From a very early age, some children show better self-control than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.”
The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1,000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said,“and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.From the first two paragraphs we learn that .
A.the research has been carried out for five years |
B.self-control in kids tends to determine their future |
C.self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence |
D.children’s self-control is almost the same at early age |
Children with low self-control are more likely to .
A.become wealthy in later life | B.get good school performance |
C.have better financial planning | D.adopt negative behaviors |
According to Moffitt, .
A.only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future |
B.scientists know well why some children have better self-control |
C.self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity |
D.willpower as a child really influences people’s chances of adulthood |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Self-control cannot be taught in schools. |
B.The study is restricted within few participants. |
C.It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems. |
D.Good parenting can improve self-control and life success. |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.Child’s self-control predicts future health and success |
B.Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age |
C.Children’s development cannot be changed by teachers |
D.How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools |
第二部分:阅读理解(共25小题。第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题2分;满分45分)
第一节阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:
For washing the car ………………………………………………………………$5.00
For making my own bed this week ……………………………………………… $1.00
Going to the provision shop ………………………………………………………$0.50
Playing with little sister……………………………………………………………$0.25
Taking out the rubbish…………………………………………………………… $1.00
Getting a good report card……………………………………………………… ..$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor…………………………………………..$2.00
Total……………………………………………………………………………… $14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote :
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me …………………………… No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you…………………No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose ………………………….No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love………………………………..No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill” “All paid.”
41. What’s the best title for this passage?
A. Part-time Job B. Mother’s Love, No Charge
C. Payment for House Work D. Greedy Mother
42. The write wrote the passage in order to ___.
A. show that children should be paid for their housework
B. show that children should not be paid for their housework
C. show a clever way of teaching children
D. tell children how to spend their spare time
43. How do you think of the mother in the passage?
A. Clever B. Greedy C. Cold – hearted D. Selfish
44. From the last passage we know that____
A. the boy got all the money he wanted
B. the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C. the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D. the mother was angry with what the boy said
第三部分:阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example.Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer.You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare.The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners.Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals.The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter.With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour.They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate.From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes(漏洞) in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”.But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms.And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in.As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others?
56.While taking a taxi in Finland, a passenger __________.
A.can go anywhere without having to pay the driver
B.only pays two US dollars for a taxi ride
C.can never be turned down by the taxi driver wherever he wants to go
D.needs to provide good faith demonstration before leaving without paying
57.We can know from the passage that in Finland __________.
A.both hotel guests and outside diners are served food free of charge
B.big hotels provide meals for all kinds of diners
C.guests can enjoy free food once they stayed in the hotel
D.big hotels are mostly poorly managed
58.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Generally speaking, in Finland, workers can get more pay by working long hours.
B.The workers and their bosses will make an agreement in advance about the pay.
C.The workers are always honest with their working hours.
D.The bosses are too busy to check the working hours of their employees.
59.It can be concluded that _________.
A.Finnish people are really foolish in daily life
B.Finland has been a good place for cheats
C.the Finnish society is of very high moral level
D.all the Finns are rich and therefore honest
Research shows that humans switch from selfish to unselfish behaviour when they are watched.Do you?
A picture of a set of eyes on a computer screen can cause a change in the way people act.Even images of eyes on a charity donation, collection box encourage people to be unselfish, because people put more money in a collection box that has a picture of eyes on it than they do when a flower symbol is on the box.
Manfred Milinski from the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany and Bettina Rockenbach of the University of Berlin, the authors of a new study, found that people act better when they are being watched because they feel they will be rewarded for good behaviour.Their report also referred to other research showing that this response of behaving well when watched is somehow coded into humans and people respond this way unconsciously, or without realizing it.
It is not just humans that act unselfishly when they are being watched.A fish called the grooming fish cleans other fish.When other fish are around, it is gentler.When no other fish are around, however, the grooming fish bites chunks from the fish it is supposed to be cleaning.
The researchers suggest that the best way to get people to behave in the correct way is to make them feel watched.This could be the reason for the success of a famous American army poster.On it was a picture of an elderly man staring fiercely and pointing, it appeared, to the person who was looking at the poster.Under the picture was the caption 'I Want You' It encouraged hundreds of thousands of young American men to join the army during the Second World War to fight the Germans and Japanese.
68.According to the report, why does a person behave better when he feels he is being watched?
A.He does not want to be shamed by others.
B.He needs to show he is a good person.
C.He desires others to like him more.
D.He feels he will receive some social reward.
69.What is the text mainly about?
A.It describes changed behaviour when observed.
B.It details ways to control people's behaviour.
C.It tells how to make people work harder.
D.It discusses different advertising methods.
70.Where would the study described in the text most likely be found?
A.In a newspaper.
B.In a scientific journal.
C.In an advertising magazine.
D.In a science textbook.
The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”:
Price: $10
BOOKING
There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:
------ in person
The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.—8 p.m.
------ by telephone
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card(Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted)
------ by post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.
------ on line
Complete the on-line booking form at www.Satanfiedtheatre.com
DICOUNTS:
Saver: $2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday.Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion.It is advisable to book in advance.There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible(suitable)for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.
Group Bookings: there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more.
School: school parties of ten or more can book $6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.
Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
65.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT _______.
A.go to the Box Office on Sundays
B.ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card
C.use the Internet
D.complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office
66.If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?
A.$126 B.$120 C.$140 D.$150
67.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.There are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre.
B.A school party of 15 students should pay$90 for the standby tickets.
C.A group of 12 persons can get 10 per cent discount.
D.The audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show.
It was graduation day at the university where I work and a beautiful day quite unlike the first graduation I attended as a young professor.On that cold day years ago, as we watched the students walking into the hall, one of my colleagues turned to me and said, "Graduation will be one of the happiest and one of the saddest time of your life." At my inquiry, he answered, "Because the students you have gotten to know have to leave."
As years went by, my previous confusion about my colleague's words no longer existed.When I came across naughty students, I have had to rethink why I chose to be a teacher.It obviously isn't the money.Once a former computer science student of mine called me, asking me if I wanted to have a change.He was working at Nintendo Corporation.His salary was higher than my current one, though I have more education and have worked for over a decade.With my programming skills, he said he could get me hired.I thanked him, but declined his kind offer.
A few days before this current graduation, while working on final grades, I found a note a student had slipped in with her homework.She thanked me for being her teacher and said the things she had learned in my class — not about math, but about life — would be things she would remember long after the math skills had faded away.As I finished reading, I remembered why I had become a teacher.
Now, on this sunny graduation day, as I again observed the sea of blue hats and gowns, I did so with renewed dedication (奉献) and a deeper sense of satisfaction — I will always be grateful that I am a teacher.
60.Hearing his colleague's description of graduation for the first time, the author______ .
A.quite agreed with his colleague B.thought it very funny
C.was very puzzledD.was very sad.
61.The computer science student called up the author because he______ .
A.wanted to inform the author of his present job
B.tried to persuade the author to work with him
C.wanted the author to share his joy and satisfaction
D.thought the author wasn't fit to be a teacher
62.The underlined part blue hats and gowns refers to .
A.university colleagues B.life memories
C.graduates' clothesD.decorations in the hall
63.The author wrote this passage to______ .
A.express his devotion to being a teacher
B.compare two different graduation ceremonies
C.talk about the meaning of graduation
D.give advice on how to be a good teacher
64.The reason why he earns less than the computer science student is that______ .
A.he was only a young professor
B.he didn't do well in his work
C.he taught his students more about life than math
D.salaries for different careers are different