Our spiritual intelligence quotient(精神智商), or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.
Though we’re all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude(独处) and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume(强度) in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flowers in bloom; follow the flight of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as ‘What am I Feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?’
But don’t expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural forms of e-mail. ‘Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question,’ says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. ‘But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度) I never considered before.’
Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut(本能的) feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.
1.The passage is mainly about .
A. what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life
B. what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved
C. the relationship between your SQ and your life
D. the advantages and disadvantages of SQ
2.The underlined phrase "to tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to” ”.
A. to get your spirit relaxed B. to keep up your spirit
C. to keep seated quietly D. to change your spirit
3.From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is .
A. a peaceful mind B. deep thought
C. spare time and hobbies D. good spirits
4.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Not everyone has SQ
B. You have to go to classes to learn how to improve your SQ
C. SQ leads us to take wrong actions
D. SQ can benefit our life
Do you like spicy food?
What’s your opinion on spicy food? Some people cannot handle even the smallest amount of chili-red pepper-in their dinner while others can’t get enough of it.
Scientists have long been puzzled by why some people love chili while others loathe it. Plenty of research has been done on the subject, dating as far back as the 1970s. Previous results showed that a love of chili is related to childhood experiences, and cultural influences affect our taste buds too. But the latest study has found that a person’s love of spicy food may be linked to his or her personality more than anything else, CBC News reported.
‘We have always assumed that liking drives intake-we eat what we like and we like what we eat. But no one has actually directly bothered to connect these personality traits with intake of chili peppers,’ said Professor John Hayes from Pennsylvania State University, who led the study.
But before you look at the study, you should first know that “spicy” is not a taste, unlike sour, sweet, bitter and salty. It is, in fact, a burning sensation that you feel on the surface of your tongue. This got scientists thinking that maybe a love of spicy food is brought about by people’s longing for thrill, something they usually get from watching action movies or riding a roller coaster.
In the study, 97 participants, both male and female, were asked to fill out questionnaires about certain traits of their personality, for example, whether they like new experiences or tend to avoid risks. They were then given a glass of water with capsaicin, the plant chemical that makes a chili burn, mixed into it.
By comparing the answers to the questionnaire and what participants said they felt about the spicy water, researchers found that those who tended to enjoy action movies or take risks were about six times more likely to enjoy the spicy water.
Interestingly, we used to believe that the reason some people can withstand spicy food is that their tongues have become less sensitive to it. However, this latest study has found otherwise. “It’s not that it doesn’t burn as badly, it’s that you actually learn to like the burn,” Hayes explained.
1.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “loathe” in the second paragraph?
A. dislike B. fear
C. put up with D. adapt to
2.What did Professor John Hayes and his team discover from their study?
A. what we eat actually helps to develop our personalities
B. Males are more likely to enjoy spicy food than females
C. Those trying to avoid risks tend to be less interested in spicy food
D. People are wrong to treat spicy as a kind of taste rather than a feeling
3.Why do some people like spicy food according to the recent study?
A. Because their taste buds have become less sensitive
B. Because they love the burning sensation
C. Because they want to challenge themselves
D. Because the more they try spicy food, the less it burns
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. What he or she likes to eat mainly decides on his or her personality
B. That a person enjoys spicy food depends largely on the personality
C. His or her childhood experiences decide on his or her personality
D. His or her cultural background decides on his or her personality
I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled(贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, ‘Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!’ Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled(爬) under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, ‘Thanks.’
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1.What made Kate angry one evening?
A. She couldn’t find her books
B. She got the news that her grandma was ill
C. She heard the author shouting loud
D. She saw the author’s shoes beneath her bed
2.The author tidied up the room most probably because .
A. she was scared by Kate’s anger
B. she wanted to show her care
C. she hated herself for being so messy
D. she was asked by Kate to do so
3.How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?
A. By analyzing causes B. By describing a process
C. By showing differences D. By following time order
4.What might be the best title for the story?
A. My Friend Kate B. Hard Work Pays Off
C. How to Be Organized D. Learning to Be Roommates
The management and staff are happy to welcome you and will do all they can to make your stay an enjoyable one.
MEAL TIMES
Our overnight charge includes a continental-type breakfast.
Breakfast: 7:30-9:30 a. m
Lunch: 12:00-2:00 p. m
Afternoon tea: 4:00-5:30 p. m
Dinner: 7:00-9:15 p. m
Meals can be served in rooms at a small extra charge. We regret that meals cannot be served outside these times.
Light refreshments including tea, coffee, biscuits and sandwiches, can be served in rooms between 10:00 a. m. and 11:00 p. m. except during the meal times listed above. Cold drinks are available in the room refrigerator.
ROOM CLEANING
Please hang the appropriate sign on your door handle if you do not wish to be disturbed. It will be easier for the maids if you can leave the room temporarily at any time between 9:30 a. m. and 4:00 p. m.
VALUABLES
We are not responsible for the loss of money, jewellery, or other valuables unless they are kept in the safe and signed for by the manager.
DEPARTURES
Please inform receptionists of your intended leaving before 9:30 a. m. of the day concerned and leave the room by noon to allow for its preparation for incoming guests. If circumstances (情况) require, luggage can be left in the charge of the hall porter.
A SPECIAL REQUEST
We would respectfully suggest that in consideration of the comfort of other guests, the volume of radios and televisions should be turned down after 11:00 p. m.
1.Meals can be served .
A. in rooms at 3:00 p. m
B. in the dining room at 6:00 p. m
C. in the dining room from 7:30 a. m. to 9:15 p. M
D. in rooms at 9:00 p. m
2.If you intend to leave the room tomorrow, you may leave at any of the following hours except .
A. 3:00 p. m B. 12:00 a. m
C. 10:00 a. m D. 11:00 a. m
3.What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
A. You should comfort the other guests
B. You are not allowed to use radios and televisions
C. You shouldn't make the radios and televisions too loud after 11:00 p.m
D. To comfort others, you should turn off radios and televisions after 11:00 p.m
假定你是学生会主席李华，邀请交换生Peter参加你校在本月举行的文明校园(civilized campus)创建活动。请根据以下要点，给他写一封电子邮件。
1．活动目的；
2．活动内容（倡导语言美、行为美、环境美）；
3．表示欢迎。
注意：
1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Peter,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Last year, I went to Australia for a short-term study like an international student. One of my classmates suggested we shared our favorite recipes for foods from our own countries during New Year’s party. We all agreed to this wonderful idea and cooked my unique dishes for the party. Hariyati from Indonesia shared a kind of cookie what was shaped like elephant ears. Susan from South Africa prepared some sweep dumplings packed in several banana leaf. Chiemi from Japan cooked special rice balls mixing with fish. And I was served Daoxiao noodles, my hometown—Shanxi’s local food. These variously foods were all delicious. Therefore, my favorite was still Chinese food.
