If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship require effort and commitment(责任，义务，承诺).
Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal (叙旧) with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.
Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!
Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could depend on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?
If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?
If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have gotten too busy, take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities(优先考虑的事) in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?
If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material joys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over-committed because you never say ‘‘No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be delegated to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?
Examine whether the way you are now spending your time exactly reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule enough time for the things that are truly most important to you.
If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.
小题1:In this passage the author mainly discusses ______.| A．how to balance friendship and work | | B．how to spend our spare time | | C．whether we should keep friendship | | D．whether we should invite friends to dinner |
小题2:What does the underlined word “delegated” probably mean?| A．appointed (分派) | B．replaced | C．reduced | D．handled |
小题3:The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following except that ______.| A．you spend too much time seeking material joys in your life | | B．you feel it difficult to keep friendship | | C．you stick to doing everything all by yourself | | D．you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do |
小题4:Which would be the best title for the text?| A．Too busy for Friendship? | B．Too busy with work? | | C．How to Spend Your Time | D．How to Make New Friends |
|
小题1:A
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:A |
全文可知是关于如何平衡生活和工作，不要因为忙碌而忽视了与朋友的沟通。
小题1:主旨大意题。通读全文可知是关于如何平衡生活和工作的问题。
小题2:猜测词义题。本题可以使用带入法。根据语境可知是分配，你有没有坚持做一些本可以分配给别人的工作。
小题3:细节题。ACD在文章第七段都提及了，只有B没有讲到。
小题4:主旨大意题。通读全文可知文章是关于平衡生活和友谊的事情，是不是因为自己太忙？ |
核心考点
试题【If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reas】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
The concept of solitude (独处) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be____36___. Solitude can be hard to discover ___37____it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ___38____our culture.
The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) ___39____as we’ve known it. People have become so ___40____in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted ____41___they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (写博客), not only from our ___42____, but from our mobile phones as well.
Most developed nations have become ___43____on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not ___44____it would make them an outsider. ___45____, many jobs and careers require people to be ___46____. From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a ___47____to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.
I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who ___48____wants it. Computers can be shut ___49____and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected”and “ on”has many ___50____, as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up ___51____on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel ___52____and forced to answer unwanted calls or___53____to unwanted texts.
Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society ___54____ across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like ___55____daily advancements in technology.
| 小题1: | | A．updated | B．received | C．shared | D．collected |
|
| 小题2: | | A．though | B．until | C．once | D．before |
|
| 小题3: | | A．respected | B．shaped | C．ignored | D．preserved |
|
| 小题4: | | A．edge | B．stage | C．end | D．balance |
|
| 小题5: | | A．sensitive | B．intelligent | C．considerate | D．reachable |
|
| 小题6: | | A．even if | B．only if | C．as if | D．if only |
|
| 小题7: | | A．media | B．computers | C．databases | D．monitors |
|
| 小题8: | | A．bent | B．hard | C．keen | D．dependent |
|
| 小题9: | | A．finding | B．using | C．protecting | D．changing |
|
| 小题10: | | A．Also | B．Instead | C．Otherwise | D．Somehow |
|
| 小题11: | | A．connected | B．trained | C．recommended | D．interested |
|
| 小题12: | | A．pleasure | B．benefit | C．burden | D．disappointment |
|
| 小题13: | | A．slightly | B．hardly | C．merely | D．really |
|
| 小题15: | | A．aspects | B．weaknesses | C．advantages | D．exceptions |
|
| 小题16: | | A．hidden | B．lost | C．relaxed | D．deserted |
|
| 小题17: | | A．trapped | B．excited | C．confused | D．amused |
|
| 小题18: | | A．turn | B．submit | C．object | D．reply |
|
| 小题19: | | A．vary | B．arise | C．spread | D．exist |
|
| 小题20: | | A．beyond | B．within | C．despite | D．without |
|
|
Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America’s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a list of “useless” college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn’t be anything that’s more incorrect,” Merrigan said. “We know that there aren’t enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.”
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we’re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows,” said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. “Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture.”
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers’ Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best hopes his message—that this is a new time in agriculture—will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics. “Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been,” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in.”
小题1:What is the new challenge to American agriculture?| A．Fewer and older farmers. | B．Higher fuel prices. | | C．More natural disasters. | D．Lower agricultural output. |
小题2:Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?| A．To draw federal agriculture officials’ attention. | | B．To select qualified agriculture graduates. | | C．To clarify a recent blog posting. | | D．To talk more students into farming careers. |
小题3:According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people
because__________..| A．the government will cover production costs | | B．global food supplies will be even lower | | C．investment in agriculture will be profitable | | D．America will increase its food export |
小题4:What do the underlined words “to turn around the statistics” in the last paragraph mean?| A．To re-analyze the result of the national census. | | B．To increase agricultural production. | | C．To bring down the average age of farmers. | | D．To invest more in agriculture. |
|
As the Internet’s influence grows, the potential for danger also escalates (逐步上升). One of these dangers is from cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying (网络欺凌) is repeatedly hurting someone else through the use of technology. It consists of sending or posting cruel messages, photos, or videos on the Internet or other electronic media with the intent of damaging the reputation of the target. Imagine being a 13-year-old girl discovering a cell phone picture of her changing clothes for gym class has been sent to all her classmates. Or imagine being an 11-year-old boy who is scared to go to school because an unknown bully sent him an instant message saying that he is so fat that he should kill himself. Cases such as these are happening every day, leading kids to be depressed and unable to concentrate.
