Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together：piano lessons，movies，swimming，horseback riding.
When I was 13，my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters，and we saw each other on special times—like my wedding(婚礼) and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes，and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back，stamped “Address(地址) Unknown” I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years，I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share(分享) happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman—Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans，” I thought，but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs.Tobin！”she said excitedly，“Linda Evans Wagman is my mother.”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much，even after 40 years，laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure：We won’t lose each other again!The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans ________.
| A．at the age of 13 |
| B．before she got married |
| C．after they moved to new homes |
| D．before the writer’s family moved away |
They didn’t often write to each other because they ________.
| A．got married |
| B．had little time to do so |
| C．didn’t like writing letters |
| D．could see each other on special time |
There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she ________.
| A．was in trouble |
| B．didn’t know Linda’s address |
| C．received the card that she sent |
| D．didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness |
They haven’t kept in touch ________.
| A．for about 40 years |
| B．for about 27 years |
| C．since they got married |
| D．since the writer’s family moved away |
When I was a kid, I used to spend hours listening to Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky on their Sunday night radio show Loveline. I listened so often that I began to use one of their well-known phrases—“good times”—in my daily conversations. Scientists have a name for this phenomenon: behavioral mimicry.
You’ve probably experienced this before: after spending enough time with another person, you might start to pick up on his or her behavior or speech habits. You might even start to develop your friend’s habits without realizing it. There is a large body of literature concerning this sort of phenomenon, and it regularly happens for everything from body gesture to accents to drink patterns（模式）. For example, one study found that young adults were more likely to drink their drink directly after their same-sex drinking partners, than for the two individuals to drink at their own paces.
And the effect isn’t limited to real-life face-to-face activities. Another study found that the same you-drink-then-I-drink pattern held even when watching a movie! In other words, people were more likely to take a drink of their drinks in a theater after watching the actors on the screen enjoy a drink. At least I don’t feel so strange anymore, having picked up on Adam Carolla’s “good times”.
New research published today in the journal PLOS ONE indicates that the same sort of behavioral mimicry is responsible for social eating, at least among university-age women of normal weight. That’s right: the young women were more likely to adjust their eating according to the eating pace of their same-sex dining companion.
As with most experiments, these results raise a whole new set of questions. However, the finding that behavioral mimicry may at least partly explain eating behavior is important, and has real effects on health. The researchers note that “as long as people don’t fully recognize such important influences on intake (eating), it will be difficult to make healthy food choices and keep a healthy diet, especially when people are exposed to the eating behavior of others”.The author takes his own example of using “good times” to_______.
| A．express his love for radio shows |
| B．prove the popularity of the show |
| C．show the influence of the hosts’ words |
| D．introduce the topic of the passage |
Which of the following is NOT an example of behavioral mimicry?
| A．A boy eats his popcorn after watching the actor eat. |
| B．A boy buys a Nike shirt when he finds his desk-mate has one. |
| C．A girl unconsciously sits straight just as others do. |
| D．A girl takes on the Yorkshire accent after a month’s stay. |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．behavioral mimicry is beneficial to our health |
| B．behavioral mimicry decides our eating behavior |
| C．people have realized the effect of behavioral mimicry on our health |
| D．It’s impossible to keep a healthy diet without knowing behavioral mimicry |
What is probably the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To draw readers’ attention to popular radio shows. |
| B．To introduce behavioral mimicry and its influence. |
| C．To appeal to readers not to fall into others’ habits. |
| D．To advocate healthy food choices among readers. |
The house was quiet at 5 am and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring（轻微颤动声）of the freezer had been the sea.
Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.
He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches—but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches. She’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table:
Gone to Michael’s. Back tonight, Tim.
The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.
The sand hills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.
The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched (延伸) across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world.
Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.
He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way...What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?
| A．He left the house quietly. | B．He had breakfast at home. |
| C．He left a note on the freezer. | D．He put a sweater in his schoolbag. |
“He settled for some biscuits” means that Tim_______.
| A．had to leave the biscuits on the table |
| B．liked biscuits better than sandwiches |
| C．had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches |
| D．could only find some biscuits in the kitchen |
What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?
| A．The height of the first rocks. | B．The ups and downs of the waves. |
| C．The change in the position of the sun. | D．The vast stretch of the sunlit beach. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?
| A．The sea looked like a piece of gold. |
| B．Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived. |
| C．Tim was the only person on the beach. |
| D．The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave. |
In the story, Tim’s mood changed from_______.
| A．loneliness to craziness | B．anxiousness to excitement |
| C．helplessness to happiness | D．eagerness to nervousness |
A firm handshake is the key to interview success. As any serious job-hunter knows, it helps to dress smartly and smile at that all-important interview. But research has showed that a firm handshake is what really matters when it comes to impressing potential employers.
A US research looked at 98 undergraduates taking part in mock（模拟）interviews with businesses. As each undergraduate was graded on their general performance, five “handshake raters（评估人）” also marked them on their grasp, strength, duration, vigor and eye contact.
