Are you a compulsive spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality. According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems.
Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence. Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage. Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands. In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love. They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love.
People can be addicted to different things — for example, alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. They are compulsive in their addictions, i.e. they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable. In the same way, according to psychologists, compulsive spenders must spend money. For people who buy on credit, furthermore, charge accounts are even more exciting than money: in other words, they feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy.
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.
It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people’s needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc. in their advertising and sales methods.
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(疗法)” to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money: they give them “assignments”. If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self-discipline in this way: on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave. On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on. On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything. Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying. If you use charge accounts, ____.
| A．you pay in cash | B．you pay with credit card |
| C．you pay less than you should | D．you pay more than you should |
Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ____.
| A．the things they buy are cheap |
| B．they believe they can balance their budgets |
| C．they get psychological satisfaction |
| D．they really need the things they buy |
Behavior therapy in this case aims at____.
| A．helping businessmen to increase their business |
| B．helping compulsive spenders to buy less |
| C．finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy |
| D．finding out what people will do in front of a bargain |
The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ____.
| A．different things | B．their addictions |
| C．charge accounts | D．their pleasures |
From the passage we can conclude that ____.
| A．how you spend money reveals if you are psychologically healthy |
| B．money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much |
| C．compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine |
| D．all businessmen understand well the psychology of customers |
Teaching your child to cook is not hard; the hard part could be getting them out of the kitchen. When you are teaching them, remember to stress safety and cleanliness, after all these are skills they will need for many years into the future.
Start by finding simple no-cook recipes. A salad or other no-cook recipe is an ideal way to start. Show your child how to hold, and cut with knives. Make sure they know how to wash everything in hot soapy water as they use it, so that it becomes a habit that is part of the process and not an extra chore to do after they have finished.
If possible, find one of the good children’s cookbooks that are available. Many of these have simple recipes that demonstrate the basic cooking terms such as chop, mix, and stir. When it is practical, you may as well have your child help you prepare meals. Even a small child can get bowls out, pour, and start learning to measure. A two- year -old child can stir a batter（面糊）, or taste the results.
Allow your older child to find a recipe that they think sounds nice. Go over the recipe with them as you discuss the steps needed, and how to adjust any ingredients to match your budget, and family preferences.
When you go shopping， have your child help find the necessary ingredients for their ‘special’ recipe. When it is time to make the recipe, allow them to do as much as possible, only helping out if asked or when they run into trouble. Be sure to praise their efforts even if they are not perfect. After the results are gone, talk about any problems, and see if there is a solution.
Most children like to cook, and if they are part of deciding what to cook, as well as the preparation they will be well on the way to being good cooks.The author wants to say in the passage that__________.
| A．it is a pleasure to cook with your children |
| B．children are eager to learn how to cook |
| C．parents should perform their duty |
| D．it is no good cooking with children |
Why should we tell children safety and cleanliness?
| A．Because children are often careless |
| B．Because we must keep them free of danger |
| C．Because they will develop good habits |
| D．Because they think cooing is hard |
What should you do when cooking is finished？
| A．Give praise in good time to your child. |
| B．Have a taste of what has been made. |
| C．Avoid mentioning any mistakes he/she made. |
| D．Help them out of any difficult situation. |
Dear Editor,
Recent reports have indicated an additional 1, 400 Marines（海军陆战队）are being sent to Afghanistan in the coming weeks. This means it costs over $1 million annually on the ground over there. I do place a higher level of blame on the policymakers who send soldiers off to kill and be killed in the field. I think the human race needs to think more about killing.
One needs to do the introspection: “Are these wars JUST?” I believe that all of our wars since 1945 have been illegal, under international law as well. I suggest that all your readers examine their conscience（良心）as it relates to the matter of making war. The fact that many soldiers are motivated by a strong sense of duty does not give them some unqualified moral right to support these wars or any other. It’s responsible for all the troops, and the entire population, to determine whether the Afghan or Iraq wars are in accordance with （符合）the development of the state.
I wish someone would give me one or more logical reasons why we are still fighting in Afghanistan and what our goals are. I certainly don’t understand it and neither do many who are more knowledgeable than I.
Outsiders have tried unsuccessfully for centuries to conquer Afghanistan, and we seem to be no more successful. We are trying to develop a stable central government, but the country is badly divided into ethnic and tribal groups, and the current government is corrupt（腐败的）. Moreover, we are apparently regarded as undesirable occupiers by many of its people, most notably the Taliban.（塔利班）
If we are to continue spending billions every year in Afghanistan and killing hundreds of our people and many of theirs, our government must provide us with a reasonable explanation of why we are doing so and what we can expect to accomplish.
George MyersWhat caused the author to write the letter?
| A．His conscience of being a citizen. |
| B．Reports about sending soldiers to Afghanistan. |
| C．His relatives being killed in the war. |
| D．Getting no reasonable explanation. |
The underlined word “introspection” in the passage means .
| A．self-awareness | B．self-confidence |
| C．self-examination | D．self-defence |
The soldiers go to Afghanistan because .
| A．they can contribute to the development of America |
| B．they have the moral right to do so |
| C．they are performing their duty as a resident |
| D．they want to become heroes in the war |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Most people can’t understand why the States makes wars. |
| B．The U.S.A has developed a stable central government. |
| C．The Afghan considered Americans as undesirable occupiers |
| D．American government should make an explanation to the public. |
The pounding（重击声） was driving Edward crazy. A new neighbor had just moved into the apartment below him. The newcomer was deaf, or seemed to be, because he played his stereo（立体声音响）loud enough for the whole building to hear.
