A new review based on a research shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative (负面的) consequences of a decision.
The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.
“Stress affects how people learn,” says Professor Mara Mather. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”
For example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images(影像) with either rewards or punishments. In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by having to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those who hadn’t gone through the stress.
This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress –at those moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bring about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.
The research also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.
Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when caution weighs more, however, women will win.
This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into addiction.
1. We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend to ______.
| A．keep rewards better in their memory |
| B．recall consequences more effortlessly |
| C．make risky decisions more frequently |
| D．learn a subject more effectively |
| A．ways of making choices | B．preference for pleasure |
| C．tolerance of punishments | D．responses to suggestions |
| A．women find it easier to fall into certain habits |
| B．men have a greater tendency to slow down |
| C．women focus more on outcomes |
| D．men are more likely to take risks |
2 . When the leaves begin to change colors,it means one thing for many travelers：Fall festival season is here.If you’re interested in visiting a fall festival in America,here are some of the country’s best fall festivals for you to choose from.
Wellfleet Oysterfest
Wellileet Oysterfest is a two-day event held in Wellfleet,Mass.The meeting on Cape Cod is one that the locals look forward to all year long.Feed on oysters(牡蛎）and other seafood，while you watch the fastest oyster-eaters in the world compete in the famous Oyster Shuck-Off,a competition for taking the outer covering of oysters.The competition is taken very seriously.
Harvest on the Harbor
It takes place in Portland,Maine.The festival celebrates all that is best about Maine’s food and wine.This celebration is held every October,and includes the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and Savory Samplings at the Marketplace.The latter allows travelers to taste the best local food that Maine has to offer at Casco Bay.
Killington Hay Festival
If you’re looking for a fall festival that includes hay sculptures(干草雕塑)，take part in the yearly Killington Hay Festival.When you begin to see the giant hay sculptures,you’ll know you’ve arrived.Past sculptures have changed from a 20-foot-tall kangaroo to a family of penguins.
1. What can we learn about the meeting on Cape Cod?| A．It takes place twice a year. | B．It lasts three days in all. |
| C．It’s loved by the locals. | D．It’s not open to tourists. |
| A．People who want to go to a festival in November. |
| B．People who want to try Maine’s local food. |
| C．The fastest oyster-eaters worldwide, |
| D．The best cooks around the world. |
| A．They all serve seafood. | B．They are all liked by eaters. |
| C．They all last for two days. | D．They all take place in fall. |
3 . The entire tech world is debating the consequences of artificial intelligence and the part AI is going to play in shaping our future. While we might think that artificial intelligence is at least a few years away from causing any considerable effects on our lives, the fact remains that it is already having a large impact on us. Artificial intelligence is affecting our decisions and our lifestyles every day.
Smartphones have become the most indispensable tech product that we own today and we use it almost all the time. Well, if you are using a smartphone, you are interacting with AI whether you know it or not. AI is impacting our lives every day. In fact, when we are only using a feature such as the portrait mode effect (美颜) while shooting a picture, we never consider that AI might be behind that too.
Talking about the AI, there is no better display of this technology than what smart cars are doing with it. Just a few years back, using a fully automatic car was a dream, however, now companies like Tesla have made so much progress that we have automatic cars on the road. Tesla cars are a good example of how the AI is impacting our daily life. Do you know that all the Tesla cars are connected and the things that your car learns are shared across all the cars? With autonomous cars running on our roads, you won’t be able to deny the impact of AI on our lives.
If you are thinking that smart cars don’t personally affect you as they are still not in your country or city, well, how about something you use on a daily basis. If you are using social media, most of your decisions are being impacted by artificial intelligence. The music and media streaming services that we are using on a daily basis are also another great example of how AI impacts our lives. Actually, AI is playing a big role in our life.
