A few years ago, Charles Barkley got into a lot of trouble for making the observation that sports figures didn't need to be role models. Thousands of fans and professional journalists were cross at this attack on the fundamental principle that the person who jumps highest must aim highest and the person who handles the running back must also be able to deal with life's problems with grace as well.
The problem is not that we look to these people for perfection when they take off their uniforms. It's that we expect anyone to be our representatives for perfection. That's stupid and it makes the rest of us down here lazy.
I get the importance of having heroes, the people who inspire us to cultivate the best potential within us and nurture our better angels. I personally have many heroes, from my mother, Lucy, to my favorite law professor, Howard. But these are personal contacts, people who have-actually touched my hand and my heart, and who occupy a pedestal（基座）built of my own experiences and aspirations. To look at an athlete or an actress with high salary and demand that he or she match our dreams is not only a waste of time, but it's dangerous. The danger comes in how this type of hero worship dehumanizes both the object of affection and the person who blindly adores. That was Barkley's point, not that we should give public figures a pass for being faulty but that we shouldn't abandon our own moral compasses and look to them for true north.
Recently on a television program I participated in, the discussion turned to Kathleen Kane. Someone suggested that the fact that the first female attorney general（首席检察官）in Pennsylvania was really messing things up could have unfortunate consequences for women seeking elected office. I offered the opinion that Kane was unquestionably criticized and that it was not hatred towards woman but incompetence at the root of the attacks. After the show aired, I had people emailing to tell me that I was either a traitor（叛徒）for publicly attacking a fellow female when we need to stand together behind this "role model", or a fool for not going a step further to say that this incompetent lawyer had made it harder for all women to move to the next level.
How depressing! Why should the inferior performance of one woman lead to such diverse but passionate views in people? The answer is obvious: Kane has stopped being an attorney general but has instead become The First Female Attorney General. She can't just make a mistake and pay the normal consequences.
If we stopped trying to live our lives through the accomplishments of public figures, many of whom look and sound like us, we'd learn how to recognize the heroic character of those we might actually know, and the heroic potential within ourselves. Or, perhaps, the honesty to accept our ordinary humanity.
1. Many people were angry with Charles Barkley mainly because________.| A．he broke fundamental principles in life | B．he was not good enough to be a role model |
| C．he doubted the perfection of some sports figures | D．he thought sports figures could have weaknesses |
| A．Because we may let go of our own moral standards. |
| B．Because an athlete or actress cannot match our dreams. |
| C．Because we blindly admire public figures for their faults. |
| D．Because we shouldn't waste time imitating public figures. |
| A．unfairly criticized due to being female | B．the first female attorney general in the US |
| C．less qualified than the public had expected | D．a role model for women seeking elected office |
| A．Be Our Representatives for Perfection | B．Exploration of Our Own Heroic Potential |
| C．Our Unrealistic Expectation of Public Figures | D．Our Conventional Views of Female Politician |
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【推荐1】In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development, of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while sonic seem to be lost in die desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only die winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken-belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What does this passage mainly talk about?| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition. |
| A．those who try their best to win | B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly | D．those who rely on others most for success |
| A．Every effort should be paid back. | B．Competition should be encouraged. |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter. | D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
【推荐2】There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us go through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with wife, husband, child, co-worker, neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is a common manner to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their faces. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am, laughing hard while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor, we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness and bring a little light into our lives.
Therefore, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. According to the passage, humor is necessary and essential because ______.| A．it can pick up people’s spirit |
| B．it can help people get on well with others |
| C．it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world |
| D．it makes people more confident |
| A．facts and descriptions | B．evidence and argument |
| C．examples and conclusion | D．stories and persuasion |
| A．talk about his own understanding of humor |
| B．encourage people to be humorous in daily life |
| C．introduce a practical way to get through daily life |
| D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life |
| A．Indifferent | B．Positive |
| C．Satisfied | D．Critical |
【推荐3】At thirteen, I was diagnosed (诊断) with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”
She glanced down at me through her glasses, “You are not different from your classmates, young man.” I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braile. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots (点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was not different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problem, why should I ever give up?
