Happiness and sadness are states of being states of being that define the way we view the world. It is often said that some people by nature have a sunny character. Now scientists may have discovered why.
Some people may be hard-wired for happiness, while others are genetically negative, as
scientists have suggested in a study published in late February, in a British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Earlier research had already established that the gene known as 5-HTTLPR plays a key role in
determining how the neurotransmitter (神经传递素) serotonin (血清素) works within the brain. Serotonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙), passes chemical messages between nerve cells. It has been closely linked to mood. Several anti-depressant (抗抑郁) drugs regulate serotonin levels. Scientists had also identified three variants of the gene. Two so-called "short" variants were linked to a higher risk of depression and suicide attempts. Unlike the two "short" variants, the "long" variant of 5-HTTLPR showed a clear dislike of negative images, such as fierce animals, and a clear liking for positive ones, such as flowers.
Researchers from the University of Essex in Britain, led by Elaine Fox, showed participants a
series of images. The images were divided into three kinds: negative ones aimed at inspiring fear or stress such as a spider or person about to commit suicide, pleasant ones and neutral ones.
“The participants who had the long variant of the 5-HTTLPR gene showed a clear dislike of negative material alongside a careful attention for positive material,” the researchers found. They paid close attention to the pretty pictures, and ignored the frightening ones. On the other hand, the short variant groups had the opposite reaction.
In January, the Australian government organized "happiness workshops", teaching government
staff how to be happy. The department that held the "happiness workshops" said unhappy staff weren't productive staff. Australian political opposition parties have argued that the "happiness workshops" are probably a waste of money and couldn't increase productivity as intended. However, whether the workshop will have a happy or disappointing result, we will have to wait and see.
67．Form the third paragraph, we know that .
A．affected by 5-HTTLPR, the neurotransmitter serotonin works within the blood
B．there are 5 variants of 5-HTTLPR genes which control people’s moods
C．how the neurotransmitter serotonin works is greatly determined by 5-HTTLPR
D．5-HTTLPR receives chemical messages from verve cells
68．What does “It” in the sentence “It has been closely linked to mood.” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?
A．Serotonin. B．A nerve cell. C．5-HTTLPR. D．The brain.
69．If a person had the long variant of 5-HTTLPR, he or she would probably .
A．like the images of spiders B．prefer the images of crocodiles
C．enjoy an image of green tress D．suffer from depression very often
70．What can we infer from the passage?
A．People’s moods can change a little bit under the influence of certain drugs.
B．Researchers showed participants of the research two kinds of images.
C．A person possesses one long and one short variant of 5-HTTLPR at the same time.
D．The author firmly believes that “happiness workshops” will not change people’s moods.
George, when your big brother and your little dog and I walked you up to schools today, you
had no idea how I was feeling.
You were so excited. You had packed and unpacked your pencils and safety scissors in your backpack a dozen times. I am really going to miss those lazy mornings when we waved your brother and sister off to school.
Because you are my youngest, I had learned a few things by the time you came along. I found out that the seemingly endless days of babyhood are gone like lightning. I blinked(眨眼), and your older siblings were setting off for school as eagerly as you did this morning, I was one of the lucky ones; I could choose whether to work or not. By the time it was your turn, the shining prizes of career advancement and a double income had lost their brightness. A splash(溅水) in the pool with you in your bright red boots or "just one more" rereading of your favorite book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, meant more. You didn't go to preschool and I hope that doesn't hold you back. You learned numbers by helping me count the soda cans we returned to the store.
I have to admit that in my mind's eye, an image of myself while you're in school has developed, I see myself updating all the photo albums and starting that novel I always wanted to write. As the summer wound down and more frequent quarrels erupted between you and your siblings, I was looking forward to today. And then this morning, I walked you up the steep hill to your classroom. You found the coat hook with your name above it right away, and you gave me one of your characteristically fierce, too-tight hugs. This time you were ready to let go before I was.
