Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work．
Right now, I'm sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling(打捆)the big field on top of the hill．She's been haying that field for over ten years．I know：I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old．
She picked a great day for baling．It's not too hot, and there's a nice breeze．On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field．Didn't stop her, though．She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work．I remember when I would have done the same thing．
While I'm here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草)train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon．You'd think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor．But somehow she manages．When she's finished, her tracks are very straight．
The whole time she's haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he's afraid she'll drive away without him．Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him．
The way the machine works is pure poetry．Each row is pushed into shape．When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together．A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon．The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius．
That's not to say it works perfectly．Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row．That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon．
I can remember when Beth's mother was her age．She looked an awful lot like Beth does now．Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves．
Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again．Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass．
(1)
We can learn from the passage that at some time in the past the author ________．
[ ]
A．
bought the tractor for Beth
B．
forced Beth to work at an early age
C．
worked in the field like Beth
D．
trained the dog to help Beth work
(2)
In the eyes of the author, the sight of Beth baling hay is ________．
[ ]
A．
uncommon
B．
beautiful
C．
unforgettable
D．
changeable
(3)
Before thrown into the wagon, the hay must be ________．
Do you blank out, freeze up(呆住)or feel so nervous in exams that you have trouble writing answers to questions that you knew just last night?
If so, you likely have a case of test anxiety．
But, don’t panic．By recognizing the problem, you are taking the first step towards overcoming it．
Believe it or not, a touch of nervousness can sharpen your mind, allowing you to perform more quickly．This is because under stress, the body releases the hormone adrenaline(肾上腺素), which prepares it for something important that will happen．However, too much anxiety can result in sleeplessness, loss of appetite before tests, and poor performance．Some people might feel shaky(weak), hot, or even sick．
If you worry a lot or are a perfectionist, you are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety．Those who have prepared poorly for a test or have had negative experiences taking tests may also experience test anxiety．
When you feel a storm of anxiety coming on, stop what you're doing and make your mind a blank．If possible, actually tell yourself to ‘STOP!’ This will get your mind off the stress．Then think of being at a place of comfort and let your body relax．As you continue the test, find questions you know the answers to and answer them first．This will help restore your confidence．
Talk to yourself using positive language．Make it a habit to replace each negative thought with a logical reason．For example：“I've studied hard and I know the material, so I’m ready to do the best I can．”Another thing you can do is to learn to accept mistakes．In fact, they can be valuable learning opportunities．
Last but not least, start test preparation early three to five days ahead of the quiz or test．After all, good study habits and skills．for example, time management and note-taking will give you the feeling that you are in control．
(1)
The main purpose of the passage is to ________．
[ ]
A．
tell you that worrying is no good
B．
show the ways to overcome test anxiety
C．
describe the effects caused by exams
D．
suggest making full preparations for exams
(2)
From the passage, we know that when you experience test anxiety, you ________．
[ ]
A．
are no longer sure of yourself and cannot think clearly
B．
develop negative thoughts about yourself in everyday life
C．
feel so nervous that you can’t sleep before the test
D．
feel anxious in the exam and always fail in exams
(3)
The phrase“last but not least”at the last paragraph means ________．
[ ]
A．
the last but actually there are more
B．
the last in order and importance
C．
the last but as important as others
D．
the last but the most important
(4)
From the passage, we can infer that ________．
[ ]
A．
you should not place too high expectations on yourself
B．
low scores in exams are only a result of test anxiety
C．
you need to get yourself completely under control
D．
test anxiety forms good study habits
阅读理解
How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feeling
Architects have long had the feeling that the place we live in can affect our thoughts, feeling and behaviors．But now scientists are giving this feeling an empirical(经验的，实证的)basis．They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused, and lead to relaxation．
Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity．In 2009, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room’s ceiling affects how people think．Her research indicates that higher ceilings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections．Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook．
In addition to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant’s ability to concentrate．Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention．
Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C．Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design & Planning Laboratory at the University of Georgia．Tanner and his team found that higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots．
Recent study on room lighting design suggests that dim(暗淡的)light helps people to loosen up．If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner, or at parties could increase relaxation．Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax．
So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings．“We have a very limited number of studies, so we are almost looking at the problem through a straw(吸管)”architect David Allison says;“How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalize use of them?”That is what we are all struggling with”
(1)
What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?
[ ]
A．
Light
B．
Ceilings．
C．
Windows．
D．
Furniture
(2)
The passage tells us that ________．
[ ]
A．
the shape of furniture may affect people’s feelings
B．
lower ceilings may help improve students’creativity
C．
children in a dim classroom may improve their grades
D．
students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed
(3)
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably mean that ________．
[ ]
A．
the problem is not approached step by step
B．
the researches so far have faults in themselves
C．
the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect
D．
research in this area is not enough to make generalized pattems
(4)
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?________
阅读理解
How to Order
Ordering from BooksFirst is easy and safe．
SELECTING YOUR BOOKS
When you have found a book you would like to order, just click on Add to Basket and it will be added to your shopping basket．To make it easy to keep track of the books you've selected, My．Shopping Basket will display your choices wherever you are on the site．When you're ready to place your order, select View Basket．
VIEW BASKET
This is where you select the postal destination for your order, indicate Whether you would like Next Day Delivery in the UK and choose gift-wrapping．You can also amend(修改)the contents of your basket by making any changes before selecting Update Basket．
Overseas customers ordering three or more books can also request reduced airmail charges here．When you're happy with the contents of your shopping basket, go to the Secure Checkout．
THE ORDER FORM
After you've completed the order form, you will receive an on-screen acknowledgment(确认)．This will be followed by an email confirming the details of your order．
We will then inform you when your order has been sent．If this is your first order, we will also inform you of your personal BooksFirst account number．
YOUR FIRST ORDER
We'll send to you a personal accountn umber after you have placed your first order．For following orders all you need to do is enter your personal account number and email address．
RETURNING CUSTOMERS
If you have ordered from us before, online, by mail or telephone, you will have already owned a personal account number．You then only need to complete the full order form．Using your account number allows us to find your details from our records(they are not accessible online)．
However, you do not need your BooksFirst personal account number to place an ordersimply present all the required details on the order form．If you don't have a note of your account number just Contact Us so that we can supply it to you．
(1)
We can probably read this passage ________．
[ ]
A．
in a newspaper
B．
in a magazine
C．
on the Interact
D．
on TV
(2)
The information under RETRUNING CUSTOMERS is for those ________．
[ ]
A．
who have forgotten their BooksFirst account numbers
B．
who haven't got their BooksFirst account numbers
C．
who have experienced BooksFirst online shopping before
D．
who have never done online shopping before
(3)
Which of the following is true?
[ ]
A．
You must put what you choose in a basket as you do in a supermarket．
B．
You can find your Shopping Basket nowhere but in View Basket．
C．
You can get an account number only after you place an order online．
D．
You will probably pay less for the mail service if you are an overseas customer and buy over three books．
