Passage five(Meditation in Indonesian Business)
It looked like a typical business meeting. Six men, neatly dressed in white shirts and ties filed into the boardroom of a small Jakarta company and sat down at a long table. But instead of consulting files or hearing reports, they closed their eyes and began to meditate, consulting the spirits of ancient Javanese kings. Mysticism touches almost every aspect of life in Indonesia and business is no exception. One of the meditators said his weekly meditation sessions are aimed mainly at bringing the peace of mind that makes for good decision-making. But the insight gained from mystic communication with spirits of wise kings has also helped boost the profits of his five companies.
Mysticism and profits have come together since the 13th century introduction of Islam to Indonesia by Indian Moslem merchants. Those devout traders, called ‘Wali Ullah’ or ‘those close to God, ’ energetically spread both trade and religion by adapting their appeals to the native mysticism of Java. Legends attribute magic power of foreknowledge to the Wali Ullah. These powers were believed to be gained through meditation and fasting.
Businessman Hadisiko said his group fasts and meditates all night every Thursday to become closer to God and to contact the spirits of the great men of the past. ‘If we want to employ someone at the managerial level, we meditate together and often the message comes that this man can’t hole onto money or he is untrustworthy. Or maybe the spirits will tell us he should be hired.’ Hadiziko hastened to add that his companies also hold modern personnel management systems and that formal qualifications are essential for a candidate even to be considered. Perspective investments also are considered through mystic meditation. ‘With the mind relaxed and open, it is easier to be objective in judging the risk of a new venture. Meditation and contact with the wisdom of the old leaders sharpens your own insight and intuition. Then you have to apply that intuition to the information you have and work hard to be successful. ’ Mystic meditation helped reverse a business slide his companies experienced in the mid-1980. Operating with normal business procedures, he lost more than $ 3 millions in that year alone. Meditation brought back his peace of mind. Putting the right persons in the right jobs and gaining confidence in his business decisions were the keys to a turning around that has brought expansion and profitability. The mysticism in Handspike’s boardroom is part of a growing movement in Indonesia called Kebatinan – the ‘search for the inner self.’
One of his managers, Yusuf Soemado, who studied business administration at Harvard University, compared the idea of mystic management to western system of positive thinking. ‘Willpower and subconscious mind are recognized as important factors in business. Such approaches as psycho-cybernetics, Carnegie’s think and growth rates, or the power of positive thinking are western attempts to tap the same higher intelligence that we contact through meditation,’ he said.
1.What is the most important factor in their doing business?
A.Mysticism. B.Religion. C.Meditation. D.Investment.
2.Whom do they consult?
A.The spirits of ancient Javanese kings.
B.Wali Ullah.
C.Old Kings.
D.Carnegie.
3.Why did Hadisike hasten to add ‘his companies also hold modern personnel management systems…’?
A.He thought Mysticism was not so good as expected.
To show they too focused on qualifications.
C.To show they hired qualified persons.
D.To show the possibility of combination of the scientific management with religion.
4.According to the passage, the function of the meditation is
A.to gain profit from the god.
[N]to gain peace of mind to make decision.
C.to gain foreknowledge.
D.to gain objective conclusion.
5.What does ‘operating with normal business procedures’ refer to?
A.Adopting the western way of doing business.
B.Ordinary way of doing business without meditation and fasting.
C.Contact with God.
D.Putting right persons in the right jobs.
A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat, and experts said it’s time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.
“We’ve put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep,” said Fred Turek, a physician at Northwestern University.
Monday’s study from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index - a measure of weight based on height - increased.
Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights, it said. In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.
“Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies. Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients,” the study said.
“Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index,” it added.
“We caution that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness (but) investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”
The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.
In an interview, Turek said some studies have shown sleep causes declines in an appetite suppressing protein hormone, and increases in another hormone that causes a longing for food. In addition neuropathies（神经疗法）in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap（重叠）, he said.
Patness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic（流行病） levels in the United States, it added, leading to a variety of health problems.
66. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. People who sleep less tend to get fat.
B. Fat people need lots of sleep to lose weight.
C. Sleeping has nothing to do with fatness.
D. Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries.
67. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Lack of sleep causes declines in a desire limiting protein hormone.
B. Americans experience sufficient sleep and fat bodies.
C. The findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may be necessary.
D. Fatness has been rising dramatically in America.
68. Which of the following is NOT close to the underlined word suppress?
A. limit B. restrict C. accept D. control
69. According to the passage, which of the following people is the lowest possible one to get fatness?
A. Americans B. Chinese C. Japanese D. English
70. We can conclude the attitude of the author isaccording to the passage.
A. worried B. uninterested C. critical D. optimistic
Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coachers, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skill that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a fault in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. positive support should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates(激发)and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
61. An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is _________.
A. to make sports less competitive B. to increase their sense of success
C. to reduce their mental stress D. to make sports more challenging
62. According to the passage, sport is positive for young people in that _________.
A. it can help them learn more about society
B. it enables them to find faults in themselves
C. it can provide them with valuable experiences
D. it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
63. Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes.
A. believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development
B. without realizing criticism may destroy their self confidence
C. in order to make them remember life’s lessons
D. so as to put more pressure on them
64. According to the passage parents and coaches should _________.
A. pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports
B. help children to win every game
C. train children to cope with stress
D. enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports
65. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is __________.
A. to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
B. to persuade young children not to worry about criticism
C. to stress the importance of positive support to children
D. to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement
Authorities did not release（公布）the gunman’s name, but Peters said he had no record of police contact or an arrest record while attending Northern Illionois.
