Maple syrup (枫糖浆) is a sweetener from maple tree sap (树汁). Many people use it in baking in place of sugar or other sweeteners, some use it in tea instead of honey and it is frequently used as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and other breakfast foods. Since true maple syrup is rather expensive, a wide range of false maple syrup exist.
This sweetener originated in the northeast region of North America, and it is in this region that most of the world’s maple syrup is still produced. Vermont, New Hampshire Maine, and the eastern portion of Canada are all known for their fine syrup, each with slightly different flavor qualities.
This sweetener is produced by tapping maple trees to release and collect their sap. A tree's sap is the liquid that, much like blood in animals, carries water and food to different parts of the tree to keep it nourished. A mature maple produces about ten gallons of sap in a given season, after which the tree will wall off the channel that has been tapped, so that a new tap has to be drilled the next season. Maples are not tapped for syrup until they are at least 40 years old and have reached a certain size, to ensure that no harm comes to the tree through the tapping process .
An immense amount of sap is required to produce maple syrup because the watery sap must be reduced to achieve the proper thickness and taste. Although the exact amount depends on the sweetness of the sap, in general it takes about 40 times as much maple sap to produce a portion of syrup. This may be further reduced to create thicker delicacies, such as maple butter, maple cream , and maple sugar.
In the Us, there are grade A and Grade B syrups, with three sub-divisions of Grade A: light amber, medium amber, and dark amber. Grade B is even darker than Grade A dark amber. Many people assume that the grading system is also indicative of quality, but in reality, it only helps to differentiate the color and taste of the syrup, which is a matter of personal preference. The tastes are different, but to say one is objectively “better” than another would be incorrect.
1. What do we know about the maple syrup from the first two paragraphs?A.It can be a substitute of sugar and honey. |
B.It varies greatly in flavor qualities. |
C.It is produced in the northeast of the US. |
D.It is too expensive to gain popularity. |
A.warm. | B.healthy. |
C.complete. | D.mature. |
A.Because it is widely used in most delicacies. |
B.Because it helps to protect old trees from harm. |
C.Because it needs to be concentrated to make maple syrup. |
D.Because the more sap is used, the better maple syrup tastes. |
A.To teach people how to make maple syrup. |
B.To attract more people to buy maple syrup. |
C.To introduce basic knowledge of maple syrup. |
D.To help people choose maple syrup of good quality. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Around 60 young students from colleges in Britain participated in the Wokstar 2022 contest, with the final six battling for the top prize in Liverpool’s Lu Ban restaurant. Jean Claudine Villaneuva, a 29-year-old student at Middlesbrough College in northeastern England, became the first Wokstar winner.
For over 20 years, Villaneuva had specialized in British and French cuisine (烹饪) before his love turned to Chinese cooking.
“Wokstar is a fantastic new competition aimed at students across the UK. Our role here at Lu Ban is to talk about Chinese cuisine, Chinese culture, and introduce it to the rest of the UK. We thought, what better way to do that is to run a specifically Chinese cooking competition,” said Lu Ban’s head chef Dave Critchley. “We have had colleges from all over the country competing, and really, it’s about showcasing how fantastic Chinese cuisine is.”
Critchley said that in its founding year, the competition involved over 60 students. “I must say that the quality we’ve seen so far has been pleasantly surprising. I think it’s the enthusiasm and the love for Chinese food that is really inspiring. It’s great to see people getting really involved in this and really celebrating not just the food of China, but also the culture around it. And what we looked for in our finalists and our winner was actually someone who does understand the importance of Chinese cuisine.”
Critchley’s interest in Chinese cuisine started when he worked in Asian restaurants in Manchester before becoming head chef at Lu Ban.
“I was flown over to Tianjin in northern China, where I worked with some amazing chefs. It really opened my eyes. It was a life-changing experience and I have not looked back since,” he said.
