Background music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it. Recorded background music first found its way into factories, shops and restaurants in the USA. Very soon it spread to other parts of the world. Now it is becoming difficult to go shopping or eat a meal without listening to background music.
　　To begin with, background music was intended simply to create a soothing (舒适的) atmosphere. Recently, however, it's becoming a big business. An American marketing expert has shown that music can boost(提升) sales or increase factory production by as much as a third.
　　But it has to be the light music. Lively music has no effect at all on sales. Slow music can increase receipts(收入) by 34%. This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to spot items they would like to buy. Yet, slow music isn't always the answer. The expert found that in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales. So restaurant owners might be well advised to play faster music to keep the customers moving-unless, of course, the resulting indigestion(消化不良) leads to complaints.
【小题1】Background music was first used ________.

At a primary school Manning， Carolina， second-grade teacher David Chadwell believed that segregating(隔离) elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement—in both genders. “Although this is a tendency， we can teach boys and girls based on what we now know.”

“They see differently. Literally，” he begins. Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way， he explains. The composition of the male eye makes it attuned(协调) to motion and direction. “Boys interpret the world as objects moving through space，” he says. “The teacher should move around the room constantly and be that object.”

The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver， blue， black， grey， and brown. It’s no accident boys tend to create pictures of moving objects like spaceships， cars， and trucks in dark colors instead of drawing the happy colorful family， like girls in their class.

The female eye， on the other hand， is drawn to textures and colors. It’s also oriented toward warmer colors—reds， yellows， oranges—and visuals with more details， like faces. To engage girls， Chadwell says， the teacher doesn’t need to move as much， if at all. Girls work well in circles， facing each other. Using descriptive phrases and lots of color in overhead presentations or on the chalkboard gets their attention.

Boys and girls also hear differently. “When someone speaks in a loud tone， girls interpret it as yelling，” Chadwell says. “They think you’re mad and can shut down.” Girls have a more finely tuned aural structure； they can hear higher frequencies than boys and are more sensitive to sounds. He advises girls’ teachers to watch the tone of their voices. Boys’ teachers should sound matter of fact， even excited.

A boy’s autonomic nervous system causes them to be more alert when they’re standing， moving， and the room temperature is around 69 degrees. Stress in boys， he says， tends to increase blood flow to their brains， a process that helps them stay focused. This won’t work for girls， who are more focused seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees. Girls also respond to stress differently. When they are exposed to threat and confrontation， blood goes to their guts(内脏)， leaving them feeling nervous or anxious.

“Boys will rise to a risk and tend to overestimate their abilities，” he says. “Teachers can help them by getting them to be more realistic about results. Girls at this age shy away from risk， which is exactly why lots of girls’ programs began in the private sector. Teachers can help them learn to take risks in an atmosphere where they feel confident about doing so.”

Title：  Primary students learn 1.　　　　　

David’s belief ,Once we segregate elementary-age students， they will have the   tendency  to learn2.　　　　　. Differences between boys and girls, Sight ,Boys’ eyes are sensitive to 3.. 　　　　　　　　　　 and are drawn to cooler colors.

It is textures and   4.　　　　　　　 of objects that   attract   girls. Hearing ,Comparatively speaking， girls can hear 5.　　　　　　 and are more sensitive to sounds. They would interpret a loud tone as 6.　　　.Nervous system, Stress in boys tends to increase blood flow to their7.　　　， which helps them  keep 8.　　　　. Boys often overestimate their abilities and are brave in face of the risk. 

When girls are exposed to 9.　　　　　　　　　　　　， blood goes to their guts， leaving them feeling10.　　　　　　　　. Girls at this age in many cases will shyly avoid  dealing with risk. SECTION B (10 marks)

How to Be a Winner

Sir Steven Redgrave  

Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals  

“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes （糖尿病） . Believing my career （职业生涯）was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”  

Karen Pickering  

Swimming World Champion  

“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success―you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. “Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”  

Kirsten Best  

Poet ＆ Writer  

“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological （心理的） tool.”  

 　　60. What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

　　A. Difficulties influenced his career.

　　B. Specialists offered him medical advice.

　　C. Training helped him defeat his disease.

　　D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.

　　61. What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

　　A. Her training schedule.

　　B. Her daily happenings.

　　C. Her achievements.

　　D. Her sports career.

　　62.What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？

　　A. Ways that help one to focus.

　　B. Words that help one to feel less tense.

　　C. Activities that turn one's attention away.

　　D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.

　　63. According to the passage ,what do the three people have in common?

　　A. Courage.

　　B. Devotion.

　　C. Hard work.

　　D. Self-confidence.

How to Be a Winner

　　Sir Steven Redgrave

　　Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals

　　“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes(糖尿病). Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it ---the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”

　　Karen Pickering

　　Swimming World Champion

 “I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success----you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”

　　Kirsten Best

　　Poet & Writer

“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological tool”

1.What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

　　A. Difficulties influenced his career.

　　B. Specialists offered him medical advice.

　　C. Training helped him defeat his disease.

　　D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.

2.What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

　　A. Her training schedule.    　　B. Her daily happenings.

　　C. Her achievements.       　　D. Her sports career.

3.What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？

　　A. Ways that help one to focus.

　　B. Words that help one to feel less tense.

　　C. Activities that turn one's attention away.

　　D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.

4.According to the passage ,what do the three people have in common?

A. Self-confidence.　　B. Devotion.　　C. Hard work.　　D. Courage.

I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when my mum   36   me up that morning, her voice wasn’t as   37   as it usually was.

I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was   38   to leave its warmth and comfort, and didn’t want to face the problem that I’d let myself   39   for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of    40  .

I finished getting ready and tried to   41  . It didn’t work, so I decided that my   42   should go with me. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I   43  , with the wheel hitting the fence. After that, the little bit of confidence I’d had was   44  . I tried two more times, but didn’t   45   much. Then we headed to the test site.

    I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes—just   46   time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my   47  . I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.

    I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some   48   and I realized something: something between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside. I had become   49   and confident.

    The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite   50  . The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well too and I   51   it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second   52   next Thursday.

    Back in the building I didn’t have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her    53   made her face softer. And I’m sure it was at least as big as the smile on my face. Her eyes, 54  , looked kind of teary. I knew she was   55   for me.