Today our life and work rarely feel light or pleasant. Instead, the whole experience of being alive begins to melt into huge responsibility. It becomes the standard greeting everywhere: I am so busy.
We say this to one another with no small degree of pride. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset, to speed through our responsibilities without time for a single mindful breath — this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We lose the nourishment(营养) that gives us help. We miss the quiet that gives us wisdom. Poisoned by the belief that good things come only through tireless effort, we never truly rest.
This is not the world we dreamed of when we were young. How did we get so terribly rushed in a world filled with work and responsibility, yet somehow lack of joy and delight?
We have forgotten the Sabbath (安息日). Sabbath is the time to enjoy and celebrate what is beautiful and good — time to light candles, sing songs, tell stories, bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, nap and walk. It is time to be nourished and refreshed as we let our work, our chores and our important projects lie fallow, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world when we are at rest.
Sabbath is more than the absence of work. Many of us, in our desperate drive to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. But the Sabbath has proven its wisdom over the ages. Many of us still recall when, not long ago, shops and offices were closed on Sundays. Those quiet Sunday afternoons remained in our cultural memory.Nowadays, when we greet people by saying, “I am so busy”， we feel ________.
| A．sorry | B．proud |
| C．unhappy | D．responsible |
If a person lives a successful life, he is expected ________.
| A．to be always available to his family and friends |
| B．to be able to enjoy a leisure holiday |
| C．to be occupied with too many obligations |
| D．to become a model for everyone else |
According to the author, we should do the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．showing interest in beautiful things |
| B．having time to get refreshed |
| C．putting away obligations and resting when necessary |
| D．believing that good things come only through tireless effort |
After a fortnight of extraordinary type, the much-feared computer virus that was supposed to strike the globe’s hard drives last Friday simply fizzled. So many warnings were sounded that most computer owners either fed anti-virus programs into their systems or refused to turn the power on during the dreaded M-day. They dodged one disease, but more strains are on the way. The eponymous Friday-the-13th virus is due to strike this week, and the Maltese Amoeba may detonate on March 15.
Who creates these things? A disproportionate number seems to originate in Bulgaria or Russia, where writing the smallest, most elegant virus programs has become a matter of quirky pride. Viruses are transmitted either by shared disks (as was Michelangelo) or over telephone lines. The virus program hides in a computer until, activated by a date, time, or some other trigger, it springs to life. The most common virus, Stoned, makes your screen announce: “Your computer is now stoned. Legalize marijuana. ” (Regardless of your politics, you don’t want this one around; it can damage your files inadvertently.) Solution: either keep your computer isolated—no trading disks, no on-line communication—or else install one of a dozen or so commercially available anti-virus programs that detect and delete the little time bombs. If they can come up with a virus that is hidden, will they next try to extort a business?—as in, pay me $1 million or my virus will destroy your system.
In the meantime, money is being made by firms selling anti-virus programs. Egghead software stores logged a 3,000 percent jump in anti-virus sales. Was the threat overblown by the companies that make millions selling anti-virus software? Thanks to the media blitz, no one will ever know what might have happened—an unallied number of computer owners discovered and deleted Michelangelo before it was supposed to strike—on the artist’s birthday.The much-feared M-day was ________.
| A．Friday-the-13th when the eponymous virus was due to strike |
| B．Friday-the-15th when the Maltese Amoeba would be activated |
| C．the previous Friday when Michelangelo virus was due to strike |
| D．the previous Friday which coincided with the artist's birthday |
Computer viruses are ________.
| A．diseases spread from one computer to another by shared disks |
| B．viruses hidden in a computer’s instructions by the designers |
| C．little time bombs hidden in a computer waiting to be triggered |
| D．just those computer programs created by malevolent designers |
Which of the following sayings fits the Michelangelo virus?
| A．A burnt child dreads the fire. | B．The bug’s bark was worse than its bite. |
| C．A barking dog seldom bites. | D．Once bitten, twice shy. |
The author implies that in days to come the viruses might be used ________.
| A．to destroy data | B．to commit crimes |
| C．to commit mischief | D．to create confusion |
Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless—there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and two wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can longer direct the great strike for America’s power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision—and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.
There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weiman Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for national leaders on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson and two Roosevelts. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in; the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning. But for these hours history stops.Between ten P.M. and midnight the United States is politically leaderless because ________.
| A．the president has been murdered |
| B．the general strike for power has ended |
| C．the government has resigned |
| D．the general vote is being held |
“The great strike for America’s power” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.
| A．the strike of the government members |
| B．the great vote |
| C．the election campaign |
| D．the strike of the government employees |
The author believes that the decision at the polls will ________.
| A．lead to a civil war | B．result in a general strike |
| C．cause violence and blood | D．be defended by all Americans |
Without the general vote, the author implies ________.
| A．there would be a civil war | B．there would be a general strike |
| C．there would be an election campaign | D．there would be a fierce debate |
What happens to mother-daughter relationships when girls become teenagers. It seems that girls go from playing “dress up”, to arguing with their mothers about how they should dress.
When a girl is 3-4 years old they love to “dress up” in their mothers’ clothes, put on their mothers’ makeup, cook, and do whatever else their mother does. This is the time when she can be classified as being a mama’s girl.
How come girls change so much from childhood to the teenage years? Many parents seek the answer when their daughter becomes a teen. Often when a girl enters high school her behavior changes as well as her physical appearance.
