1 . Chinese Language and Culture Day Camp

July 25-29,2017
Monday-Friday,9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
For ages 7-16
Location: Confucius Institute,10 Park Street, Alfred
Camp Fee: $150(includes lunch)
Enrollment(注册)Deadline: July 11,2017
Program

The AU Confucius Institute Chinese Language and Culture Day Camp offers a great introduction to Chinese language and culture in an exciting, fun-filled, interactive environment. The small-class format ensures that each camper gets enough individual attention. This program features:

·Chinese Language Classes
·Traditional Chinese Arts and Crafts
·Calligraphy
·Songs
·Dances
·Games
·Cooking
·Daily supervised cafeteria-style lunch in the University Dining Hall
Faculty

Top quality instruction is provided by distinguished members of the AU Confucius Institute faculty who are experienced teachers, fluent in both English and Chinese.

Who Can Attend?

This week-long day camp is for students aged 7-16 who wish to participate in a fun, dynamic summer experience in Chinese language and culture. For classes, students will be divided into younger and older age groups.

Schedule

Students must arrive at the Confucius Institute each day by 9:00 a.m. and must be picked up at 3:30 p.m. Morning lessons will focus on Chinese language classes, while afternoons will be filled with hands-on cultural activities. Instructors will bring students to the Powell Campus Center dining hall for a supervised, cafeteria-style lunch each day.

How to Enroll

Please finish the enrollment form and return by July 11,with your $150 payment, to: Office of Summer Programs, Alfred University, I Saxon Drive, Alfred, NY 14802.Checks should be made payable to Alfred University.Major credit cards are also accepted.(If paying by credit card, feel free to fax enrollment form to us at 607-871-2045.)

Cancellation(取消) Policy

Full refunds will be made for cancellations received by 3:30 p.m. on July 22, 2017. We cannot make refunds to students who cancel after July 22 because the amount of materials purchased, meal counts and classroom spaces are based upon the number of students expected and cannot be changed after that time.

Questions?

For further information, please contact the Office of Summer Programs via email or by calling 607-871-2612.

1. Why is the class in small size?

A．To give each camper specific care.	B．To charge a higher fee each camper.
C．T o save more room for more students.	D．To create an interactive atmosphere.

2. What CAN’T you learn in Chinese Language and Culture Day Camp?

A．Cooking

B．Martial arts

C．Crafts

D．Traditional arts

3. It can be inferred that campers _________.

A．have to bring their own lunch each day.

B．will learn about Chinese language all day.

C．should come to and leave the camp every day.

D．must stay in the camp for a week day and night.

4. If you want to get back your full fee, you have to give up ___________.

A．before 9:00 a.m. July29	B．before 9:00 a.m. July11
C．before 3:30 a.m. July25	D．before 3:30 p.m. July22

2 . I grew up seeing handwritten notes as the best expression of love. My mom often _______ small, square papers on the bed for me to find. Sometimes it was just a smiley_________, other times she simply wrote the words “love you” ___________ordinary ballpoint pen, but it was more than enough.

Starting in elementary school, my mom _____________I write notes to my grandma who lived a few hours away. Grandma ___________wrote back. The excitement I felt when I looked in the___________and saw a letter in my grandma’s shaky letters never___________. By studying her handwriting, I could almost ___________how she’d been feeling that day. Those notes are now treasures.

The words, “You make me___________,” from my dad when I got my first prize and birthday notes from friends are all lifelines I can’t bear to______________.

However, my greatest lifelines came from my daughter, Avery. One day I put a yellow note on her______________not realizing there was a blank one______________to it. When I cleaned out her lunch box that night, the number of my notes had______________. I cried when I saw she’d written the same thing as me.

“I love you Avery.”

I reached up and stuck my daughter’s______________on the cabinet where the sandwich bread was stored as a source of daily____________. Then later another in my clothes closet where I got __________, and another on the bathroom mirror where I brushed my____________.

“I love you . I will love you for my whole life.”

Until today my daughter still______________posts lifelines to me. Now they are not so much for encouragement ______________they are reminders — reminders that time is flying.

Because the untraditional spelling has become______________.   Letters are no longer gigantic（巨大的）, but rather small and dainty（优美的）. But the love, the love is still there.

1.

A．carried

B．left

C．covered

D．collected

2.

A．story

B．diary

C．sign

D．face

3.

A．in

B．on

C．without

D．at

4.

A．allowed

B．witnessed

C．requested

D．prevented

5.

