1 . Background noise—like the chatter in a coffee shop or the drone of passing traffic—might slow our reading speed, but according to a study of Russian readers, it doesn’t _________ how our brain understands written text.

_________, if you’re wondering whether you should be listening to podcasts or music while working, the study has some interesting points to make. In particular, it examined how we might change our reading style to compensate for auditory noise and visual distractions such as typos or poor formatting.

“Overall, previous studies reported a harmful effect of both auditory and visual noise on reading fluency and _________, though their results varied,” write linguistics researcher Nina Zdorova and colleagues. “So far, none of the studies exploring the influence of noise _________ it in the framework of the language processing theories.”

One of the language processing theories examined was the noisy channel model, which proposes that our brain deals with noise by looking at the meaning of _________ words more and at entire sentences less. We then use a bit of smart guesswork to _________ the overall meaning and relationships between words.

The second theory is the good enough model; that’s when our brains aren’t analyzing every single detail of a text but instead only grabbing enough words for a ‘good enough’ understanding. By focusing less on the precise words, our brains can _________ some cognitive resources to deal with noise.

To see how reading was affected by noise _________ these models, the researchers ran two experiments: one on auditory noise (71 participants) and one on visual noise (70 participants). When it came to the auditory noise test, background chatter from overlapping podcasts caused people to spend longer looking at the key section of sentences before completing their reading. This extra time could _________ the noise, meaning sentence comprehension isn’t affected by it. In the visual noise test, comprehension remained the same while reading speed __________. That’s a bit __________ considering previous studies, but the researchers think people just wanted to finish the task, with the visual noise an uncomfortable distraction.

“In both experiments, we observed that longer total reading time was __________ with an accuracy increase for incorrect sentences,” write the researchers.

There’s a lot going on in this study, but overall it’s a bigger win for the good-enough language processing theory and an indication that auditory and visual noise doesn’t make us __________ any more or less on any particular comprehension method while we’re reading.

With so many variables to measure in terms of what’s being read and what the __________ noise is, further study is required to learn more. __________ potential distractions may not interrupt your reading as much as you think.

1.

A．reinforce

B．estimate

C．affect

D．interpret

2.

A．First of all

B．For example

C．Above all

D．To start with

3.

A．context

B．efficiency

C．comprehension

D．device

4.

A．evaluated

B．identified

C．established

D．employed

5.

A．individual

B．different

C．new

D．unfamiliar

6.

A．confirm

B．imply

C．refer

D．infer

7.

A．exploit

B．spare

C．commit

D．consume

8.

A．on account of

B．regardless of

C．in regard to

D．in contrast to

9.

A．make up for

B．live up to

C．catch up with

D．put up with

10.

A．declined

B．shrank

C．expanded

D．increased

11.

A．embarrassing

B．depressing

C．puzzling

D．annoying

12.

A．associated

B．compared

C．replaced

D．mixed

13.

A．take

B．set

C．rely

D．base

14.

A．accompanying

B．strange

C．deafening

D．distant

15.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Instead

D．Otherwise

2 . The United States you may not know

The United States is the only superpower in the world, and it is far more advanced than any other country. However, we can’t simply owe its _________ and prosperity to its lucky escape from the destruction of the two world wars. What other nations should _________ is the American spirit and its social system.

The most obvious features of the American spirit are _________ and pragmatism (务实思想). Nearly 70% of the important inventions have been made in the US since the first industrial revolution. Since the US occupies such an important position in science and technology, naturally it has become the first superpower in the world.

Americans are always _________ with what they have achieved, and they have an appetite for adventure over the love of _________. European countries have been pursuing a reformist policy of “high tax and high welfare” since the 1960s, while only the US _________ the policy of “high risk and high return”. _________ , the US has become the leader of the third industrial revolution (in technology of information, materials and biology).

High salary is not the only _________ that the talents from other countries find in the United States. Some characteristics of American society should not be _________. Family backgrounds and great wisdom in building connections and playing up to the boss, to which great importance is attached in other countries, are not so important to __________ development in the US. Most people are on the same starting line, and whether one can succeed or not depends on his own ability and hard work.

