You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It’s the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search exposes plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart’s music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked(激发) real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we’ll become more intelligent.
The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart’s music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them to produce better milk.
I’ll leave the debate on the effect on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn’t make us more intelligent.What can we learn from paragraph 1?
| A．Mozart composed many musical pieces for children. |
| B．Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent. |
| C．There are few products on the Internet about Mozart’s music. |
| D．There is little scientific evidence to support Mozart effect. |
Why did many people believe in the idea of Mozart Effect?
| A．Because a study described it in the journal Nature. |
| B．Because Mozart himself was a genius. |
| C．Because Mozart’s music is enjoyable. |
| D．Because Mozart’s music makes people relaxed. |
The underlined sentence in paragraph3 suggests that .
| A．people were strongly against the idea |
| B．the idea was accepted by many people |
| C．Mozart played an important part in people’s life |
| D．the US government helped promote the idea |
What is the author’s attitude towards the Mozart effect?
| A．Favorable | B．Objective |
| C．Doubtful | D．Positive |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Listening to Mozart, necessary? |
| B．What music is beneficial? |
| C．What is the Mozart effect? |
| D．To be or not to be? |
It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”By “a one-way street” in Paragraph One, the author means ________.
| A．university researchers know little about the commercial world |
| B．there is little exchange between industry and academia |
| C．few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university |
| D．few university professors are willing to do industrial research |
The underlined word “deterrent” most probably refers to something that ________.
| A．keeps someone from taking action | B．helps to move the traffic |
| C．attracts people’s attention | D．brings someone a financial burden |
What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?
| A．Flexible work hours. |
| B．Her research interests. |
| C．Her preference for the lifestyle on campus. |
| D．Prospects of academic accomplishments. |
Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.
| A．do financially more rewarding work |
| B．raise his status in the academic world |
| C．enrich his experience in medical research |
| D．exploit better intellectual opportunities |
What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?
| A．Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market. |
| B．Develop its students’ potential in research. |
| C．Help it to obtain financial support from industry. |
| D．Gear its research towards practical applications. |
It is obvious that doctors recognize obesity as a health problem. So why is it so hard for them to talk to their patients about it?
The results of two surveys, one of primary care physicians and the other of patients, found that while most doctors want to help patients lose weight and think it is their responsibility to do so, they often don’t know what to say.
“So while doctors may tell patients they are overweight, the conversation often ends there,” said Christine C. Ferguson, director of the Stop Obesity Alliance. “Patients are not told about the possibility of diabetes (糖尿病),” she said. “And doctors don’t feel they have good information to give. They felt that they didn’t have adequate tools to address this problem.
The lack of dialogue hurts patients, too. The patient survey, of over 1,000 adults, found that most overweight patients don’t even know that they’re too heavy. Only 39 percent of overweight people surveyed had ever been told by a health care provider that they were overweight.
Of those who were told they were obese, 90 percent were also told by their doctors to lose weight, the survey found. In fact most have tried to lose weight and may have been successful in the past—and many are still trying, the survey found. And many understand that losing even a small amount of weight can have a positive impact on their health and reduce their risk of obesityrelated diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Dr. William Bestermann Jr., medical director of Holston Medical Group, in Kingsport, Tenn. , which ranks the 10th in obesity among metropolitan areas in the United States, said the dialogue had to be an ongoing one and could not be dropped after just one mention of the problem. “If you’re to be successful with helping your patients lose weight, you have to talk to them at actually every visit about their progress, and find something to encourage them and coach them,” he said.
He acknowledged that many doctors tend to be not optimistic.
“Part of this is that there’s this common belief, and doctors are burdened by it, too, that overweight people are weak-willed and just don’t have any willpower and are selfindulgent and all that business,” he said. “If you think that way, you’re not going to spend time having a productive conversation.”What is the Stop Obesity Alliance most probably in Paragraph 3?
| A．An organization of doctors suffering from obesity. |
| B．An organization of patients suffering from obesity. |
| C．A research group that conducts special surveys about overweight people. |
| D．A research group dealing with doctor-patient relationship. |
How many of the patients surveyed have been advised by their doctors to lose weight?
| A．About 350. | B．About 390. |
| C．About 900. | D．About 1,000. |
What can be inferred about obesity patients in Paragraph 5?
| A．They are not as hopeless as doctors think they are. |
| B．Most of them have tried hard to lose weight, but in vain. |
| C．Without their doctors’ constant coaching, there is little chance of their succeeding in losing weight. |
| D．Most of them have just given up their hope of becoming less heavy. |
According to the passage, which factor contributes to the lack of dialogue between doctors and patients?
