“Most experiences of absent-mindedness ,forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room , are caused by a simple lack of attention, ” says Schacter. “You’re supposed to remember something, but you haven’t encoded（编码） it deeply.”

　Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impression on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create troublesome situations. If you　put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don’t pay attention to what you did because you’re involved in a conversation, you’ll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your cupboard.  “Your memory itself isn’t failing you, ” says Schacter, “Rather, you didn’t give your memory system the information it needed.”  http://wx.jtyjy.com/

　Lack of interest can also lead to absent -mindedness. “A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago, ” says Zelinski, “ may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox.”Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that.

　　“Visual cues（ 视觉提示 ）can help prevent absent--mindedness, ”says Schacter, “But be sure the cue is clear and available. ”If you want to remember to take a medicine with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table—don’t leave it in the medicine box and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.

　　Another common experience of absent - mindedness: walking into a room and wondering why you’re there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. “Everyone does this from time to time, ”says Zelinski. “The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you’ll likely remember.”

1.The writer of the passage thinks that encoding properly is very important because ________.

　　A. it enables us to recall something from our memory

　　B. it slows down the process of losing our memory

　　C. it helps us understand our memory system better

　　D. it helps us to get back to where we were

2.One possible reason why women have a little better memories than men is that________.

　　A. they rely more on the environment

　　B. they have a wider range of interests

　　C. they have an unusual power of focusing their attention

　　D. they are more interested in what’s happening around them

3.Why can a note in the pocket hardly serve as a reminder? ________.

　　A. It will easily get lost

　　B. It is out of your sight

　　C. It’s not clear enough for you to read

　　D. It might get mixed up with other things

4.From the last paragraph we can learn that________.

　　A. repetition might help improve our memory

　　B. memory depends to a certain extent on the environment

　　C. we’d better return to where we were if we forget things

　　D. we should think about something else while doing one thing

5.The passage is mainly about ________.

　　A. the memory system of persons

　　B. a way of encoding and recalling

　　C. the causes of absent-mindedness

　　D. the impression of the environment on memory

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.

When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.

The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on. He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.

So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.

It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think that it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship.

According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they _________.

A. are lack of care　　　　　B. are watered      C. are weeded out　　　　　D. are beaten

According to Para.3 and Para.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’ motto(座右铭) may be       .

A. “Seeing is believing”                                    B. “Put everything in proper use”

C. “Practice makes perfect”                               D. “No pain, no gain”

The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means _________.

A. strong　　                      B. strange　　       C. deep　　                        D. old

Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now?

A. I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky.

B. I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future.

C. I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often.

D. I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter.

Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A Nice Doctor  B. The Deep Roots  C. Adversity and Suffering  D. My Childhood Memory

LEEDS， England ─ A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.

“The hatred we hold within us is a cancer，” Professor Ken Hart said， adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

More than 70 people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in  London ─a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.

These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out， but they end up drinking it themselves， said Canadian-born Hart.

The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.

The course， ending in July， is expected to get rid of the cancer of hatred in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness，” he said， “People confuse forgiveness with  forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”

Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.

“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you， and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with，” said Norman Claringbull， a senior expert on the forgiveness project.

Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught， as these people “want to get free of the past”.

1. From this passage we know that 　　　　.

A. high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred

B. high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors

C. without hatred， people will have less trouble connected with blood pressure and heart disease

D .people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies

2. People going to Hart’s first 20-week workshop 　　　　.

A. enjoy the professor’s speech

B .learn how to quarrel with others 

C .are aware that their hatred is a poison that could finally end up harming themselves

D .meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop every night and learn how to relax 

3.. According to Professor Ken Hart， 　　　　.

A. most people are living with hatred

B. people should attend his courses to forget the past

C. forgiveness means forgetting the bitterness

D. people with a bitter memory can learn to have a positive attitude towards the past

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A. Hatred means living a positive life.

