Intelligent people are more likely to trust others, while those who score lower on measures of intelligence are less likely to do so. Oxford University researchers based their finding on an analysis of the ‘General Social Survey’.
The authors say one explanation could be that more intelligent individuals are better at judging characters and may spend more time building relationships with people they can trust. Another reason could be that smarter people are better at weighing up situations and assessing whether or not the other person will hold up his or her end of a bargain.
“Intelligence is shown to be linked with trusting others.” said the study’s lead author, Noah Carl of Oxford University,“ This finding supports what other researchers have argued, namely that being a good judge of character is a distinct part of human intelligence.”
In addition, the study shows that individuals who are more trusting are also happier with their lives and had higher levels of physical health. The Oxford researchers found, however, that the links between trust and health, and between trust and happiness, are not explained by intelligence. The findings confirmed that trust is a valuable resource for an individual, and is not simply a measure of intelligence.
The authors say the research is significant because the study of social trust could have far-reaching implications in public welfare, as social trust contributes to the success of important social institutions, such as welfare systems and financial markets.
According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, trust is in increasingly short supply in current generation. This decline threatens world leaders’ ability to handle some of today’s key challenges like global warming, and the political system. There are good reasons to think that governments should try to develop more trust in society.
Distrust usually causes friction in personal relationships, careers and politics among others, says Stephen Covey. Although majority of people say that trust can never be restored once it’s broken, Stephen feels it can be brought back. “It’s not easy, it takes time, but you do it through your behavior, not just things you say.”
1. It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
A. intelligence accounts for the connection between trust and health
B. judgment of characters determines the level of intelligence
C. intelligent individuals spend less time on interpersonal relationship
D. intelligent people tend to show more trust in others
2. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Make the best of a situation. B. Stick to one’s promise as agreed.
C. Figure out the true value of a bargain. D. Make an assessment of a deal.
3. According to the research, higher level of social trust is______.
A. a basic step to deal with global warming B. a decisive basis for stable political system
C. a complete solution to interpersonal conflicts D. a contributing factor to successful public institutions
4. When it comes to rebuilding trust, Stephen is most likely to agree that______.
A. actions always speak louder than words B. Trust is the proper fruit of knowledge
C. mind is largely determined by behavior D. behavior is a mirror to shows one’s image
The setting was a packed gymnasium just before the start of a game against another school. There were five girls who were members of the Danville High School basketball team -all of them starters. They were not in uniform to play that night and would not be on the team for the rest of this season. They were there to admit their breaking of team rules. They were there to support their coach’s decision to take them off the team. They were there to let the town know there was a problem in their little community that needed to be addressed. And they did it with sincere regret rather than defensiveness.
While the school had been out for the New Years holiday, the five girls had gone to the party with several of their friends. There was alcohol there. And they all drank some.
Coach Rainville has a zero tolerance rule on drugs and alcohol for her members though it was a hard decision to make. When classes resumed and accounts of holiday parties were shared, rumors about the five girls began closing in on them. The coach said she couldn’t back down on her rules. And the players-two junior students and three senior students-agreed. That night in the gym was part of their public support of the coach’s decision.
“We hope you will understand that we are not bad kids. What we did was definitely not worth it. We hope this event will make everyone realize that there is a big drug and alcohol problem in our community,” one of the senior students said, “And if you work with us to try to solve this problem, you will help us feel that we have not been thrown off our basketball team for nothing.” The five left the floor to deafening applause.
The team may not win another game this year. But they’ve learnt something about personal responsibility, the effect of one’s action on others, and honesty that will serve them well throughout life.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the five girls who were kicked off the team were ________.
A. very good players on the team B. addicted to alcohol and drugs
C. three junior students and two senior students D. scolded by their parents for drinking alcohol
2. What did the girls do to support their coach’s decision?
A. They didn’t fight for Danville High School any more.
B. They all gave speeches to apologize in the local press.
C. They admitted their mistake in public in the gymnasium.
D. They would never drink any alcohol throughout their life.
3. Which word best describes the coach Rainville?
A. Indifferent B. Strict C. Stubborn D. Cruel
4. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Growing up with pain. B. A bad mistake.
