Last summer, two nineteenth-century cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana, to be moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco. The houses were made of wood. These cottages once housed early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil; now they hold Twitter engineers.
The cottages could be an example of the industry’s unusual love for “low technology”, a concept associated with the natural world, and with old-school craftsmanship（手艺）that exists long before the Internet era. Low technology is not virtual (虚拟的) —so, to take advantage of it, Internet companies have had to get creative. The rescued wood cottages, fitted by band in the late eighteen-hundreds, are an obvious example. Other companies are using a broader interpretation（阐释）of low technology that focuses on nature.
Amazon is building three glass spheres filled with trees, so that employees can “work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting.” At Google’s office, an entire is carpeted in glass. Facebook’s second Menlo Park campus will have a rooftop park with a walking path.
Olle Lundberg, the founder of Lundberg Design, has worked with many tech companies over the years. “Our tech engineers are the ones who feel impoverished, because they’re surrounded by the digital world,” he says. “We’ve found that introducing real crafts is one way to regain their individual identity.”
This craft-based theory is rooted in history. William Morris, the English artist and writer, turned back to pre-industrial arts in the eighteen-sixties, just after Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts movement defined itself against machines. “Without creative human occupation, people became disconnected from life.” Morris said.
Research has shown that natural environments can restore our mental abilities. In Japan, patients are encouraged to “forest-bathe”, taking walks through woods to lower their blood pressure.
These health benefits apply to the workplace as well. Rachel Kaplvin, a professor of environmental psychology, has spent years researching the restorative effects of natural environment. Her research found that workers with access to nature at the office - even simple views of trees and flowers - felt their jobs were less stressful and more satisfying. If low-tech offices can potentially benefit the brains and improve the mental health of employees then, fine, bring on the cottages.
1.The writer mentions the two nineteenth-century cottages to show that _________
A.Twitter is having a hard time
B.Old cottages are in need of protection
C.Early settlers once suffered from a dry climate in Montana
D.Internet companies have rediscovered the benefits of low technology
2.Low technology is regarded as something that __________
A.is related to nature B.is out of date today
C.cosumes too much energy D.exists in the virtual world
3.The writer’s attitude to “low technology” can best be described as __________
A.Critical B.positive
C.worried D.doubtful
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Past Glories, Future Dreams
B.The Virtual World, the Real Challenge
C.High-tech Companies, Low-tech Offices
D.The More Craftsmanship, the Less Creativity
The arm bones of women who lived 7,000 years ago show a surprising level of strength--even higher than today's professional athletes. That's according to a first-ever study comparing prehistoric(史前的) bones to those of living people. The finding suggests a revision of history- the everyday lives of prehistoric women were filled with hard labor, rather than just sitting at home doing lighter tasks while the men struggled and fought for life.
“Before the study, there are no clear records describing how our ancient ancestors lived. It can be easy to forget that bone is a living tissue, one that responds to the difficulties we put our bodies through,” said lead author Alison Macintosh. “Physical force and muscle activity both put pressure on the bone. The bone reacts by changing in shape, thickness and other aspects over time.”
Previous studies only compared female bones to contemporary male bones, the researchers said-and that's a problem, because the response of male bones to stress and change is much bigger than that of women. For instance, as humans moved from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle constantly on the move to a more settled agrarian(农耕的) one, changes can be observed in the structure of the shinbone(胫骨)- and these changes were much more evident in men.
However, a comparison of the bones of prehistoric women to the bones of living female athletes can help us work out a more accurate picture of what those prehistoric women were doing. "By analyzing the bones of living people and comparing them to the ancient bones, we can start to explain the kinds of labor our ancestors were reforming, Macintosh said. What they found was that women's leg strength hasn't changed a great deal, but their arms used to be very powerful. Prehistoric women, the researchers found, had arm strength 11-16 percent stronger than those of modern rowers(桨手), and 30 percent stronger than those of non-athletes.
1.What does the study tell about prehistoric women?
A.They were stronger than men. B.They had lighter bones than men.
C.They did tough tasks as the men. D.They spent most time staying at home.
2.What problem did previous studies on prehistoric bones have?
A.They lacked enough comparison. B.They only studied men' s bones.
C.They focused little on bones. D.They ignored the lifestyles.
3.What does the underlined word "that" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Bones’ structure. B.Bones' thickness.
