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“The history of the world is but the biography (传记) of great men,” argued Thomas Carlyle, the advocate of what has come to be known as the “Great Man Theory of History.” This theory suggests that the broader movements and outline of history all go back to the leadership of great individuals who had unique influence on their times. Whether or not Carlyle’s theory proves true is debatable, but that certain individuals cast long shadows is not.
As one who is entrusted with a leadership position, I find it profitable to read of others who have led. Wherever you find me, you’ll likely find a good biography nearby. Why is this the case? First, I find good biographies fascinating. I’ll occasionally read a novel, but I’ve never been overly drawn to fiction. I have found myself unable to sleep while in the struggle of the Battle of Britain in William Manchester’s The Last Lion. For me, not to read biographies would rob me of pleasure in my life.
Second, I find good biographies informative. A good biographer tells not only the story of a person, but also of their times. Reading a good biography is like wandering through an intellectual shopping mall. The first store is what drew you there, but you will be pleasantly surprised along the way at what other items grab your attention. You’ll find no better account of the British Empire at its peak than the opening chapters of Manchester’s Visions of Glory, volume one of his The Last Lion. Strictly speaking, a biography is but a slice of history.
Third, I find good biographies relaxing. Winston Churchill once noted a man who works with his hands should have a hobby that engages his mind, and a man who works with his mind should have a hobby that engages his hands. Another way to apply Churchill’s saying is to combine technical, pen-in-hand vocational reading with leisurely biographical reading. Indeed, few things are more relaxing to me than winding down the evening and entering into another world.
This is why I love reading good biographies, and why I pity the person who neglects them. Don’t be counted among their number.
1.What is implied in the first paragraph?
A. The author finds Carlyle’s theory undebatable.
B. Carlyle believes great men alone cannot create history.
C. It is debatable whether one should read great men’s biographies.
D. The author agrees that history is greatly influenced by certain men.
2.What does the underlined phrase “other items” in the third paragraph refer to?
A. good biographies B. stories of certain times
C. the volumes of The Last Lion D. the chapters of the British Empire
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The author considers biographical reading enjoyable.
B. The author can travel to another world in the evening.
C. The author has fought many battles during his lifetime.
D. The author profits commercially by reading biographies.
4.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To analyze the benefits of vocational reading.
B. To introduce to readers his unique reading strategies.
C. To present great men’s history through biography reading.
D. To recommend biography reading through his own experiences.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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Use your domestic plan when you travel in over 100 countries for $10 a day. Add International Day Pass to your existing plan before you go, then follow these tips to help manage costs and make the most of your travels:
How it works
While abroad, if you make or accept a call, listen to a voicemail, send a text, or use data, you will be automatically charged $10 for 24-hour access to your domestic plan. During that period you can:
• Use your domestic plan data to email, post on social media, translate languages and more.
• Make unlimited calls to countries included in International Day Pass.
• Send unlimited texts to the world.
How to help manage costs
• If you are outside of a 24-hour access period and you don’t want to use your phone, turn off data roaming (漫游) to avoid being charged $10 accidentally.
• Save data by connecting Wi-Fi, especially if you download, or send and receive large files.
Note: INTERNATIONAL DAY PASS: Coverage not available in all areas. Int’l Day Pass may be removed if international talk, text, or data use exceeds (超过) 50% of your total talk, text, or data use for two months.
1.With the AT&T International Day Pass, ___________.
A. one can make unlimited calls to any country for $10 a day
B. the phone will automatically turn on Cellular Data Roaming
C. the phone calling can enjoy a favorable price, saving your cost
D. one can save money by using WiFi to download or send large files
2.According to the travel tips, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Without International Day Pass, one cannot make phone calls back to the US.
B. $10 will be automatically charged if roaming remains turned on after 24 hours.
C. Pay-per-use will apply when one forgets to remove the International Day Pass.
D. The Pass will be removed if the use of data exceeds the average monthly amount.
3.Which of the following groups of people might be in the greatest need of the AT&T International Day Pass?
A. People who have settled abroad.
B. People who work in AT&T overseas offices.
C. People who have relatives in foreign countries.
D. People who make frequent business trips abroad.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
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Escaping predators (食肉动物), digestion and other animal activities—including those of humans—require oxygen. But that essential ingredient is no longer so easy for marine life to obtain, several new studies reveal.
In the past decade ocean oxygen levels have taken a dive—an alarming trend that is linked to climate change, says Andreas Oschlies, an oceanographer at the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Germany, whose team tracks ocean oxygen levels worldwide. “We were surprised by the intensity of the changes we saw, how rapidly oxygen is going down in the ocean and how large the effects on marine ecosystems are,” he says. It is no surprise to scientists that warming oceans are losing oxygen, but the scale of the drop calls for urgent attention. Oxygen levels in some tropical (热带的) regions have dropped by an astonishing 40 percent in the last 50 years, some recent studies reveal. Levels have dropped less significantly elsewhere, with an average loss of 2 percent globally.
A warming ocean loses oxygen for two reasons: First, the warmer a liquid becomes, the less gas it can hold. That is why carbonated drinks go flat faster when left in the sun. Second, as polar sea ice melts, it forms a layer of water above colder, more salty sea waters. This process creates a sort of lid that can keep currents from mixing surface water down to deeper depths. And because all oxygen enters the surface, less mixing means less of it at depth.
Ocean animals large and small, however, respond to even slight changes in oxygen by seeking refuge in higher oxygen zones or by adjusting behavior, Oschlies and others in his field have found. These adjustments can expose animals to new predators or force them into food-scarce regions. Climate change already poses serious problems for marine life, such as ocean acidification, but deoxygenation is the most pressing issue facing sea animals today, Oschlies says. After all, he says, “they all have to breathe.”
Aside from food web problems, animals face various other physiological challenges as their bodies adjust to lower oxygen levels. Chinese shrimp (虾) move their tails less vigorously to preserve energy in lower oxygen environments. Some creatures, such as jellyfishes, are more tolerant of low oxygen than others are. But all animals will feel the impact of deoxygenation because they all have evolved their oxygen capacity for a reason, says Oschlies. “Any drop in oxygen is going to damage survivability and performance,” he says.
1.According to the first two paragraphs, what worries scientists the most?
A. The worsening deoxygenation in the warming ocean.
B. The survival of predators and various marine animals.
C. The alarmingly changeable oxygen levels in the ocean.
D. The lack of attention to the warming of tropical oceans.
2.Which of the following is a reason for the oxygen loss in the ocean?
A. Polar ice melting consumes much oxygen in the ocean.
B. Global warming reduces the amount of oxygen in the air.
C. The surface polar ice water prevents oxygen going down.
D. Salty water holds less gas in the increasingly warmer ocean.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Ocean deoxygenation changes some animals’ natural territories.
B. Ocean acidification is more serious a problem than deoxygenation.
C. Not all ocean animals are bothered by the decreasing oxygen levels.
D. Some animals reduce their movements in order to absorb more oxygen.
4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. The Oxygen Levels of Marine Life B. Ocean Warming Affects Food Web
C. The Survivability of Ocean Animals D. The Ocean Is Running Out of Breath
难度: 困难查看答案及解析