Are you a dog person or a cat person?
With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it’s easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you?
In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted (外向的), agreeable and conscientious (认真的) than cat people.
“Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will give up the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown ball, for hours at a time,” said Modern Dog magazine.
Just on the basis of dogs’ nature being more sociable than cats’, you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Gosling’s study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social orientation (倾向).
In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. “Conscientiousness” is a tendency to show self-discipline, to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This trait also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous (一时冲动的) behavior.
In comparison, cat people are about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more “open” than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.
Despite so many differences, there are some things that cat people and dog people have in common. “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally look on the better side of life,” noted Mother Nature Network.
1.What does the article mainly talk about?
A. Differences between dogs and cats in their personality traits.
B. Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats.
C. How raising a pet helps shape your personality.
D. What your preference for dogs or cats tells about you.
2.The underlined phrase “engage in” in the fourth paragraph probably means ______.
A. get involved in
B. benefit from
C. take little interest in
D. perform well in
3.According to the study done by Sam Gosling, dog owners tend to ______ than cat owners.
A. be more imaginative and creative
B. live a more organized life
C. love to get close to nature more
D. be more easygoing and adventurous
4.According to the article, both dog people and cat people ______.
A. are generally self-disciplined
B. are usually positive and care about nature
C. are likely to hold unconventional beliefs
D. like to wear animal-print clothing
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, hurt many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people hurt many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
1. People who are unhappy _______.
A. always consider things differently from others
B. always discover the unpleasant side of certain things
C. usually misunderstand what others think or say
D. usually are affected by the results of certain things
2. The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “_______”.
A. makes others unhappy
B. has a good taste with social life
C. tend to scold others openly
D. enjoy the pleasure of life
3. We can conclude from the passage that _______.
A. we should pity all such unhappy people
B. such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
C. people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
D. unhappy people can not understand happy persons
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
You’re in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. You listen to their conversation:
"I can't believe it-Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome."
They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes.
Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it.
Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation-consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It's a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.
So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go. Some people might call this practice misleading, but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing." It is true, because everyone knows an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. However, you don't know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.
1. The two attractive young women were talking so that they could _____.
A. get the sweater at a lower price
B. decide on buying the sweater
C. be admired by other shoppers
D. be heard by people around
2. Lorenzo Bertolla is _____.
A. a very popular male singer
B. an advertising agency
C. the brand name of clothes
D. a clothing company in Rome
3. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Traditional advertising will soon disappear in the market.
B. The MTV generation tends to be more easily influenced by all kinds of ads.
C. Undercover marketing will surely be banned soon by the government.
D. That traditional advertising is too direct may lead to its decreasing effectiveness.
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Two Attractive Shoppers
B. Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters
C. Undercover Marketing
D. Ways of Advertising
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Each year millions of babies are born too soon and too small. Premature or preterm births mean births at less than thirty-seven weeks.
Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborn babies. More than one-fourth of the four million newborns who die each year around the world were born too early.
Preterm babies that survive can suffer a lifetime of serious health conditions. The examples include cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing problems and learning disabilities. Families and communities face emotional, physical and financial costs.
Christopher Howson is the vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes. His group and the World Health Organization recently published a report called “The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth.”
Christopher Howson: “Frankly the problem of preterm birth is under-recognized and undervalued. People fail to recognize how serious the problem is. I mean, this report shows that thirteen million babies are born every year preterm, and that over a million of those babies die as a result of being born too early.”
And these are just estimates; the true numbers could be even higher. More than eighty-five percent of preterm births happen in Africa and Asia. Africa has the highest rate, with about four million cases each year.
Christopher Howson says many of the causes of preterm births are related to poverty and weak health-care systems.
Christopher Howson: “For example, the poor overall health and nutritional status of women. A high burden of infectious diseases. A lack of family planning – allowing a woman to decide when to start and end having children. And also the lack of good prenatal(产前) care programs that might identify problems early on in pregnancy.”
Preterm births are a problem not just in the developing world. The combined rate in the United States and Canada is the second highest in the world. Preterm birth rates in the United States have increased thirty-six percent in the last twenty-five years.
This has been largely the result of two reasons. One is an increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five. The other is an increase in the use of reproductive therapies（生殖治疗）.
1. This passage is mainly about ______.
A. the causes of people’s bad health throughout the world
B. how to improve people’s health throughout the world
C. premature or preterm births throughout the world
D. Christopher Howson, vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes
2. All of the following are causes of preterm births EXCEPT______.
A. too many deaths of newborn babies
B. poverty
C. Lack of family planning
D. the lack of good prenatal care programs
3.Which of the following is a TRUE statement according to the passage?
A. Preterm birth rates in developing countries are dropping and they are increasing in some developed countries like the US and Canada.
B. The increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five and the increase in the use of reproductive therapies result in the increase of preterm birth rates.
C. Fortunately, many people have already realized the seriousness of the problem of preterm births.
D. Preterm births must be a problem for only poor areas because of poverty.
4.Where can we probably read this article?
A. International news reports
B. History and political papers
C. Science magazines
D. World trade guides
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to Improve Your Study Habits
Perhaps your are an average student with average intelligence. You do well enough in school, but you probably think you will never be a top student. 1. Yes, even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work. Here are some tips for you:
1. Plan your time carefully. Make a list of your weekly tasks. Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating, sleeping, meetings, classes, etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying. 2. It’s important to set aside time for relaxation, hobbies, and entertainment as well. Furthermore, it will enable you to plan your activities so that you have adequate time for both work and play.
