16．Comparing ourselves with others isn't a recent phenomenon-it's part of our culture．As soon as we'——青夏教育精英家教网—

16．Comparing ourselves with others isn't a recent phenomenon-it's part of our culture．As soon as we're able to form our own thoughts and opinions，we start comparing．Who's taller？Who's better at sports？Who has more friends？
Unlike other childish habits，the urge to measure up（攀比） doesn't ever really go away．In fact，it only increases when we become teens．"At a younger age，I found myself wanting to be cool and wondering why I wasn't that cool，"said a junior student Michael Torres．"So I began doing what they did in order to fit in with my own friends．"
We are flooded with the message that we should compare ourselves with others．Magazines，advertisements，stores-it becomes all about what other people have or what they've achieved．Social media adds another layer to the problem．Facebook，Twitter and QQ offer a constant stream of updates about the people around us．She got accepted to Harvard？He bought the brand new Nikes？They're dating？
"If I go on Facebook or Twitter and read about how wonderful everyone else is，I'm not feeling good about myself．It's going to make me feel worse，"said Mike Robbins，a senior student．"I try not to let things like that affect me，but in the modern world of technology it's hard not to take notice of what others are doing，and sometimes you want to be just like them．"
Before you get caught up in the comparison game，keep in mind one very important detail：When it comes to social media，we often present only the things we want people to see-the good fortunes，happy moments，delicious desserts and best smiles．
The deeper question is：Are people really posting things on social media that are true or are they simply doing it to present something to other people？It's what we do in our culture："Look how great I am，""Look how smart I am，""Look how happy I am，"and sometimes that's true，but in a lot of cases，it's not．
While comparing ourselves to others can inspire us to get ahead and work harder，it can also drive us crazy．Next time you find yourself wondering if you measure up，remember this：What we have is not a measure of who we are．We already have worth as an individual when we're born．Everything else is what people think of us．
28．When do we start to compare ourselves with others？D
A．When we go to junior schools．
B．When we were born into the world．
C．When we have Facebook or Tweeter．
D．When we have thoughts and opinions．
29．According to the author，why would people like to post wonderful things on social media？A
A．To show off their lives．
B．To get advice from readers．
C．To share happiness with others．
D．To communicate useful information．
30．The author presents the phenomenon of the comparison byB．
A．listing a lot of figures
B．giving facts and examples
C．providing scientific findings
D．comparing famous persons'opinions
31．From the passage，we learn that the authorC comparison with others．
A．supports
B．ignores
C．opposes
D．respects．

15．They like using the Internet．They have lots of pocket money to spend．And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us．Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in，and the things they want to buy-games，CDs and clothing-are easily sold on the Web．
But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit cards．Most have to use a parent's card．They want a service that allows them to spend money．
That may come sooner than they think：new ways to take pocket money into cyber （网络的） space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic．If successful，these products can stimulate （刺激）online sales．
In general，teenagers spend huge amounts：153bn （billion） in the US last year and￡20bn annually in the UK．Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school-88percent in the US，69percent in the UK．According to the Jupiter Research，one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online-mainly CDs and books．
In most cases，parents pay for these purchases with credit cards，an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children．Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street．They are more likely to ask"Why？"if you ask to spend some money online．
One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cyber cash is through prepaid cards such as Internet Cash in the US and Smart cards in the UK．Similar to（类似） those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones，they are sold in amounts such as￡20or $50with a concealed （隐藏的） 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account．
32．What does the word"They"in paragraph 1refer to？A
A．Teenagers．
B．Buyers．
C．Sellers．
D．Parents．
33．According to the passage，which of the following statements is TRUE？C
A．Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online．
B．Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards．
C．More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access．
D．Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop．
34．A new way to help teenagers shop online is to useD．
A．a new machine
B．special coins and notes
C．pay-as-you-go mobile phones
D．prepaid cards
35．What is the passage mainly about？C
A．Online shopping traps．
B．Internet users in the US and the UK．
C．The arrival of cyber pocket money．
D．New credit cards for parents．

