Everyone hates to wait in lines. We get that anxious feeling that our precious life is slipping away while we’re doing something so meaningless. But it’s not always the length of the wait we find so unbearable. Some people camp outside Apple stores for an entire night just to get their hands on the latest product. But waiting 10 minutes in a grocery store just to buy a drink? Forget it.
Our behavior when waiting is only partly decided by the length of the wait. “Often the psychology of queuing is more important than the statistics of the wait itself,” notes the MIT researcher Richard Larson.
One apparent aspect of queuing psychology is that we get bored when we wait in line. This issue is solved in many ways, from magazines in hospital waiting rooms to mirrors in elevators so that we can check our appearance.
We really hate it when we expect a short wait and then get a long one. But studies show that we are much more patient when we are given an idea of how long we’ll be waiting.
Walt Disney Co knows this better than anyone else. It posts estimated waiting times for attractions in its theme parks. But according to Larson, these times are overestimated so that visitors get to the front of the queue more quickly than they expect. It keeps them happy.
But perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about waiting in a line has to do with our sense of fairness. When it comes to queues, the universally acknowledged standard is first come, first served. Any departure from this principle is regarded as unfair and can lead to violent queue anger.
You’ve probably experienced mild queue anger yourself in fast food restaurants, watching people in the other line zoom ahead of you, cursing yourself for having chosen the “wrong” line. In order to solve this problem, the serpentine(蛇形) line was invented. The serpentine line guides all customers into one big snaking queue, separated by ropes or barriers. When you reach the head of the queue, you are directed to the next available server, or teller, or customs official. The serpentine line isn’t always faster than multi-lines before an array(排) of cash registers. But it offers important comfort: you absolutely never have to see someone arrive after you and get served before you.
In life, waiting is inevitable. But a better understanding of the psychology of waiting can help make it a bit more bearable. When all else fails, bring a book or a smart phone will also do.In the 1st paragraph, the author intends to tell us_____.
| A．why people are crazy about Apple’s products |
| B．people waste their precious time in queuing |
| C．waiting time is not the only cause for people’s hate in queuing |
| D．the psychology is the real reason why people hate to wait in lines |
Walt Disney Co makes people queuing happily by_____.
| A．having people queue in serpentine line |
| B．letting people know how long they will wait exactly |
| C．making people queue shorter than they are informed |
| D．offering people magazines to read when waiting in lines |
Serpentine line was invented to_____.
| A．make the waiting line move faster |
| B．guarantee the first-come-first-served principle |
| C．solve the problem of feeling bored in queuing |
| D．guide all customers into one big snaking queue |
The main purpose of the passage is _____.
| A．to explain the advantages of serpentine line |
| B．to introduce ways of saving time in queuing |
| C．to offer an explanation of the psychology of queuing |
| D．to analyze the psychology of people queuing for Apple products |
People
People is America’s No．1 magazine about fascinating people．It’s a guide to who and what’s hot in the arts，science，business，politics，television，movies，books，music and sports．It is published weekly．
Publisher：The Time Inc．Magazine Company
Cover Price：＄211．47
Our Price：＄117．00
Issues：53 issues／12 months
Lucky
Lucky is the shopping magazine with the best buys，and the fashion tips you’ll need before you hit the stores．What makes Lucky really special is that it gets you the information you need before anyone else has it．
Publisher：Conde Nast Publications Inc．
Cover Price：＄35．40
Our Price：＄15．00
Issues：12 issues／12 months
Parents
The most trusted magazine for parents who want to raise smart，loving and self-confident children．Each issue has age-specific child-development guidance，advice on your child’s health and safety，and the best ways to encourage your child’s learning．
Publisher：Meredith Corporation
Cover Price：＄42．00
Our Price：＄9．97
Issues：12 issues／12 months
Entertainment
This magazine covers movies，television，music，Broadway stage productions，books，and popular culture．Unlike celebrity-focused magazines like People，its main concentration is on entertainment media and reviews．It’s intended for a more general audience．
Publisher：The Time Inc．Magazine Company
Cover Price：＄199．50
Our Price：＄38．95
Issues：57 issues／12 months Which of the following targets common readers?
| A．Lucky． | B．Entertainment． | C．Parents． | D．People． |
According to the passage，what makes Lucky so special?
| A．Its exclusive information related to shopping． |
| B．Its pictures of fashion stores． |
| C．The access it provides to bargains． |
| D．Its competitive price． |
Celebrity-focused magazines are probably ones focusing on ．
| A．political events |
| B．festivals and celebrations |
| C．hot events and famous stars |
| D．television programs |
You’re most likely to find the above information ．
| A．in an educational magazine |
| B．on a magazine club website |
| C．in a guide to magazines |
| D．in a magazine sales report |
costs the subscriber least．
| A．Lucky | B．Parents | C．People | D．Entertainment |
Are you a compulsive spender，or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay in cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality．According to psychologists，our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values，but can also stem from past problems．
Experts in psychology believe that for many people，money is an important symbol of strength and influence．Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage．Wives，on the other hand，may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands．In addition，many people consider money a symbol of love．They spend it on their family and friends to express love，or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love．
People can be addicted to different things —for example，alcohol，drugs，certain foods，or even television．They are compulsive in their addictions，i．e．they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable．In the same way，according to psychologists，compulsive spenders must spend money．
For people who buy on credit，furthermore，charge accounts are even more exciting than money：in other words，they feel that with credit，they can do anything．Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy．
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting．To save money，of course，most people look for sales，low prices，and discounts．Compulsive bargain hunters，however，often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap．They want to believe that they are helping their budgets，but they are really playing an exciting game：when they can buy something for less than other people，they feel that they are winning．Most people，experts claim，have two reasons for their behavior：a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason．
It is not only scientists，of course，who understand the psychology of spending habits，but also business people．Stores，companies，and advertisers use psychology to increase business：they consider people’s needs for love，power，or influence，their basic values，their beliefs and opinions， etc．in their advertising and sales methods．
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy（疗法）”to help individuals solve their personality problems．In the same way，they can help people who feel that they have problems with money：they give them “assignments” If a person buys something in every store that he enters， for instance，a therapist might teach him self discipline in this way：on the first day of his therapy， he must go into a store，stay five minutes，and then leave．On the second day，he should stay for ten minutes and try something on．On the third day，he stays for fifteen minutes，asks the salesclerk a question，but does not buy anything．Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything，and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying．If you use charge accounts， ．
| A．you pay in cash |
| B．you pay less than you should |
| C．you pay with credit card |
| D．you pay more than you should |
Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ．
| A．the things they buy are cheap |
| B．they believe they can balance their budgets |
| C．they get psychological satisfaction |
| D．they really need the things they buy |
Behavior therapy in this case aims at ．
| A．helping businessmen to increase their business |
| B．helping compulsive spenders to buy less |
| C．finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy |
| D．finding out what people will do in front of a bargain |
The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ．
| A．different things |
| B．their addictions |
| C．their pleasures |
| D．charge accounts |
From the passage we can conclude that ．
| A．how you spend money reveals if you are psychologically healthy |
| B．money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much |
| C．compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine |
| D．all businessmen understand well the psychology of customers |
Chinese media and Internet users on Monday condemned lack of morals in society after a toddler was struck twice –by two different vans-and left bleeding on the road as more than a dozen bystanders did nothing to help the seriously injured girl．
The incident， captured by a surveillance camera and broadcast by Southern Television Guangdong （TVS），showed the two-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a white van on a narrow market street on the afternoon of Oct．13，in Foshan City of Guangdong Province．
The driver fled the scene of the accident，leaving the girl to bleed on the sidewalk．Over the next six minutes，more than a dozen people walked by the girl，yet not one individual did anything to help her．The girl was then hit a second time by another van before an elderly trash collector came to her aid and brought the attention of the girl’s mother，according to the video and eyewitnesses．
Doctors said that the girl，who was put on life support after being hospitalized，remains in a deep coma．The girl’s parents，who are migrants living in the city，are now with her．
Police said the drivers of both vehicles have been arrested．However，the apathy of the bystanders shown in the video has shocked the public，as Internet forums have seethed with anger， and people are questioning the morality of society．
High moral standards were once triumphed as national pride in China where individuals known for selflessly helping others were adored by the public．
But in recent years，the perception（观念）of a decline of morals has become a hot topic as profit and materialism are perceived to be affecting society’s values．
On Sept．2 an 88-year-old man in central China collapsed，his face striking the pavement．Yet，no one came to his aid，and he ended up choking to death on the blood from his nose．
Some have linked the absence of good Samaritans （模范人物）to a previous case in which a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her．
A strong chorus of opinion on the Internet says laws should exempt（免除）Samaritans from liability（责任），yet laws themselves cannot solve society’s morality dilemma．
Cao Lin，a China Youth Daily commentator，said in a signed article published on Monday that the worry of liability should not be an excuse for not helping，and this case exposes the decline of humanity in Chinese society．According to the passage，what would happen if someone helped others selflessly in the past?
| A．He/ she would be condemned by the public． |
| B．He/ she would be awarded by the government． |
| C．He/ she would have to worry about liability． |
| D．The public would feel proud of him/ her and thus showed love and respect for him/ her |
Which of the following is TRUE about this passage?
| A．Nobody helped the girl who was struck twice by two different vans． |
| B．The toddler died immediately after she was hit a second time． |
| C．High moral standards were once regarded as national pride in China． |
| D．Journalists from TVS captured the incident by using a camera． |
In recent years，society’s values is believed to be affected by ．
| A．profit and materialism | B．people’s perceptions |
| C．the apathy of bystanders | D．the morals of society |
According to Cao Lin，what is the fundamental reason for not helping the girl?
| A．The worry of liability． |
| B．Lack of laws that exempt Samaritans from liability． |
| C．The decline of humanity in society． |
| D．The fear of being accused of harming her． |
Where is the article most probably taken from?
| A．A fashion magazine． | B．A news report． |
| C．A science fiction． | D．An education column． |
Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime（消遣）, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.What kind of children may eat more unhealthy food according to the text? （回答词数不超过6个）
Why do the author thinks that children are becoming overweight? （回答词数不超过10个）
What is the main purpose of the text? （回答词数不超过4个）
What does the passage mainly talk about? （回答词数不超过5个）
Wen Jiabao arrived in Singapore yesterday for an official visit to the country. It is the first visit by a Chinese premier to Singapore in eight years. In the arrival statement, When said he is looking forward to the meeting with Singing pore on ways to deepen East Asian cooperation between two nations so as to contribute to the building of a peaceful, harmonious relationship.
Premier Wen Jiabao and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to jointly develop an environmentally friendly city in northeastern China. The city will be a model for sustainable development, a Singapore government statement said.The”Sino-Singapore Tjanjin Eco—city” will be developed by a joint venture formed by Chinese and Singapore companies.”This eco-city, to be built in Tianjin, well become another highlight in our relations,” When said after signing an agreement with Lee, who agreed,“On the Singapore side, on all levels,we’ll give this project our full support.”
The two sides will share expertise and experiences in urban planning, environmental protection, resources conservation,recyeling,use of renewable resources and wastewater re-use. China’s economil planning agency issued a set of guidelines earlier this month welcoming foreign investment in environmentally friendly areas such as recycling,”clean”industries and environmental protection.
Bilateral relations between China and Singapore have seen big progress even though the two countries established diplomatic ties only 17 years ago, When said during his talks with Lee.
China and Singapore have also kept close contact and coordination on regional issues, he added. When said China and Singapore are both important Asian countries that share common interests in many areas.
Title: Wen’s visit to Singapore
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