1. Who took part in the Wokstar 2022 contest?A.Exchange students in China. | B.Cooks in the Lu Ban restaurant. |
C.Young students in the world. | D.College students in the UK. |
A.To discover more talented cooks. |
B.To understand Chinese cuisine and culture. |
C.To attract more customers to Lu Ban restaurant. |
D.To allow chefs to exchange their amazing cooking skills. |
A.The great success of the contest. |
B.The real importance of Chinese cuisine. |
C.The richness of traditional Chinese culture. |
D.The growing popularity of Chinese history in Britain. |
A.To share a pleasant experience. |
B.To recommend a healthy lifestyle. |
C.To report a Chinese cooking competition. |
D.To persuade readers to come to love Chinese food. |
【推荐2】By the mid-1800s, German immigrants had brought their chopped beefsteak dish with them to the New World. In 1837, New York’s Delmonico’s restaurant offered a Hamburg steak on its first menu. At 10 cents, it was one of the most expensive items, twice the cost of pork chops and roast beef.
Americans eventually called the dish “hamburger.” It’s not certain who first “invented” the sandwich as we know it today, but in 1885, both “Hamburger Charlie” Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin, and the Menches brothers of Hamburg, New York, served up ground-beef sandwiches at their local fairs.
Meanwhile, Louis’ Lunch in NewHaven, Connecticut, claims to be the oldest burger shop in America, having served them since 1900. But what might surprise fast-food fans is that the first burger chain in the U.S. was neither McDonald’s nor Burger King. That title goes to White Castle, founded in Witchita, Kansas, in 1921.
A big advantage is that burgers can be eaten without tools, although not everyone considers them a handheld food. Many people around the world prefer to eat them with a fork and knife. Among them: the late Queen Elizabeth II. The German knife-maker Wüsthof even makes a special burger knife (similar to a steak knife, but with a wider tip for spreading condiments).
The perfect hamburger is subjective, of course. Medium well or medium rare? Set or just by itself? Cheese or ketchup (番茄酱)? Even the beef can be changed to turkey, bison or a portobello mushroom cap. In Australia, you can choose a fried-egg topper, or slices of pineapple, pumpkin or beet. In the Netherlands, the Bicky burger features a deep-fried patty (肉饼) made with pork, chicken and horse meat. With so many ways to enjoy a burger, it’s no surprise that as the McDonald’s sign reads, we’ve eaten “billions and billions” of them.
1. Which of the following is the first burger chain America?A.Delmonico. | B.McDonald’s. | C.White Castle. | D.Louis’ Lunch. |
A.To prove burgers can be eaten without tools. |
B.To prove the knife Wüsthof makes is popular. |
C.To show some people eat hamburgers with tools. |
D.To show everyone considers burgers a handheld food. |
A.A burger knife is the same as a steak knife. |
B.The beefsteak in the hamburger can be changed. |
C.Hamburg steak was once the most expensive items. |
D.“Hamburger Charlie” was the first to invent hamburgers. |
A.McDonald’s has been very popular. |
B.People have eaten too many hamburgers. |
C.Many countries have the perfect hamburger. |
D.Hamburgers can be specially designed in ways people like. |
【推荐3】Not all great meals come from restaurants. Some are served from carts and stalls, and eaten on the go. So-called street food is not only delicious, but can be found in nearly every country, rich or poor, says Carla Diamanti, co-author of Street Food: Authentic Snacks from Around the World.. “It’s a way to get to know the people and the flavor of a place ,”says the Italian writer, who has nibbled(细咬) her way around the globe. She shares some favorite snacks----and snacking places with us.
