Looking back on my childhood,I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made.Although we were all brought up in the same way,my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects.Unlike them,I had no ear for music and languages.I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War Ⅰ we spent our summer holidays in Hungary.I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in,of my room and my toys.Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents,aunts,uncles and cousins who gathered next door.But I do have a clear memory of the dogs,the farm animals,the local birds,and above all,the insects.

I am a naturalist,not a scientist.I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations.I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries.Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind.

Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle,because it all seems to fit together.This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books,which some might honor with the title of scientific research.

But curiosity,a keen eye,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist:one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline,a quality I lack.A scientist requires not only self-discipline,but hard training,determination and a goal.A scientist,up to a certain point,can be made.A naturalist is born.If you can combine the two,you get the best of both worlds.

1.The first paragraph tells us the author .

A.was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

B.lost his hearing when he was a child

C.didn’t like his brothers and sisters

D.was born to a naturalist’s family

2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because .

A.he didn’t live very long with them

B.the family was extremely large

C.he was too young when he lived with them

D.he was fully occupied with observing nature

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?( )

A.The author is a naturalist,but not a scientist.

B.The author is a scientist as well as a naturalist.

C.The author is first of all a scientist.

D.The author is neither a naturalist nor a scientist.

4.The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he .

A.has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

B.lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

C.just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

D.comes up with solutions in a most natural way

 

As an English teacher,I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries all over the world.I’ve seen people celebrate everything from the arrival of new babies to the delivery of new cars.I’ve attended weddings,parties and religious celebrations in countries such as Argentina and Japan,and I’ve noticed that gold—the metal or the colour of it—is always part of cultural events,traditions and celebrations.

It makes me wonder:Why do people love gold?

For some people,gold seems to be a status(地位)symbol.Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so much that he even bought a shirt made of gold at a cost of $250,000.I’m not sure I’d spend so much money on a shirt,would you?But Datta Phuge has his reason.He explains,“Some people want to own an Audi or a Mercedes.I choose gold.”

For other people,gold is an investment(投资).The price of gold generally increases over time and in European markets,it reached even $1,500 per ounce in 2011.

And for many people,a family heirloom(传家宝)brings together status and investment.My mother has a gold bracelet(手镯)that was given to her by her grandmother who,in turn,inherited it from her own grandmother.It’s quite a heavy piece and probably worth quite a lot of money.But its mental value is greater than its value in dollars.It’s a beautiful object that holds many family memories.When the time comes,my mum will give the bracelet to me,and one day,I’ll pass it on to the younger generation.

Therefore,status and investment are good reasons to value gold.However,I think that the real reason why people love gold is that it can be made into beautiful objects.Think about Tutankhamen’s death mask.Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

People love gold because it holds their minds,their imaginations and,above all,their hearts.

1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that .

A.the author has traveled to many countries

B.people celebrate almost everything

C.there are many ways to use gold

D.people all over the world love gold

2.Datta Phuge bought a shirt made of gold because .

A.gold is a status symbol to him

B.he loves this kind of shirt

C.people there love gold so much

D.he is a successful businessman

3.According to the passage,in Europe,gold could be per ounce in 2010.

A.$1,550 B.$1,500 C.$1,450 D.$1,600

4.The gold bracelet is the heirloom for the author’s family mainly because .

A.it’s worth a lot of money

B.it brings status and investment

C.it’s a beautiful object

D.it holds family memories

 

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