A boy was dying of terminal leukemia (白血病). His mother took his hand and asked, “Bopsy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be when you grew up?”
“Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.”
Later that day she went to the fire department, where she met Fireman Bob. She explained her son’s final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, “Look, we can do better than that. We’ll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And, we’ll get a real fire uniform made for him.”
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted (护送) him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Bopsy was in heaven. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished (慷慨给予) upon him, Bopsy lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.
One night all of his vital signs began to drop and the head nurse called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bopsy as he made his transition. The chief replied, “We can do better than that. We’ll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens (警报器) screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that it’s just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time? And will you open the window to his room?”
About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy’s third floor open window and 14 firemen and two fire-women climbed up the ladder into Bopsy’s room. They hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Bopsy looked up at the fire chief and said, “Chief, am I really a fireman now?”
With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his eyes for the last time.
1. Why did Bopsy’s mother go to the fire department?| A．Her son wanted to get a fire uniform. |
| B．Her son wanted to ride on a fire engine. |
| C．She wanted her son to become a real fireman. |
| D．She wanted to help her son to realize his dream. |
| A．The fire engine was nine yards long. |
| B．The whole journey that day was very upsetting. |
| C．Bopsy could experience everything as a fireman. |
| D．All the sirens of the fire engines would scream that day. |
| A．Because Bopsy begged her to do so. |
| B．Because Bopsy saw the firemen as his family members. |
| C．Because she wanted Bopsy to be approved as a real fireman. |
| D．Because she wanted to do something for Bopsy before he died. |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．Sometimes there are miracles because of love. |
| C．Great things may be done by painstaking efforts. |
| D．A mother understands what a child does not say. |
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Finally, Sam flipped(翻转) a coin. It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager. He picked right. The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times. Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000. Sam dreamily left the lottery studio. Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car.
Sam is slowly getting better. He was in the hospital for a month. His hospital bill was $110,000. And the insurance company for the little sports car's owner sued(起诉) Sam for $9,000 worth of repairs. Also, Sam still has to pay taxes on his winnings. Sam doesn't play the state lottery any more. He says it's better to be unlucky.
1. Sam won the blanket ________ years ago.
| A．25 | B．60 | C．35 | D．76 |
| A．he was lucky | B．he was good at math |
| C．he was smart | D．he was tough |
| A．The lottery game was a complete lie. |
| B．Sam was quite familiar with the boy. |
| C．The owner of the car is now in hospital. |
| D．Sam will have none of the prize money left. |
| A．everything has its time and that time must be watched. |
| B．he who risks nothing, gains nothing. |
| C．everything comes to him who waits. |
| D．he who laughs on Friday will weep on Sunday. |
【推荐2】An Invisible Smile
Mr Dawson was an old man who always complained a lot, and everyone in town knew it.Kids ever went into his yard to pick a delicious apple. Old Dawson, they said, would come after them with his gun.
One Friday, 12-year-old Janet was going to stay all night with her friend Amy. They had to walk by Dawson’s house on the way to Amy’s house, but as they got close, Janet saw him sitting on his front porch and suggested they cross over to the other side of the street. Like most of the children，Janet was scared of the old man.
Amy said not to worry, Mr Dawson wouldn’t hurt anyone. Still, Janet was growing more nervous with each step closer to the old man’s house. When they got close enough, Dawson looked up with his usual frown, but when he saw it was Amy, a broad smile changed his entire face as he said, “Hello, Miss Amy. I see you’ve got a little friend with you today. ”
Amy smiled back and told him Janet was staying overnight and they were going to listen to music and play games. Mr Dawson said that sounded fun and offered them each a fresh picked apple off his tree. They gladly accepted. Mr Dawson had the best apples in the whole town.
When they left, Janet asked Amy, “Everyone says he’s the meanest man in town. How come he was so nice to us?”
Amy explained that when she first started walking past his house he wasn’t very friendly and she was afraid of him, but she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him. It took a while, but one day he half-smiled back at her.
After some more time, he started smiling real smiles and then started talking to her. Just a “hello” at first, then more. She said he always offered her an apple and was always very kind.
“An invisible smile? ”questioned Janet.
“Yes，”answered Amy, “my grandma told me that if I pretended I wasn’t afraid and pretended he was smiling an invisible smile at me and I smiled back at him, sooner or later he would really smile. Grandma says smiles are contagious.”