C. Team rules are everything. D. Basketball girls in high school.
There is a popular saying in the English: “language: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is not true. Unkind words, name-calling of even the so-called “the silent treatment” can hurt children as much as being physically hit sometimes even more so.
A recent study of middle school children showed that verbal (言语的) abuse by other children can harm development in the brain. The study was a project of researchers at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts.Researcher
Martin Teicher and his team studied young adults, aged 18 to 25. These young men and women had not ever been treated in a cruel or violent way by their parents. The researchers asked the young people to rate their childhood exposure to verbal abuse from both parents and other children. Then the researchers performed imaging tests on the brains of the subjects.
The images showed that the people who reported suffering verbal abuse from peers in middle school had underdeveloped connections between the left and right side of the brain. The two sides of the brain are connected by a large bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. This was the area that was underdeveloped.
The middle school years are a time when these brain connections are developing. So, unkind, hurtful comments from children or adults during this period have the greatest effect. The researchers tested the mental and emotional condition of all the young people in the study. The tests showed that this same group of people had higher levels of fear, depression, anger and drug abuse than others in the study. The researchers published their findings online on the American Journal of Psychiatry’s website. Parents cannot control what other people say to their children, but they can prepare their children.
1. Why does the author use the popular saying at the beginning?
A. To show the power of words.
B. To introduce an opposite view.
C. To prove the author’s argument.
D. To show ancient people’s wisdom.
2. What did the subjects have in common?
A.They were hurt by unkind words.
B. They performed poorly in imaging tests.
C. They had their brain slightly damaged.
D. They experienced no physical abuse at home.
3. What will be discussed in the next paragraph?
A. Comments on the findings.
B. Approaches to further studies.
C. Suggestions to parents.
D. Different opinions on the matter.
4. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The way we speak matter.
B. Verbal violence should be stopped
C. Unkind words hurt the brain.
D, Words are worse than sticks and stones.
Yesterday night, over a dinner with my elder brother’s family, a topic of happiness came up. My wife, Marla, a psychologist, was sharing Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” with us. Marla explained that according to the research on flow, people are happiest when they are absorbed in a task that is just challenging enough for them to experience a sense of mastery(熟练).
A few moments later my brother, Yuri, offered the following opinion: “The first and only, necessary and sufficient factor for happiness is to stop associating happiness with pleasure. The two — happiness and pleasure — have nothing to do with each other.” This morning, with my cup of coffee, I searched through a pile of books on my bedside table and—at the bottom—found a book by Bertrand Russell, I started reading but didn’t finish. In it, I found the following thought:
“The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all his whims (突发奇想) without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness.”
The conversation came full circle: people are happiest when they are in a state of flow (Csikszentmihalyi’s language )…which is the effortful devotion in a moment…which has nothing to do with pleasure.
Indeed, as Yuri insisted : happiness–as–pleasure is a myth; the association between happiness and pleasure is nothing but a semantic(语义的) habit; psychologically, the two—happiness and pleasure—are arguably different; and breaking up this association between pleasure and happiness might, in fact, be a powerfully first step in pursuit of happiness.
As I look back on that exchange, I recall that there was an effort, a struggle to find a common understanding about this seemingly difficult idea—a struggle that made me happy.
1.The author wrote this text mainly to_______.
A.look back on the happy night B.advise readers to read Bertrand Russell
C.tell readers how to be happiest D.show different opinions on family gathering
2.According to Marla, people feel happiest when they______.
A.get what they want without effort B.master the happiness around them
C.involve themselves in a challenging task D.experience things that can bring pleasure
3.What writing style is used by the author to explain happiness?
A.Giving examples. B.Using quotes.
C.Making comparisons. D.Offering arguments.
4.The best title of the text may probably be______.
A.The struggle for life B.Happiness as pleasure
C.A topic over the dinner D.The effort for happiness
Members of a high school class of 1943 finally got the party they should have had 70 years ago. Their senior celebration was stopped by World War Ⅱ.
Anthony Pegnataro, the 1943 class monitor of James Hillhouse High School, remembers the attack on Pearl Harbor (珍珠港) like it was yesterday. On December 7, 1941, Pegnataro said, he and his friends were skating when they heard over the radio that America had entered a state of war.
