Everyone wants some degree of success. Many people believe that they deserve success simply because they believe that they deserve success.
But there is a widespread belief that people who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential (有影响的) friends or the right background. Sometimes it may just be a comforting and harmless belief, while at the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors (上司). This injustice discouraged the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been.
At the same time, we should not be pessimistic (悲观的). More and more the modern world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because their faces fit. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, "This can't be right! $ 100 just for tapping a machine with a hammer?" The engineer wrote out a new bill: "For tapping a machine, $1; for knowing where to tap. $99."The engineer at the chemical plant was not promoted because _____.
| A．it was politically less good for the boss to accept her than the man |
| B．her boss did not think she had the fight qualifications for the job |
| C．the man who got the promotion was more experienced than she was |
| D．it is more difficult for a woman to get a promotion than for her male colleague |
The engineer who repaired the machine was right in charging $ 100 because____.
| A．he hit the machine to get it started again |
| B．the factory owner could not have repaired it himself |
| C．he was charging for his knowledge and expert skills |
| D．he was the only person who could find out what was wrong with it |
What can we learn about the author's attitude toward the widespread belief that "people get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it"?
| A．He quite agrees with it. |
| B．He doesn't express his opinion his opinion at it. |
| C．He completely disagrees with it. |
| D．He doesn't quite agree with it. |
According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Having influential friends or right background seems helpful sometimes. |
| B．The engineer had good reason to overcharge the factory owner. |
| C．Not all those who are good in their jobs have the chance to be promoted. |
| D．Those who are good in their jobs are still largely needed by the modern society. |
Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel ( 旅社 ). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around ＄25 a night, and for that, you'll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.
Yellow Hostel
If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It's one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It's affordable, and it's got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it's close to the main train station.
Hostel Alessandro Palace
If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There's also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.
Youth Station Hostel
If you're looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn't charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.
Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes
Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it's close to all of the city's main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.
21. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?
| A． |
Comfort. |
B． |
Security. |
| C． |
Price. |
D． |
Location. |
22. Which hotel best suits people who enjoy an active social life?
| A． |
Yellow Hostel. |
B． |
Hostel Alessandro Palace. |
| C． |
Youth Station Hostel. |
D． |
Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes. |
23. What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?
| A． |
It gets noisy at night. |
B． |
Its staff is too talkative. |
| C． |
It charges for Wi-Fi. |
D． |
It's inconveniently located. |
If you ever get the impression that your dog can"tell"whether you look content or annoyed, you may be onto something. Dogs may indeed be able to distinguish between happy and angry human faces, according to a new study.
Researcherstrained a group of 11 dogs to distinguish between images(图像) of the same person making either a happy or an angry face. During the training stage, each dog was shown only the upper half or the lower half of the person's face. The researchers then tested the dogs' ability to distinguish between human facial expressions by showing them the other half of the person's face or images totally different from the ones used in training .The researchers found that the dogs were able to pick the angry or happy face by touching a picture of it with their noses more often than one would expectby randomchance.
The study showed the animalshad figured out how to apply what they learned about human faces during training to new faces in the testing stage." Wecan rule out that the dogs simply distinguish between the pictures based on a simple cue, such as the sight of teeth,"said study author Corsin Muller." Instead,our results suggest that the successful dogs realized that a smiling mouth means the same thingas smiling eyes,and the same rule applies to an angry mouth having the same meaning as angry eyes."
"With our study, we think we can now confidently conclude that at least some dogs can distinguish human facial expressions,"Muller told Live Science.
At this point,it is not clear why dogs seem to be equipped with the ability to recognize
different facial expressions in humans."To us, the most likely explanation appears to be that the basis lies in their living with humans, which gives them a lot of exposure to human facial expressions," and this exposurehas provided them with many chances to learn to distinguish between them,Muller said.
8.The new study focused on whether dogs can .
| A． |
distinguish shapes |
B． |
make sense of human faces |
| C． |
feel happy or angry |
D． |
communicate with each other |
9. What can we learn about the study from paragraph 2?
| A． |
Researchers tested the dogs in random order. |
B． |
Diverse methods were adopted during training. |
| C． |
Pictures used in the two stages were different |
D． |
The dogs were photographed before the lest. |
10.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
| A． |
A suggestion for future studies. |
B． |
A possible reason for the study findings. |
C． |
A major limitation of thestudy |
D． |
An explanation of the research method. |
We live in a town with three beaches.There are two parks less than 10 minutes'walk from
home where neighborhoodchildren gather to play.However,what my children want to do after school is pick up a screen-any screen- and stare at it for hours.They are not alone.Today'schildren spend an averageof four and a half hours a day looking at screens,split between watching television and using the Internet.
