题目内容

Laughter is a universal way to express joy. But as it turns out, your laughter reveals a lot more than the fact that you are happy. It enables listeners, even those that cannot observe you, immediately to realize if you are having a good time with a close friend or laughing politely with a complete stranger.

At least that is the conclusion reached by a team of scientists led by Greg Bryant, an associate professor of Communication Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The researchers began by requesting participants from across the globe to send them audio clips(音频片段) of people laughing. The 48 tapes they received ranged from recent recordings of laughter between two college friends to ones from conversations that occurred a decade ago. The clips also had all possible combinations — interactions between friends, strangers, all-male groups, all-female groups, as well as a mix of both genders(性别).

The team then played the short recording, each lasting less than a second, to 966 people spread across 24 different cultures around the world. The listeners ranged from people living in remote areas to those living in some of the world’s most modern cities. To the team’s astonishment, despite the cultural and regional differences, the listeners were able to identify the difference in laughter between friends and strangers, 61% of the time.

The scientists, who published their findings in the Scientific Journal, say that the accuracy was even higher when it came to recordings of only women laughing. The researchers think that this is probably because women are more transparent in expressing their feelings than men.

Bryant says that the results of this cross-cultural examination show that people all over the world perceive laughter in similar ways. As Neuroscientist Carolyn McGettigan at the Royal Holloway University of London puts it, “A laugh among friends is a special sound, no matter where you live!”

1.What can we learn about Greg Bryant’s research?

A. It was based on tapes from 966 people.

B. Its findings were beyond the team’s expectations.

C. It proved that laughter is a universal way to express joy.

D. Most of his findings were published in the Scientific Journal.

2.Why did the listeners identify all-female laughing more accurately?

A. Women are sensitive to interesting things.

B. Women are less likely to hide their feelings.

C. Women prefer to express their joys by laughing.

D. Women are good at communicating with others.

3.What does the underlined word “perceive” probably mean?

A. Understand. B. Receive.

C. Explain. D. Spread.

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One day, when I was working as a psychologist(心理学家) in England,a boy showed up in my office. It was David. He kept walking up and down restlessly, his face pale, and his hands shaking slightly. His head teacher had referred him to me. “This boy has lost his family,” he wrote. “He is understandably very sad and refuses to talk to others, and I'm

very worried about him. Can you help?”

I looked at David and showed him to a chair. How could I help him? There are problems psychology doesn’t have the answer to, and which no words can describe. Sometimes the best thing one can do is to listen openly and sympathetically.

The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat there, only looking up to look at the children's drawings on the wall behind me. I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that he played chess with me every Wednesday afternoon -- in complete silence and without looking at me. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit I made sure David won once or twice.

Usually, he arrived earlier than agreed, took the chess board and pieces from the shelf and began setting them up before I even got a chance to sit down. It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me?

"Perhaps he simply needs someone to share his pain with," I thought. "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering.” Some months later, when we were playing chess, he looked up at me suddenly.

"It’s your turn," he said.

After that day, David started talking. He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times about his biking with some friends, and about his plan to get into university. Now he had really started to live his own life.

Maybe I gave David something. But I also learned that one -- without any words -- can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on, a friendly touch, and an ear that listens.Ziyuanku.com

1.When he first met the author, David _________ .

A. felt a little excited B. walked energetically

C. looked a little nervous D. showed up with his teacher

2.Which statement about the passage is NOT TRUE?.

A. David enjoyed being with the author.

B. What David really needs is to play chess with someone.

C. David didn't say a word the first two times they met.

D. The author knows how to treat David's problem.

3.What can be inferred about David?

A. He recovered after months of treatment.

B. He liked biking before he lost his family.

C. He went into university soon after starting to talk.

D. He got friends in school before he met the author.

4.What made David change?

A. His teacher’s help.

B. The author’s friendship.

C. His exchange of letters with the author.

D. The author’s silent communication and company with him.

Eyesight plays a very important role in our daily life. Every waking moment, the eyes are working to see the world around us. Over forty percent of Americans worry about losing eyesight, but it’s easy to include steps into our daily life to ensure healthy eyes. Here are five suggestions for a lifetime of healthy eyesight:

﹡Schedule yearly exams. 1. Experts advise parents to bring babies 6 to 12 months of age to the doctor for a careful check. The good news is that millions of children now can have yearly eye exams and following treatment, including eyeglasses.

﹡Protect against UV rays (紫外线). Long-term stay in the sun creates risk to your eyes. No matter what the season is, it’s extremely important to wear sunglasses. 2.

﹡Give your eyes a break. Two-thirds of Americans spend up to seven hours a day using computers or other digital products.  3.  Experts recommend that people practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

4.  As part of a healthy diet, eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Vitamins C and E help protect eyesight and promote eye health.