14．If you think a high-factor sunscreen （防晒霜） keeps you safe from harmful rays，you may be wrong．Research in this week's Nature shows that while factor 50reduces the number of melanomas （黒瘤） and delays their occurrence，it can't prevent them．Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers．You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair，fair skin，blue or green eyes，or sunburn easily，or if a close relative has had one．Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun．Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure．
There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas---the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer．A 2011Australian study of 1，621people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed．A second study，comparing 1，167people with melanomas to 1，101who didn't have the cancer，found that using sunscreen routinely，alongside other protection such as hats，long sleeves or staying in the shade，did give some protection．This study said other forms of sun protection---not sunscreen---seemed most beneficial．The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives，so it's not entirely reliable．But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun．
Many people also don't use sunscreen properly---applying insufficient amounts，failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long．It is sunburn that is most worrying---recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increases the risk of all skin cancers．
The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates，as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign．So if there is a heat wave this summer，it would be best for us，too，to slip on a shirt，slop on （抹上） sunscreen and slap on a hat．
32．What does the research in Nature say about a high-factor sunscreenA
A．It is ineffective in preventing melanomas．
B．It is ineffective in case of intense sunlight．
C．It is ineffective with long-term exposure．
D．It is ineffective for people with fair skin．
33．What do we learn from the 2011Australian study of 1，621peopleD
A．Sunscreen should be applied alongside other protection measures．
B．High-risk people benefit the most from the application of sunscreen．
C．Irregular application of sunscreen does women more harm than good．
D．Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas．
34．What does the author say about the second Australian studyC
A．It misleads people to rely on sunscreen for protection．
B．It helps people to select the most effective sunscreen．
C．It is not based on direct observation of the subjects．
D．It confirms the results of the first Australian study．
35．What does the author suggest to reduce melanoma ratesA
A．Using both covering up and sunscreen．
B．Staying in the shade whenever possible．
C．Using covering up instead of sunscreen．
D．Applying the right amount of sunscreen．

13．Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive（欺骗）When someone tells you something that is true，but leaves out important information that should be included，he can give you a false picture．
For example，someone might say，"I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery（彩票）．It was great．I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!"This guy's a winner，right Maybe，maybe not．We then discover that he bought $200worth of tickets，and only one was a winner．He's really a big loser!He didn't'say anything that was false，but he left out important information on purpose．That's called a half-truth．Half-truths are not technically lies，but they are just as dishonest．
Some politicians often use this trick．Let's say that during Governor Smith's last term，her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs．Then she seeks another term．One of her opponents says，"During Governor Smith's term，the state lost one million jobs!"That's true．However，an honest statement would have been，"During Governor Smith's term，the state had a net gain of two million jobs．"
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths．It's against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth．An advertisement might say，"Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache．"It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company．
This kind of deception happens too often．It's a sad fact of life：lies are lies，and sometimes the truth can lie as well．
28．We may infer that the author believes people shouldB．
A．buy lottery tickets if possible．
B．be careful about what they are told．
C．make use of half-truths．
D．not trust the Yucky Company．
29．How many examples does the writer give to show how the truth is used to deceiveC
A．One．
B．Two．
C．Three．
D．Four．
30．Which of the following is true according to the passageD
A．Using half-truths is against the law．
B．Technically，half-truths are in fact lies．
C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache．
D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term．
31．Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passageB
A．He's really a big loser!
B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well．
C．Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths．
D．It's against the law to make false statements．

12．As we grow old，we realize that we have so little time to read and there are so many great books that we've yet to get around to．Yet re-readers are everywhere around us．For certain fans，re-reading The Lord of the Rings is a conventional practice annually．One friend told me that Jane Austen's Emma can still surprise him，despite his having read it over 50times．
New sudden clear understandings can be gained from the process of re-reading．Journalist Rebacca Mead，a long-time Englishwoman in New York，first came across George Eliot's Middlemarch at 17．Since then，she has read it again every five years．With each re-reading，it has opened up further； in each chapter of her life，it has resonated （引起共鸣） differently．Mead evidenced the large number of ways in which really good books not only stand the test of repeat reads，but also offer fresh gifts each time we crack their spines．These kinds of books grow with us．
Scientists have also recognized the mental health benefits of re-reading．Research conducted with readers in the US found that on our first reading，we are concerned with the"what"and the"why"．Second time round，we're able to better appreciate the emotions that the plot continues to express．As researcher Cristel Russell of the American University explained，returning to a book"brings new or renewed appreciation of both the great book and its readers．"
It's true that we often find former selves on the pages of old books （if we're fond of making notes on the pages）．These texts can carry us back to a time and place，and remind us of the kind of person that we were then．We're changed not only by living experience but also by read experience-by the books that we've discovered since last reading the one in our hand．
More so than the movie director or the musician，the writer calls upon our imaginations，using words to lead us to picture this declaration of love or that unfaithfulness in life．A book is a joint project between writers and readers，and we must pour so much of ourselves into reading that our own life story can become connected with the story in the book．
Perhaps what's really strange is that we don't re-read more often．After all，we watch our favourite films again and we wouldn't think of listening to an album only once．We treasure messy old paintings as objects，yet of all art forms，literature alone is a largely one-time delight．A book，of course，takes up more time，but as Mead confirms，the rewards make it adequately worthwhile．
32．The two books are mentioned in Paragraph 1mainly toB．
A．attract the attention of readers
B．introduce the topic of the passage
C．provide some background information
D．show the similarity between re-readers
33．The underlined expression"crack their spines"in Paragraph 2refers toB．
A．recite them
B．re-read them
C．recall them
D．retell them
34．It can be learned from the passage thatC．
A．reading benefits people both mentally and physically
B．readers mainly focus on feelings on their first reading
C．we know ourselves better through re-reading experience
D．writers inspire the same imaginations as film directors do
35．The purpose of the passage is toC．
A．call on different understandings of old books
B．focus on the mental health benefits of reading
C．bring awareness to the significance of re-reading
D．introduce the effective ways of re-reading old books．

