Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of medita

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Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.
One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.
小题1:The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A．closely associated with	B．very different to
C．usually sent from	D．an important element of

小题2:The goal of meditation is ________.

A．to clear the mind	B．to practice a religion
C．to develop a technique	D．to carry out an experiment

小题3:What can we infer about meditation from the passage?

A．It has two main types.

B．It is practiced by many famous artists.

C．Its benefits are not immediately obvious.

D．Most people find it a very good way to relax.

小题4:According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?

A．Their improved understanding of foreign culture.

B．The need to fill in their growing free time.

C．Increasing employment instability.

D．Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional.

小题5:Who is the probable audience for this article?

A．Experienced meditation practitioners.

B．People interested in starting to learn meditation.

C．Buddhists and Hindus.

D．People who are very religious.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:C
小题5:B

解析

文章介绍了宗教行为中常见的默念,默想。
小题1:猜测词义题。根据上下文可知默念,默想是东方宗教行为的主要部分。
小题2:细节题。根据文章第5段第5行They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace.和第一段第2行the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace,可知A正确。
小题3:推断题。根据文章最后一句eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours. 可知默想的好处不是一下子就显示的，而是慢慢地表现出来。故C正确。
小题4:推理题。根据文章第二段2,3行With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home可知C正确。
小题5:推理题。根据文章内容可知作者是一个对默念,默想非常了解的人，也许是一个对默念,默想非常感兴趣的人。

举一反三

When you see homework covering the kitchen table and toys are piling up around the sofa，you probably wish there was a bit more space．You are not alone．Nearly a third of parents say they feel squeezed into their homes but cannot afford to move to a bigger property，a report reveals today．
Twenty—nine percent say ‘their property is too small to fit the size of their family’—rising to 40 percent for those 34 and under．One in four children is ‘forced to share’ a bedroom，according to the Finda Property，com website．Property analyst Samantha Baden said：“Afford ability remains a key issue for families，with the average cost of a three-bedroom home around ￡193,000．”Very few can afford to buy—or to rent—a property of the size they want and in the area they desire to live in，according to Miss Baden．
A recent report，from investment firm LV，also found that many‘ space—starved parents’ are pushed into a two—bedroom home which was perfect when they were a young couple，but has no space for three or so children．Grown—up children who cannot afford to leave home are also adding to the problem facing families in Britain"s ‘big squeeze’．
For a home to be the correct size, which means it is not overcrowded，parents must have their own bedroom．Children under ten can share, as well as same—sex children between ten and 20．Anyone over 21 also needs their own room．
The report comes as official figures，published yesterday by the Land Registry，revealing house prices are falling sharply in every region except London．The worst—hit area is the North East，where, average house prices have fallen to below￡100,000 for the first time in seven years. However，they remain unaffordable for millions．
小题1:According to Paragraph 1，the report reveals .

A．some families can"t afford a bigger property

B．children like to do homework in the kitchen

C．only a few families have housing problem

D．people are satisfied with their living condition

小题2:What Miss Baden said in Paragraph 2 means .

A．most families don"t have enough money yet

B．no family could afford a three—bedroom home

C．it is common to live in a three—bedroom home

D．the price of a bigger property is still acceptable

小题3:The report from the investment firm LV shows .

A．young couples should live in a two—bedroom home

B．families with three or so children couldn"t afford a home

C．parents should buy houses for their grown—up children

D．some grown—up children couldn"t afford a separate home

小题4:According to the passage，the right size for a home means .

A．parents should have a bedroom of their own

B．anyone over 21 needs to live in their own home

C．children under ten should share parents’ bedroom

D．children under 20 should have their own bedroom

小题5:What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．House prices are falling down everywhere．

B．People are able to buy a home of correct size．

C．The North East is now all area．suitable to live in．

D．The house prices in London has not fallen down．

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Endangered languages are languages that wouldn’t exist any longer, much like endangered species of plants or animals. Languages are considered to be endangered when parents are no longer teaching the language to their children and are not using it actively in everyday life. A language is considered to nearly disappear when it is spoken by only a few elderly native speakers.
The world faces enormous challenges in order to protect different kinds of languages. Of the more than 6,912 languages, half may be in danger of disappearing in the next several decades.
It is caused by many reasons: small numbers of speakers, the regular use of other languages, attitudes towards their languages, moving of the younger population, government policies, and languages used in education and so on. A language may lack important things such as a body of literature, and people who read and write it. A language may also lack prestige (声望) and support of its speakers.
The survival of a language is also threatened when speakers move to other areas where different languages are spoken, or when government policies improve the use of a specific language in school, official business and the media. These situations encourage people to learn the wider-known language and may cause them, especially the young, to stop using their mother tongue. Often those speaking lesser-known languages will choose to learn a more prestigious language with the hope of greater economic opportunities. Most of the world’s parents are teaching their children English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Russian or some other main languages instead of their own languages for social and economic reasons.
小题1:What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Languages in the world.

B．Reasons why languages become endangered.

C．What an endangered language is.

D．Languages spoken by few speakers.

