Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning.
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy.
   The most common wrong strategy is this: You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.
   There are two main schools(流派) of thought on sleep patterns. One is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep.
   If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need. Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times.
The solution for me has been to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 am), but I go to bed at different times every night ― sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight. Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm.
   However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.

60. According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ____.
  A. people who stay up until the next morning.
  B. people who get up early in the morning.
  C. people who feel sleepy in the morning.
  D. people whose productivity is the highest in the morning.
61. Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?
  A. Because he / she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early.
  B. Because he / she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early.
  C. Because he / she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right.
  D. Because he / she was told the high relationship between success and rising early.
62. The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ____.
  A. going to bed after midnight         

B. getting up early occasionally
  C. pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping
  D. asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits
63. The passage is mainly about ____.
  A. how to become an early riser        

B. how to have good sleep
  C. wrong strategies for getting up early
  D. main schools of thought on sleep patterns

The days of a pain-free visit to the dentist may not be far off. This is thanks to a little Japanese woman in a pink sweater, named Simroid. With a limited vocabulary, Simroid, the 160cm-tall robot is happy to feel your pain.

   Simroid is designed to be used at medical colleges. She has realistic looking skin, eyes, and a mouth fitted with replica (仿制) teeth. Her chest also rises and falls as if she is breathing. Simroid releases a clear “ouch!” whenever a trainee dentist presses her teeth too hard with a tool. And she gives a reassuring “that’s better” when the drill hits the right place.

   “We want to use the robots to train dentists to worry about whether patients are comfortable, and not just focus on medical techniques,” said Naotake Shubui, a professor at Nippon Dental University in Japan who helped develop Simroid.

   The robot was one of hundreds of cutting-edge devices on display at the world’s biggest robot exhibition last week in Japan.

As scientists improve the design of robots, they could soon be serving tea to office workers or directing shoppers. Today’s robots look and act much like the humans who invented them.

   In Japan, robots can already be found working as home helps, office receptionists and security guards, as well as on the factory floor. There were more than 370,000 industrial robots in use in Japan in 2005, according to a report by Macquarie bank,40 percent of the world total, with 32 robots for every 1,000 workers. The economy ministry believes that the Japanese robot market will be worth more than $52 billion by 2025.

   Human work is being helped, and even replaced, by mechanical efficiency in almost every area, from golf-bag carriers to public toilet cleaners.

   But many scientists believe the age of the service robot is not far off. It will arrive once machines are capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level. Judging by the Tokyo exhibition, that process has already begun.

56. Simroid is designed to _________.

A. aid dental trainees to focus on their medical techniques

B. train dentists to be able to share patients’ feelings

C. help patients relax during dental surgery

D. serve as the dentists’ assistance during dental surgery

57. Which of the following about Simroid is NOT true according to the text?

A. She is a robotic dental patient with a realistic appearance.

B. She will let out a scream whenever she feels a pain.

C. She can communicate a lot with dentists.

D. She is able to react in a human like way to mouth pain.

58. We can learn from the text that ________.

A. robots are widely used in Japan

B. Japan has taken the lead in developing robots

C. the Japanese robot market has greatest potential in the world

D. the world’s biggest robot exhibition is held in Japan every year

59. The phrase “that process” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

A. replacing human work with robots

B. improving mechanical efficiency

C. entering the age of the service robot

D. producing a robot capable of connecting with humans on an emotional level

A great many people are disappointed because of unrealistic expectations.

Walking up to a department store’s cloth counter, a(n)  36  young woman said,“I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?”

“Only one  37 per yard,” replied the smirking (自鸣得意的) male clerk.

Not to be 38   back by the funny words, the woman said,” That’s fine! I’ll take ten yards.”

With 39 written all over his face, the clerk 40 measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly, 41    forward to receive his “   42   ”.

The woman got the package quickly from the clerk and 43 to a little old man standing beside her. “Grandpa will pay the bill instead of me,” she  44  .

He was no 45   disappointed. But in the course of living, many people are 46 when others do not 47 their expectations. In order to be happy, some expectations must be  48. These three particular 49 and unhealthy expectations are some of the main causes:

1. Expect too much  50  .When others say,“Thank you,” or in any way to show their gratitude, be  51  . It is a gift!

2. Expect others to make you happy. They simply cannot do that. Make yourself happy and 52 your joy with others.

3. Expect not to be 53   . At times, people will simply not come through for you in the way you need.  54 them and move on.

Get rid of these three unrealistic expectations and you can begin to expect more 55 right away!

----What time do you start work?

---- _____________.

  A. It’s none of your business.        B. It varies.

  C. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.                 D. It doesn’t make any difference

A fierce fire broke out there last night. ______, most of the building was burnt to the ground.

  A. As a matter a fact     B. As result    C. As consequence    D. Consequently

Attention, coffee lovers! We have for you, the best coffee machine _____ invented.

  A. ever      B. already     C. even      D. nowadays 

---- Has he finished the work?

---- Not really. _______ he worked all day, ______ he couldn’t finish the task.

  A. Although, yet     B. As, yet     C. Despite, but     D. In spite of, still

The speech mainly deals with the trouble young children have ______right from wrong.

  A. distinguishing                B. distinguished

C. to distinguish               D. to be distinguished

----The weather is changeable here. Please take more clothes.

---- _________.

  A. Well, it depends.            B. It’s a pleasure

  C. OK, just in case.            D. Take your time.

He hesitated for a little while before kicking the ball. Otherwise, he _______ a goal.

  A. had scored                 B. would have scored

  C. scored                       D. would score