Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.
One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours. The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.
| A．closely associated with | B．very different to |
| C．usually sent from | D．an important element of |
The goal of meditation is ________.
| A．to clear the mind | B．to practice a religion |
| C．to develop a technique | D．to carry out an experiment |
What can we infer about meditation from the passage?
| A．It has two main types. |
| B．It is practiced by many famous artists. |
| C．Its benefits are not immediately obvious. |
| D．Most people find it a very good way to relax. |
According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?
| A．Their improved understanding of foreign culture. |
| B．The need to fill in their growing free time. |
| C．Increasing employment instability. |
| D．Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional. |
Who is the probable audience for this article?
| A．Experienced meditation practitioners. |
| B．People interested in starting to learn meditation. |
| C．Buddhists and Hindus. |
| D．People who are very religious. |
Every year, whenever Spring Festival arrives, a lot of Chinese people cannot wait to go home. They queue for long hours in front of the ticket offices in railway stations, or do whatever they can in order to get a ticket. They tolerate the long journey on the train only to want to ______ with their near and dear ones.
According to The Beijing Youth Daily, most Chinese celebrate the Spring Festival not only because they want to follow tradition, there are also some practical reasons to explain Chinese people's fever for the holiday. Compared with one's workplace, home provides a more humane environment for one to relax oneself.
Society may do with or without you, but at home, you become unique and indispensable. You may be the father or mother, daughter or son, grandfather or grandmother in the family and the family will be incomplete if anyone is absent, because every member in the family is bound together, and everyone in the family is pleased with the feeling that he or she is unique and irreplaceable.
In addition, family provides an ideal environment for one to fully relax oneself. At home, one can take one's time do whatever he or she wants, and one can spend money whenever one likes. In society, however, one needs to do everything fast and with high efficiency, because society always reqiores efficiency and maximum profits. Such company principles make people merely a tool in modern society.
Chinese people's strong desire for Spring Festival shows that they feel oppressed and have a sense of predicament(困境) of existence in modern society. The Spring Festival provides a chance for them to escape from such anxiety and treasure the long-lost tradition of community spirit. With the Spring Festival, people can find back the warm, family atmosphere often seen in days gone by.
1. What's the passage mainly talking about? (Please answer within 10 words. )
2. Fill in the blanks with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 10 words. )
3. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?You may not be a necessary part in society, but in your family, you are very important and no one else can take the place of you.
4. Do you think home is important for Chinese to celebrate the Spring Festival?Why or why not? (Please answer within 30 words. )
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.
There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved (演化) from ceremony. The argument for this view goes as follows.
In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world -even the seasonal changes - as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies. As time passed some ceremonies were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, remained and provided material for art and drama.
Those who believe that drama evolved out of ceremony also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium " . In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the performing of ceremonies, religious leaders usually took that task.. Wearing masks and costumes, they often acted other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and imitated the desired effect -- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, etc. as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory traces(追溯) the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, etc) are gradually developed, at first through the use of action and dialogue, and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Religious activities in ancient Greece. | B．The ceremonies in ancient Greece. |
| C．Drama theories. | D．The origin of Greek Drama. |
According to the passage, drama_______________.
| A．was played in memory of ancient Greek ceremonies |
| B．was a form of ceremony played by ancient Greeks to control unknown powers |
| C．evolved out of ancient Greek ceremonies with time passing by |
| D．is one of the measures Ancient Greeks took to view natural forces |
What do drama and ancient ceremonies have in common according to the passage?
| A．Both of them were performed in theaters. |
| B．Music, dance, masks, costumes and so on were contained in both of them. |
| C．Religious leaders were in charge of both of them. |
| D．Both of them were concerned about natural power. |
In tracing the beginning of drama, which of the following is not mentioned?
| A．Planting. | B．Religious ceremonies. |
| C．Gymnastic. | D．Storytelling. |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________________.
| A．human beings loved to tell stories |
| B．people could do nothing about nature |
| C．religious leaders tried to develop the effective form of drama |
| D．religious activities played a very important role in the evolvement of drama |
Human Capital - How what you know shapes your life
Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 20 Feb 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264029088 Price: C15 I $19 1$10
This book explores the influence of education and learning on our societies and lives and examines what countries are doing to provide education and training to support people throughout their lives.
Economic Policy Reforms -- Going/or Growth, 2007 Edition
Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 15 Feb 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264030473 Price: $60|$75|$41
Based on a broad set of indicators of structural policies and performance, Going for Grcwth 2007 takes stock of the recent progress made in implementing policy reforms and identifies, for each OECD country, five policy priorities to lift growth.
Climate Change in the European Alps -- Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management
Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 22 Jan 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264031685 Price: $24 $32$ 17
The first systematic cross-country analysis of snow-reliability of Alpine ski areas under climate change for five countries in the region: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany.
OECD in Figures 2006--2007--Statistics on the Member Countries -- OECD Observer-- Volume 2006 Supplement 1
Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 05 Jan 2007
Language: English ISBN: 9789264022638 Price.; $15 |$20 |$10
A handy pocket reference containing key data covering the entire range of OECD
work including the economy, employment, health, education, migration, the environment, science and technology, public finances, agriculture, trade, and development aid.
