Millions of Americans began 2015 with the same resolution (决定) they started 2014 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.
To reach our goal of losing weight — the output, we need to control what we eat —the input (输入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to achieve goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of determining to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I’ll stop having dessert for lunch,” or “I’ll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a specific (具体的) input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.
Recently a new science behind incentives (激励), including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect when based on output. Fryer’s conclusion was that the incentives for inputs might be more effective because students do not know how to do better on exam, apart from general rules like “study harder”. Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.
As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. For instance, if you want to spend more time with your family, don’t stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable goal that you could stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.
In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.The writer thinks that setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake because _________.
| A．it is focused too much on the result |
| B．it is hard to achieve for ordinary people |
| C．it is dependent on too many things |
| D．it is based on actionable decisions |
In Roland Fryer’s research, some students did better than the others because ________.
| A．they obeyed the general rules of learning |
| B．they benefited from reading certain books |
| C．they attached more importance to exams |
| D．they were greatly inspired by their instructors |
According to the writer, which of the following statements is a good goal?
| A．“I’ll study harder than before.” |
| B．“I’ll cut down my expense.” |
| C．“I’ll spend more time with my family.” |
| D．“I’ll walk every day for 15 minutes.” |
The writer strongly believes that we should __________.
| A．be optimistic about final goals and stick to them |
| B．focus more on the outcome and form good habits |
| C．create general goals that can balance the input and output |
| D．take specific actions that can be turned into good habits |
“Indeed,” George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785, “some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home.” But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen hade been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lightning-bug(萤火虫). But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Although fan became the usual term, sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseball bugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bug-shaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, “to install (安装) an alarm”. Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others’ conversation. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant “to cheat”, and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as “little problems and difficulties” that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison “had been up the two previous nights discovering ‘a bug’ in his invented record player.” We learn from Paragraph 1 that __________________.
| A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug |
| B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug |
| C．the word bug was still popularly used in English in the nineteenth century |
| D．both Englishman and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century |
What does the word “flaw” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Explanation. | B．Finding. | C．Origin. | D．Fault. |
The passage is mainly concerned with__________________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the word bug |
| B．the development of the word bug |
| C．the public views of the word bug |
| D．the special characteristics of the word bug |
Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tire. It sounds absurd. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
| A．Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood. |
| B．Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work. |
| C．The brain could work for many hours without fatigue. |
| D．A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins. |
According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
| A．Challenging mental work. | B．Unpleasant emotions. |
| C．Endless tasks. | D．Physical labor. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?
| A．He agrees with them. | B．He doubts them. |
| C．He argues against them. | D．He hesitates to accept them. |
We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ___________.
| A．have some good food. | B．enjoy their work |
| C．exercise regularly | D．discover fatigue toxins |
Going green seems to be fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the tow of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic(有机的)stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Going Green. | B．Protecting the Planet. |
| C．Keeping Open-Minded | D．Celebrating Our Green Year. |
It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.
| A．they were expected to follow the green fad |
| B．they didn’t know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy |
| D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. |
| B．They ignore others’ ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. |
| D．They sold their home-made food. |
What can we infer form the last paragraph?
| A．The government will give support to the green people. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
Risk of death is 3.5 t0 5 times greater for obese smokers than it is for people who have never smoked and are at a normal weight, according to a study published in the November, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study, which began with a self-administered questionnaire taken between 1983 and 1989, asked more than 80,000 radiologic technologists aged 22 t0 92 questions about age, height, weight and smoking behavior.
BMI (body mass index) was calculated, with a BMI of 30 t0 34.9 being considered obese, and 35 and over being very obese. Smoking behavior was analyzed by looking at a person's tobacco consumption level, number of years smoked, and current smoking status. Researchers then followed participants through December of 2002, noting the number of deaths that occurred.
The study involved researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the University of Minnesota and the American Registry of Radiolegic Technologists.