11．Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life
The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes，we can reach for a healthy，nutritious snack，or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision，the greater its effect．For instance，how do I act towards that person who treated me badly？Do I generally choose to be passive，or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life？Every choice we make，however big or small，affects us in some way．
How Do You Make Choices？If you are interested in living a richer，fuller life，there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you，but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent，spouse（配偶），friend，teacher，businessperson，and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made．We would certainly live in a more caring，supportive world．
It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best？"you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make，but rather the intention behind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make，you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice，there's no need for guilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all，your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes，and to live with a clear heart and mind．
What's Best for Me，Too!Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly（过度的） exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish，yet in the long run，it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives，let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．
29．Which of the following is FALSE？A
A．Whenever hunger strikes，we will reach for a junk snack
B．Every choice，however big or small，has an influence on us．
C．Even small choices affect how we feel．．
D． We make choices every day．
30．How should we make choices？D
A．To be interested in a richer，fuller life．
B．To make life better for ourselves．
C．To imagine a world where everyone did their best．
D．To choose based on what's best for all．
31．Why does the author say，"What matters is not the choice you make，but rather the intention behind your choice"？C
A．Because the choice you make is not important．
B．Because you may have made a bad choice．
C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve．
D． Because there is no need for guilt．
32．How to choose what is best for us？B
A．We need to devote all our life to others．
B．We need to put away some time for ourselves．
C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others．
D．We need to be selfless every minute．

10．A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops（笔记本电脑）．
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility （清晰度）．But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught．
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes"mindlessly"by taking down word for word what the professors said．
In the first experiment，students were given either a laptop or pen and paper．They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills．Thirty minutes after the talk，they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts．
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand．However，the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts．Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts．
The researchers'report said，"While more notes are beneficial，if the notes are taken mindlessly，as is more likely the case on a laptop，the benefit disappears．"
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory，students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture．This time，the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam．
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding，but that they also lead to superior revision in the future．
25．More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they canD．
A．understand lectures better
B．digest concepts better
C．get higher scores
D．write more notes
26．While taking notes，laptop users tend to beA．
A．mindless
B．thoughtful
C．skillful
D．tireless
27．The author of the passage aims toA．
A．stress the benefit of taking notes by hand
B．promote  the use of laptops
C．explain the process of taking notes
D．examine the importance of long-term memory
28．The passage is likely to appear inB．
A．a computer textbook
B．a science magazine
C．a newspaper advertisement
D．a finance report．

9．Sleeping in is one of the best parts of the weekend．After a long，exhausting work week，sometimes all you want to do is sleep．On Friday night，you slide under the covers，smiling in anticipation．．Now you can finally catch up on your sleep．
Except you can't．When you open your eyes Saturday morning，it's still early．If this were a weekday，you'd be up before your alarm．So what's the deal？
We hate to break it to you，but you've pretty much done this to yourself．Your body is very good at recognizing patterns and adjusting accordingly．If you've got a 9-to-5job，you're getting up early five days a week．This effectively sets your body clock to wake you at a certain time each day．You can shut off your alarm clock，but your body clock will just keep ticking．
There's another reason that you probably don't want to think about：You're just not as young as you used to be．We need less sleep as we get older．Babies need between 16and 20hours．Teenagers should （but often don't） get nine hours a night．Younger and middle-aged adults need eight．In general，the older you get，the harder it is to snooze the day away．
Even if you do manage to sleep in，you may never fully catch up on your sleep．If your body needs eight hours every night and you only get six or seven from Monday to Friday，you'd have to sleep an extra five to ten hours on Saturday to make it up．And experts say even that may not be enough．
The bottom line：Sleep when you can，and enjoy those extra weekend morning hours．Who doesn't want a longer weekend？
29．What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 1？B
A．You know that you will oversleep on Saturday morning．
B．You needn't get up early on Saturday morning，so you will have a better sleep．
C．Since you don't work on Saturday，you needn't go to sleep as usual．
D．You know that even though you needn't get up early on Saturday morning，you will wake as usual．
30．What can we learn from Paragraph 3？B
A．If you have a 9-to-5job，you are likely to develop a flexible body clock．
B．Once you have set your body clock，it is not easy to change it．
C．The author will not break the pattern，but you will do it yourself．
D．If you adjust your body clock accordingly，you are healthy．
31．Which of the following is the reason why you can't sleep in on weekends？C
A．You are not willing to admit that you are old．
B．You need to relax on the weekend．
C．Your body clock still works on weekends．
D．You can never get enough sleep．
32．Which is the best title of the passage？A
A．Why can't I sleep in on weekends anymore？
B．Why can't I catch up on my sleep？
C．How to turn off my body clock on Saturdays？
D．How to get more sleep on Saturday mornings？

