I was working as an intern(实习生) at my University’s Museum of Natural history when I was an undergraduate in college. One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched(位于高处) on her chair. I then realized that she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and upper body. She was wearing a little white dress with red dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼), As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me a nicest, largest smile I had ever seen. All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me away from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.
That was 10 years ago. I’m a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the unforgettable lesson about life that she taught me.In the writer’s opinion, the little girl_________.
| A．had no influence on his life |
| B．sponsored him to do his business |
| C．had a cheerful spirit |
| D．told everyone how to live a good life |
What do we know about the writer?
| A．He ran a gift shop in the university |
| B．He looked down upon the girl because she had no arms and legs |
| C．He just graduated from university |
| D．He is successful in his business |
The underlined word “handicap” in Paragraph 3 probably means_________.
| A．disappointment | B．appearance |
| C．disability | D．impression |
Newspapers in Great Britain vary greatly in their ways of carrying the news. There are serious papers for those who want to know about important happenings everywhere, both at home and abroad. There are popular newspapers for those who prefer entertainment to information.
The London newspaper that is best known outside Great Britain is probably the Times. It began in 1785, and is well accepted for believable news and serious opinions on the news. It calls itself an independent paper, which means that it does not give its support to a particular political party. Its leading articles give the opinions of the editors, not those of the owners of the paper.
Letters to the editor are printed in the newspaper. These parts of the Times are always interesting. Most of the letters are serious subjects. But from time to time there will be long letters on the subject which is not at all serious, perhaps on a new fashion of dress, or the bad manners of the young people, compared with manners of thirty years ago. If you want to get pleasure, please buy yourself .
| A．a serious newspaper | B．foreign newspaper |
| C．any independent paper | D．a popular newspaper |
The Times is an independent paper because .
| A．it supports no political parties |
| B．it is not controlled by the British Government |
| C．it gives special support to all the political parties. |
| D．the editor’s opinions are not examined by the owners of the paper |
The underlined word “vary” in the passage probably means “ ”.
| A．improve | B．compete with each other |
| C．are different | D．keep in touch with each other |
Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.
One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours. The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.
| A．closely associated with | B．an important element of |
| C．very different to | D．usually sent from |
The goal of meditation is ________.
| A．to develop a technique | B．to practice a religion |
| C．to clear the mind | D．to carry out an experiment |
What can we infer about meditation from the passage?
| A．It has two main types. |
| B．Its benefits are not immediately obvious. |
| C．It is practiced by many famous artists. |
| D．Most people find it a very good way to relax. |
According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?
| A．Their improved understanding of foreign culture. |
| B．The need to fill in their growing free time. |
| C．Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional. |
| D．Increasing employment instability. |
Who is the probable audience for this article?
| A．People interested in starting to learn meditation. |
| B．Experienced meditation practitioners. |
| C．Buddhists and Hindus. |
| D．People who are very religious. |
It's common for parents to feel emotional when the moment comes for their child to leave home and go to university. Even parents who don't speak about the event are likely to feel a sense of sadness because it’s the end of an era where you and your family were at the centre of your child's world. As a parent you’ll probably continue to support your child in different ways, but the main job of raising your child is over. It's a huge change for everyone involved.
There are a few things that you can do to make the transition easier. Plan carefully for your child's departure and think about how you can help. Many parents take their child to university for the first time. If you decide to do that, be ready to feel a real wrench when the time comes to say goodbye. Your child will probably be as nervous as you are about the moment when you finally say goodbye – but that might not show!
Be positive and cheerful about the choice your child has made to continue studying, and plan to leave once you've unpacked the car and looked around your child's new living accommodations. If you can, save your tears for the car – you'll make things easier on your child and yourself.
The more you've invested in being a parent, the more you'll feel a sense of loss, so the sadness you feel now is a sign that you've been a good mom or dad. Remind yourself that parenting is all about raising an independent and confident child who functions well without you. If your child quickly settles and starts enjoying himself, you should congratulate yourself.
