题目内容
Every hour and every minute ______precious to us because only six months are left for us to prepare for the college entrance examinations.
A. will be B. are C. is D. were
C
【解析】略
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(令人安心的保证),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.
【小题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 |
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 |
A.ambition | B.anxiety | C.busyness | D.dread |
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.all the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation |
D.The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness |
The bar-tailed godwit (斑尾鷸)has just broken its own record for the world’s longest non-stop flight, including humans in planes, according to a report made by Lund University Press. The bird can fly non-stop for eight days, while the most impressive man-made airplane can only remain in the sky for 82 hours without a stop.
The bar-tailed godwit’s journey, from Alaska to New Zealand, covers over 6,835 miles. It completes this trip twice a year, in autumn going to New Zealand, and in spring back to Alaska. The tireless bird ends the trip without stopping once for food or rest. All other birds can only finish trips that are twice as short as what the bar-tailed godwit travels.
One reason for the bar-tailed godwit’s success is that it has made the best use of its fuel, which is only 0.41 percent of its body weight over each hour of any given long flight. Hedenstrom, a professor from Lund University, says, “This figure is extremely low compared with other birds.” The bird also has a special body shape that helps it fly easily. It stores body fat and protein to manage its trips. It also travels fast, compared to other birds and animals.
Many questions remain about this bird record holder that never gets lost in the air. Researchers wonder whether it has an inside compass (指南针) that helps it to know the direction. Please watch how beautiful bar-tailed godwits look as they come in for a landing, along with other birds.
1.For the flight from Alaska to New Zealand, the bar-tailed godwit__________
A.doesn’t need to stop to eat |
B.is afraid of hot weather |
C.seems very tired at last |
D.should fly less than 7,000 meters |
2.The main reason why the bar-tailed godwit can break the record is that it ______.
A.eats little food every hour |
B.has a special body shape |
C.stores much water in its body |
D.has very light body weight |
3.The last paragraph tells us that _________.
A.researchers have understood the bird very well |
B.the bird has a very good sense of direction |
C.there are still many who doubt the bird’s ability |
D.the bird has an inner compass |