-
Some people are pessimistic (悲观) when they think about the future. They say that, a hundred years from now, we will have used up most of the earth’s resources. We will have polluted our sea badly, and be unable to eat fish from it. We will have made air so dirty that we will need to wear masks. The world’s pollution will have doubled, and we will have used all the countryside for housing; there will be no farmland left.
Other people believe that man adapts very easily. They have a different idea of the future. However, in their views, will people be living in a hundred years’ time?
One architect believes that man will move off the land. He suggests that the city of the future will be a huge, pyramidshaped building, which will be floating on the surface of the sea. About 5,000 families will be living there, and the building will contain shops and schools as well as homes. By living on the sea, we will give the farmers more land to grow crops.
As for oil, people will no longer need it: we will be heating our homes with power from the sun. And we will not be short of minerals, because there are plenty under our oceans. At the moment, we do not have the technology to get them out. But, in a hundred years’ time, the optimists (乐观者) say, the new sea cities will be using these resources.
What will be in the shops in the year 3000? What will people be wearing? How will people be traveling?
Scientists who make predictions about the future suggest that, by the year 3000, shops will no longer exist. Computers will have replaced them; and people will order goods from home.
People will be wearing very light, thin clothes. By this time, scientists will have invented a fabric that keeps us cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather.
As for travel, the experts say that most people will be using public transport. Electric cars will be traveling through the streets day and night. Anybody will be able to stop one and use it.
An interesting picture! Unfortunately, we will not be there if these predictions come true.
1.Pessimists believe that in the future ________.
A. seas and oceans will be full of houses
B. we’ll have used up most of the resources
C. we will have not enough fish to eat from the seas
D. we will have polluted the air not so badly that it will be possible for us to breathe
2.Scientists have made the predictions EXCEPT ________.
A. electric cars will be going along the streets continuously
B. the resources under the oceans will never be used up
C. people will order goods from home
D. people won’t suffer from cold any longer
3.What does the underlined word in the seventh paragraph refer to?
A. a kind of tool B. a kind of energy
C. a kind of cloth D. a kind of resource
4.We can learn from the article that ________.
A. we should be optimistic about the future
B. we should be pessimistic about the future
C. we shouldn’t think too much about the future
D. we have no idea of what will happen in the future
-
People tend to live more happily and longer if they are ________ about life.
A. pessimistic B. enthusiastic C. optimistic D. terrific
-
When many people think about planting a tree, they do not realize that there are several things that they need to consider. You can’t simply just dig a single hole, throw the tree into that space, and expect it to grow without any disease. 1.
The first thing that you need to take into account is the time of year that you are looking to plant the tree in. Believe it or not, in order to plant a tree that will stay alive and be able to survive, you have to plant it at the time of year that is right for the tree. 2. The burning sun during these periods of time will cause a big amount of stress of the tree, which will then lead to its death. 3.
4. You should choose a suitable region and climate for the tree. If you decide to plant a tree that is not a native of a particular climate, you need to consider different factors about the tree such as the growth habits of the tree and how much tolerance the tree has to different weather conditions.
5. Sometimes in cases where people will be digging deep holes to plant a tree, they need to make sure that they are not digging around the phone lines that may be buried below the surface. Among other things, the hole determines if the tree can survive.
A. Normally you should never plant a tree in late spring or summer.
B. When digging a hole for a tree, you’d better dig as deep as possible.
C. You should then look at the place where you plan to plant the tree in.
D. The best time to consider planting your tree is around autumn or early spring.
E. The tree will not only be planted but will continue to grow well for years to come.
F. The next thing that you need to know is whether there are requirements where you’ll dig.
G. There are a few basic things that you need to do in order to make sure the tree grows healthily.
-
When most people think of artists, they usually forget the part about the artist being a surveyor of beauty. This is because most people do not realize that there is actually a sort of process when it comes to making art so much so that lots of individuals(个人) cannot understand why true artists take their time when creating brilliant works.
The reason as to why artists take their time when creating their works is because they will first have to look for something beautiful which will inspire them. This is because an artist is someone who appreciates beauty and captures(捕获) the said beauty in a portrait, a song, a novel, and any other forms of artistic medium available to man. Rather than those commercial artists who simply paint a picture because they are paid to do so, a true artist will only work if he or she is inspired. The true artist shall not compromise his or her work because of earth temptations(诱惑) and as such they run the risk of being ridiculed(嘲弄)in exchange for their happiness. History has however shown that the true artist who correctly appreciates beauty is one whose works will end up being celebrated.
