“I can’t concentrate.” “My mind wanders when I try to study.” Lack of concentration is one of the most common complaints heard at school.
We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips.
Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that’s about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that’s just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes).When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better.
_______________If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that’s different.
Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you’ve completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you’ve finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks.
Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, “How can I increase my activity level while studying?” Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement(参与).According to Paragraph 3, what’s the purpose of walking around?
| A．To help us stay fit. |
| B．To benefit our lower body. |
| C．To provide the brain with more oxygen. |
| D．To increase our concentration time to 90 minutes. |
What’s the best title for Paragraph 4?
| A．Study for one hour each time. |
| B．Do something difficult. |
| C．Study in different ways. |
| D．Change subjects. |
In the last paragraph, the writer suggests that______.
| A．we just read the heading of some articles |
| B．we do our best to read an article straight through |
| C．we ask ourselves questions about what we are reading |
| D．we ask other people questions about the article we are reading |
The writer wrote the passage to______.
| A．encourage us to try to concentrate |
| B．teach us how to concentrate while studying |
| C．give us the reasons for a lack of concentration |
| D．list the benefits we can get from concentration |
Although in the 17th century in the United States fine art and folk art had similar qualities, a difference between them began to appear as time went on in the 18th and 19th centuries artists with ambition studied abroad and came back to paint portraits(肖像) of upper-class families in American society. The less ambitious or less fortunate artists traveled around their own areas and created pictures of countryside society. Anyway, artists got trained and those simple creations improved a lot.
Around 1930，folk art began to take on a new meaning and was considered as an expression of a small cultural class. Folk art is never the product of art movements, but comes out of craft traditions. This art is based not on measurements or calculations and rarely goes with the standards of realism. It goes straight to the bases of art which the folk artists feel naturally.
The period 1930~ 1960 was the time when folk artists began to receive recognition. They often began their art careers late in life and used art as an outlet（出口） for their energy. Their materials were cheap and simple, their subjects were different, but their creativity flowed. Doing their own things became the norm（标准）, and was what made folk art so desirable.
Although it is hard to define folk art, one thing is certain --- it touches us in a special way because the artists show us how he or she brought beauty into their everyday life. Since folk artists come from all walks of life, each piece of art created is one of a kind, emphasizing color, simplicity of line and brave, simple form. Most importantly, it exemplifies（作为…的例子） the history of American life.What similar qualities did folk art and fine art probably have in the 17th century?
| A．They were both simple creations. |
| B．The artists of both focused on family life. |
| C．The artists of both came from the lower class. |
| D．They were both gifted creations by trained artists. |
What was folk art around 1930 based on according to the second paragraph?
| A．The traditions of the upper class. |
| B．The progress of art in that period. |
| C．The standards of realism. |
| D．The feelings of the artists. |
Which of the following statements can be used to describe the works of folk artists?
| A．They are difficult to understand. |
| B．They help artists let out their energy. |
| C．They show pictures of unreal life. |
| D．They are similar to one another. |
Why did folk art become popular during the period from 1930 to 1960?
| A．It offered artists the freedom of expression. |
| B．Artists didn’t need to spend much on materials. |
| C．Other kinds of art couldn’t express the beauty of life. |
| D．Artists could express their dissatisfaction towards society. |
The author’s purpose in writing the text is to ___________.
| A．speak highly of folk art |
| B．compare folk art and fine art |
| C．explain the history and characteristics of folk art in America |
| D．explain the development and changes of American art |
As demand for power and fuel grows steadily in the coming decades, we must consider every possible energy source（来源）on hand if we're to meet the world's needs. And because clean natural gas is found in great plenty, there is little doubt that it will play a major role on the world energy stage in this century, much like oil did in the last. But, like oil, gas reserves are concentrated in just a few places in the world, usually far from where they're needed most. And that's only part of the challenge. The world has had well over 100 years to search for oil and to build the necessary facilities（设施）to bring it to market; the natural gas facilities, particularly when it comes to liquefied（液化）natural gas（LNG）, are not nearly as developed.
So what needs to be done? On the supply side, producing nations need policies that allow for better development of their natural gas in an open, stable business environment, not one in which the rules of the game change without warning. The governments of consuming nations, on the other hand, must make policies for sustainable（可持续的）development to ensure they'll have enough supplies in the future. That means building the related facilities, including LNG stations. This, in turn, will require coastal areas to allow these necessary, but not necessarily pretty, facilities to be built in their backyards. And energy companies have a responsibility to be good neighbors in those areas by operating these facilities responsibly and safely. They must also continue to put in the billions of dollars needed to build the complex transport and storage facilities required to bring more gas to market.
