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Yesterday night, over a dinner with my elder brother’s family, a topic of happiness came up. My wife, Marla, a psychologist, was sharing Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” with us. Marla explained that according to the research on flow, people are happiest when they are absorbed in a task that is just challenging enough for them to experience a sense of mastery(熟练). A few moments later my brother, Yuri, offered the following opinion: “The first and only, necessary and sufficient factor for happiness is to stop associating happiness with pleasure. The two — happiness and pleasure — have nothing to do with each other.” This morning, with my cup of coffee, I searched through a pile of books on my bedside table and—at the bottom—found a book by Bertrand Russell, I started reading but didn’t finish. In it, I found the following thought: “The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all his whims (突发奇想) without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness.” The conversation came full circle: people are happiest when they are in a state of flow (Csikszentmihalyi’s language )…which is the effortful devotion in a moment…which has nothing to do with pleasure. Indeed, as Yuri insisted : happiness–as–pleasure is a myth; the association between happiness and pleasure is nothing but a semantic(语义的) habit; psychologically, the two—happiness and pleasure—are arguably different; and breaking up this association between pleasure and happiness might, in fact, be a powerfully first step in pursuit of happiness. As I look back on that exchange, I recall that there was an effort, a struggle to find a common understanding about this seemingly difficult idea—a struggle that made me happy. 1.The author wrote this text mainly to_______. A.look back on the happy night B.advise readers to read Bertrand Russell C.tell readers how to be happiest D.show different opinions on family gathering 2.According to Marla, people feel happiest when they______. A.get what they want without effort B.master the happiness around them C.involve themselves in a challenging task D.experience things that can bring pleasure 3.What writing style is used by the author to explain happiness? A.Giving examples. B.Using quotes. C.Making comparisons. D.Offering arguments. 4.The best title of the text may probably be______. A.The struggle for life B.Happiness as pleasure C.A topic over the dinner D.The effort for happiness
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| 2. | 详细信息 |
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Something strange has been happening to me lately: Women in the street have been telling me I’m brave. My act of courage isn’t much - I just stopped coloring my hair. I had brown hair that started going gray when I was 30. So, like a lot of women, I started dyeing(染) it. It was expensive and time-consuming. And my hair grows fast, so I needed to go back to the hair salon (美发厅) every 5 weeks. Many people seem to enjoy holding onto their youth for as long as possible, giving off the impression that they don’t have much wisdom or many accomplishments. But our hair starts to turn gray and suddenly we start spending $500 or more a year to cover something our male colleagues don’t need to cover. Of course, people should do what they want with their own body - my mother is 91 and still has “blond” hair, and why not? I just wish more of us would feel that it was OK to be ourselves, because going gray has done more for me than saving me time and money. I like my natural hair, just as it is. I like how it has got curly and full again. It is recovering after years of being damaged by chemicals. I also like that it has given me some needed attitude in a society that makes youth seem so important, while being against maturity. It reminds me that I’m not a kid anymore - and this isn’t a bad thing. Not being a kid anymore means I read the books I want, and not the books I feel I should read. It means not wasting my time at events I don’t need to attend when I’d rather be with my family and friends. When I see my hair in the mirror, it’s a reminder that my time is limited, and I should spend it doing what matters. There’s nothing shameful about growing older. And pretending it’s not happening is a way of giving up our power. I see my gray hair as a little act of rebellion(反叛)against the idea that people lose value as they age, instead of gaining it. I see gray hair as my “flag” and I’m letting it fly proudly. 1.How does the author feel about coloring hair? A.It shows people’s great courage. B.It is a good way to hold onto youth. C.It shows wisdom and accomplishments. D.It is not worth the time and money spent on it. 2.What should we do when we grow old according to the author? A.Give up our power. B.Pretend to be still young. C.Accept it and act positively. D.Read as many books as possible. 3.What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? A.To explain why youth is valued. B.To share her opinion on growing older. C.To stress the importance of different attitudes. D.To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of aging. 4.Which can be the best title for the passage? A.Holding Onto Youth B.Dyeing Your Hair C.Gaining Value With Age D.Valuing Wisdom Of Age
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| 3. | 详细信息 |
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Your house may have an effect on your figure. experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. you can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan. Open the curtains and turn up the lights. dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self-conscious(难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness. Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue. Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories(卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal. Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily makes us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake(摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass. 1.The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____. A.their home comforts B.their body shape C.house buying D.healthy diets 2.A home environment in blue can help people ____. A.digest food better B.reduce food intake C.burn more calories D.regain their appetites 3.What are people advised to do at mealtimes? A.Eat quickly. B.Play fast music C.Use smaller spoons D.Turn down the lights 4.What can be a suitable title for the text? A.Is Your House Making You Fat? B.Ways of Serving Dinner C.Effects of Self-Consciousness D.Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?