I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day — with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words, “See what you can do when you keep trying?”
1. What problem did the author meet when he was in class?| A．He didn’t like the teacher. | B．He was not fond of literature. |
| C．The classroom was too noisy. | D．He couldn’t focus his attention in class. |
| A．He managed to cure his blindness. |
| B．He got a good education at school. |
| C．He made an invention which helped the blind. |
| D．He couldn’t see and read for the whole life. |
| A．She encouraged him. | B．She looked down on him. |
| C．She sympathized (同情) him. | D．She was angry with him. |
| A．How to be a great teacher. | B．Keep trying, and you can do it. |
| C．What should you do as a blind. | D．Ways to overcome attention disorder. |
【推荐1】Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16 - year - old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent - child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warm that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the "before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40 - year - olds, were on the ‘after’' side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
1. The underlined word gulf in Para. 3 most probably means ________ .| A．interest | B．distance |
| C．difference | D．separation |
| A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities |
| B．Parents put more trust in their children's abilities |
| C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs |
| D．Parents share more interests with their children. |
| A．follow the trend of the change | B．can set a limit to the change |
| C．fail to take the change seriously | D．have difficulty adjusting to the change |
| A．describe the difficulties today's parents have met with |
| B．discuss the development of the parent - child relationship |
| C．suggest the ways to handle the parent - child relationship |
| D．compare today’s parent - child relationship with that in the past |
【推荐2】When someone asks me what I do first thing in the morning I feel ashamed. Then, I have to shamefully admit that I turn my alarm (闹钟) off on my phone and scroll (滚屏) through WeChat. Before I’ve even had the chance to brush my teeth or wash my face I’m already right away attracted by whatever people are doing online. And I know it needs to change.
But the last time I was asked this question was about two months ago and have I changed my ways? Not even a little bit. We all know how unproductive social media(社交媒体) can be. So why is it so easy to get addicted to(沉溺于) a huge mass of pretty pictures, and funny behavior and ideas? And why is it so hard to change? Lisa Lewis, a doctor in Brookline tells me the answer is simple. “It’s because the point of these apps is to keep you looking,” she says. “They want you to buy, and get you to follow and like. Their only purpose is to win your attention.”
She says you must have a purpose when it comes to using any social media apps. “Don’t just go on and scroll.” she explains. “Just like you wouldn’t walk up to the refrigerator and stare at what’s inside for no reason, don’t do the same with social media.” If social media is reducing your productivity and overall health, Lewis offers these steps:
First, set a goal whenever you use a social media app. If you use WeChat to get inspiration to exercise, do that and then get off it. Next, you can use a timer. These days you can set a timer for how many hours a day you spend on social media. Set it and stick to it. And finally, you can create a prize to strengthen the behavior. When you set that timer and stick to it, positively strengthen the behavior with anything from tasty food, to things you’ve been eyeing on Amazon.
1. What can we say about the author according to Paragraph 1?| A．She is shy about answering others’ questions online. |
| B．She cares little about other people’s life. |
| C．She works busily early in the morning. |
| D．She is a heavy user of social media. |
| A．The apps are aimed at attracting users. |
| B．Social media are a good way to kill time. |
| C．People want to communicate with friends. |
| D．Online information is key to most people’s life. |
| A．To show how attractive social media could be. |
| B．To discuss why social media reduce productivity. |
| C．To explain one should use social media when necessary. |
| D．To prove some content of social media is useful. |
| A．Drawing inspiration from social media. |
| B．Using social media according to a timer. |
| C．Trying to save money when shopping online. |
| D．Learning to pay no attention to things you badly want. |
【推荐3】In the digital age, we rely on technology such as social media in trying to build interesting and varied lives. Social networking sites like Facebook are designed and promoted to make us believe enthusiastically that they are able to open up new experiences for us. There are constant notifications (通知), status updates and incentives to check-in to find out what is new.
