Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, “Sorry for your loss.”
Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it’s best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings
Choose silence instead of blurting out “in-the-moment” feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words.
Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say.
Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment.
Practice being silent at work when you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can start the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it’s best to just observe and learn.
Finally, silence is golden when you don’t want to engage in a fool’s argument. As some squabbles(口角) will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree.
However, there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice,the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and appreciated.
1.The passage mainly tells us about ________.
A. whether or not to stay silent B. why to stay silent
C. how to stay silent D. when to stay silent
2.What is the best to do during negotiation?
A. Grasp every chance to say more than the other
B. Close your mouth and just listen to the other
C. Speak out your own points and discuss with others
D. Keep silent after expressing yourself
3.To follow this passage, the writer is likely to continue telling about ________.
A. the occasions when you should speak up
B. the power of your voice
C. the advantages of speaking up
D. the disadvantages of staying silent
Doctors in hospital emergency rooms often see accidental poisonings(中毒). A frightened parent arrives with a child who swallowed a cleaning liquid. Or perhaps the harmful substance is a medicine. Or it might be a chemical product meant to kill insects. These are common causes of accidental poisoning.
In cases like this, look for medical help as soon as possible. Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning. And look on the container for information about anything that stops the effects of the poison. Save anything expelled (被强迫排除) from the mouth of the victim. That way, doctors can examine it.
In the past, some people forced poisoning victims to empty the stomach. They used a liquid syrup of ipecac (催呕剂) to do this. But an organization of children’s doctors no longer advises parents to keep syrup of ipecac. The American Academy of Pediatrics says some poisons can cause additional damage when they come back up the throat.
Millions of people know a way to save a person who is choking on something trapped in the throat. The method is commonly known as the Heimlich Maneuver or abdominal thrusts. The American Red Cross says a rescuer should first hit the person on the back five times between the shoulder bones. These back blows may ease the choking. If the airway is still blocked, the Red Cross suggests pushing hard five times along the victim’s abdomen. The abdomen is the area between the chest and the hip (臀) bones.
1.Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning to ________.
A. look for harmful information
B. look on it
C. use it to break the poison
D. look for medical help
2.Why are parents advised not to keep syrup of ipecac?
A. To keep the stomach empty.
B. To avoid more damage.
C. To keep syrup of ipecac safe.
D. To keep the stomach full.
3.The purpose of the last paragraph is to tell us about ________.
A. a way to prevent a person from choking
B. the abdominal thrusts
C. a way to cure choking
D. the abdomen
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Learning the basics of first aid
B. Accidental poisonings
C. Common causes of accidental poisoning
D. Poisonings and first aid
How often do you let other people like a bad driver, a rude waiter, or an angry boss, change your mood?
Sixteen years ago I learned a lesson. I got in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver used his brakes, the tires made a loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just 3cm from the back of the other car.
I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head around and he started shouting at us. I couldn’t believe it!
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. He said, “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger and disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.”
So I started thinking how often I let Garbage Trucks run right over me and how often I take their garbage and spread it to other people.
I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the load people are carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
1.What happened to the author on his way to Grand Central Station?
A. He was caught in a traffic jam.
B. He had a fight with his taxi driver.
C. His taxi almost ran into another car.
D. His taxi suddenly got a flat tire.
2.When the author saw his taxi driver smile and wave at the driver of the black car, he_______.
A. got very angry
B. was deeply impressed
C. felt quite disappointed
D. praised him for his manners
3.The underlined part “the load” in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.
A. the bad mood B. poor habits
C. waste materials D. great pressure
4.How did the author learn to deal with Garbage Trucks?
A. Fight back immediately.
B. Call the police for help.
C. Dump it on someone else.
D. Smile and move on.
A man walked into a small Irish pub and ordered three beers. Bartender was surprised, but he served that man three beers. One hour later the man ordered three beers again. The very next day that man ordered three beers again and drank quietly at a table. This repeated several times and shortly after the people of the town were whispering about the man, who was ordering three beers at once.
A couple of weeks later, the bartender decided to clear this out and inquired: “I do not want to pry, but could you explain, why do you order three beers all the time?” The man replied: “It seems strange, isn’t it? You see, my two brothers live abroad at the moment, one – in France and another – in Italy. We have made an agreement, that every time we go to pub each of us will order extra two beers and it will help keeping up the family bond ”.
Soon all the town have heard about the man’s answer and liked it a lot. The man became a local celebrity. Residents of the town were telling this story to newcomers or tourists and even invited them to that pub to look at Three Beer Man.
However, one day the man came to pub and ordered only two beers, not three as usual. The bartender served him with bad feeling. All that evening the man ordered and drank only two beers. The very next day all the town was talking about this news, some people pray for the soul of one of the brothers, others quietly grieve.
When the man came to pub the next time and ordered two beers again, the bartender asked him: “I would like to offer condolences to you, due to the death of your dear brother”. The man considered this for a moment and then replied: “Oh, you are probably surprised that I order only two beers now? Well, my two brothers are alive and well. It‘s just because of my decision. I promised myself to give up drinking.”
1.The man ordered three beers all the time because _______.