1. What influence does artificial intelligence have on daily life?| A．It makes a difference to the way of living. |
| B．It has increased the cost of living. |
| C．It has already helped slow down the life. |
| D．It makes no difference at all. |
| A．Disappointing. |
| B．Special. |
| C．Sensitive. |
| D．Necessary. |
| A．Smartphones and cameras. |
| B．Smart cars and social media. |
| C．Automatic cars and public services. |
| D．Social media and musical instruments. |
| A．Artificial Intelligence in Theory |
| B．Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life |
| C．Artificial Intelligence in The Future |
| D．Artificial Intelligence in Industrial Development |
4 . Last weekend I took a bus to New York City. As I took the window seat and wore headphones over ears, I almost didn't
We talked a lot about my dreams, my fears and my life. I
This elderly man made me
A few days later, he emailed me, saying, “I think you' re
| A．check | B．notice | C．excuse | D．believe |
| A．through | B．with | C．during | D．about |
| A．introduction | B．explanation | C．conversation | D．competition |
| A．searched | B．shared | C．demanded | D．reviewed |
| A．sorry | B．curious | C．anxious | D．afraid |
| A．puzzled | B．worried | C．amazed | D．disappointed |
| A．push | B．invite | C．treat | D．admit |
| A．raising | B．dropping | C．turning | D．nodding |
| A．regret | B．change | C．fear | D．desire |
| A．prepare | B．develop | C．consult | D．question |
| A．replaced | B．organized | C．discussed | D．predicted |
| A．uncertainty | B．danger | C．responsibility | D．conflict |
| A．spot | B．ignore | C．seize | D．accept |
| A．leaving | B．heading | C．watching | D．caring |
| A．genuine | B．normal | C．painful | D．serious |
5 . Like you and your pet dog, plants are living things: they eat, drink, and grow. Unlike you and your dog, they can't run away, use fists or teeth, or hide under the covers when they're threatened. But they can fight back.
Why would a plant need to fight back? To avoid being eaten, of course! Plants have several ways of protecting themselves. A plant can grow in a hidden or hard-to-get-to place. Think of plants you've seen growing on steep, rocky cliff (悬崖). Or, a plant could make only some parts of itself attractive to hungry insects and animals. For instance, if a plant produced really tasty leaves, herbivores (creatures that eat only plants) might eat the leaves instead of the seeds, which the plant needs for making more plants. Some plants have sharp or slippery (滑的) parts that discourage insects and other animals from getting too close, like the thorns(刺) on a rosebush.
But the most interesting way that plants fight back is by using chemicals. Plants take minerals from the soil and combine them into chemicals that do a lot of work. For example, plants produce chlorophyll(叶绿素), which helps convert sunshine and water into the sugars that plants eat.
They also produce chemicals to help protect themselves. One kind of tobacco plant releases a chemical into the air whenever small bugs begin to eat it. The chemical signals large bugs, saying "Dinner's ready!" The big bugs come to eat the little ones and save the plant.
Most plants use chemicals in a more direct way against their enemies. In other words, plants make poison.
1. What does the underlined word "convert" mean?| A．Change | B．Separate |
| C．Form | D．Produce |
| A．Some plants hide under the covers when faced with threat. |
| B．A plant grows in a hard-to-get-to place to draw people's attention. |
| C．Some plants produce tasty leaves to protect their seeds. |
| D．Plants produce chemicals to meet the needs of big bugs. |
| A．Different effects that different plant poisons cause on plant eaters. |
| B．Different kinds of plants in the world. |
| C．Why plants make poison? |
| D．How to protect plants? |
| A．Plant information. | B．Plant enemies. |
| C．Plant poisons. | D．Plant protection. |
6 . Believe it or not, a foodie friend of mine asked me whether I’d seen the TV series Chef’s Table. Of course, I hadn’t because I’m not that into food. But I do get hungry for adventure sometimes, so I decided to watch the show.
This is when I was introduced to the chef Francis Mallmann. He makes choices; he doesn’t plan. When he was young, he looked for instructors and experiences, not books or paths. He honored his roots but enjoyed the world and sought things and places he didn’t know. He doesn’t cling to one lifestyle and he doesn’t bend to expectations.
This made me wonder: Aren’t we supposed to assess risks, have a plan and then make our move? I grew up thinking I had to have a plan and have long-term stability in front of me. When I saw Mallmann doing what makes him happy, everything changed.
I thought to myself, “That’s how we’re supposed to live.” Being true to myself. I have already reconciled (和解) with the shame of being inspired by a TV show. Mallmann is inspired by nature, food and language. Me? My life-changing moment came from watching Netflix with my dollar store reading glasses on. No wonder I felt slightly unfulfilled.
