Do you have a place you’ve always wanted to visit? If the answer is yes, have you ever considered taking a trip alone there just for a few days?
1. Although seeing the world on their own has always been a dream in their hearts since childhood, most people have repeatedly been told that the outside world is dangerous. The thought of going on a trip alone excites and terrifies them at the same time. Few end up stepping out of their comfort zone and going on meaningful adventures.
It is normal to have some trouble traveling alone. 2. For example, being alone on the road, you might have to ask strangers to take your photo wherever you go. If you join a tour halfway, you may be asked why you don’t have friends or family around. 3.
First, traveling alone gives you a good opportunity to do everything you wish to do without worrying about others’ needs and wants. If you want, you can read on a bench beside a river for the whole afternoon without being disturbed (打扰). You are free to walk around on different streets. 4. You can also remove that dull daily routine (常规) that always makes you feel tired.
If you make good use of it, traveling alone can also be a wonderful journey of self-discovery, as you’ll finally have time to think about your life.
5. All you need to do is pack your bags, take your passport, gather up your courage and go somewhere. Go out and enjoy being alone, explore the unknown, make some friends, read a book, and get to know more about yourself and the world.
A. Traveling by yourself is also quite easy.
B. You can go to shopping malls and explore the city.
C. For many people, traveling alone can be frightening.
D. There are also some unpleasant moments one might run into.
E. It is important to take some time off and think about the methods.
F. But anyhow, I still suggest that you travel alone at least once in your life.
G. Traveling alone helps us figure out what we really want to fight for in this big world.
Did you ever have to say “no” to somebody? Such as a classmate who asks to go to lunch with you? New research suggests that, at least socially, a rejection (拒绝) should not include an apology. In other words, saying you are sorry does not make the person being rejected feel any better. In fact, it might make the rejected person feel worse. That is surprising. Many people consider it to be good manners to say they are sorry when they turn down a request.
Gili Freedman is doing some related research at Dartmouth College. For her research, she asked over 1,000 people to respond to different examples of social rejection. In one example, the researchers asked people for their reaction (反应）after a person named Taylor asked to join a co-worker who went out to lunch every Friday. And Taylor was told “no”. But in some cases, the person rejecting Taylor offered an apology. In other cases, the people doing the rejection did not say they were sorry. People were asked how they would feel if they were being turned down, just as Taylor was. Most said they would be more hurt by a rejection with an apology than a rejection without an apology.
Freedman said the reason is that apologies make people feel like they need to say that the rejection was okay— even when they felt like it was not okay. Rejection without an apology lets them express their feelings of disappointment, hurt or anger more easily. Freedman also said that an apology often makes the person doing the rejection feel better—even as it makes the person being rejected feel worse.
Her research deals only with social communication. A business situation might be very different. “If a manager rejects a job interviewee or a boss must tell an employee that he or she is being fired from a job,” Freedman said, “reactions to apologies may be different.”
1.Why do people say they are sorry when they express rejection?
A.Because they think it is more polite.
B.Because they think it helps them express their dislike better.
C.Because they think apologies are the basis of communication.
D.Because they think it sounds more comfortable for the listener.
2.In Gili Freedman’s research, over 1,000 people ________.
A.rejected others without an apology
B.offered an apology when rejecting others
C.would be more hurt by a rejection with an apology
D.were asked to answer the question in different situations
3.What role does an apology play in rejection?
A.It makes the rejection more acceptable.
B.It makes a good impression on the listener.
C.It makes the communication more pleasant.
D.It makes the person doing the rejecting feel better.
4.What will be mentioned next according to the last paragraph?
A.The effect of an apology during a rejection.
B.Gili Freedman’s research on business situations.
C.A rejection with an apology in a business situation.
D.The difference between a social situation and a business one.
Ask any new college graduate about his immediate goals, and it is likely that he will tell you he wants a job. But it turns out that today’s students are not going to be satisfied with any job. According to the latest survey, making a difference through their work is essential (必要的) to young people’s happiness.
The survey found that 72 percent of graduating college seniors believe being able to have a positive social influence through their work is essential to their happiness. Making a difference is so important to them that 45 percent say they would take a 15-percent pay cut to work at an organization that has a social or environmental influence, and 58 percent say they would take a pay cut to work for an organization whose values are the same as their own.
