We Chinese are not big huggers. A handshake or a pat on the shoulder is enough to convey our friendship or affection to one another.So when our newly-acquainted Western friends reach out in preparation for a hug, some of us feel awkward.
Many questions go through our head. Where should I put my arms? Under their armpits or around their neck? What distance should I maintain? Should our chests touch?
It’s even more difficult with friends from some European countries. Should I kiss them on the cheek while hugging? Which side? Or is it both cheeks? Which side should I start on?
But it isn’t just people from cultures that emphasize a reservedness in expressing physical intimacy(亲密) who find hugging confusing. Hugs can cause discomfort or even distress in people who value their personal space.
In a recent article for The Wall Street Journal, US psychologist Peggy Drexler said that although the US remains a “medium touch” culture — “more physically demonstrative than Japan, where a bow is the all-purpose hello and goodbye, but less demonstrative than Latin or Eastern European cultures, where hugs are strong and can include a kiss on both cheeks”, Americans do seem to be hugging more.
From politicians to celebrities, hugs are given willy-nilly to friends, strangers and enemies alike; and the public has been quick to pick up the practice. Public figures know that nothing projects like the ability as a good hug. US First Lady Michelle Obama has put her arms around icy foreign leaders like Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the Queen of England, on the latter occasion actually breaking the rule of royal manners.
But not all are grateful to be embraced, even by the most influential and famous. To them, any hug is offensive if it’s not sincere.
Amanda Hess, writing for US magazine Slate, says public figures should stop imposing hugs on everyone they meet. For them, a hug is rarely a gesture of sincere fellowship, compassion or affection. It’s all part of a show. Hugs are falsely intimate power plays used by public figures to establish their social dominance over those in their grasp.
Cecilia Walden, a British journalist writing for The Telegraph who lives in New York, holds the same opinion. “Power-hugging”, as she calls it, is “an offender dressed up as kindness”. It has become a fashion in the US where “bosses are already embracing their staff (either shortly before or after firing them), men and women ,their friends or enemies, in a thousand cheating displays of unity”.From the first four paragraphs, we can see that ___________.
| A．we Chinese people don’t know how to hug |
| B．people from European countries often get puzzled about hugging |
| C．people in Western countries seldom use hugs to express their physical closeness |
| D．hugs can bring pressure to people when used improperly |
The example of US first lady Michelle Obama is given to show that __________.
| A．Americans hold a “medium touch ”culture |
| B．public figures know hugging functions well in public |
| C．she is much liked by American people |
| D．hugs are forbidden in England |
“Power-hugging” in the last paragraph actually means that _________.
| A．hugs are only used sincerely by some people with power |
| B．hugging is powerful to bosses in US |
| C．public figures sometimes use hugging just for a show of power |
| D．public figures can hug anyone in their grasp freely |
What can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Hugs, vital or not? | B．Hugs, tricky affair? |
| C．Hugs and public figures | D．Hugs and power |
US military is attempting to develop a new style “insect robot” to replace the human soldier to go wherever he can’t. The greatest trouble this project has fallen across is how to enable the robot to fly freely like an insect， said an official of the Pentagon(五角大楼).
The Pentagon is seeking for the cooperation with scientists in hope of developing a new technique by which people can control the insect’s flight direction and pass on the information its eyes or other organs catch through the equipment set in its body， the official said.
It is thus designed that a tiny controlling chip will be equipped in an insect’s body when it is in chrysalis(蛹). As the insect grows， the cut made when fixing in the chip will be recovered. The chip will exist in forever. Scientists believe this won’t influence the insect， sound growth or the functions of internal organs.
The terminal target of the project is to set up a global system， in which the insect robots will be stationed in all parts of the world and stick to their posts till a new instruction is received. At that time the military can receive from all over the world clear image information within about 5 meters of the insects and that of a special target within 100 meters.
Years ago， Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of US DOD(国防部) spent $3,000,000 carrying out a plan for training bees to detect landmines. But， no new progress has so far been made.
“According to the scientists， there is still enormous difficulty in technology in turning it into reality， such as the insects reproduction(繁殖)， their adaptation to the surroundings and temperature and so on. However， this project is really challenging. If successful， it is equal to making countless small drone(无人机)，”said the official of DOD.According to the description of the passage， what is an insect robot like？
| A．An insect made of a certain metal. |
| B．A robot looking like an insect. |
| C．An insect with a chip in its body. |
| D．A tiny flying robot. |
As for the design that an insect robot can receive and send information， how do you infer(推测) it works？
| A．There must be a controlling chip well connected with the insect’s brain. |
| B．The insect’s eyes and other organs must be replaced by some special equipment. |
| C．All the insect’s concerned organs must be controlled by a chip. |
| D．The insect must be so well trained as to make full use of its organs. |
When the project is completed， US military will .
| A．have a clear picture of almost every part of the world |
| B．have insect robots from all over the world |
| C．see clearly the things within 10 to 100 meters |
| D．get many insects which obey their orders |
Of the following technical problems， which is the one the scientists can’t solve so far？
| A．They can’t keep sound growth of the insects. |
| B．They can’t ensure the insects to produce their young. |
| C．They can’t fix a chip in an insect. |
| D．They can’t make sure the internal organs function well. |
What does the underlined word “terminal” in the fourth paragraph mean？
| A．Leading. | B．Vital. | C．Moral. | D．Final. |
Many people tend to complain about not having good friends in their lives. Sadly， they seem to think that their own company is not enough to make them happy. Nothing could be further from the truth though. In order to get along with others， the first thing you need to do is learn to get along with yourself. Only in this way will you succeed in developing healthy， solid relationships with others.
