During an exhibition show the skills of disabled people, an armless man used his mouth and feet to repair a watch. He completed the task in just a few minutes at the show, which was held in Beijing last Saturday. Just imagine the tiny parts that make up a watch.You have to wonder how the disabled man developed such a skill.
It was reported that 28-year-old Wang Jianghai lost his arms in an accident when he was five and began learning to repair watches at the age of 17. He has repaired more than 10,000 watches in the past 11years.
What strong self-confidence he must have to overcome the difficulties in getting this skill! What optimism he must have to face the unfairness of his hard life! And what strong determination he must have to go through the hardship in his struggle for a normal life! Such confidence, optimism and willpower are exactly the qualities many physically healthy people lack nowadays. Wang has set a good example for young people.
But today's youth seem to be more interested with their TV stars and pop singers but less interested in learning from the examples of working and studying hard to achieve higher goals. That is undoubtedly the result of the influence of a changing social atmosphere. One must admit that there is a trend towards hedonism in our society. People are increasingly more concerned about material gains than about spiritual pursuits. While adults know they must work hard whatever way they choose to materialize the gains, the younger generation are more likely to seek ease and comforts of their senses.
This pleasure-seeking trend provides a huge market for the entertainment industry and the mass media. The media devote too much coverage to anecdotes of pop and TV stars, which in turn fans wider and stronger enthusiasm for entertainment among the public, especially young people.
Ours is a developing country. Global competition in the growth of national strength presents a demand for China to be quicker in its development. We cannot afford to lose time. We need to make our economy more powerful. To meet this need, all of us should keep our tradition of working hard and overcoming difficulties.
1. Wang Jianghai’s story in the first two paragraphs ________.| A．serves as a description of the trend today |
| B．serves as an introduction to the discussion |
| C．shows a disagreement of views |
| D．show the popularity of the TV stars and pop singers |
| A．Young people are taught by adults to seek pleasure of senses. |
| B．Young people have given up our traditional value of hard working completely |
| C．Young people are not interested in learning from the examples of hard working at all. |
| D．Young people are far too much influenced by too much entertainment news in media. |
| A．a material | B．spiritual gains |
| C．thinking pleasure is the most important | D．amusement |
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【推荐1】Mindfulness practice has exploded in popularity recently. Experimenters of a series of trials revealed mindfulness-based interventions had some benefits for a number of health outcomes. They said, the effects were smaller and less consistent when compared with those of other therapies, and some effects faded soon. Taken together, mindfulness-based interventions are better than nothing but more research is needed to compare them with other therapies.
All mindfulness-based interventions attempt to focus on the present moment. Though “to be present” has psychological benefits, in some circumstances it’s important to be mindless. That is, as you develop skill in new tasks, you can perform them with increasing facility until attention seems to be unnecessary. Everyday examples range from riding a bike to brushing your teeth.
Underlying this state of “automaticity” are mental processes that can be accomplished without paying attention to them. Research revealed paying much attention to what you’re doing can have damaging effects, particularly when you perform tasks that are not intricate at all for you.
In a study, scientist Sian Beilock and her colleagues had skilled golfers play golf under different experimental conditions. In one case, the golfers were simply asked to follow the swing of their club and say “stop” as a sign when they finished their swing. In the second condition, they were instructed to listen for a specific sound while ignoring other noises and say the word “tone” when they heard the target sound. The result showed the skilled golfers performed substantially worse when they zeroed in on their swing than when they concentrated on irrelevant sounds and even when they warmed up.
The important message from this research is that focusing too carefully on well-practiced things can cause mistakes. Of course, you should not resign yourself to going through life on automatic pilot. But there are situations where you should let automaticity take over. The next time you ride a bike, don’t overthink it.