After watching Mallmann, I felt as if I’d stood up from a cozy fireplace and the blanket of my life just fell to the ground.
I submitted my leave of absence application to my employer less than a month later. I’m now full of excitement. I’m leaving my job and a good salary, and I’m going to do things that feed my soul.
Michael Kernis and Brian Goldman, psychologists at Clayton State University in Georgia, studied the benefits of authenticity (真实性) and being true to yourself. Some of the benefits of following your inner voice include enjoying a strong sense of purpose in life, greater confidence, healthier relationships and strong skills to deal with change or difficulty.
So, if you’re out there living an interesting life and you meet Mallmann, throw one of his burnt potatoes at him for me. And then tell him I say thank you. I might soon be hungrier and poorer than I was before, but at least I’ll be staying true to who I am. I have Mallmann to thank for that.
1. What can we know about Francis Mallmann?| A．He chooses to do things he is sure of. |
| B．He never changes his lifestyle. |
| C．He suggests people stick to recipes. |
| D．He often tries new things. |
| A．stood up from a cozy fireplace |
| B．became interested in cooking |
| C．reflected on her own lifestyle |
| D．began to make a plan for the future |
| A．To prove that confidence affects one’s lifestyle. |
| B．To analyze how a challenging life benefits people. |
| C．To stress the advantages of following one’s heart. |
| D．To give tips on how to deal with change or difficulty. |
| A．To tell readers how to find purpose in life. |
| B．To introduce Mallmann and his lifestyle. |
| C．To encourage readers to stay true to themselves. |
| D．To teach readers to react to changes positively. |
7 . Teenage life is quite dramatic but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy your life in these years. Even with your daily troubles, your life is not very hard if you know how to deal with them.
I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be hard. You are not a kid anymore, because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings. However, you are still not an adult because there are still lots of experiences that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal (荷尔蒙的)imbalance in you body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is about.
As a teenager, I had a major problem completing my chores on time. And at that time, all that I needed to do was to finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room. Now, I have much more things to do: cooking, cleaning and working while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting from Benjamin Franklin," Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
Life becomes much easier now because I finish all my work on time and I have enough time to let my hair down. Half the problems as a teenager are because we hate doing things. We'd rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is why you have so much trouble in your life; your parents won't let you go out with friends because you haven't cleaned your room or your teacher is always criticizing you because you haven't finished your assignments.
1. What does the writer mainly want to tell us in paragraph 1 ?| A．Teenage life is tough. | B．Teenagers can't enjoy life. |
| C．Teenage life is changeable. | D．Teenagers should learn more. |
| A．The adolescent changes. | B．The lack of life experience. |
| C．The failure of concentration. | D．The unfamiliar surroundings. |
| A．It was difficult. | B．It was simple. |
| C．It was enjoyable. | D．It was boring. |
| A．Abandon their friends. | B．Go and have fun. |
| C．Complete their homework. | D．Shoulder the burden. |
8 . It’s a good thing that sloths (树懒) don’t have to go to school. They’d never make it on time. These sleepy tree-inhabitants sleep up to 20 hours a day! And even when they are awake, they barely move at all. In fact, they re very slow, and algae (海藻) actually grows on their fur.
Sloths live in the tropical forests of Central and South America, With their long arms and hairy fur. they look like monkeys, but they are actually related to anteaters (食蚁兽). They can be 2 to 2.5 feet long and weigh from 8 to 17 pounds, depending on species.
There are two main species of sloth, identified by whether they have two or three claws. (爪子) on their front feet. The two species are quite similar in appearance, with roundish heads, sad-looking eyes, tiny ears, and short tails. Two toed sloths are slightly bigger and tend to spend more time hanging upside down than their three toed cousins, who will often sit upright in the fork of a tree branch. Three toed sloths have facial coloring that makes them look like they’ re always smiling. They also have two extra neck vertebrae that allow them to turn their heads almost all the way around!
