When people reunite with their loved ones，it’s usually all extremely happy moment. But what is their most common response to seeing them again? It may seem strange，but most of the time they break down in tears.
Now a group of psychologists (心理学家) from Yale University say they have found the reason why，and that crying tears of joy may well be the body’s way of keeping emotional(情感的) balance. “They seem to take place when people are overtaken by strong positive emotions，and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions，” Oriana Aragon，the lead researcher said.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants’ emotional responses to different things，including happy reunions and cute babies. Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things—to cry at happy moments and want to pinch(捏) a cute baby’s face or even tell them “I want to eat you up!” But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction. At an exciting concert, fans scream at their idols(偶像). People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears. “These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationships with others, and even how well people work together.” said Aragon.
1.What have the psychologists from Yale University found in their research?
A. Crying tears of joy helps to balance emotions.
B. The reason why people cry with tears.
C. People recover slowly from strong emotions
D. Strong negative feelings are useful to people.
2.What does the underlined “they” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?
A. Times when people reunite with friends. B. Participants’ emotional responses.
C. Times when people cry tears of joy. D. Strong positive emotions.
3.Which of the following agrees with the findings of the research?
A. Kissing a cute baby. B. Crying at good news.
C. Crying at a failure. D. Laughing at happy reunions.
4.Where does the passage most likely come from?
A. A popular biology book. B. A children literature book.
C. A science fiction novel. D. A psychological science journal.
Your weight has been important since the moment you were born. Maybe you even know what your birth weight was. Most newborns weigh between 6 and 9 pounds, but some may weigh more and some less. But very quickly, a baby gains weight and everyone is glad about that because it means the child is growing bigger and stronger.
As you get older, your weight is still important. It's something your parents and doctor will probably keep an eye on. When you go for a checkup, the doctor often will record your height and weight and compare it with what it was the last time you came in. The doctor wants to check whether you have a healthy weight because weighing too much or too little can be a problem.
But these days, being overweight is more common than being underweight. In the last 30 years, a growing number of kids and teenagers have developed weight problems. Today, 1 out of 3 kids and teens between the ages of 2 and 19 are overweight. Many grown-ups understand what it's like to have weight problems, since 2 out of every 3 adults(成年人) are overweight.
For kids and adults, weighing too much can lead to illnesses and health problems. And a kid who is overweight might be made jokes on or find it hard to keep up with friends on the playground. When people talk about being overweight, they mean that someone has more body fat than is healthy. Everyone has some body fat, but extra (多余的) fat can influence someone's health and ability to walk, run, and get around, as well as how the person looks and his or her self-respect.
1.Why is everyone happy hearing a baby become fatter?
A. The baby is growing healthily. B. The parents are rich enough.
C. The mother has enough milk. D. The family is in good situation.
2.The doctor compares your height and weight in order to ________.
A. complete a check item B. see if you have a healthy weight
C. know about your living habits D. set up your checkup book
3.Which group has the largest number of people with overweight problems?
A. Babies. B. Kids. C. The old. D. Adults.
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A. Importance of keeping weight.
B. Ways to avoid becoming overweight.
C. Bad influence of being overweight.
D. Reasons for getting overweight.
My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆症)last summer. Suddenly, it was difficult for me to accept that the roles were now changed—my mother became my child, and I became her mother. I became impatient, argued with her, once I even yelled at her. Gradually, I was used to this kind of life. Now I am able to deal with her and the situation better. I have learned a lot of life lessons from the experience.
My mother reacts very sensitively to my feelings. That is typical of Alzheimer’s patients. When I visit her, feeling busy and tense, she reacts immediately, takes on my mood, and becomes nervous and negative. But when I appear cheerful and attentive, she is happy. This has taught me to pay more attention to my own feelings when I am with other people.
I always thought I was very tolerant, but in reality, my tolerance ran out as soon as someone turned away from what I considered “right”. With my mother I can now really be tolerant. Through her illness she has developed a childlike tactlessness(不得体). Eating out in restaurants, for example, is a bit embarrassing when she shouts at the waiter that the food is so bad or talks about people at the next table in a loud voice. Of course I make sure that my mother doesn’t hurt anyone, but I’ve stopped complaining about others and have become more tolerant.
I have also learned that everything has special value. When my mother got sick I didn’t want to burden my two daughters with it. They are young and have enough going on with their education, and starting their careers. I felt that it was simply my job as my mother’s daughter. The most wonderful discovery I’ve made through my mother’s disease may be that my children not only offer to help me when they sense that I’m feeling unbearable, but that they take care of my mother on their own actively. They visit her often, play cards with her, and look at photo albums together with her. It shows me that it’s all worth it.
1.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. How I Cared for My Sick Mother B. How I Became More Tolerant
C. What I Have Learned from Alzheimer’s D. Why I Am Feeling stressed
2.Which of the following is common behavior of Alzheimer patients?
A. Being curious about everything. B. Being particular about clothes.
C. Being afraid of strange people. D. Being sensitive to others’ moods.
3.We can infer that the writer’s daughters are ________.
A. naughty B. considerate C. traditional D. selfish
It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my dad and I had a very big argument when my mom was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”
I threw a few things in a suitcase and closed the door angrily behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for about 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you? Dad is worried about you.”
“How can he worry about me? I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call,” I said with annoyance (烦恼). My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and hung up.
I walked around the store, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you!”
Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my dad. Beside him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite (尽管) my best efforts to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.
1.Hearing Mary decided to leave home, Mary’s father was very ________.
A. worried B. nervous C. angry D. surprised
2.After her mother called her, Mary ________.
A. became angrier than before B. gave in to her father
C. cried and calmed down D. agreed to go home
3.What does the underlined word “purchases” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Actions Mary regretted. B. Goods Mary bought.
C. Telephone calls Mary made. D. Lessons Mary learned.
4.What probably happened at the end of the story?
A. Mary returned home happily. B. Mary still refused to go home.
C. Mary’s father became angry again. D. Mary’s mother hated her father.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How did Katherine do her most recent climb?
A. In a group. B. On her own. C. With a guide.
2.What made Katherine’s first climb of Mont Blanc difficult?
A. The poor weather conditions. B. The long climbing time. C. The crowded people.
3.What did Katherine do before her second climb to make it easier?
A. She made a detailed plan. B. She spent a few days in Chamonix.
C. She climbed smaller mountains for training.
4.What special advice does Katherine offer about climbing Mont Blanc?
A. Wear enough clothes. B. Have the right equipment. C. Improve the physical condition.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A. At home. B. At a post office. C. At a supermarket.
2.What did the man do this morning?
A. He did some cleaning. B. He did the cooking. C. He did some shopping.
3.What will the woman do tomorrow?
A. Buy a lot of food. B. Send her car to the garage. C. Pick up the man’s mother.
