As far as I could tell, there was only one problem with this year’s Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers weren't green. They were blue. And even though I had never before seen a professional football game live and in living color, I had read enough from my subscription to Sports Illustrated to know that the dark jerseys (运动衫) worn by the Green Bay Packers were green, not blue.
“Maybe it's something special they're doing for the Super Bowl,” my dad suggested.
“The colors aren't right, Dad,” I said. “I’m sure of it.”
Eventually Dad agreed. “I'll get a repairman tomorrow,” he said. It was a minor annoyance, but it somehow cast a pall over our enjoyment of the pre-game festivities. This was highly anticipated Super Bowl, and we were watching it on our super new color TV. It was supposed to be super.
Just a few minutes before kickoff, my big brother Bud arrived with Craig, a college friend. Craig looked at the TV for a moment. “I think your tint (色调) is off a little,” he said. He reached behind the set and began feeling around for buttons. Suddenly our color TV was black and white. He reached behind the TV again. He must have found the right button, because a moment later color was restored — and perfected. The Green Bay Packers were in their traditional green and gold uniforms. The field was green, the sky was blue and it was a Super Sunday, indeed.
It amazed me then — and often has since — what a major difference a minor adjustment can make. A well-placed nail or a tweak (拧) of a button from someone who knows what they’re doing can change everything. The same principle holds true in interpersonal matters. While there are some hurts that cannot be easily repaired, it's amazing how often a simple smile, a kind word, or a gentle touch can change our way of thinking, improve our mood, and make everything seem, you know, super.
1. About what did the author disagree with his dad?| A．Which channel to watch. |
| B．Which sports team would win. |
| C．Whether the colors on the screen were wrong. |
| D．Whether the players' uniforms were fit for the event. |
| A．Replaced. | B．Witnessed. | C．Ensured. | D．Damaged. |
| A．It took too long. | B．It saved much money. |
| C．It made matters even worse. | D．It breathed new life into the show. |
| A．Always put yourself in others' shoes. | B．It is important to learn basic life skills. |
| C．A small act can make a big difference. | D．Learn to smile through life's imperfections. |
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【推荐1】Many scholars agree that a meaningful existence comes down to three factors: the coherence(连贯)of one’s life, the possession of clear long-term goals and the belief that one’s life matters. But we believe there is another element to consider.
Imagine the first butterfly you stop to admire after a long winter or the scenery atop a hill after a fresh hike. Sometimes existence delivers us small moments of beauty. When people are open to appreciating such experiences, these moments may enhance how they view their life. We call this element experiential appreciation, an ability to detect and admire life’s inner beauty as events happen.
To better understand this appreciation, we conducted a series of studies involving over 3,000 participants. Initially, we had participants rate their coping strategies to relieve their stress. Those managing stress by focusing on their appreciation for life’s beauty reported experiencing life as highly meaningful. In the follow-ups, we asked them to rate the extent to which they agreed with various statements, such as “I have a great appreciation for the beauty of life” and other statements related to coherence, purpose, existential mattering. Our results showed that the more people indicated that they were “appreciating life”, the more they felt their existence valuable. In the subsequent experiment, we further explored the phenomenon by asking participants to watch an awe-inspiring video, they also reported having a greater sense of experiential appreciation and meaning in life in these moments, compared with those watching more neutral videos.
The final results confirmed our original theory: appreciating small things can make life feel more meaningful. But applying that insight can be difficult. Our modern, fast-paced, project-oriented lifestyles fill the day with targets. We are on the go, attempting to maximize our output. This makes it easy to miss what is happening right now. Yet life happens in the present moment. We should slow down, let life surprise us and embrace the significance in the everyday. After all, we live in a wonderful world. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.
1. Why does the author mention the admiration of butterfly?| A．To express people’s desire to enhance their life. |
| B．To display people’s imagination to whatever happens. |
| C．To indicate the openness of people to the life coherence. |
| D．To introduce the concept of experimental appreciation. |
| A．The participants’ life involved in the study. |
| B．The contribution of a long-term goal in life. |
| C．The theory in experiential appreciation. |
| D．The analysis of the belief that matters most. |
| A．Our modern fast-paced lifestyle. | B．The lack of opportunities |
| C．Our focus on individual feelings. | D．The ignorance of future outcomes. |
| A．Enjoying a valuable coherence. | B．Finding the inner beauty of ourselves. |
| C．living an active and meaningful existence. | D．Exploring the end of a significant life. |
【推荐2】As children, we dream of growing older; when we are older, we dream of being children. We let our lives pass us by because we have yet to learn that the harder you yearn for time, the faster it passes. This is how my story begins.
In October of my freshman year, I took an accidental trip down memory lane. One day after school, I decided to take the long way home. I needed time to think. So off I went, walking through the grass. That was how I came to find a gap in the fence lining the school property. I passed through this gap and followed the treeline until I found myself in the far fields behind the neighborhood.
