long way from their grandchildren.The loneliness of these older people has become an issue that schools
are trying to teach children about .
On a popular teacher"s website, there is a classroom activity to help make children aware of the
implications of the different generations of the same family living far from each other. It"s a story about Mrs. Eiderdown, an elderly lady whose grandchildren have moved to Australia with their parents. She lives
alone and rarely sees her family .
First of all, the children speculate about Mrs. Eiderdown"s life. What does she have for breakfast ?
what does she do all day ?how does she feel about her life ?
One day, Mrs. Eiderdown decides that she wants a pet to keep her company and puts an
advertisement in a local shop window. Then she waits at home to see if anyone will answer her
advertisement .
A tall thin man rings her doorbell. he is holding a cardboard box. Mrs. Eiderdown chats with the man
for ten minutes before she realizes that she hasn"t looked in-side the box to see what the pet is. She can hear a his-sing sound. The children guess what is in the box(a snake). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the man but
says she doesn"t think the snake is a good idea .
The next time the doorbell rings, there"s a lady on the doorstep, also carrying a cardboard box.In the
bottom of the box, Mrs. Eiderdown sees something black and hairy with eight legs. Again ,the children say what they think it is (a spider). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the lady for her kindness but says that a spider is
not the sort of pet she has in mind.
At last, the little girl next door brings her a dog .Mrs. Eiderdown"s life improves a lot because of the dog.
more importantly, of course, the little girl, whose own granny lives a long way away, starts to visit
Mrs.Eiderdown more often. This interactive classroom idea has led to a greater awareness among children about the possible loneliness of older people who live quite near them .
B. neighbors help select pets for Mrs. Eiderdown
C. society helps the lonely people in the UK
D. school send pets to the lonely elderly
B. they try to experience her loneliness
C. they try to imagine how she lives
D. they write about her life story
B. the people who offer pets are lady"s neighbors
C. the farther the elderly live ,the lonelier they feel
D. the little girl begins to care more about Mrs. Eiderdown
Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they
are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores.Clothes which have been worn
only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste.Many women spend
large sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn.Women who cannot
afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time changing their old-fashioned
dresses.Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society.Fashion
designers are rarely concerned with necessary things like warmth, comfort and durability (耐用).
They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will
put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right.There can hardly be a man who
hasn"t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day,
or picking her way through deep snow in high heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious.Do the constantly changing fashions of women"s clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of
inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers.
Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to
decide.
B.because they are capable of predicting new fashions
C.by constantly changing the fashions in women"s clothing
D.because they attach great importance to quality in women"s clothing
B.a waste of time
C.an expression of taste
D.an expression of creativity
B.the women"s strength of character
C.basic qualities of inconstancy and instability
D.an important contribution to society
writer means that ___________.
B.women are better able to put up with discomfort
C.men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers
D.men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion
If I could select a word that best describes the majority of American parents, that word
would be guilt-ridden (内疚的). How sad it is to see parents become the willing victims
of the "give me game", only to discover that, no matter what they do, it isn"t enough. In the
end, they are looked down for their lack of firmness and blamed when their spoiled children
get into trouble. With this in mind, I shall first answer this question: "What do parents owe
their children? And I shall start with what they don"t owe them.
Parents don"t owe their children every minute of their day and every ounce of their energy.
They don"t owe round-the-clock car service, singing lessons, tennis lessons, an expensive car
when they reach sixteen, or a trip to Europe when they graduate.
I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they
can afford it, fine. But they must not feel guilty if they can"t. If the children really want to go,
they" II find a way. Here are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and eager who
can"t afford to pay.
After children marry, their parents do not owe them a house or money for the furniture.
They do not have an obligation to baby-sit their grandchildren when the parents were on
vacation. If they want to do it, it must be considered a favour, not an obligation.
In my opinion, parents do not owe their children an inheritance, no matter how much
money they have. One of the surest ways to produce a loafer is to let children know that
their future is assured.
Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.
