My father is a smart man. He spent many years of his life listening to people’s
题型：不详难度：来源：
One of his favorite phrases is: “If you don’t have anything smart to say, then don’t say it at all.” Yet, for all of his legal training and life experience, he can’t help but keep talking about the Mega Millions jackpot.
We all know the odds(几率)of winning the jackpot this evening with one ticket are extraordinarily low ... 1 in 175, 711, 536, to be exact. Still, people go out and buy hundreds of tickets with the hopes of becoming wealthier beyond their dreams. Why? There are two possible explanations for this “irrationality”(不理智).
One idea is that the way we calculate odds in our heads has nothing to do with mathematical odds in the traditional sense. We don’t go to the mathematical odds table and say, “Well, this would be a terrible investment. I think I’m better off putting my money in the bank!” Rather, it has everything with the ability to picture an event happening.
My father, for instance, watches the news every night and sees people winning the lottery(彩票). Therefore, he thinks the chance of him winning the lottery is much higher than they actually are.
The second thought is that the expected effect of playing cannot be represented merely by the odds. My father and, I’m sure, others get a thrill from the mere idea of winning. He loves imagining what it would be like to actually win and losing doesn’t really affect him. Sure, he’s disappointed, but it’s “better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” When you combine the utility of thinking you can win with the utility of actually winning (no matter how small the chance of that occurring), it’s worth it for many people to spend the one dollar on a ticket.
My analysis is that both factors are at play in taking a chance on the lottery. My father and others really do underestimate the odds of winning, but the thrill of participation is not denied by a realistic assessment of the odds. Still, I would probably put my finger on the scale for the first explanation.
All told, a review of the odds of other events happening confirms that there just aren’t many events that occur with less frequency than your winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Look at the graph below, you may understand some:
In many ways, it’s like the lottery, something that features often on television and about which people fantasize, but that rarely happens.
So, when you watch, along with my Pa, to see if your lucky number is drawn this evening, keep in mind three things: that your number almost certainly won’t come up; that you are still going to have fun; and that, finally, a lot of other things are more likely to happen—but getting eaten by a shark isn’t one of them.
小题1:It can be learned from the article that ________.
| A．the Mega Millions jackpot is the last lottery to win in the world |
| B．a judge in that country can’t talk about lottery because it is illegal |
| C．the writer doesn’t buy lottery, for he never hopes to become rich |
| D．In spite of little possibility, a lot of people spend money on lottery |
| A．show chances that those things take place are fewer |
| B．support the writer’s arguments on the lottery tickets |
| C．indicate no one can win the Mega Millions jackpot |
| D．say shark attack death will seldom happen this year |
| A．If one has mathematical odds, he can win the prize more easily. |
| B．Only those who have irrationality buy hundreds of lottery tickets. |
| C．The Mega Millions jackpot is very popular in the writer’s country. |
| D．Winning lottery is a shortcut to achieve the dream of being rich. |
| A．effective | B．ridiculous | C．contradictory | D．astonishing |
| A．The Popular Mega Millions Jackpot | B．Lottery is Merely a Trick |
| C．Mega Million is Like a Shark Attack | D．Be rich, Buy Lottery Soon |
答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A
小题5:C
解析
小题1:推理判断题，根据第三段可知，虽然中奖的几率非常低，但是还有很多人去买。
小题2:该表格是为了说明作者的观点而放置的。
小题3:推理判断题。根据文章内容可知，这种彩票在作者的国家非常的流行，包括他父亲在内的很多人都去买。
小题4:猜测词义题，根据两种解释的内容可知，是很有效的，因为他的父亲就很愿意去买。
小题5:主旨大意题。文章讲述的Mega Million 中奖的几率低，类似于被鲨鱼袭击的几率。
举一反三
I wish I 33 give a good excuse for what I did. At the very least, I wish I could explain it somehow — 34 it on youth, inexperience or ignorance. Unfortunately, I’m 35 , experienced and I know better.
36 I work with some very kind and compassionate(富于同情心的) people. For the past couple of days many of them have taken time to 37 by my desk and offer comfort, encouragement and support. Some have shared with me similar 38 they have made. Evidently I’m not the only “ 39 ” person here.
One of the exchanges I had this week was with Lois, the much-honored, much-respected professional who 40 the desk right next to mine. Lois was completely 41 about her work, and to be honest I was a little nervous about how she would 42 to such an extremely embarrassing incident.
As I expected, Lois didn’t pass over the 43 when she saw me the next day. She mentioned it directly, 44 with empathetic consideration. She listened to my 45 . Just as I was ready to express my regrets, she brought my self-pity partly to a(n) 46 .
“It happened”, she said, “There’s nothing you can do to 47 that. It happened. But it’s over now. It’s 48 . It’s in the past. You need to let it go, and move on.” And with that she returned her 49 to her work, as if to say, “We’re done here.”
I beat myself up for weeks. At such times I need to remember those 50 words: It’s over. It’s done. Let it go. And mostly, move on.
