Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first taste of beer. Feeling sick, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first try of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (attraction) that you need your will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to such experiences, can ever someday come to develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, just in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.What do most people think causes bad behavior?
| A．Being forced by others. |
| B．Not having enough will power. |
| C．Enjoying their first experiences. |
| D．Following the examples of their friends. |
The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ______.
| A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes |
| B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers |
| C．self-control should be developed when one is young |
| D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations |
In the last paragraph, the author stresses (强调) that ______.
| A．without self-control, no one can succeed |
| B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results |
| C．applying self-control correctly is important |
| D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My First Taste of Beer | B．Do You Have Will Power? |
| C．Will Power Benefits Us | D．Dark Side of Self-control |
Birds that are half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert and the other sleeping—control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in internal spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg.” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because ______.
| A．they have to watch out for possible attacks |
| B．their brain hemispheres take turns to rest |
| C．the two halves of their brain are differently structured |
| D．they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions |
What is implied about the example of a bird’s sleeping in front of a mirror?
| A．An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security. |
| B．Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security. |
| C．The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread. |
| D．A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror. |
While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to ______.
| A．alert themselves to the approaching enemy |
| B．emerge from water now and then to breathe |
| C．be sensitive to the ever-changing environment |
| D．avoid being swept away by rapid currents |
By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that ______.
| A．half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather |
| B．the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved |
| C．most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers |
| D．half-brain sleep may exist among other species |
An old problem is getting new attention in the United States—bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a fifteen-year-old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts in January following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.
Judy Kuczynski is president of an anti-bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. Her said, "Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was a bubbly personality, very involved in all kinds of things, had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains. She started clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth at night. Didn't want to go to school."
Bullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence. Or it can be verbal — for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.
And now there is cyber bullying, which uses the Internet, e-mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face-to-face contact and it can be done at any time.
The first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one-third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.
Susan Sweater is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti-social behavior, and bullies are often victims themselves.From the case of Tina, we can know that.
| A．bullying is rare | B．victims suffered a lot |
| C．schools are to blame | D．personalities are related |
Which of the following is NOT bullying?
| A．To beat someone repeatedly. | B．To call someone names. |
| C．To isolate someone from friends. | D．To refuse to help someone in need. |
Why is cyber bullying appealing to the bully?
| A．Because it can involve more people. | B．Because it can create worse effects. |
| C．Because it is more convenient. | D．Because it can avoid cheating. |
According to Susan Sweater,.
| A．bullies are anti-social | B．bullies should give victims help |
| C．students are not requally treated | D．bullies themselves also need help |
Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
| A．Bullying—Old Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| B．15-Year-Old Irish Girl Committed Suicide |
| C．Cyberbullying-Taking Off in Schools |
| D．How to Find Bullying among Teens |
As we all know，it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence (独立宣言)．He wrote it in two weeks，and after a few changes，it was accepted by the Congress．As a result，he became famous in America's history．
Born in Virginia，Thomas Jefferson，a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later，was much interested in politics.
Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779，and he was sent to France as the Representative of the American Government in 1784．Sixteen years later，at the age of 57，he was elected president after Washington and Adams．
Far from a handsome man，he was is tall with long arms and big hands．Jefferson，who was an amusing talker in conversation，but a poor speaker，was generally good-natured．
Jefferson was regarded as a defender(捍卫者)of freedom Of America．As a president，he protected the right of speech．Interestingly enough，in his eight years as president，：Jefferson never said “No” to a bill(议案)!which the Congress had passed．He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia．
Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth，1826，the fiftieth anniversary of America’s independence．We are most likely to read this passage in．
| A．a daily newspaper | B．a popular advertisement |
| C．a hi story book | D．an important notice |
Which of the following statements about Jefferson’s personality is true?
| A．He was a shy and slow learner when he was at school． |
| B．He was not an easy person to get along with at all |
| C．He was not only very talented but also very handsome． |
| D．He was an amusing talker，but not good at speaking in public． |
Jefferson’s greatest contribution in America’history is that．
| A．he was for the right of free speech |
| B．he was sent to France as the Representative |
| C． he wrote the Declaration of Independence |
| D．he organized the new University of Virginia |
Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States in the year of .
| A．1779 | B．1784 | C．1800 | D．1826 |
London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub.
Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London.
In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City.
As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.
“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert.
Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.
There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.
“Both cities have changed beyond recognition,” said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. “I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”
But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose. “I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized,” she said. “In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares.”It can be inferred that ___________.
| A．Paris and London are the two biggest cities in the world |
| B．In the 19th century, Dickens told his stories in the two cities |
| C．London and Paris used to be separated |
| D．Liverpool is a big city in France |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．People feel it difficult to find a job in Paris. |
| B．People can't travel to London without a passport. |
| C．Living in France is more expensive than in London. |
| D．People can find any job in London. |
The underlined phrase in Para9 most probably means “_____________”
| A．beyond one’s imagination |
| B．so much that people don’t know them well again |
| C．so little that people still know them well |
| D．to people’s satisfaction |
What’s the meaning of the last two sentences?
| A．People can do everything in London. |
| B．People will feel lonely in London. |
| C．People in London enjoy living in different ways. |
| D．People in London enjoy a lawless life. |
We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant（速溶） coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance（introduction stage）.At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced（stage of rapid growth）. After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off（stage of maturity）. Sales went into a slight decrease when freeze-dried coffees were introduced（stage of decline）.
The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not drop. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the soldiers？
Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to regain world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles eagerly from year to year to keep demand from falling.The first paragraph tells us that a new product is ________.
| A．not easily accepted by the public |
| B．often of poorer quality compared with old ones |
| C．often more expensive than old ones |
| D．usually introduced to satisfy different tastes |
Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as to________.
| A．promote its production |
| B．work out marketing plans |
| C．speed up its life cycle |
| D．increase its popularity |
The author mentions the example of "backpacks" （Para.2） to show the importance of________.
| A．pleasing the young as well as the old |
| B．increasing usage among students |
| C．exploring new market sections |
| D．finding creative product designers |
In order to attract more consumers, U.S. auto makers are ________.
| A．modernizing product style |
| B．increasing product features |
| C．developing products of better quality |
| D．re-positioning their product in the market |