Pigsarealwaysconsidereddirtyan-优题课

You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.

A．growth

B．balance

C．basis

D．purpose

What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?

A．A lack of confidence in themselves

B．Fierce competition in the job market

C．Their dissatisfaction with the government

D．The discouraging economy and unemployment

Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.

A．beautiful	B．understandable
C．worrying	D．positive

What can be the best title for this passage?

A．Redefinition of American Dream

B．Meaning of American Dream

C．Value of Achieving American Dream

D．History of Changing American Dream

Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are concerned with their own appearance and actions too much. Negative thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: What kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably. A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people, who have low respect, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need faith that they are doing "the right thing". Shy people are very sensitive to criticism. It makes them feel inferior（自卑）.They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise. A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one: "You're just saying that to make me feel good, I know it's not true.” It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely got rid of, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self respect. It is important for people to accept their weakness as well as their strengths. Each one of us has his or her own characteristics. We are interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and successful life.
The first paragraph is mainly about______.

A．the cause of shyness

B．the effect of shyness on people

C．the feelings of shy people

D．the questions in the minds of shy people

According to the writer, self-awareness is______.

A．harmful to people

B．a weak point of shy people

C．the cause of unhappiness

D．a good characteristic

What is the shy people's reaction to praise?

A．They are pleased by it.

B．They feel it is not true.

C．They are very sensitive to it.

D．They feel they are worthy of it.

We can learn from the passage that shyness can ______.

A．block our chances for a successful life

B．help us to live up to our full development

C．enable us to understand ourselves better

D．have nothing to do with lack of self respect

Roughly half of college students will have some degree of depression at some point during their time in school. Even more startling, 6.2 percent of college students surveyed in 2012 considered suicide and 1.3 percent attempted it, according to an American College Health Association study released this spring. If you’re feeling depressed on campus, you may find the following tips helpful.
Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins – chemicals that produce an overall positive feeling within the body, which fight depression naturally. Mental health experts claim that exercise is a solution to those feeling mild or moderate depression. However, for those severely depressed, simply doing sports is not enough.
Use school counseling services: Campuses don’t employ mental health experts simply to throw thousands of dollars down the drain. Their job is to help students, so experts recommend you use them. Most students, however, are hesitant to take a trip to their college’s counseling center, fearing being laughed at by peers. As a result, some schools like Texas Christian University, are testing students for mental health problems when they get sick and visit the campus health clinic.
Take advantage of technology: Staying in touch with family members and friends from childhood and high school has become easier than ever with the coming of Facebook and video chat services like Skype. While mental health experts insist that it’s important to make friends in your new environment and be involved in the college community, it’s also significant to keep in touch with the people you knew before college.
Go to sleep: Following a fairly regular sleep pattern can defend you against depression. In college, many students’ sleep patterns are irregular thanks to late-night studying and partying, which is harmful to their mental health. Research strongly suggests that sleep is the key to learning and memory formation.
According to the passage, physical activity __________ .

A．is regarded as the best way to fight depression

B．contributes to the release of endorphins

C．can’t help the seriously depressed students

D．improve people’s ability to learn and memorize

It can be inferred from the 3rd paragraph that __________ .

A．employing mental health experts on campus is a waste of money

B．students with mental health problems can’t get on well with others

C．going to college’s counseling center for help requires a lot of courage

D．sick students in Texas Christian University must take psychological tests

Taking advantage of technology is encouraged because it ____

A．enables students to get involved in college life

B．helps students stay in contact with others

C．offers students a way to make new friends

D．provides a way to avoid getting bored

which of the following can NOT help one reduce depression?

A．Taking exercise regularly every week

B．Chatting with old friends with Skype

C．Turning to mental health experts for advice

D．Holding parties deep into the night to relax

Decision-thinking is not unlike poker—it often matters not only what you think, but also what others think you think what you think they think you think. The mental process(过程) is similar. Naturally, this card game has often been of considerable interest to people who are, by any standards, good thinkers.
The great mathematician John von Neumann was one of the founders of game theory. In particular, he showed that all games fall into two classes; there are what he called games of 'perfect information', games like chess where the players can't hide anything or play tricks; they don't win by chance, but by means of logic and skills. Then there are games of 'imperfect information', like poker, in which it is impossible to know in advance that one course of action is better than another.
One mistaken idea about business is that it can be treated as a game of perfect information. Quite the reverse Business, life itself are games which we must normally play with very imperfect information. Business decisions are often made with many unknown and unknowable factors(因素), which would even puzzle (困惑)best poker players. But few business people find it comfortable to admit that they are taking a chance, and many still prefer to believe that they are playing chess, not poker.
The subject discussed in this text is _________.

A．the process of reaching decisions

B．the difference between poker and chess.

C．the secret of making good business plans

D．the value of information in winning games

An important factor in a game of imperfect information is ___________.

A．rules

B．luck

C．time

D．ideas

Which of the following can be used in place of "Quite the reverse" in paragraph 3?

A．Quite right.	B．True enough.
C．Most unlikely.	D．Just the opposite.

In the writer's opinion, when making business decisions one should ___________ .

A．put perfect information before imperfect information

B．accept the existence of unknown factors

C．regard business as a game of chess

D．mix known and unknown factors

Preventing obesity (肥胖) and smoking can save lives, but it doesn’t save money, reported researchers. “It was a small surprise, for it is against the common belief,” said Pieter Van Baal, who led the study. “But it makes sense. If you live longer, then you cost the health system more.”
The researchers found that from age 20 to 56, obese people racked up (累计) the most expensive health costs. But on average, healthy people lived 84 years. Smokers lived about 77 years, and obese people lived about 80 years. Smokers and obese people tended to have more heart disease than healthy people. Therefore in the long run, the thin and healthy group cost about $417, 000, from age 20 on. Smokers cost about $326, 000 and obese people $371, 000.
“The result throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea, based on guesswork, that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars,” said Patrick Basham, a professor of health politics. “If we’re going to worry about the future of obesity, we should stop worrying about its financial impact,” he said.
“The benefits of obesity prevention may not be seen immediately in terms of cost saving in tomorrow’s budget, but there are long-term gains,” said Van Baal. “These are often immeasurable when it comes to people living longer and healthier lives.” In the meanwhile, he said that governments should recognize that successful smoking and obesity prevention programs mean that people will have a longer chance of dying of something more expensive later in life.
“Lung cancer is a cheap disease to treat because people don’t survive very long. But if they are old enough to get Alzheimer’s (早老性痴呆症) one day, they may survive longer and cost more. We are not advising that governments stop trying to prevent obesity,” Van Baal said. “But they should do it for the right reasons.”
Among middle-aged people, who may cost the health system most?

A．Those who are heavy smokers.

B．Those who are overweight.

C．Those who are too thin.

D．Those who are suffering from heart attacks.

What can we know about the belief that obesity costs much?

A．It turns out to be incorrect.

B．It comes from scientific study.

C．It is based on medical evidence.

D．It has changed over the past years.

According to the text, governments prevent obesity for the purpose of _______.

A．reducing the risks of suffering cancer

B．weakening obesity’s financial impact

C．making sure of people’s long and healthy life

D．reducing the money spent on medical programs

What would be the best title for this text?

A．Recent Medical Study Shows Truth about Health

B．Preventing Obesity and Smoking May Cost More

C．Obesity and Smoking Lead to Expensive Diseases

D．Governments Change Attitude towards Obesity and Smoking

A．stay clean	B．help each other
C．get their food	D．Take baths