“We started as a group of friends with the same problem:
difficulty in our personal life to manage our time, being always in a hurry.”
This thought was recently offered by Bruno to explain the origin of The Art of
Living Slowly, an organization that he founded two years ago, with his wife,
Ella.
Bruno and Ella said they decided to draw more people’s attention to the overlooked idea that “time is wealth.” On February 19th last year, they created a new holiday, the first Global Day of Slow Living. Despite its ambitious name, the event was limited almost entirely to Italy, where the couple arranged a number of events: a reverse bicycle race in which the last rider was declared the winner; an afternoon of grandfathers reading poetry to children etc.
One Monday in late February, 2008, the couple staged a New York version (版本) of the Day of Slow Living. “It has to be a Monday, the worst day to try to slow down.” Bruno explained. Bruno was wearing a police cap, mirrored sunglasses, and a sandwich board stating, “Watch out! Speed-walking camera is in action!” He flagged down passers-by and handed them postcards printed with fourteen “slowmandments.” For example, No. 4: Write your text message on your cell phone with no symbols and get in the habit of starting with “Dear …” No 7: Avoid being so busy that you don’t have time for yourself. Bruno told the passers-by to read them once a day and keep the doctor away.
Many said, “I can’t do this. New York is too fast.” Bruno admitted. But many stopped, they read and said. “This one is good for me, because trying to slow down is like trying to stop smoking.”
When asked about their plans for the future. Bruno and Ella looked at each other and chanted the name of the city they have chosen for next year’s Global Day of Slow Living, “Tokyo!”
1.The Art of Living Slowly was founded to help people .
A．understand the truth of life. B．know the difficulty in managing time
C．avoid being in a hurry all the time D．make friends with the same problem
2.What did Bruno do in New York?
A．He advertised his idea on a sandwich board.
B．He stopped passers-by and delivered postcards.
C．He served as a policeman to prevent accidents.
D．He took photos for the people who walked fast.
3.Which statement may be included in the fourteen “slowmandments” in paragraph 3?
A．Wake up five minutes earlier. B．Do two things at the same time.
C．Make a habit of writing letters. D．Don’t work on weekends and relax.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．The new holiday is usually celebrated on a fixed day.
B．Italian grandfathers enjoy reading poetry to children.
C．The couple tend to choose busy cities to promote the idea.
D．New Yorkers have a negative attitude towards slow living.
Twenty–six years after a terrible bicycle accident which left her in a coma(昏迷) for two months and with permanent brain injuries, Barbara Buchan performs many actions more slowly than others. But on September 10 in Beijing, Buchan, at 52, the oldest member of the United States Paralympic team, broke the record and won the gold medal for her disability class in the individual 3,000–meter cycling pursuit.
“You can be very upset at the world and have everyone take care of you.” Buchan said by telephone from Beijing, “or get back on your feet again.”
Buchan first dreamed of Olympic gold at age 15 while watching the 1972 Munich Games. She became a top American cyclist by July 1982, when a terrible road–race crash injured her brain and left doctors doubtful about whether she would survive. She was wearing only a soft leather helmet at the time; her accident made the rule put into practice that cyclists wear the hard–shell helmets that are now common.
Buchan recovered enough of her athletic ability to run track in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, where she won a silver medal in the 800 meters. Women’s cycling was not included in the Paralympics yet, so Buchan trained to the point where she raced against men in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia-she finished 9th and 10th in two races-and then successfully fought for a separate women’s cycling program beginning in 2004 in Athens, where she did not get a medal.
Even though she was approaching her 50s, Buchan kept racing and again made the United States Paralympic team for Beijing-where she is twice the age of most of her teammates and competitors.
“Barbara’s almost the leader of our team-she’s been through it all,” said Craig Griffin, the United States cycling coach. “She’s never tired. She’s never let her body go and then come back. I don’t think age is as big of a deal as people make it out to be.”
1.According to the text, after the accident, .
A．Buchan asked her friends to take care of her
B．cyclists started to wear helmets in competition
C．Buchan could not answer questions correctly
D．doctors doubted whether Buchan could come back to life
2.What’s the right order of the events related to Buchan?
a. She won a gold medal in Beijing.
b. She became a top American cyclist.
c. She won a silver medal in the 800 meters.
d. She suffered a terrible bicycle accident.
e. She took part in a cycling program in Athens.
A．c-d-b-a-e B．b-c-d-a-e
C．b-d-e-c-a D．c-b-d-e-a
3.What does the underlined phrase “get back on your feet” in the second paragraph mean?
A．rise to your feet B．walk on your way
C．go beyond yourself D．depend on yourself
4.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A．The Making of a Hero B．From a Loser to a Winner
C．All Roads Lead to Rome D．Health is Better than Wealth
Information for Visitors to the Breenda Museum
Opening times
The Breenda Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission (门票) is free and the museum is open to all.
The Breenda Museum is closed for the Christmas Holidays from 5:00 pm on Wednesday 23 December 2009 until 10:00 am Wednesday 6 January 2010.
Location and local transport network
The museum is located inside The Royal College of Surgeons, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.
The College is within easy walking distance of Tower underground station. It is a short taxi or underground journey from most major rail stations. There are two NCP car parks nearby.
Group bookings
All groups must book in advance. An online booking form for groups is now available.
