1 . What's the Mere Exposure Effect?

Has it ever occurred to you that you started liking that song you used to hate because you had listened to it repeatedly? Have you ever noticed how, the more time you spend with a person, the more pleasant he/she becomes?     1     Also known as the familiarity principle, this effect explains why, by repeatedly exposing ourselves to a new stimulus, our response to it becomes more positive.

Robert Zajonc is one of the authors who studied this particular psychological effect. He proved the presence of this preference in the face of stimuli of a very diverse nature. Words, sounds, photographs of faces…     2    

Researchers conducted a study to test the influence of this effect on the liking for certain foods. For this, they gave a group of students several juices they didn't know until that moment.     3     When asked which ones they liked best, there was a clear tendency to judge those they drank the most as more positive.

Fechner, a German psychologist, the father of some current psychophysical theories, offers an explanation for this effect.     4     But this "newness phobia" fades away as you repeatedly expose yourself to the no-longer-new stimuli.

However, you must keep in mind that you can get bored if repeated exposure to the stimulus becomes excessive.     5     And if you watch the same movie every day, it'll lose its charm.

This principle of familiarity is the foundation of many of your preferences, regardless of your greater or lesser taste for adventure and risk. The products you buy, the places you frequent, and the people you like can all be affected by this principle. Therefore, it's convenient to be aware of its influence on your mind.

A．This is what the mere-exposure effect is about.

B．The reason for the mere exposure effect is uncertain.

C．Some tried them five times, others 10, and others 15

D．People tend to react with fear or anxiety to new elements.

E．If you eat the same thing every day, you'll end up hating it.

F．In all cases, people seem to favor those most familiar to them.

G．The effect happens due to their fear of new challenges and threats.

2 . Imagine this scenario: In 2050, you find an envelope, inside which is an old CD marked with the date 1998, your great-grandfather's name, and the words "all overseas bank accounts".

If this were to happen, you would be very excited, at least at first. Your excitement would be quickly followed by frustration because it would be difficult for you to retrieve the information on the disk. Even if the record was still in good condition, it would be hard to find a device that could read it.

Computers and digital technology have vastly expanded our capacity to store all kinds of information, but how long will our access to this stored information last? This is a problem that began to worry technology experts. They became concerned that, without better ways of preserving information, future generations might look back on our times as the "digital dark ages". They may not have access to the digital record of our lives and our world.

Vint Cerf, a vice president at Google, argues that this could happen if we do not quickly take steps to address the issue. He uses the term "bit rot" to describe how our digital records may slowly but surely become inaccessible. Most softwares and apps that were used to create documents and websites ten or twenty years ago are already out of date, and in another fifty years they may not even be available. We can read letters from long ago, but will we be able to read a Twitter feed or access a Snapchat exchange a hundred years from now?

Computer scientist Mahadev Satyanarayanan of Carnegie Mellon University has found a way to store everything—all together in the Cloud. Using his state-of-the-art approach, Satyanarayanan has been able to recover and preserve digital records that might otherwise have been lost forever.

Both Cerf and Satyanarayanan stress the importance of deliberate preservation. Important records shall be transferred to new forms of storage technology as they appear. Otherwise, they may disappear into the digital dark ages.

1. What does the underlined word "this" refer to in the 2nd paragraph?

A．The find of a CD.	B．A travel to the future.
C．The recovery of bank accounts.	D．An encounter with your great-grandfather.

2. How do Cerf and Satyanarayanan suggest we handle important data?

A．Post on Twitter.	B．Store via new technology.
C．Upload to the Cloud.	D．Record in traditional letters.

3. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．E-Waste: Dark Side of Digital Age	B．Are We Living in the Digital Dark Ages?
C．What Can the Digital Dark Ages Teach Us?	D．Google's Vint Cerf warns of Dark Technologies

3 . What is the secret to the world's most creative minds — the minds of resourceful inventors, innovative scientists and inspired artists? Are they simply lucky to be born with the right genes? Most studies suggest that only about ten percent of creativity is determined by a person's genes.

So what are the requirements for creativity? First of all, creativity takes time. We tend to think of breakthroughs as coming in a sudden flash of brilliance, but this is rarely the case. Ideas often develop and form over a long period. In fact, many of history's most creative people have a reputation as daydreamers or procrastinators. Martin Luther King, Jr, reportedly wrote his "I Have a Dream" speech at ten o'clock the night before he delivered it, but it had gone through a long period of "preparation and incubation" in his mind before that.

In a surprising twist, creativity may also be sparked by suffering. We can see this in the lives of many great creative geniuses. Artist Paul Klee suffered great pain for much of his life as did many other artists, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach lost both his parents when he was only nine years old.

