Do you ever pull your phone out of your pocket, thinking it is vibrating （振动） , only to find that it isn't?
This phenomenon, which scientists call " phantom （幻觉的） phone vibration" , is very common.Around 80% of people surveyed say they have imagined their phones vibrating when they were actually still.
So, what leads to this universal behavior? According to the BBC, the explanation lies in your brain's ability to discover signals from the outside world.
When your phone is in your pocket, there are two possible states: it is either vibrating or not.Meanwhile, you also have two possible states of mind: the judgment that the phone is vibrating, or that it isn't.
Ideally, you match the four states correctly.However, sometimes your brain decides that the consequences of missing a call are more serious than a "false alarm".Therefore, you become more sensitive to vibrations so that you don't miss anything.
This is just like the fire alarm in your home --- it can be annoying when it goes off in response to just a tiny bit of smoke.But that's a small price to pay compared to a fire really breaking out because the alarm fails to alert you.
Now, you might still ask: why can't our brains just make every judgment correctly without being too sensitive to false signals?
The answer is that your brain bears a heavy burden every day.“You get a large amount of sensory information that's coming from your eyes, ears and skin, and you can't deal with all that information all the time," Michael Rothberg, a researcher at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, US, told Live Science.
For example, the rustling （ 沙沙声） of clothing or the growling （咕咕声） of your stomach may both lead your brain to believe that they come from the vibration of your phone -it is like trying to hear your name being called in a noisy room.
So, perhaps you should just check your phone whenever you think it's vibrating.It's not too much trouble to do that, is it?According to this passage, phantom phone vibration _____.
| A．is common among people with mental problems |
| B．can measure people's ability to collect information |
| C．happens when our brains react sensitively to false signals |
| D．helps our brains to make quick and accurate decisions |
According to Michael Rothberg, which is mainly responsible for phantom phone vibration?
| A．A noisy background. |
| B．A lack of much attention. |
| C．A heavy burden every day. |
| D．An overflow of sensory information. |
Why is the fire alarm used as an example in this passage?
| A．To help us understand the cause of phantom phone vibration better. |
| B．To show us the fire alarm is as sensitive as the phone vibration. |
| C．To tell us the phone vibration usually happens when a fire breaks out. |
| D．To convince us it's important to check our phones like checking a fire alarm. |
What does the author suggest we do about phantom phone vibration?
| A．We should always fully believe our own sense of listening. |
| B．We should just check our phones whenever we think they're vibrating. |
| C．We should ignore the vibration bothering when our phones are actually still. |
| D．We should think of the vibration carefully before we make correct judgments. |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say,“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he .
| A．looked like a musician |
| B．was a musician of much influence |
| C．showed an interest in music |
| D．traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed .
| A．by space | B．by examples |
| C．by time | D．by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. |
| B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．His music was popular with his listeners. |
| D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music |
| B．The Father of the Jazz Style |
| C．The Making of a Musician |
| D．The Spread of Popular Music |
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents, photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish(发表) them in books and on the Internet.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to .
| A．beauties | B．photos |
| C．goods | D．events |
The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos .
| A．are also works of art |
| B．are popular ways of reporting news |
| C．often shock the public |
| D．can serve as a force for social change |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．News with pictures is encouraging |
| B．Photos help people improve. |
| C．News photos mean history in a sense. |
| D．People prefer reading news with pictures. |
The text is mainly about .
| A．telling the story through pictures |
| B．decorating the walls of homes |
| C．publishing historical papers |
| D．expressing feeling through pictures |
We all need a vacation, whether with the entire family or your significant other. Unfortunately, many of us will not be able to follow through with vacation plans. But now, there is an alternative that is catching on (流行起来) rather quickly and it is called a “Staycation”. A staycation is just what it sounds like, a vacation but you stay at home. It might not sound interesting, but you can turn it into a fun and relaxing getaway.
Tell family and friends your plans. In their eyes you are truly on vacation and they only need to contact you in case of an emergency.
Go outside; don’t let the kids sleep all day. Go out and birdwatch, go fishing, explore the parks and nature, take in all you can of the outside world. You can even have a relaxing day at the beach, soak in some sun, and let the kids go swimming.
