TheHarvardStudentledWalkingTou-优题课

Most of us seem to reach our peak of alertness (警觉) around noon. Soon after that, alertness declines, and sleepiness may set in by mid-afternoon.
Your short-term memory is best during the morning—in fact, about 15 percent more efficient than at any other time of day. So, students, take notice: when you are faced with a morning exam, it really does pay to review your notes right before the test is given.
However, long-term memory is different. Afternoon is the best time for learning materials that you want to recall days, weeks or months later. Politicians, business executives or others who must learn speeches would be smart to do their memorizing during that time of day. You should try to do most of your studying in the afternoon, rather than late at night. Many students believe they memorize better while burning the midnight oil because their short-term recall is better during the early hours of the morning than in the afternoon. But short-term memory won’t help them much several days later, when they face the exam.
By contrast, we tend to do best on tasks related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning numbers during the morning hours.
What about sports? During afternoon and early evening, you’re able to react the quickest to an outside stimulus—like a baseball speeding toward you. Studies have also shown that late in the day, when your body temperature is peaking, you will consider PE easier and less tiring—whether it actually is or not. That means you are more likely to work harder during a late afternoon or early evening workout, and therefore benefit more from it.
In fact, all of your senses—taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell—may be at their keenest during late afternoon and early evening. That could be why dinner usually tastes better to us than breakfast.
While all of us follow the same general pattern of ups and downs, the exact timing varies from person to person. It all depends on how your “biological” day is structured. Each of us can increase our knowledge about our individual rhythms. Learn how to listen to the inner beats of your body; let them set the pace of your day. You will live a healthier and happier life.
What does the underlined “it really does pay” mean?

A．It will cost a lot.	B．It requires price.
C．It is very painful.	D．It is worthwhile.

If there is an English exam two weeks later, you should go over English ____________ for days before that.

A．in the afternoon	B．in the late evening
C．in the early morning	D．right before the exam

From the passage, it can be inferred that ______________.

A．we eat more food at noon

B．we feel most tired if we exercise in the evening

C．it is a good choice to study math in the morning

D．we feel most sleepy before noon

Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．What’s Your Best Time of the Day for Different Tasks

B．How to Live a Healthier and Happier Life

C．How to Study Efficiently

D．How to Keep Your Best State of Learning

Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy (恶名) affected her life, her family and her parenting.
“I have changed a lot,” she told the Huffington Post. “In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We have hosted parties with lots of food and music.”
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt (节选) from Chua’s book with the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”. In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers (在外过夜的儿童聚会), appear in school plays, or earn any grade lower than an A. Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics’ fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback, she said, “I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back.”
For those who still read Battle Hymn as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child’s early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These “super-strict parenting tactics” are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
“By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids’ sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia’s papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus,” Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book was written, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practise violin for hours a day—the source of their biggest fights, Chua “let her give that up”. “My compromise (妥协) is that I’m going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!” Chua said. Chua predicts she’ll only get more easygoing with age.
What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．Tiger Mom has changed and wants to be soft.

B．Tiger Mom persuaded readers to follow her example.

C．How Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out.

D．How Tiger Mom became the worldwide spotlight.

From paragraph 1 we can know that after the publication of the book______________.

A．Tiger Mom became stricter with her children

B．Tiger Mom was thought highly by the public

C．Tiger Mom’s life and family were influenced

D．Tiger Mom became wealthy and easygoing

Lulu quarreled with her mother mainly over______________.

A．whether she could do well at school

B．when she could have sleepovers

C．what should be written in the book

D．how long she practiced the violin

My mother is a diligent and kind woman. She is very busy from morning till night. As a teacher, she works hard. 1Both my brother and I love her dearly as she loves us.
My mother has been teaching math at a middle school in my hometown. She goes to work early in the morning and does not return home until late in the afternoon. 2She treats them with patience and teaches them well. For her excellent quality and very good teaching results, she has been elected as a model teacher several times.
3Every day, when she comes back home from work, she sets about doing housework, sweeping the living room and bedrooms or cleaning the furniture, and putting everything in good order. She seems to be busy all the time. As she has been very busy working every day, she looks older than her age. But she looks as cheerful and happy as ever. Mother never buys expensive dresses for herself, but she often buys some inexpensive but high quality clothes for us. 4She just eats a plain meal outside when she is too busy to cook herself. She lives a busy yet simple life, without any complaints.
Often she says to us, “work while you work, and play while you play. That is the way to be happy and gay. If you do not work, you will become lazy and be of no use to society”. What a piece of good advice this is! 5This advice of hers will always serve as a guide to my behavior. My mother is great indeed, and I always feel proud of her.

A．She enjoys listening to classic music.

B．As a mother, she takes good care of us and gives us every comfort.

C．She loves her students and cares for them.

D．She never goes to expensive restaurants to enjoy meals.

E. My mother is hard-working and never wastes money.
F. I never forget it and always bear it in my mind.
G. Can you tell us something about your mother?

The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry.Although Samuel B．Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837，it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed.By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies.The following year，San Francisco was added to the network.
The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes.Furthermore，the extension of the telegraph，combined with the invention of the steam－driven rotary printing press by Richard
M．Hoe in 1846，revolutionized the world of journalism.Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand－operated presses，the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting.The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.
The main topic of the passage is ________.

A．the history of journalism

B．the origin of the national telegraph

C．how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads

D．the contributions and development of the telegraph network

This passage would most likely be found in a________.

A．U.S. history book	B．book on trains
C．science textbook	D．computer magazine

It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry

B．Morse’s invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力)

C．the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention

D．journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry

Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. People naturally want to follow a good leader. After meeting with an effective leader it is not unusual to feel uplifted(情绪高涨), inspired, and motivated to work towards a common goal.
An effective leader makes others feel good about themselves, as well as the work they are doing. The leader has a vision(幻想)of what he or she wants to achieve, and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes people want to be part of it. One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture, so that each employee can see how the particular role he or she plays makes a contribution to the final result.
Good leaders are positive and optimistic when they speak about the future. Their enthusiasm wins them plenty of supporters who help make their vision a reality.
Good leaders also understand that different people are motivated by different things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenge with an achievable goal. And employees are motivated by hearing how they will be part of a team of people working together.
Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job titles. They refer to employees as team members, companions, or colleagues, never as “servants”. Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or not they are important to the success of an organization.
Good leaders believe that every team member matters and set up environments that make everyone feel important. It is no wonder they can attract the support they need to help them achieve their goals.
What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To tell us how to be a good leader at work.

B．To describe the proper relationship between leaders and employees.

C．To inform us of how leaders and employees should communicate.

D．To show the optimism of a leader.

What is the most important to be a good leader?

A．A good leader learns art very well.

B．A good leader can promote employees.

C．A good leader can satisfy all his or her employees.

D．A good leader can make employees happy and willing in their work.

What should a good leader do for an employee who wants to succeed at work?

A．To promote the employee to a leadership role.

B．To draw a beautiful picture of the employee’s future.

C．To encourage the employee to meet the challenges of his work.

D．To let the staff know the important role the employee plays.

We can infer from the passage that_________.

A．a good leader is always good at creating comfortable working conditions

B．the support of employees is necessary for a leader to reach his goal

C．names are much easier to remember than job titles

D．the motivation of the employees all comes from the leader

A．foreign visitors	B．high school students
C．new students in the university	D．those living near Harvard University