Naples, Italy
Pizza: Pizza may be the closest thing to a global food, but Diamani says there’s nothing like the way it’s prepared in Naples. The dish is often ordered from a window counter and quickly baked for customers. If you’re eating it on the go, you fold it up for pizza al portafoglio(钱包), literally wallet style. “Our pizza is quick and simple,” she says .www. inaples. it
New York
Hot dogs: When foreigners first visit America, one of the first things many want to try is the country’s typical snack food, the hot dog. “It’s like the flag of America---both inexpensive and democratic,” Diamanti says, “You expect to see kids queuing at a hot dog stall.” 212--484--1 200; www.nycgo.com
Japan
Bento boxes: Diamanti says the best time and place to eat this portable Japanese meal is under a blooming cherry tree in the spring. Bento boxes are filled with different dishes: often fish, meat, pickled vegetables, rice or tofu. “It’s really just a taste,” she says. While the containers are often elaborate(精心制作的) wooden serving trays, they can be also cardboard boxes ordered to go.212--757--5 640;www.jnto.go.jp
Jamama el Fna Square ,Marrakech, Morocco
Food stalls: When the sun begins to set, this central square comes to life as crowds gather to sing, dance and eat. Hundreds of stalls serves grilled meat, chicken and rice “There is plenty of smoke with hundreds of people cooking at the same time,” Diamanti says. 212—221—1 583;www.visitmorocco.com/index.php/eng/
1. It can be learned from the text that Carla Diamanti ______________.A.has traveled a lot | B.doesn’t like street food |
C.has set up the website www.inaples,it | D.likes the pizza most |
A.Its attractive taste. | B.Its low price. |
C.Its unique ingredients. | D.The way it’s prepared. |
A.www,jnto.go.jp | B.www.nycgo.com |
C.www.inaples.it | D.www. visitmorocco.com/index.php/eng/ |
A.To advertise Carla Diamanti’s new book. |
B.To offer information about how to make food. |
C.To compare some world-famous travel destinations. |
D.To introduce some snacks and snacking places. |
【推荐1】No one likes interruption. We are born to seek balance and order. No matter what it is that you are doing, being interrupted involves a forceful stop midway and then having to re-enter your previous state, sometimes with great difficulty.
Popular belief has it that interruption breaks the flow of your thinking and affects productivity negatively, and so it is advisable that you have an uninterrupted session of intensive work before your next break.
However, a Russian psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik, might tell you otherwise.
The connection between interruption and memory came to her attention when she was dining in a restaurant. She noticed how the waitresses had an amazing memory of the detailed orders yet to be paid for, but scarce memory of the orders that were already completed.
Back in her laboratory, she conducted studies in which subjects were required to complete various puzzles. Some of the subjects were interrupted during the tasks. All the subjects were then asked to describe what tasks they had done. It turns out that adults remembered the interrupted tasks 90% better than the completed tasks, and that children were even more likely to recall the uncompleted tasks. In other words, uncompleted tasks will stay on your mind until you finish them!
In comparison to tasks that were already finished and ones that we haven’t even started, half-done projects are given the priority in the mental to-do list our brains sketch out for us. Zeigarnik described this finding in her doctoral thesis (论文) in the late 1920s, which was later called Zeigarnik effect.
One possible explanation is that with interrupted tasks, we are desperate for their closure to reclaim a sense of balance. Finishing them also means that we can finally clear up the mental backlog (积压的工作) and give the space to more upcoming tasks.
Zeigarnik’s effect can be found everywhere, especially used in media and advertising. Have you ever wondered why cliffhangers work so well or why you just can’t get yourself to stop watching that series on Netflix?
Ernest Hemingway once said about writing a novel, “It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through.” So next time, when you are interrupted, appreciate it and take advantage of it to promote your productivity.
1. What is a common practice to finish a task?A.Working in a focused period. | B.Working with occasional breaks. |
C.Working with a stop midway. | D.Working in an interrupted session. |
A.Interruption recalls details. | B.Interruption betters memory. |
C.Interruption disturbs balance. | D.Interruption reduces productivity. |
A.Fashion shows. | B.Online news. |
C.Talk shows. | D.TV series. |
A.The desire for balance. | B.The physical backlog. |
C.The outside pressure. | D.The upcoming tasks. |
【推荐2】Most of the world’s crops depend on honeybees and wild bees for pollination (授粉), so decline in both managed and wild bee populations raises concerns about food security, the study notes in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological sciences.
