2020年8月 英语（专升本）真题
课程代码：00015或13000

Bicycle Commuting

I may not be a movie star, best-selling author, or millionaire when I grow up, but one thing I will be known for, at least locally, is commuting by bicycle. It's sad to see how few people do—even though many could. Lots of people eagerly campaign for the reduction of greenhouse gases, but by driving cars, they're still contributing to the problem.

You might be picturing me as an extreme environmentalist (环保主义者), but I'm not one of those teenagers who wear shirts that say "Help save the world: Recycle." Actually, my interest in exercise, health, and fitness led me to cycling.

Cycling can help you lose weight, improve your health, and prevent many diseases. Cycling also carries a relatively low chance of injury.

While being good for your body, bicycle commuting is also a great way to cut greenhouse gases. Many environmentalists recycle, plant trees, and drive hybrid cars (混合动力汽车), but bicycle commuting could be even more effective than all of those combined. You could cut down the amount of greenhouse gases just by commuting by bicycle a few times a week.

Bicycle commuting saves money too. When you buy your bicycle and the things that usually go with it, you might be shocked by the cost. But if you think about the increasingly high gas prices, you will know for sure that you can save a significant amount each year by not driving a car.

You might think that you don't have time for bicycle commuting. Actually, you probably do. You could cut back on your TV time and pick up this activity. It helps you care for the environment, save money, and most importantly get fit.

Spilt (打翻的) Milk

I recently heard a story about a famous scientist who had made several very important medical achievements. He was asked why he was so much more creative than the average person.

He responded that it all came from an experience when he was about two. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip (紧握) and it fell, spilling (打翻) the milk all over the floor.

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, or punishing him, she said, "Robert, what a wonderful mess you have made! Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"

Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge (海绵) or a towel. Which do you prefer?" He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilt milk.

His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it.

The scientist remarked that it was then that he knew he didn't need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment "doesn't work", we usually learn something valuable from it.

Volunteers

①Volunteers are people who work without being paid. They do the work because they want to. We need volunteers because there are many things that need to be done in society which the Government can't afford to pay for.

②Volunteers are motivated by a desire to help others and to make the world a better place. Statistics suggest that more than one million people do voluntary work in New Zealand. Some volunteers do the kind of work that they are particularly interested in, but perhaps haven't had the chance to do during their working lives. Others make use of their professional skills and experience.

③Volunteers contribute to society in a number of ways. For example, some give their time to help preserve the natural environment. While there are government-run projects to maintain national parks and forests, the projects would not succeed without volunteers. Some environmental organizations rely solely on voluntary labor.

④"Meals on Wheels" is a voluntary organization run by the Red Cross. It delivers meals to elderly people who are unable to cook for themselves. Every year volunteer drivers deliver a million meals. This enables elderly people to remain in their own houses.

⑤Volunteer Service Abroad was started in 1962. It sends volunteers to poor countries. To be a volunteer you should be between the ages of 25 and 77, of good health and have a skill or ability that is requested by the country. Volunteers spend two years helping the local people improve their lives. Two years is a long time, but when they return, many volunteers say: "It was the best two years of my life."