I believe in leaving work at five o’clock. In a nation with such a strict work ethic(道德规范) , this is considered strange. Working only 40 hours a week? I just don’t know many people who punch out (打卡下班) at five o’clock anymore.
My father tried to teach me the importance of hard work, long hours and devotion to a career. But then there are the things he taught me unintentionally, like when he arrived home from work for the last time and crawled up the stairs.
My father, a self-employed sales trainer, was that sick, that tired. His body was wracked with liver cancer, and he suffered the effects of a diabetic ulcer(糖尿病). Despite all this, he insisted on traveling a long way to give a lecture. He probably earned a lot of money that day, but he paid the price. He returned to the hospital soon afterwards and was dead within three months, aged just 58.
It’s been 10 years since I saw my father come home that night and since then, I’ve thought a lot about work. I’ve decided something: I will never crawl up the stairs exhausted. As much as I love my job as a newspaper reporter, I will never work myself into the ground, physically or emotionally. Not taking my work home didn’t come easily to me at first. After all, I am my father’s daughter. In college, I was the girl who sat on the library steps each morning, waiting for the doors to open. I even dreamt about schoolwork.
My dad once told me he was unable to just gaze at a sunset; he had to be doing something as he looked at it—writing, reading, playing chess. You could say he was a success: He was a published author, an accomplished musician, fluent in many languages. That’s an impressive list, but the thing is I want to gaze at sunsets. I don’t want to meet a deadline during them or be writing a column at the same time, or glance at them over the top of a book.
This raises the question: If I leave work at five o’ clock to watch the sunset, what are the consequences? Do I risk not reaching the top of my profession? Maybe, because honestly, knocking off after eight hours probably won’t earn me the best promotion. But hey, leaving work at five o’ clock means I eat dinner with my family. I get to hop on my bike and cycle through the streets of my hometown when there is no traffic.
And I get to take in a lot of sunsets. That’s got to be worth something.Which of the following about the author’s father is true?
A.He set a good example to his daughter. |
B.He tried to force his values on his daughter. |
C.He gained much pleasure from his work. |
D.He achieved great success at the expense of his health. |
What does the author mean by saying “Not taking my work home did not come easily at first” in Paragraph 4?
A.There was so much work to do. |
B.All her colleagues took work home. |
C.She was educated to be a workaholic. |
D.She wanted a promotion in her work. |
What’s the author’s attitude toward promotion?
A.She doesn’t care about it at all. |
B.She is eager to get promoted |
C.She thinks it’s for the ambitious people |
D.Getting promoted at all costs is not worthwhile |
This text is developed________.
A.by giving examples | B.by making comparisons |
C.by describing process | D.by order of time |
What does the writer intend to tell us?
A.To praise his father’s diligence |
B.To ask us to take time off work to enjoy life |
C.To complain about the strict work ethic |
D.To stress the importance of hard work |
A new research of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression .The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression—eating or mood changes —and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A.Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness. |
B.Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior. |
C.Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions. |
D.Careless parents whose children are deep in love. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly. |
B.The older a woman is,the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance. |
C.Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents. |
D.Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
A.Confused. |
B.Disinterested. |
C.Scared. |
D.Disapproving. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Parents should forbid their children’s love. |
B.Puppy love may bring young people depression. |
C.Romance is a two edged sword for adults. |
D.Romance is good for young people. |
To most people, noise pollution is a jet flying over their head. For one Spanish woman, it is a neighbor playing the piano. The woman has taken her neighbor to court. Now she wants to send her neighbor to prison for over seven years on the charges of psychological damage and noise pollution.
In a country known for its noisiness, the case has raised eyebrows Neighbors often complain about street noise in Spain, but people seeking prison time for someone practicing the piano is unheard of. At the trial, Sonia Bosom says she has been suffering noise pollution up to now due to the practice sessions of Laia Martin, who lives below her. Martin, 27, didn’t admit that she played at home that often, saying she took regular classes in other towns and mostly practiced at home on the weekends.
On the first day of the trial, the newspaper reported that Bosom told the court she now hated pianos so much that she couldn’t even stand seeing them in a film.
Bosom says years of hearing constant playing has caused her “psychological injury”. Medical reports show she has suffered from a variety of problems, including insomnia (失眠), anxiety, and panic attacks.
She says tests by local authorities have found that the sound levels made by the piano are up to 10 decibels (分贝) higher than the limit. City authorities have asked the family several times to either stop the piano playing or soundproof (隔音) the room. The family told the court they carried out soundproofing work twice but the complaints continued.
The court hasn’t made a final decision.A spokeswoman says the trial will end before May.Bosom wants to send Martin to prison because _______.
A.Martin’s playing the piano damaged her health |
B.Bosom suffered from heart attack |
C.Martin refused to take regular classes in other towns |
D.Martin flew a jet over her head |
How did Laia Martin respond to the complaints?