Admission is free. A donation (捐献) of ￡3 per person is encouraged.
To book a visit please contact the museum on 020 7788 6060 or email: museums@rcsng.ac.uk
Tours for groups
Tours of the museum can be booked for up to 30 people:
*An introductory tour lasts 30 minutes and is ￡100 plus VAT (增殖税).
*A specialized tour lasts 45 minutes and is ￡130 plus VAT.
*Tours for schools are free, but donations are encouraged (￡3 per person).
*After hours tours (5:30-7:30 pm) are ￡130 per tour plus VAT. A tour will last 20-25 minutes.
To book a tour or a place for the free tour, please call 020 7869 6560.
1.From the text we know the Breenda Museum is open at .
A. 4:00 pm Monday Jan.11, 2010 B. 11:00 am Friday Dec. 18, 2009
C. 6:00 am Thursday Jan.7, 2010 D. 11:00 am Wednesday Dec.30, 2009
2.To get to the museum, a tourist at the Tower underground station .
A. can just walk B. may go by train
C. should take a bus D. must take another underground
3.Which of the following is true about group bookings?
A. Every person is charged ￡3. B. Tours are available any time.
C. Tours must be booked in time. D. Free tours can be booked on the Internet.
4.Which tour lasts the shortest time?
A. Tours for schools. B. Tours for after hours.
C. The specialized tours. D. The introductory tours.
Before human’s history, in the middle of an ocean, miles from the nearest island, an undersea volcano broke out. The hot liquid rock piled higher and higher and spread wider and wider. In this way, an island rose up in the sea.
As time went on, hot sun and cool rains made the rock split and break into pieces. Sea waves dashed against the rock. In this way, soil and sand came into being.
Nothing lived on the naked soil. And then the wind and birds brought plant seeds, spiders and other little creatures there. Only plants could grow at first. Only they, in sunlight, could produce food from the minerals of the soil, water and air. While many animals landed on the island, they could find no food. A spider wove its web in vain, because there were no insects for its web to catch. Insects couldn’t stay until there were plants for them to eat. So plants had to be the pioneer life on this new island.
1.The underlined part “in vain” can be replaced by ________.
A. tirelessly B. uselessly C. fearlessly D. effortlessly
2.According to the passage, ________ made the island rise up in the sea.
A. rock from the nearest island B. sand brought by the wind
C. hot liquid rock from the volcano D. sea waves dashing against the rock
3.What is the correct order of things appearing on the island?
A. Spiders, birds and plants. B. Soil, plants and animals
C. Soil, hot liquid rock and animals. D. Hot liquid rock, animals and plants.
4.The passage is mainly about ________.
A. how an island formed B. how a volcano broke out
C. how plants were brought to the island D. how plants and animals began to live on the island
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Attracting People to You
In West Virginia folklore there is a story of a country doctor. He was 1late one night to assist a woman who was about to give birth. By the time the doctor arrived at the farmhouse, things had 2to a point where the doctor asked the husband to help him by holding a gas lantern up high in order to 3the room.
Before long, the 4mother delivered a healthy baby boy. As the father 5the lantern, the doctor shouted an 6to keep the lantern high: “We’re not done yet.” 7, a second child appeared on the 8, a healthy baby girl. Shaken by the unexpected arrival of twins, the father heard the doctor say once again, “We can’t 9now. It looks as if it’s going to be triplets (三胞胎).” To which the 10father, still holding the lantern high, replied, “Do you think it’s the light that’s 11them?”
Light has a quality of attraction. I recently left my office door 12late one afternoon in our mountain home and, at dusk, the 13from within attracted a bird!
You, too, have a light that attracts … an inner light. Not 14to the naked eye (肉眼), but obvious just the same. Some people 15with a light of kindness. Others emit (散发，发射) a light of hope.
Almost all 16are drawn to light, including humans. Do you want to attract people to you? 17inner qualities can attract people like a warm fire on a 18night. What will draw other people to you best cannot be 19in any department store.
You may not always see it, 20your light is shining through. And it’s one of your most attractive qualities!
1.A. called out B. called on C. called off D. called back
2.A. happened B. gone C. turned D. progressed
3.A. decorate B. darken C. light D. show
4.A. adventurous B. brave C. humorous D. dangerous
5.A. lowered B. raised C. weakened D. brightened
6.A. order B. idea C. apology D. excuse
7.A. Strangely B. Shortly C. Gradually D. Lately
8.A. air B. screen C. scene D. way
9.A. continue B. help C. argue D. stop
10.A. worried B. amazed C. puzzled D. amused
11.A. attracting B. interesting C. pulling D. introducing
12.A. shut B. locked C. open D. wide
13.A. food B. water C. sound D. light
14.A. comfortable B. visible C. available D. valuable
15.A. shine B. work C. live D. provide
16.A. creatures B. birds C. animals D. plants
17.A. Negative B. High C. Positive D. Poor
18.A. windy B. cold C. rainy D. dark
19.A. exhibited B. changed C. exchanged D. purchased
20.A. because B. since C. but D. if
The plan we _________ at yesterday’s meeting was that we ________ Mary ________ as the secretary.
A. come up; put… up B. put forward; make… out
C. give out; bring… in D. come up with; put…forward
