Compulsive(强迫的)shoppers may have a new psychological excuse to blame for their wild shopping. Psychologists at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand are studying the “shop-till-you-drop” habit as a behavioral disorder similar to compulsive eating. Compulsive shoppers frequently buy more than they can afford or more than they need, and it causes them distress(苦恼).
“It becomes a problem when you are out of control,” psychology lecturer Neville Blampied said. “When you are feeling bad and blue, what do you do? Some people eat chocolate cake and ice cream. Some people take the credit card and go out to the shop.” Bank managers understand the problem because they have to deal with people who have to be persuaded to stop using their cards drawing money.
Compulsive shopping was first discovered in 1915, although it was then known as monomania. Few studies have been done on the problem.
An advertisement in a Christchurch paper, calling for people to take part in an experimental treatment program designed by Mr. Wilson, attracted 10 replies. But the problem, said Mr. Wilson, is “clearly not rare”. He thinks that compulsive shopping should be treated with drugs. “As psychologists we are interested in non-drug treatments for behavioral difficulties,” Mr. Wilson said.
Compulsive eaters or shoppers get a kick from their habit. “Both activities provide an immediate kind of kick and you feel a bit better,” he said. “You have long-term problems, but human beings are extremely good at not seeing long-term problems and are very sensitive to short-term benefits,” he said.
The aim of the treatment was to help people find better ways of managing their emotions. The program, consisting of 10 one-hour weekly lessons and two follow-up treatments, is loosely based on teaching stress management.
“You often have to start to get people to correctly recognize their emotions. Not being able to know what you really feel weakens your ability to solve the problems connected with what’s making you feel that way,” Mr. Wilson said.
【小题1】The compulsive shoppers will go shopping when ______.

A.they have lots of moneyB.they are taking drugs
C.they are feeling sadD.they win a prize
【小题2】The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph most probably refers to __________.
A.compulsive eatingB.a new psychological excuse
C.the study done by BlampiedD.the behavior of wild shopping
【小题3】Which of the following is considered important in treating compulsive shoppers?
A.Teaching them to manage their money better.
B.Teaching them to understand their emotions.
C.Persuading them not to draw money from the bank.
D.Treating them with right drugs.
【小题4】When the writer says that compulsive shoppers get a kick from their habit, he means that they __________.
A.feel distressed after their wild shopping
B.feel better after treatment from psychologists
C.are better able to deal with stress problems
D.have a feeling of excitement after shopping

He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. “He should be punished for the killings,” an Israeli official said, “He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups.”

But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea.

Arafat himself said: “They can kill me, but never get me out of my country.” He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time.

For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive.

What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat’s bodyguards took no notice of his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat.

But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel.

All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others.

But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell.

1..    According to the passage, which statement is true?

    A. In 1992, Arafat’s plane crashed in South Africa.

    B. Israeli officers thought Arafat himself sent the terrorist groups to Israel.

    C. China is the only country against Israel’s decision of removing Arafat.

D. Being Palestinian leader, Arafat would rather die in his own country than be driven away

from his people.

2..   . What did the author mean by saying “just like a cat has nine lives” when he talked about Arafat?

    A. Arafat is as clever as a cat.

    B. Arafat can live as long as a cat.

    C. Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives.

    D. Arafat should have died for at least 8 times.

3..    The underlined phrase “took no notice of” can be replaced by __________.

    A. obeyed         B. ignored          C. disagreed      D. dissatisfied

4..   . What’s the writer’s attitude towards Arafat’s future, judging from the last sentence of the passage?

    A. Hopeful.       B. Interesting.     C. Satisfactory.  D. Doubtful.

 

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