Minimalism (简约主义) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.
You might think nostalgically(怀旧的) about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. I’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.
Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.
1.In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to .
A.introduce a topic B.present his own idea
C.describe a scene D.offer an argument
2.Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because .
A.they haven’t had any life-changing experiences
B.they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff
C.they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away
D.they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them
3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?
A.It takes the burden off her while she is moving.
B.It reduces her attachment to her personal things.
C.It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires.
D.It helps her to realize how true life is.
4.By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means
A.little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life
B.minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations
C.minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality
D.life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value
5.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Minimalism brings happiness.
B.Minimalism is applied in many fields.
C.Minimalism makes people think nostalgically.
D.Minimalism is about able to move.
科目:高中英语 来源:2015-2016学年四川绵阳南山中学高二3月入学考试英语卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak of the ‘decline of class ’ and ‘classless society ’ in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class.
But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging study of pubic opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in a particular class; 73 percent agreeed that class was still a vital part of British society.; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an imprtant part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.
One unchanging aspect of a British person’s class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during the 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounds ‘educated ’ and ‘soft ’. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional(地区的) city accents. These accents were seen as ‘common ’ and ‘ugly ’. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper midder-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song ‘ Common People ’ puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may ‘ want to live like common people ’ they can never appreciate the reality of a working class life.
1.A recent study of pubic opinion shows that in modern Britain_________.
A. it is time to end class distinction
B. most people belong to middle class
C. it is easy to recognize a person’s class
D. people regard themselves socially different
2.The word stratification in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to_________.
A. variety B. division
C. authority D. qualification
3.The study in the US showed that BBC English was regarded as _________.
A. regional B. educated
C. prejudiced D. unattractive
4.British attitudes towards accent_________.
A. have a long tradition
B. are based on regional status
C. are shared by the Americans
D. have changed in recent years
5.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The middle class is expanding.
B. A person’s accent reflects his class.
C. Class is a key part of British society.
D. Each class has unique characteristics.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016届湖北省黄冈市高考英语阅读理解专项精练(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
阅读理解。阅读下列短文, 从给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。
The first Europeans came to America in 1492 with Christopher Columbus. Since that time people have come to America from all over the world, from Europe, Africa, and Asia, and they have brought their music with them. This mixing of people and music has created American music.
Music is a very important part of our lives. Music is for dancing, drinking, eating, loving, and thinking. Some songs remind us of our childhood or youth.
Others remind of the people they love. Many important occasions, like weddings and funerals have special music. Every nation has a national song like the American “The Star?Spangled Banner”. In the US high schools and colleges have school songs too.
Music is a part of the history of America. It expresses the problems and feelings of its people. As the years pass, the music grows and changes.
Modern science has also changed music. Inventions like records, radios, movies, electric instruments, tape recorders, and videos have changed the way we play and listen to music. They have helped to make music an important form of international communication.
American music, from the earliest folk songs to modern “pop”, is known around the world. Music is one of America's most important exports. It brings the people of the world together. Even when people cannot understand the same language, they can share the same music. Many people learn and practise English by singing song. Understanding American music can help you understand American people, their history and culture.
So, as the song says, “put a dime (10 cents)in the juke box (自动点唱机), baby. Let's listen to the music!”
1.The article mainly tells us about ________.
A.how American music developed
B.when American music developed
C.what American music is
D.why American music is so popular
2.From the text we know that ________.
A.American music has spread all over the world
B.American music began in the 1550s
C.American music is special
D.American music has changed modern science in the US
3.The sixth paragraph probably means that ________.
A.American music is very popular
B.American music is known to people all over the world
C.American music can help us understand American people, history and culture
D.American music is important in our lives
their history and culture.”可知美国音乐帮助我们了解美国人、美国历史和美国文化。
4.American music is ________.
A.for dancing, drinking, eating, loving and thinking
B.a mixture of people and music from all over the world
C.an important form of international communication
D.a part of the history of the world
5.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Only modern American music is world?famous.
B.If people don't understand the same language, they don't understand the same music.
C.Many people learn English by enjoying American songs.
D.If you want to understand American history and culture you must understand American music.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016届湖北省黄冈市高考英语阅读理解专项精练(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文,从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement(广告)for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent(出租)a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger(房客)earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government?backed “rent a room” program, you won't have to pay any tax on the first £4,500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don't want a full?time lodger? Then rent on a short?term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around£14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25?year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1.If you earn £5,000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ________.
