Passage five(Meditation in Indonesian Business)

  It looked like a typical business meeting. Six men, neatly dressed in white shirts and ties filed into the boardroom of a small Jakarta company and sat down at a long table. But instead of consulting files or hearing reports, they closed their eyes and began to meditate, consulting the spirits of ancient Javanese kings. Mysticism touches almost every aspect of life in Indonesia and business is no exception. One of the meditators said his weekly meditation sessions are aimed mainly at bringing the peace of mind that makes for good decision-making. But the insight gained from mystic communication with spirits of wise kings has also helped boost the profits of his five companies.

  Mysticism and profits have come together since the 13th century introduction of Islam to Indonesia by Indian Moslem merchants. Those devout traders, called ‘Wali Ullah’ or ‘those close to God, ’ energetically spread both trade and religion by adapting their appeals to the native mysticism of Java. Legends attribute magic power of foreknowledge to the Wali Ullah. These powers were believed to be gained through meditation and fasting.

  Businessman Hadisiko said his group fasts and meditates all night every Thursday to become closer to God and to contact the spirits of the great men of the past. ‘If we want to employ someone at the managerial level, we meditate together and often the message comes that this man can’t hole onto money or he is untrustworthy. Or maybe the spirits will tell us he should be hired.’  Hadiziko hastened to add that his companies also hold modern personnel management systems and that formal qualifications are essential for a candidate even to be considered. Perspective investments also are considered through mystic meditation. ‘With the mind relaxed and open, it is easier to be objective in judging the risk of a new venture. Meditation and contact with the wisdom of the old leaders sharpens your own insight and intuition. Then you have to apply that intuition to the information you have and work hard to be successful. ’ Mystic meditation helped reverse a business slide his companies experienced in the mid-1980. Operating with normal business procedures, he lost more than $ 3 millions in that year alone. Meditation brought back his peace of mind. Putting the right persons in the right jobs and gaining confidence in his business decisions were the keys to a turning around that has brought expansion and profitability. The mysticism in Handspike’s boardroom is part of a growing movement in Indonesia called Kebatinan – the ‘search for the inner self.’

  One of his managers, Yusuf Soemado, who studied business administration at Harvard University, compared the idea of mystic management to western system of positive thinking. ‘Willpower and subconscious mind are recognized as important factors in business. Such approaches as psycho-cybernetics, Carnegie’s think and growth rates, or the power of positive thinking are western attempts to tap the same higher intelligence that we contact through meditation,’ he said.

1.What is the most important factor in their doing business?

A.Mysticism.     B.Religion.        C.Meditation.    D.Investment.

2.Whom do they consult?

A.The spirits of ancient Javanese kings.

B.Wali Ullah.

C.Old Kings.

D.Carnegie.

3.Why did Hadisike hasten to add ‘his companies also hold modern personnel management systems…’?

A.He thought Mysticism was not so good as expected.

To show they too focused on qualifications.

C.To show they hired qualified persons.

D.To show the possibility of combination of the scientific management with religion.

4.According to the passage, the function of the meditation is

A.to gain profit from the god.

[N]to gain peace of mind to make decision.

C.to gain foreknowledge.

D.to gain objective conclusion.

5.What does ‘operating with normal business procedures’ refer to?

A.Adopting the western way of doing business.

B.Ordinary way of doing business without meditation and fasting.

C.Contact with God.

D.Putting right persons in the right jobs.

Aboriginal is a term used to describe the people and animals that lived in a place from the earliest known times or before Europeans arrived. Examples are the Maori in New Zealand, the Aborigines in Australia and the Indians in South America.

Maori

The Maori were the first people to go to New Zealand about 1,000 years ago. They came from the islands of Polynesia in the Pacific. They brought dogs, rats and plants with them and settled mainly on the Northern Island. In 1769, Captain James Cook took possession of the Island, and from that time on British people started to settle. The Maori signed an agreement with these settlers, but in later years there were arguments and battles between them over land rights.