Going to war meant no party any more. Pegnataro’s carefree (无忧无虑的) high school life suddenly came to an end.
“Most of us went right into the service after graduation,” Pegnataro said. “We graduated in June and were in the army in July.”
Of the 1,585 students at James Hillhouse High School, less than 300 are still alive today and many of them never made it back from war.
Pegnataro, who is now 87, decided that along with their 70year class reunion, they would also hold the party they never got to have. About 70 people from around the country came to dance on Sunday.
“It was excellent. Everyone there just had a great time,” Pegnataro said, “Those who came guessed it might be their last one”.
Pegnataro said he_was_on_cloud_nine to bring his wife of 83 years back to the party, and he introduced her to each of his classmates. “Everyone was very excited at the party. Though we had been separated for so many years, the war brought my class closer together,” he said.
“We missed out on the party that we should have had. And the 70th reunion was a very important event in our lives,” Pegnataro said, “We all made it.”
1.When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Pegnataro ________.
A. went into the army at once
B. was skating with his parents
C. was having a Christmas party
D. was still a high school student
2.The underlined part “he was on cloud nine” meant Pegnataro ________.
A. was on a plane
B. felt very happy
C. was not comfortable
D. came at nine o'clock
3.In Pegnataro's opinion, the war ________.
A. had its own two sides
B. made him lose everything
C. had little influence on his school
D. lasted longer than he had expected
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Pegnataro — a Man of Knowledge
B. James Hillhouse High School
C. An Unusual Party
D. War and Peace
“Tiger Mother”parenting raises media storm. A new book written by a selfdescribed Chinese descent(血统)on her superstrict parenting—Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother has raised media storm and fierce debates in the U.S.
Amy Chua is a Yale Law School professor and the mother of two teenage girls. She is the daughter of immigrants of Chinese descent. In the Chinese culture,the tiger symbolizes strength and power. In her book Ms. Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example,her daughters,Sophia and Louisa,were never allowed to attend a sleepover,be in a school play,watch TV or play computer games. They couldn't choose their own afterclass activities or get any grade less than an A.They had to play piano or violin—and no other musical instruments. She writes that if a Chinese child gets a B—which she says“would never happen”—there would be“a screaming,hair tearing explosion”.She describes making her 7yearold daughter play a piano piece perfectly—yelling and not letting her leave the bench even to use the bathroom—until it was.
Many people have criticized Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive. She even admits that her husband,who is not Chinese,objects to her parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.
Stacy DeBroff,who has written four books about parenting,says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children. But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests,they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacy DeBroff advised parents not to just repeat the way they were raised.
Alison Lo,an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Washington's Bothell campus said,“I don't think Amy is advocating a best practice of parenting style,or that success and achievements are critical yardsticks(衡量标准)of a good life. But I can imagine how strong her daughters' college applications are going to be. For many parents whose dreams are seeing their kids graduating from a competitive university,Amy is sharing with the readers that it is achievable by persistent,dedicated parental guidance,”Lo said in an interview with Julie Muhlstein,a columnist with the USbased Heraldnet.com.
“In that sence,a young adult's giftedness can be born,or made,”Lo continued.
耶鲁大学华裔教授Amy Chua的新书《虎妈战歌》成为美国人热议的话题,她提出的“中国式”严苛教子方法引发了巨大争议。
1.According to the passage,which is TRUE of Amy Chua?
A.She is an easygoing woman.
B.She is an assistant professor.
C.She is a demanding parent.
D.She is a cruel teacher.
2.Which of the following are Sophia and Louisa allowed to do?
A.Playing the piano.
B.Playing the guitar.
C.Dating with boys.
D.Getting an A minus.
3.Stacy DeBroff advised parents to________.
A.seek a better future for their children
B.develop their own style of parenting
C.be strict with their children
D.follow Amy Chua's parenting style
4.Alison Lo concluded that________.
A.persistent,dedicated parental guidance is the best parenting style
B.parents should respect children's personalities
C.a gifted child was born with talent
D.a teenager can be raised to be talent by strict parenting
(2019·河北调研)The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.
Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang (团伙). Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them glued_to a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.
Music builds selfconfidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for selfexpression, and that helps develop their selfconfidence.
Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school.
