Information has always been at the center of human communication. You may ask why. Well, communication between people contains giving and receiving information. The way we give and receive information today has experienced a revolution in the development of the mass media in the 20th century.
The first truly mass communication medium was the newspaper. For the first time in history, people could read about events in their country and from around the world every day. However, there were two problems with newspapers of that time. Firstly, newspapers were available only in large cities, for getting newspapers to the countryside was a difficult and time-consuming（耗时的） task. Secondly, newspapers weren’t always reliable, as there was a limited range of opinions.
Nowadays, we can choose from a wide variety of sources to get information. Television and the Internet have given us the chance to be informed about everything the minute it happens. Large numbers of radio and TV stations, satellite channels and millions of websites help people keep up with the latest news. People live in history and are part of it.
The media have come a long way in the last century and there is no doubt that we now live in the information age. Whatever type of media we choose, it all comes down to the need for information. This will always be a basic need as long as communication is part of human nature.Information is considered the center of human communication because ________.
| A．human communication means information exchange |
| B．human communication involves people’s participation |
| C．information is now experiencing a revolution |
| D．information helps people gather together |
What was the historical contribution of the newspaper as a source of information?
| A．It made the mass communication truly develop. |
| B．It helped the mass communication develop in cities. |
| C．It kept people timely informed about home and world events. |
| D．It kept reliable information available in big cities. |
The third paragraph mainly tells us that technology helps ________.
| A．information easily available | B．people be part of history |
| C．inform everything timely | D．produce the latest news |
It can be concluded from the last paragraph that a basic need today is ________.
| A．communication | B．information |
| C．high technology | D．media types |
It’s no secret that doing good makes others happy – but did you know it can make you happy as well?
According to a study, people participating in meaningful activities were happier and felt that their lives had more purpose than people who only engaged in pleasure-seeking behaviors.
Try giving these four things to others to start your journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle.
1. Your Time
With a busy life, it can be hard to find any time to give away. However, volunteering your time has great benefits, including making new friends and connections, learning new skills and even advancing your career.
According to a paper about the link between health and volunteering, volunteering is connected with lower instances of depression and reduces the risk of dying by 22 percent.
2. Your Attention
Most of us think we’re good listeners, but according to psychologist Paul Donoghue, most people are aware that others don’t listen as well as they could. In addition, they’re not fully aware that they themselves aren’t listening.
When practicing mindfulness meditation(正念禅修), you focus on what you experience in the moment and let your thoughts and emotions pass through without judgment. Did you know that giving someone your undivided attention helps you also? When done well, active listening strengthens your focus－which is a major part of good meditation.
3. Your Compassion
The psychological meaning of compassion is the ability to understand another person’s emotional state. Compassion differs from empathy(移情) in that those who experience compassion not only put themselves in another person’s shoes, but also want to reduce that person’s suffering.
A brain-imaging study showed that the brain’s pleasure centers are equally active when we give money to the poor as when we receive money ourselves.
4. Your Money
According to an experiment, those who spend money on other people are significantly happier than those who spend the same quantity of money on themselves.
Whether or not you can offer other gifts, donating money helps make real change happen. It represents time spent, compassion and careful attention to the needs of others.Who is the happiest according to the study mentioned in Paragraph 2?
| A．Bill, who is often invited to play golf by his wealthy uncle. |
| B．Tom, who is on the way to be the richest man in the world. |
| C．Mike, who is not well-off but often does what he can to those in need. |
| D．John, who is a disabled young man but has married a very beautiful girl. |
What does the underlined word “depression” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．pleasure | B．unhappiness |
| C．connection | D．misunderstanding |
Which of the four gifts matters most according to the author?
| A．Time. | B．Money. | C．Attention. | D．Compassion. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To encourage people to help others. |
| B．To give the meaning of “happiness”. |
| C．To offer a practical way of life. |
| D．To show his kindness. |
A US student has just spent 30 days on an “insect diet ” – eating insects three times a day. Camren Brantley-Rios says traditional meats such as pork and beef are unable to continue and he wanted to try out what many consider the diet of the future.
Many people would not like the idea of eating insects distasteful, even if it were not disgusting. Not so long ago Brantley-Rios was among them. But for the last month he has been eating insects for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“I’m mainly sticking to three kinds,” he says.
Occasionally he has included different insects. Preparing these he “actually cried”, though he insists they were surprisingly good.
Insects consume fewer resources than animals, like pigs and cows, to produce the same amount of protein(蛋白质), Brantley-Rios says – and more than two billion people worldwide include insects in their regular diet, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
“There’s not really a need to eat insects in America because we have it so nice,” Brantley-Rios says. “We have finer meats and we’re lucky to have that luxury(奢侈), so there’s not much of a pressure to eat insects right now. But what a lot of people are trying to do is make it a little bit more marketable.”
He has ordered insects from farms that usually supply zoos, which need them “to feed certain animals”. He has always made sure the insects have been fed on an organic diet, he says, and only bought species he knows are safe to eat.
