Humans are social animals. They live in groups all over the world. As these groups of people live apart from other groups, over the years and centuries they develop their own habits and ideas, which form different cultures. One important particular side of every culture is how its people deal with time.
Time is not very important in non industrial societies. The Nuer people of East Africa, for example, do not even have a word TIME that is in agreement with the abstract thing we call time. The daily lives of the people of such non industrial societies are likely to be patterned around their physical needs and natural events rather than around a time schedule (时间表) based on the clock. They cook and eat when they are hungry and sleep when the sun goes down. They plant crops during the growing seasons and harvest them when the crops are ripe. They measure time not by a clock or calendar(日历), but by saying that an event takes place before or after some other event. Frequently such a society measures day in terms of “sleeps” or longer periods in terms of “moons”. Some cultures, such as the Eakinos of Greenland measure seasons according to the migration of certain animals.
Some cultures which do not have a written language or keep written records have developed interesting ways of “telling time”. For example, when several Australian aborigines want to plan an event for a future time, one of them places a stone on a cliff or in a tree. Each day the angle of the sun changes slightly. In a few days, the rays of the sun strike the stone in a certain way. When this happens, the people see that the agreed - upon time has arrived and the event can take place.
In contrast (成对比), exactly correct measurement of time is very important in modern, in detribalized societies. This is because industrialized societies require the helpful efforts of many people in order to work. For a factory to work efficiently (well, quickly and without waste), for example , all of the workers must work at the same time, Therefore, they must know what time to start work in the morning and what time they may go home in the afternoon. Passengers must know the exact time that an airplane will arrive or depart. Students and teachers need to know when a class starts and ends. Stores must open on time in order to serve their customers. Complicated (复杂的) societies need clocks and calendars. Thus, we can see that if each person worked according to his or her own schedule, a complicated society could hardly work at all.
1.By saying “Humans are social animals”, the author means ________.
A.they live all over the world.
B.they are different from other animals
C.they live in one area as a whole
D.they are divided into many groups
2.Time is not very important in non industrial societies. This is because people in those societies ________.
A.don’t have the word TIME in their languages
B.don’t get used to using clocks and other timepieces
C.don’t measure time in their daily lives
D.don’t need to plan their daily lives around an exact time schedule
3.The Australian aborigines’ way of “telling time” is based on ________.
A.the change of the sun rays
B.the movement of the earth in relation to the sun
C.the position of the stone
D.the position of the tree or the cliff
4.Which of the following night be the best title for this passage?
A.Time and Culture
B.The Measurement of Time
C.Time schedule and Daily Life
D.Clock, Calendar and Society
Family fights are never pleasant. Whether you are dealing with a loud sister or a stubborn mom or dad, the situation can be bad. At least that’s what we have learned to expect.
What if it could be different? What if family fights and conflicts could be turned into opportunities to become closer? What if problems could be solved with everyone walking away feeling more deeply cared for and loved?
Family fighting is, on one level, about power. Someone is telling someone else what to do. In a short moment, emotions can be brought out and the fight is on. You can go down that old road or you can try something different.
In any fight, you have a need to be listened to and understood. People raise their voices and shout at each other because they’re not being listened to. It’s totally unconscious. You want your mom or dad to listen and understand. But you always seems to forget the person you’re fighting with has the same need to be listened to. So if you can put aside your need for a few minutes, the situation will change quickly. Give the other person some time to express his or her feelings, and you will earn your turn to be listened to.
And while you are listening, you have to listen for the right information. The best way to do this in emotional situations is to forget most of the words because many people can’t express what they are feeling with words alone, especially when they are upset.
But if the situation starts to get out of hand, it would be wise to just calm down and leave the problem until later because many fights happen at the wrong time. The situation will die down quickly, usually in less than 30 seconds. You can either move on to problem solving or reach an agreement to work on it at a better time.
This way, everyone will feel respected and listened to, even when there is conflict. Emotions will be understood and respected, and it will bring your family closer together.