1. What is the experimenters’ attitude to mindfulness?| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Confused. |
| A．Important. | B．Familiar. | C．Interesting. | D．Complicated. |
| A．Words golfers should listen for. |
| B．Interventions golfers faced when playing. |
| C．Things golfers paid attention to. |
| D．Signals golfers gave after finishing swings. |
| A．Sometimes Mindlessness Is Better |
| B．Mindfulness Is a Double-edged Weapon |
| C．Automaticity Plays a Big Role Quietly |
| D．Relaxation Matters More than Attention |
【推荐2】After nearly half a century behind the wheel, Hisao Matsumoto, 85, is not ready to stop driving. “I’m not that old yet,” he says. “I still have 15 more years to go till I reach 100.” Mr.Matsumoto is one of more than 5 million drivers aged 75 or older. A million more will be on the roads by 2021.Worried, the police are trying to persuade many of them out of driving, because over75s are twice as likely to cause a fatal (致命的) accident as younger drivers, according to the National Police Agency (NPA).
Nearly half of older drivers who caused fatal accidents had signs of cognitive impairment (认知障碍). Hundreds of older drivers turn the wrong way into motor ways every year. In January an 85yearold man steered his vehicle into oncoming traffic on a country road, hitting a car and two schoolgirls. Police believe he mistook the accelerator for the brake. The man’s family said he had rejected their requests to hand over his keys many times.
Such stubbornness is common, notes Kazunori Iwakoshi, who heads an NGO that supports elderly drivers. Many drivers argue that they have never had an accident and it is unfair to do that, so they resent themselves being cast aside.
Since last March over75s renewing their licenses must take cognitive tests to screen for dementia (老年痴呆). The NPA expects these changes to take 15,000 drivers off the road each year. Last year more than 250,000 over75s gave up their licenses after their families’ constant stream of persuasion, says Mr.Iwakoshi. His organization publishes a check list for elderly drivers, aimed at getting them to assess their responses themselves.
Mr.Matsumoto is lucky. His city gives pensioners unlimited access to public transport. However, thousands of elderly people are stuck in rural communities with no buses.
1. Why do the police try to persuade elderly drivers to stop driving?| A．To encourage younger drivers to drive safely. |
| B．To reduce the number of deadly accidents. |
| C．To introduce the National Police Agency. |
| D．To stress the significance of safe driving. |
| A．Praise. | B．Support. |
| C．Injure. | D．Dislike. |
| A．Tests to assess elderly drivers’ responses. |
| B．Families’ contributions to traffic safety. |
| C．Ways to renew licenses for elderly drivers. |
| D．Measures to control the number of elderly drivers. |
| A．It can cause some new problems. |
| B．It is popular among elderly drivers. |
| C．It will do elderly drivers more harm than good. |
| D．It brings about easy access to public transport. |
【推荐3】As the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded, conspiracy (阴谋) theories about the virus have become an increasingly visible element of the timeline. Some conspiracy theorists combine their ideas with elements of pseudoscience (伪科学) which can result in unfounded beliefs—for example, that 5G technology, vaccines and genetically modified foods are part of a secret plan to spread the virus for purposes of controlling the public. Others point the finger at wealthy charitarians—Bill Gates, for example –accusing such individuals of having released the virus or of using the pandemic to test vaccines on poorer populations.
These theories have significant consequences for individuals and societies, especially when they are supported by political and business leaders, or other trusted members of the community. They can decrease people’s willingness to follow social distancing directives and negatively impact people’s views on scientific findings. A pandemic is an especially dangerous time for conspiracy theories.
So why, exactly, do these strange ideas spread, especially among our relatives, friends and neighbors who otherwise seem like reasonable citizens who take notice of scientific evidence and make sensible decisions about the health and safety of their families?
Belief in conspiracy theories has roots in a number of factors. For example, those who have suffered misfortune are more likely to support conspiracy theories as a means of explaining their undesirable lot in life. But when it comes to a global pandemic—and the deaths and collapsing economy that it has brought about—three factors are key: uncertainty, anxiety and powerlessness.
The less people feel in control of their world, the more likely they are to seek out ways to restore control—to fight their sense of powerlessness. When events are out of our control, the psychological burden can be relieved by turning to alternative explanations for these events. In this case, we might choose to believe that the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, was created in a lab and intentionally spread to cause harm. Such conspiracy theories explain what has happened and why, and offer us psychological relief.
The story is similar for anxiety and uncertainty. The pandemic has increased people’s worries about their physical, mental and economic health both in the short term and in the distant future. Conspiracy theories cannot remedy these circumstances. However, they can provide peace of mind that these unpleasant consequences are no fault of one’s own. Choosing to believe that COVID-19 is a hoax can reduce anxiety by playing down the severity of the circumstances. It’s a purely psychological effect, to be sure—but, then again, we primarily live in our own heads.