Maybe someday you will deliver a kindergartner to the first day of school. When you turn at the door to wave good-bye, he or she will be too deep in conversation with a new friend to notice. Even as you smile, you'll feel something warm on your cheek.
And then, you’ll know…
64．What does the author mean by the underlined sentence?
A．She gave up the job with a big salary and prizes.
B．She could only recall her good job at home now.
C．Many good jobs with better pay attracted her but she didn’t take them.
D．Compared with bringing up the baby, work seemed to fade to her.
65．Which statement is NOT TRUE about George’s family according to the letter?
A．George’s parents gave birth to three children
B．The Georges is a double income family.
C．The children had more arguments during the summer.
D．They recyled soda cans.
66．The passage tries to show us .
A．how excited a child will be on his first day to school
B．how deeply a mother loves her child
C．how many efforts a mother has made to raise a child
D．how a mother plans her future life after her children go to school
What does it mean to day that we live in world of persuasion? It means that we live among
competing interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam take priority（优先）over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade. And the object of your romantic interest may have other choices.
In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our points of view. When we persuade, we want to influence what others believe and how they behave. We may not always prevail（占优势）--other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situation, and the merits of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.
Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwelcome approach to their lives or as a control. In contrast, we believe that persuasion is inevitable--to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be moral or immoral, selfless or selfish, inspiring or discouraging. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or make us hurt. Moral persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, an essential part of education is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.
Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is a need to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the basic principle of the American political system.
60．What’s the author’s attitude towards persuasion?
A．Critical. B．Uninterested. C．Supportive. D．Neutral.
61．The passage states that some people are against persuasion because they think it is .
A．an unwelcome influence B．difficult to do well
C．not trustworthy at all D．never successful
62．We can conclude from the passage that persuasion means .
A．getting people to act according to your will
B．exercising power over other people
C．making use of your past wise experience
D．getting other people to consider your reasonable points of view.
63．According to the passage, we can infer that .
A．we can learn how to persuade in school
B．only society can benefit from persuasion
C．persuasion plays an important role in America
D．persuas
ion is considered to be an inborn ability
I must have been about fourteen then, and I put away the incident from my mind with the
easy carelessness of youth. But the words, Carl Walter spoke that day, came back to me years
later, and ever since have been of great value to me.
Carl Walter was my piano teacher. During one of my lessons he asked how much practicing I was doing. I said three or four hours a day.
"Do you practice in long stretches, an hour at a time?"
"I try to."
"Well, don't," he exclaimed. "When you grow up, time won't come in long stretches. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find them five or ten before school, after lunch, between household tasks. Spread the practice through the day, and piano-playing will become a part of your life."
When I was teaching at Columbia, I wanted to write, but class periods, theme-reading, and committee meetings filled my days and evenings. For two years I got practically nothing down on paper, and my excuse was that I had no time. Then I remembered what Carl Walter had said. During the next week I conducted an experiment. Whenever I had five minutes unoccupied, I sat down and wrote a hundred words or so. To my astonishment, at the end of the week I had a rather large manuscript ready for revision, later on I wrote novels by the same piecemeal method. Though my teaching schedule had become heavier than ever, in every day there were idle moments which could be caught and put to use. I even took up piano--playing again, finding that the small intervals of the day provided sufficient time for both writing and piano practice.
There is an important trick in this time--using formula: you must get into your work quickly. If you have but five minutes for writing, you can't afford to waste four chewing your pencil. You must make your mental preparations beforehand, and concentrate on your task almost instantly when the time comes. Fortunately, rapid concentration is easier than most of us realize.
I admit I have never learnt how to let go easily at the end of the five or ten minutes. But life can be counted on to supply interruptions. Carl Walter has had a tremendous influence on my life. To him I owe the discovery that even very short periods of time add up to all useful hours I need, if I plunge（投入）in without delay.
