A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked decline in the use of emotional words over time．The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise．
They found that almost all of the categories showed a drop in these “mood words” over time．Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage．
“It is a steady and continuous decrease,” said Dr Alberto Acerbi．He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape．“One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media．Maybe these media — movies, radio, drama, had more emotional content than books．”
Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour：the ratio （比率） between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events．
During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash．But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War．Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends．In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true．
“It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression （压抑） of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing ‘filled with romance and sex’… perhaps,” they conclude, “songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body．”The word "decline" （paragraph 1） is closest in meaning to_________．
| A．increase | B．rise | C．decrease | D．change |
A study of more than five million books indicated a decrease in “mood words” over time except_______．
| A．in the use of the words of historical events |
| B．in the category of fear |
| C．in the category of literature |
| D．in the category of joy |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．A study of emotional words． |
| B．A study about vocabulary in literature． |
| C．Reasons for the use of emotional words decreases in literature． |
| D．A study on increase in the category of fear． |
The American book Who Moved My Cheese has bee a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don't be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.
Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two “little people” and some cheese.
The four are in amaze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can’t change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can’t do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese
After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself. The book Who Moved My Cheese is __________.
| A．read across the world | B．written all over the world |
| C．sold only in America | D．loved only by teens |
What does the text mainly discuss?
| A．Never change in our life. | B．Change when you like to do. |
| C．Change with the changes. | D．Pay attention to the changes, |
The underlined word “four”（paragraph 3）refers to __________.
| A．Mice and little people | B．Students | C．Cheese | D．Readers |
In our lives, we should learn from __________.
| A．Mice | B．Little people | C．Chris | D．Spence Johnson |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The author is Britain. |
| B．There are three terms in every school. |
| C．Most teens don't understand Chris' story. |
| D．The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives. |
It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for “Six days shall you labor and all your work” was taken seriously back then. Outside, Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.
Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having brother caught to beat carpets, they had sent him to the kitchen for more string(线). It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.
My mother looked at the sitting room, its furniture disordered for a thorough sweeping. Again she
cast a look toward the window. “Come on, girls! Let’s take string to the boys and watch them fly the kites a minute.”
On the way we met Mrs. Patric, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something wrong, together with her girls. There never was such a day for flying kites! We played all our fresh string into the boys’ kites and they went up higher and higher. We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down in the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth, just for the joy of sending it up again.
Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. “Perhaps it’s like this in the kingdom of heaven,” I thought confusedly.
It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to the housed. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was, we didn’t mention that day afterward. I felt a little embarrassed. Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep “the things that cannot be and yet they are.”
The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to “go park, see duck.” “I can’t go!” I said. “I have this and this to do, and when I’m through I’ll be too tired to walk that far.”
My mother, who was visiting us, looked up from the peas she was shelling. “It’s a wonderful day,” she offered, “really warm, yet there’s a fine breeze. Do you remember that day we flew kites?”
I stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The locked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. “Come on,” I told my little girl. “You’re right, it’s too good a day to miss.”
Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath(余波) of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely, but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of --- what dark and horrible things?
“Say!” A smile sipped out from his lips. “Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn’t. It probably didn’t make the impression on you as it did on me.”
I hardly dared speak. “Remember what?”
“I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp (战俘营), when things weren’t too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?”Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because she thought________.
| A．she was too old to fly kites |
| B．her husband would make fun of her |
| C．she should have been doing her housework |
| D．her girls weren’t supposed to the boy’s games |
By “we were all beside ourselves writer means that they all ________.
| A．felt confused | B．went wild with joy |
| C．looked on | D．forgot their fights |
What did the author think after the kite-flying?
| A．The boys must have had more fun than the girls. |
| B．They should have finished their work before playing. |
| C．Her parents should spend more time with them. |
| D．All the others must have forgotten that day. |
Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?
| A．She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother. |
| B．She was reminded of the day they flew kites. |
| C．She had finished her work in the kitchen. |
| D．She thought it was a great day to play outside. |
The youngest Patrick boy is mentioned to show that ______.
| A．the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories |
| B．his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life |
| C．childhood friendship means so much to the writer |
| D．people like him really changed a lot after the war |
Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight, tired. Her worst fears raced through her mind. Would the court tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore? Would the kids go through the sadness once more of being split up and sent away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the strength to see it through.
From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion because of her drug addict. Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.
One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where a social worker was waiting for her. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster（收养) care.” the social worker said. “No! Don’t spilt us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lion protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18, you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,” Amy said.
One month later, Amy was named guardian of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task any easier in the months ahead. However，Amy’s efforts were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure she always
felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her shoulder and asked the boys shameful
questions: “Does she feed you? Does she ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker
came over. “We’d like to get the boys adopted into homes,” she said. Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied, “Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.
That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea. “Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings（程序）ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge responded, “Thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of you.”
