American society is not nap (午睡) friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “There's even a prohibition (禁止) against admitting we need sleep”. Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven? Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them.
“We have to totally change our attitude toward napping”, says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research.
Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an “American sleep debt” which one member said was as important as the national debt; the commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, President Clinton is trying to take a half hour snooze (打瞌睡) every afternoon.
About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have “a mid-afternoon quiet phase” also called “a secondary sleep gate.” Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap. We Superstars of Snooze don't nap to replace lost shut eye or to prepare for a night shift. Rather, we “snack” on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and on boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums. It is commonly accepted in American society that too much sleep is _______.
| A．unreasonable | B．criminal | C．harmful | D．costly |
The research done by the Dement commission shows that Americans _______.
| A．don't like to take naps | B．are terribly worried about their national debt |
| C．sleep less than is good for them | D．have caused many industrial and traffic accidents |
The purpose of this article is to _______.
| A．warn us of the wickedness of napping | B．explain the danger of sleepiness |
| C．discuss the side effects of napping | D．convince the reader of the necessity of napping |
The “American sleep debt” (Line 1, Para. 3) is the result of _______.
| A．the traditional misunderstanding the Americans have about sleep |
| B．the new sleep policy of the Clinton Administration |
| C．the rapid development of American industry |
| D．the Americans’ worry about the danger of sleepiness |
Writing about poetry is very similar to writing about a story or research you have conducted .The first thing you have to do to write an essay about a poem is to read the poem Very carefully and read it more than once．
Each poem says something，so try to figure out what the poem is saying to You .What ’s the theme of the poem ?What’s the attitude of the speaker of the poem ?How does the poem use words and sounds to communicate its message ?When you answer these questions，it can help you come up with a thesis(论题)for your essay·
It，s necessary to have a thesis statement written before you start writing your essay，especially when you’re writing about a poem． Your thesis should make an argument about the poem you're dealing with． You might want to argue that the poem is presenting a specific message，or that the words in the poem work together to create a certain tone. You may even want to argue that the poet wrote this particular poem because of a specific moment in history or a specific event in his or her life．The possibilities are infinite . As long as you can use evidence from the poem and from your research about the poem or poet ,your thesis is correct．
Before you even start writing， read the poem again once you have your thesis· At this point，you’U be able to read the poem with new eyes since you know what you’ll be writing about．Go through the poem with a fine-toothed comb and pick out everything that supports your thesis．When you find quotes you want to use，write them down In an outline of the main points of your essay．This will help keep you organized．When you write a quote down, be sure to cite(引用)it correctly．Depending on the text of your essay, you may or may not want to include the poet’s name in your quote． Once you have everything ready to go，You are all set to write your essay．
The passage mainly talks about________
| A．the function of poems | B．how to look for quotes |
| C．how to write about poetry | D．the benefit of writing about poetry |
By asking a series of questions in Paragraph 2，the writer wants to tell us the way of________
| A．writing an essay | B．understanding a poem |
| C．understanding key words | D．collecting enough evidence |
The underlined word “infinite” in Paragraph 3， is closest in meaning to“_______”
| A．unnecessary | B．unclear | C．meaningless | D．endless |
According to the writer，what should you do once you have your thesis?
| A．Read the poem again and try to find important quotes• |
| B．Write about the poem immediately without referring to it again． |
| C．Put aside the poem and search the Internet for supporting evidence• |
| D．Cite quotes from the poem including the poet’s name and page numbers• |
One spring，when 1 was 1 0，during one of my father’s layoffs，I could tell my mother was unhappy．I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother’s Day gift．
One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins，which，I learned years later，was known for its high-end fashions and style．I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins，telling her I was looking for a Mother’s Day present．
“Do you think she’d like a purse ?”she asked．“I think she might．”I told her．
She took out an Italian purse made of leather．She asked me what I thought，and I told her that my mom would like it．
“How much money do you have?’’she asked．
“Twelve dollars，”I said．
“You’re in luck，”she told me．“It’s only $11．You have a dollar left over for the card．” She wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business，and I rode off home with the package under my arm．
When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning，she asked in an accusing tone，“Where did you get this?”
