1 . Mirroring body language is a way to bond and to build understanding. It is a powerful tool that we use without even knowing it.
The most obvious forms of mirroring are yawning and smiling. When you see someone yawn, you are likely to yawn immediately. Smiling is also pretty contagious-seeing a smiling person makes you want to smile too.
Mirroring body language is a nonverbal way to say “I am like you, I feel the same”. Research shows that people who experience the same feelings are likely to trust, understand and accept each other.
Women have the natural ability to pick up and understand body signals. Therefore, it is not surprising that a woman is more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man. That's why women are regarded as better talkers, even if they might not really have more close friends.
It is interesting that when a man tries to mirror a woman's body language while she is talking, he may seem to her as caring, intelligent and attractive.
Mirroring body language is an excellent way to build trust and understanding quickly. If you want to set up a connection with a new person, mirror his or her gestures, sitting position, tone of voice and talking pace. This will make them feel that there is something about you that they like.
While mirroring body language gains you acceptance, you still need to take into consideration your relationship with the person you are mirroring. If you are in a lower social position and are mirroring the body language of your boss, he will view you as arrogant. However, if you want to defeat those who are trying to prove superior to you, mirroring their body language will help defeat them and change their position.
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Affecting each other. | B．Powerful to show one's feelings. |
| C．Attractive to the others. | D．Being gentle to people around. |
| A．send wrong messages | B．hide true feelings |
| C．win others' acceptance | D．avoid misunderstanding |
| A．You will appear very attractive. | B．It will help to soften his position. |
| C．You will seem unacceptably proud. | D．It will be a good way to build trust. |
| A．It is important to copy the others' gestures. |
| B．Why women are regarded as better talkers. |
| C．Men is not good at nonverbal communication. |
| D．Mirroring body language can be a useful tool. |
2 . British Museum
When the British Museum opened in 1759 it was the first of its kind in the world: the only national museum open to the public. It was – and still is – free to visit. The displays are organised by location and time period: Ancient Iran, Greece, China from 5000 BC onwards, Roman Britain and so on. Overwhelmed? Follow a free eye-opener tour on your smart phone or book onto the Around the World in 90 Minutes guided tour.
National Gallery
You can’t miss this artistic institution in Trafalgar Square. There you can see some of the world’s finest works of art for free. Founded in 1824 to display a collection of just 36 paintings, today the National Gallery is home to over 2,000 works from artists such as da Vinci, van Gogh and Picasso. The National Gallery hosts free after-work events for adults. So if you want to learn more about these famous artworks over a glass of wine, come along.
Science Museum
One of London's favorite hands-on museums, the Science Museum features seven floors of entertaining and educational exhibits, including the Apollo 10 Spaceship! If you're going with little ones, head to Pattern Pod or The Garden, where children can directly explore basic scientific principles with sound and water.
Cartoon Museum
This highly entertaining London tourist attraction covers the history and development of British cartoon from the 18th century to the present day. See how artists portrayed important events and the great and good over the centuries. It’s great value at only ₤7.00 for entry.
1. Which museum provides a free digital guide?| A．British Museum. |
| B．National Gallery. |
| C．Science Museum. |
| D．Cartoon Museum. |
| A．It is the only one where entry is free. |
| B．It offers free events after regular working hours. |
| C．It allows visitors to carry out simple experiments. |
| D．It is the museum with the longest history in London. |
| A．In a British school book. |
| B．On a London street map. |
| C．In a London tourism guide book. |
| D．On the British Museum Entrance Board. |
3 . Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources (资源).
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.
“What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done our writing intervention (干预), all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these tests.”
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.
1. What may the students start worrying about before an exam?| A．Whether they can pass the exams. |
| B．What other students do during the test. |
| C．Whether they have remembered the materials. |
| D．What kind of problems they will meet on the test paper. |
| A．Asking the students to think nothing of the test. |
| B．Asking the students to focus on the test. |
| C．Asking the students to sit quietly before the test. |
| D．Asking the students to write about their worries before the test. |
| A．became less nervous before the test. |
| B．were better at controlling their feelings. |
| C．did worse than those who wrote about their feelings. |
| D．did better than those who took two tests. |
| A．Writing about worries before an exam can work a bit. |
| B．Studying in the library can improve students’ performance. |
| C．Students can only write about worries right before an exam. |
| D．It doesn’t matter where to write about worries before an exam. |
4 . Two little girls who are lovely in Britain are bringing thousands of people together to sign a petition (请愿书) demanding that Burger King and McDonald’s stop giving away free plastic toys.