“We found that many crops are pollination-limited, meaning crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. We also found that honeybees and wild bees provided similar amounts of pollination in general,” said senior author Rachael Winfree, a professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “Managing habitat for native bee species and stocking more honeybees would raise pollination levels and could increase crop production.
Pollination by wild and managed insects is important for most crops, including those providing basic micronutrients, and is important for food security, the study notes. In the US, the production of crops that depend on pollinators generates more than $50 billion a year. According to recent evidence, European honeybees and some native wild bee spices are in decline.
At 131 farms across the United States and in British Columbia, Canada, scientists collected data on insect pollination of crop of flowers and yields (产量) for apples, highbush blueberries, sweet cherries, tart cherries, almonds, watermelon and pumpkin. Of those, apples, sweet cherries, tart cherries and blueberries showed evidence of being limited by pollination, showing that yields are currently lower than they would be with full pollination. Wild bees and honeybees provided similar amounts of pollination for most crops.
The annual production value of wild pollinations for all seven crops was an estimated $1.5 billion — plus in the US. The value of wild bee pollination for all pollinator-dependent crops would be much greater.
“Our findings showed that the decline of pollinators could translate directly into decreased yields for most of the crops studied,” the study says. The findings suggest that adopting practices that protect wild bees, such as increasing wildflowers and using managed pollinators other than honeybees, is likely to raise yields. Increasing investment in honeybee colonies (群落) is another possible choice.
1. Which of the following will Rachael Winfree agree with?A.Food security has nothing to do with pollinators. |
B.More pollination leads to higher crop production. |
C.Honeybees will disappear from the earth soon. |
D.Wild beans have better pollination ability than honeybees. |
A.Wastes. | B.Creates. | C.Spends. | D.Experiences. |
A.Excited. | B.Relieved. | C.Worried. | D.Embarrassed. |
A.To present a research finding. | B.To explain how to raise bees. |
C.To present the world’s food problem. | D.To describe the process of pollination. |
【推荐3】A heatwave has hit many countries in Europe, pushing temperatures over 40℃. A heatwave is along period of unusually hot weather. The heat is expected to continue until the end of July.
The Italian Island of Sardinia reached 46℃ on 18 July. The Italy government has asked people to dress in linen (a thin, light material) and to stay indoors between 10 am and 6 pm. The government has asked people to drink plenty of water but avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and coffee, which can make you feel thirstier. In Rome, the country’s capital, people aged over 70 can go to swimming pools for free to help them keep cool.
Wildfires have broken out in many places. In Greece, which recorded 41℃ on 18 July, fires near the capital, Athens, have destroyed huge areas of forest and thousands of people have been moved to safety. Heatwaves can make fires worse because hot weather dries plants, which fuel the fires.
In the US, temperatures in Death Valley, California, hit 53’℃ on 18 July, close to the hottest ever recorded on Earth. On 16 July, the US National Weather Service issued warnings in parts of the country, affecting more than 80 million people.
Despite the high temperatures in many European countries, the UK is not experiencing a heatwave. This is because a different weather pattern has brought rain and lower temperatures to the UK.
The heatwave in Europe is being caused by a weather pattern that has stopped the air from moving very much. That means the hot, dry weather has got stuck and temperatures have kept rising. Earth is also experiencing a natural climate pattern called El Nino (厄尔尼诺), which causes the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean to warm up more than usual. This can lead to hot weather around the world. Temperatures in some parts of Europe were expected to fall on 20 July.