Listen to your inner voice. Remember that inner voice that keeps whispering to you what you really want and need as well as what you do not really want and need. It is about time you started listening to it. In order to get to know yourself in depth， it is important to learn and accept what you want and what you do not want.
Learn to enjoy your own company. You will be surprised to find out how many things you can do by yourself and actually have fun in the process. Reading romantic novels， poetry or science fiction is only a few of the things that you can do by yourself， which not only can offer you hours of enjoyment， but also the chance to get to know yourself better.
Satisfy yourself. Pay special attention to your personal hygiene(卫生). Do your hair and nails often and experiment with new styles. Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay in good shape. No matter how busy your daily schedule is， always find at least an hour per day for yourself， when you can either relax doing absolutely nothing， or doing something that you enjoy.
Learn to respect your own boundaries. Find out what your boundaries are and learn to respect them. You are the only one who knows what you can and what you cannot accept；no one else can point that out to you， or force you to compromise(妥协).If you want to have a good relationship with others， you should first .
| A．get into the habit of living alone |
| B．make many friends in society |
| C．always tell the truth |
| D．learn to be your own best friend |
What is the purpose of listening to your inner voice？
| A．To keep a good state of mind. |
| B．To know more about yourself. |
| C．To enjoy the time by yourself. |
| D．To form a relationship with others. |
In order to please yourself， the writer gives some suggestions EXCEPT .
| A．eating healthily |
| B．exercise regularly |
| C．experimenting with new hair style |
| D．keeping on struggling |
The underlined word “boundaries” nearly means “ ”.
| A．weaknesses | B．aims | C．ambitions | D．limits |
What is the structure of the passage？
Farmer John and Farmer Bob were neighbors. For more than 30 years， they had been getting along very well.
Then their good relationship broke. It began with a small thing， then bitter words， and then weeks of silence. One morning Farmer John woke up to find a stream between the two farms. “It must be Bob，” John thought.
Then one day there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a carpenter(木匠) standing at the doorway.
“I’m looking for a few days’ work，” the carpenter said.
“I do have a job for you，” John said. “Look across the stream at that farm. That’s my neighbor Bob. He dug a stream between the two farms. I want you to build a fence—an 8-foot fence. I don’t want to see his place or his face any more. I don’t have such a neighbor！”
The carpenter said， “I think I know what to do， sir， and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
Farmer John helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.
About sunset when the farmer returned， the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide. There was no fence there at all！
It was a bridge！ And the neighbor， Bob， was coming across， with his hand outstretched(伸出). “Hi， John！ You’re quite a fellow to build this bridge！”
Then they met in the middle， taking each other’s hands. “I’m terribly sorry for what I have said and done. We should be good to each other，” said Farmer Bob.
Then they turned to see the carpenter， who was ready to go. “No， wait！ Stay a few days. I have a lot of other jobs for you，” said Farmer John. “I’d love to stay，” the carpenter said， “but I have more bridges to build.”Just before the carpenter came， John and Bob each other.
| A．didn’t speak to |
| B．were friendly to |
| C．often fought with |
| D．never had bitter words with |
Farmer John asked the carpenter to build a fence because .
| A．he wanted to protect his farm |
| B．he didn’t want to do it himself |
| C．he wouldn’t like to see Bob |
| D．he wanted to find him something to do |
What does the sentence “You’re quite a fellow to build this bridge！” mean？
| A．John was great to build this bridge. |
| B．John was not good at building bridges. |
| C．John was foolish to build such a bridge. |
| D．John should build the bridge earlier. |
What do you think of the carpenter？
| A．Shy. | B．Wise. | C．Proud. | D．Careless. |
What is the best title for the passage？
| A．What a Big Fence！ | B．Farmer and Bridge |
| C．Three Kind Men | D．A Fence or a Bridge？ |
To get cash out in the 21st century, you won’t need a bank card, a PIN(个人识别编号) or even have to move a finger. You will simply have to look the cash machine straight in the eye, declares National Cash Registers, a multinational company that makes automated teller machines, or ATMs. NCR has shown its first example machine that is believed to be the future of banking. Instead of asking you for your PIN on a screen, the Super Teller-Stella for short, asks you orally through a loudspeaker to look straight ahead while an infrared camera turns to your head, then your eye, and finally takes an infrared photograph of your iris(虹膜). For identification(识别) purposes, an iris picture is better than a fingerprint, with around 256 noticeable characteristics compared with 40 for fingerprints. This means that the chances of someone else being recognized in your place is about 1 in 1020. Once you’ve been identified, Stella greets you by name and says: “Would you like cash or a statement?” An infrared port allows the machine to send a bank statement straight to your pocket computer. What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．A new medical instrument |
| B．A new type of talking machine |
| C．A new type of cash machine |
| D．National Cash Register |
What is this new machine called?
| A．Stella | B．ATM | C．PIN | D．NCR |
When you want to get cash out in the 21st century, you will _______.
| A．need a bank card | B．have to put in your PIN |
| C．move your finger | D．just look directly at the teller machine |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
| A．They eat too much for lunch. |
| B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
| A．About 12:30 pm. | B．About 1:30 pm. | C．About 2:30 pm | D．About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Just for a Rest | B．All for a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern. | D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |