People Are People

    Globalization has brought different cultures together in a way unimaginable one hundred years ago. Today, Chinese, Indians, Arabs, Africans, Anglos, and Hispanics may all work in the same offices, attend the same schools or live in the same neighborhoods{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And our society has lately emphasized（强调）the importance of diversity.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Take the following old proverbs for example.  

    “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Thomas Jefferson, American President

    “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.” African proverb

    “Be honest to those who are honest, and be also to those who are not honest.” Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

    “A sacrifice is written off by a lie and the merit of devotion by an act of cheat.” Hindu saying

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} These seems to be a sort of cultural unity.

    We don't wish to imply all cultures are the same. Cultural diversity is real, and people from different cultures view many situations in different ways. However, historically, different cultures seem to share many common values. They are justice, courage, patience, generosity, equality, mercy and kindness, respect for the elders, and many more. Lying and stealing appear to be wrong no matter where you go. Perhaps some cultures make room for extenuating（情有可原）circumstances more than others; perhaps cultures apply these virtues in different ways; and when values disagree, different cultures may place different levels of importance on them{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But both cultures may still value both.

    To us, it seems as if there is some sort of code of right and wrong that everyone everywhere seems to understand, regardless of culture. It is almost as if, behind all of the diversity, one finds a common understanding – a human culture, if you will – that goes beyond racial, social, and political boundaries.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. All people seem to agree that we should tell the truth.

B. As cultures meet with each other, many differences stand out.

C. Each value supports many more sayings from different cultures.

D. We want to show, however, that there is more to these cultures than diversity.

E. These sayings from four separate cultures all support the same value – honesty.

F. It is almost as if, despite all our differences, we are all still the same – we are just people.

G. In other words, one culture may lean more toward justice and another culture more toward mercy.

    Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.

    "I adore dancing," says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. "I can't imagine doing anything else with my life." Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. "Teaching dance is wonderful. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}It's great to watch them. For many of them, it's a way of meeting people and having a social life."

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}"I can tell you about one young couple," says Bridges. "They're learning to do traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, "Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I'm alive."

    Any woman can be strong. I don t just mean strong in mental aspect.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}You may think that strong women are born, not made. You may be thinking of Olympic weightlifters lifting dozens of kilos over their heads, or of bodybuilders posing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It is a requirement for everyday life. Strength is what you need if you carry your luggage. You need to be strong to pick your child up off the floor. And, most of all-especially as you get older-you need strength simply to stand up without falling over.

    As we age, we progressively lose muscle mass, which can make us weaker.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} We might have trouble going up and down steps, picking up something heavy, even standing up from a seat. But while ageing is unavoidable, building muscle through strength training is meaningful.

    A programme that is becoming more and more commonly used is Starting Strength. The basic Starting Strength programme consists of four different lifts. Trainees learn these lifts step by step.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Three times a week they perform three of the lifts. If they are successful in a period, they then add 2.25kg in the next period.

    But barbell (杠铃) lifting doesn't just offer physical strength; it also gives women emotional and mental confidence.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But strength is not just about appearances.

B. I mean simply being able to fight against gravity.

C. Being strong doesn't mean having a stony heart, either.

D. However, this condition can be improved by working out.

E. Most people begin to learn the lifts using an empty bar weighing 20kg.

F. In daily life, the actions we take for granted become more and more difficult.

G. However you feel about your body, you can become the strongest version of yourself.

    Do you know some surprising innovations (创新) came from World War I? Here are some introductions to you.

    ⒈Daylight Saving Time The idea of fiddling with (拨弄) the clock has been around since ancient times, but it was not until World War I that governments around the globe officially adopted daylight saving time. Why? To save resources such as fuel and extend the workday for the war effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, and the Allies followed shortly after. To clear up confusion about the concept, the Washington Times used a comic strip to explain the first “spring forward” in the United States in 1918.

    ⒉Blood Banks {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, but doctors rarely performed them before World War I, when they were accomplished by transfusing blood directly from one person to another. Captain Oswald Robertson, a U.S. Army Reserve doctor consulting with the British army, recognized the need to stock blood before casualties (伤亡) occurred. .

    ⒊Hollywood With so much of Europe in the line of fire, the European film industry had to scale back (相应缩减) dramatically. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Hollywood was still in its early stage, but its studios soon made fortunes producing wartime movies. The war itself provided material for countless movies in the 1920s and '30s, including Wings, the winner of the first Academy Award for Best Picture.

    ⒋Plastic Surgery {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. British army surgeon Harold Gillies and his colleagues performed more than 11,000 operations, mostly on soldiers suffering from facial wounds from gunshots. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    There were other innovations made during World War I, such as wristwatches, modern passports, zippers, drones, etc.

A. The Germans did it first, in 1916

B. That opened the door for the Americans

C. Blood transfusions (输血) date back to the 1600s

D. Gillies' operation became successful immediately

E. World War I left thousands of men scarred and maimed (伤残的)

F. Gillies became known as the father of modern plastic surgery

G. After World War I the blood banks appeared in the United States.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor—in other words, they hope to become a celebrity (名人).

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living—they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

A. The younger generation don't favor these professions any more.

B. In many ways this has been brought about by the celebrity culture.

C. Unfortunately, they do not always have a positive effect on people's life.

D. Besides, it can be difficult for them to adapt back to a normal everyday life.

E. People no longer have a sense of satisfaction once their goals have been achieved.

F. This quick way of gaining wealth and fame creates a celebrity culture among people.

G. The reason is that they don't realize it takes talent and hard work to be rich and famous.

    Everybody hates the idea of cutting back financially(财政上) because it usually means living without things you like. But not always.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.They could reduce your costs by thousands of dollars a year.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    An increasing number of grocery chains are selling their own lines of food. Actually, these brands cost vastly less than the name brands, but taste the same. Switch and you could save 25 percent on your grocery bills.

    Make a list.

    Whether you're buying groceries or gifts, spur－of the－moment impulses(一时冲动)are your enemy.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you want to buy something on impulse, force yourself to go home and think about it.

    Carry snacks.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The same holds true for anything you eat out. So if you know you're going to be out for several hours and likely to get hungry, throw an apple in your car or carry a six-pack of soda or water in your bag.

    Use it up.

    Before you run to the store, make sure you check your fridge. There's a good chance that you've got lots of unused or partially used items that will go to waste while you waste your cash buying more.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Make a savings plan

B. Switch to store brands

C. There are many painless ways to save

D. Choose reliable brands of well-known companies

E. Write a to-do list before you go shopping and stick to it

F. Whether it's food or beauty care, use it up before you replace it

G. Buy a soda at a restaurant and you're likely to pay twice as much