As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them.
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs (郊区), leaving their two children with a nanny (保姆). Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life
was passing them by.
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It’s taken some getting used to, but it has been worthy of. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier.”
Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”
【小题1】What do the first two paragraphs tell us?
| A．People seldom work long hours to make money. |
| B．People hardly buy more things than necessary. |
| C．People are sure everything they own is in the right place. |
| D．People realize there is more to life than just making money. |
| A．lived in central London | B．disliked his job |
| C．missed his children | D．was well paid |
A．was easy to organize | B．has improved family life |
| C．was extremely expensive | D．has been a total success |
| A．Child-caring. | B．Liz’s advice. | C．Downshifting. | D．Liz’s job. |
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Babies are born yogis. Once we were all able to pull our toes up by our ears and laugh about it. Then we aged, got injured, and began carrying stress in our shoulders and back. In short, we lost our balance.
Yoga（瑜伽）is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. It brings us balance. I was seriously out of balance when I started practicing yoga in 1999. I had plantar fascitis(足底筋膜炎) in both feet, and my doctor had warned me against all the things I loved to do: walking, hiking, and playing tennis. I was desperate for exercise. Yoga became my salvation(拯救) and even enhanced my other fitness activities. I practice yoga at least twice a week, but I consider yoga to be part of my daily life because after a while you no longer just practice yoga—you love it.
Yoga becomes part of your physical life. Your body grows stronger, more toned, and more flexible as you move from one pose to the other. I spent a week in Mexico at a yoga retreat(静修), and it was the first vacation on which I lost weight. “Rather than building muscle, yoga builds muscle tone,” says Shakta Kaur Khalsa, author of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Yoga. “Because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism (新陈代谢), it also helps to regulate weight. Additionally, yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be removed around the cells.” I do yoga poses throughout the day. After hours at my computer, I stretch my stiff shoulders and arms. When I need a boost of energy, I do energizing poses. When I am feeling exhausted at the end of the day, I do restorative poses.
Yoga becomes part of your mental life. Yoga teaches you to focus on breathing while you hold the poses. This attention to breath is calming; it dissolves stress and anxiety. I use yogic breathing on the tennis courts, in the dentist’s chair, and in traffic jams. You should always leave a yoga practice feeling energized, not tired. If you feel tired after yoga, it means you spent the time “fighting” yourself, trying to force yourself into poses. In yoga, you “surrender” to the pose by letting go of the tension.
Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life. Yoga is practiced by people from all religions; it is not restricted to any religious group. Yoga teaches “right” living in how we deal with ourselves and others. As I work on a difficult pose, I learn patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness. Yoga advocates proper eating, but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga.
What would be the best title for this passage?
A. What’s Yoga? B. How I Do Yoga Poses
C. The Benefits of Yoga D. The Varieties of Yoga
According to the third paragraph, yoga can help people __________.
A. grow taller B. lose weight
C. become flexible in thinking D. make more friends
People feel tired after yoga because __________.
A. they consume energy in practicing yoga
B. they respond well to yoga poses
C. they spend too much time on yoga
D. they force themselves into yoga poses
If this passage continues, what will the writer most probably write about in the next paragraph?
A. Yoga as a means to keep fit. B. Different yoga poses.
C. Popularity of yoga all over the world. D. Encouraging people to do yoga.
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科目：高中英语 来源：广东省揭阳棉湖中学2009-2010学年高一下学期期末考试试题（英语） 题型：完型填空
II 英语知识运用（共两节，满分35分）
第一节完形填空（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~30各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
As you move through life, you meet problems of all shapes and sizes. Some are hardly __21__ mentioning; while others are life-threatening or earth-shattering. Yet, they all have one thing in __22__. Each problem is merely the __23__ that hides a gift which has been custom designed to your specifications.
If you choose to __24__ yourself in your life with the wrapping paper, the bow, and the box, that's perfectly all right. You can cuss them and discuss them. You can admire all the subtleties(精妙) of their __25__. But, if you are worried by the problem — that is, the wrappings — you will never be able to receive the __26__that was prepared __27__ for you.
