上海市高考概要写作9篇(有答案)

合集下载

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Second-hand fashion stages a comebackFew followers of fashion will forget the moment when a super model arrived at a New York fashion week dinner, wearing a 1950s dress. The next day, a hunt for something similar began. That was 2003. Fast forward to the 2020s and second-hand fashion is renewing a new round of craze, and this time, arguably, it’s back for good.When super models and designers were buying things at second-hand markets and matching them with expensive pieces, the act was more related to the old ideal of what fashion was — very trend-based and very season-based. Today, ordinary people always want to have new looks but they’re becoming more aware of the impact of their choices on the environment, and the best thing we can do in this climate crisis is to limit the resources we take out of the planet. Second-hand fashion speaks to what’s happening right now. And the world is speaking back. It’s estimated that the total resale clothes market is expected to rise in value from $96 billion in 2021 to $141 billion by 2023. More than ‘back for good’, second-hand fashion looks set to become the new norm.The increased crafts of repair and upcycling offer another contemporary dimension to the trend. There’s a rise in young people looking at things that already exist, not only to take inspiration from, but also to use as material for next-stage creation. Current repair and upcycling skills make their wish a reality.Even social media platforms are on board. “Once you start finding heat at the second-hand fashion shop, it quickly turns into an ever-growing addiction. Each piece has history behind it,” said an online celebrity with 1.7 million followers. He, along with other celebrities posting visits to shops of this kind, has pushed up sales. Their power in the field can’t be neglected._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Is Banning Single-use Plastic the Right Option?The harmful effects of using plastic are becoming increasingly apparent. Plastic does not decompose, but breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. It threatens our nature as well as our health. One popular solution to the problem is to prohibit single-use plastics. In the UK, supermarkets are being encouraged to set up plastic-free aisles, in which the food is displayed loose, and shoppers are encouraged to make more environmentally-friendly choices in packing and transporting their food.Such plans are well-intentioned, but it may not be beneficial to eliminate(清除) the use of single-use plastic altogether. One of the fields where single-use plastic has a vital role is the food industry. When food or fresh goods are packed in plastic, they are protected and preserved, helping them remain fresher and keeping them from spoiling. Single-use plastic is also crucial in the medical industry. This is not just because of its low cost. It helps to prevent the spread of infection and that is the biggest benefit of the material in the medical field.Replacing plastic with other materials is neither simple nor straightforward, mainly due to the challenge of finding an alternative that combines all the most desirable plastic properties. For example, glass products are a potential alternative, but cleaning them would be extremely expensive while increasing the risk to health. Another issue is that alternative materials to plastic are often more environmentally harmful than plastic. Take paper bags, for example. Research by the Northern Ireland Assembly shows four times more energy is required to manufacture a paper bag than a plastic bag. If people respond by simply using other materials, a ban on single-use plastic can end up making the problem worse.Clearly there is a need to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment. However, simply banning their single use may not be the best option._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.How to Stay Healthy in AutumnIn recent days, the weather in most regions is no longer hot, and people can relax and enjoy the cool autumn. However, there is a big gap in temperature in the morning and evening, and the air is also drier. All of these factors can lead to dry mouth and nose, sore throat, dry cough, dry hair loss and other symptoms. People are more likely to get sick during the seasonal change from summer through autumn. So, here are some tips to keep you healthy and comfortable into the winter months.Do eat watery food. According to traditional Chinese medicine, autumn corresponds to the lungs of the human body.Pay attention to wet lungs in dry weather.The most convenient and easy way to protect lungs in autumn is to drink more water. In addition, you can adopt the diet therapy of traditional Chinese medicine, eating some watery food, like pear and duck meat.Do have easily digested food. People’s spleen (牌) and stomach functions are weakened because of the raw and cold food they had during the long, hot summer. So in autumn, you should give your spleen and stomach a rest. For example,you can choose some nutritious food that is easy to digest to eat, such as fish and red bean.Be sure to take vitamin supplements. Vitamins play an important role in the body’s immune system. The number and vitality of immune cells are related to vitamins when the body resists foreign invasion. It is recommended that you eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C, such as kiwi and oranges.Sleep is an important means for people to restore their physical strength, ensure their health and enhance their immunity. In autumn, it is suggested that you go to bed at 9 pm, or try to fall asleep before 11 o’clock. If you sleep at this time, it is great for your body and you can get a good quality of sleep._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.Kangaroos can “talk” to usKangaroos can “talk” to people, according to a new study. The report is the first research of its kind to be done on marsupials—a type of creature whose young get carried in skin pockets on their mother’s body. It suggests kangaroos are cleverer than previously thought.Researchers from the University of Roehampton in the UK and the University of Sydney in Australia tested kangaroos at the Australian Reptile (爬行动物) Park, Wildlife Sydney Zoo and Kangaroo Protection Co-operative. The scientists put food in a box that the kangaroos could not open, and waited to see what the animals would do. Rather than giving up, 10 out of the 11 kangaroos actively looked at the person who had put the food in the box and then looked at the box. The researchers said this could be interpreted as the kangaroos requesting help to open the container.Dr Alexandra Green, a co-author of the study, told The Guardian newspaper that some of the kangaroos actually approached the person and started scratching (挠) and sniffing (嗅) him, then looked back at the box. “So they were really trying to communicate,” Green said. This behaviour is not uncommon in animals. However, it is usually only seen in domesticated animals, such as pets or farm animals. The lead author of the study, Dr Alan McElligott, explained, “Through this study, we were able to see that communication between creatures can be learnt and that the behaviour of looking at humans to access food is not related to domestication. “Indeed, kangaroos showed a very similar pattern of behaviour we have seen in dogs, horses and even goats, when put to the same test,” he added.It is hoped that the study will give people a more positive attitude towards kangaroos, which are sometimes seen as harmful creatures that damage farmers’ crops._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Why you’re more creative in coffee shopsSome of the most successful people in history have done their best work in coffee shops. Pablo Picasso, JK Rowling, Bob Dylan – whether they’re painters, writers or singer-songwriters, people across nations and centuries have tapped into their creativity working away at a table in a café.There are many ways coffee shops activate our creativity in a way offices and homes don’t. Some of us stick in our earbuds as soon as we sit down to work in a public setting. But a 2012 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research showed that a low-to-moderate level of relaxing noise on all sides in a place like a cafeteria can actually increase your creative output. The idea is that if you’re very slightly distracted from the task at hand by background noise, it enhances your abstract thinking ability, which can lead to more creative idea generation.Another study from 2019 had similar findings, that is, the right amount of noise benefits our senses. And audio stimuli in the background also help us improve decision making.There’s also the fact that in a coffee shop, we’re surrounded by people who’ve come to do the same thing as us, which acts as a motivator. A 2016 study backed up this idea when researchers asked participants sitting next to each other in front of a computer to do a task on the same screen. The study showed that “simply performing a task next to a person who makes a lot of effort in a task will make you do the same”. One of the biggest things about coffee shops is thesocial-facilitation effect: you go there, you see other people working and it puts you in a mood where you just naturally start working as well._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 6.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Is Binge-watching the New Addiction?Have you ever loved a TV show? I mean really loved it? Like, you can’t wait to get to work to talk about it? What about the cliffhanger? That’s the unsolved situation at the end of the episode which makes you want to watch the next one. But, when will the next one be?Binge-watching is when a person watches more than one episode of a show quickly. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favourite shows streamed directly to their television at their convenience.However, this amazing gift may in fact be harmful. Recent research from British media watchdog Ofcom (英国通信管理局) finds that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back, almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and one quarter have neglected their housework. Next we’ll be missing work!Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking, all of which are often associated with compulsive behaviour, a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. If people find binge-watching hard to resist, coupled with the fact that it has shown to lead to failure of attention in many, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?The numerous information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, like any behaviour done to extremes, it can become dangerous. And when the activity begins to enter other areas, causing us to stop functioning — then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, a little of what you fancy does you good._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 7.Directions: road the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point (s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.A plan to restore green spacesThe UK government has revealed a plan to protect and restore England’s wild life. It focuses on at-risk species by making canals, rivers and streams cleaner and expanding green spaces.The new Environmental Improvement Plan sets goals to create or restore more than 5,000 square kilometres of wildlife habitats across England and restore 400 miles of rivers. It will create or expand 25 national nature reserves. New woodland will also be planted alongside rivers. At the moment, access to green spaces is not equal across the UK. Around 4% of people live more than 10 minutes away from their nearest park. The Environmental Improvement Plan aims to make sure households in England are within a 15-minute walk to a green space.As well as helping more people to act close to nature, the plan should increase England’s biodiversity. A species Survival Fund will be set up to help some of England’s most endangered animals, such as red squirrels (松鼠) and watch rats. The Government has set targets to boost these species by 2030. There are also targets to reduce food waste, glass, metal, paper and plastic by 2028, and to improve the quality of water in rivers.New rules mean that the Government will have to consider the environmental effects of any policy it puts forward. These goals are part of a 25- year plan that was launched in 2018. The aim of the plan is to improve the environment “within a generation ” which is roughly 25 years.Although lots of people have welcomed the plan, not everyone is impressed. Pail de Zylva, from the charity Friends of the Earth, said it wasn’t clear enough how the goals would be met and that many of them were like promises the Government had already made but not yet delivered._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________8.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Home sweet home - this phrase arouses all sorts of images and feelings. The place you call home might be a house, an apartment, a tent or any of a countless variety of places. But did you know that the condition of your living space can have an impact on your emotions and even on your mental health? By controlling some of these variables, you can help to achieve a more peaceful life.It goes without saying that the lighting in your room or in your house can affect your mood. If the lighting is too weak, it can have a negative effect on your emotions, and your mood may end up matching the dark atmosphere. Artificial light may not do the trick, however. It is better to open your curtains because natural sunlight makes your whole day brighter.You have to do more than just remove poisonous substances from your home. To ensure good mental health, surround yourself with nature. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the presence of green plants in your home can improve your mood.Let’s all admit it: We have trouble keeping our space clean. Somehow stuff just tends to pile up. But this problem involves more than just aesthetics (美感). It doesn’t just look terrible: it makes you feel terrible. A cluttered room both reveals stress and causes stress. Disorder can indicate that you’re too busy to keep things tidy, but then looking at a mess can lead to more stress. Straightening up doesn’t have to take all day - just take 10 or 15 minutes and put a few things away. You’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel.The color palette (用色风格) of your environment does more than passively reflect your color preferences. It also has an active influence on your mood and even your mental health. Choosing colors that create a calm atmosphere can be a type of therapy.The sky is the limit to ways you can make your environment beneficial to good mental health. You could put up photos of your family and friends or post encouraging notes from people that show how much they love you. Just remember: Your surroundings can make your “home sweet home” even sweeter.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 9.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Does Recycling Work For Plastic?Dealing with plastic waste is always a tough problem. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), half of the world’s plastic waste ends up in a landfill, 19% burned, and another 22% escapes waste management systems and goes into uncontrolled dumpsites.So environmentalists suggest plastic waste should be recycled properly, which proves an effective way to handle other waste like paper, cardboard, metal and glass. However, a new study by Greenpeace, and reporting in the Boston Globe, suggests that recycling plastic is a “myth” and raises a major question about the future: does recycling work? Unfortunately, the short answer is “not really.”There’s been a lot of debate over what really happens to recycled plastic. But scientists say that recycling plastic waste has mostly failed because it’s very difficult to collect and nearly impossible to sort. Because plastic is often made from harmful materials, it can be harmful to the environment to reprocess.Much of the solution falls on big companies to change the way they do business. The way forward seems to be mostly to cut down on companies’ reliance on plastic packaging, and to move toward reusable packaging and packaging-free alternatives. Above all, companies need to phase out all single-use plastics. For the consumer, living more plastic-free is the only real solution available. Avoiding drinks in plastic containers, using a travel mug or reusable water bottle, bringing your own reusable bag, buying in bulk and cutting back on pre-packaged foods are all a good start.But in the end, corporate America needs a deeper commitment to the plastic waste problem. “Companies must take action now to get rid of single-use plastics and packaging and not rely on false solutions such as recycling,” says Greenpeace._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 10.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Any Problem with New Job Titles?CEO, marketing director, lead writer, sales associate… Employees’ roles have generally been defined with these straightforward terms. They communicate essential employee details such as job function and seniority and make sense to employees and employers alike. But now new titles are found in the changing world of work. Fancy but unclear labels like “chief visionary officer” or “business development guru” come into our view, making the traditional system seem rigid. Will there be problems?In general, traditional job titles are clear and indicative of the employee’s seniority and responsibilities. For example, it’s largely accepted that assistants are below associates, who are below directors, who are below vice (副的) presidents, who are below CEOs. But these new job titles are meaningless outside an organization, at least in some people’s view. A recruiter (招聘人员) may not be able to identify the right candidates based on their previous working experience. Besides, having an extremely uncommon word in a title may give a job hunter difficulty in explaining his past job to future recruiters, according to Adrjan, director of an economic research. That means both employees and employers could suffer.Yet, from another perspective, altered job titles can help make an employee feel more valued and better empowered in a company. “They massively boost your confidence,” says Hughes, who works as “head of hype and culture” at an advertising agency. “They put faith in your competence, creating an environment in which you can grow and develop.” And from the companies’ standpoint, they want to convey the message that they are trying to treat their staff in a more respectful way. For example, if they use “people” instead of “human resources” in a title, they signal that they value individuals as customers and partners rather than resources to exploit._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________参考答案:1.One possible version:Unlike former heat, today second-hand fashion is back permanently. Compared with fashion-oriented professionals, ordinary people turn to second-hand fashion out of consideration for environment protection. The huge market rise demonstrates its popularity. The upgraded repair and upcycling crafts make further creation possible. Social media also step in, with online celebrities influencing sales to add to the craze.【导语】本文是一篇说明文。

