When I zipped through elementary school way back in the 1950s, in English class we were encouraged to express ourselves through creative writing, public speaking or perhaps taking part in some form of drama. And as we shared our creativity we were improving our communication skills. The emphasis here was how best to convey our thoughts and talents as clearly as possible. Yet it seemed that all spoken word exercises were being taught only from the speaker’s point of view, with little or no time spent teaching the fine art of listening.
And that was a missed opportunity because young children are remarkable listeners. They take in words, ideas and speech patterns, quite often without our awareness. Yet somewhere along the way, we teach them to stop listening. Perhaps they would benefit from lessons in selective silence, concentration, while focusing on knowing how to process all incoming information. Sadly, to the best of my knowledge, no such programs are offered.
We seem to allocate less time to actually listening to one another. There is no question that we are a nation of bad listeners. One reason might be the fact that we have become a much more visual society as result of exposure to television, the Internet and all manner of hand-held wireless devices. We tend to be more self-absorbed and primarily focused on hearing ourselves talk rather than listening to others.
I attended a small family gathering a few years ago and almost everyone except my 86-year-old aunt was constantly texting or checking email on their iPhone. It made me wonder why we had bothered get together in the first place as we were paying so little attention to one another. We could just as easily have had an online get-together.
Listening is indeed a rare and special talent. And one that takes a lot of practice. But once you have gotten comfortable with the technique, you might find your next tete-a-tete a whole lot more meaningful. Simply listening for nuances in conversation will provide so much more context and substance for the words you are hearing. Remember, in order to be interesting, you must first be interested. And in conversation, you are supposed to be listening, not waiting to talk.
1. What is the author’s attitude toward the English class in the 1950s?A.Carefree. | B.Tolerant. | C.Favorable. | D.Objective. |
A.We have less time to communicate. | B.We have a sense of self-importance. |
C.The rapid development of technology. | D.The lack of care and understanding for others. |
A.His aunt wasn’t good at listening. |
B.His aunt didn’t like attending family gatherings. |
C.His family members were engaged in hot discussions. |
D.His family members showed little interest in one another. |
A.To lead discussions. | B.To give suggestions. |
C.To create expectations. | D.To make comparisons. |
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【推荐1】Most people who own iPhones use them as their alarm clocks―making it very easy to check emails one last time before falling asleep and hard to ever feel away from work and social networks.
Several years ago, my boss fainted due to exhaustion after staying up late to catch up on work. She banged her head and ended up with five stitches (缝针)―and became what she calls a “sleep evangelist (传教士).” Now she leaves her phone charging in another room when she goes to bed and encourages her friends to do the same.
“I sent all my friends the same Christmas gift―a lovely alarm clock―so they could stop using the excuse that they needed their very attractive iPhones by their beds to wake them up in the morning.” she said.
If your phone wakes you up in the morning, it may also be keeping you up at night. A 2008 study showed that people exposed to mobile radiation took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in deep sleep. “The study indicates that during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals, components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are severely affected,” the study concluded.
A quarter of young people feel like they must be available by phone around the clock, according to a Swedish study that linked heavy cellphone use to sleeping problems, stress and depression. Unreturned messages carry more guilt when the technology to deal with them lies at our fingertips. Some teens even return text messages at midnight.
Most of us choose not to set limits on our nighttime availability. Nearly three quarters of people from the age of 18 to 44 sleep with their phones within reach, according to a 2012 Time poll. That number falls off slightly in middle age, but only people aged 65 and older are leaving the phone in another room as common as sleeping right next to it.
1. Why did the author’s boss start to enjoy sleeping?A.Her friends encouraged her to sleep on time. |
B.Mobile phones couldn’t wake her up on time. |
C.Her friends sent her a lovely clock to wake her up. |
D.She got hurt due to working too late. |
A.Alarm clocks don’t give off any radiation. |
B.Alarm clocks are better at waking her friends up. |
C.She advised them to replace phones with alarm clocks. |
D.She used alarm clocks to remind them not to work too late. |
A.Mobile radiation makes people unable to fall asleep. |
B.Mobile phones can release 884 MHz wired signals. |
C.Sleep can help people fight against radiation. |
D.Components of sleep can be seriously affected by wireless signals. |
A.How Mobile Phones Affect Sleep |
B.Why Alarm Clocks Are Better than Phones |
C.How we can sleep better at night |
D.How Mobile Phones Affect Health |
【推荐2】If you picnic in a Texas park, chances are you’ll encounter fire ants — a kind of pest that can deliver painful bites. This invasive (入侵的) species, like many others, is not only annoying but also destructive.
