What do we mean when we talk about repair? The most commonly repaired items at home are wooden furniture and table lamps and other small lights, but many people express a level of discomfort for lack of knowledge about the skills required to repair them. However, we live in a time when many of the objects we buy come with limited lifespans(寿命) —especially technological and electrical goods.
Although some objects may require specialist aid, plenty of worn things around the home can be repaired there, if you know what you’re doing. “One hundred years ago, everyone needed to repair things themselves,” an expert says. “So many people had the skills, and they were passed down from generation to generation. And not only the skills, but also the tools. The tools almost became the memories of that repair and carried their own stories.”
Repair often feels pleasant because it is a moment of fixing. The holes can be filled. The gaps will be smoothed over. The language of repair has great significance in describing things: mending, fixing, restoring, rebuilding, piecing together. All are words we use for the objects around us, but also ones we apply to ourselves. We feel a little happy in the idea that few things are truly beyond salvage.
Repair is attractive for many reasons. It helps us think about how to care for the things we own. It makes us mindful of what we waste, and what we should hold on to. It reminds us to bend in closer and see the changes, the points where the needle went through the surface and pulled together something new.
1. How do many people feel when it comes to repairing things?| A．Very confident. | B．A little scared. |
| C．Particularly interested. | D．Slightly uneasy. |
| A．Most worn things need to be repaired by specialists. |
| B．The repairing tools were once passed down for generations. |
| C．Words about repairing can not be used for people. |
| D．The process of repairing is often disappointing. |
| A．Reach. | B．Description. | C．Repair. | D．Reason. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Curious. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】How to Be a Role Model
Being a role model is a big responsibility, especially when you’re on the job. How can you set a great example for your peers without setting impossible expectations for yourself?
Act confidently.
Address your weaknesses. Role models aren’t afraid to expose their weaknesses in a new way. Despite popular belief, they aren’t flawless and perfect at everything they do.
Respect everyone around you. Respect earns you other people’s trust and admiration. A good role model makes an effort to understand the feelings of their peers, care about their struggles, and treat others the way they’d like to be treated. You could try to wait for your turn to speak and offer a helping hand.
| A．Share constructive feedback. |
| B．Appreciate your peers’ efforts. |
| C．Don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place. |
| D．Follow these suggestions, and you’ll be a true role model. |
| E．Don’t forget to apologize if you mess up during a project. |
| F．Instead, they try to understand their drawbacks and improve them. |
| G．Role models have faith in their own abilities without being overconfident. |
【推荐2】Barbara was driving her six-year-old son, Ben, to his piano lesson. They were late, and Barbara was beginning to think she should have called it off. Barbara, a nurse at the local hospital, was very tired at that moment. The coldest season and the terrible weather just brought them more difficulties.
“Mum!” Ben cried suddenly. “Look!” Just ahead, a car had lost control on the icy road and crashed（猛撞）into a telephone pole. Barbara stopped her car quickly and opened the door. She said to Ben, “Dear, promise me you'll stay in the car!” “I will, Mum,” Ben said as his mum ran. She was a nurse-she might be able to help the unlucky people. It was terrible. Two girls aged about 18 were in the car. One was dead and the other was still breathing. Barbara quickly cleaned the wounds in the driver's head. Ben called for help on his mum's phone. Soon an ambulance came. “Good job, Barbara, you've saved her life,” one doctor said as he examined the driver's wounds. Barbara walked back to her car with a feeling of sadness, especially for the family of the girl who had died. Later, Barbara was able to meet the family of the driver. They expressed their thanks to Barbara for the help she had provided.
1. When did the accident happen?| A．In spring. | B．In summer. | C．In autumn. | D．In winter. |
| A．Because he saw a traffic accident. | B．Because he didn't want to go to the piano lesson. |
| C．Because he wanted to tell his mum to drive carefully. | D．Because he remembered the piano lesson had been called off. |
| A．the driver died in the end | B．Ben and Barbara were helpful |
| C．Barbara called an ambulance on her phone | D．the two girls were taken to hospital by Barbara |
| A．Sad. | B．Happy. | C．Surprised. | D．Excited. |
| A．The accident happened on Barbara's way home. | B．Ben helped his mum clean the driver's wounds. |
| C．The girl who died was a nurse, too. | D．The one who examined the driver's wounds knew Barbara. |
【推荐3】There are plenty of things you can feel positive knowing about Garfield—the cat who loves lasagna, hates Mondays and adores a teddy bear named Pooky. But last week, without warning, there rose a strange and sudden debate around a question about the famous cat that even creator Jim Davis needed to weigh in on: Is Garfield a boy， a girl, or no gender（性别）at all?
The argument appears to have begun when writer Virgil Texas came across a 2014 Mental Floss interview with Davis where he described his tabby creation Garfield as “not really male or female or any particular race or nationality, young or old.”
In response to the quote（引用），Virgil wrote on Twitter: “FACT：Garfield has no gender. This. Is. Definite.” So sure was he of Garfield‘s true gender status that Virgil even took it upon himself to update the Garfield character Wikipedia page with the information。
But it was quickly clear that not everyone agreed with Virgil‘s edits, and thus began a war over the Wikipedia entry edits. Some mentioned that Garfield is male. Others wrote that it shouldn’t matter at all whether Garfield is male or female. Washington Post reported that the battle took place over 60 hours and eventually ended when Wikipedia shut things down by locking the page.
It was a statement that soon appeared to have been made in hurry as Jim Davis indeed soon joined the debate, shutting everything down in one line to Washington Post: “Garfield is male.” The 71-year-old cartoonist also pointed out that Garfield has a girlfriend, Arlene, and claimed that his 2014 quotes had been “taken out of context”. “I’ve always said that I wanted to work with animals because they’re not regarded as being any particular gender, race, age or ethnicity,” he said. “In that sense, the humor could be enjoyed by a broader group.”