If we remember what Amy’s grandma said --- everyone wears an invisible smile, we too will find that we’re always on the go trying to accomplish so much, aren’t we?It’s so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we forget how simple it can be to bring cheer to ourselves and others. Giving a smile away takes so little effort and time. Let’s make sure that we’re not the ones that others have to pretend to be wearing an invisible smile.
1. Kids were scared of Mr Dawson because ________ .| A．he was mean with his apple |
| B．he would fire them with a gun |
| C．he was always very cold |
| D．he was wearing an invisible smile |
| A．Janet was so lovely a girl that Mr Dawson couldn’t resist her smiles |
| B．it was Grandma’s advice that helped bring Amy and Mr Dawson closer |
| C．Mr Dawson was friendly to Amy because she always wore an invisible smile |
| D．Janet and Amy were going to invite Mr Dawson to listen to music and play games |
| A．meaningful | B．moving | C．infectious | D．supportive |
| A．Always wear an invisible smile. |
| B．Smile whenever we can. |
| C．Try our best to transform others. |
| D．Pretend that we are happy even if we are not. |
【推荐3】If you happen to notice a man talking to a large, brown dog, that’s my dad and his dog.
Sometimes I think he loves that dog more than he loves us. The moment dad arrives from the office, he hides in a room or behind the door and shouts, “Pluto, come and get me.” Dad’s conversations with Pluto are quite natural, like the dog isn’t a dog at all but another human and that’s the scary part. Has Dad lost the ability to tell the difference between a man and an animal?
I was curious about this so I finally got my courage up to ask him. I went into the living room and saw dad sitting in his favorite chair and reading a book. Pluto curled up (蜷伏), as usual, around his feet. So I gathered my courage and asked him. “Dad,” I said, “do you know you talk to that dog just like a human?”
Dad looked me in the eye. I thought, for a moment, he might be angry at my question. But he just smiled, reached out and patted my head and said, “Yes, I do. The reason is simple. If I talk down to him, he doesn’t respect me, but if I carry on a normal conversation, ask questions, then Pluto understand everything I say.” I stood there wanting to ask more questions, but decided that wasn’t the best time.
As so for a few days, I watched everything about them. I have noticed the dog never receive direct orders. It never hears “sit”, “lie down” or anything like that. What it hears are suggestions like, “Would you like to shop with me, Pluto?” or “Would you like me to feed you now?” or “Shall we go for a walk?”
What’s amazing is that Pluto does understand everything dad says. I have also noticed that dad keeps some special walks just for them. This is what he calls his “time alone”.
1. Pluto is ________.| A．the writer | B．the writer’s father | C．a pet | D．the writer’s friend |
| A．to feed his dog | B．to play games with his dog |
| C．to read a book | D．to greet everybody in the family |
| A．interesting | B．boring | C．abnormal | D．simple |
| A．it was a silly question | B．he was too curious |
| C．his father got angry quite often | D．he thought it might make his dad mad |
| A．Dad treats the dog as an equal |
| B．Dad feels quite lonely every day |
| C．Dad loves the dog more than he loves his kids |
| D．Dad loves giving direct orders to his kids and dog |
The most widely used system for classifying carcinogens comes from the IARC, which places them into five groups. Group 1 carcinogens definitely cause cancer in humans. Group 2A is probably carcinogenic to humans, Group 2B is possibly carcinogenic, the carcinogenicity of Group 3 in humans is unclassifiable, and Group 4 is probably not carcinogenic to humans. Only a little more than 100 are classified as Group 1 cancer-causing substances, including ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke.
“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” the lARC's Dana Loomis said in a statement. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”
In 2010, lung cancer resulting from air pollution killed 223,000 people worldwide, and there was also convincing evidence that it increases the risk of bladder (膀腕) cancer, according to the IARC.
Air pollution is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses, including respiratory and heart diseases.
Air pollution is global, although the levels of it vary over space and time.
Loomis said people in Asia, eastern North America, some places in Central America and Mexico, as well as North Africa have relatively high exposure. Developing countries with large populations and booming manufacturing sectors, such as China, are particularly at risk.