篇章导读:本文是一篇议论文。文章论述了为什么音乐应该成为学校每个年级的一门必修课程。
16.According to the passage, music could make students smarter by ________.
A.improving their classroom skills
B.improving their classroom skills and imagination
C.improving their attention, direction and imagination
D.learning music, making music and trying out their own ideas
17.What does the underlined phrase “glued to” in the second paragraph mean?
A.Unwilling to turn on. B.Always looking.
C.Unwilling to leave. D.Always playing.
18.The third paragraph mainly tells us that music could ________.
A.give children selfexpression and selfconfidence
B.bring children achievement and success
C.give children something to be proud of
D.develop children's selfconfidence
19.What's the best title of this passage?
A.Music is a must as a course at school
B.Music builds children's selfconfidence
C.Music makes students much smarter
D.Learning music and making music
(2019·全国卷Ⅰ)During the rosy years of elementary school (小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a wellexplored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories:the likable and the status seekers. The likables' playswellwithothers qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jumpstart interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there's the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence:status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr Prinstein's studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage (从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys (调查研究). “We found that the least wellliked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”
Dr Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr Prinstein came to another conclusion:Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage,” he said.
篇章导读:本文是一篇议论文。文章从社会心理学视角讨论青少年小学与中学阶段的成长经历,论述了个体受欢迎程度这一青少年心理健康话题。
1.What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?
A.Unkind. B.Lonely.
C.Generous. D.Cool.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The classification of the popular.
B.The characteristics of adolescents.
C.The importance of interpersonal skills.
D.The causes of dishonorable behavior.
3.What did Dr Prinstein's study find about the most liked kids?
A.They appeared to be aggressive.
B.They tended to be more adaptable.
C.They enjoyed the highest status.
D.They performed well academically.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Be Nice—You Won't Finish Last
B.The Higher the Status, the Better
C.Be the Best—You Can Make It
D.More SelfControl, Less Aggressiveness
When asked to identify the qualities that lead to success in life, experts often list the ability to overcome obstacles. Getting over the difficulties, through determination and persistence, is the characteristic of the greatest leaders, the most successful parents and the most prized employees. Those who make no excuses, who do whatever it takes to get something done, are the ones who have the capacity to achieve greatness.
In education, we focus a lot on meeting our students' needs. It's our job to teach them. But to truly help them be successful, we ourselves have to have the “no excuses” attitude. The problem is that by allowing ourselves no excuses, and doing whatever it takes to make students successful, we often find ourselves accepting excuses from them. Students don't complete an assignment, and we give them a second chance. A test is failed and we provide a chance to retake it, or do test corrections for extra credit.
But there's always a reason for a child's behavior. It's important to understand the reason, but it's equally important to remember that a reason is not an excuse.
There's a girl in my class with terrible handwriting. “Maybe if I had a mother who had taught me that, I would have better handwriting!” she says. She has been in and out of foster care (寄养照管) for years. She has an explanation for her bad handwriting, but when does it become an excuse that reduces her ability to communicate for the rest of her life?
We must understand the kids and work to find ways for them to succeed. Simultaneously (同时), we must draw lines, set limits, show them the difference between right and wrong. The real work is figuring out when we stop letting reasons be excuses, and start to teach kids about taking responsibility for themselves.
Maybe there is failure on the path to success. Sometimes a child has to fail in order to discover the line that he cannot cross.
篇章导读:本文是一篇议论文,主要介绍教师在教育学生的过程中要培养他们“不找借口”的态度,使他们对自己的言行负责。
13.The example of the girl in Paragraph 4 shows that ________.
A.children can't tell a reason from an excuse
B.children need to improve their ability to communicate
C.children's behavior is greatly affected by their parents
D.children have reasonable explanations for their behavior
14.What is a teacher's real work in the author's opinion?
A.To show kids the difference between right and wrong.
B.To help kids become responsible for themselves.
C.To set specific limits to the behavior of kids.
D.To meet the needs of different kids.
15.What does the author try to express in the last paragraph?
A.Children should try to avoid failure.
B.Failure may benefit children in the long run.
C.Children should be careful on their way to success.
D.Failure is easy to conquer if children are confident.
16.The passage is probably written by ________.
