If you struggled to get up for work on Wednesdays, there could be a good reason--it is the day our mood reaches its lowest point. Monday has traditionally been thought of as the most depressing day of the week but according to psychologists, midweek gives more cause for concern in reality. Wednesday represented the lowest point in the week as people were furthest away from the weekend that has either just gone or is coming up and often feel too tired to go on with work.
However, psychologists have found that, on average, people's moods remain about the same on each day throughout the week.
To start their research, the University of Sydney scientists asked around 200 people what they thought their mood would be on each day of the week.
Most said their worst moods were on Monday mornings and evenings but they became increasingly cheerful as the week went on, with their best moods falling on Friday and Saturday mornings and evenings.
When asked why they believed that Friday and Saturday were best, respondents said they saw them as less-structured days when they could choose how to spend their time.
The psychologists then asked a further 350 people how they felt each day.
They found that, on average, people's moods remained about the same on each day throughout the week.Mondays were not as depressing as they had feared and Fridays and Saturdays were not as exciting as predicted.
Professor Charles Areni, who led the study, said the day-of-the-week stereotypes (陈词滥调) stem from a cultural belief that people are generally happier when they are free to choose their activities compared to when they are engaged in paid work.
In reality, he said, weekends do not often see moods change because they are frequently dominated by productive activities that may require large amounts of energy and begin to feel tired like work. "Day-of-the-week stereotypes like Monday morning blues and Thank God It's Friday are largely illusions," he said. _________ has always been thought as the unhappiest day of a week.
| A．Monday | B．Wednesday | C．Friday | D．Sunday |
People don’t like Wednesday because ________.
| A．work seems to be endless on Wednesday |
| B．it is the most-structured day of a week |
| C．they have just had their weekend |
| D．weekend is still a couple of days’ away |
Which of the following is the finding of the research mentioned in the passage?
| A．All of the people asked admitted that on Monday they had the worst moods. |
| B．Saturday and Sunday were the best because people could plan their time freely. |
| C．There was no sharp difference in people’s moods between each day of the week. |
| D．Different people had different ideas about which day was the worst in a week. |
Charles Areni believes that the day-of-the-week stereotypes results from________.
| A．the productive activities requiring a large amount of energy |
| B．the cultural belief that doing paid work is usually less pleasant than doing freely chosen work |
| C．the illusions of day-of-the-week stereotypes |
| D．the days in a week when our mood reaches its lowest points |
Your teenage daughter is supposed to be doing homework, but you catch her chatting online. She tells you that she’s talking about the math test tomorrow. Before your eyes start rolling, listen up: teens are using social networking sites for more than just gossip, according to a new study by the National School Boards Association.
The students who took part in the online survey, aged 9 to 17, said they spent almost as much time on social networking online as they did watching television. And it is what these kids are talking about online that is causing such a cheer: education. Of the students who took part in the study 60 percent reported that some of the most popular social networking topics were college planning, learning outside of school, careers, and schoolwork. They also reported posting writing and art projects that might have nothing to do with schoolwork.
Ann Flynn, director of education technology for the National School Boards Association, says incorporating (合并) social networking tools into educational curriculum (课程) is the way forward. Flynn says a school in Cleveland, Ohio is posting students’ book reports on a blog for students of their own ages, parents and other teachers to read and comment on. “If someone reacts other than the teacher, a child is much more likely to take an assignment seriously,” Flynn says.
Not only students but also parents can benefit. Now parents can go online and know what the class is doing. So, next time your child says her blog is educational, get curious, sit down and check out the blog with her. You might just learn something new yourself.We can infer from the text that Ann Flynn .
| A．supports students in using social networking sites |
| B．used to think badly of students’ using social networking sites |
| C．suggests schools set up their own social networking sites |
| D．suggests teachers inspect what students do on social networking sites |
How does the school in Cleveland mentioned in the text use social net-working sites?
| A．It asks each student to keep a blog. |
| B．It invites parents to comment on students’ work. |
| C．It welcomes comments on students’ book reports online. |
| D．It lets students keep in touch with their teachers online. |
A student will not probably take an assignment seriously if he gets comments from .
| A．a stranger | B．his teachers | C．his parents | D．his classmates |
Why can parents benefit from social networking sites?
| A．Because parents can make a lot of friends online. |
| B．Because parents can help their children with their schoolwork. |
| C．Because parents can know their children’s learning at school. |
| D．Because parents can keep up with social development. |
As I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart.
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I’m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.The author and his father became further apart because .
| A．they lived very far from each other |
| B．they had different views on things |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they seldom went to see each other |
Why did the author come back to Tennessee?
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
| B．Because he decided to live in a different city. |
| C．Because his father is ill and needs caring. |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
For the author, fishing with his old father .
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．is a good way to get close to nature |
| C．makes him realize the importance of relaxation |
| D．provides a chance for them to communicate |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Fishing brings us together | B．Forgiving is difficult |
| C．Memories of old days | D．My beloved father |
Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.
“Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.”
Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. “Here in 2012, $252 on average——the technology spend for consumers this year.”
From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision."
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“Its hardware is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.
But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps (应用软件) that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera.
“You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?
| A．Every technology product costs an average of $252. |
| B．Consumers are spending $252 more on technology products than last year. |
| C．Consumers should spend $252 on their technology products. |
| D．It is estimated that $252 on average might be spent on electronics by consumers in 2012. |
According to Brian Tong, why may people prefer the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus 7?
| A．Because it is cheaper. |
| B．Because it has more functions. |
| C．Because you can read books and surf the Internet with it. |
| D．Because it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps. |
What does “Its hardware” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
| A．The hardware of tablet computers. |
| B．The hardware of the Apple iPad. |
| C．The hardware of the Google Nexus 7. |
| D．The hardware of the iPad Mini. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．People will spend most of their money on electronics. |
| B．Photos can be uploaded from the camera when connected to a computer. |
| C．A streaming media box is a box which can contain CDs. |
| D．Most people would like to buy electronics as gifts. |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Electronics: People’s Most Favorite Gifts this year |
| B．Which is More Popular, the Apple iPad Mini or the Google Nexus 7? |
| C．Latest Technology Products |
| D．More Electronics to Choose from |
If you don’t want people to know too much about you, then you had better keep your fridge contents secret, according to a British market research document released last week.
Researchers peered (凝视) into the fridges of 400 people in Britain and compared the contents with the owners’ lifestyles. They claim to be able to classify the nation’s people by fridge contents.
They say those people can be separated into five categories：nutrition nerds (no social sense), food faddiest (whatever’s in style), martyr mums, fast food fanatics and restaurant regulars.
Nutrition nerds care much about what they put into their bodies. Their fridges are stocked with fruit, vegetables and healthy meat.
People in this category tend to be highly organized and usually work in law or accountancy. The vast majority is single, but if they have a partner, that person will be similar.
A fridge full of vitamins — enriched juices implies its owner works in media or fashion. They tend not to eat the foods they buy. Known as the food faddiest, they just want to be seen as purchasing the latest important things.
A fridge filled with everything from steak to frozen fish suggests the martyr mum. Her fridge tends to be stocked with every kind of product, except what she herself would want. This fridge hints at difficulty balancing family and work life.
Fast food fanatics always buy mineral water or soda pop. The nearest they will get to fresh fruit is tomato sauce. Their fridges hint at someone who works hard and plays hard, also, someone who is not into long term planning.
Finally, a fridge filled with nothing more than a bottle of white wine and some sparkling mineral water implies an owner who is single, lives in a big city and enjoys the finer things in life. The fridge is empty because this person regularly eats in restaurants.What can we know from the first two paragraphs?
| A．Some researchers are fond of staring at other people’s fridges. |
| B．People don’t want others to know about their secrets. |
| C．The food you put in the fridge has something to do with your personality. |
| D．There are mainly five kinds of lifestyles among British people. |
According to the passage, people who belong to food faddiest_________.
| A．don’t care much about money when buying things |
| B．will try their best to stay healthy |
| C．often stay up late to finish their job |
| D．prefer to ask others about what to do next |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．“Nutrition nerds” are always organized and successful in their jobs. |
| B．“Food faddists” like to stock their fridges with all kinds of vitamins. |
| C．“Martyr mums” care themselves more than others. |
| D．“Fast food fanatics” usually do not stock their fridges with fresh fruit. |
What will those who often dine out put in the fridge?
| A．All kinds of food they like. |
| B．Only something to drink. |
| C．Fruit, vegetables and meat. |
| D．Food rich in vitamins. |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．What people store in their fridges. |
| B．Fridge contents and its owner’s secret. |
| C．What we should store in our fridges. |
| D．How to keep our fridge contents secret. |
While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal（一向节俭的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!
Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!
Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.What was Andrew’s plan that Friday?
| A．To request a wage increase from his boss. |
| B．To get a job with the Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. |
| C．To celebrate his success with his wife at home. |
| D．To ask his boss to come for dinner. |
On his way back home, Andrew _________.
| A．felt weak in the knees |
| B．was punished by the traffic policeman |
| C．was too anxious to share the news |
| D．couldn’t wait to enjoy a meal |
Which of the following statements about the story is FALSE?
| A．Andrew was afraid that his request would lead to disaster. |
| B．Andrew had worked very hard and done his part for the company. |
| C．Andrew’s boss agreed to his request. |
| D．One of Andrew’s colleagues had told his wife the good news. |
Why did Tina prepare a grand dinner for Andrew that day?
| A．She was confident of his getting a pay raise. |
| B．She meant to show her support whatever the result would be. |
| C．She believed that her husband was the best in his company. |
| D．She wanted to express her gratitude for his devotion to the family. |
We can conclude from the text that ______.
| A．we should never be afraid to ask for what is due to us |
| B．work hard and you will be rewarded |
| C．many fears turn out to be unfounded |
| D．unconditional love brings courage and strength |