8．No one would much like the idea of eating 61pounds of tomatoes a day．But if their goodness was put into an easytoswallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes（中风） and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow．
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials．The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels（血管）．A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with preexisting heart conditions．It also increased the flexibility（灵活性） of their vessels by 50percent．The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180，000deaths a year-and help cut the 49，000deaths a year from strokes．They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis（关节炎），diabetes（糖尿病） and even slow the progress of cancer．
Each pill is equal to eating around 61pounds of ripe tomatoes．Studies have shown eating a Mediterraneanstyle diet rich in tomatoes，fish，vegetables，nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol（胆固醇） and help prevent cardiovascular disease．
Preliminary results from a twomonth trial，in which the pill was given to 36heart disease patients and 36healthy volunteers with an average age of 67，were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association．It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium-the layer of cells lining blood vessels．It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide，the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise．
Ian Wilkinson，head of Cambridge University's clinical trials unit，said，"These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal，but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes．"
Further studies are planned，with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterollowing drugs．
Mike Knapton，head of the British Heart Foundation，said，"Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease，that's a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease．The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables．"
12．What can we infer from Paragraph 1？B
A．We can eat too much tomato food．
B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks．
C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements if they are put into pills．
D．We had better not eat tomatoes．
13．We can learn from the passage that the pillsA．
A．are at the experiment stage
B．can cure all the disease
C．are widely used among patients
D．cost patients so little money
14．Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial？D
A．Children．
B．Youth．
C．Working people．
D．Old healthy people．
15．What was Ian Wilkinson's opinion on the trial？C
A．Disappointing．
B．Surprising．
C．Satisfactory．
D．Terrible．

7．Every day it seems that people are coming up with new and innovative ways to use mobile devices like cellphones and smart phones．Researchers at Princeton University are looking for new ways to measure a person's sense of wellbeing with mobile devices．
To gain a better understanding of how cellphones and other mobile devices can measure our sense of happiness，the research team conducted a study that was published recently in the journal Demography．To gather data for their study，the team created an application for mobile devices using the Android operating system．
Once the app was developed，the researchers invited people to download it and take part in their study．Over a three-week period，the research team was able to collect data from some 270participants living in 13countries．
Participants came not only from the United States，but also from other nations like Australia，Canada，China，France，Germany，Israel，Japan，Norway，South Korea，Spain，Sweden and the United Kingdom．
Over the course of the study，participants received occasional text questions from the researchers that asked"How happy are you？"．Along with recording their response，the app used the mobile device's built-in GPS to keep track of the participant's location．
The study participants were asked to rate their current state of happiness on a scale of zero to five．As they gathered data from the information collected through the application，the researchers then were able to create new methods that could help provide a better understanding of how our surroundings can influence our emotional well-being．
The researchers learned that mobile devices can provide an effective way to quickly grab information that，because of today's active lifestyle，can be difficult to record．Being able to quickly grab this information was something the researchers felt was important．They said feelings and emotions that were recorded as they were happening were most likely to be more honest and precise than using other methods like writing down how they felt on a piece of paper after the fact．
52．Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？B
A．The study the team conducted has not been published yet．
B．About 270people from 13countries participated in the study．
C．The participants didn't need to download the app to participate．
D．None of the participants came from the United Kingdom．
53．What did the researchers find vital as to rate people's sense of happiness from the passage？A
A．Recording people's feelings and emotions quickly．
B．Writing down how they felt on a piece of paper．
C．Answering the text question"How happy are you？"
D．Knowing how the surroundings affect people's happiness．
54．The underlined word in the first paragraph probably refers toC．
A．emotion
B．wealth
C．happiness
D．technology
55．The best title of the passage is most likely to be"B"．
A．People's Sense of Happiness Related to Mobile Phones
B．Scientists Track Happiness with Cellphones
C．Methods to Rate People's Happiness
D．A Better Understanding of People's Sense of Happiness．

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