A．hardly

B．always

C．gradually

D．never

6.

A．mailbox

B．pocket

C．parcel

D．basket

7.

A．changed

B．grew

C．fell

D．disappeared

8.

A．predict

B．tell

C．explain

D．doubt

9.

A．proud

B．famous

C．confident

D．surprised

10.

A．sort out

B．pack up

C．throw away

D．take up

11.

A．coat

B．sandwich

C．schoolbag

D．pencil-box

12.

A．referred

B．approached

C．belonged

D．attached

13.

A．gone

B．increased

C．worked

D．moved

14.

A．picture

B．love

C．hope

D．note

15.

A．duty

B．encouragement

C．schedule

D．motto

16.

A．dressed

B．raised

C．prepared

D．arranged

17.

A．shoes

B．floors

C．teeth

D．walls

18.

A．carefully

B．generally

C．regularly

D．timely

19.

A．as if

B．even if

C．although

D．as

20.

A．traditional

B．special

C．funny

D．valuable

3 . If you find yourself unable to go more than 15 minutes without reaching into your pocket, pulling out your smart phone and checking your e-mail or WeChat, don’t panic. You are hardly alone. A recent survey shows that smart phone users have developed “checking habit” ---frequently checks of e-mails and other Apps. The checks normally lasted less than 30 seconds and were often done every 10 minutes.

On average, the study subjects check their phones 34 times a day. And the strangest part is that they don’t even realize they are doing it. "I hadn’t told my hand to reach out for the phone. It seemed to be doing it all on its own,” wrote Elizabeth Cohen, a medical correspondent for CNN who watched her right hand sneaking away from her side to grab her phone while sitting on the table at dinner with friends.

Loren Frank, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), explains that checking smart phones is rewarding in some way. "Each time you get an e-mail, it’s a little bit exciting, because it means a positive feedback that you’re an important person,” Frank told CNN. Once the brain becomes used to this positive feedback, reaching out for the phone becomes an automatic action you don’t even think about consciously, said Frank. Professor Clifford Nass of Stanford University added that constantly checking your smart phone is also “an attempt to not have to think hard but feel like you are doing something”.

However, every coin has two sides. This habit can cause problems. Studies show that whenever you take a break from what you are doing to check your smart phone, it is hard to go back to your original task, according toAdam Gazzaley, a neurologist at UCSF. That’s not the worst. A survey by South Korean marriage consulting agency Duo earlier this year shows that smart phones are destroying intimate relationships, reports The Korea Herald(韩国先驱报). About half of the respondents said they had had fights with their boyfriend or girlfriend because of smart phones. And 32.8 percent of them fought about smart phone obsession. In this respect, checking smart-phones at regular intervals                                        is a bad habit. But just as an old saying goes, “Bad habits die hard.”

So to get rid of the checking habit, Cohen suggests establishing phone-free times and zones.

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．A smart-phone consumption survey.

B．The advantages of smart-phone checking habit.

C．The obsession with smart-phone checking.

D．They ways to quit smart-phone checking habit.

2. According to the author, what is the most unusual part of the survey?

A．Most of the subjects have developed “checking habit”.

B．The checks typically last 30 seconds.

C．The subjects tend to check their smart-phone frequently.

D．The subjects are unaware of the action when checking their smart-phones.

3. With the words by Elizabeth Cohen in Paragraph 2, the author intends to show __________.

A．what a “checking habit” is.

B．the common existence of “checking habit”.

C．the unconsciousness of “checking habit”.

D．the harm of “checking habit” to people.

4. According to Loren Frank, checking smart-phones, frequently is __________.

A．worthwhile in some way.

B．unimportant for those busy people.

C．necessary to think hard.

D．likely to cause neurological diseases.

5. According to Paragraph 4, what negative effects may “checking habit” have on students?

A．They might fail in their exams.

B．They might get distracted from their work.

C．They would make friends with unfamiliar people.

D．They would manage to break up with their close friends.

4 . An Epidemic (流行病) of Depression? Seligman is leading the charge in what might be called Happiness Revolution in psychology.Since World War II, psychologists have focused on fixing what is broken---repairing psycholosis(精神病), and neurosis(神经衰弱).Research has piles up steadily when it comes to looking at patients who are neurotic, while the happy or joyful people among us have received little scientific examination.

When Seligman did a search to find academic articles about such “positive psychology” he found only 800 out of 70,000.“Psychologists tend to be concerned with taking a negative 8 person, and helping him get to negative 2,” said Seligman, a University of Pennsylvania psychology professor.“My aim is to take a plus 2 person and boost him to a plus 6.”