Those investigating the sources of creativity have noted that some creative geniuses do not always fit in well with social norms. They don't seem able to suppress the fountain of ideas that bubble up in their minds, some of which may seem inappropriate to others. Creative people are also curious. They seem wired to seek novelty and take risks. As children, creative people are often unable to sit still, unable to focus on their lessons, instead, always looking for something new and interesting to capture their attention.

The search for the source of creativity continues. Most researchers agree that the answer will be complex and that there is probably no single characteristic which can explain the world's most creative minds.

1. Martin Luther King's speech is mentioned to show__________.

A．creative people magic up ideas	B．the creative process requires time
C．right genes contribute to creativity	D．the last-minute pressure brings breakthroughs

2. How does the author prove his point in the 3rd paragraph?

A．By quoting sayings.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By providing examples.	D．By analyzing a phenomenon.

3. Which of the following signs do creative kids probably exhibit?

A．Lack of curiosity.	B．High activity level.
C．Distraction-free mode.	D．Good adaptation skills.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To reveal the secrets of brilliant inventions.

B．To present the sufferings of artistic geniuses.

C．To explore the characteristics of creative minds.

D．To introduce the achievements of innovative scientists

4 . My first year of college was a fairy tale that took place studying abroad in the historic and enriched city of Valencia, Spain. Recently I came across the Spanish expression merecer la pena, or to be worth it. Looking back on my time in Valencia, I can safely and firmly say that the hard work truly mereció la pena.

Departing to any new place requires adaptation and my move to Spain was no exception. Becoming comfortable with the Spanish culture did take time and learning Spanish has required every ounce of my patience.

In the rare chance that time travel would ever exist and I could go back in time, I would without a doubt choose to study abroad in Spain again. Granted, there are a few chapters in my fairy tale that I would tweak, but my only true regret is not being able to converse fluently and flawlessly in Spanish after having spent eleven months in Spain. That being said, I did improve my Spanish-speaking skills. However, I was hoping for a dramatic improvement, which sadly never occurred. Therefore, if I were permitted any do-overs, I would immerse myself more in the Spanish culture and language than I did.

Although I did make many Spanish acquaintances while in Valencia, the trouble with these Spanish friends of mine was their eagerness to practice their English, thus hindering my aim to improve my Spanish. Further aggravating was the fact that their English ability was already far greater than the knowledge that I had of Spanish, which not only occasionally embarrassed me over my mistakes and lack of vocabulary, but also forced English to be the language for our conversations if we ever had serious matters to discuss.

Yet, beyond that, I bloomed and changed in more ways than I'd thought possible. Overall my experience in Spain could be described like no other: sweeter than a Valencian orange.

1. What did the author regret about her study abroad?

A．That she didn't achieve Spanish fluency.	B．That she didn't improve her oral Spanish.
C．That she didn't make any Spanish friends.	D．That she didn't experience the Spanish culture.

2. Why did the Spanish communicate with the author in English?

A．To avoid serious discussions.	B．To test the author's vocabulary.
C．To reduce embarrassing mistakes.	D．To sharpen their speaking skills.

3. What did the author think of her experience in Spain?

A．Strange

B．Frustrating.

C．Carefree.

D．Rewarding.

5 . I decided at age 10 that I was going to be a teacher because I _________ superpowers. When I was in primary school, I could clearly see that some of my _________ had superpowers because I was always the quietly observant one, _________ things.

Our English teacher could magically _________ us to different worlds every day, simply by reading stories to us from books we would otherwise never _________ . This was our secret because fifth graders were considered too _________ to have stories read out to them. Then our headmaster, a teacher as well, _________ everything about every child. You couldn't _________ his laser-like (激光般的) eyes that could see right into you—through flesh, bones and all. And our geography teacher could _________ the invisible (隐形的) . I remained rather quiet and unnoticeable. ____________ , she would spot me. The unspoken ____________ in her superpowered eyes told me: “I see you, I know you, I understand you.”

As I learned from them, the ____________ of a primary school educator is to teach children, not subjects. What seems ____________ to me is that all those teachers calmly create ____________ in their ordinary classrooms. No one ever noticed that they were so creative in ____________ young human beings.

Teaching is not just a job—it is a science and an art, and it ____________ emotional labour and input. When I ____________ after teaching for three decades, what gives me ____________ is remembering the children who felt happier in school because I was their teacher. When I meet others who ____________ to gain superpowers, like the brand-new teacher struggling to perfect her skills, or the one in a rural school traveling seventy kilometers each way just for the pupils, I feel ____________ to belong to the same group.

1.

A．lacked

B．had

C．wanted

D．developed

2.

A．classmates

B．friends

C．partners

D．teachers

3.

A．damaging

B．noticing

C．sharing

D．recalling

4.

A．transport

B．invite

C．welcome

D．rush

5.

A．take back

B．go over

C．put down

D．pick up

6.

A．clever

B．old

C．shallow

D．noisy

7.

A．doubted

B．respected

C．knew

D．monitored

8.

