Destiny and Personal Responsibility
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny（命运）and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency（效率）, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expr4essed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “ni modo”(“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of thins. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.
【小题1】The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by .
| A．physical senses | B．general attitude |
| C．financial background | D．geographic characteristics |
| A．impractical | B．dishonest | C．ambitious | D．hesitant |
| A．a topic of a discussion | B．a branch of knowledge |
| C．a person being experimented on | D．a person under the power of others |
| A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire |
| B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country |
| C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude |
| D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence |
津桥教育计算小状元系列答案科目：高中英语 来源：2013届黑龙江省双鸭山一中高三8月月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
You've heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit；now meet AGNES—the old person suit．
AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(换位体验) System” and was designed by researchers at MIT's AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old．“The business of old age demands new tools，”said Joseph Coughlin，director of the AgeLab．“While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants，young marketers never get that‘Ah ha!’moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car．That’s what AGNES provides．”
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise．Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance，while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility．Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists，and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones．A helmet with straps(带)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱)，and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer's step．
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker．By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person．Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies，car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer．
“AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said．“She is a badly behaved lady who didn't eat and exercise very well．A secondary benefit we’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health．”
【小题1】AGNES has been developed to ．
| A．make the users more comfortable |
| B．1et us understand old people better |
| C．help old people move more quickly |
| D．produce new tools for the old-age business |
| A．someone who travels a lot |
| B．a physically limited old person |
| C．some equipment that helps old people walk |
| D．a company whose service involves old people |
| A．Young people respect old people． |
| B．Old-age business improves their service |
| C．Old people eat and exercise well． |
| D．Young people eat and exercise well． |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年重庆市高三九校联合诊断考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind. First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament (证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy, don't be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you'd like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat-this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it!
So please treasure your college years - make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & Mom
1.We can read between the lines that ________.
A．Dad has a strong love for his daughter
B．Dad is very strict with his daughter
C．Dad always worries about his daughter
D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health
2.The underlined word "destiny" in the passage is the closest in meaning to "_______".
A．weight B．life C．position D．time
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Plan things before you do them.
B．Self－learning is very important in college.
C．Follow your passion and what other people say.
D．Leading a life is just like driving a car.
4.The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to ________.
A．smile to her trouble in life
B．fight till she succeeds
C．be confident and happy
D．make the most of her college
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科目：高中英语 来源：江苏东台市2010届高三考前仿真考试英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
第四部分 阅读理解（满分 30分）
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is real testament (证明) of what a great well – rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become self – learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don’t worry about their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you’d like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in corral. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!
So please treasure your college years – make the best use of your free time, become an in depended ticker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challengers.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be .
Love,
Dad (& Mom)
(Excerpt from Kai – Fu Lee’s letter to his daughter)
1．We can read between the lined that .
A．Dad has s strong love for his daughter
B．Dad is very strict with his daughter
C．Dad always worries about his daughter
D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter’s health
2．The underlined word “destiny” in the passage is the closest in meaning to “_______”.
A．weight B．life C．position D．time
3．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Plan thing – before you do them.
B．Self – learning as very important in college.
C．Follow your passion and what other people say.
D．Leading a life is just like driving a car.
4．The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to_________.
A．smile to her trouble in life B．fight till she succeeds
C．be confident and happy D．make the most of the college
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010年四川省高一上学期期中考试英语卷 题型：完型填空
US president Barack Obama is probably 1.______ most powerful person in the world. But what was his high school life 2._______? You can find answers to the question in his “Back to School” speech 3.______ (give) on September 13, 2010.
“I know some of you may be nervous about starting a new school year and worried about 4._______ that’ll be like. Here is what I tell you: nobody 5._____ (get) to write your destiny (命运) but you. Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing is beyond your reach. So long as you’re willing to dream big. So long as you’re willing to work hard. So long as you’re willing to stay 6._____ (focus) on your education. An education has never been more important. I’m sure there will be times 7._____ you’re staying up late for a test, or dragging (费力地拉起) yourselves out of bed on a rainy morning, and wondering 8._____ it’s all worth it. Let me tell you: Nothing is as 9._____ in life as your education. In other 10.______ (word), the farther you go in school, the farther you’ll go in life.
An unforgettable experience I recently had made me 11.______ (see) how important friendships are and the need to have a better understanding of friends. A friend is a person 12.______ is always there to encourage and support you whenever you’re in trouble. A friend is a person who’ll try to do what he or she can13.______ you. A friend is a person who’s overjoyed seeing you win and who will share your sorrow when you’re 14.________ (disappoint).
For my part, friendship is like a 15.______(price) gift: It can’t be bought for any amount. It’s also a shining light of hope. If you have friendship, you’ll never feel16._______(alone).
Exactly 10 years ago, 189 heads of state 17.______ (gather) in New York. They set a number of goals. These goals included helping poor people, educating children and protecting the environment. The leaders agreed to do their best to meet the goals 18._______ 2015.
With only five years 19._______ (go), about 140 world leaders got together in New York on September 20. Their20.________ (三天的)meeting was to talk about their work on the goals.
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科目：高中英语 来源：20102011甘肃天水一中学第5次模拟考试英语试题 题型：阅读理解
Destiny and Personal Responsibility
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny（命运）and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency（效率）, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history reflects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expr4essed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “no mode” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important to understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of thins. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed.
1..
The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by .
A．physical senses B．general attitude
C．financial background D．geographic characteristics
2..
According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are .
A．impractical B．dishonest C．ambitious D．hesitant
3..
The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
A．a topic of a discussion B．a branch of knowledge
C．a person being experimented on D．a person under the power of others.
4..
The author would probably agree that .
A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire
B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country
C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude
D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence
查看答案和解析>>
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