A.a working parent
B.a college student
C.an experienced teacher
D.a newspaper reporter
The term “adulting\” started as a sort of joke—whenever a millennial (千禧一代) would do something age-appropriate, this was an act of “adulting”. Now, though, millennials obviously require training in being an adult.
Rachel Flehinger has co-founded an Adulting School, which includes online courses on simple sewing, conflict resolution and cooking. The cause for such classes is that many millennials haven't left childhood homes—in America 34 percent of adults aged 18 to 34 still lived with their parents as of 2015, up from 26 percent a decade before.
There's a good deal of truth to this. If you're living at home, with Mom and Dad doing their best to spoil (溺爱) you, you're less likely to know how to do laundry, cook or balance a checkbook. Dependency_breeds_enervation.
But living at home doesn't necessarily lead to dependency. As of 1940, more than 30 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds lived at home with parents or grandparents. They were adulting, even while living at home. Parents expected their kids to do chores, to prepare for life. Instead of blaming living at home, then, we have to blame our style of parenting. The truth is that we've simply become lazier as parents.
So what's the real problem?
We're more likely to let our kids crash on our couches (长沙发) than tell them to get a job and pay rent. We don't push our kids to build families of their own, as life expectancy has increased, so has adolescence. Americans aren't expected to start building a life, particularly middle- and upper-class Americans, until they're nearing their 30s. Then the question is how we can encourage young people to “adult\” in non-circumstance-driven fashion.
篇章导读:本文是一篇说明文。千禧一代的孩子接受着父母的宠爱,他们很多人不能独立生活需要接受生活技能培训。事实上,是父母的养育方式导致孩子不能独立。
9.What does the last sentence “Dependency breeds enervation\” in the third paragraph mean?
A.Parents would like to do housework by themselves.
B.Present kids are too lazy to do housework.
C.Dependency makes kids unable to do things.
D.Kids depend on their parents.
10.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Millennials would like to be trained in being an adult.
B.Parents are too lazy to do chores.
C.Millennials don't adult because they still live in their childhood homes.
D.In the 1940s kids were adulting even when they were living at home.
11.Which of the following statements is the main idea of the passage?
A.“Adulting\” is hard, but only because parents are too lazy to teach their kids.
B.Millennials should leave home early to adult.
C.Americans aren't expected to start building a life until they're nearing their 30s.
D.Adulting schools with online courses are popular.
12.According to the passage, what will be written about next?
A.The government should put off the age of adulthood.
B.Parents should leave kids in charge of society.
C.Parents should put responsibility on young people.
D.Pushing kids to adult is painful for parents.
I recently came in contact with celebrity magazines. My family isn't one to give money for pictures of skinny, drunk celebrities with paragraphs about their relationships and shopping cart times. Thus, I was excited to finally get a chance to read about other people's attractive yet troubled lives.
Right away I noticed how each magazine seemed to be a copy of the other. They had headlines and pictures that were almost the same. Still, the pictures of perfectly constructed faces with cute designer outfits going on with their daily lives made me read on.
Wait, celebrities taking their dogs for a walk? Spending an afternoon at a park? All of these things seemed so ordinary—things my own family and I do together often. I suddenly realized how unextraordinary the people in these magazines were. They are simply normal people who happen to have a cool job and much money. For some reason, pictures of them doing things like buying milk at the store appeal to millions of readers. Then, when these regular people mess up, their mistakes are painted onto hundreds of newspapers and Internet sites.
What if every time we made a mistake, it was made public? Have you ever failed a test? Imagine seeing pictures of you on the front of a newspaper with headlines like, “Regular Schooling Isn't Enough”. You'd be embarrassed. Now, I'm not necessarily taking the celebrity's side. I'm more realizing the fact that these people we are crazy about are just ordinary human beings with many photographs following them around. Role models? I'd think not. Personally, I'd rather look up to people in any community who have accomplished a lot instead of an ordinary person walking his dog in Berverly Hills.
篇章导读:本文是一篇议论文。文章讲述了作者通过阅读时尚杂志,发现名人只不过是受大家关注的普通人而已,而作者更喜欢的是做了大事的普通人,进而呼吁我们应该正确看待名人。
1.What do we know about the author's family?
A.They admire celebrities very much.
B.They often buy celebrity magazines.