Professor Greg Stewart, from the University of Iowa, who led the study, said those who scored highly with the handshake raters were also considered to be the most hirable by the interviewers. Students with “wimpy” shakes were judged to be more timid（胆怯的）and less impressive.
The study also found women with a firm handshake were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Professor Stewart said: “We’ve always heard that interviewers make up their mind about a person in the first two or three minutes of an interview. But we found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview. We don’t consciously remember a person’s handshake but it is one of the first non-verbal（非语言的）clues we get about the person’s general personality, and that impression is what we remember.”
Women were less likely to have a highly rated handshake, partly because traditionally they shake hands less than men. But when women did possess a firm handshake, they were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Body language experts warn, however, that the firmness needs to be just right, —as an overenthusiastic “bone crusher” handshake can indicate self-importance, a controlling personality and a lack of reliability.
The handshake is thought to have originated in medieval Europe as a way for kings and knights to show that they did not intend to harm each other and possessed no hidden weapons.The passage is probably intended for_______.
| A．job-hunters | B．an undergraduate | C．employers | D．handshake raters |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The firmer your handshake is the better impression you leave. |
| B．The undergraduates without a firm handshake are less competitive. |
| C．Generally speaking, women shake hands less with others. |
| D．The handshake dates back to medieval Europe. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The handshake determines a person’s personality. |
| B．A successful job interview starts with a firm handshake. |
| C．The first few minutes of the interview really counts. |
| D．Job interview success depends on a number of factors. |
There is no question that teenagers need rules, which is often not a difficult thing for parents to give. What can be more challenging is giving teenagers their freedom. It can be difficult to draw the line between the two. However, some issues cannot be changed by discussion and require firm rules. For instance, rules should be established concerning driving the family car.
I will admit that I have no problem coming up with rules. To me they make life easier and they leave no room for questioning. What can be more difficult, however, is giving my teens their freedom. I guess there are really two primary reasons for this. One is that I sometimes am afraid to give them freedom. The second is that I’m not always so sure what the freedom should be.
It helps that I have a husband with whom I can discuss these problems. We talk about them, give our thoughts and then we come up with an agreement. Sometimes one of us might be more unwilling but we know that there comes a time when we really do have to learn how to let go of the reins (缰绳) a bit.
If we try to make life have nothing but rules, we are more likely to see our teen’s rebelling (反抗). They need to know that while we do have certain expectations, we also trust them to begin making their own choices and decisions. How else can they do that unless they are given the space and room to do it?
It’s really all about balance and I will be the first to admit that it can be a challenge to carry out. However, it is a necessary part of growing up. Yes, teens definitely need rules but they also need freedom.According to the text, we can infer that the writer________.
| A．refuses to give her children freedom |
| B．finds it difficult to make rules |
| C．doesn’t have a good relationship with her children |
| D．has trouble in giving freedom to her children |
According to the writer, only rules without freedom will make the children _______.
| A．strong-willed | B．rebellious | C．weak | D．independent |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Rules are difficult to make for parents. |
| B．Rules and freedom are similarly important. |
| C．We should give children freedom as much as possible. |
| D．Rules are more important than freedom. |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
| A．Problems. | B．Children. | C．Rules. | D．Reasons. |
You are walking along a lane and never know what you will find. It might be a shop selling oil paintings, or a place where you can buy Dutch cheese. One thing is for sure, you will end up by a canal.
Welcome to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands.
The year 2013 will be a good time to explore Amsterdam as the city has a lot to celebrate: the famous canal ring will turn 400 years old. Amsterdam will also celebrate the 160th birthday of Dutch painter of the Van Gogh museum, home to the biggest collection of the artist’s colorful works.
The famous canal ring is a trademark of the city. With more than 100 kilometers of canals, it is no wonder that Amsterdam is called the ‘Venice of the north’. But unlike the Italian town, where boats were originally used for transport, the canals in Amsterdam were mainly used for defense in the 17th century. Today ferries on canals offer a different way to explore the city.
But to truly experience Amsterdam, you can’t miss the city’s historic museums and monuments, among which Van Gogh museum is the most famous one. It holds 200 paintings, 700 letters and 500 drawings by the artist. Another famous museum is Anne Frank’s house. Anne Frank became famous around the world because of a diary she left explaining her and her family’s experience as a Jewish girl during World War II, hiding out in a house hoping that she would not be captured by German Nazis.
Amsterdam is small enough to walk or cycle almost anywhere, but it is rarely dull. Best of all it combines its glittering past with a rebellious edginess.Which of the following is TRUE of the canals in Amsterdam?
| A．They had to be rebuilt after years of use. |
| B．They protected the city in ancient times. |
| C．They were built to provide transport for the city. |
| D．They are the main theme of Van Gogh’s paintings. |
In the passage, Amsterdam is described as a city _____.
| A．that can be explored by foot |
| B．that is completely built on water |
| C．that has two historic museums in all |
| D．that is famous for its modernization |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People get lost easily in Amsterdam. |
| B．Van Gogh spent his life time in Amsterdam. |
| C．Many Jews in Amsterdam were caught by Nazis. |
| D．Taking a ferry ride is the most popular activity in Amsterdam. |