As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像)the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.
| A．show the relationship between parents and children |
| B．report on the findings of a study |
| C．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| D．give information about family problems |
Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ______.
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| C．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
| D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question ______.
| A．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
| B．why TV is important in family life |
| C．why parents should keep good order |
| D．why children in small families seem to be quieter |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner |
| D．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
To switch or not to switch, that is the question．Google’s announcement of its Nexus One smartphone（智能手机） happened over a week ago and I’m still receiving lots of e-mails from readers asking the same question: Should they give up their iPhone for the Nexus One?
Some people with iPhones, disappointed by American Telephone&Telegraph’s inadequate service and the high monthly cost, are wondering if they have really got something to replace it．Does the Nexus One offer the functions that Apple has led them to expect?
I’m on the fence myself, even though I never thought I’d be interested in anything but the iPhone．From my experience using the Nexus One, and from talking to people who have made the change, it’s not necessarily about the differences between the iPhone and the Nexus One．The phones are extremely similar in design and general feel．Instead, the decision can be made based on the software（软件） services you use on your desktop．
My friend Chad Dickerson received a pre-launch Nexus One from Google three weeks ago．He said Google’s phone feels connected to certain services on the Web in a way the iPhone doesn’t．“Compared to the iPhone, the Google phone feels like it’s part of the Internet to me,” he said．“If you live in a Google world, you have that world in your pocket in a way that’s cleaner and more connected than the iPhone．”
Personally, the phones work perfectly with their own software, but both of them don’t make an effort to play well with other services．Why are some iPhone users expecting a new type of phone?
| A．Because their old ones are out of date． |
| B．Because they accept Google’s announcement． |
| C．Because of the limited service and high cost． |
| D．Because of the terrible software they can use．． |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the new phones in the third paragraph?
| A．Negative | B．Neutral | C．Indifferent | D．Positive |
In Chad Dickerson’s opinion, the Nexus One is ________ the iPhone．
| A．better than | B．worse than | C．as good as | D．as bad as |
The best title of the passage might be ________．
| A．Apple’s New Smartphone |
| B．Torn Between Two Phones |
| C．Good Services Matter |
| D．Google’s New Smartphone |
I really hadn’t meant to yell（吼叫）at them．But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen．
With a tiresome report to write，I felt bothered at my desk．Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault．A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly．
“OK，you two here．but what an awful thing you are attempting!” shouting angrily, I made for them, while it became evident that the boy wanted no part of me．“Get away from us!” he shouted back，there being expression of support from his sister．
All of a sudden，I found the fault in myself．Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers（螃蟹螯）and crawled towards them，“Crabby（似螃蟹的）Daddy is here Ha，Ha，Ha，he likes to yell at children，and then eat them!” My son continued to keep me away，but now he was laughing and crying at the same time．My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well．Still，I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way that my children could do after．
Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself．It only shows just how to get rid of something（ill-feelings，responsibility）by blaming others．It’s not my “best self”．
We have to search for our “best self” when with our children．They don’t need perfect parents，but they do need parents who are always trying to get better．Here，I’m reminded of the words of a great thinker，“When a man lives with God，his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook…” Then，in our lifetime，couldn’t we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since，most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level，what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children? The author couldn’t help yelling at his kids this time probably because______．
| A．the weather was so unpleasant | B．a Daddy has his right to do so |
| C．the kids didn’t ask him to join them | D．he was tired of his boring work |
Which of the following made the author aware of his fault?
| A．No obvious reason． | B．The children’s reaction． |
| C．His self-control． | D．The mess made by the children． |
According to the passage the author will in another similar situation．
| A．play a crab again like this time | B．apologize to kids in a sincere way |
| C．avoid blaming kids in a hurry | D．beat them up about such things |
What will the writer go on to write about in the next paragraph（s）?
| A．How to behave ourselves properly when kids are at fault． |
| B．How to blame our children in a more interesting way． |
| C．How to deal with the terrible mess made by our kids． |
| D．How to persuade children to do what they are told to． |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (多元文化环境) will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other. In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life. | B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognizing different values. | D．By speaking each other’ s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment. | B．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
| C．How to Understand Each Other. | D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |
(NEW YORK)---Scientists have discovered small signs of awareness in some vegetative(植物人的) brain injury patients and have even communicated with one of them---findings that are beneficial to how to assess and care for such people.