C.They are not interested in celebrities.
D.They are curious about the life of celebrities.
2.What does the author think of celebrities?
A.They live a happy life.
B.They seldom do usual things.
C.They deserve people's admiration.
D.They are just ordinary people like us.
3.Who is most likely to be the author's role model?
A.Celebrities who live an ordinary life.
B.Common people who do great things.
C.Extraordinary people who accomplish a lot.
D.People who make great contributions to communities.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
A.To describe the actual life of celebrities.
B.To ask us to be realistic about others' mistakes.
C.To show people's different attitudes towards celebrities.
D.To advise us to have a right attitude towards celebrities.
When was the last time you told someone they inspired you to go to work each morning?
Teachers at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, did just that this September, when they pulled individual students out of class to tell them just how much they appreciated them.
The students' reactions, which were captured (捕捉) on video and shared on YouTube in a nowviral video, ranged from shy thanks to hugs and tears.
“I have been challenged to find a student who makes me want to come to school every day,” said one teacher in the video, “and that's you.”
“Jamie McSparin, a teacher in charge of the school's academy program for atrisk sophomores (二年级学生) and juniors, posed the challenge,” writes ABC News.
“Initially when we pulled the kids out, they all thought they were in trouble,” McSparin told ABC News. “Any teacherstudent interaction always seems to be negative (消极的), and that was something that bothered me, too. No matter if they're a good kid or a troublemaker or anything, they always thought they were in trouble,” she said.
McSparin said she got the idea for the project after attending a professional development workshop this summer called the power of positivity.
“I like the idea of letting students know they are appreciated, because we do appreciate them. I just don't think we say it enough,” she told local news outlet WDAFTV.
It's safe to say the challenge was effective.
“I feel special,” said one of the boys in the video. “You should,” said his teacher. “You are special.”
篇章导读:本文是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了在美国密苏里州一所校园中所进行的活动——老师让学生们走出教室,告诉学生们,老师很欣赏他们。这一活动的效果是积极有效的。
5.What does the underlined word “posed” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Presented. B.Rejected.
C.Ignored. D.Evaluated.
6.How did the students probably feel when pulled out of the classroom at first?
A.Nervous. B.Thrilled.
C.Curious. D.Encouraged.
7.What inspired McSparin to challenge the project?
A.The trouble caused by students.
B.The need of shooting the video.
C.A seminar named the power of positivity.
D.A program related to students' interactions.
8.What message does this text mainly convey?
A.Challenge is unavoidable in life.
B.Everyone needs to be appreciated.
C.Positivity outweighs negativity.
D.News media contribute to students' progress.
How cool can libraries be in an era(时代)of iPods and Kindles? More than you think. Only if you know where to go.
Central Library: Seattle, Washington, United States
The Central Library in Seattle is modern and fashionable and has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours. It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and American designer Joshua Ramus. Tours began in 2006, two years after its opening. The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events, while visitors can stop by the Chocolate cart for a coffee and scan through the gift shop anytime
Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland
The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I. It is the largest single library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 of the library' s oldest books. The Long Room houses one of the oldest harps(竖琴) in Ireland. Dating to the 15th century, the old harp is the model for the symbol foreland.
Geisel Library, University of California: San Diego, United States
At first glance, it looks like a spaceship. Architect William Pereira, who helped design actual space launch facilities at Cape Canaveral in Houston, Texas, designed the library in 1970. It has been featured in sci-fi films, short stories and novels. The library hosts " Dinner in the Library," which invites readers for cocktails, and also a special speech from distinguished authors.
TU Delft Library: The Netherlands
The library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997 and has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum. The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can' t really see the actual Library. What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill. The roof covers 5,500 square meters. And it has become one of the most striking and greenest structures in the area.
68. Which of the four libraries has the longest history?
A. Central Library.
B. Trinity College Library.
C. Geisel Library.
D. TU Delft Library.
69. What makes Geisel Library different from the others is that________.
A. famous writers often deliver speeches there
B. it has a reoffer grassy hill
C. Queen Elizabeth I founded the library
D. it is the largest single library in the world
70. In Central Library, you can__________.
A. buy souvenirs
B. drink cocktails
C. enjoy sci-fi films
D. see the old harp
During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事)in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us."
