I’ve just got to talk about this problem I’m having with my postman. It all began a year ago, after the birth of his first child. Not wanting to appear rude, I asked him about the baby. The next week, not wanting him to think I had asked out of mere politeness the week before, I asked all about the baby again. Now I can’t break the habit. I freeze whenever I see him coming. The words “How’s the baby?” come out on their own. It holds me up. It holds him up. So why can’t I stop it? The answer is that I want him to like me. Come to think of it, I want everyone to like me.
My sister had the same problem with the caretaker of her block of flats: “All he ever does is complain; he talks at me rather than to me, never listens to a word I say, and yet for some reason I’m always really nice to him. I’m worried in case I have a difficulty one day, and he won’t lift a finger to help.”
What about at work? Richard Lawton, a management trainer, warns: “Those managers who are actually liked by most of their staff are always those to whom being liked is not the primary goal. The qualities that make managers popular are being honest with staff, treating them as human beings and observing common politeness like saying hello in the morning.” To explain the point, Richard mentions the story of the company chairman who desperately wanted to be liked and who, after making one of his managers fired, said with moist (湿润的) eyes that he was so, so sorry the man was leaving. The employee replied: “If you were that sorry, I wouldn’t be leaving.” The lesson being, therefore, that if you try too hard to be liked, people won’t like you.
The experts say it all starts in childhood. “If children feel they can only get love from their parents by being good,” says Zelda West-Meads, a marriage guidance consultant, “they develop low self-confidence and become compulsive givers.” But is there anything wrong in being a giver, the world not being exactly short of takers? Anne Cousins believes there is. “There is a point at which giving becomes unhealthy,” she says. “It comes when you do things for others but feel bad about it.”
I am now trying hard to say to people “I feel uncomfortable about saying this, but…” and tell myself “Refusal of a request does not mean rejection of a person” and I find I can say almost anything to almost anyone.Why does the author ask the postman about his baby?
| A．He is interested in the baby. |
| B．He wants to create a good impression. |
| C．He wants to be always polite to him. |
| D．It’s a way to start a chat with great politeness. |
What could we find out about the author’s sister and the caretaker?
| A．She doesn’t want to risk displeasing him. |
| B．She doesn’t pay attention to him. |
| C．He often refuses to help her. |
| D．He is impatient of her overreaction. |
Managers are more likely to be popular if they ______.
| A．help the staff with their problems |
| B．make sure the staff do not lose their jobs |
| C．encourage the staff to be polite to each other |
| D．do not make too much effort to be liked |
The underlined words, “compulsive givers”, in the fourth paragraph refer to the people who ______.
| A．are willing to help others |
| B．couldn’t bear to turn down requests |
| C．are unconfident of denying demands |
| D．are less selfish than takers |
What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?
| A．To show how to let others like you more. |
| B．To prove how to create a harmonious atmosphere. |
| C．To encourage people to have more self-confidence. |
| D．To suggest ways of dealing with difficult people. |
【原创】Humans are well-equipped for life on Earth. But in space, it is different. Low or zero gravity changes how the blood flows and causes motion sickness, muscle loss and tiredness. Weightlessness can also cause bone loss. But scientists are experimenting with little worms to better understand how space travel affects astronauts.
The millimeter-long worm is called C. elegans. The see-through worm is often used in medical studies because its life is only about two weeks long. Seventy percent of its DNA is the same as human DNA.
Sabanayagam is a scientist, who built a micro-gravity simulator to test how C. elegans would perform in the actual zero gravity of space.
Scientists put the worms into the simiulator full of water. After a week they take out the worms. They look for changes in the worms' epigenome,which are chemical markers that tell the DNA in the cells how to perform. The epigenome can be changed by the environment. And those changes pass from one generation of worms to the next.
"When the worms are in a liquid environment, some epigenomic marks remain even when we take the animal out of the liquid environment and put it back into normal ground conditions. So its offspring keeps this epigenomic memory of the parents' liquid environment or microgravity environment."
