Celebrating sleep

World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to bring attention to the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.

In 2002, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece conducted a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. Of the people that responded to the survey, 24 percent said that they did not sleep well, and based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed (诊断)with insomnia（失眠）and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. In addition, 30.7 percent of survey respondents reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems and 11.6 percent said that they felt very sleepy during the day.

Overall, the survey found that ninny people suffer the effects of poor quality sleep, some examples of which are being unable to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. The main factors causing these problems are pressure from school or work and a fast pace of life, but noise pollution and light pollution also interfere with sleep and contribute to poor quality sleep. The survey’s findings are particularly troubling because large numbers of people were found to have difficulty sleeping at night. The short-term effects of this are tiredness and trouble concentrating. If this happens for a long time, the risk of putting on weight and having a heart attack may increase.

There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have regular sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.

     Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.

                     Title: Celebrating Sleep

As you dash outdoors in the middle of winter, you might make it halfway down the block before realizing that your ears are freezing because you forgot your hat.
Now, scientists have shown that even though you’ve had an apparent memory lapse（丧失）, your brain never forgot what you should have done.
Memory works mainly by association. For example, as you try to remember where you left your keys, you might recall you last had them in the living room, which reminds you that there was an ad for soap on television, which reminds you that you need soap, and so on. And then, as you’re heading out of the door to buy soap, you remember that your keys are on the kitchen counter. Your brain knew where the keys were all along. It just took a round-about way to get there.
Now, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are studying associative memory in monkeys to figure out just how this complicated process works.
First, the researchers trained a group of monkeys to remember arbitrary（任意的） pairs of symbols. The researchers showed the monkeys one symbol（cold weather） and then gave them the choice of two other symbols, one of which （a hat） would be associated with the first. A correct choice would earn them a sip of their favorite juice.
Most of the monkeys performed the test perfectly, but one kept making mistakes.
“We wondered what happened in the brain when the monkey made the wrong choice, although it apparently learned the right pairing of symbols,” said study leader Thomas Albright.
Albright and his team observed signals from the nerve cells in the monkey’s inferior temporal cortex （ITC）, an area of its brain used for visual pattern recognition and for storing this type of memory.
As the monkey was deciding which symbol to choose, about a quarter of the activity in the ITC was due to the choice behavior.
Meanwhile, more than half the activity was in a different group of nerve cells, which scientists believe represent the monkey’s memory of the correct symbol pairing, and surprisingly, these cells continued to work well even when the monkey chose the wrong symbol.
“In this sense, the cells ‘knew’ more than the monkeys let on in their behavior,” Albright said. “Thus, behavior may vary, but knowledge endures.”
【小题1】What is the main idea of this passage?

While you may be doing everything right, ignoring just one or two steps in the process may keep you from getting a job, especially in this fierce market. Here is a checklist that covers some of the major links in the job-search chain.

THE RESUME --- Make sure it is up-to-date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking for. Have someone else look at your resume. If you cannot afford a career coach, give your resume to friends or family members to scrutinize. Have copies of your resume printed so that you are ready to hand them out at interviews.

COVERING LETTERS --- Maybe you’ve set up a few basic styles in advance, but that’s not enough. Each covering letter should be designed to suit the job for which you are applying.

THE WARDROBE(衣橱) --- Check your wardrobe to ensure that you have the appropriate professional dress, including shoes, ready for interview.

NETWORKING --- Don’t isolate yourself from others for days. Network through e-mail messages, phone calls, appointments and meetings keep you in touch with the outside world and prevent you from becoming depressed.

APPLICATION --- A glance at huge online job sites isn’t usually the best way to find a job. You are more likely to succeed through the people you know via networking.

THE FOLLOW—UP --- It is quite common to apply for job and never hear back from the company. Take measures, such as following up with a phone call a week or so after you apply. If you know someone at the company, check whether that person will put in a good word for you.

INTERVIEWS --- If you’ve got plenty of interviews but no return calls or job offers, take a look at your interviewing skills. This is one area where investing in a career coach may pay off. But if you can’t afford one, try to find a job group or service that conducts free mock(模拟) interviews.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS --- Finally, recognize that looking for job is rather difficult. Even at the best of times, a job hunt is often about rejection, and that can be hard to endure. Staying in touch with family, friends, professional networks and fellow job seekers can help you to maintain a positive attitude and a sense of perspective.