1. Which place was the hottest on 18 July according to the text?A.Rome. | B.Athens. | C.Death Valley. | D.Sardinia. |
A.Because drinking coffee is unhealthy. |
B.Because drinking coffee makes it hard to fall asleep. |
C.Because you may feel thirstier after drinking coffee. |
D.Because drinking coffee may cause your body temperature to rise. |
A.To list an example. | B.To provide a figure. |
C.To draw a conclusion. | D.To introduce an exception. |
A.Wildfire Broke Out | B.Heatwave Sweeps Europe and the US |
C.El Nino Causes Hot Weather | D.UK Experienced High Temperatures |
【推荐1】Could the device, smartphone or PC, which you are using affect the moral (道德的) decisions you make when using it? To test it, researchers presented multiple dilemmas to a sample set of 1,010 people. The participants were assigned a device at random.
One case of the questions participants were asked is the classic “trolley (有轨电车) problem”: A runaway trolley is headed towards five people tied up on a set of train tracks. You can do nothing, resulting in the deaths of five people, or push a man off a bridge, which will stop the trolley. The practical response is to kill one man to save five lives, which 33.5 percent of smartphone users chose, compared to 22.3 percent of PC users.
“What we round in our study is that when people used a smartphone to view classic moral problems, they were more likely to make more unemotional, reasonable decisions when presented with a highly emotional dilemma,” Dr Albert Barque-Duran, the lead author of the study, told City, University of London. “This could be due to the increased time pressure often present with smartphones and also the increased psychological distance which can occur when we use such devices compared to PCs.”
As for why the researchers started this study, Dr Barque-Duran noted, “Due to the fact that our social lives, work and even shopping take place online, it is important to think about how the contexts where we typically face moral decisions and are asked to engage in moral behavior have changed, and the impact this could have on the hundreds of millions of people who use such devices daily. “It’s clear that we need more research on how our devices affect our moral decision-making because we’re using screens at an ever increasing rate.”
1. Why did the author mention the trolley problem?A.To introduce a difficult problem to readers. |
B.To introduce the aim of carrying out the study. |
C.To show an example of the questions in the study. |
D.To show the difficulty in dealing with dilemmas. |
A.Calmly. | B.Cruelly. |
C.Carelessly. | D.Enthusiastically. |
A.help people bear more pressure |
B.help people make decisions quickly |
C.make people feel more mentally distant |
D.make people stay happier to solve problems |
A.The importance of smartphones. | B.The significance of the study. |
C.How to make moral decisions. | D.What affects people’s daily life. |
【推荐2】Today we know Antarctica as an extreme environment containing ice and snow. But new research provides evidence that the area had a rainforest in the past.
The researchers collected a piece of Earth sediment (沉淀物) from under the seafloor off the coast of Antarctica. In the sediment they discovered forest material that was estimated to be about 90 million years old. This would have been in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs were the main land animals. The sediment was removed by scientists on the research icebreaker RV Polarstern in the Amundsen Sea near Pine Island Glacier.
Johann Klages is a geologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. He was the lead writer of a study on the findings, published in the journal Nature. He said the sediment was collected from a depth of about 30 meters below the ocean floor. Klages said an examination showed that the material didn’t form in the ocean.
The researchers estimate that the area—about 900 kilometers from the South Pole—had average yearly temperatures of about 12 to 13 degrees Celsius. During the warmest summer months, average temperatures likely reached between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. The soil included fine dirt particles (颗粒) and hard clay, as well as substances linked to at least 65 different kinds of plants, the study found. Klages added that the plants included trees, ferns and flowering plants. While no animal remains were found, Klages said there were likely dinosaurs, flying reptiles (爬行动物) and many insects in the environment.
The research represents new evidence of the major climate changes Earth has experienced in the past—and is currently undergoing today. The soil in the sediment dates back to the planet’s warmest period of the past 140 million years, with sea level about 170 meters higher than today. The researchers said that the rainforest environment in Antarctica was especially surprising because each year, the area experiences a four-month polar night when there is no sunlight to fuel plant life. Klages said no ice sheets were present during the time, but seasonal snowfall was likely.