An invasive species is any kind of living thing that isn’t native to an ecosystem and causes harm. Sometimes non-native species are imported by accident, like in the 1930s when ships from South America inadvertently took fire ants to North America. Other times non-native species are imported deliberately. Some types of Asian fish that were originally imported to the U.S. from China to clean fish farms escaped and entered rivers. Green iguanas were brought to China, as pets, but irresponsible owners released them.
Non-native species have even been imported for emotional reasons. A man once released dozens of European starlings (八哥) in New York in an effort to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s writings to America. Today, millions of starlings cause over $800 million in damage to U.S. agriculture every year. Invasive species’ global economic influence is also enormous. The U.S. government assesses that invasive species cost the American economy over $120 billion every year.
Invasive species can damage their host habitats by unbalancing local ecosystems. They often lack natural enemies in their new environment and out-compete native species for food and other resources. They also might feed on local species. Invasive species can also carry diseases for which local species have no immunity (免疫力). This can result in the loss of an entire native species.
Invasive species are among the leading threats to native wildlife. About 42% of threatened or endangered species are at risk due to invasive species. Unless people take serious action, the economic and environmental costs of invasive species will become disastrous.
1. What does the underlined word “inadvertently” mean in paragraph 2?A.Separately. | B.Regularly. |
C.Temporarily. | D.Unexpectedly. |
A.To satisfy his wish. |
B.To raise them as pets. |
C.To copy Shakespeare’s behavior. |
D.To do agricultural experiments. |
A.Food shortage for native people. |
B.Serious economic imbalance. |
C.Economic and environmental problems. |
D.Dangerous diseases for humans. |
A.Wildlife Conservation |
B.Protecting Native Species |
C.Environmental Protection Measures |
D.Our Unwelcome Guests |
【推荐3】Many on the Mountain
We often see people waiting in lines at supermarkets, theatres and amusement parks. Surprisingly, some people even have to wait in line at the summit (顶峰) of Qomolangma in the Himalayas.
The best time to climb the Himalayas is during the months of April and May, as well as some days in September and October. "In these periods of recent years, the path contains rocks and deep crack from melting ice due to the warm weather, which make expeditions up the mountain more dangerous," said Apa, an experienced Nepalese guide. During this year's climbing season, crowds of climbers became stuck in a long line near the summit. The line is above the mountain's highest campsite—about 8,000 meters above sea level.
However, most people can only spend a few minutes at the summit without extra oxygen supplies. Twenty-one mountaineers have died in the Himalayan mountains so far this year, according to Gripped, a magazine dedicated to mountain climbing. Eleven of these climbers died on Qomolangma.
This death count marks a four-year high. Overcrowding, inexperience and poor weather have been the most common causes of death, USA Today reported.
After these tragedies, one question remains: Why do so many people risk their lives to climb the mountain? The answer differs from climber to climber. Studies suggest that people who take risks tend to perceive themselves differently than people who avoid risky activities. But for adventurers who are drawn to the Himalayas, reaching the summit of Qomolangma is a lifelong dream, according to Discovery News.
"Qomolangma is like a light to bugs that attracts people once they hear about it. It represents the ultimate for many people," US mountaineer Alan Arnette said. Technological advances have also encouraged more people to climb the mountain. People can get high-tech safety equipment more easily than before. And with the internet, climbers know better than ever about how to reach the summit safely, Yahoo Travel noted.
1. What do we know from the USA Today report?A.21 climbers have lost their lives on Qomolangma this year. |
B.This year's climber death count is four times more than last year's. |
C.Climbers who have less experience may have a higher risk of death. |
D.Climbers can only spend a few minutes at the summit of Qomolangma. |
A.Think. | B.Promise. | C.Change. | D.Pretend. |
A.The risks on Qomolangma. | B.Mountaineers' lifelong dream. |
C.Causes of mountaineers' deaths. | D.Reasons for climbing Qomolangma. |
【推荐1】A hobby is any activity a person likes to do in his spare time. So those who get busy in their activity never get bored in their free time. Hobbies vary from person to person. Hobbies are of different kinds. They can be indoors or outdoors. Some are costly and some are cheap. Pursing a particular hobby is a matter of personal choice.
My favorite hobby is coin collection. It is also one of the oldest hobbies of the world and is also called “hobby of the Kings”, as in the old times, it was only done by kings and elite(精英)class of the society. It started for me some years back when my father used to come back from his foreign tours and give me coins of different countries. I started collecting then in my money box and after that I always used to wait for my new coins as much I used to wait for my father.
Since then, it has become my favorite hobby. This hobby has given me information about different countries of the world. I have got to know about important personalities of the different countries.
