1 . According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions (份), it’s the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.

To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, 95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly (表面上) participate in a study about movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.

Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.

For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case, she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.

The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we’re making decisions. If this fellow participant is going to eat more, so will I. Call it the “I’ll have what she’s having” effect. However, we’ll adjust the influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I’ll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I’ll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can’t I?

What does the underlined word “beanpoles” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Big eaters.

B．Overweight persons.

C．Picky eaters.

D．Tall thin persons.

2 . Bangladesh’s floating gardens, built to grow food during flood seasons, could offer a continuous solution for parts of the world which are likely to suffer from flooding because of climate change, a new study has found.

Bangladesh’s floating gardens began hundreds of years ago. The gardens are made from native plants that float in the rivers and operate almost like rafts (筏), rising and filling with the waters. Historically, they were used to continue growing food during rainy seasons when rivers were filled with water.

The farmers layer the plants about three feet deep, creating a version of raised-bed gardens that float in the water. Then, they plant vegetables inside those rafts. As the raft-plants rot away, they release nutrients, which help feed the vegetable plants.

But as climate change affected the volume of water in those rivers, the researchers wanted to understand whether Bangladesh’s floating gardens could be a continuous farming practice. They interviewed farming families and found strong evidence that floating gardens provide stability, both in the amount of food available to feed rural populations and in a farming family’s income.

They found that farmers typically use hybrid (杂交) seeds, which must be repurchased each year, to grow a diverse range of vegetables in the floating gardens. The gardens are also sensitive to pests, so farmers end up spending some money on both pesticides and fertilizers. But even with those expenses, they found, benefits outweighed costs. One farmer told the research team that he earns up to four times as much money from the gardens as from traditional rice fields.

However, before gaining profits, farmers often take out high-interest loans (贷款) to cover the investment costs of filling the beds and stocking them with plants. Luckily; there are also lower-interest loans from responsible government or non-governmental organizations, which could ease that burden.

What does the underlined word “outweighed” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Affected.

B．Brought.

C．Beat.

D．Equaled.

9 . The playing field is never even or equal. Your skills and attitude play a major role in the outcome. Knowing what you can do to have an advantage can make the difference between success and failure.

My kids tell me it's unfair to play with the big children. I tell them that's right. Unfairness is a good thing. There is more to be gained by the effort when things seem unfair. It is true that many things in the world are unfair. But unfair things usually can be a boon to you. For example, the early bird catches the worm. It is unfair that the bird that sleeps in misses out on breakfast but it is nice to know that if it gets up early it is sure to get the worm.

I always try to explain to my kids that complaining about how unfair something is will get them nowhere. Instead, make the most out of it and get on the other side of it. Once you do that you are in the advantage. Above all, you have to focus on gaining that unfair advantage and in order to do that, build your inner strength, When you empower （武装） yourself, you are gaining skills or abilities， confidence and self-esteem （自尊）.

You should look at your place in the world. Where do you want to be financially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically ? You are creating your own story when you empower yourself.

You can build all the advantages that you need to live the life that you want. If you haven't yet, you need to make a list of all the things you want to experience in your new life. This will help you focus on building advantages so that you never have to say that it's Not Fair. When you do this then you will be able to realize that unfairness is a good thing and you will want to teach those around you to see unfairness in this way too.

1. What does the underlined word "boon" in Paragraph 2 probably mean ?

A．Something that is very terrible.	B．Something that is very helpful
C．Something that is very kind	D．Something that is very scared

2. What can we infer from the example of the playing field used by the author?

A．The author wants to introduce his topic

B．The author wants to support his opinion

C．He wants tell us that having an advantage is needed

D．He wants to show skills and attitudes are important in playing games

3. What is the best way to deal with unfairness according to the author?

A．Just accept it.	B．Thy to change it.
C．Simply ignore it.	D．Make good use of it.

4. You are told to look at your place in the world in order to ________.

A．make yourself better	B．be proud of yourself
C．have more confidence	D．know others' advantages

10 . Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, the aged, and children who have lost their parents, but also friends, workmates, relatives and neighbors whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Over 60 years ago, when a Cleveland man noticed that some people, such as children who lost their parents and patients who lay in bed, too often felt forgotten and neglected, he developed in his mind the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this by giving them small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he gave those people small gifts on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to take part in the celebration, which came to be called "Sweetest Day". Over time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the poor, the sick and children who had lost their parents was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small gift. Soon the idea spread to other cities all over the USA.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious beliefs or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a positive way.

1. What group of people is the Sweetest Day intended for?

A．The sick.

B．The aged.

C．The orphans.

D．All the people.

2. Which of the following sentence can express the underlined word “neglected”?

A．Ignored.

B．Forgotten.

C．Remembered.

D．Loved.

3. Why did the man think about the idea of Sweetest Day?

A．He felt lonely and wanted to be noticed.

B．He wanted to be helpful to those who need love.

C．He needed someone to give out some small gifts.

D．He was helped by his friends and neighbors.

4. What can we know from the passage?

A．A gift is always needed on Sweetest Day.

B．Only those sick and children need to be remembered.

C．Sweetest Day is limited to families and friends.

D．It's a chance for everyone to express your care.