1. How did the researchers come to their findings?A.By collecting data on climate. |
B.By researching special plants. |
C.By exploring ice in Antarctica. |
D.By analyzing the Earth sediment. |
A.Its material developed in the ocean. |
B.Its material formed on the land. |
C.It dates back to cold times in Antarctica |
D.It contained different animal remains |
A.There were ice sheets 140 million years ago. |
B.Seasonal snowfall made the forest disappear. |
C.Antarctica’s natural environment has changed greatly. |
D.Polar nights in Antarctica are getting shorter than before. |
A.Antarctica is getting warmer like before. |
B.Various wildlife once existed in Antarctica. |
C.Antarctica had a different history of climate. |
D.Researchers study the secrets of Antarctica. |
【推荐3】Which of the following books should you read? It is based on your next travel destination.
As you're traveling around Amsterdam , read “The Fault in Our Stars
Previously adapted into a film in 2014 , John Green's story of star-crossed teenagers famously includes a trip to Amsterdam. The Anne Frank House and The Rijksmuseum are two of many major destinations mentioned in the book. Plus, the bench from the film adaptation of this novel has even become its own tourist spot.
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog” is excellent reading for a trip to Paris.
Before wandering down the Champs-lysees, open Muriel Barbery's novel for a delightful look into the lives of wealthy Parisians. Set in a French apartment building, the story follows two totally different people who discover they are kindred souls.
Bring “One Hundred Years of Solitude" to read in South America.
A significant work of literature, Gabriel Garcia Mdrquez’s classic follows generations of the Buendia family as they live in their South-American town. Garcia Marquez's descriptions make the book a perfect read for visiting some of the breathtaking sights of South America.
“Call Me by Your Name” should perhaps be read in the summertime , in Italy .
This novel is said to take place in the Northern-Italian seaside region of Liguria. And if you've seen the 2017 coming -of-age film adaptation of the book, you'll already know the story describes beautiful summers in Northern Italy, complete with seaside encounters and lush greenery.
If you're visiting New York City, enter the mind of Holden Caulfield.
“The Catcher in the Rye” is a classic tale of a lost teenager's unplanned trip to New York City. In the JD-Salinger novel, Holden visits a nightclub in the East Village, goes ice skating in Rockefeller Center , and takes his sister to the Central Park Zoo.
1. What will you learn if you read “The Elegance of the Hedgehog"?A.Amsterdam Bench. | B.Parisians' life. |
C.Italian Summer Sights. | D.Night clubs in New York. |
A.The Fault in Our Stars & Call Me by Your Name. |
B.The Elegance of the Hedgehog & One hundred Years of Solitude. |
C.One hundred Years of Solitude & The Catcher in the Rye. |
D.The Catcher in the Rye & Call Me by Your Name. |
A.The Elegance of the Hedgehog. | B.One Hundred Years of Solitude. |
C.The Catcher in the Rye. | D.Call Me by Your Name. |
【推荐1】James Gross, a psychology professor at Stanford University, has a 13-year-old daughter who loves math and science. “It hasn’t occurred to her yet that’s unusual,” he says. “But I know in the next couple of years, it will.”
She’s already being pulled out of class to do advanced things with a couple of other kids, who are guys. And as someone who studies human emotion for a procession, Gross says, “I know as time goes on, she will feel increasingly lonely as a girl who’s interested in math and science, and be at risk of narrowing her choices in life before finding out how far she could have gone.’’
Gross’ concern clearly shows what has been a touchy subject in the world of science for a long time: Why are there still so few women in science, and how might that affect what we learn from research?
Women now make up half the national workforce, earn more college and graduate degrees than men, and by some estimates represent the largest single economic force in the world. Yet the gender gap in science persists, to a greater degree than in other professions, particularly in high-end, math-intensive fields such as computer science and engineering.
