You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age is there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart's music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we'll become more intelligent.
The_idea_took_off,_with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart's music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them produce better milk.
I'll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short－lived and it doesn't make us more intelligent.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
A.Mozart composed many musical pieces for children.
B.Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent.
C.There are few products on the Internet about Mozart's music.
D.There is little scientific evidence to support the Mozart effect.
2.Why did many people believe in the idea of the Mozart effect?
A.Because a study described it in the journal Nature.
B.Because Mozart himself was a genius.
C.Because Mozart's music is enjoyable.
D.Because Mozart's music makes people relaxed.
3.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 suggests that ________.
A.people were strongly against the idea
B.the idea was accepted by many people
C.Mozart played an important part in people's life
D.the US government helped promote the idea
4.What is the author's attitude towards the Mozart effect?
A.Favorable. B.Objective.
C.Doubtful. D.Positive.
Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
1.What has Steven Stein been hired to do?
A.Help increase grocery sales.
B.Recycle the waste material.
C.Stop things falling off trucks.
D.Argue for the use of plastic bags.
2.What does the word “headwinds” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Bans on plastic bags.
B.Effects of city development.
C.Headaches caused by garbage.
D.Plastic bags hung in trees.
3.What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?
A.They are quite expensive.
B.Replacing them can be difficult.
C.They are less strong than plastic bags.
D.Producing them requires more energy.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Plastic, Paper or Neither
B.Industry, Pollution and Environment
C.Recycle or Throw Away
D.Garbage Collection and Waste Control
Communicating effectively means more than knowing what to say and when to say it. Communication involves the subtle signals your body language sends to those who are watching. Here are some common body actions and the impressions they create:
● Fiddling (好动) — Playing with your watch or a pen looks like you’re bored or impatient.
● Clock watching — It looks like you’re to move on to something else.
● Tapping — Tapping your feet or fingers suggests you are impatient or nervous.
● Staring — An unblinking (不眨眼的) stare conveys threatening or violent behaviour.
● Legs crossed or body hunched (弓背，耸肩) — Closing up your body profile — becoming smaller — looks like you lack confidence.
● Arms crossed — If you keep your arms folded during communication, you appear to be defending yourself against the others.
● Touching your face — When you have your hand in front of your mouth, you appear very shy.
● Rubbing your nose, looking away — People who are lying often rub their nose or look away when speaking.
● No eye contact — If you won’t look the other speaker in the eye, you seem to have low interest or a lack of confidence. (Don’t forget staring above.)
How you communicate with your body language is just as important as what you say. Watch your body language and control the unconscious messages you might be sending.
1.According to the passage, effective communication includes all of the following EXCEPT _____.
A.knowing what to say
B.sending unconscious messages to other people
C.saying the right thing at the right time
D.getting information from the other speaker’s body language
2.Which of the following people looks shy according to the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.If you want to show confidence when communicating, you should ______.
A.cross your legs or hunch your body
B.avoid direct eye contact
C.look the other speaker in the eye
D.keep touching your face
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.How to make a good impression on others
B.Can you read body language?
C.Control your body language for effective communication
D.How to send effective information through body language
It is every kid’s worst nightmare and six-year-old Jaden Hayes has lived it - twice. Firstly, he lost his dad when he was four and then last month his mom died unexpectedly in her sleep.
“I tried and I tried and I tried to get her awake - I couldn't,” said Jaden. Jaden was understandably heartbroken.
But there was another side to his grief. A side he first made public a few weeks ago when he told his aunt, and now guardian, Barbara DiCola, that he was sick and tired of seeing everyone sad all the time. And he had a plan to fix it.
“And that was the beginning of it,” said Barbara. “That’s where the adventure began.”
Jaden asked his aunt Barbara to buy a bunch of little toys and bring him to downtown Savannah, Georgia near where he lives, so he could give them away.
“I’m trying to make people smile,” said Jaden.
Jaden targeted people who weren’t already smiling and then turned their day around. He’d go out on four different occasions now and he was always successful. Even if sometimes he didn’t get exactly the reaction he was hoping for.
It was just so overwhelming to some people that a six-year-old orphan would give away a toy- expecting nothing in return - except a smile.
“I’m counting on it to be 33, 000,” said Jaden. When asked if he thought he could make that goal, he answered, “I think I can.”
1.Why did Jaden give the toys to other people?
A.Because he wanted to fix the toys.
B.Because he wanted to see more people.
C.Because he wanted to give the toys away.
D.Because he wanted to make people happy.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Jaden lived with his aunt.
B.Jaden targeted people who were not happy.
C.Jaden got nothing he wanted all the time.
D.Jaden was sick and tired of seeing everyone.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Jaden?
A.Helpful and impatient. B.Creative and tricky.
C.Optimistic and courageous. D.Ambitious and greedy.
I applied for a placement (实习工作) with the BBC one rainy afternoon, expecting to hear nothing back. Much to my _______ a few weeks later I received an email _______ me that due to my good performance I had been _______ for a two-week placement at the News and Current Affairs department in London.
As a History and Politics student, the _______ that I would be at the BBC in the run-up to the general election made it particularly exciting. I didn’t _______ it until suddenly I found myself _______ off the underground at Oxford Circus, and seeing New Broadcasting House for the first time, which was to be my _______ for the next two weeks.
From day one I had an extremely interesting _______ I was primarily working on the TV debates being hosted by Victoria Derbyshire for her new program. I was _______ for gathering information from the audience, which ____________ and improved my communication and research skills. ____________, I went from watching live broadcasts, to working with a reporter on news stories, to ____________ some interviews for a documentary (纪录片).
The senior producer of the Victoria Derbyshire team was wonderful and always ____________ I was getting what I wanted from the job. She ____________ to help me spend time on World Service and Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, which was a ____________ highlight (最精彩的部分) in my life. My time at the BBC not only enriched my resume, but it ____________ me with the skills and confidence I needed to ____________ in my career.
The chance that I ____________ the world of the BBC is the first class. The experience went above and beyond my ____________. The team I worked with was inspiring, and I had a truly ____________ time.
1.A.delight B.confusion C.surprise D.regret
2.A.informing B.showing C.reminding D.educating
3.A.applied B.selected C.cheated D.sent
4.A.suggestion B.possibility C.fact D.problem
5.A.escape B.trust C.suspect D.believe
6.A.falling B.seeing C.taking D.stepping
7.A.study B.settlement C.workplace D.classroom
8.A.experience B.idea C.research D.impression
9.A.suitable B.responsible C.hopeful D.grateful
10.A.tested B.adapted C.affected D.satisfied
11.A.After all B.In addition C.As a result D.In case
12.A.giving B.organizing C.promoting D.refusing
13.A.took out B.figured out C.made sure D.made sense
14.A.decided B.wished C.intended D.managed
15.A.major B.lovely C.senior D.useful
16.A.rewarded B.provided C.equipped D.prepared
17.A.progress B.restore C.guarantee D.survive
18.A.attend B.stay C.involve D.enter
19.A.comprehension B.descriptions C.control D.expectations
20.A.Humorous B.unusual C.difficult D.terrible
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写一个适当的词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Located in the southern part of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven is a magnificent complex of fine cultural buildings set in gardens and 1. (surround) by historic pine woods. It has been one of the most significant 2. (place) for the whole country for more than five centuries. It 3. (serve) as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is the 4. (large) one in Beijing among several royal sites.
