When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, at the same time they usually talk about a lot of subjects, including children, men, careers and what’s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen---they can’t do both---and they don’t understand that women can. Besides(此外), women think that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships--not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring (盯着) at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot (the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.) and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the small body language signals that show how the characters are feeling emotionally(情绪上). Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully because they want to keep relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to connect to the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a way of keeping relationship. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing(令人信服的)evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls’ mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Lewis, author of Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents reply to the brain differences of their children. Since a girl’s brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we talk to them more. As a result, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short complaints in reply.While watching TV with others, women usually talk a lot because they ___________.
A.are afraid of silence with their families and friends |
B.can both talk and watch the screen at the same time |
C.think they can have a good time and develop relationships |
D.have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands |
After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to ___________.
A.experience the happy time again |
B.keep a close tie with her |
C.recommend her a new wonderful place |
D.remind her of something forgotten |
What does the writer want to tell us most?
A.Women’s brains are better organized for language and communication. |
B.Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men. |
C.Men do not like talking because they believe more in facts. |
D.Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking. |
Which of the following would be the BEST title for the passage?
A.Women Are Socially Trained to Talk |
B.Talking Keeps Relationships |
C.Women Love to Talk |
D.Men Talk Differently from Women |
You ought to have fun when you study English. That way, you’ll want to spend more time using the language. One way to do this is to watch amusing TV shows in English.
Chuck is an action comedy TV series about a character named Chuck. One day Chuck receives a classified (机密) e-mail from an old friend who is working at the CIA. The e-mail contains an entire database filled with classified U.S. government information. Chuck is the kind of person who naturally commits large amounts of information to memory, and all of the spy secrets are accidentally embedded in his mind. So Chuck becomes the most important person to the government. As a result, Chuck hides his identity (身份) and works as a computer expert at a store called Buy More. There are two secret agents who protect Chuck from danger. To ensure his safety, they also take undercover jobs as his girlfriend and a store employee.
Without a doubt, watching Chuck is going to provide you with hours of rib-tickling laughter while you learn English.Watching amusing TV shows is a _______ way to study English.
A.useful | B.hard | C.fun | D.quick |
Two secret agents protect Chuck from danger because ________________.
A.Chuck works at the CIA |
B.Chuck is a computer expert |
C.Chuck is their friend |
D.Chuck knows all of the spy secrets |
This passage is probably taken from __________ in a newspaper called 21st Century.
A.Story land | B.Learning Desk |
C.Magic World | D.School Time |
In a classroom in any country, the teacher teaches more than art or history or language. He or she teaches what is known as the “hidden course” ---the culture(文化)of that country.
In a society such as the United States, people with different history, culture and language join together and think highly of individualism(个人主义). Their education as a part of the society(社会), also think of this greatly. Teachers try to make each student special. Students do not have to remember a lot of information; instead , they work alone and find answers by themselves. There is often a discussion in the classroom. At an early age students learn to have their own ideas. Their education encourages personal thought. The importance is put on how to arrive at an answer and not simply to get the correct answer.
In most Asian countries, the people have the same languages, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the education there shows society’s ideas in group goals rather than individualism. Children in China and Japan often work together and help each other on homework. In the classroom, the teacher often teaches in a public way. He says, and the students listen. There is not much discussion. Instead, the students repeat rules or information that they have been taught in order to keep them in mind.
In many ways these differences come from different educational psychology(教育心理学). In Western countries teachers make it easier for the students to learn for themselves. In the Eastern, however, teachers often feel that their job is to pass knowledge to students, or the students can’t learn anything.What is the “hidden course” according to the passage?
What do American teachers do in class?
What do Asian teachers do in class?
What’s the main difference in education between the East and the West?
What do you think the proper title for the passage is?
North American black bears are shy animals. They are fearful by nature, and will usually run away if they see or hear people. Because of this, it can be difficult for scientists to learn about these animals.
In order to study black bears, researchers from New Jersey, USA, catch bears and use drugs (毒品) to help them go to sleep. Researchers then work out the size and the weight of the bear, take blood to test for diseases, remove a tooth and take it to the lab to find out its age. From these studies, researchers want to find out how many bears live in New Jersey, how long they live, and how many babies they produce.
