Prosocial behaviors are those intended to help other people. Behaviors that can be described as prosocial include feeling empathy(同感) and concern for others and behaving in ways to help or benefit other people.
Prosocial behavior has long posed a challenge to social scientists seeking to understand why people engage in helping behaviors that are beneficial to others, but costly to the individual performing the action. Why would people do something that benefits someone else but offers no immediate benefit to the doer?
Psychologists suggest that there are a number of reasons why people engage in prosocial behavior. In many cases, such behaviors are fostered during childhood and adolescence as adults encourage children to share, act kindly, and help others. Prosocial behaviors are often seen as being compelled by a number of factors including egoistic reasons (doing things to improve one's self-image), reciprocal benefits (doing something nice for someone so that they may one day return the favor), and more altruistic reasons (performing actions purely out of empathy for another individual).
Characteristics of the situation can also have a powerful impact on whether or not people engage in prosocial actions. For example, if you drop your purse and several items fall out on the ground, the likelihood that someone will stop and help you decreases if there are many other people present. This same sort of thing can happen in cases where someone is in serious danger, such as when someone is involved in a car accident. In some cases, witnesses might assume that since there are so many other present, someone else will have surely already called for help. All the examples are what we call the bystander effect, the tendency for people to become less likely to assist a person in distress when there are a number of other people also present.
Why do people help in some situations but not in others? Experts have discovered a number of different situational variables that contribute to (and sometimes interfere with) prosocial behaviors. First, the more people that are present decreases the amount of personal responsibility people feel in a situation. People also tend to look to others for how to respond in such situations, particularly if the event contains some level of ambiguity. Fear of being judged by other members of the group also plays a role. People sometimes fear leaping to assistance, only to discover that their help was unwanted or unwarranted. In order to avoid being judged by other bystanders, people simply take no action.
Experts have suggested that some key things must happen in order for a person to take action.
1.What can we learn from paragraph 2?
A.Social scientists feel it hard to understand why helping behaviors exist.
B.Helping behaviors are costly to people who receive the action.
C.Social scientists have been researching on prosocial behavior for quite long.
D.It is quite challenging for people to perform helping behaviors.
2.Prosocial behaviors are motivated for all the following reasons EXCEPT ______.
A.empathy for another individual B.instant benefits of helping others
C.parental influences in the early life D.the desire to better one's self-image
3.Why does the author use the examples in paragraph 4?
A.To show that some people are in need of immediate help.
B.To indicate that some people think their help is not needed.
C.To suggest that some people perform helping behaviors quickly.
D.To demonstrate how the situation can impact helping behaviors.
4.Which situation can be described as the bystander effect?
A.When hearing an injured lady crying for help, the neighbors didn't take action.
B.Seeing an old man slipping on the icy road, many people volunteered to help.
C.A woman had a heart attack on the train and you were the only doctor there.
D.On the scene of your colleague's traffic accident, you called the police for help.
5.After the last paragraph, the most possible topic could be ______.
A.possible benefits of prosocial behavior
B.various reasons for prosocial behavior
C.situational influences on prosocial behavior
D.skills and knowledge to provide assistance
Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles, they arise in the places we would least expect.
On a cold January afternoon in 1989, I was climbing Egypt’s Mt. Horeb, hoping to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path, I’d sometimes see other hikers who were coming down. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language, there was one man who did neither.
I saw him coming and as he got closer, I could see that, unlike other hikers, he was wearing traditional Egyptian galabia( 长 袍 ). What made his appearance so strange was that the man didn’t even appear to be Egyptian, but was a small-framed Asian man with little hair and round glasses.
As we neared one another, I said Hello, but not a sound came from him. I thought maybe he hadn’t heard me. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English, “Sometimes you don’t know what you have lost until you’ve lost it.” As I took in what I had just heard, he simply stepped around me and continued his going down.
That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said but more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989, and it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage (朝圣), and specifically during my hike to Mt. Horeb, that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career, my friends, my family, and ultimately, my life.
I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up, stopping before me, and offering his wisdom, seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to my own question was easy: nearly no chance! In a meet that lasted less than two minutes, a total stranger had brought something clear and something of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking, that’s a miracle.
Miracles are everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring.
1.Before the Asian man spoke, how did the author think about him?
A.He was very rude and strange.
B.He was different from others.
C.He was shy and nod to strangers.
D.He looked ordinary and was talkative.
2.Why did the author make a pilgrimage to Mt Horeb in Egypt ?
