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（冥想）, 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.

What is the most important factor in their doing business?

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

Whom do they consult?

A The spirits of ancient Javanese kings.  B Wali Ullah.  C Old Kings.  D Carnegie.

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

A He thought Mysticism was not so good as expected.

B 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.

According to the passage, the function of the meditation is

A to gain profit from the god.  B to gain peace of mind to make decision.

C to gain foreknowledge.     D to gain objective conclusion.

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.

Antinuclear Demonstration

       Police fired tear gas and arrested more than 5,000 passively resisting protestors Friday in an attempt to break up the largest antinuclear demonstration ever staged in the United States. More than 135,000 demonstrators confronted police on the construction site of a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant scheduled to provide power to most of southern New Hampshire. Organizers of the huge demonstration said, the protest was continuing despite the police actions. More demonstrators were arriving to keep up the pressure on state authorities to cancel the project. The demonstrator had charged that the project was unsafe in the densely populated area, would create thermal pollution in the bay, and had no acceptable means for disposing of its radioactive wasters. The demonstrations would go on until the jails and the courts were so overloaded that the state judicial system would collapse.

       Governor Stanforth Thumper insisted that there would be no reconsideration of the power project and no delay in its construction set for completion in three years. “This project will begin on time and the people of this state will begin to receive its benefits on schedule. Those who break the law in misguided attempts to sabotage the project will be dealt with according to the law,” he said. And police called in reinforcements from all over the state to handle the disturbances.

       The protests began before dawn Friday when several thousand demonstrators broke through police lines around the cordoned-off construction site. They carried placards that read “No Nukes is Good Nukes,” “Sun-power, Not Nuclear Power,” and “Stop Private Profits from Public Peril.” They defied police order to move from the area. Tear gas canisters fired by police failed to dislodge the protestors who had come prepared with their own gas masks or facecloths. Finally gas-masked and helmeted police charged into the crowd to drag off the demonstrators one by one. The protestors did not resist police, but refused to walk away under their own power. Those arrested would be charged with unlawful assembly, trespassing, and disturbing the peace.

What were the demonstrators protesting about?

A Private profits.     B Nuclear Power Station.

C The project of nuclear power construction.   D Public peril.

Who had gas-masks?

A Everybody.    B A part of the protestors.

C Policemen.    D Both B and C.

Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a reason for the demonstration?

A Public transportation.    B Public peril.

C Pollution.             D Disposal of wastes.

With whom were the jails and courts overloaded?

A With prisoners.        B With arrested demonstrators.

C With criminals.        D With protestors.

What is the attitude of Governor Stanforth Thumper toward the power project and the demonstration?

A stubborn.       B insistent.     C insolvable.        D remissible.

Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.

I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception.

My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land and loved to work in the garden among her flowers and vegetables. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.

In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk. She loved to tell how my playpen（婴儿圈栏）sat in the kitchen next to the radio and there was one song I particularly loved called "Ivory Tower".

As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.

Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.

My heart skipped a beat. "Moon River" was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note.

Then the radio announcer of this oldie station came on. "Here's one we haven't heard in a while," and an unfamiliar song began. I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves. "Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower...."

The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons EXCEPT that ________.

A. it was too cold and quiet

B. she could only sing one song in the small farm

C. there was nothing more that could make her excited

D. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat

From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.

    A. passed away four years ago

 B. left the small farm with Lord

C. left for Lord to live her own way

    D. preferred to be with Lord

The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________.

A. recalled     B. comforted     C. shouted      D. sighed

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage _______.

A. The writer was able to sing before she could speak.

B. The writer preferred to live a busy life in the city.

C. The writer was still quite familiar with the song "Ivory Tower".

D. The writer treasured all her childhood memories in the small farmhouse.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______

A. Cherish life                  B. My happy childhood

C. Our small farmhouse           D. Mom’s music

When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that my life has its _______ too.
One big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and  the air is so  that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
【小题1】Which of the following words can be put into the blank in the first paragraph?

阅读下面对话，掌握其大意，并根据所给首字母的提示，在标有题号的右边横线上写出一个英语单词的完整、正确形式，使对话通顺。（每小题一分，共10分）

A：Excuse me, sir, but I’m writing a report on what people prefer to do on holiday. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

B：No, not at all. Please go (76) a_______.

A：How often do you go on holiday?

B：I generally have two weeks’ holiday a year.

A：And what do you prefer to do when you are on holiday?

B：Well, I don’t usually visit my family. We live quite (77) c_____ and I can see them any time. But I do like to visit museums, (78) e__________ if there is a special exhibition on. I don’t like to stay at home, though my parents do. (79)I________, I prefer to get away from the city and just (80) e________ the peace of the country. You know, just sit under a tree, listen to the birds in the morning, or maybe go walking over the hills.

A：Have you ever (81) t_________ abroad?

B：No, I haven’t .It’s too (82) e__________ for me. But my wife loves to visit the coast, so if the (83) w_________ is good we often go swimming in the sea, or maybe just lie on the (84) b________ and bathe in the sun.

A：OK. Well, thank you very much for your time.

B：You are (85) w_________.