There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-----you don't need the break as much as you may think that makes you feel less tired.
Scientists have long assumed that willpower (意志力) is a limited resource, which is why you feel the need to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you're feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower was by rest, food or entertainment.
But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that people's beliefs in willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Prof.Veronika Job. "'But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily used up, you can go on and on."
The researchers designed four experiments to test students'-beliefs in willpower. After a tiring task, those, who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource, performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptation (诱惑).
Mr. Job said. "The theory that willpower is a limited resource is interesting, but it has had unintended consequences. Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their power of concentration is limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.'"
The findings could help people who are battling temptation. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior.The theory that willpower is limited supports that _________.
| A．people must eat snacks when they feel tired |
| B．people do need a break to restore their willpower |
| C．there’s no way to strengthen people’s willpower |
| D．weak willpower doesn’t affect people’s life much |
What have the scientists long believed regarding willpower?
| A．It is in the charge of people. |
| B．It is a limited resource. |
| C．There is no way to restore willpower. |
| D．It doesn’t easily run out. |
Which of the following best helps the students to prepare better for their exams?
| A．Push themselves even if they want to take a break. |
| B．Don’t eat fast food while studying. |
| C．Remind themselves willpower is not limited. |
| D．Stay in a comfortable and quiet place. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．A new theory about willpower |
| B．How to build strong willpower |
| C．The great influence of willpower |
| D．Willpower doesn’t last long |
So long as teachers fail to tell teaching from learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children what children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not simply passing reading on to them. Certainly we shouldn’t have spent endless hours in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible.”
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient(效率高的) system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest(探索)for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated(消除). Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading. Practice makes perfect, you know.
72．The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that _______.
A．it is one of the most difficult school courses
B．students spend endless hours in reading
C．reading tasks are assigned with little guidance
D．too much time is spent in teaching about reading
73．The underlined word “scrutiny” in the third paragraph probably means “ ”.
A．agreement B．observation C．control D．distance
74．According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when _______.
A．children become very active in reading activities
B．teacher and learner roles are thought important
C．teaching helps children in the search for knowledge
D．reading enriches children’s experience
75．The main idea of the passage is that _______.
A．teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read
B．teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible
C．reading ability is something acquired rather than taught
D．reading is more complicated than generally believed
The well – known Rushmore National Monument in the United States is built on the Rush More Peak, 1829 meters above sea level, of the Black Hills in the southwest of South Dakota. It is a group of huge stone statues of four American presidents, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson，Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. President Washington is the founding father of the country；the 3rd President Jefferson drafted the U. S. Declaration of Independence；the 16th President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the26th President Roosevelt protected the average people's right to compete fairly with trusts. All of them，made outstanding achievements for their country. They were pioneers of U. S. history.
The stone statues of presidents were built at the suggestion of an historian in the State of Dakota，with a view to carrying forward the U. S. pioneering spirit everlastingly.
The statues are 18meters high. They are the highest and greatest realistic stone statues in the world，taller than a 6－storied building and larger than the Great Sphinx of Egypt. The size of each head is 20sq mt，with a 20-meter- long face，a 7-meter -long nose，a 2.6-meter- wide mouth and two 1.5-meter -wide eyes. Though not facing the same direction，they are all lifelike and look ahead gravely in harmony with fixed gazes. On clear days，one can have a sight of the four presidents with their firm and steady expression at a distance of dozens of kilometers.
Since the stone sculpture is unique in style，the Monument is now the U. S. National Art Centre of Popular Education. Groups of people keep streaming everyday to the site for a visit and tourists across the world are also interested in taking a view of this great Monument.
68．Which statement is NOT right according to the first paragraph?
A．the group of statues are made of huge stones.
B．The statues are built to honor the presidents in the U.S.
C．All the four presidents made the same contributions to their country.
D．The famous Rushmore National Monument is 1829 meters above sea level.
69．Why were those four presidents chosen ?Because the four presidents_____.
A．were pioneers of US history
B．made great contributions to their country
C．played an important role in American history
D．all of the above
70．What are the statues like?
A．They look like a 6-storied building.
B．They are looking forward in the same direction.
C．They are like the great Sphinx of Egypt.
D．They are lifelike, looking ahead with fixed gazes.
71．The last paragraph mainly tells us ____.
A．how the monument was set up
B．the spirit of the USA is great
C．the monument has become more popular
D．More tourists across the country visit the monument
When I opened my e – mail the other day, a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen. She greeted me by name and started talking warmly. Every now and then she stopped to smile at me．She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother．It was very cool and lovely．
Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail. Facemail lets you send an e-mail that gets read to the receiver on line by an attractive male or female or by a clown（小丑）．The software , which is free , can be downloaded at www.facemail.com. Facemail faces are lifelike , and they simulate（模仿）emotions based on emotions that you put in your text．
The company that develops the Facemail, is sure there will be broad uses in many fields．The reason why e-business is not popular, the company says, is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch. But what if you went to the Nike website and Michael Jordan greeted you by name, waited on you and personally closed the sale ? And it is talking with Whirpool Company about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge．Then if Mom can’t be home when the kids get back from school , she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat．
Facemail could get hot fast．Personally , I’m a fan. Facemail is lively and funny at first , but if you select the clown , put a few rude words in an e-mail and add some angry emotions, you’ve got a crazy mail.
