1 . The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias (偏见) in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Essentially, low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence. The combination of poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their own capabilities. This phenomenon is something you have likely experienced in real life, perhaps at a holiday family gathering. Throughout the course of the meal, a member of your extended family begins spouting off on a topic, boldly announcing that he is correct and that everyone else’s opinion is stupid, uninformed, and just plain wrong. It may be plainly evident to everyone that this person has no idea what he is talking about, but he talks continuously, blithely oblivious (忘乎所以) to his own ignorance.

The effect is named after researchers David Dunning and Justin Kruger, two social psychologists. They found incompetent people are not only poor performers, they are also unable to accurately assess and recognize the quality of their own work. These low performers were also unable to recognize the skill and competence levels of other people, which is part of the reason why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others.

This is the reason why students who earn failing scores on exams sometimes feel that they deserved a much higher score. They overestimate their own knowledge and ability and are incapable of seeing the poorness of their performance.

“In many cases, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, encouraged by something that feels to them like knowledge.” Dunning and his colleagues have also performed experiments where they ask respondents if they are familiar with terms related to subjects including politics, biology, physics, and geography. Along with genuine concepts, they added completely made-up terms. In one such study, approximately 90 percent of respondents claimed that they had at least some knowledge of the made-up terms.

So what can you do to gain a more realistic assessment of your own abilities? Instead of assuming you know all there is to know about a subject, keep digging deeper. Once you gain greater knowledge of a topic, the more likely you are to recognize how much there is still to learn. Another effective strategy involves asking others for constructive criticism. While it can sometimes be difficult to hear, such feedback can provide valuable insights into how others perceive your abilities. Even as you learn more and get feedback, it can be easy to only pay attention to things that confirm what you think you already know. In order to minimize this confirmation bias, keep challenging your beliefs and expectations and seek out information that challenges your ideas.

1. What can we learn about the Dunning-Kruger effect from the first paragraph?

A．The Dunning-Kruger effect is rare for us to confirm.

B．Incompetent people can be blind to their own ignorance.

C．Ignorance leads people to underestimate their own abilities.

D．Poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability have a close connection.

2. According to the Dunning-Kruger effect, what do incompetent people tend to do?

A．Underestimate their own skill levels.

B．Feel more realistic about their competence.

C．Recognize their own mistakes and lack of skills.

D．Fail to recognize the genuine skill of other people.

3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．The meaningless terms may cause respondents to feel ashamed.

B．The participants pretended to know what they actually didn’t know.

C．The aim of the experiments was to assess how smart the participants were.

D．Most of the respondents claimed they were unfamiliar with the make-up terms.

4. Which is the way to overcome the Dunning-Kruger Effect?

A．Ask people for helpful feedbacks.

B．Minimize the bias and challenges.

C．Assume that you know everything.

D．Gain confidence and trust yourself.

2 . The university I attend has about 3500 students. One early afternoon, I     1     (walk) around the campus when I found a female student sitting on the walkway with tears on her face. Everyone just walked by her, so I decided to stop     2     (give) her a hand. I dropped my books and sat down beside her.     3     turned out that she injured her ankle (脚踝) and was     4     (able) to walk. So I told her that I would sit with her     5     she was ready to get up. It only took a few minutes for her to calm down. Then I took her     6    the hand and got her to the nearest hospital.

She thanked me so much for just stopping! Since then, when we run into each other     7     (occasional) on campus, she would smile and thank me again. And we have become good friends now. I am amazed that just my sitting there,     8     (offer) support and comfort to a total     9    (strange) would affect her so greatly. She said she was grateful for what I had done,     10     made her feel that she was not alone in the world.

3 . Frank was walking down the 6th Street on a hot sunny day when he saw smoke coming out of the street. He could _____ the smoke, and it was getting_____. Seeing the smoke coming out of a storm drain(雨水沟), Frank called the fire department _________. “The storm drain is _____ fire!” he said. The fire department asked for his whereabouts and he said he was near the 6th street. They said they would be right there to investigate the situation. Frank needn't to go anywhere, so he waited for the _____ to arrive. He was curious what could be burning beneath the street. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything beneath the street _____ concrete(混凝土). And everyone knows that concrete doesn't _____.

