A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry, proof reading and problem solving.
In an office-based experiment, 88 per cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music. The study also found that 81 per cent completed their fastest work when music was played.
And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance, if you’re doing your tax returns, then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills.
Listening to Jessie Jor Justin Bieber could also improve your speed, with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs.
During proof-reading, dance music, such as David Guetta, had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spell-checking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 per cent when no music was played at all.
The research, undertaken by Brighton-based Mind lab International, suggests that silent offices may be the least productive.
‘The Music Works experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity – overall it showed that when listening to music, nine out of 10 people performed better,’ said Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mind lab International.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The research was carried out by Brighton-based Mind lab International. |
| B．When listening to music, ninety percent of the people performed better. |
| C．Music has a positive effect on work in the office |
| D．David Guetta is the head of the experiment |
In the experiment when doing proof –reading with dance music on, the participants could increase their speed by _____
| A．75 per cent | B．81 per cent |
| C．88 per cent | D．20 per cent |
Supposing you are an office worker doing tax returns, what kind of music can improve your working efficiency?
| A．pop music | B．dance music |
| C．classical music | D．rock music |
The underlined word “correlation” in the last paragraph refers to ___________
| A．association | B．effect |
| C．accuracy | D．improvement |
The main purpose of the passage is to _____
| A．describe and argue | B．inform and explain |
| C．compare and evaluate | D．discuss and assess |
【原创】Disney World presents a dilemma for many people. If you’re there, you’re probably there because you love the children in your life. But should that noble desire to do right by the wee ones automatically put you in a disgusting holiday of six-foot animated characters, wailing toddlers and chicken-finger meals?
B Resort & Spa has solved this problem. Stay here and you’ve got easy access to “the happiest place on Earth” without sacrificing your adult sensibilities.
There’s 80-minute B Indulged massages to be had at the Aveda spa, complete with footbaths for your weary feet, and adventure tours to nearby Boggy Creek to observe tigers in their natural habitat. Even the mini-bar is stocked with a nod to grownup tastes (think Boulder Canyon natural, kettle-cooked chips).
location
B is right inside Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort, just a short, free shuttle from Downtown Disney. This means you don’t have to stay in the kid zone all day long.
If you have a car at your disposal, it’s also well worth a trip out to the East End Market, where you’ll find the best of Orlando’s local food scene, along with a superb Basque eatery, Txokos, whose famous cook Henry Salgado has been nominated twice for a James Beard Award.
Eat in or eat out?
Room service is exceptional for breakfast: quick and delicious, with perfectly poached eggs and house-made sausage so tasty you’ll find yourself craving it for weeks to come. For dinner, American Q has tasty house-made barbecue sauces and all-you-can-eat, Brazilian-style carved meat dishes from across the U.S. The foods here will keep everyone in the family happy, and good pineapple wine should mellow out the grownups after a long, crazy day at Disney.
Who may be interested in the passage?
| A．Parents | B．Teachers . |
| C．Children . | D．Adolescents. |
Living in B Resort & Spa, you can _____.
| A．visit Disney World for free |
| B．have breakfast without leaving your room |
| C．enjoy meals cooked by Henry Salgado |
| D．watch tigers closely |
Why does the writer think Disney World is a dilemma?
| A．Because Disney World is like a trap for adults. |
| B．Because adults are forbidden to enter Disney World. |
| C．Because adults can get little joy from Disney World. |
| D．Because Disney World is full of animated characters. |
Which is not mention in the passage?
| A．Transportation. | B．Location. | C．Food. | D．History. |
Where can you find this passage ?