In the last 50 years, statistics have shown that we are less happy as a people.“While our quality of life has increased dramatically over that time, and we’ve become richer, we’re in an epidemic of depression,” Seligman said.“Depression is 10 times more common now, and life satisfaction rates are down as well.” Seligman argues that the new science he writes about is shifting psychology’s model away from its narrow-minded focus on pathology(病理学), victimology, and mental illness towards positive emotion, virtue and strength, and positive institutions that increase people’s happiness.If you want to be happy, forget about winning the lottery, getting a nose job, or securing a raise.In his new book, Authentic Happiness, psychologist Martin Seligman argues that overall lifetime happiness is not the result of good genes, money, or even luck.Instead, he says we can boost our own happiness by making use of the strengths and traits that we already have, including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and generosity.He has named the discipline “Positive Psychology,” arguing that we would be better off building on our own strengths rather than bemoaning, and hence, trying to repair, our weakness.By frequently calling upon their strengths, people can build up natural barriers against misfortune and negative emotions, he said.

To cultivate happiness, we must first find out our individual strengths and virtues.Next, apply the qualities in such a way as to enhance our happiness-generating system.

1. Why could Seligman’s work be called Happiness Revolution?

A．Because happy or joyful people among us also suffer from illness.

B．Because psychology is the emotional characteristic of an individual.

C．Because psychology is the science that deals with mental processes and behavior.

D．Because traditional research on psychology rarely concerns happy or joyful people.

2. What does Seligman mean by saying “take a plus 2 person and boost him to a plus 6”?

A．We should focus on happy or joyful people.

B．The number of happy or joyful people will increase by 4.

C．“Positive psychology” articles need to be published more.

D．Happy people among us also need improve their mentality.

3. According to the passage, traditional opinion of psychology is __________.

A．encouraging

B．optimistic

C．subjective

D．narrow-minded

4. Martin Seligman argues that authentic happiness results from___________.

A．good genes, money or luck

B．positive mental status

C．contented life.

D．a good job.

5. According to the passage, which of the statements might Martin Seligman support?

A．promotion leads to true happiness.

B．We rely on our strengths for happiness.

C．Intelligent people are usually more satisfied.

D．Mental illness should be the focus of psychology.

6. The main topic of the passage is ____________.

A．how we can cultivate our happiness.

B．why material goods can’t boost people.

C．why we should cultivate our happiness.

D．how complicated our happiness-generation system is.

5 . A group of highly established alumni(校友) got together to visit their old university professor.The conversation among them soon turned into ___________ about their stressful work and life.

The professor went to his kitchen and ____________ with a large pot of coffee and a collection of different __________, including porcelain(瓷), plastic, glass and crystal.Some cups are plain-looking, ___________ some are expensive and extremely beautiful.The professor told them to help __________ to the coffee.

After all the students had a cup of coffee in their hands, the professor said, “Did you __________ all the nice-looking cups are taken and only the plain and inexpensive ones are ____________.It is ___________ for everyone to want the best for themselves, but that is the __________ of problems and stress in your life.“The cup itself ____________ no quality to the coffee.In most of the ___________, it’s just more expensive and even hides what we drink.” the professor continued.

“___________ all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but all of you ___________ went for good-looking and expensive cups and then you began __________ each other’s cups.

“Let’s consider that life is the coffee and the jobs, houses, cars, money and position in ___________ are the cups.The type of cup we have does not define or ____________ the quality of our lives.”

Sometimes we ___________ to enjoy the coffee by concentrating only on the cup we have.Being happy doesn’t mean everything around you is ___________.It means you’ve decided to see __________ the imperfection and find peace.And the peace __________ within you, not in your career or the houses you have.

1.

A．plans

B．complaints

C．troubles

D．cares

2.

A．cooked

B．supplied

C．returned

D．passed

3.

A．cups

B．plates

C．bowls

D．tables

4.

A．thus

B．while

C．or

D．so

5.

A．myself

B．yourself

C．himself

D．themselves

6.

A．found

B．fear

C．notice

D．suggest

7.

A．picked up

B．got away

C．left behind

D．taken away

8.

A．normal

B．clear

C．simple

D．essential

9.

A．mystery

B．key

C．effect

D．source

10.

A．donates

B．offers

C．provides

D．adds

11.

A．times

B．careers

C．houses

D．cases

12.

A．When

B．That

C．Which

D．What

13.