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Retirement - Paradise or NotMost people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before. But some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. That's why a new study of French workers is welcome news.Led by Hugo Westerlund, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue in people after they got retired while they were still employed.The scientists followed employees of the French National Gas and Electric Company for 14 years. They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement. The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work. The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions that French workers enjoy. Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries."The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important," Westerlund says. "We don't know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement. But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won't see the improvements we did."However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees' health after they leave their jobs-with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Living to 100Since the mid-1950s, life expectancy around the world has increased dramatically, and many scientists believe that this trend is likely to continue in the future. The main reason for the increase during this period was the decline in infant mortality. Fewer children died at an early age, and this was mainly because of improved healthcare and better food production.Most experts believe that people will continue to live longer in the future because of medical advances. Researchers predict that at least half of the North American and Japanese babies born since the year 2000 will live to an age of 90, and ten percent to 100 years old. Furthermore, new drugs are being developed which will slow down the ageing process. These will be available in a few years, and they will enable people to live 20 years longer.If the current older populations in many countries become healthier, wealthier and live longer, the trend will have important consequences for people and governments. The cost of medical care for older people will rise, and governments will have to start thinking hard about how to fund state pensions for older citizens. Some people will want to keep on working later in their life, which could lead to changes in the age of retirement in many countries. Others would prefer to retire early to enjoy having more time for themselves. This will create business opportunities for companies in the leisure and entertainment industries and open up new segments of the market. The effect on the world population will be great. Europe’s population has been in decline for several years now as people prefer to have fewer children and families tend to be smaller. However, “the population will not decline as anti-ageing drugs start to become widely available”, as an expert on population, Professor Shripad Tuljapurkar, says in his recently-released book._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________3.Summary WritingWorking AroundAccording to the latest statistics, young men and women from the UK are leaving their country in large numbers because they want to work abroad. Is the idea of working abroad fact or fiction and what is it like to work in another country?In order to find answers to these questions, the Guardian newspaper recently interviewed British workers in France, Germany, Spain and Holland. What they discovered was that if you have a marketable skill and can speak the language of the country you are in, then you will have no problem finding work. Let’s take the following examples. Peter Tate moved to France in 1991. He had studied lighting design in England and had worked for eleven years in theatres around the country. He wanted a different lifestyle and certainly didn’t expect to get a job in his field immediately.He did a number of different jobs until he was finally hired by Disneyland Paris in 1992. First he worked there as a lighting technician, then he eventually got a job in design. After all his experience, he says that you have to be realistic about finding exactly the kind of job you want abroad. “The theatre is a small world,” he explains. “Jobs are usually found through contracts. I had to get to know people first and I didn’t speak very good French when I first arrived.”He admits that his poor level of French was a big problem. He did a three-month language course before he moved to France permanently, but this still was not enough. He says that if you want to get a good job in another country, you have to be able to speak the language well. A lack of language skills is the main problem when trying to find work in Europe.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following therules...planning your next move... acting as a team member...these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping andhide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination needed in hunting.Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it — some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.5.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.The advantages of social networkingWhy do most people sign up to social networking sites? The main reason is to stay in touch with other people. These sites also help people to find their childhood friends that they have lost touch with. Renewing these long-lost friendships is just a click away. It is very exciting to be ableto catch up with friends and keep up with their news on an almost daily basis thanks to frequent updates.Keeping up-to-date, however, doesn’t have to be restricted to friends and acquaintances (相识的人). What many people tend to forget is that they can also use networking sites for professional reasons. It is actually a great way of finding out about upcoming job opportunities. Friends might know about job vacancies that may not be advertised elsewhere or they can even recommend their friends for certain jobs. Even people already employed can promote their business online. This is particularly important for artists, actors and musicians who can create pages devoted to their band or theatre company, and inform fans about their gigs (现场演唱会) or latest exhibitions. In addition, the sites can be used to allow the public to give instant feedback on the artists’ work and to interact with their favorite artist.Another great advantage of social networking sites is how easy it is to organize an event with your friends. Thanks to different settings people can organize their friends by different criteria (标准). These criteria could be how close friends they are, common interests and hobbies or where they live. This means if a certain event takes place, for example, an open-air concert or a football match, all they have to do is invite the right group of friends to attend. Some networking sites offer a range of quizzes and games, so friends living on opposite sides of the globe can invite each other to participate and compete in a variety of games without leaving their homes.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____6.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.FriendshipTo help us understand what friendship really means, we need to review some classical views of friendship. According to Aristotle, we may find three kinds of friendship:Friendship based on utility. Utility is an impermanent thing: it changes according tocircumstances. When the ground for friendship disappears, the friendship also breaks up. Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly, because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility Friendships based on utility are also frequently found among those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage. Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. They take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it.Friendship based on pleasure. Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interests are in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. As they grow up, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships. That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often, even within the same day.Friendship based on goodness. Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. The conduct of good men is the same or similar. It is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form. Such friendships are rare and they need time and intimacy; for as the saying goes, true friends must go through trials and tribulations (患难) together. And no two persons can accept each other and become friends until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love. and so won his trust. The wish for friendship may develop rapidly, but true friendship does not. 7.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Functions of a SpeechThe art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2, 000 years ago. The spoken word can handle various vital functions: persuading or inspiring, informing, paying compliment, entertaining, or simply introducing someone or something or accepting something. Over the past years, the human voice has helped guide us over the ups and downs of what was certainly a stormy time.Persuasion is used in dealing with or reuniting different points of view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December 2009, persuasive words from activists encouraged them to commit themselves to firmer action. Inspirational speeches challenge the emotions. They focus on topicsand matters that are close to people's hearts. During wars, generals used inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.A speech that conveys knowledge and enhances understanding can inform us. The information must be clear, accurate, and expressed in a meaningful and interesting way. Informative speeches from World Health Organization officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take sensible protection.Sad events are never easy to deal with but a speech that pays tribute to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be comforting. Madonna's speech about Michael Jackson, after his death, highlighted the fact that he will continue to live on through his music. It's not only in world meetings where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be surprisingly helpful in the course of our own lives.On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family event or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to move people or make them laugh.Great speaking ability is not something we're born with. For a brilliant speech, there are rules that you can put to good use. To learn those rules you have to practice and learn from some outstanding speeches in the past.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____8.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Things to Do After You StudyMany students study with little thought about what comes after their study session. But what you do after studying could have an effect on how well you learn and remember new information. Actually, there are two no-cost ways that can help you improve your learning: wakeful rest and sleep.When many students finish studying, they often go straight to another activity. Perhaps they look at their phone or computer. They might even play a video game or watch television. But research suggests that resting after you study may help you remember what you studied.The basic idea is this: by reducing your activity after the study session, your brain gets a chance to rest. Resting is difficult when you have too much stimulation from electronic devices, games, lights and so on. Many studies have explored the benefits of resting after learning — what is called “wakeful rest.” A 2019 study found that both young and older adults were able to better remember, or recollect, information from prose passages after doing wakeful rest. The findings appeared in Neuroscience Letters. If you want to give “wakeful rest” a try, here are a few simple things to do: Rest quietly for five to ten minutes. Do not look at your phone, read stories or play games. Just limit the amount of stimulation you get. It is really that easy!In addition to wakeful rest, sleep is also important for learning. The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School notes that sleep helps people to learn. A report on the school’s website explains that “a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently.” It also says, “sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.”Now you have two suggestions for how to learn new information. Try to get some “wakeful rest” after a study session. Then try to get a good night’s sleep. That’s it — a simple, no-cost way to help you remember what you learn.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____9.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic of sleepiness in the nation.“I can’t think of a single study that hasn’t found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,” says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleepingenough would probably be better off with more rest.The beginning of our sleep-deficit crisis can be traced back to the invention of the light bulb a century ago.From diary entries and our personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night.”The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark.” By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and 8 hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. “People cheat in their sleep, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it,” says Dr. David, ”They think they’re okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, 8 or even more to feel ideally vigorous.”Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say, is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on their program.” In our society, you’re considered dynamic if you say you need only 5.5 hours’ sleep. If you’ve got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition.”To determine the consequences of sleep-deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. “We’ve found that if you’re in sleep deficit, performance suffers,” says Dr. David, ”Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate.”_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________10.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Birthdays are an occasion for reflection. In the 15 years since its founding in 2004, Facebook has altered America in three notable ways. First, the company has created a virtual “me-economy”where people share their feelings, photos and comments. The company has done this twice: once with its flagship social network, which became the pastime and addiction of college students and high scholars in the mid-2000 and again with Instagram, which is the most popular photo sharing App. It has shaped what it means and feels like to be young.Second, Facebook has changed attitudes to privacy. The social network thrives through trust. After Facebook was launched, for the first time people felt comfortable sharing intimate details online, including their phone number, relationship status, likes and dislikes, location and more, because they felt they could control who had access to them. Users were vaguely aware that Facebook was starting to make a fortune by inappropriately using this data and selling advertisers access to specific types of users, but they mostly did not object.Third, Facebook has left a lasting mark on politics. The social-networking firm has become an invaluable tool for politicians seeking office, both through paid advertisements to reach voters and free content that spreads on the social network. “You’d find it difficult to name a politician who’s been elected in the last ten years who didn’t use Facebook,” says David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect, a history of the social network.Can the social-media giant stay as influential in the next 15 years as it has already been? At the risk of being wrong about Facebook again, that seems unlikely. This is partly because its impact has already been so extensive. But it is also because of growing unease with the platform. As with all new technologies, from the printed book to the telegraph, social media can be used both for good and bad._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________1.One possible version:Instead of a golden period to enjoy life, recent researches argue that retirement led to depression and diseases. However, a 14-year study involving 14000 French workers showed dramatic decline in depression and fatigue soon after retirement, which is believed to result from reduced work pressure and comfortable pension. Unfortunately, considering the possibility of cutting pension, the advantage may cease.【导语】本文是一篇说明文。