Aborigine

Native people of Australia came from somewhere in Asia more than 40,000 years ago. They lived by hunting and gathering. Their contact with British settlers began in 1788. By the 1940s almost all of them were mixed into Australian society as low-paid workers. Their rights were limited. In 1976 and 1993 the Australian government passed laws that returned some land to the Aborigines and recognized their property rights.

Indians

Long before the Europeans came to America in the 16th and 17th century, the American Indians, or Native Americans, lived there. It is believed that they came from Asia. Christopher Columbus mistook the land for India and so called the people there Indians. The white settlers and American Indians lived in peace at the beginning, but conflicts finally arose and led to the Indian Wars (1866 —1890). After the war the Indians were driven to the west of the country. Not until 1924 did they gain the right to vote.

68. What is the subject discussed in the passage?

A. European settlers.

B. Native people from three countries.

C. Lifestyles of aboriginals.

D. History of three groups of aboriginals.

69. Which of the following statements is an opinion instead of a fact?

A. The Maori were the first people to go to New Zealand.

B. The Europeans were greedy because they always fought for land.

C. Native people of Australia lived by hunting and gathering.

D. After the war the Indians were driven to the west of the country.

70. The native people in America were called Indians because ________.

A. they originated from India

B. their appearances are similar to those of Indians

C. the land was mistaken for India

D. their personalities are comparable to those of Indians

71. By saying “almost all of them were mixed into Australian society as low-paid workers”(in Paragraph 3), the author implies that _____.

A. natives in Australia led a different life from the settlers

B. most natives in Australia were unemployed

C. natives in Australia were separated from Australia

D. most natives in Australia earned a small salary

Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden (雨水花园)is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak(浸入)slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the locals climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT RIGHT for the function(功能) of rain gardens?

A.They are good for living conditions.
B.They increase pollution.
C.They can beautify the community.
D.They improve the environment.
【小题2】Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
A.They can keep the rain and storm water.
B.They can help reduce the pollution problem.
C.They can be healthy for the people around.
D.They can make the environment more beautiful.
【小题3】One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that           .
A.they cost less and are much easier to get
B.they may attract local wildlife to come
C.they require little care from the local gardener
D.they are more used to the local growing conditions
【小题4】What do we know about rain gardens?
A.They need little water after all the plants are planted.
B.They usually need at least an inch of rainwater a week.
C.They may attract local birds and change the locals climate.
D.They may reduce the water pollution problem by 70%.
【小题5】Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A.Homeowners.B.Students.C.Engineers,D.Educators.


How “Kangaroo” Became an Animal’s Name
Early in the 18th century, Captain Cook, a famous explorer of Australia, unexpectedly caught sight of an unusual animal during his first visit to Australia. The animal had a large mouth-like head and jumped along on its large legs. To his surprise, the unusual animal carried it’s young in a special pocket of flesh. Captain Cook pointed to the animal which was eating grass in the distance and asked his native guide what the animal was referred to. The guide seemed not to know what he was pointing at and finally said Kang-a-roo, which Cook carefully wrote down as the animal’s name in his word book. The Europeans who later got to Australia were anxious to see the unusual animal “Kang-a-roo”, but their requests met with puzzled looks of the native people. Before long they got to discover that the native guide who made the answer to Cook’s question really meant, “I don’t know what you are pointing at.” Funny enough, the name “Kang-a-roo” stuck and it is still in use today.
60. Which of the following sentences best expresses the main idea?
A. Captain Cook’s guide had a sense of humour.
B. Native Australians could speak English in Cook’s time.
C. Some words have rather funny origins.
D. Captain Cook was a lover of wild animals.
61. The main use for the animal’s flesh pocket is to_______.
A. keep food               B. carry its babies
C. a long distance            D. store food and water
62. When the native guide said “Kang-a-roo” he really meant_______
A. “Ah, it is a special kind of animals.” 
B. “I wonder what you have said.”
C. “I have no idea of what you are pointing at.”
D. “What do you mean by pointing at that animal?”
63. The writer indirectly expresses that early in the 18th century_______
A. the native Australians and the Europeans explorers were not friendly to each other.
B. a common language was needed by the Europeans to communicate with the   native in Australia.
C. a great many Europeans showed great interest in Australia.
D. a war against the European invaders was a break out

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