With the help of their mother, nine-year-old Ella and seven-year-old Caitlin started an online petition in order to persuade the fast food giants (巨头) to do away with the wasteful toys that come with Happy Meals and Junior Meals.
Since starting the petition, the youngsters have got over 350,000 signatures of their 500,000 goal, and the call to action has already received further support from adults and children.
“We’ve been learning all about the environment at school and the problem of plastic. It made us very sad to see how plastic harms wildlife and pollutes the ocean, and we want to change this,” reads the petition. “That’s why we want Burger King and McDonald’s to think of the environment and stop giving away plastic toys with their kids meals.”
“We like to go to eat at Burger King and McDonald’s, but children only play with the plastic toys for a few minutes before they get thrown away and harm animals and pollute the sea. We want anything they give us to be environmentally friendly so we can protect the planet for ourselves and for future generations,” they continued.
In addition to the girls making a convincing argument, the amount of signatures on the petition almost doubled after reporters with the BBC’s War on Plastic followed the young activists to the McDonald’s headquarters in order to present the petition.
Since the little girls’ story started being picked up by international news outlets, Burger King and McDonald’s have emailed statements to CNBC detailing their plans for making their free toys more environmentally friendly.
1. How did the two girls begin their petition?| A．By BBC. |
| B．By CNBC. |
| C．By Internet. |
| D．By newspapers. |
| A．To gain people’s attention. |
| B．To get over 350,000 signatures. |
| C．To eat at Burger King and McDonald’s. |
| D．To stop two giants presenting free plastic toys. |
| A．To email statements to BBC. |
| B．To make a convincing argument. |
| C．To sell more environmentally friendly toys. |
| D．To give away more environmentally friendly toys. |
| A．It’s about product promotion. |
| B．It’s about company introduction. |
| C．It’s about commercial advertising. |
| D．It’s about environmental protection. |
5 . It was rush hour in the morning. Heather Sant, 36, was driving her white 2012 Mazda on the road with her nine-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son in the back. Suddenly, a red pickup truck cut them off. Sant turned the wheel hard to the right, sending the Mazda slide off the road and down an embankment(路堤) that ended in a drop-off after about 50 feet. If the car didn’t stop, it would take off and dive into the road some 20 feet below. Then a bit of luck: as the car raced toward the edge, its undercarriage got stuck, stopping it suddenly.
The people inside, however, were far from safe. The car had come to rest on top of a retaining wall(护墙), balancing on the edge of disaster. One sudden move by anyone inside could throw the car off balance and send it over. Jacob Rodriguez watched everything in terror from the nearby truck company where he works. As an experienced sailor, just like every time he met shipwreck, he whispered a sailing saying “Ship, shipmates, self”, then immediately he and four other men ran to the car. They leaped onto the trunk(后备箱) to balance the weight as the terrified kids in the back seat watched.
Meanwhile, Julio and his nephew Marco, were driving to their jobs at nearby Premier Automotive. Julio jumped out of the car to help while Marco went to the shop, grabbed a strong rope, and returned to the car. He tied the Mazda to an F-350 truck that had been driven over by one of the other rescuers. With the car secured, the group carefully opened the back doors and helped the children out. But their departure shifted the cars weight, causing it to tip forward. The men, still on the trunk, begged Sant to jump into the back seat. She did and then inched out of the back door. Finally, the men carefully got off the trunk. Everyone was safe.
“Another foot,” Rodriguez told USA Today, “and this would be a different story. ”
1. What most probably caused the traffic accident?| A．The Mazda was overloaded. | B．Sant was really speeding. |
| C．The wheel failed to work. | D．The pickup cut in abruptly. |
| A．To open the back door of the car. | B．To fasten the rope to the truck. |
| C．To keep the balance of the car. | D．To help the men get off the trunk. |
| A．The timely help offered by rescuers. |
| B．The excellent cooperation of all the people. |
| C．The dangerous position where the car stopped. |
| D．The serious danger the rescuers faced. |
| A．Persistence will pay off. | B．One in trouble, all to help. |
| C．Many hands make light work. | D．Doing is better than saying. |
6 . To Their Own Beat
When Los Lobos perform in concert today, audiences in the thousands cheer them on. It’s hard to believe that the group started out as just another garage band playing popular rock-and-roll tunes from the radio, In 1974 four high school friends from East Los Angeles formed Los Lobos ( Spanish for “The Wolves” ) .
Like many garage bands, these friends might have simply gone their separate ways after high school. But the members of Los Lobos wanted to keep making music together. They decided to change their musical style and began focusing on traditional Mexican music that showed their tradition.
“We pulled out all those records we used to beg our parents not to play around our friends and found an incredible wealth of music,” says Perez. “These guys (on the records) were doing amazing things with their instruments, and we started trying to pick up on it. ”
The group put aside its electric guitars for the acoustic ones used in traditional Mexican music. For several years Los Lobos played at weddings or parties—any event that needed live music. They also landed a regular engagement (合同) at a Mexican restaurant.
By 1978 Los Lobos had made enough money to record their first album (唱片) , and they sold copies of it wherever they performed. They also returned to their electric guitars to get closer to a Tex-Mex sound, which is a mixture of traditional Mexican music, rock and roll, country music, and the blues. This new, louder sound produced one unexpected result: the group was fired from the restaurant.
But it didn’t matter that Los Lobos had lost their one steady job, because they had found a position that no other group took up. They had combined electric and acoustic instruments and blended (混合) musical styles in their own way. Steve Berlin joined the band in 1983 as the saxophone and keyboard player, adding to the band’s unusual sound.
“We didn’t so much want to recycle the music we’d grown up with as much as find the common links between it and all the other styles and sounds that were all around us,” Perez explains. “It became a mission ... bringing music together to bring people together. ”
In the 1980s Los Lobos gained the attention of several record companies. They were hired to perform on the soundtrack to the film La Bamba, which earned them a Golden Eagle Award. They have since earned many awards, including two Grammys and an MTV Video Music Award. Their many records have been very successful, and they have toured the world.
Even after 30 years of making music together, Los Lobos continues to experiment with their sound. They never moved far away from their Mexican roots, however. They still include traditional music in their live performances, sharing their history—and their culture—with their fans.
1. Los Lobos recorded their first album after they_______.| A．lost their job at a restaurant |
| B．began playing acoustic guitars |
| C．won an award for a film soundtrack |
| D．added saxophone and keyboards to their sound |
| A．Paragraph 1. | B．Paragraph 4. | C．Paragraph 6. | D．Paragraph 8. |
| A．The way they recorded their first album. |
| B．Their blending of different types of music. |
| C．Their decision to play traditional Mexican music. |
| D．The fact that they performed and toured the world. |
| A．Music is best when played with traditional instruments. |
| B．Music must be recorded to be passed down. |
| C．Music should remain the same over time. |
| D．Music can show many cultures. |
7 . The Basics of Math—Made Clear
Basic Math introduces students to the basic concepts of mathematics, as well as the fundamentals of more tricky areas. These 30 fantastic lectures are designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra(代数) and beyond.
The lessons in Basic Math cover every basic aspect of arithmetic. They also look into exponents(指数), the order of operations, and square roots. In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, students discover why these operations work, how a particular mathematical topic relates to other branches of mathematics, and how these operations can be used practically.
Basic Math starts from the relatively easier concepts and gradually moves on to the more troublesome ones, so as to allow for steady and sure understanding of the material by students. The lectures offer students the chance to “make sense” of mathematical knowledge that may have seemed so frightening. They also help students prepare for college mathematics and overcome their anxiety about this amazing—and completely understandable—field of study.
By the conclusion of the course, students will have improved their understanding of basic math. They will be able to clear away the mystery (神秘性) of mathematics and face their studies with more confidence than they ever imagined. In addition, they will strengthen their ability to accept new and exciting mathematical challenges.
Professor H. Siegel, honored by Kentucky Educational Television as “the best math teacher in America,” is a devoted teacher and has a gift for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make them seem clear and obvious. From the basic concrete ideas to the more abstract problems, he is master in making math lectures learner-friendlier and less scary.
With a PhD in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University, Dr. Siegel teaches mathematics at Central Arizona College. His courses include various make-up classes and a number of lectures for future primary school teachers.
If the course fails to provide complete satisfaction to you, you can easily exchange it for any other course that we offer. Or you can get your money back.
1. What does the course Basic Math mainly cover?| A．Algebra. | B．College Mathematics. |
| C．Arithmetic. | D．Mathematics Education. |
| A．Stronger imaginative ability. | B．Additional presentation skills. |
| C．More mathematical confidence. | D．Greater chances of becoming teachers. |
| A．He is a guest lecturer at Kentucky Educational Television. |
| B．He is to deliver 30 lectures in Basic Math. |
| C．He works in Georgia State University. |
| D．He specializes in training teachers. |
| A．A news report. | B．A book review |
| C．A lesson plan. | D．An advertisement |
8 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your choice of sport might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses(高尔夫球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortages in some local areas.
In fact, there are many environment friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don't need any special equipment except a pair of good shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk can regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and control your weight better.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements(代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it's free.
1. What do we know about golf from the passage?| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It needs water and energy to keep its courses green |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and waste. |
| D．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| A．it uses fewer resources |
| B．it improves our health |
| C．it is an outdoor sport |
| D．it is recommended by experts |
| A．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Cycling around a lake. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．To show us the function of major sports. |
| B．To encourage us to go in for green sports. |
| C．To discuss the major influence of popular sports. |
| D．To introduce different types of environment friendly spors. |
9 . Are you driven to create change in bettering kids’ futures? Here are a few options.
Education
Going after a career in education is sometimes overlooked. Yet teaching is an important path to creating change. You will educate the young minds responsible for the future. In addition to presenting basic school subjects, you can teach them to be leaders. You can motivate them to want to make a difference themselves.
A career in education doesn’t have to mean leaching in a classroom. You can help them to learn in a way that works for them and be a friend to them as well.
Social work
As a social worker, you can directly change the lives of children in need as well advocate for services for drug abusers, family-violence survivors, mental-health patients, and more. You will provide them with the necessary resources to succeed and advise them through trauma (精神创伤), unemployment, education difficulties, addiction and poverty.
Many social workers are associated with governmental agencies, but there are also jobs in schools, nonprofit organizations and hospitals.
Child psychology
Studying child psychology may lead to a career option. Psychologists can provide support for children with mental-health problems and give them a place to be open about their feelings.
You may wish to become a school psychologist and guide children (and their parents) through the education system while dealing with mental illness or trauma. As a psychologist, you will help your patients find the source of trauma or stress and discover ways of reducing or removing the problem. You may even conduct your own research on new treatment methods.
1. Which educational concept does the author support?| A．Working with students’ group leaders. |
| B．Teaching children according to their interests. |
| C．Keeping teaching children in the classroom. |
| D．Encouraging students to make a change themselves. |
| A．Governmental officials. |
| B．Local business agents. |
| C．Children with education difficulties. |
| D．Women suffering from family violence. |
| A．Educators. |
| B．School leaders. |
| C．Social workers. |
| D．School psychologists. |
10 . Water is a necessity of life. Rain, especially, helps plants grow and stay green. But too much rain, especially in cities, can lead to flooding. That can cause waste water systems to overflow and send pollutants into rivers and other waterways. To fight the problem, several cities in the United States are starting programs like rooftop gardens.
A team at the University of the District of Columbia in the nation's capital has created a garden on the top of one school building. The garden holds many kinds of plants to help absorb rainwater and grow food at the same time. Architect David Bell has designed five "green roofs" for the university. He says he is excited about the project because "it meant doing something more than just dealing with storm water management. It took advantage of a resource above the city and these flat roofs that aren't doing anything really became something that was about urban agriculture. " Rainwater is collected in large containers and sent through a system that waters the rooftop garden. The roof is filled with green life that appeals to insects.
In cities, “you don't have that many spaces to choose from and so rooftops are just (unused) space," says Caitlin Arlotta. She is a student in the school's Urban Agriculture program. The project is part of a research program to see which plants do well on rooftops. The researchers are looking at plants including strawberries, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. The university also has other green spaces. "We also have our own farm experiments," Arlotta said. “ Within each of those growing systems, we want to be able to tell people which sorts of these crops grow the best. "
Sandy Farber Bandier helps run UDC's Master Gardener program. It seeks to improve cities and make them beautiful by training people to become Master Gardeners. She says she's been surprised by the garden's output. ”My biggest surprise was that we produced 4, 250 pounds of produce the first year and was able to spread that to people in need. " She also likes being able to show people who live in D. C. and others beyond the nation's capital what and how food can be grown on a rooftop. “This is the future for food. You grow it here, you prepare it in a commercial kitchen, you distribute through farmers markets,food trucks, and then you recycle. "
1. What do we know about the rooftop gardens?| A．Rooftop gardens are very common in average neighborhoods. |
| B．There are many sorts of plants there which help take in rainwater. |
| C．They're playing an important role in the city's food supply. |
| D．Rooftop gardens are no more than containers to collect rainwater. |
| A．Rooftops can offer enough space to plant crops. |
| B．Many plants like strawberries can grow well on rooftops. |
| C．Some univercity students are participating in the Urban Agriculture program. |
| D．The plants in rooftop gardens are attractive to many insects. |
| A．Confident. |
| B．Doubtful. |
| C．Worried. |
| D．Ambiguous. |
| A．Rainwater Necessity for Plant Life |
| B．Green Roofs-The Future of Urban Agriculture |
| C．The United States' Agriculture Program |
| D．Rooftop Gardens-Food Paradise |