| A．In a science book. | B．In a travel magazine. |
| C．In a government work report | D．In a news report |
【改编】Our body clock，or natural body rhythm，influences our energy and alertness．Paying attention to it can help us choose the suitable time of day when we best perform specific tasks．
The reality，however，is that most of us organize their time around work demands，school deadlines，commuting or social events．Doing whatever your body feels like doing is a luxury in today's fast-paced modem society．
But that doesn't mean it isn't worth trying．Obeying our body clock has significant health benefits．Disrupting our natural body rhythm，on the other hand，has been linked to problems such as depression，obesity，or headache，says Steve Key，a biology professor．
When the body clock can synchronize（使……同步）the rhythms of its natural processes，it “gives us an advantage in daily life”，says Key．
According to him，when it comes to cognitive（认知的）work，most adults perform best in the late morning．As our body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase until midday，our memory，alertness and concentration gradually improve．
However，he adds，our ability to concentrate typically starts to decrease soon thereafter．Most of us are more easily distracted between noon and 4 pm．
Alertness also tends to fall after eating a meal and sleepiness tends to peak around 2 pm，making that a good time for a nap．
Surprisingly, tiredness may increase our creative powers．For most adults，problems that require open ended thinking are often best dealt with in the evening when they are tired， according to a study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning．
When choosing a time of day to exercise，paying attention to your body clock can improve results．Physical performance is usually best from about 3 to 6 pm，says Michael Smolensky，a professor of biomedical engineering．
Of course, not everyone's body clock is the same，making it even harder to synchronize natural rhythms with daily plans．What does the writer mainly tell us in the passage?
| A．The benefit of natural body rhythm. |
| B．A new research about our body clock. |
| C．Something about natural body rhythm. |
| D．The definition of natural body rhythm. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “disrupting”?
| A．Following. | B．Destroying. |
| C．Noticing. | D．Finding. |
According to the passage, we can know _____.
| A．people don’t know tiredness can increase creative powers. |
| B．people are most focused at 3 o’clock.. |
| C．natural body rhythm can’ t influences people’s energy. |
| D．most grown-ups perform best in the early morning |
Which of the following is true ?
| A．Our memory and concentration improve with the fall of body temperature. |
| B．A good time for a nap is usually at 1pm. |
| C．Physical performance is usually best in the morning. |
| D．Not all people have the same body clock. |
The benefit of knowing our natural body rhythm is that_____.
| A．we can keep healthy all our life. |
| B．we can improve our IQ. |
| C．we can do specific tasks in suitable time. |
| D．we can do whatever our body wants to. |
In eighteen seventy-seven，the American government decided to move the Nez Perce Indians from their land. The government had set up a reservation for them in Idaho. Chief Joseph did not want to leave the land. It was holy ground. It contained the bones of his father and mother.
But，like his father in earlier times，Chief Joseph knew it would be hopeless to stay and defend the land. There were too few Indians to win a war against the white men.
And so in June of eighteen seventy-seven，the Nez Perce left their home in the Wallowa Valley. They left quickly. They were able to take only a small part of what they owned，and just a few cattle and Appaloosa horses.
When the Indians reached the Snake River，the water was very deep and ran very fast with melted snow from the mountains. Chief Joseph and his people made boats from sticks and dried animal skins to cross the river. While the Indians were busy，a group of white men came and stole some of the cattle waiting at the edge of the river.
The other chiefs demanded that Joseph call a meeting. Two of the chiefs，White Bird and Toohoolhoolzote，spoke for War，but Joseph held different opinion.
Some of the young men in White Bird’s group were very angry. That night，they rode into the countryside and killed eleven white persons.
During all his years as chief，Joseph had tried to keep the peace. Now he saw there was no hope. Although he and his young men had taken no part in the killings，he knew that the white men would blame all of the Indians. Chief Joseph said，“I would have given my own life if I could have undone the killing of the white men.”
Many Nez Perce fled. Chief Joseph remained，because his wife was about to have a baby. After she gave birth，he and his family joined the others in White Bird Canyon to the south.
Joseph wanted to lead the people to safety in the flat lands of Montana. But the United States army quickly sent horse soldiers to follow them.
They were extremely tired when they reached White Bird Canyon. An Indian—carrying a white flag—walked forward to meet them. A soldier shot him.
