C
The choice between having a career or making time for love is an extremely personal and individual decision. There are many factors which can affect your choice.
Careers and love fulfill us in different but important ways. Having a solid career gives us a sense of accomplishment and self worth. Then there are those who measure their success in terms of having a pleasant and rewarding home life.
So what happens if you cannot or do not wish to make room in your life for both? Consider these factors when pondering which is more important for you.
1. Your Career May be More Important When You are Young
Many people these days focus on careers first and family later. The reasoning is that, while you are young and unencumbered(无负担的), you have the time and energy to fully devote yourself to a career. If you have lofty career ambitions while you are young, it may indeed be the time to start making progress towards those goals.
Once you get married and begin to build a family, much of your time and energy–by necessity–becomes devoted to your family. This is as it should be. You should not start a family unless you are willing to devote time and attention to your loved ones.
2. Falling in Love can be Better When You are Older
More and more people these days are choosing to wait when it comes to making decisions about family. It is not unusual for people to delay marriage until their late 30’s or even their early 40’s. Delaying family decisions allows you to be better prepared for those obligations, and creates a better likelihood that you are in touch with your most important goals and values. You have had the opportunity to completely grow up, greatly reducing the chances of feeling like you are “missing out.” You have had the chance to purge the foolishness of youth from your system and are now confident with the wisdom of maturity.
3. Choosing Both
If you can find a work life balance that allows you to experience the joys of love and maintain a successful career, you will have a truly happy and rewarding life. A loving family at home can help you celebrate all of your successes, and bolster your confidence through your failures. There are many people out there reaping the tremendous rewards that come with including love and work in their lives, and finding the balance that allows for both.
The truly healthy and well balanced person will recognize the benefits of having both. He or she will take steps to achieve the work life balance necessary to assure the continuation of career growth while nurturing and maintaining the health of personal relationships. It is only when we can maintain this delicate balance that we are living life to its greatest potential.What can we learn from the first two paragraphs________?
| A．Choosing to have a career or start a family life is a personal business |
| B．Nothing can determine people’s choice |
| C．Careers and love fulfill people in the same way |
| D．Having a solid career gives us a pleasant home life |
Why is career more important when people are young_________?
| A．Because family life is not important |
| B．Because they can devote time and energy to their careers |
| C．Because they don’t want to devote time and attention to their loved ones |
| D．Because they have no time for building a family |
Which is NOT the reason why people choose to wait when it comes to building a family_________.
| A．To be better prepared for obligations |
| B．To have the opportunity to completely grow up |
| C．To rid of the foolishness of youth |
| D．They don’t want to build a family |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that_________.
| A．People take steps to achieve the work life balance |
| B．the continuation of career growth has nothing to do with personal relationships |
| C．Balancing career and family is of great benefit |
| D．People can live life to its greatest potential without maintaining the balance |
What’s the main idea of the passage________?
| A．How to achieve a balance between career and family |
| B．How to have a successful career |
| C．Career is more important than family |
| D．People can’t balance their career and family |
Looking back on my childhood. I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental maths.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle. Because it all seems to fit together .This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books. Which some may light honor, with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist? One of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist can be made a naturalist. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be _____
| A．full of ambition | B．self-disciplined |
| C．full of enthusiasm | D．knowledgeable |
The first paragraph tells us that the author _____
| A．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| B．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| C．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| D．was born to a naturalist’s family |
The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he __.
| A．just reads about other people observations and discoveries. |
| B．Lacks some of the qualities required of scientist. |
| C．Has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic. |
| D．Come up with solutions in most natural ways. |
The author can’t remember him relatives clearly because__
| A．He didn’t live very long with them |
| B．He was too young when he lived with them. |
| C．The family was extremely large. |
| D．He was fully occupied with observing nature. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The author believes that a born naturalist cannot be scientist. |
| B．The author read a lot of books about the natural world and oil industry |
| C．The author’s brothers and sisters were good at music and languages. |
| D．The author spent a lot of time working on riddles. |
subways
| The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
Features: The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that make up of Tokyo’s huge subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya- literally, “pusher”- who push passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can close. And you think your ride is hell. |
| The Moscow Metro |
Features: The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature chandeliers(枝行吊灯)，marble moldings and elaborate murals(精美壁画). With more than 7 million riders a day , keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden. |
| The Hong Kong MTR |
Features: The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit. It’s privately owned and uses real estate development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy stuff at convenience stores ,supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95% of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card. |
| Shanghai Metro |
Features: Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened. Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2.18 million people a day. |
| The London Metro |
Features: Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you’ve got the oldest mass-transit system in the world, you can call it anything you like. Trains started in 1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap” |
Which one can provide the riders with some wonderful decorations at the stations?
| A．The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines | B．The Moscow Metro |
| C．The London Metro | D．The Hong Kong MTR |
___________ is done with the purpose of making money.
| A．The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines | B．The Moscow Metro |
| C．Shanghai Metro | D．The Hong Kong MTR |
We can learn from the passage that Shanghai Metro ___________.
| A．carries the most people each day |
| B．is the world’s largest |
| C．may be larger than the Chicago “L” in the future |
| D．is the busiest in the world |
How many subways carry more than 5 million people per day?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Shanghai is the third to build a metro system in China, which has become the largest in the world. |
| B．You’ll feel sick when you travel on the Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines. |
| C．Londoners call their subway the Underground because 55 percent of it lies above ground. |
| D．It is estimated that 95% of the population in Hong Kong own an Octopus card. |
While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middleschool students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system.
EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach(扩展)investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space.
While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs—involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground.
In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, said，“EarthKAM is a payload(有效载荷)by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it's just aweinspiring！”So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view.
Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station's research facilities.How have thousands of students experienced similar excitement as astronauts?
| A．In the space station. | B．In the spaceship. |
| C．Using a camera system. | D．Teaming up with astronauts. |
What equipment should the students need for the research?
| A．Computer. | B．Recorder. | C．Telephone. | D．Radios. |
What doesn't belong to the next generation of flight controllers for space programs?
| A．University students' controlling the camera system. |
| B．University students' operating the camera system. |
| C．University students' related activities from the ground. |
| D．University students' investigating Earth from space. |
Who are responsible for EarthKAM?
| A．The astronauts. | B．The students. |
| C．The investigation developers. | D．The teachers. |
What's the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．DR.Sally Ride explains the details of EarthKAM |
| B．Why the team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online. |
| C．EarthKAM provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have. |
| D．Brion Au explains the details of EarthKAM. |
Jockeys(职业赛马骑师) are the smallest athletes. They are rarely over five feet six, or 120 pounds. The lighter the weight on the horse, the faster it can go.
Riding fast horses on the track is tough on the small jockeys. The jockey doesn’t“sit”on the horse. He leans forward on his legs. The strain is on his thighs(大腿) and calf(小腿) muscles. As jockeys age, their legs“go”first. Jockeys also need arm strength. It’s a strain holding a 1000-pound racehorse.
On muddy days, jockeys get a pounding of mud. The mud comes flying off the hooves(蹄) of the horses in front. “It feels like someone is punching you all over,”says one rider.
And a jockey can be hurt. A jockey can have a leg jammed between two horses. Or it can get caught between horse and the rail. The worst accidents are from falls. A horse may fall on his rider. Or horses behind may trample if he hits the track. In one year about 240 riders are hurt badly. That’s one out of six jockeys.
But the jockeys are well-paid. A jockey keeps about ten percent of the money his horses win. Jacinto Vasquez, a five-foot-three comer, has ridden horses to ＄7,000,000 in wins in the last eight years, which means he does almost ＄100,000 a year.
Why do some jockeys do better than others? “It isn’t the way a boy sits on a horse or uses the reins or the whip,”says Conn McCreary. McCreary was a top jockey of the 1950’s. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners. “Most jockeys do this the same. It’s the ‘feel’ he has for the horses.”
“When you come right down to it, it just seems that horses run better for some riders,” McCreary says. “A real good jockey doesn’t lose with the best horse. And sometimes he’ll win with the second or third best.”
Many Latin-American riders, like Jacinto, seem to have the knack. “Maybe it’s because we grew up with horses,”says Jacinto. “Maybe it’s because we like to ride. There was a strike at Aqueduct last year. We, Jorge Velasquez, and Angel Cordero (two other top Latin riders) went to a park. We rented horses, and rode around the bridle path(骑马专用道)!”The main idea of Paragraph 1 is about ______________.
| A．the size of jockeys. | B．the age of jockeys |
| C．the size of the horse | D．the speed of the horse |
When a jockey is riding a fast horse, he doesn’t __________.
| A．really sit on the horse | B．lean forward on his legs |
| C．use much arm strength | D．get any mud on wet track |
The most dangerous problem for a jockey arises __________________.
| A．when his leg is jammed between two horses |
| B．when his clothes are splashed over with mud. |
| C．when the jockey’s horse falls on the jockey |
| D．when the jockey is not well paid |
A really good jockey can often win a race ____________.
| A．only when he rides on the best horse |
| B．even when he rides the second best horse |
| C．when he rides on a rented horse |
| D．if the horse is just a Kentucky Herby |
The underlined word “Knack” in the last paragraph probably means__________________.
| A．special skill | B．dangerous hobby |
| C．riding culture | D．excellent horses. |
“Just take a deep breath.” “Don’t think about it.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”
But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app (application) in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.
The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.
“The fear-of-flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.
The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations(感觉)they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.
| A．decrease their fear of flying |
| B．get rid of their doubt about plane |
| C．have a good time on their flight journey |
| D．use some medicine to cure their fear of flying |
According to the passage, the VALK Foundation ______.
| A．is a group focusing on psychology on the flight |
| B．was the first center to do research into fear of flying |
| C．organizes the world conferences on fear of flying annually |
| D．focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying |
Flight App VALK is aimed to ______.
| A．help passengers experience the fear of flying |
| B．help relax passengers before and during flights |
| C．treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying |
| D．teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight |
What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Many adults are suffering from fear of flying |
| B．It’s convenient for people to use the Flight App |
| C．Many planes will be installed with the Flight App. |
| D．The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively |
In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．Culture | B．Entertainment | C．Technology | D．Education |