Compulsive(强迫的)shoppers may have a new psychological excuse to blame for their wild shopping. Psychologists at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand are studying the “shop-till-you-drop” habit as a behavioral disorder similar to compulsive eating. Compulsive shoppers frequently buy more than they can afford or more than they need, and it causes them distress(苦恼).
“It becomes a problem when you are out of control,” psychology lecturer Neville Blampied said. “When you are feeling bad and blue, what do you do? Some people eat chocolate cake and ice cream. Some people take the credit card and go out to the shop.” Bank managers understand the problem because they have to deal with people who have to be persuaded to stop using their cards drawing money.
Compulsive shopping was first discovered in 1915, although it was then known as monomania. Few studies have been done on the problem.
An advertisement in a Christchurch paper, calling for people to take part in an experimental treatment program designed by Mr. Wilson, attracted 10 replies. But the problem, said Mr. Wilson, is “clearly not rare”. He thinks that compulsive shopping should be treated with drugs. “As psychologists we are interested in non-drug treatments for behavioral difficulties,” Mr. Wilson said.
Compulsive eaters or shoppers get a kick from their habit. “Both activities provide an immediate kind of kick and you feel a bit better,” he said. “You have long-term problems, but human beings are extremely good at not seeing long-term problems and are very sensitive to short-term benefits,” he said.
The aim of the treatment was to help people find better ways of managing their emotions. The program, consisting of 10 one-hour weekly lessons and two follow-up treatments, is loosely based on teaching stress management.
“You often have to start to get people to correctly recognize their emotions. Not being able to know what you really feel weakens your ability to solve the problems connected with what’s making you feel that way,” Mr. Wilson said.
1.The compulsive shoppers will go shopping when ______.
A.they have lots of money | B.they are taking drugs |
C.they are feeling sad | D.they win a prize |
2.The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph most probably refers to __________.
A.compulsive eating | B.a new psychological excuse |
C.the study done by Blampied | D.the behavior of wild shopping |
3.Which of the following is considered important in treating compulsive shoppers?
A.Teaching them to manage their money better. |
B.Teaching them to understand their emotions. |
C.Persuading them not to draw money from the bank. |
D.Treating them with right drugs. |
4.When the writer says that compulsive shoppers get a kick from their habit, he means that they __________.
A.feel distressed after their wild shopping |
B.feel better after treatment from psychologists |
C.are better able to deal with stress problems |
D.have a feeling of excitement after shopping |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Compulsive(强迫的)shoppers may have a new psychological excuse to blame for their wild shopping. Psychologists at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand are studying the “shop-till-you-drop” habit as a behavioral disorder similar to compulsive eating. Compulsive shoppers frequently buy more than they can afford or more than they need, and it causes them distress(苦恼).
“It becomes a problem when you are out of control,” psychology lecturer Neville Blampied said. “When you are feeling bad and blue, what do you do? Some people eat chocolate cake and ice cream. Some people take the credit card and go out to the shop.” Bank managers understand the problem because they have to deal with people who have to be persuaded to stop using their cards drawing money.
Compulsive shopping was first discovered in 1915, although it was then known as monomania. Few studies have been done on the problem.
An advertisement in a Christchurch paper, calling for people to take part in an experimental treatment program designed by Mr. Wilson, attracted 10 replies. But the problem, said Mr. Wilson, is “clearly not rare”. He thinks that compulsive shopping should be treated with drugs. “As psychologists we are interested in non-drug treatments for behavioral difficulties,” Mr. Wilson said.
Compulsive eaters or shoppers get a kick from their habit. “Both activities provide an immediate kind of kick and you feel a bit better,” he said. “You have long-term problems, but human beings are extremely good at not seeing long-term problems and are very sensitive to short-term benefits,” he said.
The aim of the treatment was to help people find better ways of managing their emotions. The program, consisting of 10 one-hour weekly lessons and two follow-up treatments, is loosely based on teaching stress management.
“You often have to start to get people to correctly recognize their emotions. Not being able to know what you really feel weakens your ability to solve the problems connected with what’s making you feel that way,” Mr. Wilson said.
1.The compulsive shoppers will go shopping when ______.
A.they have lots of money | B.they are taking drugs |
C.they are feeling sad | D.they win a prize |
2.The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph most probably refers to __________.
