To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for having made a mistake. They naturally look for someone else who could be responsible for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this:“To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).” This saying mirrors an ideal:people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite—find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything . People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that:if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?According to the passage, which of following seems the most human?
A.To search for truth. |
B.To achieve one’s ideal. |
C.To make fun of others’ mistakes. |
D.To criticize others for one’s own error. |
Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?
A.A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company. |
B.A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather. |
C.A company’s next move follows a good plan. |
D.A lawyer acts on fine judgments. |
What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A.Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy. |
B.Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas. |
C.A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty. |
D.Bitter truth is better than a good excuse. |
What would be the best title for his passage?
A.A Mirror of Human Nature |
B.To Blame or to Forgive |
C.A Mark of Maturity |
D.Truth or Excuse |
For years we have been told that encouraging a child’s self-respect is important to his or her success in life. But child experts are now learning that too much praise can lead to the opposite effect. Praise-sholic kids who expect it at every turn may become teens who seek to same kind of approval from friends when asked if they want to go in the backseat of the car.
The implication(含义) of saying “You are the prettiest girl in class,” or talking about the goals she succeed but not her overall effort, is that you love her only when she looks the best, scores she highest, achieves the most. And this carries over to the classroom.
Social psychologist Carrol Dweck, PhD, tested the effects of overpraise on 400 fifth graders while she was at Columbia University. She found that kids praised for “trying hard” did better on tests and were more likely to take on difficult assignments than those praised for being “smart”.
“Praising attributes(品质) or abilities makes a false promise that success will come to you because you have that quality, and it devalues effort, so children are afraid to take on challenges, ” says Dweck, now at Stanford University, “They figure they’s better quit while they’re ahead.”The underlined words “Praise-sholic kids” refers to kids who are ______.
A.tired of being praised | B.worthy of being praised |
C.very proud of being praised | D.extremely fond of being praised |
The author quoted(引用) Dr. Dweck’s words in the last paragraph in order to make the article
_____.
A.better-known | B.better-organized | C.more percussive | D.more interesting |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
A.praise for efforts should be more encouraged |
B.praise for results works better than praise for efforts |
C.praising a child’s achievements benefits his or her success in life |
D.praising a child’s abilities encourage him or her to take on challenges |
A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increase the risk.
Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma (黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma
Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.
But questions has been raised about sunscreen and whether it may has opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.
The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer--- people with fair skin and freckles (雀斑), for example--- are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.
The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.The underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means ______.
A.evidence | B.facts | C.faults | D.failures |
People with fair skin and freckles .
A.seldom use sunscreen | B.are more in danger of skin cancer |
C.can be free from the harm of the sun | D.often expose themselves to the sun |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
A.sunscreen users get skin cancer more often |
B.the volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen |
C.the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers |
D.the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America |
Which of the following can be the title for this passage?
A.Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer | B.Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer |
C.Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen | D.Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles |
Holidays
Holiday News Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
The Snowdonia CenterThe Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain lesson. The beginners’ costs are £57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of lifetime of mountain climbing adventure. |
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours. |
What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
A. Choose the holiday in Devon.
B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre
C Join the World Sea Trip of 2008
D. Visit Acapulco and HawaiiIn what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
A.It provides chances of family gatherings. |
B.It provides customers with good food. |
C.It offers a sport lesson. |
D.It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
A.You can have free meals on deck every day. |
B.You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
C.You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
D.You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
At the Snowdonia Centre, the beginners’ costs of £57 do not cover .
A.food | B.rooms | C.body exercises | D.walking shoes |
本文介绍了美国著名的生物学家Edward Wilson 的著作The Future of Life中的一些有关如何开发、利用和保护自然资源的情况。
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
A.the environment for plants |
B.the biodiversity of our earth |
C.the wastes of natural resources |
D.the importance of human values |
How many species are most important to our present food supply?
A.Twenty. | B.Eighty. | C.One hundred | D.Ten thousand. |
Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
A.learn how to farm scientifically |
B.build homes for some dying species |
C.make it clear what to eat |
D.use more species for food |
We can infer that the text is _______
A.a description of natural resources |
B.a research report |
C.a book review |
D.an introduction to a scientist. |
A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover,these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere,warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns,potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years,humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources(资源):land for crops,wood for paper and other products,land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example,a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.There are two main reasons for this. Firstly,when people cut down trees,generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly,cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now,but in the long run it actually reduces the world's wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world's drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However,fewer than l%of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world's shrinking rainforests.
1. |
Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they
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2. |
What does the word "this" underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
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3. |
It can be inferred from the text that
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4. |
What might be the best title for the text?
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