A.He was in search of a miracle in his life.
B.It was a place for a religious person to head for.
C.He intended to make arrangements for his future life.
D.He waited patiently in expectation of meeting a wise person.
3.What does the underlined part “my own question” refer to in paragraph 6 ?
A.For what reason did the man stop before me ?
B.Why did the Asian man go to the mountain ?
C.What change would I make within a matter of days ?
D.What was the probability that others told us the right words ?
4.Why did the author view the meet with the Asian man as a miracle in his life?
A.Because the Asian man’s appearance had a deciding effect on his future life.
B.Because his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment.
C.Because what the Asian man said was meaningful in the philosophy of life.
D.Because the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed.
5.What might be the best title for the passage ?
A.Can you recognize a miracle? B.Is a miracle significant to us?
C.When might a miracle occur? D.Why do we need a miracle?
Every year migratory（迁徙的） bats travel from Mexico to Bracken Cave, where they spend the summer consuming insects that would otherwise hungrily eat common food crops. But the bats have been showing up far earlier than they did two decades ago.
In a study, scientists at Rothamsted Research, used radar data from 160 U.S. weather stations to analyze activity in the Texas bat colony from 1995 through 2017. They discovered the creatures were leaving their winter quarters in Mexico earlier and reproducing sooner. They were also astonished to find increasing numbers of bats overwintering（过冬）at Bracken Cave instead of heading back to their cold weather quarters in Mexico. Overwintering is a sign that warmer temperatures change the bats' annual rhythms, Rothamsted biologist Phillip Stepanian says.
A separate study of migratory bats in Indiana, published last year, found that temperature variations affected arrival and departure times-likewise hinting at the potential influence of climate change. Joy O'Keefe, a biology professor and co-author of that study, says early arrival at their summer habitats could expose these bats to cold snaps（寒流）, and they could freeze to death.
Joy O’Keefe and her colleagues also found that changing bat migration times can also clash with rainfall patterns. Many insects that bats eat breed in seasonal lakes and puddles. If the bats arrive too early to benefit from summer rainfall and the resulting abundance of insects, they may struggle to feed their pups（幼崽） or skip reproduction altogether, O’Keefe says. She fears this shift could cause Midwestern bats to decrease toward extinction, which would be bad news for humans. “Declines in bat populations could have severe effects for crop success,” she says, adding that bats also “control significant disease vectors, such as mosquitoes.”
However, scientists are not certain that climate change alone is causing the Bracken Cave bat colony to migrate earlier. They have found a direct link between seasonal temperatures and bird migration, but bats are also influenced by factors such as changes in wind speed and direction. And there are other complications. “Bats are mysterious little animals that move mostly at night and are difficult to observe and track ,” Stepanian says. “We have this conceptual picture of what might be happening, but really tying it to the cause is the next step.”
1.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Bats’ habitants B.Endangered bats
C.Bats’ migration D.Bats, our good friends
2.Scientists at Rothamsted Research found that ______.
A.bats prefer heading back to Mexico B.bats delay their reproduction
C.warming affects bat migration D.radar can be used to observe bats
3.Joy O’Keefe discovered that ______.
A.bats are used to living in rainfall seasons
B.bats’ earlier migration might harm farming
C.insects' reproduction helps to spread disease
D.insects shortage makes bats reproduce earlier
4.What does the underlined word they refer to?
A.Insects. B.migration times.
C.Bats. D.lakes and puddles.
5.What does the last paragraph want to tell us?
A.Wind speed and direction affect bats.
B.It is difficult to observe and track bats.
C.Climate change makes bats migrate earlier.
D.Further research on the cause is necessary.
Choosing a major, which is the specialized area of your college study, can be overwhelming. But have no fear! Your choice of major will not lock you into a specific career for the rest of your life. And the major you choose will neither predict nor guarantee your future. Consider these factors when picking your major.
Career Prep
Choose a major because it will prepare you for a specific career path or advanced study. Maybe you already know that you want to be a nurse, a day trader, or a web developer. Before you declare, take a class or two in the relevant discipline, check out the syllabus for an advanced seminar, and talk to students in the department of your choice. Make sure you’re ready for the coursework required for the career of your dreams.
Earning Potential
Future earning potential is worth considering—college is a big investment, and while college can pay you back in many ways beyond salary, this can be a major factor for students who are paying their own way or taking out loans. According to PayScale.com, the majors that lead to the highest salaries include just about any type of engineering, actuarial mathematics, computer science, physics, government, and economics. Keep your quality of life in mind, too—that six figure salary may not be worth it if you're not happy at the office.
