Adults tend to have stronger cognitive. social and emotional skills, which allow them to better identify with, offer advice to, and otherwise support friends. Many young adults enjoy this emotional depth along with an abundance of free time. before family and career responsibilities pick up in midlife. It’s no wonder that this age is a high-water mark for friendship. Those who so to college get a few extra years of living near their peers. Later in adulthood, though, people have more demands on their time: work, romantic partnership, and caregiving all compete for their attention.
Plus, when adults enter the workforce full-time, potential new friends don’t constantly surround them the way they did in school or while living in dormitories. Though some continue to carve out time for their social lives. Bagwell said, friendship tends to become “a luxury rather than priority.”
Under these new circumstances, many people see friends less frequently — and they tend to spend the time they do have together differently. For efficiency’s sake, they might pair socializing with other activities, like sharing a meal. Though grabbing dinner with a friend can be engaging, it’s a far cry from well-planned forest ceremonies. Friends could choose to tell each other secrets at a meal, but the activity doesn’t bring about the type of natural openness that play can.
This pursuit of efficiency and the safety of following routine can come at the cost of pleasure. An efficiency mindset risks having friendships feel like making a trade, as if each meeting should be “worth it.” But squeezing time for short and rare meetings is unlikely to feel fulfilling. If you haven’t seen each other in a while, focusing on chatting about old days is natural. However, looking back on important events in life can feel like exchanging notes while joint adventures create memories—the foundation of close friendship. As the sociologist Eric Klinenberg put it, “You tend to enrich your social life when you stop, stay longer and waste time.”
1．Why do young adults possess the deeper friendship?| A．They pay their whole attention to making friends. |
| B．They have more demands on maintaining friendship. |
| C．They enjoy developing friendship with enormous people. |
| D．They take advantage of skills and time to keep friendship. |
| A．They consider it tough to keep friendship. |
| B．They place great emphasis on making friends. |
| C．They have a preference for staying with friends. |
| D．They spend a large amount of money connecting with friends. |
| A．They are efficient and engaging activities. |
| B．Friends get more natural pleasure from them. |
| C．It is necessary to see friends frequently in them. |
| D．It takes a long time to make preparations for them. |
| A．Ambiguous. | B．Positive. | C．Negative. | D．Approving. |
My husband and I enjoy seeing life through the eyes of our children. It’s amazing to watch as they discover their world.
While we were outdoors last summer enjoying the sunshine, our oldest daughter, Kaytlin, called me to the doorway. Beneath the steps was a baby red squirrel.
We watched it from a distance, not wanting to disturb it or scare off its mother. But after a long wait—and looking all around our house for signs of a nest or a mother—we realized the tiny squirrel was lost.
Shaking terribly, he was weak, thin, and hungry. We tried to find an expert to help, but the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website showed that there were no wildlife experts in our area. After some quick research, we concluded that the best way to give the squirrel a fighting chance was to care for him ourselves. So a trip to the local store for milk and supplies was in order. More research taught us how much to feed him, how to estimate his age, how and when to wean (断奶) him, and that we should let him go as soon as he could survive on his own.
Our daughters and I took turns in feeding “Squirt.” Kaytlin took on the most responsibility. She taught him to eat from a bottle, and she woke in the night for his feeds.
To our relief, Squirt soon became healthy and strong. Within a few weeks he became more active. He would chatter (吱吱叫) for his next meal, playfully go around the girls, and lie down on them for sleep. It wasn’t long before he was weaned onto solid food and reintroduced to the wild.
His first few visits to the great outdoors were funny. Just like a child, he would play in the grass some and then run back to Kaytlin for safety. Soon she had him climbing trees and finding nest material.
One day in the trees, Squirt met up with a family of gray squirrels.
One night, Squirt didn’t come back to our house and it rained hard.
Cancer-fighting genes in elephants could help tackle one of the biggest killers of people, according to research. Despite their large bodies and long lifespans, elephants are much less likely to die from cancer than humans, with death rates of less than 5 percent.
The paradox has puzzled scientists because more cells lead to greater replications (复制), which increases the possibility of the body failing to detect damaged DNA or a faulty cell that can result in tumors(肿瘤). Elephants live for almost as long as humans and weigh up to five tons.
However, a group of British and European scientists say they have taken a big step towards solving Peto’s paradox, named after the British epidemiologist Sir Richard Peto. Elephants, they say, carry a much larger more diverse group of tumor-fighting proteins.
The findings, published last week in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, raise hopes that the cancer fighting genes in elephants could be the key to tackling cancer, which kills about 167, 000 Britons yearly. Cells keep dividing throughout an organism’s life, each carrying the risk of producing a tumor. One of the body’s weapons is a gene called p53 known as the “guardian of the genome”, which hunts cells with faulty DNA. It encourages the cell to repair itself or self-destruct, keeping the cell from combining with others and producing tumors.
