Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠) .It's too bad that humans can't hibernate. In fact, as a species, we almost did.
Apparently, at times in the past , peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation . So writes Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants. As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end.
In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio's The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the electric bulb.
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as "first sleep", which was not clarified, though. Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods. The business of eight hours' uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention.
In the past , without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight. The late night period was known as "The Watch" It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals ,although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours .
According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder .It is normal . Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning .This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people .The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison , used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas.
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous ,as anxiety may set in. Medical science doesn't help much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night's continuous sleep, which sounds natural ; however, according to Warren's theory，it is really the opposite of what we need.
| 1． |
The example of the French peasants shows the fact that.
|
| 2． |
The late night was called "The Watch"because it was a time for people.
|
| 3． |
What does the author advise people to do ?
|
| 4． |
What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
|
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts a few minutes or a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation－for example, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year. Situational loneliness Is easy to understand and to predict.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problem socializing and becoming close to others unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Many researchers agree that the loneliest people are between the ages 18 and 25, so a group of psychologists decided to study a group of college students. They found that more than 50% of the students were situationally lonely at the beginning of the term as a result of their new circumstances, but had adjusted after a few months, 13% were still lonely after seven months due to shyness and fear. They felt very uncomfortable meeting strangers, even though they understood that their fear was not reasonable. The situationally lonely students overcame their loneliness by making new friends, but the chronically lonely remained unhappy because they were afraid to do so.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: First of all, they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition. The passage mainly talks about .
| A．the subjects of psychology |
| B．the study on loneliness |
| C．the interests of psychologists |
| D．the treatment of loneliness |
All of the following are true EXCEPT that .
| A．situational loneliness can cause physical problems |
| B．temporary loneliness does not need special attention |
| C．chronic loneliness can cause problems in socializing |
| D．37% of the students can overcome loneliness easily |
The underlined word “chronic” in Paragraph 3 means “ ”.
| A．resulting from specific causes |
| B．lasting a long time |
| C．changing slightly |
| D．improving their health |
Psychologists want to help the habitually lonely people because .
| A．they are college students |
| B．they are sad and dangerous |
| C．they are not active in communicating with others |
| D．they may have mental and physical problems |
A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice. According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords (声带) can heal.
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. “It’s a proud moment for all of us,” his wife told DNAIndia.com.
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their ent
husiasm. Don’t get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity. But his record–singing for 80 hours straight–is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Granted , I’m not qualified to speak on the subject. I’ve got no world records to my name– and I never expect to have any. Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley (混合曲) of pop songs.
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure. He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades. The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake.
To all of these enterprising (有进取心的) souls I ask, simply, “What was it all for?”
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you becam
e a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you–with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese.
After all, records are made to be broken.From the text, we can learn that the author .
A．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ fea t |
| B．feels it is a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures |
| C．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless |
| D．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords |
Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to .
| A．become an international celebrity |
| B．know all about Guinness record |
| C．practice a great deal |
| D．bear great stress for fear of injury |
We can infer from the article that .
| A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak |
| B．Burbure’ wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record |
| C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior |
| D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health |
The author’s attitude to the Guinness world records mentioned in the passage is .
| A．positive | B．impressed |
| C．negative | D．touched |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．What Was the Point? |
| B．Records Are Made to be Broken |
| C．A New Indian Guinness Record |
| D．The Guinness Book Is Boring |
STUDY CENTER COURSES
| From Paragraph to essay Of particular relevance to students who wish to improve their organizational skills and who feel that their final product is never clear enough. Thursday 10:00—12:00 Kiran Singh |
| Source Material How do you gather information for a project or paper? A practical course which looks at sources of information and how to use cataloguing systems. Monday 10:00—11 :00 Kiran Singh |
| Express Yourself An advanced course suitable for students who are about to step into organizations where they may have to voice their opinions often. Monday 12:00—2:00 Dave Parrin |
| Media Use Open to all students ,this course focuses on the many ways we can benefit from the radio and television. Group projects form part of course. Tuesday 9:00—11:00 Steve Ansell |
| The Short Story A research into the w  orld of popular writers. One story is selected for adaptation into a short play and group performance. Pre-arranged groups welcome.Thursday 11:00—1:30 Mrs Owen |
| Caught for Speeding Open to all students .Simple eye exercises to help you with speed reading. How to be selective on the page . Using headings, topic sentences and paragraphs for easy access. Wednesday 11:00—1:00 Mrs Owen |
| Tense about Tenses For those who worry about their use of words—a look at tenses and other aspects of the language through poetry and song. Good voice helps but not a must. Saturday 10:00—12:00 Steve Ansell |
If a student takes the course The Short Story, he can’t take .
