In the face of tragedy(悲剧), you must of course let yourself feel: Cry without holding back, tremble with fear, yell out in anger, accept and follow your feelings. This is part of the wise approach to tragedy: The Upward Path – the feeling of emotions(情感), the acceptance of them, and the coupling of the emotional mind with wisdom. Along this path, you’ll take the experience – no matter how sad or upsetting – as a learning event, just as all other points on your journey will prove to be. While tragic, you must recognize this is still a chance for all involved to grow. You should let both sadness and joy, fear and courage, dark and light fill your world, and learn to find your steady, calm center in the midst of the opposing forces. This is the Upward Path. Use the event as a chance to gain balance and discover wisdom – the wisdom of love and of letting go, of non-attachment and non-resistance, and using this experience to eventually help others in need of guidance.
Being able to relate to others who have also experienced tragedy and inspire in them hope – of recovery, and of moving forward – is perhaps the greatest gift you can receive from tragedy. Turn the negative into positive, the pain into connection. After you’ve taken appropriate time to be sad, to feel your own pain, you should make it your work, your goal, your purpose to connect with others who need help. Show them how you’ve experienced feelings, achieved balance, and gained wisdom that you would never have otherwise had the chance to learn.
Feel, but do not Feed on tragedy. Rather, let it inspire you to go beyond the person who you were before. With demise comes renewal, so let this loss be also your rebirth. No matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how difficult this becomes, you have the power to transform yourself into someone greater than you ever knew you could be. When following the Upward Path, the person facing tragedy should _______.
| A．free his emotions |
| B．hold back all his feelings |
| C．fill his world with positive ideas |
| D．give in to tragedy and all opposing forces |
According to the author, the greatest gift one gets from tragedy is being able to _______.
| A．seek solutions from others | B．understand and help others |
| C．stay calm and resist change | D．forgive others and move on |
The underlined word “demise” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
| A．sorrow | B．problem | C．difficulty | D．death |
The purpose of the passage is to _______.
| A．analyze the causes of tragedy |
| B．tell people how to prevent tragedy |
| C．suggest a way of dealing with tragedy |
| D．encourage people to build friendship after tragedy |
Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds (灰狗) and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive(好斗的) because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children.
Greyhounds can live for 12 – 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don’t need a lot of space, don’t make a lot of noise, and don’t eat a lot for their size.
Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these.
Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they’re slim (苗条的) they don’t have the leg problems like other dogs the same height. But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside. The text is written mainly______.
| A．to tell people how to raise greyhounds |
| B．to let people know more about greyhounds |
| C．to explain why greyhounds are aggressive |
| D．to describe greyhounds of different colors |
It can be inferred that greyhounds_______.
| A．love big doghouses |
| B．like staying in bed all day |
| C．make the best guard dogs |
| D．need some exercise outdoors |
Why does the author say that greyhounds make great pets?
| A．They are big in size. |
| B．They live a very long life. |
| C．They can run races for some time. |
| D．They are quiet and easy to look after. |
If you keep a pet greyhound, it is important________.
| A．to keep it slim |
| B．to keep it warm |
| C．to take special care of its legs |
| D．to take it to animal doctors regularly |
American agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug has received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Norman Borlaug is often called "the man who saved a billion lives" and "the father of the Green Revolution."
His work helped fight starvation in India and Pakistan in the nineteen sixties. He won the nineteen seventy Nobel Peace Prize.
He, ninety-three years old ,still works as an adviser at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico.
In accepting the medal, he urged Congress and the administration to increase development assistance for agriculture. He said the world needs better and more technology to deal with hunger. In his words: "Hunger and poverty and misery are very fertile soils into which to plant all kinds of 'isms,' including terrorism."
In the 1940s, Norman Borlaug and a team developed highly productive and disease-resistant wheat for farmers in Mexico. About twenty years later, millions of people in India and Pakistan were in danger from grain shortages.
The improved wheat from Mexico also grew well in South Asia, combined with changes in growing methods. Norman Borlaug persuaded farmers to use more fertilizers and pesticide chemicals and to water their crops with irrigation systems. Also many a crop can be planted in the same field. The results were big production gains that many believe saved as many as a billion lives.
President Bush noted that hunger still affects much of the developing world. He said the most fitting honor for Norman Borlaug is to lead a second Green Revolution that feeds the world. Yet his support for new agricultural technologies has been criticized at times over the years.
Some researchers worry about the effects of industrial methods of modern farming.
Population researcher Paul Ehrlich, for example, wrote a nineteen sixty-eight book called
"The Population Bomb." He predicted that population growth would cause widespread harm to the planet.
But now, some people are saying there should be greater attention and respect for Norman Borlaug. A major theme of his work is that people can deal with difficulties and that technology can improve their lives.Norman Borlaug is called “the Father of the Green Revolution” mainly lies in that_______.
| A．he developed highly productive wheat to help fight against hunger |
| B．he made a great contribution to fighting against terrorism and hunger |
| C．he developed a kind of wheat that is environmentally friendly |
| D．he sticks to the belief that technology can improve our lives. |
The best title for the passage would be________.
| A．Norman Borlaug, the Father of the Green Revolution |
| B．Golden Moments----a Long-life Struggle |
| C．Hunger------a Serious Problem That Affects the Developing World. |
| D．Norman Borlaug, the Savior of the Developing Country. |
Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
| A．Despite his age, Norman Borlaug still works for the improvement in agriculture |
| B．Norman Borlaug thinks that hunger and poverty tend to breed crimes and evil |
| C．Without Norman Borlaug’s work, hunger problem wouldn’t completely be settled now |
| D．Paul Ehrlich thinks that population growth would cause widespread harm to the planet. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
| A．Congress and the administration are to blame for hunger and poverty |
| B．not all people are in favor of his new agricultural technologies |
| C．people can defeat terrorists by improving modern farming |
| D．the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor given by Congress. |
When I come across a good essay in reading newspapers,I am often inclined to cut and keep it.But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the opposite side is as much interesting.It may be a discussion of the way to keep in good health,or advice about how to behave and conduct oneself in society.If I cut the front essay,the opposite one is bound to suffer damage,leaving out half of it or keeping the text without the subject.As a result,the scissors would stay before they start,or halfway done when I find out the regretful consequence that inevitably(不可避免地) causes my repentance.
Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time,both deserving your attention.You can only take up one of them,the other has to wait or be given up.But you know the future is unpredictable—the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left behind.Thus you are caught in a fix and feel sad.How come that nice opportunities and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once?It may happen that your life changes dramatically on your preference of one alternative to the other.
In fact that is what life is like:we are often faced with the two opposite aspects of a thing which are both desirable like newspaper cutting.It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only after we are engaged in another.The former may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind.I still remember a philosopher’s remarks:“When one door shuts,another opens in life.” So a casual or passive choice may not be a bad one.
Whatever we do in our lifetime,wherever life’s storm tosses us,there must be something we can achieve,some shore we can land,that opens up new vistas to us.Don’t forget God always keeps an alternative door open for every one.While the front door is closed,there must be another open for you.When the writer finds a good article in reading newspapers,______.
| A．he is always glad to cut and keep it |
| B．he is always hesitant to cut and keep it |
| C．he often has a desire to cut and keep it |
| D．he often finds it difficult to decide which side to cut and keep |
The writer feels regretful because______.
| A．he fails to choose a good essay |
| B．he fails to cut the two essays on both sides well |
| C．he finds the essay on the opposite side is better |
| D．he finds that he just keeps the text without the subject |
What’s the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 2?
| A．You’re trapped in a trouble. |
| B．You find it difficult to fix something. |
| C．You are trapped in a situation where you can’t decide which choice is better. |
| D．You have so many opportunities that you don’t know which to choose. |
Which one do you think is the best title of this passage?
| A．Paper Cutting | B．Two Opposite Sides |
| C．Difficult Choices | D．Another Door |
The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated(发行) privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets(小册子) or broadsides.
In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors(前身) of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666.
In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed(查禁).Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war’s end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America’s newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers.
In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth—the emergence(出现) of the “Penny Press”;it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Handwritten newsletters came out publicly in Renaissance Europe. |
| B．The first printed newspaper was seen about six hundred years ago. |
| C．The first successively published newspaper in the English-speaking world was corantos. |
| D．In America the first newspaper was successful as soon as it appeared. |
What does the underlined phrase “Penny Press” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．People can press pennies easily. |
| B．People can produce newspapers with little cost. |
| C．It is a penny factory. |
| D．The name of the press owner is Penny. |
What is the main reason for newspapers in the USA increasing so fast in the 1830s?
| A．The pass of the Bill of Rights in 1791. |
| B．Newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs. |
| C．Advances in printing and papermaking technology. |
| D．All the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged |
Which of the following is NOT a newspaper?
| A．Public Occurrences. |
| B．The Boston News-Letter. |
| C．The Bill of Rights. |
| D．The London Gazette. |
An Earthship is a home that is built of materials such as old tires and aluminum cans. It is the idea of a man named Michael Reynolds. Many Earthships are more or less self-sufficient because they provide their own heat, air and water. They often have gardens watered and fed by waste water. They are comfortable and ecologically friendly.
The main material used in building Earthships is tires. Tires are plentiful and
can't be recycled like paper, plastic, and metal. While building supplies for most houses can be very expensive, old used tires are free.
First, the tires are packed tightly with dirt. Each full tire weighs as much as
400 pounds. The tires are then stacked like bricks. The walls are extremely strong. They also help keep an even temperature in the house (between 60 and 70 degrees) without heating and cooling systems.
The walls inside the Earthship are made of aluminum cans that are held together by cement. Then they are coated with adobe or stucco.
The roofs of Earthships are sloped so that rain and snow run into large tanks. These tanks hold all the water for the house, and pumps push the water through the pipes. Sometimes, water flows in certain areas of the house as waterfalls! Water that has been used is pumped out into the gardens where owners grow much of their own food.
In most of these houses, the southern side has huge windows that take in winter sunlight as a source of heat. Summer sun does not come in through the south windows, so it doesn't get too hot in the summer. The house also has solar panels that gather energy for lights and hot water and cooking. The Earthships have all the comforts of a regular house without the high cost of electric bills!
In a time when we are running out of energy resources, pollution is bad, and waste is piling up, Earthships are the best places to live in. For people who truly care about the environment,Earthships provide a great alternative to traditional houses. You won't be giving up any comforts, and the styles are attractive. We all hope that more and more people will build Earthships and take a huge step toward helping the environment and saving our planet.What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Earthships are a good way to live and protect the environment. |
| B．Tanks hold water collected from rain and snow. |
| C．It's important to grow your own food in a vegetable garden. |
| D．People who live in Earthships usually live in the desert. |
Which of the following is NOT explained in the passage?
| A．How an Earthship is built. |
| B．What an Earthship is mainly made of. |
| C．Why the Earthship is so called. |
| D．How an Earthship is heated in winter. |
Which evidence best supports the idea that Earthships are environmentally friendly?
| A．They were invented by Michael Reynolds. |
| B．Water that has been used is pumped out into the garden. |
| C．They are comfortable and ecologically friendly. |
| D．The tires are packed tightly with dirt. |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．a large population are already living in Earthships |
| B．the idea of Earthships will attract the attention of governments |
| C．the materials for the Earthships will be harmful to the dwellers(居住者) |
| D．the northern side of the Earthship has no window |
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