基础训练篇（25）

On keeping a Diary in English

Keeping a diary in English is one of the 1.___________ (effect) ways to improve our English writing ability.

2._____________ (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes 3.____________ time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. 4.____________ we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many 5.__________. In the first place, 6.____________ often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.

As far as I _7. ______________ (concern), my  8._____________(suggest) is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is 9._____ ______ great use to keep a diary in English for 10.___ ________ development of our writing skills.

      

Romantic love is a culture trait found primarily in industrialized societies. Elsewhere in the world, pragmatic(重实效的) considerations rather than flights of fancy are often used to make a choice of partner, and romantic love is seen as an unfortunate inconvenience that gets in the way of the ordinary, rational process of mate selection. Traces of this attitude persist in the American upper classes, where daughters are expected to marry “well”-----that is, to a male who is eligible by reason of family background and earning potential. Most Americans, however, see romantic love as essential for a successful marriage, and tend to look askance（轻蔑地）at anyone who marries for a more practical reason in which love plays no part.

The phenomenon of romantic love occurs when two young people meet and find one another personally and physically attractive. They become mutually absorbed, start to behave in what appears to be a flighty（充满幻想的）, even irrational manner, decide that they are right for one another, and may then enter a marriage whose success is expected to be guaranteed by their enduring love. Behavior of this kind is portrayed and warmly endorsed（赞同）throughout American popular culture, by books, magazines, comics, records, popular songs, movies, and TV.

Romantic love is a noble ideal, and it can certainly provide a basis for the spouses to “live happily ever after.” But a marriage can equally well be founded on much more practical considerations”----as indeed they have been in most societies throughout most of history. Why is romantic love of such importance in the modern world? The reason seems to be that it has some basic functions in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family（小家庭）.

1. Romantic love is less frequently found in many non-industrial societies because people in these societies_______.

A . firmly believe that only money can make the world go round

B. fail to bring the imaginative power of the mind into full play

C. fondly think that flights of fancy prevent them from making a correct choice of partner

D. have far more practical considerations to determine who will marry whom

2. The word eligible (in Line5, Para. l), could best be replaced by ____.

A . qualified   B. available  C. chosen  D. influential

3. According to the passage, most Americans _____.

A. expect their daughters to fall in love with a male at first sight

B. regard romantic love as the basis for a successful marriage

C. look up to those who marry for the sake of wealth

D. consider romantic love to be the most desirable thing in the world

4. What can we learn from the second paragraph about romantic love?

A. It is a common occurrence among the old.

B. It is primarily depicted by books.

C. It is characterized by mutual attraction and absorption.

D. It is rejected as unreasonable.

5. The author seems to believe that ___________

A. romantic love makes people unable to think clearly in the process of mate selection

B. only romantic love can make a marriage happy ever after

C. much more practical considerations can also be the basis for a successful marriage

D. romantic love plays an insignificant role in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family                           

Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.
For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.
For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.
One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.
Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.
This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.
But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.
【小题1】The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A．closely associated with	B．very different to
C．usually sent from	D．an important element of

【小题2】The goal of meditation is ________.

A．to clear the mind	B．to practice a religion
C．to develop a technique	D．to carry out an experiment

【小题3】What can we infer about meditation from the passage?

A．It has two main types.

B．It is practiced by many famous artists.

C．Its benefits are not immediately obvious.

D．Most people find it a very good way to relax.

【小题4】According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?

A．Their improved understanding of foreign culture.

B．The need to fill in their growing free time.

C．Increasing employment instability.

D．Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional.

【小题5】Who is the probable audience for this article?

A．Experienced meditation practitioners.

B．People interested in starting to learn meditation.

C．Buddhists and Hindus.

D．People who are very religious.

语法填空(共10小题；每小题l 5分．满分l5分)

       阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为16—25的相应位置上。

Keeping a diary in English is one of the _______ (effect) ways to improve our English writing ability.

_______ (compare) with other forms of writing, it is shorter and takes _______ time. It can help us to develop the habit of thinking in English. ______ we persist in this practice, gradually we’ll learn how to express ourselves in English. In keeping a diary in English, we certainly run up against many _______ (difficult). In the first place, _______ often happens that we have trouble finding appropriate words and phrases to give expression to our mind. Secondly, there are many idiomatic ways of saying things in Chinese. And it is extremely hard for us to put them into English properly.

As far as I _______ (concern), my _______ (suggest) is that we should always have a notebook and a Chinese-English dictionary within easy reach. Whenever something beats us, we can first put it down in our notebook and then consult our dictionary. We can also turn to our English teacher for help, if necessary. In short, I believe that it is _______ great use to keep a diary in English for_______ development of our writing skills.

Across the planet there are millions of people who engage in some type of meditation, the practice of concentrating and clearing the mind to bring the body into a state of peace, at least a semi-regular basis. For some, particularly among practitioners of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, this is part and parcel of their religious practice.

For others, particularly in Western cultures, meditation tends to be a response to stress. With the world economy approaching meltdown and people worried about their job or their ability to keep their home, it’s a way for people to attain a state of peace of mind and well-being.

For those interested in taking up the practice, instruction in meditation for beginners can be found in literally thousands of sources.

One of the most popular styles of mediation in the West, with classes offered in most major cities, is called Transcendental Meditation. TM, as it is known among its practitioners, first came to worldwide attention when the Beatles began practicing it in 1967. For direct, guided, personal instruction in meditation for the beginner, TM may be the hallmark.

Part of the confusion about how to practice meditation effectively is due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of techniques championed by various groups and individuals. As a general principle, it might be said that all meditation techniques seek to have the practitioner attain a state of consciousness that is different to our ordinary state of awareness. They attempt to train people to clear their minds and achieve a sense of inner peace. It sounds simple enough, but of the huge number of people experiment with meditation, very few are able to maintain its practice over the long haul. In most cases, this is due to frustration over the inability to experience any dramatic, instantly recognizable effects.

This is quite a sad state of affairs, that so few these days are willing or equipped to persist in something that doesn’t provide immediate life-changing results. It reflects a culture in which demands for discipline and sustained effort are considered unnecessary or even unfair. It is no surprise therefore that many people abandon their efforts at meditation before they have a chance to bear fruit.

But for anyone who does decide to take up this worthwhile practice, please remember. You must clear your mind, relax and “take it as it comes”. Maintain the practice with a sense of discipline and devotion, and eventually benefits of inner peace and calm will be yours.

1.The underlined part “part and parcel of” in paragraph 1 is nearest in meaning to ________.

A. closely associated with                   B. an important element of

C. very different to                   D. usually sent from

2.The goal of meditation is ________.

A. to develop a technique             B. to practice a religion

C. to clear the mind                D. to carry out an experiment

3.What can we infer about meditation from the passage?

A. It has two main types.

B. Its benefits are not immediately obvious.

C. It is practiced by many famous artists.

D. Most people find it a very good way to relax.

4.According to the writer, what has attracted many Western people to meditation practices in recent years?

A. Their improved understanding of foreign culture.

B. The need to fill in their growing free time.

C. Migration from countries in which meditation is traditional.

D. Increasing employment instability.

5.Who is the probable audience for this article?

A. People interested in starting to learn meditation.

B. Experienced meditation practitioners.

C. Buddhists and Hindus.

D. People who are very religious.