People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once，a new research suggests.The findings，based on performances and selfevaluations by about 275 college students，indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity，but because they are easily distracted (分心) and can’t focus on one activity.And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things，”said David Sanbonmatsu，a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked，how good they thought they were at it，and how sensationseeking (寻求刺激) or impulsive (冲动)they were.They then evaluated the participants’multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly，the scientists said，most people thought they were better than average at multitasking，and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once.But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test.They also were more likely to admit to sensationseeking and impulsive behavior，which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity，but because they’re distractible，and they get sucked into things that are not as important，”Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley，a researcher at the University of California，San Francisco，who was not a member of the research group，said one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less focused tend toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.
The findings do suggest，however，why the sensationseekers who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving.“People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.”said Paul Atchley，another researcher not in the group.“This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re dangerous.”The research led by Sanbonmatsu indicates that people who multitask________.
| A．seek high productivity constantly |
| B．prefer handling different things when getting bored |
| C．are more focused when doing many things at a time |
| D．have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time |
When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research，they________.
| A．assessed the multitasking ability of the students |
| B．evaluated the academic achievements of the students |
| C．analyzed the effects of the participants’tricky mental tasks |
| D．measured the changes of the students’understanding ability |
According to Sanbonmatsu，people multitask because of their________.
| A．limited power in calculation |
| B．interests in doing things differently |
| C．inability to concentrate on one task |
| D．impulsive desire to try new things |
From the last paragraph，we can learn that multitaskers usually________.
| A．drive very skillfully |
| B．go in for difficult tasks |
| C．fail to react quickly to potential dangers |
| D．refuse to explain the reasons for their behavior |
Tomorrow was his girlfriend’s birthday and the young man was having a difficult time deciding on a present for her. She already had more clothes than she knew what to do with them, so he couldn’t get any kind of apparel. She never ate sweets, so candy was out of the question. What then? He had a very special reason for wanting to impress her with just the right gift; tomorrow he was going to make an offer of marriage to her.
He finally decided on perfume(香水). All girls liked perfume. That raised another problem, however. What kind did she prefer? He couldn’t ask her because that would ruin the surprise.
At last the young man hit upon a brilliant idea. That afternoon, pretending to take his girlfriend’s fox terrier, a little dog for a walk, the young man and the dog went directly to the perfume counter of the town’s biggest department store. Good! There was a large array (长列) of perfume. He beckoned(招呼) a clerk, instructing her to open a large number of bottles and wave the stoppers under the dog’s nose.
Nestled in the young man’s arms, the terrier began to be restless and bored as this seemingly pointless game went on. Then Fritz suddenly became frisky, wiggling in the young man’s arms and barking excitedly, as the clerk waved one stopper under its nose.
“I’ll take that one,” said the young man to the clerk. The price was high, but it was worth it, he thought.
“My favorite perfume!” said the delighted girl the next evening as she unwrapped the package. “How did you know?” she asked, dabbing some perfume behind each ear.
“Intuition(直觉), I guess.” said the young man, deciding that it wasn’t exactly wrong to tell a lie under the circumstances. One day, after they were married, he would admit that his intuition had really been a little dog named Fritz.Which of the following words best describes the young man in the story ?
| A．Kind-hearted | B．Curious |
| C．Creative | D．Mean |
The underlined word “frisky” in Paragraph 4 means ______.
| A．lively | B．angry |
| C．uneasy | D．puzzled |
According to the story, the birthday present for the girl was actually decided on by _____.
| A．the young man | B．the store clerk | C．the man’s intuition | D．the dog Fritz |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE ?
| A．The young man wanted to give his girlfriend a pleasant surprise. |
| B．The pet dog Fritz knew what the young man wanted very well. |
| C．The kind of perfume the young man chose was expensive. |
| D．The young man told a white lie about his final choice of the perfume. |
With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams are inevitable. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars, with more people trying to get to their destination, all the while getting worse. Although it’s impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether, there are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.
Check for traffic jams before you leave. You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.
Look for a different route permanently. Most traffic jams occur on busy roads. Using country roads could see you avoiding a lot of traffic. Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.
Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins. Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.
_____________________________. Most traffic jams usually occur during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid commuting altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.
Use public transport alternatives where available. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car. Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money as the cost of motoring rises.The underlined word “inevitable” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.
| A．hard to accept | B．impossible to avoid |
| C．getting less serious | D．seen everywhere |
The author wrote the text in order to ______.
| A．explain why there are traffic jams | B．tell us the negative effects of traffic jams |
| C．tell us what we can do on the road | D．tell us how to save time on the road |
To get the latest traffic information, you could do the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．surfing the Internet | B．listening to the radio for traffic news |
| C．listening to the traffic channel | D．turning to other drivers for information |
Which of the following can be put in the blank in the text?
| A．Choose a job that has flexible working hours | B．Try traveling at different time |
| C．Make friends with your manager | D．Work from home |
Dear David,
My daughter will be five years old. She is happy, well-mannered, loving and pretty. She has attended a Montessori school since she was 16 months old and has made two friends. The three girls are always together, or talking with each other.
But recently the girls told my daughter that they would not play with her if she kept playing with the boy who was disliked by most of the class. My daughter always finds good things in others and insisted they play with him, too. Then one of the friends told my daughter she didn’t have straight hair and shouldn’t play with them. Then she started ignoring my daughter. My mother-in-law decided to iron my girl’s beautiful curly hair(卷发).