No matter what the problem is, the gift it __28__ has a peculiar quality. It cannot be delivered __29__ into your consciousness or your awareness. You must actively choose to __30__ it and to accept it as your own. Only you can remove the wrapping, and only you can remove the gift from the box.
21. A. busy B. worth C. valuable D. worthy
22. A. common B. general C. ordinary D. brief
23. A. box B. tiger C. wrapping D. opportunity
24. A. teach B. enjoy C. entertain D. hurt
25. A. appearance B. wrapping C. problem D. design
26. A. gift B. box C. bow D. paper
27. A. especially B. perfectly C. politely D. previously
28. A. gets B. carries C. takes D. includes
29. A. happily B. easily C. freely D. directly
30. A. understand B. realize C. acknowledge D. approach
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013-2014学年福建省漳州市高三12月第四次月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Babies are born yogis. Once we were all able to pull our toes up by our ears and laugh about it. Then we aged, got injured, and began carrying stress in our shoulders and back. In short, we lost our balance.
Yoga（瑜伽） is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. It brings us balance. I was seriously out of balance when I started practicing yoga in 1999. I had plantar fascitis in both feet, and my doctor had warned me against all the things I loved to do: walking, hiking, and playing tennis. I was desperate for exercise. Yoga became my salvation and even enhanced my other fitness activities. I practice yoga at least twice a week, but I consider yoga to be part of my daily life because after a while you no longer just practice yoga—you love it.
Yoga becomes part of your physical life. Your body grows stronger, more toned, and more flexible as you move from one pose to the other. I spent a week in Mexico at a yoga retreat, and it was the first vacation on which I lost weight. “Rather than building muscle, yoga builds muscle tone,” says Shakta Kaur Khalsa, author of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Yoga. “Because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism (新陈代谢), it also helps to regulate weight. Additionally, yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be removed around the cells.” I do yoga poses throughout the day. After hours at my computer, I stretch my stiff shoulders and arms. When I need a boost of energy, I do energizing poses. When I am feeling exhausted at the end of the day, I do restorative poses.
Yoga becomes part of your mental life. Yoga teaches you to focus on breathing while you hold the poses. This attention to breath is calming; it dissolves stress and anxiety. I use yogic breathing on the tennis courts, in the dentist’s chair, and in traffic jams. You should always leave a yoga practice feeling energized, not tired. If you feel tired after yoga, it means you spent the time “fighting” yourself, trying to force yourself into poses. In yoga, you “surrender” to the pose by letting go of the tension.
Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life. Yoga is practiced by people from all religions; it is not restricted to any religious group. Yoga teaches “right” living in how we deal with ourselves and others. As I work on a difficult pose, I learn patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness. Yoga advocates proper eating, but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga.
1.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. What’s Yoga????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B. The Benefits of Yoga
C. How I Do Yoga Poses? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D. The Varieties of Yoga
2.According to the third paragraph, yoga can help people __________.
A. grow taller????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B. lose weight????????????? ?????????????
C. become flexible in thinking????????????? ????????????? D. make more friends
3.People feel tired after yoga because __________.
A. they spend too much time on yoga
B. they respond well to yoga poses
C. they force themselves into yoga poses?????????????
D. they consume energy in practicing yoga?????????????
4.If this passage continues, what will the writer most probably write about in the next paragraph?
A. Yoga as a means to keep fit.????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ?????????????
B. Different yoga poses.
C. Popularity of yoga all over the world.????????????? ?????????????
D. Encouraging people to do yoga.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届辽宁省高三上学期期中考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Babies are born yogis. Once we were all able to pull our toes up by our ears and laugh about it. Then we aged, got injured, and began carrying stress in our shoulders and back. In short, we lost our balance.
Yoga（瑜伽） is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. It brings us balance. I was seriously out of balance when I started practicing yoga in 1999. I had plantar facilities in both feet, and my doctor had warned me against all the things I loved to do: walking, hiking, and playing tennis. I was desperate for exercise. Yoga became my salvation and even enhanced my other fitness activities. I practice yoga at least twice a week, but I consider yoga to be part of my daily life because after a while you no longer just practice yoga—you love it.