One of their chief obligations is to give their children a sense of personal worth, for
self-esteem is the basis of a good mental health. Parents owe their children firm guidance
and consistent discipline. Parents owe their children privacy and respect for their personal
belongings.
No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the children something.
And if you give him his due, he"ll have something of value to pass along to your grandchildren.
B. parents needn"t feel guilty if they are unable to send their children to college
C. ff they say "No", parents will surely make their children angry
D. parents must support their children even after their marriage
B. a well educated person
C. a hard-working person
D. a lazy person
B. the difference between duties of the parents and the children
C. over devotion to the children results in trouble for the parents themselves
D. children should depend on no one but themselves
B. pitiful
C disappointed
D. satisfied
注意:每个空格只填1 个单词.请将答案写在答题卡相应题号的横线上.
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and
we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To
what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally
prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more
self-absorbed and self-concerned.
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle
out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy
and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can
to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating
any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and
selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy
and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact
that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with
their modern counterparts.
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either.
Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the
opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually
encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to
strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being
caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
to each other both literally and figuratively, many of us connect through cell phones, email,
instant messaging, blogs, and networking web sites, yet we may be less connected to each
other than we think.
According to a study, Americans are becoming increasingly socially isolated. The study
reveals, for example, that one quarter of Americans say that they have no one to discuss
important personal issues with, and that the number of close friends that American have has
dropped from three to two. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports that this spreading
isolation is experienced more sharply among those with less education, people of color,
and older Americans. Unsurprisingly, those who are young, white, and well educated tend
to have stronger social networks.
From my own experience I have to say that I"ve never felt more connected, thanks to
a web of friends, family, and colleagues. One of my closest friends is someone I met
through an online discussion group who lives hundreds of miles away from me. We have
met face-to-face only twice, yet our regular electronic correspondence and cell phone
calls maintain our close friendship. And, speaking of blogging, my blog has introduced me
to people I would never have met otherwise and has led to enduring and important
friendships.
On the other hand, I recently saw a scene unfold that proved to me how deeply
disconnected we as Americans have become. I had just wrapped up a presentation on
mediation at a family therapy (治疗) center.
As I was leaving, I noticed a mother and her teenage son who had just completed
their session with their family therapist (临床医学家). After making their next
appointment, they both took out their cell phones, placed calls, and began loud
conversations with whoever was on the other end. I walked out behind them to the
parking lot to my car. They both jumped into their SUV, and, as I saw them drive off,
they were still talking on their cell phones.
But, alas, not to each other.
B. Americans are more socially isolated today.
C. Technology plays a bigger role in American society.
D. Americans don"t make good use of technology.
A. Age.
B. Education.
C. Skin color.
D. Sex.
B. They were quite close to each other.
C. There was not much communication between them.
D. They preferred talking to each other on cell phones.
B. disappointed
C. amused
D. surprised
everywhere these days. Typical customers of advertising companies are other companies,
or businessmen, who want to persuade potential customers to buy more of what they
make or sell. But there are other kinds of customers. Some organizations spend large
sums of money on advertising a political party or other group that sells what is not, strictly
speaking, a product or service. Such non - profit organizations are not typical advertising
customers, and they prefer ways of spreading knowledge, changing attitudes, and
improving society.
Many advertisements are designed to increase sales of products and services by either
improving brand image or, in the case of non - profit organizations, expressing ideas. In
order to achieve th~s, advertisements will often pass on truthful information while delivering
their messages. Every major medium is a means of delivering these messages, including
television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards
(大幅广告牌). Advertising will usually be created and. placed by an advertising agency
on behalf of company or other organization.
Spending on advertising has increased greatly in recent years. In 2006, spending was
estimated at $155 billion in the United States and $385 billion worldwide; the latter is
expected to reach more than $500 billion by 2010.
While advertising can be seen as a necessity for economic growth and social
development, it is not without social costs. Advertisement emails and other forms of junk
mail have become so popular that ~they have become a major burden to users of I
nternet email services, as well as a financial burden on Internet email service providers.