However, the American character is full of paradoxes (矛盾). The American people are both extremely romantic and pragmatic. The American is a(n) __________ people, but in every field there are workaholics. The Americans are open-minded but they are very conservative on certain matters. Since China’s reform and opening-up to the outside world, many media in Western countries have greatly __________ their attitudes towards China. However, the American media are singing the same old tune against China as they were in the Cold War period. The Americans __________ freedom, but their government is very fond of interfering in other countries’ internal affairs. What’s most puzzling is that the Americans __________ authority, but they highly respect the laws and regulations of the society. Therefore, in such a nation that values personal liberty, the society can still be kept in good order and operate with high __________ . Is it odd? No one can provide a satisfactory answer.

1.

A．powerfulness

B．ability

C．energy

D．resource

2.

A．reflect on

B．deal with

C．agree to

D．carry out

3.

A．preservation

B．perseverance

C．curiosity

D．creativity

4.

A．dissatisfied

B．concerned

C．engaged

D．pleased

5.

A．nature

B．competition

C．ease

D．innovation

6.

A．goes against

B．sticks to

C．exposes to

D．gives up

7.

A．After all

B．As a result

C．In other words

D．Above all

8.

A．potential

B．passion

C．attraction

D．recommendation

9.

A．considered

B．mentioned

C．ignored

D．defined

10.

A．staff

B．assemble

C．private

D．individual

11.

A．pleasure-seeking

B．outgoing

C．self-disciplined

D．well-educated

12.

A．maintained

B．changed

C．adopted

D．compared

13.

A．oppose

B．rebel

C．care

D．value

14.

A．show

B．admire

C．challenge

D．establish

15.

A．efficiency

B．spirits

C．honour

D．status

3 . Many animals use some kinds of “language”. They use signals and the signals have meanings. For example, ______ a bee has found some food, it goes ______ its home.   ______ is difficult for a bee to tell   ______   bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it can do a little dancing. This tells the bees where the food is and ______   it is.

Some animals show ______ they feel by making sounds. It is not difficult to tell if a dog is angry because it barks. Birds make several different sounds and ______ has its meaning. Sometimes we humans make songs in the same way we make sounds like “Oh” to ______   how we feel about ______or we ______something on our feet.

We humans have languages. We have words. These words have meanings of things, actions, feelings, or ideas. We are able to ______each other information , to tell other people ______ we think about or how we feel. By writing down words, we can remember what has happened or______messages to people far away.

Languages, like people, live and die. If a language is not used by people, it is called a dead language. This language cannot live and grow because ______ speaks it.

A living language, of course, is often spoken by people today. It grows and changes with time. New words are created, and some old words have______ meanings.

1.

A．because

B．since

C．when

D．as

2.

A．out of

B．back from

C．away from

D．back to

3.

A．It

B．This

C．That

D．He

4.

A．each other

B．another

C．the other

D．others

5.

A．how long

B．how far away

C．how many

D．how old

6.

A．why

B．which

C．how

D．who

7.

A．each

B．every

C．all

D．some

8.

A．show

B．say

C．talk

D．speak

9.

A．everything

B．something

C．nothing

D．anything

10.

A．put

B．drop

C．fall

D．set

11.

A．give

B．put

C．show

D．take

12.

A．that

B．which

C．what

D．why

13.

A．send

B．bring

C．push

D．get

14.

A．someone

B．no one

C．anyone

D．everyone

15.

A．new

B．right

C．real

D．good

4 . We are all taught that honesty is the best policy. Telling the truth is important and it’s essential not to steal or _______ your way through life. _______ , when you look at honesty box schemes, in some situations, people are not as honest as they’d like to think.

Honesty boxes are sometimes used to _______ products like newspapers at train stations and vegetables at the farmer’s gate. You take what you want and you pay by putting your _______ in a box. So, what _______ how honest people are?