Expanding and diversifying（使多样化）energy sources by using more natural gas could lead to lower fuel prices and to greater energy security. We've taken some of the steps to get started, but we need your help to get the rest of the way.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Gas played a major part in the 20th century. |
| B．Natural gas facilities are far from satisfactory. |
| C．Gas reserves are widely spread around the world. |
| D．Necessary facilities are ready to bring gas to market. |
The underlined word "one"（in Paragraph 2）refers to _____________.
| A．a gas supply side | B．a business environment |
| C．a gas consuming nation | D．a policy for gas development |
Consuming nations of natural gas need to ___________.
| A．change the rules of the game |
| B．open markets in their backyards |
| C．build pretty facilities along the coast |
| D．have long-term policies for gas supply |
The main purpose of the passage is to _______.
| A．warn people of the lack of power and fuel |
| B．discuss the importance of oil and natural gas |
| C．call for better use and development of natural gas |
| D．instruct people how to make use of energy sources |
The passage might be followed by a paragraph about
| A．what kind of help you can offer |
| B．where energy sources are concentrated |
| C．which countries are in great need of gas |
| D．what problems of energy sources we may face |
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented（专利的）and have trade mark licenses（许可）. The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing（安装）the dirt drain（排水管）at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid（盖子）is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores（家务）and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph is intended to _____________.
| A．stress the importance of inventions |
| B．introduce the topic of the article |
| C．show the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．tell the differences between human beings and animals |
According to the passage, people make house inventions to _____________.
| A．earn more money and gain awards |
| B．accumulate their wealth |
| C．improve the present living conditions |
| D．meet the new demands of new science |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to ___________.
| A．prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because ___________.
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them |
| C．common people have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage mainly talks about _______________.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
When you practice reading with passages shorter than book length, do not try to take in each word separately, one after the other. It is much more difficult to grasp the broad theme of the passage this way, and you will also get the stuck on individual words which may not be absolutely essential to a general understanding of the passage. It is a good idea to skim through the passage very quickly first to get the general idea of each paragraph. Titles, paragraph headings and emphasized words can be a great help in getting this skeleton outline of the passage. It is surprising how many people do not read titles, introductions or paragraph headings. Can you, without looking back, remember the title of this passage and the heading of this paragraph?
Most paragraphs of a passage or chapter have a 'topic sentence' which expresses the central idea. The remaining sentences expand or support that idea. It has been estimated that between 50% and 90% of all expositive（说明的）paragraphs in English have the topic sentence first. Always pay special attention to the first sentence of a paragraph, it is most likely to give you the main idea.
Sometimes, though, the first sentence in the paragraph does not have the feel of 'main idea' sentence. It does not seem to give us enough new information to justify a paragraph. The next most likely place to look for the topic sentence is the last sentence of the paragraph.
Remember that the opening and closing paragraphs of a passage or chapter are particularly important. The opening paragraph suggests the general direction and content of the piece, while the closing paragraph often summarizes the very essence（精髓）. It is a good idea to skim through a passage quickly first ____________.
| A．at about 315 w.p.m.（words per minute） |
| B．to get the general idea of each paragraph |
| C．so that you can take in each work separately |
| D．to make sure you get to the end at least once |
The topic sentence of an expository paragraph in English _____________.
| A．usually comes in the middle |
| B．is most likely to be found at the end |
| C．is most often at the beginning |
| D．is usually left out in expository writing |
Most expository paragraphs in English have a clearly defined topic sentence. In such paragraphs the topic sentence comes first _____________.
A. in about 5% of cases B in about 80% of cases
C. in about 20% cases D. very rarelySometimes we know the first sentence is not the topic sentence because ____________.
| A．it does not seem to give us enough new information |
| B．it is not long enough |
| C．it does not come at the beginning |
| D．it does not make a complete sentence |
The closing paragraph of a piece of writing ____________.
| A．is not really very important |
| B．is often unnecessary repetition |
| C．often comes at the end |
| D．often summarizes the essence of the passage |
John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of an banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tired to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he may lead a poor life being a mathematician, and so von Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics（Einstein was one of the others）
World War Ⅱ hugely changed von Neumann's areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematics theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several fundamental contributions After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died in 1957 of cancer.
Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Von Neumann really was a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this Way: "I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path."According to the text, von Neumann's father believed that _____________.
| A．a mathematician couldn't earn a lot of money |
| B．a mathematician needed a good memory |
| C．von Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time |
| D．von Neumann had the gift for solving problems at a high speed. |
von Neumann published his first book at the age of _________________
| A．23 | B．26 | C．29 | D．32 |
How did World War Ⅱ affect John von Neumann?
| A．He realized the importance of engineering |
| B．He began to research how to put mathematics into practice. |
| C．He left college and served at the government department. |
| D．He lost interest in chemistry. |
Which of the following is true of Von Neumann?
| A．He had three children |
| B．He died from an accident. |
| C．He received many rewards in his life |
| D．He and Einstein were classmates in Princeton University. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer John von Neumann was _____________.
| A．calm | B．brave | C．intelligent | D．humorous |