选择知识点

If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. Heˈd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out. 
     While many people in China will remember Confucius on this special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. Itˈs nothing personal. Most Americans donˈt even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes. 
     But this doesnˈt mean that Americans donˈt care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China. 
   In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学).Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
     So the old thinkerˈs ideas are still alive and well. Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West. 
     As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives.For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite.Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving.Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls.

　　Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites.Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location.

　　We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another.They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator.Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place.This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates.A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth.Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit，So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position.This usually happens about every five or six days.

　　Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth.A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years.Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired.Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time.This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash into each other.

The fast development of modern technology has not only provided people with more income, but also enable them to enjoy long weekends and holidays. Never before have so many people traveled to so many different parts of the world and, with the help of fast, comfortable forms of modern transport, more and more people are tempted to（试图）leave their homes to see more of the world. It seems as if there are travelers everywhere.

People travel because traveling benefits them in a number of ways. First, it enables them to get much pleasure from sight-seeing and photo-taking. Second, traveling makes them fully relaxed and ready to get back to work happily. Third, it offers them an opportunity to visit old friends and make new friends as well. Finally, it allows them to see different customs, learn new things, gain new experience and enables them to come back with a broader mind.

With so many advantages to traveling, I think people should be encouraged to travel from time to time, especially on holidays, if their pocket and health permit.

You’re in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. You listen to their conversation:

"I can't believe it-Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome." 

They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes. 

Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it.

Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation-consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It's a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.

So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go.Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing." It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. However, you don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.

To have a second child or not, this is a question.

A concern about only one child is whether one child necessarily means a lonely child. Many parents of only child feel guilty of their decision to have only child. There are no other children in the family for the child to associate with, which may lead to the child feeling lonely at times.

Another common argument against having just one child may be more spoiled than one with siblings. Many people believe that a single child will not have learned to negotiate with others, and respect the give-and-take involved in many relationships. Some think this may leave the child less capable of interacting well people his or her own age.

Despite these arguments, the number of parents choosing to have only one child is increasing in the world. For some single-child parents, the pressures of devoting time and energy to a second child can result in them selecting to have no more children. For other parents, the financial burden of having a second child may be the major consideration. Another important consideration is the increasing age at which women give birth to children.

Advocates of single-child families argue that there are advantages for the child as well as the parents. With just one child, the parents can give, and the child can receive, more quality time and attention.

However, there is no simple answer to the question of whether or not to have a second child. The circumstances affecting each set of parents are unique. The important thing, in the end, is to make a decision that both the wife and the husband feel confident.

It was a comfortable sunny Sunday. I was going to meet an old university friend I hadnˈt seen for years, and was really excited to hear all his news.

My train was running a little late, but that was no big problem—I could text him to say I would be delayed. He would understand. But... where was my mobile phone? I had that familiar sinking feeling. Yes, Iˈd forgotten it at home.

No mobile phone. Iˈm sure Iˈm not alone in feeling anxious, on edge and worried when I donˈt have my phone with me. In fact, I know Iˈm not alone: two­thirds of us experience ‘nomophobia’，the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Thatˈs according to a study from 2012 which surveyed 1,000 people in the UK about their relationship with mobile phones.

It says we check our mobile phones 34 times a day, that women are more ‘nomophobic’ than men, and that 18－24 year­olds are the most likely to suffer fear of being without their mobiles: 77% of them say they are unable to be apart from their phones for more than a few minutes.

Do you have nomophobia?

·You never turn your phone off

·You obsessively check for texts, missed calls and emails

·You always take your phone to the bathroom with you

·You never let the battery run out

Itˈs funny to think that around 20 years ago the only people with mobile phones would be businesspersons carrying their large, plastic ‘bricks’. Of course, these days, mobile phones are everywhere. A UN study from this year said mobile phone subscriptions would outnumber people across the world by the end of 2014.

And when there are more phones than people in the world, maybe itˈs time to ask who really is in charge? Are you in control of your phone, or does your phone control you?