With that shot，war between the Nez Perce and the United States began.Why didn’t Chief Joseph want to leave the land?
| A．He didn’t want to live with the white men. |
| B．He had special feeling for the land where he was living. |
| C．He didn’t want to be separated from his parents. |
| D．He thought the reservation in Idaho wasn’t satisfying. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．While the Indians were waiting by the river，a group of white men stole some of the cattle. |
| B．When the Indians reached the Snake River，it was very hard for them to cross it. |
| C．Chief Joseph and his people were unwilling to cross the deep river. |
| D．Before they left their home，the Nez Perce had only a few cattle and Appaloosa horses. |
From the passage we can infer that ________.
| A．conflicts often happened between the Indians and the white |
| B．Chief Joseph was afraid of white men |
| C．white men often killed some Indians |
| D．Chief Joseph knew it would be hopeless to defend the land |
After some of the young men in White Bird’s group killed eleven white persons，________.
| A．the United States army wanted to revenge (报仇) |
| B．all the Nez Perce fled |
| C．Chief Joseph tried his best to keep peace |
| D．Chief Joseph blamed White Bird |
What might be the title of the passage?
| A．The story of Chief Joseph |
| B．The American Civil War |
| C．Chief Joseph and his children |
| D．The Nez Perce Indians |
【改编】Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡逻) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共场所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (图标) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said.From the passage we can know____.
| A．robots will replace human one day |
| B．robots are difficult to control |
| C．robots can do whatever humans do |
| D．robots will be widely used in our life. |
According to Shimoyama, robots are ____?
| A．safe. | B．friendly. |
| C．stupid. | D．kind-hearted. |
What can “Enon” do?
| A．Show you to the toilet. |
| B．Show you around the market. |
| C．Tell newcomers or tourists direction. |
| D．Help shop assistants. |
What is the people’s concern about robots?
| A．Safety. | B．Appearance. |
| C．Weight. | D．Disadvantages |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．The disadvantages of robots. |
| B．The development and use of robots. |
| C．The benefits that robots brings. |
| D．The history of robots. |
My mother loves flowers. As soon as warm weather comes around, you will find her planting, watering and weeding over everything .For many years we lived next door to each other, and she spent as much time in my garden as she did her own. After the flowers became plentiful each summer, she would cut colorful bouquets(花束)to enjoy inside the house—both hers and mine . I would often come home from work and find a beautiful arrangement(布置)of fresh flowers on my coffee table.
Shortly before Christmas one year, a local flower shop offered a bouquet-a-month special. It seemed to be a great way to thank her for all of the flowers she had given me through the years.
After the holidays, in early January, I drove her to the flower shop to pick up her first month’s bouquet. the small fresh colorful bouquet would hardly fill a small vase(花瓶).
I was so embarrassed(尴尬的).However, after we returned home, she began to arrange the flowers she had received.“Mom, I’m sorry, ”I told her.“I can’t believe how skimpy that bouquet is.”She looked at me and smiled.“It’s okay,”she said“It allows me to better enjoy the beauty of each one.”
Mom’s words helped me to realize something bigger and more important—when we have too many good things, we often fail to enjoy the beauty of each one.
Thanks, Mom ,for helping me understand that less is sometimes more.According to paragraph 1 ,which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The author’s mother put fresh flowers on the author’s coffee table. |
| B．The author used to buy some fresh flowers on her way home. |
| C．The author’s mother usually bought flowers for her daughter. |
| D．The author and her mother shared a beautiful garden. |
The author bought her mother flowers to_______.
| A．celebrate the coming Christmas |
| B．express thanks for all her mother’s done |
| C．bring more flowers to her mother’s garden |
| D．arrange her mother’s new house |
The underlined word“skimpy”in Paragraph 4 means_______.
| A．beautiful | B．colorful | C．cheap | D．small |
What did the author learn from her mother?
| A．How to grow flowers. |
| B．How to arrange flowers |
| C．Enjoying life if possible |
| D．Considering things in other ways. |
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