A fire truck arrived a few ____ later. “Are you the man who _____?” asked the driver. “Yes.” Frank answered. By now Frank could not only smell the _____ but also hear crackling sounds, just like wood burning. The firemen didn't seem to______ it an emergency. “What do you think it could be?” Frank asked the driver. “Oh, we know what it is. We have to ______ a problem like this every few months. It's the homeless people in their ‘______’.”

Homeless people have been living under the streets for years._____ their knowledge of the storm drain system, they ______ their own “houses” beneath the streets. These living areas have tables, mattresses, chairs, and sofas. The settlers often “borrow” electricity by connecting to a live wire above ground to ______ their own lights and even TVs underground. Either this ______ electricity or a cigarette can cause an occasional fire.

Frank watched ______   some firemen lifted a manhole cover (井盖) and went beneath the street with a fire hose (消防软管). Then a few minutes later, the ______ smoke turned white. Shortly afterward, the firemen reappeared with a ______ person who seemed to have just been woken up.

1.

A．touch

B．hear

C．smell

D．taste

2.

A．thicker

B．thinner

C．colder

D．warmer

3.

A．slowly

B．immediately

C．hardly

D．nearly

4.

A．in

B．at

C．to

D．on

5.

A．policeman

B．firemen

C．postmen

D．powermen

6.

A．in spite of

B．regardless of

C．besides

D．except

7.

A．crack

B．burn

C．burst

D．shake

8.

A．seconds

B．hours

C．minutes

D．quarters

9.

A．called

B．smelt

C．investigated

D．saw

10.

A．fire

B．smoke

C．storm

D．sound

11.

A．consider

B．make

C．bring

D．take

12.

A．suffer

B．solve

C．survive

D．survey

13.

A．flats

B．apartments

C．houses

D．sections

14.

A．Learning

B．Taking

C．Using

D．Giving

15.

A．set down

B．set aside

C．set about

D．set up

16.

A．power

B．shape

C．force

D．heat

17.

A．bought

B．brought

C．booked

D．borrowed

18.

A．for

B．as

C．whether

D．since

19.

A．black

B．red

C．blue

D．brown

20.

A．careless

B．selfless

C．helpless

D．homeless

4 . “Daily Star, sir” called Jason, carrying some newspapers under his arm. The little boy had been running up and down the street, but there were still twenty ______ left. His voice was almost gone and his heart was ________. The shops would soon close, and all the people would go home. He would have to go home too, carrying the papers ________ money. He had hoped to sell more papers tonight to make more money to buy a ________ for his mother and some seeds for his bird. That was why he had bought the papers with all his money. He ________ as he thought of his failure to sell all his papers.

“You don’t know the ________ of selling papers. You must shout, Hot news! Bomb bursting!” another newsboy Chad told Jason. “ ________ it’s not in the paper at all,” replied Jason. “Just run away quickly ________ they have time to see, and you’ll ________ out and get your money, ” Chad said.

It was a new ________ to Jason. He thought of his bird with no ________ and the cake he wanted to buy for his mother, but was ________ that he would not tell a lie. Though he was   __________ a poor newsboy, he had been ________ some good things.

The next afternoon Jason went to the office for his papers ________ . Several boys were crowding around Chad, who declared with a ________ smile that he sold six dozen the day before. He added that Jason ________money because he would not tell a lie. The boys ______ at Jason. “You wouldn’t tell a lie yesterday, my boy?” A gentleman at the office came up and patted Jason on the shoulder ________. “You’re just the boy I am looking for.” A week later Jason started his new ________. He lost the sale of twenty papers because he would not tell a lie, but got a well-paid job because he told the truth.

1.

A．copies

B．shops

C．coins

D．people

2.

A．weak

B．open

C．pure

D．heavy

3.

A．in exchange for

B．instead of

C．regardless of

D．in return for

4.

A．card

B．cup

C．cake

D．comb

5.

A．broke down

B．gave in

C．got away

D．showed up

6.

A．difficulty

B．process

C．secret

D．goal

7.

A．For

B．So

C．And

D．But

8.

A．since

B．before

C．though

D．unless

9.

A．drop

B．call

C．reach

D．sell

10.

A．idea

B．edition

C．policy

D．task

11.

A．bread

B．insects

C．water

D．seeds

12.

A．concerned

B．determined

C．excited

D．amazed

13.

A．still

B．already

C．also

D．just

14.

A．awarded

B．handed

C．taught

D．allowed

15.

