1 . Is forgiveness against our human nature? To answer our question, we need to ask a further question: What is the essence of our humanity? For the sake of simplicity, people consider two distinctly different views of humanity.
The first view involves dominance and power. In an early paper on the psychology of forgiveness, Droll (1984) made the interesting claim that humans’ essential nature is more aggressive than forgiving allows. Those who forgive are against their basic nature, much to their harm. In his opinion, forgivers are compromising their well-being as they offer mercy to others, who might then take advantage of them.
The second view involves the theme of cooperation, mutual respect, and even love as the basis of who we are as humans. Researchers find that to fully grow as human beings, we need both to receive love from and offer love to others. Without love, our connections with a wide range of individuals in our lives can fall apart. Even common sense strongly suggests that the will to power over others does not make for harmonious interactions. For example, how well has slavery worked as a mode of social harmony?
From this second viewpoint of who we are as humans, forgiveness plays a key role in the biological and psychological integrity of both individuals and communities because one of the outcomes of forgiveness, shown through scientific studies, is the decreasing of hate and the restoration of harmony. Forgiveness can break the cycle of anger. At least to the extent the people from whom you are estranged (不和的) accept your love and forgiveness and are prepared to make the required adjustments. Forgiveness can heal relationships and reconnect people.
As an important note, when we take a classical philosophical perspective, we see the distinction between potentiality and actuality. We are not necessarily born with the capacity to forgive, but instead with the potential to learn about it and to grow in our ability to forgive. The actuality of forgiving, in real situations, develops with practice.
1. What is Droll’s idea about forgiveness?A.People should offer mercy to others. |
B.Aggressive people should learn to forgive. |
C.Forgiveness depends on the nature of humanity. |
D.People who forgive can have their own welfare affected. |
A.To fight is to grow. | B.To give is to receive. |
C.To forgive is to abuse. | D.To dominate is to harm. |
A.Favorable. | B.Reserved. | C.Objective. | D.Skeptical. |
A.Forgiveness is in our nature. | B.Forgiveness grows with time. |
C.It takes practice to forgive. | D.Actuality is based on potentiality. |
2 . Must-read New Fiction Books
We all have a few tried-and-true fiction favorites, but there’s something special about a brand-new, hot-off-the-press novel. Whether it’s your favorite author’s new release or a new writer’s first work, great fiction books make the perfect escape from ordinary life. That’s why we’ve rounded up a list of the best new books released in February.
Age of Gold by Jerry Lapoor
Jerry Lapoor’s latest action-packed novel unfolds like a crazy movie. This thriller begins when a wealthy man’s car gets out of control. But when the dust settles, the rich man is nowhere to be found. How and to where does he disappear? With an exciting plot that will carry you from old-money houses to small agricultural villages, Age of Cold will take you on an unforgettable ride across a vast land.
City Under One Sky by Rachel Young
In the book, Young presents a crime story set in a small town. Detective Sara Kennedy has been sent to investigate a case. But soon after arrival, Sara gets snowed in with the 205 townsfolk living in the same apartment building. Who is hiding the key to the crime? And is there anyone she can truly trust? The appealing story, strange but distinctive characters and unexpected plot are just a few of the reasons why City Under One Sky gains its popularity.
Lady by Jess George
Lady is an irresistible fiction from Jess George. The story of Mary’s fresh start at adulthood is shot through with themes of family, race and discrimination, womanhood and the immigrant reality of feeling torn between cultures. Though struggling with life in London as an African, Mary jumps at every chance to stand on her own feet.
1. What will impress the readers in Age of Gold?A.The thrilling plot. | B.Traditional cultures. |
C.The family conflict. | D.Crazy characters. |
A.She is trapped in the snow. | B.She is to investigate a case abroad. |
C.She hides the key evidence. | D.She has trouble discovering the truth. |
A.Self-reliance. | B.Gender equality. |
C.Domestic violence. | D.Cross-cultural communication. |
Wearing Hanfu and sitting in front of a Chinese zither (筝), Peng Jingxuan, a young Chinese student, moves her fingers gently along the strings on a street in Paris, France.
Peng has shared more than 200
Chinese zither (筝), or guzheng, is an ancient musical instrument with 21-26 strings and a length of 1.63 meters. Peng
Considering her audience’s
1. 介绍画展;2.活动评价
注意:
(1)写作词数为80词左右;
(2)可适当加入细节,使内容充实、行文连贯;
A Chinese Painting Exhibition
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . Alexis was a student, the only son of his wealthy parents, and felt entitled to the luxuries he had in his life. On a class field trip, Alexis met the forester, Justin, who had been living in a wooden house in the forest over ten years. When learning Justin’s life, Alexis laughed at him with his friends.
During the field trip, Alexis and his classmates passed by an entrance to a cave. “This looks so cool!” Alexis exclaimed. He wanted to go inside the cave, but his teacher stopped him.
The next day, Alexis reached the cave with his four friends, only to find they couldn’t take their schoolbags through the entrance. One by one, the teenagers entered the cave and were amazed to see how wide it was from the inside. Albert picked a large stone up and hit one of the walls with it. “This place is so cool!” he laughed quietly before the rocks from the wall came falling.