Humans have two versions of p53 but elephants have 40, said the researchers. Biochemical analysis and computer simulations also showed that an elephant’s p53 genes are structurally slightly different, providing a much larger anti-cancer toolkit. The researchers suspect that while faulty cells might be able to skirt two p53 versions, they cannot combine with other cells as easily in the face of dozens.
The findings will open the way for research on how p53 genes of elephants are activated and on medical treatment for humans.
1．What has puzzled scientists?| A．Few elephants end up dying from cancer. | B．Elephants live long and weigh enormously. |
| C．More cells lead to higher chances of tumors. | D．A larger body is less likely to discover faulty cells. |
| A．How many Britons die each year. | B．How the anti-cancer gene works. |
| C．How the research was carried out. | D．What the findings have been applied to. |
| A．Strengthen. | B．Detect. | C．Escaped. | D．Cure. |
| A．Scientists find elephants live longer than humans. | B．P53 genes play essential role in preventing cancer. |
| C．Elephant genes could be key to fighting cancer. | D．Groundbreaking treatment for cancer is on the way. |
In colleges around the country, most students are also workers.
The reality of college can be pretty different from the images presented in movies and television. Instead of the students who wake up late, party all the time, and study only before exams, many colleges are full of students with pressing schedules of not just classes and activities, but real jobs, too.
This isn't a temporary phenomenon. The share of working students has been on the rise since the 1970s, and one-fifth of students work year round. About one-quarter of those who work while attending school have both a full-course load and a full-time job. The arrangement can help pay for tuition (学费) and living costs, obviously. And there's value in it beyond the direct cause: such jobs can also be critical for developing important professional and social skills that make it easier to land a job after graduation. With many employers looking for students with already-developed skill sets, on-the-job training while in college can be the best way to ensure a job later on.
But it's not all upside. Even full-time work may not completely cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. The study notes that if a student worked a full-time job at the federal minimum wage, they would earn just over $15,000 each year, certainly not enough to pay for tuition, room, and board at many colleges without some serious financial aid. That means that though they're sacrificing time away from the classroom, many working students will still graduate with at least some debt. And working full time can reduce the chance that students will graduate at all, by cutting into the time available for studying and attending classes.
There is little reward for attending but not finishing college. Students who wind up leaving school because of difficulty in managing work and class are likely to find themselves stuck in some of the same jobs they might have gotten if they hadn't gone at all. The difficulty of working too much while in school can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without receiving any of the financial or career benefits.
1．According to the passage, the reality of college students is that _________.| A．they throw parties a lot | B．they stay up late every night |
| C．they pay no attention to exams | D．they work besides attending classes |
| A．keep | B．quit |
| C．get | D．lose |
| A．working students are more likely to finish college |
| B．students can cover their college expenses through working |
| C．students receive a huge reward for managing work and class |
| D．dropping out of college may not help students get career benefits |
| A．The Difficulties of Landing a Job |
| B．The Struggle of Work-School Balance |
| C．The Reward of Working While Studying |
| D．The Images of Working College Students |
Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer?
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes — clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of cloth that can be mixed with flexible (有弹性的) electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments (衣服).
If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-free, soft to touch and washable!! Like any electronic device, these high-tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will produce electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100 percent shock proof, they say.
The Electrotextiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These 'lap-tap' gadgets (器具). are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirt-cum-mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim (牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood and the electronic ski jacket with a built-in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project — a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?
1．The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that _______.| A．they feel smooth and soft | B．they use electricity as power |
| C．they can be washed in water | D．they are made from flexible materials |
| A．Body heat will be used as power. | B．The wearer will not get shocked. |
| C．A tiny nine-volt battery will work. | D．They will get charged automatically. |
| A．The laptop computer. | B．The electronic ski jacket. |
| C．The shirt-cum-mobile phone. | D．The world's first cloth keyboard. |
| A．to advertise for an English company |
| B．to predict the future trend of science |
| C．to show how rapidly science develops |
| D．to introduce some intelligent clothing |
At the end of the fifth grade, there was a burst of excitement in the classroom. The school year was almost over, and we would be moving on to a new school for the sixth grade. All the girls made autograph books (签名册) and collected signatures.
As I signed my classmates’ books, I noticed their moms had written in them, too. Such sweet thoughts were expressed, “I couldn’t be prouder of you. Can’t wait to see how you like junior high!” “You’re graduating. Congratulations! We love you and know you have a bright future!” ...
I asked my mother to sign mine, too. She was busy, but she said she’d sign it. Several days later, when I asked about it, she told me she just forgot. Anyway, she handed it back to me later. I was anxious to see what encouraging words she had written. And this is what I found on the page:
When a thing is first begun,
Never leave it till it’s done.
Be the labor great or small,
Do it well or not at all.
Mom
My heart sank. That was it? I was disappointed that there were no words of pride or encouragement. It was just a stupid poem-another indication to me that if I couldn’t be perfect, I wasn’t good enough.
I held back my tears, not expressing my disappointment.
That page in that handmade book bothered me for years,
I battled perfectionism and low self-respect and never felt good enough for most of my life. Many times, I gave up on things after I barely got started. All I could hear was "You’re not good enough."
