Habits，whethergoodorbad，aregra-优题课

This parable（寓言）is told of a farmer who owned an old mule（骡子）. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule praying for whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing（评估）the situation, the farmer sympathized（同情）with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together , told them what had happened, and asked them to help pour dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out his misery.
At the beginning, the old mule was crazy! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shovelling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he would shake it off and step up!
This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly（胜利地）over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him… all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity（逆境）.
That’s life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity.
The adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the very real potential to benefit us! Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that amateurs（生手）built the boat. Professionals built the Titanic.
Why did the farmer decide to bury the mule in the well?

A．Because he thought the mule was of little use.

B．Because he didn’t like the praying made by the mule.

C．Because he thought the well couldn’t be used any longer after the accident.

D．Because he didn’t want to see the mule suffer more in the well.

What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?

A．The mule became calm	B．The mule became quiet.
C．The mule suddenly had an idea	D．The mule lost heart.

Who saved the mule at last?

A．The farmer	B．The farmer’s neighbors
C．The farmer and his neighbors	D．The mule himself

What lesson can we learn from the passage?
a. One should give up something of little use.
b. One should depend oneself when in trouble.
c. One should show mercy to others who are in trouble.
d. There must be something that one can do well no matter what he is.
e. Be self-determined and never give up, and one can succeed in the end.

A．a, b, e

B．b, d, e

C．a, c, e

D．b, c, e

Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.
Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision making, but in fact they’re a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional center is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasio, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains, and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasio thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choices, which we use to help the present decision making.
However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger, for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.
All emotions affect our thinking and motivation, so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there’s one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.
According to the text, what may help us make better decisions?

A．To think about happy times.

B．To make many decisions at a time.

C．To stop feeling regretful about the past.

D．To learn about the process of decision-making.

Damasio’s study suggests that ______.

A．emotions are the enemy of decision making

B．our brain has nothing to do with decision making

C．people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds

D．our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions

Why are angry shoppers more likely to choose the first thing they are offered?

A．They often forget their past choices.

B．They make decisions without much thinking.

C．They tend to save time when shopping.

D．They are too angry to bargain.

What do we learn from the text?

A．Emotions are a part of decision making.

B．Sad people always make the worst choices.

C．No emotion seems to help us make good choices.

D．Only sad feelings affect our thinking and motivation.

I was appreciating my family photos on my computer, admiring my two beautiful babies, when I found a disturbing trend: my laptop was in almost all the pictures. There was my daughter, 8 months old, playing at my feet while I was typing away on the couch. There was me and my son, with the laptop at my side as I held him in my arms.
I’d heard about the Internet addiction before, but always assumed I was something limited to socially challenged guys who played too much World of Warcraft (a computer game). Now it seemed my Internet “habit” is slowly but surely crossing the line. Sometimes I find myself up at midnight, surfing the Web while my family are sleeping. I read news, keep up with friends and write my blog … just for something to do.
It turns out that I’m not the only mama who is addicted to the computer. These moms are contributing to a growing global addiction. There’s a movement among psychiatrists (doctors who specialize in mental diseases) to recognize the Internet addiction as an official mental disorder. And a recent Stanford University national survey found that 14 percent of Internet users find it hard to stay away from it for several days at a time; 9 percent try to hide their “unnecessary Internet use” from their loved ones; 8 percent admit they use the Web as a way to escape problems.
You’re likely not the kind of addict who doesn’t bathe and abuses drugs to help her stay “up” for more online time. You may have noticed, though, that going online has become a necessary part of your life, which, at least, means a load of clothes go unwashed.
It may also mean you’re missing much time with you baby – something you probably do care about.
From Paragraph 1, we can conclude that _______.

A．the author was busy taking care of her babies

B．the author’s job had something to do with computers

C．the author was not good at taking photos of her babies

D．the author looked after her babies while using the computer.

The author used to think that the Internet addiction is ________.

A．using the web at midnight	B．keeping up with friends online
C．spending too much time online	D．being addicted to computer games

In medical terms, the Internet addiction is ________.