How does a true artist spot beauty? The only possible way to go about doing this is to actually look at the world. This means that the true artist is someone who loves to walk around and look at new things. Whatever it may be, the point here is that the artist does take a bit of time out to survey the world and find something beautiful which would inspire him. At times it even happens that the object that inspires the artist is not a thing but rather a person. At the end of the day, it must be said that each artist has his own views of what is beautiful and what is not. The true artist is someone who appreciates beauty.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Most people know little about how artists work.
B. People understand only how true artists work.
C. Most people appreciate the work of artists.
D. People tend to ignore the works of artists.
2.True artists are ridiculed because they .
A. have a strange lifestyle
B. resist earth temptations
C. refuse to live a happy life
D. search for something beautiful
3.What is the author's attitude towards true artist?
A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.
C. Appreciative. D. Disapproving.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. tell us the result of a survey
B. make a comparison
C. make a suggestion
D. argue for a point
-
When most people think of artists, they usually forget the part about the artist being a surveyor of beauty. This is because most people do not realize that there is actually a sort of process when it comes to making art so much so that lots of individuals(个人) cannot understand why true artists take their time when creating brilliant works.
The reason as to why artists take their time when creating their works is because they will first have to look for something beautiful which will inspire them. This is because an artist is someone who appreciates beauty and captures(捕获) the said beauty in a portrait, a song, a novel, and any other forms of artistic medium available to man. Rather than those commercial artists who simply paint a picture because they are paid to do so, a true artist will only work if he or she is inspired. The true artist shall not compromise his or her work because of earth temptations(诱惑) and as such they run the risk of being ridiculed(嘲弄)in exchange for their happiness. History has however shown that the true artist who correctly appreciates beauty is one whose works will end up being celebrated.
How does a true artist spot beauty? The only possible way to go about doing this is to actually look at the world. This means that the true artist is someone who loves to walk around and look at new things. Whatever it may be, the point here is that the artist does take a bit of time out to survey the world and find something beautiful which would inspire him. At times it even happens that the object that inspires the artist is not a thing but rather a person. At the end of the day, it must be said that each artist has his own views of what is beautiful and what is not. The true artist is someone who appreciates beauty.
1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Most people know little about how artists work.
B. People understand only how true artists work.
C. Most people appreciate the work of artists.
D. People tend to ignore the works of artists.
2.True artists are ridiculed because they .
A. have a strange lifestyle
B. resist earth temptations
C. refuse to live a happy life
D. search for something beautiful
3.What is the author's attitude towards true artist?
A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.
C. Appreciative. D. Disapproving.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to .
A. tell us the result of a survey B. make a comparison
C. make a suggestion D. argue for a point
-
When people hear a president speak, they seldom think about others helping to shape the presentation（报告）. Today, however, presidents depend on writers such as J. Terry Edmonds to help them communicate（交流）effectively. Edmonds is the first African American ever to work as a full-time speechwriter for a U. S. president; he is so the first African American to serve as director of speechwriting for White House. His is an all-American story of success.
Edmonds grew up in Baltimore, Maryland; his father drove a truck, and his mother worked as a waitress. A. great reader, Edmonds showed a gift for writing at his high School, Baltimore City College. After graduating in 1967, Edmonds went on to Morgan State University.
Edmonds began his career in business, with jobs in public relations and communications. He joined the world of politics as news secretary for his congressman （国会议员） from Baltimore During Bill Clinton’s presidency. He wrote speeches for Health and Human Services, Secretary Donna Shalala and
1.
2.
3.
-
When given the choice, about 85% of people say they would not want to know about some negative event far in the future. Yet recently millions around the globe have downloaded FaceApp, which allows users to see how they might age in real life.
Many had fun with joking that they love the FaceApp old filter. Beneath the humor is a serious subject: How do we learn to relate to our future selves? It’s important that we try to because it could help strengthen the long-term decisions that we make. However, we often fail to make sacrifices for the grayer versions of ourselves.
More than half of the respondents in a recent survey of 2,800 Americans said they rarely or never thought about what their lives might be like 30 years from now. This isn’t surprising, since most of us are firmly rooted in the present and thinking about the distant future can seem like a distant priority (优先). My ongoing research might also offer an explanation: We tend to think about our future selves as if they are someone different from who we are today. In an effort to narrow these empathy (共情) gaps, my research workmates and I have tried to humanize people’s future selves in the same way others have tried to humanize charity receivers. Given that a photograph of one hungry child can spark emotional reactions, and cause viewers to donate, we have presented participants with vivid images of their distant selves.
That seems helpful. In a recently completed project in Mexico, we found that exposure to future-self images led more people to contribute to their pensions. Despite this research, I’m skeptical that the app users will suddenly increase their pension contributions and care about their health. The silly app isn’t paired with an immediate opportunity to change any of these things.
The lesson from FaceApp shouldn’t be that we need to marry hi-tech visuals with savings for retirement. The lesson, then, lakes the form of a question: What more can be done to urge us to think about, care for who we will one day become?