There are two major factors. Firstly, people are more honest if they think someone is _______ them. Some researchers _______ a way to find out whether it is the case. A poster was put above an honesty box for tea and coffee in an office and two _______ posters were tested: one with some flowers and the other with a pair of eyes. The results showed that when the poster was a pair of eyes, people were more _______ than when it was some flowers.

The second factor is loyalty (忠诚). People are more honest when they ________ the seller in some way. To test this ________   in an experiment, shoppers were given too much change. Most people checked their change and ________ knew when they were given too much or too little. The results of the tests showed that in large supermarkets people usually ________ the extra change. In small shops, however, people were more honest and gave it back.

So, what about you? Are you as honest as you’d like to be? Or would you ________ be honest if you cared about the person? Or if somebody was there to ________ you? Come on, be honest.

1.

A．cheat

B．feel

C．fight

D．make

2.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．So

D．Recently

3.

A．notice

B．lend

C．manage

D．sell

4.

A．wallet

B．newspaper

C．money

D．ticket

5.

A．plans

B．decides

C．requires

D．solves

6.

A．visiting

B．searching

C．teaching

D．watching

7.

A．found

B．tested

C．considered

D．described

8.

A．cheap

B．similar

C．expensive

D．different

9.

A．interested

B．honest

C．excited

D．healthy

10.

A．object to

B．depend on

C．care about

D．look after

11.

A．idea

B．need

C．article

D．remark

12.

A．angrily

B．rarely

C．clearly

D．carefully

13.

A．dropped

B．returned

C．checked

D．kept

14.

A．hardly

B．only

C．nearly

D．finally

15.

A．call

B．signal

C．see

D．punish

5 . How can you tell if someone’s lying? The answer is, they’re probably not．

Traditional economics says that people make reasonable choices and will lie if it’s to their _________. A recent university study has shown that, actually, we’re pretty _________— especially when we’re at home.

Researchers in Germany _________ people at home and asked them to toss (投掷) a coin. There was a strong _________ incentive (刺激) to lie about the result: if the coin landed tails-up, the participants would receive money, while if the coin landed heads-up, they would get nothing. Because they were on the phone, they knew there was no_________ of getting caught if they lied．

And yet people told the_________. Over hundreds of tosses, a coin will land tails-up about 50% of the time. In this _________ over half the people asked (55.6%) said that the coin landed heads-up, which meant they would receive nothing．

Previous studies had found that people were more _________. In those laboratory studies, 75% of people reported a _________ coin and asked for a reward. So the research team thinks it’s being in our own homes which makes us play fair, although it’s not yet clear why．

In fact both types of study show people are surprisingly __________. Even in the laboratory, 25% of people __________ down a reward by telling the truth. The researchers say this is because honesty is __________ valued in human society. We care about our __________ and our sense of ourselves as decent (体面的) people. So lying has a psychological __________ and it seems this cost is more important than the financial benefits of __________.

1.

A．surprise

B．relief

C．amusement

D．advantage

2.

A．honest

B．strict

C．calm

D．afraid

3.

A．visited

B．saw

C．phoned

D．caught

4.

A．mental

B．financial

C．technical

D．educational

5.

A．idea

B．need

C．evidence

D．risk

6.

A．difference

B．truth

C．story

D．secret

7.

A．case

B．interview

C．speech

D．study

8.

A．faithful

B．grateful

C．disappointed

D．dishonest

9.

A．missing

B．losing

C．winning

D．shining

10.

A．reliable

B．greedy

C．brave

D．wealthy

11.

A．received

B．refused

C．won

D．required

12.

A．highly

B．normally

C．formally

D．poorly

13.

A．money

B．family

C．jobs

D．reputation

14.

A．reason

B．effect

C．cost

D．function

15.

A．studying

B．lying

C．phoning

D．reporting

6 . When you eat something really sour, there is something that can’t be ignored. It is the _________ that isn’t limited to your tongue. An especially sour bite has a way of making your entire face _________ into a look of discomfort. If you can’t _________ puckering (撅起) your mouth when you lick a lemon or snack on Sour Patch Kids, you can thank evolution.

