There have been many problems with our schools today, the biggest of which is closely related to our culture. In general, our culture, as represented in the media, gets excited by famous stars, and constantly stresses that it's what you have, not what you are, that counts. Parents are encouraged to be away from even very small children for most of the day. Too many voters go for politicians who would rather cut school funding (基金）than to get rid of tax cuts for the wealthy. All contribute greatly to the problems of educating our children.
Today's teachers have to deal with a culture that is vastly different than in the past. They report that there is, among more children than ever, a lack of motivation, no drive to succeed or even try. The role models that boys view in the media mostly consist of men in comedies and other shows who are rude and often extremely immature: self-centered overpaid athletes; men in movies, television dramas, video games, etc. who are preoccupied with violence and power. As Leonard Sax wrote in "Boys Adrift". "Teenage boys are looking for models of mature adulthood. but we no longer make any collective effort to provide such models. "Girls are attacked not only with such annoying images (形象）of males. .but also with women who are preoccupied with appearance and are extremely materialistic.
In such a cultural environment, it is more important than ever to have responsible, loving and caring parents who have enough time and motivation to devote to their children and see to it as their duty to model for them and raise them with high standards of honesty and responsibility along with tending to their physical needs. They need to care enough to see that their children are not attacked with the garbage that comes from movie, television and computer screens. In today s culture, they are basically alone in this effort since, unfortunately, so much is working against them.
Until we, as a culture, face the truth about ourselves-that we are not providing adequately for a great many of our children--the storm will continue to rage (肆虐）over our education system.
1. How is paragraph 1 mainly developed?| A．By analyzing causes. | B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. | D．By using time order. |
| A．Narrow access to entertainment. | B．Poor understanding abilities. |
| C．Few materialistic models. | D．Little desire for success. |
| A．devote more to their children |
| B．find honest models for their children |
| C．keep their children away from computers |
| D．help their children develop motivation |
| A．Positive. | B．Ambiguous. |
| C．Dissatisfied. | D．Approving. |
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【推荐1】A study of 3,884 students from primary schools to colleges found that examinations made 83.1 percent of primary students anxious, and more than 40 percent of high school children were out of sorts (身体不适) because of stress and anxiety.
Moreover,75 percent of the high school respondents admitted, that they had problems talking to their parents and more than 55 percent of them found it hard to associate with other people, according to the study.
It is not difficult to conclude that our children are not happy.
Today’s kids are coming home from school weighed down with backpacks full of books and worksheets. They are spending hours at desk at night, seldom going outside to play and getting to bed late.
How can this be a good thing? Homework is eating away children’s time to play freely with neighborhood kids-and more importantly, their time to sleep.
Homework can enrich the education process. But like all things, too much of it may dampen (减少) a student’s enthusiasm for learning. To raise cheerful, contented and well-mannered children, parents need to put in a lot of time and effort. Their eyes should go beyond their children’s preparations for tests. Children need a break too. So let them be in control of parts of the day.
1. What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．High school students suffer more than primary school students. |
| B．Most of the students have no problem talking to their parents. |
| C．The teenagers suffer from heavy workload. |
| D．The students are not happy at home. |
| A．They have to take their backpacks. | B．They have to stay up late. |
| C．They have to eat more. | D．They have more time to play outdoors. |
| A．They should spend more time with their children. | B．They need to ask their children to work hard? |
| C．They should not care about their children’s test results. | D．They need to give children more free time. |
| A．Negative. | B．Supportive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Uncertain |
| A．电脑 | B．书包 | C．药物 | D．衣服 |
【推荐2】Greece has criticized the United Kingdom for canceling (取消) a planned meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, apparently so that Sunak could avoid talking about ancient artefacts (历史文物) that Greece says were taken illegally. Mitsotakis and Sunak were set to meet on Tuesday, but Sunak canceled it on Monday, reportedly after learning that Mitsotakis planned to talk about the Parthenon sculptures.
The UK government initially believed Mitsotakis would not talk about the sculptures, which are now in the British Museum. The sculptures were once part of the Parthenon in the Greek capital Athens. The row (纠纷) became more serious after Mitsotakis told the BBC on Sunday the UK’s offer to store some of the sculptures in London and some in Athens was akin to cutting the Mona Lisa in two. He also said the sculptures had been essentially stolen.