上海高考英语专项突破:概要写作

上海高考英语专项突破:概要写作

概要写作一、Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Unshellfish loveAmid a slump in tourism, one national park in Thailand has seen a dramatic rise in visitors. So numerous are the hermit crabs thronging the otherwise empty beaches of Koh Lanta that shells for them to live in have become a scarce commodity. The Thai government moved quickly to ease the housing shortage, launching a public appeal for empty shells that netted over 200 kg. On December 5th these were distributed around the park in a ceremony marking the birthday of the late king, Bhumibol Adulyadej.Hermit crabs rely on discarded shells to protect their soft bodies, moving to larger shells as they grow. On Koh Lanta and the surrounding smaller islands, their rapid increase seems to be a natural phenomenon, rather than directly related to the absence of tourists. But the shortage of shells may be man-made; pretty ones have long been gathered to be sold as souvenirs. Crabs had begun to make do with potential death-traps such as plastic caps and bottles.The shell drive was part of a government initiative to “restore the balance of nature”. “I have instructed all national parks to do whatever it takes,” says Varawut Silpa-archa, the minister for natural resources. His inspiration comes from the hiatus (间歇、空隙) in tourism brought on by covid-19. A ban on international visitors and the closure of national parks have helped nature rebound, bringing black-tipped reef sharks back into Thai waters and endangered leatherback turtles back onto Thai beaches. In the coastal provinces of Phang Nga and Phuket, turtles have laid the largest number of eggs for 20 years.The government has decided to try to mimic the respite (暂缓、休息) forced on it by the coronavirus in future. From now on, all national parks will be required to close for part of theoff-season and to limit the number of tourists through a reservation system when they are open. Although such restrictions mean reduced earnings from tourism in the short term, in the longer run more pristine (原始的、未开发的) parks may help to keep the tourists coming._______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________参考答案:A decline in tourism and human activity has led to a shortage of the shells which the hermit crabs depend on.To address the problem, the Thai government helps homeless hermit crabs find homes.The Thai government has decided to replicate this policy in the future to restore the ecology.解析:1.要点摘录①Amid a slump in tourism, one national park in Thailand has seen a dramatic rise in visitors.①The Thai government moved quickly to ease the housing shortage, launching a public appeal for empty shells that netted over 200 kg.①But the shortage of shells may be man-made; pretty ones have long been gathered to be sold as souvenirs.①His inspiration comes from the hiatus in tourism brought on by covid-19.①The government has decided to try to mimic the respite (暂缓、休息) forced on it by the coronavirus in future. From now on, all national parks will be required to close for part of theoff-season and to limit the number of tourists through a reservation system when they are open. 2.缜密构思将第1、2、3三个要点进行重组,将第4、5两个要点进行整合。

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

概要写作1.阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。

Some people are naturally outgoing, but other people have to practice to become outgoing. If you want to become outgoing, there are several strategies(策略)that you can use. Being “outgoing” involves learning how to present yourself to others, starting conversations, and being more confident in yourself.One of the easiest ways to present yourself is to ask your friends, colleagues, or classmates to introduce you to their friends. For example, if you walk into a room and your friend is talking to someone else, make it a point to say hello and introduce yourself. The next time you see that person, you can say hello and, since you have already been introduced, you have built a bridgeinto future communication.When you’re in a social situation, such as at a party, try to make eye contact with the other people there with a friendly smile. If the other person responds or smiles back at you,then go over to them and introduce yourself. That is usually a good sign for a possible conversation. If the person does not respond, let them go their way. There’s a difference between being “outgoing” and “pushy”. Another practical way to start a conversation with others is to use compliments(赞美). When you’re attracted by certain people, you're bound to notice little things that you appreciate. You can acknowledge these things with a sincere compliment.Doing something that makes you feel a little uncomfortable is a good way to promote your confidence and help you become a more outgoing version of yourself. If you have never danced before but want to take a ballet lesson, try it out. Do your best to fight the inner voice telling that you can’t do something or defining(定义)yourself by what you think you should be doing instead. With each little victory, you’ll gain the confidence to step further and further outside your comfort zone._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________2.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of thepassage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Seniority in Promotion Is Not a Wise Business PracticeIt's not always an easy decision for companies when it comes to filling managerial spots. In the past promoting an employee has been popularly handled by means of basic analysis of the employees' past performance nod seniority, In some cases, the individual's performance has been considered more important while in others the amount of time they have been with the company has been the deciding factor. Nevertheless, seniority is a standard that has never been left out, However, in the contemporary business world, the importance of seniority in promotion is being destroyed as a growing number of companies look outside of their organizations when trying tofill top managerial spots.Unlike experienced employees who have been with the company for a long time, new people are mare likely generate creative ideas. In rapidly changing markets, innovative and creative talents are sought by many companies in order to adapt to the market. To meet their needs, companies have more to gain by selecting outside employees since they are more willing to try new techniques and less afraid of breaking tradition when introducing new ideas. Thus, rather than promoting existing employees, it might be a wiser management decision to bring in outside talent.An additional advantage to this new system is that it prevents employees from feeling that they only need to wait for their seniority to provide them with a promotion. Simply put no matter how long they have been with the company, employees have to contribute diligently to the organization if they want to move up the career ladder, As soon as people realize that the company could just as easily bring in a new person, employees will stop judging themselves against each other because they are no longer competing against their colleagues but everyone in the entire industry. As a result, they will begin to show more effort to bring the level of their work up to what they imagine is a much higher standard._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________3.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Natural perfume or artificial perfume?The use of perfume dates back to earliest times. The ancient Egyptians perfumed the bricks used to build their houses and temples, and wore perfumed fat in their hair.These days, consumer demand for perfumed products is intense. In the home, fromwashing-up liquid to paper tissues, soap to shoe polish, fragrance is the common ingredient. Artificial leather is perfumed to make it smell like the real thing, and in Japan, some companies spray perfume through building’s air-conditioning system at key times of the working day.To meet the demands of the perfume industry, scientific developments have made the companies use substitutes for some natural ingredients. Scientists have also discovered that natural and artificial materials are highly complementary and are acceptable to the consumer. Even the most expensive perfumes are in fact compounds of both natural and artificial ingredients. The French perfume manufacturers were among the first to blend artificial compound when they made the famous perfume Chanel No. 5 in 1923.Producing natural oils is very expensive. For example, 1000 kilos of jasmine flowers make just one kilo of extract. Using artificial fragrance has reduced the costs of manufacture overall, although the chemical operations involved can be very time-consuming and costly-sixteen or seventeen chemical separations may be needed to produce the right result.Nevertheless, the use of complex chemical to reproduce fragrance is likely to increase, as the artificial ingredients as well as natural oils gives perfume manufacturers more control over the production process, which is why many classic perfumes owe their characteristic top notes to fruits of science not nature._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Is Small Talk Necessary?What’s the first thing you do when you enter a crowded room? You probably look around for a familiar face. When you can’t find one, you have two choices: you can stand alone, or you can walk up and speak to someone that you don’t know.Starting a conversation with a stranger, though, is often uncomfortable and can be a little scary. Yet as you go through life, you’re sure to encounter strangers in many different situations, when a need to connect with others will hopefully outweigh your fears. In order to prepare, it helps to learn the art of small talk.Small talk is the beginning stage of a casual conversation, which usually takes place between strangers or casual acquaintances. With small talk, two or more people search for common interests and points of connection. If one is discovered, the conversation usually begins to flow more naturally, often resulting in deeper discussion.Mastering a few techniques will allow you to enter a room full of strangers with confidence.When you walk up to a group, notice anyone trying to make eye contact with you because this is often a sign that the person is interested in talking. Begin by introducing yourself, and then, you should begin with one of three topics: talk about yourself, the other person or something you can both observe, like the weather.Another way to begin a conversation is with a compliment. Your praise of someone’s scarf might lead to a discussion about favorite places to shop.Radio host Terry Gross, who has interviewed thousands of people over the years, says one opening request works for her every time: “Tell me about yourself.” This approach gets the ball rolling because people enjoy talking about themselves.Though small talk takes practice, it’s worth the effort and it’s the stimulus that can lead to deeper conversations.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____5.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.We have all heard the saying “You are what you eat.” But how many of us are willing to admit that the expression applies to us as well as to all those unidentified people out there? Current research suggests that the majority of Americans have bad eating habits, and some of this is determined by our lifestyle, which demands that we eat quickly and inexpensively.What are the commonest foods on the American menu? Hamburgers and French fries, sugar-laden drinks; pies and whiffed cream, malts and ice-cream. Apart from an occasional broiled hamburger, all the things on that list are bad for us. And there are certain prophets of doom who predict that all those fat laden fast foods provide us with only one thing — a faster road to the grave.On the other hand, there are those who claim that the basic fast-food meal contains all the nourishment you need. After all, there are meat, milk salad (if you have the extras), and break. And if you have a cheeseburger instead of a hamburger, you are doing yourself an extra favor by adding additional protein. What these good news gossips are overlooking is the usually pulpy bun: the excess of sugar in the maltose or Coke, and overdose of salt that is sprinkled on the hamburger to make palatable (美味的)So, you decide to stay away from the hamburger joint, and buy your food from the supermarket. Are you any better off? Not if you buy frozen or canned food. The experts tell us that canned and frozen vegetables contain sugar, as well as sorts of perspectives that are not doing anything to improve your health. Acceding to these people, the only way to be sure your food is good for you is to buy it and cook it fresh. And then, of course, you have to eat it and that createsanother problem. The speed of today’s world has encouraged many of us to eat far too fast. We do not chew our food enough, and we eat on the run or we jump and start running the minute we finish eating.6.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Ann Grand: a visual thinkerAnn Grand is a visual thinker. When somebody speaks to her, the words are instantly translated into pictures. like a video in her head. Unlike most people, her thoughts move from ideo-like images to generalizations and concepts. Furthermore, her memories usually appear in her imagination in order of time. and the image visualized are always specific. For example. if she thinks about a chimney, she sees detailed pictures. like the one in her old house. and then those in her hometown. That one word can turn into a full-length video in her head. Grand's mind works like the Internet search engine which produces dozens of images of an object a user is searching for.Visual thinking has enabled Grand to build entire systems in her imagination, which works similarly to a computer program because it can produce three-dimensional design simulations. This was important to her as an equipment designer for the livestock industry. Before she started construction on her designs, she would test-run the equipment in her mind. She formed mental pictures of her designs in every possible situation, with different sizes and breeds of cattle and in different weather conditions. This process made it possible for her to correct mistakes before construction started.Grand's mind is also sensitive to details, which was important in her work with cattle. Her sharp awareness of the visual world led to noteworthy observations about animals. She noticed many little things that most people would not consider that scared the cattle. For example, a coat on a fence or a pipe on the floor would frighten them away. Grand's visualization abilities have also helped her understand the animals she has worked with. This led her to create designs ranging from sweeping, curved fences intended to reduce the stress experienced by animals that were going to be killed to systems for handling sick cattle and pigs.7.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Biographers (传记作家) gather information from many different sources. Legal documents and personal papers can reveal facts such as a person’s birthplace, income, number of children, and lifespan. Letters or a diary may contain valuable information about the person’s friends and activities, thoughts and feelings. All of these materials are called primary sources because they contain firsthand information ---- information that does not depend on the opinions or interpretations of others.A biographer also checks secondary sources. The subject’s friends and relatives may be interviewed. If the subject died long ago, the biographer looks for anything written about him or her. Secondary sources supply secondhand information, and so a biographer must use them with care. The subject’s friends will want the biography to be favorable, while others may wish it to be unfavorable. The biographer must avoid both extremes. The biographer’s job is not to make readers like or dislike the subject, but to give as complete and truthful a picture of the person as possible. This means the biography should include both good and bad qualities, both accomplishments and mistakes. James Boswell, the author of a great biography of his friend Samuel Johnson, wrote, “And he will be seen as he really was; for I profess to write, not his panegyric (颂文), which must all praise, but his life, which, great and good as he was, must not be supposed to be entirely perfect.”Much biographical writing falls short of Boswell’s standards. Ancient records of the deeds of kings and emperors were written to praise and flatter these rulers. Writers of saints’ (圣人) lives in the Middle Ages were often more interested in the moral message than the events of a life. Many 19th-century biographers did not reveal any improper or embarrassing details of their subjects’ lives. Though they may be interesting or inspiring, these works fail as biographies chiefly because their purpose is to point up a moral rather than describe an individual.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____8.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)An Extension of the Humans BrainOther people can help us compensate for our mental and emotional deficiencies(欠缺), much as a wooden leg can compensate for a physical deficiency. To be exact, other people can extend our intelligence and help us understand and adjust our emotions. When another person helps us in such ways, he or she is participating in what I’ve called a “social prosthetic (义肢的) system.” Such systems do not need to operate face-to-face, and it’s clear to me that the Internet is expanding the range of my own social prosthetic systems. It’s already a big bank of many minds. Even in its current state, the Internet has extended my memory and judgment.Once I look up something on the Internet, I don’t need to keep all the details for future use-I know where to find that information again and can quickly and easily do so. More generally, the Internet functions as if it were my memory. This function of the Internet is particularly striking when I’m writing; I’m no longer comfortable writing if I’m not connected to the Internet. It’s become natural to check facts as I write, taking a minute or two to dip into PubMed, Wikipedia, or other websites.As for the judgment, the Internet has made me smarter in matters small and large. For example, when I’m writing a textbook it has become second nature to check a dozen definitions of a key term, which helps me dig into the core and understand its meaning. But more than that, I now regularly compare my views with those of many others. If I have a “new idea,” I now quickly look to see whether somebody else has already thought of it, or something similar-and I then compare what I think with what others have thought. This certainly makes my own views clearer. Moreover, I can find out whether my reactions to an event are reasonable enough by reading about those of others on the Internet.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____9.Directions:Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)A Shift From Classroom to CareerFor all the years spent in school preparing to enter the workplace, many recent graduates say that they struggle with the shift from classroom to career world and have difficulty adjusting to life on the job.Writer and editor Joseph Lewis believes that most of our school experiences are fairly predictable, while life in the working world is far more uncertain. In school, for example, the pattern stays more or less the same from year to year. In the workplace, however, constant change is the norm, and one has to adapt quickly.Another problem is that in school, many students spend a lot of time memorizing facts and repeating what they "learned" on tests. But in the workplace employees “are often expected to think critically and make decisions about their work, not just follow a supervisor's instructions." Less time needs to be spent in school on testing, says one recent report, and more on helping students to analyze information, solve problems, and communicate their ideas effectively.Finally, in the workplace, employees must regularly interact with others and are often dependent on their co-workers for their success. In other words, if an employee has to work with others to complete a given project, that employee's success not only depends on his hard work and expertise, but also on how well his colleagues perform.How can we better prepare young adults for the workplace?It is suggested that students should do an internship while they are in school. V olunteering part time at a company, hospital or government organization, for example, can help them gain experience and learn skills. Doing these will help prepare students for the realities of the workplace and make the transition from school to career world less stressful._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________10.Directions:Read the following passage.Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no more than 60 e your own words as far as possible.Read the world in 193 booksI used to think of myself as a person learned in books,but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and an Australian book,my literature collection only consisted of British and American titles. Worse still,I hardly ever read anything in translation. My reading is limited to stories by English-speaking authors.So,at the start of 2020,I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country of all 193 UN-recognized states in a year. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English. The response was amazing. Before I knew it,people all over the planet were getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books from their home countries.Others did hours of research on my behalf. In addition,several writers,like Turkmenistan's AkWelsapar and Panama's Juan David Morgan,sent me unpublished translations of their novels,giving me a rare opportunity to read works unavailable in Britain. Even with such an extraordinary team behind me,however,sourcing books was no easy task.But the effort was worth it. As I made my way through the planet's literary landscapes,extraordinary things started to happen. Far from simply armchair travelling,I found I was inhabiting the mental space of the storytellers. I discovered,book packing offered something that a physical traveler could hope to experience only rarely: it took me inside the thoughts of individuals living far away and showed me the world through their eyes. More powerful than a thousand news reports,these stories not only opened my mind to basic information of life in other places,but opened my heart to the way people there might feel. And that in turn changed my thinking.One by one, the books from the countries on the list that had begun as an intellectual exercise filled my heart with laughter,love,anger,hope and fear. Lands that had once seemed exotic and remote became close and familiar to me. At its best,I learned, fiction makes the world real._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________参考答案1.Being “outgoing” involves learning how to present yourself to others, starting conversations, and being more confident in yourself. Presenting yourself is to ask your friends, colleagues, or classmates to introduce you to their friends. Starting conversations means trying to make eye contact with the other people with a friendly smile in a social situation and using compliments. A good way to promote your confidence is to do something that makes you feel a little uncomfortable.【分析】本文是一篇说明文。