1.From the first 3 paragraphs, we can know that _______.
A.people had better avoid family fights
B.family members fight to control each other
C.family fights can be changed into something positive
D.when family members fight, it’s worse as they know each other’s weakness
2.In the author’s opinion, the key to dealing with family fights is to _______.
A.satisfy the need to be listened to first
B.make sure that you’re the first to be listened to
C.pay no attention to what others say in emotional situations
D.stop quarrelling when you feel you are giving orders
3.When the situation gets out of control, it’s best to _______.
A.wait for a suitable moment to speak
B.let the other person express their feelings
C.work on a written agreement first
D.move on to problem solving
4.The main purpose of this article is to _______.
A.tell readers that family fights are not that bad
B.teach reader how to listen in family fights
C.remind readers to show respect in family fights
D.give advice on dealing with family fights
Dad is an arborist- that’s like a tree doctor. He and mom love trees. That’s why they named me Sylvia. It means “tree girl” or something like that.
Dad started me climbing trees four years ago. He always tells me to untie the carabiner (攀爬锁扣) from the end of my rope when I swing from one tree to another. “That way it can’ t get stuck on a branch (树枝),” he says. “But, Dad, it’s faster to leave it on, I tell him. And I’m pretty good with the ropes now. Mom worries a little, but Dad says it’s as safe as walking if you follow the rules.
Today I was doing what I love best—climbing up one tree (a sugar maple), swinging over to another (a red oak) that’s close by, then coming down that second tree. It’s like flying, or dancing with the trees. But right now I don t feel great; in fact, I feel pretty stupid.
________ Fist, I used an ascender (上升器) to go up. I put my rope over a branch and around the tree, and clipped it to my harness (背带). Next, I let out line till I was about halfway down the tree. Then I kicked off the tree and swung way out and grabbed the next tree. The swinging part is a little scary at first, but lots of fun. Then I unclipped (解开) the rope from my harness so I could pull it out of the maple and put it in the oak. That’s when I should have untied the carabiner. But I didn’t. It got caught on a branch, and I’m stuck. I wonder what to do.
Klee-eer! I hear the call and look up. a beautiful hawk (鹰) glides overhead. I sure wish I could fly right now. Klee-eer! It calls again. Maybe the hawk is wondering what I’m doing up here. It loops around and glides back over my head.
Wait a minute—a loop! That’s it! Suddenly I know what to do Thank you, hawk!
1.The writer was stuck because ________.
A.she went out only by herself
B.she didn’t follow dads rules
C.she carelessly broke the carabiner
D.she wanted to learn from the hawk
2.Which of the following is the best to fill in “________” in the passage?
A.Here’s how I ended the mess.
B.Here’s how I got into this mess.
C.Here’s how I dealt with my fear.
D.Here’s how I saved the situation.
3.The underlined word “glides” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
A.runs quickly B.stops suddenly C.walks slowly D.moves smoothly
4.What will most probably happen to the writer in the end?
A.She caught the hawk. B.She asked Dad for help.
C.She got to the land safely. D.She was punished by Dad.
Imagine that while walking through a park one day, you begin to notice strange things all around you. People in colorful clothes from centuries ago walk on the paths. A magician is doing amazing tricks. Musicians play strange music on strange instruments. Knights on horseback show their skills in riding competitions. The smell of roasting meat begins to make your mouth water. A pleasant voice shouts, “Good morrow!”
What is going on? Have you traveled back in time? In a way, yes. You have found yourself in the midst of a Renaissance fair! Since the 1960s, Renaissance fairs have grown in popularity in the US and Canada. Communities in at least 44 states and two Canadian provinces now hold annual Renaissance fairs. Over 200 fairs are held every year, with 40 in California alone. The first Renaissance fair was started in the 1960s by a school teacher in southern California named Phyllis Patterson. She wanted to give her students a real-life history experience, so she created the “Renaissance Faire” in her backyard. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since Renaissance fairs are “living history”, you might think they are designed to be mainly educational. It’s true that some people try to make the fairs as genuine as possible. However, for many others, the key word is entertainment. With all the musicians and magicians walking about, you will definitely be entertained. A renaissance fair will be a feast for your eyes and your ears, not to mention your stomach.