On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog, Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist. Which of the following best describes Amy?
| A．Crazy and tough | B．Firm and stubborn |
| C．Enthusiastic and generous | D．Abnormal and aggressive. |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.
| A．The social worker gave in to Amy. |
| B．The social worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers. |
| C．Amy tried to apply for the guardian of the brothers |
| D．Amy had no idea how to face her family being separated up. |
By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any other family”, the writer means________.
| A．they will live in the same area as other families |
| B．they made a deep impression on the neighborhood |
| C．Amy is able to take good care of the family |
| D．Amy and her brothers would be already just like a family |
The best title for this text would be___________.
| A．Standing On Two Feet | B．Growing Up Alone |
| C．A Lifelong Fight | D．A Teen Hero |
What does the underlined word guardian in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．保护者 | B．监护人 | C．收养人 | D．引导人 |
Scientists have proved that sleeping and learning go hand in hand. Even a short nap can boost our memory and sharpen our thinking. But the relationship goes deeper than that.
“The brain is not passive while you sleep,” scientist Anat Arzi said. “It’s quite active. You can do many things while you are asleep.”
Arzi and her coworkers didn’t try to teach the sleeping volunteers any complex information, like new words or facts. Instead, the scientists taught volunteers to make new connections between smells and sounds.
When we smell something good, like a flower, we take deep breaths. When we smell something bad, we take short breaths. Arzi and her co-workers based their experiment on these reactions.
Once the volunteers fell asleep in the lab, the scientists went to work. They gave them a whiff of something pleasant and meanwhile played a particular musical note. They didn’t wake up, but they heard—and sniffed(吸气) deeply. Then the scientists gave the volunteers a whiff of something terrible and played a different musical note. Again, the volunteers heard and smelled—a short snort this
time—but didn’t wake up. The researchers repeated the experiment.
After just four repetitions, volunteers made a connection between the musical notes and their paired smells. When the scientists played the musical tone that went with good smells, the sleepers breathed deeply. And when the scientists played the musical tone that went with bad smells, the sleepers breathed briefly—despite there being no bad smell.
The next day, the volunteers woke up with the sound-smell connection. They breathed deeply when hearing one tone and cut their breaths short when hearing the other, which must have been unusual for them. Imagine walking down the street and taking a deep breath upon hearing a particular sound!In the study, the volunteers were taught _______.
| A．to become active during sleep |
| B．to tell the difference between smell |
| C．to learn new words and scientific facts |
| D．to make sound-smell connections |
How did the volunteers react when smelling something nice and hearing musical notes?
| A．They took a deep breath. | B．They had a wonderful dream. |
| C．They woke up at once. | D．They took a short breath. |
When the volunteers woke up the next day, they_______.
| A．learned how to play to musical tones |
| B．forgot what happened during their sleep |
| C．continued with the sound-smell connection |
| D．changed their reaction when hearing. |
The passage mainly tell us______
| A．special smells and sounds can improve our memory. |
| B．our brain can actually learn something new during the sleep. |
| C．the volunteers will always hear similar sounds in the street. |
| D．our brain can tell the difference between smells during the sleep. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A short sleep can improve our memory and sharpen our thinking. |
| B．Arzi and her coworkers didn’t try to teach the sleeping volunteer some simple information. |
| C．When the volunteer smelt something terrible, they didn’t wake up. |
| D．After four repetitions, volunteers made a connection between the musical notes and their pared smells. |
Michael Jordan told me not to mention this until the season was over and I promised him at that time. Now I think it’s time.
Early last season, I wrote a column about an act of kindness I had seen Jordan do to a disabled child outside the Stadium. After it ran ,I got a call from a man in the western suburbs. He said, “I read what you wrote about Jordan, but I thought I should tell you another thing I saw.” Here it comes, I thought. It always does. Write something nice about a person, and people call you up to say that the person is not so nice.
A few weeks later Jordan and I were talking about something else before a game, and I brought up what the man had said. Was the man right? Has Jordan really been talking to those two boys in that poor and dirty neighborhood?
“Not two boys,” Jordan said, “but four.”
And he named them. He said four names.
And what did they talk about?
“Everything,” Jordan said. “I’ve asked to see their grades so that I can check whether they’re paying attention to their schoolwork. If it turns out one or two of them may need teaching, I make sure they get it.”
It’s just one more part of Michael Jordan’s life, one more thing that no one knows about, one more thing Jordan does right. The NBA season is over now, and those boys have their memories. So do I! When the expert reviewers begin to turn against Jordan, as they surely will, I’ll think about those boys under the streetlight, waiting for the man they know to come, for someone they can depend on.That man called after reading about what Jordan did to a disabled child because he wanted to ____.
| A．become famous himself |
| B．know why Jordan appeared in a poor area |
| C．let the author know that Jordan was not that nice |
| D．offer another example to show that Jordan was a nice man |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．Jordan is not such a great person. |
| B．Jordan deserves the admiration he had from others. |
| C．Jordan is always ready to make friends with young people. |
| D．Jordan is always misunderstood by expert reviewers. |
What does the underlined word “ran” probably mean?
| A．Published. | B．Finished. | C．Disappeared. | D．Drove |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why the author wrote this passage?
| A．He would like to keep the promise he had made. |
| B．He thought it was time to help the disabled children. |
| C．He hated to see Jordan become someone else’s target. |
| D．He was impressed by Jordan’s deeds for the ordinary poor. |
What’s the purpose of the writer writing the passage?
| A．to show us the life of Jordan |
| B．to tell us everybody will make mistakes including Jordan |
| C．to criticize Jordan |
| D．to defend Jordan against attack |