Many cities in China, such as Beijing, frequently see smog. This week, Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, became the first Chinese city to officially suspend classes due to serious smog
Many developed countries face similar problems, although to a lesser degree than most developing nations. In Europe, levels of many pollutants have fallen. But between 91 and 96 percent of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of PM2.5—tiny particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—that are higher than the WHO safety limits, says a report published by the European Environment Agency on Oct 15.
Although both the composition and levels of air pollution can vary dramatically from one location to the other, the 1ARC said its conclusions apply to all regions of the world.
“Given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay,” said Christopher Wild, director of the IARC.
1. What might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Signals of air pollution |
| B．Safety limits of air pollution |
| C．Air pollution, cancer risk |
| D．Air pollution, smog risk |
| A．To focus on cancer-causing substances. |
| B．To evaluate the air quality. |
| C．To study the developing risk of cancer. |
| D．To send signals to the international community. |
| A．The composition and levels of air pollution vary from place to place. |
| B．More and more people in developing countries are exposed to air pollution. |
| C．Developed countries face air pollution, the level of which is higher than the safety limits. |
| D．A large number of people worldwide are exposed to air pollution. |
【推荐2】It’s March in Africa. On the farm, local people are dancing and singing to celebrate their recent harvest. Their hard work has paid off and got beautiful fruit — white and fragrant rice!
This is the Second Farm in Xai-Xai. Mozambique, where Yi Yun has been working for six years. The 37-year-old from Liaoning, China. followed his Chinese company here as a project manager. The company runs a project to grow rice on the farm, which covers about 1,667 hectares.
“When we first arrived in 2017, the farm was full of weeds (杂草) , as tall as a man,” said Yi. After clearing the weeds, the company began to teach locals farming skills. “We taught them how to drive tractors (拖拉机) and harvesters, and how to grow rice step by step including sowing seeds and spraying pesticide.”
Since 2000, when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation started, an increasing number of Chinese companies and organizations have gone to Africa to work in the agriculture industry. “We bring in new techniques, equipment and high-quality seeds,” said Yi.
“Local people are happy that we are here because we not only help them solve food problems but also provide job opportunities,” said Yi. “Our farm can employ 500 to 1,000 local people. Their living conditions have been greatly improved in recent years. Some families have even bought televisions and fridges.”
“African people are just as hard-working as the Chinese and also want to pursue a better life. What they need is more opportunities, which China is now helping with. I’m proud of what my country is doing,” Yi said.
1. What does paragraph 1 describe?| A．A celebration scene. | B．A trading scene. |
| C．A working scene. | D．A harvest scene. |
| A．Old tractors. | B．Tall weeds. | C．Local farmers. | D．Rice fields. |
| A．It started a project in Mozambique in 2000. |
| B．It suffered from food shortage in Mozambique. |
| C．It sells electrical appliances to people in Mozambique. |
| D．It has contributed to the agriculture development of Mozambique. |
| A．They should get better-paid jobs. |
| B．They are proud of their own country. |
| C．They need opportunities to create a better life. |
| D．They have learned from the Chinese to be hard-working. |
【推荐3】I remember the first time I got on a horse. When I was a little boy aged two, my mom agreed to let me take a short ride and that was it! From then on, I drove my parents crazy begging for a horse.
When I was four, I had mutism, in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a sound at school. At most, I might quietly whisper to a friend. I suffered silently through school until I was ten when a psychologist (心理学家) had an idea. He asked me what I wanted more than anything else in the world. He explained I was going to be given a chance to work for that. And I was permitted to whisper the answer in my mother’s ear, “A horse.”
I was to get a pony, but I had to live up to my end of the bargain (讲价). I had a list of weekly tasks I had to finish. I had to answer the phone five times per week, something I had never done before. I had to say one word to my teacher at school and the list went on. For a child with mutism, saying one word to someone can be like climbing Mount Qomolangma. I did everything that was asked of me and the day came. His name was Sequoia, whom I fell in love with immediately. When I was in Sequoia’s presence, I forgot all about my problems and felt strong and secure.
I am a fully participating member of society these days. My horse and I made it through a master’s degree. I may have made it otherwise, but I’m not sure. I feel I owe my life to the horse and I try to give it back to him. He has given me the best gift I could ever imagine, my life.