2. Find a good place to study. Choose one place for your study area. It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library, but it should be comfortable, and it should not have distractions. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject.
3. 3. Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later. Sit where you can see and hear well. Take notes to help you remember what the teacher says.
4. Study regularly. 4. Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about. If you review your notes and textbook regularly, the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer. Regular review leads to improved performances on test.
5. Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t worry excessively about a single test. Tests provide more than grades. 5.
A. Be volunteer to raise questions.
B. Make good use of your time in class.
C. Go over your notes as soon as you can after class.
D. Those who make the best of their time study with more ease.
E. They also let you know what you need to spend more time studying on.
F. Of course, studying shouldn’t occupy all of the free time on the schedule.
G. This is not necessary the case, however. You can receive better grades if you want to.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空
阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Our character, _________ , is a combination of our habits. “Sow a thought, harvest an action; sow an action, harvest a habit; sow a habit, harvest a character; sow a character, harvest a_________ ,” the saying goes.
Habits are powerful factors in our lives. Because they are consistent, often unconscious_________ , they constantly, daily express our character and produce our effectiveness or ineffectiveness.
As Horace Mann, the great educator, once _________ it, “Habits are like a rope. We weave a string of it every day and soon it cannot be broken.” I personally do not agree with the last part of his _________ . I know habits can be learned and unlearned. But I also know it isn’t a(an) _________ fix. It involves a _________ and a faithful commitment.
Those of us who watched the lunar voyage of Apollo II were quite amazed as we saw the first men walk on the moon and return to earth. _________ to get there, those astronauts obviously had to break out of the huge gravity pull of the earth. _________ energy was spent in the first few minutes of _________ in the first few miles of travel, than was used over the next several days to travel half a million miles.
Habits, _________ ,have huge gravity pull more than most people realize or would _________ . Breaking deeply _________ habits such as delay, hesitation, impatience, criticalness, or selfishness that go against basic principles of human effectiveness _________ more than a little willpower and a few minor changes in our lives. “Lift off” _________ a great effort, but once we break out of the gravity pull, our freedom _________ a whole new dimension.
_________ any natural force, gravity can work _________ us or against us. The gravity pull of some of our habits may _________ be keeping us from going where we want to go. But it is also gravity that pull that keeps our world together, that keeps the planets in their orbits and our universe in order. It is a powerful force, and if we use it effectively, we can use the gravity pull of habit to create the cooperation and _________ necessary to establish effectiveness in our lives.
1.A. basically B. theoretically C. naturally D. personally
2.A. success B. hope C. fate D. Moral
3.A. styles B. patterns C. methods D. ways
4.A. told B. put C. said D. thought
5.A. truth B. motto C. expression D. sentence
6.A. urgent B. slow C. quick D. convenient
7.A. process B. progress C. period D. devotion
8.A. but B. because C. as D. if
9.A. Much B. More C. Less D. Most
10.A. launching B. raising C. traveling D. lifting
11.A. however B. though C. too D. otherwise
12.A. say B. predict C. admit D. assume
13.A. rooted B. laid C. grown D. planted
14.A. calls on B. calls for C. calls off D. calls in
15.A. makes B. takes C. does D. brings
16.A. takes on B. carries on C. gives away D. turns out
17.A. As well as B. As for C. As with D. As like
18.A. on B. by C. around D. with
19.A. permanently B. instantly C. constantly D. presently
20.A. communication B. patience C. success D. Order
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
语法填空
阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Almost everyone suffers from a headache 1. (occasional). But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches.
What is headache? What causes it? What can you done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches? The dictionary defines headache simply 2. “a pain in the head”. 3. most people mean by headache 4. (be) a pain that lasts several minutes or hours. It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head. To add to the confusion about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache.
A headache is important because 5. can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled 6. discovered early. If a person 7. (remove) the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control.
A headache is important also because it disturbs people, 8. (prevent) them from living a happy life. The 9. (employ) with a headache does less work. In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow 10. (guy) or customers, causing a direct or indirect loss to his organization. The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family. She upsets her husband and children.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词； 2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Have you ever had a headache during a test? Have you ever been too worried about something that you have a headache or even can’t sleep at night? If so, then you know that stress is.
Not all stress is bad for you. Some kinds of stress can help you get things do better, like when you are running towards the finishing line or when you are being asked to give a speech to your class. Stress sometimes can help push you to make full preparation for a test. However, too much stress can result in anger, depression and other related problems, which we need to take serious.
There are many things in our life what might cause stress ------ having too much homework, taking a difficult test, and having economic problems.
It’s impossible to live in a life completely free of stress, so you should learn to deal with stress. The best way reduce stress is to have a balance life. If you get enough sleep, eat properly, take more exercise and have enough fun time, you’ll probably feel less stressed.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
你校将开展为期一周的艺术节，请你根据以下表格的内容，写一篇英语短文：
| 活动目的 | 培养学生对艺术的兴趣；增强学生的艺术鉴赏能力；让同学们交到更多朋友。 |
| 活动对象 | 全体学生 |
| 活动时间 | 11月20日至11月26日 |
| 活动地点 | 学校图书馆2楼 |
| 活动内容 | 美术老师张老师作一个主题为“关于艺术与生活”的演讲；欣赏名画和书法品 (calligraphy works)；摄影作品大赛，获奖者均可获得数码 (digital) 相机一台。 |
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
难度: 中等查看答案及解析