The climate of any place is the kind of weather. It usually has over a long period of time. The houses we live in, the clothes we wear, the foods we eat depend on the climate of the place where we live.
Climate is a pattern that is not nearly as simple as we think, and it is affected by many factors. The distance to the North or South Pole（极，极点，） or the equator (赤道) really matters a lot. If you live near either of the poles, you live in a cold climate, for the place where you live does not get as much or as direct sunshine as a place farther away from the poles. In places close to the equator, the climate is very hot, for they are the parts where the sunshines almost straight down.
Whether rain or snow falls makes a great difference to the climate. In hot, dry deserts, little rain falls, but in a hot rainforest, the amount of rainfalls is far larger than that in a desert, for there is a heavy rain almost every day, even several times per day. Though a rainforest and a desert may be the same distance from the equator, their climates are rather different from each other.
How much rain or snow falls are considered by some to be determined by the winds, the surrounding mountains and the currents(水流)in nearby seas and so on . In short, it is a very complex natural phenomenon（现象）.
This passage mainly talks about .
| A．weather | B．different climates |
| C．climate and its determining factors | D．the difference between weather and climate |
The difference of the climates between a tropical (热带的)desert and a tropical rainforest affected by .
| A．the amount of rainfalls |
| B．the winds and the surrounding mountains |
| C．the currents in near seas |
| D．how much sunshine the two different places can get |
From the context, we can guess that the word “complex” is and it .
| A．a noun; means a simple thing |
| B．an adjective; means being easy to understand |
| C．an adverb; has almost the same meaning of “rather” |
| D．an adjective; means being difficult to understand |
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting（收缩）and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggested that the
heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said, “Our study show for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr. Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see---and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner（扫描仪）to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear” Dr. Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.” What is the finding of the study?
| A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear. |
| B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat. |
| C．Fear has something to do with one’s health. |
| D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear. |
The study was carried out by analyzing .
| A．volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures |
| B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions |
| C．volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans |
| D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
| A．Order |
| B．System |
| C．Machine |
| D．Treatment. |
This study may contribute to .
| A．treating anxiety and stress better |
| B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety |
| C．finding the key to the heart-brain communication |
| D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads |
Sharing Beauty
It was in October. I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset. I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry.
I took the next-best action. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me as though I were from some other planet. She hesitated, and then seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she got outside I said to her, “Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone.”
For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.” I thanked her for coming out to see it; she went back inside and I left. It felt good to share the beauty.
Four years later my situation changed greatly. I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage. I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life. I lived in a trailer park which, at the time, I considered a real come-down, and I had to do my wash in the community laundry room.
One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances. She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: clothing sales in a department store.
Then something that happened to her changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world,” and she had realized the truth in that statement. From that moment on, she turned her life around. The author asked the woman to go outside to ______.
| A．admire the sunset |
| B．cheer her up |
| C．offer some help |
| D．have a chat |
Four years later, the author______.
| A．found her dream job |
| B．put an end to her marriage |
| C．worked in a laundry room |
| D．lived in the same community |
After reading the article in the magazine, the author was probably ______.
| A．disappointed |
| B．puzzled |
| C．inspired |
| D．overjoyed |
D
A recent research shows that most people while attending their very first or second interview face the problem of interview nerves. This interview nerves simply make them nervous and depressed. This mainly happens due to lack of confidence and belief in oneself. Most of them even suffer from sleepless nights.
They feel as if interviews are nothing but a questioning by an unknown person who will judge them by their answers. They simply can't understand or comprehend that the interviews are as beneficial for them as for the company.
To overcome these problems, people need to make their mind set for facing the interview full of confidence. This can be done by building up confidence that this job is for me only. They need to make preparations for the estimated questions to be asked in the interview. They also need to be familiar with a few details of the company like its products, vision, recent achievement, etc. This is just to have an upper hand in the interview so that you can explain that you are the right candidate for the company. One must be completely relaxed before the interview. Because stress is one of the major reasons which reduces one's performance ability.
Another way of getting over with your nerves is by a well known therapy called as hypnosis. Hypnosis is a very effective therapy which is generally used for curing nerves of Examinations, Interviews, Meetings, etc. Hypnosis mainly activates your subconscious mind so that you are extra alert and attentive what you are doing. Thus this gives you a lot more confidence to deal with.
Now here are some of the tips you must follow for your interview.
• You must be fully prepared for the interview and you must possess everything required.
• You must maintain a complete eye contact with the interviewer, because it will show your confidence.
• You must not do any nervous acts like being fidgety, fixing your tie or touching your clothes dress again and again.
• Be positive while talking and use your hands to express yourself.
• With hypnosis you can come in terms with such a situation and will be well prepared to face a barrage of questions that come your way.People feel nervous while attending interview in that__________.
| A．they doesn’t sleep well |
| B．they lack confidence |
| C．they doesn’t know about the company |
| D．they are afraid to miss the chance |
What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean___________?
| A．know about | B．care about |
| C．talk about | D．bring about |
How many ways does the author mention to overcome nerves____________?
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
Why do people need to be familiar with the details of the company__________?
| A．To show that he or she knows a lot |
| B．To express his or her wish |
| C．To have an upper hand in the interview |
| D．To fool the interviewer |
What’s the purpose of the passage__________?
| A．To help overcome interview nerves |
| B．To tell people the meaning of interview nerves |
| C．To tell people how to attend interviews |
| D．To help people become more confident |
C
The choice between having a career or making time for love is an extremely personal and individual decision. There are many factors which can affect your choice.