Subjects You Love
Some students choose a major simply because they love the subject matter. If you love what you're studying, you're more likely to fully engage with your classes and college experience, and that can mean better grades and great relationships with others in your field. If your calling is philosophy, don't write it off just because you're not sure about graduate school, or what the job market holds for philosophers. Many liberal arts majors provide students with critical thinking skills and writing abilities that are highly valued by employers.
Undecided? Explore your interests.
If you truly have no idea what you want to study, that's okay—many schools don't require students to declare a major until you are a second-year student. That gives you four semesters to play the field. Exploring your interests will help you find your best fit major—and maybe even your ideal career.
1.You don’t need to feel fearful when choosing your major because ______.
A.your major has completely nothing to do with your future
B.you are not limited to only one particular career for your whole life
C.changing career fields are unavoidable in your life
D.you only spend a little time on whatever subject you choose
2.The underlined word discipline is closest in meaning to ______.
A.field B.rule
C.theory D.knowledge
3.What do we learn about from Para. 3?
A.Your college investment will be all given back to you in the form of high salary.
B.Future career earning is viewed as the top concern for most college students.
C.High salary will not be worthwhile at the cost of your unhappy office work.
D.If you choose engineering-related majors, you are sure to earn high salary.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A.You are advised to choose liberal arts majors for what are provided.
B.Worse grades result from poor relationships with others in college.
C.Employers like liberal arts majors more than science majors in job market.
D.Some students don’t necessarily need to decide their choices of majors upon entering college.
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Why is it difficult to choose a major. B.What influences your choice of a major.
C.How can a major affect your career. D.When should you decide your major.
Some teachers seem to be bad teachers, but they are not. Take my football coach for example. One day, we were doing some ______ practicing catching the football. He threw me a pass and I dropped it. He started ______ me. I went back in line, ______. My friend was up next. He dropped it, too. But the coach said nothing. Annoyed, I whispered, “Why ______ against me?”
After practice he came ______ to me and told me the reason he shouted at me ______ the other guy was that he expected more out of me. If he ______ my mistakes, it meant he had quit on me.
Another teacher ______ my memory was my PhD supervisor, Ken Crowe. He had a(n) ______ for making grown men cry when they disappointed him, but I was ______ by the topic he was working on.
He gave me a(n) ______: to figure out what caused muons (介子) to get depolarized (去极 化 ) in liquids. After a week I came to Ken’s office to tell him about it. He listened for a few minutes and then ______ “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Get out and don’t come back until you do!” Now I was starting to get ______, complaining about him as cold- hearted.
Determined to change his attitude and ______ more relevant knowledge, I really got into it. ______, I understood it so well that to this day it is my most proud ______. Then I went back to tell Ken what I had figured out. Again he interrupted me a few minutes into my ______, but I carried on. When I finished, he praised me for doing some very original research. From that day forward, he supported and promoted me ______ we became great friends and respected colleagues.
So don’t ever complain about your “______” teachers. They may ______ you to make greater achievement you will be proud of decades later.
1.A.running B.drills C.operations D.actions
2.A.yelling at B.sending for C.getting rid of D.joking with
3.A.amazed B.encouraged C.frightened D.embarrassed
4.A.debate B.discriminate C.decide D.defend
5.A.in B.across C.over D.away
6.A.other than B.more than C.less than D.rather than
7.A.overlooked B.blamed C.resisted D.exposed
8.A.erasing B.strengthening C.jogging D.changing
9.A.reputation B.reference C.concern D.preference
10.A.astonished B.puzzled C.disturbed D.fascinated
11.A.principle B.assignment C.reward D.award
12.A.set out B.settle down C.cut in D.carried on
13.A.relaxed B.content C.comfortable D.mad
14.A.acquire B.acknowledge C.spread D.address
15.A.Suddenly B.Eventually C.Gradually D.Purposefully
16.A.accomplishment B.establishment C.development D.commitment
17.A.enquiry B.presentation C.schedule D.conference
18.A.although B.as C.before D.until
19.A.tolerant B.considerate C.mean D.kind
20.A.permit B.bother C.inspire D.discourage
I regret not having taken your advice. Otherwise I ________ this mistake at the moment.
A.didn’t make B.wouldn’t make
C.hadn’t make D.wouldn’t have made