上海高考语文作文(精选8篇)

上海高考语文作文(精选8篇)

上海高考语文作文(精选8篇)上海高考语文作文精选篇1不明前方,痴恋于路上的野花野草,迟迟不愿前进一步;徘徊小巷,偏执于古青石板的沟廓,岁月在指尖逝去。

荒芜了十年,终不见上天给我答案,内心的问题像锁,把我锁在世界的外面,那里到处黑暗笼罩,我渐渐被暗影吞噬。

匆匆行走在校园,知道自己要抓紧每分每秒,脑子里全是公式知识点,手上拿着单词本,边走几步边记几个单词,“没有只言片语的埋怨。

大脑一直处于做题、上课的绷紧状态,可是,这样太累了,我倦了这样追逐的方式。

我究竟为了追逐什么?接着遇到了我的良师益友,教给我的不像经典文学上的字是死的,是活生生的待人处事之道。

可以这样说,十年,我是藏在淤泥中的一粒种子,没有动力突破泥层,就这样活在黑暗中,不见光日。

但当生活告诉我;“要站在别人的角度上考虑事情,你是活在这个社会中的人,并不是这个社会只有你一人!”“遇到矛盾和误会,以恕己之心恕人,不但能够化解一场矛盾,还能增进双方的理解,”我想我似乎找到了答案,我是为了要追逐生命中的闪光点,而这些闪光点就是身边的真善美、心灵的真善美。

感恩世界为我们提供了阳光雨露万物,我为了追逐感恩上海高考语文作文精选篇2上高中前的几个夜晚,总是彻夜不眠,我幻想我的高中,一个像童话里的城堡一样被我所期待的地方。

当我走过了,见证了,才发现,梦与我,就在这迷雾中走散。

我的高傲,我的自信,被打得一团糟。

问自己:你还记得当初的梦想吗?你还在为梦想而努力吗?三点一线的单调,题海战术的枯燥,拼命奋斗的主题,全部的全部,都压得我喘不过气来,于是,我开始怀疑,自己真的有过梦吗?下课了,走到走廊的窗边,风吹起我的回忆,带我回到初中,那时的我,总喜欢和一群朋友在穿廊中说笑。

而此时,我孤身一人,或许高中就是一次孤独之行,教会我学会孤独。

调皮的风吹乱我的头发,把我的.思绪牵回。

晚上10点多下了最后一节晚自习,我托着疲惫的身子,走在通往宿舍楼的路上。

身边有同学走过,带起一阵冷风,让我清醒了许多。

上海高考概要写作

上海高考概要写作

【上海高考概要写作】s u m m a r y-w r i t i n g4(10篇-有解析)(总31页)--本页仅作为文档封面,使用时请直接删除即可----内页可以根据需求调整合适字体及大小--Exercise 1College pays off financially. A wide range of statistics shows the economic advantage of a four- year college education. Over a lifetime, students who graduate from college can expect to make about 60% more than those who do not, well over a million dollars more than they would otherwise. But what aboutthe benefits of college that are more difficult to measure They are equally significant and add up to a lot of value over the course of a lifetime:College takes students to places they’ve never been to before. College is a passport to different places, different times, and different ways of thinking —from learning new languages to considering the development of human history to diving deep into the building blocks of matter. It gives students a chance to understand themselves differently, seeing how their lives are both likeand unlike those who populated other eras(时代))and other lands.College introduces students to people they've never met before. One of the most important ways in which students learn, at colleges and universities everywhere, is by interacting with people who are different from themselves both inside and outside the classroom. Students learn more at a place full of engaging people with a wide range of viewpoints.In these ways and in so many others, college helps students see themselves differently, giving them the room and the license to imagine newpossibilities. Yes, it opens opportunities reflected in earning and employment statistics. But, perhaps even more valuable, it opens minds and worlds in ways that are beyond measurement. The value of higher education is symbolized by people who dream bigger and achieve more, who create their own futures and shape their own futures.参考答案:According to statistics,college makes a great difference to students’earning power,(要1) while it also contributes to other valuable aspects beyond assessment in life.(要点 2) Firstly, coll ege motivates students’self-realization through various learning activities.(要点 3) Secondly, itshapes students’ diverse perspectives by encouraging them to communicate with different people.(要点 4) In short, not only does college provide financial opportunities,but it opens up new possibilities.(要点 5)分析过程:试题详解:1,核心内容——本文是一篇议论文,全文共分四段。