But if we do not use the technology wisely, we can end up becoming overly attached and trapped in a cycle of social media FOMO, a sign of deeper unhappiness. FOMO, or fear of missing out, is a fear that exciting or interesting events are happening somewhere else and that we are not able to take part.
People who experience high levels of FOMO have been found to be more likely to give in to urges to compose and check text messages while driving, as well as to use Facebook more often directly after waking, while going to sleep and during meals.
When it comes to lasting happiness, it is best not to give in to FOMO, but rather to deal with the cycle of desires that fuel it. Hard as it is, we are better off working toward facing the fearful reality that we cannot experience everything we might like than to get caught in a cycle of checking behaviors that only sustain anxiety.
If we have become accustomed to using social media as part of our attempts at living interesting lives, we must acknowledge that it is not easy to change our approach. But change is almost always worthwhile in the long run.
The fact that FOMO is so common in our digital age is a sign that there is something wrong with the way we are pursuing happiness and that we are not as happy as we might think we are. It should warn us that, in our keenness to use digital technology to try to make ourselves happier, we may unintentionally be bringing on exactly the opposite result.
1. With paragraph 1, the writer aims to tell us that social media _________.| A．is not worthy of our trust | B．tries to attract our attention |
| C．needs to be checked constantly | D．provides new reliable information |
| A．Being afraid of missing a Facebook update. | B．Feeling anxious about socializing with others. |
| C．Posting food photos on social media. | D．Handling multiple tasks at once. |
| A．Select the social media platform that is suitable to your taste. |
| B．Strive to make small changes on a daily basis. |
| C．Acknowledge there are limits to enjoyment in life. |
| D．Get rid of the desire to check social updates |
| A．Influence of FOMO. | B．Wise use of technology. |
| C．Problems FOMO can reflect. | D．Ways of pursuing happiness |
【推荐1】Have you ever wondered why you sometimes take an almost immediate liking to a person you have just met? We often get the first impression of a people based on the color of a person’s skin or the manner in which he or she dressed. Meaning is conveyed not only by words or verbal languages but also by nonverbal communication systems, such as body behaviors.
Nonverbal communication is important because we use the actions of others to learn about their affective emotional states. Our emotions are reflected in our posture, face, and eyes—be it fear, joy, anger, or sadness—so we can express them without ever saying a word .For this reason, most of us rely heavily on what we learn through our eyes.
Nonverbal communication is significant in human interaction because it is usually responsible for the first impressions. More importantly, those first messages usually influence the perception (感知) of everything else that follows. Even how we select friends and sexual partners is grounded in first impressions with nonverbal communication.
Nonverbal communication is important because it is culture-related. It is based on different beliefs, religions, values and customs in different cultures. When, where, how, and to whom people display his or her specific nonverbal behaviors is greatly affected by culture and context. Culture determines what the appropriate nonverbal behavior is.
For example, feelings of friendship exist everywhere but their expression varies. It may be appropriate in some countries for man to embrace each other and for women to hold hands; in other countries these displays of affection may be shocking. Each culture has its own specific interpretation on nonverbal communication. What is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. One culture may determine that snapping fingers to call a waiter is acceptable; another may consider this gesture rude.
1. What is the best title of the passage?| A．Nonverbal communication and first impression |
| B．Nonverbal communication is culture-related |
| C．Nonverbal and verbal communication |
| D．The importance of nonverbal communication |
| A．we can see a person’s feeling on his face. |
| B．a person’s emotions can be reflected through eyes. |
| C．a person’s feeling can be reflected through his body languages |
| D．we can see a person’s feeling through his posture |
| A．Meaning can be conveyed both by words and body language. |
| B．We can use nonverbal communication to learn about a person’s emotional states. |
| C．We often get the first impression by what a person says. |
| D．The first impression can affect what we will do in the following. |
| A．we can use different ways to express friendship |
| B．each culture has its own specific interpretation on nonverbal communication |
| C．snapping fingers to call a waiter is acceptable |
| D．learning a country’s culture is very important. |
I have listened to music all my life. When I was twelve years old, the Beatles came to America and my whole world opened up. Maybe young people today cannot understand the influence of the Beatles when they exploded across America. Their influence changed the way we dressed, looked, acted and spoke... even our culture. The Beatles arrived in America from the UK just under three months after the assassination(暗杀) of President John Kennedy, which had put America into a great depression. And the freshness and lively spirit of the Beatles was exactly what the country needed to refresh itself.
