Recently, an almost literal case of lifeboat ethics(伦理) occurred. On Aug. 4, Graham and Sheryl Anley, while boating off the coast of South Africa, hit a rock. As the boat threatened to sink the husband got off, but his wife was trapped in the boat. Instead of freeing his wife and getting her to shore, Graham grabbed Rosie, their pet dog. With Rosie safe and sound, Graham returned for Sheryl. All are doing fine.
It's a great story, but it doesn't strike me as especially newsworthy. News is supposed to be about something fairly unique, and recent research suggests that, in the right circumstances, lots of people also would have grabbed their Rosie first.
We have strange relationships with our pets. We lavish our pets with adoration and better health care than billions of people receive. We speak to pets with the same high-pitched voices that we use for babies. As an extreme example of our feelings about pets, the Nazis had strict laws that guaranteed the humane treatment of the pets of Jews being shipped to death camps.
A recent paper by George Regents University demonstrates this human involvement with pets to an astonishing extent. Participants in the study were told a situation in which a bus is out of control, bearing down on a dog and a human. Which do you save? With responses from more than 500 people, the answer was that it depended: What kind of human and what kind of dog?
Everyone would save a brother, grandparent or close friend rather than a strange dog. But when people considered their own dog versus people less connected with them—a distant cousin or a hometown stranger—votes in favor of saving the dog came rolling in. And an astonishing 40% of respondents, including 46% of women, voted to save their dog over a foreign tourist.
What does a finding like this mean? First, that your odds aren't so good if you find yourself in another country with a bus bearing down on you and a cute dog. But it also points to something deeper: our unprecedented(史无前例的) attitude toward animals, which got its start with the birth of humane societies in the 19th century.
We prison people who abuse animals, put ourselves in harm's way in boats between whales and whalers and show sympathy to Bambi and his mother. We can extend empathy to an animal and feel its pain like no other species. But let's not be too proud of ourselves. As this study and too much of our history show, we're pretty selective about how we extend our humaneness to other human beings.What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.To create a relaxing mood for readers. |
B.To present the theme of this essay straightly. |
C.To lead in the main topic of this essay. |
D.To raise problems that will be solved later. |
The author mentions Nazi laws in the third paragraph _______________.
A.to show how cruel the Nazis were to the Jews |
B.as an example to persuade people not to love pets |
C.to illustrate the strange relationship between human and pets |
D.as an example to display the humaneness of the Nazis |
Which of the following is true according to the article?
A.The story of the Anleys and their dog was too unique to be newsworthy. |
B.Most people surveyed choose to save their own dog rather than a human. |
C.It was in the 19th century that human beings started to love their pets. |
D.Human beings are more and more concerned with animals nowadays. |
What does the author mainly argue for?
A.Pets are of great significance to us human beings. |
B.We should rethink about our attitude towards animals and mankind. |
C.It is kind of human beings to extend humaneness to animals. |
D.We should be selective when showing attitude toward other human beings. |
LIDAC MAYNARD
11 Windrift Circle
Methuen, MA
978 – 555 – 4539
JOB OBJECTIVE
Seek special education, primary school, or middle school math teaching position.
EDUCATION
Rivier College, Nashua, NH
Bachelor of Arts in Education – May, 2006
Major: Elementary Education
Have successfully completed PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II. Meet highly qualified testing requirements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
November, 2005 – January, 2006
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Student Teacher
· Developed and completed student–centered lessons in all subject areas for various groups of fifth grade special and regular education students.
· Adapted lessons to meet student’s needs by reviewing their backgrounds and learning needs through IEPs.
· Communicated with parents on a regular basis via newsletters, daily or weekly progress reports, phone calls, and email, resulting in increased parental participation at home.
August, 2005 – November, 2005
Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Student Teacher
· Taught reading and writing through Language Experience Approach methods.
· Introduced a Writer’s Workshop appropriate for first grade students to help them to develop their writing skills.
· Developed learning stations in reading and science, enabling students to be more independent learners.
Spring, 2005
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Designed and taught a unit on Insects and Spiders, based on New Hampshire Standards to 23 self-contained, third and fourth grade students with disabilities.
Fall, 2004
Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Taught a class of 24 third grade students with a wide range of abilities.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
· After–School Aid, Amherst School District, Amherst, NH (2004 – 2005)
· Summer Camp advisor, YMCA, Nashua, NH (Summers, 2002 and 2003)
· Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer, Nashua, NH (2002 – 2005)
What kind of job does Linda want to get?
