D.To show how the research was carried out
60.Which of the following images most resembles a real alpha male? A.A strict father who never smiles at his children B.A father who does most of the decision making C.A powerful executive shouting at a board meeting D.A general who never loses a battle in defense of his country 61.The best title of the passage should be .
A.Wolf families B.Alpha males C.Supreme bosses D.The matriarch
C
Philosophers sometimes pay a high price for standing by their philosophies.
Socrates drank hemlock after being convicted of（被定罪）corrupting the youth of ancient
Athens. Civilly （谦恭的）disobedient （不服从的）Henry David Thoreau went to jail rather than pay his taxes.
And Assya and Mario Pascalev,philosophers from Bethesda,Md.,are going without air
conditioning.
Pepco shut off power to the couple’s Colonial home on Aug.4 after the Pascalevs-both of
whom have doctorate degrees in philosophy-declined to pay a monthly $14 fee for refusing installation of a smart meter.They’re sweating out an August heat wave with their two teenage children and their Kerry blue terrier-that is,when they’re not taking refuge at Bethesda’s Hilton Garden Inn.
“We can afford to pay,” Assya Pascalev said of the couple’s power bill,which stands at
$634.94 after a two-year battle.“It’s not a matter of money,it’s a matter of principle.”
The couple,whose story was first reported by Bethesda magazine,have put no small amount of thought into their stand.
Many Americans may not have noticed as utilities （公用事业）across the country replaced old-fashioned meters read by humans with smart meters that can be read remotely.
The Pascalevs,scrutinizing their Pepco bill in their home near Bethesda-Chevy Chase High
School,did take note-and not just because of a one-time $75 opt-out（撤出） fee that preceded the monthly charge.Mario Pascalev,who works in IT,has an academic paper in the works about moral
issues created by complicated software user agreements.Assya is a Howard University professor who studies biomedical ethics.
“When you have a conscientious objection,it’s a thought process rather than an arbitrary or emotional reaction,” she said.
The first problem with smart meters,according to the Pascalevs: a lack of privacy.The
meters,designed to help “maintain your budget and control your energy costs,” according to Pepco’s website,offer too much information to utility companies and those who might hack them.
“Each appliance has a signature and consumes a specific amount of power,” a perspiring
Mario Pascalev said as he wiped his brow in the sweltering dining room.“If I am given this information,I would know where you are in the house.”
And there are health and safety considerations,the Pascalevs say.Some argue that smart
meters cause fires and are a source of dangerous radiation similar to cellphones and microwaves.The Maryland Public Service Commission,the administrative body that governs Pepco,says such concerns are unfounded.
Jonathan Libber,the president of Maryland Smart Meter Awareness,an anti-smart meter
advocacy group,said smart meters were never tested for health effects before being installed altogether.
“We may find 10 to 15 years from now there is a huge spike in childhood leukemia（白血
病）,” he said.“What do you say,‘We’re sorry’?” Citing the preliminary results of a National Institutes of Health study that may link cellphone radiation to tumors in rats,Libber added: “I would no longer say that these things may be dangerous.I would say they are dangerous.”
“We’re probably more sensitive to limitations on individual liberties,”Assya Pascalev
said.Pepco,however,counters that smart meters bring a host of benefits.The meters don’t just help consumers save money but communicate information about power use and outages（运行中断）that improves customer service.
As Pepco seeks a 10 percent rate increase in Maryland,the family is not alone in its stand
against smart meters.Deborah Vollmer of Chevy Chase-known for a seven-year court battle with a neighbor over use of a shared driveway-is refusing to pay opt-out fees and is also financing the Pascalevs’s $200 per night hotel bills.
“Let’s take a deep breath,” said Vollmer,who hasn’t had her electricity turned off.“Don’t bully us into accepting something that may or may not prove to be beneficial in the long term.” 62.Pepeo is a（n） .