1. What was the situation like when the author was four?| A．He didn’t say a word at all. |
| B．He learned how to ride a horse. |
| C．He found his classmates unfriendly. |
| D．He had difficulty in communicating. |
| A．He completed some tasks easily. |
| B．He pushed himself extremely hard. |
| C．He fell in love with Sequoia gradually. |
| D．He found the psychologist’s idea useless. |
| A．To share his unfortunate childhood. |
| B．To give tips on how to cure mutism. |
| C．To show his deep gratefulness to his horse. |
| D．To encourage kids struggling against mutism. |
【推荐1】In the shadow of Kenya’s Mount Kilimanjaro, nine Rothschild giraffes, the rarest giraffes on the planet, are free to wander at the English-style manor (庄园). Every day shortly before 9am, they come up to the house and stick their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats. The manor’s owners, Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley, share their dining table with them. And now the couple are sharing the fantastic experience with the public by opening the manor gates to guests at the giraffe hotel, the only hotel of its kind in the world. Now, guests can feed the giraffes at breakfast but can also get up close to them from their second-floor bedrooms.
Mr and Mrs Carr-Hartley，both 38, spent their childhood living close to the house in Nairobi and have always been enthusiastic about the animals. Tanya said, “Mikey and I grew up near this manor house when we were children. We are both third generation Kenyans and have always wanted to work in conservation. Mikey’s family have been related to the protection of animals for many generations. His granddad helped the removal of giraffes as far back as the 1930s because the Rothschild giraffes lost much of their natural living space. When the house came up for sale, we jumped at the chance to buy it as we had always dreamed of owning it. Now, we were absolutely overjoyed to do something for the giraffe protection. Having the giraffes so close is very special and something which people can now experience by staying in one of the ten rooms at the hotel.”
A conservation project to save them was started at the manor in 1974 by the previous owners. “The previous owners ran a very successful breeding (繁殖) programme, where many giraffes were set free into the wild and we hope to continue,” said Tanya.
1. Why are the Carr-Hartley family unusual?| A．They’re living on the rarest giraffes. | B．They share their home with giraffes. |
| C．They’re good at making giraffes’ food. | D．They train giraffes to manage the hotel. |
| A．It has had a long connection with giraffes. | B．It used to raise giraffes around the manor. |
| C．It built a new manor for the wild giraffes. | D．It removed giraffes to Mount Kilimanjaro. |
| A．Visitor-friendly. | B．Energy-saving. | C．Costly. | D．Fruitful. |
| A．Giraffes’ breakfast by guests | B．Reasons for giraffe protection |
| C．The world’s only giraffe hotel | D．History of the giraffe manor |
【推荐2】Bonnie often walks on two legs, like humans. And you can find the 32-year-old great ape copying her keepers by sweeping the floor of her zoo home. Sometimes she uses a piece of cloth to clean the window.
“Apes (猿) in general are very clever, but Bonnie is surely even more so,” said Erin Stromberg, a great ape keeper who works with Bonnie and recently wrote a research paper about her ability to whistle.
Bonnie is one of the six adult great apes at the National Zoo. Bonnie and other great apes are part of a research project. Scientists there are trying to learn more about the way the great apes think and act. One part of the project is to learn whether great apes can develop a way to remember long lists.
Stromberg helped with a project on Bonnie’s unusual ability to whistle. Years ago Bonnie started to whistle, probably after hearing a keeper do it. In the project, Stromberg made different whistling noises to see if Bonnie could repeat them. She did. Bonnie’s whistling shows some apes have the ability to learn a new sound from another species.
The finding is especially important because, Stromberg said, it can help scientists better understand how human speech developed. Great apes, after all, are the closest relatives to human beings in the animal kingdom.
Bonnie was born in 1976 at a zoo in New Mexico and arrived at the National Zoo in December 1980. Bonnie has physical features common to great apes, such as a large belly. Her dark red coat makes her easy to spot on a visit to the zoo.
1. The main purpose of the research project is to ________.| A．find out how clever the great apes are |
| B．know more about how the great apes think and act |
| C．learn whether the great apes can remember long lists |
| D．see whether the great apes can copy humans’ action |
| A．It can help people raise great apes more easily. |
| B．It makes scientists know more about their living habit. |
| C．It proves some apes have the ability to learn a new sound. |
| D．It can help scientists better learn the development of human speech. |
| A．she is too old |
| B．her belly is very large |
| C．her hair is of a special color |
| D．she is able to whistle like humans |
| A．A great ape that can whistle |
| B．A research project on great apes |
| C．The cleverest animal at the zoo |
| D．A great ape that can do housework |
【推荐3】A new wave of psychological research is pioneering Virtual Reality （VR） lo treat medical conditions from social anxiety to Alzheimer’s disease.
