My mom has eyes in the back of her head. She also taught me from an early age to be suspicious of strange men, especially when they give you presents. One day, a “nice man” bearing flowers managed to steal 20 euros from her purse, while she was holding it in her hands. “He said he was collecting for a church charity so I pulled out a euro,” she explains, “He said ‘no, no, that’s too much’ and offered to look in my purse to find a smaller coin. He must have slid out that 20 euro note at the same time. I did not even notice until an hour later. I felt so stupid.”
According to neuroscientists, the key requirement for a successful pickpocket is not having nifty (熟练的) fingers, it’s having a working knowledge of the loopholes (漏洞) in our brain. The most important of these loopholes is the fact that our brains are not set up to multi-task. Most of the time that is a good thing — it allows us to filter (过滤) out all but the most important features of the world around us. But a good trickster can use it to against you. This kind of trick involves capturing all of somebody’s attention with other movements. Street pickpockets often use this effect to their advantage by manufacturing a situation that can not help but overload your attention system. Other strategies are more psychological. Pickpockets tend to hang out a “beware of pickpockets” sign, because the first thing people do when they read it is check they still have their valuables, helpfully giving away where they are. And in my mom’s case, the thief’s best trick was not coming across like a pickpocket. “He was a very nice guy and very confident. Not someone that would cause you to suspect,” she says. Apollo Robbins, a stage pickpocket, said smart move, like moving your hand in an arc motion rather than a straight line, is another popular strategy employed by tricksters.
At last, it should be pointed out that most thefts are opportunistic. The skill level of most thieves is far less than you think. But they are opportunistic enough to keep up with new technology.What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．People’s brains are not designed to multi-task. |
| B．People’s brains can filter out all but the most important features. |
| C．Somebody’s attention can be distracted by a certain trick. |
| D．Somebody’s overload attention system. |
【改编】 How did the pickpockets manage to cheat the mother ?
| A．He had such smart motion that she didn’t notice that. |
| B．He looked so reliable that she didn’t suspect him. |
| C．He made her focus her attention on what he said instead of being cheated . |
| D．All the above. |
In the author’s opinion, _________.
| A．people’s brains have many loopholes |
| B．thieves are more skillful than opportunistic |
| C．signs reminding people of pickpockets can play a negative role in protecting valuables |
| D．his mom’s losing money is nothing but a by-accident experience |
What will the author probably talk about next?
| A．Mom’s another suffering |
| B．Pickpockets concerning new technology |
| C．Pickpockets’ tricks |
| D．Apollo Robbins’ stage pickpockets |
You know what it’s like．You've just arrived in Toronto after a long flight, and all you really want to do is to lie down and relax in your hotel room．But first you have to make a few quick notes for tomorrow's meeting, then check your e-mails, and perhaps print out a few things．And you need to make a few local telephone calls, and one call home to your family．
And what do you usually get? Your desk is just about big enough for a cup of coffee; there's no desk lamp; the stationery （办公用品） is a couple of sheets of headed notepaper; and a pen doesn't work．Printing has to be arranged with the Reception, and when you try to use your cell phone you find that it won't work in Canada．
Well, Harmony is different．Just tell us in advance what you're going to need, and we'll see that it's waiting for you when you arrive．There will be a printer in your room if you want one, and a cell phone that really works．All you have to pay for is the calls you make．
We can also arrange a room for business meetings, and, using the very best employment agency, even supply a secretary to take minutes．All we ask is a few days' notice．
All our-rooms are of the same high standard, and we guarantee not to increase prices in the next twelve months．But book now, because we're already filling up fast, and we'd hate 1:0 disappoint you．
Harmony-the hotel you ye always wanted; but never been able to find-until now.The advertisement is intended for
| A．airline staff |
| B．business people |
| C．secretaries |
| D．tourists |
What must the guest do if he wants a secretary?
| A．Inform the hotel in advance． |
| B．Tell the Reception on arrival． |
| C．Call an employment agency． |
| D．Put up a notice in the hotel． |
Why is it best to book now?
| A．The best rooms go first． |
| B．Prices might increase soon． |
| C．It ensures high standard rooms． |
| D．Rooms may become unavailable． |
What is special about Harmony^
| A．It offers telephone calls for free． |
| B．It provides printing at the Reception． |
| C．It gives high standard information services． |
| D．It makes arrangements to meet guests' needs． |
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting（收缩）and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggested that the
heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said, “Our study show for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr. Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see---and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner（扫描仪）to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear” Dr. Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.” What is the finding of the study?
| A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear. |
| B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat. |
| C．Fear has something to do with one’s health. |
| D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear. |
The study was carried out by analyzing .
| A．volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures |
| B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions |
| C．volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans |
| D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
| A．Order |
| B．System |
| C．Machine |
| D．Treatment. |
This study may contribute to .
| A．treating anxiety and stress better |
| B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety |
| C．finding the key to the heart-brain communication |
| D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads |
Sharing Beauty
It was in October. I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset. I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry.
I took the next-best action. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me as though I were from some other planet. She hesitated, and then seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she got outside I said to her, “Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone.”
For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.” I thanked her for coming out to see it; she went back inside and I left. It felt good to share the beauty.
Four years later my situation changed greatly. I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage. I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life. I lived in a trailer park which, at the time, I considered a real come-down, and I had to do my wash in the community laundry room.
One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances. She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: clothing sales in a department store.