So, what happened with my university friend? When I arrived a few minutes late he just laughed and said: “You havenˈt changed at all—still always late！” And we had a great afternoon catching up, full of jokes and stories, with no interruptions and no nagging(唠叨的) desire to check my phone. Not having it with me felt strangely liberating. Maybe Iˈll leave it at home on purpose next time.

Peter loved to shop used articles. Almost a month ago, he bought popular word game that used little pieces of wood with different letters on them. As he was purchasing it, the salesgirl said, “Uh, look, the game box hasn’t even been opened yet. That might be worth some money. ”

Peter examined the box, and, sure enough, it was completely covered in factory-sealed plastic. And he saw a date of 1973 on the back of the box.

“You should put that up for auction (拍卖) on the Internet, and see what happens. ” the salesgirl said.

“Yes, you’re right. People like something rare.” Peter agreed, “I can’t imagine there being very many unopened boxes of this game still around 40 years later.”

“Don’t forget to tell me if you sell it.” the salesgirl smiled.

“No problem.” Peter said.

After he got home, Peter went online to several auction websites looking for his game. But he couldn’t find it. Then he typed in the name of the word game and hit Search. The search result was 543 websites containing information about the changes of the game. Over the years, the game had been produced using letters in different sizes and game boards in different colors. He also found some lists of game fans looking for various versions of the game. Peter emailed some of them, telling them what he had.

Two weeks later, Peter went back to the shop.

“Hello. Do you still remember the unopened word game?”

The salesgirl looked at him for a second, then recognized him and said, “Oh, hi!”

“I’ve got something for you,” Peter said. “I sold the game and made $1,000. Thank you for your suggestion.” He handed her three $ 100 bills.

“Wow!” the salesgirl cried out. “Thank you, I never expected it.”

If you are looking to putting a tree in your home for Christmas, there is always one debate that seems to arise in most households: whether you want a real tree or fake tree. Year after year, as we find ourselves cleaning old pine needles (松针) for months on end, we decide that we will never get another real tree. So that begs the question: Which kind of tree is better?

There is certainly a lot to be said for real trees. There is something fun about gathering the family together, going to a Christmas tree farm, and selecting or even cutting down your own tree. Real Christmas trees have that lovely holiday pine needle smell and they look great in your home.

Of course, on the other hand, they also leave a complete mess behind and needles that seem to keep appearing for weeks or even months after the tree comes down. You must also find a way to deal with your real Christmas tree after you’re done, which may mean cutting it into pieces so it will fit in the trash. Many dustmen will refuse to take away a tree that is left beside your regular trash, especially if it is a big tree or an old, yellow one with falling needles, making it hard to pick up. They don’t want a face full of sharp needles any more than you do!

With a fake Christmas tree, there is no mess, but there is also no Christmas smell and no exciting trip to the Christmas tree farm. Of course, these trees look the same in appearance as a real tree when decorated. Many of them come already with lights, so using that old, messy string of lights will be a thing of the past. For some people, a can of pine air freshener is enough to recreate the pleasant smell of a real tree.

As to which tree is the better choice, it is really a matter of personal preference. Both real and fake trees certainly have their benefits, and knowing which is better for you this Christmas really depends on what your family wants.

a.providing more fun

b.easy to clean up

c.giving off a natural smell

d.easy to decorate

The technology is great. Without it we wouldn't have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean's depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves.

    Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who've come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don't have throat cancer, and it's just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet “school” of medicine does not guarantee (保证) accurate self-health-checks.

    One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, “I know what's wrong; I've got throat cancer. I know there's nothing you doctors can do about it and I've just got to wait until the day comes.”

    As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn't right. “Did your local doctor do an X-ray?” I asked. “Oh, I haven't been to the doctor for years,” she replied. “I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that's what I had.”

    However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn't fit with it-but she'd just ignored this.

    I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn't the cancer but tuberculosis (肺结核) -something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did.

    Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. “I'm so embarrassed,” she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested.  She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should have a microwave sausage while I waited?