A.£300 B.£500
C.£4,500 D.£5,000
2.Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?
A.On Letpark. B.On Roomspare.
C.On Grashpadder. D.On Roommateeasy.
3.If you want to use energy free, you have to ________.
A.sign an agreement with the government
B.pay around £14,000 for the equipment
C.sell the roof to some energy companies
D.keep the roof unchanged within 25 years
4.For whom is the text most probably written?
A.Lodgers. B. Advertisers.
C.House owners. D.Online companies.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年山东省潍坊市高三第一次模拟考试英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Can you imagine a world without chocolate? It's not something I'd 1ike to do.so I was relieved to read that there’s a university with a program me to safeguard the future of chocolate!
The University of Reading,in England,has just opened a new clearing house for all the world’s new cocoa varieties.They must be quarantined(隔离检疫)before they can be grown.Why? Cocoa production hit a record high of 4.4 million tons last year but about 30%of the precious crop is regularly lost to pests and diseases.Now we don’t want that,do we?
Demand for chocolate has been increasing faster than the world supply of cocoa and researchers think that new varieties are key to solving this problem.
The University of Reading has been protecting the quality of the new crops since 1985,after it took over the task from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew,London.And it has improved its facilities.The leader of the institution’s cocoa project,Professor Paul Hadley,says,“One of the main issues concerning cocoa improvement is the supply of reliably clean,healthy,interesting cocoa material.”
The cocoa centre has a collection of 400 plant varieties and their greenhouse uses a lot of energy to keep them in tropical conditions.After up to two years in quarantine,clean and safe seeds are sent to some 20 countries,including several in West Africa.That’s where 75%of the cocoa used for chocolate worldwide comes from.The crop is extremely important for the local economy:it employs about two million people.
Professor Hadley says he works with a small team of skilled technicians who look after the collection.And more of us seem to count on them now.
The scientist says,“there is some concern within the industry that demand is increasing constantly,particularly in countries like China,where the standard of living is increasing and people are getting a taste for different chocolates.”
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.Safeguarding cocoa seeds.
B.Planting cocoa worldwide.
C.Keeping cocoa in greenhouse.
D.Finding the new market for cocoa.
2.The institution’s cocoa project is to_______.
A.have cocoa skin removed
B.offer more jobs to people
C.ensure the quality of cocoa
D.supply cocoa for two million people
3.What does the last paragraph tell us?
A.The taste of chocolates is changing.
B.Demand for cocoa is increasing fast.
C.People are concerned about cocoa varieties.
D.Chinese have a long history of eating chocolates.
4.What’s the purpose of the text?
A.To educate. B.To advertise.
C.To warn. D.To inform.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年山东临沂市高三第八次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:单项填空
The telephone _____ three times in the last hour, and each time it _____ for my sister.
A.had rung; was B.has rung; was
C.rang; has been D.has been ringing; is
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年山东临沂市高三第八次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:单项填空
Faced with a bill for $10,000, _____.
A.Smith has taken an extra job
B.the boss has given Smith an extra job
C.an extra job has been taken
D.an extra job has been given to Smith
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年江苏南京高三上学期第三次模拟考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:书面表达
书面表达
This is a picture of a ballet dancer whose left foot looks shockingly different from the right one. Some even jokes that the left foot represents how elegant ballet dancers look. On the contrary, the right one reveals the nature of those dancers’ life. One can hardly imagine how much time and effort have been devoted to endless practice.
【写作内容】
请根据你对所示图片及文字的理解,写一篇150词左右的文章,要点如下:
1. 以约30个词简要描述图片的内容;
2. 以约120个词谈谈你的看法,内容包括:
(1) 图片给你的启示,并举例说明;
(2) 你最想对图片的芭蕾舞者说什么?为什么?
【写作要求】
1. 可以参照阅读材料的内容,但不得直接引用原文的句子;
2. 作文中不能出现真实的姓名和学校的名称
3. 不必写标题
【评分标准】
内容完整,语言规范,语篇连贯,词数适当
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年湖南益阳箴言中学高三下学期第十次模拟英语试卷(解析版) 题型:单项填空
When effectively _______, the feedback we share with students or employees can develop their awareness of their own learning.
A. managing B. being managed
C. managed D. to manage
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