The information the scientists have gathered suggests that the epigenomic marks appear during the early part of a worm’s life.
Mr. Sabanayagam says he thinks scientists can find genes in the human similar to those in the worms that responded to microgravity and scientists could possibly observe those genes closely when astronauts travel in space.
Sabanayagam expects C. elegans to visit the International Space Station within two years. He says he hopes information gathered from the worm studies can be used to develop simple, low-cost and quick tests to measure an astronaut's health.What does the underlined word” zero gravity” mean?
| A．Seasickness | B．Muscle loss |
| C．Weightlessness | D．Tiredness. |
From the passage we can know C. elegans _____.
A. has exactly the same DNA as human
B. is harmful to human
C. is often used in agricultural research
D. has a short life periodWhy do scientists experiment with C. elegans?
A. Because it has strong life power in water.
B. Because they want to find how space travel affects astronauts
C. Because the worm will be taken into space.
D. Because they want to find what its DNA like.What is Sabanayagam’s attitude toward the result of the experiment?
| A．Hopeful and satisfied. |
| B．Doubtful and unsure. |
| C．Sad and disappointed. |
| D．Surprised and unbelievable. |
Which section of a newspaper can you find the passage?
| A．Education. | B．Science. |
| C．Advertisement. | D．Entertainment. |
A wise man once said that the only thing necessary for the victory of evil is for good men to do nothing. So, as a police officer, I have some urgent things to say to good people. Day after day my men and I struggle to hold back a tidal wave of crime. Something has gone terribly wrong with our once-proud American way of life. It has happened in the area of values. A key ingredient is disappearing, and I think I know what it is: accountability.
Accountability isn’t hard to define. It means that every person is responsible for his or her actions and liable for their consequences.
Of the many values that hold civilization together --- honesty, kindness, and so on --- accountability may be the most important of all. Without it, there can be no respect, no trust, no law --- and, ultimately, no society.
My job as a police officer is to impose accountability on people who refuse, or have never learned, to impose it on themselves. But as every policeman knows, external controls on people’s behavior are far less effective than internal restraints such as guilt, shame and embarrassment.
Fortunately there are still communities --- smaller towns, usually --- where schools maintain discipline and where parents hold up standards that declare: “In this family certain things are not tolerated --- they simply are not done!”
Yet more and more, especially in our larger cities and suburbs, these inner restraints are loosening. Your typical robber has none. He considers your property his property; he takes what he wants, including your life if you annoy him.
The main cause of this breakdown is a radical shift in attitudes. Thirty years ago, if a crime was committed, society was considered the victim. Now, in a shocking reversal, it’s the criminal who is considered victimized: by his underprivileged (被剥夺基本社会权利的) upbringing, by the school that didn’t teach him to read, by the church that failed to reach him with moral guidance, by the parents who didn’t provide a stable home.
I don’t believe it. Many others in equally disadvantaged circumstances choose not to engage in criminal activities. If we free the criminal, even partly, from accountability, we become a society of endless excuses where no one accepts responsibility for anything. We in America desperately need more people who believe that the person who commits a crime is the one responsible for it..What the wise man said suggests that it’s __________.
| A．unnecessary for good people to do anything in face of evil |
| B．certain that evil will be widespread if good men do nothing about it |
| C．only natural for good men to defeat evil |
| D．desirable for good men to keep away from evil |
According to the author, if a person is found guilty of a crime, ________.
| A．society is to be held responsible |
| B．modern civilization is responsible for it |
| C．the criminal himself should bear the blame |
| D．the standards of living should be improved |
Compared with those in small towns, people in large cities have ________.
| A．less self-discipline |
| B．better sense of discipline |
| C．more respect to each other |
| D．less effective government |
The writer is sorry to have noticed that ________.
| A．people in large cities tend to excuse criminals |
| B．people in small towns still stick to old discipline and standards. |
| C．today’s society lacks sympathy for people in difficulty |
| D．people in disadvantaged circumstances are engaged in criminal activities |
The key point of the passage is that ________.
| A．stricter discipline should be maintained in schools and families |
| B．more good examples should be set for people to follow |
| C．more attention should be paid to people’s behavior |
| D．more people should accept the value of accountability |
【改编】Feeling blue about the world? “Cheer up,” says science writer Matt Ridley. “The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature.”
Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he’s carefully weighed the evidence; optimistic, because that evidence shows human progress to be both unavoidable and good. And this is what he’s set out to prove from a unique point of view in his most recent book, The Rational Optimist . He views mankind as grand enterprise that, on the whole, has done little but progress for 100,000 years. He backs his findings with hard facts gathered through years of research.
Here’s how he explains his views.
1）Shopping fuels invention
It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone. Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, better cars, and, of course, more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us. This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be.
2) Brilliant advances
One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel and shelter—have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for. In 1950 it was eight seconds. Today it’s half second.
3) Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change
Mitigating(减轻) climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself. A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel(化石燃料) electricity is forbidden by well- meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change. If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose-bleed by putting a tourniquet(止血带) around our necks.What does “blue” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．Anxious. | B．Depressed. |
| C．Curious. | D．Positive. |
What is Ridley’s recent book about?
| A．Facts about human progress. |
| B．Opinions about climate change. |
| C．Importance of reducing pollution. |
| D．Protection of environment. |
Which is the writer’s opinion?
| A．The earth will no long fit to live on if we don’t take action to protect the earth. |
| B．The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be. |
| C．The price of everything is growing higher and higher. |
| D．People mustn’t use fossil-fuel for environmental protection. |
According to the writer , One reason why humans live longer is that_____.
| A．people can be treated immediately |
| B．people pay more attention to health |
| C．people can eat better food without spending much money |
| D．climate becomes much warmer |
The author develops the passage mainly by_____.
| A．Topic- Explanation |
| B．Explanation ---Conclusion |
| C．Argument --- Topic ---Conclusion |
| D．Conclusion - Topic |
【改编】Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930sand the 1980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In 1944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In 1950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie, a married mail wants to cheat on his wife with some of hisfriends.In1959,
Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”From the second paragraph we can knowBilly Wilder _____.
| A．Billy Wilder is a productive movie maker |
| B．Billy Wilderis famous for his sharp words |
| C．Billy Wilderreceived twenty Oscar awards. |
| D．Billy Wilder’s movies have humorous social comment. |
At what age did he make the film The Lost Weekend ?
| A．47. | B．43. | C．38. | D．39. |
Which film tells of the story of an old actress?
| A．Double Indemnity. | B．The Seven Year Itch. |
| C．The Lost Weekend | D．Sunset Boulevard. |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Billy Wilder---A Great Film Maker. |
| B．Famous Hollywood Stars. |
| C．The history of American movies. |
| D．A View of Oscar- awarding Films. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Billy Wilderdirected the film Double Indemnity in the 1940s.
B. Billy Wildermade fifty movies all his life.
C Billy Wilderwas addicated to alcohol in his late years.
D.Billy Wilder is highly thought of by the world.
【改编】Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes.
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Everything in the newspaper is doubtful. |
| B．People are encouraged to suspect everything. |
| C．Not everything you read is believable. |
| D．Sometimes scientists may make mistakes. |
What does the underlined word “ hoaxes” mean?
| A．Truths. | B．Tricks. | C．Researches. | D．Result. |
From the second paragraph we can know______.
| A．Johann Beringer was envied by his colleagues. |
| B．Johann Beringer lived in the seventeenth century. |
| C．Johann Beringer found the Piltdown man. |
| D．Johann Beringer found he was fooled by others in time. |
According to the passage ,the discovery of Piltdown man______.
| A．was significant to the theory of evolution. |
| B．proved orangutan developed from man. |
| C．didn’t prove false until 50 years later. |
| D．proved that scientists were very careless. |
From the last paragraph we can infer the author thinks_____.
| A．scientists are unreliable. |
| B．everyone can make a mistake. |
| C．we should ignore scientific research. |
| D．we should treat scientific research reasonably. |
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