A．by chance

B．as usual

C．at once

D．at last

16.

A．warm

B．gentle

C．proud

D．polite

17.

A．made

B．saved

C．borrowed

D．lost

18.

A．shouted

B．laughed

C．nodded

D．started

19.

A．fondly

B．gratefully

C．bravely

D．sadly

20.

A．business

B．duty

C．method

D．job

5 . A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C. Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended. In a natural reflex, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar. But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”

In a moment, I realized what I had done. I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be. I hated what I saw in myself. This incident re-awakened my belief in humility(谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment.

The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.

In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见). I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.

But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open. By the way, I helped that lady to the post office. And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.

1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that _______.

A．the author was a native American

B．the blind woman needed the money badly

C．the author was as poor as the blind woman

D．the author regretted his act of prejudice

2. According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably _______.

A．rather hurt	B．very excited
C．greatly inspired	D．deeply moved

3. Which opinion does the author agree with?

A．One should try to experience different kinds of life

B．One should think about one’s past as often as possible

C．One should treat others equally with love and respect

D．One should be nice to the elderly and the disabled

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．How my dream comes true	B．A priceless lesson in the street
C．A Belief that will never change	D．Learn from your past

6 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有 10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处 加一个漏字符号(?)，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。 修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

As middle school student, not only should we acquire knowledge but also we should have good qualities. I think express our gratitude to people who helped us is one of the good qualities we must have. Two years before, my classmate, Wang Wei ran into difficulty because his father is diagnosed with lung cancer. His father’s illness added to his family?s trouble, but Wang Wei was in danger dropping out of school. After learning about his bad situation, our head teacher gave him timely help by allowing him to continue his schooling with any tuition．With the help of the teacher and classmates，Wang had finished school．Just before this important exam he wrote us a letter expressing his sincerely thanks for all what we have done．

7 . Anyone can try to lead a group, but not every individual is cut out for leadership. The better leaders possess a few qualities that can mean the difference between the success and failure of the group. These are the qualities the leader of higher rank will look for when choosing a leader for a group, or when evaluating the performance of a leader. They're also the qualities team members want in a group leader, and appreciate when they find them.

Take Responsibility

Group leaders might share tasks around a group as necessary, but eventually a group leader needs to be able to accept that responsibility lies on his shoulders. That means that if things go wrong in a group project, he’s the one who must accept the consequences and work out what mistakes are made. The group leader won't always have the power to control everything group members do, but he should be ready to admit any mistakes the group has made as a result of his leadership

Concern for Members

The group leader has a commitment to the task or project at hand, but perhaps more importantly, he has a real concern for each and every person who is part of his group. This means getting to know the strengths, weaknesses and goals of team members, as well as making time to build the group through collective activities. The group leader should make sure that everyone is included, even if an individual is new to a group.

Good Listener

The group leader needs to be able to listen to the suggestions, complaints and ideas of group members. Not only will this allow complaints to be addressed and potentially suitable ideas to be put into practice, but a leader who listens will also encourage group members to share their concerns and thoughts, creating an atmosphere of free speech and productivity.

1. The passage is mainly about____________.

A．choosing a good leader for a group.

B．assessing the performance of a leader.

C．team members’ appreciation of a leader.

D．qualities of a good group leader.

2. A good leader should always be able to_______.

A．tell when things go wrong in a group project.

B．recognize any mistakes as his own.

C．make group members admit their mistakes.

D．control everything group members do.

3. According to “Concerns for members”, which of the following is a good quality of a leader?

A．fair	B．reliable
C．determined	D．generous

4. Which of the following is not a benefit of the group leader being a good listener?

A．Offering a chance for group members to express themselves freely

B．Making it possible to deal with group members’ complaints.

C．Allowing the leader to put his ideas into practice.

D．Making group members productive by sharing their thoughts.

8 . What do the world’s most successful people all have in common? The researehers found that high achievers like Robert Moses turn out to be all alike:

Busy！Busy!

    1    in a study of general managers in industry, John Kotter reported that many of them worked 60 to 65 hours per week-which translates into at least six 10-hour days. The ability and willingness to work difficult and tiring hours has characterized many powerful figures. Energy and strength provide many advantages to those seeking to build power.

    2    

The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything. And that’s what gives them the time to accomplish so much.    3    . And focus means saying “no” to a lot of distractions（分散力）.

