Facial surgery (手术) is a serious business, especially on children
This new
Researchers at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) could soon replace the ruler currently
MCRI’s Mr Harold Matthews said current
The project intends
A. After one month of painting every day, from sunrise to sunset, I was selling here and there, mostly right off the easel (画架), but I quickly burned through my savings, and soon after, lost my apartment and moved into my car parked along the Pacific Coastline. A few more months passed. I was underfed and had no gas to move my car, but I kept painting.
B. This was back in 2008 and so many years later, I’m painting more than ever. I will still pick up an illustration job from time to time, but painting plein air is what I love more than anything - this is how I spend my time. I have work in a couple of galleries here in Oregon, but I do most of my sales through my website, which is updated daily.
C. One day, with a dozen paintings laid out by my feet in South Laguna with a serious sunburn and hungry stomach, a woman walked by, complimented my work and then bought all of my paintings! Turns out this woman was a big art collector. Then she generously gave me a show in her home a couple of weeks later. I nearly sold out at the show and then I got picked up by a famous gallery in Laguna Beach the following week.
D. After graduating from art school with a degree in illustration (插图), I was at a stand still and didn’t know how to work in the art industry. Back then, I was still living in Laguna Beach, California, so I decided to try my hand at plein air (野外写生) painting. This was something I had only done once or twice before, and with little success.
E. After a week, I fell in love with the work of Edgar Payne, William Wendt and the like, and at that moment I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life.
7 . Setting goals is common in our life. We look ahead, predict what may make us happy in the future, and then narrow down the things to something specific. For the most part, having goals is better than not having any, but there are also problems that come with spending an entire life living from goal to goal.
For one thing, we attempt to predict an unpredictable future. Who is to say that what you want next year is the same thing you want right now? What if what you want right now isn’t in the right direction over the long term?
Secondly, and just as importantly, you only confine your expectations of happiness and satisfaction to the goal you have set so that you often forget that other things in your life can also add just as much joy to your experience. This creates a strange conflict.
To solve this conflict, we have to move towards something more vague (模糊的). Going after interestingness, I think is what we should do. It’s vague enough to be honest about the unpredictability of the future.
Interestingness isn’t hedonism (快乐主义). It’s deeper than that. It’s taking on that random project you had no plan to take on because you have a feeling that you might just learn something you didn’t know about yourself. It’s seeing a person you just met not as a potential partner or someone who can do something for you but simply as someone who may open a new, unknown and unique world for you. Goals incorrectly assume that we already know what we want. Interestingness is more modest. It makes up its mind as it moves, slowly blowing from one thing to another, until it eventually grasps something that lies beyond prediction.
1. Setting goals is to predict an unpredictable future because __________.A.it fails to reach our true potential |
B.it proves meaningless in the long run |
C.it may lead us to the opposite direction |
D.it overlooks possible changes in our life |
A.Devote. | B.Limit. | C.Deliver. | D.Compare. |
A.Bringing us self satisfaction at once. |
B.Improving our relationship with others. |
C.Making us gain something unexpected. |
D.Helping us successfully predict the future. |
8 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?
One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.
Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.
The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.
Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.
It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?A.The need to produce results. | B.The selection of research areas. |
C.The lack of financial support. | D.The desire to solve research problem. |
A.To show how influential the mass media can be. |
B.To show how effective environmental groups can be. |
C.To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds. |
D.To show how environmental groups overstate their claims. |
A.educate readers | B.mislead readers |
C.meet readers’ expectations | D.encourage readers’ feedback |
A.Making decisions based on reality. | B.Balancing optimism and pessimism. |
C.Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes. | D.Addressing the environmental crisis gradually. |
9 . Mei Lum is the fifth-generation owner of Wing on Wo & Co. in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
For Lum, the oldest-running business in Manhattan’s Chinatown sees the neighbourhood growing larger and larger and is an informal living room where she came of age. In the store on Mott Street, she shared meals with her family, took Chinese lessons with her grandparents and helped clean the store as a young girl.
