"Why do we have to learn all this dumb stuff?"
Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently asked. I would answer it by telling the following legend.
One night a group of nomads(游牧民) were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a godly being. With great expectation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them.
Finally, the voice spoke, "Gather as many pebbles (鹅卵石) as you can. Put them in your bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad."
The nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the
inspiration of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and store them in their bags while voicing their displeasure.
They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp, they reached into their bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds. They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles.
It was an experience I had with a student, whom I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me.
When Alan was in the eighth grade, he majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions (停学)". He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's degree in "thievery".
Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.
"Alice Adams--- 'There is no failure except..."'
"'In no longer trying.' I'm present, Mr. Schlatter."
So, by the end of the year, my young pupils would have memorized 150 great thoughts.
"People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
"No pains, no gains."
"If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it."
No one complained about this daily routine other than Alan - right up to the day he was expelled(开除) and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole（假释）.
He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall (少管所) and finally being shipped off to the
California Youth Authority for his wrong doings, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists.
He said, "You know what, Mr. Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I
suddenly remembered that quote you made me write 20 times one day." There is no failure except in no longer trying." Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life."
At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it is to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.
1.What does the underlined sentence "it will find you sad" mean?
A.The God told the nomads to gather pebbles that made no sense to them.
B.The pebbles won't enable the nomads to create fortune.
C.The God didn't give the nomads the message they expected.
D.The nomads regretted not having gathered as many pebbles as possible.
2.Which of following sentences from the passage brings out the author's sense of humor?
A.They were given a silly task that made no sense to them at all. (Para. 5)
B.He majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions. (Para. 8)
C.People nowadays know the price of everything and the value of nothing. (Para. 13)
D.You can count on a future filled with diamonds. (Para. 19)
3.Which of the following is FALSE according to the passage?
A.Not all the nomads gathered and stored some pebbles in their bags.
B.Students who finished the half-sentence quotation were counted present.
C.All students don't like the daily routine of finishing the half-sentence quotation.
D.It was the strong faith of never dying a failure that saved Alan's life.
4.Why did Alan commit suicide after being shipped off to the California Youth Authority?
A.He hated the hard life in the juvenile hall.
B.He was expelled by the school in the end.
C.He was badly treated at the California Youth Authority.
D.He felt so disappointed and hopeless about himself and his future.
5.According to the passage, we can conclude that Mr. Schlatter is an educator of _____.
A.sympathy and kindness B.wisdom and patience
C.generosity and creativity D.faith and devotion
6.Which of the following may probably be the best title?
A.A naughty trouble-marker. B.Pebbles and nomads.
C.The magic pebble. D.A quotation that saved life.
Did you hear what happened at yesterday’s meeting? Can you believe it? If you find those sorts of quietly whispered questions about your co-workers irresistible, you're hardly alone. But why are we drawn to gossip?
A new study suggests it’s because the rumors are all about us”. Gossip receivers tend to use positive and negative group information to improve, promote, and protect the self,” writes a research team, led by Elena Martinescu of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. In the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the researchers described two experiments team, led by Elena Martinescu of the University described two experiments testing the personal value gossip receivers get.
The first featured 178 university undergraduates, who had all previously worked on at least one course assignment with a group of four or more students. Participants were asked to recall and write a short description of an incident, in which a group member shared with them either positive or negative information about another group member’s secret. They then reported their level of agreement with a series of statements. Some of these measured the self-improvement value of the gossip (“The information received made me think I learn a lot from X”); others measured its self-promotion value (“The information I received made me feel that I am doing well compared to X”). Still others measured whether the gossip raised personal concerns (“The information I received made me feel that I must protect my image in the group”).
In the second experiment, 122 undergraduates were assigned the role of “sales agent” at a major company. They received gossip from a colleague that a third person either did very well or very badly at a performance evaluation, and were then asked about the emotions that information caused. They also responded to the above-mentioned set of statements presented to the participants in the first experiment.
In each experiment, participants found both negative and positive gossip to be of personal value with different reasons. “Positive gossip has self-improvement value,” they write. “'Competence-related positive gossip about others contains lessons about how to improve one's own competence. On the other hand, negative gossip has self-promotion value, because it provides individuals with social comparison information that justifies self-promoting judgments which results in feelings of pride.”
In addition, the results showed that negative gossip brought about self-protection concerns, the researchers write. “Negative gossip makes people concerned that their reputations may be at risk, as they may personally become targets of negative gossip in the future, which generates fear”. Fear is hardly a pleasant sensation (感觉), but it can be a motivating one. As researchers put it: “Gossip conveniently provides individuals with indirect social-comparison information about relevant others.”
1.Why are we drawn to gossip according to the researchers?
A.We need evaluative information about others to evaluate ourselves.
B.We are interested in the news that arouses our personal concerns.
C.We tend to gain a sense of pride from judging others.
D.We are likely to learn lessons from others’ mistakes.
2.According to the first experiment, which of the following shows self-promotion value?
A.I have to learn from Mary according to what Tom said about her.
B.I should behave myself in case of being gossiped about like Mary.
C.I’ve done better than Mary according to what Tom said about her.
D.I have no comments on what Tom said about Mary.