“Watch out, Albert!” Alexis said and pulled Albert towards himself. The teenagers screamed in fear when they saw the rocks fall. They couldn’t see anything because of the dust floating in the air.
The friends were scared when they realized they were trapped in the cave. “HELP! WE ARE STUCK!” the teenagers started screaming for help, hoping someone would hear them.
Fate sent Justin to the cave. The forester picked berries every day from the trees near the cave. While he was walking back to his house, five bright-colored schoolbags caught his attention. Then he approached the cave and shouted, “Hey! Who’s in there?”
“I’m Alexis ! I came here yesterday with my teacher! Help us, please! We are stuck!”
“Okay, calm down, children! I’ll help you out!” Justin said.
Justin quickly called 911 and informed them about the kids in the cave. Thinking the paramedics (护理人员) would take at least twenty minutes to arrive, he decided to help the kids himself before it was too late. Justin quickly grabbed a shovel and a flashlight and rushed back to the cave’s entrance. Meanwhile, Alexis and his friends tried to stay calm. A few minutes later, Alexis and his friends could see the flashlight shine through the cave’s entrance. Seconds later, they rushed outside the cave and took a deep breath in the fresh air.
Just then, the paramedics arrived.
1. What may lead to Alexis looking down on Justin?A.His lower education. | B.His poor family. |
C.His bad reputation. | D.His living condition. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Curious. | C.astonished. | D.Scared. |
A.It was his daily routine. | B.He saw five colorful schoolbags. |
C.He came to look for the children. | D.He heard the screaming for help. |
A.Lucky or unlucky. | B.Don’t judge a person by his looks. |
C.Curiosity kills the cat. | D.Once in a blue moon. |
6 . In early July, FDA granted traditional full approval of Leqembi for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This is the first approved medication proven to slow the progression of AD’s clinical symptoms. A phase three trial among 50-to-90-year-old patients with early AD showed that it can do so by about 27% over an 18-month period. While we cannot extrapolate (推断) beyond 18 months, this represents about a six-month delay in progression of AD symptoms.
A second disease-slowing drug, donanemab, has recently shown similar effects and may get FDA approval by the end of the year.The development of Leqembi is a notable success for medical science in that a disease previously impervious to any disease-modifying medical intervention now has an available, effective treatment. However, paraphrasing Winston Churchill, this is not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning. The drug does not reverse disease symptoms or prevent progression, it slows progression. And there are considerations that make it inappropriate for many patients with AD. It does, however, lay the groundwork for future AD medications that could alleviate (减轻) suffering from this devastating disease for generations to come.
An important factor for new drugs is their cost. Leqembi’s price tag is $26,500 per year — much more than the current symptomatic medications for AD but comparable or less expensive than new medications for other conditions, for example multiple sclerosis or ALS.
Medicare has announced that it will provide coverage for this medication, although it is requiring that physicians perform certain clinical measures and enter the patient’s data in a registry in order for the drug to be covered, which will increase physician and patient burdens. What’s more, traditional Medicare only covers 80% of outpatient costs, so for those patients without supplemental insurance, a 20% copay for the drug and required MRI scans (核磁共振扫描) might amount to up to $10,000 or more per year out of pocket, but still only a fraction of the cost of a year of in a nursing home.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraph?A.Leqembi can make a six-month delay of AD’s symptoms over a two-year period. |
B.To some degree, Leqembi is effective to slow the progression of AD symptoms. |
C.Both donanemab and Leqembi have got FDA approval. |
D.The drug is appropriate for any patient with AD. |
A.although the new drug has undergone trials, it is still not effective enough |
B.though Leqembi can slow the progression of AD’s symptoms, we still have a long way to go |
C.the research of the Leqembi will come to an end |
D.some others problems related to the the medicine have been caused |
A.much cheaper than other medications for AD |
B.much more than current medications for other conditions |
C.affordable to almost every patient |
D.cheaper than new medications for ALS |
A.physician and patient burdens are increased |
B.patients do not have supplemental insurance |
C.patient’s data is registered and clinical measures are carried out by doctors |
D.patients pay the cost of a year of in a nursing home |
A.Order food. | B.Ask for the menu. | C.Leave the restaurant. |
1. What did Jeff Masters say about models used to predict floods?
A.They were based on short-term records. |
B.They were not enough to help handle a new climate. |
C.They reflected climate changes over the past decade. |
A.Oregon. | B.Washington. | C.Louisiana |
A.3 to 6 inches. | B.6 to 9 inches. | C.9 to 10 inches. |
A.Over 600 homes were damaged. |
B.Roads and bridges were shut. |
C.Some people died. |
1. What did Jimmy bring from the library?
A.A magazine. | B.A brochure | C.A book |
A.At the front. | B.In the middle. | C.At the back |
A.Answer a call. | B.Share the news. | C.Book the tickets. |
A.Boss and secretary. | B.Husband and wife. | C.Schoolmates. |
1. What is the relationship between the speakers?
A.Neighbors. | B.Husband and wife. | C.Interviewer and interviewee. |
A.In Washington. | B.In Texas. | C.In Nebraska. |
A.She is an artist. | B.She is a banker. | C.She is a computer programmer. |