What are pillows really stuffed with? Not physically, but symbolically? The question occurred to me with the photos in the news and social media from the 50 cities around the world that staged public celebrations for International Pillow Fight Day. Armed with nothing more than bring-our-own sacrificial cushions, strangers struck heavily each other in playful feather from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Warsaw to Washington DC. But why? Is there anything more to this delightful celebration?
As a cultural sign, the pillow is deceptively soft. Since at least the 16th Century, the humble pillow has been given unexpected meanings. The Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu tells a famous story about a wise man who meets a depressed young scholar at an inn and offers him a magic pillow filled with the most vivid dreams of a seemingly more fulfilling life. When the young man awakens to discover that his happy 50-year dream has in fact come and gone in the short space of an afternoon’s nap, our impression of the pillow’s power shifts from wonder to terror.
Subsequent writers have likewise seized upon the pillow. When the 19th-Century English novelist Charlotte Bronte poetically observed “a ruffled (不平的) mind makes a restless pillow”, she didn’t just change the expected order of the adjectives and nouns, but instead she made unclear the boundaries between mind and matter — the thing resting and the thing rested upon.
It’s a trick perhaps Bronte learned from the Renaissance philosopher Montaigne, who once insisted that “ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head”. On Montaigne’s thinking, intelligence and happiness confront each other forever in a pillow fight that only one can win.
With the words of Tang. Bronte, and Montaigne, we can perhaps more easily measure the attraction of the global pillow fight. Like a ritual of release, the annual international pillow fight amounts to a kind of cleansing, a brushing off of daily worries: an emptying of the world’s collective mind. Rather than a launch-pad for weightless rest, the pillow is a symbol of heavy thought: an anchor that drags the world’s soul down — one that must be lightened.
1. The example of Tang Xianzu is used to illustrate that ________.A.pillows symbolically convey the meaning in contrast to their soft appearance |
B.people’s impression of pillows changes from wonder to terror |
C.dreams are always wonderful while the real world is cruel |
D.pillows give people satisfactory dreams |
A.pillows give us comfort |
B.pillows make people more intelligent |
C.people can easily fall asleep when they know nothing |
D.people with too many thoughts have less inner peace |
A.Because it contains a profound meaning of life. |
B.Because it comforts restless minds. |
C.Because it makes life delightful. |
D.Because it is a ritual release. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】A huge lake of salty water appears to be buried deep in Mars,scientists reported this week.The presence of water raises the chances of finding life on the red planet.The discovery is based on observations by a European spacecraft.It has excited experts.Water is necessary for life,and scientists have long hoped to prove that it is present on Mars.
Cassie Stuurman is a geophysicist at the University of Texas.In 2016,she found evidence of a huge ice deposit(沉积)on Mars.“If these researchers are right,this is the first time we’ve found evidence of a large water body on Mars.”Stuurman said.Researchers are not yet sure how deep the area of water is.So,they cannot say whether it is an underground pool,or just an area of soft and wet soil.
In order to find the water,Italian researchers examined radar signals.The signals were collected over three years by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft.The results suggest that a 20-kilometer-wide water body lies below ice that is 1.5 kilometers thick.They believe the area is close to the planet’s southern pole.
Mars is very cold,but salt in the water may have kept it from freezing.It is the same as when you put salt on a road to prevent ice from forming.The water would be extremely cold,right at the point where it’s about to freeze.And it would be salty.Such conditions are not ideal for life to form.But,she said there are bacteria on the earth that have been able to survive in similar conditions.
Mars has been a popular planet for exploration,with some groups placing instruments on its surface and others examining it from space.In May,NASA launched another spacecraft,the InSight Mars lander which will dig deep into the data under the surface after it reaches a flat area of the planet in November.
1. Where do the Italian researchers believe the water body on Mars is?A.In a poo1. |
B.Above ice. |
C.In soft and wet soil. |
D.Near the southern pole of Mars. |
A.It is probably filled with creatures. |
B.It flows on the surface of Mars. |
C.It is mainly in the form of solid. |
D.It is probably at the freezing point. |
A.Dig a hole to protect the lander itself. |
B.Explore the surface of Mars. |
C.Gather information under the surface of Mars. |
D.Examine Mars from space. |
A.Life used to exist on Mars. |
B.Researchers find new species on Mars. |
C.Mars will be the humans’second home. |
D.Water is buried beneath Mars’surface. |
【推荐2】Grab an ice cube from the freezer and place it on a table. Watch closely enough and you will see, well, not much at all. The ice cube is absorbing heat, but it is still an ice cube. Before it melts, it will draw heat from the environment to change from solid to liquid. Only then will it begin to slip and slide in a puddle of its own making.
And so to A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack, retired professor of geophysics at the University of Michigan and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that shared the 2007 Nobel peace prize with AI Gore.