He knows that one person eating insects won’t make much difference. To have a real environmental effect, millions would have to follow his example.Why has the US student tried out an “insect diet”?
| A．To seek for future vegetables. |
| B．To advocate traditional meats. |
| C．To make up for the lack of meat. |
| D．To explore new forms of protein. |
What can we learn about Brantley-Rios from Paragraph 2?
| A．He is tired of meats like pork and beef. |
| B．He didn’t like the idea of eating insects. |
| C．He had nothing to eat but insects last month. |
| D．He advised people to eat insects though disgusted. |
What does the underlined part “actually cried” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．was scared | B．was pitiful |
| C．was sorry | D．was puzzled |
How does Brantley-Rios guarantee the safety of his insect diet?
| A．He tests each species before eating it. |
| B．He has insects raised on his own farm. |
| C．He feeds his insects on an organic diet. |
| D．He orders insects for certain zoo animals. |
Minimalism （简约主义） is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features．
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life．
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned． I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it． Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now．
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears． Either they store it away or they get rid of it．
You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it． I’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy．” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is．
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move． It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry． When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place． Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff． And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden．
Of course there are exceptions． There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans． But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism． And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom． And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things．
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential．
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down． And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms．In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to ．
| A．introduce a topic | B．present his own idea |
| C．describe a scene | D．offer an argument |
Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because ．
| A．they haven’t had any life-changing experiences |
| B．they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff |
| C．they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away |
| D．they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?
| A．It takes the burden off her while she is moving． |
| B．It reduces her attachment to her personal things． |
| C．It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires． |
| D．It helps her to realize how true life is． |
By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means
| A．little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life |
| B．minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations |
| C．minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality |
| D．life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Minimalism brings happiness． |
| B．Minimalism is applied in many fields． |
| C．Minimalism makes people think nostalgically． |
| D．Minimalism is about able to move． |
It’s really a tough job for automakers doing marketing and sales in China, where competition is acute and customers have little loyalty． They have tried a range of tricks in recent years．
But there should be a moral bottom line． Unfortunately, a Buick dealership used the tragedy of a two-month-old infant to advertise its cars last week on Weibo – Micro blog． And Hyundai Motor followed suit．
On March 4, an SUV was stolen with the infant left inside alone in the northeastern city of Changchun． The news spread widely on Weibo after the baby’s father called the local police and radio station for help． The next day it was revealed that the infant was choked to death and buried in snow by the thief． The online community expressed its deeply felt sympathy and condolences．
The Buick dealership posted a photo of the baby and two of its cars on its official Weibo account to advertise its GPS system that can locate the stolen car. “A few thoughts on the Changchun stolen car and baby incident: when buying a car it's entirely OK to choose a brand with advanced technology,” said the post. Though the post was made before tragic fate of the infant was known, the action generated a storm of outrage on Weibo. Some online commentators said it is “marketing at the cost of lives” and “extremely despicable.”
Worse was the post on Hyundai's off icial Weibo account that advertised the anti - theft system on its new SUV Santa Fe, an entry made after the child was known to have died. The action also enraged micro bloggers.
Both posts were soon deleted. The Buick dealership made an apology on Weibo to the family of the victim and the public. But screenshots saved by users continued to be posted and the negative impact on both brands persists.
The two brands probably didn’t expect such a firestorm of fury from the Internet community, but they really made a big mistake sinking below the moral bottom line． They certainly ruined their own brand images．
The Chinese have the same proverb as the English language – a little leak will sink a great ship． It takes decades to build the great ship of a respectable brand but it can take just a moment of negligence to make it fail completely．
For those in corporate marketing, two lessons should be learned: first, be careful in the era of social media when one wrong can be easily magnified and have disastrous impacts in just a few clicks．
Second and more importantly, think with your brain and heart． Never break the moral bonds of respect for human life and sympathy for our fellow man．Who is to blame for the tragedy of Changchun infant according to the passage?
| A．The baby’s father | B．Buick and Hyundai dealership |
| C．Weibo | D．Not clear |
Which of the following statements is correct?
| A．The missing infant was found alive in the stolen car． |
| B．Micro blog marketing of tragic infant death fuels firestorm of criticism． |
| C．People can’t see the two posts any more because they were deleted． |
| D．The two car brands mentioned in the passage spoiled their own reputation by selling the stolen car． |
What does the underlined word – “despicable” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Immoral | B．Important |
| C．Distinguished | D．Considerable |
The reason why Hyundai’s post was worse than Buick’s is that _________．
| A．Hyundai dealership didn’t make an apology on Weibo |
| B．Buick dealership expressed its deeply sympathy and condolences |
| C．Hyundai’s post was made after people knew the infant had died |
| D．Buick’s car was more advanced on its GPS system |
In the last paragraph, the author encourages people _____________．
| A．not to sink below the moral bottom line |
| B．not to sympathize our fellow man |
| C．to think twice before making decision |
| D．to magnify the mistakes people make |
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles of your neck, or because an unexpected twist has made your neck ache． The slightest move makes you jump with pain． Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck．
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling． We have all met such people．
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time-during a performance in the theater． He keeps you from hearing the actors．
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins．They come hurrying down to your row of seats． You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap． You must stand up to let them pass． You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again． He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass． Now, that is “a pain in the neck”．
Another, well-known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies． His mouth is full of popcorn ; he is chewing loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him． None of them remain still． Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink．
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking． He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth．
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him． You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you． He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it．
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors． They enjoy learning about your personal business． People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”． They hate being watched secretly．Where can you find this passage?
| A．In a medicine dictionary． |
| B．in a kids’ story book． |
| C．In a social science book． |
| D．In a science textbook． |
According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
| A．disturbed． | B．bored． | C．ignored． | D．relaxed． |
A “rubber neck” often __________________ ．
| A．says bad words behind people． |
| B．quarrels face to face with neighbors． |
| C．bargains with salespeople over the price |
| D．asks about other people’s business |
Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
| A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance． |
| B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles． |
| C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy． |
| D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies． |
What is the main purpose of the author?
| A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public． |
| B．To criticize （批评） the people who might be a “pain in the neck” |
| C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”． |
| D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck． |
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