3.What’s the critical difference of the second experiment compared with the first one?
A.The identities of the participants.
B.The number of the participants studied.
C.The time during which the experiment lasted.
D.The role-play technique used in experiment.
4.What role does “negative gossip” play according to the researchers?
A.A fear killer. B.A protector.
C.A motivator. D.A subject provider.
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 (剌激), 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 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” 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. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
1.According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ______.
A.anxious to do wonders B.sensitive to others’ feelings
C.likely to develop unpleasant habits D.eager to explore the world around them
2.Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?
A.They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.
B.They focus on arriving at the camp in time.
C.The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them.
D.The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.
3.In the passage, the author intends to tell us we should ______.
A.fill 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
For many parents, the most confusing part about choosing pre-schools is trying to make sense of terms such as “Montessori Method”, “Waldorf Approach”. What do these terms mean and how can these terms help you choose a preschool?
Oftentimes, the key difference between settings is connected to the preschool’s “educational philosophy”. While educational philosophies are numerous and their definitions are not set in stone, we have provided you with definitions for some of the most popular philosophies.
The Montessori Method
Focuses on maintaining the individuality of each child in the learning process. This method believes each child learns at their own pace and educational progress should not be rendered based on comparing students to one another.
The Reggio Emilia Approach
This approach focuses on providing opportunities for problem solving through creative thinking and exploration.
The Waldorf Approach
This approach places an emphasis on imagination in learning, providing students with opportunities to explore their world through the senses, participation and analytical thought.
The Bank Street Approach
This approach places an emphasis on learning through multiple perspectives, both in the classroom setting and in the natural world.
The High/ Scope Approach
This approach focuses on letting children be in charge of their own learning. Children are taught to make a plan for what they would like to do each day and participate in a review session to discuss the success of their plan and brainstorm ideas for the next day.
Outside of the formal educational philosophy, knowing the difference between other common early childhood terms will help you make informed decisions regarding your child’s education.
1.If a pre-school stresses each child’s learning progress, it may employ ___________.
A.The Reggio Emilia Approach B.The Montessori Method
C.The Bank Street Approach D.The Waldorf Approach
2.According to the passage, which of the following is True ?
A.The Scope Approach is to let children learn all by themselves.
B.The definitions of educational philosophy remain the same.
C.To some extent, educational philosophies determine the differences between preschools.
D.The most confusing part about choosing pre-school is to choose educational philosophy.
“How dare you? I’m fed up with you doing this!” My anger finally _______ when my son refused to go to the painting classes for the third time that day. After I believe that I had _______ him out of his unwillingness earlier, he responded with _______ but an attitude of rolling his eyes at me. And it was this unexplained, unexpected _______ that fueled with my anger. To restore my _______, I played bitter sarcasm (讽刺), “OK, if you wanna be a good-for-nothing,then move back to bed for that _______ sleep.” It turned out that my strategy was a total _______ Seemingly, he took it willingly. I lost complete control of my temper .
“You are such a disgrace. Bad boy!” I was doing another bombard of curses when my sister came visiting us to check if we were _______. At the sight of the tension between us,my sister _______ him a trip to her place. He took it with a __________ heart and relief.
They left __________ me in absolute loneliness. Into this darkness I sank, pulling my mind down to a state of __________. Did such anger come only from his misbehavior? Negative.Had I given it a chance to listen to and understand him? Negative. My __________ work, boring house chores, my kid’s hope for my __________ and my guilt of sacrificing the time with him for the completion of work all led to the __________ of my anger.
I didn’t have the __________ to admit my fault before a kid. When I saw him avoiding my presence the moment I stepped into his shelter, I felt __________ and frustrated. So I __________ and was about to leave when my son dashed to grab my leg, begging wildly for my mercy. My tears coursed down my face.
For those who believe “Sticks and stones may break the bone, but words can never hurt Anyone”, I have a piece of heartfelt advice. Don’t __________ try this weapon against the people you love. It is sharp enough to cut the deepest into a soul, leaving a(n) __________ in heart.
1.A.gave out B.burst out C.made out D.went out
2.A.ordered B.told C.talked D.asked
3.A.anything B.nothing C.something D.everything
4.A.rebellion B.compromise C.impression D.innocence
5.A.reason B.identity C.reputation D.authority
6.A.useless B.short C.restless D.light
7.A.survival B.success C.change D.disaster
8.A.free B.okay C.available D.quarrelsome
9.A.awarded B.promised C.offered D.organized
10.A.light B.soft C.broken D.sinking
11.A.abolishing B.settling C.involving D.abandoning
12.A.shock B.despair C.activity D.blankness
13.A.demanding B.fascinating C.outstanding D.rewarding
14.A.forgiveness B.companionship C.assistance D.sympathy
15.A.explosion B.control C.disappearance D.reflection
16.A.confidence B.opportunity C.courage D.intention
17.A.angry B.lonely C.calm D.hurt
18.A.went over B.showed up C.walked around D.turned back
19.A.just B.even C.ever D.yet
20.A.space B.scar C.impression D.footprint
—What’s wrong with you? Why do you look so sad?
— ______ ! I’ve lost all my files on the computer. It is total disaster.
A.Go to the bad B.Come off it C.Just my luck D.Count my blessing