A.A Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer. | B.A middle school math teacher. |
C.A special education advisor. | D.A summer camp advisor. |
Linda has worked for the following schools EXCEPT ___________.
A.Rivier College, Nashua, NH |
B.Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH |
C.Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH |
D.Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH |
What can we know about Linda according to the passage?
A.She is merely interested in developing student’s math abilities. |
B.She is not active in participating in after–school activities. |
C.She is permitted to teach in any of the high schools of New York. |
D.She has some teaching experiences in several elementary schools. |
She was born to wealth and power in an era when money and politics were left to the men. Later, as The Washington Post’s publisher, Katharine Graham became one of America’s most powerful women.
Despite a privileged background, Katharine had to deal, while growing up, with the high demands her mother placed on her children. Katharine’s love of journalism, which she shared with her father, led to her career after college at The Washington Post, the newspaper her father bought in 1933. At the Post, Katharine met Phil Graham, a young, charming lawyer who became her husband. When, in 1945, Katharine’s father chose Phil over her to take over his struggling paper, Katharine didn’t object and stayed at home as a wife and mother of four.
While Phil’s successful efforts to restore the Post to prominence (显著) made the Grahams popular members of the Washington social scene, Katharine privately suffered tremendous pain from her husband’s increasingly abusive behavior and wild mood swings caused by severe depression. When Phil committed suicide (自杀), the 46-year-old Katharine found herself thrown into a new job, that of newspaper publisher. But determined to save the family paper for her children, Katharine rose to the challenge of running the Post, attending meetings in every department, working endlessly to prove herself to her critics, and becoming the toast of Washington.
In 1971, Katharine ordered the Post to print a copy of the Pentagon Papers, the top-secret documents disclosing the truth about the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. What’s more, her courageous decision and support for her journalists prep
ared the Post to break the most important political story in modern history: Watergate, one of the greatest scandals (丑闻) in American political history. Katharine managed to keep control over the most chaotic (disorder) of situations when it was reported, all the time insisting the news stories be accurate and fair. Watergate made the Washington Post an internationally known Paper and Katharine was considered as the most powerful woman in America.
Katharine Graham was born in a time when women were not ________.
A.given the chance to receive education | B.considered as intelligent as men |
C.permitted to achieve their goals | D.allowed to enter every field |
When her husband was chosen to take charge of the newspaper, Katharine Graham ________.
A.was strongly against the idea |
B.was not happy to be rejected |
C.was willing to take her share of responsibility |
D.didn’t believe her husband would do a good job |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.It was Katharine Graham’s husband who made the greatest contributions to the Post. |
B.When Katharine Graham first took over the Post, her critics dou![]() |
C.Katharine Graham was successful in her career but suffered severe depression. |
D.Katharine Graham was free to do whatever she liked in her early life. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Ups and downs of The Washington Post. |
B.Katharine Graham’s family life and career. |
C.Katharine Graham: from housewife to successful publisher. |
D.Katharine Graham: a woman who shaped American journalism. |
Reading is the key to success in all school subjects. With a bit of creativity, you can help your child enjoy reading more, and encourage him to do more!
Buy or borrow a lot of “fun” books. Choose books that are slightly below his level of reading ability. Don’t forget what your child likes to do when choosing books for him. Don’t comment about the books. Simply leave the books lying on the table where your child is sure to see them. Computer games are not as harmful as most parents usually think them to be. Instead, you should take advantage of your child’s love of computer games to purchase those that require a lot of reading and avoid those that are simply computerized video games.
Buy your child a bedside reading lamp, or a tiny book light. Tell him that from now on, he must be in bed by a specific time (say 8:30) and that he can either sleep or read. Most kids will do anything else rather than go to sleep, so there’s a chance you’ll create a new bedtime reading habit.
Many children will read when they are sitting alone having a snack, or when they have a few minutes of unplanned free time. Put a box of books and magazines near the kitchen table so that reading material is available.
Often, once children learn to read independently, parents stop reading to them. This change of routine causes great sadness to a child who has come to love falling asleep as you read. Even a teenager will enjoy being read to if you pick books that interest him. Select books together, and make sure they’re ones you enjoy as well, so your enjoyment will come through as you read to them.