You can enjoy sampling the food and drink while watching parades and live animal displays. Browse through the booths and admire the artwork and handicrafts. You are sure to be both educated and entertained. If you’re wondering how to dress to attend a Renaissance fair, that’s up to you. Some people go all out and dress up in costumes. Others just go in their normal, everyday clothes. However you dress, you’re sure to be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds and smells of a Renaissance fair. And if you have ever wanted to travel back in time, here’s your chance.
1.What is the first paragraph about?
A.A chapter of a war novel. B.A sight of the local market.
C.A scene of Renaissance fairs. D.A slow walking in the park.
2.Why did Phyllis start a Renaissance fair?
A.To help her students become the master of history.
B.To allow her students to play in her backyard.
C.To give her students an experience of life.
D.To make her students experience history.
3.As well as educating, Renaissance fairs are intended for ________.
A.fun B.communication C.business D.adventure
4.The last paragraph suggests that ________.
A.you are taught to make art work
B.you are free to dress for the fairs
C.you have to look after live animals
D.you can enjoy food free of charge
5.The main idea of the passage is that ________.
A.Americans and Canadians like fairs more
B.attending Renaissance fairs is to be educated
C.Renaissance fairs are more popular than ever
D.California is where modern fairs were born
You never said “I’m leaving” You never said “goodbye” You were gone before I knew it And only God knew why | In Life I loved you dearly In death I love you still In my heart you hold a place That no one could ever fill |
A million times I needed you A million times I cried If Love alone could have saved you You never would have died | It broke my heart to lose you But you didn’t go alone For part of me went with you The day God took you home |
1.The text is probably a(an) ________.
A.a letter B.a novel C.a poem D.a diary
2.The purpose of writing the text is to ________ to his father.
A.show his love B.say goodbye
C.show his anger D.say sorry
3.From the text, we can know the writer is ________.
A.sad B.angry C.happy D.shocked
“A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high.” I’m sure that John would agree with this saying, ________ he felt this way almost every day in school.
By high school, John was the most famous ________ in his town. He was always absent, didn’t answer questions and got into ________. He had failed almost every exam by the time he entered his senior year, yet was passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn’t want to ________ him again the following year. John was moving on, but definitely not moving ________.
I met John for the first time at a weekend leadership training program since John was one of 405 students who signed up. At the start of the training, John was just standing ________ the circle of students, against the back wall. He didn’t ________ join the discussion groups. But slowly, the interactive games ________ him in.
The ice really melted (融化) when the groups started building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school that year. John ________ some constructive ideas on those situations. The other students in John’s group ________ his comments. All of a sudden John felt like a ________ of the group, and before long he was ________ like a leader. By the end of the training, he had joined the Homeless Project team. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They ________ elected John co-chairman of the team.
John started showing up at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project ________ 300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter.
A bird with a broken wing only needs ________. Once healed, it can fly higher than the rest.
1.A.if B.until C.as D.though
2.A.storyteller B.troublemaker C.dream-seeker D.peace-lover
3.A.fights B.debt C.difficulties D.work
4.A.love B.pet C.have D.follow
5.A.in B.up C.away D.back
6.A.around B.onto C.among D.outside
7.A.hurriedly B.easily C.readily D.warmly
8.A.drew B.led C.sent D.put
9.A.changed B.expressed C.reserved D.noticed
10.A.refused B.ignored C.welcomed D.gathered
11.A.founder B.heart C.leader D.part
12.A.dressed B.treated C.born D.shaped
13.A.still B.again C.hardly D.even
14.A.buying B.collecting C.donating D.making
15.A.raising B.feeding C.mending D.donating