On the first day he heard the stereo rocking over, Edward marched downstairs and politely told the newcomer that his stereo was too loud. He asked the new tenant to turn the volume down and keep it down as long as he lived in the building. The tenant appeared surprised and embarrassed, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was that loud.”
So, Edward returned upstairs, feeling good, because he had taken a stand and politely let the newcomer know that loud music was not going to be tolerated. The next day all was quiet, and Edward continued to be pleased with himself. The following day, Edward thought it must be Fourth of July, because a marching band was playing on his street. In fact, it was the new neighbor who was playing his music loud again.
Edward was not one to repeat himself, feeling that each time you repeated yourself, you diminished the value of your words. So, he did what he always did with rude neighbors－grin（露齿而笑）and bear it. Eventually, they would move away. What else are you going to do?
In Los Angeles a year ago, a woman had complained to her upstairs neighbor that he was playing his drums too loud and too often. The drummer repeatedly ignored her. One day the woman walked upstairs and shot the drummer in the head and his girlfriend in the chest. The woman was sentenced to prison for 20 years.
The dead drummer won’t bother anyone with his drums, but the woman might be wishing now that she had learned to grin and bear it. If she were still living in her apartment, she could always move. When you’re in prison, you don’t have that option.The man living below where Edward lived was .
| A．a deaf man | B．the owner of the house |
| C．a tenant | D．an old neighbor |
What did Edward always do with rude neighbors?
| A．Grinning and bearing it. |
| B．Persuading them to stop repeatedly. |
| C．Shouting them to dead. |
| D．Moving away from the rude neighbors. |
The author writes the last paragraph to prove that .
| A．being in prison means the loss of freedom |
| B．grinning and bearing it is the best policy |
| C．Edward should follow the example of the woman |
| D．the woman was right to kill her neighbor |
The woman killed her neighbor because .
| A．he ignored her advice repeatedly |
| B．she could not stand his playing the music too loud |
| C．she could not put up with him any longer |
| D．he played the drums too often |
It was Molly’s job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work．
One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag．This one was worn and held together with staples（订书钉） 。
“Why two bags?” her father asked．“The other is something else,” Molly answered．“What’s in it?” “Just some stuff．Take it with you．”
Not wanting to discuss the matter, he put both bags into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off．At midday he opened Molly’s bag and took out the contents: two hair ribbons（丝带）, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies… The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly’s stuff included．
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper．“Where’s my bag?” “What bag?” “The one I gave you this morning．” “I left it at the office．Why?” “I forgot to put this note in it,” she said．“And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like — I thought you might like to play with them．You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?” “Oh, no,” he said, lying．“I just forgot to bring it home．I’ll bring it tomorrow．” While Molly hugged her father’s neck, he unfolded the note that read: “I love you, Daddy．” Molly had given him her treasures — all that a 7-year-old held dear．
Love in a paper bag, and he missed it — not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket．So back he went to the office．Just ahead of the night janitor（看门人）, he picked up the wastebasket．He put the treasures inside and carried it home carefully．The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted．
After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack．It took a long time to tell．Everything had a story or a memory．
“Sometimes I think of all the great times in this sweet life,” he thought．
We should all remember that it’s not the destination that counts in life, but the journey．That journey with the people we love is all that really matters．It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten．Why did Molly give her father a second bag?
| A．She didn’t want to keep the things in the bag． |
| B．She hoped those things would bring happiness to her father． |
| C．She wanted to remind her father of the stories behind the things． |
| D．She enjoyed playing with her father． |
How did father deal with the bag after he opened it?
| A．He kept it in the drawer． |
| B．He took it back home． |
| C．He threw it into the wastebasket． |
| D．He put it on his table． |
After father heard what his daughter said, he felt_____．
| A．regretful | B．surprised | C．sad | D．satisfied |
Which of the following is the most suitable title of the passage?
| A．An important journey | B．Two bags |
| C．Father and daughter | D．Love in a paper bag |
For the last couple of weeks, I had been stuck in front of my computer working on a project that was very important to me. My every waking hour was consumed by the project and although I imagined that I would feel happy after completing parts of the project, I was confused to find that instead, I was feeling rather depressed. I tried a range of methods to help cheer myself up. I had a relaxing bath, cooked a delicious meal to enjoy with my family and even watched a lighthearted movie, but to no avail. It was only when I turned to think for a solution that the answer came to me: turn to nature!
The very next day, I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and set off to spend a few hours walking in a nature reserve, even though it was pouring with rain. Within a couple of minutes I felt alive again. To be honest, I felt like a young school girl again and had to stop myself from hopping along the path singing, "I'm singing in the rain", a song I used to sing when I was a child. I think as adults we often try too hard to control our inner children and as a result we limit our own spirits, which only leads to depression and stress.
Interestingly, it has been shown that people who spend 40 minutes walking in a nature reserve have a drop in their blood pressure levels, but this does not happen when they spend a similar amount of time walking in a busy city center.
If you feel a little low in spirit and know that you have spent too much time indoors, relax completely, remove your shoes and let your inner child come out and play.The reason why the author felt depressed is that_______.
| A．she was afraid she couldn’t finish her work on time |
| B．she spent too much time indoors in front of her computer |
| C．her every waking hour was consumed by the project |
| D．the project was very important to her |
In the author's opinion, _______.
| A．adults should express their inner feelings freely |
| B．depression is usually caused by hard work |
| C．walking in a busy city center harms people's health |
| D．a bath can make people relaxed |
The last paragraph mainly serves as a(n) _______.
| A．explanation | B．warning |
| C．introduction | D．reminder |