My wife and I were at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and wet and tense. People were carelessly blocking aisles, complaining and cutting one another off with their carts. At one point, two women quarreled for several minutes in the freezer section.
Things got worse at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man's discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional charge. He decided she was acting on purpose and began to argue.
Other customers looked away as the cashier tried to reason with him. She called a manager, who took him to customer service. Shaken, she moved to the next customer in line.
We’ve all witnessed uncomfortable scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and professional. I am a data analyst and sociologist who studies how and why people interact with one another--or why they choose not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has disappeared. But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith — starting with just one person.
Therefore, my wife and I reached the disturbed cashier. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. We learned her name was Beth.
“We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.” I said.
Beth’s face lit up, and we talked as she scanned our items. She told us she had been working that evening through severe foot pain and would be having surgery later that week. We wished her well in her recovery, and she thanked us as we left.
That is the balancing act, the moment of countering social and emotional pain with healing, that will add up to restore trust across the United States. You can start that pattern in someone else's life , even in a place as ordinary as the neighborhood grocery store.
1. By describing the arguments, the author wants to show________.| A．the job as a cashier is not easy. | B．people in the U.S are unfriendly. |
| C．arguments in public are very common. | D．confidence in each other has worn off. |
| A．Sad and regretful. | B．Sorry and embarrassed. |
| C．Cheerful and rewarded. | D．Grateful and relieved. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Optimistic. | C．Uncaring | D．Cautious |
| A．A Miserable Cashier. | B．A Helping Hand. |
| C．Learning to Trust Again. | D．Starting a new life. |
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【推荐1】For reasons that are deeply rooted in culture and tradition, men significantly outnumber （比... 多）women in mathematics-based careers. As students progress through the mathematics courses, girls and boys show little difference in ability, effort, or interest in mathematics until adolescent years when course and career choices begin influencing school effort. Then, as social pressure increases and career goals are formed, girls' decisions to reduce effort in the study of mathematics progressively cut them off from many professional careers in the future.
Many girls drop mathematics in high school or in the transition to college. Others drop out later. Women perform virtually as well as men in college mathematics courses, but beyond the bachelor’s degree women drop out of mathematics at twice the rate of men. Women now enter college nearly as well prepared in mathematics as men, and 46 percent of mathematics baccalaureates （学士学位）go to women. Despite this record, only 35 percent of the master's degrees and 17 percent of the Ph. D degrees in the mathematical sciences are earned by women.
Overall, women receive approximately one third of university degrees in science and engineering. The highest percentages of women are found in those sciences with the least mathematical prerequisite： psychology, biology, and sociology. The lowest percentages of women enter fields requiring the most mathematics, namely, physics, engineering, economics, geo- science ,and chemistry. Evidence from many sources suggest that it is differences in course patterns rather than lack of ability that matter most in limiting women's access to careers in mathematically intensive sciences.
Widely reported studies concerning the high percentage of boys among mathematical prodigies （天才）---those who at age 12 perform at the level of average college students-often convey the impression that gender differences in mathematics are biologically determined. But evidence from the vast majority of students shows almost no difference in performance among male and female students who have taken equal advantage of similar opportunities to study mathematics. Inferences from very exceptional students——child prodigies—mean little about the performance of the general population.
1. Males and females probably have great difference in the learning abilities of in mathematics when they.| A．enter high school | B．acquire their bachelor’s degree |
| C．enter college | D．acquire their master's degree |
| A．master’s degree in economics | B．doctor's degree in economics |
| C．master’s degree in biology | D．doctor's degree in biology |
| A．boys and girls usually lake unequal advantage of opportunities to study mathematics |
| B．boys are cleverer in mathematics than girls |
| C．gender differences in mathematics are biologically determined |
| D．boys work harder than girls |
| A．Many girls decide to reduce effort in the study of mathematics as social pressure increases. |
| B．Course pattern is the factor that limits women's access to careers in mathematically intensive sciences. |
| C．Women's less interest in mathematics limits their access to some careers. |
| D．More women drop out of mathematics than men beyond the bachelor’s degree. |
【推荐2】Tuition and fees for a four-year private college averaged $35,830 in 2018-19; at four-year, in-state public colleges, it was $10,230, according to the College Board. And that’s not even adding in room and board or other expenses.
By the end of last year, the amount families actually paid was $26,458, on average, according to Sallie Mae’s 11th annual “How America Pays for College” report. That’s up from $23,757 in the year earlier.
Income and savings from parents and students combined covered nearly half, or 47 percent of that amount in 2017-2018, up from 44 percent the year earlier, the education lender found. “Some families do pay 100 percent out of pocket while some others do get a full ride, which means their children gain a full scholarship,” said Marie O’Malley, the senior director of consumer research at Sallie Mae. “Typically, though, people rely on a number of different resources to pull it together.”
