Ever tried taking smart drugs to perform better in exams? They certainly work. Before last summer's exam, a few of my mates, merely out of curiosity, took a considerable amount of Modafinil, a drug normally used for narcolepsy(嗜眠发作症). Guess what? While I was feeling sleepy, bored by revision, my mates were more focused.
Modafinil is a smart drug that gives a user a feeling of staying awake for hours. It also sharpens the mind, improves memory and helps problem-solving.
But it does more than just keeping you awake. It disturbs your mental system, making you desperate to do what you are doing. You just don't want to do anything else but revise all the time non-stop.
A recent study discovers that healthy people use smart drugs, like Modafinil, to get down to and complete tasks they have been putting off, because these tasks seem more enjoyable when taking these drugs. This might sound like what a stressed student desires. However, the pills have a range of side-effects.
"At present no evidence shows that these drugs are safe in healthy people," as a medical expert puts it, "Ordering online, though easy, is a dangerous way to obtain drugs. You never know what you're actually purchasing. "
In my experience, Modafinil changes people's behaviour too. Over those weeks my friends became different people—in turn aggressive, cold. Even eating became "a waste of time" and so did conversation.
A BBC survey found that of those who had tried smart drugs before, 92% would do so again. My friends say they'd happily do so without considering the practice a form of cheating.
I admit I was curious—but not enough to try it. Seeing the strange behaviour of other users, I feel a little bit upset and scary. Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned!According to the author, his mates took Modafinil for the purpose of______.
| A．escaping from reality | B．getting better exam results |
| C．curing their narcolepsy | D．leading an active life |
Taking the smart drug can lead to ______.
| A．cheating in the exam | B．dropping out of school |
| C．youth crime(犯罪) | D．drug addiction(上瘾) |
What does the author think of his mates' taking the smart drugs?
| A．Worrying. | B．Inspiring. |
| C．Acceptable. | D．Reasonable. |
Which statement about Modafinil is wrong?
| A．Modafinil sharpens the mind and helps problem-solving. |
| B．Modafinil more than just keeps you awake. |
| C．Modafinil has a range of side effects. |
| D．Modafinil is safe in healthy people. |
Who are the target readers of this passage?
| A．Teachers. | B．Doctors. | C．Scientists. | D．Students. |
Plastic surgery(整容手术) is not only popular in the US, but is also sweeping across Asia. It is reported that South Korea is now the world’s largest market for plastic surgery.
In order to change their looks, 20 percent of women aged between 19 and 49 in Seoul said they had gone under the knife. The growth of South Korea’s pop music industry increases the popularity. Many patients visit clinics (诊所)with photos of singers, asking doctors to copy their noses or eyes.
Joo Kwon, who founded one of the largest clinics in Seoul, recently opened a hotel to better serve customers. People will spend about US$I7,675 in a single visit. An increasing number of clients are non-Koreans, from China, Japan, the Middle East and even Africa. Leaders in South Korea say that this will help the Korean economy.
However, Mr. Kwon warned that young people should be careful when seeking such operations. “I think South Korea doesn’t understand the word “beauty”, because everyone looks pretty much the same. It is also related to low self-confidence. I think the situation will somewhat become better in future as the society becomes more different. But it will take quite a bit of time until we get there,” he told reporters.
Last year, a booklet was given out to Korean high school students by the government. There is a story that a local woman who was crazy about plastic surgery ended up with an ugly face.What is the main cause of the increase in plastic surgery in South Korea?
| A．The increasing understanding of beauty. |
| B．The increasing number of clinics. |
| C．The rise of the pop music industry. |
| D．The rise of the Korean economy. |
What is Mr. Kwon’s attitude towards plastic surgery?
| A．He feels it is worth a try |
| B．He is strongly against it. |
| C．He is not interested in it. |
| D．He is objective about it |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ____ .
| A．plastic surgery is supported by the government |
| B．high school students are encouraged to have plastic surgery |
| C．high school students in South Korea are fond of plastic surgery |
| D．plastic surgery is bad for people’s health |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．How to have plastic surgery. |
| B．Why women have plastic surgery. |
| C．The famous singers in South Korea. |
| D．Rapid growth of plastic surgery in South Korea. |
My darling daughter,
Recently I saw a diary of years. It was written when you were nine. I read your goals in the diary, and one little goal was really surprising for me. It was “to make Mom happy”.
I was so moved, and I would have told you that you made me happy every day of my life. My first thoughts in the morning were of you. When I got home from work, I couldn’t wait to see you. I liked talking to you very much and I wanted to know what your day was like. You kept my spirit alive, my mind challenged and my body active. You were, and still are, the light of my life. Without you, my life would have been boring. You made me happy and you continue to do so.
You are a mother now, with a child of your own. I know you love her, so I think you should tell her how happy she makes you. Sometimes we forget to say the words that are in our hearts. These words can be very important to a child. They can change their world completely. They can create a beautiful world for them.
You are my joy in life, my little one. You always have been, and you always will be. Never forget that, and tell that to your child. Tell her that she is the most important thing in the world for you, because she makes things joyful in your life! I love you, my dearest daughter.
Mom
What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The diary was written when the daughter was young |
| B．The mother was not close to her daughter. |
| C．The daughter had been dead for many years. |
| D．The mother often heard from her daughter. |
The mother ______ according to the text.
| A．thought her life was boring |
| B．has a granddaughter |
| C．was a housewife |
| D．used to get up early |
According to the third paragraph, the mother advised her daughter to ______ .
| A．try her best to make her child happy |
| B．take her child traveling around the world |
| C．let her child do whatever she wants |
| D．tell her child her feelings |
The text has most likely been taken from
| A．a report | B．a letter |
| C．a piece of news | D．a poster |
Are people less happy or more happy the older they get ? A study found that people generally become happier and experience less worry after age 50. In fact, it found that by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were at 18.
The finding came from a Gallup survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States in 2008. At that time, the people were between the age of 18 an 85.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25. Stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.
Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. But the people least likely to report feeling negative emotions(消极情绪) were those in their seventies and eighties. The survey also found that men and women had similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men did.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
So why would happiness increase with age ? One theory is that, as people get older, they become more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
The original(最初的) goal of the study was to confirm the popular belief that aging is connected with increased sleep problems. The survey did find an increase during middle age, especially in women. But except for that , people reported that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older.Old people may be happier probably because _________
| A．their children have grown up. |
| B．they don’t have to work every day. |
| C．they can do whatever they like best. |
| D．they are most likely satisfied with life. |
According to the survey, when will adults feel most stressful?
| A．In their twenties. | B．In their fifties. |
| C．In their seventies. | D．In their eighties. |
What may make Arthur Stone a bit surprised?
| A．Women usually live longer than men. |
| B．Middle-age men mostly are very rich. |
| C．Old people usually have a better sleep. |
| D．Most of old people can’t sleep well at night. |
Which of the following may be the topic of this passage ?
| A．The difference between men and women. |
| B．Old people’s feeling of happiness. |
| C．The young people and the old people. |
| D．The connection of sleep and happiness. |
I come to the United States ten year ago. I would always say that I was trying to study, but there were always things like work and my kids that would not allow me to start.
Now I realized that those were only excuses. What stopped me was that I was afraid to start studying again. I always believed I would learn by myself.
One day, however, my son told me that he was sad because his friends would come over and I didn’t understand them because I didn’t speak English. He was also sad because I could never help him with his homework. That same day, I told myself, “Rocio, you have to start believing in yourself and you will see you can make it.”
The next day, I went downtown to look for a big banner (横幅) in front of the school which said that they offered classes for adults. I came in to see if I could join, but the classes were closed already. That night I took the kids to the movies, and on the way back, I told them we would take a new route. I ended up getting lost. That’s the way I found Chaffey College. The following Monday, I went to ask for information. They told me that summer school was starting that week.
That’s how I started studying English last summer. It is difficult, but I have had great rewards. My daughter had to write a story for school. It was about the female they most admired and why . She wrote that I was the person she most admired because I had started going to College. I will never forget this.
According to the passage, the author probably is a .
| A．teacher | B．doctor | C．father | D．mother |
What made the author make up her mind to study English?
| A．What her son said. |
| B．What her daughter said. |
| C．Thinking about herself. |
| D．Thinking about her daughter. |
How did they find Chaffey College?
| A．On the way to the movies. |
| B．They took a new route and got lost. |
| C．Ask a stranger for information. |
| D．According to the banner. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author came to the United States from another country. |
| B．The author had two children at least including one daughter. |
| C．What really changed the author’s life was she believed in herself. |
| D．The author wrote that she was the person her son most admired. |
Apple is known for offering the best customer service in the consumer technology market, such as Lenovo, Google and Nokia, in customer satisfaction surveys every year .
A particular story tells of how an Apple store manager broke a rule to earn a new, 10-year-old customer for life.
Matt tells us this touching story:
My daughter has been saving her birthday money and allowance for almost 9 months so that she could afford an iPod touch with a camera in it.
As of this morning, she had saved the amount needed and headed to an Apple store in Utah with my wife. They arrived at 10:30 am, not realizing that the store would be closed from 11 am to 2 am that day. As they approach the store, two friendly Apple employees greeted them and said they were sorry, but they were closed.
My wife pointed to my daughter who had a mason jar full of cash in her arms and explained why they were there and also pointed out that it was not quite 11 am yet. They again said they were sorry, but could not let them in. My wife and daughter were sad and regretful, but understood and made their way to another store in the mall.
About three stores down, an Apple employee raced after them and explained that the manager was going to make an exception and let them in. Every one of the employees stopped what they were doing as my daughter approached the register.
As she took all of the cash out of the mason jar, one employee stepped forward and said, “I don’t mean to bother you, but I have to tell you that this made my day wonderful.”
After the transaction(交易), my daughter and wife were on their way out, the store manager raised his voice and said to all of the employees, “Everyone, please give a round of applause for saving her money and buying an iPod today.”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Apple doesn’t do well in the customer service. |
| B．Consumers are more satisfied with Apple |
| C．Nokia did better than Apple in the past. |
| D．Customer satisfaction surveys are made every two years. |
According to the text, Matt’s daughter would like to have________.
| A．a computer | B．an iPhone |
| C．an iPod | D．an iPod touch |
According the passage, what is “a mason jar” ?
| A．a money box | B．a pot for cooking |
| C．a coffee cup | D．a candy box |
What is the text mainly about ?
| A．A good example on how to bargain with an Apple employee. |
| B．How a girl and her mother tried to buy what they wanted. |
| C．A touching story about how Apple earned a new customer for life. |
| D．The reason why a girl wanted to buy an Apple product. |
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