A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation(诱惑) early were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible(固守己见的).
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn’t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists’ concerns. But brain theory can’t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people’s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as “character”.
EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one’s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the elements for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse.The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that ______.
| A．the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment |
| B．emotional intelligence won’t show up until adolescence |
| C．the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success |
| D．candy can be used to measure a person’s emotional intelligence |
Which of the following is True of EQ and IQ according to the text?
| A．There is no link between EQ and IQ. |
| B．The higher a person’s IQ is, the higher his or her EQ is. |
| C．Some people can be blessed with lots of both, but some with little of either. |
| D．Scientists are trying to discover the way in which EQ and IQ work together. |
The underlined word “upbeat” in Paragraph 4 probably means ______.
| A．kind | B．floating |
| C．excited | D．optimistic] |
What is most likely to be written in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Information about famous people with high EQ. |
| B．Examples showing the opposite voice about EQ. |
| C．Some reasons why EQ is a relatively new field. |
| D．Strong demand for basic emotional education. |
【改编】One period of our lives when better results are demanded of us is, strangely enough, childhood． Despite being young we are expected to achieve good grades, stay out of trouble, make friends at school, do well on tests, perform chores at home and so on． It’s not easy．
The good news is that being likeable can help a child perform better． Likeable children enjoy many advantages, including the ability to copemore easily with stresses of growing up．
In her book Understanding Child Stress, Dr． Carolyn Leonard states that children who are likeable and optimistic are able to gain support from others． This leads to focus and resilience, the ability to recover from or adjust early to life stress; a child who has adequate emotional armor can continue down the path to success． Much research shows that resilience has enabled children to succeed in school, avoid drug abuse, and develop a healthy self-awareness．
Why does a likeable child more easily handle stress and do better in his or her life? Because likeability helps create what’s known as a positive feedback loop（回馈圈）．The positive feelings you want to see in other people are returned to you, creating constant encouragement and motivation to deal with the daily stress of life．
This feedback loop continues into adulthood． To return once again to the example of teaching, learning becomes easier with a likeable personality． Michael Delucchi of the University of Hawaii reviewed dozens of studies to determine if likeable teachers received good ratings because of their likeability or because they in fact taught well． Delucchi found that “Students who perceive（察觉）a teacher as likeable, in contrast to those who do not, may be more attentive to the information that the teacher delivers and they’ll work harder on assignments, and they will learn more．”
You may have noticed this pattern in your own life when you try to give some advice． The more positive your relationship with that person, the more he or she seems to listen, and the more you feel certain that that person has heard you and intends to act on your words．What can we know from the first paragraph?
| A．Life is not easy for everyone. |
| B．Children often expected more. |
| C．Being a happy child is not easy. |
| D．People often demand more of children. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “armor”?
| A．The ability to control oneself. |
| B．The ability to deal with pressure. |
| C．The ability to change the situation. |
| D．The ability to tell right from wrong. |
From the third paragraph we can know likeable children _______.
| A．are more optimistic and confident |
| B．are easy to turn to others for help |
| C．can easily get support from other people |
| D．often choose not to rely on others |
What did Michael Delucchi find in the studies?
| A．Likeable teachers may have a good effect on students. |
| B．Likeable teachers teach much better. |
| C．Teachers like likeable students better. |
| D．Likeable teachers have more flexible teaching methods. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children are more likeable than adults. |
| B．People with likeability often perform better in life. |
| C．Likeable people have a happy childhood.[.来 |
| D．People should be more likeable. |
【改编】Mom’s birthday present? It may be a difficult thing for some people, but for me, it is an easy thing. Mom loved flowers, so every year I sent her flowers. Actually she had a bed of irises（鸢尾花）in the backyard of her small, Indiana farm. They were beautiful. “Take some,” she said, “Dig some up and plant them on the side of your own house.”
But in my yard they became lacking in energy. A year passed, then two, but not one flower appeared. I cut back all their green leaves. I was tired of seeing them so lonely. Finally, I dug the irises up and threw them away.
About that time Mom died unexpectedly. My sister and I sold the farm. I never went back to see the irises. I just couldn’t bear seeing another family living in our home—Mom’s home. Autumn came, then winter. The following spring, as Mom’s birthday approached, I struggled with the question of how to remember her. I stared out the window and saw a few stubborn irises in my side yard sprouting (发芽), —tall, thin but flowerless. Because of seeing them, I decided to order flowers as I always did on Mom’s birthday, and send them to my sister. I wished so badly I could still send flowers to Mom. But that was impossible.