| A．From Paragraph to Essay | B．Tense about Tenses |
| C．Source Material | D．Media Use |
Which of the courses can develop the students’ team work?
| A．From Paragraph to Essay | B．The Short Story |
| C．Caught for Speeding | D．Express Yourself |
From where can a student read this?
| A．On the radio. | B．On television. |
| C．In a local newspaper. | D．On a school notice board. |
A passenger told an air hostess that he 
needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off．She told him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes．
Thirty minutes later, when the passenger's ring for service sounded, the air hostess flew in a flurry．She was kept so busy that she forgot to deliver him the water．As a result, the passenger was held up to take his medicine．She hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused it．
In the following hours on the flight, each time the stewardess passed by the passenger she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never paid any attention to her.
When he was going to get off the plane, the passenger asked the air hostess to hand him the passengers’ booklet (意见簿). She was very sad. She knew that he would write down sharp words, which might result in the loss of her job. But with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, she opened the booklet, and cracked a smile, for the passenger put it, “On the flight, you asked me whether I need help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your sincere smiles?”
That’s right! Who can refuse your twelve sincere smiles from a person?What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The air hostess forgot the passenger’s need on purpose. |
| B．The air hostess suddenly realized that trouble was coming. |
| C．The passenger wasn’t angry at being ignored. |
| D．The passenger was refused to be served. |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The passenger refused to take his medicine. |
| B．The passenger set down his anger in the booklet. |
| C．The words in the booklet would never affect the air hostess. |
| D．The hostess finally moved the passenger with her smile. |
What kind of person do you think the passenger is?
| A．Forgiving. | B．Curious. | C．Sharp. | D．Enthusiastic. |
As a result, the air hostess would .
| A．get fired by her company | B．be hired by the passenger |
| C．keep her job | D．get a promotion |
Americans usually make allowance(宽容) for non-native-speakers who have some trouble understanding English. But they become annoyed when a person pretends to understand but doesn’t really and then creates problems because of misunderstanding what is said. No one wants soap when he asks for soup. So if you don’t understand what is said to you, admit it and politely ask the person to repeat or explain.
Second, it is quite rude to talk with a friend in your native language and leave your American friends standing there feeling stupid because they can’t understand the conversation. The Americans may also feel that you are talking about them or saying something you don’t want them to hear. If you must turn to your native language to explain something to a non-English-speaking friend, at least translate for your American friends so they don’t feel left out.
Learn just a few more polite English expressions, and you’ll be ready to face the world of Americans with confidence. The polite answer to a compliment(赞扬) about your looks or your works is “Thank you.” (A smile and a nod is not enough.) T
he response to “Thank you.” is, of course, “You’re welcome,” if someone asks “How are you?” don’t give your medical history. Just say “Fine, thanks. How are you?” Finally, what should you say when someone sneezes(打喷嚏)? It may not seem logical, but the correct response is “God bless you.” That’s about all there is to it. Now that you’ve learned this general knowledge of manners, in the U. S. A., you’ve ready to be polite in English. Let’s hope your American friends will be just as polite.In the first paragraph, the underlined word “annoyed” means .
| A．rather angry | B．very impolite | C．quite unfriendly |
D．fairly pleased |
The passage is mainly about in the U. S. A.
A. the importance of good manners B. the general knowledge of English
C. the skill in daily conversations D. the good manners in communication When you talk with someone in your native language, your American friend may feel .
| A．he should learn the language | B．you try to keep some secrets from him |
| C．you are angry with him | D．he becomes a fool |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号