To some extent, the object of the conspiracy theories –the virus –is itself the source of the undesirable psychological states that promote belief in such theories. But this is not to say that our minds, and the conspiracy theories they adhere to, are completely at the mercy of an unmanageable virus. Political and social leaders can ease pandemic-caused anxiety and uncertainty by visibly taking the threat seriously, including steps to promote public health and to reduce the negative economic impact on people. And avoiding engaging in conspiracy theories themselves could limit the likelihood of the public turning further toward conspiracy theories for relief.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that __________.| A．conspiracy theories about coronavirus are not rare with the spread of COVID-19. |
| B．people are likely to be misguided by conspiracy theories based on pseudoscience. |
| C．charitarian as Bill Gates is, he purposely released the virus in order to test new vaccines. |
| D．the general public aren’t convinced that genetically modified foods help spread the coronavirus. |
| A．Serious economic consequences. |
| B．Decreased faith in influential figures. |
| C．Increased support for public health orders. |
| D．Public suspicion over scientific findings. |
| A．reduced the severity of the COVID-19 crisis |
| B．scientifically explained the origins of the coronavirus |
| C．offered psychological relief in the current circumstances |
| D．predicted the long-term economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis |
(1) avoid talking about conspiracy theories
(2) deal with the COVID-19 crisis seriously
(3) explain how ridiculous these theories are
(4) stress that everything will return to normal
| A．(1)(2) | B．(3)(4) | C．(1)(3) | D．(2)(4) |
【推荐1】The conclusion of the Paris Agreement in 2015，in which almost every nation committed to reduce their carbon emissions(排放)，was supposed to be a turning point in the fight against climate change.But many countries have already fallen behind their goals.Meanwhile emissions worldwide continue to rise.
The only way to catch up is to aggressively pursue an approach that takes advantage of every possible strategy to reduce emissions.Wind and solar energy are usually part of this effort，but it must also include investing heavily in carbon capture(碳捕捉)，utilization(应用)and storage(CCUS)—a range of technologies that pull carbon dioxide from the air，and transform it into useful materials or store it underground.Although CCUS has been opposed as too expensive and unproved，recent gains have made it far more effective.Improvements such as chemical compounds could drive the cost down from $1 00 per ton of captured carbon in 20 16 to $ 20 per ton by 2025，according to a 2016 article in Science.
Three primary CCUS paths lead to the reduction of carbon emissions:retrofitting(改装)existing power plants；reducing emissions in industries that cannot run on renewable energy；and directly removing carbon from the air.Cutting emissions from existing electric power stations with CCUS could be made more appealing in a future with a circular carbon economy，in which captured carbon could be resold and recycled for other uses——for instance，serving as a raw material for making concrete or plastics.
The basic idea of carbon capture has faced a lot of opposition.Skepticism has come from climate change deniers，who see it as a waste of money，and from passionate supporters of climate action, who fear that it would be used to justify continued reliance on fossil fuels.Both groups are ignoring the recent advances and the opportunity they present.By limiting investment in decarbonization，the world will miss a major avenue for reducing emissions in a variety of industries.CCUS can also create jobs and profits from what was previously only a waste material by creating a larger economy around carbon.
The transition to clean energy has become necessary.But that transition’s ability to achieve deep decarbonization will become less effective without this wide range of solutions，which must include CCUS.
1. What can CCUS technologies do in reducing emissions?| A．Closing down existing power plants. |
| B．Limiting investment in heavy industry. |
| C．Processing raw materials underground. |
| D．Turning carbon dioxide into useful materials. |
| A．It can remove carbon directly from the air. |
| B．It can benefit the industry economically. |
| C．It is the most affordable way to capture carbon. |
| D．It helps power plants produce concrete or plastics. |
| A．Fossil fuels will be no longer used in future. |
| B．Investing in decarbonization is a worthwhile project. |
| C．Climate change deniers believe in the necessity of decarbonization. |
| D．Little progress has been made in the fight against carbon emissions. |
| A．Capture That Carbon | B．Let Carbon Go |
| C．Stand Firm with Energy Protection | D．Say Goodbye to Energy Crisis |
【推荐2】Literature is an important part of a total language arts program at all grade levels because of the many benefits it offers.