Music links the heart of the hearer with that of the composer. This means that it mixes the spirit of the composer with your spirit when you listen to it. And the music can take your spirit out of your body and transport you into another world. Music has a great way of touching people. Music can make you laugh, cry or shout. It's also a great source of inspiration.
Try this one day and notice what happens: make yourself a cup of tea, sit on your sofa and play one of your favorite songs. Close your eyes, and soon you'll find yourself creating vivid mental images—matching the music that you are listening to.
1. Music has magical power because it ________.
| A．is a kind of language |
| B．can be played much louder than words |
| C．receives a personal radio signal |
| D．can influence a person's spirit |
| A．were the biggest band in American history |
| B．are not accepted by modern American people |
| C．appeared at a special time in American politics |
| D．represented the roots of American culture |
| A．feeling very refreshed |
| B．having emotional changes |
| C．painting some vivid pictures |
| D．feeling inspired by the composer |
| A．has been influenced by the Beatles |
| B．enjoys drinking tea in his spare time |
| C．admires President John Kennedy very much |
| D．likes to match his own feeling with that of the composer |
【推荐3】Should humans explore space? If you ask me, I’ll definitely give a positive answer.
The exploitation (开发) of space has a direct impact on the lives of humans, as well as the state of our world. Satellites moving around the earth enable communication across the world. connecting people of different continents and broadcasting information worldwide. The Global Positioning System (GPS) can identify our location anywhere. Furthermore, weather satellites can forecast harmful weather conditions which allows humans to prepare for deadly natural disasters and save lives.
Space programs can also indirectly contribute to the solution to poverty and world hunger. For example, large plots of land could be used far better if humans applied technologies. The most effective tool is the artificial earth satellite. It can screen areas of land within a very short time, indicating useful measures such as the condition of crops, soil rainfall, and droughts. It can then transmit this information to ground stations on the earth for better use.
In recent years, space-based technologies have become an important factor to reach and expand global health objectives. Information provided by remote technologies can be applied to study the epidemiology (流行病学). This data provided by space technologies can monitor disease patterns, understand the environmental causes that spread it, make predictions about where it can spread in the future, and make plans to fight it efficiently.
Furthermore, access to better education means better life prospects and opportunities for human beings. Rural communities have disadvantaged access to education and satellite communication technologies are trying to bridge this gap. With the advancement of technology, students can now access any information and connect with peers and teachers in different parts of the world via video conferences and the creation of virtual classrooms.
Space exploration is something we can do for future generations. Mankind is using the resources provided on the planet, but these will run out one day. Overpopulation can be an existential threat for all mankind. With the advancement of space technology, it will be wise to use and explore the vast potential of other planets, such as the availability of mining resources on asteroids or other planets.
For the exploration of the universe, perhaps the most advantageous of all is that it will unite us to work together for a common purpose, regardless of our differences.
1. What can space exploitation do according to Paragraph 2?| A．Improve the traffic on the earth. | B．Promote travel between countries. |
| C．Help prevent deadly natural disasters. | D．Help humans communicate and exchange information. |
| A．By benefiting crop production with artificial earth satellites. |
| B．By transporting food worldwide more easily. |
| C．By creating job opportunities for the poor. |
| D．By protecting available land resources. |
| A．Time-wasting | B．Arguable. | C．Necessary. | D．Educational |
| A．Why Space Exploration Is Important? |
| B．Why Humankind Should Keep Exploring? |
| C．Why We Should Improve Space Technology? |
| D．Why Humans Should Keep Developing Technologies? |