In the morning of Mom’s birthday, I was in my car ready to work. Something in the yard caught my eye. The irises! One had bloomed with flowers, big, showy and purple, as lovely as they ever had been on Mom’s farm. I smiled and turned my eyes upward. I could no longer send flowers to Mom. But somehow, she’d been able to send them to me.From the first paragraph we know________.
| A．the writer doesn’t know what to buy for her mother on her birthday |
| B．some people have difficulty choosing birthday gift for their mother |
| C．Mother lived with the writer on the farm |
| D．Mother doesn’t like flowers including irises |
What happened to the irises that the author grew?
| A．They only grew green flowers. |
| B．They grew as well as those on her mother’s farm. |
| C．They were thrown away at last. |
| D．They ended up with beautiful flowers. |
Why didn’t the writer return to the farm after her mother died?
| A．Because she was too busy to go there. |
| B．Because her sister told her not to. |
| C．Because she lived far away from the farm. |
| D．Because she couldn’t stand the fact that her mother was no longer there. |
From the third paragraph we can know _____.
| A．not all the irises were dug out |
| B．the writer returned to her mother’s farm |
| C．the writer often sends flowers to his sister |
| D．the writer buys flowers in memory of his mother every year |
What is the writer’s purpose to write this passage?
| A．To introduce a kind of irises. |
| B．To memorize her mother. |
| C．To explain how to grow irises. |
| D．To praise the spirit of irises. |
About 59% of engineering companies in the IET's 2014 survey feared skill shortages could threaten（威胁） business.Engineers should embrace（接受） the arts, Sir John O'Reilly, a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, argued in a lecture.
"There is nothing as creative as engineering," Sir John told the reporter. He says science, technology, engineering and mathematics - often known as "Stem" subjects, are vital for a modern knowledge economy. But there is a massive shortfall in the number of recruits（招聘） - with a recent study by the Royal Academy of Engineering saying the UK needs to increase by as much as 50% the number of Stem graduates it produces.
Delivering this year's Mountbatten Lecture at the Royal Institution, Sir John argued that engineers should recognise the role of the arts in their work - among other benefits; this could attract more people into the profession. The lecture, Full Steam Ahead for Growth, advocated a wider adoption -- Steam, or science, technology, engineering, arts and maths. Engineers should embrace the arts as being key to creativity and an important component of innovation（创新）, crucial to creating new products and boosting future competitiveness, he argued. "Engineering and technology is an increasingly diverse and creative field," said Sir John.
Some university engineering departments already cooperated with art schools to develop understanding, he told the reporter. In particular he mentioned Cranfield University's Centre for Creative Competitive Design and Imperial College's work with the Royal College of Art. The two sets of people could work well together and more emphasis on the creative side of engineering could improve the success of products, he said.
"Aesthetics(美学) is part of it," he told the reporter, adding that Apple's iPod was not the first digital media player, nor the only one that worked - but it came to dominate the market "because it was nice to have".
Sir John said he was not suggesting universities started requiring A-level art from engineering applicants - the key subjects for admission would continue to be maths and the sciences. But an emphasis on creative skills would help "broaden the pool and attract more people in".According to a recent study by the Royal Academy _______ .
| A．the UK needs more graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics |
| B．engineering graduates are not as creative as expected |
| C．there are not enough arts graduates produced in the UK. |
| D．skill shortages could threaten business |
According to the lecture Full Steam Ahead for Growth, _______ .
| A．engineers should cooperate with arts majors |
| B．Accepting the arts could attract more people into engineering |
| C．engineers should realize arts play the most important part in their work |
| D．engineering and technology is as diverse and creative as before |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．More university students should study arts instead of engineering. |
| B．Engineering and technology is increasingly different and unrelated fields. |
| C．The IET's skills survey raised concerns about the number of recruits to engineering. |
| D．Students from some university engineering departments have already transferred to art schools |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Lack of creativity makes it difficult for the engineering major to find a satisfactory job. |
| B．The key subjects for engineering majors remain to be maths and the sciences rather than arts. |
| C．University engineering departments should cooperate with art schools to improve the success of products. |
| D．Engineering needs to emphasize its creative side to encourage more young people to choose it as a career. |
The National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded. It has become one of the world’s best-known magazines and is immediately identifiable by the characteristic yellow border running around the edge of its cover.
