Everyone knows we must exercise regularly to maintain good health. Indeed, staying physically fit is a big part of our culture. We consider (and rightly so) that healthy people are attractive people. Since most of us want to be attractive,there is no shortage of exercise clubs , training videos, magazines , and books offering to help us stay physically fit. . Unfortunately,however,our culture does not place the same emphasis on mental fitness. Although we admire and love men and women with strong and healthy-looking bodies, we don't have the same degree of respect or attraction for smart, educated and mentally healthy people. This is a shame, because there are immense rewards for people who have developed the ability to think well. If your mind is well trained and flexible , you will be able to understand a great deal of what happens around you. And if you are also well educated---that is,if you understand basic science, mathematics, music, art, literature, history and so on---you will find it much easier to make good decisions throughout your life. Over the long run, _ leads to a sense of control over your destiny and a much better life than otherwise. People who are poorly educated or who don't think well--- that is,people who are not mentally fit see things differently. Their world is controlled by mysterious, but often malevolent forces. Such people live within a system they will never master, forced to follow the rules they will never understand. Although it may not be obvious , most people spend their lives being manipulated by others. They are told what to do , what to think, how to spend their money , and what they should and should not aspire to in life. In my opinion, if you want to live well, you must be able to use your mind wel1. For this reason, I want you to be able to concentrate, solve problem, understand complex ideas, and think clearly and quickly. Such skills will make it easier for you to make informed decisions,understand current events,choose good friends, manage your money well,... The best title of the passage will most probably be _ . A) Mind Helps You More B) Train Your Mind C) Make Informed Decisions D) Learn More to Help Yourself
B
(Question)
Down-to-earth means being honest,open,and easy to deal with.It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth.A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to.He or she accepts others as equals.A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society,of course,but they do not let their importance go to their heads,and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important.Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride,often without cause,is said to have his nose in the air.There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth. Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth.The expression is both feet on the ground.Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality.He has what is called common sense.He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real.The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds.A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world.Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality;sharp words from the teacher,for example,can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground. The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. _ .Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth.When we have both our feet firmly on the ground,we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others,and our lives are like the ground below us,solid and strong. If a person has his nose in the air,he _ . A) is down to the earth B) is easy to deal with C) always thinks he is more important than others D) is confident
(Answer)
C
Question: I met him first in 1936. I rushed into his ugly little shop to have the heels of my shoes repaired. I waited when he did it. He greeted me with a cheerful smile. "You're new in this neighborbood, aren't you?" I said I was. I had moved into a house at the end of the street only a week before. "This is a fine neighborhood," he said. "You'll be happy here." He looked at the leather covering the heel sadly. It was worn through because I had failed to have the repair done a month before. I grew impatient, for I was rushing to meet a friend. "Please hurry," I begged. He looked at me over his spectacles. "Now, lady, we won't be long. I want to do a good job. You see, I have a tradition to live up to." A tradition? In this ugly little shop that was no different from so many other shoe repair shops on the side streets of New York? He must have felt my surprise, for he smiled as he went on. "Yes, lady, I _ a tradition. My father and my grandfather were shoemakers in Italy, and they were the best. My father always told me, 'Son, do the best job on every shoe that comes into the shop, and be proud of your fine work. Do that always, and you'll have both happiness and money enough to live on.'" As he handed me the finished shoes, he said: "These will last a long time. I've used good leather." I left in a hurry. But I had a warm and grateful feeling. On my way home I passed the little shop again. There he was, still working. He saw me, and to my surprise he waved and smiled. This was the beginning of our friendship. It was a friendship that came to mean more and more to me as time passed. Every day I passed his shop, we waved to each other in friendly greeting. At first I went in only when I had repair work to be done. Then I found myself going in every few days just to talk with him. He was the happiest man I've ever known. Often, as he stood in his shopwindow, working at a pair of shoes, he sang in a high, clear Italian voice. The Italians in our neighborhood called him la luce alla finestra--"the light in the... Why was the shoemaker called "the light in the window" by his neighbors? A) Because he always worked late at night. B) Because he always put a light in the window. C) Because he was always guiding the others. D) Because he was always happy and cheerful.
Answer:
D