【2015·北京卷】第二节（共 5 小题；每小题 2 分。共 10 分） 根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出正确的填入空白处。选项中有两项为多余选项。
This Way to Dreamland
Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing. Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what’s happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy.___They annoy us because they seem to be ignoring us and missing the important things.
But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history. ___ Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions?
So how can you come up with brilliant daydreams and avoid falling over tree roots or otherwise looking like a fool?
First, understand that some opportunities(机会) for daydreaming are better than others. Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams.__ _ And if you want to improve your chances of having a creative idea while you’re daydreaming, try to do it while you are involved in another task—preferably something simple, like taking a shower or walking, or even making meaningless drawings.
It’s also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concentrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep._ __
Finally, you never know what wonderful idea might strike while your mind has moved slowly away.____ _
Always remember that your best ideas might come when your head is actually in the clouds.
| A．Having interesting things to think about also helps. |
| B．They stare off into space and wander by themselves. |
| C．Without wandering minds, we wouldn’t have relatively, Coke or Post-it notes. |
| D．At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses. |
E. It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive.
F. Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand.
G. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you’re in the daydream zone.
A very old tree had been growing quite slowly for many years. It was nearly the 1 tree in the forest, and it raised its head high above the 2 trees towards the sky like a king of trees.
One spring day, the wind brought a little seed and dropped it 3the roots of the tree. Soon it grew into a plant. “I’ll climb to the top of the tree,” said 4 little plant. “They’ll see how quickly I can grow.” So it held tightly to the tree, climbed and climbed 5it climbed up to the top branch. It said to the tree, “You have grown for a great many years, and I only began this summer – see 6 high I have got!”
But the old tree just said nothing at all. Later, a great storm came, bringing snow and heavy winds. The old tree did n’t mind the cold at all, but the poor little plant had grown so fast 7 it had forgotten to grow well. 8 that cold night it fell onto the ground. And that was the end of the little plant.
Since every coin has two sides, living in large modern cities offers us many advantages, meanwhile, causes many troubles. Better education and better jobs are easy to get, and better medical care is convenient to receive in large modern cities.
People are usually well informed due to the advanced media, such as television, newspaper and net PC. Large modern cities also provide various night-life activities for the city-dwellers(城市居民). The public places like cinema, bar, disco-ball are everywhere.
On the other hand, large modern cities are too big to control, so the traffic jams and traffic accidents often happen, and the social security is a headache problem. And city-dwellers have to face the housing problem. Usually a house is too expensive for the salary earning class to buy and the rent is also high. Moreover, noise and pollution in large cities bring harm to people’s health.
Living in large modern cities
Advantages |
● It’s easy to get better education, better jobs and 53._________. ● People are usually 54.______________ because of the advanced media. ● People can have various night-life activities in modern cities. |
55.___________ |
● The society is not 56. ___________. ● Citizens have to face the housing problem. ● Noise and pollution in large cities 57. __________ people’s health. |
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts.
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
| Main comparisons |
Contexts |
| __ |
In the past people put caring, sharing and generosity in the first ___ |
| Nowadays, people seem to be more ____ |
|
| ___ |
People in the past appeared to be modest and self-effacing(谦让的). |
| People may strive to achieve their own __ |
|
| The author’s understanding |
|
| ___ |
Fierce __ |
| The author’s ___ |
A relationship which can __ |
阅读下面短文，在标有序号的空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号中单词的正确形式，并将答案写在答题纸上。（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
One night, Mrs. Riley was walking along a dark street. She was carrying her handbag in one 1and a plastic carrier bag in the other. There was 2else in the street except two youths. They were standing in a dark shop doorway. One of them was very tall with fair hair; the other was short and fat with a beard and moustache.
The youths waited 3a few moments, and then ran quickly and quietly towards Mrs. Riley. The tall youth held her from 4while the other youth tried to snatch her handbag.
Suddenly, Mrs. Riley 5(throw) the tall youth over her shoulder. He crashed into the other youth and they 6landed on the ground. Without 7(speak), Mrs. Riley hit both of them on the head with her handbag, and walked calmly 8.
The two 9(surprise) youths were still sitting on the ground when Mrs. Riley crossed the 10 towards a door with a lighted sign above it. Mrs. Riley paused, turned round, smiled at the youths and walked into the South West London Judo Club.
We’ve all been hurt by another person at one time or another. This pain causes problems
. It not only causes us to be unhappy, but can ruin relationships, distract(使分心) us from work and family and other important things, make us unwilling to open up new things.
We need to learn to let go. We need to be able to forgive, so we can move on and be happy. Forgiveness does not mean you erase the past, or forget what has happened. All it means is that you are letting go of the anger and pain, and moving on to a better place.
It’s not easy, but you can learn to d
o it.
Think about the advantages and disadvanges. Think of all the problems this pain causes you, and realize you need to change. Then think of the benefits of forgiveness—— how it will make you happier, free you from the past and the pain, and improve your relationships and life in general.
Try to put yourself in that person’s situation. Try to understand why the person did what he did. What could he have felt as he did it, and what did he feel afterward? How does he feel now? You aren’t saying what he did is right, but are trying to understand instead.
Understand your responsibility. Try to figure out how you could have been partly responsible for what happened. This isn’t to say you’re taking all the blame, or taking responsibility away from the other person, but to realize that we are not victims(受害者) but participants in life.
Allow peace to enter your life. As you focus on the present, try focusing on your breathing. Imagine each breath going out is the pain and the past, and imagine each breath coming in is peace, entering you and filling you up.
Title: How to let go and forgive
| Making us unhappy; distracting from daily life; Ruining relationships; making us close to new things. |
|
| Definition of forgiveness |
●Letting go of the ●Moving on to a better place. |
| Benefits of forgiveness |
●Making you happier; ● ●Improving your relationships and life in general |
| ●Thinking about the advantages and disavantages; ●Trying to understand the other person as if you were in the same situation； ●Figuring out ●Allowing peace to enter your life. |