Careers and love fulfill us in different but important ways. Having a solid career gives us a sense of accomplishment and self worth. Then there are those who measure their success in terms of having a pleasant and rewarding home life.
So what happens if you cannot or do not wish to make room in your life for both? Consider these factors when pondering which is more important for you.
1. Your Career May be More Important When You are Young
Many people these days focus on careers first and family later. The reasoning is that, while you are young and unencumbered(无负担的), you have the time and energy to fully devote yourself to a career. If you have lofty career ambitions while you are young, it may indeed be the time to start making progress towards those goals.
Once you get married and begin to build a family, much of your time and energy–by necessity–becomes devoted to your family. This is as it should be. You should not start a family unless you are willing to devote time and attention to your loved ones.
2. Falling in Love can be Better When You are Older
More and more people these days are choosing to wait when it comes to making decisions about family. It is not unusual for people to delay marriage until their late 30’s or even their early 40’s. Delaying family decisions allows you to be better prepared for those obligations, and creates a better likelihood that you are in touch with your most important goals and values. You have had the opportunity to completely grow up, greatly reducing the chances of feeling like you are “missing out.” You have had the chance to purge the foolishness of youth from your system and are now confident with the wisdom of maturity.
3. Choosing Both
If you can find a work life balance that allows you to experience the joys of love and maintain a successful career, you will have a truly happy and rewarding life. A loving family at home can help you celebrate all of your successes, and bolster your confidence through your failures. There are many people out there reaping the tremendous rewards that come with including love and work in their lives, and finding the balance that allows for both.
The truly healthy and well balanced person will recognize the benefits of having both. He or she will take steps to achieve the work life balance necessary to assure the continuation of career growth while nurturing and maintaining the health of personal relationships. It is only when we can maintain this delicate balance that we are living life to its greatest potential.What can we learn from the first two paragraphs________?
| A．Choosing to have a career or start a family life is a personal business |
| B．Nothing can determine people’s choice |
| C．Careers and love fulfill people in the same way |
| D．Having a solid career gives us a pleasant home life |
Why is career more important when people are young_________?
| A．Because family life is not important |
| B．Because they can devote time and energy to their careers |
| C．Because they don’t want to devote time and attention to their loved ones |
| D．Because they have no time for building a family |
Which is NOT the reason why people choose to wait when it comes to building a family_________.
| A．To be better prepared for obligations |
| B．To have the opportunity to completely grow up |
| C．To rid of the foolishness of youth |
| D．They don’t want to build a family |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that_________.
| A．People take steps to achieve the work life balance |
| B．the continuation of career growth has nothing to do with personal relationships |
| C．Balancing career and family is of great benefit |
| D．People can live life to its greatest potential without maintaining the balance |
What’s the main idea of the passage________?
| A．How to achieve a balance between career and family |
| B．How to have a successful career |
| C．Career is more important than family |
| D．People can’t balance their career and family |
B
Having a bit of a temper tantrum(发脾气), whether at home or in the classroom, is as harmful as you can get and only serves to discourage your teenagers.
What they really need at this stage in their lives are words that build them up according to their needs that it may benefit them-that is, words of encouragement, affirmation(肯定) and a good deal of praise. The benefits to them and us as parents and teachers are quite amazing-harmony, peace and love.
When I left my last school where I had been a casual(代课老师) for eight years, I received "thank you" notes from the students. I think these notes illustrate what teenagers want and need from their parents and teachers.
Some of the notes mention kindness, patience, thoughtfulness, encouragement and fun. Teenagers value these qualities and what I found was that the more I relaxed and enjoyed their company, the less I had to discipline them.
Below I've included a few excerpts from the notes to let the kids speak for themselves. These are teenagers speaking from the heart and show what, according to teenagers, they need and value.
Each note began, "Thank you for..."
• making each student in the school happy
• putting up with us every time you get us (i.e. having patience)
• Always giving every student a chance and treating everyone like an adult giving lots
of merits and making every lesson fun and enjoyable
• Being very kind & for giving me lots of (merit) stickers
• You make working be fun
• Being a patient and thoughtful teacher
Patience is needed as well as kindness, thoughtfulness, a sense of humor and fun and the ability to listen more than talk.
When we praise and value our teenagers, the results are nothing short of miraculous.What’s the result of having a temper tantrum________?
| A．hurting yourself and your teenagers |
| B．being harmful to yourself only |
| C．being not good for teenagers |
| D．having no negative influence |
Which is NOT needed by teenagers________?
| A．words of encouragement |
| B．words of affirmation |
| C．words of praise |
| D．words of criticism |
What did the author receive when he left his last school________?
| A．"thank you" notes |
| B．students’ criticism |
| C．praise from the school |
| D．parents’ encouragement |
Why does the author mention the “Thank you” notes________?
| A．Because he wants to show himself off |
| B．Because he wants to tell parents and other teachers what teenagers really need |
| C．Because he wants to show that his students are all kind and polite |
| D．Because he doesn’t want to leave that school |
From the passage, we can learn that the author is __________.
| A．impatient, careful and humour |
| B．patient, thoughtful and strict |
| C．patient, kind and humour |
| D．impatient, kind and stubborn |