Suddenly, I remembered it was here through the fence between the school and the fields that I watched older kids having their high school graduation ceremony. In cap and gown (长袍), they stood in the middle of the field. They looked like they were having the most fun I had ever seen anyone have; they looked free.
Years later, I walked through that field on my way home from that same high school. I’ve since given this place a name, Tempus Illud, a place between places. I try to take the long way home at least once a month now. Sometimes, when I cross that bridge, I see that younger version of myself. She is so young and so desperate to speed up time. I see her peering through the fence at those graduates in the cap and gown, and she’s wishing she could be just like them. She, too, could feel so free that she might just grow wings and fly away. Now I’m preparing to wear the cap and gown in a few short months. But this time, I wish to leave time to its own devices.
The harder you yearn for time, the faster it passes you by. So I no longer yearn. The passage of time is inevitable, and you can’t avoid it, but you can appreciate it. James Taylor sings, “ The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill, but since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride.”
1. How did the author feel when she saw the older kids’ graduation ceremony?| A．Admiring. | B．Curious. | C．Jealous. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It honors her best childhood memory. |
| B．It shows the miracle of frozen time. |
| C．It bridges her past, present and future. |
| D．It symbolizes high school graduation. |
| A．She is addicted to the past. |
| B．She yearns for time to pass quicker. |
| C．She wants to run after time. |
| D．She decides to enjoy the moment. |
| A．To suggest that time brings the truth to light. |
| B．To share her changing attitude toward time. |
| C．To explain how time changes everything. |
| D．To show that tough times never last. |
【推荐3】Out in the woods stood a nice little Fir Tree. It was the sun shining on him and the fresh air surrounding him that made him gorgeous. In summer, children often came and sat down near him and said, “What a nice little fir!” In winter, when the snow lay glittering on the ground, a hare hopped over the little tree. But he never felt any pleasure. What the little Fir wanted so much was to grow into a big tree as his neighbors.
“Oh! Were I but such a high tree as the others are,” thought he. “Then I should be able to spread out my branches, and with the tops to look into the wide world!”
When Christmas came, quite young trees with the finest looking were cut down. And so was the Fir Tree. He found himself, in the middle of the living-room, stuck upright in a bucket that was filled with sand and decorated with the most splendid things-apples, colorful lights and at the very top a large golden star, which made him incomparably beautiful.
“What a splendor!” thought the Fir Tree, believing he would take root here and forever stand covered with decorations!
However, the splendor never came back again. After the Christmas, the servant dragged him out of the room, and up the stairs into the loft in a dark corner, where no daylight could enter.
“If it only were not so dark here, and so terribly lonely. Not even a hare!” he sighed. “They surely stored me here for the next Christmas.”
One day, the tree was pulled out and a man drew him towards the stairs, where the daylight shone. Feeling the fresh air and the first sunbeam, now he was out in the courtyard. Seeing all the beauty of the flowers and the freshness in the garden, he firmly believed he would be replanted there.
“Now a merry life will begin again,” thought the tree, spreading out his branches only to find they were all withered and yellow！When seeing the gardener getting close with an axe (斧头), he recalled his first youth in the wood and sighed so deeply! Each sigh was like a shot.
1. What can we know about the Fir Tree?| A．He was willing to be a small tree. |
| B．He was satisfied to be a Christmas tree. |
| C．He was mad at the hare jumping over him. |
| D．He was eager to be the tallest tree in the woods. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Lonely. | C．Free. | D．Anxious. |
| A．He would be treated as firewood. |
| B．He would be replanted in the garden. |
| C．He would be taken back to the forest. |
| D．He would be stored for the next Christmas. |
| A．If you’re failing to plan, then you’re planning to fail. |
| B．Live for today because tomorrow is not promised. |
| C．Life is not about falling down but getting back up. |
| D．If you dream and believe it, then you can achieve it. |
If you're scratching your head right now, you're not alone. But Chinese hamburgers are very real and they definitely predate the hamburgers we call our own in the U.S. Known as rou jia mo, which translates to "meat burger" or "meat sandwich", they consist of chopped meat inside a pita-like bun, and they've been around since the Qin Dynasty, from about 221 BC to 207 BC. Despite the differences between this Chinese street food and our American-style burgers, the rou jia mo has been called the world's first hamburger.
The rou jia mo originated in the Shanxi Province of China, and is now eaten all over the country. It's typically prepared and eaten on the street. The dough for the bun, or mo, consists of a simple mixture of wheat flour, water and maybe yeast. Of course recipes may vary, but this basic equation makes for a chewy and subtle pillow for the delicious filling. While the mo is traditionally baked in a clay oven, today it's often fried in a pan. They may look a little like Chinese steamed buns or baozi, but the dough for those are, of course, steamed, not baked or fried.
