A trip to Key West
As we cross the bridge to Key West, we can see many boats._______ Others belongs to people who have sailed their boats here from many different places.
In the city, the houses are almost all painted white.A few are pink or light blue.Many houses are very old and very small.Key West is a very old city.______________.
Many palm trees (棕榈树) grow here. Colorful flowers grow in front of many of the little houses. You can stay in a room in one of these houses for the night.You can smell the ocean on the soft warm wind that blows across the island.
We drive past several streets and then come to Whitehead Street. There is a monument there. The signs says this is the southernmost part of the United States.The sign says “ America Begins Here.” ______ It is the second largest ocean.
After taking a few photographs of the sign, we turn the car around and follow Whitehead Street to number 1907._________ For a few dollars, you can see the inside of the house.Hemingway had many cats when he lived here.He is gone, but the cats remain.Many are asleep on the beds or chairs.They are used to seeing people walking through the old house.
_________ There is a private museum here we want to visit.It is the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum.The museum is named after treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who discovered an old sunken Spanish treasure ship near Key West more than twenty years ago.
| A．Finally, we go back home. |
| B．Beyond the sign is the Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．Some are fishing boats you can use for the day. |
| D．After that, we travel a little way to Green Street. |
E.Many of the buildings are more than 100 years old.
F.It is made of modern materials, i.e.steel and concrete.
G.This house belonged to the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway.
| A. Weather is to blame B. Divided opinions C. Inheriting（遗传） characteristics D. Home of the redheads E. Greater sensitivity to pain F. Gene mutation（基因变异） |
Britain may be the most red-headed country in the world. About 1 to 2 percent of the world’s population has red hair, but in the UK the numbers are much higher, with 13 percent of Scots, 10 percent of the Irish, and 6 percent of people in England having red hair, according to the BBC.
Scientists have tried to explain why some people have red hair for some time and now they may have found an answer: the dull weather in Britain. The human body needs vitamin D from sunshine, but unfortunately people living in Britain do not have enough of it because of its maritime climate. In fact, Britain gets even more cloud than countries in the far north of Europe. In Sweden, for example, the average daily hours of sunshine is 5.4 . In Scotland it is only 3.1 hours.
To deal with this, the DNA of people living in these areas has changed slightly; scientists call this a mutation. Originally, the coloring on our body is a mixture of two kinds of melanin – black melanin is suppressed while only red / yellow melanin is made. The result is red hair, light skin color, freckles and a greater sensitivity to sunlight.
However, what’ s more interesting is that the redhead DNA mutation is recessive, which means it is hidden and can often skip generations without showing. At least 1.6 million Scots carry a redhead gene mutation, and most are unaware that they do. This is why a person who does not have red hair can still produce red-haired children if he or she is a carrier of this special DNA.
The research on red hair, like many areas of science, is contradictory(不一致). In 2002 researchers showed that redheads are more sensitive to pain, and need more anesthetic during surgery than people with blonde or dark hair. However, in 2005 scientists found that a MCRIR mutation gives redheads a higher tolerance for pain. Research into these aspects of red hair genetics continues. Redheads should though be more careful about their exposure to sunlight as they are at an increased risk of contracting skin cancer. If you are a redhead, the advice is not to stay out of the sun, but to be careful about how much exposure you get, and to cover yourself with a high factor sunscreen.
It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.
Most do not fully see this truth. __ It seems to them that their difficulties represent (stand for) a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation.
__ Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.__
__ When we desire（希望） to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we ncourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. __
As Benjamin Franklin said, "Those things that hurt, instruct" (应该从痛苦艰辛中学习和获得指示。). It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems. （words: 171）
| A．Problems are the serious test that tells success from failure. |
| B．Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn（谴责） us for failing. |
| C．It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. |
| D．Yet, it is in this whole process（过程） of solving problems that life has its meaning. |
E. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy.
F. We don’t know how to make money and participate(join) in problem solving collaboration (合作、协作) groups.
G. What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one.
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。
Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success. With that in mind, here are some suggestions that will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:
If there’s any big truth about life, it’s that it usually lives up to your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: “Something wonderful is going to happen today. Guess what? You’re probably right.
Take time to plan and prioritize (优先处理).
The most common source of stress is the thought that you’ve got too much work to do. Rather than worry about it, pick one thing that will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.
Eat high quality food slowly. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or and imported chocolate. Taste it, focus on it and enjoy it.
Let go of your results.
The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you’ve taken action, there’s usually nothing more you can do.
End each day with gratitude.
Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal.
| A．Start each day with expectations. |
| B．Give a gift to everyone you meet. |
| C．Thinking about that thing makes your head hurt. |
| D．It’s impossible to make others happy if you’re not happy. |
E. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.
F. Sometimes we can’t avoid eating something quickly and running.
G. Focus on the job at hand rather than some fantasy that might happen.
| A. Try to know more about your child. B. Being a daddy is your top priority. C. Value your child for what he is. D. Let your child teach you. E. Time is of the essence. F. Look for the good and praise it. |
Seven Simple Rules for Dad
My main object in life is to make sure I do the best possible job raising Tommy, now aged ten. That means I have to be the best possible father I can be. I am no psychologist, but I do see what succeeds with my son and me. I also observe other fathers. Here is what I have found works best in the dad department.
1.
The key to a happy child is having a dad who is there with him consistently, day in and day out. It is far better to spend evening after evening just sitting near him while he reads a book or plays on the computer than to spend a couple of hours every Saturday buying him toys or taking in a movie.
2. Share your strengths and fears.
You are your child's ally, not his adversary. The child who knows that his father was once afraid of the dark, and is still afraid of needles, gets to know that his own weaknesses are part of mankind, not a unique shame.
3.
Encouragement is the primary engine of human development. I have been telling Tommy for a year now that he is a whiz in math because I know he can calculate in a nanosecond the number of toys he can buy with his allowance. Now he's a whiz in math at school too. Consistent recognition of a child's strengths is more important by far than vitamins. You deny it to them at their peril and yours.
4. Do not allow your children to be rude.
My son is expected to share, answer others when they greet him and congratulate those who succeed. By teaching him about politeness, I make sure he realizes that others' feelings are worth taking into account. If he can get that into his little towhead, he will have learned the most basic foundation of human interaction.
5.
A common misstatement about child development is that “kids don't come with instruction manuals(操作指南).” Not true—they do. They tell you when they’re hungry. They tell you when they're lonely or scared. They are like little guided tours of themselves. Children will tell you what they want, although not always with words. Fatigue, irritability and sadness are ways of telling Dad what they need. Look and listen.
6.
When Tommy knows he is loved for himself, not for any particular accomplishment, he has a certain peace that allows him to learn better, sleep better, play better, be more helpful around the house. Whether he becomes a rocket scientist or a plumber, I want Tommy to know he's No. 1 with me.
7.
If you decide your kids come before your sales quota or bridge game, you will find that all the other pieces of Daddyhood fall into place. When you put your kids first, you're getting the most value for every hour on earth. What’s more, you have made the rightest decision of your life.
—benjamin j. stein in The Washingtonian
粤公网安备 44130202000953号