Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
1.What do most people think causes bad behavior?
A．Being forced by others.
B．Not having enough will power.
C．Enjoying their first experiences.
D．Following the examples of their friends.
2.The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.
A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes
B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers
C．self-control should be developed when one is young
D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations
3.In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.
A．without self-control, no one can succeed
B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results
C．applying self-control correctly is important
D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A．My First Sip of Beer B．Do You Have Will Power ?
C．Does Will Power Benefit Us? D．Dark Side of Self-control
It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing (挤过去) past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize (批评) others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.
1.What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?
A．He thinks it is unnecessary. B．He thinks little of it.
C．He appreciates it very much. D．He thinks it goes too far.
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．German men never treat a woman to dinner.
B．The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver.
C．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job.
D．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough.
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.
A．like to fight with each other
B．treat women in a polite way
C．are as generous as English men
D．are unwilling to spend money for women
4.The author develops the text through the method of ______.
A．making comparisons B．telling stories
C．giving reasons D．giving examples
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place．Now it is an ecological disaster area．Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence-other countries might learn from its mistakes．
For thousands of years，Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru，far from western civilization．The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798．He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship．He called the island Pleasant Island．
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first．The whaling ships and other traders began to visit，bringing guns and alcohol．These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island．A ten-year civil war started，which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island．In fact，it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate，which was a very important fertilizer for farming．The company began mining the phosphate．
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground；it is a strip mine．When a company strip-mines，it removes the to player of soil．Then it takes away the material it wants．Strip mining totally destroys the land．Gradually, the lovely island or Nauru started to look like the moon．
In 1968，Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world．Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate．
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars．In addition，they used millions more dollars for personal expenses．Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their phosphate was running out．Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing．By 2000，Nauru was financially ruined．Experts say that it would take approximately$433，600，000 and more than 20 years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．
1.What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?
A．To seek help for Nauru's problems．
B．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war．
C．To show the importance of money
D．To give a warning to other countries
2.What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
APeaceful and attractive B．Modern and open
C．Rich and powerful D．Greedy and aggressive
3.The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from
A．soil pollution B．phosphate overmining
C．farming activity D．whale hunting
4.Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
A．Its phosphate mining cost much money
B．It spent too much repairing the island
C．Its leaders misused the money
D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.
5.What can we learn about Nauru from me last paragraph?
A．The leaders will take the experts' words seriously
B．The ecological damage is difficult to repair.
C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans
D．The phosphate mines were destroyed
Like distance runners on a measured course，all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern．
In the first stage of our lives，we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality(活力)．
After we grow up，however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out．
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality，yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging．
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body．The lungs become less able to take in oxygen．Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．Bones grow easier to break．
Finally, we meet a stress，a stress that is greater than our physical resistance．Often，it is only a minor accident or chance infection(a disease caused by virus)，but this time，it brings life to an end．
In 1932，a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats，simply by cutting back the calories in their diet The reason for the effect was then unknown．
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr．Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats．The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet，which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain．Seagle showed that within the brain，specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging．By changing that chemical balance，the clock of aging can be reset．
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged．Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries．
An average lifetime lasts 75 years，yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life．If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years．
1.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A．Physical vitality． B．Stress． C．Aging． D．Physical resistance．
2.Which of the following is not a change of aging?
A．People gradually lose their muscle strength．
B．Bones tend to break more easily．
C．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．
D．The lungs become unable to take in oxygen．zxxk
3.The author believes the following except that ．
A．human's life pattern is predictable
B．physical fitness can't stop the force of aging
C．human's lifetime will last longer than 75 years
D．all of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body
4.How did Dr．Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?
A．By keeping their physical fitness． B．By cutting the calories in their diet．
C．By resetting their clock of aging． D．By limiting the protein in their diet．
5.What is probably the best title for the article?
A．Two Great Experiments
B．The Mystery of Human Life
C．The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging
D．Ways to lengthen Human Life
One dark stormy night, an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be 36 for the night, “I’m very sorry,” the clerk on night shift said politely, “we are all 37 tonight. 38 ,you could stay in my room if you don’t mind. I’m 39 ,so I’ll be here.” The young man gave the sincere advice.
The elderly couple accepted his 40 with gratitude. They apologized for the 41 they had caused him. The next day, the rain stopped and it 42 . When the old gentleman went to pay his bill, the same clerk said, “The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper 43 room in this hotel, so you don’t need to pay.”
The old gentleman nodded in 44 : “You are an employee that every boss in the hotel business would dream of . Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you.” The clerk was 45 but, deciding that the guest must have been 46 , he gave the remark 47 thought.
Two years later, the young man received a letter from the old gentleman, in which he 48 the experience of that dark stormy night. The letter also 49 a formal invitation, asking that young man to pay a visit.
At a street corner in Manhattan, the young man met his 50 guest. The old gentleman, pointing to a magnificent new building 51 over the crossroads, “Look, that is the hotel I 52 to build for you. I hope you will 53 it for me .Remember what I said then? Well, I was 54 about it.”
The young man stammered, “But…will there be any 55 , sir? Why do you choose me? And who are you?”
“My name is William Aster.” This building was none other than the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, a symbol of supreme status and honor in New York.
1. A．put up B．put away C．stay up D．set up
2. A．preserved B．conserved C．booked D．occupied
3. A．Meanwhile B．Moreover C．Otherwise D．However
4. A．on duty B．on display C．on stage D．on hand
5. A．service B．view C．offer D．invitation
6. A．Instruction B．consideration C．Inconvenience D．interruption
7. A．cleared away B．picked out C．cleaned up D．cleared up
8. A．living B．double C．admirable D．luxury
9. A．appreciation B．admiration C．surprise D．excitement
10. A．excited B．skeptical C．annoyed D．respectful
11. A．lacking B．covering C．joking D．cheating
12. A．not more B．no more C．some D．another
13. A．described B．stated C．recited D．recalled
14. A．swapped B．included C．attached D．added
15. A．former B．original C．formal D．primitive
16. A．displaying B．towering C．flying D．hovering
17. A．determined B．promised C．tended D．intended
18. A．get B．keep C．manage D．make
19. A．sensitive B．concerned C．curious D．serious
20. A．Scene B．situation C．condition D．Occasion
-- You ought to have given them some advice.
--- , but who cared what I asked?
A．I ought to B．So I ought C．So it was D．So I did
