Rising through stages to realize ourselves
Many modern people have the problem that they don’t know who they are and what their purpose is. 1.. Once high school seniors graduate, they seem to lose their identity. They once studied hard. But after they stop working, they begin to lose their way.
In the theory of the Hierarchy of Needs (需求理论), Abraham Maslo, put forward a similar situation, which consists of the five levels of a person’s need. The fifth and final level is self-realization, which is where our final achievement lies. 2..
I think self-realization has three major aspects. The first stage is acceptance, the second stage is discovery and the last stage is perseverance.
Acceptance is the first stage. We should be reminded that we are all born unique, so we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Only when we understand these, can we pursue them or change them. 3..
Once we’ve accepted ourselves, we can discover what we are interested in and what we want to be. 4. but indeed we should live for ourselves. So before we start working towards a purpose, we should ask ourselves “Is this what we truly desire?” and “Is this going to change the situation we’re in?”
The last stage is perseverance. 5.. Those who can self-realize are people who focus on the things they want to change.
Through the three stages, we could gain recognition of ourselves. And by this point, whatever our lives were like, we would be able to stand tall, confident of ourselves.
A.It’s nothing to a man of perseverance
B.Only by acceptance of the past can we change it
C.This is especially common among college students
D.Many people tend to go along with social expectations
E.Being objective and yet tolerant is the key to acceptance
F.It is the process of knowing ourselves and finding a purpose
G.Exploring our potential isn’t going to be done in a short time
For people, many other animals, family matters. Consider how many jobs go to relatives. Or how an ant will cruelly attack intruder (入侵的) ants but rescue injured, closely related nest-mates. There are good evolutionary reasons to aid relatives, after all. Now, it seems, family feelings may stir in plants as well.
A Canadian biologist planted the seed of the idea more than a decade ago, but many plant biologists regarded it as heretical-plants lack the nervous systems that enable animals to recognize kin (家族), so how can they know their relatives? But with a series of recent findings, the belief that plants really do care for their most genetically close peers-in a quiet, planty way-is taking root. Some species control how far their roots spread, others change how many flowers they produce, and a few tilt (倾斜) or shift their leaves to minimize shading of neighboring plants, favoring related individuals.
“We need to recognize that plants not only sense whether it’s light or dark or if they’ve been touched, but also whom they are interacting with,” says Susan Dudley, a plant evolutionary ecologist, whose early plant kin recognition studies sparked the interest of many scientists.
Beyond broadening views of plant behavior, the new work may have a practical side. In September 2018, a team in China reported that rice planted with kin grows better, a finding that suggested family ties can be used to improve crop yields. “It seems anytime anyone looks for it, they find a kin effect,” says Andre Kessler, a chemical ecologist at Cornell University.
1.Why are ants mentioned in the first paragraph?
A.To show how cruel ants are to their enemies.
B.To lay foundation for the idea of plants’ family feelings.
C.To introduce the topic of how family matters to animals.
D.To explain why people usually give more jobs to their relatives.
2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “heretical” in paragraph 2?
A.Indescribable. B.Understandable. C.Impossible. D.Traditional.
3.What may be the plants’ way of expressing their care for relatives?
A.They stop producing flowers to avoid competition.
B.They spread their roots far so as to protect their peers.
C.They care for their injured peers by silently taking roots.
D.They move their leaves to share sunlight with their close peers.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A.Different plants mustn’t be planted together.
B.Corn planted with corn can produce more than that with rice.
C.China has put the idea into wide practice and achieved great success.
D.The closer rice is planted with their relatives the more they will produce.
Vancouver has had a crazy property (房地产) market since it hosted the winter Olympics in 2010. The downtown area is forested with new apartment blocks. Prices have risen by nearly 60% in the past three years. But until recently developers have largely avoided Chinatown. It is an underdeveloped area. Many Chinatown residents are old and poor.
Developers now have Chinatown in their sights. Two years ago one built a 17-storey apartment building on its edge. This alarmed many residents, who had formed a group to stop the high-rise advance, now called SaveChinatownYVR. Ms. Melody Ma is its leader. Recently it has been successful.
The main theatre of battle is a car park known as 105 Keefer, where Beedie Living plans to build a nine-storey brick-and-glass apartment block. The developer promises 111 luxury flats, with rooftop landscaping and shops below.
105 Keefer is in an area rich with cultural associations. Just to the south is a monument to Chinese-Canadian builders of the Canadian Pacific Railway and veterans of the Second Word War. Across the street is the Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden and the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum. “A lot of people were frightened” because of the building’s “closeness to sacred sites in the heart of Chinatown,” says Ms. Ma. Some residents also fear that it will push up rents.
Conservationists hope that the parking lot is where they can stop development, which they say has spoilt the charm of other Vancouver neighborhoods such as Mount Pleasant. The dispute (分歧) is part of a debate about the city’s identity, says Andy Yan, an urban planner. Vancouverites, he says, are asking themselves, “Who are we? And what are we building for?” The people who might want to buy the flats that do not yet exist are, of course, not being consulted.
