Some plants get so hungry that they eat flies, spiders, and even small frogs. What’s more amazing is that these plants occur naturally (in special environments) in every state. In fact, they’re found on every continent except Antarctica.
You’ve probably seen a Venus’ flytrap. It’s often sold in museum gift stores, department stores, and even supermarkets. A small plant, it grows 6 to 8 inches tall in a container. At the end of its stalks (茎) are specially modified leaves that act like traps. Inside each trap is a lining of tiny trigger hairs. When an insect lands on them, the trap suddenly shuts. Over the course of a week or so, the plant feeds on its catch.
The Venus flytrap is just one of more than 500 species of meat-eating plants, says Barry Meyers-Rice, the editor of the International carnivorous (食肉的) Plant Society’ s Newsletter. Note: Despite any science-fiction stories you might have read, no meat-eating plant does any danger to humans.
Dr. Meyers-Rice says a plant is meat-eating, only if it does all four of the following “attract, kill, digest, and absorb” some from of insects, including flies, butterflies, and moths. Meat-eating plants look and act like other green plants -- well, most of the time.
All green plants make sugar through a process called photosynthesis (光合作用). Plants use the sugar to make food. What makes “meat-eating” plants different is their bug-catching leaves. They need insects for one reason: nitrogen. Nitrogen is a nutrient that they can’t obtain any other way. While almost all green plants on our planet get nitrogen from the soil, “meat-eating” plants can’t. They live in places where nutrients are hard or almost impossible to get from the soil because of its acidity. So they’ve come to rely on getting nitrogen from insects and small animals. In fact, nutrient-rich soil is poisonous to “meat-eating” plants. Never fertilize them! But don’t worry, either, if they never seem to catch any insects. They can survive, but they’ll grow very slowly.
1. According to the passage, carnivorous plants ________.| A．only grow in wild field | B．are rare to see |
| C．are as common as flies | D．cannot grow on Antarctica |
| A．its numerous long an thin stalks | B．a container where it grows |
| C．its insect-catching leaves | D．the lining of tiny trigger hairs |
| A．carnivorous plants are dangerous |
| B．carnivorous plants are fictional |
| C．carnivorous plants occasionally eat book |
| D．carnivorous plants are harmless to humans |
| A．Carnivorous plants cannot grow in acid soil |
| B．Carnivorous plants can grow in nutrient-poor soil |
| C．Carnivorous plants will die if they cannot catch any insects |
| D．Carnivorous plants can get nitrogen from nutrient-rich soil |
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【推荐1】Crocodiles today look very similar to ones from 200 million years ago. There are also very few species alive today---just 25. Other animals such as lizards（蜥蜴）and birds have achieved a diversity of many thousands of species in the same amount of time or less.
Prehistory also saw types of crocodile we don't see today, including giants as big as dinosaurs, plant-eaters, fast runners and snake-like forms that lived in the sea. The rate of their evolution is generally slow, but occasionally they evolve more quickly because the environment has changed. In particular, their evolution speeds up when the climate is warmer, and their body size increases.
The body size of crocodiles is important because it interacts with how fast animals grow, how much food they need, how big their populations are and how likely they are to become extinct. The limited diversity of crocodiles and their apparent lack of evolution is a result of a slow evolutionary rate. It seems the crocodiles arrived at a body plan that was very efficient and perfect enough that they didn't need to change it in order to survive. This perfection could be one explanation why crocodiles survived Cretaceous period（白垩纪）, in which the dinosaurs died out.
Crocodiles generally develop better in warm conditions because they cannot control their body temperature and require warmth from the environment. The climate during the age of dinosaurs was warmer than it is today, and that may explain why there were many more varieties of crocodiles than we see now. Being able to draw energy from the sun means they do not need to eat as much as a warm-blooded animal like a bird or a mammal（哺乳动物）.