The book gets off to a slow start. You may have to work a little before being rewarded. But given time. Pollack’s account warms up and really takes off. The story he has to tell is fascinating, frightening and important.
Despite the title, this is not a book about the world without ice. Much is given over to the impact of ice in Earth’s long history, as an important force that shaped our planet’s landscape, controlled migrations and influenced cultures. Pollack takes us through Antarctic and Arctic explorations, the natural cycles that bring us ice ages and milder periods without extremes of heat or cold and the rise of climate science which, among other achievements, can recreate a history of the temperature on Earth from kilometers of ice core drilled from the polar caps.
Pollack’s intellectual power and clarity of phrase are invaluable in describing the scientific evidence for global warming, the ways in which it will affect the world, and the all-too-probable consequences. Pollack is not one to brush awkward issues under the carpel. There is serious discussion about uncertainties in climate science, and in particular the computer models used to forecast future warming. For its forensic analysis (取证分析) and strong destruction of climate sceptic (怀疑论者) arguments alone, A World Without Ice is worth keeping on a nearby shelf.
Some readers may hind Pollack’s US-centric approach occasionally grating (刺耳的). He tells of intense irrigation in southwestern Kansas, IPCC reports as big as several New York City phone directories and school-day stories from Omaha. But this is forgivable. The US is uniquely placed to act on climate change but faces a significant barrier in the shape of the outdated. influential, oil-funded anti-climate change lobby (游说议员的团体).
Thoughtful throughout, Pollack occasionally delivers paragraphs that stay with you long after closing the book. On the subject of the book itself, he writes: “Nature’s best thermometer (温度计), perhaps its most sensitive and unambiguous indicator of climate change, is ice, When ice gets sufficiently warm, it melts. Ice asks no questions, presents no arguments, reads no newspapers, listens to no debates. It is not burdened by ideology and carries no political baggage as it crosses the threshold (门槛) from solid to liquid. It just melts.”
A World Without Ice is a call to arms. Debates about which mitigation (减缓) strategies might give us the best chances of reducing our emissions miss the point, Pollack says. If we want to avoid the worst that climate change may bring, we need “every horse in the stable pulling together, and as hard and as fast as possible”.
Pollack’s argument is attractive, persuasive and deeply upsetting, no matter the climate change tiredness that unavoidably sets in as a consequence of endless media coverage of global warming. The author’s final warning comes from Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher: “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
Pollack leaves us in no doubt as to where that is.
1. A World Without Ice mainly focuses on_______.A.the adventures to the freezing Poles |
B.the impact of ice on human and nature |
C.the role of climate science in drilling ice |
D.the process of ice cube turning into water |
A.brings us to the core of the issue at the very beginning |
B.convinces sceptics of the truth about climate change |
C.gives an in-depth analysis of global warming |
D.gets funded by anti-climate change lobby |
A.Ice is a reminder of peaceful co-existence. |
B.Ice is a common topic of the media coverage. |
C.Ice is a controversial issue in political debates. |
D.Ice is a clear indicator sensitive to climate change. |
A.urges us to make joint efforts to fight climate change |
B.advocates addressing climate change by armed forces |
C.recommends debating on strategies to reduce emission |
D.calls for separate and tough actions in a timely manner |
A.Warning from Lao Tzu. | B.Destination of a journey. |
C.Effect of global warming. | D.Argument on climate change. |
A.Ambiguous. | B.Cautious. | C.Positive. | D.Skeptical. |
【推荐3】You are what you eat-and what you eat may be encoded in your DNA. Studies have indicated that your genes play a role in determining the foods you find delicious or disgusting. But exactly how big a role they play has been difficult to figure out. “Everything has a genetic component even if it’s small,” says Joanne Cole, a geneticist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “We know that there is some genetic contribution to why we eat the foods we eat. Can we take the next step and actually locate the regions in the genome (基因)?”
New research led by Cole has gotten a step closer. Through a large-scale genomics analysis, her team has identified 481 genome regions that were directly linked to dietary patterns and food preferences. The findings, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, were presented last month at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference.
The team based the new study on a 2020 Nature Communications study by Cole and her colleagues that used data from the U.K. Biobank, a public database of the genetic and health information of 500,000 participants. By scanning genomes, the new analysis was able to identify 194 regions associated with dietary patterns and 287 linked to specific foods such as fruit, cheese, fish, tea and alcohol. Further understanding how genetics impact how we eat could reveal differences in nutritional needs or disease risks.
“One of the problems with a lot of these genomics studies is that they’re very small. They don’t have enough people to really be able to identify genes in ways that are credible. This study had a huge group of people, so it’s really powerful.” says Monica Dus, a geneticist at the University of Michigan. “The other thing that I thought was really great is that there are so many different features that they’re measuring related to diet including cholesterol (胆固醇), the body and socioeconomic backgrounds.” As the research advances, Dus says, such genome analysis could potentially assist health care providers and even policymakers to address larger issues that affect food access and health.
