The Most Direct Solution to Any Problem
When trying to solve various problems in life, an approach I find very useful is to first identify what I’d consider the most direct solution, regardless of how I feel about actually implementing (实施) it. What is the clearest, most direct path to my goal or the most efficient way to get around an obstacle?
Many problems will have multiple direct solutions, but often these solutions will be unpleasant at first glance because they’ll require courage, self-discipline, creativity, or persistence to implement.
For example, suppose you want to lose weight. And suppose we can say that one of direct solutions is to eat the same as you’re eating now and increase your exercise output by 500 calories a day. It may require discipline and persistence, but most people would agree that it will work if you follow through.
Another example: However, you don’t know how that person feels about you. One direct solution would be to simply walk up, explain your thoughts and feelings, and ask if she or he is interested in discussing the possibility of a closer relationship. This will take less than a minute to say, and whatever the outcome is, at least you know where you stand.
Anyhow it’s very simple and straightforward.
What’s the simplest and quickest way to reach your goal, assuming that you had limitless courage and discipline?
| A．Of course this solution may require a lot of courage toovercome the possibility of rejection. |
| B．But if we can get ourselves to follow through, we know the solutions will actually work. |
| C．See if you can identify the most direct solution to some of your problems. |
| D．So the best way to overcome the difficulty is to ask your friends for advice. |
E. If you implement this rather simple solution, you’ll lose weight.
F. Suppose you’re interested in starting a relationship with someone.
G. However, the solution implemented does not work.
Eight Days from Just £ 299
Departs May October 2005
Includes:
●Return flights from 8 UK airports to Naples
●Return airport to hotel transport
●Seven nights’ accommodation at the 3 Hotel Nice
●The services of guides
●Government taxes
Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of Europe’s most wonderful comers. Long a favorite with holidaymakers—indeed the ancient Romans called the area “happy land”—this simply attractive coastline of colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea is a perfect choice for a truly memorable holiday!
Choose between the peaceful traditional village of Sant’ Agata, set on a hillside six miles from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort (旅游胜地) town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples.
Breathtaking scenery and famous sights everywhere. From the legendary Isle of Capri to the haunting ruins of Pompeii and from the unforgettable “Amalfi Drive” to the delightful resorts of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, the area is a feast for the eyes! Should you choose to join us, we know that you will not be disappointed!
With a choice of hotels , and optional excursions(可选择的旅游路线) including Capri, Pompeii and the “Amalfi Drive” , this is a truly unmissable holiday.
·Price based on two tourists sharing a twin /double room at the Hotel Nice.
Like to know more? Then telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on: 0845-226-7766(A11 calls charged at local rates).
All the following are included in the price of £299 EXCEPT____.
| A．transport between the airport and the hotel |
| B．telephone calls made by tourists |
| C．the services of guides to tourists |
| D．double rooms for every two tourists |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To invite people to take a breath in the Bay of Naples. |
| B．To advise people to telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. |
| C．To persuade people to tour in the area of the Mediterranean Sea. |
| D．To attract people to go to Sant’ Agata or Sorrento for sightseeing. |
The underlined part “the area is a feast for the eyes” in the passage means ____.
| A．the area is pleasing to the eye |
| B．the area is really unforgettable |
| C．the area catches the tourists’ eye |
| D．the area is crowded with ^tourists |
After reading the ad, one will probably join in the tour because ____.
| A．the sights are attractive and the tour starts in May or October |
| B．the price is low for those intending to stay at the 3 Hotel Nice |
| C．the price offered is reasonable and the sights are beautiful |
| D．good services are offered to those intending to stay in double rooms |
Walk through the Amazon rainforest today and you will find it is steamy, warm, damp and thick. But if you had been around 15, 000 years ago, during the last ice age, would it have been the same? For more than 30 years, scientists have been arguing about how rainforests like the Amazon might have reacted (反应) to the cold, dry climates of the ice ages, but until now, no one has reached a satisfying answer.
Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO2 from the atmosphere and helping to slow global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tons of CO2 each year: equal to the total amount of CO2 giving off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to future climate change? If it gets drier, will it still survive and continue to draw down CO2? Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past.
Unfortunately, getting into the Amazon rainforest and collecting information are very difficult. To study past climate, scientists need to look at fossilized pollen, kept in lake muds. Going back to the last ice age means drilling deep down into lake sediments (沉淀物) which requires specialized equipment and heavy machinery. There are very few roads and paths, or places to land helicopters and aero-planes. Rivers tend to the easiest way to enter the forest, but this still leaves vast areas between the rivers completely unsampled (未取样). So far, only a handful of cores have been drilled that go back to the last ice age and none of them provide enough information to prove how the Amazon rainforest reacts to climate change.The underlined phrase “mopping up” in the second paragraph means ____.
| A．cleaning up | B．taking in |
| C．wiping out | D．giving out |
How will the Amazon rainforest react to future climate change?
| A．It’ll get drier and continue to remove CO2. |
| B．It’ll remain steamy, warm, damp and thick. |
| C．It’ll get warmer and then colder and drier. |
| D．There is no exact answer up to present. |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．It’s important to drill deep down into lake sediments to collect information. |
| B．It’s impossible to prove how climate changes in the Amazon rainforest. |
| C．It’s hard to collect information for studies of the past climate in the Amazon rainforest. |
| D．It’s necessary to have specialized equipment and machinery to study the past |
climate.The best title for this passage may probably be _____.
| A．Studies of the Amazon |
| B．Climates of the Amazon |
| C．Secrets of the Rainforests |
| D．Changes of the Rainforests |
Three months after the government stopped issuing(发放) or renewing permitsfor Internet cafes because of security (安全) concerns, some café owners are having financial(经济的) concerns of their own.