Wing on Wo was started in the 1890s. In the early days, Wing on Wo was a general store that mainly sold dried fish and canned (罐装的) goods. It was also an informal post office. When Lum’s grandmother, Nancy, took over in 1965, she decided to focus on porcelain (瓷器) specifically. Its heyday (全盛时期) was the late 70s to the late 80s. A lot of the goods came from Hong Kong, where Lum’s grandfather grew up.
In 2016, her grandmother planned to sell the porcelain specialty shop and its building. Lum, who was preparing to study international relations at Columbia University, decided to take over the store — not only to preserve (保护) its cultural value, but to create a community centre.
“I see the store as a place for conversation for Asian Americans. They want to learn about family history and tradition, and are curious about their cultural identity. I want them to learn about their identity through our porcelain,” Lum said.
Wing on Wo has remained a family business from its founding. Lum’s father, Gary, has been manning the counter (柜台) for the past 30 years. Her mother, Lorraine, processes orders and manages the website. Even her grandmother helps out with some work in the store.
The pandemic pushed Lum to start learning how to run an online store. She’s also added a lot of new activities, including youth programs, an artist residency and a ceramicist fair, to ensure that in addition to preserving tradition, the business is shaping the future of Chinatown.
1. What did the store mean to Lum according to paragraph 2?A.It gave her a chance to help her neighbours. |
B.It played an important role in her childhood. |
C.It helped her to develop a money-saving lifestyle. |
D.It had a great influence on her choice of university. |
A.She sold Wing on Wo. | B.She opened a new general store. |
C.She began selling only porcelain in the store. | D.She changed the store into a porcelain factory. |
A.To collect money for her college education. |
B.To learn business skills from her grandmother. |
C.To encourage young people to start a family business. |
D.To provide a historical connection for Asian Americans. |
A.Responsible and forward-looking. | B.Humorous and hard-working. |
C.Creative and honest. | D.Kind and patient. |
10 . I had no idea that the Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) existed (存在) until I went to the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder club fair with my best friend in September. There was a stand that was run to find volunteers for the festival in the spring, and I signed up. I wasn't quite passionate (狂热的) about films but just wanted to do some volunteer work.
The first volunteer shift I had was before the festival started, and I got to organize all of the passes needed for the festival, including those of all the volunteers, sponsors, filmmakers, and VIP members. I even managed to get a picture of myself and Ale c Baldwin's pass.
During the festival, I worked as a vaccine (疫苗) checker, checking people's vaccination cards and giving out wristbands since BIFF required everyone to be vaccinated to enter the many halls. This job-wasn't terrible, except for the fact that we were outside most of the time and it was snowing. By the end, I could hardly feel my feet, but I kept in high spirits.
After finishing my volunteer work, I was able to see a few films for free. Besides some short films, I really enjoyed “The Last Mountain,” a documentary about the life and death on a mountain in 2019 of the British climber, Tom Ballard, and the mountaineering history of his family. While I was crying throughout most of the movie, it was an inspiring story about love and passion.
I really enjoyed my time at BIFF. It was well-organized and everyone working for the festival was passionate about making it a great experience for everyone alike. Next year, I hope to invite some of my friends to volunteer with me, or at least encourage them to watch a couple of amazing films!
1. Where did the author find out about BIFF?A.At a volunteer event he had attended. | B.At the CU Boulder club fair. |
C.From a volunteer of BIFF. | D.From his best friend. |
A.He guided people to different places at the festival. |
B.He made wristbands for people who asked for them. |
C.He gave out passes to filmmakers and VIP members. |
D.He made sure everyone attending the festival was vaccinated. |
A.It is about a wealthy British family. | B.It is difficult to understand. |
C.It is a sad story. | D.It is really short. |
A.To introduce a special film festival. |
B.To share his experiences at a film festival. |
C.To show how he developed an interest in films. |
D.To discuss the benefits of volunteering at film festivals. |