I made a pledge (发誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting (引用) a Biblical (圣经的) passage about husbands being considerate towards their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”
“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased, maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all the week and now she wants to stay with me.” We walked on the beach when the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed, I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. Last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sorrow, “do you know anything I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup (体检) I had several weeks ago…our doctor…Did he tell you anything about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me... Am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
From the story we may infer that Tom went to the beach cottage ________.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn | C．alone | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ________.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he had made a lot of money in Wall Street |
| C．he was determined to be a good husband |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The underlined words “one thing” in the passage refer to the fact that ________.
| A．he praised her sweater, which puzzled her |
| B．she insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated |
| C．he knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her |
| D．he was so good to her that she thought she must be dying |
By saying “I’m just starting to live”, Tom means that ________.
| A．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of work |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy his life as a loving husband |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
| D．he is beginning to feel sorry for what he did to his wife |
Roughly half of college students will have some degree of depression at some point during their time in school. Even more startling, 6.2 percent of college students surveyed in 2012 considered suicide and 1.3 percent attempted it, according to an American College Health Association study released this spring. If you’re feeling depressed on campus, you may find the following tips helpful.
Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins – chemicals that produce an overall positive feeling within the body, which fight depression naturally. Mental health experts claim that exercise is a solution to those feeling mild or moderate depression. However, for those severely depressed, simply doing sports is not enough.
Use school counseling services: Campuses don’t employ mental health experts simply to throw thousands of dollars down the drain. Their job is to help students, so experts recommend you use them. Most students, however, are hesitant to take a trip to their college’s counseling center, fearing being laughed at by peers. As a result, some schools like Texas Christian University, are testing students for mental health problems when they get sick and visit the campus health clinic.
Take advantage of technology: Staying in touch with family members and friends from childhood and high school has become easier than ever with the coming of Facebook and video chat services like Skype. While mental health experts insist that it’s important to make friends in your new environment and be involved in the college community, it’s also significant to keep in touch with the people you knew before college.
Go to sleep: Following a fairly regular sleep pattern can defend you against depression. In college, many students’ sleep patterns are irregular thanks to late-night studying and partying, which is harmful to their mental health. Research strongly suggests that sleep is the key to learning and memory formation.According to the passage, physical activity __________ .
| A．is regarded as the best way to fight depression |
| B．contributes to the release of endorphins |
| C．can’t help the seriously depressed students |
| D．improve people’s ability to learn and memorize |
It can be inferred from the 3rd paragraph that __________ .
| A．employing mental health experts on campus is a waste of money |
| B．students with mental health problems can’t get on well with others |
| C．going to college’s counseling center for help requires a lot of courage |
| D．sick students in Texas Christian University must take psychological tests |
Taking advantage of technology is encouraged because it ____
| A．enables students to get involved in college life |
| B．helps students stay in contact with others |
| C．offers students a way to make new friends |
| D．provides a way to avoid getting bored |
which of the following can NOT help one reduce depression?
| A．Taking exercise regularly every week |
| B．Chatting with old friends with Skype |
| C．Turning to mental health experts for advice |
| D．Holding parties deep into the night to relax |
Decision-thinking is not unlike poker—it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think what you think they think you think. The mental process(过程) is similar. Naturally, this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are, by any standards, good thinkers.
The great mathematician John von Neumann was one of the founders of game theory. In particular, he showed that all games fall into two classes; there are what he called games of 'perfect information', games like chess where the players can't hide anything or play tricks; they don't win by chance, but by means of logic and skills. Then there are games of 'imperfect information', like poker, in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another.
One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of perfect information. Quite the reverse Business, life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information. Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors(因素), which would even puzzle (困惑)best poker players. But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance, and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess, not poker.The subject discussed in this text is _________.
| A．the process of reaching decisions |
| B．the difference between poker and chess. |
| C．the secret of making good business plans |
| D．the value of information in winning games |
An important factor in a game of imperfect information is ___________.
| A．rules | B．luck | C．time | D．ideas |
Which of the following can be used in place of "Quite the reverse" in paragraph 3?
| A．Quite right. | B．True enough. |
| C．Most unlikely. | D．Just the opposite. |
In the writer's opinion, when making business decisions one should ___________ .
| A．put perfect information before imperfect information |
| B．accept the existence of unknown factors |
| C．regard business as a game of chess |
| D．mix known and unknown factors |
Preventing obesity (肥胖) and smoking can save lives, but it doesn’t save money, reported researchers. “It was a small surprise, for it is against the common belief,” said Pieter Van Baal, who led the study. “But it makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more.”
The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up (累计) the most expensive health costs. But on average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than healthy people. Therefore in the long run, the thin and healthy group cost about $417, 000, from age 20 on. Smokers cost about $326, 000 and obese people $371, 000.
“The result throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea, based on guesswork, that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars,” said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics. “If we’re going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact,” he said.
“The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost saving in tomorrow’s budget, but there are long-term gains,” said Van Baal. “These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives.” In the meanwhile, he said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a longer chance of dying of something more expensive later in life.
“Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don’t survive very long. But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer’s (早老性痴呆症) one day, they may survive longer and cost more. We are not advising that governments stop trying to prevent obesity,” Van Baal said. “But they should do it for the right reasons.”Among middle-aged people, who may cost the health system most?
| A．Those who are heavy smokers. |
| B．Those who are overweight. |
| C．Those who are too thin. |
| D．Those who are suffering from heart attacks. |
What can we know about the belief that obesity costs much?
| A．It turns out to be incorrect. |
| B．It comes from scientific study. |
| C．It is based on medical evidence. |
| D．It has changed over the past years. |
According to the text, governments prevent obesity for the purpose of _______.
| A．reducing the risks of suffering cancer |
| B．weakening obesity’s financial impact |
| C．making sure of people’s long and healthy life |
| D．reducing the money spent on medical programs |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A．Recent Medical Study Shows Truth about Health |
| B．Preventing Obesity and Smoking May Cost More |
| C．Obesity and Smoking Lead to Expensive Diseases |
| D．Governments Change Attitude towards Obesity and Smoking |
Robinson Crusoe is a famous novel written by Daniel Defoe. The book tells the story of a man who is shipwrecked (遭遇海难的). He spends 28 years on an island near Venezuela. The book tells the story of everything that happens to Robinson Crusoe. He hopes someone will rescue him, but he has been there for so long on his own that he also begins to fear being rescued.
Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719. Most experts believe the story is based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, who was a Scottish sailor. On an expedition (探险) in 1704, Selkirk had an argument with his ship’s captain. Selkirk thought the ship was not safe and was about to fall apart.
When the ship stopped at a remote island to get fresh water, Selkirk got off. He tried to get the other crew members to leave with him, but nobody would. The shop then sailed away without him. Selkirk spent four years and four months on his own on the island, known as Aguas Buenas.
Selkirk was finally rescued by a ship that visited the island in 1709. The ship’s captain was grateful to Selkirk because he provided food for the crew when they arrived.
Now archaeologists think they have found the remains of Selkirk’s camp on Aguas Buenas. They found two deep holes that would have held wooden posts. The archaeologists say this is evidence that Selkirk built a shelter there. The post holes are near a fresh water stream. They are located quite high up, which would have meant that Selkirk was able to watch out for the ships coming close to the island.
The most interesting evidence, the archaeologists say, is part of a piece of equipment used by sailors to navigate (导航). Historians believe Selkirk was a navigator, so the instrument could have belonged to him.
Robinson Crusoe was published ten years after Selkirk was rescued. Most experts think Daniel Defoe heard and read stories about Selkirk, which inspired him to write the book.Why did Selkirk choose to land on the remote island?
| A．Because he had quarrels with the crew members. |
| B．Because the captain ordered him to get fresh water. |
| C．Because he wanted to go on an adventure there. |
| D．Because he thought the ship he was on was in danger. |
We can infer from the text that the ship that visited Aguas Buenas in 1709 _______.
| A．lost its way while sailing |
| B．lacked fresh water upon arrival |
| C．was being navigated by Selkirk |
| D．was running out of food upon arrival |
How could Selkirk see ships that might rescue him, according to archaeologists?
| A．By asking the crew members on the ships. |
| B．By sending messages to the ships’ captains. |
| C．By watching from his shelter high on the island. |
| D．By using a piece of equipment used to navigate. |
The author wrote the text to _______.
| A．explain the origin of Robinson Crusoe |
| B．promote sales to Robinson Crusoe |
| C．criticise Alexander Selkrik’s deeds |
| D．praise Daniel Defoe for his writing inspiration |
Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre Dance
Wichita State University seeks a full-time, 9-month assistant professor, beginning in August. Applicants are required to have a degree in dance area, teaching experience at a professional or college level, ability to direct and teach stage movement. The salary depends on qualifications and experience.
For complete information visit http://finearts.wichita.edu.
Full Professor in Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre & Dance at the University of California at San Diego (http://www-theatre.uscd.edu) is seeking an experienced theatre artist in lighting design. Applicants must work for us for at least one year. Significant professional experience is required. This position is expected to teach at both graduate and undergraduate levels.
A review of applications will start on June 1st. Application deadline: September 1st.
Technical Director in Performing and Fine Arts
De Sales University’s Performing and Fine Arts Department seeks a highly skilled, professional technical director. The position is a 10-month staff position with the possibility of summer employment with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. Professional experience is required; MFA is preferred.
Please email materials to john.bell@desales.edu. Screening of applications begins immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Assistant Director— Media Resources Center
Maryland Institute College of Art is seeking an Assistant Director of Media Resources Center in the Academic Affairs Division.
Qualifications for the position include a degree in Art History or related fields with knowledge of art and design history, library experience, excellent interpersonal and communication skills and familiarity with photoshop and scanning.
A review of applications will begin immediately; job announcements will remain open until the position is filled. Applicants are required to work for us at least 11 months. They can send emails to jobs@mica.edu. The salary differs depending on your experience. Please include your desired salary in your application letter.If an applicant has 9.5-month free time, he or she can pay close attention to the ad of _______.
| A．Full Professor in Theatre and Dance |
| B．Assistant Professor, Musical Theatre Dance |
| C．Technical Director in Performing and Fine Arts |
| D．Assistant Director— Media Resources Center |
If you have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, you can apply to _______.
| A．Wichita State University |
| B．the University of California |
| C．De Sales University |
| D．Maryland Institute College of Art |
According to the advertisements, we can learn that _______.
| A．all the jobs mentioned in the text require experience |
| B．all the jobs mentioned above promise a good salary |
| C．all the reviews of applications will begin immediately |
| D．all the job announcements will remain open until the positions are filled |