I always experienced guilt when I passed by without giving a coin or two to a beggar.
My conscience was pricked again on a tour of Venice in 2010. I had taken refuge from the crowds in a quiet canal-side café. Outside the café was an old woman kneeling on the ancient cobbled stones, begging. Steady streams of tourists were walking past her. A lone young back-packer stood away from the crowds drinking something, but I noticed he was also observing the woman.
A tourist group glanced at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived and, again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker stepping forward and placing some money in the woman’s cup. He did this rather ostentatiously（炫耀地）, just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched as the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. Having been shown the way, other tourists followed suit and added more coins to the woman’s cup.
The young backpacker repeated this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer （同伴）pressure worked on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work done, the young man walked over to the old beggar woman, patted her shoulder and said, “I hope that helps a bit.”
I don’t know if the woman understood his English or realized what had just happened, but I did. I placed some money in the woman’s cup and continued my travels, light-hearted after witnessing such an act of caring.The backpacker placed some money in the woman’s cup rather ostentatiously because______.
| A．he wanted to stop the tourists by doing this |
| B．he wanted people to know that he was rich and kind |
| C．he wanted to help the woman by himself |
| D．he wanted the tourist group to follow him |
The author went to a quiet canal-side cafe to_______ .
| A．avoid meeting the beggar |
| B．get away from the crowds |
| C．take a rest |
| D．watch the woman beggar |
We can infer from the passage that ________ .
| A．tourists can be cheated by beggars |
| B．people usually have pity on an old beggar |
| C．tourists are willing to help beggars |
| D．people can do kind acts due to peer pressure |
Before the backpacker dropped some money in the woman’s cup, the tourists ______ .
| A．all showed pity for the woman |
| B．didn’t notice the woman |
| C．walked by without giving any money |
| D．gave a little money to the woman |
How to Study Smarter, Not Harder
Here are some of our favorite study tips that will help any student study smarter, not harder:
Recite As You Study
Reciting—saying things out loud should first take place as you read through each paragraph or section. Test yourself. This will help you to understand as well as learn faster because it is more active than reading or listening. It will also help you to notice your mistakes and the topics you have trouble understanding.
Take Fuller Notes
Notes should be in your own words, brief and clear. They should be tidy and easy to read. Writing notes will help you better than just underlining as you read, since it forces you to rewrite ideas in your own words.
Study the Middle
The best time to review is soon after you’ve learned something. You are more likely to remember the material at the beginning and the end of the lesson, so make sure you focus on the middle when you review.
Sleep On It
Study before going to bed, unless you are very tired. It’s easier to remember material you’ve just learned after sleeping than after an equal period of daytime activity, because your brain continues to think even after you’ve fallen asleep.
Combine Memory and Understanding
There are two ways to remember: by memorizing and by understanding. Multiplication tables, telephone numbers, and math formulas are better learned by rote. Ideas are best learned by understanding.
The more ways you have to think about an idea, the more meaning it will have; the more meaningful the learning, the better you can remember it. Pay attention to similarities in ideas and concepts, and then try to understand how they fit in with things you already know. Never be satisfied with anything less than a completely clear understanding of what you are reading. If you are not able to follow the thought, go back to the place where you first got confused and try again. You can notice your mistakes by _______.
| A．saying things out aloud | B．taking notes |
| C．studying the middle | D．sleeping on it |
When taking notes, you should _______ to better help you with reading.
| A．underline important notes |
| B．write notes in your own words |
| C．take down every detail |
| D．write as quickly as possible |
The writer advises you to _______ as it is easier for you to remember material.
| A．study after a period of activity |
| B．do some exercise after studying |
| C．study as soon as you get up |
| D．study before going to sleep |
Which of the following is NOT helpful for your understanding?
| A．Thinking about an idea in different ways. |
| B．Relating ideas and concepts with what you already know. |
| C．Reading from the beginning to the end without stop. |
| D．Going back to what first made you confused and start again. |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomachaches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully. Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to buy the goods. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences |
| D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(学龄前儿童)：
Develop social skills
As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.
Build selfconfidence
Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers(摩天大楼) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Boost intellectual growth
Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
Practice language skills
Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.
Work out fears
Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children roleplay about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(发泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．
To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?
| A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems. |
| B．Expressing their feelings like anger. |
| C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential. |
| D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories. |
What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?
| A．Improve. | B．Limit. | C．Push. | D．Praise. |
From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．
| A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award |
| B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free |
| C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids |
| D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales |
What's the purpose of writing the article?
| A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination. |
| B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers. |
| C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative. |
| D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan. |
The number of accidents involving pedestrians (行人) wearing headphones is on the rise , a report suggests, causing fresh warning from road safety groups in Britain .
A US-based study found a total of 116 reports of death or injury to pedestrians wearing headphones between 2004 and 2011 , jumping from 16 in 2005 to 47 in 2011 .
Most victims were men (68%) and under the age of 30 (67%) , with around one in ten of all cases (9%) under the age of 18 .Some 89% of the cases occurred in urban areas and more than half (55%) of the victims were struck by trains .
Eighty-one of the 116 accidents (70%) resulted in the person’s death--- even though a warning was sounded in around a third of the cases .
The study concluded , “ The use of headphone may be a safety risk to pedestrians , especially in environments with moving vehicles（cars） . Further research is needed to determine if and how headphone use threatens pedestrian safety .” British road safety groups warned pedestrians to be careful.
Floor Lieshout , director of Youth For Road Safety , said, “ This study shows once more the importance of using all of our senses while we are near traffic . It is important that we find an attractive way to make youth learn about the risks of wearing headphones in traffic .”
Andrew Howard , who is the head of road safety at the Automobile Association , added that some pedestrians can be “so focused in their own little world they forget the world going on around them”.That can include headphone wearers , Howard said, but also people talking on phones.
However , Howard said that more researches needed to be done.
Earlier studies have shown that people wearing headphones or talking on phones can suffer “inattentional blindness” which makes them isolated (孤立) from the world around them .
Ian Harvey , at the charity Civic Voice , said that “ to defeat isolation and to help build a civic(文明的) society , people need to interact(交往) with each other .
He said , “ A basis for any civilized society is communication--- Surfing the web , listening to MP3s , reading blogs or sending e-mail is not interacting with a person; it’s interacting with a machine.
“If people feel socially isolated , they need to have more face-to-face interactions with other human beings and in time , will begin to feel happier and more connected to the world and place they live in .”What does the text mainly discuss ?
| A．Recent research on the risks to pedestrians |
| B．Safety problems caused by wearing headphones. |
| C．The advantages and disadvantages of headphones |
| D．Traffic accidents in the United States |
We can learn from the Us-bases study that _________ .
| A．most victims died in the accidents |
| B．most accidents were caused by cars |
| C．most accidents happened in the countryside |
| D．most victims are under eighteen |
Howard will probably agree that ____________ .
| A．it is safe if you wear headphones in a proper way |
| B．people wearing headphones are more likely to go blind |
| C．most people wear headphones because of loneliness |
| D．it is dangerous to talk on phones while walking |
What Lan Harvey said shows the importance of ___________ .
| A．beating isolation | B．communication between people |
| C．building a civilized society | D．new technologies |
A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(装置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼镜盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改观) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺气肿) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?
| A．It can help a lot in lung transplants |
| B．It was once on display |
| C．It works differently from the normal one in the body |
| D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle. |
It seems as if _______ really matters before the portable lung is put into use.
| A．support | B．money | C．time | D．trial |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the portable lung ?
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Objective. |
Which edition can you probably find the passage ?
| A．Science. | B．Culture. | C．Economy. | D．Education. |