When someone gives you advice, listen without judgment, try to find value in what you’re hearing, and say: “Thank you”. This wise advice is easy to understand yet hard to practice. I’ll give you an example from my life when I totally blew it in terms of practising what I teach.
In my work I travel constantly. I always put off going to the airport until the last second. My wife, Lyda, was sitting next to me in the front seat. I was racing along and not paying much attention. Lyda cried out! “Look out! There is a red light up ahead.”
Being a trained behavioral science professional—who teaches others the value of encouraging advice—I naturally screamed at her: “I know there is a red light up ahead! Don’t you think I can see?” When we arrived at the airport, Lyda didn’t speak to me. I wondered why she seemed mad at me.
During the flight to New York, I did a cost-benefit analysis. I asked myself: “What was the cost of just listening when Lyda called out the warning? Zero.” I then reasoned: “What was the potential benefit? What could have been saved?” Several potential benefits came to mind, including her life, my life, and the lives of other people.
I landed in New York feeling ashamed of myself. I immediately called Lyda and told her my cost-benefit story. I convinced her: “The next time you help me with my driving, I am just going to say, ‘Thank you.”
A few months passed, and I had long forgotten the incident. Again, I was racing off to the airport, when Lyda cried out: “Look out for the red light!” I was embarrassed, and then shouted: “Thank you!”
I’m a long way from perfect, but I’m getting better. My suggestion is that you get in the habit of asking the important people in your life how you can do things better. And be ready for an answer. Some people may tell you things like “Look out for the red light.” When this happens, remember that there is possibly some potential benefit. Then just say: “Thank you.”
45. What do we know about the author?
A. He is expert at behavioral science. B. He is gifted in cost-benefit analysis.
C. He seldom takes his wife’s advice. D. He often runs the red traffic light.
46. The underlined part “blew it” in Paragraph 1 probably means “ ”.
A. became annoyed with the adviser B. forgot the practical method
C. failed to say “Thank you” D. lost personal judgment
47. It can be inferred from the passage that people .
A. tend to be defensive when given advice
B. intend to follow others’ suggestions
C. had better study behavioral science
D. should give their opinions patiently
48. The purpose of the passage is to advise people to .
A. do a cost-benefit analysis in daily life B. treasure others’ suggestions
C. learn from the author’s experiences D. discover potential benefits
Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined (限于) to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic (器官的) disease, that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking．then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms(症状) often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. It may be caused by a virus (病毒). It may be caused by a poisonous substance(物质) in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer's disease _________ .
| A．is a terrible part of the aging process |
| B．is an organic disease that affects young and old |
| C．can be cured by physical treatment |
| D．causes forgetfulness |
All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer's disease EXCEPT__________．
| A．forgetfulness |
| B．difficulty in speaking |
| C．loss of sight. |
| D．loss of the ability to walk |
According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease?
| A．Poisons produced by the brain． |
| B．Getting old. |
| C．A virus. |
| D．Lack of exercise. |
The press of Alzheimer's disease can be slowed by
| A．operation |
| B．a change in environment |
| C．medicines |
| D．physical treatment and exercise |
In general, people talk about two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people: people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors.
The warm colors are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, those who like to be with others, like red. The cool colors are green, blue and violet. These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing. Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors. He suggests that a warm color, such as red or orange is a good color for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly.
Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool. How ever, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.Which of the following colors belong to cool colors?
| A．Yellow, green. | B．Blue, violet. |
| C．Black, blue. | D．Brown, white. |
Which of the following statements is not true?
| A．Sociable people like warm colors. |
| B．Warm colors can make people excited. |
| C．People who like to be with others don't like red. |
| D．Where there are warm colors, people want to be active. |
Which is the right color for different rooms?
| A．Red or orange for offices. | B．Orange for dining-rooms. |
| C．Blue for bedrooms. | D．Red for studies. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．It shows the reason why people think some colors are warm and others are cool. |
| B．Warm colors remind people of warm days. |
| C．Cool colors remind people of cool days. |
| D．People have an agreeable opinion of warm colors and cool colors. |
Without the atmosphere there would be no weather, no wind, rain, snow, or clouds. Air is all around us; we live at the bottom of a great ocean of air. It is invisible, but we can feel it when it moves. There are miles of air above us, pressing down with great weight on the earth and everything on it. Because air presses down on us from all directions at the same time, and because we are able to bear (忍受) this weight, we do not seem to feel it. But scientists have proved that air has this weight, and that anything that has weight creates(产生) a force called pressure. As changes in air pressure take place, they, make air move.