A．cover

B．escape

C．meet

D．shut

9.

A．feel

B．hear

C．touch

D．see

10.

A．However

B．Instead

C．Besides

D．Therefore

11.

A．opinion

B．attitude

C．message

D．agreement

12.

A．role

B．dream

C．choice

D．decision

13.

A．horrible

B．normal

C．amazing

D．simple

14.

A．magic

B．dilemma

C．stress

D．atmosphere

15.

A．gathering

B．shaping

C．rewarding

D．challenging

16.

A．offers

B．indicates

C．receives

D．demands

17.

A．give up

B．calm down

C．look back

D．stand out

18.

A．luck

B．joy

C．worry

D．pain

19.

A．desire

B．manage

C．happen

D．regret

20.

A．energetic

B．scared

C．disappointed

D．proud

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Grammy - winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today's most popular     1     (musician) of his generation. Up to now, his ground-breaking Virtual Choir     2     (unite) worldwide singers through the use of technology.

The Choir began as a simple experiment in social media when a fan of Eric recorded a video of herself singing Sleep and shared it on YouTube.     3     (move) by the video, Eric responded by rounding up his fans to make videos,     4     he then joined together into one performance. Eric was     5     inspired by this experiment that he decided to push the concept to the next level. He filmed     6     (he) when conducting one piece of his music for singers to follow and asked them to record and upload their voice part onto the Internet. Thus Virtual Choir 1: Lux Aurumque     7     (produce). From then on, more and more singers throughout the world joined the VC to sing     8     one voice.

Now, Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir is a     9     (globe) phenomenon. It helps connect ordinary people together and make the world     10     better place.

7 . Why do people seek out information about an ex's new relationships, read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously be painful? Because humans are born with the need to resolve uncertainty, according to a recent study in Psychological Science. The new research reveals that the need to know is so strong that people will seek to avoid their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will hurt.

In a series of four experiments, the students were tested on their willingness to expose themselves to disgusting stimuli（刺激物）in an effort to satisfy curiosity. For one trial, each participant was shown a pile of pens, half of which would deliver an electric shock when clicked. Twenty-seven students were informed of the exact pens; another 27 were told only that some were electrified. When left alone in the room, the students who did not know which ones would shock them clicked more pens and brought more shocks than the students who knew what would happen. The following experiments copied this effect with other stimuli, such as the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.

The drive to discover is deeply-rooted in humans, just like the basic drive for food, says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago, a co-author of the paper. Curiosity is often considered a good instinct（本能）—it can lead to new scientific advances, for instance—but sometimes such inquiry can backfire. “The insight that curiosity can drive you to do self-destructive things is a profound one,” says George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and phychology at Carnegie Mellon University who has pioneered the scientific study of curiosity.

Morbid（病态的）curiosity is possible to resist however. In a final experiment, participants who were encouraged to predict how they would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were less likely to choose to see such an image. These results suggest that imagining the outcome of following through on one's curiosity ahead of time can help determine whether it is worth the risk. “Thinking about long term consequences is key to reducing the possible negative effects of curiosity,” Hsee says. In other words, don't red online comments.

1. Why do people read negative internet comments according to the passage?

A．To broaden the horizon.	B．To ease their pain.
C．To preserve their reputation.	D．To satisfy their curiosity.

2. What writing technique is used in Paragraph 2?

A．Giving examples.	B．Describing facts.
C．Making comparisons.	D．Explaining causes.

3. What does the underlined word “backfire” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Add fuel to the fire.	B．Cause a sudden explosion.
C．Produce an opposite effect.	D．Provide approval and support.

4. How can morbid curiosity be resisted?

A．By predicting potential outcomes.

B．By participating in more experiments.

C．By reading negative online comments.

D．By considering the positive consequences.

8 . Kristin went to a dance party on Saturday in her sleepwear. The clothes didn't matter, because she never left her living room. The party took place entirely on a social app—Instagram.

A few minutes before, she'd been sitting on her couch reading the news, feeling like she was about to cry. Then she got a message pushed to her phone: Ryan Heffington, the two-time Grammy proposed choreographer（编舞者）, was streaming a dance class on Instagram Live. “The numbness I was feeling just went away,” she says. “I'm just gonna do it.” As Kristin danced, she saw comments and hearts pop up on the live stream. Almost 2,700 people were dancing virtually alongside her. “Wow, people are really connecting,” she says. Now, moving alone in her apartment with only her phone to keep her company, she felt almost optimistic.

Heffington is part of a wave of dance teachers moving their classes online as the COVID-19 continues to spread. There is a rise in social media offerings as people look to their phones to give them a sense of community and help them stay active during the crisis. Heffingon, however, is well suited to lead the digital dance era. His philosophy is that anyone can dance- and anywhere, apparently. To Heffington, this s is proof that the crisis is an opportunity for people to come together. “This is what social media was designed for.” he says, “It's separated us in some aspects, but at this point in time, it's kind of all we have, and it's so beautiful.”