OECD Economic Outlook -- December No, 80 -- Volume 2006 Issue 2
Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 26 Jan 2007
language-English ISBN: 9789264030954 Price: $80 | $97|$55
OECD's twice yearly assessment and projections for the economies of the OECD area and selected non-members. This edition also looks at the rise in household debt.Which of the following books was published most lately?
| A．OECD in Figures 2006-2007. | B．OECD Economic Outlook. |
| C．Human Capital. | D．Climate Change in the European Alps. |
We can learn from the passage that Alps is________________.
| A．an Austrian interesting place most attractive in summer seasons |
| B．an European mountain belonging to three countries |
| C．a stadium for skiing lovers from five European countries |
| D．an European mountain famous for its winter skiing |
From the book with ISBN ____ you can get a wider range of information about OECD.
A. 9789264029088B. 9789264022638
C. 9789264030954 D. 9789264030473You should afford ____Euro dollars for a book to know about the recent progress in economic policies in the OECD countries.
| A．60 | B．15 | C．55 | D．80 |
The Beijing government has set out to recruit thousands of university graduates to work as junior officials in rural areas to both improve rural administration and ease the city's employment problems.
The government plans to recruit 3,000 university graduates this year, 1,000 more than last year, to work as assistants to village heads or Party secretaries in suburban areas.
People interested in jobs in Beijing's rural villages and townships can submit applications to the Beijing Municipal Personnel Bureau or online at www. bjbys, com from February 1 through March 15.
"We hope university graduates will seize this opportunity to use their knowledge in rural villages and to start their careers," Sun Zhenyu, deputy director of Beijing Personnel Bureau, told Xinhua News Agency.
The government has promised successful candidates a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan( $ 250) in the first year, 2,500 yuan ($ 320) the second year and 3,000 yuan ($ 385) the third year, provided their performance is up to the required standards, Sun said.
Wang Lina, who graduated from Beijing Union University last year, was one of the first graduates to find work in the city's countryside. After majoring in industrial and commercial administration, Wang served as the assistant to the village head of Ertiaojie Village in suburban Beijing’s Pinggu District. For one project, Wang contacted people at the Beijing Academy of Agricultural Sciences and arranged for the local farmers to receive training in strawberry planting. Her efforts paid off. The village had a plentiful harvest of organic strawberries earlier this year.
Nationwide, about 150,000 university graduates found employment in rural areas last year, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Education.
The ministry predicts that 4. 95 million students will graduate from universities across the country this year, 820,000 more than last year. About 1.4 million of them are unlikely to find jobs when they graduate.
In Beijing, a record 200,000 people are expected to graduate from university this year. Less than half of them are expected to be offered jobs, according to the personnel bureau.The underlined word "recruit "in the first paragraph probably means_____________.
| A．employ | B．force | C．encourage | D．train |
We can see from the passage that_______________.
| A．once you are hired as a junior official, you can get an endlessly rising salary |
| B．the government guarantee a relatively high salary for the successful candidates |
| C．working as junior officials is easy but very meaningful |
| D．the competition for the job as junior officials is very fierce |
From the story of Wang Lina we can learn that________________.
| A．the sooner you go to the countryside, the sooner you will be successful. |
| B．local farmers can get big harvests if they learn more knowledge. |
| C．university graduates can also realize their value in rural areas. |
| D．Wang had great difficulty in helping villagers planting organic strawberries. |
The last two paragraphs aim to tell us that________________.
| A．more and more graduates will work as junior officials |
| B．the universities should not have so many students |
| C．there are more and more graduates in recent years |
| D．it is not easy for graduates to find jobs nowadays |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．Go to the countryside. |
| B．Job hunting for university graduates. |
| C．What is the best career? |
| D．A good choice for university graduates. |
An elderly woman died and several other passengers were critically injured when a crowded Virgin express train crashed in Cumbria last night.
A huge rescue operation involving RAF helicopters and dozens of ambulances arrive. After passengers were trapped in the train for more than four hours because fallen power line poles made access for emergency workers difficult.
Authorities reported up to 80 injuries. Thirteen people were taken to hospital in a“critical or serious condition.”
Between 180 and 200 passengers were on the 5:15pm Virgin service from London Euston to Glasgow Central when all nine carriages left the rails between Oxenholme and Tebay. Witnesses said that the train shook violently before toppling(倾斜) over into an embankment(筑堤)with at least four carriages overturning. Early this morning, authorities confirmed an elderly woman had died and some other passengers had suffered injuries including back strains, head wounds and broken bones.
Ruth Colton, a passenger on the train, said she was reading a book when the journey became uncomfortable. It seemed that the train was being beaten by heavy winds,“as if we were on a plane”.
The accident brought concerns that Britain's busiest rail route would be crippled(瘫痪)for some time. The line between Preston and Carlisle was postponed as Virgin Trains promised a rapid investigation into the “serious incident”—the company's first big crash.
It is understood that the investigation will examine whether there was an obstacle on the track and the possibility of speeding or mechanical breakdown. The driver, who was injured, will be interviewed and a black-box recorder installed in the train will be examined.What made the rescue come so late?
| A．It's not accessible to reach the accident spot. |
| B．No enough helicopters and ambulances could be found at that time. |
| C．It was too far from hospital to Cumbria. |
| D．No one called the emergency center. |
According to the passage, the busiest rail route in Britain is
| A．From Preston to Carlisle | B．Between Euston and Glasgow |
| C．From Oxenholme to Tebay | D．Between Virgin and Pendolino |
What does the underlined word “critical”mean?
| A．Important. | B．Careless. | C．Dangerous. | D．Surprising. |
Which of the following is the possible cause of the accident?
| A．Careless driving. | B．Heavy wind. |
| C．Over loading. | D．Obstacle on the track. |
We can learn from the passage that Virgin Trains
| A．made no quick reaction to this accident |
| B．seldom had so serious an accident before |
| C．had made full preparations for the accident |
| D．didn't mind how many passengers the train can hold |