Everyone knows that eating too much junk food is not good to our health. Yet, what is it about junk food that is so completely irresistible(无可抗拒的)? For one thing, it’s everywhere. From chips in fast food restaurants to candy in supermarkets, junk food always seems available. Thankfully, science is now providing new clues to help us reduce snacking.
Make friends with dainty(讲究的) eaters.
Studies have found that people tend to increase or reduce the amount of food they eat depending on what their companions are taking in.
See happy movies and always get the smaller bag of popcorn(爆米花).
According to some experts, people eat up to 29% more popcorn if they are watching a sad or serious movie, compared to when they are watching a comedy. Viewers consumed almost 200 calories more when snacking from a large bucket, as opposed to when given a medium-sized container.
Eat breakfast.
Nutritionists have gone back and forth（来来回回）about the question of how much to eat in the morning, but new studies suggest that consuming a good breakfast is a must. Surveys on long-term weight-loss show that two key factors in keeping weight down are eating breakfast and exercising.
Divide your food and conquer overeating.
Any kind of dividing your food into portions slows down your eating. Any kind of marker makes you aware of what you’re eating and of portion size. Researchers advise reallocating（再分配）snack foods into small plastic bags. It sounds simplistic, but it works.
1.Why do people eat too much junk food though it is bad for our health?
A. It’s delicious from chips to candy.
B. Because it’s available here and there.
C. It’s easily taken everywhere.
D. It’s easily bought in fast food restaurants.
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. If people are watching a tragedy, they eat up to 29% more popcorn.
B. People are likely to eat more food when staying with friends.
C. Nutritionists have the same opinion about how much to eat in the morning.
D. People prefer to snack from a large bucket.
3.What will he or she do if he or she wants to lose weight?
A. To eat nothing in the morning.
B. To get up early and to go to bed late.
C. To eat breakfast and exercise.
D. To snack from a medium-size bucket.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here's where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles —making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles—so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren't fooled—they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they're more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.
1.Why are younger children not fooled?_____________.
A. Because their brain can hardly notice related things together.
B. Because older people are influenced by their experience.
C. Because people's eyes become weaker as they grow older.
D. Because they are smarter than older children and adults.
2.Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate_____________.
A. children's and adults' eye-sight
B. people's ability to see accurately
C. children's and adults' brains
D. the influence of people's age
3.When asked to find the larger circle,_____________.
A. children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around
B. only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around
C. children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around
D. adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around
4.According to the passage, we can know that_____________.
A. a smaller orange circle appears bigger on a white background
B. an orange circle appears bigger than a gray one of the same size
C. a circle surrounded by other circles looks bigger than its real size
D. a circle surrounded by bigger ones looks smaller than its real size
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among competing interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam may 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 point of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always prevail — 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 interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable — to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical（合乎道义的）or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrading. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or catch our vulnerability(弱点). Ethical 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, the most basic 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 necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution（美国宪法）.
1.According to the passage, persuasion means ________.
A. changing others’ point of view
B. exercising power over other people
C. getting other people to consider your point of view
D. getting people to agree with you and do what you want
2.The underlined word in the second paragraph “prevail” means“________”.
A. fail B. win C. speak D. listen
3.The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is ________.
A. unwelcome behavior B. difficult to do well
C. a danger to society D. never successful
4.The passage mainly discusses ________.
A. people’s different opinions towards persuasion
B. the reasons why people persuade
C. that persuasion is both good and bad
D. that persuasion is important and it is all around us
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Cars!!! Holidays! Thousands of prizes! Hurry! Free with every packet of splash! Your personal lucky number! Will be among the 500,000 winners! Use splash for the softest…quickest… whitest wash! Don’t delay… buy a packet today!
1.Those who bought a packet of splash________.
A. are sure to win a prize.
B. are sure to be among the 500,000 winners.
C. could get $500,000.
D. could get the personal lucky number.
2.Splash is________.
A. a certain kind of material used for washing in high quality.
B. something like a machine used to wash clothes.
C. the softest, quickest, and whitest car to drive.
D. one of thousands of prizes for players to win.
3.Which of the following diagrams(图解) shows the correct relation?
●：prize ：personal lucky number ★：splash ■：cars
A.■→→★→● B. ★→→●→■
C.●→★→■→ D.■→★→→●
4.If you want to get prize,________.
A. don’t delay joining us in playing.
B. you should buy 500,000 packets of splash.
C. please buy a packet of splash.
D. please drive a car as quickly as possible.
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。有两项为多余选项。
Muzak
The next time you go into a bank, a store, or a supermarket, stop and listen. What do you hear? 1. It’s similar to the music you listen to, but it’s not exactly the same. That’s because this music was especially designed to relax you, or to give you extra energy. Sometimes you don’t even realize the music is playing, but you react to the music anyway.
