“Oh, my God! Did I really just send that text?” Most people have said something that they wish they could take back. And if they had paused to think about it first, they probably would have acted differently. Pausing doesn’t pay off just when you speak. Scientific studies have shown that making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out.
In making decisions we rely on two areas of the brain. One area creates and processes emotions; the other governs logical thought. The type of decision, how we feel about it, and how prepared we are to handle it help determine which brain area has the most influence.
But our age also plays an important role. Thinking through the consequences of one’s actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical thought is not fully developed until around age 25. This is why teens often feel an intense emotional drive to act impulsively--it’s how their brains are structured! Though this tendency to act without considering the outcomes can lead to problematic situations, impulsivity during the developmental years evolves because it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens become independent adults.
The key to making impulsivity work for you--instead of against you--is to train your brain by practicing pausing. This doesn’t mean you stop taking risks or being open to new experiences. But you won’t know if the risk is worth it until you think it through. Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity.
What are different ways to pause? You might take a deep breath, count to 10, or ask, “Is this worth it?” Different strategies work for different people. Whatever works for you, keep doing it! By practicing pausing, you can actually change your brain. This means that over time, pausing, instead of immediately reacting, becomes your “natural” response. And with this change, people are on their way to enjoying the life rewards that come with high levels of self-control--even if they weren’t natural--born pausers!What challenges teenagers________?
| A．Giving natural response. |
| B．Making logical decision. |
| C．Acting before thorough thinking. |
| D．Choosing brain-training strategies. |
An impulsive person tends to __________.
| A．think through a risk in advance |
| B．show high level of self-control |
| C．consider or accept new ideas |
| D．change ideas frequently |
According to the passage, by training one’s brain, one can __________.
| A．stop taking risks |
| B．fully develop one’s brain |
| C．become more open to new experience |
| D．reduce the influence of emotional drive |
What is the best title for the passage________?
| A．Discover the Brain Function |
| B．Crying Over the Spilt Milk |
| C．Push the Pause Button |
| D．Impulsivity Works |
阅读理解(满分40分)
第一节（共15小题年每小题2分，满分30分）
请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm, in the winter especially, we wear quite out off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital.
However, I soon discovered that one big disadvantage is money. It costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it became of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever you tastes in culture or entertainment(娱乐活动). Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising --- and , what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is , when you are in your teens(十几岁)or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
61. What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
A. Staying on the farm. B. Moving to the countryside.
C. Leaving home for the city. D. Running away from the school.
62. Which of the following is true about the writer?
A. He is very old now. B. He is in good health.
C. He prefers driving a car. D. He lives in the city now.
63. In the passage, the writer tries to __________.
A. express his opinions about way of life B. describe his life in the countryside
C. an interest in the outside world D. persuade the reader to live in the city
64. How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By inferring. B. By comparing.
C. By listing examples. D. By giving explanations.
Having drunk too much, Alfred was now driving his car along the country road at the top speed, when an old man walked across the road. Unluckily, the car ran into him and Alfred was filled with fear. But after looking around and thinking there was not a single person who saw the accident, Alfred drove away without picking up the old man to the hospital. The old man was not a fool. He looked up and kept Alfred’s car number in mind. About one month later, they both went to the court. Alfred’s lawyer said, “Alfred is an experienced driver of more than twenty years.”
“If experience can hold water here,” the old man’s lawyer said, “the old man has been walking for over sixty years safely.”
74. From the story we can know that Alfred was ______.
A. dishonest B. foolish C. smart C. honest
75. The expression “hold water” in the last paragraph means ______.
A. carry water B. be reasonable C. have good luck D. get back what is lost
Shakespeare, more perhaps than any other writer, made full use of the greatest resources of the English language. Most of us use about five thousand words in our normal use of English; Shakespeare in his works used about twenty-five thousand words! There is probably no better way for a foreigner to appreciate the richness and variety of the English language than by studying the various ways in which Shakespeare uses it. Such a study is well worth the effort, even though some aspects of English usage, and the meaning of many words, have changed since Shakespeare’s day.
However, it is surprising that we should know comparatively little about the life of the greatest English writer. We know that Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon, and that he died there in 1616. He almost certainly attended the Grammar School in the town, but of this we cannot be sure. We know he was married there in 1582 to Anne Hathaway and that he had three children. We know that he spent much of his life in London writing his great works. But this is almost all that we do know.
However, what is important about Shakespeare’s life is not its other less important details but its products, the plays and the poems. For many years scholars have been trying to add a few facts about Shakespeare’s life to the small number
we already possess and for an equally long time critics (评论家) have been talking about the plays. Sometimes, indeed, it seems that the poetry of Shakespeare will disappear under the great mass of comment (评论) that has been written upon it.
Luckily this is not likely to happen. Shakespeare’s people have long delighted not just the English but lovers of literature everywhere, and will continue to do so after the scholars and critics and all their works have been forgotten.
70. According to the writer, which of the following remains uncertain about Shakespeare?
A. His date of birth. B. His marriage.
C. His life in the Grammar School. D. His date of death.
71. It can be inferred from Para.3 that ______.
A. not all the comments on Shakespeare’s works have produced good effects
B. scholars have successfully collected facts about Shakespeare’s life
C. critics are more interested in Shakespeare’s plays than his poetry
D. the details of Shakespeare’s life are more important than his literary works
72. What does the last sentence in Para.3 mean?
A. People don’t think the poetry of Shakespeare good any more.
B. People pay more attention to the comment than the poetry of Shakespeare.
C. People can’t see the poetry of Shakespeare any more.
D. The comment is printed upon the poetry of Shakespeare.
73. “Shakespeare’s people” in Para.4 refers to _______.
A. the characters in Shakespeare’s products
B. the people whose native language is English
C. the people living in Shakespeare’s day
D. the readers of Shakespeare’s works
The South China tiger could become extinct within 30 to 50 years if it does not receive protection. There are only 20 to 30 South China tigers in their earliest natural places, with Guangdong Province having only five left because forests are being destroyed as a result of rapid industrial growth.
The South China tiger can live 20 to 25 years, but the survival rate for the young is becoming lower as a result of rapid growth in industry and tourism. Even with hard work, it is hoped that the number of South China tigers can only reach 150 to 180 in the coming century.
68. The underlined word “extinct ” means ______.
A. different B. seriously ill C. no longer exist D. frightening
69. The best title for this news could be ______.
A. The Life Span of the South China Tiger
B. The Coming Century for the South China Tiger
C. Chinese Scientists Call SOS for South China Tigers
D. Industrial Growth—The Enemy of South China Tiger
The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad. Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30 years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this, but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s. In the early stages, people may show short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry. As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before
death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers (神经纤维),their effect is certain. Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients, but also spouses（配偶）, friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss, its early symptoms and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’
t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.
64. What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired lady?
A. She has been living with her father.
B. She was sad about the death of her father.
C. She can’t search for her father
without being watched.
D. She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
65. When people suffer from Alzheimer’s 
disease, _______.
A. their families and friends will suffer from the same disease
B. their families and friends will experience mental sufferings
C. they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years
D. they will forget everybody but their spouses
66. Memory loss occurs _______.
A. from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else
B. from sadness, shock, anger, and so on
C. for a number of reasons
D. with changes in personality
67. From the passage we know that _______.
A. early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring
B. it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers
C. nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease
D. when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, he will be buried
粤公网安备 44130202000953号