A.She stopped playing the piano. |
B.She soundproofed the room. |
C.She didn’t admit she played at home. |
D.She took her neighbor to court. |
Which of the following may probably be the best title for the passage?
A.A 7-year Sentence Caused by the Piano |
B.Pianist Charged with Noise Pollution |
C.Health Problems of a Spanish Woman |
D.Actions Against Noise by Local Authority |
The thing is,my luck’s always been ruined. Just look at my name: Jean.Not Jean Marie,or Jeanine,or Jeanette,or even Jeanne.Just Jean.Did you know in France,they name boys Jean? It’s French for John.And okay,I don’t live in France.But still,I’m basically a girl named John.If I lived in France,anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate.So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase.I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me,and then got no answer to my many phone calls,asking where my aunt and uncle were.Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver,instead of getting out and helping me with my bags,just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches,it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me.It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom,most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s.But now they’ve been divided up into apartments,so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone,though.Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone.That’s practically one floor per person,since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids,my cousins Tory,Teddy,and Alice.
Back home,we just have two floors,but there are seven people living on them.And only one bathroom.Not that I’m complaining.Still,ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs,it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was,it was really narrow—just three windows across.Still,it was a very pretty townhouse,painted gray.The door was a bright,cheerful yellow.There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window,flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted,since it was only the middle of April,and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that,even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York,people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be.The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today,and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right,after all.
Yeah.With my luck,probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street,then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin.Leaving one bag on the sidewalk,I dragged the other up the steps with me.Maybe I took the steps a little too fast,since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk.I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…Why did the author go to New York?
A.She intended to go sightseeing there. |
B.She meant to stay with her aunt’s family. |
C.She was homeless and adopted by her aunt. |
D.She wanted to try her luck and find a job there. |
According to the author,some facts account for her bad luck EXCEPT that ________.
A.she was given a boy’s name in French |
B.the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags |
C.her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs |
D.nobody had come to meet her at the airport |
The underlined phrase “rub off on” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.
A.have an effect on |
B.play tricks on |
C.put pressure on |
D.throw doubt on |
From the passage,we can know that _________.
A.the author left home without informing her mother |
B.the author arrived in New York in a very warm season |
C.her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own |
D.her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival |
A
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC has thousands of objects on display, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock you can touch. In addition to our exhibition galleries, you may want to visit the Albert Einstein Planetarium, Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater, and the Public Observatory on the east end. There are many things to do at the Museum in DC. We offer daily tours and educational activities for both children and adults. We also have scheduled lectures and events throughout the year.
Hours & Admission: Open every day except December 25.Admission is free.
Regular Hours: 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Extended Hours: 10: 00 am to 7: 30 pm
December 26—30, 2014.
March 30—April 20, 2015.
Fridays and Saturdays, April 24—May 16, 2015.
May 17—September 7, 2015.
VISITING TIPS:
Limit the Number of Bags: All visitors are screened through metal detectors upon entry.The fewer items you bring inside the Museum, the faster your entry. Before you visit, please review the list of prohibited items, which include pocket knives and tripods (三脚架).Visitors carrying prohibited items will not be allowed inside the Museum, so please leave them at home or in your car.
No Food and Drink: Only bottled water is permitted in the Museum. You may only consume food and other drinks in the Food Court, not in the Museum. Groups who bring food are encouraged to picnic on the National Mall.
Please Take Photos: You are welcome to take photos for personal use. However, tripods and monopods (单脚架) are not permitted without approval.
First Aid: The Museum has a First Aid office and a nurse on duty. Please contact the nearest security officer or the Welcome Center for assistance.
Visit the Welcome Center:
At our Welcome Center in the South Lobby, staff and volunteers can answer any questions you have during your visit.
Open 10: 00 am to 5: 30 pm
Phone: 202-633-2214
E-mail: NASM-VisitorServices@ si.eduAccording to the passage, the National Air and Space Museum is a museum __.
A.where only adults can take part in some educational activities |
B.everyone can pay a visit to without buying tickets |
C.where one can touch anything he likes |
D.everyone can visit without time limits all the year round |
If the Greens plan to visit the Museum at 6: 00 pm, it is accessible on _______.
A.December 24, 2014 (Wednesday) |
B.March 1, 2015 (Sunday) |
C.July 6, 2015 (Monday) |
D.September 15, 2015 (Tuesday) |
A visitor to the museum can _______.
A.eat and drink in the Museum or in the Food Court |
B.take photos with tripods for personal use |
C.bring fewer bags to go through metal detectors |
D.get some medical treatment if he suddenly falls ill |
The purpose of this passage is to _______.
A.make an advertisement for the museum |
B.attract people to explore the universe |
C.encourage adults to bring their children there |
D.show what is on display in the museum |
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 |