1 . A survey by the American Psychological Association shows that one in ten adults reads online news at least once an hour. A lot has been written about the mental health influence from news addiction, and in particular from reading negative reports. Just like junk food, “junk” news can be bad for our health.
In recent years, things have been getting increasingly more negative. A study of the content of New Zealand’s largest newspaper showed that while in 1973 the average number of stories about death on the front page was 0.75, by 2013 it was 4.1(and no, there weren’t five times more people dying).
What’s more, online news, and the stories we read on mobile phones in particular, tend to be even more negative than print. A 2019 study of 50 U.S. newspapers showed that mobile versions of newspapers report three times more stories about disasters and accidents than paper ones.
Such negative reports lead people to believe that things are worse than they really are. They can lead to stress, worry and lower spirits.
Experiments also suggest that loneliness and poor relationships have been connected with reading negative reports. After reading negative reports, people are less likely to help others. Even worse, when we check news on smart phones, we may “phub” our loved ones, which leads to lower relationship satisfaction.
Negative reports attract our attention far more than positive ones. That’s a global happening. I hope, however, that if we realize that negative news is spoiling our moods, we might all be more willing to change.
1. Why is “junk food” mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To entertain readers. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To make an advertisement. | D．To keep readers away from it. |
| A．The death rate in New Zealand is very high. | B．Print newspapers have become less popular. |
| C．Stories about death have become less popular. | D．Negative reporting has been increasing over years. |
| A．Live a hopeful life. | B．Become more careful. |
| C．Become less likely to help others. | D．Pay more attention to their physical health. |
| A．Ignore | B．Hate | C．Laugh at | D．Care about |
| A．A Survey on News Reading Habits | B．Negative Effects of Mobile Phones |
| C．Is Online News Better Than Print? | D．Is Junk News a Danger to Health? |
2 . Unlike humans who enter a state of relatively complete unconsciousness while sleeping, birds can more carefully control their sleep. Birds often sleep with one eye open, only half their brain resting at the same time. The other half of the brain is awake, able to note danger if needed.
While the exact way in which birds control their sleep patterns has not been well studied, it has been shown that the safer a bird feels when sleeping, the more likely it is to sleep deeper. If the situation is more uncertain, however, the bird will sleep more lightly.
Sleeping together is another defensive method that many birds use. By living together, some species can create a nighttime place where thousands of individuals sleep. As a result, there are more birds to notice their enemies’ attack, giving each individual bird a greater chance of survival. In winter, many birds, particularly small birds, live together to share body heat and survive lower nighttime temperatures.
When birds sleep, they bury weak body parts in their feathers. A bird’s feathers create air pockets that help it keep warm, and by placing feet or the bill into the feathers, less body heat is lost. When a bird’s bill is buried deeply in its feathers, it is also able to breathe air warmed by its own body heat.
There is little data about how long birds sleep at a time, but studies show that birds may sleep longer during longer nights. This may be because birds are not able to search for food or take part in other activities without enough light and so sleeping is the next natural item on their to-do lists. Birds are able to sleep for a short time during the day, however, and can also sleep longer whenever they are in a safe place.
1. How can birds control their sleep?| A．By opening both of the eyes. | B．By ignoring danger frequently. |
| C．By entering a dream completely. | D．By keeping half of the brain awake. |
| A．Birds’ condition. | B．Birds weight. | C．Birds’ feelings. | D．Birds’ sleep patterns. |
| A．They can attack their enemies. | B．They can protect themselves well. |
| C．They can lower body temperatures. | D．They can share body heat in summer. |
| A．Into their feathers. | B．Into their feet. |
| C．Into their mouths. | D．Into their skin pockets. |
| A．Birds can search for food in weak light. |
| B．Birds should plan their activities more carefully. |
| C．Birds can usually sleep longer at night in winter. |
| D．Birds should place sleeping first on their to-do lists. |
3 . In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their selfworth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often lifeanddeath affairs. In their singleminded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's selfrespect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What does this passage mainly talk about?| A．Competition helps to set up selfrespect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition. |
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
| A．One's worth lies in his performance compared with others'. |
| B．One's success in competition needs great efforts. |
| C．One's achievement is determined by his particular skills. |
| D．One's success is based on how hard he has tried. |
| A．Every effort should be paid back. |
| B．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
| C．Winning should be a lifeanddeath matter. |
| D．Competition should be encouraged. |
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5 . Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris.He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a roundtrip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to JeanPaul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it.I think you can find him easily,” Tony said. “You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. “You said I could bring one carryon bag.”
“That’s right.One carryon bag is fine. Have a good trip.”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal(犯罪)? Not at all. He is an aircourier. And he paid only $110 for the roundtrip ticket to Paris. Aircouriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an aircourier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an aircourier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as aircouriers. The number of tickets for the aircourier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, aircourier travel isn’t for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible(灵活的) about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
1. Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?| A．Because they were the uniforms for aircouriers. |
| B．Because that made him easier to be recognized. |
| C．Because his backpack had no room for his clothes. |
| D．Because he did not have any luggage with him. |
| A．manages a business company in foreign countries |
| B．organizes international flights for tourists |
| C．travels around the world with cheap tickets |
| D．delivers papers and packages to foreign countries |
| A．cannot decide when and where to travel |
| B．cannot take any luggage with him |
| C．has to wear two pairs of jeans |
| D．saves little money from the travel |
| A．describes the activities of a lawbreaker |
| B．suggests an ideal way to travel |
| C．argues against the aircourier travel |
| D．tells us about a developing business |