That unmistakable sour flavor that stimulate your taste buds is a product that acids release when they combine with saliva (唾液) . When your mouth _________ this sign of acid, it lets you know in a dramatic way. Your taste receptors   _________ and your face twists involuntarily in what’s known as a rejection response, according to Live Science.

Your tongue’s reactions to bitter or spicy foods are rejection _________ as well. Many plants found in nature with these _________ are poisonous, and your body’s strong reaction is its way of protecting you from harm. Sourness _________ naturally in fruits like citrus (柑橘), but it can be a warning of food-borne illness in many cases. _________ fruits and dairy products contain acid, which gives them a sour taste too.

It’s hard to ignore the sour flavor of what you’re eating when it twists your entire facial expression. This reaction isn’t necessarily enough to help someone who has already taken a bite of a bad apple, but it may protect the people they’re with. When our early human ancestors hunted for food, a sudden twisted face may have ____________ that whatever that person put in their mouth wasn’t good to eat.

The pucker response to ____________ flavors helped early humans avoid getting sick, but it doesn’t stop us from eating this kind of food today. The flavor is so sought after that there’s an entire candy market ____________ to maximizing it in processed products. So why do we love to eat the very thing that our face and tongue warns us might kill us?

The answer is ____________ taste. Humans don’t naturally desire bitter, spicy, or sour foods, but foods with these characteristics are important components of a nutritious diet.____________ loving these flavors from birth, we’re conditioned to enjoy them through repeated exposure. By becoming familiar with the taste via our peers and family members, humans ____________ learn which sour (and bitter and spicy) foods are healthy and which are potentially harmful.

Though we rely on the sense every day, taste doesn’t work exactly how you may assume.

1.

A．challenge

B．panic

C．sensation

D．impression

2.

A．adjust

B．perceive

C．react

D．contract

3.

A．decline

B．insist

C．persist

D．resist

4.

A．distinguishes

B．detects

C．identifies

D．encounters

5.

A．take up

B．light up

C．get across

D．bring down

6.

A．responses

B．impairments

C．preferences

D．guarantees

7.

A．bitterness

B．declines

C．flavors

D．textures

8.

A．puts up

B．picks up

C．stays up

D．shows up

9.

A．Ripe

B．Raw

C．Spoiled

D．Purchased

10.

A．proved

B．confessed

C．communicated

D．displayed

11.

A．salty

B．bitter

C．spicy

D．sour

12.

A．ceased

B．deserved

C．desired

D．devoted

13.

A．acquired

B．born

C．gained

D．undeveloped

14.

A．Apart from

B．Thanks to

C．Instead of

D．Regardless of

15.

A．gradually

B．faithfully

C．barely

D．respectively

7 . Albert Einstein is said to have been asked by a student, “What finding helped you most when you were _____ the theory of relativity?” Einstein replied without _____ moment’s hesitation. “Finding how to think about the problem.”

The same _____ is told about Sir Isaac Newton and _____ other scientists. We have no proof _____ any of these well-known conversations _____ took place, but we are prepared to believe that they did, and, if so, that the _____ was the same one Einstein gave,_____ this is the “way scientists work and science progresses.”

Scientists usually work towards models of the process of structure they are studying._____ we have models of the structure of the universe and of the atom, models of the process ______ which the genetic (遗传学的) pattern is passed from one building block of life to ______ models of the economic system and ______ on. Some models are mathematical, but a model does not have to have equations (方程式) or even diagrams; the ______ requirement is no doubt that it ______ an insight into the relationships that determine ______ something works as it does or how it is put together.

1.

A．designing

B．inventing

C．revealing

D．developing

2.

A．a

B．the

C．an

D．some

3.

A．event

B．news

C．story

D．information

4.

A．any

B．more

C．few

D．several

5.

A．that

B．since

C．which

D．as

6.

A．naturally

B．actually

C．eventually

D．regularly

7.

A．question

B．answer

C．conversation

D．topic

8.

A．although

B．because

C．unless

D．once

9.

A．Otherwise

B．Nevertheless

C．Still

D．Thus

10.