Scholarships, in fact, were the single most-used resource to pay for an undergraduate’s college bill. The share of college costs covered by scholarships and grants - money that does not have to be paid back - accounted for 28 percent of the total expense. The average total award among those who used one or more scholarships was $7,760, Sallie Mae said. Of course, many families also borrow to pay for school. Borrowed money, or loans, covered nearly a quarter, or 24 percent of the bill, down from 27 percent the year before. Contributions from grandparents or other relatives or friends paid for the remainder.
The report surveyed about 800 parents of children aged 18-24 enrolled as undergraduate students and nearly 800 undergraduate students aged 18-24 online.
1. How much did the typical American family pay last year for college on average?| A．$35,830 | B．$10,230 | C．$26,458 | D．$23,757 |
| A．borrowing from others | B．at their own expense |
| C．free of charge | D．with nothing rewarded |
| A．loans | B．savings |
| C．scholarships | D．parents’ income |
| A．borrowed money | B．money from relatives |
| C．money from banks | D．scholarships |
【推荐3】Hiring processes can be thought of as a battle between integrity and dishonesty. You might imagine this is a simple fight between truth-seeking firms and self-promoting candidates, and to a certain extent it is. But companies themselves tend to bend reality out of shape in ways that are self-defeating.
Start with the obvious wrongdoers: job applicants. When it comes to writing the resume (简历) , they tend to massage reality into the most appealing shape possible. Everyone beyond a certain level of experience is a transformational leader personally responsible for generating millions income; the world economy would be about 15 times bigger than it actually is if all such claims were true. The average British spends four and a half hours a day watching TV and online videos. But each average job candidate is an enthusiast for public welfare, using their spare time only for worthy purposes, like volunteering in soup kitchens.
But the tendency to stretch the truth infects companies as well as applicants. The typical firm will write a job description that invariably describes the work environment as fast-paced and innovative, and then lays out a set of improbable requirements for the “ideal candidate”, someone who almost by definition does not exist. Sometimes, the requirements include an ability to go back and change the course of history.
Too few firms offer an accurate account of what a position actually involves in their job previews, which are supposed to give prospective employees a genuine sense of the negatives and positives of the job, as well as a clear idea of the company’s corporate culture. One effective strategy is to lay out in text or video, what a typical day in the role would look like.
Such honesty can be its own reward. Research has long suggested that realistic job previews lead to lower turnover and higher employee satisfaction. A paper in 2011 by David Eamest of Towson University and his co-authors concluded that favourable perceptions of the organization’s honesty are the best explanation for why. So a process designed to uncover the truth about job applicants would run a lot more smoothly if firms were also honest about themselves.
1. Why are “leader” and “enthusiast” mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To present a rule. | B．To clarify a fact. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To explain a phenomenon. |
| A．Overstate. | B．Overturn. | C．Overlook. | D．Overestimate. |
| A．They show a position as it is. | B．They are made either in text or video. |
| C．They are favorable for bigger firms. | D．They mainly contain negatives of a job. |
| A．Pains and gains of employees and employers |
| B．How to get the lying out of hiring. |
| C．How to be more appealing in hiring. |
| D．A wrestle between applicants and companies. |
【推荐1】Somebody gave me an award! In my entire life, I have only ever received one award: in 2000, I was named Most Helpful by my university drama society.
This time, however, I won an actual award! Admittedly, there was no big awards ceremony. just an email and a social media post. But, nevertheless, it’s given me a glow of pride. Somebody acknowledged my achievements!
The problem is that society seems to favor youth. There are a million ‘30 under 30’ lists which I was never on, and yet it was only last year that the magazine Forbes launched its ‘50 over 50’ list. But while I don’t want to take those awards away from the kids, 1 know if someone had declared me an ‘up-and-coming’ anything at 30, I’d have been as terrified as I was delighted; so much to live up to. Now, however, I am grabbing that award and shouting: “At last, the recognition I deserve!”, because I know how much work I’ve put in, and I’m not about to let anyone lessen that.
If I was to list the advantages of getting older, then the ability to recognize my accomplishments and to be proud of them would be at the very top. Heard too many times, it’s boring to say that we women put ourselves down, but too often we push away praise, rather than taking it up like the cat who got the cream. For most of us, praise is not a daily gift. So, when it comes, we need to allow ourselves to receive it. And if no one else is giving it to us, we need to give it to ourselves.
It works the other way, too. My new favourite hobby is writing emails to the head offices of restaurants and shops, to tell them how lovely their staff are. It makes me feel good, and I hope it does them, too.
A friend once told me about a self-development course she’d been on where participants had to shout ‘I apprise of my decision!’, and then high-five themselves. I put this ritual into my daily life. Now, I am done. And, then, I’m writing myself an email of praise. Because, like that award, I deserve it.
1. What made the author feel proud of getting the award this time?| A．The big awards ceremony. |
| B．The social media post. |
| C．The second award after her graduation. |
| D．The recognition of her achievements. |
| A．Society presents unfairness to youth. |
| B．Her years-long effort pays off eventually. |
| C．She is confident enough to be superior to kids. |
| D．She is too scared to live up to others’ expectations. |
| A．Practice. |
| B．Course. |
| C．Hobby. |
| D．Need. |
| A．Being content with their own life. |
| B．Being appreciative of themselves. |
| C．Being generous to their lovely staff. |
| D．Being modest about their achievements. |
【推荐2】My best friend travelled to stay with my family last weekend. when she arrived, she went straight to the kitchen and, without asking, ate some dried fruit. She wasn’t being rude. I knew she would do this. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years. She can eat anything she wants from my kitchen. Indeed, I bought her favorite fruits and snacks at the shop that morning.