A.powerful celebrity B.organization leader C.government authority D.power company
63.According to the passage,which of the following statements is true?
A.Socrates and Henry David Thoreau paid a high price because they were philosophers
B.That Assya and Mario Pascaley have to live without air conditioning has nothing to do with Assya’s occupation,Howard University professor
C.Assya and Mario Pascalev’s objection is arbitrary and emotional
D.Deborah Vollmer also declined to pay the monthly $14 fee to support Assya and Mario Pascalev
64.Assya and Mario Pascalev have every reason to stand by their philosophies except that . A.$634.94 is affordable but unreasonable
B.smart meters offer too much information to utility companies and those who might back them C.they lay inappropriate emphasis on individual liberties D.smart meters cause fires and are a source of dangerous radiation 65.In promoting the wide use of smart meters, is unlikely to happen. A.long-term benefits for all C.better customer service
B.a 10 percent rate increase in Maryland D.prevention of privacy leak
D
Dear Seth,
You’re only three years old,and at this point in your life you can’t read, much less understand
what I’m going to try to tell you in this letter.But I've been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you,about my life so far as I reflect on what I've learned,and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years.
You are young,and life has not yet to show a cold face to you,to throw disappointments and
loneliness and pain into your path.You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work.by the slings and arrows of everyday life.
For this,be thankful.You are at a wonderful time of life.You have many wonderful stages of
life still to come,but they are not without their costs and risks.
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned.As with
any advice,take it with a grain of salt.What works for me might not work for you.
Life can be cruel
There will be people in your life who won't be very nice.They’ll tease you because you’re
different.or for no good reason.They might try to bully you or hurt you.
There’s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them,and learn
to choose friends who are kind to you,who actually care about you,who make you feel good about yourself.When you find friends like this,hold on to them,treasure them,spend time with them,be kind to them,love them
There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success.Life won’t always turn out the way you want.This is just another things you’ll have to learn to deal with.But instead of letting these things get you down,push on.Aecept disappointment and learn to persevere,to oursue your dreams despite pitfalls.Learn to turn negatives into positives,and you’ll do much better in life.
You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love.I hope you don’t have to face this too much,but happens.Again,not much you can do but to heal,and to move on with your life.Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life,and learn to use them to make you stronger.
But Be Open life Anyway
Yes,you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life...but don’t let that close you to new things.Don’t retreat from life,don’t hide or wall yourself off.Be open to new things,new experiences,new people.
You might get your heart broken 10 times,but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time.If you shut yourself off from love,you'll miss out on that woman,and the happiest times of your life.
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks,find a true friend.If you close yourself off to new people,and don't open your heart to them,you'll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people,who will
be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.
You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying,you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments.Failure is a stepping stone to success.
Life isn’t a competition
You will meet many people who will try to do better than you,in school ,in college,at
work.They’ll try to have nicer cars,bigger houses,nicer clothes,cooler gadgets.To them,life is a competition--they have to do better than their peers to be happy.
Here’s a secret:Life isn’t a competition. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others,to outdo others,you’re wasting your journey.Instead,learn to enjoy the journey.Make it a journey of Happiness,of constant learning,of continual improvement,of love.
Don't worry about having a nicer car or house or anything material,or even a better-paying job.None of that matters a whit,and none of it will make you happier.You'll acquire these things and then only want more.Instead,learn to be satisfied with having enough-and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things … use that time doing things you love.
Finally,know that I love you and always will.You are starting out on a weird, scary,daunting,but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey,and I will be there for you when I can.Godspeed.
Love,Your Dad
66.According to the father,all of the following are trials the son has to face except . A.disappointment B.pain C.loneliness D.failure 67.What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” mean? A.eating something together with some salt B.not accepting something firmly C.taking it for granted D.believing something firmly
68.According to the letter,which one isn’t the example to prove the cruelty of life? A.Your classmate tease,bully or hurt you
B.You fail in the mid-term exam despite your hard work