1.What will Ms. Melody Ma agree?
A.To preserve Chinatown.
B.To rebuild Chinatown.
C.To build skyscrapers in Chinatown.
D.To promote the property market in Chinatown.
2.What does the author intend to do in paragraph 4?
A.To state some reasons. B.To offer some advice.
C.To make some comparisons. D.To introduce a new topic.
3.What is Vancouverites attitude towards the recent development in Chinatown?
A.Positive. B.Doubtful. C.Unfavorable. D.Divided.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The alarmed citizens of Vancouver.
B.The cultural associations of 105 Keefer.
C.The property battle in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
D.The identity of Vancouver.
Vijay Gupta is known to classical music lovers across the United States. He serves as first violinist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In that job, he often plays to large crowds, including many very rich people. When he is not performing, he organizes concerts for homeless people. “They have reminded me why I became a musician,” he said.
Last week, Gupta was recognized for being a founder and the artistic director of Street Symphony. The group has performed at homeless shelters, jails and halfway houses for about eight years. Gupta is among the 25 winners of the 2018 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the “genius grant.” Each winner will receive $625,000 over five years to use as they wish. The money is coming from a private group, the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It awards grants (补助金)to people whose work it considers exceptional and that “inspires hope in us all.” Gupta said he got the idea for Street Symphony while teaching Nathaniel Ayers, a trained musician whose mental illness led to homelessness.
Another winner is Rebecca Sandefur, an associate professor of sociology and law in the University of Illinois. The Associated Press says her research actively supports new ways to involve poor communities in the U.S. justice system.
47-year-old Sandefur created the first national mapping of civil legal aid providers. It shows which states had the financial resources to provide such aid and which did not. She also found that the cost of legal services is only one of the things preventing poor people from getting lawyers. Among the others are fears about unfairness in the legal system. Sandefur noted that a lot of attention has been paid to problems with the criminal justice system, but more attention must be paid to the civil side of the law, which also affects millions of people.
1.Why did Gupta win the award?
A.For his achievements in classical music.
B.For performing for large crowds.
C.For organizing a group playing for the homeless.
D.For the friendship with Nathaniel Ayers.
2.What do we know about MacArthur Fellowship?
A.It is founded by the government.
B.It offers $625,000 to 25 winners in 2018.
C.It allows the winners to use the money freely.
D.It awards people who make great contributions to society.
3.What was the extraordinary thing that Sandefur did?
A.She offered legal aids to the poor freely.
B.She made the legal system fairer.
C.She paid more attention to the criminal justice system.
D.She made it easier to get legal help for the poor.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Grants winners, inspiring the poor.
B.The city homeless, in need of help.
C.Vijay Gupta, an extraordinary violinist.
D.MacArthur Foundation, awarding exceptional work.
The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most beloved science museums in the U.S.
Why Visit
In 1824, the Franklin Institute opened in Independence Hall in memory of Benjamin Franklin and his scientific achievements. In 1934, with the construction of the current building and the nearby Fels Planetarium, it became a hands-on science museum.
Today, it holds the distinction of being Pennsylvania’s most visited museum. In the museum’s rotunda (圆形厅), a 20-foot-tall marble statue pay respect to the Founding Father and famous scientist.
Must-See
While the entire museum offers interactive fun, highlights include the high-tech Your Brain exhibit which offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the human brain; Sports Zone, which focuses on the scientific aspects of sports; Two Escape Rooms, where participants solve puzzles and riddles before time runs out; and the on-sile Virtual Reality Demonstration Space.
Pricing
General Admission to the Franklin Institute includes access to three floors of hands-on science exhibits including permanent interactive exhibits, Live Science programs, the Joel N. Bloom Observatory and one show in the Fels Planetarium. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more.
To purchase tickets, please click the ticket price to be directed to our online ticketing page where all the ticket prices are available. If you prefer to order tickets over the phone, please call 215 -448 -1200(9:00 am-5:00 pm).
Member Tickets
Members of the Franklin Institute receive exclusive (独有的) ticketing benefits, including discounted prices and no service fees. Please select your Membership level before purchasing member tickets.
1.What is the original purpose of the Franklin Institute?
A.To show respect to the Founding Father.
B.To honor Franklin and his achievements.
C.To attract more visitors and make profits.
D.To remind visitors of the famous scientist.
2.What can be inferred from Pricing?
A.Tickets for science exhibits are sold out.
B.Interactive exhibits are strongly recommended.
C.Discounts are available for most visitors.
D.The ticket prices are listed on the website.
3.What type of writing is this text?
A.A museum guide. B.A science show review.
C.A brief announcement. D.A scientific report.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What goods should be mainly sold next week?
A.Skirts. B.T-shirts. C.Pants.
2.Who is giving away a free pair of shoes to the top salesperson?
A.Adidas. B.Under Armour. C.Nike.
3.Who will be the new assistant manager?
A.Tim Golding. B.Jane Lewis. C.Dianne Greenberg.
4.When should staff members finish counting their items?
A.By Friday. B.By Wednesday. C.By Monday.