1. What influenced the evolution of crocodiles most?| A．Their number. | B．The climate. | C．Their habits. | D．Food resources. |
| A．As a result of their good appetite. |
| B．Because of their perfect body type. |
| C．Owing to so many dinosaurs around. |
| D．Due to their limited ability to reproduce. |
| A．are warm-blooded animals | B．like cold living conditions |
| C．eat less than mammals | D．are fiercer than dinosaurs |
| A．The history of crocodiles, |
| B．Ancient animals' evolution. |
| C．Residents of the Cretaceous period. |
| D．The "stop-start" pattern of crocodiles' evolution. |
【推荐2】On 19 March 2018, you were born. I knew absolutely nothing of you and hadn’t even considered adding another member to our family.
You see, at that time I was becoming increasingly concerned about our teenage daughter. She had been spending more and more time away from the family, bad tempered and unsociable. She seemed unhappy most of the time. She had talked of wanting a dog for a long while, so I thought: if I do this for her, it will boost her mood, get her out more and give her a new focus.
To my surprise, our daughter’s reaction was not what I expected when I introduced the two of you-had 1 made a mistake?
I soon began to understand that you were not going to bring her out of her sadness. Yet you still needed taking care of, so, naturally, most of the duties of your care fell upon me.
Then, in July, our daughter was diagnosed with anorexia (厌食症). Our lives were turned upside down, as she faced the biggest challenges of her life. My husband and I had different ideas about what would be the best course of action to take; the illness sent the whole family into chaos. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity, to find clarity. On our walks together, you gave me the freedom to think clearly and rationally (理性地). I found a calmness that I never would have, had I been at home with Google.
In September, we kept our daughter off school and I looked after her, putting everything else on hold. During that time I bonded with her and she bonded with you. She rejoined school in the middle of September, and was slowly but surely on the road to recovery.
Thank you for your constant love and playfulness, and for showing me the simple pleasures of life. But most of all, thank you for being my light in the dark.
1. Who does the author write the letter to?| A．Her daughter. | B．Her dog. | C．Her husband. | D．Herself. |
| A．She needed a lifelong friend. |
| B．She would like to know more about dogs. |
| C．She wanted a dog 1o ease the tension in the family. |
| D．She hoped u dog could relieve her daughter of bad mood. |
| A．It cured her daughter of her disease. |
| B．It made her husband stay elear-minded. |
| C．It helped her belter deal with the difficult situation in her life. |
| D．It strengthened the relationship between her daughter and her. |
| A．She had anorexia. | B．She was a devoted mother. |
| C．She felt guilty to her dog. | D．She recovered from her sadness. |
【推荐3】A report has warned of a “destructive” decline in freshwater fish, with nearly a third threatened by extinction. Conservation groups said 80 species were known to have gone extinct, 16 in the last year alone.
The report said populations of migratory fish have fallen by three-quarters in the last 50 years. Over the same time period, populations of larger species, known as “megafish”, have crashed by 94%, In UK waters, the sturgeon and the burbot have disappeared, salmon are disappearing and the European eel remains extremely endangered.
According to the WWF, much of the decline is driven by the poor state of rivers, mostly as a result of pollution. Besides, dams and waste water are also the factors. It has called on the government to restore freshwater habitats to good health through proper carrying out of existing laws, strengthening protections in the Environment Bill and championing a strong set of global targets for the recovery of nature.
Dave Tickner, from WWE, said freshwater habitats are some of the most full of life on earth, but as this report shows they are in “destructive” decline around the world. “If we are to take this government's environmental promises seriously, it must get its act together, clean up our rivers and restore our freshwater habitats to good health,” said the organization's chief adviser on freshwater.
Carmen Revenga of The Nature Conservancy said freshwater fish are a diverse and unique group of species that are not only important for the healthy functioning of our rivers, lakes and wetlands, but millions of people, particularly the poor, also depend on them for their food and income.
“It's now more urgent than ever that we find the collective political will and effective cooperation with private industries, governments, NGOs(Non-Governmental Organizations) and communities, to carry out nature-based solutions that protect freshwater species, while also ensuring human needs are met,” she said.
1. How is the second paragraph developed?| A．By examples. | B．By argument. | C．By explanations. | D．By cause and effect. |
| A．Overfishing. | B．River pollution. | C．Global warming. | D．Natural disasters. |
| A．The features of freshwater fish. | B．The significance of freshwater fish. |
| C．The situation of freshwater habitats. | D．The functions of conservation groups. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Ambiguous. | C．Optimistic. | D．Concerned. |
【推荐1】Humans are not the only ones that like gold. Australian scientists have discovered a new fungus(真菌)that decorates its long,thread-like tendrils(卷须)with gold collected from the soil. The experts desperately hope the “gold digger” will provide information on the locations of gold deposits(沉淀物)and make searching for the precious meal easier, and more environmentally friendly.