56．The meaning of “stretch” in the underlined part is the same as that in sentence “ ”.
A．The forests in the north of the province stretch for hundreds of miles.
B．Bob worked as a government official for a stretch of over twenty years.
C．My family wasn’t wealthy by any stretch of the imagination.
D．During his senior year his earnings far enough to buy an old car.
57．Which of the following statements is true?
A．The writer didn’t completely take the teacher’s words to heart at first.
B．Carl Walter has had a great influence on the writer's life since he became a student.
C．The writer owes great thanks to his teacher for teaching him to work in long stretches.
D．Rapid concentration is actually more difficult than most people imagine.
58．We can infer that the writer .
A．has new books published each year however busy his teaching is
B．is always tired of interruptions in life because his teaching schedule is always heavy
C．has formed a bad habit of chewing a pencil while writing his novels
D．can find sufficient time for mental preparations beforehand, so he's devoted to work instantly
59．What is the best title of this passage?
A．Concentrate on Your Work B．A Little at a Time
C．How I Became a Writer D．Good AdviceIs Most Valuable
完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Fifteen years spent in the field of education has provided me with many treasured moments. One of the most unforgettable 36 when I was teaching second grade 10 years ago.
In May I decided to plan something special for the children; a Mother’s Day tea. We had put our 37 together to come up with ideas of how to 38 our mothers. We practiced singing songs, memorized poems and wrote cards. We decided to hold our tea the Friday before Mother’s Day. I was surprised and 39 to learn that every mother was planning to attend. I 40 invited my own mother.
Finally, the big day arrived. Each child lined up at our classroom door, 41 the arrival of his or her mom. 42 it got closer to starting time, I looked around and my eyes quickly found Jimmy. His mother hadn’t 43 up and he was looking upset.
I took my mother 44 the hand and walked over to Jimmy. “Jimmy,” I said, “I have a bit of problem here and I was 45 if you could keep my mother 46 while I’m busy.”
My mom and Jimmy sat at a table. Jimmy 47 my mom her treats, presented her with the gift I had made, just as we had 48 the day before. Whenever I looked over, my mother and Jimmy were in deep 49 .
Last year, I took a senior class on a field trip, and there was Jimmy, I had the students complete an outline of the day’s 50 and an evaluation of our trip. Then I collected the students’ booklets and checked them to see if 51 was completed. When I came to Jimmy’s 52 , he had written “Remember our Mother’s Day tea we had in second grade, Mrs, Marra? I do! Thanks for all you did for me, and thank your mother, too.”
I told him I really enjoyed what he had written. He looked rather embarrassed and 53 his own thanks and walked away. Suddenly he ran bark and gave me a big hug.
“Thanks again. No one even knew my mother didn’t 54 it.”
I ended my workday with a hug from a teenage boy who 55 stopped hugging teachers years ago.
36．A．lasted B．happened C．experienced D．described
37．A．heads B．brains C．minds D．hearts
38．A．love B．please C．respect D．admire
39．A．astonished B．worried C．relieved D．interested
40．A．even B．ever C．still D． once
41．A．expecting B．hoping C．predicting D．supposing
42．A．Although B．As C．While D．Because
43．A．set up B．picked up C．turned up D．held up
44．A．over B．to C．on D．by
45．A．considering B．wondering C．asking D．doubting
46．A．connection B．safety C．company D．concern
47．A．served B．supplied C．assigned D．applied
48．A．taught B．studied C．practiced D．told
49．A．mood B．thought C．agreement D．conversation
50．A．feeling B．behavior C．events D．performances
51．A．something B．everything C．anything D．nothing
52．A．page B．help C．side D．turn
53．A．announced B．delivered C．stated D．whispered
54．A．make B．get C．do D．take
55．A．probably B．exactly C．rarely D．fairly
When we sleep is cultural as biological-and practices differ greatly round the globe.
|
A．that much |
B．so much |
C．too much |
D．as much |