A．for

B．by

C．on

D．to

11.

A．either

B．other

C．both

D．another

12.

A．so

B．later

C．further

D．straight

13.

A．urgent

B．important

C．original

D．unnecessary

14.

A．provide

B．balance

C．quit

D．predict

15.

A．when

B．what

C．why

D．whether

8 . Human beings have somehow managed to engineer the night to receive us by filling it with light. This kind of control is no different from the feat ( 壮 举 ) of damming a river. Its benefits come with_________ — called light pollution — whose effects scientists are only now beginning to study. Light pollution is largely the result of bad lighting design. _________ lighting washes out the darkness of night, altering light levels and light rhythms to which many forms of life, including ourselves, have_________. Wherever man-made light spills into the natural world, some aspects of life-migration, reproduction, feeding-is affected.

For most human history, the phrase “light pollution” would have_________. Imagine walking towards London on a moonlit night around 1800, when it was Earth’s most populous city. Nearly a million people lived there, _________ candles, torches and lanterns, as they always had. Only a few houses were lit by gas, and there would be no public gaslights in the streets or squares for another seven years. From a few miles away, you would have been more likely to_________ London than to see its dim collective glow.

We’ve lit up the night as if it were a(n) _________ country. As a matter of fact, among mammals (哺乳动物) alone, the number of species active at night is astonishing. Light is a powerful biological force, and on many species it acts as a magnet attracting them to it. The effect is so powerful that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds being_________ by searchlights on land or by the light from gas flares on marine oil platforms, circling and circling in the thousands until they drop.

It was once thought that light pollution only affected astronomers, who need to see the night sky in all its glorious clarity. Unlike astronomers, most of us may not need a_________ view of the night sky for our work. __________, like most other creatures, we do need darkness. __________ darkness is pointless. It is as essential to maintaining our biological welfare as__________ itself; the price of modifying our internal clockwork means it doesn’t operate as it should, causing various physical discomforts. So fundamental are the regular rhythms of waking and sleep to our being that__________ them is similar to altering our center of gravity.

In a very real sense, light pollution causes us to__________ our true place in the universe, to forget the scale of our being, which is best__________ against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky Way — the edge of our galaxy — arching overhead.

1.

A．consequences

B．achievements

C．agreements

D．circumstances

2.

A．Randomly-designed

B．Well-designed

C．Poorly-designed

D．Economically-designed

3.

A．appealed

B．adapted

C．objected

D．amounted

4.

A．come under criticism

B．made no difference

C．come into effect

D．made no sense

5.

A．making do with

B．fed up with

C．identifying with

D．overflowing with

6.

A．visit

B．greet

C．feel

D．smell

7.

A．independent

B．disconnected

C．unoccupied

D．excluded

8.

A．exposed

B．captured

C．dismissed

D．frustrated

9.

A．clear

B．comprehensive

C．traditional

D．critical

10.

A．Subsequently

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Similarly

11.

A．Reviewing

B．Embracing

C．Denying

D．Regulating

12.

A．light

B．rhythm

C．status

D．dawn

13.

A．emerging from

B．withdrawing from

C．messing with

D．coinciding with

14.

A．keep track of

B．lose sight of

C．catch hold of

D．let go of

15.

A．measured

B．neutralized

C．undergone

D．supervised

9 . If people actually embrace the concept of stress, it can make them stronger, smarter and happier, a Stanford expert says.

One reason why how you think about stress matters is that it changes how you _________ stress. Viewing stress as _________ leads people to cope in ways that are less helpful, whether it’ s dragging your feet to avoid stress, or imagining worst- case scenes.

_________, viewing stress more positively seems to encourage people to cope in ways that help them thrive, whether it’s tackling the source of stress, _________ social support or finding meaning in it.

Choosing to see the upside of stress isn’t about _________ the fact that stress can be harmful. It’ s about trying to balance your mindset so that you feel less overwhelmed and _________ about the fact that your life is stressful. Psychologists have found that the ability to embrace stress requires a high _________ for uncertainty. You have to be able to understand that two _________ opposite things can be true at the same time. It can be true that _________ something stressful can make you sick or depressed, and it can also be true that the same stressful experience can ultimately make you stronger, more compassionate and more resilient over time.

