We're all connected. You can send an e-mail message to a friend, and your friend can pass it on to one of his or her friends, and that friend can do the same, continuing the chain. Eventually, your message could reach just about anyone in the world, and it might take only five to seven e-mails for the message to get there.
Scientists recently tested that idea in a study involving 24,000 people. Participants had to try to get a message forwarded to one of 18 randomly chosen people. Each participant started by sending one e-mail to someone they knew. Recipients could then forward the e-mail once to someone they knew, and so on.
Targets, who were randomly assigned by researchers from Columbia University in New York, lived in 13 countries. They included an Australian police officer, a Norwegian veterinarian, and a college professor.
Out of 24,000 chains, only 384 reached their goal. The rest petered out, usually because one of the recipients was either too busy to forward the message or thought it was junk mail.
The links that reached their goal made it in an average of 4.05 e-mails. Based on the lengths of the failed chains, the researchers estimated that two strangers could generally make contact in five to seven e-mails.
The most successful chains relied on casual acquaintances rather than close friends. That's because your close friends know each other whereas your acquaintances tend to know people you don't know. The phenomenon, known as the strength of weak ties, explains why people tend to get jobs through people they know casually but aren't that close to.
So, start networking and instant messaging now. As they say in show business: It's all about who you know. If you want to get into touch with a stranger in the world, how many e-mails might it take for the message to reach him/her?
| A. 5 to 7 |
B. 18 |
C. 13 |
D. 384 |
Which of the following is Not true about the test?
| A. 24,000 people took part in the study and sent e-mails to people they knew. |
| B. The 18 targets were chosen by chance. |
| C. About 98.4% of the mails didn’t reach their goal because some people were too busy or they mistook the message for junk mail. |
| D. The targets come from 13 countries, such as Australia, Norway and New York. |
What does the word “estimate” mean in the passage?
| A. make sure |
B. suppose |
C. think over |
D. imagine |
Why do people tend to get jobs more easily through casual acquaintances than close friends?
| A. Because close friends don’t talk with each other so much. |
| B. Because casual acquaintances can help you know more people and make more friends. |
| C. Because close friends don’t spend so much time gathering together. |
| D. Because casual acquaintances are kinder and more willing to help others. |
In which part of a newspaper will readers read this passage?
| A. Culture |
B. Entertainment |
C. Information and Technology |
D. Health |
Proper arrangement of classroom space is important to encouraging interaction. Most of us have noticed how important physical setting is to efficiency and comfort in our work. College classroom space should be designed to encourage the activity of critical thinking.
We are in the 21st century now, but step into almost any college classroom and you step back in time at least a hundred years. Desks are normally in straight rows, so students can clearly see the teacher but not all their classmates. The assumption behind such an arrangement is obvious: Everything of importance comes from the teacher.
With a little imagination and effort, unless desks are fixed to the floor, the teacher can correct this situation and create space that encourages interchange among students. In small or standard-size classes, chairs, desks, and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways: circles, U-shapes or semicircles. The primary goal should be for everyone to be able to see everyone else.
Arrangement of the classroom should also make it easy to divide students into small groups for discussion or problem-solving exercises. Small classes with movable desks and tables present no problem. Even in large lecture halls, it is possible for students to turn around and form groups of four or six. Breaking a class into small groups provides more opportunities for students to interact with each other, think out loud, and see how other students’ thinking processes operate---all these are essential elements in developing new modes of critical thinking.
In courses that regularly use a small group format, students might be asked to stay in the same small groups throughout the course. A colleague of mine, John, allows students to move around during the first two weeks, until they find a group they are comfortable with. John then asks them to stay in the same seat, with the same group, from that time on. This not only creates a comfortable setting for interaction but helps him learn students’ names and faces.The final purpose of arranging desks in circles or U-shapes is __________.
| A．for teachers to divide students into small groups |
| B．to make it possible for students to interact with each other |
| C．for teachers to find out how students think |
| D．to give students more opportunities to practice speaking |
The expression “step back in time at least a hundred years” is intended to convey that________.
| A．college classrooms often reminded people of their past |
| B．critical thinking was encouraged even one century ago |
| C．desk arrangement in a classroom was quite different from that a hundred years ago |
| D．today’s arrangement of college classroom space has little difference from past’s |
The way of arranging desks in classrooms in straight rows indicates that ________.
| A．students can be easily prevented from cheating during tests |
| B．it is convenient for teachers to monitor students |
| C．teachers play a significant role in a classroom |
| D．it is good for students to concentrate on listening to teachers |
Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of aging on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20--25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the aging process.”
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.
“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink.
They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease.
The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart, said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.The underlined word “longevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to ______.
| A．health | B．long life | C．aging | D．effect |
The text mainly talks about ______.
| A．men’s heart cells | B．women’s aging process |
| C．the gender difference | D．hearts and long life |
According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ______________.
| A．women have more cells than men when they are born |
| B．women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat |
| C．the female heart loses few of the cells with age |
| D．women never lose their pumping power with age |
If you want to live longer, you should ___________.
| A．enable your heart to beat much faster |
| B．find out the reason for aging |
| C．exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy |
| D．prevent your cells from being lost |
We can know from the passage that __________.
| A．the reason why aging takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out |
| B．scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells |
| C．the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss |
| D．women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20 |
A Chinese couple tried to name their baby “@”, saying the character best represents their love for the child, according to an official trying to standardize the national language. The unusual name stands out especially in Mandarin, which has no alphabet (字母表) and instead uses tens of thousands of multistroke (多笔画的) characters to represent words. “The whole world uses it to write emails, and translated into Chinese it means ‘love him’,” the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming.
