Thoughts claim our attention continuously, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions.
While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is blocked, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated(不通风的) room.
It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study. We are also aware of them when we have worries or fears.
Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study something for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.
You return to read, and then hear your people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.
After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.
When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything. And at this time, you feel you’re thinking.
This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished if you could control your attention and focus your mind!When can you feel you are thinking?
| A．While breathing. | B．While not reading. |
| C．When you need to concentrate. | D．When you waste your time. |
Why does the author put forward the exam situation?
| A．To explain the course of thinking awareness. |
| B．To show how to get ready for an exam. |
| C．To present an example of concentration. |
| D．To emphasize the importance of reading. |
Where can you most probably find the above passage?
| A．In a guidebook of natural science. |
| B．In the front page of a newspaper. |
| C．In an advertisement part of a magazine. |
| D．In the section of psychology of a magazine. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the relationship between thoughts and breathing |
| B．how people’s thought and mind work |
| C．what happens when one wants to think |
| D．the ways to increase your thought |
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If you decide it’s not for you, just tell us within the first 6 weeks and you can get your money back.1Which of the following magazines will probably provide you with articles about music and paintings?
| A．Apollo. | B．The Week. | C．New Internationalist. | D．The Guardian Weekly. |
It is possible that most of the readers of the four magazines are ____.
| A．men | B．women | C．children | D．grown-ups |
Which of the following would you most probably read if you want to get information from the world’s most popular newspapers?
| A．Apollo & The Week. |
| B．Apollo & New Internationalist. |
| C．The Guardian Weekly & New Internationalist |
| D．The Guardian Weekly & New Internationalist |
The purpose of writing these four texts is to ____.
| A．tell the readers the latest news |
| B．get more readers to subscribe(订阅) |
| C．show the importance of the four magazines |
| D．introduce the four magazines to new readers |
Tired of Working in Your Country?
With over 500 instructors and 20 years of experience, we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign languages. We now have positions open in Osaka staring September/October 2004 for instructors of English, German, Spanish and French.
★ Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 3 students.
★ Accommodation(住宿), and other necessary documents(文件) will be ready before you leave.
★ Applicants will teach their first language only.
★ Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply(申请) now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C.V. and send letters to:
NOV France, Mr. Sampy (IHT3/2)
34, Bd. Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www. teachjp. Com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To introduce a language school in Japan. |
| B．To hire language teachers to work in Japan. |
| C．To describe working conditions in Japan. |
| D．To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers. |
We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will ___.
| A．teach English only in Osaka |
| B．receive a degree from a university |
| C．have free accommodation |
| D．get trained for the job |
Before going to Japan, you need___.
| A．to see the manager of NOVA France |
| B．to take some computer courses |
| C．to write a letter to Japan |
| D．to find a place to live |
If you want to work in Japan, you should ___.
| A．have some working experience |
| B．know how to use computers |
| C．present good teaching plans |
| D．speak several languages |
Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you’re a thin 14-year-old. That was me in 1940—the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City’s Pennsylvania Railway Station.
After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging passengers. I’d like to join them, thinking, “Everyone else is doing it.”
When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. “You give an honest day’s work,” he said, looking at me straight in the eye. “They’re paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that.”
I followed my dad’s advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.
Of all the jobs I’ve had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania. Railway Service that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he’d be gone.
Whether you’re on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can’t trust one another, there’s going to be trouble.What can be inferred about the baggage boys?
| A．They could earn much, but they had to work hard. |
| B．Many of them earned money in a dishonest way. |
| C．They were all from poor families. |
| D．They were all thin, young boys. |
What does the father’s advice imply?
| A．It is wrong to give more pay to the passengers. |
| B．Don’t believe them if they are paying you more. |
| C．Don’t follow others to overcharge the passengers. |
| D．It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy. |
The writer can’t put up with stealing because he thinks that ___.
| A．it is a totally shared experience |
| B．it is considered as the most dangerous |
| C．it does great harm to human relationship |
| D．it may lead to the loss of his sports team |
It can be concluded from the text that ___.
| A．his father’s advice helped him to decide which job to take up |
| B．working in the sports team was his most important experience |
| C．he learnt much from his shared experience with his team members |
| D．his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his latter life |
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌) of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包装)in green, yellow or brown because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote(推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才)to sell it.”Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
| A．The cost of its package. |
| B．The price of the product. |
| C．The color of its package. |
| D．The brand name of the product. |
The underlined part “the colors turned the customers off”(in Para.3) means that the colors ____.
| A．attracted the customers strongly |
| B．had weak effects on the customers |
| C．tricked the customers into shopping |
| D．caused the customers to lose interest |
Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
| A．The way to promote goods. |
| B．The discovery of a genius. |
| C．The team to produce a good product. |
| D．The brand name used by successful producers. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
| A．Choice of Good Products |
| B．Disadvantages of Products |
| C．Effect of Packaging on Shopping |
| D．Brand Name and Shopping Tricks |
When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your anger. But forgiveness is possible—and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite(胃口) and better sleep patterns. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopeful,” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the wear and tear on our system and allow people to feel more energetic.”
So when someone has hurt you, calm yourself first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology. “Many times the person who hurt you may never be thinking of apologizing,” says Dr. Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time.” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you. Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person’s perspective(视角). You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance(无知)，fear—even love. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person’s point of view.The text is mainly written to explain ___.
| A．how to keep yourself from being hurt | B．how to stay mentally healthy |
| C．how and when to remain calm | D．why and how to pardon others |
According to the writer, what is the right way to calm down after being hurt?
| A．Try to figure out why you get hurt. |
| B．Write a letter to the person who hurts you. |
| C．Persuade yourself to accept what others have done to you. |
| D．Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt. |
Dr. Luskin advised us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because___.
| A．we are not patient enough | B．we’d feel worse accepting other’s apology |
| C．people seldom want to apologize | D．people don’t mean it when they apologize |