Worse yet, parents are oblivious (忽视的) to what is happening. Only 15 percent of parents even know what cyber-bullying is. And anyone who thinks that their child is not a victim or a bully is probably wrong. 90 percent of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online and 75 percent have admitted to visiting a website attacking another student.
Unlike traditional schoolyard bullying, where a bully has a name and a face, cyber-bullying gets much of its power from anonymity (匿名). A cyber bully might design a website posting cruel remarks about a classmate and never tell anyone that he or she was the creator. The cyber-bullying also gets its power from the scope (范围) of its audience. Within seconds, a cyber bully can send an e-mail to everyone he or she knows, inviting them to take part in an online poll (民意测验) of who is the ugliest kid in their class. Victims can be picked on day and night from any place.
The good news is that you can help stop cyber-bullying. By making parents and educators aware of what is going on and encouraging them to take quick and strong action when cyber-bullying cases happen, you can help make technology constructive, not destructive, for young people.
小题1:What can we learn from the second paragraph?| A．Not many students have known of cyber-bullying. | | B．Parents may not know their child is a victim of cyber-bullying. | | C．Parents know a lot of cyber-bullying. | | D．Most of the students have not been hurt by cyber-bullying. |
小题2:What does the author think of the cyber-bullying?| A．It is not as harmful as people think. | | B．It is too complex a problem to settle. | | C．It will not affect the relationship between classmates. | | D．It can be stopped through our efforts. |
小题3:What will probably be discussed in the following passage?| A．How to prevent cyber-bullying. | | B．What parents and educators think of cyber-bullying. | | C．How to make parents aware of cyber-bullying. | | D．How to make good use of technology. |
|
There are four types of persons who go to work part-time. These include retirees who want a bit more income or socialization, parents who want to spend more time with their children, college and high school students and temporary agency workers who want more experience. Many people enjoy the advantages of working part-time, but benefits are rarely offered to part-time employees.
Most people are hoping for health insurance and retirement benefits when taking a job. Traditionally, companies only offer benefits to employees who work 30 hours or more a week. This is only a 25% reduction in hours, so it doesn’t free up a lot of time for the employee who needs part-time hours. Even when a part-timer is offered health benefits, he is rarely offered paid time off and retirement benefits. Dental benefits are almost never offered to part-time employees.
Many businesses hire part-time employees for the simple reason of saving money. If they work less than a certain number of hours, the employers don’t need to pay for benefits. There are companies, however, that are beginning to offer benefits to part-time employees. This includes benefits for health, paid time off and retirement plans. Some companies have begun to offer this in order to take in high quality, trained professionals who just want part-time hours. If a company wants a qualified employee, it will have to compete with other companies. People who may only want to work part-time may be forced to take a full-time job to get the benefits. Companies who offer benefits to part-timers have an advantage by offering more choices to their employees in terms of hours.
Conducting an Internet search is probably the quickest way to find companies that provide benefits for part-time employees. Many large corporations like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods offer benefits to part-time employees among other things. Look for companies that offer a team approach to their employees. Employees are given choices and part of decision-making in the business. Businesses that allow employee input are more likely to offer benefits to part-timers.
小题1:People prefer to work part-time mainly because they __________.| A．don’t want to spend more time on work | | B．have so many household and social affairs | | C．hope to have more money, time and experience | | D．only expect to make more friends |
小题2:From the second paragraph we can learn that part-timers _______.| A．can enjoy as many benefits as full-timers | | B．prefer retirement benefits to health insurance | | C．often retire without enjoying any benefit | | D．often enjoy fewer benefits than full-timers |
小题3:What’s the advantage of hiring part-time employees?| A．They don’t need the insurance. | | B．They can save employers some money. | | C．They have no choice but to work hard. | | D．They can be also changed into full-timers. |
小题4:We can infer from the last paragraph that _________.| A．it’s easy to find companies providing benefits | | B．companies not allowing employee input don’t offer any benefit to part-timers | | C．Starbucks in England doesn’t provide benefits to full-timers | | D．employees are often forced to choose their jobs |
|
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
小题1:What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?| A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems. | | B．To give a warning to other countries | | C．To show the importance of money | | D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. |
小题2:What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?| A．Rich and powerful | B．Modern and open | | C．Peaceful and attractive | D．Greedy and aggressive |
小题3:The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______. | A．soil pollution | B．phosphate overmining | | C．farming activity | D．whale hunting |
小题4:Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem?| A．Its leaders misused the money | | B．It spent too much repairing the island | | C．Its phosphate mining cost much money | | D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
小题5:What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?| A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. | | B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously. | | C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans | | D．The phosphate mines were destroyed |
|
