April 23 marks the World Book and Copyright Day. On this day, the world celebrates the magical power of book —a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. Here are four widely praised books which received high scores on Douban, a major review website in China.
Delivering Packages in Beijing
Author Hu Anyan has worked as a delivery man, a convenience store clerk and a security guard. He transforms the bits and pieces of everyday life and the joys and sorrows of work into a sincere narrative. He ultimately realizes that a life filled with complaints is not worth living.
The Annoyance of the Gods
Author Ma Boyong, who has written The Longest Day inChang'an, uses the classic Journey to the Westas a backdrop to describe a series of workplace issues, such as how to write a work report during a project and how to respond to emergencies.
Bright Night
Written by Choi Eun-young, the book is a female version of Yu Hua's To Live. It tells the story of the friendship and struggle of four generations of women. The women in the book are no longer characters to be pitied against one another, nor do they play supporting roles in the lives of men.
The Man in a Rush
Author Wang Jibing is a delivery man whose running routes have accumulated 150, 000kilometers, equal to running back and forth along the Great Wall of China 15 times. Like all workers from the grassroots of China, Wang records his embarrassment and the self-respect of being a worker.
The first time my daughter, Maia, realized I was leaving on a trip without her, she was alarmed. "Why did you even have me if you were just going to leave me behind? " she sobbed. I tried to tell her that someday she'd understand the appeal of travel. But as my husband, Evan, pulled her off my leg so I could leave, I wondered if my solo trips would be worth the effort of going without her.
Returning home after a few days away, I felt energized and inspired. Mai a was happy to hear about my trip. But this was the age of learning about compromises. As in: "You have to wear a coat, but we'll compromise and you can choose which one. "She told me I could keep going on trips for work— but we'd compromise: she'd come with me.
When she was six, we flew to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. I was impressed by how cheerfully fearless she was when we swam in cenotes （天然井） or dived along a reef. In Fiji, nine-year-old Maia was attracted by the compassionate （有同情心的） women chiefs we met and decided she wanted to become a leader. During a trip to Sri Lanka when she was 13, she learned how the coin flip of your birth country can affect your opportunities in life.
When we finished up our travels and returned home to Vancouver for her high school education, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to learn that our daughter had other ideas. Maia was thrilled when, after months of interviews, she was awarded a place to finish high school at Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa.
But it was during that first airport goodbye that I realized it was my turn to be left behind. Compared to the goofy 17-year-old I'd bid goodbye to, the 21-year-old woman who came home from high school in Africa and, later, from university in France, seemed mature and unfamiliar.
In the past decades, songs have been "losing weight". From 1990 to 2020 or so, the average duration of the top 100 popular songs reduced from over four minutes to about three minutes, reported The Washington Post. In the summer of 2023, Super Shy, a K-pop song by New Jeans, swept TikTok with its uncommonly short duration— two minutes and 34seconds.
What has caused this change? The widespread use of TikTok and streaming music media might be the top triggers. It is no exaggeration that these two influences have changed the way hit songs are made and publicized, as well as the way we find music, noted Billboard.
On streaming platforms like Spotify, artists only get paid when their songs are played for 30 seconds or more. The often-skipped songs will be less likely to be recommended by the platform. Therefore, artists try to get their songs played longer to enhance their earnings and visibility （关注度）.
According to research, 25 percent of listeners will skip the song they are listening to in the first five seconds. One theory holds that a concise （简洁的） track is more likely to get more listens. "There's a charm to a short song because the person hits repeat —play it again, play it again, " Mitch Allan, a longtime writer-producer, told Billboard.
On TikTok, however, users prefer even simpler versions of these short songs —snippets（片段）. "To a lot of people, I think the snippet they encounter on TikTok is the song. They rarely have the interest in getting the full picture of the song, not to mention the background or the inspiration behind the song. " said vocal producer Bart Schoudel to Billboard.
This series of changes has also reshaped songwriting. The Guardian reported that research has found lyrics of pop songs are becoming simpler and angrier than ever.
For many, lyrics are a form of literature, weaving imagery and emotion into their content. US songwriter Bob Dylan was even awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his lyrics in 2016. With all these changes, will lyrics still be regarded as literature in the future?
When Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield looked at Earth, tears formed in his left eye. Within minutes, using the bridge of his nose like a waterfall, the tears spilled into his right eye, until he couldn't see. Fear should have paralyzed （使……不知所措） Hadfield since he was blind in space. Instead, Hadfield assessed his surroundings, evaluated the risk, trusted his training, and continued his spacewalk. Back in the spacecraft, he realized that an anti-fog solution （防雾液） had stimulated his eyes. Luckily, they were fine after a good cleaning. Hadfield returned to Earth with first-hand experience of space psychology in action.
Space psychology, a vital long-term field of study at NASA （美国宇航局）, which refers to applying psychology to human spaceflight, is gaining special importance as humans prepare for long-distance space travel. Clearly, space psychology matters on the journey to the Moon, Mars and beyond. But it can also help humans greatly as we meet challenges in our lives. According to Hadfield, we can learn from astronauts who practice what goes wrong and right, with the following suggestions.
In the language system used by NASA, attitude refers to a spacecraft's positioning in3D space. To reach a destination, the spacecraft must be pointed in the right direction. They must have the correct "attitude". Hadfield suggests that we view life the way NASA plans missions: with an attitude. Unexpected factors may change your path, but with the proper mindset, they won't change your course.
And, he classifies team members into three groups: Plus-ones （the high-performers）, Zeroes and Minus-ones （Liabilities 惹麻烦的人）. Hadfield encourages people to be Zeroes because they listen, learn, and contribute without conflict. Zeroes help build consensus（共识）in a group and have the potential to be plus-one performers.
