Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
| A．he is out of work . | B．whatever he does make no sense |
| C．he is worried about his writing. | D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time. |
When the writer uses the word “forget” , his real meaning is _______.
| A．Somebody really forgets his cell phone at home. |
| B．Somebody thinks cell phone is not a suitable means of communication. |
| C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cell phone. |
| D．Somebody leaves his cell phone at home on purpose. |
Which of the following is right?
| A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now. |
| B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish. |
| C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent. |
| D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate. |
What does the underlined word mean?
| A．difference | B．sameness | C．simplicity | D．complication |
What is the main idea of the article?
| A．The importance of spending time in quiet. |
| B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax. |
| C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life. |
| D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer. |
The day before the deadline for this article,I had no clue what I was going to write about. I took my problem to the editor-in-chief, and.he said to me:“Don’t worry; you’re creative. ”
I’m not sure where the editor-in-chief reached the conclusion that I was “creative”. Maybe it was through the poems I wrote. Personally, I simply enjoy writing because it’s fun. There’s also the fact that I can’t draw or do anything else creatively, I’m equally sure that there are people in the boat on the other side who can make things look excellent, but can’t write a poem.
At this point you probably want to ask me what poetry and art have to do with engineering. For one, it makes you a more rounded person, making you a better engineer. More importantly, as an engineer, you will be faced with many problems every day. There are some that can be solved by consulting a textbook, but more often than not, you will need that thing in your brain to put together things in a completely original combination to solve the problem at hand.
Think of the wonderful things that creative engineers have done. Civil engineers have made the road more long-lasting so we don’t have to close them for repairs as often. Coming up with a new innovation (创新) is similar to writing a good poem. It’s not some-thing you plan to do. The critical moment comes unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere. You don’t think about what you’re doing, you simply do. After some mad struggling you take a look at the end product and say to yourself, “This is a masterpiece . ” This is perhaps the greatest personal satisfaction one can experience.
So all you engineers out there get out and do something creative. I don’t care if it’s writing a poem or a computer program, just be natural and do something creative.This passage mainly deals with .
| A．the creativity of engineers | B．the power of editor-in-chief |
| C．engineering in general | D．a way of thinking |
In the author’s opinion, writing poems can
.
| A．show one is creative | B．make him happy |
| C．bring him in lots of money | D．have an effect on one’s mental health |
According to the author, art can help an engineer to .
| A．find the solutions to problems | B．learn to write poetry |
| C．be courageous in face of challenges | D．get along well with others |
Coming up with a new innovation is similar to writing a good poem in that both are .
| A．logically developed | B．strictly planned |
| C．experience- based | D．naturally creative |
The greatest personal satisfaction of an engineer comes from .
| A．planning his work successfully | B．building things quickly |
| C．finishing his work innovatively | D．writing good poems naturally |
The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important.
——Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi，and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when，all of a sudden，a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，skidded，and missed the other car`s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car，who almost caused a big accident，started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean，he was friendly. So，I said，"Why did you just do that？This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. "
Many people are like garbage （rubbish）trucks. They run around full of garbage，full of frustration， full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up，they need a place to dump it. And if you let them，they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you，don`t take it personally. You just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did.
I started thinking，how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me？And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets？It was that day I said，"I`m not going to do anymore. "
Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you？If you let more garbage trucks pass you by，you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So，Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t.What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi？
| A．The taxi almost hit another car. |
| B．The taxi driver was injured. |
| C．The author scolded the driver of the other car. |
| D．The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck. |
How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car？
| A．He yelled back at the driver. |
| B．He sent the driver to the hospital. |
| C．He was friendly towards the driver. |
| D．He dumped some garbage in front of his car. |
What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3？
| A．Many people like to drive garbage trucks. |
| B．Many people dump garbage wherever they like. |
| C．Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy. |
| D．Many people tend to be very much depressed. |
What can we infer from Paragraph 4？
| A．The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks. |
| B．The author used to complain a lot. |
| C．The author used to have a lot of money. |
| D．The author used to be a good manager. |
According to the passage，what should you do if people "dump garbage" on you？
| A．Ignore them and go on with our own work. |
| B．Try our best to persuade them not to do that again. |
| C．Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place. |
| D．Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else. |
The legal age for drinking alcohol(酒)in the United States is twenty-one. Underage drinking is a crime but also a common part of college social life. This week in our Foreign Student Series ,we look at alcohol policies at American colleges and universities .These policies differ from school to school, as do enforcement(实施) efforts. But many schools have been moving to strengthen their rules.
The United States has more than 170,000 students in higher education. Each year,1,700 of them aging eighteen to twenty-four die from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries. More than 600,000 are injured under the influence of alcohol. And almost 700,000 are attacked by another student who has been drinking. These numbers, from a 2007 report, are on a government Website:collegedrinkingprevention.gov.
One behavior that college officials are trying to prevent is binge （无节制的狂热行为）drinking ,having four or five drinks or more in a short period of time. Some researchers have found that students who think binge drinking is normal often overestimate how much other students really drink .A person can die of alcohol poisoning.
At the University of Oklahoma, new policies went into effect after a nineteen-year-old student died in 2004.He had been drinking heavily at a fraternity party.(男大学生联谊会)。
Now alcohol is banned from all fraternity and sorority(女大学生联谊会) houses and university housing. Student organizations can serve alcohol at events but only on Friday and Saturday nights. And they must provide for transportation to and from off-campus parties. Other new requirements include an alcohol education program that first-year students take online.
The policies govern behavior on campus and off. With a first violation, students pay seventy-five dollars and their parents are told. They must also take an alcohol education class. For a second” strike”, they have to pay one hundred and fifty dollars. A third strike means a suspension(暂被停学) for at least one semester.