When my mother was in her eighties and in a nursing home, I gave her a book to fill out so we could know more about her. It had hints (暗示) at the top of each page and then blank space to respond. I wanted her to write down her memories and a lifetime of experiences, so I. along with her grandchildren, would have some precious sections of her life.
In the beginning, she was very excited.
One day I went to the nursing home to see her, only to find her sleeping, with the book lying beside her.
Inspiration
“Mama, when I grow up, I’m going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my
As I look back on that day now, it is surely
Though I was excited with the change, it did not come without its fair share of
Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great
| A．dream | B．plan | C．hobby | D．word |
| A．connected | B．required | C．knew | D．educated |
| A．exactly | B．certainly | C．probably | D．hardly |
| A．director | B．trainer | C．leader | D．dancer |
| A．regret | B．memory | C．truth | D．reality |
| A．returning | B．dating | C．turning | D．arriving |
| A．short | B．ashamed | C．fond | D．plenty |
| A．while | B．since | C．until | D．when |
| A．cared | B．expected | C．asked | D．decided |
| A．encouraged | B．relaxed | C．sure | D．surprised |
| A．challenges | B．profits | C．advantages | D．adventures |
| A．put | B．mix | C．build | D．pick |
| A．connection | B．attention | C．attraction | D．conversation |
| A．apart | B．aside | C．off | D．back |
| A．wonderful | B．various | C．busy | D．huge |
| A．function | B．meaning | C．expression | D．usage |
| A．limits | B．problems | C．hardships | D．efforts |
| A．necessary | B．perfect | C．proper | D．possible |
| A．talent | B．honor | C．possibility | D．responsibility |
| A．victory | B．choice | C．tradition | D．desire |
I’ve spent two decades observing what makes people lucky and trying to help people increase their luck. I teach entrepreneurship (社会学). We know many new enterprises fail, and innovators (创业者)need luck.
With my students, I spend much time encouraging them to get out of their comfort zone and take some risks. I do this myself all the time. About a dozen years ago, during a flight, I decided to take a little risk. I started a conversation with the man sitting next to me. I introduced myself, and I learned that he was a publisher. I learned all about the future of the publishing industry and we exchanged contact (联系) information. So about three quarters through the night, I decided to take another risk. I showed him a book plan I was doing in my class. Although he was very polite, he said it wasn’t right for us.
A couple of months later, I told him I was doing a project on transforming the book, the future of publishing and invited him to come to my class. So he gladly came to my class. We had a great experience. A few months later, I wrote to him again, sending a bunch of video clips (剪辑) from another project my students had made. He was so stricken by one of them that he thought there was a book in it. I was a little bit hurt, but it was all right. So I invited him and his colleagues to have lunch together. Later, one of his editors asked me if I had considered writing a book. And I pulled out the exact same plan I had showed his boss a year earlier. Within two years, my book had sold over a million copies.
1．We can infer from the author’s experience on the plane that .| A．the publisher was stricken by his book |
| B．that was his first experience by plane |
| C．the first risk during the night didn’t work out |
| D．the experience made him transform his book |
| A．To have their book published. | B．To help to increase his luck. |
| C．To assess their writing skills. | D．To help them see their strength. |
| A．Take the Lead | B．Everything is Possible |
| C．Win in Danger | D．Luck and Risk |
| A．Publishing books. | B．A series of small risks. |
| C．Being turned down frequently. | D．Meeting with the stranger on the plane. |
I had pulled another all-nighter and then spent a full day at the office. I just came home and had only twenty minutes before my three girls came jumping through the door, full of stories, requests and homework demands that would keep me on my toes until their bedtime. And, in those twenty minutes, I had to tidy up our house, return several phone calls, and cook dinner. I felt a headache coming on.
Our company was small, which meant a lot of work on my shoulders. I felt like I was spending so much time and energy on my work that it was hard to cheer up the enthusiasm (热情) for my children.
“Mommy! Mommy! You’re never going to believe what happened in school today!” There they were. My twenty minutes were over, and I hadn’t started on dinner. I put on my best cheerful voice as I greeted them, hoping they wouldn’t notice the effort it took to put cheer into my greeting. And so the evening went on in a blur (模糊) of dinner and homework, quarrelling and bath time. I nodded off on the couch three times in the middle of homework, much to my oldest daughter’s anger. And I responded impatiently, “Yes, sure,” when my four-year-old asked me how many miles away we were from the sun. I think I did okay otherwise, although I don’t remember all the details on account of my extreme exhaustion. I tried to give my all to my children, but after the day that I had had at work, I’m afraid my all wasn’t all that much.
After finally guiding the last one successfully into bed, I was back at the computer to work for just a couple of hours before heading to bed myself. I opened my e-mails to find a message containing the quote (引文) for the following week’s issue. I read the quote, moving back as if I had been physically hit. The quote read: “Our children deserve (值得) the best of us, not the rest of us.”
This quote resonated (共鸣) with me too well.
The following day, I gathered my courage to talk with my boss.
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