C.Bones’ response to stress. D.Bones’ stress from hard labor.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.It's still hard to explain our ancestors' lifestyle.
B.Prehistoric women went through much suffering.
C.Women's arms have become much stronger over time.
D.Prehistoric women are stronger than contemporary females.
One of the most inspiring quotes I ever heard was by Brian Tracy. He said: “The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people fail many more times than unsuccessful people.” I personally experienced its wisdom right after my first book was published. Like many authors, I expected hundreds of bookstore customers lining up for me to sign copies for them. I’m afraid to say, it didn’t quite happen like that.
My first signing was arranged at the largest book store in the city. Filled with anticipation, I was put into a private signing room in the beautiful store. However, not a single customer entered the room. As each minute passed, I became increasingly anxious.
After 90 minutes of long waiting I was absolutely distraught.
For the four years writing the book. I had felt a sense of mission and purpose like never before in my life. Working a full 8-hour day in my clinic. I had to get into bed by 9:30 pm every day, so I could wake up at 5:30 in the morning and have two hours of writing before heading into my clinic. Before I ever began each writing session, I would close my eyes for 10 minutes and then whisper, “Please grant me the words to touch just one person’s life.”
Now sitting there alone at my first book signing, I wondered if my entire life wasn’t just a big joke. At that moment, just when I couldn't feel any worse, a middle-aged couple walked into the room. I managed to hide my emotions and introduced myself and my book. The couple turned to each other, and the husband nodded to his wife. She then told me, “I think we’ll get the book.”
“We’re buying it,” she said hesitantly, "because we lost our son two years ago. Maybe your story will help us get over it.”
At that moment, I knew if I never sold another copy of the book, my four years of writing it had served its purpose. Although I would have many more challenging years until my book caught on and sold well, this couple’s story was all the motivation I needed at that point to keep me moving ahead.
1.The writer quotes Brian Tracy to stress the importance of __________
A.wisdom B.success
C.confidence D.persistence
2.The underlined word "distraught" in Paragraph 3 probably means __________
A.upset and disappointed B.cheerful and proud
C.bored and impatient D.hopeful and eager
3.What can be inferred from paragraph 4?
A.The writer had to quit his job to make time for his writing.
B.The writer was not sure about the purpose of his writing at first.
C.The writing was completed with great self-discipline and efforts.
D.The process of writing the book was full of pains and frustration.
4.Why does the author say “my four years of writing it had served its purpose” in the last paragraph?
A.Because he had succeeded in selling the first book to the couple.
B.Because he had managed to touch someone’s life with his book.
C.Because he was quite satisfied with the feedback of his readers.
D.Because he had found someone who appreciated his writing.
CHRONOLOGICA
——The Unbelievable Years that Defined History
DID YOU KNOW....
In 105 AD paper was invented in China?
When Columbus discovered the New World?
The British Museum opened in 1759?
CHRONOLOGICA is a fascinating journey through times, from the foundation of Rome to the creation of the Internet. Along the way are tales of kings and queens, hot air balloons...and monkeys in space.
Travel through 100 of the most unbelievable years in world history and learn why being a Roman Emperor wasn’t always as good as it sounds, how the Hundred Years’ War didn’t actually last for 100 years and why Spencer Perceval holds a rather unfortunate record.
CHRONOLOGICA is an informative and amusing tour into history, beautifully illustrated and full of unbelievable facts. While CHRONOLOGICA tells the stories of famous people in history such as Thomas Edison and Alexander the Great, this book also gives an account of the lives of lesser-known individuals including the explorer Mungo Park and sculptor Gutzon Borglum.
This complete but brief historical collection is certain to entertain readers young and old, and guaranteed to present even the biggest history lover with something new!
1.What is CHRONOLOGICA according to the text?
A.A science fiction B.A travel guide
C.A history book D.A biography
2.How does the writer recommend CHRONOLOGICA to readers?
A.By giving details of its collection
B.By introducing some of its contents
C.By telling stories at the beginning
D.By comparing it with other books
3.What can be inferred about CHRONOLOGICA in the text?
A.It mainly concentrates on well-known people.
B.It’s intended for young readers only.
C.It helps make clear some historical facts.
D.Its style is likely to be serious and formal.
She has much working experience. _________, we consider her the best candidate for the job.
A.However B.Otherwise C.Therefore D.Instead
The manager insisted on _________ on time.
A.his finishing the task B.he finishing the task
C.him to finish the task D.him finish the task