Mitsotakis said he was deeply disappointed by the abrupt cancellation of the meeting. “Those who firmly believe in the correctness and justice of their positions are never hesitant to engage in constructive argument and debate,” he was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. The BBC reported that sources in the Greek government were puzzled and annoyed by the meeting cancellation.
Greece has long criticized the way in which the Parthenon sculptures ended up in London, after they were bought by British diplomat Lord Elgin and shipped to the UK between 1801 and 1804. Because the two nations disagree on the legality of the deal and have firm positions, they have tended to avoid talking about the issue during high-level diplomatic meetings.
The UK’s Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on the BBC’s Breakfast program on Tuesday that it was regretful that the prime ministers would not meet during Mitsotakis’UK visit. He said Mitsotakis had been offered the chance to meet instead the UK’s deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, but he had refused the meeting. “The views of Greece on the Parthenon sculptures are well known,” Mitsotakis was quoted by The Guardian as saying. “I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with UK Prime Minister along with other international challenges. ” The UK’s opposition Labour Party criticized Sunak for canceling the meeting and said his behavior appeared disrespectful.
1. Which can replace the underlined phrase “akin to” in paragraph 2?| A．Contrary to. | B．Similar to. | C．Relevant to. | D．Adapted to |
| A．An Englishman purchased them and sent them there. |
| B．Some stole them and sold them to a British diplomat. |
| C．The then Greek government presented them to the UK as a gift. |
| D．The then British army took them by force and transported them there. |
| A．He was too occupied with other affairs. |
| B．He was supposed to meet UK Prime Minister. |
| C．He didn’t approve of his words and behaviors. |
| D．He had arranged for another official to meet him. |
| A．Sunak and Mitsotakis set to meet on Tuesday |
| B．Mitsotakis thinks highly of Greece artefacts stored in UK |
| C．Mitsotakis plans to take back Parthenon sculptures from UK |
| D．Greece’s arguing with UK about artefacts sparks diplomatic row |
【推荐3】A tabletop bean seller in Accra, Ghana has grown her business into a popular fast-selling and highly profitable local restaurant in just under 2 years.
Once upon a time in 2019, Madam Evangeli who sold beans on a tabletop in Accra hadn’t even heard of selling food on the Internet. She started her business selling to only physical walk-in customers. A few months after she started the business, she got introduced to an online food delivery platform — Jumia Food. She was doubtful about it because she didn’t fully understand how the process worked and what the benefits were. After a few days of research, she decided to join as a vendor (小贩) and test the platform.
Just when she added herself to the list on the Jumia Food website, the country was forced into lockdown (封城) in March 2020. Her customer base began to reduce rapidly since there were restrictions (限制) on movement and there were almost no customers around to buy from her. This became a problem since the business was her primary source of livelihood. She sometimes came to work to prepare meals only for a handful of people to buy.
She then remembered that she had listed on Jumia so the love story began. She started using the platform frequently and growing the business during the COVID-19 lockdown. A week later, the number of orders had increased three times and things were getting better. This continued for months as many of her customers now had a way to stay in the comfort of their homes or offices and still get their meals delivered to them safely. Sales started increasing rapidly. Madam Evangeli also has plans to open more shops in other parts of the city in order to support young out-of-work people.
Her life has been changed through the Internet. There are many more food vendors like Madam Evangeli who are benefitting from the power of the Internet. E-commerce (电子商务) is the future and it is important that every stakeholder (参与人) play their part in making sure that more lives are touched through the Internet.
