 11-on-11, in a graduated manner for the older groups. Our school’s training course will give kids a better chance to take part in the game and get excited about the game of soccer. The small-sided approach gives each child more individualized attention so they can each improve their skills. And, it’s FUN!
Some general practical information
·Cafeteria is open.
·We supply participants with soccer clothes and football boots.
·Please bring a water bottle for your child.
Soccer season training times
Team | Saturday | Sunday |
Tykes | 10:00-11:00 |
|
PeeWees | 11:00-11:50 |
|
BoysE&F | 12:30-14:00 | 13:00-14:00 |
Girls | 12:30-14:30 |
|
Costs
The cost is $70 per month for Tykes and PeeWees and $115 for all the other teams.
Volunteering
Can I coach?
Of course! Our training course is always looking for volunteer coaches. We will provide coaches with plans for activities and training, and help set up the small-sided fields. It’s a great opportunity to get involved with kids and help develop their love for sports.
How can I volunteer in other ways?
It’s your club and you are welcome to volunteer! There are volunteer opportunities with programs, fields, publicity, facilities, uniforms, website development and the board, to name a few. Let us know how you’d like to help—and we’ll put you to work!
Do parents stay?
Yes. Parents are strongly encouraged to stay and support their children and the club. The club is a volunteer-run organization. Parents and athletes are encouraged to help with clean-up and set-up activities.
If you have any questions about program specifics, please contact recreational soccer coordinator(协调者), Pablo Vercelli, at recreationalsoccer@abfsport.nl. Tel: 043-239-4409.
1.What do you know about the training course?
A. It is a free training course for children.
B. It offers three meals a day for free.
C. It teaches students according to their interest.
D. It will make children get excited about soccer.
2.What should participants take to the training course?
A. Soccer. B. Soccer clothes.
C. A water bottle. D. Football boots.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Both Tykes and BoysE&F have classes on Sunday.
B. Both Tykes and PeeWees have the same charging standard.
C. Pablo Vercelli was the founder of Small-sided Soccer.
D. Parents who help with clean-up don’t need to pay for the course.
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. There are two ways to contact the school.
B. Parents are not allowed to stay with their children.
C. All the coaches in the school are professional.
D. Children who are over 11 are not allowed to attend the course.
5.Where do you probably read the article?
A. In a science fiction. B. In a newspaper.
C. In a medical magazine. D. In a guidebook.
From a young age, I was taught to be kind to people around. My parents ________ explained to me the importance of giving help generously to the less ________. So out of habit, whenever there is something I can ________, I give it to someone on the streets.
Last week, as I left the house for work, I carried with me some ________ clothes, a handbag and some food to hand over to someone ________.
As the car ________ at a traffic red light, I saw a girl of five or six asking for money. I ________ her to come to me and quickly ________ all the stuff I had and put them into the handbag. As I started handing it over, she seemed ________. She looked up at me with a sweet smile on her face and asked what was in the ________. I told her there were some clothes and food for her.
Once again she ________ me, “Can you give me some water?” It was then that I ________ her dry lips. It seemed that she had not had a ________ of water all day. I ________ the water bottle that I always carry with me and helped her to drink from it. She finished it quickly and gave me a heartwarming smile of ________.
I was thankful that I could ________ what she really wished and realized once again that day that you don’t necessarily have to make big ________ to help someone. And this incident, as well as a lot that followed,______my belief in the simple acts of kindness and how they can make someone’s day.
Next time you want to do something nice for someone, don’t ________, seizing the right ________, or it would be late. Go ahead and do it!
1.A. cheerfully B. confidently C. particularly D. smoothly
2.A. difficult B. rich C. comfortable D. fortunate
3.A. find B. exchange C. spare D. abandon
4.A. casual B. worn C. old D. fashionable
5.A. needy B. clumsy C. lucky D. lonely
6.A. pulled B. stopped C. approached D. drew
7.A. wanted B. ordered C. touched D. signaled
8.A. threw B. collected C. dragged D. dropped
9.A. surprised B. embarrassed C. panicked D. worried
10.A. bag B. pocket C. car D. hand
11.A. waved at B. looked up at C. shook hands with D. nodded at
12.A. realized B. watched C. recognized D. noticed
13.A. bottle B. drop C. lot D. cup
14.A. pointed out B. gave out C. picked out D. took out
15.A. satisfaction B. communication C. appreciation D. expectation
16.A. afford B. offer C. understand D. remember
17.A. donations B. differences C. senses D. kindness
18.A. strengthened B. changed C. shook D. destroyed
19.A. hold out B. hold on C. hold back D. hold down
20.A. idea B. power C. position D. opportunity
You didn’t let me drive. If we ________ by turns, you ________ so tired.
A. drove; didn’t get B. drove; wouldn’t get
C. were driving; wouldn’t get D. had driven; wouldn’t have got
