题目内容
During my many contacts with people in China, I have been asked by two different people what I would recommend to them so that they could be happy. One of these people was my student and friend who began her question by saying I always appeared happy to her. She then asked how I could be this way and if I could teach her how to be happy all the time. The other inquiry was basically the same and came from the secretary of a company for which I was doing some work.
The first one to ask was my student and in thinking about an answer I even explored in class the idea of optimism and pessimism, of people who feel the glass is always half full and those who think it is half empty. It was easy to show that different people react differently to the same situations and conditions but that didn’t bring me much closer to understanding why.
About two months later I was riding to the airport in a taxi with the company secretary who asked me the same question and it made me think. Why did both these ladies feel they needed help to become happy? Indeed, why did either of them think they were not happy? Why did they choose to ask this question of me? Why are some people generally happy while others are not?
Certainly if someone is healthy, it might be expected that they are happy, and this is probably true. However, some people have money and health but have a miserable disposition that makes it difficult for them to have friends and meaningful relationships. Similarly, one would expect those who have little to complain about their fate and many do, but others are able to enjoy what they have and enjoy life. It seems the difference must lie within the people. What we may be looking at is acceptance of a personal set of circumstances and the contentment which flows from that. It should not mean, however, that those people cannot wish for something better.
If the difference between people who are happy and those who are not lies within the people themselves, can happiness be learned? I think there are things we can do, such as dreaming of the future, which can give us the sort of positive outlook which will generally make us happy people.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. The author was once asked how to be healthy and wealthy by two people.
B. The author came to realize why people responded differently to happiness.
C. Those who think the glass is always half empty are optimistic.
D. Those who feel the glass is always half full are pessimistic.
2.. The underlined word “disposition” in the fourth paragraph means .
A. character B. habit C. reputation D. fate
3. The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph refers to .
A. the idea of pessimism B. the attitude towards happiness
C. the satisfaction within D. the appearance of happiness
4.. What will the author most probably talk about after the last paragraph?
A. Learning how to be happy. B. Accepting the present situation.
C. Developing meaningful relationships. D. Going after the dream.
1.. C
2..A
3..B
4..D
【解析】 略
I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering(饮食)service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.
【小题1】Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?
A.Because there is one group presenting a catering service. |
B.Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains. |
C.Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic. |
D.Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness. |
A.China can make and sell any product all over the world |
B.high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
C.cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
D.the new government program is aimed at encouraging imagination |
A.Look for a New Way of Learning. |
B.Reward Creative Thinking. |
C.How to Become a Creator. |
D.Establish a technical Environment. |