Then something that happened to her changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world,” and she had realized the truth in that statement. From that moment on, she turned her life around. The author asked the woman to go outside to ______.
| A．admire the sunset |
| B．cheer her up |
| C．offer some help |
| D．have a chat |
Four years later, the author______.
| A．found her dream job |
| B．put an end to her marriage |
| C．worked in a laundry room |
| D．lived in the same community |
After reading the article in the magazine, the author was probably ______.
| A．disappointed |
| B．puzzled |
| C．inspired |
| D．overjoyed |
D
A recent research shows that most people while attending their very first or second interview face the problem of interview nerves. This interview nerves simply make them nervous and depressed. This mainly happens due to lack of confidence and belief in oneself. Most of them even suffer from sleepless nights.
They feel as if interviews are nothing but a questioning by an unknown person who will judge them by their answers. They simply can't understand or comprehend that the interviews are as beneficial for them as for the company.
To overcome these problems, people need to make their mind set for facing the interview full of confidence. This can be done by building up confidence that this job is for me only. They need to make preparations for the estimated questions to be asked in the interview. They also need to be familiar with a few details of the company like its products, vision, recent achievement, etc. This is just to have an upper hand in the interview so that you can explain that you are the right candidate for the company. One must be completely relaxed before the interview. Because stress is one of the major reasons which reduces one's performance ability.
Another way of getting over with your nerves is by a well known therapy called as hypnosis. Hypnosis is a very effective therapy which is generally used for curing nerves of Examinations, Interviews, Meetings, etc. Hypnosis mainly activates your subconscious mind so that you are extra alert and attentive what you are doing. Thus this gives you a lot more confidence to deal with.
Now here are some of the tips you must follow for your interview.
• You must be fully prepared for the interview and you must possess everything required.
• You must maintain a complete eye contact with the interviewer, because it will show your confidence.
• You must not do any nervous acts like being fidgety, fixing your tie or touching your clothes dress again and again.
• Be positive while talking and use your hands to express yourself.
• With hypnosis you can come in terms with such a situation and will be well prepared to face a barrage of questions that come your way.People feel nervous while attending interview in that__________.
| A．they doesn’t sleep well |
| B．they lack confidence |
| C．they doesn’t know about the company |
| D．they are afraid to miss the chance |
What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean___________?
| A．know about | B．care about |
| C．talk about | D．bring about |
How many ways does the author mention to overcome nerves____________?
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
Why do people need to be familiar with the details of the company__________?
| A．To show that he or she knows a lot |
| B．To express his or her wish |
| C．To have an upper hand in the interview |
| D．To fool the interviewer |
What’s the purpose of the passage__________?
| A．To help overcome interview nerves |
| B．To tell people the meaning of interview nerves |
| C．To tell people how to attend interviews |
| D．To help people become more confident |
C
The choice between having a career or making time for love is an extremely personal and individual decision. There are many factors which can affect your choice.
Careers and love fulfill us in different but important ways. Having a solid career gives us a sense of accomplishment and self worth. Then there are those who measure their success in terms of having a pleasant and rewarding home life.
So what happens if you cannot or do not wish to make room in your life for both? Consider these factors when pondering which is more important for you.
1. Your Career May be More Important When You are Young
Many people these days focus on careers first and family later. The reasoning is that, while you are young and unencumbered(无负担的), you have the time and energy to fully devote yourself to a career. If you have lofty career ambitions while you are young, it may indeed be the time to start making progress towards those goals.
Once you get married and begin to build a family, much of your time and energy–by necessity–becomes devoted to your family. This is as it should be. You should not start a family unless you are willing to devote time and attention to your loved ones.
2. Falling in Love can be Better When You are Older
More and more people these days are choosing to wait when it comes to making decisions about family. It is not unusual for people to delay marriage until their late 30’s or even their early 40’s. Delaying family decisions allows you to be better prepared for those obligations, and creates a better likelihood that you are in touch with your most important goals and values. You have had the opportunity to completely grow up, greatly reducing the chances of feeling like you are “missing out.” You have had the chance to purge the foolishness of youth from your system and are now confident with the wisdom of maturity.
3. Choosing Both
If you can find a work life balance that allows you to experience the joys of love and maintain a successful career, you will have a truly happy and rewarding life. A loving family at home can help you celebrate all of your successes, and bolster your confidence through your failures. There are many people out there reaping the tremendous rewards that come with including love and work in their lives, and finding the balance that allows for both.
The truly healthy and well balanced person will recognize the benefits of having both. He or she will take steps to achieve the work life balance necessary to assure the continuation of career growth while nurturing and maintaining the health of personal relationships. It is only when we can maintain this delicate balance that we are living life to its greatest potential.What can we learn from the first two paragraphs________?
| A．Choosing to have a career or start a family life is a personal business |
| B．Nothing can determine people’s choice |
| C．Careers and love fulfill people in the same way |
| D．Having a solid career gives us a pleasant home life |
Why is career more important when people are young_________?
| A．Because family life is not important |
| B．Because they can devote time and energy to their careers |
| C．Because they don’t want to devote time and attention to their loved ones |
| D．Because they have no time for building a family |
Which is NOT the reason why people choose to wait when it comes to building a family_________.
| A．To be better prepared for obligations |
| B．To have the opportunity to completely grow up |
| C．To rid of the foolishness of youth |
| D．They don’t want to build a family |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that_________.
| A．People take steps to achieve the work life balance |
| B．the continuation of career growth has nothing to do with personal relationships |
| C．Balancing career and family is of great benefit |
| D．People can live life to its greatest potential without maintaining the balance |
What’s the main idea of the passage________?
| A．How to achieve a balance between career and family |
| B．How to have a successful career |
| C．Career is more important than family |
| D．People can’t balance their career and family |
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