Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be a simple fact? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?
If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant. The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake. The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk. The fourth, who took hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope. The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant’s legs. The sixth, who was tall and got hold of theelephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan.
Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience. So if someone disagrees with you about a “simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.
To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a “simple fact”, try this simple experiment. Get three large bowls. Put ice water in one. Put hot water in the second. Put lukewarm water in the third. Now put your left hand in the ice water. Put your right hand in the hot water. After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water. Your right hand will tell you the water is cold. Your left hand will tell you it’s hot.What makes people think about simple facts differently?
| A．The fact that simple facts differ from one another. |
| B．The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact. |
| C．The fact that people often disagree with one another. |
| D．The fact that it’s hard to make up one’s mind about simple facts. |
The writer’s advice is that ________.
| A．we should never think about simple facts |
| B．we should never judge something with a one-sided view |
| C．we should not agree about simple facts |
| D．we must learn from the six blind men |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．People often judge something according to their own experience. |
| B．People often agree about simple facts. |
| C．It’s hard for a person to make up his mind about a simple fact. |
| D．Don’t care too much about simple facts. |
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| Singapore National Eye Centre “I could have lost my vision. SNEC restored (恢复)my sight.” |
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| A macular hole, a hole at the most crucial part of the retina brought Bonny Huang who is from Hong Kong to the Singapore National Eye Centre for treatment. The retina is the light sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. In no time the potentially blinding condition was treated and his vision is now restored. |
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| “In April 2008, I noticed straight lines started to become distorted, and white patch appeared in the centre of my vision. I went to the Singapore National Eye Centre immediately. The ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery, found a central macular hole in my left eye.” The treatment of this condition involves delicate judgment dependent on the experience of the doctor. The success of the recovery, however, relies largely on the face-down posture by the patient. “The Ophthalmologist explained to me the operational procedures, and taught me how to comply with the post-surgery face-down posture. |
The best part is that when I forgot some of the key points he told me, he showed no sign of resentment but instead comforted me not to worry before he went through the points again. I underwent an operation which lasted for only one hour, and maintained a face-down posture for three weeks. The result was very successful.” “I once consulted my Ophthalmologist during his lunch time, and he attended to me without finishing his lunch. His understanding and concern shown towards his patients can be scarcely found in other medical centres. I am very pleased to have received timely treatment in Singapore National Eye Centre where the doctors care about their patients.” |
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 50 senior and experienced eye surgeons, total staff strength of 460 Ultra-modern facility with state-of-the-art technology and equipment Quality assurance programme backed by 100% clinical audit of outcomes High impact research teams leading to latest treatment strategies Multi-expert approach to treatment of complex eye conditions 250,000 outpatient visits, 14,000 major eye surgeries, 13,000 laser procedures annually Singapore National Eye Centre 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, International Patient Service 24-hour Hotline: 65-6100- 9393 E-mail: ips@snec.com.sg or visit www.snec.com.sg |
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According to this passage, the Eye Centre is ______.
| A．a charity organization helping people solve their eye problems |
| B．an institute focusing on eye-treatment research |
| C．a hospital specializing in eye-problem treatment and research |
| D．an international institute treating people’s diseases |
Mr. Huang’s case in the advertisement is intended to ______.
| A．give people advice on how to find good doctors to treat eye diseases |
| B．assure people of high quality of SNEC |
| C．explain the consequences of neglecting eye problems |
| D．tell foreigners they are welcome to SNEC |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of SNEC?
| A．Patients outside Singapore should call SNEC on work days. |
| B．Latest treatment strategies result from multi-expert approach to treatment of eye diseases. |
| C．High impact research teams are invited to deal with complex conditions. |
| D．Nearly 11precent of the staff of SNEC are senior and experienced ophthalmologists. |
In this day and age when we have a tendency to toss toys that are even slightly worn, it is tough to believe that there is a “hospital” where dolls can be repaired and brought back to their original glory. What is even more amazing is that such a place has existed for a century and is still going strong. Welcome to Sydney’s “original Doll Hospital” that celebrated its l00th birthday, on February 22nd, 2013.
In 1913, a general store owner in Sydney began importing dolls. However, the rubber bands(橡皮圈) that held them together would often break. Luckily for him, his brother Harold Chapman Sr., was a good handyman and set aside a little “hospital” area in the store to repair the delicate toys. But when customers found out about this, they began bringing in their raggedy dolls, stuffed animals and even leather goods and umbrellas—starting what would become a family business for many generations.
In l930, Chapman’s son also, named Harold, relocated the doll hospital and expanded the business even further, by agreeing to repair anything that could be fixed, no matter how big or small. While business was robust, the real boom came in 1938 during World War Two. Faced with extreme restrictions, new dolls and toys became a rarity, and young girls and boys had no option, but to get their existing ones lovingly restored.
While it does not have as many employees today, the hospital that is run by his son Geoff Chapman now sits in a spiffy location with a beautiful store-front that features everything a little girl could possibly wish for, from new to lovingly restored, to even extremely rare and valuable dolls. Also in keeping with modern times and dolls, the doctors are now specialists—some focus on bringing back to life modern dolls, while others stick to antiques. And then there are also the soft toy experts and accessory repair experts.