Riding a wave of interest in mental health tech, companies creating VR content for treatment are receiving a flood of attention and funding. And,while VR has been used successfully to treat post-traumatic stress disorder （PTSD） since the 1990s, these new programs address a much broader range of conditions.The library of Palo Alto–based Limbix, for instance, includes VR content designed to treat issues including alcohol addiction and teenage depression. Barcelona-based Psious offers treatments for eating disorders.
Today’s VR content is primarily designed to aid exposure treatment, a treatment for anxiety disorders in which patients are exposed to the “threats” they’re worried about in a safe, controlled environment, eventually learning that the “threats” are not actually very dangerous. For example, someone who fears heights might visit taller buildings under the guidance of their doctor, while someone with PTSD might revisit painful memories.
VR allows doctors to create a safe and controlled environment inside a VR headset. It’s a far safer, quicker and less expensive option. Using VR also gives doctors much more control over the intensity（强度）of their patients’ experiences,which can lead to better treatment outcomes, said Stephane Bouchard, a professor at the University of Quebec. VR treatment patients can also do things they couldn’t do in the real world. “In one of our studies, we asked patients who are afraid of heights to actually jump from a cliff,” Bouchard said.
However, not all VR treatment content is created equal. “Some companies show videos of VR environments that are incomplete, untested and definitely haven’t been tried out by psychologists,” Bouchard said. Clearer rules and standards will make it easier for patients and doctors to identify products that work.
1. What problems can VR be used to treat according to the passage?| A．Social anxiety, PTSD and alcohol addiction. |
| B．Sleeping disorders, deafness and computer addiction. |
| C．The fear of heights, blood pressure and eating disorders. |
| D．Alzheimer’s disease, heart attack and teenage depression. |
| A．Benefits. | B．Results. | C．Causes. | D．Methods. |
| A．Worrying. | B．Uncertain. | C．Promising. | D．Passive. |
| A．Criteria of VR treatment. |
| B．Wide use of VR treatment. |
| C．Problems VR treatment are facing. |
| D．Reasons why VR treatment standards are needed. |
【推荐1】You might easily gain access to fresh fruit and vegetables, but this isn’t the case in some parts of America. The U. S. has many areas that are considered as food deserts, which are defined as parts of the country short of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthy food, usually found in poor areas.
Food deserts are urban areas where the nearest grocery store is more than 1 mile away, and rural areas where the nearest grocery store is more than 10 miles away. According to the USDA, 19 million Americans — or 6.2% of the population — live in places that can be considered as food deserts.
The issue isn’t necessarily about the difference in cost between healthy and unhealthy foods in these areas but it’s about a lack of access to healthy choices at all. And, with the lack of healthy food choices, these areas typically have a large supply of unhealthy foods sold at fast-food companies and convenience stores.
Eating unhealthy foods can lead to overweight, which puts people at risk for all kinds of major health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and some cancers.
But some people, especially those who cannot afford a car, are stuck with eating what’s readily available. In the case of food deserts, it’s usually the type of food that can lead to overweight. Studies have shown that this is likely to be a problem in low-income areas. When money is not enough, people tend to buy foods that last longer and remove food waste, which is a waste of their limited income.
Lack of access is only one part of the problem, however. The bigger issue was likely the lack of education and nutritional knowledge in these communities, which prevents people with lower incomes from understanding the benefits of healthy eating.
While overweight is a significant issue in these communities, the cost of unhealthy eating isn’t just physical. A study found that 71 billion dollars in healthcare costs due to chronic (慢性的) diseases could be saved through healthier eating.
1. What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?| A．6.2% of the Americans live in poor areas. |
| B．Some parts of the USA lack fresh vegetables. |
| C．Some people in America don’t need fresh fruit. |
| D．People in the food deserts buy fresh vegetables easily |
| A．These areas are rich in unhealthy food materials. |
| B．The fast food sold in the food deserts are of lower cost. |
| C．Healthy food choices are unavailable in these areas. |
| D．People in these areas prefer unhealthy food to healthy food. |
| A．are less likely to have overweight problems |
| B．are not delighted to prepare food for themselves |
| C．have to buy food that can be preserved longer |
| D．are used to eating food donated by food companies |
| A．Their high healthcare cost due to the chronic diseases. |
| B．Their long established eating habits. |
| C．The government’s lack of financial support. |
| D．Their lack of education and knowledge in nutrition. |
【推荐2】“While extroverts（性格外向者）often make great first impressions with their outgoing manner and lively personalities in interviews, their value and reputation at work diminish（缩减）over time,” says Corinne Bendersky, an associate professor of Management.