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A new device (设备) works like a solar panel, except it doesn't harvest energy from the sun to produce electricity. Instead, it uses energy from the cold night sky. In the center of this device is a thermoelectric generator (热电发电机), which uses the temperature difference between Earth and outer space to create electricity. As long as one side of it is cooler than the other, the generator can produce electricity. The cooler side faces the sky and is attached to an aluminum plate. That plate is sealed under a transparent cover and surrounded with materials that keep heat out. It stays cooler than the surrounding air by getting rid of any heat it absorbs as infrared (红外线的) radiation. That radiation can zip up through the transparent cover and on toward outer space. The bottom of the generator is attached to an exposed aluminum plate, which is warmed by the local air. At night, the top plate can get several degrees centigrade cooler than the bottom of the generator. Researchers tested the device one clear December night in Stanford, Calif. The generator produced up to about 25 milliwatts of power per square meter of the device. That was just enough power to light a small electric lamp. Further improvements might develop its production to at least 500 milliwatts per square meter. "It's a very clever idea," says Yuan Yang, a materials scientist who works at Columbia University in New York City. "The device still needs improving," he notes. "But this new device may be useful for backup power," Yang says. "It might also provide a bit of energy to people living in areas that lack electricity." "The device could help power remote weather stations or other environmental devices," says Aaswath Raman, a materials scientist who worked on the device at the University of California, Los Angeles. What's more, this may be useful in areas that don't see sunlight for months at a time, Raman adds. 1.How is the device designed? A.It includes two aluminum plates with different functions. B.It is equipped with a heat resistant generator in the center. C.Its two aluminum plates are exposed to air to keep heat out. D.Its generator is sealed by a transparent cover to remain cool. 2.What is the limitation with the tested device? A.It won't be expanded to be much larger. B.It fails to produce electricity fast enough. C.It is unable to power small electric lamps. D.It produces a limited amount of electricity. 3.In paragraph 6, Yuan Yang mainly intends to________. A.evaluate the device on a positive basis B.point out the problems with the device C.explain the research work for the device D.comment on Aaswath Raman's prediction 4.What can be a suitable title for the text? A.Lamps Are Powered by the Energy From the Cold Night Sky B.A Generator Producing Electricity Has Been Applied in Many Areas C.Scientists Have Made a Breakthrough in Harvesting Green Energy D.A Device Uses Energy From the Cold Night Sky to Produce Electricity
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In the winter of 1910, Dr. Wu Lien-Teh stepped off a train in the northern Chinese city of Harbin. He was there to solve a medical mystery, at great personal risk. Over the past few months, an unknown disease had swept along the railways of northeast China, killing 99.9% of its victims. The Qing Imperial court had sent the Cambridge-educated Dr. Wu north to stop the epidemic. When Dr Wu arrived in Harbin on Christmas Eve, 1910, he carried little in the way of medical instruments and had only one assistant. One of Wu' s first acts upon arrival was to set up special quarantine(隔离) units and to order lockdowns to stop infected persons from traveling and spreading the disease. He had teams check households for possible cases, and even managed to convince authorities to completely close the railways in the early weeks of 1911. Of particular concern was the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, which had become a great annual migration of people traveling across the country to see their families. Thanks to Dr. Wu's efforts, the number of plague victims began to die down, and by March 1, 1911, the epidemic was fully contained. The pneumonic (肺炎的) plague outbreak of 1910-1911 lasted nearly four months, affected five provinces and six major cities, and accounted for over 60,000 deaths. It is clear that without the brave and decisive actions taken by Dr. Wu, it could have been much worse. Had the epidemic gone unchecked, allowing holiday rail passengers to spread the disease to the rest of China could have meant a catastrophic loss of life and possibly a global health crisis. In April 1911, Dr. Wu chaired an International Plague Conference in Shenyang, attended by scientists from 11 counties including the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Japan and France. They praised Dr. Wu for his handling of the 1910-1911 outbreak. For a time, Dr. Wu was the world's most famous plague fighter, a title be defended in a malaria epidemic in China in 1919, and a return of plague in 1921. 