Our long weekend together was simple. I was recovering from surgery and couldn't go to shopping malls, We passed the time running errands（差事）, but there's never been a quiet moment. We’ve lived in different cities for almost a decade, Reunions demand conversation.
Our personalities are matched, to be sure，and a shared history is indescribably（难以形容地）valuable. We were competitors at high school before bonding. Then we discovered the many interests that we had in common. Our friendship developed itself quickly. We stayed companions and supported each other through law school and through our first jobs. Ours is a friendship for the ages.
There is something special about friends who know everything about you. They are rare. They have seen your bright lights of achievements, the depths of desperation（绝望的境地）and the boring routine of the in-between. It's special to unpack feelings without wasting time filling in the blanks. As my long weekend shows, with such friends we don't have to “do”, but we simply have to “be”. We drop the act, the performance, the public version of ourselves, The special friendships are those which never fail to delight, whose continuation is worth the extra effort, despite distance and difference in our separate lives. I had the very great joy of this reminder last weekend. I'm lucky to have found this friend, and to see a future where her companionship remains. Being together is perfection.
1. What can we infer from Para. 2?| A．They talked constantly about their lives. | B．They enjoyed running errands. |
| C．They had a noisy weekend | D．They quarreled at times. |
| A．They help each other achieve in their fields |
| B．They’re best friends despite different hobbies |
| C．They inspire each other to be their best selves. |
| D．They' re comfortable just being themselves |
| A．Real friends are easy to make |
| B．Good friendships need devotion |
| C．Special friendships may fail to delight. |
| D．Distance and difference bring friendship |
| A．To express thanks to her best friend |
| B．To share the friendship she treasures. |
| C．To describe what her best friend is like |
| D．To explain how she offers help to her friend |
【推荐3】The first patient who died on my watch was an older man with a faulty heart. We tried to slow it down with treatment, but it suddenly stopped beating completely. Later, whenever I would have a case like that one, I found myself second-guessing my clinical management. However, it turns out that thinking twice may actually cause more harm than good.
In a working paper, Emory University researchers found that when doctors delivering a baby have a bad result, they are more likely to switch to a different delivery method with the next patient, often unnecessarily and sometimes with worse results.
Because doctors make so many decisions that have serious consequences, the fallout from second-guessing appears especially large for us. A 2006 study found that if a patient had a bleed after being prescribed (开药) warfarin, the physician was about 20% less likely to prescribe later patients the blood thinner that prevents strokes (中风). However, if a patient was not on warfarin and had a stroke physicians were still no more likely to prescribe warfarin to their other patients.
These findings highlight interesting behavioral patterns in doctors. In the blood-thinner study, doctors were more affected by the act of doing harm (prescribing a blood thinner that ended up hurting doctors were more affected by the act of doing harm(prescribing a blood thinner that ended up hurting a patient) and less affected by letting harm happen (not prescribing a blood thinner and the patient having a stroke). Yet a stroke is often more permanent and damaging than a bleed.
But this phenomenon is not unique to medicine. ''Overreaction to Fearsome Risks'' holds true for broader society.
For instance, sensational headlines about shark attacks on humans in Florida in 2001 caused a panic and led the state to prohibit shark-feeding expeditions. Yet shark attacks had actually fallen that year and, according to the study, such a change was probably unnecessary given the extremely small risk of such an attack happening.
Humans are likely to be influenced by emotional and often irrational (不理性的) thinking when processing information, bad events and mistakes. As much as we don't want to cause an unfortunate event to happen again, we need to be aware that a worst situation that can be imagined doesn't necessarily mean we did anything wrong. When we overthink, we fail to rely on thinking based on what we know or have experienced. Instead, we may involuntarily overanalyze and come to the wrong conclusion.
I have treated dozens of patients who presented with the same illnesses as my first patient, who died more than a year ago. Instead of second-guessing myself, I trusted my clinical instinct (本能) and stayed the course. Every one of those patients survived. You should trust your instinct in your life, too.
1. The first two paragraphs suggest that________.| A．bad medical outcomes affect doctors |
| B．delivering babies can be difficult work |
| C．some doctors are not very experienced |
| D．doctors sometimes make silly mistakes |
| A．tend to prescribe less effective medicine |
| B．are more concerned about the patients' safety |
| C．become less confident in writing a prescription |
| D．believe a stroke is more treatable than a bleeding |
| A．Result | B．Benefit | C．Difference | D．Absence |
| A．we should not doubt our own decisions |
| B．our experience will pave way for our future |
| C．humans are emotional and irrational on the whole |
| D．instincts don't necessarily lead to wrong directions |