Meanwhile, Hadfield said it's important for astronauts to pay attention to even the small things as ignoring them could be dangerous. We can overcome our fears by learning as much as we can about them. So, we should prepare for situations that we know will make us anxious. Hadfield also suggests that we imagine what could go wrong as a way to be better prepared.
Whether it's gas, food, clothing, cars, furniture, water, toys, electronics or other goods, we are all consumers. The key is not to stop consuming, but to start being mindful of our consumption habits and how each purchase or action affects the ecosystem. .
Consume less
Limiting consumption can have a huge impact on the environment. The three "Rs" —reduce, reuse and recycle —get a lot of attention. However, the planet could benefit from some focus on the most important and most underrepresented "R": refuse. When you refuse, you say "no", which is not always easy. , think about whether it would truly improve your life. If not, it's OK to just say, "No, thanks! "
Walk, bike or carpool
According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency （EPA）, a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4. 6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Any amount of that we can cut back on will help. . If travelling on foot or two wheels isn't feasible （可行的）, try carpooling with a friend, neighbor or coworker to a mutual destination.
Get creative with your useless or unwanted items by upcycling —basically, turning trash into treasure. Creating something new such as artwork, toys or jewelry is both satisfying and one of the best ways to protect the environment. Not only does it keep items out of the trash, it can prevent having to purchase new items, which require lots of resources to produce. Children love making things; so instead of heading to the craft store, check out your recycle bin first and let their imaginations soar!
Use your purchasing power for good
The positive thing about being a consumer is that we have the power to choose where we spend our hard-earned dollars. . Spend it wisely on goods, services and experiences that leave a smaller carbon footprint. Choose to do business with companies that support sustainability efforts, utilize renewable energy sources and walk the walk when it comes to protecting the environment.
A. Upcycle more
B. Recycle properly
C. If you want to consume less or recycle a used item
D. Here are several ways you can start to protect the environment
E. Think of your money as your voice and your vote for a cleaner planet
F. Next time you're tempted to purchase or accept a non-essential item
G. For short trips, try walking or biking —you'll also get a healthy dose of exercise in
Almost a decade ago, when my son Jack was 16, he decided to take a summer job 1 solar panels door-to-door. 2 , I had reservations. Jack was an introvert（内向的人）, and I feared that he would face countless rejections. Protecting him from potential 3 would be the best thing I believed I could do for him.
It's 4 to want to protect kids from failure. 5 , why should they live through the painful mistakes you can 6 ? But failure is essential to learning— in particular, a kind researchers call intelligent failure. Intelligent failure 7 when you try something new in pursuit of a worthy goal. Whether it's 8 a new sport or making new friends, kids will encounter setbacks and disappointments. Without experiencing intelligent failure, children might develop a 9 of avoiding risk.
Despite my reservations, I finally allowed Jack to take on the job. As expected, he faced many rejections. 10 , he also managed to secure a few sales and the experience generated an interest in 11 energy to this day.
The 12 here is clear: Don't let children lose the 13 to experience failure. Instead, encourage them to try new things. When they encounter setbacks, acknowledge the difficulty without rushing to 14 their problems for them. When they do get small wins on their own, that makes success much 15 .
In a rapidly changing world is vital to remain lifelong learners. As you progress through life, you may study and work in new environments. Only by refreshing your knowledge can you keep up with the （late） developments.
So, how can you proceed? Firstly, lifelong learning is attitude. As lifelong learners, you should be open to new knowledge and ideas, and develop critical thinking skills so as not to accept new ideas （blind）. Secondly, opportunities for lifelong learning should be taken advantage of as well. For example, you could register online and subscribe e-learning courses, which （become） increasingly popular in recent years. You could also visit the local library, you can find rich and diverse resources. Finally, simply （know） something is not sufficient, because for knowledge to have concrete value, it must be applied. Importantly, after its application, there must then follow a review process of analysis, evaluation and improvement so that your （comprehend） of the world becomes a continuous process.
In conclusion, in a world of constant changes, （develop） your skills, further a career and boost self-worth, you should never cease to learn.
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；2. 文章开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom, …… Yours, Li Hua |
Jacob had always admired firefighters. Their bravery and dedication to saving lives inspired him. He dreamed of becoming one himself someday. One evening, as he was walking home from his part-time job at the local grocery store, he noticed smoke billowing（涌出） from a house down the street. Without thinking twice, he ran towards the house.
As he got closer, he could hear the crackling of flames and the faint sound of someone calling for help. Jacob's heart raced. He knew he had to act fast. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911, giving them the address and details. Then, he took a deep breath and decided to go inside.
Jacob pushed the front door and opened it with his shoulder. The thick smoke made it hard to see, but he could make out the shape of a woman at the top of the stairs. "Help! My daughter is upstairs! " she cried.
Jacob covered his mouth with his sleeve as he made his way up the stairs. The heat was intense, and the smoke stung（刺痛） his eyes, but he pressed on. He found the little girl hiding under her bed. "It's okay," he said, "I'm here to help you." He gently pulled her out and carried her down the stairs.
As they reached the bottom, the firefighters arrived. Jacob handed the girl to her mother, who hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, you saved my daughter's life."
Jacob stayed with the family until the firefighters declared the house safe. He watched as they worked tirelessly to put out the fire and ensure it didn't spread to neighboring homes. The mother and daughter were taken to the hospital for a check-up, but they would be okay. As Jacob walked home that night, he couldn't shake the feeling of pride and responsibility that had settled over him. He had faced a dangerous situation and had made a difference.
Over the next few days, news of Jacob's bravery spread throughout the community, and even astonished the mayor.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150左右；2. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Weeks later, Jacob received a letter in the mail. …… Jacob stood proudly in front of his community, receiving the award for bravery. |
