Brrriiinnng. The alarm clock announces the start of another busy weekday in the morning. You jump out of bed, rush into the shower, into your clothes and out the door with hardly a moment to think. A stressful journey to work gets your blood pressure climbing. Once at the office, you glance through the newspaper with depressing stories or reports of disasters. In that sort of mood, who can get down to work, particularly some creative, original problem-solving work?
The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible, open-minded thinking. Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we’re unfocused. If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed. Sleepy people’s lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving. By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you’re missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer.
The trip you take to work doesn’t help, either. The stress slows down the speed with which signals travel between neurons (神经细胞), making inspirations less likely to occur. And while we all should read a lot about what’s going on in the world, it would not make you feel good for sure, so put that news website or newspaper aside until after the day’s work is done.
So what would our mornings look like if we wanted to start them with a full capacity for creative problem solving? We’d set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead. We’d stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, stopping thinking about tasks in favor of a few more minutes of relaxation. We’d take some deep breaths on our way to work, instead of complaining about heavy traffic. And once in the office—after we get a cup of coffee—we’d click on links not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the web has to offer. According to the author, we are more creative when we are _______.
| A．focused |
| B．relaxed |
| C．awake |
| D．busy |
What does the author imply about newspapers?
| A．They are solution providers. |
| B．They are a source of inspiration. |
| C．They are normally full of bad news. |
| D．They are more educational than websites. |
By “tune into your wandering mind” (in Para. 2), the author means “_______”.
| A．wander into the wild |
| B．listen to a beautiful tune |
| C．switch to the traffic channel |
| D．stop concentrating on anything |
The author writes the last paragraph in order to _______.
| A．offer practical suggestions |
| B．summarize past experiences |
| C．advocate diverse ways of life |
| D．establish a routine for the future |
“Hi，howareya.” some people say when they see a familiar face.The words run together into a mass，all sense and meaning lost. All the same，people do care how you are.After they greet you，it’s likely you will greet them back，with an equally meaningless phrase like，“Can’t complain，can’t complain.”You could probably complain，at length，or share a brilliant thought you were just beginning when a greeting interrupted you.You don’t though，you say，“Great，you？”
You are not giving each other information about your health and wellbeing.All the same，you are sharing information.You’re acknowledging each other’s positions as acknowledged friends，or at least as accepted acquaintances.And you are reestablishing the ties that may have lapsed(衰退) since yesterday，when you last met at the elevator or the entrance to the train station.
It’s what anthropologist(人类学家) Bronislaw Malinoski called a phatic(交流感情的) communication.Its message is not in the words you use，but in the fact that you speak ritually(仪式上地) accepted words.In Asia，for example，people may ask one another if they have eaten，or if they are busy.They’re not really asking for their lunch menu or their agenda，they are saying hello.A phatic signal merely says, “I see you there.” It says hi.
There’s embarrassment of being near people without acknowledging them.That uncomfortable feeling is one reason why lonely passengers in the subway may behave as if they cannot see anyone around them or may escape their uncomfortable situation with a book.Some people read all the way home，and never turn a page.
Your friend isn’t asking how you are，and you aren’t telling him.However，he is recognizing your existence，and when you answer，you are recognizing his.In addition，the set speech you have shared opens the door to closer communications if both agree.Someday，you may come to real close friendship，and really tell one another how you are.
Meanwhile，people who greet one another this way do care.They care enough to recognize someone’s essential humanity(人性)．They send a signal across the space between，to share，very briefly and lightly，in awareness of one another.
Your greetings prove that neither of you has become a social outcast.How are you？You are still a member of society in good status.You are still the one who knows the rituals and secret passwords necessary to get to work each day.When people greet，they ________.
| A．want to show their different educational backgrounds |
| B．show nothing related with the words themselves |
| C．want to know other people’s privacy |
| D．express something special |
According to Bronislaw Malinoski，a phatic communication ________.
| A．is rarely used by Asian people |
| B．is too complex to be used often |
| C．helps establish or keep certain relationships |
| D．often ruins the normal relationships between friends or acquaintances |
Some people seldom greet strangers because ________.
| A．they want to be polite to others |
| B．they feel uncomfortable to do it |
| C．they don’t know when to greet them |
| D．they want to do something meaningful |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Greetings should be given better expressions. |
| B．Greetings convey different meanings to different people. |
| C．Greetings help prove an individual’s social independence. |
| D．Greetings help an individual be connected with the society. |
Founded in 1966，Seacamp，the first program dedicated to the education of youth in marine(海洋的) sciences，is the result of a cooperative effort of parents，scientists，businessmen and camp leaders.Preservation practices and a respect for the marine environment are the philosophy of the Seacamp.