A.compulsive eating | B.a new psychological excuse |
C.the study done by Blampied | D.the behavior of wild shopping |
3.Which of the following is considered important in treating compulsive shoppers?
A.Teaching them to manage their money better. |
B.Teaching them to understand their emotions. |
C.Persuading them not to draw money from the bank. |
D.Treating them with right drugs. |
4.When the writer says that compulsive shoppers get a kick from their habit, he means that they __________.
A.feel distressed after their wild shopping |
B.feel better after treatment from psychologists |
C.are better able to deal with stress problems |
D.have a feeling of excitement after shopping |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
There is a kind of shopping that is called compulsive(强迫性的) shopping. Compulsive shopping is usually described as out of control and not reasonable.
How can we know whether we are one of compulsive shoppers? Compulsive shoppers go out and buy things much more often than other people do.They often buy things they do not need.Many times they will spend over their budget limits and get into deep financial trouble.While someone else will think many times if they can afford this or that thing,compulsive shoppers will have no awareness of the boundaries of a budget.They also often hide the things they have bought in order not to be blamed by other family members.They often refuse to admit their problem and cover up their debts with cheat.
Compulsive shopping usually occurs when a person feels sad,lonely or angry. Shopping will not guarantee more love,or cure the hurts,regrets,stress,and the problems of everyday life. Just the opposite, it eventually may make these feelings worse because of the increased financial problems the person has got from this addiction. Some families even lead to a divorce as compulsive shoppers spend a lot of time away from home.
Treating a shopping addiction requires various approaches.The best thing to start with is to recognize the problem by compulsive shoppers themselves. First of all,don’t use their credit cards,and instead, start paying by cash. It might be useful to make a shopping list in order to buy strictly what is needed.And if there is a chance to get attracted, it might help to have just some small money and leave the wallet at home.It is also good to ask family and friends for support. And if after all these people still feel out of control,then it is recommended to seek professional advice or a selfhelp group to deal with this problem.
Title | Compulsive shopping |
________1.________ | Uncontrollable and unreasonable shopping. |
Features of compulsive shoppers | ●Going shopping more often and buying ________2.________things. ●Spending over their budget limits without being________3.________of the boundaries of a budget. ●Keeping what they have bought 4.________ to avoid being blamed. ●Denying their problem and ________5.________ to cover up their debts. |
Possible harmful ________6.________ | ●________7.________ people's feelings worse because of the increased financial problems. ●Causing a divorce. |
__8.__ | ● Recognizing the problem and _9._ using their credit cards. ●Making a shopping list. ●Taking along just some small money. ●Asking family and friends for support. ●Seeking________10.advice or a selfhelp group. |
高三英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Are you a compulsive (强迫性的) spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality. According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems.
Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence. Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage. Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands. In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love. They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love.
People can be addicted to different things — for example, alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television. They are compulsive in their addictions, i.e. they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable. In the same way, according to psychologists, compulsive spenders must spend money. For people who buy on credit, furthermore, charge accounts are even more exciting than money: in other words, they feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy.
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.
It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people’s needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc. in their advertising and sales methods.
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(疗法)” to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money: they give them “assignments”. If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self-discipline in this way: on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave. On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on. On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything. Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying.
1.If you use charge accounts, ______.
A. you pay in cash
B. you pay with credit card
C. you pay less than you should
D. you pay more than you should
2.Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ______.
A. the things they buy are cheap
B. they believe they can balance their budgets
C. they get psychological satisfaction
D. they really need the things they buy
3.Behavior therapy in this case aims at ______.
A. helping businessmen to increase their business
B. helping compulsive spenders to buy less
C. finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy
D. finding out what people will do in front of a bargain
4.The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ______.
A. different things B. their addictions
C. their pleasures D. charge accounts
5.From the passage we can conclude that ______________.
A. how you spend money reflects if you are psychologically healthy
B. money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much
C. compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine
D. all businessmen understand well the psychology of customers
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
一Excuse me,may I have a word with Mr. Jackson?
一I’m afraid he’s not_now.He’s having a meeting upstairs.
A. comfortable B. suitable C. available D. acceptable
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
--- Excuse me, but may I have access to the Wi‑Fi here? I’d like to take some photos of the delicious food and update my microblog.
---- . Here is the key to it.