According to US Census Bureau statistics, women in fields commonly referred to as STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) made up 7 percent of that workforce in 1970, a figure that had jumped to 23 percent by 1990. But the rise essentially stopped there. Two decades later, in 2011, women made up 26 percent of the science workforce.
1. According to James Gross, in the near future his daughter may .A.become a great scientist |
B.feel lonely and have fewer choices |
C.be pulled out of class with some guys |
D.learn math and science better and better |
A.women are cleverer than men in college |
B.men represent the largest single economic force |
C.women make up more than 50% of the national workforce |
D.the number of women graduating from college is larger than that of men |
A.By providing examples. |
B.By making comments. |
C.By following time order. |
D.By explaining the process. |
A.Why It Is Important to Get More Women Into Science |
B.James Gross, Confusion About His daughter |
C.Situation of Women in the Whole Country |
D.Future of women in the Workforce |
【推荐2】When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.
When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, an attitude which flew in the face of conventional wisdom.
Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said he had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water.
So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the trees’ attention.
Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I'd watched him plant some 25 years ago. They were tall and strong.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to encounter hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.
1. What did the author think of Doctor Gibbs’s planting trees at first?A.Perfect . | B.Puzzled. |
C.Amused. | D.Impractical . |
A.He let them grow quickly. |
B.He beat them to get their attention. |
C.He helped them search for water. |
D.He read a newspaper near them. |
A.Kind and wise. | B.Calm and brave. |
C.Careful and ambitious | D.Strict and devoted. |
A.Elders are treasures. |
B.Two heads are better than one. |
C.A man without distant care must have near sorrow. |
D.Only those who bear the most become the highest. |
【推荐3】Many of us mistakenly believe that it's wrong to think we have any good qualities. We may spend a lot of time blaming ourselves for our negative qualities, thinking that self criticism is the key to improving our performance. However, a constant focus on our supposed shortcomings can stop our efforts to make friends with other people. How can we believe that others could like us if we believe our inner being is flawed (有缺陷)?
If someone seems to dislike you, the reason for that dislike might have little or nothing to do with you. The person who doesn't like you might be fearful, or shallow, or busy or shy. Perhaps you and that person are simply a mismatch for each other at this particular time.
Don't take yourself out of the game by deciding that your flaws are bigger than your good qualities. In fact, some of the very qualities you consider to be flaws may be irresistible to someone else. For all the factors that might cause one person to reject you, there are at least as many factors that will work in your favor with someone else.
You might be thirty pounds over your ideal weight, but you may have a wonderful laugh and a real enthusiasm for life. There are many people who don't mind your extra pounds. You may drive a shabby car, but you might be a great dancer and a loyal friend. There are people out there looking for loyalty, or fun, or sweetness, or wisdom, and the package it comes in is not important. If you are worried that you are not beautiful enough to attract friends, keep in mind that not everyone is looking for physical beauty in their friends. You can decide to feel inferior (自卑) because you don't have much money and you don't drive a nice car. You can believe that this is the reason that you don't have many friends in your life. On the other hand, if you are very wealthy you may be suspicious that everyone is after your money and that nobody really likes you as a person.
The point is that you can focus on just about anything and believe it's the reason you do not have friends and cannot make any.
1. According to the author plays an important role in making friends.A.admitting your shortcomings | B.self criticism |
C.modesty | D.confidence |
A.you should find the reason in yourself |
B.you'd better talk with the person face to face |
C.you may not be the one to be blamed |
D.you and that person misunderstand each other |
A.your good qualities may turn out to be your flaws |
B.your weakness may also be your strengths in some way |
C.your negative qualities cause a person to reject you |
D.you’ll have few friends if your flaws are bigger than your good qualities |
A.It is important to lose weight. |
B.It is easier for a wealthy person to make friends. |
C.Inner qualities are more important than physical appearance. |
D.If you are not beautiful enough, try to improve your physical beauty. |