Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.
You might think nostalgically（怀旧的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.
Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to .
| A．introduce a topic | B．present his own idea |
| C．describe a scene | D．offer an argument |
Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because .
| A．they haven’t had any life-changing experiences |
| B．they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff |
| C．they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away |
| D．they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?
| A．It takes the burden off her while she is moving. |
| B．It reduces her attachment to her personal things. |
| C．It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires. |
| D．It helps her to realize how true life is. |
By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means
| A．little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life |
| B．minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations |
| C．minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality |
| D．life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Minimalism brings happiness. |
| B．Minimalism is applied in many fields. |
| C．Minimalism makes people think nostalgically. |
| D．Minimalism is about able to move. |
Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors (流星 ) but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable（可忍受的）. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation（辐射） from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.
Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called "rem". Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage - a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will no be discovered until the birth of abnormal children or even grandchildren.
Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.
1. According to the first paragraph, the atmosphere is essential to man in that ____.
A. it protects him against the harmful rays from space
B. it provides sufficient light for plant growth
C. it supplies the heat necessary for human survival
D. it screens off the falling meteors
2. We know from the passage that ____.
A. exposure to even tiny amounts of radiation is deadly
B. the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in coming
C. radiation is avoidable in space exploration
D. astronauts in spacesuits needn't worry about radiation damage
3. The harm radiation has done to the Apollo crew members ____
A. is significant B. seems overestimated
C. is enormous D. remains unknown
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A. the Apollo mission was very successful
B. protection from space radiation is no easy job
C. astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildren
D. radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers
45. The best title for this passage would be ____.
A. The Atmosphere and Our EnvironmentB. Research on Radiation
C. Effects of Space RadiationD. Importance of Protection Against Radiation
In the early days of the internet, many people worried that as people in the rich world embraced new computing and communications technologies, people in the poor world would be left stranded on the wrong side of a "digital divide." Yet the debate over the digital divide is founded on a myth that plugging poor countries into the internet will help them to become rich rapidly.
This is highly unlikely, because the digital divide is not a problem in itself, but a symptom of deeper, more important divides: of income, development and literacy（识字）. Fewer people in poor countries than in rich ones own computers and have access to the internet simply because they are too poor, are illiterate, or have other more immediate concerns, such as food, health care and security. So even if it were possible to wave a magic wand（棒） and cause a computer to appear in every household on earth, it would not achieve very much: a computer is not useful if you have no food or electricity and cannot read. Yet such Wand-waving - through the construction of specific local infrastructure（基础设施） projects such as rural tele-centers--is just the sort of thing for which the UN's new fund is intended.
This sort of thing is the wrong way to go about addressing the inequality in access to digital technologies: it is treating the symptoms, rather than the underlying（下面） causes. The benefits of building rural computing centers, for example, are unclear. Rather than trying to close the divide for the sake of it, the more sensible goal is to determine how best to use technology to promote bottom-up development. And the answer to that question turns out to be remarkably clear: by promoting the spread not of PCs and the Internet, but of mobile phones.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Plugging poor countries into the Internet will help them to become rich rapidly.
B. Poor countries should be given more basic devices other than advanced ones.
C. Rich countries should help poor ones become rich.
D. People in poor countries cannot afford devices such as computer.
2. What did the author mean by referring "digital divide." (Line 3, Para. 1)?
A. Digital technology will make the gap between rich world and poor world wider.
B. Digital technology will divide people into rich and poor world.
C. People can be divided digitally.
D. To divide people in digital world is wrong.
3. We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that_______.
A. people in poor countries cannot use computer because of illiteracy.
B. poor people cannot use computers.
C. there would be no magic to cause a computer to appear in every household on earth.
D. people in poor countries need more basic living conditions than computers.
4. Considering the following sentences, which one would the author most agree?
A. Digital technology is useless.
B. Digital divide will help poor countries become rich.
C. Poor people need more immediate concerns, such as food, health care and security.
D. Mobile phones should be promoted firstly.
5. The following passage will probably be:
A. How to promote using of mobile phones.
B. How to use technology to promote bottom-up development.
C. The benefits of building rural computing centers.
D. How to meet the need of food, health and security in poor countries.
The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of this period wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human. Fulfillment in life became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on. Artists and writers now turned to religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period--- how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed and experienced. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music --- although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.
The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half-though at different rates in different countries---that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.
1. What does the author mean by using the word “eventually” in line 3?
A. That music historians used the term “Renaissance” after the other historians did
B. That most music historians used the term “Renaissance”
C. The term “Renaissance” became widely used by art historians but not by music historians
D. That music historians used the term “Renaissance” very differently than it had been used by Jules Michelet
2. The phrase "frowned on" in line 9 is closest in meaning to
A. given up B. forgotten about C. argued about D. disapproved of
3. It can be inferred from the passage that thinkers of the Renaissance were seeking a rebirth of__.
A. communication among artists across Europe
B. spirituality in everyday life
C. a cultural emphasis on human values
D. religious themes in art that would accompany the traditional secular themes
4. According to the passage, why was Bemardino Cirillo disappointed with the music of his time?
A. It was not complex enough to appeal to musicians.
B. It had little emotional impact on audiences.
C. It was too dependent on the art and literature of his time.
D. It did not contain enough religious themes.
5. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the absence of a single Renaissance musical style?
