【推荐2】Pacing and Pausing

Sara tried to befriend her old friend Steve’s new wife Betty, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn’t hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.

Conversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there’s no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I’m finished or fail to take your turn when I’m finished. That’s what was happening with Betty and Sara.

It may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.

The general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping. And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in—and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring.   When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.

That’s why slight differences in conversational style—tiny little things like microseconds of pause-can have a great effect on one’s life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems—even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.

1. What did Sara think of Betty when talking with her?

A．Betty was talkative.	B．Betty was an interrupter.
C．Betty did not take her turn.	D．Betty paid no attention to Sara.

2. According to the passage, who are likely to expect the shortest pauses between turns?

A．Americans.

B．Israelis.

C．The British.

D．The Finns.

3. We can learn from the passage that __________.

A．communication breakdown results from short pauses and fast pacing

B．women are unfavorably stereotyped in eastern cities of the US

C．one’s inability to speak up is culturally determined sometimes

D．one should receive training to build up one’s confidence

4. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．People in a conversation are expected to take turns in speaking.

B．Conversational techniques such as pacing and pausing may cause people to jump to conclusions about one’s character and capabilities.

C．People from Finland tend to pause shorter than those from Britain.

D．Different conversational habits may lead to a breakdown in communication.

5. The underlined word “assertiveness” in the last paragraph probably means __________.

A．being willing to speak one’s mind	B．being able to increase one’s power
C．being ready to make one’s own judgment	D． being quick to express one’s ideas confidently

【推荐3】阅读下面短文，根据题目要求回答问题。

The most popular course at Yale University is Psych 157: Psychology and the Good Life. Taught by Professor Laurie Santos, the course covers the science of happiness and how to apply it. Since its launch in 2018, it’s been taken by a quarter of Yale students and more than 200,000 others in its online version. It clearly shows that, in the busy and noisy modern life, we all have a strong desire for happiness.

Why don’t more of us find it. For the complete answer to that, you’ll have to take the course and it’s free. But in recent New York Times interview, Santos suggested one way among of us often go wrong when seeking happiness.

Many of us are trying to be a little gentler with ourselves and prioritizing self-care. That’s a sensible strategy, Santos agrees. The trouble is how people understand “self-care.”

“We assume that self-care looks like a nice bubble bath--- or even selfish pursuits.”

Santos says. "But the data suggests that the right way to treat ourselves would be to do nice things for other people. We actually get more out of being more open and more social and more other oriented than spending money on ourselves, It’s a bigger increase to your happiness.”

Santos isn’t the only scientist pointing out that, if you want to be happier, you should focus more on kindness to others than kindness to yourself, though sell-acceptance is certainly nice too. Research out of Oxford University confirms that even tiny acts of kindness can have profound effects on out happiness, and other studies show small acts of kindness can ripple out, boosting mental well-being in the wider community.

Kindness isn’t just good for your mental health. It’s been shown to have a big impact on our physical health too. You’ll recover more quickly after a heart attack, for instance, if your boss is supportive and friendly.

All of these effects are rooted in a simple truth: Humans are social creatures and we just function better when we feel connected to a community.

1. What is the most popular course at Yale University?
2. What’s the problem with many of us when seeking happiness?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
If we want to increase our happiness, we should focus on kindness and avoid self-care.
4. How will you apply Professor Laurie Santo’s ideas to seek happiness in your life?

【推荐1】You may think the best way to solve a tough problem is to keep working on it, even overnight. But the truth is just the opposite: Your best chance to get to the bottom of a problem is actually to sleep on it.

A team of researchers at Northwestern University, US, found that sleeping is useful in both strengthening and re-organizing memory. This can help you solve problems.

The researchers did an experiment with 57 students. They asked them to solve 42 difficult puzzles on the first day. The students worked on each puzzle while listening to different music. The research encouraged students to remember the music they heard while solving the puzzles. By the end, there were six puzzles that the students still hadn’t solved.

The students then went back home to sleep. They were given special sleep-monitoring(睡眠监测)and music devices (设备). The devices played music linked with the unsolved puzzles while the students were in the slow-wave sleep stage. This stage is when people are likely to dream and re-organize their memories.

The next morning, the students tried the unsolved puzzles again. Researchers found they were 55 percent more likely to solve them. The music activated(激活)the memories they had of the puzzles while they were sleeping. It allowed them to “work” on the puzzles in their sleep.

Earlier studies of both people and animals have shown that sleep cannot only strengthen memory, but also help us organize information in our brains. This study seems to support that understanding. So the next time you face a difficult problem, sleep on it. Then play some music to remind yourself of the problem.

1. What did the research at Northwestern University find?

A．Sleeping can help people solve problems.

B．Listening to music can improve memory.

C．Music can help people solve puzzles faster.

D．People can solve difficult puzzles in their dreams.

2. What do we know about the experiment?

A．Some students didn’t listen to music while solving puzzles.

B．Some kept working on the puzzles when others were sleeping.

C．The students “worked” on the unsolved puzzles while sleeping.

D．Many students found it difficult to remember the music they heard.

3. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．This study supports earlier findings.

B．The finding is of little practical value.

C．This study should have had animals included.

D．No research has been done in this field before.

【推荐2】Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
1. What do most people think causes bad behavior?

A．Being forced by others.

B．Not having enough will power.

C．Enjoying their first experiences.

D．Following the examples of their friends.

2. The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.

A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes

B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers

C．self-control should be developed when one is young

D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations

3. In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.

A．without self-control, no one can succeed

B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results

C．applying self-control correctly is important

D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My First Sip of Beer	B．Do You Have Will Power ?
C．Does Will Power Benefit Us?	D．Dark Side of Self-control

【推荐3】For more than twenty years, scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets．Most of these searches have been done over the radio．The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us．Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages．

Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to listen to signals from about 1, 000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth．In addition, they will scan the entire sky to "listen" for radio messages from more distant stars．Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time．Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise．

Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy（银河星系）, scientists find that five percent are like our sun．Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth．Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution of life．Based on the inhabitable （that can be lived in） planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life．

However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent life exists on other planets．Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there．They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely．

Other scientists believe that our search hasn't been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy．Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old．In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilization （文明）much more advanced than ours have developed．Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us．If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking．

1. According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable？

A．5 billion．	B．10 billion．
C．15 billion．	D．100 billion

2. The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about     ．

A．how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

B．why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

C．where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

D．when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

3. The underlined word "monitor" in the passage means" ___ "．

A．find	B．change
C．check	D．form

4. Which of these statements is true based on the information in the passage？

A．The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy．

B．Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets．

C．Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets．

D．Scientists don't believe that there might be life on other planets．

【推荐1】Words have great power. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Many of us have been offended by words and know how badly words hurt.     1    . Trust me if you are not careful in this area, your emotions will soon be controlled by the words of the people around you.

●     2    .

If someone tells you “You are a fool.”, don’t believe it in your mind. People who hurt you can never really harm you unless you allow yourself to be defined by these words. You are a child of God. You are very valuable in the sight of God, so never allow yourself to feel inferior just by the words of other people.

●   Turn those words into positive thoughts within you.

If there is something wrong with your actions, and others are trying to correct you, it can sometimes hurt your feelings if their words are hurtful.     3    . Think like this in your mind, “Yes, I’m wrong, but I’ll find out ways to improve. Now I have hope because I know I can change.”

●   Respond softly.

If someone speaks in a hurtful way, take a deep breath first and try to speak softly and kindly in response.     4    . On the contrary, an angry answer is like a sword, which will bring harm instead of healing.

●   Be silent.

    5    . It’s none of your business. We need not respond to every personal comment from people. It’s not your problem that they keep on hurting you on purpose. So simply leave it.

A．A soft answer turns away anger

B．Don’t worry about what others say

C．It is wise to correct others’ mistake by soft words

D．Never let negative words of others define who you are

E．In that case change those words into positive thoughts

F．If someone is purposefully hurting you for no reason, simply be silent and ignore it

G．Today I will share a few tips on how to handle the effect of negative words spoken to you

【推荐2】At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the likelihood of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigor and resistance which, though imperceptible at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.

This decline in vigor with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually "die of old age", and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favor of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer—on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.

Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigor with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things "wear out".

Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact an out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (热力学) (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present). But these are not analogous to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending. But a watch could never repair itself—it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction. We could,at one time, repair ourselves—well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents. Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power; an illness which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and into our grave. If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve, it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again.

1. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A．Our first twelve years represent the peak of human development.

B．People usually are unhappy when reminded of ageing.

C．Normally only a few of us can live to the eighties and nineties.

D．People are usually less likely to die at twelve years old.

2. The word "it" in the last sentence of Paragraph Two refers to           .

A．remaining alive until 65.

B．remaining alive after 80.

C．dying before 65 or after 80.

D．dying between 65 and 80.

3. What do the examples of watch show?

A．Normally people are quite familiar with the ageing process.

B．All animals and other organisms undergo the ageing process.

C．The law of thermodynamics functions in the ageing process.

D．Human's ageing process is different from that of mechanisms.

【推荐3】On Thursday, some scientists will find themselves in the media spotlight as the latest winners of a prize for discoveries celebrated the world over. No, it is not the Nobel Prize. It is the Ig Nobel Prizes, whose stated aim is to ''honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think''.

Since their launch in 1991 by a US-based science magazine Annals of Improbable Research, the ''Igs'' have become a highlight of the scientific calendar, taking place a few days before the announcement of the real Nobels. The prizes are handed out by real Nobel winners at Harvard University, with many of the winners turning up to accept their award in person.

The range of breakthroughs is certainly impressive. In 2001 the physics award went to Dr David Schmidt of the University of Massachusetts for his research into why shower curtains tend to billow inward, while the 2005 Ig for psychology went to a team at Keio University, Japan, for training pigeons to tell the difference between the paintings of Picasso and Monet. Not everyone has seen the funny side of the Ig Nobels, however. In 1995 a team of British researchers won the physics Ig for research into why breakfast cereal goes soft and wet, prompting some newspapers to ask why taxpayers' money was being wasted on such trivial(琐碎的,无价值的)research. In fact,the project had been funded by a leading cereal maker rather than the UK taxpayer.

Even so the controversy(争议)led Britain's chief scientist, professor Sir Robert May, to ask the organizers not to award any more Igs to UK researchers,who were emerging as embarrassingly frequent winners of the prizes. With maintenance of reputation being so important among scientists these days, Sir Robert's request was understandable. But it also ignores the fact that many major scientific advances have come from research into ''trivial'' questions.

The best-known example is Newton's discovery of the law of gravity after he saw an apple fall in his mother's garden. More recently, the sight of a plate spinning through the air in a university cafeteria was enough to set the American physicist Richard Feynman on his way to a Nobel Prize. Interested in its rapid wobbling(摇晃), Dr Feynman analyzed the problem mathematically and showed that as long as the wobbles are small, they occur at twice the spin rate of the plate. Delighted by his discovery, he told his friend and colleague Hans Bethe who thought it was all rather, well, trivial. Yet it inspired Dr Feynman to investigate the spin of the electron which, in turn, led to work on quantum electrodynamics for which he won a share of the 1965 Nobel Prize for physics.

Some of the scientists who find themselves awarded Igs on Thursday might prefer to have won the ''real'' thing. They might even worry about being looked down upon by their peers. Yet whether it is the spinning of a plate or the fall of an apple, the truth is that nature herself doesn't understand the meaning of ''trivial''.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Ig Nobel Prizes?

A．They are given for researches which first make people laugh and then make them think.

B．They are presented by real Nobel winners at Harvard University.

C．They are awarded to winners a few months before the announcement of the real Nobels.

D．They were launched in 1991 by a science magazine which is based in the United States.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word ''prompting'' in the third paragraph?

A．Causing.

B．Protesting.

C．Reminding.

D．Pumping.

3. In the fifth paragraph, the author illustrates the example of the spinning of a plate in order to______.

A．demonstrate the law of gravity was discovered by Newton accidentally.

B．show us how scientists investigated the spin of the electron.

C．explain reasons why Ig Nobel Prizes winners are looked down upon by other people.

D．prove that many major scientific advances have come from research into small questions.