DeKalb county coroner（验尸官）Dennis J. Miller on Friday released the identities of the four victims who died in the county: Daniel Parmenter, 20, of Westchester; Catalina Garcia, 20, of Cicero; RyanneMace, 19, of Carpenters-ville; and Julianna Gehant, 32, of Meridan.
“Two other victims died after being transferred to hospitals in other counties,” Miller said. Witnesses said the gunman, dressed in black and wearing a stocking cap, emerged from behind a screen on the stage of 200-seat Cole Hall and opened fire just as the class was about to end around 3 pm.
Officials said 162 students were registered for the class but it was unkown how many were there on Thursday.
Allyse Jerome, 19, a sophomore（大二学生）from Shunmburg, said the gunman burst through a stage door and pulled out a gun.
“Honestly, at first everyone thought it was a joke,” Jerome said. Everyone hit the floor, she said. Then she got up and ran, but tripped. She said she felt like “an open target.”
“He could’ve decided to get me,” Jerome said on Friday. “I thought for sure he was gonna get me.”
Lauren Carr said she was sitting in the third row when she saw the shooter walk through a door on the right-hand side of the stage, pointing a gun straight ahead.
“I personally Army-crawled halfway up the aisle（通道）,” said Carr, a 20-year-old sophomore. “I said I could get up and run or I could die here.”
She said a student in front of her was bleeding, “but he just kept running.”
More than a hundred students cried and hugged as they gathered outside the Phi Kappa Alpha house early Friday morning to remember Dan Parmenter, who was one of those killed.
56. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Everyone thought it was a joke when the gunman appeared in front of them.
B. Peters had no record of police contact or an arrest record while attending Northern Illionois.
C. 162 students were attending a lecture when the gunman emerged from behind the screen.
D. The gunman opened fire as soon as the class came to an end.
57. How many people were shot to death according to the passage?
A. 4 B. 6 C. 8 D. 162
58. The following are not witnesses except.
A. Peters B. Dennis J. MillerC. Dan Parmenter D. Lauren Carr
59. What was the first thing that Jerome did when she saw the gunman?
A. She got up and ran out of the room.
B. She hit the floor.
C. She burst through a stage door and pulled out a gun.
D. She tripped and became an “open target”.
60. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Witnesses Tell of Horrible Experience B. A Cruel Shooter
C. 162 Killed in an Accident D. An Unkown Gunman
What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools. Perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
51. We can infer from the first paragraph that_______.
A. learning better at school shows power in your job
B. the better you are at school subjects, the more helpful they are in your career
C. learning each subject well is an ability in many jobs
D. we should think about how to find our career
52. According to the passage, if a student’s school record is not good, he will _________.
A. have no hope in his future work
B. be hopeful to find a suitable job
C. regret not having worked harder at school
D. have an opportunity of a new beginning in his future work
53. All the subjects may have direct value for job hunting except___________.
A. mathematics B. English C. history D. technical drawing
54. The underlined words "all thumbs" in Paragraph 4 most probably mean_________.
A. heavy-handed B. the best C. important D. skilled
55. The passage mainly discusses ___________.
A. the relationship between school performance and career
B. how to get a job
C. how to show strengths in your work
D. working experience and knowledge at school
Whether you're heading into the wild or down the road, it's hard to find a better electronic sidekick than a GPS. (Well, you know, other than a cell phone.)
Because a GPS has to receive a signal from space, physical impediments(遮挡) like skyscrapers, cliff faces, and even trees can stump(阻断) it. Reception is less of an issue with the ultrasensitive(超灵敏) chipsets in newer models, but if the walls are closing in on you, take a tip from a time when navigation systems weren't the streamlined panels they are today: Hooking up an antenna(天线) will make use of even the most tenuous celestial connection. There's a port on the back of most GPS devices for jacking in.
You'll also want to remember that a GPS is not a compass: It runs on software. Like your PC, it needs to communicate with the mother ship periodically. Vendors(供应商) refresh firmware and maps on a regular basis, sometimes even daily. These updates deliver new bits of data that significantly affect your gadget's accuracy. But if you live in the boonies(郊区) on a road named after your sister-wife, don't expect NavTeq to come a-knocking with its survey equipment. Fortunately, most companies make it easy to update your own maps. Usually it's as simple as plugging into your home computer, dropping a couple of pins in Google Maps, and clicking Save.
If you own a new Tom Tom, it's even easier. You can edit maps on the unit itself, though you might not have to: Some of the company's navigation updates themselves. Tom Tom's IQ Routes software takes data from every person who uses the company' gadgets and readjusts its assumptions about which roads you should use and how long a given route will take. It will even change its own maps.
See, it's not that hard: Your GPS may use NASA technology, but getting the most out of it isn't rocket science.
46. The writer thinks the useful electronic partner is __
____besides a cell phone when driving outdoors.
A. a GPS B. Tom Tom's IQ Routes C. a PC D. NASA
47. Which statement is NOT true about a GPS according to the passage?
A. It receives a signal from space.
B. It is not a compass.
C. It needs to refresh its information.
D. It has no port to connect other equipment.
48. You may learn from the passage that Tom Tom (Para 4) is _______.
A. a GPS receiver
B. a device that can be used to edit maps
C. a device that can be used to update software
D. a person who readjusts GPS assumptions
49. The main idea of the last paragraph is _______.
A. that we should make the most of GPS in rocket science
B. that getting the most out of GPS is too difficult
C. getting the most out of GPS is very easy
D. GPS owns NASA technology
50. Which is not mentioned about a GPS according to the passage?
A. Its usage. B. Its price and shape. C. Its technology. D. Its benefit.