If you live in America in the 21st century you'll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It's become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing:"Busy!""Crazy busy!".It is,pretty obviously,a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:"That's a good problem to have,"or"Better than the opposite."
Notice it isn't generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are.What those people are is not busy but tired.Exhausted!Dead on their feet.It's almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed:work and obligations they've taken on voluntarily,classes and activities they've "encouraged" their kids to participate in.They're busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety,because they're addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence.
Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren't either working or doing something to promote their work.It's something they have chosen.Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保證），a measure against emptiness,obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy,completely booked,in demand every hour of the day.
Idleness is not just a vacation.It is as necessary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body,and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets.The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole,for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration."Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do,"wrote Thomas Pynchon.Archimedes' "Eureka"in the bath, Newton's apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.
小題1:When many Americans say"Crazy busy", they mean______.
A．they are really tired of their present situation
B．they are really proud of their present life
C．they are complaining about their current work
D．their life are full of all kinds of problems
小題2:The writer mentions Archimedes' "Eureka"and Newton's apple to show that________.
A．history is full of interesting stories
B．Archimedes and Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveries
C．people may get inspiration when they are idle
D．inspirations come from hard work
小題3:The word "its" in the second paragraph refers to_______________________________.
A．a(chǎn)mbitionB．a(chǎn)nxietyC．busynessD．dread
小題4:From the article,we can infer that ___________________________________.
A．generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busy
B．"Dead on their feet" means "being tired out"
C．a(chǎn)ll the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation
D．The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:C
小題4:B

試題分析：本文敘述了21世紀(jì)的美國人們的生活現(xiàn)狀，。“忙！”“很忙�！薄懊Ο偭��！币呀�(jīng)變成了“你最近還好嗎”的默認(rèn)回答。很明顯，這些都是偽裝在抱怨之下的自我標(biāo)榜。對于它們的常備答復(fù)是：“忙一點(diǎn)好，”或者“總比不忙強(qiáng)�！彼麄兠Γ浅鲇谧约旱闹鞠�、動(dòng)力或者焦慮情緒，只因?yàn)樗麄儗γβ瞪习a，并且恐懼無所事事的感覺。但是歷史總是充滿了靈感的故事，它們恰恰來自于悠閑的時(shí)光與白日夢。
小題1:這是細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)It is,pretty obviously,a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:"That's a good problem to have,"or"Better than the opposite."忙一點(diǎn)好，”或者“總比不忙強(qiáng)�！惫蔬xB。
小題2:這是細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)"Eureka"in the bath, Newton's apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.人們得到靈感是他們閑的時(shí)候，故選C。
小題3:這是詞義猜測題。根據(jù)他們忙，是出于自己的志向、動(dòng)力或者焦慮情緒，只因?yàn)樗麄儗γβ瞪习a，并且恐懼無所事事的感覺。故選C。
小題4:這是推理判斷題。根據(jù)What those people are is not busy but tired.Exhausted!可以判斷是人累壞了，故選B。
點(diǎn)評：做詞義猜測題我們應(yīng)當(dāng)充分利用上下文猜測詞義，即利用上下文中我們已經(jīng)熟悉或明了的單詞或短語，立足上下文語義，進(jìn)行邏輯上的推理。通常我們可以通過分析構(gòu)詞法、語法以及同位關(guān)系、對比關(guān)系、因果關(guān)系等來推測，有時(shí)還需要借助平時(shí)所積累的常識和經(jīng)驗(yàn)來判斷。
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

On the River Thames there are a number of boat races every year and these have become very popular with the public. Perhaps the best–known of these races is the University Boat Race. This takes place just before Easter every year and is a competition between teams from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. They row from Putney to Mertlake, a distance of about four and a quarter miles. This race has been taking place almost every year since 1829.
小題1: The best – known of these races is __________.
A．the Boat Race of the University of Oxford.
B．the Boat Race of the University of Cambridge
C．the Boat Race of the Olympic Games
D．the University Boat Race
小題2: Generally, the Boat Race takes place _________.
A．once a yearB．twice a year
C．every three years D．every other year
小題3: The words “Putney” and “Mertlake” are _________.
A．names of placesB．names of teams
C．names of boat racesD．names of universities