A．consciously

B．rarely

C．passively

D．surprisingly

14.

A．staring

B．measuring

C．eyeing

D．changing

15.

A．school

B．dream

C．thought

D．society

16.

A．correct

B．bring

C．change

D．record

17.

A．accept

B．fail

C．try

D．promise

18.

A．perfect

B．natural

C．real

D．important

19.

A．across

B．through

C．beyond

D．by

20.

A．stays

B．puts

C．gets

D．lies

6 . We lead very busy lives and we too easily forget how hard it was for us to focus on homework when we were in school. Now that we have jobs to do, food to buy and cook and other errands (差事) to run, even I sometimes think it would be a welcome change to have to sit down and quietly read and write with no distractions. But, in case you don’t remember — homework is pretty much every child’s least favorite thing to do. In the age of Netflix, Snapchat and wifi, the distractions are almost endless. It can sometimes almost be too hard to even keep up with all the new tech advances our kids are using, so how can we make sure that those advances take a back seat to our children’s education? Here are some ideas.

There’s no point in stopping the reality that young people are going to focus on their phones and tablets instead of other things at times. Your best way is to accept, actually the tech sector continues to be the most profitable and fast-growing industries and that’s unlikely to change fast. There are ways to use technology to help your kid do homework. Ask your teacher and school staff what apps and websites they’re using to teach lessons and supplements (补充) them with at-home activities as well.

Even though technology has changed, the basics haven’t. If you want to read, write and think properly, you need to have peace and quiet and the ability to focus, right? Well, your kids are just the same. Try and find a space in your home to enable your kids to do work away from televisions, the Internet or other distractions. Let me be clear: this shouldn’t be a prison. I feel like I’m my most productive working alone in an office or at a busy cafe with my headphones on. Getting lost in other realities helps my creativity flow. Placing kids in isolation can often have a harmful effect and doesn’t always equal being more productive.

I feel like “getting engaged” is always a big part of my advice for parents on just about everything. How can you make sure your children are being successful if you have no idea what they’re doing? How can you be sure they’re doing it right if you don’t know what is the correct answer? What do they need? You should be in touch with their teachers, have a sense of where the lessons are going, what kinds of assignments are being given and what success looks like in the classroom. Knowing all of that is key to your child’s success, especially when matched with some encouraging praise and helpful tips on how he can keep going. Thinking about how your child is best motivated by other things and using those methods here reasonably isn’t a bad idea.

And if by chance you’re having trouble solving that algebra equation (代数方程) or diagramming a sentence, don’t fear, you’re not alone. Use the school staff, other parents or friends as your support. Better to seek help than do noting.

We all know that homework isn’t exactly the most entertaining way anyone spends their time. And sometimes we can’t help but feel that since we left school, we’re done with homework forever. But the circle of life plays out in all times and it’s up to us to make sure that we pass on the lessons we’ve picked up and that while homework might seem dull, it’s how we build skills, learn real lessons and get on the road to greatness. That greatness is on the inside, it’s up to us as adults to enable the young people to bring it out. A key ingredient to achieving greatness is to take a lifelong learning.

1. What does the author think about children’s homework?

A．It affects parents’ everyday life.

B．New tech leads to their distraction.

C．Too much homework is bad for children.

D．It’s easy to do it with the help of new tech.

2. What might be the author’s advice?

A．Don’t fight the tech devices.

B．Better do homework at school.

C．Don’t be distracted by new tech.

D．Stick to the basis of homework.

3. As to where to do homework, the author thinks that _______.

A．it’s better to have it at a quiet place

B．it’s better in an office or at a busy cafe

C．you needn’t put your child in a small room

D．you have to let your child do it beside you

4. While you get engaged in your child’s homework, _________.

A．you must be better at all the lessons

B．you needn’t know all about the homework

C．don’t make your child feel too comfortable

D．having a reward structure might not hurt as well

5. What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A．Children should gain greatness on their own.

B．Parents can’t replace their children in homework.

C．Children’s success can’t do without parents’ efforts.

D．Parents can only obtain skills by helping their children.