Yoga becomes part of your physical life. Your body grows stronger, more toned, and more flexible as you move from one pose to the other. I spent a week in Mexico at a yoga retreat, and it was the first vacation on which I lost weight. “Rather than building muscle, yoga builds muscle tone,” says Shakta Kaur Khalsa, author of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Yoga. “Because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism (新陈代谢), it also helps to regulate weight. Additionally, yoga stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be removed around the cells.” I do yoga poses throughout the day. After hours at my computer, I stretch my stiff shoulders and arms. When I need a boost of energy, I do energizing poses. When I am feeling exhausted at the end of the day, I do restorative poses.
Yoga becomes part of your mental life. Yoga teaches you to focus on breathing while you hold the poses. This attention to breath is calming; it dissolves stress and anxiety. I use yogic breathing on the tennis courts, in the dentist’s chair, and in traffic jams. You should always leave a yoga practice feeling energized, not tired. If you feel tired after yoga, it means you spent the time “fighting” yourself, trying to force yourself into poses. In yoga, you “surrender” to the pose by letting go of the tension.
Yoga becomes part of your spiritual life. Yoga is practiced by people from all religions; it is not restricted to any religious group. Yoga teaches “right” living in how we deal with ourselves and others. As I work on a difficult pose, I learn patience, forgiveness, and the value of gentleness. Yoga advocates proper eating, but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga.
1.What would be the best title for this passage?
|
A．What’s Yoga? |
B．How I Do Yoga Poses |
|
C．The Benefits of Yoga |
D．The Varieties of Yoga |
2.According to the third paragraph, yoga can help people __________.
|
A．grow taller |
B．lose weight |
|
C．become flexible in thinking |
D．make more friends |
3.People feel tired after yoga because __________.
|
A．they consume energy in practicing yoga |
|
B．they respond well to yoga poses |
|
C．they spend too much time on yoga |
|
D．they force themselves into yoga poses |
4.If this passage continues, what will the writer most probably write about in the next paragraph?
|
A．Yoga as a means to keep fit. |
B．Who may like yoga |
|
C．Popularity of yoga all over the world. |
D．Encouraging people to do yoga. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010年江苏省高二下学期期末考试英语 题型：单项填空
|
Anne responded on May 20, 2009 Julie, most of us are never going to achieve the heights you did as the CEO of a company. I just want to say that I was so touched by your transparency (坦诚). I haven’t been attacked publicly ever like you, but I’ve suffered from depression—just recently in fact. It helps a lot to hear personal stories, and it helped to read how you might have handled things differently. |
|
Nancy responded on May 21, 2009 Something in Julie drew her to artwork during a very dark time in her journey. And later she stated that it’s beauty that keeps her going. Beauty and creativity can be very powerful in our lives. And it doesn’t surprise me that Julie was drawn to these naturally. Anne, maybe the artistic kinds of activities Julie used will support you well as you move beyond the depressive feelings you’re dealing with. |
|
Anne responded on June 4, 2009 Nancy, thanks so much for taking the time to offer some great ideas for using creativity to help with depression. Actually during this time I’ve found that my creative work has been the one thing that’s brought me a lot of joy. |
|
Julie responded on June 2, 2009 Nancy, thank you for your insights (深刻见解). Warmly, Julie. |
|
Chris responded on May 31, 2009 I don’t normally comment on blogs, but this was a very insightful and transparent post (帖子). I could really feel that you were open and honest about everything you wrote about. Thanks for sharing and good luck with everything that you do. |
|
Julie responded on June 9, 2009 Thanks, Chris. |
|
Wendy responded on May 30, 2009 Julie, everything you shared here is inspiring. Thank you for having the courage to be so open. I love what you’re doing here. Keep it up! |
|
Julie responded on May 31, 2009 Thank you, Wendy. |
1.The above posts center on a blog passage written by ______.
A. Wendy B. Julie C. Anne D. Nancy
2. Nancy and Anne share the opinion that______.
A. work can bring joy to people B. creativity may help reduce depression
C. beauty is the most important in life D. different people handle things differently
3.Which of the following about Julie is NOT true?
A. Julie is the CEO of a company. B. Julie was once attracted to artwork.
C. Julie has never been attacked publicly. D. Julie was honest about her past experiences.
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