It's also only fair to allow yourself some time to grieve(悲痛). Don't expect to pick yourself up and move on straight away. But you may decide to find a hobby or sport to fill your extra time. Perhaps you've always wanted to learn a new language, go to yoga classes or take up swimming. You may decide to spend more time with family and close friends, who are likely to be feeling the absence of your child as well.
Agree on the best approach to staying in touch before your child leaves, and stick to your agreement. Try not to panic if your child doesn't respond immediately – remember, they're starting a new and busy life.Why do parents feel sad when their child leaves home for college?
| A．Because the absence of their child makes them feel lonely. |
| B．Because their children will start a new life in college. |
| C．Because they are no longer the main focus of their children’s life. |
| D．Because it means the end of love between parents and their child. |
The underlined word “wrench” in Paragraph 2 means a feeling of ________.
| A．sorrow | B．regret | C．anger | D．love |
What does good parenting consist of?
| A．Supporting your child in different ways all the time. |
| B．Congratulating yourself when your child goes to college. |
| C．Investing as much as possible in the growth of your child. |
| D．Preparing your child to stand on their own feet in the future. |
What’s NOT advised as the way to recover from your child’s departure?
| A．Staying in touch with your child. |
| B．Learning a new language. |
| C．Spending more time with close friends. |
| D．Developing a new hobby or sport. |
What would be an appropriate title for the whole passage?
| A．Staying in Touch with Your Child |
| B．Preparing to Say Goodbye to Your Child |
| C．Dealing with Your Child Leaving Home for University |
| D．Life after Your Child Has Left Home for University |
I was brought up in the British, stiff upper lip style. Strong feelings aren’t something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief(悲伤) at a Chinese funeral.
My funeral.editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral.
Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute(哀悼), weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion.
In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West.
Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained(克制) by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world.
It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.The underlined words “stiff upper lip style” in Paragraph 1 mean “________”.
| A．cold-blooded | B．warm-hearted |
| C．light-hearted | D．self-controlled |
At the funeral, ________.
| A．five individuals made speeches |
| B．the boss’s speech was best thought of |
| C．the writer was astonished by the scene |
| D．everyone was crying out loudly |
According to the writer, people in the West ________.
| A．are not willing to be sad for the dead |
| B．cry their eyes out at the public funeral |
| C．prefer to control their sadness in public |
| D．have better way to express sadness |
It is implied that ________.
| A．Chinese express their sadness quite unlike other peoples |
| B．the English might cry noisily for the dead in Dickens’ time |
| C．victims of terrorist bombings should be greatly honored |
| D．English funeral culture is more civilized than the others |
This passage talks mainly about________.
| A．an editor’s death | B．bad funeral customs |
| C．cultural differences | D．western ways of grief |
An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 5'8''tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds.
“This law is another step in the war against eating disorders,” said physician Adatto. “Underweight models,” he explained, “can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny.”
But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. “I think it’s an approach that isn’t going to work.” Said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models.
But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. “I realized that only legislation can change the situation. There was no time to waste, so many girls were dieting to death.”
However, the efforts to regulate models’ weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health.
Still, folks including Ice say there’s no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. “Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder,” she says. “It’s a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal.”What does BMI in the first paragraph refer to?
| A．A measure of body health based on height and weight. |
| B．A worldwide prize for the healthiest model. |
| C．A new show held by those skinny models. |
| D．A kind of medicine to cure eating disorders. |
One benefit the new Israeli law may bring is ________.
| A．to change the working conditions of models |
| B．to lower the chance of skinny models’ death |
| C．to provide guidance for women worshiping thinness |
| D．to prevent models from suffering from eating disorders |
In the opinion of the critics, the law won’t succeed because .
| A．it misleads young women to form a bad eating habit. |
| B．it doesn’t provide a proper approach that can work well. |
| C．it doesn’t create a healthy working environment for models. |
| D．the fashion industry is much too influential. |
What caused Adatto to think that a law was needed to change the situation?
| A．Meeting an ambitious but too skinny model. |
| B．Establishing his fashion model agent. |
| C．Being interviewed by a reporter. |
| D．Seeing a model die from eating disorders. |
According to the passage, the new Israeli law banning skinny models is .
| A．practical | B．controversial | C．acceptable | D．Reasonable |
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