6. What might be the best title for this passage?

A．Successful roads to the greatness of life

B．Doing homework with new technology

C．How to turn homework into a great pleasure

D．How to make homework as a success for you child

7 . For kids and many adults, a San Diego vacation means theme parks and other attractions. Before heading to a park call or check its website for updated hours of operation; many parks have seasonal or holiday hours. Ticket prices listed here are for general admission（入场费）, single-day use only.
Seaworld San Diego
A 6-minute tide（海潮）called Journey to Atlantis, which is to open in late May, tells the legend（传说）of the island nation. After the ride of Greek fishing boats, folks can visit a new exhibit of dolphins, which have not been on display at the park since 1998.
DETAILS: General admission is $ 46.95 for adults, $ 37.95 for children aged 3-9, free for children 2 and younger. 1-800-380-3203 or www.seaworld.com
San Diego Zoo
There’s not much in the way of new attractions. The zoo has a new panda cub（幼兽）, Mei Sheng. Nighttime Zoo, a program popular with families, starts June 26.
DETAILS: General admission is $21 for adults, $14 for children aged 3-11, free for children 2 and younger. 1 -（619）-234-5331 or www.Sandiegozoo.org
Maritime Museum of San Diego
The HMS Surprise, the 18th-century British warship featured in the film Master and commander, is on exhibit though Nov.30.
DETAILS: The ship is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Admission is $ 8 for adults,$ 6 for seniors and children aged 13-17, $ 5 for kids aged 6-12, and free for kids 5 and younger. 1-（619）-234-8135 or www.sdmaritime.org
Old Town Trolley Tours
Visiting relatives or friends in San Diego? They can get a hometown pass and ride or free with your paid admission.
DETAILS: The main ticket booth（售票亭）is in Old Town at 4010 Twiggs St. Hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, daily $ 25.www. historictours.com/sandiego.
1. The purpose of this text is to_______.

A．warn	B．amuse
C．persuade	D．guide

2. If you want to enjoy the performance of dolphins, you should go to________.

A．Seaworld San Diego	B．San Diego Zoo
C．Maritime Museum of San Diego	D．Old Town Trolley Tours

3. If a couple visits San Diego Zoo with their children, one aged 3 and the other 2, the admission will be____________.

A．$35

B．$49

C．$56

D．$70

4. According to the text, Old Town Trolley Tours can be well described by the saying________.

A．“Love at first sight.”

B．“Kill two birds with one stone”

C．“Easy come, easy go.”

D．“Strike the iron while it is hot.”

5. It can be inferred from the text that___________.

A．San Diego Zoo will attract the largest number of children

B．there may be some stories about the island of Atlantis

C．tickets during the holidays are more expensive

D．the film Master and commander can be seen in Maritime Museum of San Diego

8 . Backpacking through Africa, I always carried some food with me_______I couldn’t find something to eat.

I was______through a local market one day when I chanced upon a jar of_______jam. I could find tins of apple and strawberry in every corner store but this was the ______time I had seen peach. I took it.

For the next few weeks, when I was feeling the need for a little_______, I would carefully_______the lid and spoon a bit on to a biscuit. Mmm, delicious. I didn’t______it with anybody. It sat safely in my_____, taken out on only special_______.

One cold and cloudy afternoon, while I was waiting for a local bus, it started to rain. Everybody scattered for_____and so did I. But I was already wet through so I quickly searched through my pack for some______clothes.

In my hurry to________further discomfort, I forgot that the jar of jam was_______in my clothing. One forceful yank(猛拉) and my_______jar of jam crashed to the concrete ground, smashing into pieces.

I was so sad that I almost cried. And then, in the corner of my eye, I noticed an old woman in rags________.Without hesitating, she bent down and picked up the half of the jar that still looked ________.

Still________,she stuck two fingers into the jar, scooped(舀) out the________jam and placed it into her toothless mouth. Carefully, like fish bones, she_______the pieces of glass. She studied the broken container_____she was certain that there was nothing left. Then she left.

My bus arrived shortly after and, as we drove off, I wondered if the jam would taste the same to me.

1.

A．in order that

B．if

C．in case

D．unless

2.

A．looking

B．buying

C．getting

D．running

3.

A．apple

B．peach

C．orange

D．strawberry

4.

A．last

B．best

C．other

D．first

5.

A．meal

B．treat

C．rest

D．drink

6.

A．remove

B．move

C．discover

D．uncover

7.

A．divide

B．eat

C．share

D．separate

8.

A．pocket

B．pack

C．corner

D．store

9.

A．situations

B．conditions

C．atmosphere

D．occasion

10.

A．protection

B．shelter

C．cover

D．warmth

11.

A．beautiful

B．rain

C．warm

D．dry

12.

A．avoid

B．get into

C．defeat

D．overcome

13.

A．hidden

B．buried

C．covered

D．locked

14.

