Research shows that much of our predisposition (倾向) towards determination, sociability and selfcontrol and sense of purpose is in our genes. In fact, our DNA plays a bigger role in influencing these traits (characteristics) than our upbringing (儿童期的教养) and the company we keep. Taken together, these aspects of personality can make the difference between success and failure, say the Edinburgh University researchers.
They questioned more than 800 pairs of twins about their attitudes to life to tease apart the influences of nature and nurture. Comparing identical twins, who share all their DNA and their upbringing, with nonidentical twins, who have a shared background but are no more genetically alike than other brothers and sisters, is a technique often used by researchers to quantify the influence of genetics.
The results, published in the Journal of Personality, showed that genes play a much bigger role than lifestyle, with selfcontrol particularly etched (铭刻) into our DNA.
Our genes also largely determine how determined and persistent we are. This is important in terms of success, as someone who refuses to give up is more likely to achieve their dreams than someone_who_throws_in_the_towel_at_the_first_hiccough.
Researcher Professor Timothy Bates said, “Ever since the ancient Greeks, people have debated the nature of a good life and the nature of a virtuous life. Why do some people seem to manage their lives, have good relationships and cooperate to achieve their goals while others do not? Previously, the role of family and the environment around the home often controlled people's ideas about what affected psychological wellbeing. However, this work emphasizes a much more powerful influence from genetics.”
However, those who haven't been dealt a helpful hand of genes shouldn't be too depressed. The professor says a sense of purpose is the key and advises those who are eager for success to focus their thoughts on making a difference.What does the result of the research indicate?
| A．Our DNA is the only factor to decide our traits. |
| B．Our DNA plays a decisive role in achieving success. |
| C．Education plays little part in the formation of our character. |
| D．Society has little effect on us in our personality. |
The underlined part in Paragraph 4 refers to someone who ________.
| A．is born successful |
| B．determines to make a difference |
| C．makes great effort |
| D．admits defeat easily |
Timothy Bates mentions the ancient Greeks in order to indicate that ________.
| A．some people can live a good life because they can manage their lives |
| B．people haven't made it clear yet what is the key personality trait to be a success |
| C．in ancient Greece the role of family and the environment was ignored |
| D．the relationship between personality and success has always been people's concern |
According to the passage, the key personality trait is ________.
| A．determination | B．kindness |
| C．politeness | D．sociability |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．How do people work hard? |
| B．Why can some people succeed? |
| C．DNA determines success or failure. |
| D．Several factors determine personality. |
Cancer researchers urged people on Wednesday to take more vitamin D to lower risk of cancer, saying studies showed a clear link. “Our suggestion is for people to increase their intake (吸入，摄入), through diet or a vitamin supplement,” Dr. Cedric Garland said in a telephone interview.
Garland’s research team reviewed 63 studies, including several large long-term ones, on the relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. “There’s nothing that has this ability to prevent cancer,” he said, urging governments and public health officials to do more to fortify (增强) foods with vitamin D. Garland is member of a team at San Diego Moores Cancer Hospital that published its findings this week online in the American Journal of Public Health. Vitamin D is found in milk, as well as in some fortified orange juice, yogurt and cheeses, usually at around 100 international units（IU）a serving. “People might want to consider a vitamin supplement to raise their intake to 1000 units per day” Garland said, adding that it was well within the safety guidelines established by the National Academy of Sciences.
The authors said that taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunshine.
“African Americans, who don’t produce as much of the vitamin because of their skin color, could also benefit significantly from a higher intake,” the authors said.According to the passage, people are advised to take more Vitamin D, because ________.
| A．it is nutritious |
| B．it can’t harm people’s health |
| C．it can lower cancer risk |
| D．it is not taken enough every day |
Garland is probably ________.
| A．a health researcher | B．a doctor |
| C．a medicine scientist | D．a public health official |
Which of the following foods can lower people’s chance of getting cancer?
| A．Milk. | B．Fortified orange juice. |
| C．Fortified yogurt. | D．All of the above. |
________ should take more Vitamin D according to the passage.
| A．Asian people | B．African people |
| C．American people | D．Oceanian people |
I hated dinner parties. But I decided to give them another shot because I’m in London. And my friend Mallery invited me. And because dinner parties in London are very different from those in New York, “I’m having a dinner party” means: “I’m booking a table for 12 at a restaurant and we’ll be sharing the cheque evenly (平均地), no matter what you eat.” In Manhattan there is always someone who leaves before the bill arrives. They’ll throw down cash, half of what they owe, and then people like me, who don’t drink, end up paying even more. But if you try to use the same trick, the hostess will shout: “Where are you going ?” And I cannot say I have somewhere to go because everyone knows I have nowhere to go.
But in London, dinner parties are in people’s homes. Not only that, the guests are an interesting mix. The last time I went to one, the guests were from France, India, Denmark and Nigeria; it was like a gathering at the United Nations. In New York, the mix is less striking. It’s like a gathering at Bloomingdatle’s, a well-known department store.
For New Yorkers, talking about other parts of the world means Brooklyn and Queens in New York. But at Mallery’s, when I said that I had been to Myanmar recently, people knew where it was, while In New York people would think it was a usual club.What does the word “shot” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Choice | B．Try | C．Style | D．Goal |
What does the writer dislike most about dinner parties in New York?
| A．There is a strange mix of people. |
| B．The restaurants are expensive. |
| C．The bill is not fairly shared. |
| D．People have to pay cash. |
What does the author think of the parties in London?
| A．A bit unusual | B．Full of tricks |
| C．Less costly | D．More interesting |
What is the author’s opinion of some New Yorkers from her experience?
| A．Easy-going. | B．Self-centered. |
| C．Generous. | D．Conservative |
In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression（侵略）in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans as well. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.
From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, bur sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others often and we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.
Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But more often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.The author has discovered that people will feel happy when ______.
| A．they offer their help |
| B．they receive others’ help |
| C．they feel others’ kindness |
| D．they show their weakness |
The author feels sad sometimes because ______.
| A．he has a soft heart |
| B．he relies much on others |
| C．some people pretend to be kind |
| D．some people fail to see the kindness in others |
In this passage, the author advises us to ______.
| A．handle problems by ourselves |
| B．accept help from others |
| C．admit our weakness |
| D．show our bravery |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Wheel Chair Experience. |
| B．Weakness and Kindness. |
| C．Weakness and Strength |
| D．A Driving Experience |
Pango was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂）and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers ________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．The frogs were easy money. |
| B．They needed money to buy visitors. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs made too much noise. |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．The crops didn’t do well. |
| B．There were too many insects. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．The pesticides were overused. |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old days will never be forgotten. |
Education is an expensive part of American life. Its size is matched by its variety. Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. Students choose their courses depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. The basic goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of community.
Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and “Americanizing” the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
The teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time learning how to use materials, libraries, statistics, and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation (积累) of facts.
This is America’s answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time, “How can one prepare today’s child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?”The underlined words “reason well” probably means _____.
| A．persuade firmly | B．list the reasons clearly |
| C．think logically | D．conclude immediately |
It is implied in the passage that _____.
| A．all high-school students take the same courses |
| B．every student must take practical ability training courses |
| C．every public school offers the same academic subjects |
| D．the subjects every student takes may vary |
American schools place great emphasis on the learners’ _____.
| A．knowledge | B．accumulation of facts |
| C．creativity | D．ability to work with hands |
What makes American education different from others’?
| A．The large number of schools. |
| B．The variety of the courses. |
| C．Its consideration for immigrants. |
| D．The basic goal of the education. |