64．The main advantage of Facemail is that．
A．the e-mail can be read in a more lovely way
B．you can talk with the person who sends you the e-mail
C．you can put your own emotions in the e-mail as you like
D．you can write an e – mail to anyone
65．We can infer from the passage that Facemail．
A．is a software hard to download
B．will take the place of the e-mail system
C．can destroy your e-mail if not properly used
D．is likely to be used in other ways in our daily life and work
66．The writer mentioned Nike website and Michael Jordan to show that．
A．Michael Jordan will serve you himself on Nike website
B．famous people like Michael Jordan also like to use Facemail
C．Facemail can make shopping on the Internet more interesting
D．Nike company is increasing its sales through the fame of Jordan
67．The writer thinks .
A．Facemail is cool and funny
B．Facemail is a danger to the Internet
C．Facemail needs further improvement
D．people should be careful with Facemail
London: It’s well known that Charles Darwin’s famous theory of evolution (进化) annoyed many people because it was against the Biblical view of creation. But few know that it also created problems for Darwin at home with his deeply religious wife, Emma.
“Darwin held back the publication of On the Origin of Species to avoid offending (触怒) his wife,” says Ruth Padel, the naturalist’s great – great – granddaughter. “Emma told him that he seemed to be putting God further and further off”, Padel says in her north London home. “But they talked it through, and Emma once said, ‘Don’t change any of your ideas for fear of hurting me.’”
As the world celebrates the 200 th birthday of the man who changed scientific thought forever and the 150 th anniversary of his book today, even his opponents admitted he was a giant figure.
Though opposition to his theory continues, it is the elegant explanation of how species evolutes through natural selection that makes his 200th birthday such a major event.
More than 300 celebrations have been planned in Britain alone, where Darwin's face graces (使增光)the 10-pound bill along with that of Queen Elizabeth II.
Shrewsbury, the central England town where Darwin was born and raised, is holding a month-long festival for its most famous son. Down House, his former home near London, will hold a permanent exhibition recreating some of his most famous experiments.
Many more events have been planned all over the world.
What would he be doing if he were alive today? Padel thinks he would properly be studying DNA and the immune system.
60．The main purpose of the author is .
A．to say something about Darwin and his wife
B．to introduce Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution
C．to sing high praise for the book On the Origin of Species
D．to report some celebrations of Darwin’s 200 th birthday and the 150 th anniversary of his books
61．Which of the statements is NOT true based on the passage?
A．Everyone agrees with Darwin now.
B．Darwin was brought up in Shrewsbury.
C．Emma was not really fond of his theory.
D．Darwin was very interested in living things.
62．The underlined phrase “help back” in the second paragraph probably means .
A．prevented from B．kept a secret
C．cared about D．put off
63．It can be inferred that the passage is most probably .
A．a scientific report B．a news report
C．an English composition D．a text
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
One winter evening, a storekeeper was going to close up his shop. Suddenly he saw Seth, a lazy, good – for – nothing fellow grasp a pound of fresh butter and hid it in his hat. No sooner had the storekeeper seen the act than he hit upon exactly the right revenge(报复). He would punish the thief, and satisfy his own appetite for fun.
Seth had his hat on his head, and the butter in his hat. He was anxious to leave. However, the rightful owner of the butter offered him a cup of hot drink, took him by the shoulders and planted him in a seat close to the stove. The grocer filled in the stove as many sticks of wood as he could. Seth already could feel the butter settling down closer to his hair, so he jumped up, declaring that he must go. “Sit down; don’t be in such a hurry,” replied the grocer, pushing him back into the chair again.
Streak after streak of the butter came pouring from under the poor man’s hat. The fun-loving grocer kept on putting wood into the stove. Then, as if surprised, he remarked, “You seem to be sweating as if you were warm! Let me put your hat away for you.”
“No! ” exclaimed poor Seth at last, unable to stand it a moment longer. “ No, I must go; let me out.” A greasy (油腻的) waterfall of butter was now pouring down the poor man’s face and neck, dipping into his clothes, and trickling down his body into his boots. He was bathed in oil from head to toe. Just as Seth rushed out of the door, the grocer said , “ I believe the fun I’ve had out of you is worth the money, so I shan’t charge you for that pound of butter in your hat.”
56．Why did Seth put the butter in his hat?
A．Because he didn’t want to pay for it.
B．Because he just wanted to play a trick on the grocer.
C．Because he wanted to revenge himself on the grocer.
D．Because he had nowhere to put the butter but in the hat.
57．What is not the action that the grocer took as a revenge?
A．The grocer offered Seth a cup of hot drink.
B．The grocer offered to take off Seth’s hat.
C．The grocer overcharged Seth for the butter.
D．The grocer forced Seth to take a seat near the stove.
58．What was the purpose of the grocer’s hospitality(热情好客)？
A．He wanted to be kind to him.
B．He wanted to sell more of his goods.
C．He wanted to make friends with Seth
D．He wanted to take his revenge on Seth by making the butter in his hat melt.
59．What is the best title of the passage?
A．Great FunB．The Right Revenge
C．A Fun-loving Grocer D．A Foolish Customer