How does keeping things tidy change people psychologically? You gain greater confidence in yourself. Also, you become more optimistic and calmer in the mind than before. There are several reasons for these changes: your self-image improves as you start living in tidy beautiful rooms, and you gain decision-making skills as you continue to choose between which things to throw or give away and which to keep. The way we let go of things in the Kon Mari Method plays an important role as well.
The Kon Mari Method has a step where we give thanks to the things before we throw them away. Not only would you say “thank you for sparking joy in me" to a favorite piece of clothing that you wore till it was threadbare, you would also say to a piece of clothing you never wore once “thank you for teaching me that this color doesn't look good on me". You will appreciate the roles of all the things that have come to you and experience appreciation for all of them. Through this experience, you will rediscover the truth that you have been supported by so many things and you will deepen your gratitude for things you leave behind.
To share a personal example, I have always had little confidence in myself. When I get nervous before a large speaking assignment, I think to myself that I'll be fine because
these clothes are protecting me and these shoes are supporting me, and that calms me down. Once you start feeling constant gratitude for your things and your home through tidying up, you will start feeling relief and calm as if you are always protected by something larger than you.
1.What psychological change may tidiness bring to people?
A.They will become more confident. B.Their confidence will become less.
C.They will become less optimistic. D.Their self-image will be damaged.
2.What does the underlined word “threadbare" mean in the second paragraph?
A.fashionable B.fancy
C.out of date D.worn out
3.What should people show to clothes they have never worn in the Kon Mari Method?
A.Regret. B.Worry.
C.Gratitude. D.Patience.
4.Why does the author mention his own experience in the last paragraph?
A.To show off his wonderful speaking skills.
B.To give an example of the benefit of tidiness.
C.To explain how he has become a confident person.
D.To show his special taste in choosing suitable clothes.
Whether paired with a bottle of nice red wine or a burger, cheese can be a delicious treat. But it is not perhaps, the ideal material to use in printing — unless you are a team of nutritional scientists. One group of researchers used 3D printing to create a cheese. And the cheese could provide a valuable insight for engineers who are still developing materials for 3D printing.
A team from the school of food and nutritional sciences at University College Cork (UCC) conducted a series of tests evaluating the 3D-printed cheese. 3D printing materials need to be fluid (液态) enough to flow but also capable of setting into a definite shape or structure.
After melting the cheese at 75°C (167°F) for 12 minutes, the UCC team then ran it through a modified commercial 3D printer. The machine, which usually prints with plastic, was fitted with a syringe (注射器) to allow it to print with the melted cheese.
The UCC team used several techniques to examine the effects of the 3D printing process on their cheese. They compared the 3D-printed results to processed cheese that had been melted and then cooled, as well as another sample that was left untouched. Cheese that was 3D printed was 45% to 49% softer than the processed cheese, the researchers said. They also discovered that 3D-printed cheese was a little darker in colour and more fluid when melted, though it melted at about the same temperature as processed cheese.
Dr Kelly and his colleagues are now testing other types of dairy products which can be 3D-printed. Dr Kelly said, “We are using mixtures of milk proteins at present to build a product, perhaps a high-protein snack, and designing recipes which might work best for a 3D printer. ”
1.What problems are the engineers facing in 3D printing a cheese?
A.They don't have proper material.
B.They can't find a bottle of nice red wine or a burger.
C.They can't make the cheese very delicious.
D.They know much less than nutritional scientists.
2.How did the researchers use the 3D printer to make cheese?
A.They raised the temperature to 75°C.
B.They added a syringe to the printer.
C.They bought some cheese to paint it.
D.They evaluated the 3D-printed cheese.
3.What is the advantage of the 3D-printed cheese?
A.It melts more easily. B.It tastes more delicious.
C.It costs less money. D.It is much softer.
4.What will Dr Kelly and his colleagues do next according to the last paragraph?
A.Publish a report on their research.
B.Invent a new 3D printer.
C.3D print more milk food.
D.Make more cheese with their machine.
When we walked into the cafe, we were greeted by a waitress who smiled, held out a menu, and pointed to a table. It's only when we asked for a table for six that we realized something was a bit different. The waitress glanced at our group and held up six fingers. That's because all the staff are deaf.
Last month, the Huffington Post visited Smiles Cafe in Granada. The business only employs people who are deaf, from the waiters to the cooks. “My goal is for this cafe to be a mirror for other businesses to lose their fear of hiring people with disabilities," the founder Antonio Bunuel, who is from Spain, told HufPost. “It's also for the people who work here to lose their own fear of getting into the work force," he added, “So they can fly.”
In the city, about 1 person in 15 has a disability. But around 99 percent of people with a disability are unemployed. While the law requires companies to employ two people with disabilities for every 50 employees, many businesses don't. “Smiles Cafe was born out of a provocation. 99 percent of people with disabilities here are jobless. That was wrong!" Bunuel said. “So I decided to open a cafe where all of the employees were deaf to show that it works.
At the cafe, customers order by pointing to items on the menu, which have special symbols to indicate substitutions. For instance, if you're ordering fruit parfait, and you don't want yogurt on it, you just point to the illustration (图示) of the parfait, and then to the image of yogurt with a big red “X" over it. To help customers communicate with staff and learn while they eat, the walls are covered with letters? words and phrases, from “Thank you" to “Welcome" with illustrations that show the corresponding translation. The cafe, now five years old, is a project of the non-profit Centro Social Tio Antonio. “We've opened a small window," the founder said, “If it serves to create awareness, then that's a start.
