Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.
During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you’re “hot”, that’s true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak(最高峰). For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why it is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues(自言自语)as: “Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” the possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature—and—energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Counteract(对抗)your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam and work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn(呵欠)and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours.If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably ______.
A．he is a lazy person
B．he refuses to follow his own energy cycle
C．he is not sure when his energy is low
D he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?
| A．Not knowing about the energy cycle |
| B．Familiar monologues |
| C．A change in a family member’s energy cycle |
| D．Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members |
If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should ______.
| A．change his energy cycle | B．overcome his laziness |
| C．get up earlier than usual | D．go to bed earlier |
You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will ______.
| A．help to keep your energy for the day’s work |
| B．help you to control your temper early in the day |
| C．enable you to concentrate on your routine work |
| D．keep your energy cycle under control all day |
I was walking along the deserted main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to get in touch with the Automobile Association .Low gray clouds were drifting across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
There was no sign of a call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his job, but the town was completely dead.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street next to it was the town’s only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint, I hurried forward but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was very fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat and rubber boots. I could not see his face - he was bending forward over the phone with his back pressed against the glass and didn’t even raise his head at the sound of my coming nearer and nearer. Carefully and surprisedly, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door.The author was walking through the small seaside town__________.
| A．late morning | B．early morning |
| C．before midnight | D．late evening |
The weather of the day was ____, when the story happened.
| A．windy, cold and cloudy | B．stormy, damp and clear |
| C．rainy, cold and clear | D．rainy, windy and cold |
Why was the author astonished when he saw that there was a man in the call box? Because____.
| A．the man inside was still wearing a raincoat |
| B．he didn’t expect it to be taken up |
| C．the man had his back with him |
| D．the man did not seem to be moving |
The author waited, standing a few feet away from the box because____.
| A．it was not safe to be close to the box |
| B．the man didn’t notice his coming |
| C．he wanted to have a cigarette to calm himself down |
| D．it was bad manners to overhear other’s phone calls |
What do you suppose happened to the man in the call box?
| A．He slept. |
| B．He had most probably been killed. |
| C．He was lost in his important phone call. |
| D．He was too fat to move around. |
Diego Maradona acknowledged(承认) that he struck the ball with his hand in the famous “Hand of God “ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.
Maradona appeared to hit the ball with his hand into the net, and officials allowed the goal to stand despite protests by the English team. Argentina went on to win the 1986 quarterfinal match 2-1 and then win the World Cup.
In his most detailed comments yet, Maradona said he was unable to reach the ball for a header(头球) when he went up against the taller English goalkeeper, Peter Shilton.
After the score, Maradona said he quickly realized the line referee(裁判) had allowed the goal but none of themselves were figuring the goal would be effective.
“I was waiting for my teammates to hug me and no one came,” said Maradona, who was the team captain. “I told them, ‘Come and hug me or the referee isn’t going to allow it.’”
In his 20-year career before retiring in 1997, Maradona starred at Argentinas Juniors and Boca Juniors and in Europe. He also led Argentina league titles(冠军).
In 1991, Maradona failed a drug test and was banned for 15 months. Nine years later, FiFA chose him and Pele as the best players in soccer history.
Recently, he was appointed vice president of Boca Juniors. And with his new TV show, Maradona, 45, has returned to public eyes after years of dealing with drug and health problems.This passage comes from ________.
A a report of some newspaper. B Maradona’s autobiography
C statement of an official D an interview with Maradona’s teammatesMaradona was chosen as one of the best players in soccer history in ____.
A 1986 B 1997 C 2000 D 2001The underlined word “figuring” is closest in meaning to ____.
A pretendingB thinkingC hoping D celebratingWhich of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A Striking the ball with one’s hand into the net is effective.
B Maradona didn’t pass a drug test.
C Maradona won the 1986 World Cup.
D Maradona retired in 1997.We can learn the following from the passage EXCEPT THAT ___.
A Maradona was once a drug taker.
B Maradona had planned to head the ball but failed.
C his teammates rushed to congratulate him after Maradona had shot the goal.
D Maradona once had some health problems.
“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world.” That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.
In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial(种族的), and geographical group.
Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.
Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶尔的）viewer. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.
The programs all use songs stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.
Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. “Sesame Street” is actually______.
| A．a street in the US | B．a program for children |
| C．a program of teachers | D．a program for students |
Children who often watch the program______.
| A．can have problems in school | B．will find it a great help |
| C．will take no interest in their studies | D．will be well educated |
What is special about the program?
| A．It offers great fun. |
| B．It makes children feel able to learn. |
| C．It is shown at different hours during the week. |
| D．Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching. |
Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?
| A．Because it is supported by the government and businesses. |
| B．Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks. |
| C．Because mothers watch it along with their children. |
| D．Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. |
The best title for this passage can be______.
| A．TV Programs | B．Educating Children |
| C．Sesame Street | D．A Greet Success |
Michael was a farmer in Texas．His parents moved to the USA from Ireland in the 1940’s， and they became very rich．Michael decided to go back to Ireland to meet his old grandfather， who was still living on the same farm．
Michael booked his ticket，flew to Shannon airport，hired a car and drove to the small village where his parents had been born．He asked for directions to the Ohagan farm，and in the end he drove up a bumpy path．He was shocked by what he saw：a small field，and in the middle of it was an old house，which looked as if it was falling down．Animals were wandering in and out of the front door，and on the porch an old man was smoking a pipe.
“Are you Mr. Ohagan?”asked Michael。
“Yes，”replied the old mall．
“I'm your grandson，Michael，”said Michael．
“A--ha，”replied the old man．
“Is this your farm?”asked Michael．
“Yes，all the way to the wall over there，”said the old man．
Michael was astonished．“Grandfather,”he said，“I have a farm in Texas．I can get into my car and drive all day and I still haven’t reached the end of the farm．”
“Yes，”said his grandfather．“I used to have a car like that．”Michael’s parents _______．
| A．still lived in Ireland alone | B．owned a small farm in Texas |
| C．returned to their birthplace | D．were Irish immigrants（移民）in America |
Which of the following shocked Michael?
| A．The farm was small | B．The old house looked like his own． |
| C．Living conditions were poor in the fields． | D．Animals were free in the fields． |
The old man _______．
| A．owned a small farm, which extended only to the wall not far away |
| B．had so large a farm that he couldn’t cover it in a day |
| C．hadn’t his modern car any longer |
| D．used to have as good a car as his grandson’s |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Michael owned a large farm in Ireland. |
| B．Michael’s car was in such poor condition that it couldn’t reach the end of the farm within a day． |
| C．Michael’s farm was too large for a car to reach its end in a day． |
| D．Michael didn’t know what to say to his grandfather |
From“I used to have a car like that”，we can see that________．
| A．the old man really had a car like that |
| B．the old man knew his son’s farm in the US was quite large |
| C．the old man misunderstood what Michael said |
| D．the old man wanted to buy a car like that |
Recently, a study was carried out to determine who was the greatest American president．Sixty-five presidential historians took part in it, and they judged the past forty-two American leaders based on ten leadership qual
ities, including public persuasiveness (信服), crisis leadership, management of the economy, moral leadership, and conduct of international relations．The historians also looked at administrative (管理) ability, relations with Congress, ability to set goals, and the pursuit of equ
al justice fo
r all．Finally, the experts took into consideration the historical period in which the president lived．
The historians chose Abraham Lincoln as American’s greatest president．He had also been named best president in a similar study in 2000．Abraham Linco
ln was the president who led the nation through the Civil 
War in the 1860s, and was able to unite it in the end．He also took the first steps to abolish slavery in America．
Edna Medford, a professor of history at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was an adviser on this study and the earlier one．She says Abraham Lincoln is seen to represent the values the nation most honors, such as truthfulness, moderation, and respect for human rights．
The historians put American’s first president, George Washington, second on the list, while Franklin D．Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman follow in that order．John F．Kennedy, the country’s first Roman Catholic president, is sixth on the list．Like Lincoln, Kennedy was murdered while in office．
Among recent presidents, Ronald Reagan was named the tenth best and Bill Clinton rated fifteenth, while the historians put former president George W．Bush at number thirty
-six．His father, George H.W．Bush, did much better, being placed at number eighteen．We learn from the text that ___________．
| A．this is the second time that Abraham Lincoln has been chosen as America’s greatest president |
| B．Edna Medford didn’t take part in the study conducted in 2000． |
| C．George H.W．Bush was thought to have done worse in office than George W．Bush |
| D．Harry Truman was rated the fourth-best president by the study |
Which of the following belong to the ten leadership qualities considered?
a．Being able to persuade the public
b．Taking effective measures during a financial crisis．
c．Balancing home life and career．
d．Pursuing equal justice for all．
| A．a,b,c | B．b,c,d | C．a,b,d | D．a,c,d |
Who is rated worst among the following four presidents?
| A．John F．Kennedy | B．George Washington |
| C．Bill Clinton | D．George W．Bush |
The text is mainl
y about ________．
| A．the ten qualities a great president needs |
| B．a study of American presidents |
| C．the values the American nation honors most |
| D．how Abraham Lincoln improved the country |