6、How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings

    Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings 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 2007, 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 additions 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 found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a 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 students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had 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 than 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’re 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, generalized use of them? That’s what we’re 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 means 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 patterns

5、I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left at message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”

At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone! ” And she swept it into the wastebasket.

I stood watching her, speechless .What on earth?

She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the test of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room-if you do anything to upset my husband , out you go!”

Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.

After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood（情绪）had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her anties helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.

1．Why did the author shout at the telephone?

       A．He was mad at the telephone.

       B．He was angry with his agent.

       C．He was anxious about his wife.

       D．He was impatient with the secretary.

2．What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?

       A．She said nothing.                                 B．She shouted at him.

       C．She called the agent.                            D．She threw the phone away.

3．What made the author laugh?

       A．His own behavior.                                B．His wife’s suggestion.

       C．His changeable feelings.                        D．His wife’s sweet kiss.

4．What does the underlined word “anties” refer to?

       A．Smut words.                                       B．Unusual actions.

       C．Surprising Looks.                                D．Anxious feelings.

4、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 to 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. ”

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．Courage.                                             B．Devotion.

       C．Hard work.                                         D．Self-confidence.

3、A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”. This idea is dangerous.

Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast and is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.

Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections（反对）, whatever is scientifically possible will be done-somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it fuels a sense of hopelessness and discourages then from making efforts to build a safer world.

In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and out of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact（影响） on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict.

Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the untied efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future.

1．What can we conclude from the recent study?

       A．People think highly of science.

       B．People hold mixed opinions about science.

       C．Science is getting dangerously out of control.

       D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes.

2．According to the passage, what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?

       A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down.

       B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science.

       C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future.

       D．People will work more actively to put science under control.

3．The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because ________.

       A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes

       B．the ties between different areas need strengthening

       C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science

       D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science

4．What is the main idea of the passage?

       A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers.

       B．The development of science mostly lies in people’s attitudes.

       C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts.

       D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas.

2、Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1．这幅画越来越有价值了。（valuable）

2．每天锻炼一小时会使人健康。（make）

3．人们相信她已经写了和她姐姐一样多的文章。（as… as）

4．为了庆祝国庆节，他们正在做各种准备。（celebration）

5．三十年之后他才从国外回到他出生的故乡。（return）

6．他尽管身患重病，仍然全身心地扑在实验上。（in spite of）

1、Write an English composition in 120 – 150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

某英语报社拟成立“微笑俱乐部”，现征募会员。请你以申请者的身份，提交一篇题为“I want to Smile”的英语短文。

32、The old man put on his glasses _____ see better．

A．in order to          B．in order that           C．so that           D．for the purpose

31、India is a/an _____ country．You can hear _____ everywhere when you visit India．

A．English-spoken; English speaking                 B．speaking-English; English spoken

C．spoken-English; English speaking                 D．English-speaking; English spoken