With her birthday coming, my child decided to invite her friends to her party. When I asked her why, she said because they were always together, but I know one of the girls will not attend her party.
I’m concerned about her. I feel lost, not knowing how to help my child.
Jenny
Dear Jenny,
It’s always painful to a mother when someone hurts her child. Your daughter’s friends weren’t nice to her, but little kids are still learning how to get along with others. As a result, young friendships are often fleeting, even changing from day to day. Your daughter seems to be remarkably loving, outgoing and mature(成熟的) beyond her years. Perhaps you need to be proud of the way she treats people.
Ironing your daughter’s hair won’t send your daughter or the other girls a good message. It implies that there is something wrong with the way she is. You have no choice but to let your daughter know that one of the girls won’t be attending her birthday party. If she seems upset, remind her that other friends will be there. My guess is that she will rise to the occasion.
Hope this helps.
David What’s the mother’s problem?
| A．Her daughter doesn’t respect other kids |
| B．Her daughter seems to be losing her friends |
| C．Her daughter cares too much about her friends |
| D．Her daughter doesn’t know how to deal with others |
When the daughter was asked not to play with that boy, she probably ____.
| A．thought her friends were right. |
| B．felt lucky to have such good friends. |
| C．thought her friends shouldn’t have said that. |
| D．realized her friends were not popular with others. |
David used the underlined word“fleeting”to show that _____.
| A．kids value friendship | B．young friendships don’t last long | C．young friendships are very important | D．kids are good at dealing with others |
In David’s opinion, ironing the daughter’s hair _____.
| A．is the right thing to do | B．will make her more popular. |
| C．will make her doubt the way she is. | D．will help her win back her friends. |
House buyers have three main choices: building from the ground up, moving into an old house or buying a new one. All the three are very different and should be considered carefully. Your budget will probably have the biggest effect on your choice. Comparing the three will help you make a good decision.
New houses are untouched and fresh, which means they can suit your personality and you know exactly where all of the materials come from. New houses won’t hold many unpleasant surprises, such as weak foundations, or other damaged areas. Most of these modern houses are also far more eco-friendly, with future decoration being just as easy to make and do as you like. Buying new houses is also a great way to save money, and you may find its benefit with the price going up in the future.
Some buildings, such as those that are rare or in certain areas, are of value over the years. Sometimes it is the history that draws more buyers into older houses. A famous person may have lived there, or an important event may have taken place in the house. This may not add any value to the house, but it can add to the attraction. There may be more repairs which will need to be done in the old houses,so before you think you’ve found a great bargain, be sure to get a careful inspection.
There are those who prefer building from the ground up. Building your own house can be a very rewarding, tiring, and expensive experience. While people have many expectations of planning and building their own houses, one thing is sure: it will take a while. There are always difficulties during construction, so you always find the construction time will be longer than your plan, not to mention the budget. Time can add up as well as materials and costs. Building is a good choice for those who are able and qualified.In Paragraph 2, the writer mainly tells readers _____.
| A．How to choose a good new house. |
| B．The benefits of buying a new house |
| C．Things to consider when they buy a house. |
| D．How to save money when they buy a new house. |
What does the writer suggest people do when they are buying an old house?
| A．Check whether the price is low |
| B．Check whether it is a rare house |
| C．Check carefully whether lots of repairs are needed |
| D．Check whether a famous person has lived in it |
The writer seems to believe that building a house of one’s own is ____.
| A．easy | B．costly |
| C．interesting | D．impossible |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To encourage readers to build a house of their own |
| B．To explain why it is hard to decide what house to buy |
| C．To tell readers how to find a great bargain when they are buying a house |
| D．To help readers make a better decision when they are buying a house |
I can’t count how many times people have complained, while shaking their heads in obvious disappointment,“just don’t know what is with teenagers today.”
The other day I was in my car on my way to the farmers market when I passed two teens standing by the side of the road with a car washing sign. My car was filthy and my heart was full, so I pulled over. There was a group directing the cars and another group spraying them down. As sponges(海绵) were wiped over every square inch of my dirty car, I sat enjoying the little water bottles. I was amazed at why forty to fifty teenagers had devoted their Saturday to washing cars.
After I handed them a twenty-dollar bill I asked what they were raising money for. They explained to me that a friend of theirs, C.T.Schmitz, had recently died of cancer. He was only fifteen years old. He had gone to school with a lot of the teenagers who were there that day and each of them had memories of a boy sweeter than any they had known. His friend Kevin had decided to put this car wash together because he wanted to honor his friend and also bring together his classmates with his boy scout troop(童子军). He told me that they wanted to plant a tree in front of their school and if they raised enough money they would put a plaque(纪念匾) there also. Both would be in memory of their friend C.T.
They handed me a bag of homemade cookies with my receipt(收据) saying“Thanks for helping us plant a tree of C.T.”
Yeah! I don’t know what is with teenagers today!From the passage we can know that the boys were raising money to ______.
| A．buy a plaque for their school . |
| B．help those who suffered from cancer. |
| C．first plant a tree in memory of their friend. |
| D．put a plaque near their friend’s home |
From the passage, we can infer that C.T.Schmitz was _____.
A. kind-hearted but lonely B. brave and popular with his classmates
C. shy and sensitive D. a boy you can get a good impression ofWhat does the underlined word “ filthy”mean?
| A．new | B．dirty | C．good-looking | D．ordinary |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Teenagers Today | B．A Special Day |
| C．My view on Teenagers | D．An Exciting Experience |