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(情感的) 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. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn out after a day’s work.
C. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue
D. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue toxins.
2.According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
A. Challenging mental work. B. Endless tasks.
C. Unpleasant emotions. D. Physical labor.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ ideas?
A. He doubts them B. He agrees with them..
C. He argues against 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. have some good food B. exercise regularly
C. enjoy their work D. discover fatigue toxins
The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is that great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, "Job means 'just over broke（破产）’".And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people.Because schools do not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers "live within their means".They work and they pay the bills.Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?” ,almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
1.The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that__________.
A. he is just one of the talented people B. he is ready to help others
C. he has a sharp sense of hearing D. he knows little about car repairing
2.The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by__________.
A. spend more than they can afford B. do in their own way
C. live in their own circle D. live within what they earn
3.Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
A. They don’t work hard enough B. They lack financial intelligence.
C. They don't make full use of their talents D. They have no specialized skills.
4.The main purpose of the author is to tell us __________.
A. how young people can find a satisfactory job B. What schools should teach about finance
C. why so many talented people are poor D. how McDonald's makes much money
If Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a life — a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all traditions.
The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musée de l’Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo.
The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend(传奇), and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera’s easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school.
The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalised but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary(互补的), through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country.
1.Which of the following best describes Frida Kahlo’s work?
A. World-famous but unusual. B. Practical and popular.
C. Creative and realistic. D. Authentic but ordinary.
2.What does the underlined word "pantheon" in the third paragraph refer to?
A. Character. B. Community. C. School. D. Society.
3.What can we infer about Rivera from the passage?
A. Rivera broke up with Kahlo finally. B. Rivera’s works are popular in Europe.
C. Rivera’s works are the focus of the exhibition. D. Rivera had his works rooted in his motherland.
4.Why does the author write the passage?
A. To praise the celebrities. B. To introduce two famous artists.
C. To make an announcement. D. To encourage people to learn art.
The Getty Villa
You won’t need a passport to travel back in time at the Roman Holidays celebration this summer. Discover the sights ( and smells) of ancient Rome, offer your prayers to Venus, read your future in a sheep’s liver(肝脏), and enjoy live musical and comedy performances by the Troubadour Theater Company.
Date: Saturdays and Sundays
Time: 11:00 a.m.--- 3:00 p.m.
Location: The Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, California
Admission: Free; an advance, timed entry ticket is required
Smelling the Rome Way
What did ancient Rome smell like? Visitors are invited to use their noses (and imaginations) to discover the good. Bad, and sweaty smells of daily life. Take a smell challenge! Be transported back in time and guess the smells familiar to most Romans, like Roman cooking materials and more.
Prayers to Venus
At this small shrine (圣地) of Venus, visitors may honor the goddess and seek her help for important moments in their lives, as Greeks and Romans did. And they are invited to write a wish to the goddess and post it near her statue.
Troubadour Theater Company
In the fancy outdoor setting of the Getty Villa, visitors will enjoy games and comedic performances, meet the actors, and participate in unique photo opportunities. At 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. , visitors are invited to the Inner Peristyle for “ Mercury in Uranus”, where the group of the actors will perform a sheep sacrifice to Mercury and examine the sheep’s liver to interpret the will of the god.
1.What can we know about the Getty Villa?
A. It asks for no entry ticket. B. Its service lasts for three hours.
C. It’s only accessible to the locals. D. It provides several different activities.
2.What can visitors do at the Getty Villa?
A. Perform comedy with the actors. B. Feed sheep in person outdoors.
C. Get pleasure from the performances. D. Catch a chance to design a game.
3.What’s the purpose of this passage?
A. To attract people to the Getty Villa. B. To stress the uniqueness of Roman culture.
C. To show the best time to visit the Getty Villa. D. To introduce the Troubadour Theater Company.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What were the students going to do?
A. They were going to read news on TV.
B. They were going to celebrate the writer’s sister’s birthday.
C. They were going to read their articles before a video camera.
2.Why was the writer so nervous?
A. She had never stood before a video camera.
B. She had never read her own article before a video camera.
C. This camera was different from the one he had once faced.
3.What was the writer’s feeling to her class teacher?
A. Nervous. B. Afraid. C. Thankful.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why is the woman worried?
A. There’s something wrong with her car.
B. The mechanic might try to overcharge her.
C. Good mechanics are not available.
2.What does the woman think of her mechanic?
A. He overcharges her. B. He takes advantage of her. C. He is reliable.
3.Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a shop. B. In a school. C. In a park.