﹡Practice safe wear and care of contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Many Americans use contact lenses to improve their eyesight. While some follow the medical guidance for wearing contact lenses, many are breaking the rules and putting their eyesight at risk.  5. Otherwise, you may have problems such as red eyes, pain in the eyes, or a more serious condition.

A. Eat your greens.

B. Eye care should begin early in life.

C. They can properly protect your eyes.

D. Stay in good shape by taking more vitamins.

E. Parents usually don’t care about their own eyesight.

F. Always follow the doctor’s advice for appropriate wear.

G. This frequent eye activity increases the risk for eye tiredness.

Two brothers --- one a bachelor, the other married --- owned a farm whose rich soil yielded (生产) a lot of grain. _______ of the grain went to one brother and half to the other.

All _______ well at first. Then every now and then, the married man began to wake from his sleep at night and think: “This isn’t ________. My brother isn’t married, he’s all _______, and he gets only half the produce of the farm. Here I am with a wife and five kids, _______ I have all the security I need for my old age. But who will _______ my poor brother when he gets old? He needs to _______ much more for the future than he does at the present, so his need is _______ greater than mine.”

_______ that he would get out of bed, _______ over to his brother’s place and pour a sackful of grain into his brother’s granary(粮仓).

The bachelor brother _______ began to get the same _______. Every once in a while he would _______ from his sleep and say to himself: “My brother has a(n) _______ and five kids and he gets only half the produce of the land. Now I have no one except myself to _______. So should my poor brother, whose need is clearly greater than mine, receive _______ as much as I do? ” Then he would get out of bed and pour a sackful of grain into his brother’s granary.

One night they got out of bed at the same time and ______ to meet on the way, each with a sack of grain on his _______!

Many years later, after their death, the _______ leaked out(泄露). So when the townsfolk wanted to build a church, they _______ the spot at which the two brothers met, for they could not think of any place in the town that was better than that one.

1.A. Some B. Much C. Half D. Most

2.A. left B. went C. ended D. changed

3.A. fair B. true C. fine D. easy

4.A. rich B. strong C. honest D. alone

5.A. or B. so C. and D. but

6.A. know about B. depend on C. talk with D. care for

7.A. spend B. earn C. save D. accept

8.A. obviously B. finally      C. slowly D. luckily

9.A. For B. On C. With D. At

10.A. turn B. steal C. jump D. look

11.A. even B. still C. never D. too

12.A. worry B. award C. result D. chance

13.A. suffer B. hear C. wake D. return

14.A. classmate B. wife C. friend D. uncle

15.A. blame B. persuade C. encourage D. support

16.A. hardly B. nearly C. exactly D. almost

17.A. happened B. agreed C. refused D. decided

18.A. way B. head C. hand D. back

19.A. joke B. story C. humor D. history

20.A. avoided B. designed C. chose D. enjoyed

From my second year of primary school on, there was one event I was afraid of every year: the piano recital(独奏会). A recital meant I had to practice a ______ piece of music and perform in front of strangers who knew the ______ much better than I. Each year I would ask my father if I could skip the recital “just this once”. And he ______ say something about building self-confidence and working toward a goal.

So it was with great satisfaction______ I stood in church one recent Sunday, and watched my father ______ in his shirt and tie before rising to play the piano in his very first recital. My father had ______ to play music when he was small. But his mother couldn’t afford lessons. A ______ couple helped him, but he soon ______ after being teased by other boys. Three years ago, when he retired he asked his church music director, Charles Staples, to take him as a/an ______. One recent Sunday just before the recital, he told me my dad was playing “the best I’ve ever seen him. I keep waiting for him to reach his ______, but he hasn’t yet.”

For a moment ______ my father sat down at the keyboard to play, he simply stared ______ at his fingers, and I wondered whether he would even begin. He’s forgotten the notes, I worried, remembering those moments decades ago when my mind would go ______ and my fingers would ______________. But then Aram Khachaturian’s melody came, and I realized he has been doing what music teachers always tell their new students to do: focus on the music and ______ the rest of us aren’t there.

My dad ______ it through Melody and then through another one. What he lacked in skill, he more than ______ in feeling. He rose, turned to his audience and bowed, making us laugh ______ relief and affection (爱).

Also in the audience was my 11-year-old son Jeff.

“So what did you think about your granddad?” I asked Jeff later.

“He was great,” Jeff replied.

“I’m ______ of him for starting something new at his age,” I said.

“Yeah, and doing it so well,” Jeff added.

My father may not have reached his peak(highest level) ______, but as far as his grandson is concerned, he’s at the top of the mountain.

