I love sleeping. It’s something I’m good at. There’s nothing better than nodding off on the sofa in front of the TV and when my head hits the pillow at night, I have no problem falling into a deep sleep within minutes. There is one place where I never nap (打盹) and that’s at work--but new research suggests I should!
The idea of you and your colleagues heading off for a lie down in the afternoon may seem strange, but some companies such as Google and Facebook actually encourage it. Because it’s thought that a power-nap makes them more refreshed and more focused, and this in turn makes them more productive.
An Australian health writer called Victoria is a founder of a campaign called Nap Now which is trying to make sleeping at work more acceptable. She calls herself a “naptivist”! She says: “I think that our culture is a bit crazy not to accept it… It’s time to end the common work principle which is all about working longer and harder.”
So should we all be taking a sleeping bag and pillow to work with us? A few years ago, research by the East of England Development Agency found 30% of people have their best ideas in bed compared to just 11% who have them at their desk. That suggests people are more creative when they are relaxed--and the agency has called for companies to put beds in the workplace.
A nap in the afternoon is nothing new. In certain hot countries, such as Spain, a short rest or sleep in the afternoon-called a siesta-is perfectly normal. So maybe we should break from the traditional nine-to-five work culture and take up the siesta. The UK’s Sleep Council claims the nine-to-five working day does not fit into the natural sleeping pattern of the human race and says that bosses need to introduce a more sleep-friendly working day.Why are the employees of Google allowed to nap in the workplace?
| A．They are expected to work better. |
| B．They can’t focus their attention on the work. |
| C．They are running the Nap Now campaign. |
| D．They have difficulty in falling sleep at night. |
The underlined word “naptivist” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to someone who ______.
| A．takes no nap at work |
| B．enjoys napping at work |
| C．studies sleeping at work |
| D．fights against working long hours |
According to the passage, what can we learn about siesta?
| A．It is a newly practiced pattern. |
| B．It has been taken up in Finland. |
| C．It is sort of traditional work culture. |
| D．It fits into the natural sleeping pattern. |
What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To explain how to nap at work. |
| B．To show how the new study was carried out. |
| C．To tell us the importance of sleeping at work. |
| D．To call for the more sleep-friendly work culture. |
More than half a century ago, there were 4, 000 drive-in movie theaters in the United States, and watching a movie from your car was a popular way to spend an evening. But with the number of drive-ins reduced to just a few hundred, outdoor movie has been popping up across the nation. Going to an open-air theater has become a modern summer pastime for an increasing number of movie fans.
In recent years, outdoor movie screenings have come up in parks, vacant lots and shopping malls around the nation. On average, about 1,000 people attend each movie night. It attracts a lot of young professionals, young workers and residents nearby. For some, the outdoor movies bring back the memories of the drive-in theaters of their youths. But for the majorities, they think it is comparable to the atmosphere of drive-ins, as they can bring friends, food, good wine, and watch the movie together.
The returning of Americans’ love affair with outdoor movies makes Stephen Bastas ever busier. His seven-member crew sets up screens in various locations mostly in the Washington area every day throughout the summer. They are doing pretty well and they hope to continue the trend. And it looks like they are going to. That’s because many fans say there is nothing like watching a movie on a breezy summer evening under the stars.In the first paragraph, the author tries to tell us _____.
| A．outdoor movies attracts more movie-lovers |
| B．summer brings back more drive-in movie fans |
| C．drive-in movie theaters have already disappeared |
| D．watching a movie from your car is becoming more popular |
Most people choose to go to an outdoor movie mainly because they can _____.
| A．have snacks before the movie |
| B．cheer up with young friends |
| C．bring back good old days |
| D．enjoy the casual atmosphere |
From the text, we can learn that Stephen Bastas is most probably _____.
| A．a movie maker |
| B．an outdoor movie fan |
| C．a movie director |
| D．an open-air theater operator |
How does Stephen Bastas feel about the future of outdoor movie?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Amazed |
| C．Worried. | D．Disappointed. |
Dogs and cats are not for students who live in the dormitory. Just think about the noise, the smell and all that wild behavior—chewing on whatever they can get their teeth on, or knocking over the trash can. But don’t feel sad. There are smaller and less destructive pets to make your dormitory life colorful.
Betta fish
They make great pets with their big personality and astonishing colors, ranging from bright red, dark blue to lemon yellow. Unlike many fish, most bettas react to their owner’s presence and become more active when they are nearby, which is unusual in the fish world.
Chinchillas
Without bad smell, about the size of a rabbit and with fur so dense that they can’t get pests such as fleas(跳蚤), the friendly creature originally from the Andes Mountains in South America makes an ideal indoor pet. Chinchillas are very social animals, so if you only have one, you will become its family. In cold winter days, in a glace at this fury pet in a dorm will bring you a lot of warmth.
Land hermit crabs
In a society where owners are often asked “Are they tasty?”, land hermit crabs are among the most unlucky animals commonly kept as pets. But they are easy to care for, inexpensive and fascinating to watch. And the fact that they don’t cause any allergic reactions makes them perfect for college dormitories.
Red-eared sliders
If you’re interested in a lifelong friend, a red-eared slider makes a wonderful pet. If well cared for, they can live for around 40 years. But there are a couple of things you should know. Red-eared can grow to an adult size of up to 30cm! So you may need a larger tank quickly. In addition, you will need to provide UV lighting, water heater, and a swimming area and a basking (晒太阳) area. Housing a red eared slider is not easy.