A. By all means. B. You said it.
C. Allow me, sir. D. Out of the question.
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The expression “a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.
About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria.
The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles (微粒) of silver. The pages can be used as filters(过滤器)to remove harmful microorganisms (微生物) that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it.
Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned.
Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages.
"The idea of classic texts—that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through that part," she says.
Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.
Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project.
1.What do we learn about the book from the text?
A. It sells well around the world.
B. It has pages with several functions.
C. It is about environment protection.
D. It can treat about 100 liters of water.
2.What does the underlined phrase "that part" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A. Classic texts. B. Invention presentation.
C. Exciting discussion. D. Financial support.
3.In which country did not the researchers test the drinkable book?
A. Bangladesh. B. Ghana
C. South Africa. D. America.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Researchers have found a way to save those being ill.
B. Millions of people are in great need of drinkable water.
C. Book pages could provide safe drinking water.
D. Knowledge is as important as drinkable water.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists who discovered a new way of generating electricity from water say they may have come across an alternative source of clean energy to rival wind and solar power.
The breakthrough, which scientists say is the first new way to generate electricity in 160 years, could lead to batteries that use water instead of poisonous substances.
The scientists made the discovery when they were investigating what happens when tap water is forced through extremely narrow glass tubes. Water squeezed down the tubes, each of which was narrower than a tenth the thickness of a human hair, generating a small electric current that ran the length of the tube. To produce a larger electric current, the team tried forcing water through a glass water filter(滤水器)that contained thousands of narrow channels lined up side by side. “When we took a syringe(注射器)of water and squeezed it through the filter, we got enough power to light a light bulb,” said Larry Kostiuk of the University of Alberta in Canada. “The harder you push the syringe, the more electric current you get.”
The current is produced because of an effect in the glass tubes. When they are filled with water, positively charged ions(阳离子)fixed in the tubes are washed away, leaving a slight negative charge on the glass surface. When water is then forced along the tube, the surface repels negatively charged ions in the water while positively charged ions are attracted down the tube. The result is a net flow of positively charged ions that sets up an electric current.
According to Dr Kostiuk, no one has ever thought to use water to produce electricity in this way. “The last time someone came up with a way of generating electricity was Michael Faraday in 1839,” he said. “So this is the first new way of generating electricity in 160 years, which is why we are so excited about it.”
Dr Kostiuk says water batteries might one day be used to power mobile phones and calculators, but admitted that the engineering challenges might make other applications more realistic. “You’d need to be sure it wouldn’t leak, and you’d need to make sure it wouldn’t freeze,” he said.
More likely would be to install the electricity-generating devices where water is already being pumped, such as at city water filtration sites, he said. “It could compete with wind and solar power,” he added.
1.What does the passage mainly want to tell us about?
A. A kind of solar power discovered by scientists.
B. A kind of new energy source found in tap water.
C. The breakthrough to generate electricity 160 yeas ago.
D. A kind of new battery invented without poisonous substances.
2.The underlined word “repels” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. rejects B. identifies C. attracts D. rebels
3.Why were the scientists extremely happy about their new discovery?
A. They were the first to find a new way to produce electricity.
B. They could make an electric current to light a light bulb.
C. Their discovery could be used to invent water batteries.
D. Their discovery was made 160 years earlier than Faraday’s.
4.What can we infer about potential water batteries?
A. They must be used to power mobile phones and calculators.
B. They have some possible disadvantages like water leaking.
C. They would be needed greatly at city water filtration sites.
D. They would be better than wind and solar power.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Children who spend more time outdoors may have a lower risk of becoming nearsighted, new research suggests.
In the study, researchers looked at about 1,900 schoolchildren. The scientists found that the kids who had been instructed to spend more time outdoors over three years were 23 percent less likely to develop nearsightedness during this time than those who had not been instructed to spend more time outdoors. Moreover, among the kids who did become nearsighted during the study, the degree to which their eyesight worsened was slightly smaller among those who spent more time outdoors.
The researchers selected six schools and required the children, whose average age was 7 at the start of the study, to attend one additional 60-minute class of outdoor activities during each school day for three years. The parents of these children were also encouraged to engage their children in outdoor activities after school, especially during weekends and holidays. The other half of the children, from another six schools, continued their usual activity patterns. After three years, 30.4 percent of the kids in the intervention(干预) group had become nearsighted, compared with 38.5 percent of the kids in the other group.