1. What did Madam Evangeli think of selling food online in 2019?| A．It could help to change the poor’s life. |
| B．It could make her food popular. |
| C．It was full of the unknown. |
| D．It was a waste of time. |
| A．She suffered customer losses after lockdown. |
| B．She had no money to run more shops. |
| C．She had no time to prepare meals. |
| D．She couldn’t find a worker. |
| A．It gave many chances to jobless people. |
| B．It helped her to find her true love. |
| C．It failed to draw much attention. |
| D．It developed surprisingly fast. |
| A．People’s life is changing through the Internet. |
| B．E-commerce is a major choice of food vendors. |
| C．People’s attitude towards the Internet differs widely. |
| D．Madam Evangeli has encouraged others to do business online. |
【推荐1】School pupils in England will be grouped into “bubbles” when the new academic year starts in September, with mass activities such as assemblies discouraged under new regulations announced by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
School were shut down in March, 2020. Currently around 1.6 million of the country’s 9 million school-age children are back in the classroom, but the government says a proper return in September is “critical to our national recovery” and attendance will be compulsory.
Social distancing will not be applied in schools, and masks will not be worn, but instead so-called bubbles, based on avoiding contact between individual classes or year groups, will be deployed. This will mean separate start and finish times, and also different times for lunch and playtime.
Pupils will be discouraged from using public transport, which could bring many other challenges. Mobile testing units will be sent to schools which have an outbreak, and schools will have testing kits to give parents if required, but if there are two confirmed cases in 14 days, potentially the whole school could be shut down.
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says, “It will be immediately apparent to anyone reading this guidance that it is enormously challenging to implement. The logistics of keeping apart many different ‘bubbles’ of children in a full school, including whole-year groups comprising hundreds of pupils, is incredible.”
Meanwhile, before the much-anticipated next stage of easing lockdown in England takes place this weekend, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen in 36 local authorities across England. Easing measures have already had to be delayed in the East Midlands city of Leicester, but now other spikes in infection rate are being reported all across England. The areas with the largest increases are Knowsley and Bolton, both in the North West of the country, and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. In Knowsley, close to the city of Liverpool, the rate of infection rose from 6 people out of every 100,000 to 20.
1. What does Gavin’s “Students’ grouped into bubbles” refer to?| A．Setting different time for school activities. |
| B．Asking all students to wear masks at class. |
| C．Keeping social distance among all students. |
| D．Calling on students to take a bus for school. |
| A．two cases of infection are proved in 14 days. |
| B．there is a lack of testing units for pupils |
| C．the attendance of students isn’t enough |
| D．the rate of infection rises from 6 people out of every 100,000 to 20 |
| A．Tolerant | B．Doubtful. | C．Hopeful. | D．Ambiguous |
| A．England has already abolished the lockdown. |
| B．More reports are about the spread of COVID-19. |
| C．The infection of COVID-19 is increasing in England. |
| D．COVID-19 is more serious in England than other countries. |
【推荐2】As the daughter of immigrants, Chanthaphone’s primary language at home was Lao. At 5, she learned to speak English. But she didn’t know how to read and write - let alone how to fit in at school or communicate with classmates. Mrs. Lewis, Chanthaphone’s second-grade teacher, changed everything. She taught her students that it was OK if they did not know English and it was all right for them to use words in their home language to explain how they were feeling or thinking. Chanthaphone got more and more confidence and wanted to do what her teacher did in the future.
Now, at 26, Chanthaphone is an English teacher at Fort Worth ISDs William Monnig Middle School. Like Mrs Lewis, Chanthaphone aims to help her non-English-speaking students to gain the confidence they need to fulfill their potential in life.
At the beginning of each school year, Chanthaphone recounts her story to her new classes She tells them she knows what it feels like not to want to participate in class or raise her hand. She reminds them that she once sat in their seat and felt different because of her upbringing. But she stresses that’s what makes each of them special.
Her students, though, are usually unconvinced. She has to take out photos of her graduating college and tell them about her parents and what her school was like. Then it finally clicks.
In the classroom, Chanthaphone allows students to communicate in whichever way they feel most comfortable. For some, it may be raising their hand and voicing their thoughts. For others, it may be writing their thoughts on a piece of paper and handing it to Chanthaphone.
However, Chanthaphone does encourage her students to go out of their comfort zone. She wants them to work with students they don’t know because teamwork and collaboration with unfamiliar people is important.
“I’ve always wanted to be the teacher who supported students and advocated for them in and outside of classroom,” Chanthaphone said. “When I get notes or see Facebook posts from parents talking about previous teachers, including me, I feel like my goal has been completed.”