A．expensive

B．valuable

C．precious

D．priceless

15.

A．disappearing

B．appearing

C．running

D．approaching

16.

A．all right

B．nice

C．broken

D．damaged

17.

A．standing up

B．looked down upon

C．bent over

D．watching out

18.

A．rest

B．remaining

C．extra

D．spare

19.

A．swallowed

B．brought out

C．ate up

D．spat out

20.

A．until

B．unless

C．after

D．since

9 . Long ago, poems were recited out loud instead of being written down. Back when the Greeks first started the Olympics, they held poetry contests as well as athletic competitions.

Now, poetry competitions have been revived. This year 120,000 high school students competed in the first Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest, performing poems from memory for $100,000 in prizes.

The first competitions were held in classrooms. The winners went on to schoolwide contests, and then they competed in city and state competitions, and then the 50 state champions, along with the District of Columbia champion, came to Washington, D. C., last week for the last showdown(对决). After the 51 champions competed against one another,12 went on to the finals. Then the field was narrowed to five. The final five had one last chance to “perform” a poem. The overall champ, Jackson Hille, a high school senior from Ohio, won a $20,000 scholarship.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation started Poetry Out Loud because they realized that hearing a poem performed is a different experience from reading it on the page.

It’s not just a matter of saying the words in the right order. It’s the tone of voice, the pauses, the gestures, and the attitude of the person performing that bring the words to life. “Each time we hear somebody recite a poem, we understand again what we found fresh and interesting about it,” says National Public Radio broadcaster Scott Simon, master of ceremonies for the finals. Hearing it in a new voice offers something new to the listener.

Not only do the people hearing poems have a new experience, memorizing and presenting poems helps the participants understand those poems in a new way. Another benefit of a competition such as Poetry Out Loud is that the participants learn public-speaking skills that can help them for life.

1. From the first paragraph, we can know _______.

A．the Greeks were the first to write poems

B．the Olympics used to start with poem reciting

C．poems were spread orally in the past

D．athletes were asked to recite poems before competing

2. How many rounds of competitions did the champions take before they went to Washington, D. C.?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

3. According to the passage, hearing a poem recited in a new voice can _______.

A．bring a new life to listeners

B．help listeners find their interest

C．make listeners learn the words

D．offer something new to listeners

4. One benefit the participants get from a competition such as Poetry Out Loud is that they can _______.

A．become confident while speaking in public

B．write good poems themselves

C．change their attitudes towards life

D．make friends with many great poets

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Reciting poems improves your memory

B．Remembering a lot of poems is fun

C．Poets have a great time

D．Poetry rocks the microphone

10 . After years of observing human nature, I have decided that two qualities make the difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance curiosity and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both. The two belong together.

Together, these deep human urges (驱策力) count for much more that ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo, all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent, “Why? Why? Why?”

Fortunately, curiosity and discontent don’t have to be learned. We are born with them and need only recapture them.

“The great man,” said Mencius (孟子), “is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires restful average. It encourages us to occupy our own little corner, to avoid foolish leaps into the dark, to be satisfied.

Most of us meet new people, and new ideas, with hesitation. But once having met and liked them, we think how terrible it would have been, had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.

How should you start? Modestly, so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldn’t arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it. How she is one of the experts, writing books on flower arrangement.

One way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You haven’t any special ability? Most people don’t; there are only a few geniuses. You haven’t any time? That’s good, because it’s always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe, mother of six, wrote parts ofUncle Tom’s Cabinwhile cooking. You’re too old? Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel, and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.

However you start, remember there is no better time to start than right now, for you’ll never be more alive than you are at this moment.

1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ________.

A．propose a definition

B．make a comparison

C．reach a conclusion

D．present an argument

2. What does the example of Galileo tell us?

A．Trial and error leads to the finding of truth.

B．Scientists tend to be curious and ambitious.

C．Creativity results from challenging authority.

D．Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore.

3. What can you do to recapture curiosity and discontent?

A．Observe the unknown around you.

B．Develop a questioning mind.

C．Lead a life of adventure.

D．Follow the fashion.

4. What can we learn from Paragraphs 6 and 7?

A．Gaining success helps you become an expert.

B．The genius tends to get things done creatively.

C．Lack of talent and time is no reason for taking no action.

D．You should remain modest when approaching perfection.

5. What could be the best title or the passage?

A．Curious Minds Never Feel Contented

B．Reflections on Human Nature

C．The Keys to Achievement

D．Never Too Late to Learn