You've just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you've been away, has this country changed for the better-or for the worse?
If you've just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight's holiday, small changes have probably surprised you-anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed-or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families-all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I'd think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they're more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we'd left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening-in Cyprus, they're very relaxed-and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they've got.
After a short overseas holiday, people tend to
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by
Which might be the best title for the passage?
British paychologists have found evidence of a link between excessive(过度的) Internet use and depression, a research has shown.
Leeds University researchers, writing in the Psychopathology journal, said a small part of Internet users were classed as Internet addicts and that people in this group were more likely to be depressed than non-addicted users.
The article on the relationship between excessive Internet use and depression is from a questionnaire-based study of 1,319 young people and adults.
The respondents answered questions about how much time they spent on the Internet and what they used it for; they also complete the Beck Depression Inventory---a series of questions designed to measure the seriousness of depression.
The six—page report, by the university’s Institute of Psychological Science, said 18 of the people who complete the questionnaire were Internet addict.“Our research indicates that excessive Internet use is associated with depression, but what we don’t know is which comes first—are depressed people drawn to the Internet or does the Internet cause depression?” the article’s lead author Dr Catriona Morrison said.”What is clear is that, for a small part of people, excessive use of the Internet could be warning signal for depressive tendencies.”
The age range of all respondents was between 16 and 51 years, with an average age of 21.24. The average age of the 18 Internet addicts was 18.3 years. By comparing the levels of depression within this group to that within a group of 18 non—addicted Internet users, researchers found the Internet addicts had a higher chance of developing depression than non-addicts. They also discovered that addicts spent more time visiting sexually pleasing website, online gaming sites and online communities.
“The public speculation（推测）was further proved by this study. That’s to say, over-engaging in websites which serve to replace normal social function might be linked to psychological disorders like depression and addiction,” Morrison said.”We now need to consider the wider social influence of this relationship and clearly prove the effects of excessive Internet use on mental health.”Internet addicts are people who ______ according to the passage.
| A．use the Internet more than enough |
| B．feel depressed when using the Internet |
| C．seldom connect to the Internet |
| D．feel depressed without the Internet |
What is confirmed by the study according to the passage?
| A．Depression leads to excessive use of Internet |
| B．Depression results from excessive use of Internet |
| C．Excessive use of internet usually accompanies depression |
| D．Excessive use of internet is usually earlier to depression |
It is thought by the public that online communities______.
| A．can never replace normal social function |
| B．are intended to replace normal social function |
| C．are associated with psychological disorders |
| D．shouldn’t take the blame for psychological disorders |
According to Dr Catriona Morrison, the public speculation________.
| A．lacks scientific evidence | B．helps clarify their study |
| C．finds a theoretical basis | D．has little scientific value |
Get a FREE YEAR! Order NOW and get a FREE YEAR of Parents® magazine! That's 2 full years (24 issues) for the regular 1-year rate - just $12. But HURRY, this offer won't last! (U.S. orders only, please.)
Every issue of PARENTS is filled with practical advice from leading doctors and child experts ... toys and games that develop reader-tested products and more!
100% Money-Back Guarantee: You must be pleased, or you may cancel any time during the life of your subscription and get all your money back - no questions asked. Parents® Magazine is published 12 times per year. Savings are based on $12.00 annual subscription rate. State taxes may apply to your order.
E-mail address required to access your account and member benefits online. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here: www.parents.com/privacy to view our privacy policy.The purpose of the passage is ______.
| A．to introduce a new magazine | B．to help parents with their daily life |
| C．to attract more subscribers | D．to collect more money for charity |
Which of the following is true according to the ad?
| A．Only $12 is to be paid for 24 issues of the magazine |
| B．Readers can get a free offer of the magazine any time of the year |
| C．Readers from all over the world can enjoy the free offer |
| D．Readers can communicate face to face with child experts on the Internet |
A reader subscribed PARENTS 3 months ago, but now he finds the magazine dissatisfying. What can he do?
| A．He can cancel without getting your money back. |
| B．He can cancel after answering a series of questions. |
| C．He can e-mail them to access your bank account to get all your money back. |
| D．He can cancel and get all money back without answering any questions. |
Jean—Francois Millet (October 4,1814----January 20, 1875) was a French painter and one of the founder of the Barbizon School in rural France. Born of a peasant family, Millet was encouraged by his father to study art in Cherbourg, France. He can be categorized as part of the movement called “naturalism”(自然主义). His understanding of the peasant’ hard life was perfectly expressed in his choice of subject and natural preference for powerful but simple drawing and coloring.