1. What do you know about Mrs. Lewis?| A．She is ambitious | B．She is inspiring. |
| C．She is knowledgeable. | D．She is demanding. |
| A．To make a good beginning of her class. | B．To make herself well known to her students. |
| C．To encourage her students to be confident. | D．To push the students to voice their thoughts. |
| A．Students’ strong curiosity. | B．Students’ mental health. |
| C．Students’ unique talent. | D．Students’ communicating ability. |
| A．I was once like you | B．You are the only one |
| C．No one can say no to you | D．Everything can be possible |
【推荐3】When Adora Svitak was twelve years old, she spoke on the TED stage, saying she hates the word "childish" if it's being used to describe irrational （不合理的）demands or irresponsible behavior. She said she has seen enough of that in the adult world, so she knows irrational demands and irresponsible behavior aren't limited to children. In fact, she made the point that adults could learn a thing or two if they'd only open their mind to the possibility that kids have a lot to offer the world.
Even as a kid, Svitak often spoke to educators, making the point that there should be more of a reciprocal （互惠的）relationship between teachers and students. "It shouldn't just be teachers at the head of the classroom telling them to do this or that. The students should teach their teachers," she said.
But she wasn't naive（幼稚的）, and she knew that isn't how many classrooms and schools operate in that way. Her theory is that it's all about trust. Adults always seem to have a restrictive （约束的）attitude towards kids. "Kids have no or very little say in making the rules," Svitak joked.
As a young child, Svitak loved to write. When her mom gave her a computer she wrote over 300 short stories on it. She wanted to get them published, and she was lucky because her parents were on her side. Even though she was turned down by many publishers, eventually she did have a book of short stories published. She was only seven years old then.
After that first success, Svitak has gone on to do more impressive things, something she wishes more kids had the support to do. She says it's important for kids to be heard and contribute when they're young, so they grow up to become a better kind of adult. "The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adults, but rather better adults than you guys have been. Progress happens because new generations and new eras grow and develop, and they become better than the previous ones. It's the reason we aren't in the Dark Ages anymore," she said.
1. What does Svitak think of using "childish" to describe irrational demands?| A．It is unfair for children. | B．It can lead to positive effects. |
| C．It takes no account of adults' needs. | D．It can result in irresponsible behavior. |
| A．Students get along with teachers. | B．Students teach instead of learning. |
| C．Teachers keep telling students what to do. | D．Teachers and students learn from each other. |
| A．They supported her. | B．They had doubt about it. |
| C．They were greatly shocked. | D．They hardly took it seriously. |
| A．Children need to stick to their dreams. |
| B．Parents should satisfy their children's needs. |
| C．Children are advised to imitate their parents. |
| D．Parents should support and expect more from children. |
【推荐1】When going through major life changes, like changing careers, I would change the people with whom I spent the most time. We’ve all gone through periods when the people in our lives have changed — graduation, moving to a new city, getting a new job, joining a new club, etc. I don’t think I need to convince you just how much influence other people can have over your identity. If you’ve ever experienced a major switch in your people environment, then you know that you change as well.
Most people don’t make these choices consciously though. You might consciously decide to spend more time with a certain friend, or you may ask someone out on a date to begin a new relationship. But few people choose their existing friendships deliberately.
There’s no “getting rid of people”. People are always dropping into and out of each other’s lives. Associations grow into friendships, and friendships fade into associations. You don’t get rid of anyone. The truth is that in order to make room for new people and new experiences, you may need to loosen up some of your existing connections.
What about loyalty (忠诚)? Shouldn’t you always be loyal to your friends? Once you have a close friend, even if their influence on you is slightly harmful, shouldn’t you stick by them?
Loyalty to a friend sometimes means having to let go. It means being loyal to their highest and best as well. If someone is destroying his health by smoking, for example, you aren’t showing loyalty by smoking right along with him. True loyally sometimes requires that you break damaging connections, get yourself back on solid ground, and then decide what you can really do to help your friend.