Go on a picnic; have the kids fly kites. Bring some bubbles, and have a nice day with the wind blowing in your hair. Watch as the kids run and play and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
Camping is another fun way to have a staycation. If you have a camping ground in your area, you can go camping for a day or two and show the kids how it is to live right in the heart of Mother Nature.
Just remember, it really doesn’t matter where you decide to go, whether home or away. As long as you create quality time with your family you can strengthen the bonds that may have been pushed aside during all the long stressful work hours. Time is the most important thing you can give to your husband, wife and kids, enjoying every moment together, and you will have lasting memories in your hearts.What is mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The popularity of a staycation. |
| B．The importance of a vacation. |
| C．Where to spend your vacation this year. |
| D．How to plan a staycation. |
You should tell family and friends your plans so that .
| A．they will fully support you |
| B．they will take care of your house |
| C．they will contact you only when necessary |
| D．they can help you make preparations |
Which of the following is NOT a good way to have a good staycation?
| A．To sleep at home all day. |
| B．To go out to watch birds. |
| C．To go to the parks. |
| D．To relax on the beach. |
What is the most important thing of taking a staycation?
| A．Spending quality time with your family. |
| B．Letting your kids learn about nature. |
| C．Giving your family relaxing time. |
| D．Getting away from stressful work hours. |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by “ ”.
| A．friendship | B．health | C．links | D．circles |
Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of aging on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20--25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the aging process.”
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.
“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink.
They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease.
The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart, said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.The underlined word “longevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to ______.
| A．health | B．long life | C．aging | D．effect |
The text mainly talks about ______.
| A．men’s heart cells | B．women’s aging process |
| C．the gender difference | D．hearts and long life |
According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ______________.
| A．women have more cells than men when they are born |
| B．women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat |
| C．the female heart loses few of the cells with age |
| D．women never lose their pumping power with age |
If you want to live longer, you should ___________.
| A．enable your heart to beat much faster |
| B．find out the reason for aging |
| C．exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy |
| D．prevent your cells from being lost |
We can know from the passage that __________.
| A．the reason why aging takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out |
| B．scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells |
| C．the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss |
| D．women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20 |
Reading is a great way to improve your English. By reading, you are receiving valuable language input. As you’re reading, you’re taking in language naturally, and you’re seeing how it all fits together. This is crucial to your learning.
The key to effective reading is to read things that you want to read. There are millions of books, magazines and websites out there. You couldn’t possibly read them at all. So the important thing is to find things that you like reading. Then, you’ll be motivated to read. And then the reading won’t be difficult. It’ll be easy! And then you’ll learn. It’s simple.
Remember: read what you want to read—what you like reading and what motivates and inspires you. But where can you start? Well, you could read a book that you’ve already read in your own language first, then in English. Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you’re interested in: business, clothing, cooking…you name it, they’ll have it. Why not join a forum(论坛)？Go to google Groups，which has discussion groups based on common interests. Just type in the topic that interests you and join the chat.
Finally, how you read is also important. The best thing is to read without using a dictionary. Let the words flow over you. Just skip the parts you don’t understand. If you make your reading feel too much like work, it’ll stop being fun. Of course, you could make a note of any new words and phrases that you like or see repeated frequently, but try not to break your concentration too much. Also, set yourself mini-objectives. For example, if you’re reading a novel, read 20 pages a day. Very soon, you have been exposed to thousands of useful phrases and words. Have fun reading! You’ll learn so much!The underlined word “crucial” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．easy | B．important | C．difficult | D．suitable |
The key to effective reading is________.
| A．to read millions of books |
| B．not to learn grammar rules |
| C．to be motivated to read |
| D．to read easy things |
You can start to read by________.
| A．reading the news in English first |
| B．reading a book that you’ve already read in English |
| C．going to Google Groups to practice spoken English |
| D．reading magazines containing topics you are interested in |
From the passage we can learn that________.
| A．when reading you needn’t look up every new word in the dictionary |
| B．the great thing about reading is that you can read without any effort |
| C．you should make notes of every new word and phrase while reading |
| D．to read is as much fun as to work |
The best title of the passage is “________”.
| A．How To Read English Novels |
| B．How To Learn English By Reading |
| C．How To Absorb Expressions And Phrases |
| D．How To Learn English Without Any Effort |