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Lisa is ten years old. She is disabled because she has brain damage. She could not do even the simplest thing until a year ago. She could not comb her hair or feed herself. Her parents loved her. And they treated her like a baby.
Mr. Ching has a daughter and a son. They are both grown. They live far from their father. Mr. Cling felt lonely. He decided to become a foster grandfather to a handicapped child. And that was how he met Lisa.
Foster grandparents are grandparents who are not related by birth but foster parents love the children they care for. They also help the handicapped children in special ways. They help to dress and feed the children. They read to them and tell them stories. They also help with handicapped children’s therapy. Therapy is the treatment of a disease or disorder. It helps the children overcome their handicaps.
Mr. Cling became a foster grandparent to Lisa when she was nine years old. At first, Lisa was shy. She was afraid because Mr. Cling was a stranger. But he came to see her every day, gradually she began to trust him. At last, Lisa let Mr. Cling do things for her.
Cling speaks for most foster grandparents when he say, “We all benefit. The handicapped children benefit because we help them live more useful lives. And we benefit because we know the children need us and love us. For any person, there is no greater happiness than that.”
小題1:Why did Lisa need help?
A．She was a baby
B．She did not want to do anything.
C．She had brain damage.
D．She was a blind girl.
小題2:What does the underlined word “foster” in paragraph 2 mean?
A．ElderlyB．Related by birth
C．Not related by birthD．King-hearted
小題3:Which five things do foster grandparents do for handicapped children?
a  help with their treatment   b dress them    c live in their homes
d feed them          e charge them money    f read to them
g tell them stories    h make fun of them
A．a(chǎn),b,d,e,fB．a(chǎn),c,e,f,hC．b,c,d,f,gD．a(chǎn),b,d,f,g
小題4:Why did Mr. Cling foster Lisa?
A．Lisa needs looking after.
B．The passage doesn’t mention of.
C．Lisa need caring for and Mr. Cling also gets enjoyment from it.
D．Mr. Cling is too lonely.
小題5:The best title for this passage is ________.
A．Lisa, A Handicapped Girl
B．Why Did He Do That?
C．Foster Grandparents
D．The Greatest Happiness!

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

On Jan. 3, a netizen（網(wǎng)民）nicknamed “Programmer Humor”published a short story on his micro-blog. It said that there was an old lady who swept nearly every inch of his Internet company. When she passed by a programmer, she took a look at the codes on the programmer’s computer and kindly reminded him, “Be careful, the stack is overfilled!”
Certainly, it is a casual and fictitious（虛構(gòu)的）story made up by the micro-blogger. However, no one would have guessed that the short blog would eventually cause the first great Internet meme（網(wǎng)絡(luò)快速爆紅現(xiàn)象） of 2011 in China. Suddenly, the mysterious “Sweeping Old Lady” is showing up nearly everywhere and reminding professionals of their mistakes. From 8 a. m. on Jan. 5, some netizens collected stories of the “Sweeping Old Lady” and found she had appeared to give advice in 150 kinds of careers. A netizen even said he had met with a similar situation in real life.
Actually, the “Sweeping Old Lady” is not new figure, but is based on the “sweeping monk （和尚）”in Louis Cha’s famous Kung fu novel of “Tian Long Ba Bu”. The “sweeping monk” is an old monk and does the lowest class of work in Shaolin Temple, but he is actually the No. 1 master in the noel both in Kung fu and in the study of Buddhism.
The “Sweeping Old Lady” is also a great modest master. Lots of netizens wish that they could have such a lady beside them to give them precious suggestions at a key time.
Although there may be 1,000 “Sweeping Old Ladies” in 1,000 people’s minds, it cannot prevent the “Sweeping Old Lady” from becoming the most popular figure on the Internet.
“Programmer Humor” said he is just a programmer in the real world and once he saw the story about the “Sweeping Old Lady,” he wrote it down in his micro-blog because it was funny. He never knew who the original writer of the story was and never thought the story could be so popular.
小題1:What quality does the “Sweeping Old Lady” have?
A．Honest and knowledgeable.B．Modest and patient.
C．Modest and knowledgeable.D．Honest and patient.
小題2:Which description about the “Sweeping Old Lady” is right?
A．She is an old lady good at sweeping the Internet.
B．She is just an imaginary figure created by a netizen.
C．She is well-know as the old “sweeping monk.”
D．She likes to give instructions everywhere.
小題3:What can we infer from the text?
A．The sweeping old lady is always looking down on the people around her.
B．We should ask sweeping old lady for advice when meeting with difficulties.
C．People want to have a “Sweeping Old Lady” nearby to do the cleaning.
D．We shouldn’t judge a person by his or her appearance and we’d better respect everyone.
小題4:What does the author think of the “Sweeping Old Lady”?
A．She should be praised and respected.
B．She shouldn’t mind others’ business.
C．She should go in for network.
D．She shouldn’t show off before professionals.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If practicing an attitude of gratitude(感激) during the storms of life is too much for you right now, that’s OK. When things are tough, most people have a hard time being thankful. They’re so caught up in what’s wrong in the present moment that they simply can’t see some things are still right.
If that’s true for you, then accept it. You’re going through a particularly difficult or unhappy period of time, and you don’t like it one bit. Very normal, very human. But remember this: there is always something to be grateful for. It maybe only a small comfort right now, but it is a start. Make a list of some of the terrible things that didn’t happen. For example:
●You’re in debt...but you’re not homeless.
●You lost your job...but you didn’t lose your health.
●You broke your leg...but you didn’t break your neck.
●Your mother has Alzheimer’s disease...but your father doesn’t.
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened, but didn’t. It does help a lot. Of course, you may not be thankful for everything— but you can always be thankful for something.
小題1:The passage is intended for those who ________.
A．have done a lot for othersB．have met with difficulties in life
C．have something to do in returnD．don’t know how to be thankful
小題2:The writer thinks it ______ for people to feel unhappy in time of difficulty.
A．understandable B．necessary C．impossible D．helpful
小題3:How many “terrible things that didn’t happen” are listed in this passage?
A．Two. B．Three. C．Four. D．Five.
小題4:What is the purpose of this passage?
A．To discuss ways to make a list of terrible things.
B．To explain what is gratitude towards the storms of life.
C．To persuade people to be thankful for what didn’t happen.
D．To show people different ways to consider their tough situations.
小題5:How is the passage organized?
A．Explanation—Comparison—Topic
B．Argument—Opinion—Discussion
C．Comparison—Argument—Explanation
D．Introduction—Discussion—Conclusion