It can take a lot of courage to tell someone, “I’m sorry, but I can’t have you in my life anymore.” But even though this might seem like a selfish act at times, it’s often the best thing for the other person too. If a relationship is holding you back in some way, understand that it is also hurting the other person. For example, if you work for a violent boss, your acceptance of that situation is considered to be silent approval, encouraging your boss to continue to behave violently.
1. When experiencing major life changes, people may ________.| A．join a new social community | B．influence their friends around |
| C．choose their friendships purposely | D．have their people environment changed |
| A．Everyone has at least one friend. |
| B．It is unnecessary to make new friends. |
| C．It is natural for different people to enter or leave one’s life. |
| D．You ought to treat your old and new friend equally. |
| A．Never betray your close friends whatever happens. |
| B．Correct their mistakes while you guard their goodness. |
| C．Stick by your friends even though they do harm to you. |
| D．Break up with your friends immediately if they smoke. |
| A．We should accept what we are told to do. | B．We should stay silent and be in favor of him. |
| C．We should bravely disobey him if he is wrong. | D．We should give our boss courage to continue. |
【推荐2】Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let’s state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It’s said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief — they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender (性别) are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief. Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn’t take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here’s the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors (因素) like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance (毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
1. What’s the author’s attitude towards victors’ standards for joining the genius club?| A．Positive. | B．Objective. |
| C．Skeptical. | D．Unclear. |
| A．They think themselves smart. |
| B．They look up to great thinkers. |
| C．They see gender differences earlier than boys. |
| D．They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs. |
| A．Because of improved global communication. |
| B．Because of less discrimination against women. |
| C．Because of acceptance of victors’ concepts. |
| D．Because of changes in people’s social positions. |
| A．Geniuses Think Alike | B．Genius and the Future World |
| C．Genius and Intelligence | D．Genius May Belong to Different Categories |
【推荐3】How would you feel if moving to a new town meant losing track of your friends? What if the only way of getting news from faraway friends was writing letters that took ages to be sent? This was how things worked not very long ago. Thanks to advances in technology, how we make friends and communicate with them has changed greatly.
Nowadays, we can move around the world and still stay in touch with the people that we want to make friends with. Social media tools let us sec what our friends are up to and keep friendships. All you need is a wi-fi connection.
The digital age also enables us to find people who share our interests, such as collecting model cars or playing an unusual instrument Whatever our hobbies, the Internet can connect us with others who also enjoy doing them, even if they live on the other side of the world.
But when you "friend" people online, does this mean that they really are your friends?
It depends.
If people always exchange true personal information online, then yes, these friendships can be real and meaningful. But we need to keep in mind that what we see on social media is often not the whole truth about a person.
On social media sites, people would like to post only positive updates that make them appear happy and friendly. But smiling photos can hide real problems. Remember the saying: on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. A young person could be old; a woman could be a man; we could even be sharing our information with criminals.
But this doesn't mean that we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. Although technology has changed the way we find friends, the meaning of friendship and our longing for friends is the same. As Aristotle said, no one would choose to live without friends, even if he had all other goods.
1. According to the author, is unnecessary to keep online friendship.| A．writing letters | B．advanced technology | C．a wi-fi connection | D．social media |
| A．It took ages to get news from faraway friends nowadays. |
| B．It’s always harmful to share personal information online. |
| C．Nobody can figure out who you really are on the Internet |
| D．We'd better give up the Internet to avoid getting cheated. |
| A．To show how and why it is better to make friends online. |
| B．To prove that making friends was much easier in the past. |
| C．To make people give up traditional ways of making friends. |
| D．To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of making friends online. |
【推荐1】It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest man would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but a good sense. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behavior of politeness is anything but enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. A typical example is the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in a traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship(公路驾车技能). Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take(互谅互让)from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1. The passage mainly talks about _________.| A．traffic jams | B．good manners | C．road politeness | D．modern drivers |
| A．traffic jams | B．the behavior of the drivers |
| C．the great speed of modern life | D．terrible road conditions |
| A．in no way | B．by coincidence | C．in particular | D．in effect |
| A．master the roadmanship |
| B．neglect politeness when they see it |
| C．give a friendly nod in answer to an act of politeness |
| D．encourage old ladies to cross the road whenever and wherever they want to |
【推荐2】We all know that theme parks are places to have fun and amuse ourselves, but among so many exciting rides there are also some dangers. Make sure you know what the safety standards are for all the attractions at the park. If you do that, you will be safe and have fun.