“Extroverts disappoint us over time when they are part of a team,” Bendersky says. “On a team you’re expected to work hard and contribute a lot. But they are often poor listeners, and they don’t collaborate.”
“On the other hand, introverts（性格内向者）work hard on a team because they care what others think of them. They don’t want to be seen as not pulling their weight or contributing 100%,” Bendersky says.
So while companies may be attracted to hiring extroverts because they impress managers greatly in job interviews, bosses also may want to consider whether the extrovert they are considering will be a valuable team player, Bendersky says.
Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, two writers agree and say managers should recognize the strengths of introverted employees, such as their ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
“These team members are often easy-going, which can make them exceptional mentors to more junior staff or particularly good sounding boards when you interact with them in one-on-one situations,” Su says.
“Managers must try to help introverts find their voice,” Wilkins says. “Help them see that speaking up is not about self-promotion or being in conflict but rather about offering the team key insights, making better decisions or increasing the efficiency for all.”
What about those extroverts who never seem to be at a loss for words? Should managers cut them off? Managers definitely should weigh in on how an extrovert is affecting others. Wilkins suggests saying something in private to make adjustments.
1. What do we know about outgoing people according to Bendersky?| A．They are good listeners. |
| B．They are good at cooperating. |
| C．They often make great contributions. |
| D．They tend to perform well in interviews. |
| A．Making the team lag. |
| B．Making good choices. |
| C．Doing their full share of work. |
| D．Trying to share their thoughts. |
| A．Critical. | B．Tolerant. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Approving. |
| A．Promote more introverts. |
| B．Learn to work more efficiently. |
| C．Encourage introverts to speak up. |
| D．Avoid conflict among employees. |
【推荐3】Throughout the ages different ideas have been expressed about the working of the human brain. In ancient times, men thought that the mind was based in the heart. It was not until the 18th century that man realized that the whole of the brain was involved in the workings of the mind.
During the 19th century scientists found that when certain parts of the brain were damaged men lost the ability to do certain things. And so, people thought that each part of the brain controlled a different activity. But modern research has found that this is not so.
In the past 50 years there has been a great increase in the amount of research being done on the brain. Scientists have found that the way the brain works is far more complicated than they had thought. They have tried to use computers to copy the way the brain works. However, they have found that even using the latest electronic equipment they would have to build a computer weighed over 10,000 kilos.
Earlier scientists thought that the power of the brain decreased during a man’s lifetime. But now it has been found that an old person who has always been mentally active has a quicker mind than a young person who has done only physical work. It means the more work we give our brains, the more work they can do.
Scientists hope that if we can discover how the brain works, we will be able to make better use of it. For example, how do we learn language? Some children learn to speak and read and write when they are very young compared to average children. But scientists are not sure why this happens.
Other people now believe that we use only 1% of our brains’ full potential. They say that the only limit on the power of the brain is the limit of what we think is possible. This is probably because of the way we are taught as children. When we first start learning to use our minds we are told what to do, for example, to remember certain facts, but we are not taught how our memory works and how to make best use of it. We are told to make notes but we are not taught how our brains accept information and which is the best way to organize the information we want our brains to accept.
This century man has made many discoveries about the universe — the world outside himself. But he has also started to look into the workings of that other universe which is inside himself.
1. What does the author agree with?| A．How our brain works remains a puzzle. |
| B．The work of the mind is rooted in the heart. |
| C．Different parts of the brain control activities. |
| D．A computer can store information as our brain. |
| A．People have made the most of the brains. |
| B．The brain need practice to keep its power. |
| C．Some children know the secret to learning. |
| D．People experience memory loss with aging. |
| A．A good memory is worse than a bad pen. |
| B．Only 1% of our brain has been fully used. |
| C．How to remember facts is unnecessary to learn. |
| D．How we are taught affects the power of our brain. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Objective. | C．Positive. | D．Sceptical. |