While the @ symbol is familiar to Chinese email users, they often use the English word “at” to sound it out. With a drawnout “t”, this sounds something like “ai ta”, or “love him”, to Mandarin speakers. Li says the name is an extreme example of people’s increasingly adventurous approach to Mandarin, as commercialization and the Internet break down conventions (习俗).
Another couple tried to give their child a name that in English sounds like “King Osrina”.
Li did not say if officials accepted the “@” name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals (阿拉伯数字) and foreign languages. Sixty million Chinese face the problem that their names use ancient characters so uncommon that computers cannot recognize them and even fluent speakers are left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a report on the government website. One of them is the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name has a rare “rong” character that gives newspaper editors headaches.
Why did the Chinese couple try to name their baby “@”？
| A．Because they wanted their baby to have a special name. |
| B．Because they wanted their baby to have an international name. |
| C．Because the @ symbol is familiar to email users all over the world. |
| D．Because the @ symbol sounds something like “ai ta”, which means “love him” in Chinese. |
It can be inferred that ___________.
| A．Li Yuming is in favor of the baby’s name |
| B．many Chinese people use Arabic numerals in their names |
| C．a majority of the Chinese people are having longer names |
| D．there is little possibility for the “@” name to be officially accepted |
The underlined part in the passage probably means___________.
| A．even native speakers find it hard to accept these strange names |
| B．even native speakers can’t find these characters in their computers |
| C．even those who are expert at Chinese can’t recognize these characters |
| D．even those who are expert at Chinese find it hard to accept these names |
The former Premier Zhu Rongji is mentioned in the passage because ________.
| A．people often mispronounce his name |
| B．there is an uncommon character in his name |
| C．he often made newspaper editors annoyed during his term in office |
| D．he once stressed the importance of standardizing Chinese characters |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．how Chinese parents name their babies |
| B．the importance of standardizing Chinese characters |
| C．a ban on names using Arabic numerals and foreign languages |
| D．the problems caused by uncommon characters used in Chinese names |
We all need a vacation, whether with the entire family or your significant other. Unfortunately, many of us will not be able to follow through with vacation plans. But now, there is an alternative that is catching on (流行起来) rather quickly and it is called a “Staycation”. A staycation is just what it sounds like, a vacation but you stay at home. It might not sound interesting, but you can turn it into a fun and relaxing getaway.
Tell family and friends your plans. In their eyes you are truly on vacation and they only need to contact you in case of an emergency.
Go outside; don’t let the kids sleep all day. Go out and birdwatch, go fishing, explore the parks and nature, take in all you can of the outside world. You can even have a relaxing day at the beach, soak in some sun, and let the kids go swimming.
Go on a picnic; have the kids fly kites. Bring some bubbles, and have a nice day with the wind blowing in your hair. Watch as the kids run and play and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
Camping is another fun way to have a staycation. If you have a camping ground in your area, you can go camping for a day or two and show the kids how it is to live right in the heart of Mother Nature.
Just remember, it really doesn’t matter where you decide to go, whether home or away. As long as you create quality time with your family you can strengthen the bonds that may have been pushed aside during all the long stressful work hours. Time is the most important thing you can give to your husband, wife and kids, enjoying every moment together, and you will have lasting memories in your hearts.
What is mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The popularity of a staycation. |
| B．The importance of a vacation. |
| C．Where to spend your vacation this year. |
| D．How to plan a staycation. |
You should tell family and friends your plans so that .
| A．they will fully support you |
| B．they will take care of your house |
| C．they will contact you only when necessary |
| D．they can help you make preparations |
Which of the following is NOT a good way to have a good staycation?
| A．To sleep at home all day. |
| B．To go out to watch birds. |
| C．To go to the parks. |
| D．To relax on the beach. |
What is the most important thing of taking a staycation?
| A．Spending quality time with your family. |
| B．Letting your kids learn about nature. |
| C．Giving your family relaxing time. |
| D．Getting away from stressful work hours. |
The underlined word “bonds” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by “ ”.
| A．friendship | B．health | C．links | D．circles |
Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no”.
A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for “reference”. But, you’ve just finished it after taking a whole day to work hard.
Many people say “yes” to these kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards.
Saying “no” requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists.
“Everyone wants to be liked,” says Gabriele Steinki, a German psychologist. “Saying ‘no’ risks losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job.”
The result is that many people say “yes” just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable. Anyone should have the right to say “no”.
In fact, rejecting a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling.
But, for people used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process.
Most people believe that “If I say ‘no’, I’ll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me.” This way of thinking can be replaced by this: “If he only likes me because I always do what suits him , then the price of his affection is too high in the long term.”
Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual (相互的) solution. “One needs to present the situation from one’s own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered.”
When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises giving the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message.Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no” because ________.
| A．they don’t care about their own interests and feelings |
| B．they don’t know they will regret afterwards |
| C．they have already been used to saying “yes” |
| D．they care more about others’ affection |
In the opinion of experts, _________ .
| A．people need a lot of practice to say “no” |
| B．people should say “yes” to keep the peace |
| C．saying “no” means losing a job |
| D．people have the right to be liked |
According to the writer, what should you do if you want to refuse the other person’s request?
| A．Just say you can’t help him. |
| B．Say sorry to him. |
| C．Refuse him clearly. |
| D．Talk to the other person to find a mutual way. |
According to the writer, what should you do if your refusal is not accepted?
| A．Say yes to him. |
| B．Repeat your reason for his acceptance |
| C．Just go away |
| D．Say no to him |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．You Need Courage To Say “No” |
| B．“Yes” More Than “No” |
| C．Nobody Has the Right To Say “No” |
| D．It’s Easy To Say “Yes” |
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