1.What was Dr Wu's mission in 1910? A.To take personal risk. B.To end an epidemic. C.To provide medical education. D.To investigate the number of victims. 2.Which of Dr Wu's acts stopped the disease from spreading nationwide? A.Setting up special quarantine units around the country. B.Treating infected persons with his medical instruments. C.Checking households himself for possible cases. D.Convincing authorities to close the railways. 3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A.The disease worsened after Mach 1, 1911. B.60,000 would have died without Dr Wu's efforts. C.A global health crisis followed the 1910-1911 outbreak. D.The plague broke out again about 10 years later. 4.What can be the best title of the text? A.A Plague Fighter B.A Global Health Crisis C.The Beginning of the Chinese Public Health System D.A Plague Outbreak
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| 6. | 详细信息 |
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Archaeologists used DNA taken from a broken clay pipe stem found in Maryland to build a picture of an enslaved woman who died around 200 years ago and had origins in modern-day Sierra Leone. One researcher called the work “a mind-blower.” “In this particular context, and from that time period, I think it’s a first,” team member Hannes Schroeder told The Washington Post. “To be able to get DNA from an object like a pipe stem is quite exciting. Also it is exciting for descendant(后裔) communities. Through this technology, they’re able to make a connection not only to the site but potentially back to Africa.” The pipe stem was found at the Belvoir plantation in Crownsville, Maryland, where enslaved people lived until 1864 and where a likely slave cemetery was recently found. DNA taken from the pipe linked back to a woman either directly from or descended from the Mende people, who lived in west Africa, in an area now part of Sierra Leone. Julie Schablitsky, the chief archaeologist with the Maryland state highway administration, told The Post the discovery, based on saliva(唾液) absorbed into the clay pipe, was a “mind-blower”. She also said records show the existence of a slave trade route Sierra Leone to Annapolis, plied(定期往来) by British and American ships. “As soon as people stepped on those slave ships in Africa,” she said, “whether they were from Benin or whether they were from Sierra Leone, wherever they were from, that identity was lost. Their humanity is robbed. Who they are as a people has gone.” The new analysis is part of ongoing research around Belvoir that has given descendants of the people enslaved there new insight into the lives of their ancestors. Speaking to The Post, Nancy Daniels, a genealogist from Laurel, Maryland, who thinks she is a descendant of enslaved families from Belvoir but was not linked to the research on the pipe, called the discovery “overwhelming.” “I’m sitting here about ready to cry,” she said. “I’m sorry. I'm so happy ... Thank God for the DNA.” This year, events and ceremonies are being held to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved people in America, at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. 1.What does the phrase “a mind-blower” in paragraphs 1 and 4 refer to? A.A surprise B.A confusion C.An excitement D.A fascination 2.According to Hannes Schroeder, the pipe stem was of great significance because________. A.it was the first direct evidence that slaves living in Maryland were originally from Africa. B.it helped the archaeologists to draw a portrait of the enslaved woman. C.it might contribute to identifying the birthplace of the descendant communities. D.it contained genetic clues to the ancestral background of its owner. 3.What can be inferred from the passage? A.The owner of the pipe once lived in what is now an area in west Africa. B.The history of slavery in America is an ongoing topic of concern. C.African slaves lost their identities when they arrived at the Belvoir plantation. D.Nancy Daniels, a genealogist was sorry for not being involved in the research. 4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A.DNA from an old pipe throws lights on the origins of the enslaved B.A new research reveals the origins of enslaved African woman C.The descendants of enslaved people seek their identities D.DNA contributes to the breakthrough of a new research
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| 7. | 详细信息 |
