A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so ly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for
Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.” What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Staying professional. | B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer. |
| C．A match between China and the US. | D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach. |
Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.
| A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy |
| B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to |
| C．disliked to be with her fans |
| D．didn’t want to disturb public order |
What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?
| A．destroyed completely | B．tore into pieces |
| C．spread out to the wind | D．rolled up |
What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？
| A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team. |
| B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams. |
| C．She just tried to stay professional. |
| D．The results of each match will be the same. |
What impressed the US team players most?
| A．The tolerance of Chinese people. |
| B．The popularity of volleyball in China. |
| C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills. |
| D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese. |
A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth．
Until now，it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught（though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing）．
But in the new study，researchers describe a method for improving this skill，along with experiments to prove it works．
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it．This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence，so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence．
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests．Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game，in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard．During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance，manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time．
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively．To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills，the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training．
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，were striking．Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater．Moreover，the longer they trained, the higher their scores were．All performers，from the weakest to the strongest，showed significant improvement．
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training．” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper．“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains．”The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________．
| A．memorizing telephone numbers | B．improving working memory |
| C．training in concentration | D．recalling a card |
The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________．
| A．ignoring irrelevant items |
| B．monitoring ongoing performance |
| C．managing two tasks at the same time |
| D．using previous experience |
When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________．
| A．trained the four groups for the same period of time |
| B．only made comparisons between the four groups |
| C．compared the four groups with control groups |
| D．trained the four groups together |
By writing the article，the writer intends to ______________．
| A．inform the readers of a new study |
| B．call on people to be trained to increase intelligence |
| C．prove one’s born brainpower can be improved |
| D．tell people the improved intelligence will last forever |
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 practicing what I teach．
In my work I travel constantly．I always put off going to the airport until the last second．My wife, Lynda, was sitting next to me in the front seat．I was racing along and not paying much attention．Lynda 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, Lynda 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 Lynda 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 Lynda 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 Lynda 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．”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． |
The underlined part “blew it” in Paragraph 1 probably means “__________”．
| A．lost personal judgment | B．forgot the practical method |
| C．became annoyed with the adviser | D．failed to say “Thank you” |
It can be inferred from the passage that people __________．
| A．should give their opinions patiently | B．tend to be defensive when given advice |
| C．had better study behavioral science | D．intend to follow others’ suggestions |
The purpose of the passage is to advise people to __________．
| A．do a cost-benefit analysis in daily life | B．discover potential benefits |
| C．learn from the author’s experiences | D．treasure others’ suggestions |
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition of each new skill-the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing．It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child: This might happen at any stage．A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads．On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself．
Patents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children．Some may be especially strict in money matters．Others are severe over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals．In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child’s own happiness．
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching．To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality．Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”．If they are not sincere and do not practice what they teach, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled．
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment．Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _________．
| A．should be avoided |
| B．is universal among parents |
| C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child |
| D．will make him lose interest in learning new things |
In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents ______．
| A．should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read |
| B．should not expect too much of them |
| C．should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own |
| D．should create as many learning opportunities as possible |
The second paragraph mainly tells us that __________．
| A．parents should be strict with their children |
| B．parental controls reflect only the needs of the parents and the values of the community |
| C．parental restrictions vary, and are not always intended for the benefit of the children alone |
| D．parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the situation |
In moral matters, parents should __________．
| A．observe the rules themselves |
| B．be aware of the marked difference between adults and children |
| C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality |
| D．consistently ensure the security of their children |
People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed．Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads．Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs．But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works．
Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together．So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another –traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties．This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options．
The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre．Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police．So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round．When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour noise hotline to be the first part of call for all complaints．
The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners．This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy and money．Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer （缓冲） zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas．
But there are obvious conflicts．Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night．Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don't’ want the problem of road noise．
I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change．There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycle ways and footpaths, even charges for road use．Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances．It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated （减轻） if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings．According to the recent public meeting in Brisbane, what was the first step to take in order to reduce noise pollution?
| A．Produce quieter air conditioners． |
| B．Provide better sound barriers around major roads． |
| C．Establish a noise complaints system． |
| D．Make stricter laws to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs． |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______．
| A．the Brisbane residents were satisfied with the present noise regulatory system |
| B．many people in Brisbane preferred to live near a pub to which they have easy access |
| C．nearly all the inhabitants in Brisbane were bothered by noise in one form or another |
| D．noise pollution is the most serious among pollution complaints in Brisbane |
What does the word “run-round” （Para．3） mean?
| A．Unfair treatment． |
| B．Quick response． |
| C．Delaying action in response to a request． |
| D．Full attention． |
How could noise from building sites be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving?
| A．If daylight saving was adopted, the daytime would be prolonged and the night would become quieter． |
| B．If daylight saving was adopted, the working hours during the daytime would be shortened while the night would be extended and thus quieter． |
| C．If daylight saving was adopted, the night would be shortened and thus quieter． |
| D．If daylight saving was adopted, both the daytime and the night would be shortened and the noise would be reduced． |
What was the author’s attitude towards the industry awards for quieter equipment?
| A．Suspicious． | B．Positive． |
| C．Enthusiastic． | D．Indifferent． |
Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made．In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning．
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early．On those rare occasions when I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher．So I set out to become a habitual early riser．But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep．Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy．
The most common wrong strategy is this: you assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier．It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail．
There are two main schools（流派） of thought on sleep patterns．The first is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day．The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up．However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity．If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough．You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep．
If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need．Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times．
The solution for me has been to combine both methods．I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time．So I always get up at the same time （in my case 5 am）, but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight．Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm．
However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way．If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own．According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ________．
| A．people who stay up until the next morning |
| B．people who feel sleepy in the morning |
| C．people who get up early in the morning |
| D．people whose productivity is the highest in the morning |
Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?
| A．Because he / she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early． |
| B．Because he / she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right． |
| C．Because he / she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early． |
| D．Because he / she was told the high relationship between success and rising early． |
The passage is mainly about ________．
| A．how to have good sleep |
| B．how to become an early riser |
| C．wrong strategies for getting up early |
| D．main schools of thought on sleep patterns |
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