Know what you are

Ignore weakness and keep improving your strengths. Don’t waste time exploring skill areas where you have little competence. Instead, focus on-and build on-your strengths.    4    

    5    Wiseman created a “luck school” to test these ideas-and it was a success. In total, 80 percent of people who attended luck school said that their luck bad increased. On average, these people reported that their luck had risen by more than 40 percent.

A．Just say no!

B．Ask for more time.

C．Strengths are exactly what you are good at.

D．Achievement requires concentrations（注意力）

E．This means knowing who you are and what you are good at.

F．Does applying these principle（原则）to your life actually work?

G．High achievers never stop working and they never lose a minute.

9 . People give gifts in almost all societies. Gifts mark anniversaries, religious festivals and other important occasions. Sometimes there are even special ceremonies for gift giving. Some gifts are expensive, or they may take months to create.    1     What do these different kinds of gifts and gift-giving occasions have in common?

    2     If you receive a birthday gift from someone, that person usually expects a birthday gift from you in return. A gift establishes or confirms a social obligation (责任). In some cultures, there are complex rules about gift exchange. In Pakistan, for example, there is a rule for giving gifts on special occasions, such as a wedding.    3     It works this way; You give the wedding couple a gift, and they “repay” you with a gift of slightly higher value. Then you give the couple another gift. This one should be worth the difference between the first two gifts, plus a little more. The gift exchange continues, following the same pattern.

Sometimes gift giving is a form of tribute (贡品).    4     In many ancient cultures, people made offerings to their leaders to show their loyalty. The Nubians in ancient Egypt are a good example. They brought gold to the Egyptian pharaohs, or kings.

Today ambassadors, presidents, and prime ministers usually bring gifts when they visit a foreign leader. This tradition is different from the tribute system. Leaders bring gifts to strengthen relationships between countries, not to emphasize the power of the gift receiver.

Gifts can also send special messages. For example, gifts can tell people that we are thinking of them and that we want them to feel special.    5     The gift keeps the memory of a special person and a special relationship alive.

A．Gifts can be a form of communication.

B．This tradition is called “taking-giving.”

C．Sometimes a gift reminds us of the giver.

D．Gift giving is often a process of exchange.

E．You should know some rules for gift giving.

F．Others are of less value, such as birthday cards.

G．A tribute is a gift to a powerful leader or country from a less powerful one.

10 . It’s all about personal peace, which means not only an imaginary space around the body, but also the space around all the senses. People feel that their space is being violated(侵犯) when they meet with an unwelcome sound, smell or look. This is probably why a man on a crowded bus shouting into his mobile phone or a woman next to you putting on strong perfume(香水) makes you feel angry.

Whether people have had a stronger wish to protect their personal space in recent times is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show that people have a strong desire to have space to themselves. In a survey by Trip Advisor, a travel website, people said that if they had to pay more for some extra service, they would rather have larger seats than extra food.

Although people may need their personal space, some hardly realize it. For example, people on a bus who hold newspapers in front of their faces to read in fact keep a distance from strangers.

Go and watch a library table. You will notice that one of the corner seats will usually be taken first, because they are the farthest way. What if someone sits opposite to you? Maybe you will pile up books as if to make a wall.

Preference for personal space is different from culture to culture. Scientists have found that Americans generally prefer more personal space than people from other cultures. In Latin cultures, however, people are more comfortable standing close to each other.

1. The writer mainly ________ in this article.

A．tells us how to achieve personal space

B．explains why people need personal space

C．introduces some knowledge about personal space

D．argues for the importance of keeping personal space

2. ________ might feel his personal space is safe according to the passage.

A．A person who has to sit next to a lady putting on strong perfume.

B．A person who has been watched by a stranger for a long time.

C．A person who hears strange noises when reading at home.

D．A Latin boy who is chatting with a friend sitting close to him.

3. What can we know from the survey by Trip Advisor?

A．People need a smaller personal space in recent times than before.

B．People have a strong desire for personal space in recent times.

C．There are not enough seats on the plane to meet people’s needs.

D．Food service is better provided than seats on the plane.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The space around the body is more needed than that around all the senses.

B．If you hold newspapers on the bus, your personal space won’t be violated.

C．People usually choose the corner seats first in a library for personal space.

D．Different cultures share the same preferences for personal space.