By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students take much more kindly to a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “tough-minded” school of workers doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. Freedom from control and discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality (being on time), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is __________ .
| A．changing from one subject to another |
| B．the failure to keep to a set timetable of work |
| C．the unwillingness to work out a systematic plan |
| D．working on a subject only when one feels like it |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Many students are not interested in using a self-controlled timetable. |
| B．Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable. |
| C．Most people over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable. |
| D．Tough-minded people agree that good work is done naturally. |
The underlined part “as the fit takes them” means __________.
| A．when they have the energy |
| B．when they are in the mood |
| C．when they feel fit |
| D．when they find conditions suitable |
A suitable title for the passage might be __________.
| A．Attitudes to Study |
| B．A Study Plan |
| C．The Difficulties of Studying |
| D．Study and Self-discipline |
“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!” That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things as we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. There you can feel everything on show. If we want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see. By touching things,________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C．you can tell the difference of the things |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
When people buy things in shops, they often_________.
| A．try them on first | B．keep their right hands on them |
| C．ask about them | D．feel and touch them |
Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?” Because__________.
| A．the things are used by people, too | B．people feel the things too often |
| C．people know how to use the things | D．the things are hard to feel |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．Touching by Feeling | B．To See or to Feel? |
| C．To See Better---Feel | D．Ways of Feeling |
Not very long ago, a special family system(体系) existed in certain parts of South India. In the system, the actual head of a family unit was the mother’s eldest brother, though the mother also had an important position in the family. In families of this kind, a husband was actually no more than a visitor. He did not live with his wife, but with his own mother, brothers and sisters in another house. He saw his sons and daughters sometimes, but the man who actually fed and cared for them and acted as their father was their uncle--- their mother’s brother.
But this system, in which brothers and sisters take the place of the father, no longer exists in South India except in a few villages. Economic(经济的) changes have had far- reaching effect on family life. Family life began to change when men went out to work in factories and offices instead of working with their mothers, brothers, and sisters on the land. When a man went out to work, he had money of his own and could buy his own land and build his own family, instead of depending on his mother and his brothers. He wanted to be independent(独立的). This is an example of the way in which economic relations can have an effect on family relationships. The best title of this passage is ______.
| A．Husband Actually Visitor in Family |
| B．Family System in South India |
| C．Wife Has Important Position in Family |
| D．Economic Relations Affects Family Relationships |
Who had the actual control of a family in South India not long ago?
| A．The mother. | B．The mother’s eldest brother. |
| C．The father. | D．The father’s mother. |
In this system, the husband lived together with______.
| A．his wife | B．his sons and daughters |
| C．his mother, brothers and sisters | D．his wife’s brother |
Now in South India there are__ of this system in which a husband has no control of his family.
| A．no families | B．many more families |
| C．very few families | D．not any families |
Life gets noisier every day. Very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live, in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--- the chances are that you’ll be disturbed by jet aeroplanes, transistor radios, powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they’re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn’t change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.According to this passage, the noise pollution______.
| A．has become the worst in the countryside | B．has become better in big cities |
| C．has spread from cities to villages | D．has been controlled in modern cities |
What does background music refer to?
| A．Music played while people are working. |
| B．Music played in the backyard. |
| C．Noise that continues while you’re listening to other noises. |
| D．Music used to help people to concentrate. |
Some people have their hearing harmed______.
| A．while listening to pop music | B．in complete silence |
| C．when speaking loudly | D．while watching TV |
Which of the following isn’t included among the things causing noise?
| A．Rivers | B．Transistor radios |
| C．Powered engines | D．Jet planes |
Scientist have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is_____.
| A．all kinds of noise | B．great changes in the level of noise |
| C．background noise | D．popular music |
For many years Henry had been a journalist. He had worked on many international newspapers and magazines and traveled over the world.
Henry had witnessed war and natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes ( 火山爆发).
He had reported on serious accidents such as major fires and airline crashes.
He had seen every kind of terrible crime and strange event there was.
He had met and written about some of the most unusual people in the world.
In fact, there wasn’t much that Henry had not seen or done.
Now he was retired from journalism(新闻业). He owned a very expensive restaurant and spent his days talking to his wealthy and important customers. He liked to say that nothing surprised him.
One day he was sitting at the bar in his restaurant when a big gorilla(大猩猩) walked in and asked for a table.
Henry showed no surprise. He took the gorilla to a table and handed him a menu. He treated him politely and pretended there was nothing at all strange about having a gorilla in his restaurant.
The gorilla looked through the menu and ordered a salad.
Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened.
At last the gorilla finished his salad and asked for the bill.
Henry wrote out the bill and handed it to the big animal.
The gorilla studied it, shook his head sadly then gave Henry fifty dollars.
“Thank you,” Henry said, and then to make conversation, he added, “we don’t get many gorillas in this restaurant.”
“At fifty dollars for a salad,” the gorilla said, “I’m not surprised.” According to the story, Henry had________.
| A．had the most exciting experiences | B．told the longest stories |
| C．made history | D．caused accidents |
One day when a gorilla came into the restaurant, Henry was_____.
| A．very surprised by the gorilla | B．not disturbed(烦忧) by the gorilla |
| C．very interested in the gorilla | D．scared of the gorilla |
From the sentences “Henry served the gorilla his salad personally, knowing that his waiters and waitresses would be too frightened” you can learn that______.
| A．his staff were not brave people | B．Henry didn’t normally serve customers |
| C．the gorilla had eaten there before | D．the gorilla was careful with his money |
I was in lodgings (寄宿处) now, on my own, but the other lodgers had constant visitors up and down the stairs past my door. None of this disturbed me except one girl who sang softly to herself an old Russian folk song as she ran up to the room above. It was a sound of sweetness, musical, soft, unselfconscious and happy. I began to listen out for it, jumped up from my table, and threw open the door to catch a glimpse(一瞥) of her as she passed, but I was always too late. I asked the people upstairs who she was, and described the beautiful sounds she made. They became rather reserved(拘谨) and exchanged glances and hurriedly admitted it might be Sally. I thought she was someone special, not to be discussed in the ordinary way, and became a little curious to meet her. But the last thing I wanted at that stage was to get caught up with anybody. I’d just come to the end of a rather painful friendship, and now I had work to do.
One day, I came face to face with a girl on the landing. It was certainly her; whoever made that noise would look as she did. We stood and stared at each other too long for comfort. I broke the moment and, excusing myself, moved past her because it was too like the movies. I thought for some time of that long, silent stare, and laughed. She was tall and looked proud, with a slight , round-shouldered look that made me breathless and I didn’t know why.At his lodgings, the author __________.
| A．seldom had visitors |
| B．wished he had more visitors |
| C．was always disturbed by other people’s visitors |
| D．had too many visitors. |
Whenever the author heard the sound of the girl’s voice__________.
| A．he sat listening to it | B．he saw her moving upstairs |
| C．he threw down his books | D．he tried to see who it was |
People who were asked about the girl__________.
| A．told him all about her | B．didn’t want to tell him much |
| C．didn’t tell him anything | D．were angry when he mentioned her |
From this passage we can see that the author was____________.
| A．was not interested in Sally | B．curiously attracted by Sally |
| C．angry at being disturbed by Sally | D．afraid to get to know Sally |