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

上海高考英语概要写作专项训练

概要写作1.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Hosting the OlympicsToday, the Olympic Games are one of the most popular and most watched events on earth. Every four years, many countries bid for the Games. Why do they do this? What are the advantages of hosting such an event?A world-class event demands world-class facilities from the host city, and any which do not already exist will have to be built. These will remain for the local population to enjoy after the Games are over. An example of this is the accommodation which will have to be built, not only for the athletes in their Olympic village, but also for visitors. Later this can be transformed into permanent accommodation for tourists and students. The transport system must also be taken into consideration. Hosting the Olympics means having an effective wide-reaching system, which is essential to carry people safely and efficiently to their destinations. Such a transport system is a great advantage for any city and will be in service for the years to come.Funding any great event is a costly business, but many companies fiercely compete to become sponsors of such global events as it is an ideal platform for advertising. This means that advertising profits can easily cover a large proportion of the cost involved. In addition, the broadcasting rights can be a source of finance. For example, the national American TV company NBC paid $3.5 billion to broadcast the Olympic Games between 2000 and 2008.Another consideration is employment. High-tech video cameras are already common in most of our big cities today, and increasing the manpower necessary to guarantee the safety of all concerned provides valuable employment opportunities. Indeed, the organization of such an event gives rise to a large number of jobs in a variety of sectors including security, catering and hospitality.It’s universally agreed that the host city gains overall in terms of improvements in facilities and infrastructure. But this is not all. Not only do the improved facilities remain after the Games have gone, but the city also becomes a significant place in its own right.2.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Back in January, the Chinese tech giant Huawei grabbed the world's attention at the Consumer Electronics Show 2017 in Las Vegas. Richard Yu, the chief of the company's consumer division, said that Huawei shipped 139 million smartphones in 2016, an amazing number, although still far less than Samsung and Apple. More than half of Huawei's revenues come from outside China, making it one of only a few Chinese companies to have made the transition from a local business to a global brand.What makes Huawei so successful? As with many great companies, part of the solution to this puzzle lies in the values that define the culture of the Chinese giant.Many companies take customer-focused attitudes, but few of them truly live by it. Huawei distinguishes itself from its competitors in this regard. In an interview, Ren Zhengfei, founder and president of Huawei, mentioned an early episode in the company's history. In rural areas in China, rats often bit the telecom wires, destroying customers' connections. Multinational telecommunications companies providing service at that time did not consider this to be their problem, but rather that of the customers. Huawei, by contrast, thought it was their responsibility to solve the problem. In doing so, they developed chew-proof equipment and materials. Later on, the experience helped it gain several big orders in the Middle East, where similar problems exist.Huawei emphasizes that the only way to obtain opportunities is through hard work. In the early years of the company, every new employee was given a blanket and a mattress. Many of them would work late into the night and then sleep in their offices. As one Huawei employee said, "The pads were to us a representation of hard work in the old days. This idea has now evolved into the spirit of trying to be the best in anything we do."Ren and his company are also known for what they call "the power of thinking." Efforts are made to ensure regular intellectual exchanges. Executives are urged to read books outside their areas of expertise. Feedback is always invited across the company to improve ideas that will ultimately feed the vision of Huawei's future.___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________3.Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main points of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Sport TourismTourism is the world's largest industry and is predicted to grow. well into the years to development and marketing new forms of tourism. One of the fastest growing parts of the surveyed reported that opportunities to participate in sports were important when selecting a vacation.The term sport tourism has been adopted in recent years to describe sport-related leisure travel. It is generally recognized that three are three broad categories of sport tourism. The first category. Watching sporting events or Sports Event Tourism includes hallmark events such as FIFA World Cup Football Championships,and the Olympic Games. Tournament sponsored by the Professional Golf Association or the World Tennis Association are also part of the spectator-centered sector of sport tourism.The second type of sport tourism,celebrity and nostalgia sport tourism involves visiting famous sports-related attractions. Visits of the sports halls of fame fall into this category. Another form of celebrity and nostalgia sport tourism that has emerged in recent years is meeting famous sports personalities. The cruise industry has been experienced in this area. Sports theme cruise such as "the NBA basketball cruise" arrange for passengers to meet personalities from sports while on board.Active participation-is the third category of sports tourism. This is composed of individuals who travel to participate in golf,skiing,and tennis in particular,although other sports such as fishing,and scuba diving are popular in the US._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________4.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.Birdsong and Mental HealthPeople often turn to nature as a healthy way to cope with stress. People also consider it relaxing to listen to audio recordings of running water, waves or singing birds. Sound can have an extensive effect on our sense of well-being. Accordingly, scientists have long sought to understand the effects of certain sounds on people.In a recent study, scientists evaluated the effect that hearing birdsong had on hikers. They monitored a number of hiking trails in a public park with audio recording devices. This helped them create a bird count in the area. They then surveyed visitors to those trails about their impression of bird diversity. They also asked for a report on the visitors' sense of well-being.The next part of the study took place on the same trails. But the scientists used hidden speakers to play recordings of birds singing. That gave the impression that there were more birds in the area. They then surveyed visitors who had heard the recordings.The results of the study indicated that there was a direct relationship between hearing birdsong and an increased sense of well-being. This result builds on prior investigations into the effects of listening to recordings of natural sounds on people. Those studies have shown that recordings of natural sounds can help with stress relief and the ability to focus. However, the reason behind the benefit is not totally clear.Perhaps listening to birdsong is connected to a sense of calm. After all, we encounter birdsong in the peaceful part of the morning or following a storm. Or it might relate to a sense of safety projected by singing birds. They sing when there are no predators nearby. Whatever the reason, listening to birdsong can improve our mental health.The authors of the hiking study had an interesting observation. It was the perception of being in nature with a diversity of singing birds that helped. Therefore, they suggested that park managers encourage visitors to enjoy nature quietly as that provided the greatest benefit.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______5.Directions:Read the following passage.Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is e your own words as far as possible.Hacking our senses to boost learning powerWas your school noisy or peaceful?It might not seem important,but a growing body of research suggests that sounds can have an impact on learning,performance and creativity.There is certainly some well-established research to suggest that some noises can have a harmful effect on learning.Numerous studies over the past 15 years have found that children attending schools under the flight paths of large airports lag behind in their exam results.But general noise seems to have an effect too. Bridget Shield,a professor of acoustics at London South Bank University,and Julie Dockrell,now at the Institute of Education,have been conducting studies on the effects of all sorts of noises,such as traffic and sirens,as well as noise generated by the children themselves.When they recreated those particular sounds in an experimental setting while children completed various cognitive tasks,they found a significant negative effect on exam scores.“Everything points to a harmful impact of the noise on children's performance,in numeracy(计算能力),in literacy,and in spelling,”says Shield.The noise seemed to have an especially harmful effect on children with special needs.Shield says the sound of"babble"---the chatter of other children,is particularly distracting in the classroom.“People are very distracted by speech---particularly if it's understandable,but you're not involved in it."This phenomenon is also known as the irrelevant speech effect,she says,adding that“it's a very common finding in open-plan offices as well."Whether background sounds are beneficial or not seems to depend on what kind of noise it is and the volume. In a series of studies published last year,Ravi Mehta from the College of Business at Illinois and colleagues tested people's creativity while exposed to a soundtrack made up of background noises---such as coffee-shop chatter and construction-site drilling---at differentvolumes.They found that people were more creative when the background noises were played at a medium level than when volume was low. Loud background noise,however,damaged their creativity._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________6.Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.What Makes an Ideal Friend?To say what an ideal friend is is not the easiest thing to do. Each person has his or her own opinion of what one would be. However, speaking generally, there are certain features that most people consider characteristic of an ideal friend. Loyal, trustworthy, and open to show weakness are common qualities that the majority of people attach to ideal friends.Loyalty is a usual quality given to ideal friends. According to Psychology Today, “Loyalty is valued early on in all of our relationships, from the time we make our first friendships. We need friends who won’t spill our secrets to others, gossip about us, or allow others to criticize us”. The worst action between friends is not keeping one’s word.Ideal friends are also usually referred to as being trustworthy. In a statement by Psychology Today, they say that, “Trustworthiness is often the “make or break” element in any interpersonal relationship. Any unfaithful action, regardless of recognized degree, can destroy a relationship. Trustworthiness consists of several elements, including honesty, dependability, and loyalty, and while each is important to successful relationships, honesty and dependability have been identified as the most vital in the area of friendships”. In light of this, a universal complaint of friends is alack of honesty, and this is at the heart of being trustworthy.In line with being honest is also the ability to show one’s weaknesses. According to the Book of Life, “The ideal friend doesn’t try to prove how powerful and successful they are; on the contrary, quite often they let us know awkward and potentially embarrassing things about themselves. They show how much they trust us by confessing failings and sorrows which would open them up to possible disgrace from the world beyond. They offer us the gift of their defenselessness”. That openness is treasured, as to be close to an individual, one must be willing to share his or her true feelings and states.7.Directions: Write a summary of the passage with no more than 80 words and the original sentences in the passage are not allowed to use.Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.During the hours when you labor through your work, you may say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues as, “Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. If your energy is low in the morning, but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam and work better at your low point.Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________8.Directions: Read the following passage and write a summary in no more than 100 words. The original sentences in the passage are not allowed to use.A third kind of thinking is stimulated when anyone questions our beliefs and opinions. We sometimes find ourselves changing our minds without any resistance or heavy emotion, but if we are told that we are wrong we resent the imputation(归咎)and harden our hearts. We are incredibly careless in the formation of our beliefs, but find ourselves filled with an illicit (不正当的) passion for them when anyone proposes to rob us of their companionship. It is obviously not the idea themselves that are dear to us, but our self-esteem, which is threatened. We may surrender, but rarely confess ourselves vanquished (消失). In the intellectual world at least, peace is without victory.Few of us take the pains to study the origin of our cherished convictions (信仰) ; indeed, we have a natural repugnance (反感) to so doing. We like to continue to believe what we have been accustomed to accept as true, and the resentment aroused when doubt is cast upon any of our assumptions leads us seek every manner of excuse for clinging to them. The result is that most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________9.Directions: Read the following passage and write a summary in no more than 100 words. The original sentences in the passage are not allowed to use.Once upon a time a man became a great archer (射手). He asked the king to declare him as the greatest archer of the country. The king was about to do so when an old servant of the kingsaid,“Wait, my king. I know an old man who lives in the forest. He is a much greater archer. Let this young man go to him and learn from him for at least three years. ”The man could not believe that there could be a greater archer than him, but he went and found the old man and he was! For three years he learned from him. Then one day, when he thought he had learned everything, the thought arose in him, “If I kill this old man, then I will be the greatest archer.”The old man had gone to cut wood and he was coming back carrying wood on his shoulder. The young man hid behind a tree, waiting to kill him. He shot an arrow. The old man took a small piece of wood and threw it. It struck the arrow and the arrow turned back and wounded the young man badly. The old man came, took out the arrow and said, “I knew that some day or other you were going to do this. That’s why I have not taught you this secret. There is no need to kill me. My master is still alive, and I’m nothing better than him. It would take you at least thirty years to learn from him. Actually, one can never be the greatest.”10.Directions: Read the following three passages. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.There are now many products and services on the market which are similar in content though produced by different companies. It is vital, therefore, for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors by having a strong company image which is immediately recognizable.Logos are part of this image. There are symbols which often include a name or initials to identify a company. The logo establishes a visual identity for the company, just as different groups of young people express their identity through hairstyles and clothes. All groups from all cultures and throughout the ages have used colors and symbols to show their identity.In different cultures, different colors carry different meanings. Some colors may be connected with coldness in one culture and with warmth in another: some colors represent life in one culture but death in another. International companies have. Therefore, to make sure that their logos will not be misunderstood in different countries.The logos of large international companies are instantly recognizable throughout the world. One of the most famous logos is that of Coca-Cola. The design of the words "Coca-Cola" has not changed since 1886, although the surrounding design has been changed from time to time. Many companies have over the years, renewed their logos to fit in with contemporary design and topresent more powerful images.Logos are used on packaging and brochures as well as on the product itself. They may also appear in newspapers or on television as part of an advertising campaign. Companies need to have a strong corporate identity. The logo helps to promote this image and to fix it in the minds of the consumers. Logos, therefore, need to be original and to have impact and style._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________1.Hosting the Olympics brings various benefits. Firstly, infrastructures, like accommodation and transport, will remain for citizens to enjoy afterwards. Besides, companies can make profit from advertising or broadcasting during the Games, so they compete to sponsor it. Finally, job opportunities are created to ensure the Games go on smoothly. Above all, the host city benefits greatly, gaining a significant place.【分析】本文是一篇说明文。

2023年上海高三英语一模汇编 —概要写作

2023年上海高三英语一模汇编 —概要写作

概要写作-2023年上海高三英语一模汇编一类:说明文1.宝山区When you’re having fun with your friends,you take selfies.When you visit famous places, you take selfies.When you are in beautiful spots,you take selfies.But sometimes you don’t look very attractive in the photos.And,of course,if you’re going to post them,you want to look your best.What can you do?Instead of posting a photo you don’t like,you can turn to photo retouching.When you retouch an image,you improve its appearance.Many apps offer you the ability to do that.Their easy-to-use tools help you smooth your skin,make your teeth straighter and whiter,and more. Within the apps,you can also change your facial features.You can make your eyes rounder and brighter.You can change the shape of your face or your nose.You can also change the direction of the light source or add highlights.All in all,you can make yourself look like you wish you looked.Now you’ve uploaded your retouched photos to social media.People leave positive comments,and you get a lot of likes.That’s great,right?Maybe not.With so many people sharing personal images of their lives,it’s almost like a contest.Who looks the best,takes perfect selfies and lives up to social media’s standard of beauty? You need to be part of that crowd so that you don’t feel left out.Worse yet,you feel if you’re not part of that crowd,you may be criticized for your looks.Maybe you think that if you don’t look like the influencers you follow,you’re not good enough.People generally retouch themselves to have larger eyes,thinner chins and brighter skin.Does everyone now look the same?It seems like a lot of people are trying to match to unrealistic beauty ideals.That isn’t good for anyone’s self-image.Perhaps it’s time to post the real you and only lightly retouched,if at all._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________2.崇明区ChatbotsWhat if instead of clicking on link after link on a company’s website,you could type a question and get an immediate,customized answer?Some companies are working to make this a reality using chatbots.Chatbots are computer programs that can communicate with human beingsby phone,on messaging apps or on websites.There are two types of chatbots:open and closed.A closed chatbot follows a script,which may or may not involve using AI(artificial intelligence)to understand users’messages.An open chatbot uses AI both to figure out what users want and to generate responses.Open chatbots are able to learn from their conversations and thus improve their ability to communicate over time. This means that open chatbots can respond to a wider range of inquiries,compared with closed municating with them feels more natural,but if they have not been correctly trained, users may have a bad experience with them.One significant advantage of chatbots is that they are available all the time,even in the middle of the night.Plus,a single chatbot can cater to multiple users at once.This means that users can get immediate answers to their questions rather than waiting for a human representative. Chatbots have the potential to overcome several technological problems people face.These include difficulty in searching websites and trouble finding basic information and answers to simple questions.However,in order for chatbots to work,humans are still indispensable(不可或缺的). Someone has to program the chatbots initially,train them,and maintain and improve the chatbot system.Further,even open chatbots may not have the answers to detailed questions,and many people simply prefer speaking to a human rather than a chatbot.Thus,chatbots are unlikely to completely replace human agents.Rather,they will help users resolve simple problems so that customer service representatives can focus on more difficult issues._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________3.奉贤区Why Camping Can Be So Much Fun?When you go on holiday,where do you like to stay?If you haven’t tried camping,maybe you should join the increasing number of people who are enjoying the simple pleasures of camping.By grabbing your tent,and some additional things,it’s easy to head off to the countryside and enjoy a night or two under the stars.Many campers are dumping the trappings of their modern, busy life to do this,encouraged by experts who say a few peaceful nights in the middle of nowhere might be a good way to relax and improve our sleep patterns and well-being.It is also,of course,a good low-budget holiday option.For the adventurous,wild camping is an ideal way to escape from reality.Armed with just some food and a sleeping bag,you’re free from rules,away from other people,and able to enjoythe back-to-basics experience.But for those who still want some home comforts,a campsite is a more suitable place to fix your tent.Here you have facilities such as washrooms,a shop and maybe even a restaurant.And for the most luxurious camping experience,you could try glamping, a type of camping associated with extreme comforts and luxury.More recently,sales of camping equipment have jumped as more people have chosen a vacation spent at hometown due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic.One camping retailer,Halfords,reported a sharp rise in demand for products such as stoves,cool boxes and camping chairs.With the addition of soft pillows,powerful torches and lamps to light up your tent and a better selection of easy-to-cook food,you can almost guarantee a comfortable and enjoyable camping expedition.So maybe it’s time to give camping a try._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________4.虹口区Are Oceans Silent?Most sea creatures,from whales and dolphins to fish,sharks and shrimps,respond to sound, and many can produce it.They use it to hunt and to hide,find mates and food,send messages and give warnings,establish territories,warn off competitors,confuse their targets,deceive enemies, and sense changes in water and conditions.Marine animals click bones,grind teeth and belch gases(磨牙打嗝);use special organs to make various noises.Far from the‘silent deep’,the oceans are so noisy.Into this age-long confused noise,in the blink of an evolutionary eye,has entered a new thunder:the trembling sound of mighty engines as46,220large ships passed the world’s shipping courses.Scientists say that background noise in the ocean has increased roughly by15decibels (分贝)in the past50years.It may not sound like much in overall terms,but it is enough, according to many marine biologists,to mask the normal sounds of ocean life going about its business.At its most intense,some even say noise causes whales to become disoriented,dolphins to suffer from‘the bends’,fish to go deaf,leave their breeding grounds or fail to form groups—enough to disorganize the basic biology of two thirds of the planet.“Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts”,says Sylvia Earie,chief scientist of the U.S.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.“Each sound in itself may not be a matter of critical concern,but taken all together,the noise from shipping, earthquake-related surveys,and military activity is creating a totally different environment than existed even50years ago.That high level of noise is bound to have a hard,sweeping impact on life in the sea._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________5.嘉定区Why Laughter Yoga Makes You Smile“Friends,I must tell you,laughter yoga is not a comedy.”Dr Madan Kataria,the creator of laughter yoga,an exercise programme involving prolonged laughter,ughter yoga,a combination of breathing exercises and deliberate(故意的)laughter,came from humble beginnings,but has mushroomed into a global movement.Hundreds of clubs,usually free to attend,have now been established across Asia,Europe and North America.“I had read so much about the benefits of laughter,and how acting out emotions,especially through facial expressions,can create them,”Kataria tells me.But he realised he wouldn’t often see people laughing in Mumbai.“The idea struck me:why not start a laughter club?Laughter reduces stress,”Kataria goes on,following some yogic postures,“it makes your immune(免疫) system stronger and keeps your mind positive!”Five people attended Katana’s first meet-up in Mumbai in1995.He initially asked participants to tell jokes to force laughter,but as attendances grew Kataria learned that laughing for no reason at all was the best method.“We started just faking laughter,”he says.“And then people started laughing for real.It was infectious;we couldn’t stop.”Laughter yoga addresses a deep-seated need to laugh that is being stifled(遏制).Young children can laugh hundreds of times a day.But as we get older,the fun begins to stop—our brains learn how to adapt our emotions in tune with the needs of others.We develop empathy(同理心).But so are we told to stop laughing and be serious about life.There’s often a sense that if you’re laughing,you’re not properly learning,or working,or focusing,or paying respect. Sometimes this is justified,but not always.Perhaps that is the recipe for the growing popularity of laughter yoga._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________6.金山区“Digital Hoarding”Could Be an Increasing ProblemAs data storage has become more accessible than ever,the amount of digital“stuff”we all have put aside is on the rise,too.In a recent paper published in the journal Information&Management,we have investigated a rising phenomenon called“digital hoarding”,which happens when an individual constantly acquires digital content,feels difficulty in getting rid of it,and gradually gets more and more digital content without an intended purpose.Digital hoarding can quickly increase out of control,too—perhaps even more quickly than in the physical world,due to several reasons.First,the digital hoarder is less likely to notice the space limitations in the digital world.While the boundaries of a physical space are clear,such boundaries are less noticeable in digital spaces.Second,hoarding of physical objects happens in fixed boundaries,while digital spaces are“expandable”—you can get additional digital storage with minimum effort at very little or zero cost.Third,to hoard physical items,a person needs to expend some effort,such as purchasing them.By contrast,most digital contents are either self-created,free,or available on a subscription(订阅)basis.Fourth,compared with physical stuff, digital contents can be multiplied,for example,by making copies,with very minimal effort.In the modern world,it is unavoidable that digital content plays an important role in our lives. Therefore,the potential of serious mental health impacts from digital hoarding is a real possibility.If you think you’re holding onto too much digital content,you can try cleaning your digital footprint,reducing unnecessary digital content,coming up with simple methods to organize your files,pictures and videos.What’s more,reassess the importance of many social networks, including groups in many communication apps,and keep only those essential to you._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _7.