| A．Most doctors never think of warning their patients about their weight problem. |
| B．Many doctors find it difficult to persuade overweight people to lose weight. |
| C．Most patients are too weak-willed to do anything about their weight. |
| D．Many patients tend not to trust their doctors about their weight problem. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Obesity in the U. S. |
| B．Trouble of overweight Americans. |
| C．Talk more, help better. |
| D．Doctors or patients---who to bear more blame?[ |
Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead．But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that—dreams．
The Shanghai Municipal Employment Promotion Center poll of 1,276 graduates in several universities and colleges in the city, released last Friday, showed 59．78 percent of respondents considered the possibility of setting up a company or at least a small store． "But they just stop at the ’thinking’ stage," it stated．
Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity．They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, the need tor advanced study and objections from family members as factors that stood in their way．
More than 90 percent of the interviewees said they would rather take up a job after graduating and then consider starting their own business two or three years down the road．
Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai International Studies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his own boss last year．But he is looking for a job first． "If I fail to find a satisfying job, I would like to establish a company in exhibition services," Guo said．
The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant．With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition brochures(小册子） at a relatively low price．He is also confident that his English language skills can help him do well in the industry．
"Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said． Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason driving more university students to set up a business right after their graduation．
Jiang said the university sets up a business guide learn made of government officials and professionals．They regularly give training courses to students who show an interest in having their own business．The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed．"Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added．Which of the following can be the best title?
A．A Tough Job Market B．Graduates Dream of Being Boss
C．The Ambitious Fresh Graduates D, The Story ot Guo BingWhich of the following does NOT stop fresh graduates realizing their dreams of being bosses?
| A．The lack of business opportunity and investment． |
| B．The shortage of business experience. |
| C．Less skilled English language． |
| D．Their family members’ objections． |
In the view of Guo Bing, what ’is the key factor -that makes fresh graduates dream of being boss soon after graduation?
| A．Their family don’t support them． | B．Their social networking is not good． |
| C．There are not enough graduate jobs． | D．They want to achieve greater success． |
All the following statements are true about Guo Bing EXCEPT _____．
| A．He has started his own business with the help of his relatives． |
| B．English is his major in the university． |
| C．He is trying to find a job which can satisfies him． |
| D．He is a Shanghai native． |
Who is this article mostly intended for?
| A．The parents whose child goes to university soon. |
| B．Those who will graduate from university． |
| C．Those who want to be bosses． |
| D．The officials who work in the government． |
Most Americans get what money they have from their work; that is, they earn an income from wages or salaries. The richest Americans, however, get most of their money from what they own — their stocks, bonds, real estate, and other forms of property, or wealth. Although there are few accurate statistics to go by, wealth in American society appears to be concentrated in very few hands. More than 20 percent of everything that can be privately owned is held by less than one percent of the adult population and more than 75 percent of all wealth is owned by 20 percent of American adults. The plain fact is that most Americans have no wealth at all aside from their homes, automobiles, and a small amount of savings.
Income in the United States is not as highly concentrated as wealth. In 1917 the richest 10 percent of American families received 26.1 percent of all income, while the poorest 10 percent received 17 percent, mainly from Social Security and other government payments. The most striking aspect of income distribution is that it has not changed significantly since the end of World War II. Although economic growth has roughly doubled real disposable (可自由使用的) family income (the money left after taxes and adjusted for inflation) over the last generation, the size of the shares given to the rich and the poor is about the same. By any measure economic inequality is great in the United States.
The reality behind these statistics is that a large number of Americans are poor. In 1918, 14 percent of the population was living below the federal government’s poverty line, which at that time was an annual income of $ 9 287 for a nonfarm family of two adults and two children. In other words, about one out of seven Americans over 31 million people was officially considered unable to buy the basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter. The suggested poverty line in 1981 would have been an income of about $11, 200 for a family of four. By this relative definition, about 20 percent of the population or more than 45 million Americans are poor. What does the majority of the Americans have in terms of wealth?
| A．Their income and savings. |
| B．Their house, cars and small amounts of savings. |
| C．Everything they own in their homes. |
| D．Actually, they have no wealth at all. |
What is the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of most Americans?
| A．Less than 25%. | B．More than 25%. |
| C．More than 75%. | D．Less than 20%. |
Why is economic inequality still great in the US in spite of the economic growth?
| A．Because the economic growth has widened the gap of the family income between the rich and the poor. |
| B．Because income in the US is still concentrated in the hands of the richest 10% of American families. |
| C．Because the proportion of income received by the rich and the poor remains almost the same as in 1917. |
| D．Because some Americans made great fortunes during the Second World War. |
What can we learn from comparison of the two poverty lines in the last paragraph?
| A．The poverty line of 1918 is more favorable to the poor than that of 1981. |
| B．The 1981 line didn’t leave much to the poor. |
| C．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1918 line. |
| D．There were more Americans who were officially poor by the 1981 line. |
From the last two sentences we can see that 1981 government’s poverty line _______.
| A．was of no good for the poor | B．was officially approved |
| C．was not helpful to the poor | D．was not put into operation then |
The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly.“Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear. |
| B．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything. |
| C．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing. |
| D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning. |
What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
| A．annoyed | B．convinced |
| C．got over | D．made less angry |
What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ______．
| A．how angry she was | B．how effectively she handled Mr．Carr |
| C．that she didn’t cry | D．that she was able to save him |
What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?
| A．She was very strict with him． | B．She was supportive of him． |
| C．She felt disappointed with him． | D．She was afraid of him． |
From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ______．
| A．was no longer a youth | B．felt proud of his mother |
| C．felt guilty and regretful for his deed | D．wanted his mother to be happy |