56. The author’s purpose of writing this text is to _________.

A. suggest graduates should find suitable jobs 　　　　　

B. tell people how to improve their interview skills

C. teach people how to get ready for an interview　　　　　　　

D. give people some tips on searching for jobs

57. The underlined word “scrutinize” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ________.

A. check　　　　 　　 B. use　　　　　 　　　　　　 C. rewrite　　　　　 D. criticize

58. Which of the following methods is wrong according to the text?

A. You should have your resume read by your friends after finishing it.

B. You should create different covering letters for the different jobs you apply for.

C. Searching online is the most effective way to look for a job.

D. You should wear professional clothes and shoes for the interview.

59. What should you do if you don’t receive any calls after lots of interviews?

A. Ask a fellow job seeker to help you.

B. Carefully review your interviewing skills.

C. Rewrite your resume as soon as possible.

D. Go to the managers’ offices to find out why.

60. It is implied in the text that__________.

A. people often pay no attention to writing their resume

B. the interview is the most difficult step for interviewees

C. your social network may help you a lot in your job hunt

D. a career coach often offers free mock interviews to interviewees

A famous study was done in a school by a professor from a university．At the start of the school year，the teachers were given the names of five children．They were told that these five were the most excellent students in the class．But the fact was that these students were only average，and they were not the best students at all．Well，guess what? At the end of the year，all the five average students scored among the highest in the class．

What made these average students change so much to become top students? The only difference was the change in their teachers’ attitude．Because the teachers believed that these five kids were the top students，they expected more from them．And so these five average students began to believe and expect more from themselves．So they worked harder to do as well as they could．

You and I have principles(原则). And we also have opinions. I have _____ about what I think is right or wrong or good or ______. But they are only opinions---I could be wrong! I _____ try to build my life around my opinions, but I will try to _____ my principles.

         A 15-year-old boy learned a(n) ______ lesson about life principles. On his way home he found a woman’s ______ that contained $127 as well as her ID card. _______ hesitation, he hopped(快速跳) onto his bike and went over to her _______---about a mile away. He told her he _____ her wallet and she gave him a big hug and twenty dollars.

         That evening the boy told his parents about the event and his father said, “I don’t think you should have ______ $20 for doing what you should have done. A person shouldn’t be ______ for being honest.”

         He thought about his father’s _____ and decided he would return the money. He biked to the lady’s home and ______ her back the twenty dollars. She didn’t want to take it, but he told her she _____ to---that his father pointed out ______ to him that he had never ______ before.

         When principles ______ our every action and decision, we actually change. These great principles _____ our lives and make us into persons of character. That boy is _____ to be raised by a wise father who had the ______ to say, “Those are my principles.”

1.A. opinions                       B. wishes                              C. decisions                D. suggestions

2.A. well                          B. mistaken             C. right                     D. bad

3.A. shan’t                       B. won’t               C. can’t                  D. don’t

4.A. change                    B. advise           C. follow                 D. make

5.A. valuable         B. easy                C. difficult             D. funny

6.A. bag              B. wallet                                    C. suitcase           D. box

7.A. About                  B. For                                        C. Without          D. In

8.A. factory                 B. school                                   C. office                        D. house

9.A. checked              B. searched                              C. threw                        D. found

10.A. accepted          B. supplied                               C. received                  D. borrowed

11.A. rewarded             B. praised                                  C. forgotten                 D. blamed

12.A. actions         B. worries                                  C. words                       D. excuses

13.A. took              B. gave                                       C. put                            D. set

14.A. attempted            B. preferred                              C. planned          D. had

15.A. anything      B. everything                            C. something                D. nothing

16.A. guessed       B. taught                                    C. met                           D. realized

17.A. guide            B. do                                   C. interrupt                D. allow

18.A. limit     B. shape                                     C. prevent           D. keep

19.A. unlucky        B. careful                                   C. brave                        D. lucky

20.A. right             B. courage                        C. wisdom           D. chance