Can feeling of nostalgia(怀旧) be good for you? Or is it unhealthy to have a strong love for the past?
For years, medical experts have studied nostalgia and the reasons for it. Many experts warn that too much nostalgia is harmful. They say living in the past shows that a person is unhappy with his present life. These feelings keep the person from living his life to its fullest.
However, experts say it is normal to love the past sometimes. In fact, a little nostalgia can enrich a person’s life.
Dr. Louise Kaplan has written several books about nostalgia. She says these feelings often begin when a young person is between 13 and 19 years old.
“This is the time when you must face the loss of your childhood, “Kaplan says. “You see your new life is easily destroyed. But you think romantically about a golden past. You remember your childhood as a time when life is perfect.”
These feelings continue as the person gets older, Kaplan adds. She says many grown persons have a hard time keeping up with changes in the modem world, so they think back to their younger years. At that time the world seemed simple and more harmless.
Kaplan says these feelings do not always actually exist. The good old days did not always exist. The good old days weren’t always good. However, she says nostalgia can be helpful, if used properly.
“Feelings of nostalgia can cause you to remember a time when you had high hopes and dreams, “Kaplan says. “It might give you the strong wish to catch those dreams today in your past life.” She adds that nostalgia can prevent you from “cutting yourself off from your aim”.
1.Feeling of nostalgia ______.
A．can cause you to think of your past which was full of hopes and dreams
B．might cause you to try to realize the golden dream in the present life
C．fill one with hopes for the future no matter what happens
D．bring about a love for the past and a hope for the future
2.The reason for grown persons to think back to their past is that ______.
A．time is hard, so they cannot keep up
B．they can hardly keep up with changes in today’s world with changes
C．many grown persons have little time keeping up with changes
D．they lived in the past, of which they are always proud
3.Which of the following is NOT talked about in the passage?
A．Too much nostalgia is harmful to our health.
B．Nostalgia shows that a person is not satisfied with his present life.
C．Only women have feelings of nostalgia.
D．A little nostalgia can make a person’s life more colorful.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．Thoughts on Nostalgia
B．The Reasons for Nostalgia
C．Why Not Think Back to the Past
D．Nostalgia, Good or Bad
At the beginning of the 20th century there were more than a million lions worldwide. Today there are less than 30,000 in the wild. The remaining lions are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, hunting and activities to protect farms and cattle.
For generations, Masai tribesmen on the large African plains in southeastern Kenya have hunted lions — to protect their farms and cattle. Today they celebrate the lions’ life.
Noah is an elder in the Masai community. “We have decided as a community of the Masai to lay down our spears, and there will be no more killing of lions in our community.” He is part of a group of Masai visiting the United States promoting (推广) the Predator Compensation Program.
Conservation International’s Frank Hawkins explains, “The Masai have been living with wildlife for many generations and it has been a conflicting ( 有冲突的) relationship in many ways. They compete with the animals for food as lions eat their cattle. We’re trying to find ways in which the wildlife will become something useful to them.” They had the Predator Compensation Fund founded in 2003. After much discussion, a group of Masai farmers agreed to protect lions. In turn, if lions or other predators kill their cattle, the Masai owner will be paid market value for the dead animals from the fund.
One man said that in the past, when a lion killed cattle, they killed it immediately. And now, after the start of the program, the Masai see the lion population growing. Since 2003, only four lions have been killed here.
1.What is the aim of the Predator Compensation Program?
A．To protect people in the wild. B．To protect Masai’s farms.
C．To protect lions only. D．To protect the wildlife.
2.According to the passage, why haven’t Masai tribesmen killed many lions since 2003?
A．Because lions don’t eat their cattle any more.
B．Because they will be fined if they kill lions there.
C．Because the fund will pay for dead animals killed by lions
D．Because there are less than 30,000 lions in the wild now.
3.What do you think of the Masai ?
A．Wise. B．Mean. C．Generous. D．Stupid.
There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.
But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.
His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.
They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, “Do you know son, why I am here today?”
The boy answered back, “to check my grades?”
“No, no” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”
These words caused the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.
Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!
Thanks a lot, dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.
1.The boy changed after he went to the boarding school because________.
A．his grades were not as good as before B．his classmates didn’t like him
C．his father seldom went to see him D．he felt no one cared about him
2.The father went to the boarding school to_________.
A．know if he was still the best student
B．find out what was wrong with his son
C．ask some questions about his classmates
D．talk with the boy’s teacher about his grades
3.The underlined word “ casual” in Paragraph 4 means _______.
A．unimportant B．strange C．special D．difficult
4.The passage mainly tells us never to _________.
A．send a small boy to a boarding school
B．care too much about a student’s grades
C．pay no attention to the power of caring
D．miss the chance to say thanks to our fathers
Nicknamed the Golden Music Boy, 25-year-old Hu Yanbin, was born and 36 up in Shanghai. At the age of 15, he made a wish that he would make his own album before he was 18. Fortunately, the 37 boy’s dream came true. His first album Adept with Both Pen and Sword 38 in 2002 and he became the first mainland artist to 39 a solo album ( 专辑) in the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan 40 at the same time. The album 41 him to become a popular star.
His success is not only because of his excellent singing 42 , but also because of his talent in song 43 . Before his album was made, Hu Yanbin’s 44 company tried to invite someone else to write several songs 45 him. None of them were as good as they are hoped. 46 Hu Yanbin came into the office with a guitar on his back and played several songs. 47 , everyone in the office really liked these tunes and they decided to 48 them on his first album.
Some people would 49 this rising star with Jay Chow from Taiwan, but Hu says his musical 50 is quite different from Jay Chow’s, 51 he likes Jay Chow’s music.
With many music awards already in his 52 , Hu Yanbin seems to be 53 up with many of the superstars in the country. Though some people don’t like him and say 54 things about him, he says that it doesn’t 55 him. All he plans to do is focusing on his music and bringing out more and better songs for his fans.
1. A．broke B．came C．went D．grew
2. A．attractive B．talented C．determined D．sensitive
3. A．came up B．came over C．came in D．came out
4. A．realize B．form C．release D．earn
5. A．even B．all C．still D．yet
6. A．affected B．expected C．made D．helped
7. A．skills B．ideas C．means D．ways
8. A．playing B．making C．writing D．performing
9. A．concert B．record C．music D．performance
10. A．to B．about C．with D．for
11. A．But B．And C．Thus D．Then
12. A．To his surprise B．In a word C．To be honest D．Above all
13. A．take B．include C．contain D．type
14. A．replace B．compete C．compare D．inspect
15. A．ability B．taste C．attention D．style
16. A．as though B．even though C．as if D．now that
17. A．pockets B．mind C．sight D．heart
18.A keeping B. coming C. catching D. putting
19. A．positive B．strange C．powerful D．harmful
20. A．upset B．mind C．care D．ruin
--- Cindy, you haven’t lost the ticket, have you ?
--- ______. I know it’s not easy to get another one at the moment.
A．Yes, I have. B．I hope not. C．Yes, I’m afraid so. D．I hope so
No chicken or duck ______ in the supermarket since the first case of H7N9 was reported dead.
A．has been sold B．was sold C．is sold D．are sold