The new research suggests that standard tests may ignore patients who have some consciousness, and that someday some kind of communication may be possible.
In the strongest example, a 29-year-old patient was able to answer yes-or-no questions by picturing specific scenes the doctors asked him to imagine.
“We were stunned when this happened,” said one study author, Martin Monti of the Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. “I find it really amazing. This was a patient who was believed to be vegetative for five years.”
Ever since a research paper four years ago described obvious signs of awareness in a vegetative patient, families of patients have been demanding brain scans, said Dr. James Bernat, a spokesman for the American Academy for Neurology.
But experts said more study is needed before the specialized brain scans could be used in medical treatment. “It’s still a research tool,” Bernat said.
Experts also pointed out that only a few tested patients showed evidence of awareness. And they said it is not clear what degree of consciousness and mental abilities the signs imply.
They also noted that the positive signals appeared only in people with traumatic(外伤的) brain injury---not in patients whose brains had been lacking in oxygen, as can happen when the heart stops.
The new study used brain scanning called functional MRI, for 23 patients in a vegetative state and 31 that are minimally(极微地) conscious.
Patients are said to be in a vegetative state if they are tested and found unable to do such things as move on command or follow a moving object with their eyes. Minimally conscious patients show signs of awareness, but they are minimal and discontinuous. What is the practical use of the research?
| A．It leads to studying how to cure vegetative patients. |
| B．It attracts society to pay more attention to vegetative patients. |
| C．It helps doctors know whether patients are vegetative or not. |
| D．It drives the government to care about vegetative patients. |
What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Relaxed | B．Amazed | C．Excited | D．Worried |
One is considered vegetative if _______________.
| A．his eyes can’t follow a moving thing | B．his brain only has a little oxygen |
| C．he has a traumatic brain injury | D．his heart stops beating |
The passage mainly deals with ________________.
| A．how to recognize a vegetative patient | B．the significance of a new scientific finding |
| C．how family members look after a vegetative patient | |
| D．the latest findings on awareness in some vegetative patients |
Researchers who study relationships have discovered that a big difference between those who make new friends easily, and those who don’t, is that socially successful people tend to make eye contact with their conversation partners much more frequently than those who are less successful socially. In fact, you may be able to become much more socially successful by making this one simple change to your behavior.
Most Americans prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn’t make eye contact with them, they tend to think that the person is hiding something or the person doesn’t believe in himself/herself.
When you are having a conversation and you want to leave a friendly impression, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking. If it really bothers you to look directly into another person’s eyes, you can gaze generally at, not above, the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose; this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the person’s eyes. But neither the hair or the shoulders have the same effect. Don’t stare at other people too intensely, otherwise, you will look aggressive(攻击性).
Keep the majority of your focus on the other person. If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at other people, your conversation partner may guess that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.
You can lighten your nervousness by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently look away for very short periods.
When people get the sense that you are really paying attention to them, they will be much more likely to want to have conversations with you!Which of the following is NOT the impression left by those who don’t make eye contact during the talk?
| A．They are not telling the truth. | B．They are bored with the partner. |
| C．They are lacking in confidence | D．They are angry and ready to attack. |
Besides the eyes of the partner, during the talk, you can look at his/her ___________.
| A．hair | B．shoulders | C．the bridge of the nose | D．area above the eyebrows |
From the passage, we can learn that ____________________.
| A．looking away during conversation should always be avoided. |
| B．looking at a person frequently can give him/her a good impression. |
| C．many Americans feel like being stared at for a long time. |
| D．all successful people are good at making eye contact. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to make yourself socially successful |
| B．How to use eye contact to make a good impression |
| C．How to make friends with the people around you |
| D．How to leave a good impression during a talk |
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