1.What can we learn about FaceApp?
A.It provides future-self images. B.It is the most downloaded app.
C.It helps people make decisions. D.It makes people age in real life.
2.Why do most respondents rarely think of their future life?
A.They have known future life from FaceApp.
B.They fail to make sacrifices for their future.
C.They attach greater importance to the present.
D.They consider future selves the same as today’s.
3.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 4 refer to?
A.Completing a project in Mexico. B.Offering aging images of participants.
C.Raising contributions among viewers. D.Giving a photograph of a hungry child.
4.What’s the author’s attitude to FaceApp?
A.Positive. B.Doubtful. C.Ambiguous. D.Unfavorable.
-
Some people lie all the time. However, it can be difficult to determine when they are lying to you. 1..
Make false eye contact
A person who is lying to you won’t make eye contact with you or they make too much eye contact. If a person is lying he may feel you are watching him and he will look down at the floor or away from your eyes. Some people try to stare at you in the face in a deliberate way. 2..
Avoid using contractions (缩略语)
The liars will say “I did NOT notice your money”, instead of “I didn’t notice your money”. This is an attempt by the liars to be absolutely clear what they mean. 3..
4.
Liars often feel uneasy, turn away from the person to whom they are speaking, blink rapidly, smile less and have pitch changes in their tone of voice. They may cross their arms which is a sign of being “closed” or trying not to reveal too much information. They could touch parts of their face, an ear or a nose or play with keys or another item that they have in their hand.
Provide additional information without being asked for it
5.. The result is the more complicated the story is, the less believable it will be. You will have the feeling that nothing could be further from the truth.
A. Usually, it ends up making the story a lot less believable.
B. Luckily there are always some indications that can help you recognize liars.
C. Use unusual body language.
D. Behave abruptly.
E. Liars seem to think that by telling their story in detail, you will find it more believable.
F. Liars try to talk the story with their own words using imagination.
G. In this way, they feel like making eye contact will make what they are saying more believable.
-
Nowadays people are more concerned about the environment _______ they live.
A. what B. which
C. when D. where
-
BAD weather, bad food and grumpy people – that’s what some people think of first when they think about Britain. Many online commentators even joke that Britons are so grumpy precisely because it constantly rains and they are always hungry.
In fact, many believe that Britons are inherently negative, in contrast to their neighbors across the Atlantic Ocean.
“Americans are more optimistic, due to the fact that they are told they can become the next president of the United States,” Ricky Gervais, a British comedian, told online forum Big Think. “British people are told, it won’t happen to you. And they carry that. They carry that with them. We champion the underdog .”
It’s no wonder that Britons hold the reputation of having a “stiff upper lip” – being cold and not showing any emotion.
Britain’s reputation as a grumpy country may, however, simply be the result of a cultural misunderstanding. According to the BBC, British actor Michael Caine once said: “I think what is British about me is my feelings and awareness of others and their situations. English people are always known to be well-mannered and cold, but we are not cold – we don’t interfere in your situation. If we are heartbroken, we don’t scream in your face with tears – we go home and cry on our own. It’s completely to do with your comfort – we don’t intrude on your space. That’s very English.”
A BBC reader noted that the perceived coldness of British people is actually their way of dealing with hardship. Remembering the terrorist attacks in London on July 7, 2005, Stuart Colley, who lived in the capital at the time, said: “It seemed to me that most people’s response was a ‘cruel’ determination to carry on and not to ‘fall’ into an over-emotional outpouring of grief or anger – despite what many of us felt inside. Our stiff upper lip seems to be something that gives us strength as a society when we most need it.”
1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?
A. To list common stereotypes about the UK.
B. To fight common misunderstandings about the UK.
C. To analyze what makes British people grumpy and negative.
D. To list some differences between Americans and British people.
2.Which of the following statements might Ricky Gervais agree with?
A. Britons like challenging the underdog more than Americans do.
B. Americans are more optimistic and realistic than British people.
C. Britons are more comfortable with life’s losers than Americans.
D. Bad weather in the UK is the main thing that makes Britons grumpy.
3.The underlined phrase “interfere in” in the second-to-last paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. think about B. benefit from
C. get in the way of D. have a positive effect on
4. Why does Michael Caine think British people are not cold?
A. They can be heartbroken, and they cry too.
B. They are well-mannered and unwilling to disturb others.
C. They care a lot about what other people think of them.
D. They are taught to face hardships by themselves.
5.With the example of the terrorist attacks in London on July 7, 2005, the author intends to ____.
A. explain why British people tend to be cold
B. reveal that Britons don’t intrude on others’ space
C. present an example in which British people hide their emotions and feelings
D. show how not giving in to emotions can help one to get through a tough time