How many times do you check your Facebook page in a day to see whether your latest post has got another “like” or “thumbs(拇指) up”?
Although you might be embarrassed to admit how many times you do this, don’t worry—psychological findings have shown it’s completely normal. In fact, the pleasure we derive from receiving a “like” is equal to that of eating chocolate or winning money, and we can’t help wanting more. According to the findings, which observed 32 teens aged between 13 and 18, the feedback circuit (反馈回路) in the teens’ brains is particularly sensitive, and the “social” and “visual” parts of their brains were active when they received “likes” on the social network. The research also showed that though the thumbs up might come from complete strangers, the good they derive from them worked all the same.
So, does it mean we should try our best to win as many thumbs up as possible? Not necessarily so if we know the reasons behind our desire for attention. In “why do people long for attention” by M. Farouk Radwan, he explained several cases in which people naturally longed for attention. Radwan said people who were an only child, who were used to being the center of attention in their house, may try to copy these conditions. Feeling “overlooked and unappreciated” might also lead you to long for attention. Other times, the state of being jealous, or wanting to cover your mistakes may also contribute to such longings.
In fact, too much desire for attention can create anxiety, and in turn ruin your happiness even when you get it. So what can we do about it? The answer is quite simple. “If people could adopt goals not focused on their own self-esteem（自尊）but on something larger than their self, such as what they can create or contribute to others, they would be less sensitive to some of the negative effects of pursuing self-esteem,” wrote psychology professor Jennifer Crocker.
So perhaps the answer to our addiction to “likes” is simply to focus on something larger than ourselves—a hard, but a worthy one.
1.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The thumbs up from complete strangers don’t work.
B. Desire for attention can definitely create anxiety.
C. Feeling ignored might lead you to be in need of attention.
D. The brain of teenagers is seldom sensitive.
2.What’s the reaction of receiving “likes” on the social network to the brain?
A. The social and visual parts become more nervous.
B. The social and visual parts of the brain are active.
C. The physical and sense parts of the brain become less sensitive.
D. The whole brain becomes cleverer.
3.Who wants to get more attention according to the passage?
A. The one who is the only child.
B. The old who lives happily with children.
C. The young who feels anxious.
D. Teens who want to discover their mistakes.
4.What’s Crocker’s suggestion about the negative effects of getting self-esteem?
A. Doing an interesting matter.
B. Working harder than ever before.
C. Having a bigger goal than their self.
D. Not checking your Facebook page in a day.
“Hey, little boy, will you support me when I’m getting old?” Wang Wenshan, 35, asked his newborn baby as he hugged him at home.
The Chinese tradition of raising sons to support parents in their old age has been weakened by the rapidly growing economy and improved standard of living. As is the case with more and more developed countries, China faces an aging society. People are living longer and having fewer children. Therefore, many Chinese families are falling into a 4-2-1 family pattern: a couple raises one child and supports four elderly parents. But few realize that a problem is likely to happen ahead.
The aging of the population is a trend that now affects a growing number of countries. The Information Office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, issued（发行） a white paper on measures China has been taking to help its elderly population. The paper said China’s population entered the aging period at the end of the 20th century and the proportion of people aged 60 and above accounted for over 10 percent of the entire population. By the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people over 60, accounting for 11 percent of the population, according to the white paper.
An expanding aged population inevitably means that many issues must be settled, as the problem concerns every aspect of society. It puts more pressure on each family, causing disturbing economic consequences and serious social problems. It also challenges the labor force supply and the pension system.
“I used to think that it’s not an issue for me to provide for the aged,” said Wang, whose parents and parents-in-law all enjoy pensions and medical insurance. But last year Wang’s father suffered from a serious illness and afterward Wang began to feel the pressure on his shoulders.
After his father recovered, Wang opened a bank account for each parent and put away some money in the account every month to prepare for future uncertainties. In addition, he has to save money every month to provide for his son’s future education. “I’m now breaking my back to support my family: saving pensions for the parents, my son’s education funds, and living costs.”
Wang also bought some commercial old-age insurance for himself. “We have to take precautions（预防） before it is too late, and many of my colleagues share the same view,” he said.
1.Which of the following is not caused by an aging society?
A. Social problems. B. Unemployment.
C. More pressure on each family. D. The problem of the pension system.
2.From the passage, we can infer ________.
A. the aging problem is one of the concerns of the Chinese government
B. China will encourage young couples to have more than one child
C. many people have realized the aging problem
D. children will not support their parents in China
3.Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined word “inevitably”?
A. Surprisingly. B. Certainly.
C. Hopefully. D. Evidently.
4.From the passage, we can see that ________.
A. China is the only country to face an aging society
B. most of the developing countries face an aging society
C. countries with a large population face an aging society
D. more and more developed countries face an aging society
When my sister Mertie told me she had put out tomato plants last summer, I was quite impressed.