Besides this, the survey found that female students are far more likely to put social influence in first place than their male classmates, echoing the results of a former study showing that female maths and science majors are more likely to say they go into those fields to make a difference.
One reason for the emphasis (强调) on improving the world probably has to do with the culture of colleges, which encourages students to connect their studies back to real-world problems. Students are used to discussing important social issues (问题) with their friends and professors, and doing something about them in class or through volunteer activities. Once students develop those habits, they don’t shut them off when graduation rolls around.
1.What does the underlined word “echoing” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Learning . B.Repeating.
C.Believing. D.Creating.
2.What is one of the reasons for the emphasis on students wanting to improve the world?
A.The habits students develop in society.
B.The appearance of important social issues.
C.The encouragement of the culture of colleges.
D.The effect parents’ education has on their children.
3.What can you learn from the passage?
A.Young people will surely gain happiness if they can make a difference in their work.
B.Less than half of the college seniors will take a pay cut to work with the same values.
C.Most college graduates believe it important to have a positive social influence in work.
D.Female graduates are all putting more social influence in first place than male graduates.
4.Which could be the best title for the passage?
A.Female Students Are Concerned about Society
B.Young People’s Happiness Doesn’t Depend on Money
C.Graduates Become More Interested in Challenging Jobs
D.Many Graduates Would Take a Pay Cut to Make a Difference
Peter Damon produces about 30 paintings a year and sells them for between US$250 and US$1,500. That’s not enough to make ends meet, but it has made him whole again. He lost both arms in an accident.
“Having this skill that even normal people find difficult was something that really helped me and made me feel like I fit in more in the world,” Damon said.
He was a worker in a car factory. One day when he was working, there was a gas explosion (爆炸), killing one worker and injuring him.
“I lost my right arm above the elbow, about three inches above the elbow, and my left about six inches below,” he explained.
“How am I going to make a living and take care of my family? I had always worked with my hands,” he said.
Then with a simple little drawing, a new future opened up for him.
“I thought it was wonderful in a way,” Damon said. “Something was telling me to focus on this and everything will be alright.” Damon doesn’t have a perfect prosthetic arm (假肢)—just a hook (钩子), which he finds works best.
He and his wife Jen run True Grit Art Gallery in Middleboro, Massachusetts, where he shows the works of local artists. With his disability check from the government, he can afford to be an artist. He is a man doing what he wants with his life, and doesn’t look at his situation as a hard time.
“I don’t see it that way,” Damon said. “Suffering an injury like this has a way of making you focus on what’s important in life.”
He believes his best work is still ahead of him. But with his pictures of simple American scenes, Damon has already produced his best work.
1.How did Damon lose his arms?
A.A gas explosion injured his arms.
B.He was attacked when he was driving a car.
C.His arms were trapped by a worker by accident.
D.He was knocked down by a car when he was working.
2.What do we know about Peter Damon when he started taking up painting from the text?
A.His hope for life was brought back.
B.He felt a lot of pressure at the beginning.
C.He didn’t earn enough to support his family.
D.His paintings were so expensive that few people wanted to buy them.
3.What is Damon’s attitude towards his suffering?
A.Wonderful. B.Positive.
C.Pitiful. D.Uncertain.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Winners do what losers don’t want to do.
B.Nothing is impossible if you try your best.
C.God closes a door and another will open for you.
D.Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
Central Park
Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.
Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km2). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.
Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).
On Foot or by Bicycle
To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.
If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.
Open Time
From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.
Price
Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.
Transport
Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D.
Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.
Nearby places
Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)
Guggenheim Museum (564 m)
American Museum of Natural History (688 m)
Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)
The Frick Collection (1.3 km)
1.What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?
A.It is home to lakes and waterfalls.
B.It is perfect for doing outdoor sports.
C.It is the largest city park in the world.
D.It is the most famous symbol of New York.
2.Which one of the following things is free?
A.Hiring a bicycle.
B.Entrance to Central Park.
C.Visiting Central Park Zoo.
D.Going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
3.Where can we find this text?
A.In a science report. B.In a geography book.
C.In a fashion magazine. D.In a travel guide.
圣诞节即将来临，你的好友 Tom 正在为如何度过假期而苦恼。假如你是李华，请你给他写一封信， 谈谈你的看法。要点如下:
1. 你的建议：旅行等。
2. 你的理由。
注意:1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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