“I bought it at the Agins．It cost me$1 1．’’I said．
My mother was shocked into silence．
It wasn’t until many years 1ater，when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars，that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me．I always felt regretful that I never had a chance to properly thank her．
‘‘You know，my son，what really amazes me to this day，”my mother said．‘‘Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough．But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that 9 11 never forget.”Why did the author buy his mother a purse?
| A．To thank his mother for buying him a bike． |
| B．To show his ability of making money． |
| C．To make his mother happy． |
| D．To surprise his mother． |
The author’s mother was shocked into silence because______
| A．the Agins charged so little money for the purse |
| B．the author bought a card to go with the purse |
| C．she wasn’t expecting a gift from her son |
| D．the purse was bought from the Agins |
Sylvia Agins’behavior shows that_______
| A．she is critical and mean | B．she is kind and thoughtful |
| C．she is good at making money | D．she knows how to choose presents |
Which can be the best title for the text?
| A．A Clever Shop Owner | B．A Considerate Mother |
| C．An Unforgettable Event | D．A Priceless Mother’s Day Gift |
Some students get so nervous before a test; they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock has studied these highly anxious test-takers.
Sian Beilock: “They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when we worry，it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about it as your cognitive horsepower that you could otherwise be using to focus on the exam.”
Professor Beilock and another researcher，Gerardo Ramirez，have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam，highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
Sian Beilock: “What we think happens is when students put it down on paper，they think about the worst that could happen and they reappraise the situation. They might realize it’s not as bad as they might think it was before and，in essence(本质上)，it prevents these thoughts from popping up when they’re actually taking a test.”
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of twelve percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent.
Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test.
Prefessor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+，compared to a B－ for those who did not.
Sian Beilock: “What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious，who’d done our writing intervention(排解)，all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most likely to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these testing situations.”
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam or presentation? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The result in the math test agrees with that in the biology test. |
| B．In the first math test, students who sat quietly performed better. |
| C．In the second math test, students who wrote about their feelings did worse. |
| D．Some college students are highly anxious test-takers while others are not in the tests. |
What may happen if students have the problem of test anxiety?
| A．Test anxiety is sure to cause students to fail the test. |
| B．Test anxiety can improve students’ performance to some degree. |
| C．Students’ attention and memory resources run out when worried. |
| D．Students may not be admitted into their favorite college if worried |
The result of the research suggests that ________．
| A．proper amount of burden may turn out to be a good thing |
| B．facing the fears bravely may help one to achieve more |
| C．avoiding facing the problem may contribute to relaxation |
| D．taking no action before difficulty may result in success |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．It is important for students to overcome test anxiety. |
| B．Anxious students overcome test anxiety by writing down fears. |
| C．It is a common practice for students being worried before a test. |
| D．Being worried before tests does harm to students’ performance. |
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides, following the rules, planning your next move, acting as a team member…. These are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones，which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调）needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to _____.
| A．be a team leader | B．act as a grown-up |
| C．obey the basic rules | D．predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can_____.
| A．describe life in an exciting way |
| B．turn real-life experiences into a play |
| C．change people’s views of sporting events |
| D．make learning life skills more interesting |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
| A．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
| B．It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
| C．It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
| D．It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.
| A．bring fun to poor kids |
| B．provide soccer balls for children |
| C．give poor kids a chance for a better life |
| D．appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
Nuclear power’s danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation.
Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can’t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being immediately by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no levels of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed immediately. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated（辐射）and feel fine, then die for cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Nuclear radiation is just like common radio waves. |
| B．Nuclear radiation can cause cancer to human beings. |
| C．Nuclear radiation can be detected by human senses. |
| D．Nuclear radiation can be safe to human beings if its level is low. |
How can nuclear radiation kill an animal?
| A．By damaging its heart. | B．By killing a few cells. |
| C．By hitting any place in its body. | D．By killing many cells in important organs. |
If a human being is hit by nuclear radiation, he may _______.
| A．die of cancer after many years | B．die immediately |
| C．have a child who may be born weak | D．all of the above |