A．a personal life habit	B．a way to escape problems
C．an official mental disorder	D．the unnecessary use of the Internet

What does the author want to express in the last but one paragraph?

A．Many women still can control their online time.

B．The Internet addiction influences housewives’ lives a lot.

C．Going online has become a necessary part of women’s lives.

D．Many people don’t realize that they are addicted to the Internet.

Anyone for kimchi(韩国泡菜)？ Around 2,000 women made the traditional dish last week in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea(ROK).
More than 270 tons of kimchi were produced and handed out to needy neighbours.
In the ROK, kimchi is more than a dish to be eaten with every meal, even though Koreans are said to eat about 40 pounds(around 18kg) of kimchi per person each year.
According to Korean.net, the country’s official multilingual website, kimchi represents
“the spirit” of the Koreans.
Kimchi traditionally has a rosy color. Korea.net says: “The color red wards off (避开) evil spirits. The color represents the spirit of the Korean people and kimchi is more than just a food. It’s a culture.”
A meal without kimchi is unthinkable. So what is kimchi?
Joan Raymond, food writer for US website health.com, writes: “It’s a reddish, fermented (发酵的) cabbage dish , made with a mix of garlic salt, vinegar, chili peppers and other spices.
It is served at every meal, either along with or mixed with rice and noodles. It is part of a high-fiber, low fat diet, which has kept obesity(肥胖) at bay.”
Kimchi is used in everything from soups to pancakes and as a topping (配料) on pizza and burgers.
Health.com named kimchi in its list of the world’s top five healthiest foods as it is rich in vitamins, aids digestion and may even reduce the risk of cancer.
A study conducted by Seoul National University claimed that chickens infected with the H5N1 virus (bird flu) recovered after eating food containing the same bacteria found in kimchi.
When Koreans pose for photos, they say “kimchi”, instead of “cheese”.
According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Kimchi contains something that can kill the H5N1 virus.

B．Kimchi is rated as the healthiest food in the world.

C．Kimchi is a cultural treasure for Koreans.

D．Each person eats 40 pounds of kimchi per month.

What does the underlined phrase “keep... at bay” mean?

A．predict

B．prevent

C．overcome

D．develop

What does the article mainly talk about?

A．The nutritional value of kimchi.

B．Ways of making kimchi.

C．The origin of kimchi.

D．Kimchi and what it means to Koreans.

If you're like a lot of married guys, you don't need to be reminded about men being from Mars or women from Venus. Chances are that you're all too familiar with the feeling that you and your wife are from different worlds. The way to have a successful marriage is through communication, common ground and understanding. Here are some pointers to guide you in the right direction.
Pointer 1. Realize nobody can wave a magic wand to make you and your wife completely understand each other all the time. Accept the difference.
Pointer 2. Rather than ending up in an endless back and forth, forget about the issue for a minute. Instead, think about how you feel she's acting toward you and ask her if that's how she feels about you. Switching the focus to that shared feeling can help your wife see things from your point of view.
Pointer 3. Rather than feel offended if you find out she's not as into your favorite hobby as you thought, appreciate the effort she put into making you happy. Swallow your pride and try to take part in some of her hobbies, too, even if you might be a little put off at first. While you're not going to be trying on makeup with her, you could try baking a recipe together.
Pointer 4. If either of you is always giving everything and getting nothing in return, there's going to be bitterness. The best marriages are built on compromise. You knew you were going to have to give and take for your marriage to work; now it's time to make it happen.
The best subtitle of Pointer 3 is ________.

A．Find out her hobbies

B．Swallow your pride (at least sometimes)

C．Don’t get offended

D．Try to make up

According to the last paragraph, it’s important for the husband and wife to__________.

A．give and take

B．get everything and return nothing

C．live and let live

D．forgive and forget

Which of the following is NOT good for keeping a successful marriage?

A．Try to understand each other all the way.

B．Don't play the blame game.

C．Focus on the feeling to get past the disagreement.

D．She won't always understand you (but that's OK).

A．Good habits	B．Bad habits
C．Both good habits and bad habits	D．Neither good habits nor bad habits