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One such person I met was a woman in her late seventies. She had been an active woman, raised a family and had engaged in helping others, and developed her own crafts to sell at selected craft shows throughout the year.
When I met her for the first time, I couldn’t believe that she was in her late seventies — I would have placed her age more in her early sixties. After speaking with her for a short period, it was only then that the conversation seemed to turn to age. And, it wasn’t a conversation about the frailty (脆弱) of age, or the aches and pains, or about pleasures lost.
The conversation, instead, focused on her zest for life and all the things that she was in the planning stages of doing. And, what she was planning to do wasn’t about going to a seniors group so she and her husband could go on a bus tour. What she was planning was an excursion (旅行) to Europe, unaccompanied by any tour operator or taken around the usual sights by a local guide.
She really impressed me a lot because of her zest for life; for an uncompromising view of the future not in the least affected by her age; for the undying faith in knowing that there was a great deal of life yet to be discovered and experienced and yearning for each new image, discussion, smell, cultural uniqueness or experience.
小题1:From the text we know_____________.
| A．the woman had much sight-seeing around the world. |
| B．the woman was willing to help others. |
| C．the woman made great wealth by selling crafts. |
| D．the woman talked a lot about her age. |
| A．she kept young in spite of her age |
| B．she had experienced a lot in life |
| C．she never gave in to the aches and pains in life |
| D．she had a positive outlook on life |
A. Doubtful. C. Concerning. C. Sympathetic. D. Appreciative.
小题4:The underlined word “zest” in the fourth paragraph probably means“_____________”.
| A．enthusiasm | B．concept | C．view | D．satisfaction |
Each time a taxi drove up to the station, many kids would run along the 37 . One 38 kid would open the passenger door and say, “ 39 , sir.” The passenger would always say thanks and give the kid a 40 . It was a routine that everybody knew.
One day I noticed a boy, who was 41 than most of them but was pushed away by even the smallest kid. He never pushed back. 42 , he would even step aside when others pushed forward. But he never 43 .
Then as I was 44 to the sidewalk, all the other kids were running after a taxi 45 mine. They didn’t notice mine.
The boy saw me and walked toward my taxi. As I pulled up I made sure that I stopped in a 46 with the passenger door right beside him. He 47 the passenger door and said, “Good luck at the track, sir.”
48 , the man did not tip him a quarter. Instead he 49 , “Get out of my way!” He pushed him aside so 50 that the boy fell down and was badly hurt. I got out of my car quickly, 51 find that the man disappeared in the crowd.
So I looked for the kid. I decided to give him $20 for all his 52 . But he was far up ahead, walking out of the station 53 . 54 , I never saw him again. I’d like to find him and tell him that if only he had stuck around a little longer I would have given him a whole $20.
I learned an important lesson from the boy. When things seem so 55 that you are ready to give up, that is the time when things are most likely to turn around for you.
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I _27_ to think about it for a few seconds and considered whether I’d be _28_ to give a quarter away. I found myself _29_ her, thinking about why she didn’t _30_ four quarters down from her room with her, as if she had _31_ to be one short so she could ask someone else for it. (Later I knew _32_ that was not the case.)
But I didn’t have any reason to _33_her. Then I responded, “Yeah, I think I have the only one,” though fully _34_ that I had three. “Here you go,” I said with a smile. “Thanks,” she responded, _35_ that she could have clean clothes to wear the next morning.
A few moments later the girl _36_ and gave a dollar bill to me. “Why are you giving this to me?” I asked, _37_. “Oh, because you were kind to me, so I’m just giving back the _38_.”
It’s just a dollar, but I felt it was _39_. More so because I hadn’t given that quarter with such nice _40_, the way she gave that dollar to me. I felt like it was the first time I ever _41_ something greater in return for something so_42_ that I had given. I saw the power of kindness and generosity in a _43_way.
I thought it was so worth giving that quarter away. Giving and _44_ don’t usually happen hand-in-hand, _45_ when it does, like it did this time, it makes one think about why generosity is so powerful in the first place.
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It is possible that we simply do not stay in one place long enough for a _38_ friendship to 39 . However, there can be 40 disagreement on the need for each of us to think carefully about the kind of friendship we want.
To most of us, friendships are considered very important, but we need to be clear in our __41_ the kinds of friendship we want. Are they to be close or _42 at arm"s length? Do we want to 43 ourselves or do we want to walk on the surface? For some people , many friendships on the surface are __44_ enough-- and that"s all right. But on some points, we need to 45 that our expectations are the same as our friends" expectations. The sharing 46 experience 47 our tears as well as our dark dreams is the surest way to deepen friendships. But it 48 be undertaken slowly and carried on only if there are 49 of interest and action in return.
What are some of the _50__ of friendship? The greatest is the attraction to expect too much time or too soon. Deep relationships 51 time. Another "major difficulty" is the selfishness to think one "possesses" the other, including his time and attention. Similarly, friendships 52 actions in return . In 53 words, you must give as much as you take. Finally there is a question of taking care of . Unless you spend 54 time together , talking on the phone, writing letters, doing things together, friendships will die 55 .
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