One of the most well—known of Millet’s paintings, The Gleaners(《拾穗者》)，first came in a vertical composition(垂直式构图) painted in 1854,and then there came the horizontal version in 1856, which is now preserved in the Musee d’Orsay. It depicts women bending over in the fields to collect the leftover’s from the harvest, and it is a monumental composition devoted to the working class.
Previously, servants were depicted in paintings as obedient to a noble or a king, and picking up what was left of the harvest was regarded as one of the lowest jobs in Millet;s times. However, Millet offered these women as the heroic focus of the picture. Besides, in the painting, light lights up the women’s shoulders as they carry out their work. Behind them, the field that stretches into the distance is bathed in golden light, under a wide , magnificent sky. The forms of the three figures, standing against the lighter field, show balance and harmony. According to the passage , we can know that Millet________.
| A．was born in rural France |
| B．belongs to neither naturalism nor realism |
| C．became famous for his love of the countryside |
| D．received his high school education in Barbizon |
As for the painting The Gleaners, ________.
| A．it is originally a horizontal composition |
| B．it is based on the effort of Musee d’Orsay |
| C．it presents women in the field as the chief focus |
| D．it shows how women are stopped from working in the field |
In the painting, the viewer can appreciate Millet’s_________..
| A．crazy interest in blue color |
| B．strong focus on the city life |
| C．absolute respect for the king |
| D．particular choice of main characters |
In which of the following books can we probably find this passage?
| A．Kings and Nobles in France |
| B．A Guide to French Painting |
| C．French Agricultural History |
| D．The Founder of Musee d’Orsay |
I learned about life from an ant farm．When I was seven years old, my family created one．First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we waited for the live ants to arrive．Shortly after the chilly ants were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels．I was amazed that each one knew exactly what to do．After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had assigned jobs．With my mom ' s help, I kept a diary of what happened each day and named the ants．
One day a tragedy struck the ant farm．The pages of the diary, still wrinkled where tear drops fell, indicate the depth of the tragedy．'I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally tipped it over, caving in all the tunnels．Although the ants survived their earthquake, one by one they began to die．I was terrified as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a comer of the farm．My mother reported that the ants were dying of "frustration．" They simply could not stand the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed．
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm．Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, but it taught me much more．Over the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of teamwork．Working together, they were able to create an amazing world for themselves．I also learned that they should be admired for their hard work．Day in and day out, each labored at their task．The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key ingredients to success．But there was an even larger lesson that I did not realize until recently: Adversity （不幸、灾祸） is a natural part of life,and must be accepted．Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face disappointment．Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in, we just have to build another．Giving up, I say, is not a choice．The family created an ant farm in a glass box because it was easy _____.
| A．for the ants to live in | B．to get sun light in |
| C．to keep the sand clean | D．for the boy to observe |
What made the pages of the diary wrinkled?
| A．The tears． | B．The earthquake | C．The ants． | D．The tragedy． |
What did the writer finally realize?
| A．Perseverance is the only way to success． |
| B．Humans cannot give up when facing adversity． |
| C．People should admire anyone for their hard work． |
| D．His mother taught him much more． |
When did the writer draw a more important lesson from his experience?
| A．Before he was seven years old． |
| B．When he was seven years old． |
| C．Immediately after the tragedy． |
| D．Many years after the tragedy |
All the Lortons’ farm animals – the cows and the goats, the ducks and the chickens, got along well with Roger—a llama(美洲驼). But since llamas are used to thinking of animals like coyotes(土狼) and dogs as threats, it took Roger a few weeks to accept the family dog.
Roger protects the sheep and lambs in two ways. First, he keeps the sheep together. A hungry coyote will try to scatter(分散) the flock and then pick off a weak or small animal that has become separated from the rest. But when a coyote threatens the Lorton’s sheep, they all run to Roger, depending on him to defend them.
And he does, with his second defense: confronting(对抗) the coyote. Llamas are very curious and will run at top speed to investigate anything that looks interesting. When a coyote sees a three-hundred-pound llama rushing toward it, the coyote will not usually wait around to see what the llama wants.
And once a llama realizes that a coyote is threatening the flock, the llama will stand between the coyote and the sheep to defend them. Often, the llama will charge toward the coyote with its head down. As it runs, it will sometimes call out an alarm to the flock in a high-pitched voice. Since Roger’s arrival, coyotes haven’t gotten any sheep from the Lortons.The purpose of the passage is to tell us that ________________.
| A．protective | B．curious | C．brave | D．patient |
It can be inferred that the Lortons are __________________.