In the past few years, an increasing number of people and organisations have begun coming up with plans to counter this trend.A couple of years ago film-maker David Bond realised that his children,then aged five and three,were attached to screens to the point where he was able to say"chocolate" into his three-year-old son's ear without getting a response. He realised that something needed to change, and, being a London media type, appointed himself"marketing director fro Nature".He documented his journey as he set about treating nature as a brand to
be marketed to young people.The result was Project Wild T hing,a film which chartsthe birth
of the World Network,a group of organisations with the common goal of getting children out into nature.
"Just five more minutes outdoors can make a difference,"David Bond says."There is a lot of really interesting evidence which seems to be suggesting that if children are inspired up to the age of seven,then being outdoors will be a habit for life."His own children have got into the habit of playing outside now: "We just send them out into the garden and tell them not to come back in for a while."
Summer is upon us. There is an amazing world out there, and it needs our children as much as they need it.Let us get them out and let them play.
What is the problem with the author's children?
| A． |
They often annoy the neighbours. |
B． |
They are tired of doing their homework. |
| C． |
They have no friends to play with |
D． |
They stay in front of screens for too long. |
5. How did David Bond advocate his idea?
| A． |
By making a documentary film. |
B． |
By organizing outdoor activities. |
| C． |
By advertising in London media. |
D． |
By creating a network of friends. |
6.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "charts" in paragraph 2?
| A． |
records |
B． |
predicts |
C． |
delays |
D． |
confirms |
7.What can be a suitable title for thetext?
| A． |
Let Children Have Fun |
B． |
Young Children Need More Free Time |
| C． |
Market Nature to Children |
D． |
David Bond:A Role Model for Children |
Leslie Nielsen's childhood was a difficult one,but he had one particular shining star in his life - his uncle,who was a well-known actor.The admiration and respect his uncle earned inspired Nielsen to make a career (职业) inacting .Even though he often felt he would be discovered to be a no-talent , he movedforward ,gaining a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse and making his first television appearance a few years later in 1948. However, becoming a full- time, successful actor would still be an uphill battle for another eight years until he landed a number of film roles that finally got him noticed.
But even then, what he had wasn't quite what he wanted. Nielsen always felt he should be doing comedy but his good looks and distinguishedvoice kept him busy in dramatic roles.It wasn't until 1980-32 years into his career-that he landed the role it would seem he was made
for in Airplane!That movie led him into the second half of his career whereh is comedic presence
alone could make a movie a financial success even when movie reviewers would not rate it highly.
Did Nielsenthen feel content in his career?Yes and no.He was thrilled to be doing the comedy
that he always felt he should do,but even during his last few years,he always had a sense of curiosity,wondering what new role or challenge might be just around the corner.He never stopped working, never retired.
Leslie Nielsen's devotion to acting is wonderfully inspiring.He built a hugely successful careerwith little more than plain old hard work and determination.He showed us that even a single desire, never given up on, can make for a remarkable life.
Why did Nielsen want to be an actor?
| A． |
He enjoyed watching movies. |
B． |
He was eager to earn money. |
| C． |
He wanted to be likehis uncle. |
D． |
He felt he was good at acting. |
2. What do we know about Nielsen in the second half of his career?
| A． |
He directed some high quality movies. |
B． |
He avoided taking on new challenges. |
C． |
He focused on playing dramatic roles. |
D． |
He became a successful comedy actor. |
3. What does Nielsen's career story tell us?
| A． |
Art is long,life is short. |
B． |
He who laughs last laughs longest. |
C． |
It's never too late to learn. |
D． |
Where there's a will there's a way. |
During an interview for one of my books,my interviewer said something I still think aboutoften.Annoyed by the level of distraction(干扰)in his open office, he said,"That's why I have a membership at the coworking space across the street-so I can focus. "His comment struckme as strange. After all, coworking spaces also typically use an openofficelayout (布局). But I recently came across a study that shows why his approach works.
The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative thinking .They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the background, from total silence to 50 decibels(分贝),70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however,the participants in the 70 decibels group-those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop-significantly outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.
But since the results at 70 decibels were significant,the study also suggests that the right level of background noise-not too loud and not total silence-may actually improve one's creative thinking ability.The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough to allow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus.This kind of"distracted focus"appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.
So why do so many of us hate our open offices?The problem may be that, in our offices, we can't stop ourselvesfrom getting drawn into others' conversations while we're trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process,and yet a coworking space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.
12.Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?
| A． |
It helps him concentrate. |
| B． |
It blocks out background noise. |
| C． |
It has a pleasant atmosphere. |
| D． |
It encourages face-to-face interactions. |
13.Which level of background noise may promote creative thinking ability?
| A． |
Total silence. |
| B． |
50 decibels. |
| C． |
70 decibels. |
| D． |
85 decibels. |
14.What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?
| A． |
Personal privacy unprotected. |
| B． |
Limited working space. |
| C． |
Restrictions on group discussion. |
| D． |
Constant interruptions. |
15.What can we infer about the author from the text?
| A． |
He's a news reporter. |
B． |
He's an office manager. |
| C． |
He's a professional designer. |
D． |
He's a published writer. |