It’s definitely true that it may contribute to making sure there aren’t food deserts-areas which have limited access to fresh, healthy and affordable food or to making sure that there’s a higher minimum wage so that everyone can afford to eat, although the journey ahead remains lengthy and challenging.
1. How did researchers conduct the present study?A.By involving a substantial number of participants. |
B.By directly analyzing the data from a public database. |
C.By building on a previous study based on large-scale data. |
D.By identifying genome regions associated with dietary patterns. |
A.Powerful participants were involved in the current study. |
B.The methods employed for the previous studies were credible. |
C.The genome analyses have helped address larger social issues. |
D.Various features linked to diet were considered in the present study. |
A.The benefits of latest large-scale diet-related genome analyses. |
B.The contribution of genes to diet patters and food preferences. |
C.The significance of a newly published diet-related genome discovery. |
D.The introduction of a research on identifying diet-related genome regions. |
A.National Geographic | B.Sports Illustrated for kids |
C.Scientific American | D.The Wall Street Journal |
【推荐1】In just a few decades the United States could eliminate fossil fuels(矿物燃料)and rely 100 percent on clean, renewable energy. That's the vision of, a Stanford engineering professor who has produced a state-by-state road map of how the country could rid itself of coal oil, natural gas, and nuclear power.
By 2050, Jacobson expects the nation's transportation network - cars, ships, airplanes - to run on batteries or hydrogen produced from electricity. He sees the winds blowing across the Great Plains powering vast stretches of the country's middle while the burning sun helps electrify the Southwest. "There's no state that can't do this," Jacobson says.
Today only 13% of U. S. electricity comes from renewables(再生性能源). Jacobson's goal would be one of the nation's most ambitious undertakings. This transformation would cost roughly $15 trillion, or $47,000 for each American, for building and installing systems that produce and store renewable energy.
What would it take? Seventy-eight million rooftop solar systems, nearly 49,000 commercial solar plants, 156,000 offshore wind turbines(风力涡轮机), plus wave-energy systems. Land-based wind farms would need 328,000 turbines, each with blades longer than a football field,. These farms would occupy as much land as North Carolina.
For now, he says, prospects are encouraging. Thanks in part to government funding and large-scale production, costs are falling. The amount of power generated nationwide by wind and solar increased 15-fold each between 2003 and 2013. This summer Barack Obama moved to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, and Hawaii committed to having all its electricity provided by renewables by 2045.
Still, many experts aren't convinced. “It has zero chance,”Stephen Brick, an energy fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, says of Jacobson's plan. Political, regulatory, and social barriers are huge, especially in a nation where the energy systems - and much of its political influence - is rooted in the oil, gas, and coal industries. Some critics are concerned about whether the resulting grid(输电网)would be reliable. And neighborhood battles would likely occur over wind farms and solar plants. Even outspoken scientist James Hansen, who warned the government a quarter century ago about climate change, insists that nuclear power is essential to rid the country of fossil fuels.
Yet Jacobson’s work at least offers a starting point. Scientists and policymakers may keep arguing about solutions, but as Obama points out, the nation must continue its march toward a clean-energy future even if it's not yet clear how that will look in 35 years. “If we don't do it,” he said this summer, “nobody will.”
1. Which of the following does Professor Mark Jacobson engage in?A.Organizing projects to build and install solar energy systems state by state. |
B.Persuading the U. S. President to realize his renewable energy goal. |
C.Outlining a plan detailing how energy in the U. S. could be carbon free by 2050. |
D.Arguing about opportunities and obstacles of his plan. |
A.The huge investment in solar and wind projects. |
B.The unshakeable foundation of traditional energy systems. |
C.The job losses in oil and coal industries. |
D.The inevitable land-use battles between states. |
A.one state of the U. S. will be first to become carbon free before 2050 |
B.developing clean-energy industry will drive the world's market |
C.fossil fuels will soon be eliminated in the U. S. |
D.there will be no vacant land for wind farms |
A.has no scientific grounds | B.unreasonably excludes nuclear power |
C.will be eventually lacking in funds | D.is not feasible in some aspects |
A.The Coexistence of Fossil Fuels and Renewables |
B.A Blueprint for a Carbon Free America |
C.One Man's Dream: Determination and Innovation in Energy Future |
D.Professor and his Solar and Wind Technology |
【推荐2】How Did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Die?
On November 20th, 1791, Mozart suddenly came down with fever and was wracked with pain. His arms and legs were severely swollen. In the following days his health significantly deteriorated. He died on December 5 after lapsing into a coma. The death certificate states he died of “severe miliary fever”. Exactly which disease led to Mozart’s death has been a mystery for the last 200 years.