To make children become interested in reading, parents should _______.
A.choose books based on their interest |
B.tell them what they can learn from these books |
C.choose the easiest books for them to read |
D.always read books together with them |
Which of the following is NOT what parents are advised to do?
A.Pick the right computer games. | B.Reduce children’s sleeping time. |
C.Have reading material available. | D.Read to children when possible. |
What attitude do most parents hold towards children playing computer games?
A.Supportive. | B.Doubtful. | C.Negative. | D.Neutral (中立的). |
The main idea of the passage is to ________.
A.help children succeed in school subjects |
B.give parents advice on how to educate children |
C.remind parents of the importance of reading |
D.teach parents how to encourage children to read |
When my grandmother was raising me in Stamps, Arkansas, she had a particular routine(惯例)when people who were known to be whiners entered her store. My grandmother would ask the customer, “How are you doing today, Thomas?”
The person would reply, “Not so good today, Henderson. You see, it’s this summer heat. I just hate it. It just makes me tired. It’s almost killing me.’ Then my grandmother would stand calmly, her arms folded, and say, “Uh-huh, uh-huh.”
As soon as the complainer was out of the store, my grandmother would call me to stand in front of her. Then she would say the same thing she had said at least a thousand times, it seemed to me. “Jane, did you hear what so-and-so complained about?” And I would nod. Grandmother would continue, “Jane, there are people who went to sleep all over the world last night, poor and rich and black and white, but they will never wake again. Those dead people would give anything, anything at all for just five minutes of this weather that person was complaining about. So you watch yourself about complaining, Jane. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
I have learned a lot from my grandmother. Her opinions always hit the nail on the head. Whining is not only impolite, but can be dangerous.
The underlined word “whiners” in paragraph 1 refers to those people who ________.
A.think little of themselves | B.enter a store regularly |
C.are afraid of hot weather | D.complain often |
From what the author’s grandmother said, we can infer that ________.
A.she tried to comfort the wh![]() |
B.she was impolite to the whiners |
C.she was against whining | D.she shared the whiners’ opinions |
The author’s grandmother told her to ________.
A.be sympathetic(同情) to the dead |
B.treasure(珍惜)every moment of her life |
C.keep away from the whiners |
D.get used to things she disliked |
What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?
A.To show that complaining is not only rude but harmful. |
B.To tell us a story about her grandmother. |
C.To show how to live one’s life to the fullest. |
D.To tell us people’s different attitudes towards complaining. |
Many grown-ups worry that spending too much time playing video games isn’t good for a kid’s health. But some doctors have noticed that kids who bring their game players to the hospital seem less worried about being there. They also seem to feel less pain when they are giving all their attention on a car race or other games.
At a children’s center in Baltimore, Maryland, young kids are finding hospital visits easier to deal with, thanks to a test program called HOPE. Patients in HOPE have a life-threatening condition where their kidneys(肾) no longer get rid of wastes from their blood. To get their blood cleaned, these kids must use the dialysis (透析) machines at the hospital three times a week, for at least three hours each time. HOPE allows kids to play Internet sports, racing, and other games with each other. They will be able to connect with kids in other hospitals who have the same problem. “We want to use the Internet to bring together kids who are ill, and let them know they are not alone,” said Arun Mathews, the doctor of the program. He loved video games himself and got the idea to connect kids all over the country.
Many researchers elsewhere are testing video programs that might help young patients. For example, nine-year-old Ben Duskin of San Francisco, California, who was struggling with cancer helped to design a video game where players got rid of cancer cells.
That’s all great news, because doctors already know that reducing pain and worry helps patients heal(痊愈) faster.
According to the passage, the sick kids may feel less pain when they _________.
A.use the dialysis machines | B.are in a car race |
C.are playing video games | D.stay alone with illness |
HOPE allows the sick kids to play Internet games in order to _________.
A.encourage them to fight against the illness | B.get rid of their pain and worry |
C.let the kids make more friends | D.bring the kids in the country together |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Grown-ups all think video games are bad for kids’ health. |
B.Some doctors think video games may help the sick kids reduce pain. |
C.The HOPE is a famous organization all over the world. |
D.Arun Mathews is against the testing program. |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Video Games Are Bad for Health |
B.Video Games May Help Reduce Pain |
C.A Famous American Organization |
D.HOPE Allows Kids to Play Online Games |