The gold-loving fungus was discovered accidentally by a team of researchers led by Dr. Tsing Bohu, a scientist at Australia national science agency, CSIRO, when they were examining the microbes(微生物) in the soil at Boddington,a tiny town home to Australia’s largest gold mine.
A closer analysis suggested that the fungus uses chemical interactions with underground minerals to accumulate gold from its surroundings. Though fungi often interact with other things in nature, the reaction with gold was unexpected. “Fungi are well-known for playing an important role in the recycling of organic material, such as leaves and bark, as well as for the cycling of other metals,” Dr. Bohu explained. “But gold is so chemically inactive that this interaction is both unusual and surprising.”
The fungi are not wearing the gold for beauty. “There is a biological benefit from this reaction.” Dr. Bohu said, “Gold-loving fungi can grow faster and bigger relative to other fungi that don’t work with gold.”
The researchers still need to conduct further analysis to understand the relationship between the fungi and the precious metal. More importantly, they need to determine if its presence is a sure sign of the existence of large deposits of the metal underground. The scientists also believe the fungi could be used to detect the presence of gold in waste products and man-made electronics.
However, those hoping to get free gold from the fungi are in for a disappointment,for the delicate fungus is hard to see. Also, its gold can only be seen under a microscope.
1. What are the experns starved of?| A．Investigating the sites. | B．Excavating the gold mines. |
| C．Getting further informed. | D．Unearthing gold deposits. |
| A．Fungi’s interaction with gold is unexpected but beneficial. |
| B．Gold’s classification is biologically identified by fungi. |
| C．Fungi’s formation with gold is fairly natural and frequent. |
| D．Gold is chemically accuniulated by fungi’s evolution. |
| A．It excites the gold diggers’ motivation. | B．It has a long way to go before confirmation. |
| C．It lays the foundation of geologieal studies. | D．It ensures the search of gold sites. |
| A．Beauty-loving Fungi Wrapped by Gold | B．Gold-loving Fungi Discovered in Australia |
| C．Boddington, Austria’s Largest Gold Mine | D．New Discovery of Gold with Fungi |
【推荐2】Inakadate, a Japanese village of around 7, 000 people, is considered the home of a rice field art form. In the early 1990s, local authorities realized that youths were moving to big urban centers in large numbers, and started brainstorming for ways of breathing new life into the village. One of the proposed ideas was an art form inspired by the local’s traditional rice planting, done by hand for hundreds of years. Called Tanbo Art, it involved the use of different rice varieties to turn local rice fields into giant canvases (画布).
The first rice field artwork was displayed in 1993, when purple and yellow rice plants were used to create a detailed picture of Mt. Iwaki. The project was such a huge success that Inakadate authorities decided to turn it into a yearly event. Nowadays, a viewing platform is often set up somewhere above the rice field, from which people can admire the unique artwork.
To create the impressively massive field artworks, the locals use a technique unique to Japan, which involves surveying the rice fields, perspective drawing, and the planting of various types of rice plants to create the desired visual effect. Tanbo Art has come a long way in the last three decades, with designs gradually becoming larger and more complex.
Some of the most elaborate (精心制作的) rice field artworks created in Inakadate have required the use of no less than 10 rice plants in color. The process starts in the spring months, and by early summer, the fruits of this labor become clearly visible. July and August are the best months to visit this famous Japanese village.
There are many locals who say that rice field art has saved Inakadate, bringing in impressive numbers of tourists from all over the world every year, and boosting the local economy. The success of Inakadate inspired other rice cultivating communities to borrow the Tanbo Art concept, and today you can find this sort of impressive rice field artworks all across Japan.
