American Attitude Towards Manual Labor and the Importance of Traveling to Mars

The time has come for humanity to journey to Mars. We’re ready. Though Mars is distant, we are far better prepared today to send humans to Mars than we were to travel to the Moon at the beginning of the space age. Given the will, we could have our first teams on Mars within a decade. The reasons for going to Mars are powerful.

We must go for the knowledge of Mars. Our robotic probes have revealed that Mars was once a warm and wet planet, suitable for hosting life’s origin. But did it? A search for fossils (化石) on the Martian surface or microbes (微生物) in groundwater below could provide the answer. If found, they would show that the origin of life is not unique to the Earth, and, by implication, reveal a universe that is filled with life and probably intelligence as well. From the view point of learning our true place in the universe, this would be the most important scientific enlightenment since Copernicus.

We must go for the knowledge of Earth. The Earth’s atmosphere and environment are changing in significant ways. It has become a critical matter for us to better understand all aspects of our environment. In this project, comparative planetology is a very powerful tool, a fact already shown by the role that Venusian (金星的) atmospheric studies played in our discovery of the potential threat of global warming by greenhouse gases. Mars, the planet most like the Earth, will have even more to teach us about our home world. The knowledge we gain could be key to our survival.

We must go for the future. Mars is not just a scientific curiosity; it is a world with a surface area equal to all the continents of the Earth combined, possessing all the elements that are needed to support not only life, but technological society. It is a New World, filled with history waiting to be made by a new and youthful branch of human civilization that is waiting to be born. We must go to Mars to make that potential a reality. We must go, not for us, but for a people who are yet to be. We must do it for the Martians.

Many immigrants who settled in the United States were poor. The country they came to was a wilderness. Land had to be cleared of trees in order to make farms; mines had to be developed; houses, shops, and public buildings had to be built. Everyone endeavored to earn their livelihood. Manual labor was highly valued. Thereafter it was the man who worked with his head to achieve success in business and industry who was esteemed. Now there is in America a curious combination of pride in having risen to a position where it is no longer necessary to depend on manual labor for a living and genuine delight in what one is able to accomplish with one’s own hands.

The attitude toward manual labor is seen in an array of things in American life. One is invited to dinner at the home of a middle-aged couple. It is not only comfortable but extravagantly furnished together with beautifully landscaped gardens; yet the hostess probably will cook and serve the dinner. Additionally, she is prone to do much of the housework, and even though the husband may be a professional man, he talks about washing the car, digging in the flowerbeds, or painting the house. He often assists her in washing dishes and doing other household chores (杂务) aptly. The son or daughter who is away at college may get a summer job involving manual labor to earn next year’s school expense.

It has been an American ideal to rise from a humble beginning to a better position. Therefore the ‘servant class’ has not remained a fixed group. In fact, it has almost ceased to exist because people, who in earlier days might have been servants, now get higher wages working in factories. The majority of families cannot afford to pay what people who do housework or gardening charge for their services.

The expense of household service and of skilled labor, such as painting and carpentry, and the tradition of working with one’s hands have contributed to keeping alive the spirit of ‘do-it-yourself’. Many articles in popular magazines are developed to instruction in gardening, carpentry, and interior decorating. The average American gets a good deal of pleasure out of telling others about his or her projects, exhibiting them for their neighbors, or taking them to the country fair, where they will surely win a prize.

According to the first paragraph, the Americans ________. A. are more proud of being successful in working with head now B. only took pride in achieving success in business and industry in the past C. still take great delight in manual labor D. only valued manual labor in the past 15) From the passage we can learn that people who do housework or gardening ________. A. are looked down upon B. are poorly paid C. are well paid D. are less respected than those who work with head 16) According to the passage, which of the following statements is true? A. In America, there is no servant class. B. College students have to do manual labor to earn their school expense. C. The salary for housework and gardening is so high that attracts many people. D. All Americans rise from a humble beginning to a better position. 17) According to the passage, the American attitude toward manual labor is ________. A. negative B. indifferent C. neutral D. positive 18) From the passage we can infer that Americans are wealthy because ________. A. they have made it with their own hands B. they are more skilled than others C. they are more intelligent than others D. they often work with head 19) Why has the time come for humanity to travel to Mars according to the passage? A. Because people are far better ready today to send people to Mars than before. B. Because most people are financially better off than they were. C. Because the first team on Mars has already been organized. D. Because people are willing to sacrifice their own life to travel to Mars. 20) What is the purpose of the search for fossils on the Martian surface or microbes in groundwater? A. To ascertain whether life can exist on the planet Mars. B. To explore the origin of the universe. C. To reveal how intelligent the people are on the earth. D. To test whether the robotic probes can really function on the Mars. 21) The author believes that the most important scientific enlightenment of the universe would be ___________. A. the discovery of fossils on the Martian surface B. the discovery of our place in the universe C. the discovery of ground water on Mars D. the discovery of life on Mars 22) Why must we go for knowledge of Earth? A. Because it could help us use the knowledge of Earth to explore other planets. B. Because it could help us compare the Earth with other planets. C. Because it could help us find out the potential threat from other planets. D. Because it could help us learn more about the Earth for our survival. 23) What can be inferred from the sentence “Mars is not just a scientific curiosity.”? A. Mars is suitable for all the people to explore. B. Mars is a world full of history of adventures. C. Mars can make people more civilized. D. Mars could be utilized to support our life and technological society.

According to a recent survey released earlier this month, 8 percent of drivers, or 1.2 million people, are using handheld or hands-free cell phones at any given time during daylight hours. That’s double the number from just 4 years ago. What does that mean for your safety? More and more studies are telling us that, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, cell phone conversations are distracting to drivers. 2,600 deaths and more than 300,000 collisions each year are related to cell phones. Some 40 states are talking about joining New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. in banning hand-held cell phones in vehicles. Of all the distracting things we do in our cars, cell phones aren’t the worst. The most prevalent （普遍） distracting events were conversations, eating and drinking, and dealing with things that had dropped in the car. Researchers have found that dialing takes your eyes off the road and talking on the phone takes your mind out of the car and into the conversation. University of Utah studies show that cell phones, even while using a headset, have a real effect on reaction time. Some even compare it to driving while drunk. If you thought your hands-free cell phone is safer because both hands are free to grip the wheel, think again. Hands-free units can be less safe, because it leads to longer conversations and more mental

Each year, deaths are due to using cell phones while driving. A. 2,600. B. 30,000. C. 8,000. D. 1.2 million. 25) How many states in U.S. have already banned hand-held cell phones in vehicles? A. 26 B. 3 C. 40 D. 30 26) In terms of prevalence, is NOT on the list of distracting things we do in our cars. A. D) dealing things that drop in the car B. eating and drinking C. conversations D. the cell phones 27) What do University of Utah studies show about cell phones? A. Cell phones, even while using a headset, have a real effect on reaction time. B. Hands-free cell phones are much safer than hand-held phones. C. 2,600 deaths each year are related to cell phones. D. It is the most distracting thing we do in our cars. 28) What we can conclude from the passage is that . A. answering cell phones is better than driving while drunk B. hnd-held cell phones can be more dangerous C. hand-held cell phones are banned in most of U.S. states D. hands-free cell phones can be less safe