B. People will be taught how to look at various kinds of angers in the workshop.

C. Hart and his team enjoys high popularity among Londoners these days.

D. People who are sick of living with a bitter memory have to pay a lot to Hart’s course.

5.. Which could be the best title for the passage？

A. Britons learn to forgive  B. Hart and his team

C .Forgive and forget  D. Hatred， a poison to you

We have so many first days in our lives. First days are milestones(里程碑) in our lives. They 36 the beginning of a new experience or journey and they are also filled with　 37　 feelings. They can be a little frightening as we step into the unknown, but they can also inspire us as they give us fresh　 38 for the future.

I want to share a 39 that perfectly shows this point. Trisha was told that 40 is the key to knowledge. She watched her older brother 41 he read his schoolbooks and could hardly 42 the day when she would learn to read.

But after Trisha 43 started school, she found that she was not able to understand words like the other boys and girls. However hard she 44 , she saw only confusion. Trisha 45 , the teacher and the other children laughing at her, and she began to believe that she was not 　46 .

By the time Trisha entered the fifth grade, she had lost the 47 in herself. That was the year when she met Mr. Falker. He was 48 . He praised Trisha’s talents, and he wouldn’t tolerate the other children laughing at her. After some time, Mr. Falker 49 that Trisha didn’t know how to read, but he knew she could 50 some help.

He found an expert, and together they 51 with Trisha after school. They 52 her to understand words 　53 one day Mr. Falker handed her a book and she could read it all by herself. She didn’t even notice the tears in his eyes.

This is a true story. The little girl is Patricia Polacco, a famous 54 , and Thank you Mr. Falker is the twenty-sixth book that she has written. Mr. Falker gave her a fresh new 55 and made a difference in her life.

【小题1】A. cause　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. mark　　　　　　　　　　　 C. describe　　　　　　　　 D. show

【小题2】A. absurd　　　　　　　　　　　 B. strange　　　　　　　　　 C. mixed　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

【小题3】A. blood　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. evidence　　　　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　　　　　　 D. air

【小题4】A. belief　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. story　　　　　　　　　　　 C. view　　　　　　　　　　　 D. concern

【小题5】A. reading　　　　　　　　　　　 B. speaking　　　　　　　　 C. listening　　　　　　　　 D. thinking

【小题6】A. before　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. since　　　　　　　　　　　 C. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. though

【小题7】A. look for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. wait for　　　　　　　　　 C. ask for　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. wish for

【小题8】A. gradually　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. mostly　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　　　　　　 D. firmly

【小题9】A. breathed　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. tried　　　　　　　　　　　 C. managed　　　　　　　 D. pressed

【小题10】A. took off　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stayed up　　　　　　　 C. kept on　　　　　　　　　 D. fell behind

【小题11】A. smart　　　　　　　　　　　 B. hard-working　　　　 C. healthy　　　　　　　　　 D. easy-going

【小题12】A. memory　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. balance　　　　　　　　 C. chance　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. confidence

【小题13】A. shy　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　 B. proud　　　　　　　　　　 C. different　　　　　　　　 D. strict

【小题14】A. doubted　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. witnessed　　　　　　　 C. represented　　　　　　　　 D. realized

【小题15】A. with　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　　　　　 C. including　　　　　　　　 D. within

【小题16】A. sang　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. worked　　　　　　　　　 C. danced　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. chatted

【小题17】A. helped　　　　　　　　　　 B. forced　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. begged　　　　　　　　　 D. allowed

【小题18】A. when　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. once　　　　　　　　　　　 C. until　　　　　　　　　　　 D. whether

【小题19】A. teacher　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. writer　　　　　　　　　　 C. expert　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. guide

【小题20】A. school　　　　　　　　　　　 B. start　　　　　　　　　　　 C. home　　　　　　　　　　 D. attention

You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to endure almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box.
　When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean on June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the box's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
　In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the box was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
　Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can stand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.
【小题1】What does the author say about the black box?