Key Findings:
20 percent of obese adults in the United States smoke.
Obese smokers face a greater risk of death from cancer and circulatory disease.
Current smoking is a greater risk factor for death by cancer than obesity is, generally speaking.
The higher a person's pack-years (number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked) are, the greater the risk of death.
Men and women of all ages faced an elevated risk of death due to circulatory disease as BMI increased. And for those who were both obese and currently smoking, risk of circulatory disease increased 6 to 11 times under the age of 65, as compared to their never-smoking, normal weight counterparts.
While it's not surprising that obesity coupled with smoking is a recipe for trouble, it is important to highlight this growing health concern in America today.
Taking Charge of Your Health
Making healthy choices can be difficult when we're constantly bombarded with products that are hazardous to our health, but it's not impossible. With education and some motivation, we all have the ability to make lasting changes for the better. If you're an overweight smoker worried about gaining weight due to quitting, take heart. It's never too late to change your course and even reverse damage to some extent.What is the probably the best title of the text?
A. Obese smoking and death B. Key findings about smoking
C Taking charge of your health D. Obesity and smokingWhich of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Obese smokers are less likely to suffer from cancer |
| B．Obese smokers are more likely to suffer from cancer |
| C．Obese smokers .tend to gain fewer body mass index. |
| D．Obese smokers tend to get heavier than those Who never smoke |
According to the author, it is________to get rid of smoking.
| A．easy and possible | B．difficult and impossible |
| C．easy ant worthwhile | D．difficult but worthwhile |
What is the American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
A. An medical institute.B A research center.
C. A medical magazineD. A TV station What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To inform the readers of the findings about obese smoking. |
| B．To warn the readers of the danger of obese smoking. |
| C．To tell us what obese smoking is. |
| D．To call on the obese smolkers to quit smoking. |
Marry me! During the "Idol" finale, season 5 singer Ace Young proposed live to season 3 runner up Diana DeGarrno. She was genuinely surprised in one sense but the two have bonded closely since they met on Broadway during a production of“Hair." The first true“ldol' couple (though others have dated) have already set a wedding date on June l of 2013,
Ten years and still relevant. Season one winner Kelly Clarkson has survived a decade in the brutal music business with her dignity intact and enough chart-topping songs to generate a greatest hits album at the tender age of 30. Her career is as strong as ever. She sang the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl. Her song “Stronger” was a No. I hit. She was a mentor on an ABC summer series“Duets.” She became engaged to Reba McEntire's stepson in November. All in all, life is good for Clarkson and we as“Idol" fans couldn't be more proud.
Keep calm and Carrie on! Season four victor Carrie Underwood has now sold more albums than any other "Idol" with about 14 million to date. Her current album “Blown Away” has generated two top two hits in 2012: “Good Girl” and the title track. That makes 15 consecutive top 2 hits on the Billboard country chart over seven years dating back to "Jesus, Take the Wheel." She hosted the CMAs for a fifth year with Brad Paisley. Last month, she landed a role as lead in a remake of“The Sound of Music.” She toured to sold-out crowds again, hitting Gwinnett Arena earlier this month, where she thankecl "Idol" for getting her to where she's at, something, she certainly no longer needs to do but still does. Class act, that lady.What may the ldol probably be?
| A．A popular Ainerican singer | B．A American year figure of |
| C．A popular American programme | D．A famous American avenue |
Who hit Gwinnett Arena of the following?
| A．Carrie Underwood | B．Kelly Clarkson |
| C．Ace Yong | D．Diana DeGarmo |
Who was the Idol winner of ten years ago?
| A．Reba McEntire | B．Kelly Clarkson |
| C．Carrie Underwood | D．Not mentioned |
In which year was the Idol first held according, to the text?
| A．In 2012 | B．In 2007 | C．ln 2008 | D．In 2002 |
Where can we probably read the news?
| A．In business section | B．In advertisement section |
| C．In sports section | D．In entertainment section |