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date-sharing, kindness, openness — carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research,Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. "Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.
32. What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?
A. Unkind. B. Lonely. C. Generous. D. Cool.
33.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A. The classification of the popular.
B. The characteristics of adolescents.
C. The importance of interpersonal skills.
D. The causes of dishonorable behavior.
34. What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?
A. They appeared to be aggressive.
B. They tended to be more adaptable.
C. They enjoyed the highest status.
D. They performed well academically.
35. What is the best title for the text?
A. Be Nice-You Won’t Finish Last
B. The Higher the Status, the Beer
C. Be the Best-You Can Make It
D. More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness
For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, N.Y.,today is speech day ,and right now it’s Chris Palaez’s turn. The 8-year-old is the joker of the class. With shining dark eyes, he seems like the of kid who would enjoy public speaking.
But he’s, nervous.“I’m here to tell you today why you should … should…”Chris trips on the“-ld,”a. pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher ,Thomas Whaley ,is next to him, whispering support.“…Vote for …me …”Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion ,Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.
A son of immigrants, Chris stared learning English a little over three years ago. Whaley recalls(回想起)how at the beginning of the year,when called upon to read,Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom.
Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience. What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes. “It takes a lot for any student,” Whaley explains,“especially for a student who is learning English as their new language,to feel confident enough to say,‘I don’t know,but I want to know.’”
Whaley got the idea of this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president. The answer broke his heart. Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast(夸耀)about themselves.
“Boasting about yourself,and your best qualities,” Whaley says,“is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident.”
24. What made Chris nervous?
A. Telling a story. B. Making a speech.
C. Taking a test. D. Answering a question.
25. What does the underlined word “stumbles” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Improper pauses. B. Bad manners. C. Spelling mistakes. D. Silly jokes.
26. We can infer that the purpose of Whaley’s project is to _________.
A. help students see their own strengths
B. assess students’ public speaking skills
C. prepare students for their future jobs
D. inspire students’ love for politics
27. Which of the following best describes Whaley as a teacher?
A. Humorous. B. Ambitious. C. Caring. D. Demanding.
Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity - but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的),an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
24. Why does the author like rereading?
A. It evaluates the writer-reader relationship.
B. It’s a window to a whole new world.
C. It’s a substitute for drinking with a friend.
D. It extends the understanding of oneself.
25. What do we know about the book A Moveable Feas!?
A. It’s a brief account of a trip.
B. It’s about Hemingway’s life as a young man.
C. It’s a record of a historic event.
D. It’s about Hemingway’s friends in Paris.
26. What does the underlined word "currency" in paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Debt
B. Reward.
C Allowance.
D. Face value.
27. What can we infer about the author from the text?
A. He loves poetry.
B. He’s an editor.
C. He’s very ambitious.
D. He teaches reading.
Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.
“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
24. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?
A. Building confidence. B. Developing spatial skills.
C. Learning self-control. D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.
25.What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment?
A. Parents’ age. B. Children’s imagination.
C. Parents’ education. D. Child-parent relationship.
26. How do boy differ from girls in puzzle play?
A. They play with puzzles more often.
B. They tend to talk less during the game.
C. They prefer to use more spatial language.
D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.
27. What is the text mainly about?
A. A mathematical method. B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist D. A teaching program.
Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity — but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的),an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
24. Why does the author like rereading?
A. It evaluates the writer-reader relationship.
B. It’s a window to a whole new world.
C. It’s a substitute for drinking with a friend.
D. It extends the understanding of oneself.
25. What do we know about the book A Moveable Feas!?
A. It’s a brief account of a trip.
B. It’s about Hemingway’s life as a young man.
C. It’s a record of a historic event.
D. It’s about Hemingway’s friends in Paris.
26. What does the underlined word "currency" in paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Debt
B. Reward.
C. Allowance.
D. Face value.
27. What can we infer about the author from the text?
A. He loves poetry.
B. He’s an editor.
C. He’s very ambitious.
D. He teaches reading.
Up to 60 Shanghai maths teachers are to be brought to England to raise the UK maths teachers’ standards, in an exchange arranged by the Department for Education. The announcement comes as a campaign that is launched to raise adult maths skills. A survey of 2,300 adults for the numeracy campaign found that over a third thought their level of maths had held them back. An accompanying economic analysis said that a lack of maths skills cost the UK 20 billion pounds per year.