A. The musical Renaissance was defined by technique rather than style.
B. The musical Renaissance was too short to give rise to a new musical style.
C. Renaissance musicians adopted the styles of both Greek and Roman musicians.
D. During the Renaissance, music never remained the same for very long.
Romantic love is a culture trait found primarily in industrialized societies. Elsewhere in the world, pragmatic(重实效的) considerations rather than flights of fancy are often used to make a choice of partner, and romantic love is seen as an unfortunate inconvenience that gets in the way of the ordinary, rational process of mate selection. Traces of this attitude persist in the American upper classes, where daughters are expected to marry “well”-----that is, to a male who is eligible by reason of family background and earning potential. Most Americans, however, see romantic love as essential for a successful marriage, and tend to look askance（轻蔑地）at anyone who marries for a more practical reason in which love plays no part.
The phenomenon of romantic love occurs when two young people meet and find one another personally and physically attractive. They become mutually absorbed, start to behave in what appears to be a flighty（充满幻想的）, even irrational manner, decide that they are right for one another, and may then enter a marriage whose success is expected to be guaranteed by their enduring love. Behavior of this kind is portrayed and warmly endorsed（赞同）throughout American popular culture, by books, magazines, comics, records, popular songs, movies, and TV.
Romantic love is a noble ideal, and it can certainly provide a basis for the spouses to “live happily ever after.” But a marriage can equally well be founded on much more practical considerations”----as indeed they have been in most societies throughout most of history. Why is romantic love of such importance in the modern world? The reason seems to be that it has some basic functions in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family（小家庭）.
1. Romantic love is less frequently found in many non-industrial societies because people in these societies_______.
A . firmly believe that only money can make the world go round
B. fail to bring the imaginative power of the mind into full play
C. fondly think that flights of fancy prevent them from making a correct choice of partner
D. have far more practical considerations to determine who will marry whom
2. The word eligible (in Line5, Para. l), could best be replaced by ____.
A . qualified B. available C. chosen D. influential
3. According to the passage, most Americans _____.
A. expect their daughters to fall in love with a male at first sight
B. regard romantic love as the basis for a successful marriage
C. look up to those who marry for the sake of wealth
D. consider romantic love to be the most desirable thing in the world
4. What can we learn from the second paragraph about romantic love?
A. It is a common occurrence among the old.
B. It is primarily depicted by books.
C. It is characterized by mutual attraction and absorption.
D. It is rejected as unreasonable.
5. The author seems to believe that ___________
A. romantic love makes people unable to think clearly in the process of mate selection
B. only romantic love can make a marriage happy ever after
C. much more practical considerations can also be the basis for a successful marriage
The justification for a university is that it preserves the connection between knowledge and the zest of life, by uniting the young and the old in the imaginative consideration of learning. The university imparts information, but it imparts it imaginatively. At least, this is the function which it should perform for society. A university which fails in this respect has no reason for existence. This atmosphere of excitement, arising from imaginative consideration, transforms knowledge. A fact is no longer a burden on the memory, it is energizing as the poet of our dreams and as the architect of our purposes.
Imagination is not to be divorced from the facts: it is a way of illuminating the facts. It works by eliciting the general principles which apply to the facts, as they exist, and then by an intellectual survey of alternative possibilities which are consistent with those principles. It enables men to construct an intellectual vision of a new world, and it preserves the zest of life by the suggestion of satisfying purposes.
Youth is imaginative, and if the imagination be strengthened by discipline, this energy of imagination can in great measure be preserved through life. The tragedy of the world is that those who are imaginative have but slight experience, and those who are experienced have feeble imagination. Fools act on imagination without knowledge; pedants（学究）act on knowledge without imagination. The task of university is to weld together imagination and experience.
1. The main theme of the passage is ____.
A. the access to knowledge in university B. the function of universities
C. the role of imagination in our lives
D. the relationship between imagination and experience
2. According to the passage, the justification for a university is that ____.
A. it presents facts and experience to young and old
B. it imparts knowledge to imaginative people
C. it combines imagination with knowledge and experience
D. it enables men to construct an intellectual vision of the world
3. The word “eliciting” in paragraph 2 probably means ____.
A. applyingB. challenging C. drawing forth D. preserving
4. Which of the following is NOT discussed as one of the things imagination can do?
A. It makes our life exciting and worthwhile. B. It helps us to understand the world.
C. It helps us to formulate Laws about the facts. D. It provides inspiration to the artists.
5. According to the author, the tragedy of the world is that ____.
A. our energy of imagination cannot be preserved B. our imagination is seldom disciplined
C. we grow old inevitably D. too many people are either fools or pedants