Unusualincidentsarebeingreport-优题课

Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.
What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.

A．we have thoughts similar to those of others

B．most people have a variety of thoughts

C．other people’s thoughts are more important

D．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others

What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?

A．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom.

B．We may lose ourselves to please others.

C．We need to pay for what we want to get.

D．The price of taking drugs is freedom.

In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.

A．care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time

B．guide ourselves by means of values from the outside

C．stick to our own values

D．persuade others to accept our opinions

It can be concluded from the passage that __________.

A．it’s better to do what we like	B．we shouldn’t care what others think
C．we shouldn't change our own opinions	D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions

It is well known that the Japanese people’s love of fish is almost as a bee’s interest in honey. As fish populations were decreasing, fishing companies were forced to fish further and further away from the shore. Then they had a big challenge－how to keep the fish fresh for longer. So they decided to keep the fish stored in freezers on the boats. But the public did not like frozen fish. So again the fishing companies had a new bigger challenge. What they decided to do was to have fish tanks on their boats. After catching fishes, they would put them in the tanks and keep them living there until they got back to shore. But in this protected environment, lacking predators (掠食者)，the fish stopped moving around. The Japanese public felt these dull fish did not taste fresh, which had an unpleasant effect upon sales. Once again the fishing companies had an even bigger challenge ...
Stop for a minute! Before we go any further, I would like to ask “What are your challenges? How do you handle an unexpected challenge?” May I think it this way that you should try to attack your challenges? Conquer（战胜） them with a Swiss Army knife. Take the most proper and simple tool that you can adopt to deal with your situation.
Now back to our story. How did the Japanese finally figure out the fresh fish problem？Sharks! You might think the same. Sharks were caught and put into the tanks with other fishes. Don’t sharks eat fish? Well, they do eat a few fish, but they did also keep more fish active and alert (警觉的). The fish stay fresh because they are challenged.
Now, try to keep yourself fresh by finding your own shark to offer yourself a challenge in your own business and career.
The main reason for the fishing company to fish in the far sea was that .

A．the fish resource near the shore was on the decrease

B．the fishes farther away from the sea tasted fresher

C．people would prefer eating fresh fishes to less fresh ones

D．it was getting harder and harder to keep fishes fresh

Which of the following statements is true?

A．Japanese people love honey as much as a bee does.

B．The fish kept in tanks didn’t sell well because of their taste.

C．The fish stored in the protected environment tasted the best.

D．The fish kept in tanks didn’t taste fresh because they died before reaching the restaurant.

The underlined part of the last paragraph means “ .”

A．If you went fishing, you might do as the fishing companies did

B．Try to find a big shark, and you will meet your challenge

C．To succeed in life, you should always be ready to meet challenges

D．Sharks are usually compared to the challenges in people’s life

The purpose for the author to write the passage is to .

A．tell the readers “no pains, no gains”

B．tell the readers how the Japanese keep the fish fresh

C．advise readers to look for challenges to make progress

D．advise readers to find something difficult to do

Packaging is an important form of advertising. A package can sometimes motivate someone to buy a product. For example, a small child might ask for a breakfast food that comes in a box with a picture of a TV character. The child is more interested in the picture than in the breakfast food. Pictures for children to color or cut out, games printed on a package, or small gifts inside a box also motivate many children to buy products—or to ask their parents for them.
Some packages suggest that a buyer will get something for nothing. Food products sold in reusable containers are examples of this. Although a similar product in a plain container might cost less, people often prefer to buy the product in a reusable glass or dish, because they believe the container is free. However, the cost of the container is added to the cost of the product.
The size of a package also motivates a buyer. Maybe the package has “Economy Size” or “Family Size” printed on it. This suggests that the large size has the most products for the least money. But that is not always true. A buyer has to know how the product is sold and the price of the basic unit.
The information on the package should provide some answers. But the important thing for any buyer to remember is that a package is often an advertisement. The words and pictures do not tell the whole story. Only the product inside can do that.
The underlined words “a buyer will get something for nothing” (Paragraph 2) most probably mean that _________.

A．a buyer will not get what he wants	B．a buyer will gain more than he loses
C．a buyer will get what he pays for	D．a buyer will get something useful free of charge

Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．On seeing a well-designed container, a buyer often neglects（忽略）what is inside it.

B．A buyer is also attracted by the size of the container.

C．Children are often made to buy a product by its package with attractive pictures.

D．Packaging is often a successful advertisement.

What suggestion does the author give in the passage?

A．The best choice for a buyer is to get a product in a plain package.

B．A buyer should get what he needs most.

C．Do not buy the product which is sold in a glass or dish.

D．A buyer should know that the quality of a container has little to do with the quality of the product.

Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition（过渡）, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students were going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my new found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment (责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!
What did the writer expect to do after he retired?

A．To stay away from busy schedules.	B．To write some great books.
C．To do some voluntary work.	D．To plan for his future.

Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?

A．He missed his students in that country.	B．He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.
C．He was concerned about the people there.	D．He was not satisfied with his retired life.

Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．My Retired Life.	B．Being the Head of a High School.
C．My Attitudes towards Life.	D．An Experience of Being a Volunteer.

What does the writer think of his retired life now?

A．Disappointing.

B．Troublesome.

C．Promising.

D．Meaningful.

The U.S. government has repeatedly made it clear that it would welcome China’s entrance into the world arena as a power. However, a series of issues since the beginning of this year, particularly Washington's stance on the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises and the South China Sea issue, have made the world think: Is the United States ready to recognize China as a power on the world stage?
It is easier said than done for the United States to adapt itself to China's development. Lip service is far from enough to boost the development of Sino-U.S. relations. If Washington cannot find a way to recognize and accept China's peaceful rise onto the world stage, bilateral（双边的） ties will be like a roller coaster full of ups and downs. However, no one would like to see the negative effects rocky relations would bring to China, the United States and possibly to the world as a whole.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to play a greater role in solving the world's economic, environmental and political problems. She said global issues could not be solved by the United States or China alone, but without participation of the two countries, no problems would likely be solved. Washington has realized that the United States' global interest can be maintained only through changing the way it deals with China.
The Obama administration released positive signals in its relations with China, which have been interpreted as the United States showing its intention to change the traditional strategy of engagement and containment（遏制）. As a matter of fact, the general direction of Sino-U.S. relations provides a foundation on which the United States can base its foreign policies and is more complicated than an adjustment in real conditions. Issues such as arms sales to Taiwan, Google censorship, RMB exchange rates as well as finger-pointing about economic responsibility show Washington still seems confused and inpatient about relations with China.
The relationship between China and the United States is the most important and complicated bilateral relationship in the world this century. The development of Sino-U.S. relations will affect world peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist specializing in U.S. foreign policy, said, "America and China will have more than ever to gain from closer political and commercial ties, and must take steps to avoid a Cold War, or worse."
In that circumstance, the United States needs both wisdom and determination to recognize and accept China, a country that is totally different from its own, as a power on the world stage.
The underlined word stance in the first paragraph probably means.