SpeculationsMany myths —some more plausible than others — entwine (缠绕) Mozart’s early demise. One of the most popular myths — that Mozart was poisoned by his rival Antonio Salieri — rose to prominence due to the popularity of the film Amadeus. This theory is supported by the fact that Mozart had been living through a phase of depression before his death, suffering from paranoia and existential fear. Mozart himself suspected that the cause of his deteriorating health was being poisoned over a long time. However, it is highly likely that this was just his subjective view of reality.
Many other speculations circulate. Syphilis and trichinellosis are frequently mentioned. In 1905, a French physician assumed uric acid poisoning due to a never fully healed nephritis. In 1961, lead poisoning was suggested as a possible cause of death.
Scientific attempts to explain Mozart’s deathIn 2000, a group of American scientists proposed rheumatic fever caused by a strep infection after conducting meticulous detective work. The symptoms stated in literature and the reports of Mozart’s contemporaries yielded the clues. Without antibiotics, such an infection would inevitably lead to death. Rheumatic fever causes a weakening of the heart, which could explain Mozart’s swollen limbs.
In 2009, the Dutch scientist Richard Zegers extensively studied surviving documents and concluded that Mozart had been suffering from pharyngitis, a throat infection with symptoms including cramps, fever, rashes and a swollen neck. Mozart’s sister-in-law Sophie Haibel had described these symptoms. The death registry of Vienna for winter 1791 lists several deaths caused by this disease.
Whatever the cause of Mozart’s death, it came far too early. Let us thank him for his manic urge to create art and remember him on December 5th!
1. Which of the following is similar in meaning to the underlined word “deteriorate” (Paragraph 1)?A.To become worse. | B.To change greatly. |
C.To recover quickly. | D.To be harmed rapidly. |
A.It is generally believed that Mozart was poisoned by his friend. |
B.Mozart’s depression paranoia and existential fear led to his death. |
C.Mozart had been poisoned sustainably for a long time before he died. |
D.Mozart once got a nephritis and it was never healed. |
A.Mozart’s disease was recorded in contemporary literature and reports. |
B.Antibiotics were not discovered at that time. |
C.Rheumatic fever can only be caused by strep infection. |
D.Mozart’s illness cannot be cured even today. |
A.To back up the Dutchman’s study. |
B.To prove they were common symptoms causing death in 1791. |
C.To prove Mozart did have such symptoms before his death. |
D.To emphasize her special identify as a witness to Mozart’s death. |
【推荐3】Earlier studies suggested that fatigue from virtual meetings stems from mental overload, but new research from Aalto University shows that sleepiness during virtual meetings might actually be a result of mental underload and boredom.
“I expected to find that people get stressed in remote meetings. But the result was the opposite —— especially those who were not engaged in their work quickly became drowsy during remote meetings, “says Assistant Professor Niina Nurmi, who led the study.
The researchers measured heart rate variability during virtual meetings and face-to-face meetings,examining different types of fatigue experiences among 44 knowledge workers across nearly 400 meetings. The team at Aalto collaborated with researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health,where stress and recovery are studied using heart rate monitors. “We shadowed each subject for two workdays, recording all events with time stamps, to find out the sources of human physiological responses,”Nurmi says.
The study also included a questionnaire to identify people’s general attitude and work engagement. ”The format of a meeting had little effect on people who were highly engaged and enthusiastic about their work. They were able to stay active even during virtual meetings. On the other hand, workers whose work engagement was low and who were not very enthusiastic about their work found virtual meetings very tiring. “
It’s easier to maintain focus in face-to-face meetings than virtual ones, as the latter have limited cognitive cues and sensory input. “Especially when cameras are off, the participant is left under-stimulated and may start to compensate by multitasking,” Nurmi explains. Although an appropriate level of stimulation is generally beneficial for the brain, multitasking during virtual meetings is problematic. Only highly automated tasks, such as walking, can be properly carried out during a virtual meeting.
“Walking and other automated activities can boost your energy levels and help you to concentrate on the meeting. But if you’re trying to focus on two things that require cognitive attention simultaneously, you can’t hear if something important is happening in the meeting. Alternatively, you have to constantly switch between tasks. It’s really taxing for the brain,”Nurmi says.
1. How does Niina Nurmi feel about the result of the research?A.Confused. | B.Confident. | C.Surprised. | D.Optimistic. |
A.Observed. | B.Interviewed. | C.Employed. | D.Analyzed. |
A.Limited sensory input increases stimulation. | B.Turning off cameras boosts task switching. |
C.Automated tasks stimulate constant switches. | D.Too little stimulation can cause multitasking. |
A.How remote meetings differ from face-to-face ones. |
B.Why cognitive attention in virtual meetings decreases. |
C.What role a person’s personality plays in remote meetings. |
D.Where the problem with the present meeting formats lies. |