小题2:About ________languages will probably disappear in this century according to the passage.

A．more than 6,912

B．more than 3,456

C．6,912

D．less than 3,456

小题3:Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
①=Paragraph1 ②=Paragraph2 ③=Paragraph3 ④=Paragraph4

小题4:We can infer that the best way to maintain an endangered language is to _________.

A．forbid the speakers to move about

B．pass laws to protect the language

C．raise the salaries of the people who speak the language

D．teach the language to young children and encourage people to speak it often

小题5:All of the following about languages are true EXCEPT __________.

A．many languages will be probably endangered in this century

B．government policies have a big effect on languages

C．the endangered language is a language that is spoken by a few people

D．languages are related to their speakers’ social and economic position

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Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.
The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顾问) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育儿经). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.
小题1:The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.

A．popular science	B．historical events
C．social problems	D．political systems

小题2:The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?

A．Will often picked fights with Ashley.

B．Ashley often spilled milk on the floor.

C．Will always punished her for bad behaviors.

D．Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons.

小题3:What can we know about Will?

A．Will has a good intention.

B．Will does not love children

C．Will does not love Shelia any more

D．Will’s way of parenting is very perfect.

小题4:It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?

A．Negative

B．Objective

C．Critical

D．. Subjective

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English is spoken as a first language by most people in the USA, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada. However, English is spoken all over the world. It is the main language in over 60 countries, such as India, Singapore and in many of the Caribbean and Pacific islands. In those places English is often a second language.
English is also as an important international language in many other countries, like China and Japan. People in these countries use it for business, and travelers to these countries use English when they get there. Other people may learn English because they enjoy reading books in English, listening to British or American music or watching American films.
English has changed a lot these years and still goes on changing. It is no longer right to talk about British English or American English if the speaker doesn’t come from those countries. People in Japan or Korea, for example, may use the American spelling but may not sound like Americans.
English will be the most widely used language in the world in the 21^st century. This language no longer belongs to British, American or Australian speakers. It belongs to anyone who can use this language. After you leave school, you will almost certainly need it.
小题1:In how many countries is English spoken as a first language in the world?

A．Five.

B．Four.

C．Three.

D．Six.

小题2:In which other countries is English spoken as a main language?

A．Britain, USA and Australia.

B．India, Singapore and many of Caribbean and Pacific islands.

C．China and Japan.

D．New Zealand, Ireland and Canada.

小题3:People from other countries learn English for .

A．passing exams

B．business and traveling

C．reading English books, enjoying English music or watching films

D．Both B and C

小题4:If people in Japan or Korea use the American spelling, they .

A．will speak the same as Americans

B．may not sound like Americans

C．will speak British English

D．will speak English much better

小题5:Which topic is the best for the passage?

A．A first language in the world.

B．A second language in the world.

C．English around the world.

D．A useful language.

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Is war unavoidable? Can war be prevented?
History tells that there were wars, great or small, in every century, in every decade. Throughout the ages, from the Stone age to the Atomic Age, men have been fighting, first with swords and shields(盾), then with guns and cannons, and now, hydrogen bombs and missiles are used for military purpose. But, in spite of all these, it is still my belief that war can be prevented and peace can be won, but it requires the effort of every one of us.
I am sure that we would not like to experience another world war. If it ever happens, two-thirds of the world and much of the civilization which men have gained through time, patience and effort will be destroyed. Will then the remaining one-third of the world be able to survive on its own?
Our task now is not to blame the past, but to plan for the future.
If there is peace in the world, men can use their rockets to explore the mystery of space, their submarines to explore the depth of the sea, their missiles to deliver mails and their fine equipment to penetrate(穿透) the jungles of Africa, instead of using them military.
Governments can use their money to build more schools, so that more children can be educated to be useful citizens. Scientists can use atomic energy to propel (推动) steamships and planes. They can also design new machines to increase the production of goods and thus improve the way of living of the people.
How can a peaceful world be achieved? It requires, in my opinion, the understanding and friendship between all people from all nations. Let no one suffer discrimination by reason of color, race, religion, or national origin. Let the rich support the poor and the strong help the weak.
We know that neither peace nor such a dream world can come true in a day or a month. It may even take decades or centuries. But let us plan and begin now.
小题1:The best title for this passage is _________.

A．The Past and the Future	B．To Die or To Survive
C．War and Peace	D．Understanding and Friendship

小题2:In the writer’s opinion, __________.

A．it is too difficult to achieve peace

B．peace can be won through the efforts of all human beings

C．another world war is inevitable

D．wars will always exist in the world

小题3:We can infer from the passage that __________.

A．wars were not expensive in the past

B．wars can promote the development of weapons

C．things for military use can be transformed to peaceful use

D．as long as there are wars, people’s way of living cannot be improved

小题4:What should we do to achieve peace?

A．Spend more money educating children.

B．Stop military exploration

C．Call on people to help each other

D．Act from right now on.

小题5:Which word can best describe the writer’s picture of the future of the world?

A．Optimistic

B．Pessimistic

C．Imaginative

D．Disappointing

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