1. The rice field art was originally built to ______.| A．promote its traditional rice planting | B．turn local rice fields into giant canvases |
| C．promote the tourist industry of the village | D．make the village more lively and energetic |
| A．farming | B．population | C．tourist industry | D．rice consumption |
| A．early spring is the best months to visit Inakadate |
| B．many countries also follow the example of Inakadate |
| C．a viewing platform can help tourists enjoy the rice field artworks |
| D．no less than 10 rice plants were used to create the first rice field artwork |
| A．Travel. | B．Economy. | C．Technology. | D．Local news. |
【推荐3】It is easy to be doubtful about announcements of drugs that claim to slow the progress of Alzheimers, the most common form of dementia (痴呆). A new drug called Lecanemab, however, may be the real deal. Results of a clinical trial, conducted by its makers, Eisai, of Tokyo, and Biogen, of Cambridge Massachusetts, have just been announced in the New England Journal of Medicine (November; 2022). After18 months, it had slowed the progress of symptoms by a quarter.
The trial involved 1795 participants who were in the early stages of the illness. Half received the drug. The others, a placebo (安慰剂). It showed two things. One was the modest but measurable slowing of progression. The other was that an explanation of Alzheimers called the Amyloid Hypothesis seems correct.
Amyloid is a protein which accumulates (积累) in parts of the brains of those with Alzheimers, which is an established sign of the illness. Lecanemab, containing a special antibody, is found to be able to attach itself to amyloid and then attracts immune-system cells to clear the protein away (and measurably did so in those receiving the drug).That suggests amyloid does indeed directly create problems associated with dementia and that Lecanemab can slow down the development of the disease.
This is a small first step. Some experts question whether the test used to show an improvement in symptoms is clinically meaningful because amyloid can be detected only with the help of a piece of expensive equipment, which is not something that can easily be turned into a routine program. Moreover, Lecanemab also caused swelling and bleeding of the brain in a number of participants. Now that the new drug has been shown to work, it can be followed up with further tests. Hope for more good news soon.
1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?| A．The public shows confidence in new drugs for Alzheimers. |
| B．The new drug had an obvious effect on the participants. |
| C．All participants didn’t receive the new drug. |
| D．It took 18 months to make the new drug. |
| A．illustrating how the drug interacts with amyloid in body |
| B．making comparisons between two groups of participants |
| C．describing how immune-system works in detail |
| D．quoting the comments of other scientists |
| A．It can’t be accessed easily in daily treatment. |
| B．It needs to be further tested before its launch. |
| C．It costs too much for ordinary families. |
| D．It can cause some side-effects. |
| A．Reliable. | B．Groundbreaking | C．Promising | D．Risky. |
【推荐1】Wu Ge was asked to prepare a waiting area at Pudong International Airport specifically for transit(过境) passengers on his first day as an airport official tasked with COVID-19 prevention and control.
The task would have been challenging for most people, but Wu took it quickly and gave tasks to his colleagues. Together, they cleaned and disinfected(消毒) the area, and set zones for checking people' s temperatures and filling out forms. It wasn't until the first passenger stepped into the waiting area that Wu finally took a break.
Born in Chongqing, the 46-year-old began working at Pudong International Airport in 2007 and is now an official leading more than 300 members of the Shanghai airport authority's safety check and protection department.
As the nation 's busiest airport for overseas travelers, Shanghai Pudong International Airport is battling the COVID-19 with closed-loop management. During this period, Wu and his colleagues have been given a special task force in charge of separating overseas travelers into various kinds, sending passengers to quarantine(检疫) spots and safeguarding them.
“This job requires care, responsibility and hard work. Our teammates have sweat all over their bodies as they have to wear N95 face-masks and protective suits all the time. Each of us walks at least 30,000 steps every day. Sometimes we even hit 60,000 steps,” he says.
Wu's work as the group leader is nonstop. Breakfast is sometimes the only meal he has in a day. Wu says he tries his best to reduce waiting time for passengers. He has also arranged for hot water and biscuits to be made available for passengers around the clock.