It is not clear exactly why spending more time outside would benefit children’s eyesight, the researchers said. However, some research has suggested that the higher levels of light intensity found outdoors may increase the release of the chemical dopamine(多巴胺) of the eye. In turn, dopamine is known to restrain the type of growth in the eye that is associated with nearsightedness.
Based on the new results, the researchers recommend that children spend more time outdoors because of the potential benefits to their eyesight. However, it’s important to protect kids’ skin and eyes from UV light, which can be damaging.
1.What did the children in the intervention group do during each school day?
A. Continue to do their usual activities.
B. Spend one hour in doing eye exercises.
C. Attend an extra class of outdoor activities.
D. Participate in outdoor activities with parents.
2.What can we learn about the chemical dopamine?
A. It can control people’s growth. B. It can lead to poor sight.
C. It means low levels of light intensity. D. It is good to eyesight.
3.What does the underlined word “restrain” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. recover. B. increase.
C. limit. D. convey.
4.What may be discussed in the following paragraph?
A. How to prevent kids becoming nearsighted.
B. How to protect kids’ skin and eyes from UV light.
C. How to encourage kids to join in outdoor activities.
D. How to design outdoor activities for kids to cure their nearsightedness.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The evolution of the first animals may have oxygenated(供氧)Earth's oceans. New research
led by the University of Exeter challenges the long held belief that oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans was a precondition for the evolution of complex life forms.
The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, builds on the recent work of scientists in Denmark who found that sponges(海绵动物)一the first animals to evolve一require only small amounts of oxygen.
Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, who led the new study, said: "We argue that the evolution of the first animals could have played a key role in the widespread oxygenation of the deep oceans. This in turn may have facilitated the evolution of more complex, mobile animals."
Critical to determining oxygen levels in the deep ocean is the balance of oxygen supply and demand. Demand for oxygen is created by the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean. The new study argues that the first animals reduced this supply of organic matter一both directly and indirectly.
Sponges feed by pumping water through their bodies, "digesting" the tiny particles of organic matter, and thus helping oxygenate the shelf seas that they live in. By oxygenating more of the bottom waters, the first animals actually increased the removal of the essential nutrient phosphorus(磷)in the ocean. This in turn reduced the productivity of the whole ocean ecosystem, lowering oxygen demand and thus oxygenating the deep ocean.
A more oxygen-rich ocean created ideal conditions for more complex mobile animals to evolve, because they have a higher requirement for oxygen. These included the first predatory(肉食的)animals with guts(内脏)that started to eat one another, marking the beginning of the type of food webs we are familiar with today.
Professor Simon Poulton of the University of Leeds, who is a co-author of the study, added: "This study provides a possible mechanism for ocean oxygenation without the requirement for a rise in atmospheric oxygen. It therefore questions whether the long-standing belief that there was a major rise in atmospheric oxygen at this time is correct. We simply don't know the answer to this at present, which is ultimately key to understanding how our planet evolved to its current habitable state. Geochemists need to come up with new ways to explain oxygen levels on the early Earth."
1.The underlined word "facilitated" in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to__.
A. prevented B. promoted C. interrupted D. witnessed
2.From paragraphs 4 to 6, we can infer that__.
A. phosphorus can keep the productivity of the ocean ecosystem
B. complex animals consume the same amount of oxygen as sponges
C. the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean produces oxygen
D. the existence of the first animals marks the beginning of modern food webs
3. From the last paragraph, we can learn Pro. Simon Poulton believes that__.
A. their study gives a new explanation for the high oxygen content in the air
B.oxygen increased greatly in the air as the first animals oxygenated the oceans
C. their study answers the question of how the earth evolved to the present state
D. ocean oxygenation does not necessarily require a rise in atmospheric oxygen
4.The main purpose of the passage is to__.
A. present the view that the first animals played an active role in oxygenating oceans
B. introduce two opposite opinions on how the first animals oxygenated oceans
C.analyze how atmospheric oxygen stepped up the evolution of oceanic animals
D. explain how oceanic oxygen determines the amount of atmospheric oxygen
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study suggests that yelling at children may have consequences that go beyond of beating them.
A. ones B. these C. those D. that
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析