This hobby has made me be responsible to take care of important things at very young age. I have learnt dealings of different currencies(货币)on my foreign tours and save money for my favorite hobby. I feel extreme pleasure in showing my collection to others. It has also taught me this lesson that A LIFE WITHOUT A HOBBY IS JUST LIKE FOOD WITHOUT SALT.
1. What decides a person’s hobby?A.Whether he has free time. |
B.It is up to the person himself. |
C.Whether the hobby is expensive or cheap. |
D.Whether the hobby can be indoors or outdoors. |
A.In the past, only the kings and upper class could collect coins. |
B.The king could collect coins from all over the world. |
C.Only the king could collect coins. |
D.Kings had enough money to collect coins. |
A.the author goes to foreign countries to collect coins |
B.collecting coins has changed the author’s life greatly |
C.the author likes to save money |
D.the author’s father used to go abroad |
【推荐2】You scroll through Instagram and like every post you see. You read an acquaintance’s story as soon as they post it. You leave a comment on a post or two. Then it hits you: Didn’t you just leave a comment on that person’s post yesterday? And the day before that? And last week?
An Instagram creep is someone who offers unprompted significant attention online to certain individuals they’ve taken an interest in. It is a strategy to send a signal of affection -whether it is to a romantic partner, or a close friend, but it can also be perceived as being too much, too interested and too involved. At worst, it might be seen as being possessive, as the person absolutely has to be the first to comment, to establish his importance in front of others.However, not every Instagram creep has the same intentions, with some lighthearted and innocent. “For example, people who have a higher frequency of being online may have a higher likelihood of seeing the posts quickly, “said Maryanne Fisher, a psychology professor at St.Mary’s University in Canada. “In a way, it could be simply an exposure effect.”
“If you feel like you’re the creeper, there’s a quick way to fix the problem. Resisting the urge to comment or like every post would be helpful,” Fisher said. It’s important to be aware that while you might be doing it to express affection, it can be perceived as being possessive. You should ask yourself what your intention is. What need is getting met by that behavior? If it makes the recipient feel uncomfortable and excessive, that should be attended to. If it’s a pattern and if it’s a “need”, then there might be something more significant going on.
All told, remember that anything you put on the Internet has consequences. If you think you’re being creepy even for a second, take time to separate yourself from it.
1. Who is likely to be an Instagram creep?A.An old man unfamiliar with social media. |
B.A young guy having a preference for a certain brand. |
C.A woman having a tendency to talk online with friends. |
D.An adult who is paying special attention to his friend’s Instagram update. |
A.Ways to fix the problem. |
B.Effects on the recipients. |
C.Possible reasons for being creepy. |
D.Differences between serious and lighthearted creepers. |
A.The person likes the behaviour. |
B.The person wasn’t aware of that. |
C.The person might not feel at ease. |
D.The person might feel like the creeper. |
A.Less is more. |
B.Look before you leap. |
C.Love me,love my dog. |
D.Put the cart before the horse. |
【推荐3】Have you ever thought of quitting your job when you feel exhausted? Maybe most of you would say “yes”. After a particularly busy period at work, I decided to get away from it all by going on a hike in the mountains in southern France.
Before I left, I read an interesting story in a magazine. It read, “Once, while I was riding on a crowded bus, the man sitting next to me threw his cell phone out of the window when his phone rang. I was surprised. He looked at me, shrugged (耸耸肩) and looked away. I had no idea whether it was his or stolen or whether he even knew what a cell phone was or not, but he clearly wanted to be free of it, because it clearly troubled him.”
Billions of people across the world use cell phones. Though cell phones are a wonderful way for communication, they often do the exact opposite. Using cell phones can increase stress within families and friends.
So when I recently returned home, I got rid of my cell phone. Now I go outside without taking my phone with me. I’ve noticed things in my neighborhood I never noticed before, such as gardens. I’ve met new people, started conversations with neighbors I didn’t speak to before and talked with some of my friends face to face instead of chatting over the phone.
Instead of keeping me off from the world, stopping using my cell phone has helped me get even closer to my family and friends.
1. According to the story, the man on the bus threw away his cell phone because .A.it didn’t work properly | B.it was stolen from someone else |
C.he didn’t like the phone’s style | D.he didn’t want to be bothered by it |
A.are too expensive for many people |
B.are of no use to the author |
C.can also get people into trouble |
D.can make life more interesting |
A.He wants to own a garden now. |
B.He always chatted with his neighbors. |
C.He used to take his cell phone when going outside. |
D.He once threw away his cell phone. |
A.tell us not to let cell phones control our lives |
B.encourage others to hike with him in France |
C.share his experiences in France with us |
D.teach us how to get along with neighbors |