To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes (戏谑的引语) are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for having made a mistake. They naturally look for someone else who could be responsible for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this: “To err is human, to forgive, divine (神圣的).” This saying mirrors an ideal: people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite —— find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary (直接推论) to that: if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1.According to the passage, which of the following seems the most human?
A. To search for truth.
B. To criticize others for one’s own error.
C. To make fun of others’ mistakes.
D. To achieve one’s ideal.
2.Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?
A. A lawyer acts on fine judgments.
B. A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
C. A company’s next move follows a good plan.
D. A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.
3.What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
B. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.
C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
D. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
4.What would be the best title for his passage?
A. A Mirror of Human Nature
B. To Blame or to Forgive
C. A Mark of Maturity
D. Truth or Excuse
Recently a new study has been carried out. It shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops.
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility (清晰度). But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes “mindlessly” by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers’ report said, “While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears.”
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.
1.More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can .
A. get higher scores
B. digest concepts better
C. write more notes
D. understand lectures better
2.While taking notes, laptop users tend to be .
A. skillful
B. tireless
C. thoughtful
D. mindless
3.The author of the passage aims to .
A. examine the importance of long-term memory
B. explain the process of taking notes
C. stress the benefit of taking notes by hand
D. promote the use of laptops
4.The passage is likely to appear in .
A. a science magazine
B. a newspaper advertisement
C. a computer textbook
D. a finance report
Do you often feel tired? Is it really because of the large amount of mental work you do? Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tired. It sounds absurd. But a few years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of a sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated —— those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
1.What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.
B. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.
C. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn out after a day’s work.
D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.
2.According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
A. Unpleasant emotions.
B. Challenging mental work.
C. Endless tasks.
D. Physical labor.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ ideas?
A. He doubts them.
B. He argues against them.
C. He agrees with them.
D. He hesitates to accept them.
4.We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ___________.
A. discover fatigue toxins
B. have some good food
C. exercise regularly
D. enjoy their work
If you go to the Flamingo Las Vegas, you will never forget it. It is one of the oldest Las Vegas hotels. There are lots of wonderful Las Vegas shows that will leave a good impression on you. Here are the Las Vegas shows being performed at the hotel.
Donny and Marie
Donny and Marie is a family-friendly variety show. It is performed by well-known Donny and Marie Osmond on all weekdays except on Sundays and Mondays. The show follows the winning formula of their 1970s TV program, incorporating dancing, humor and all of their hit songs. It starts at 7:30 pm and each ticket costs at least $91.25.
Olivia Newton-John
Grammy award-winning singer Olivia Newton-John is “hopelessly devoted” to perform for many of her fans, opening “Summer Nights” to perform many of her best-loved songs during her four decades long career. Alongside an eight-piece band, Newton-John will share stories about her career and sing many songs. Concert-goers can buy meet and greet tickets at $249. Regular price tickets start from $78.5. The show starts at 7:30 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Vinnie Favorito
Vinnie Favorito is a famous actor who is known to make people laugh. His jokes are very popular. Unlike other comedians who use pre-developed material, Vinnie Farorito gets his comedy from his interaction with people in the audience. The tickets start from $68.95. Performance days are six days per week except Sundays. Show time is 8:00 pm.
X Burlesque
X Burlesque is a wonderful show performed by six dancing ladies. The show is filled with popular music that suits everyone’s taste from rock to country and a variety of dancing styles that allow each dancer to showcase her unique talents. The tickets start from $50.26. It is a daily show at 10:00 pm.
1.What do these shows have in common?
A. They are free for children.
B. They are hosted by a woman.
C. They are performed every day.
D. They are performed in the Flamingo Las Vegas.
2.If a young couple wants to see Olivia Newton-John in the flesh, they have to pay .
A. 78.5 dollars
B. 157 dollars
C. 249 dollars
D. 498 dollars
3.From the passage we can learn that .
A. Vinnie Favorito comes to perform every day
B. Vinnie Favorito’s jokes come from communicating with the audience
C. Children are not allowed to see Donny and Marie show
D. Olivia Newton-John often holds concerts in summer
When I saw Yosemite National Park for the first time at the age of 13, I was crazy about it. My parents took us there for camping. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to El Capitan, a ______ rock of 3,300 feet straight up. I touched that giant rock and knew ______ I wanted to climb it. That has been my life’s passion (钟爱) ever since —— ______ the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I’ve long made Yosemite my ______.
About 15 years ago I started seeing a lot of ______, like toilet paper, beer cans, and empty boxes, around the area. It’s ______ me why visitors started respecting the place ______ and treated such a beautiful home-like place this way.
I tried ______ trash myself, but the job was too big. I would ______ an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so ______ it that I decided something had to change.
As a rock-climbing guide, I knew ______ about organizing any big event. But in 2004, together with some climbers, I set a date for a ______. On that day, more than 300 people ______. Over three days we collected about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was amazing how much we were able to ______. I couldn’t believe the ______ we made —— the park looked clean!
Each year volunteers come for the cleanup from everywhere. In 2007 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash and ______ 132 miles of roadway.
I often hear people ______ about their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by ______ rather than complaining. We need to teach by ______. You can’t blame others ______ you start with yourself.
1.A. huge B. narrow C. distant D. loose
2.A. recently B. finally C. gradually D. immediately
3.A. imagining B. painting C. describing D. climbing
4.A. garden B. home C. lab D. palace
5.A. material B. resources C. waste D. goods
6.A. beyond B. against C. over D. within
7.A. more B. less C. most D. least
8.A. throwing away B. picking up C. breaking down D. digging out
9.A. spend B. save C. wait D. kill
10.A. satisfied with B. delighted in C. tired of D. used to
11.A. nothing B. anything C. everything D. something
12.A. concert B. party C. picnic D. cleanup
13.A. dropped out B. showed up C. looked around D. called back
14.A. demand B. receive C. accomplish D. overcome
15.A. plan B. visit C. contact D. difference
16.A. crossed B. measured C. covered D. designed
17.A. talk B. complain C. argue D. quarrel
18.A. doing B. thinking C. questioning D. watching
19.A. method B. explanation C. example D. research
20.A. although B. if C. when D. unless
假定你是李华，你的朋友王平来信向你询问如何才能学好英语。请你根据下列要点写封回信。
要点：1.词汇很重要，利用一切时间记单词。
2. 多阅读，例如，读英语报纸、杂志等。
3. 运用网络经常听、说。
4.兴趣是最好的老师。
注意：1、词数100左右；开头语已为你写好。
2、参考词汇：记忆 memorize
Dear Peter ,
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Yours ,
Li Hua