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Most people have heard the sound of bees among flowers. Bees live almost everywhere in the world except in the Arctic areas.
Many kinds of agriculture depend on these small, social insects. Without bees, fruit and nut growers as well as many other farmers would not have a crop.
There are more than 20,000 kinds of bees. But only honey bees make enough honey for people to use. Honeybees are highly-organized social insects. They work together in a group, called a colony（群體）. Each colony lives in a hive（蜂房）. It contains one queen bee -- she lays all the eggs from which the members of the colony come. Each colony has only a few hundred males, called drones. The majority of all bees in a colony are workers, which are all females.
Bees even have a special stomach, called a honey stomach,  which is used to store sweet fluid that the bees gather from flowers. Bees also have long hairs on their body and legs. These hairs capture pollen（花粉） as bees go from flower to flower. Some of the pollen is taken back to the hive. Some, however, is passed to the next flower. This is how many plants are fertilized. Pollen is the reproductive material of plants. Many important agricultural crops depend on bees for fertilization.
Inside their hives, bees store sweet liquid from flowers and pollen as well. They may even gather sweet liquid from some other kinds of insects. These kinds of sweet liquid are also stored in the hive.
Bees make honey through a process. They add liquid from their own mouths to sweet liquid into simple sugar. As the honey is stored, it dries. It becomes thicker and darker.
Although bees are often thought of as honey makers, they provide a surprising number of products. Also, their greatest economic value is in fertilizing crops-not in making honey.
小題1:The passage is mainly about             .
A．bees and their colony
B．the way for bees to pass pollen
C．bees and agriculture
D．the process for bees to make honey
小題2:Honeybees are social insects because         .
A．they work in groupsB．there is queen bee in every colony
C．they live in a hiveD．each of them does the same job
小題3:The most valuable thing honeybees do for people is in             .
A．making honeyB．fertilizing crops
C．making flowers grow betterD．producing pollen
小題4:The word “fertilize” in the sentence “This is how many plants are fertilized” probably means “    ”.
A．to make plants strong and productive
B．to make soil rich for plants
C．to start the development of young flowers
D．to introduce pollen into plants