Some scientists think sloths developed their slow-motion lifestyle so they would be less noticeable to hunters such as hawks and cats, which rely heavily on their eyesight when hunting. The algae that grows on sloths’ fur also helps them avoid hunters by letting them mix in with green leaves. They rarely come down from the trees. About once every week, they go down to go to the bathroom, slowly moving about by digging their front claws into the dirt and dragging their bodies. If they are caught by a hunter, sloths will become aggressive, biting fiercely, striking with their claws, and screaming.
1. Who belongs to the same race as the sloth?| A．The monkey. |
| B．The anteater. |
| C．The hawk. |
| D．The cat. |
| A．their arms |
| B．their heads |
| C．their claws on their front feet |
| D．their fur on their bodies |
| A．clean their bodies. |
| B．hunt food |
| C．avoid being hunted |
| D．search for habitats |
| A．Sloths always like smiling. |
| B．Cats dislike hunting sloths. |
| C．Sloths can sleep for a long time. |
| D．Sloths keep clam when facing danger. |
9 . Owura Kwadwo Hottish teaches computers in the school he works in. I think it is a
Owura became famous after he posted photos of him on the Internet. In the picture, people could see he was teaching his students by
Owura wanted the students to
Owura's efforts were
“Your work has really made us feel
| A．final | B．dusty | C．normal | D．personal |
| A．computers | B．playgrounds | C．classrooms | D．managers |
| A．operating | B．drawing | C．describing | D．repairing |
| A．clear | B．high | C．ancient | D．poor |
| A．worried | B．disappointed | C．afraid | D．amazed |
| A．start | B．imagine | C．rebuild | D．harm |
| A．line | B．culture | C．schedule | D．judge |
| A．shown | B．called | C．cut | D．rubbed |
| A．improved | B．repeated | C．ruined | D．calculated |
| A．rewarded | B．selected | C．forgotten | D．affected |
| A．care | B．notice | C．place | D．charge |
| A．plan | B．medal | C．decision | D．speech |
| A．received | B．replaced | C．decreased | D．contained |
| A．Suddenly | B．Hopelessly | C．Importantly | D．Strangely |
| A．gave | B．sold | C．lent | D．applied |
| A．company | B．nation | C．dynasty | D．school |
| A．efforts | B．pains | C．humor | D．doubt |
| A．wisdom | B．honesty | C．kindness | D．pride |
| A．secure | B．confident | C．helpless | D．foolish |
| A．quickly | B．briefly | C．directly | D．rarely |
10 . Smart thermostats (温控器)have become the face of smart home technology for most, but depending on what your home is like, it's possible to say the Ecobee3 is superior.
Most of the smart thermostats carry the same benefits, including the Ecobee3. They can learn your preferences and schedules, and then adjust the temperature accordingly. They're better-looking and more enjoyable to use than the basic pieces of plastic that occupy most households. And once you're able to heat up or cool down your house from your phone, without having to get out of bed, you won't want to go back to the past.
If you live in a larger house, the Ecobee3 can be much more convenient—offering you a couple of more remote sensors (传感器). Yes it gets pretty expensive at that point. But having those gives you effective control over the temperature in different rooms around your house. In comparison, other thermostats' measurements are largely limited to the area in which they're installed (安装).
If you live in a smaller place, that's no big deal；the Ecobee3 still has distinct advantages. It is touch-enabled, making it less annoying when you want to enter a Wi-Fi passwords see weather information, and so on.
Still, all the smart thermostats are pretty great. Which one is best just depends on whether you need a whole-home solution or a simpler one. For now, if it's the former, go with the Ecobee3. Their presence will probably make you more conscious about saving energy. Ecobee3 Smarter Wi-Fi Thermostat with Remote Sensor is available at all shopping websites.
1. How can you control Ecobee3?| A．By installing Wi-Fi. | B．By replacing its sensors. |
| C．By using the relative phone. | D．By closing power supply. |
| A．Its size is different | B．Its price is lower. |
| C．Its password is simpler. | D．Its coverage area is larger. |
| A．It makes us enjoy travelling and work better. |
| B．It leads us to hope to open a shop online. |
| C．It leads us to build our own smart houses. |
| D．It helps us pay attention to environmental protection. |
| A．To show the future of Ecobee3. |
| B．To attract people to buy Ecobee3. |
| C．To introduce how to use Ecobee3. |
| D．To explain why Ecobee3 was invented. |