Though it may not appear to be, the doctors say their jobs are very interesting given that no two dolls are the same or need the same repairs and that just like medical doctors they have no idea what obstacle they will have to face when they come to work each day. The one advantage? There are no emergency night calls to worry about!We can learn from Paragraph 2 that __________.
| A．people showed little interest in having their toys repaired at first |
| B．most of the toys that had broken were thrown away by Harold |
| C．stores in Sydney didn’t produce toys for kids at the beginning of 1900s |
| D．the toy repairing business came into being rather accidently |
The underlined word “robust” in Paragraph 3 shows the family’s business __________.
| A．was struggling hard |
B．was greatly stricken |
| C．was developing very well |
D．was enjoying its best time |
What can we learn about people working in the toy repairing hospital?
| A．They work in that hospital mainly because they love toys. |
| B．Most of them focus on repairing modern dolls for little kids. |
| C．They are not capable of repairing toys that are extremely rare. |
| D．There are different experts who specialize in different types of toys. |
Which of the following words can describe the doctors’ work according to the last paragraph?
| A．Simple. |
B．Boring. |
C．Worthless. |
D．Challenging. |
“The Voice” has become a major player in the TV talent-show stages, as the show has become NBC’s biggest entertainment prime-time program of 2012. In addition to being a hit in the ratings, “The Voice” is also a hit with critics and Emmy voters: The second season of the show , which aired from February to May 2012, has earned the 2012 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Realty-Series Competition and an Emmy nomination (提名) for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program.
All the original coaches are back for the third season in a row: Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton. The show’s other on-air talent returning for Season 3 are host/producer Carson Daly and social media reporter Christina Milian, who has been with the show since Season 2. The grand prize for the winner is also the same: a record deal with Universal Republic Records.
The third season of “The Voice” features two big new changes: “steals”, in which the coaches can steal contestants who have been rejected from another coach’s team, and “knockout rounds”. In the “battle rounds,” two contestants face off in a duet (二重唱) of a song chosen by their coach. When a contestant is rejected from a team after a battle round, another coach has the option to “steal” the contestant for his or her team. If more than one coach wants the same contestant, then the contestant gets to choose the coach. In the “knockout rounds,” two contestants face off by each doing a different song of the contestant’s choice, and coaches can no longer “steal” a contestant who is rejected.
Season 3 will also have a new group of four advisers, who are each paired with a coach: Green Day lead singer with Aguilera; Mary J. Blige with Levine; Michael Bublé with Shelton; and Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas with Green. At an August 2012 press event held at “The Voice” executive producer Mark Burnett’s home in Malibu, California, members of the media gathered for a press conference with Burnett, Aguilera, Green, Shelton, Levine, Daly and Milian to discuss changes in the show and what the future holds for “The Voice.” What does the underlined word “aired” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．open |
B．perform |
C．sing |
D．broadcast |
On which section of a newspaper will you read this passage?
| A．Finance |
B．Current affairs |
C．Tech |
D．Entertainment |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．“The Voice” has earned the recognition of critics and Emmy voters. |
| B．The prize of “The Voice” remains the same as the previous year. |
| C．“The Voice” has become the biggest world entertainment of 2012. |
| D．All the original coaches are back for the third season in a row. |
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny (命运) and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness(广阔) of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency , and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expressed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “no mode” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and responsibility. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of things. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by __________.
| A．physical senses |
B．general attitude |
| C．financial background |
D．geographic characteristics |
According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are __________.
| A．impractical |
B．dishonest |
C．ambitious |
D．hesitant |
The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph l probably means __________.
| A．a topic of a discussion |
| B．a branch of knowledge |
| C．a person being experimented on |
| D．a person under the power of others |
The author would probably agree that __________.
| A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire |
| B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country |
| C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude |
| D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence |
Cities with high levels of homeownership—in the range of 75%, like Detroit and St. Louis—had on average considerably lower levels of economic activity and much lower wages and incomes. Far too many people in financial problems are trapped in homes they can’t sell, unable to move on to new centers of opportunity.
The cities and regions with the lowest levels of homeownership—in the range of 55% to 60% like Los Angeles and New York—had healthier economies and higher incomes. They also had higher levels of happiness and well-being.
I was shocked to read these interesting points that Richard Florida made in his recent article. Let me try to understand. The people in Detroit and St. Louis are less happy than the people in New York, and Los Angeles. And, the reason is because of homeownership rates?
First, to compare them to New York City (the economic capital of the world), Los Angeles (the entertainment capital of the world) seems unfair. Most people in almost any other city in the world might be less happy!
Next, let’s try a different way of determining whether renters are happier than homeowners. Why don’t we ask them? Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey 2010 reported:
75% of current renters believe owning a home makes more sense.
67% plan to buy a home at some point in the future.
When they asked current renters for the major reason to buy a house, these were their answers (they could pick several answers):
78% said it was a good place to raise children.
75% said because they would feel safe.
70% said because you have control of your own space.
If you believe renters are happier, you would also have to believe the majority enjoy living in a less safe environment, which wouldn’t be a good place to raise children and would be a place where they have less control of their space.Which of the following is a fact?
| A．People in Los Angeles earn high incomes because of its low homeownership rate. |
| B．New York’s low homeownership rate increases people’s happiness levels. |
| C．Detroit’s high level of homeownership causes its economic problems. |
| D．St. Louis has a higher level of homeownership than Los Angeles. |
In his article, Richard Florida tried to express that _________.
| A．people in Los Angeles are happier than those in St. Louis |
| B．renting a house is better than owning a house |
| C．Detroit’s economy is healthier than New York’s economy |
| D．New York and Los Angeles are happiest cities |
The writer believes that New York City and Los Angeles _________.
| A．pay employees highest wages in America |
| B．benefit from low levels of homeownership |
| C．are leading cities across the globe |
| D．are best American cities to live in |
From Fannie Mae’s survey report, we can know that _________.
| A．paying rent makes more sense |
| B．most homeowners plan to sell their houses |
| C．most renters prefer to become homeowners |
| D．parents need to buy a house for their children |
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