Seacamp’s tropical marine location in the lower Florida Keys enables it to offer a truly unique marine science program.This program is the heart of Seacamp.Young scientists participate in a variety of courses under the guidance of academically trained marine science instructors and biologists.All science activities include studies in both the field and the laboratory.Each session,140 to 160 campers come to Seacamp，mostly from the US，but also from across the world.There are about 30 international campers each summer from an average of twelve countries.Many Seacamp program graduates have gone on to careers as environmental educators and marine scientists.
One of Seacamp’s unique aspects is that campers create their schedules.In addition to science classes，campers choose from a variety of programs to ensure that there is something interesting and exciting for everyone.Campers interested in journalism may work on the camp newspaper，SEASCOPE，which is published periodically during camp sessions.Arts activities are also included.Photography allows campers to take home memories of friends，wildlife，and underwater experiences.
Seacamp teaches the fun and skills of sailing.It’s an excellent way for future marine scientists to become familiar with the winds，tides and currents that are of primary concern in oceanography.Basic Red Cross certification is offered to beginners in sailing.The Red Cross course in advanced lifesaving is taught at Seacamp.The course is designed to increase the campers’ ability to recognize and avoid dangerous water conditions and practices and to use selfrescue skills to get out of dangerous situations.
Parents may bring campers by car to Big Pine Key.Counselors(辅导员) also meet participants at the Miami International Airport on the opening day of camp and accompany them to Big Pine Key on a bus.The fee for roundtrip service is $90.To join the Seacamp adventure，interested campers should contact Seacamp for an application.
We love to talk about camp！For more information or to ask any questions you might have，please give our friendly staff a call and we’ll be glad to help!According to the text，Seacamp is designed to help campers ________.
| A．have a good time at the seaside |
| B．develop a sense of marine protection |
| C．make a further study about sea life |
| D．complete a course about marine wildlife |
It can be learned from Paragraph 3 and 4 that ________.
| A．Seacamp offers many programs apart from science classes |
| B．Seacamp is responsible for training marine scientists |
| C．beginners in sailing should learn the advanced Red Cross course |
| D．Seacamp provides traditional camp activities such as arts and crafts |
The main purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．attract the young to Seacamp |
| B．present Seacampers’ experiences |
| C．introduce the programs of Seacamp |
| D．explain the aim of Seacamp |
A book review tells not only what a book is about，but also how successful it is at what it is trying to do.Professors often assign book reviews as practice in careful analytical(分析的) reading.
As a reviewer，you bring together the two strands of accurate，analytical reading and strong，personal response when you indicate(指出) what the book is about and what it might mean to a reader(by explaining what it meant to you)．In other words，reviewers answer not only the WHAT but the SO WHAT question about a book.Thus，in writing a review，you combine the skills of describing what is on the page，analyzing how the book tried to achieve its purpose，and expressing your own reactions.
Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book，like：
Title.
Author.
Place of publication，publisher，date of publication.
Number of pages.
Like most pieces of writing，the review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say.The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again，so your readers don’t have to look up to find this information.You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book，the purpose or audience for the book，and your reaction and evaluation.
Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses how to judge the book.Next，you should give a summary of the main points，quoting(引用) and explaining key phrases from the author.Finally，you get to the heart of your review—your evaluation of the book.In this section，you might discuss some of the following issues：
•How well the book has achieved its goal.
•What possibilities are suggested by the book.
•What the book has left out.
•How the book compares with others on the subject.
•What specific points are not convincing.
•What personal experiences you’ve had related to the subject.
It is important to use labels to carefully distinguish your views from the author’s，so that you don’t confuse your readers.
Then，like other essays，you can end with a direct comment on the book，and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion.
There is，of course，no set form，but a general rule is that the first onehalf to twothirds of the review should summarize the author’s main ideas and at least onethird should evaluate the book.According to the text，personal response of a book reviewer refers to “________”．
| A．accurate and analytical reading |
| B．the reviewer’s indication of what the book is |
| C．the reviewer’s indication of what the book meant to a reader |
| D．skills of describing what is on the page |
What is the most important part of a book review?
| A．The heading. | B．The evaluation. |
| C．The conclusion. | D．The introduction. |
Readers will get puzzled if ________.
| A．there is no heading in a book review |
| B．the book review is not complex enough |
| C．the reviewer’s point of view is mixed with the author’s |
| D．there are some different issues listed in the book review |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Steps to read a book. |
| B．Tips for writing a book review. |
| C．The way to develop your idea. |
| D．Things not to be avoided in a book review. |
When author Nicholas Carr began researching his book on whether the Internet is ruining our minds，he restricted his online access and email.His new book argues the latest technology renders us less capable of deep thinking.Carr found himself so distracted(分心的) that he couldn’t work on the book while staying as connected.After first feeling confused by his sudden lack of online connection，he was able to stay focused on one task for a long period within several weeks.