静安区The music in youAny party goer can tap her heel to an unfamiliar song without realizing it.Yet when asked on site,she might reply:“Music?I don’t know anything about that.”Maybe you’ve heard a variation on this theme:“I don’t have a musical bone in my body.”Most of us make music publicly just a few times a year,when it’s someone’s birthday and the cake comes out.Privately,it’s a different story.We belt out tunes in the shower and create rhythm tracks on our steering wheel.But when we think about musical expertise,we tend to imagineprofessionals who specialize in performance,people we’d pay to hear.As for the rest of us,our bumbling private efforts,rather than illustrating that we share an irresistible urge to make music, seem only to demonstrate that we don’t enjoy essential musical capacity.But the more psychologists investigate musicality,the more it seems that nearly all of us are musical experts,in quite a surprising sense.A lot of the most interesting and substantial elements of musicality are things that we all share.We aren’t talking about instinctive,inborn universals here.Our musical knowledge is the product of long experience;maybe not years spent over an instrument,but a lifetime spent absorbing music from the open window of every passing car.In fact,for all its remarkable power,music is in good company.Many of our feelings are governed by a similar rule.We don’t know how we come to like certain food more than others.We don’t know why we fall in love.Yet in the very act of making these choices we reveal the effects of a host of instinctive mental processes.The fact that we respond to music so naturally and normally actually speaks to its strength and universality._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ___________________8.闵行区Is Leather Good or Not?For thousands of years,humans have used leather to make everything from clothing to furniture to footwear.The skin of animals is a material that is strong,hard-wearing and flexible. These qualities make leather a popular material for many different products,but more people are becoming concerned about the potential harm caused by items they buy.Should we respect ancient traditions or is having real leather not as important as it used to be?The treatment of animals raised for their skins is a massive issue.According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO),more than2.29billion cows,pigs and goats are killed each year for their hides.This does not include the animal skin of fancier leather products,such as sheep, crocodiles,kangaroos and lizards.There’s also an environmental problem.Producing leather is a very polluting process, because it requires treating the skins with chemicals.During the procedure,called tanning, chemicals change the fibres(纤维)inside the leather,making it tougher.A tanning facility uses more than60,000litres of water for every tonne of leather produced.It uses huge amounts of poisonous chemicals,including substances containing heavy metals such as chromium,whichwhen washed out ends up in nearby soil and drinking water that people use.However,the making of leather is not entirely negative.Selling animal skin is a key source of income for remote populations such as the Inuit people in Canada.Every day,cows,pigs and goats are killed for their meat to be sold in supermarkets.It’s respectful not to waste anything,and without leather their skins would have to be buried or burned.Although there are alternatives to leather,some of these fabrics are only85%to90% biodegradable(可生物降解的).Vegan leather can be made from plastics which take years to biodegrade,so it’s actually worse for the planet._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________9.普陀区Graduates Turn to TeachingChina has witnessed a66-fold increase in the number of applicants for teaching qualification tests over the past decade,and experts say the popularity has mainly been driven by more graduates chasing stable jobs.According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education,the number of applicants for teaching exams each year has grown from172,000to11.44million in the past decade.Experts said the sharp increase corresponds with the increase in teachers’salaries and status within society,and it is expected to bring about an overall improvement in quality teaching. However,another big reason for the enthusiasm for teaching posts is that the challenging and complicated employment situation is driving graduates toward stable jobs such as working as teachers and government officials.Chu Zhaohui,a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences,said the popularity of teaching posts is closely associated with people’s changing perception of the economic situation,job stability and security,which are major concerns for graduates.In view of the coronavirus epidemic in recent years,many college graduates just want a stable job,so teaching suddenly becomes a very popular profession,and many students from well-known universities have joined the competition.Of course,everyone has their own ideas. Take Wang Lin for example.Wang Lin,who graduated from a famous university,said she had wanted to be a history teacher since middle school,inspired by her own history teacher.She added she had a good impression of her teachers from an early age and was grateful to those who had taught her.In fact,there are many such cases.While passing the teaching qualification test is the first step to becoming a teacher in China,landing a post at schools in big cities can be very competitive._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________10.青浦区Want to join the online fitness program?Online training is one of the fastest growing section of the fitness industry.A2015study found that more than half of all smartphone users had downloaded a fitness or health app.If you’re considering joining the online fitness community,consider these benefits and drawbacks.There are many reasons that online training may work for you.As long as you have access to pre-downloaded videos or a WiFi connection for streaming videos,you can work out wherever you are.Besides,compared with similar offline programs,most online fitness programs range in cost between$10and$20per month.This is due in part to the wider audience and the greater opportunity to sell programs to more people.All this growth is incredibly positive—it provides health and fitness resources to the general consumer wherever they happen to be,without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.But it’s not without problems.The first thing to think about when considering an online fitness program is“know yourself.”If you struggle with self-motivation,you don’t like exercising at home,and you prefer a social workout environment,online fitness may not be for you.Not to mention the fact that very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you,check your form,and offer modifications or corrections based on your performance.This means you might perform exercises incorrectly,or even unsafely,without knowing it,which is particularly concerning for beginners and those recovering from injuries,as they’re more likely to perform exercises incorrectly.Therefore,like any training format,there are pros and cons to consider when deciding if it is right for you.Take time and make the most suitable decision to reap more benefits._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________11.松江区Out of Sight,Out of MindTechnology has made paying all sorts of bills incredibly easy.The real-time budget apps, which capture our spending and pay our bills automatically,should theoretically give us more control over our money.But why,in real life,do they do the opposite?It helps to think about how we used to pay.My parents describe a process that would involve three separate points of contact whenever they paid for something with a credit card:first,at the cash register,then when a bill came in the mail and finally when they wrote a check to cover it. While each of the checkpoints is technically still there,automation has given us a chance to skip the second and the third.For bills paid automatically through a banking app,even the first checkpoint can be gone.We know that it is happening in the background,but it’s so far out of view that it might as well not be there.How do we get that connection back,without giving up the convenience that technology has brought us?The good news is that though technology has taken away something,it can also give.Much of the battle is simply recognizing what we’ve lost.If we want to be smart about our money and have thorough control over it,we need to bridge that gap between what we spend on and how much we pay.We can start using personal-finance apps to do more than make our lives easier. These apps can send us notifications when each automatic payment is being made and categorize purchases,sending us instant spending reports.Admittedly,those tools require the user to sign up for these services and make conscious efforts to take full advantage of them.In this way,they are arguably better practice than balancing a checkbook on a Saturday morning._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________12.徐汇区Why Don’t We Use the Math We Learn in School?How much of the math you’ve learned in school is used in everyday life?For the majority of people,the answer is surprisingly little.Clearly,some people learn math very well and apply it in everyday problem-solving settings.The question is why most people don’t,in spite of spending many years practicing it.The first explanation blames the failure of education.One of the major barriers to using a skill in real life is automaticity.We tend to find the least-effort solution to our problem.If struggling through a math problem is hard for you,you’ll find a different way to solve it that doesn’t rely on math.The familiar model for teaching mathematics revolves around teacherstelling students certain rules,applying those rules to examples and students then practicing problems similar to the examples seen in class.By teaching in this way,a lot of the work and deep thought that went into the creation of these mathematical rules is lost.In that sense,people were never taught math thoroughly enough to use it automatically in real life.The second explanation is a little different.It argues that people may develop competence in math classes,but they struggle to translate real-life problems into a format where they can use their mathematics knowledge.This seems most apparent in the case of applying algebra(代数). Students struggle with algebra,but they particularly struggle with word problems.Yet,the equivalent real-life problems are typically much harder than word problems.From this perspective, what people struggle with is not doing math,but recognizing where and how to apply math to real problems.Educational researchers now emphasize the importance of transfer and deep understanding. They believe we need to give students more training in noticing and converting everyday situations into the math problems they know how to solve.By using real-life math applications, students can make connections between math and everyday life._______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________13.浦东新区The problem of electronic wasteWe have gradually come to realise that in two ways in particular,modern hi-tech can be bad for the planet.The first is its energy use;the worldwide scale of information technology is so enormous that electronics now produce fully two percent of global carbon emissions,which is about the same as the highly controversial emissions of aeroplanes.The other is the hardware, when it comes to the end of its natural life.This,increasingly,is pretty short.We have hardly noticed this important stream of waste,so much so that a Greenpeace report on the untraced and unreported e-waste two years ago referred to it as“the hidden flow”.We need to be aware of it.The latest United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)report estimates that worldwide, electronic waste is mounting by about40million tons a year.So what can we do about it?The European Union has recognised the problem by adopting a key principle:producer responsibility.In other words,making it the duty of manufacturers of electronic goods to ensure their safe disposal at the end of their lives.In practice,an EU regulation now means that electronics dealers must either take back the equipment they sold you,or help to finance a network。