Since January of 2005,633 students have had a first strike.30 have had a second strike----and has been suspended. An official at Oklahoma tells us the aim is not just to punish but to change behavior and the culture at the university.In American colleges and universities,______.
| A．no students under age 21 drink alcohol |
| B．many students under age 21 drink alcohol |
| C．rules about drinking alcohol are almost the same |
| D．rules about drinking alcohol are different from state to state |
Each year in the United States ,about 1,700 young college students aging 18 to 24 die______.
A, from alcohol poisoning
B. from traffic accidents
C. under the influence of alcohol
D. from alcohol-related road crashes and other injuries.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The deaths or injuries of the students are all because they have been drinking. |
| B．The numbers from collagedrinkingprevention.gov are not accurate at all. |
| C．The death of a 19-year-old student influenced policies of the University of Oklahoma. |
| D．No student organizations can offer alcohol at events in the US now. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this article?
| A．Studying in the US: Rules about Alcohol |
| B．The Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol in the United States. |
| C．Policies of Drinking Alcohol in the US Differ From School to School |
| D．New Policies about Alcohol Drinking At the University of Oklahoma. |
San Francisco, a leader in urban recycling, is preparing to turn dog waste into energy.
Norcal Waste System Inc., the city’s largest garbage company, plans to test collection carts(回收车)and collection bags in a city-center park which is popular with dog walkers.
A city study found that almost 4 percent of all the garbage picked up at San Francisco homes was from animal waste, Norcal Waste spokesman Robert Reid said. San Francisco has about 120,000 dogs.
“The city asked us to start a program to recycle dog waste in order to cut back adding more waste in landfills(废渣埋填池) “,Reid said.
Dog waste will be poured into a methane digester(沼气池),and the methane it gives off will be collected and burned to make electricity or to heat homes.
“Dogs and cats in the United States produce about 10 million tons of waste a year,” Will Brinton, an environmental scientist said.
“As much as we love them, our pets leave a lot of fertilizer behind them in yards and on the street but that can be a major source of contamination of groundwater,” Brinton said.
European cities such as Zurich, Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna are starting biology programs to turn waste into gas ,he said.
San Francisco runs a great program to recycle bottles, cars, paper and other rubbish and now two-thirds of its garbage needn’t be carried to landfills .The city’s goal is a 75 percent drop by 2010 and zero new waste in landfills by 2020.San Francisco will plan to use dog waste for making __________.
| A．fertilizer | B．gas | C．electricity | D．methane |
What does the underlined word “ contamination” mean?
| A．Increase | B．Reduction | C．Flow | D．Pollution |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．San Francisco is short of electricity |
| B．San Francisco has done a lot of in rubbish recycling. |
| C．Fewer people will keep dogs as pets in San Francisco |
| D．There will be no rubbish by 2010 in San Francisco |
The passage is mainly about_______.
| A．San Francisco ‘s new policy for pet keepers |
| B．San Francisco ‘s new plan for recycling |
| C．how to keep a city clean |
| D．how to deal with rubbish |
| Album Name |
Introduction |
| “Master of the Chinese Dulcimer” -----Xu Pingxin |
Xu Pingxin shows skillful technique and spellbinding(迷人的)musical expression on the Chinese dulcimer (yangqin) .His musicianship has won him international praise and he is considered one of the most successful yangqin players of the world. |
| “The Silk String Quartet(丝弦四重奏组)Contemporary &Traditional Chinese Music” |
Cheng Yu (pipa),Sun Zhuo (guzheng),Hu Bin (erhu)and Zhou Jinyan (yangqin)present traditional as well as modern pieces. The music describes moonlight scenes ,river landscapes, court dances and more. |
| “Chinese Masterpieces of the Pipa & Guzheng” ---ChengYu |
Beautiful music as well as lively pieces played on pipa ,guzheng, xiao and dizi. Cheng Yu is an internationally famous pipa and guzheng virtuoso(名家),former soloist(独奏者)at the China Central Orchestra of Chinese Music in Beijing .Information about the artist, the music and the instruments in English, German, French and Spanish. |
| TsengYungching----“Magic of the Chinese Flute” |
Beautiful Chinese flute (dizi) music played by world-famous flute virtuoso Tseng Yungching Accompanied(伴奏) on traditional Chinese instruments. |
| Zhou Yu----“The Art of the Chinese Erhu” |
During his great musical career Zhou Yu won many awards in China and internationally .Here he presents an album of Chinese music, played on erhu with orchestral accompaniment: pipa, yangqin, ruan, and others. This is a very beautiful album with the typical “mystical ,dreamy” mood of Far Eastern music. Very enjoyable! |
If you are interested in playing the Chinese flute what will you probably buy?
| A．"Chinese Masterpieces of the Pipa & Guzheng" and "Magic of the Chinese Flute." |
| B．"The Silk String Quartet” and "Chinese Masterpieces of the Pipa & Guzheng." |
| C．"Master of the Chinese Dulcimer "and The Art of the Chinese Erhu." |
| D．"Magic of the Chinese Flute "and "The Silk String Quartet." |
Whose information is introduced in four different languages?
| A．Xu Pingxin’s | B．Cheng Yu’s | C．Tseng Yungching’s | D．Zhou Yu’s |
From the passage ,we can know Tseng Yungching is ______.
| A．a famous pipa and erhu player | B．a skillful guzheng virtuoso |
| C．a famous yangqin player | D．a world-famous flute player |
Which album has the typical mood of Far Eastern music?
| A．Zhou Yu ----“The Art of the Chinese erhu.” |
| B．“ The Silk String Quartet----Contemporary &Traditional Chinese Music.” |
| C．“ Master of the Chinese Dulcimer”---Xu Pingxin |
| D．Tseng Yungching-----“Magic of the Chinese Flute.” |
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