Quiet background music used to be called “elevator music” because we often heard it in elevators. But lately we hear it in more and more places, and it has a new name “Muzak”. About one-third of the people in America listen to “Muzak” every day. The music plays for 15 minutes at a time, with short pauses in between. It is always more lively between ten and eleven in the morning, and between three and four in the afternoon, when people are more tired. 2.
If you listen to Muzak carefully, you will probably recognize the names of many of the songs. Some musicians or songwriters don’t want their songs to be used as Muzak, but others are happy when their songs are chosen. Why? 3.
Music is often played in public places because it is designed to make people feel less lonely when they are in an airport or a hotel. It has been proven that Muzak does what it is designed to do. Tired office workers suddenly have more energy when they hear the pleasant sound of Muzak in the background. 4. Supermarket shoppers buy 38 percent more groceries.
5. They say it’s boring to hear the same songs all the time. But other people enjoy hearing Muzak in public places. They say it helps them relax and feel calm. One way or another, Muzak affects everyone. Some farmers even say their cows give more milk when they hear Muzak!
A. Some people don’t like Muzak.
B. The music gives them extra energy.
C. Music is playing in the background.
D. Factory workers produce 13 percent more.
E. Muzak tends to help people understand music better.
F. They get as much as $4 million a year if their songs are used.
G. Muzak is played in most of the big supermarkets in the world.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
完形填空
浏览全文，掌握其大意；然后从各题所给的A, B, C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卷上将相应选项涂黑。
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to ________ in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don’t act in the ________ ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too ________ for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of ________.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there ________ between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She ________ her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had ________ her. I was ________ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words: “Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread．Sometimes it ________, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt ________ . If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen ________, but it’s really there. Love is ________ .”
I listened carefully but I ________ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly ________ seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked ________ . It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father ________ on the country road．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.
“Susan, don’t ________ me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.” ________ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and ________ . But from this experience, I understand that love is just ________ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
1.A. keep fit B. earn money C. rise early D. collect money
2.A. romantic B. magic C. fantastic D. attractive
3.A. simple B. easy C. relaxing D. luxurious（奢侈的）
4.A. question B. the question C. reach D. control
5.A. feeling B. quarrel C. love D. smile
6.A. raised B. shook C. nodded D. bowed
7.A. wounded B. injured C. hurt D. harmed
8.A. in great surprise B. in a great embarrassmentC. with deep depression D. at extreme sorrow
9.A. appears B. comes about C. happens D. occurs
10.A. warm and soft B. hot and hard C. thin and cool D. strong and durable
11.A. somewhere and sometime B. more or lessC. anywhere or anytime D. here and there
12.A. inside B. outside C. faraway D. nearby
13.A. could believe B. couldn’t understandC. wouldn’t recognize D. might know
14.A. got sick B. got stuck C. threw up D. became disabled
15.A. quite healthy B. fairly red C. very pale D. much surprised
16.A. jump high B. go hurriedly C. run fast D. walk slowly
17.A. think about B. talk with C. worry about D. laugh at
18.A. Reading B. Seeing C. Saying D. Writing
19.A. fresh roses B. sweet kisses C. gold ring D. beautiful jewelry
20.A. the cotton B. a needle C. the cloth D. a thread
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（≤3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
American English has its own idioms. Let’s say you buy something in a shop. And 1. you pay for it, you say: this cost 2. an arm and a leg! What do you really mean by 3. (say) so? Do you have to give them an arm and a leg? I hope not. Let’s listen to an American English conversation 4. (see) if we can find out what this means.
A: Did you buy that new computer?
B: Yeah, I did. But I 5. (buy) it.
A: Why do you say so? Is there anything wrong with it?
B: Not exactly, but , as a matter of fact, it cost the way more than I 6. (expect) it to be.
A: 7. did you pay for it?
B: Let me just tell you it cost an arm and a leg.
When you say in American English that something costs an arm and a leg, it actually means that 8. price is very, very high, much 9. (high)than we can expect. If you use this idiom in the United States, everyone will understand you. But this is a(n) 10. phrase, so don’t use it in a formal business setting.
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“\”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次;
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last Sunday morning, where I was having a walk in the park near my home, I came across many people make a new film with one of my favorite actor. I didn’t have my camera with me at that time, but I rushed back home to get one. Unfortunately, by the time I got back, they had finished the scene and the actor couldn’t be seen everywhere. I was really disappointing and about to leave when he walked out a building. He was right there in the front of me! I couldn’t believe my luck——not only did I had my photo taken with him, but he signed his name on my shirt!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
微电影(micro movie) 是最近很流行的一种网络电影形式。请你根据以下提示写一篇介绍微电影的英语短文，向某英语杂志投稿。要点如下：
1. 放映时间短（几分钟至半小时左右）；
2. 制作周期短（一天至一周左右）；
3. 资金投入少（1万元以下）；
4. 主题宽泛，故事情节完整；
5. 可在手机、平板电脑上播放。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 参考词汇：繁荣boom; 拍摄shoot(shot, shot); 平板电脑 tablet PCs
难度: 中等查看答案及解析