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?| A．An argument about the gender of Garfield. |
| B．The interview between Jim Davis and Virgil Texas. |
| C．An update of Wikipedia entry edits about Garfield. |
| D．The popularity of the famous cartoon character Garfield. |
| A．Agree with. | B．Join in. |
| C．Put forward. | D．Care about. |
| A．writer Virgil Texas | B．Wikipedia |
| C．Washington Post | D．creator Jim Davis |
| A．Jim Davis’ 2014 quotes had been cut out. |
| B．Garfield becomes more famous than before. |
| C．Washington Post shut everything down in one line about Garfield. |
| D．The creation of Garfield is aimed at entertainment rather than anything else. |
—When catching a fish, play it quickly and keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
Don’t use a net in landing the fish and release it quickly to prevent it from dying.
—Hold the fish gently. Do not put your fingers in its eyes. Don’t wipe the scales (鱼鳞) off the fish because it might cause it to develop a disease and reduce its chance of survival.
—Remove your hook (鱼钩) quickly. If the hook is too deep or hooked in the stomach, cut the line and leave the hook in. The hook left inside will cause no serious problem to the fish.
—Take good care of the fish by moving it gently in water. Release the fish when it begins to struggle and is able to swim.
—Do not hold fish in a bucket or some other containers and later decide to release it. If you are going to release a fish, do so right away.
With a little care and by following the suggestions given above, you can give the released fish a better chance of survival.
1. People sometimes set a fish free after catching it because they _________
| A．don’t want it to die | B．hope it will grow quickly |
| C．don’t want to have it as food | D．want to practice their fishing skills |
| A．Taking the hook off it. | B．Removing its scales. |
| C．Touching its eves. | D．Holding it in your hand. |
| A．move it in water till it can swim | B．take the hook out of its stomach |
| C．keep it in a bucket for some time | D．let it struggle a little in your hand |
| A．To show how to enjoy fishing. | B．To persuade people to fish less often. |
| C．To encourage people to set fish free. | D．To give advice on how to release fish. |
【推荐2】Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green is a color that represents the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils.
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions toward them. Each color has its own function (功能). Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is a calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some people suggest that eating from blue plates can help. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomachaches.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
1. How is paragraph 2 mainly developed?| A．By listing numbers. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By discussing problems. |
| A．To make people eat more. | B．To draw people’s attention. |
| C．To make people calm down. | D．To bring good luck to people. |
| A．Red. | B．Blue. | C．Green. | D．Brown. |
| A．People’s Choice of Colors | B．The Cultural values of Colors |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences | D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
【推荐3】For some people, higher education is not just a goal in life, but also an expectation. In the United States, if your parents attended a college or university, there is a good chance that you will, too. Even if your parents did not go to college, you still have a good chance of completing higher education if your family is wealthy.
But your chances are reduced if you come from a needy family, a community with limited educational resources or you simply have no one to follow as an example.
Helping those in need is one of the main ideas behind a strategy of behavioral science called nudge(轻推）theory or nudging. Nudging is a way of changing people’s behavior through indirect suggestion and by supporting positive actions.
A growing number of U.S. colleges and universities look to nudging as way to support poor, minority and first-generation students. They also are using it to increase overall graduation rates. Two common forms of nudging are emails to students and text messages to their mobile phones. Schools and other educational organizations keep in contact with students this way, offering advice and help when needed.
However, Alejandra Acosta---a higher education policy expert at New America notes that there are several qualities a nudge campaign must possess in order to be successful.
Acosta says messages must be timely, meaning they reach college students well before the date by which a student is required to take action. Additionally, nudges should be written clearly and provide as much information as possible. If students start to struggle in class, school officials should not just message them, saying they should seek academic support. The message should give information about what kinds of support the college or university offers and exactly how the student can make use of them. That is why nudges should possess interactive qualities, Acosta says. For example, students should be able to ask questions of school officials or be directed to a website for more information. In addition, colleges and universities must ensure their support services are in place and working as best they can.
When nudges work, they can do a lot of good. In 2018,a nonprofit group launched a nudging campaign at four U.S. community colleges. They worked with nearly 10,000 first-year students at three such colleges in Ohio and one in Virginia. A recent study found that older and minority students who agreed to receive these nudges were 16 to 20 percent more likely to continue into their second year than those who did not.
1. Who is most likely to receive and complete higher education according to the passage?| A．Tony, whose father is the only bread-winner in the family. |
| B．Jimmy, whose mother is a worker in a small factory. |
| C．Betty, whose grandmother is a housemaid of a famous university professor. |
| D．Cathy, whose parents failed to attend college but succeeded in starting a big company. |
| A．It is rooted in psychological science. |
| B．It is a way to improve people’s mind. |
| C．It offers useful and direct advice in time. |
| D．It helps students via emails and text messages. |
| A．The problem with higher education. |
| B．A way for colleges to support students. |
| C．The popularity of nudging campaign. |
| D．A national campaign dealing with poverty. |
| A．You are supposed to talk to your consultant about your English literature. If not, you are likely to fail the course. Do it as soon as possible. |
| B．Your performance in English literature is not good. It will be a good idea if you can share your difficulty with your classmates. |
| C．Dr. Smith is a professor in English literature. He is available every Thursday afternoon from 3 pm to 6 pm. Call 210-432-67 to make an appointment. |
| D．Do you need any assistance in English literature? If so, we can make an appointment with Dr. Smith for you. It is free of charge. |