Drink water. Believe it or not, dehydration—when your body doesn’t have enough water—is the commonest cause of injuries at theme parks. Drinking water while you are at the park is not enough. You must make sure that you drink enough water before your visit.
Use your “common sense”. There are lots of people around, so make sure where your friends or family are. Also, if you are walking and want to stop, make sure nobody is walking behind you. First step aside, then look behind and if you aren’t in anybody’s way, then stop. It might sound exaggerated(夸张的), but crashes between people can cause accidents.
Follow the instructions. The majority of theme parks have instructions for each ride. Some rides only allow people of a certain height. So make sure you are not too tall or too short before boarding any ride. Also, people with certain diseases or conditions are advised not to go on some rides. Do remember: If you are told not to go on a ride, then DON’T.
Do not ride with a bad stomach or if you’ve just eaten. Rides can make you ill because of their violent changes of direction and your lunch may end up on someone else’s head: surely not a very pleasant experience.
Have fun, relax, and be a little brave!
Some rides might look scary but theme parks are very safe places.
1. What is the leading reason for injuries at theme parks?| A．snow | B．dehydration |
| C．fire | D．crashes |
| A．Children should not play in theme parks. |
| B．One shouldn’t eat anything before riding. |
| C．One must always stay with his friends or family in theme parks. |
| D．One must read the instructions before playing in theme parks. |
| A．it doesn’t pay to go to theme parks |
| B．men are more interested in theme parks than women |
| C．people can have lots of fun in theme parks |
| D．shy people should not go to theme parks |
【推荐3】We give toys to kids who otherwise wouldn't have them. Load bags with canned foods for the hungry. Make donations to those who need it. This time of year, it seems, we focus more on doing good and being good. Certainly, that's not a bad thing.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley say that kindness, and related qualities like empathy and compassion are actually a form of self-preservation. Those who give more, get more. The most generous among us have greater influence and are more popular. Whereas, the unkind and unhelpful are more likely to be cast adrift from us. After all, it stands to reason, that if I'm paddling your lifeboat, you'll keep me afloat a little longer.
So, is kindness motivated by our real concern for others or are we do-gooders because it makes us look good and shores up our position in the ecosystem? Probably both. Most of us really enjoy helping others. It makes us feel good, connected, happy and that makes for a healthier more satisfying life. But, it doesn't hurt that we also receive other rewards-status, cooperation, influence-that will help m survive and become successful.
Despite all the benefits, I tend most often toward kindness only when it's convenient. That doesn't mean I have had manners. I say my pleases and thank-yours. I hold the door open for passengers. But, I could be kinder, more often. Sometimes I'm stopped front doing good by just how to do it. Sometimes, I'm just not thinking enough about other to recognize the need. Sometimes, I'm plain, old selfish.
I'm working to be more aware of those around me. To slow down and move with patience and purpose on the freeway. To be more kind. My acts of kindness aren't complex or flashy-I'm not the type. They aren't expensive--I'm too cheap. But those things aren't required. You don't have to feel guilty that your kind gesture wasn't as big as building a school in Africa. Kindness can be a small, simple act and still make an extremely large impact. Notice a need and then consciously offer a bit of you self.
1. What do the researchers believe about kindness?| A．It makes people more and more selfish. |
| B．It reflects the generosity of human nature. |
| C．It advocates doing good or being good. |
| D．It is a behavior for self-protection and survival. |
| A．a quality of sympathy | B．a win-win quality |
| C．a concern for others | D．an approach to donate |
| A．When he does' know others' needs. | B．When someone says he is selfish. |
| C．When he is enjoying a satisfying life. | D．When someone has bad manners. |
| A．should be something impressive | B．starts from some grand and heroic actions |
| C．can be something simple and practical | D．is a matter of awareness in cooperation |