There are 12 monthly issues of National Geographic per year, plus additional map supplements. On rare occasions, special editions are also issued. It contains articles about geography, popular science, history, culture, current events, and photography. The current Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Magazine is the well-known photographer, Chris Johns, who has photographed extensively in Africa. The foreword to Johns’ own illustrated book on Africa was written by Nelson Mandela.
Society Executive Vice President John Q. Griffin, and President of the Magazine Group, has overall responsibility for the English language magazines at National Geographic. Terry B. Adamson, Society Executive Vice President who also is the Society’s chief legal officer and heads governmental relations, has overall responsibility for the Society’s international publications.
With a worldwide circulation in all languages of nearly nine million, more than fifty million people read the magazine every month. In May, 2007, National Geographic magazine won the American Society of Magazine Editors’ prestigious General Excellence Award in the over two million circulation category and the best photography award for three issues of the magazine in 2006.How many issues does the National Geographic Magazine have per year?
| A．Less than 10 issues. | B．Less than 11 issues. |
| C．Less than 12 issues. | D．About 12 issues. |
Who wrote the introduction to Johns’ own illustrated book on Africa?
A. John Q. Griffin. B. Terry B. Adamson.
C. Nelson Mandela. D. Chris Johns.【改编】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．With its first issue in 1888, there are over fifty million people in the world. |
| B．As an official magazine, there are 12 monthly issues with additional map supplements. |
| C．It contains articles about geography, popular science, history, politics, and photography. |
| D．It is identified by the orange border running around the edge of its cover. |
My mom has eyes in the back of her head. She also taught me from an early age to be suspicious of strange men, especially when they give you presents. One day, a “nice man” bearing flowers managed to steal 20 euros from her purse, while she was holding it in her hands. “He said he was collecting for a church charity so I pulled out a euro,” she explains, “He said ‘no, no, that’s too much’ and offered to look in my purse to find a smaller coin. He must have slid out that 20 euro note at the same time. I did not even notice until an hour later. I felt so stupid.”
According to neuroscientists, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket is not having nifty (熟练的) fingers, it’s having a working knowledge of the loopholes (漏洞) in our brain. The most important of these loopholes is the fact that our brains are not set up to multi-task. Most of the time that is a good thing — it allows us to filter (过滤) out all but the most important features of the world around us. But a good trickster can use it to against you. This kind of trick involves capturing all of somebody’s attention with other movements. Street pickpockets often use this effect to their advantage by manufacturing a situation that can not help but overload your attention system. Other strategies are more psychological. Pickpockets tend to hang out a “beware of pickpockets” sign, because the first thing people do when they read it is check they still have their valuables, helpfully giving away where they are. And in my mom’s case, the thief’s best trick was not coming across like a pickpocket. “He was a very nice guy and very confident. Not someone that would cause you to suspect,” she says. Apollo Robbins, a stage pickpocket, said smart move, like moving your hand in an arc motion rather than a straight line, is another popular strategy employed by tricksters.
At last, it should be pointed out that most thefts are opportunistic. The skill level of most thieves is far less than you think. But they are opportunistic enough to keep up with new technology.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．People’s brains are not designed to multi-task. |
| B．People’s brains can filter out all but the most important features. |
| C．Somebody’s attention can be distracted by a certain trick. |
| D．Somebody’s overload attention system. |
【改编】 How did the pickpockets manage to cheat the mother ?
| A．He had such smart motion that she didn’t notice that. |
| B．He looked so reliable that she didn’t suspect him. |
| C．He made her focus her attention on what he said instead of being cheated . |
| D．All the above. |
In the author’s opinion, _________.
| A．people’s brains have many loopholes |
| B．thieves are more skillful than opportunistic |
| C．signs reminding people of pickpockets can play a negative role in protecting valuables |
| D．his mom’s losing money is nothing but a by-accident experience |
What will the author probably talk about next?
| A．Mom’s another suffering |
| B．Pickpockets concerning new technology |
| C．Pickpockets’ tricks |
| D．Apollo Robbins’ stage pickpockets |