From her living room, Kristin agrees. She's figured out how to project her phone onto her TV, and pushed back her couch to have more space to dance. “Ryan's next classes are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, and I'm going to all of them,” she says. “Why not? I'm going to dance my way through this crisis.”

1. Why did Kristin go to a dance party in her sleepwear?

A．She was invited to a fancy dress party.

B．She was not particular about her dressing.

C．She was going to a virtual dance party online.

D．She was numb with grief at the news of COVID-19.

2. To Heffington, what's the benefit of social media during the crisis?

A．Gaining possibilities to keep social distance.

B．Helping people feel connected and stay active.

C．Winning instant fame in the field of digital dance.

D．Spreading the knowledge of COVID-19 to more dancers.

3. Which word best describes Kristin's attitude towards online dance classes?

A．Skeptical.

B．Active.

C．Reserved.

D．Tolerant.

9 . Where am I? What am I doing? If you're one of my 500 friends online, you'll always be the first to know. My phone and laptop are never out of touching distance, so I'm endlessly checking through all my social networking apps - whether I'm having a coffee, on my way to school, watching TV. . . even when I'm in the shower. I have a never - ending flow of messages and updates from all the people I associate with online. Yet the truth of the matter is: I feel lonely

I'm not the only person who feels this way. According to research, over two-thirds of young people find it easier to make friends online than it is “in real life”. I'm a shy person, but I'm wired up (上线) every day, like most of my friends. On the surface, phones bring us closer together. But in reality, my mind is always a million miles away.

I often feel depressed, dissatisfied and alone. Since I spend so much time socializing online, I even become a procrastinator (拖延者) . I keep postponing things that are important in my real life: homework, tasks, connecting with my friends and family members in a meaningful way. It's funny that my friends and I chatter away online so much, but we end up having nothing to say when we meet.

What is rally worrying is that no one I know, including myself could go cold turkey. I can't even imagine going without social networking for a week - think of all the important appointments, invitations and news updates you would miss! Alcoholics (酗酒者) who want to quit drinking can avoid drinks, but how do we give up our phones? After all, I need it for my studies because my teachers and classmates need to contact me at any time. So, that's the problem with social networking. We're hard-wired in, but we're more disconnected than ever.

1. The author always uses his phone and laptop to __________ .

A．avoid feeling a sense of loneliness

B．explore ways of enriching his social life

C．follow the updates on his online social network

D．receive help with his addiction to online socializing

2. What is the main problem the author is facing now?

A．He is an alcohol addict	B．He is a poor web chatter
C．He is a mild procrastinator	D．He is a heavy social media user

3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 suggests that ________.

A．social media have created many offline problems

B．it's difficult to break away from online socializing

C．people are unwilling to interact face to face anymore

D．the benefits of social networking are too good to miss

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．So Close, Yet So Far

B．The Young Never Felt More Alone

C．Social Networking Worsens Relationships

D．More Social Media, Better Online Socializing

10 . Habits for a healthy lifestyle

As teenagers grow up, they become more independent and start making their own decisions. However, during this period, it can be easy for some of them to form bad habits, such as tobacco or alcohol abuse. To prevent harmful habits like these from dominating teenagers' life is essential.     1    We are what we repeatedly do. In many ways, our lifestyle is the sum of choices we have made.     2    According to modern psychology, we must first learn about the “habit cycle”: Firstly, there is a “cue”(触发因素), an action, event, or situation that acts as a signal to do something. Secondly, there is a “routine”, the regular action you take in response to the cue. Thirdly, there is the “reward”, the good thing or feeling we get from the routine. For example, when feeling unhappy (cue), we eat lots of unhealthy snacks (routine), which makes us feel happy (reward).     3     Gradually, the bad habit of relying on unhealthy snacks is formed.

To reach a positive change in our bad habits is also possible.     4     We can do this by combining the information from our habit cycles with our own positive ideas. Aside from changing bad habits, we can also use the habit cycle to create good habits. For example, when we come to an escalator (cue), our normal routine is to ride it, but we could change this routine into something more positive by taking the stairs instead.

Many of us try to change bad habits quickly, and if we are not successful straight away, we often become pessimistic and give up.     5     To reach the goal of change, a person must show some discipline and repeatedly take many small steps. After all, it is not easy to break bad habits.

A．However, there exists some “magic pill” that will help you.

B．However, we can change if we understand how habits work.

C．The reward makes us much more likely to continue the cycle.

D．We must refer to all sorts of information about different snacks.

E．We must first examine our bad habit cycles and then try to improve them.

F．They must learn to recognize bad habits early and make appropriate changes.

G．In fact, the most successful way to change is not suddenly, but over a period of time.