“Mind over matter” is an English saying meaning that we can control our bodies with our minds. Now scientists are finding increasing evidence that our mind can have a great effect on our physical health. Since our mind influences how we feel, it’s not true to say if someone is ill just because he feels ill.
The influence of the mind on how well we feel is the basis of what is known as the placebo effect. A placebo (which is Latin for “I shall please”) is a harmless, inactive substance. Patients are sometimes given placebo pills and begin to feel better because they believe that they have been given real drugs and expect to respond to them. The placebo effect is very strong: research on pain suggests that up to 30% of the effect of most painkillers is a placebo effect.
So if it is so powerful, why don’t doctors use it today?
According to Dr Persaud, they really do. “All these things like seeing a doctor, going to a hospital, and being scanned(扫描) have a very strong placebo effect,” he says.According to the first paragraph, if you feel ill.
| A．you don’t need to see a doctor |
| B．it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re physically ill |
| C．you are in good condition |
| D．it is obvious that you suffer from a serious disease |
The English saying “mind over matter” means that .
| A．a sound mind is less important than a good health |
| B．our mind has a strong effect on our body |
| C．our physical health has nothing to do with our mind |
| D．mental health mainly depends on our physical health |
According to the passage, placebos .
| A．may make patients feel worse |
| B．are not effective pills |
| C．are not real drugs |
| D．can relieve all kinds of pains |
From the passage it can be seen that there will be no placebo effect if a patient .
| A．is dressed in white | B．has a physical exam |
| C．takes placebo pills | D．sees a doctor |
A new study（研究）warns that about thirty percent of the world’s people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three hundred thirty-five million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
Population Action International researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three thousand million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet, the amount of water on earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking water is not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which is carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth, It says countries can't provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have. According to the writer’s opinion, the first serious problem caused by lack of water is ______.
| A．health problem | B．war | C．economy | D．industry |
Robert Engelman may be _______.
| A．an Englishman | B．an American | C．a Japanese | D．an Australian |
Which of the following is NOT the way to solve the water problem?
| A．To control population growth |
| B．To teach people not to waste water. |
| C．To find ways to use water for only one purpose. |
| D．To use less water of agriculture. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How to get more water in the future. | B．Problems caused by water |
| C．The Lack of water | D．A new study of water |
Creativity(创造力) is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily an indicator(标志) of high intelligen
ce(智力). Just because a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using his resources to produce new ideas that are good for something.
It is important to let children choose. From an early age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it's choosing food for lunch, making decision helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision. The child may have a hard time, but that is all right. This is because the most important characteristic of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.Creativity is something ______.
| A．that people are born with |
| B．that depends on intelligence |
| C．that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problems |
| D．that is not important |
What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money?
| A．Try to help them as much as possible. |
| B．Take no notice of whatever they do. |
| C．Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much. |
| D．Leave them as they are. |
What is the proper title of the passage?
| A．The Problems in Education | B．Let Children Choose |
| C．Children Need Creativity | D．A Brighter Future |
Pressure too much?
In our daily life we are used to hearing these words, “I can't wait for my holiday,” “I wish I could stay home today” And “I'm very tired.” These words come from pressure at work. Now the “iron rice bowl”(铁饭碗) is being broken into pieces. Workers may be fired if they don’t perform their duties well. They have to do their jobs better.
People feel pressure not only because they might find themselves out of work but also because they get no real pleasure from their work. For most of the workers, work is just a way of earning money. It appears to be meaningless and worthless.
But pressure is a natural part of work. There is no way to keep away from it. We should face up to it.
Work should be
a cause of happiness and pride rather than a punishment or a burden .In fact, a certain amount of pressure can provide challenge and chance for learning. To a modern man who is worried and low in spirit, developing a hobby and finding a new interest is of first importance. I like listening to pop music, which makes me calm and gives me pleasure.
If pressure becomes difficult to deal with, we should turn to our friends or families. We can have a drink with our friends and talk about the problem. We should always discuss our problems with our families. Good advice, warmth and happiness that families bring to us can reduce our pressure and encourage us to smooth away all difficulties.Peopel feel pressure at work mainly because ______.
| A．they will lose their jobs |
| B．most of them find less interest in their work |
| C．they can make more money after work. |
| D．they want to stay at home. |
Which of the following is WRONG in the writer’s opinion?
| A．Where there is work there is pressure. |
| B．Work shouldn’t be regarded as punishment or burden. |
| C．All modern men are worried and low in spirit. |
| D．A certain amount of pressure is necessary. |
From the text we can know that when pressure is too big, ________.
| A．we should drink coffee with our friends |
B． we can get help and comfort from our friends or families. |
| C．we can go home because it is warm |
| D．to talk out the problem to our friends and families is the best way. |
There was once an 11-year-old boy who went fishing every time he went to an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake.
On the day before the bass（鲈鱼） opened, he and his farther were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then he tied a small silver lure（鱼饵） put it into the lake. Suddenly the boy felt that something very big was pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father struck a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 pm—two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, and then at the boy. ”You’ll have to put it back, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy. “There will be other fish,” said his father. “Not as big as this one,” cried the boy. He looked around. No other fishermen or boats could be seen in the moonlight. He looked at his father again.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father’s voice that the decision couldn’t be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water.
The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never see such a big fish again.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York city. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago again. But he does see the same fish---again and again—ever time he has an ethical(道德的) decision to make. His father had taught him that ethics are simply a matter of right or wrong, but it is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. Why did the father strike a match?
| A．To check the time. |
| B．To light his cigarette. |
| C．To have a closer look at the fish. |
| D．To find whether there was somebody nearby. |
What happened when they found it was two hours before the season opened?
| A．The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly. |
| B．The father asked the boy to put the fish back into the lake. |
| C．The boy and his father discussed what to do with the fish. |
| D．They worried other fishermen might discover what they had done. |
Why did the architect go fishing with his children at the same place?
| A．It was a good place for fishing. |
| B．It brought the past to his mind. |
| C．They could catch a big fish there. |
| D．He wanted to give them a moral lesson. |
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries often speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition(版本) dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context（上下文）. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, or divide it into syllables (音节), they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check these in a dictionary. The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries properly |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
When in the reading does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
| A．At the beginning of the reading |
| B．At the end of the reading |
| C．During the first reading |
| D．After the first reading |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what were the defects of small two-language dictionaries |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |
Which is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
| B．When to use a dictionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practise reading fast. |
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