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In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At that moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.
1.The author feels sad sometimes because .
A. he has a soft heart B. some people fail to see the kindness in others
C. some people pretend to be kind D. he relies much on others
2.What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights?
A. They waited with patience. B. They speeded up to pass.
C. They tried their best to help. D. They put on their flashlights too.
3.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A. A Wheelchair Experience. B. A Driving Experience
C. Weakness and Strength D. Weakness and Kindness.
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“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by logging on to a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” banner pops up on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. The default through the computer’s speakers is: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, please report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password prompt if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.
1.The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” can be understood as “ ”.
A. to express the owners’ anger to the thief
B. to give the thief an alert mind
C. to remind the thief of his conscience
D. to make the thief give up his mind
2.Different from other security software, Retriever can .
A. record the stealing process B. help recognize the lost laptop
C. send a spoken message D. lock down the computer remotely
3.One function of the program is that it allows the owner to at a distance.
A. turn on the laptop by using the original password
B. change some access details for switching on the laptop
C. operate the laptop by means of an alternative password
D. erase the information kept in the stolen laptop
4.Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A. With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.
B. Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.
C. A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft.
D. A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.
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Columbus College, 241 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Kowloon City
Memo
From: Jakie Mok, Secretary; Sports Development Committee
Date: May 20, 2010
A week ago, “Sports for Life” programme was sent to the parents, requiring them to select a sport they wanted their child to play. Since then, our staff have received lots of calls from parents asking for more information about it. Here is a memo (备忘录) for your reference when you answer the phones.
Sports 1: Basketball.
We expect that this will be the most popular of the four sports. Therefore, students should be advised to sign up as soon as possible. Students will take a private bus to and from Kwun Tong Sports Park. To cover the cost of hiring a bus, each student will have to pay＄10 each time. There will be four basketball courts available for our use with one teacher watching over each game.
Sports 2: Gym
We will be using St. Peter’s Memorial Park. There are two reasons for choosing this park. First, it is not very busy and crowded before 6:00 pm. Second, it has lot of trees with plenty of shade. Students must bring along two bottles of water to prevent thirst. Three activities, skipping, jogging, outdoor aerobics (有氧运动), all of which are free of charge, will be arranged. And there will be a teacher on duty for each of the activities.
Sports 3: Hiking
Hiking ( 远 足 ) will take place at Kowloon Peak. The activity will start at 2:30 pm and finish 90 minutes later. Three teachers will accompany the students, and a hiking instructor will accompany each group of 15 hikers. Each instructor will cost ＄75/hr. Students are advised to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Sports 4: Swimming
The Kowloon City Aquatic Centre is a 10-minute walk from our school. Four teachers will go to the pool and conduct the goings-on from the poolside. We will only be able to reserve the pool for one hour (i.e. 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm). Only students skillful at swimming can take up this activity. The pool will have two lifeguards present. Girls must wear a swimming suit. The cost is＄10 per visit.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Students participating in gym should arrive at 6:00 pm.
B. Students selecting basketball had better register early.
C. Hiking usually begins at 2:30 pm and lasts 2 hours.
D. Students having swimming suits can take up swimming.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. students taking part in basketball will walk to the courts
B. every student can gain admission to one of the four sports
C. hiking students can have a regular rest in the shade of trees
D. students taking up the four sports should bring bottles of water
3.It can be concluded that .
A. each sport will take only one hour
B. students will be charged for the four sports
C. teachers will accompany students on each sport
D. all the sports will take place at Kowloon Peak
4.The purpose of the memo is to .
A. attract students’ interest in the programme
B. require the parents to select a sport for their child
C. help the staff explain the programme to the parents
D. remind teachers and lifeguards to be present on time
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When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫不掩饰的).
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it’s conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy — love, marriage, birth — also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated.
My definition of happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It’s easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don’t think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we’ve got to have. We’re so self-conscious about our “right” to it that it’s making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren’t necessarily happier.
Happiness isn’t about what happens to us — it’s about how we see what happens to us. It’s the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It’s not wishing for what we don’t have, but enjoying what we do possess.
1.As people grow older, they .
A. associate their happiness less with others B. feel it harder to experience happiness
C. will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness D. tend to believe responsibility means happiness
2.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 5 and 6?
A. She cares little about her own health. B. She enjoys the freedom of traveling.
C. She is easily pleased by things in daily life. D. She prefers getting pleasure from housework.
3.What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?
A. Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness.
B. Psychologists’ opinion is well proved by Grandma’ case.
C. Grandma often found time for social gatherings.
D. Grandma’s happiness came from modest expectations of life.
4.What can be concluded from the passage?
A. Happiness lies between the positive and the negative.
B. Each man is the master of his own fate.
C. Happy is he who is content.
D. Success leads to happiness.
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），并在其下面写出该加的词。