1.A. sweet B. bright C. boring D. sad

2.A. profession B. notes C. recital D. event

3.A. would B. should C. could D. might

4.A. that B. when C. how D. while

5.A. wearing B. sweating C. gathering D. switching

6.A. longed B. learned C. managed D. started

7.A. senior B. rough C. gifted D. kind

8.A. started B. stopped C. enjoyed D. progressed

9.A. student B. teacher C. player D. assistant

10.A. goal B. aim C. peak D. standard

11.A. after B. while C. since D. as

12.A. away B. down C. out D. through

13.A. mad B. wild C. empty D. cool

14.A. move B. apply C. slide D. freeze

15.A. ignore B. pretend C. guess D. announce

16.A. made B. got C. reached D. played

17.A. put hands on B. made up for C. take the place D. came to life

18.A. with B. at C. from D. by

19.A. thankful B. satisfied C. fond D. proud

20.A. purposely B. thoroughly C. musically D. originally

In March, I experimented with cutting my work hours by 17% to see how it would affect my

____ and well-being.

For two weeks, ______ working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and reading a work-related book during lunch, I worked from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. and took a half-hour lunch ______.

Parts of my experience were ______ — for example, I felt quite rushed during the first few days of the ______. Other parts were less expected — like the fact that I was just as productive as before. But the most surprising finding is that I ______ spending more money.

On a (n) ______ workday, I dine on something particular, like a peanut butter and banana sandwich, while ______ in the Business Insider Kitchen. But during the first week of the experiment, I was so excited about the ______ that I wandered happily to the local food shop and ______ a sandwich that I ate while sitting in Madison Square Park. When I left work early, and ______ when I was killing time before plans with friends later in the evening, I ______ myself with tea and magazines.

So if you do decide to ______ your work hours, it’s probably wise to plan some ______ in advance — like visiting a ______ or a free museum that’s open during lunch or in the evenings, depending on your personality, ______ could potentially be even more meaningful than ______ at a coffee shop.

I should decide at some ______ in the future to go back to a(n) ______ workweek because that benefits me so much, and it’s certainly ______ I’ll keep in mind.

1.A. ability B. personality C. productivity D. nationality

2.A. more than B. other than C. or so D. instead of

3.A. breath B. chat C. look D. break

4.A. believable B. predictable C. comfortable D. reasonable

5.A. work B. step C. experiment D. progress

6.A. ended up B. started with C. speeded up D. lived with

7.A. terrible B. obvious C. flexible D. typical

8.A. sitting B. sleeping C. listening D. finding

9.A. freedom B. snack C. love D. happiness

10.A. borrowed B. bought C. found D. made

11.A. actually B. exactly C. especially D. quickly

12.A. educated B. reminded C. devoted D. entertained

13.A. take B. cut C. make D. spend

14.A. activities B. lists C. ideas D. goals

15.A. school B. factory C. library D. restaurant

16.A. that B. which C. where D. what

17.A. trying out B. putting out C. taking out D. hanging out

18.A. aspect B. point C. direction D. entrance

19.A. shorter B. cleverer C. easier D. longer

20.A. everything B. nothing C. something D. anything

Scientists said they have found evidence of a giant planet far out in our solar system. In a statement, the California Institute of Technology(Caltech) said this planet travels a strange “highly elongated orbit in the distant solar system”.

The discovery was made by two researchers at Caltech; Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown. They used mathematical modeling and computer simulations (模拟)to find the planet. So far, there have not been any direct observations of the planet. “My jaw hit the floor,” said astronomer Mike Brown, the moment he realized there might be a ninth planet.

The scientists said it would take this planet 10,000to 20,000 years just to make one full orbit around the sun. The new planet, called “Planet Nine” has a mass about 10 times the size of Earth.

It is believed that the planet orbits, or travels, around the sun from a great distance. The planet Neptune’s average distance to the sun is about 4.5 billion kilometers. But “Planet Nine” could be 20 times farther away from the sun than that. While they did not get a picture of “Planet Nine” yet, the scientists say they are using the biggest and best telescopes on Earth to try to find it.

Brown and Batygin reported their finding in The Astronomical Journal. They say that this new planet is so large that there should be no doubt that it is a true planet, once they confirm it.

Robert Massey is with the Royal Astronomical Society in London. He told AFP that planets have been predicted before, and then were not found. But, he said the work of the these researchers is definitely worth following up. “It would be a really exciting thing to find. At the moment it’s simply a prediction.”

1.How was the evidence of the ninth planet found?

A. Through a special telescope

B. Through researchers’ direct observation

C. Through studying its special orbit in the solar system

D. Through mathematical modeling and computer simulations

2.What can we know about “Planet Nine” from the text?

A. It is much smaller than the earth

B. It travels a normal orbit like other planets

C. Its distance to the sun is about 90 billion kilometers

D. Its picture has been caught by the biggest and best telescope

3.What’s Robert’s attitude towards the discovery of “Planet Nine”?

A. Worried B. Supportive

C. Indifferent D. Opposed

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A. The discovery of the largest planet

B. A big prediction of the solar system

C. A ninth planet may be in the solar system

D. The ninth planet has been found in the solar system

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