All the dormitory pets mentioned in the text are _____.
| A．active and allergic |
| B．quiet and peaceful |
| C．colorful and tasty |
| D．small and smelly |
Which of the following is not true about these creatures?
| A．Bettas are active and rich in colors. |
| B．Chinchillas are originally mountain animals. |
| C．Land hermit crabs are allergic but tasty. |
| D．Red-eared sliders need more care from the owner. |
If you want to keep the pet as long as possible, you’d better choose _____.
| A．Betta fish |
| B．Chinchillas |
| C．Land hermit crabs |
| D．Red-eared sliders |
The text is mainly to _____.
| A．introduce the best way to keep pets |
| B．offer useful tips for choosing pets |
| C．inform students of lifestyle of pets |
| D．recommend some dormitory pets |
Steve knew he’d been adopted as a baby, and when he turned 18, in 2003, he decided he’d try to track down his birth mother. The agency from which he’d been adopted gave him his mother’s name: Tallady. But online searches didn’t turn up any results about it, and Steve had to let it go.
In 2007, though, he searched for the name again online. This time, the search results included a home address near the Lowe’s store where Steve, then 22, worked as a deliveryman. When he mentioned the coincidence to his boss, his boss said, “You mean Tallady, who works here?”
Steve and Tallady, a cashier, had said hello to each other a few times at the store, but they’d never really talked. He hadn’t even known her name. Steve thought there was no possible way she was his mother though they shared the same name. For a few months, Steve avoided Tallady. “I wasn’t sure how to approach her,” he told a local reporter. Finally, the agency volunteered to arrange their reunion.
When Tallady realized that the nice guy she’d been waving at was his son, she sobbed. She’d always hoped to meet her birth son one day. Later that day, mother and son talked for almost three hours at a nearby bar. She’d given him up for adoption in 1985, when she was 23. “I wasn’t ready to be a mother,” she told him. Married with two other children, Tallady says, “I have a complete family now.”Steve gave up the on-line search for his birth mother in 2003 because _____.
| A．the agency didn’t give him any help |
| B．there was no information about his mother |
| C．his mother didn’t turn up online |
| D．he missed the information about his mother |
What did Steve find about his mother online in 2007?
| A．Her home address. |
| B．Her full name. |
| C．Her boss’s name. |
| D．Her new job. |
Why Steve avoided Tallady for months?
| A．Because she didn’t want to talk to him. |
| B．Because he wasn’t fully prepared for the reunion. |
| C．Because she was very difficult to approach. |
| D．Because he didn’t think she was his birth mother. |
The best title for the text is _____.
| A．The Love of Mother |
| B．An Unexpected Meeting |
| C．The Power of the Internet |
| D．An Unusual Reunion |
B
Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness—people are just too busy to bother looking.
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection, nor are they reading a book. New technology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(乘车上下班的人). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000—yes, that’s 40,000—“apps” (programs downloaded for the iPhone) have been designed.
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “ steam” on your phone screen.
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be another choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music—iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you engaged, then perhaps you would prefer a film. The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all these entertainments, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy_____.
| A．playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films. |
| B．going to work |
| C．reading books |
| D．thinking about private things |
Those who like war games can download _____to their iPhones.
| A．Tube Exits | B．iShoot |
| C．ISteam | D．iPod |
The underlined word “engaged” in the last paragraph probably means______.
| A．delighted | B．busy |
| C．controlled | D．amused |
The article tells us that_____.
| A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers |
| B．Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40,000 iPhones |
| C．with all the new time-fillers, London commuters often forget to get off the train. |
| D．technology is changing the way London commuters spend their traveling time. |
A
I left university with a good degree in English Literature, but no sense of what I wanted to do. Over the next six years, I was treading water, just trying to earn an income. I tried journalism, but I didn’t think I was any good, then finance, which I hated. Finally, I got a job as a rights assistant at a famous publisher. I loved working with books, although the job that I did was dull.
I had enough savings to take a year off work, and I decided to try to satisfy a deep-down wish to write a novel. Attending a Novel Writing MA course gave me the structure I needed to write my first 55,000 words.
It takes confidence to make a new start — there’s a dark period in-between where you’re neither one thing nor the other. You’re out for dinner and people ask what you do, and you’re too ashamed to say, “Well, I’m writing a novel, but I’m not quite sure if I’m going to get there.” My confidence dived. Believing my novel could not be published ,
I put it aside.
Then I met an agent（代理商）who said I should send my novel out to agents. So, I did and, to my surprise, got some wonderful feedback. I felt a little hope that I might actually become a published writer and, after signing with an agent, I finished the second half of the novel.
The next problem was finding a publisher. After two-and-a-half years of no income, just waiting and wondering, a publisher offered me a book deal — that publisher turned out to be the one I once worked for.
It feels like an unbelievable stroke of luck — of fate, really. When you set out to do something different, there’s no end in sight, so to find myself in a position where I now have my own name on a contract of the publisher — to be a published writer — is unbelievably rewarding.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．I was waiting for good fortune. |
| B．I was trying to find an admirable job. |
| C．I was being aimless about a suitable job. |
| D．I was doing several jobs for more pay at a time. |
The author decided to write a novel ______ .
| A．to finish the writing course |
| B．to realize her own dream |
| C．to satisfy readers’wish |
| D．to earn more money |
How did the writer feel halfway with the novel?
| A．Disturbed. | B．Ashamed. | C．Confident. | D．Uncertain. |
What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph?
| A．It pays to stick to one’s goal. |
| B．Hard work can lead to success. |
| C．She feels like being unexpectedly lucky. |
| D．There is no end in sight when starting to do something. |
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