1.Why did the waitress hold up her fingers when the author ordered?
A.All workers were deaf. B.She didn't want to say anything.
C.She was suffering a throat ache. D.It was a special greeting.
2.What did the founder of the cafe expect his employees to do?
A.Make a big fortune. B.Become well-known in the city.
C.Recover from their illnesses. D.Overcome their fears to work.
3.What does the underlined sentence mean about Smiles Cafe in Para 3?
A.People expected to keep a good volunteering tradition.
B.It was founded to take a challenge of employing the disabled.
C.Founders reached an agreement after discussions.
D.The disabled were worried about their work at first.
4.What is helpful to the customers in the cafe?
A.The deafness of the employees. B.Special symbols on the menu.
C.The non-profit model of the cafe. D.The awareness of the employer.
Wisconsin's Great Lakes are home to great lighthouses. Here are some lighthouses worth visiting along Lake Michigan, from south to north.
Wind Point, Racine
This 108-foot lighthouse on a point north of Racine was built in 1880. It's open for tours and climbs up the tower from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m. the first Sunday of the month, June through October, and from 10 a. m. to 1:30 p. m. the Saturday before that Sunday, July through September. Admission is $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for kids aged between 6 and 11. The park and beach around the lighthouse are open daily from 6 a. m. to 10 p. m.
North Point , Milwaukee
This 74-foot lighthouse alongside a Queen Anne style keeper's quarters is a landmark in the city's Lake Park. After the coast guard decommissioned (停用) it in 1997, it stood vacant until a friendly group restored the structure and opened it as a museum in 2007. Tours are now offered from 1 p. m. to 4 p. m. Saturday and Sunday year round, plus from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. Thursday and Friday in the summer. Tours cost $ 8 for adults, $ 5 for seniors (65+) and $ 5 for students and kids (5—11).
Port Washington Breakwater
This Art Deco-style lighthouse replaced an older wooden structure in 1935 as part of a Works Progress Administration project. Tours aren't available of the small structure, but visitors can walk along the 2, 500-foot breakwater to get a closer look.
Rawley Point , Two Rivers
This lighthouse is worth a visit not only for its steel tower rising 113 feet above the beach, but also for its location in Point Beach State Forest. Tours are not available of the working lighthouse, but it's viewable and photographable from the beach. In addition to six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, the state forest has 17 miles of hiking trails to explore.
1.Which lighthouse is used as a museum?
A.Wind Point, Racine. B.North Point, Milwaukee.
C.Rawley Point, Two Rivers. D.Port Washington Breakwater.
2.Where can people appreciate Port Washington Breakwater?
A.Under a wooden structure. B.Along the long breakwater.
C.In Point Beach State Forest. D.On a point north of Racine.
3.Why is Rawley Point NOT available for a visit?
A.It is far off the coast. B.It is located in the center of forest.
C.It is working as a lighthouse. D.It is made of steel.
Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的) to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of "time" and "destination"（目的地）are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations(感觉）. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
1.What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?
A.To avoid jumping to conclusions.
B.To stop complaining all the time.
C.To follow the teacher's advice.
D.To admit mistakes honestly.
2.The bird watchers’ behavior shows that they __________.
A.are very patient in their observation
B.are really fascinated by nature
C.care only about the names of birds
D.question the accuracy of the field guides
3.Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?
A.The natural beauty isn't attractive to them.
B.They focus on arriving at the camp in time.
C.The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.
D.They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.
4.In the passage, the author intends to tell us we should __________.
A.use our senses to feel the wonders of the world
B.get rid of some bad habits in our daily life
C.open our mind to new things and ideas
D.try our best to protect nature
A qualified doctor who rarely practised but instead devoted his life to writing. He once said, “Medicine is my lawful wife and literature is my lover.”Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a great playwright(剧作家) and one of the masters of the modern short story.
When Clekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879,he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family. After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
As a writer he was extremely fast,often producing a short story in an hour or less. Checkhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference many of his characters show to tragic(悲剧的) events. In 1892,he became a full-time writer and published some of his most memorable stories.
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small towns of Russia. Tragic events controlled his characters who were filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair.
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays.He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters. Chekhov’s works combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity of an artist.
Some of Chekhov’s works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s.One of his famous stories,“The Man in a Shell ”，about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life was selected as a text for Chinese senior students.
1.Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ________ .
A.had a lawful lover
B.wrote only short stories
C.used to be a lawyer
D.was a capable doctor
2.In 1880, Chekhov .
A.became a full-time writer
B.studied medicine in Moscow University
C.practiced medicine in his hometown
D.published his most memorable stories
3.According to the passage,which of the following words can’t be used to describe Chekhov?
A.Sensitive.
B.Calm.
C.Quick-minded.
D.Warm-hearted.
4.Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a. became a doctor
b. became a full-time writer
c. started to publish comic short stories
d. wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper
e. entered the Moscow University Medical School
A.e c a d b B.d a b c e
C.e c b a d D.a e c b d