The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the . governmentuntil new safeguards could be put in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for cafe owners it’s a business breakdown with no fix in sight.
“I handed in a request to open up an Internet cafe and received the conditions. ” said the businessman Obeidallah. “I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45, 000 and prepared the place with equipment that cost me more than SRI 00,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised to find that they’d stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes. ”
Having an Internet cafe without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee. "I’m avoiding closing the place, but it's been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is,” Obeidallah said “Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?”
The decision took many cafe owners by surprise. “I asked to open an Internet cafe, and I was handed a list of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place filling out forms,” said Hassan Al-Harbi.
“I did all that was asked and rented a place . And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and they surprised me , saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet cafe permits and that one can't even renew his permit. I’ve lost more than SR80,000, "Al-Harbi added.
As for the government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way, but security concerns come before profit (盈利).The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes ____
| A．to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes. |
| B．to make cafe owners earn less profit from their business. |
| C．to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet. |
| D．to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway. |
The government’s decision led to the fact that many cafe owners ____.
| A．suffered heavy financial losses |
| B．asked to open up Internet cafes |
| C．continued to operate Internal cafes |
| D．asked the government for payment. |
The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “on the way” means ____.
| A．to be studied |
| B．to be put into practice. |
| C．to be changed |
| D．to be improved |
The cafe owners found the governments decision ____.
| A．surprising and unacceptable |
| B．understandable and acceptable |
| C．reasonable but surprising |
| D．surprising but acceptable |
A Paul Zindel’s death on March 27,2003 ended the brilliant life of a famous writer.
Not only did Paul Zindel win a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Prize for his 1970 play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, but he was one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary (当代的) literature for young adults (成人). The Pigman, published in 1968. is still one of the most well-known and widely-taught novels in the genre, the American Library Association has named it one of the 100 Best of the Best books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992, and Zindel’s autobiography. The Pigman and Me, was among the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century. Six of Zindel’s books, in fact, have been voted the Best Books for Young Adults, and most of his recent horror books—such as The Doom Stone and Rats—have been chosen as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Clearly, he was a writer who knew how to interest contemporary children. Recognizing that, the American Library Association in 2002 honored Paul Zindel with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize for his lifetime achievements , and later that same year he was presented with the ALAN Prize for his contributions to Young Adult Literature. With his passing, young readers, teachers, and librarians have lost a great friend.Which of Paul Zindel’s books was the most popular with young adults in the20th century?
| A．The Pigman. |
| B．The Doom Stone. |
| C．The Pigman and Me. |
| D．The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. |
Why was Paul Zindel honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize?
A. His books were widely read by children.
B. His books were interesting and helpful to adults.
C. He made great contributions-to contemporary literature.
D. He wrote a number of horror books for young adults.When did Paul Zindel win the ALAN Prize?
| A．In 2002 |
| B．In 2003 |
| C．Between 1967 and 1992 |
| D．Between 2002 and 2003 |
Choose the correct statements from the following according to the passage.
a. The Pigman and Me was one of the Best Books for teenagers.
b. Zindel was one of the earliest writers who wrote for adults only.
c. The Doom Stone and Rats are not popular with young adults.
d. Zindel was given four prizes for literature before be died.
e. At least eight of Zindel’s books were very popular in his times.
| A．c, d, e | B．a, b, c |
| C．a. b. d | D．a, d, e |
Maurice Sendak's children's book，Where the Wild Things Are，published in 1963，has become very successful throughout the years and was made into a movie earlier this year.
The book's main character is a boy named Max who gets into trouble with his mother and is sent to bed without any supper.Before long，Max's room magically becomes a forest，and he sails away to a land where monsters live.Max isn't scared，though，and becomes king of the wild things，but after a while，he begins feeling homesick.Max sails back home and his supper is still hot when he arrives in his bedroom.
Many teachers and professors like this story and use it to help children develop creativity and imagination. Melina Davis，an education professor，said she likes how the book contains a couple of pages that have only pictures on them. “This allows children to shape the story themselves，” she said.
The book contains a few of larger words that some parents worry may confuse children，but experts say those words help improve children's reading skills and challenge them.
Davis said the book is well written which helps kids get involved in the story. “The book talks about what all children go through，like ‘I was naughty but my mommy still loves me'” Davis said.
The book also encourages children to face their fears.“I think it's really good to show that Max is friends with the monsters，” Davis said.“Kids can find out monsters aren't always the thing under the bed that's going to scare them.I think this is good because it shows that the children can go to scary places but still have a positive experience.”
Since the book has been successful throughout the years，a movie was recently made and many people are excited to see it.Davis said she thinks the movie will be wonderful but it might be a little scary for younger children.“You don't want bad dreams over a book that's extremely wonderful'” Davis said.Teachers and professors like the book Where the Wild Things Are because it helps children ________.
| A．learn to draw their own pictures |
| B．understand their own fear |
| C．develop more quickly |
| D．become more imaginative |
What is the intention of using the larger words in the book?
| A．To add to the difficulty while children are reading. |
| B．To help challenge the children's reading skills. |
| C．To cause the children some confusion. |
| D．To help children get involved in the story. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the book?
| A．The character Max is brave enough in the story. |
| B．Max was sent to the forest as punishment. |
| C．It is suitable for people of all ages. |
| D．It is the most popular children's book ever published. |
What does Davis think of the movie?
| A．She thinks children of all ages will love it. |
| B．She encourages children to see it to fight against their fear. |
| C．She worries that it might be too frightening for some children. |
| D．She believes it will be a better choice for children than the book. |
What's the author's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To suggest ways to improve children's reading. |
| B．To comment on a famous children's book. |
| C．To encourage children to read scary stories. |
| D．To introduce a movie based on a children's book. |
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