Stress is most likely to be harmful when the following conditions are__________: it feels against your will, out of your control and utterly lacking in meaning. If you can __________ any of these conditions — by finding some meaning in it — you can reduce the harmful effects of stress.

Rather than being a sign that something is wrong with your life, feeling stressed can be a( n) __________ of how engaged you are in activities and relationships that are personally meaningful.

One simple mindset reset that can help us face and find the good in the stress in our lives is to view it as a( n) __________to learn and grow. The ability to learn from stress is__________ into the basic biology of the stress response. This is why putting people through practice stress is a key __________ technique for NASA astronauts, emergency responders, elite athletes and others who have to thrive under high levels of stress.

1.

A．contribute to

B．agree to

C．respond to

D．object to

2.

A．beneficial

B．distracting

C．reliable

D．harmful

3.

A．In fact

B．In contrast

C．What’s more

D．After all

4.

A．seeking

B．arousing

C．requiring

D．embracing

5.

A．draining

B．analyzing

C．reversing

D．denying

6.

A．confused

B．unfortunate

C．hopeless

D．serious

7.

A．tolerance

B．demand

C．anxiety

D．preference

8.

A．generally

B．seemingly

C．inevitably

D．significantly

9.

A．putting off

B．coming up with

C．taking care of

D．going through

10.

A．present

B．controversial

C．constant

D．equal

11.

A．mask

B．alter

C．enhance

D．trace

12.

A．code

B．origin

C．monument

D．indicator

13.

A．vacancy

B．substitute

C．opportunity

D．illustration

14.

A．turned

B．built

C．broken

D．divided

15.

A．instrumental

B．conflicting

C．intentional

D．training

10 . Typhoons and hurricanes are the same weather phenomenon: tropical cyclones (热带气旋). However, they go by different names _________ where they occur.

Typhoons develop in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. They most _________ occur from late June to December. When winds blow into warm seawater, a lot. of warm, moist air evaporates and _________ rapidly, while colder air moves in below. This creates_________     causing the winds to move very quickly. The more warm air and moisture there is, the more_________ the winds. When the winds move faster than 119 kilometers per hour, a typhoon is formed. If a typhoon _________ 241 kilometers per hour, then it becomes a super typhoon.

The _________of a typhoon is called the “eye”. This is right in the middle of a typhoon and is _________ . In the “eye”, the wind does not move so fast. Around the “eye” is the _________ of clouds. This is where the strongest winds and hardest rains are found. The rain bands are the outer part of a typhoon that _________ with it.

Typhoons do bring water to people, but they also can be very _________ . They _________   houses and cars, and even kill people. For example, tropical storm Megi hit the Philippines in April. More than 220 people died from _________ and flooding caused by the typhoon.

China is also one of the countries most affected by typhoons. The _________ time for typhoons landing is from July to September._________ , China’s coastal residents face 10 typhoon landings each year.

1.

A．relating to

B．depending on

C．owing to

D．belonging to

2.

A．absolutely

B．extraordinarily

C．commonly

D．entirely

3.

A．rises

B．disappears

C．exits

D．erupts

4.

A．crisis

B．reaction

C．power

D．pressure

5.

A．sufficient

B．deadly

C．intense

D．dramatic

6.

A．generates

B．lowers

C．dominates

D．hits

7.

A．edge

B．center

C．essence

D．dimension

8.

A．striking

B．calm

C．apparent

D．damp

9.

A．wall

B．roof

C．ceiling

D．floor

10.

A．tracks

B．crashes

C．spins

D．slides

11.

A．wide-ranging

B．remarkable

C．realistic

D．destructive

12.

A．break down

B．throw in

C．fall apart

D．blow away

13.

A．earthquake

B．landslides

C．sandstorm

D．lightning

14.

A．peak

B．grand

C．rigid

D．ideal

15.

A．In turn

B．At large

C．On average

D．Above all