The plan to bring 60 English - speaking maths teachers from Shanghai is an attempt to learn from a city that has been the top performance in the OECD’s Pisa tests. The OECD says that children of poor families in Shanghai are on average better at maths than middle class children in the UK. The Shanghai teachers, expected to arrive from the autumn, will help share their teaching methods, support pupils who are struggling and help to train other teachers.
“ We have some smart maths teachers in this country but what I saw in Shanghai - and other Chinese cities - has only strengthened my belief that we can learn from them,” said education minister, Elizabeth Truss, who has recently visited Shanghai, accompanied by head teachers from England. “They have a can - do attitude to maths - and I want us to match that, and their performance.” She stressed the economic significance of raising maths standards, for individuals and the country. ‘‘As part of our long term economic plan, we are determined to drive up standards in our schools and give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the global race. Good maths qualifications have the greatest earning potential and provide the strongest protection against unemployment,” said Elizabeth Truss.
32. Poor maths skills have caused serious consequences in England.
A. academic B. economic C. culture D. political
33. What is the main reason for Shanghai teachers’ success in maths teaching?
A. Their students are from poor families.
B. Their students have a talent for maths.
C. They have a positive attitude to teaching.
D. They teach in a highly developed city.
34. According to Elizabeth Truss, raising standards can be helpful in .
A. equipping young people with global competitiveness
B. promoting the students’ international test performance
C. teaching how to earn money in the global market
D. discovering one’s maths talents at an early age
35. What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Good Maths Skills Are about Hard Work
B. Why Are English Maths Standards Left Behind?
C. Why Are Shanghai Maths Teachers Getting Popular?
D. Chinese Teachers Bring the Art of Maths to English Schools
On the day of college graduation, I told my friends and family the news:I was leaving the country I had lived in since childhood. “I just need a change,”I told them, but there was more. I was running from heartbreak. My relationship with the United States is the toughest one I have ever had, as a country I loved and believed in did not love me back.
Back in the 90’s, my mother brought me from our home in the Caribbean islands to the U.S.when I was 4 years old. She worked as a live-in nanny(保姆)for two years, playing mommy for white kids whose parents had better things to do. She didn’t believe that nanny meant maid, and did whatever was asked of her. She was thirsty to embrace her American dream, hoping that her children would be educated and she might have nannies of her own.
Those were our path to get a “good education.”When the neighborhoods with quality schools became too expensive for my mom to afford as a single parent, we went across the United States with Great Schools. net as our compass: New Jersey, elementary school; Texas, middle school; Florida, high school; New York City, private university
For a long time I survived by covering myself in all kinds of labels so that people would ignore the color of my skin, yet I existed on the edge of ugly, ignorant and uncultured. “Black people don’t really know how to swim, “a white lady told me when I worked as a swim instructor at my neighborhood’s pool. “The black children don’t like to read very much, “I overheard one librarian discussing with another while l sat down reading a book a couple feet away.
I was never able to make America my home. When I stripped myself of the labels painfully one by one, beneath them there is a wounded colored woman who refuses to be faceless anymore. My face may be disgusting to some since it bears proof that race continues to be a problem. My hope is that it will force Americans to re-examine their “post-racial” beliefs.
4. What was the real reason that made the author leave the United States?
A. It couldn’t provide her with good education.
B. She just needed a challenge in her way of life.
C. The way she was treated there broke her heart.
D. She was tired of living in a strange country.
5. What can we infer about the author’s mother from Paragraphs 2 and 3 ?
A. She sacrificed a lot to live a better life in America.
B. She was quite content to work as a live-in nanny.
C. She was particular about the schools her daughter attended.
D. She liked visiting all kinds of schools with the author.
6. The author gives two examples in Paragraph 4 to show that_____ .
A. how ignorant and uncultured many people are in US
B. she needed to cover herself in all kinds of labels
C. the race problem is still serious in the United States
D. black children often have no interest in reading books
7. The author’s attitude towards the United States on race problem is_____ .
A. supportive
B. positive
C. neutral
D. negative