Have you ever intended to be fully absorbed in your work but found yourself distracted by e-mail, the Internet and other things throughout the day? According to the survey made by a famous university in the USA, most people have the experience.
"People often lose their concentration when they are bored, of course, but also when they are engaged in challenging tasks," says Peter Bregman, the head of the survey. "They sometimes have a feeling to escape from what's difficult or boring, so they jump out," he says. The part of the brain devoted to attention is connected to the brain's emotional center. Any strong emotion —quarrels with colleagues, problems at home —can interrupt our attention. Studies over the last decade have shown that too much work to do at a time can easily lead to distraction.
Refocusing is hard for many people. Robert Epstein suggests the following, "Stop and listen to some soft music for a few minutes. Find a good friend or a teacher and say out your matter on your mind. Go for a short walk or take a deep breath, where you breathe in deeply, count to five slowly, hold it and breathe out very slowly." This can "blow out all the tension and the unwanted in your mind to restore your focus."
Take more control by structuring your time and becoming more aware of your behaviors. "Setting the phone alarm to go off every hour is my way of creating awareness," Mr. Bregman says. "You have to inform yourself that you've lost focus in order to do something about it." Starting the day with a to-do list is also important, such as when to eat, when to go to the gym or take a walk. But if it's overly ambitious, you will put yourself in a state of anxiety, which makes it hard for the brain to concentrate. "Choosing three or four things as your priority for the day allows your brain to settle down and focus," he says.According to the passage, which is NOT the reason why some people can be distracted from their work?
| A.They don't want to be devoted to their work. |
| B.They are disturbed by the Internet and other things. |
| C.They can't find interest in their work. |
| D.They feel their work is too hard for them. |
Which incident might NOT interrupt your attention?
| A.You were scolded by your teacher. |
| B.You had words with your good friend. |
| C.You went to school at six as usual. |
| D.Your mother and father had a quarrel. |
What's the meaning of the underlined word "restore" in the passage?
| A.recover | B.reform | C.release | D.react |
According to Robert Epstein, how can we refocus on what we should do?
| A.Listen to rock music for some time. |
| B.Turn to your good friends or teachers for help. |
| C.Run around the playground for some time. |
| D.Take a breath from time to time. |
Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interest is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive designs. There are 100, 000 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a blank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light , and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4, 000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28, 000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors magazine.The text is mainly about ________ .
| A.the history of phone cards | B.phone card collecting as a hobby |
| C.reason for phone card collecting | D.the great variety of phone cards |
When did people in Britain begin to use phone cards?
| A.In 1971. | B.In 1975. | C.In 1976. | D.In 1981. |
The main reason for most people to collect phone cards is that ________ .
| A.they find the cards beautiful and easy to keep |
| B.they like to have something from different countries |
| C.they want to make money with cards |
| D.they think the cards are convenient to use |
The writer mentions a market in Paris in order to show that ________
| A.card collecting is popular among young people |
| B.French and Japanese cards are the most valuable |
| C.people can make money out of card collecting |
| D.card collectors magazines are very useful |

Justin Young is a _______.
| A.TV reporter | B.popular singer | C.song writer | D.radio reporter |
Which song does NOT change its place this week?
| A.Are You There? | B.The Bees. | C.Say Cheese. | D.Perhaps. |
How many songs listed above are new this week?
A.One.![]() |
B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A.You can listen to Music Ground once a week. |
| B.Justin Young is talking about popular songs this week. |
| C.People can call in to listen to their favorite songs. |
| D.Stupid Machine is now in the radio station with OK Band. |
Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum (论坛) asking what “PK” meant.
“My family has been watching the ‘Super Girl’ singing competition TV programme. My little daughter asked me what ‘PK’ meant, but I had no idea,” explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, “PK” is short for “Player Kill”, in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the “Super Girl” singing competition, “PK” was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking (排名).
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students’ compositions using Internet jargons which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn’t understand.
“My ‘GG’ came back this summer from college. He told me I’ve grown up to be a ‘PLMM’. I loved to ‘FB’ with him together; he always took me to the ‘KPM’,” went one composition.
“GG” means Ge Ge (Chinese pinyin for brother). “PLMM” refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl). “FB” means Fu Bai (corruption). “KPM” is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long (dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa (frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao! By writing the article, the writer tries to ________.
| A.explain some Internet language | B.suggest common Internet language |
| C.laugh at the Beijing father | D.draw our attention to Internet language |
What does the writer think about the term “PK”?
| A.Fathers can’t possibly know it. | B.The daughter should understand it. |
| C.Online game players may know it. | D.“Super Girl” shouldn’t have used it. |
The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet jargons ________.
| A.are used not only online | B.can be understood very well |
| C.are welcomed by all the people | D.cause trouble to our mother tongue |
The underlined word “jargons” probably means ________.
| A.expressions | B.phrases | C.letters | D.spellings |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A.A puzzled father | B.Do you speak Internet jargons? |
| C.Keep away from Internet jargons | D.Kong Long or Qing Wa? |
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the grass in your garden uncut or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems,but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem (自尊)when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies,singing in a choir,and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu,offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their afterschool activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage,friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms,or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adulteducation course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests. People with close friends have a ________ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
| A.less | B.greater | C.poorer | D.little |
According to the passage,you’d better offer advice to your friends ________.
| A.at any moment | B.only when they are happy |
| C.only when they want it | D.only when you are glad |
How many things have been mentioned that we must pay attention to in the passage to have friends?
| A.3 | B.4 | C.6 | D.7 |
Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A.You should have different friends for the same activities. |
| B.You should wait for a friend to ask a favor. |
| C.You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores. |
| D.You should never take a friendship for granted. |
The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means________.
| A.give | B.join | C.get | D.catch |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes---khaki pants and sports shirt---to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” of “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.” David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because _______.
| A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B.he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C.he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D.he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _______.
| A.they make him feel at ease when working |
| B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C.he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D.he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is false?
| A.Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B.Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C.A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D.All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A.Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
| B.Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C.“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D.Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned in the passage except _______.
| A.saving employees’ money |
| B.making employees more attractive |
| C.improving employees’ motivation |
| D.making employees happier |