But in Minnesota, USA, researchers study bears that are completely awake. The bears know the researchers' voices and they are not afraid of die research team. With the help of a few grapes to keep the bears busy, researchers can touch them to check their hearts, look at their teeth , and do other jobs. Researchers can also walk or sit with bears for hours and make videos to learn about their everyday lives.
In both places, the main purpose is the same—to make sure there is a healthy population of black bears. But the research methods and the kinds of information that researchers, are able to collect are quite different. In the first paragraph, we can learn that North American black bears are _______.
A.shy and fearful animals | B.not found today |
C.well known to scientists | D.not afraid of people |
The word "remove" in the second paragraph probably means _____ in Chinese.
A.拔下 | B.移植 | C.清洗 | D.修补 |
Which of the following may NOT be included in the New Jersey studies on bears?
A.The age. |
B.The way of their communication. |
C.The weight. |
D.The number of babies they produce. |
In the Minnesota studies, researchers _____.
A.can never get close to the bears |
B.study the bears while they are asleep |
C.use grapes to make the bears full |
D.learn a lot about the bears' everyday lives |
What do the two studies have in common(共同点)?
A.Research places | B.The main purpose. |
C.Research methods. | D.Collected information. |
Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it has a long history. Macao is a part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade(做生意)with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts(城堡)to guard the city and the harbor(港口). They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to “gamble ”with their money, whether they lose or win. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at the old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins(毁坏). The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. When you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby are some islands, which are also nice to visit and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to see and to do in Macao.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Portuguese were the first to go to Macao. |
B.Some Portuguese settled in Macao and made their homes nearly a century ago. |
C.The city Macao grew slowly. |
D.People there put up strong forts to defend the city. |
You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because _____.
A.some of the buildings are now in ruins |
B.you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing |
C.you go about and look at the old buildings and forts with pleasure |
D.it’ s a peaceful place. |
The word “gamble” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to “_____”.
A.watch dog-racing |
B.watch horse-racing |
C.watch motor-racing |
D.play games of chance for money |
Where will you have a break when you feel tired?
A.In good restaurants. | B.In small cool gardens. |
C.On some islands. | D.In beautiful parks. |
What does the writer most want to tell us?
A.People from many countries came to live and work in Macao. |
B.Portuguese were willing to do business in China. |
C.People in Macao serve good food. |
D.Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do. |
Everyone worries. But how do you deal with your worries? Whether your worries are big or small, you can take these steps to deal with your worries:
Try to find out what you’re worried about.
Sometimes, you will know what you’re worried about. Other times, you might not. Try to find it out first: if you can’t , you can ask for help.
Think of ways to make it better.
There is always something you can do to help you feel less worried.Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won’t solve your problem.
Grades at school are often a top worry for kids. If you’re worried about grades, ask yourself these questions:
(A) Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me?
(B) How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn’t a test?
(C) Do I have a good place to do my homework?
(D) Have I tried different ways of studying?
If your worry is about a fight you had with a friend, you might write down all the things you could do-write a note to him or her, invite him or her to a basketball game, say sorry to him or her etc. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose the one that gets your friend back.
Ask for help.
When you’re worried, it can help to find someone to talk to. You can ask your parents, friends, or teachers for help.How many steps are mentioned to deal with your worries in the passage?
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. | D.Seven. |
When you don’t know what you’re worried about ________.
A.you should try to find it out |
B.you can’t ask for help |
C.you don’t need to think of ways |
D.you can sit there worrying |
If you’re worried about grades, you can ask yourself these questions EXCEPT “___”.
A.Why are grades important? |
B.What do grades mean to me? |
C.How do I get ready for class? |
D.Why don’t my friends like me? |
According to the passage, what will you do if you have a fight with your friend?
A.Make a new friend. |
B.Don’t talk to him or her any more. |
C.Have another fight with him or her. |
D.Invite him or her to a basketball game. |
The passage mainly tells us ________.
A.who is often worried |
B.when people are worried |
C.how to deal with our worries |
D.what kind of worries people have |