1. What was Wu Ge asked to do?| A．Reduce waiting time. | B．Prepare hot water and biscuits. |
| C．Prepare a waiting area. | D．Help passengers fill out forms. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Rewarding. | C．Satisfying. | D．Frightening. |
| A．It was hot at that time. | B．They carried passengers’ luggage. |
| C．They had to walk a lot. | D．They wore protective equipment. |
| A．Working at the Airport. | B．Fighting COVID-19 at the Airport. |
| C．Living a Busy Life at the Airport. | D．Helping Passengers at the Airport. |
【推荐2】I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn't want me for the film-it wanted somebody as well-known as Paul-he stood for me. I don't know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft (技艺) and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other-but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core (核心) of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the belief that if you're fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back-he with his Newman's Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn't see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He'd been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn't talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn't need a lot of words.
1. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to the author at first?| A．Paul Newman wanted it. |
| B．The studio powers didn't like his agent. |
| C．He wasn't famous enough. |
| D．The director recommended someone else. |
| A．They were of the same age. |
| B．They worked in the same theater. |
| C．They were both good actors. |
| D．They had similar characteristics. |
| A．To show his love of films. |
| B．To remember a friend. |
| C．To introduce a new movie. |
| D．To share his acting experience. |
【推荐3】According to researchers, money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it on someone else.
Spending as little as $ 5 a day on someone else could significantly bring you happiness, the team at the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School found.
Their experiments on more than 630 Americans showed they were measurably (适度地) happier when they spent money on others—even if they thought spending the money on themselves would make them happier.
“We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn,” said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia.
They asked their 600 volunteers first to rate their general happiness, report their annual income and detail their monthly spending including bills, gifts for themselves, gifts for others and donations to charity.
“Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not,” Dunn said in a statement.
Dunn’s team also surveyed 16 employees at a company in Boston before and after they received an annual profit-sharing bonus of between $3,000 and $8,000.
“Employees who devoted more of their bonus to pro-social (有益社会的) spending experienced greater happiness after receiving the bonus, and the manner in which they spent that bonus was a more important predictor of their happiness than the size of the bonus itself,” they wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.
They gave their volunteers $5 or $20 and half got clear instructions on how to spend it. Those who spent the money on someone or something else reported feeling happier about it.
“These findings suggest that very minor alterations in spending allocations (分配) -as little as $5—may be enough to produce real gains in happiness on a given day,” Dunn said.
1. According to the passage, .| A．the more money you spend on others, the happier you are |
| B．spending money on others can bring you happiness |
| C．Elizabeth Dunn is a psychologist from Harvest Business School |
| D．six hundred people took part in the experiment |
| A．those who spent money on others felt happier no matter how much they earned |
| B．those who spent more money on themselves felt happier |
| C．people thought spending money could make themselves happier |
| D．the money spent was as important as the money earned |
| A．were given clear instructions on how to spend the bonus |
| B．had more happiness than the size of the bonus itself |
| C．experienced greater happiness after receiving their bonus |
| D．felt happier after they contributed much of the bonus to charities |
| A．Experiment on Money Spending |
| B．Devoting Your Money to Charities |
| C．Spending Money on Others Makes One Happier |
| D．Bonus and Pro-social Spending |
【推荐1】Son's Help
Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn't listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup(拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year's Day. Mr. Lang didn't go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his fiveyearold son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn't think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren't any policemen outside, daddy，” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”
1. Mr. Lang was paid much because________.| A．he was a driver | B．he had a lot of work to do |
| C．he worked in a factory | D．he had worked there for a long time |
| A．she thought her husband was tired | B．she couldn't find any work |
| C．her husband spent all time in gambling | D．she wouldn't stop her husband gambling |
| A．Mr. Lang didn't help his wife at home | B．Mr. Lang was late for work |
| C．Mr. Lang often gambled | D．Mr. Lang wasn't polite to the police |
| A．he wouldn't stop gambling | B．he didn't love her any longer |
| C．he had been put into lockup | D．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
【推荐2】Looking at his pile of unpaid bills always makes Giuseppe Del Giudice feel uneasy. Sometimes he incurs (招致) late fees, but in many ways the emotional toll (代价) is worse. “The longer the bills go unpaid,” says Del Giudice, 58, “the more my anxiety increases.”