Since she was a garden-beginner, Mertie researched exactly how far apart to space her tomato plants; what kind of fertilizer to use; how to keep away the bugs（害虫）, etc. Once they were planted, she took care of them daily, anxiously awaiting the juicy tomatoes to appear. But, day after day, her plants were tomato-less while all of her neighbors who had also put out tomato plants were already enjoying the fruit of their labor.
Frustrated(upset), Mertie gave in and went to the market to search fresh tomatoes. While paying, Mertie told the farmer her troubles. The farmer paused to think for a moment and then asked, “Well, what kind of tomatoes did you plant?”
“I think they were called Big Boy,” Mertie remembered.
“Well there’s your problem,” the farmer explained. “Big Boy and Better Boy tomatoes have a 95-day growing period whereas regular tomato plants produce fruit in as few as 70 days…you just have to wait a little longer for the Big Boys.”
With that new knowledge, Mertie went home with excitement, knowing they would be worth the wait.
Thinking about my sister’s gardening experience, I had to smile. She just didn’t know that Big Boy tomatoes took longer--neither did I--but once she discovered that information, she was no longer discouraged and upset about the lack of tomatoes on her plants. Instead, she was encouraged and excited to see them a few weeks later.
It makes me wonder how many of us have “Big Boy” dreams in our hearts, yet we just don’t realize that they are of the “Big Boy” variety so we are discouraged and worn out with the waiting process. Instead of waiting with excitement, we give up on our dreams and figure we must have done something wrong to stop them from coming to pass. Frustrated, we see other people’s dreams coming true, and we wonder why ours haven’t yet been achieved.
1.To better grow tomato plants,what did Mertie do?
A. Using little fertilizer. B. Keeping them well close.
C. Watering them daily. D. Controlling pests on them.
2.Why did Mertie’s tomato plants fail to produce at the expected time?
A. Because they were destroyed by her neighbors.
B. Because she grew the wrong kind of tomatoes.
C. Because she didn’t manage the garden well.
D. Because they required more time to produce.
3.What does the author compare tomatoes to in the text?
A. Goals. B. Experiences.
C. Time. D. Imagination.
4.What does the text intend to show us?
A. It’s better late than never.
B. A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
C. Success sometimes needs a little patience.
D. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Plan your dream vacation to one of these excellent destinations.
St. Lucia
Abundant（丰富的） rainforests and splendid mountains are all reasons to visit this Caribbean island. St. Lucia offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. To take in the breathtaking scenery, plan to hike the Piton Mountains or dive in the waters of Anse Chastanet.
Banff. Alberta
This Canadian destination will bring out the explorer in anyone who visits. From hiking and whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding, Banff offers travelers an abundance of year-round outdoor activities. The Lake Louise Ski Resort is one of the largest in North America and the striking photo opportunities of the Canadian Rockies from Moraine Lake can’t be underestimated (低估).
Machu Picchu
According to travelers, a visit to this Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Located in the Andes Mountains, it is the most familiar icon (象征物) of Inca civilization. Spend a few days accustoming yourself to the altitude in the neighboring city of Cusco, where you can experience a mix of Incan and Spanish cultures.
Great Barrier Reef
It’s easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it stretches nearly 1,500 miles along the eastern coastline of Australia and features about 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and more than 1,500 species of fish. Travelers can see these amazing natural structures from the air or underwater. However, large amounts of coral bleaching (褪色) caused by rising ocean temperatures put this place’s continued existence at risk, so plan your visit soon to see this awesome sight up close.
1.What can you enjoy both in St. Lucia and Banff?
A. Hiking. B. Skiing.
C. Diving. D. Snowboarding.
2.Where may a historian choose to go?
A. St. Lucia. B. Banff. Alberta.
C. Machu Picchu. D. Great Barrier Reef
3.What do we know about the Great Barrier Reef?
A. It’s on the western coast of Australia.
B. It’s famous for coral reefs rather than fish.
C. People must take a plane to enjoy its beauty.
D. It may disappear if temperature keeps on rising.
假如你是高二学生李华，本周是你们学校的文化艺术节( Cultural and Art Festival)。周三你们有幸邀请了北京大学外籍教师Hudson教授给你们上了一节英语课。请你用英语为校报写一篇字数120左右的报道。
要求：1．Hudson教授上课生动有趣，口语流利，发音清晰；
2．学生们非常喜欢Hudson教授的课，积极参与课堂活动；
3．对学英语的启示。
注意：1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，已使行文连贯。
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（题文）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang all work in our school. They live far from the school, and it takes them about a hour and a half to go to work every day. In their spare time, they are interesting in planting vegetables in their garden, that is on the rooftop of their house. They often get up earlier and water the vegetables together. They have also bought for some gardening tools. Beside, they often get some useful informations from the internet. When summer came, they will invite their students pick the vegetables.