A. people were fond of drinking beers in this pub.
B. he missed his two brothers living abroad very much.
C. this would help him become a local celebrity.
D. it was an agreement with his brothers to keep up the family bond.
2.We can infer from the passage that______.
A. news traveled fast in the town.
B. the man became famous in the town because he was a heavy drinker
C. the man’s brothers liked drinking beer very much
D. the man was strong-minded to give up drinking
3.The bartender served the man with bad feeling because ________.
A. he thought the man should order three beers
B. he thought one of the man’s brothers had passed away
C. he would earn less money
D. the man decided to drink two beers
4.The underlined word “condolences” in the last paragraph can be replaced by______.
A. gratitude B. sympathy C. appreciation D. surprise
EVERYONE’S talking about it in American high schools. Whether they are hip-hop fans or just students or just students or teachers who listen to good music of any genre(类型), they all have one thing in common: an obsession with Hamilton, a hip-hop musical about the forgotten founding father of the United States on the $10 bill. What makes this musical so different from all the other ones？
“Everybody is so excited about it.” Mark Madama, associate professor of musical theater at the University of Michigan, said, “It is something for the students. Hip-hop music is what they listen to when they are walking down the street and all of a sudden, now that is also the music that is in musical theater.”
The full title of the show is Hamilton: An American Musical, and it tells the stories of Alexander Hamilton’s life: from a homeless orphan to Washington’s right hand man(得力助手), from an unknown to war hero. The idea of a Broadway musical about a founding father with hip-hop music has gotten enough attention on its own.
One of the most amazing details of this phenomenon is that most of the students have never even seen it. Nazareth High School junior Maddy Schierl has never seen the show live but said she still relates to it deeply. “There is so much emotion in the music that I feel like I have experienced the show’s essence(本质)without even having to see it,” Schierl said.
Students and teachers are finding other ways to fall in love with Hamilton, whether they do it through listening to its music, watching short videos on YouTube or even studying it in the classroom. Katja Stonebraker, who teaches AP US history at Cary-Grove High School, described the musical as “ a teacher’s dream”, Stonebraker plans to use Hamilton more in the future because of the interesting perspective it tells Hamilton’s story from.
“ You see these old dead guys, and they are who you have to memorize and learn,” Stonebraker said,-But I think Hamilton makes history real and relatable.”
1.The underlined word “obsession” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. strong enthusiasm B. great respect
C. lack of interest D. total surprise
2.Hamilton is a musical that appeals to students because______.
A. its story is closely related to students’ lives today
B. it uses hip-hop, which is very popular among students
C. it has been specially designed to satisfy students’ tastes
D. it tells interesting stories from the life of a founding father of the US
3.The example of Maddy Schierl is used to ______.
A. prove that Hamilton is very popular among students
B give an example of people’s comments about Hamilton
C. explore the controversies behind Hamilton’s popularity
D. show that people can connect to Hamilton without seeing it
4.Which of the following statements would Stonebraker probably agree with?
A. Hamilton tells Hamilton’s story vividly and from a different viewpoint.
B. Hamilton is the best teaching material she has ever used
C. Every student will become more interested in history after seeing Hamilton.
D. There will be more musicals about historical figures in the future.
While you are online there are plenty of perfectly legal sites where you can listen to music for free. This gives you the chance to listen to music before buying it, discover new music, and create great online playlists that you can share with others.
The Sixty One
The Sixty One is devoted to showcasing obscure or unknown artists of all genres. There’s a range of musical styles from classical to rock and roll, folk to jazz, and everything in between. Don’t expect to find big name musicians on here; you’re more likely to find the musicians playing at local coffee shops than bands you hear on the radio. You can find fantastic music that you never would have heard of otherwise.
Pow Wow
Pow Wows are the Native American people’s way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships, and making new ones. This is a time method to renew Native American culture and preserve the rich heritage of American Indians. PowWows.com has 2 online radio stations that play Native American Music 24/7 free! Here you can listen to your favorite artists and drum groups on your computer or mobile device and add your music to our station.
Playlist
Playlist has an enormous library, so you can create playlists with almost any musician you can think of. They have both some lesser known artists and big names, so you have a really good selection. The worst part: Due to licensing laws, many of the songs on Playlist are now restricted to certain countries. So unless you live inside the US, it is likely that you might not be able to find all of your favorite songs.
Pandora
Pandora is an intelligent Internet radio site. Basically, as you listen, you can give each song a thumbs up or thumbs down. You can create your own radio station that only plays music you like.The best part: It listens to your opinion, so that after a while it’s only playing music you like, but the list is always changing and expanding.
My Space
Combine a major social networking site with thousands of artists around the world. Each musician has their own page, which normally has a playlist of several of their songs. But it has a huge range of musicians ranging from huge stars to the up-and-coming, and you can listen to the music and interact with the rest of the page.
1.If you enjoy listening to some new music, you can pay a visit to ______.
A. The Sixty One B. Playlist C. Pow Wow D. Pandora
2.You can’t listen to some music on Playlist possibly because ______.
A. you don’t have any playlist
B. you are not one of the members of the website
C. it is only open to those who are in the United States
D. the music is played only by the local people.
3.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Create Your Own Playlist.
B. All Kinds of Music Online.
C. Best Free Music Websites.
D. Listen to Music for free.