When I was young I always liked playing “dress up”. It made me feel older and more like my mother. Even when I entered middle school, I still depended a lot on my mother to choose and buy my clothes. Once I entered high school there was a big change. To me, my mother’s clothes were no longer “in fashion”, and neither was her opinion. I started becoming interested in boys and tried to improve the way I looked. It was not that I wanted to look cool, I just wanted to look my age.
This is the time that the mother-daughter relationship can take a turn. It’s difficult for a mother to know that her daughter is no longer totally dependent on her.
When the daughter starts wearing revealing clothing, dating, and just wanting to be more independent, a mother starts to feel left out, or not needed. The number of arguments increases, and the number of times when the mother and daughter get along happily decreases.
When these things start to happen, it is a sign that the daughter wants her independence and the freedom to grow up.
When you notice how much your relationship had changed, try to believe positive things come out of the change. Put all the negatives aside and concentrate on what your mother is feeling instead of just on what you’re feeling.
When it seems too hard to handle, take some quiet time and write out your feelings. Maybe at another time, you can share them with your mother and try to find a way to better your relationship as mother and daughter. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your feelings, at least write them down so you can get them out. It’s better than keeping them bottled up inside.The girls would argue with their mothers because ________.
| A．they need more independence |
| B．mothers want daughters to be mama’s girls again |
| C．they think their mothers’ clothes are no longer in fashion |
| D．all of the above |
From the passage, we know that ________.
| A．the teenage period is a sensitive part in human life |
| B．the parents can’t get the answer why their daughters change a lot |
| C．they can get on well only in talking, no matter what mothers or daughters do |
| D．mothers should concentrate on their own feelings |
A “mama’s girl” will Not________.
| A．dress up in her mother’s clothes |
| B．depend a lot on her mother to choose and buy her clothes |
| C．like wearing revealing clothing |
| D．think her mother’s clothes are in fashion |
When the daughter starts wanting to be more independent, ________.
| A．a mother starts to feel left out |
| B．it is the time when mother and daughter get on joyfully increases |
| C．she wants to look cool |
| D．All of the above |
I feel very excited at the thought that in another week I shall be with you again on holiday. I have enjoyed my stay in England very much indeed. Mr Brown and classmates are nice to me, but, as they say in England, “There’s no place like home.” and I think you feel this above all at Christmas time.
I am leaving here early on Thursday, the 23rd, and I shall arrive in Basle on Friday morning, so I shall be home somewhere about lunchtime. Can you meet me at the station, as I shall have a lot of luggage?
In some of my earlier letters I have told you all about the other students here. Well, I want to ask my Polish friend Jan to come and spend Christmas with us. Will that be all right? His father and mother died last year, he can go home for Christmas, and he has no friend in England except the Browns. He is a nice boy. I know you all like him, and I feel sure he will enjoy Christmas with us. It is very short notice, but you are always pleased, I know, if we bring our friends home. however, I have not yet invited him, as I thought it was better to ask you first. Please let me know as soon as possible if it will be all right.The writer was very excited at the thought that ________.
| A．she would be back home with her new friend |
| B．she would be with her parents in another week |
| C．her parents wanted to see her very much |
| D．she would go on staying in England |
She wanted some one to meet her because ________.
| A．she was told to do so | B．she would be tired out after the trip |
| C．she would carry a pile of things | D．she didn’t know where the station was |
The underlined sentence “There’s no place like home” means ________.
| A．There is not a place that the writer likes |
| B．There is no place that the writer can live in |
| C．The writer’s home is not in London in fact |
| D．East and west, home is best |
These paragraphs are taken out of a ________.
| A．magazine | B．letter | C．book | D．newspaper |
We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong. A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of control. It seems as if a single unimportant event may cause a number of things to happen. Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time. The telephone rings and this means your troubles are beginning. While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table, destroying your prepared meal. You hang up hurriedly and attend to your baby. Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt. As if these were not enough to bring you to tears, your husband arrives unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.
Things can go wrong on-a number of people on the road. During the rush hour one evening, two cars hit each other and both drivers began to argue. The woman driver behind the two cars happened to be a learner. She suddenly went into a panic and stopped her car. This made the driver following her stop suddenly. His wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake. As she was thrown forward, the cake went right through the window and landed on the road’. Seeing a cake-flying through the air, a truck driver had to stop his truck all of a sudden. The truck was carrying empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the truck and fell onto the road. This led to yet another angry argument. Meanwhile, the traffic piled up behind. It took the police nearly an hour to get the traffic to move again. In the meanwhile, the truck driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles. Only two dogs were enjoying themselves from the accident; for they were happily having what was left of the cake. It was just one of those days.What does the writer mainly tell us?
| A．Troubles always happen at the same time. |
| B．Everyone may have trouble every day. |
| C．A small matter can cause great trouble. |
| D．Only the lucky man won’t have any trouble every day. |
according to the passage, what should be the correct order?
(1) The woman driver stopped her car suddenly. •
(2) The driver’s wife dropped her cake on the road.
(3) Only two dogs were happy.
(4) Two cars hit each other.
(5) The truck driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles.
| A．(2)(3)(3)(5)(1) | B．(4)(1)(2)(5)(3) |
| C．(3)(5)(2)(4)(1) | D．(1)(4)(2)(3)(5) |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The woman’s husband brought three guests home to dinner unexpectedly. |
| B．The meal got burnt. |
| C．Her baby pulled the table-cloth off the table. |
| D．It is not strange to experience such accidents. |
What does the word "these" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refer to?
A. Your husband brings three guests to dinner unexpectedly.
B. The meal gets burnt.
C. The baby pulls the table-cloth off the table.
D. Both B and C.