The meat filling might consist of chopped pork, beef, lamb or chicken that has been stewed with a variety of spices, like ginger, cloves, coriander and star anise. You might also find herbs like cilantro or greens like lettuce garnishing the sandwich.
1. What does the underlined word mean?
| A．noodle | B．food | C．bread | D．beverage |
| A．The mo people eat today is baked in a clay oven. |
| B．The world's first hamburger which was originated in the Shanxi Province of China is popular around the world. |
| C．The rou jia mo has a history of more than 2200 years. |
| D．The rou jia mo and American-style burgers share a similar cooking process. |
| A．Delicious hamburger |
| B．How to cook hamburger |
| C．Chinese invented hamburger |
| D．History of hamburger |
【推荐2】After being unemployed for a few years, I was looking for something to do in my spare time that would also help to increase my skills and confidence.
Having previously suffered from depression and anxiety, I knew a full-time job would be more of a long-term goal. When I was introduced to Volunteering Matters, I was particularly interested in the handyperson service. I was a bit nervous though as it was brand new to me. After chatting with the project coordinator, I signed up and went through some initial training, which was really relaxing and enjoyable.
In February, I took up the role as a handyperson organizer, which means it is my responsibility to speak to older people who require our service. After that, I assign the job request to the most appropriate volunteers, based on their location and skills. It usually takes about one hour per evening to complete my task.
Having done this role now for six months, I have learned a great deal and am very proud to be a part of this project. I have seen first-hand how important it is to help older people, who would really struggle without our service. I really feel that I am doing my bit to help others and give something back. It has helped me to believe in myself and I have learned some new skills, which I didn’t believe I could ever do, especially my communication, organization and interpersonal skills.
It’s great to be able to build a relationship with our clients and volunteers and it is also a lot of fun. My confidence has increased and I absolutely love my volunteer organizer role. Most recently, I have also been helping the project coordinator with administration tasks and publicity(宣传) work for the service, which means I am improving my IT knowledge as well. It means a lot that I have received help and support from Volunteering Matters. At the same time, I am helping the organization and its beneficiaries(受益者) too.
1. Why did the author turn to Volunteering Matters?| A．To meet new friends. |
| B．To make more money. |
| C．To make himself a better person. |
| D．To get rid of depression and anxiety. |
| A．a little tense | B．pleased |
| C．anxious | D．proud |
| A．what the author is supposed to do |
| B．the reason why the author volunteers |
| C．how this project benefits the author |
| D．why the author loves the volunteer organizer role |
| A．it is worthwhile to do voluntary work |
| B．the old are badly in need of volunteers |
| C．volunteering will leads to employment |
| D．being a volunteer requires IT knowledge |
【推荐3】For 30 years, Eddie Rankin has been driving his truck before dawn each Saturday, coming to create a treasured weekly routine for people who populated Woodley Park and who became his devotees.
The tradition ended Saturday, when Rankin unloaded his last truck filled with fresh fruit and vegetables.
“People will probably keep coming, but it won’t be the same,” said Kate Shawcross, one of Rankin’s first customers. “He knows your children’s names and where they go to school—he’s just the classic good neighbor, and here in Washington, we need some of that.”
Rankin was a farmers market pioneer, who got into farming by accident, said Bernadine Prince, executive director of FreshFarm Markets. Rankin is the co-owner of Twin Springs Fruit Farm and has witnessed the explosion of American interest in fresh produce and locally grown food.
“He’s just one of those people who are interested in you as an individual and your tastes,” said Bernadine Prince. “Think about when you go to the supermarket: Who do you talk to? Nobody. ”
In 1984, a “farmers market” consisted of some peaches, apples and cherries that the typical American might have considered as overpriced. But Rankin drew customers charmed by his huge smile and agricultural knowledge. He remembered to set aside things you asked for, would cash your check if you needed bills and gave your 10-year-old child his or her first job.
The people who came to Saturday’s market sang to Rankin, presented him with poems about his influence on their lives and told stories of good deeds he had done for them.
Many described coming to Rankin's market as a routine in their lives.
Rankin said he is retiring because he wants to spend more time traveling to see his children and a sister back in Ireland. The children of one of Rankin’s partners are taking over Twin Springs.
He has a “fantasy,” he said, of using his knowledge to help fruit-growers elsewhere in the world.
He has faith that others can keep the Woodley Park market going, that the role of a farmers market is now established.
1. People love Rankin mainly because he ________.| A．cares about customers | B．always appears on time |
| C．sells cheap and fresh goods | D．offers whatever customers need |
| A．Because he wants to travel around the world. |
| B．Because it’s time for him to realize his fantasy. |
| C．Because he wants to have more time with his family. |
| D．Because it’s time for new generations to take charge. |
| A．Smile, when you meet each other |
| B．Goodbye, the apple of market’s eye |
| C．The big fish in the small-farmer pond |
| D．We need good neighbors in Washington |