Literature provides pleasure to listeners and readers.It is a relaxing escape from daily problems,and it fills leisure moments.Making time for recreational reading and using high-quality literature help to develop enthusiastic readers and improve achievement.Developing a love of literature as a recreational activity is possibly the most important outcome of a literature program.
Literature builds experience.Through reading,children expand their horizons through vicarious(引起共鸣的)experiences.They visit new places,gain new experiences,and meet new people.They learn about the past as well as the present and learn about a variety of cultures,including their own.They discover the common goals and similar emotions found in people of all times and places. Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly,Giff,a hard survival story,is set in Ireland during the potato hunger of I845,and Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly ,deals with Nazis,resistance,and Jewish persecution(迫害)during World War II.
Literature provides a language model for those who hear and read it.Good literature exposes children to correct sentence patterns,standard story structures,and varied word usage.Children for whom English is a second language can improve their English with the interesting context,and all children benefit from new vocabulary that is woven into the stories.
Literature develops thinking skills.Discussions of literature bring out reasoning related to sequence;cause and effect; character motivation; predictions;visualization of actions, characters, and settings; critical analysis of the story;and creative responses.
Literature helps children deal with their problems.By finding out about the problems of others through books, children receive insights into dealing with their own problems,a process called bibliotherapy. Children might identify with Gilly,living angrily in a foster home in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins,or with Mary Alice,a city girl forced to live with her grandma in a“hick town"in Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder.
1. What is likely to be the most significant consequence of a literature program?| A．The habit of reading for pleasure. | B．The lessons learned from works. |
| C．The achievements of language skills. | D．The ways of thinking developed by reading. |
| A．To introduce two great masterpieces.. |
| B．To expand children's horizons in literature. |
| C．To prove literature includes a variety of cultures. |
| D．To give examples of books that provide such experiences. |
| A．educational | B．practical |
| C．changeable | D．reliable |
| A．Power of Books | B．Ways of Reading |
| C．Source of Human Progress | D．Benefits of Literature |
【推荐3】A recent story in the Wall Street Journal newspaper looked at students who went to celebrated universities such as Columbia and New York University, for advanced degrees in subjects like art, film and even social work. Many of the students said they learned a lot. However, when they graduated, they were deep in debt and did not think they would find work that would let them pay back their loans.
Students said they spoke with Columbia about the high cost of advanced arts degrees but never received a reasonable answer. Education experts say the school is very wealthy, with large funds. The University, however, prefers to ask the students to pay the full cost.
Kevin Carey is a higher education expert for New America, a public policy research center. He called master’s degrees “a scam” in a conversation. “Charging people a ton of money to go into any artistic career is often super problematic,” he said.
Castillo is an actor in New York City. He earned an MFA from The Actors Studio in New York City. Was his MFA worth the cost? “I do think it was worth it. I don’t put a price tag on my education or my experience. I think it’s sort of unfortunate that so many people take education for granted.” Castillo said students who are thinking about an advanced degree in art should be sure they are doing it because they value the education, not because they want money or to be famous.
Plazinska is a filmmaker in New York City. She attended graduate school both at Baylor University in Texas and at the University of Lowa. Arts graduate programs can help students meet and make friends with fellow artists with whom they can work throughout their careers. For school to be of value, students need to remember why they started making art in the beginning. “It’s just for the pure pleasure of creating and fulfilling myself this way.”
1. What’s the problem for students in famous universities for art advanced degrees?| A．They can’t take loans. | B．They can’t find any work. |
| C．They may be heavily in debt. | D．They may drop out of university. |
| A．Way. | B．Trick. | C．Skill. | D．Game. |
| A．He thinks highly of it. |
| B．It’s a waste of money. |
| C．He takes it for granted. |
| D．It brings him fame and money. |
| A．Arts graduate programs ensure a promising future. |
| B．Students had better consider whether they can afford the fee. |
| C．Arts graduate programs introduce celebrity artists to their students. |
| D．Students should stick to their original purposes while learning. |
