Many phrases like “ no pains, no gains” give the impression that we ought to be suffering while we study. It’s almost as though the only way to know if we’re putting in enough work is the sense of hardship we bear.
When we haven’t taken the time to come up with another idea, all we know how to do is shut ourselves in a room with a book. It’s no surprise that we find revision boring and difficult. Just as children learn from playing, we can learn from doing, or at least from study techniques that interest us, rather than make us switch off.
Shutting yourself away can make you learn to hate studying. This leads to a situation where instead of being able to concentrate on your work, you are troubled by how unfair it is that you must study.
When you hate your work it’s very difficult to make yourself star, or approach it with any kind of structure or enthusiasm. This can be part of a vicious cycle(恶性循环) that traps you into ineffective revision, your poor progress fuelling further annoyance.
Just being around other people really helps fight against feelings of loneliness and, thankfully, it’s perfectly possible to work in the company of other people. We just need to learn how to deal with distractions(使人分心的事物).
It’s not necessary to avoid all company, just idle(懒散的) company. Studying in the same room as someone who is ironing or working out is perfectly possible. People who are bored and looking to be distracted, however, are terrible to work around. They constantly try to keep others in conversation.
It’s also a good idea to avoid the company of people involved in activities that you would rather be doing than studying. What would it be like working while sitting next to someone playing video games?
If being around others means working in a noisy environment, a pair of headphones and some background music can block out even noisy children. They also act as a psychological barrier, so that people think twice before interrupting you.
When you’re studying for a big exam, it seems like your whole life is taken up with study. Friends and family can lessen feelings of isolation(孤立). And connecting with other people makes us happy, so it’s important not to give that up and to make sure that we take the time to socialize.The author might believe that the phrase “no pains, no gains” _______.
A.best describes how to study well |
B.makes people treat study as a habit |
C.encourages people to learn step by step |
D.is not a good inspirational phrase for study |
Which saying about study might the author prefer?
A.There is no smooth road to learning. |
B.It’s better to work behind the closed door. |
C.A positive motivation leads to good study results. |
D.He who is ashamed of asking is ashamed of learning. |
Which might lead to an effective study based on this text?
A.A correct goal. | B.A good teacher. |
C.A favorable interest. | D.A hard task. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 implies that _______.
A.playing video games is helpful for an effective study |
B.one shouldn’t let a video player be his / her company |
C.one should study from something that interests him/her |
D.the more time one spends in playing games, the higher marks he / she will get |
If you are studying in a noisy environment, you’d better _______.
A.show your not wanting to be interrupted |
B.give up others’ company at once |
C.think twice before taking any action |
D.force yourself to be used to the environment |
American researchers say drinking tea may help strengthen the body’s defense system against infection. Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, did the study. The team studied a chemical found in black, green, oolong and pekoe tea. This chemical is an amino acid called L-theanine. The scientists say it may increase the strength of gamma delta T cells. That’s the letter T, not the drink. Gamma delta T cells are part of the body’s defense.
First, the researchers mixed some of these cells with antigens found in the amino acid(氨基酸). Antigens help the body react to infection. Then the scientists added some bacteria. Within twenty-four hours, the cells produced a lot of interferon, a substance that fights infection. Cells not mixed with the antigens did not produce interferon.
In the second part of the study, eleven people drank five to six cups of black tea every day. Ten other people drank the same amount of instant coffee. That is dried coffee mixed with hot water.
Two weeks later, and again two weeks after that, the researchers tested the blood of all twenty-one people. They also looked at what happened when they added bacteria to the blood cells. They found that the tea drinkers produced five times more interferon after they started drinking tea. The coffee drinkers did not produce interferon.
Doctor Jack Bukowski led the study. He says the antigens added to the gamma delta T cells were responsible for the increased reaction to the bacteria. He says that the study also showed that the cells were able to remember the bacteria and fight them again the next time.
Earlier research already has found that tea can help prevent heart disease and cancer. Doctor Bukowski says the new study must be repeated by more people. “If the findings prove to be true,” he says, “then tea drinking might also help protect against bacterial infections.” He says the amino acid L-theanine could be removed from the tea and used as a drug to strengthen the body’s defenses.We may know from the text that ______ can be found in different kinds of tea.
A.L-theanine | B.Gamma delta T cells |
C.interferon | D.bacteria |
Tea may help strengthen the body’s defense system because it helps ______.
A.to add some bacteria to the blood cells |
B.the body to produce more gamma delta T cells |
C.the body to produce more interferon |
D.to mix antigens with some of the cells in the body |
According to Dr Bukowski, ______.
A.the findings of the study have already proved to be true |
B.further study is needed to prove the findings true |
C.he has taken some amino acid L-theanine from tea and made a drug with it |
D.he is not sure whether tea help prevent heart disease and cancer |
What would be the best title for this text?
A.Tea Is Better than Coffee | B.Our Body Needs Tea |
C.Tea Can Help Prevent Cancer | D.Tea May Help Fight Infection |
A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package: What food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse declared the warning, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me, I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, “A mouse trap, am I in grave danger, huh?”
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and depressed to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was an evil snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knew to treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.We may infer that the passage is most probably a ______.
A.fairy tale (神话) | B.Fable (寓言) | C.science fiction | D.news report |
We could see from the passage that the mouse was ______.
A.kind and warm-hearted | B.well-informed |
C.good at cheating others | D.foolish and rude |
The underlined word “ingredient” (Paragraph 7) refers to ______.
A.the mouse | B.the pig | C.the snake | D.the chicken |
What can we learn from the story?
A.Better safe than sorry. |
B.Traps are usually well disguised. |
C.To help others is just to save you. |
D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all. |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,”one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.
A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
B.he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
C.he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time |
D.he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.
A.they make him feel at ease when working |
B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
C.he looks handsome in casual clothes |
D.he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
B.Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
C.“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
D.Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.
A.saving worker’s money | B.making workers more attractive |
C.improving worker’s feeling | D.making workers happier |
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Mail coupon today! Or call the number below 1-800-372-1589. Call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www. Harcourt-learning. com E-mail:Harcourt@learning. com.This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.
A.attend full-time universities |
B.work part time to further their education |
C.improve their education at home to get better jobs |
D.earn their degrees in different ways that suit them |
What does the writer of this ad intend to say by naming General Electric, IBM, Ford, etc.?
A.To show that their training is widely used in the country. |
B.To show that the training program is fully supported by famous companies in the U. S. |
C.To prove the value of their training in every area. |
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How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct?
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On October 12, 1987, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots(点 )crossing the computers’ screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror(恐惧), they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of( 除掉) by computer viruses! Obviously all these computers had been infected(感染 ) by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young man fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence.(才智)These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem( 耶路撒冷 )Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the function(功能), damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading(传播) to a list of computers. Among the countries that suffering computer viruses are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible remains a problem.The group of young men created the viruses to __________.
A.damage the computers |
B.test their ability |
C.play a trick on operators of the computers |
D.tell the world that they were intelligent |
According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _______.
A.have been in nature for years |
B.be difficult to get rid of at present |
C.exist(存在) in any computers |
D.be able to be got rid of in the near future |
The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that _______.
A.all the information stored in the computers is gone |
B.the computer’s functions are lowered |
C.the normal programs are damaged |
D.the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.Four countries found their computers were infected by viruses. |
B.The viruses will come to a new computer after staying in the old one for some time |
C.The Jerusalem Viruses are a great harm to human health. |
D.Scientists are trying to find a way to get rid of the viruses |