Reading on the Internet has changed how we use our brains.Facing a lot of texts，video，music and links to other web pages and blogs，our minds have become used to skimming and scanning information.As a result，we have developed sharper skills at making fast decisions，particularly visual ones，Carr wrote.
But now most of us seldom read books or long articles that would help us focus.We are becoming more like librarians—able to find information quickly and see clearly the best nuggets(有价值的资料)．That lack of focus hinders(阻碍) our longterm memory，leading many of us to feel distracted，he wrote.
“What we are losing is a whole other set of mental skills，which require not the shifting of our focus but the maintaining of our focus，” Carr said，adding that for centuries books protected our brains from distraction and focused our minds on one topic at a time.
But with devices such as Apple’s iPad becoming common，Carr predicts books also will change.“New forms of reading always require new forms of writing，” he said.Carr has a suggestion for those who feel web surfing has left them incapable of concentration—slow down，turn off the Internet and practice the skills of contemplation(沉思) and reflection.“It is pretty clear from the brain science that if you don’t exercise particular cognitive skills，you are going to lose them，” he said.“If you are constantly distracted，you are not going to think in the same way that you would think if you paid attention.”What topic is Nicholas Carr’s new book mainly concentrating on?
| A．Whether there is any need for us to surf the Internet. |
| B．How the Internet changes our way of thinking. |
| C．What we should do when we are surfing the Internet. |
| D．Whether our minds are being influenced by the Internet. |
How did Nicholas Carr feel after he limited his time online several weeks later?
| A．Anxious. | B．Relaxed. |
| C．Concentrated. | D．Puzzled. |
The underlined word renders in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
| A．prevents | B．causes |
| C．protects | D．sharpens |
What’s Nicholas Carr’s suggestion for people who are often distracted by the Internet?
| A．They should read more books besides surfing the Internet. |
| B．They should often slow down their pace of modern living. |
| C．They should often get away from the disturbing of the Internet. |
| D．They should spend more time thinking while surfing the Internet. |
Don’t you just love ice skating every winter？I am sure，that since winter is approaching，your skates are set to come out，just waiting to be used.Impress your friends with your new trick on how to iceskate backwards with the help of these tips.Skating backwards on ice is a bit difficult but once you master the basic，there’s nothing like it.Follow the steps given below and you will be able to skate backwards in no time.
Stand Straight
The first thing that you need to do is，stand straight.If you feel that you are falling backwards，then just put your chin(下巴) up and slightly bend your knees.Don’t worry；this happens to all.
Confidence Is What You Need
The most important step while learning how to skate backwards，is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing.How can you achieve this？By practice.Just practice rolling backwards down a gentle slop every single day or just by pushing off from a wall or something of that sort.But before you do that，make sure that the place where you are practicing is free from any kind of debris(碎片) because otherwise，you could land up in the hospital due to some accident.While going backwards，just get used to the feeling of moving backwards.One of the important ice skating tips and techniques is that if you feel that you are losing your balance，then scissor(做剪式运动) your skates.Keep practicing this till you are confident about it.
Maintain Speed
Confident now？Great！Now the next step is to maintain your speed.While rolling in a straight line with one skate，with the other try sculling(划桨)，that is，keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke(滑动)．Now bring the skate which you were using to scull，and then again，repeat the same process.Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling.Now，try the same thing using the other foot.Again keep doing this till you are confident enough.
Increase Your Speed Now
Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot，the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed.Try some of your own tricks now.Scull with either foot or with both at the same time.
Scull and Be Aware
While you keep one foot straight，keep sculling with the other.You can do that simultaneously with both feet.Concentrate on what you are doing but don’t get so involved，that you don’t see where you are going.If you are not watching your back，you might just bang against something or someone.According to the text confidence comes from ______.
| A．high speed | B．strict coaches |
| C．constant exercise | D．good techniques |
Which is the right order of iceskating backwards?
a．Increasing your speed.
b．Being able to scull with one foot.
c．Being about to stand straight.
d．Trying some different tricks.
| A．c→a→d→b | B．c→b→d→a |
| C．a→c→b→d | D．c→b→a→d |
In order to keep balance when skating backwards you should ________.
| A．skate in a scissor gesture |
| B．use both your feet to scull |
| C．skate forward first and then backward |
| D．put most of your weight on the skate with which you are sculling |
The purpose of the text is ________.
| A．to compare different ways of iceskating backwards |
| B．to introduce the culture of iceskating backwards |
| C．to explain advantages of iceskating backwards |
| D．to offer some advice on iceskating backwards |