Air is a gas that expands(膨胀) when heated, gets lighter, and moves upward. When air is cooled, it gets heavier, sinks close to the earth's surface, and flows like water in a great river. As warn air rises, cold air rushes in to take its place. 'Thus winds originate (起源). The winds that blow high above us are caused by the warmer air running away from colder air. The wind we feel near the earth's surface is the heavy colder air trying hard to catch the warmer air. Changes in temperature cause the air to move. And of course there are many changes, so air movements are taking place practically all the time.The first paragraph mainly tells us the causes of
| A．why we don't feel air | B．why atmosphere is important to us |
| C．why there is air surrounding us | D．why there is air pressure |
Air moves under such conditions that
| A．there is air pressure | B．the air is heavy |
| C．air pressure doesn't remain the same all the time | D．air comes up and down |
Which of the following pictures best tells the movements of warm air and cold air?
According to the passage, in same areas if farmers who grow grapes (葡萄) light fires in the early morning, that is because the farmers want to________________．
| A．drive away warm air | B．prevent cold air from coming to harm their plants |
| C．cause more wind | D．stop warm air running away |
I stood up to speak and my mind went blank .Has this ever happened to you? You may be nervous in front of an audience（观众）.You may be worried that you didn’t prepare enough, You may have forgotten some of your facts. What can you do? Sometimes people prepare too much and become terrified if they can’t remember the words they have practised. It is a good idea to bring some notes to help you organize, but don’t memorize your speech. If you “go blank”,begin by explaining the purpose of your speech, and the test will probably follow.
“Go blank” here means
| A．to be absent-minded | B．to think too much suddenly |
| C．to be afraid of the audience | D．not knowing what to say at the moment |
Before the listeners, the speakers who have pre-pared enough
| A．never go bland | B．never feel afraid |
| C．may forget the prepared words | D．may forget the opening speech |
A good way to make to made a good speech is
| A．to memorize the speech | B．to organize the audience well |
| C．to have some brief motes at hand | D．to have the audience take notes |
The man who goes blank in front of the listeners should .
| A．begin with the purpose of his speech | B．cut off the rest of his speech |
| C．see his notes right away | D．find some way to draw the audience’s attention |
A little girl was given so many picture books on her seventh birthday that her father. Who should have run his office and let her mother run the home, thought his daughter should give one or two of her new books to a little neighbor boy named Robert, who had visited their home sometimes.
Now, taking books, or anything else, from a little girl is like taking sweets from a baby, but the father of the little girl had his way and Robert got a couple of her books. “After all, that leaves you with nine,” said the father, who thought he was a child psychologist（心理学家）,and couldn’t shout his big stupid mouth on the subject.
A few weeks later, the father went to his library to look up “father” in The Oxford English Dictionary, eager to enjoy the praise of fatherhood through the centuries, but he couldn’t find volume（册）F-G and then he discovered that others were missing too. A-B,L-M, V-Z. He looked everywhere for them, and learned what had happened to the four missing volumes.
“A man came to the door this morning” said the little daughter, “and he didn’t know how to get from here to Torrington or from Torrington to Wintec, and he was a kind man, much nicer than Robert, and so I gave him four of your books After all, there are thirteen volumes in the Oxford English Dictionary, and that leaves you with nine.According to the writer’s opinion,
| A．a mother should keep house and father educate the children |
| B．A father should run the home as well as his office |
| C．A father should run his office and leave his children to his wife |
| D．A father shouldn’t only run his office but educate his children |
“The father of the little girl has his way” means
A. the father went out to work in his office
B. the father decided to the girl a lesson
C. the father still did what he wanted to. Considering himself a psychologist, the father
A. couldn’t stop discussing the subject
B. couldn’t helping（禁不住）talking about the subject
B. couldn’t refuse to listen to the subject
D. couldn’t give an explanation of he subjectWhat’s still unclear to us in the story?
| A．The exact number of the picture books the girl had received. |
| B．How many volumes the Oxford English Dictionary includes. |
| C．Whether each volume of the dictionary includes entries beginning with two letters. |
| D．Whether the father knew his daughter’s mind well |
What do we know about the little girl?
| A．She liked Robert very much. | B．She liked reading dictionary |
| C．She dislikes what her father did to her picture books. | |
| D．She is a kind and helpful girl. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号