  1. 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性,平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
  2. 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
  3. 3、如文档侵犯您的权益,请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间:9:00-18:30)。

01 - Sales StrategiesHow can a company improve its sales? One of the keys to more effective selling is for a company to first decide on its “sales strategy”. In other words, what is the role of the salesperson? Is the salesperson’s job narrative, suggest ive, or consultive?The “narrative” sales strategy depends on the salesperson moving quickly into a standard sales presentation. His or her pitch highlights the benefit for the customer of a particular product or service. This approach is most effective for customers whose buying motives are basically the same and is also well suited to companies who have a large number of prospects on which to call.The “suggestive” approach is tailored more for the individual customer. The salesperson must be in a positio n to offer alternative recommendations that meet a particular customer’s needs. One key aspect of the suggestive approach is the need for the salesperson to engage the buyer in some sort of discussion. The salesperson can then use the information from the customer to suggest an appropriate product or service.The final strategy demands that a company’s sales staff act as “consultants” for the buyer. In this role, the salesperson must acquire a great deal of information about the customer. They do this through market research, surveys, and face-to-face discussions. Using this information, the salesperson makes a detailed presentation tailored specifically to a consumers needs.More and more sales teams are switching from a narrative or a suggestive approach to a more consultative strategy. As a result, corporations are looking more at intangibles (无形资产) such as creativity and analytical skills and less at educational background and technical skills.Sales strategies are classified as narrative, suggestive and consultive. Salespeople use the narrative strategy to promote products with standard presentations. The suggestive approach requires the salesperson to recommend a suitable product after talking with customers. The consultive strategy demands that salespeople acquire information about customers and act as their “consultants”. Nowadays more and more sales teams prefer the consultive approach. (60 words)02 - When You Hear the Final WhistleOne of the hardest things for any sportsperson to do is to know when to retire. But even harder is finding the answer to the question “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”Some sportspeople go on playing too long. Perhaps they just can’t stand life without the “high” of playing professional sport. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time retired three times. He retired once from the Chicago Bulls, made a successful comeback with the Bulls, then retired again. His second comeback with an inferior team ended in failure and he retired for ever at the age of 38. Jordan said, “There will never be anything I do that will fulfill me as much as competing did.”Others can’t resist the chance of one last “pay day”. Muhammad Ali needed the money, but his comeback fight, at the age of 39, against Trevor Berbick, was one of the saddest spectacles in modem sport. After losing to Berbick, Ali retired permanently. Three years later he developed Parkinson’s disease.For some people, the pain of retirement never leaves them. As Jimmy Greaves, an ex- England international footballer said, u I think that a lot of players would prefer to be shot once their career is over. J, Many of them spend their retirement in a continual battle against depression, alcohol, or drugs.But for the lucky few, retirement can mean a successful new career. Franz Beckenbauer is a classical example of a footballer who won everything with his club, Bayern Munich. After retiring he became a successful coach with Bayern and finally president of the club. John McEnroe, the infamous “bad boy” of tennis, is now a highly respected and highly paid TV commentator. But sadly, for most sportspeople these cases are the exceptions.For one thing, sportspeople find it hard to decide when to retire. Some don’t want to retire because they can’t stand living without playing professional sport while others just need money. For another, sportspeople find it harder to decide what to do after retirement. Some suffer from the pain of retirement while the lucky few take up a new career. (60 words)03 - IKEASince it opened its first store in 1943 , IKEA has become one of the biggest furniture empires in the world. The company has made people think differently about the way they furnish their homes, particularly in countries like Germany, the UK and France. Over 365 million people worldwide spend more than £8 billion in IKEA stores each year and the number of customers keeps rising. The best-selling products are bookshelves, sofas, candles, chairs and coat hangers, but perhaps IKEA is most famous for its flatpack furniture.Flatpack furniture was invented by chance in 1956 by a man called Gillis Lundgren. He lived in a Swedish town called Almhult and worked for a small furniture company. One day Lundgren needed to deliver a table to a customer, but the table wouldn’t fit in his car. “Let’s pull off the legs and put them underneath,” said Lundgren — and that was the moment flatpack furniture was bom. From that simple beginning, the small furniture company became IKEA and Lundgren became one of its top designers.The se cret of IKEA’s success is not just the design, it’s also the price. Flatpacks don’t take up much space, so IKEA can send furniture round the world vey cheaply. Also the stores don’t employ lots of salespeople to help you find or carry things; it seems peop le don’t mind doing that for themselves. And most importantly, IKEA doesn’t pay anyone to put the furniture together — they let the customers do that. Apparently, people would rather pay less and build the furniture themselves.IKEA is a big furniture chain store, well known for its flatpack furniture, which was invented by Gillis Lundgren when he managed to put a table into a car. IKEA’s success lies in the design and the price. IKEA can deliver flatpacks round the world cheaply. Customers would rather pay less and put the furniture together themselves. (57 words)4 - Refusing to Be ModernizedAn elderly couple are going to exchange candles for light bulbs after 37 years without electricity at their Suffolk home. Pat Payne, 74, and his wife Margaret, 72, brought up their large family in their farmhouse in Whepstead, near Bury St Edmunds, without any modem appliances.Their children left home years ago but now one of them has moved back and is paying £ 19,000 to have electricity put in the 200-year-old house next month. Mrs. Payne said that she was looking forward to “ being modernized “ but does not feel that she has missed much by not having electricity.“It would have been nice to have been able to do the ironing or to have vacuum cleaner instead of having to sweep the floor, but we got by,” she said. “I think our children are more excited about us getting electricity than we are.”The couple have mostly lived off the land. Mr. Payne, a former farm labourer, grows vegetables in the garden. Without a fridge or freezer in the three-bedroom house, milk is delivered every other day and fresh meat is bought as needed. Water comes from a well.Mrs. Payne used to wash clothes by hand, and with nine children that was a lot of clothes, but she believes that not having electricity may have been a good thing for her children while they were growing up.“Instead of watching television, they played together and used to make up games or read books,” she said.The life also suited her and her husband. “ Neither of us has eve r been seriously ill and we rarely get a cough or cold,” Mrs. Payne said. “With our fresh vegetables and not having central heating it’s been a very healthy way to live.”The Paynes have lived in their farmhouse without electricity for 37 years but they do n’t regret it. They think living in this way does good to their children’s growing up and their health. Now they are going to have electricity put in their house and will make use of modern alliances. (51 words)5 - Designer Brands Aren’t for Me!Although I follow fashion, I hate the phrase “must-have”. If I read that Ugg boots or Prada sunglasses are the latest “must-haves”, my immediate reaction is to think, “Why must I have them?” Why should I fall for the designer’s manipulative tactics, which are only intended to increase his bank balance at the expense of mine?Designer brands, in general, are for people who are too insecure to trust their own tastes. These people decide that everything at Prada must be “cool”, so if you shop there, you can’t go wrong. I find it much more satisfying to pop into one of the cheap chain stores on the High Street and buy a copy of designer’s clothes for a tenth of the price. OK, you have to use your skill to find the one garment in there that looks great. But it’s worth it! It’s like finding a piece of gold in a river. The find gives you immense satisfaction.Which is why, according to a survey done by a British bank, young people with money are abandoning the designer shops and buying their clothes in chain stores, second-hand shops, and in markets. This is the best news I’ve heard all week. It means that young people have the confidence to trust their judgment. They are prepared to take risks to look individual and not mass-produced.That has always been my shopping philosophy. The surprisingly high prices in designer shops leave me open-mouthed. Even if I had the money, I would think of all the other things I could spend it on!The writer thinks there is no need to buy those “must-haves” and that designer brands are intend ed for those who aren’t sure of their tastes. He prefers to do shopping in a cheap chain store. Besides, a survey reports that rich young people are switching to cheaper places to do shopping, thus looking individual. (54 words)6 - A Lesson Goes ViralAt the end of 2014, Tulsa, Oklahoma, sixth-grade teacher Melissa Bour received a friend request on Facebook from one of her students. She didn’t accept the request, but a quick browse through the girl’s friends list revealed the names of dozens of kids from her classroom. Many of the students’ Facebook pages were completely public, meaning even strangers could search through the kids’ personal photos and messages.“I saw middle fingers, students dressed inappropriately, and extremely offensive language,” Meli ssa says. “It was disturbing.” When she brought up her discovery in class, the students thought it was nothing. So she created a post of her own.With a bright green Sharpie, she wrote on a piece of paper in all caps, “Dear Facebook:My 12-year-old students think it is ‘no big deal’ that they are posting pictures of themselves ... Please help me show them how quickly their images can get around.” She put a picture of the letter on her Facebook page and asked people to share it.In hours, it was shared 108 ,000 times across dozens of states and four countries. She deleted it after eight hours, but it continued to spread. “I wanted to show them that it’s on the Internet forever,” she says.As she explained the results of her experiment in class, the students’ “eyes got bigger and bigger,” she says. “It scared a few of them into deleting their pages completely,” she says. Others have removed inappropriate posts and used privacy settings to manage their pages.Her intention wasn’t to scare them off social media bu t to push them to be mindful of what they post. Melissa says, “I tell them, ‘just because everyone else is sharing doesn’t mean you have to.’”At the end of 2014, Melissa Bour, a sixth-grade teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma, found her students were using social media improperly. In order to warn them of the danger, she posted a picture with some words on it. It spread quickly and remained online even when deleted. She told the students what she did and her efforts were fruitful. (59 words)7 - Parallel LivesMargaret Richardson and Terry Connelly have almost identical taste in clothes, both have four children of more or less the same age, and both were married on exactly the same day. Not surprising, perhaps, Margaret and Terry are identical twins. What is surpri sing is that they didn’t even meet until they were in their mid-thirties.What happens if, like Terry and Margaret, identical twins are separated at birth and brought up in different families? Will their backgrounds make them completely different, or will their shared genes still mean that they have a lot in common? Professor Tom Bouchard from the University of Minnesota, set out to find the answer to this question. He traced more than a hundred pairs of twins who were adopted by different parents at birth, sixty-four of whom were identical twins. Each twin is then tested and interviewed about every detail of their life and personality.It turned out that Margaret and Terry were not unusual. As well as looking very similar, many twins had the same IQ, the same health problems, the same hobbies and interests, the same attitudes and even the same tastes. Several pairs of twins arrived at their first meeting in the same clothes, and one pair of middle-aged women were wearing identical jewellery. Others had made the same career choices:Jerry and Mark Levy first met in their thirties to discover that they were both firefighters, who drank the same kind of beer and weighed exactly the same.Of course, some of this must be coincidence. But Professor Bouchard has come to a remarkable conclusion. Identical twins brought up separately are more similar than non-identical twins brought up together. “I am not saying that upbringing doesn’t matter —it’s very important of course —but this research shows that our genes influence almost every part of our lives:they influence our IQ, our hobbies; our personalities, our political attitudes, our health, even the clothes and food we like.”Margaret Richardson and Terry Connelly are identical twins. Though they were separated at bi rth and didn’t meet until in their mid-thirties, they had a lot in common. Professor Tom Bouchard found through his study that identical twins who grew up separately are more like each other than non-identical twins who grew up together and that genes play a large part. (60 words)8 - They Beat Odds TogetherAFTER A CAR CRASH left 14-year-old Collin Smith unable to walk, doctors told him he had a 20 percent chance of finishing high school. The opportunity to attend college seemed even slimmer. Yet eight years later, Collin earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from High Point University. Collin had achieved the nearly impossible — with the help of a kind man five decades his senior.Dial back to 2005. Ernest Greene had just moved to the same area that Collin and his parents lived. The families did not know each other. But when Ernest heard about Collin’s accident and the fact that his parents would not be able to care full-time for their son, Ernest says, he felt a calling. “The Lord was leading me to help,” he says. He had time to spare.Ernest approached Collin’s parents with the idea that he look after the boy while they were at work. The Smiths gratefully accepted. Collin, now 23 , says it was hard for him to understand then “how someone I didn’t know would drop everything to help me.”Ernest sought training to care for Collin and then began arriving at the Smiths’ home early on weekday mornings. He would help Collin get out of bed, wash, and dress. He would help him have breakfast. Then he’d drive Collin to school. And at 3 p.m., every day, Ernest would drive back to pick him up. Then, while the two waited for one of Collin’s parents to get home, “we played a lot of Monopoly,” says Ernest with a laugh.Collin graduated from high school with the rest of his class and was accepted to nearby High Point. Ernest accompanied him to every class. “The first year was interesting,” Ernest recalls. “Collin didn’t want to stick out.” Ernest, on the other hand, says he took full advantage of the opportunity, taking down notes and often commenting in class.Collin Smith lost his ability to walk at 14 after a car accident. When Ernest Greene, 64 then, heard about that, he offered to help him. He looked after the boy, sent him to school and picked him up after school. Thanks to Ernest, Collin graduated from high school and was admitted to a nearby college. (56 words)9- What I Think of Boxing as a SportBoxing is a popular sport that many people seem to be fascinated by. Newspapers, magazines and sports programmes on TV frequently cover boxing matches. Professional boxers earn a lot of money, and successful boxers are treated as big heroes.It seems to me that some people, especially men, find it appealing because it is an aggressive sport. When they watch a boxing match, they can identify with the winning boxer, and this gives them the feeling of being a winner themselves. It is a fact that many people have feelings of aggression from time to time, but they cannot show their aggression in their everyday lives. Watching a boxing match gives them an outlet for this aggression.However, there is a negative side to boxing. It can be a very dangerous sport. Although boxers wear gloves during the fights, and amateur boxers even have to wear helmets, there have frequently been accidents in both professional and amateur boxing, sometimes with dramatic consequences. Boxers have suffered from head injuries, and occasionally, fighters have even been killed as a result of being knocked out in the ring. Furthermore, studies have shown that there are often long-term effects of boxing, in the form of serious brain damage, even if a boxer has never been knocked out.To conclude, I am personally not at all in favour of aggressive sports like boxing. I think it would be better if less time was given to aggressive sports on TV, and we celebrated more men and women from non-aggressive sports as our heroes and heroines in our society. I believe that the world is aggressive enough already! Of course, people like competitive sports, and so do I, but I think that hitting other people in an aggressive way is not something that should be regarded as a sport.Some people love boxing because it is an aggressive sport, which echoes with the feelings of aggression they have. But boxing is also a dangerous sport, not only because boxers are very likely to be injured or even killed, but also because there might be potential brain damage. Personally, the writer doesn’t like boxing and appeals for non-aggressive sports. (59 words)。

相关文档
最新文档