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When you think of batteries, you'll likely think about them powering up remote controls, cellphones, flashlights and toys. But some people carry a battery around in their body to power a pacemaker (起搏器). It isn't really pleasant and easy to carry batteries because they need to be replaced so often and they can leak poisonous chemicals. A battery-powered pacemaker may become a thing of the past, thanks to a new technology developed by UCLA researchers: A biological supercapacitor (超级电容器), which is thinner than several hairs. Teams of researchers at UCLA and the University of Connecticut published a paper in a journal explaining their new invention. The supercapacitor is made from a carbon_ material,and coated with human-like proteins that act as electrodes (电极). But what makes the device different is that it is powered by an energy harvester that changes body heat and movement in the blood into energy. Those traditional pacemakers are six to eight millimeters thick They are much bigger. The new supercapacitor, which, due to its lack of battery, is only one micrometer thick. This "little" feature could benefit the new pacemaker's energy efficiency researchers stated. Also, unlike other batteries used in medical treatments, the supercapacitor can bend and twist in the body without suffering damage. Though they've not been widely used in the medical world, supercapacitors have the ability ta serve as a safer and more efficient medical device than the traditional battery-operated devices, the researchers believe. "In order to be effective, battery free pacemakers must have supercapacitors that can get, store and transport energy. However, commercial supercapacitors are too slow to make them work", said Maher El-Kady, a UCLA researcher and co-author of the study. "Our research focused on the custom-designed supercapacitor to capture energy effectively, and finding a way to make it exist together successfully with the human body." 1.What do we know about traditional pacemakers? A.They are very popular with users. B.They need to be replaced quite often. C.They can do harm to the users' bodies. D.They are really convenient to carry around. 2.What is special about the new supercapacitor? A.It has electrodes on the outside, B.It is made from a kind of protein material. C.It helps save the carriers' money and energy. D.It can transform the energy from the body. 3.Which of the following makes the new pacemaker energy- efficient? A.The small size. B.The small battery. C.The energy harvester. D.The bending and twisting characters. 4.What is the best title for the text? A.A New Pacemaker that Doesn't Need to Use Batteries B.A Battery-Powered Pacemaker Is Harming People's Body C.People Today Aren't Willing to Use the Traditional Pacemaker Any Longer D.UCLA Researchers Are Committed to the Cause of the Medical Equipment
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Harry Potter movies are huge hits and loved by children all over the world. Kids can lose themselves in the wonderful world of magic while learning values that are important to them. That’s why Paula DuPré Pesman,the associate producer of the Harry Potter movies, found it so hard to leave this behind when choosing to start her organization There With Care that helps families with sick children. Her move towards charity work did not happen by chance. While working on the set of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”,Pesman received a call asking if she could realize the wish of a child, who was a fan named Gillian with a wish to see a movie about Harry Potter. Though such a wish seemed impossible to achieve, Pesman brought together the crew who together overcame the challenges and put together a rough-cut screening for the young girl. Pesman's determination to help Gillian came from her own experience of living with her husband, who had fought and won the battle with cancer. Carrying out Gillian's wish enabled her to witness how powerful supporting a family in need can be. So she left the career she loved in 2005 to start her organization. There With Care provides many services that families in need rarely find, such as transportation to and from the hospital, gas cards, deep cleaning services, clothing and meals, especially when kids are in hospital. Now the organization has helped over 4,000 families. Looking back, she said, "In a way I think everything came together so that today we would be here helping. It gave us a new purpose and a new way of helping people." 1.Why does the author talk about Harry Potter movies in paragraph 1? A.To introduce a nonprofit organization. B.To express admiration for Pesman's choice. C.To prove the popularity of the movies. D.To explain why Pesman quit as a producer. 2.What inspired Pesman to found There With Care? A.The success of Harry Potter movies. B.Her enthusiasm for helping the needy. C.The experience of realizing a girl’s wish. D.Her living with her cancer-suffering husband. 3.Which words can be used to describe Pesman? A.Warm-hearted and generous. B.Strong-minded and ambitious. C.Easy-going and understanding. D.Hard-working and creative. 4.Which will be the best title for the text? A.A Sick Girl's Wish Finally Came True B.There With Care Was Born from Movies C.Harry Potter Movies Helped Sick Children D.A Producer Left Movies to Do Charitable Work
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