At the end of the day or month, most people get their tasks done on time, but around 20 percent are chronic procrastinators (慢性拖延者) at home and at work. One big factor for them is fear of failure, of not living up to expectations. Kelli Saginak, a 57-year-old functional health coach from Wisconsin, procrastinated about looking for a new job for years. That inability to take action only confirmed her belief that she would never do any better. “If I don’t take the risk, decide, or commit, I don’t have to face the judgment,” says Saginak.
Some people accept procrastination, believing that they make progress under pressure. But researchers have disproved that view. “I did an experiment several years ago, putting procrastinators under restrictions of time,” says Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University. “They did worse than nonprocrastinators, but they thought they did better. They made more errors. They took longer.”
Whatever the motivation, delaying a diet or exercise program may increase your risk of heart disease. Not having seen the doctor when your illness was easier to treat may shorten your life. Just thinking about what you haven’t done may cause discomfort. “Procrastinators experience higher levels of stress, both from leaving things to the last minute and from their own negative and self-critical feelings about their procrastination,” says Fuschia Sirois, a psychology lecturer at the University of Sheffield.
One of the most commonly procrastinated activities is going to bed. “You can put your lights on a timed dimmer switch to encourage a consistent bedtime,” said Joel Anderson, a philosophy researcher-lecturer at Utrecht University, who performed an experiment on this and found it worked on most of his subjects. “They formed an intention,” Anderson says. “One of them said, ‘When the lights start to dim, I’ll start going to bed.’ Then, reward yourself for each step you take toward your goal. But don’t try to convince yourself it will work the other way around! ”
1. What prevented Kelli Saginak stepping into the job market again?| A．Her old age. | B．Her lack of skills. |
| C．Her fear of judgment. | D．Her past failure. |
| A．Procrastinators tend to misjudge their abilities. |
| B．It’s hard for people to succeed under pressure. |
| C．Procrastination is part of the human condition. |
| D．Pressure usually leads to better performance. |
| A．Different forms of procrastinating. | B．Negative effects of procrastinating. |
| C．Common excuses for procrastinating. | D．Specific suggestions for procrastinating. |
| A．They can use lighting as little as possible. |
| B．They can first ask themselves about their intentions. |
| C．They can read some boring research papers. |
| D．They can try sending themselves signals to inspire action. |
【推荐3】Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles, they arise in the places we would least expect.
On a cold January afternoon in 1989, I was climbing Egypt’s Mt. Horeb, hoping to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path, I’d sometimes see other hikers who were coming down. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language, there was one man who did neither.
I saw him coming and as he got closer, I could see that, unlike other hikers, he was wearing traditional Egyptian galabia( 长 袍 ). What made his appearance so strange was that the man didn’t even appear to be Egyptian, but was a small-framed Asian man with little hair and round glasses.
As we neared one another, I said Hello, but not a sound came from him. I thought maybe he hadn’t heard me. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English, “Sometimes you don’t know what you have lost until you’ve lost it.” As I took in what I had just heard, he simply stepped around me and continued his going down.
That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said but more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989, and it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage (朝圣), and specifically during my hike to Mt. Horeb, that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career, my friends, my family, and ultimately, my life.
I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up, stopping before me, and offering his wisdom, seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to my own question was easy: nearly no chance! In a meet that lasted less than two minutes, a total stranger had brought something clear and something of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking, that’s a miracle.
Miracles are everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring.
1. Before the Asian man spoke, how did the author think about him?| A．He was very rude and strange. |
| B．He was different from others. |
| C．He was shy and nod to strangers. |
| D．He looked ordinary and was talkative. |
| A．He was in search of a miracle in his life. |
| B．It was a place for a religious person to head for. |
| C．He intended to make arrangements for his future life. |
| D．He waited patiently in expectation of meeting a wise person. |
| A．For what reason did the man stop before me ? |
| B．Why did the Asian man go to the mountain ? |
| C．What change would I make within a matter of days ? |
| D．What was the probability that others told us the right words ? |
| A．Because the Asian man’s appearance had a deciding effect on his future life. |
| B．Because his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment. |
| C．Because what the Asian man said was meaningful in the philosophy of life. |
| D．Because the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed. |
| A．Can you recognize a miracle? | B．Is a miracle significant to us? |
| C．When might a miracle occur? | D．Why do we need a miracle? |