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the past, when "duty'' and "responsibility" were often the words used.
Parents today are more youthful in appearance and attitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge the divide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading, snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.
For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby have spent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children. "It's great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "We discuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads to other Conversations. We're definitely closer."
A popular movement of parent effectiveness training in the 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourages children to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, says Robert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University, "Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had not before."
On the plus side, he adds, these conversations made parents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings that adults need to be aware of.
But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Many parents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "The power shifted to children. Parents said, 'I have to focus on making my child happy', as opposed to 'I have to act as a parent most appropriately'."
Other changes are occurring as the ranks of working mothers grow.  Time-short parents encourage children's independence, making them more responsible for themselves. "They'll say, 'We trust you to make the right decisions' (whether they're ready to assume the responsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.
The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-century has also affected the family dynamics (原動(dòng)力). Some parents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child's self-esteem.
小題1:What's the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?
A．Parents are chasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children.
B．More parents and children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport.
C．Parents are taking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children.
D．The generation gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children's thoughts more.
小題2:Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?
A．Younger parents.B．Parent effectiveness training.
C．More working mothers.D．The self-esteem movement.
小題3:What's Billingham's attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?
A．He supports them.B．He admires them.
C．He disagrees with them.D．He thinks they're unreasonable.
小題4:What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?
A．The effect of more working mothers on children' s education.
B．The benefits of the new relationship between parents and children.
C．The importance of self-esteem and ways to develop children's self-esteem.
D．The risks of setting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude.
小題5:What's the best title for the text?
A．Parents and Children as Friends.B．Parents and Professors as Debaters.
C．Growing Mutual Understanding.D．Disappearing Responsibility.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Cara Lang is 13. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts, in me U. S. Last Thursday, she didn't go to school. She went to work with her father instead. Every year, on the fourth Thursday in April, millions of young girls go work. This is Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The girls are between me ages of 9 and 15. They spend the day at work with an adult, usually a mother, father, aunt, or uncle. They go to offices, police stations, laboratories, and other places where their parents or other family members work. Next year, the day will include sons, too.
The Ms. Foundation, an organization for women, started the program about ten years ago. In the U.S., many women work outside the home. The Ms. Foundation wanted girls to find out about many different kinds of jobs. Then, when the girls grow up, they can choose a job they like.
Cara's father is a film director. Cara says, “It was very exciting for me to go to the studio with my dad. I saw a lot of people doing different jobs.” Many businesses have special activities for girls on this day. Last year, Cara went to work with her aunt at the University of Massachusetts. In the engineering department, the girls learned to build a bridge with toothpicks and Candy. In the chemistry department, they learned to use scales. They learned about many other kinds of jobs, too.
Right now, Cara does not know what job she will have when she grows up. But because of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, she knows she h2Ls many choices.
小題1:What is Cara's father?
A．An engineer.B．An official.C．A moviemaker.D．A professor.
小題2:According to the passage, Take our Daughters to work Day is ______.
A．on every Thursday in April
B．a(chǎn) holiday for girls of all ages
C．a(chǎn) day for girls to know about jobs
D．a(chǎn) day for girls to get a job easily
小題3:On this special day, Cara has done all the following EXCEPT that ____.
A．she learned to use scales
B．she worked as an actress
C．she went to work with her aunt
D．she used toothpicks and Candy to build a bridge
小題4:What is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Cara Lang, a Fortunate Girl
B．Take Our Daughters to Work Day
C．Children's Day and Work Day
D．Ms. Foundation, an Organization for Women

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert（警報(bào)）system using text messages delivered to cell phones.
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years，particularly among young people.The wireless industry’s trade association, CTIA，estimates（估計(jì)）more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act，a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system.The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings.and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public.has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during,disasters and other emergencies. ”FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers—telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three different types of messages，according to the rules.  
The first would be a national alert from the president，likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster.The second would involve “approaching threats，”which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction（綁架）emergencies,or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.
小題1: What is the purpose of the approved plan?
A．To warn people of emergencies via messages.
B．To popularize the use of cell phones.
C．To estimate the monthly number of messages.
D．To promote the wireless industry.
小題2: The improvement to the present system is in the charge of ________.
A．CTIAB．the Warning Alert and Response Network
C．FCC D．federal regulators
小題3: The carriers' participation in the system is determined by ________.
A．the US federal governmentB．mobile phone users
C．the carriers themselves D．the law of the United States
小題4:. Which of the following is true of cell phone users?
A．They must accept the alert service.
B．They may enjoy the alert service for free.
C．They must send the alerts to others
D．They may choose the types of messages
小題5:. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A，Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students
B.   Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry
C. Cell Phone Alefts of National Disasters
D. Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案