A 70-year study of personality suggests that pessimism is a risk factor for early death, especially among men.
The study results also indicate that pessimism can be linked to increased risk for sudden death from accidents or violence, according to the report published in the March issue of Psychological Science.
Christopher Peterson of the University of Michigan and his colleagues analyzed data from the Terman Life-Cycle Study, which began by studying California public-school children with high IQs in 1921 and followed them through their life. Most of the 1,528 children were teenagers when the study began. Those still living are now in their 80s. In 1936 and 1940, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to obtain information about difficult life events and their effect on overall outlook. One such question was, “What do you regard as your most serious fault of personality or character?”
Pessimists were defined as fatalistic(宿命论的)people who tend to blame themselves when things go wrong and who believe that one bad event can ruin the rest of their life. They also tend to expect bad things to happen to them and feel that they have little or no ability to change their situation.
Males were more likely than females to be classified as pessimistic. Compared with individuals with a more cheerful and optimistic outlook, pessimists were more likely to die from accidents and violence (including suicide).
A pessimistic personality may lead to poor problem-solving ability, social difficulties and risky decision-making. Taken together, these variables put the pessimist at higher risk of untimely(不适时的) death, say the researchers. Such a person is less likely to avoid or escape potentially dangerous situations, the researchers concluded. “A pessimistic way of thinking in which people worry too much about bad events, predicts untimely death decades later,” according to Peterson.
1.According to the passage, you may be a pessimistic person, if one failure makes you feel________.
A.other people have been unfair to you.
B.other people will help you.
C.you cannot change a bad situation.
D.you can do better next time.
2.According to the passage, pessimists may feel all of the following EXCEPT________
A.helpless when faced with difficulties.
B.cheerful when faced with troubles.
C.hopeless when one bad event occurs.
D.guilty when things go wrong.
3.Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
A.Pessimists believe that everything in life depends on fate.
B.There are more pessimists among women than among men.
C.Most pessimists will end up committing suicide.
D.All pessimists will eventually die from accidents.
4.The Terman Life-Cycle Study is a research program that studies________.
A.people over 70 years old.
B.people since their childhood.
C.pessimistic people over 80 years old.
D.only younger people.
5.The analysis made by Christopher Peterson and his colleagues shows that pessimistic people________
A.will die from violence if they learn to be optimistic.
B.will more likely die from violence than optimistic people.
C.will die from violence because their IQs are low.
D.will die untimely if they are not able to learn to be cheerful and optimistic.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
A 70-year study of personality suggests that pessimism is a risk factor for early death, especially among men.
The study results also indicate that pessimism can be linked to increased risk for sudden death from accidents or violence, according to the report published in the March issue of Psychological Science.
Christopher Peterson of the University of Michigan and his colleagues analyzed data from the Terman Life-Cycle Study, which began by studying California public-school children with high IQs in 1921 and followed them through their life. Most of the 1,528 children were teenagers when the study began. Those still living are now in their 80s. In 1936 and 1940, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to obtain information about difficult life events and their effect on overall outlook. One such question was, “What do you regard as your most serious fault of personality or character?”
Pessimists were defined as fatalistic(宿命论的)people who tend to blame themselves when things go wrong and who believe that one bad event can ruin the rest of their life. They also tend to expect bad things to happen to them and feel that they have little or no ability to change their situation.
Males were more likely than females to be classified as pessimistic. Compared with individuals with a more cheerful and optimistic outlook, pessimists were more likely to die from accidents and violence (including suicide).
A pessimistic personality may lead to poor problem-solving ability, social difficulties and risky decision-making. Taken together, these variables put the pessimist at higher risk of untimely(不适时的) death, say the researchers. Such a person is less likely to avoid or escape potentially dangerous situations, the researchers concluded. “A pessimistic way of thinking in which people worry too much about bad events, predicts untimely death decades later,” according to Peterson.
1.According to the passage, you may be a pessimistic person, if one failure makes you feel________.
A.other people have been unfair to you.
B.other people will help you.
C.you cannot change a bad situation.
D.you can do better next time.
2.According to the passage, pessimists may feel all of the following EXCEPT________
A.helpless when faced with difficulties.
B.cheerful when faced with troubles.
C.hopeless when one bad event occurs.
D.guilty when things go wrong.
3.Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
A.Pessimists believe that everything in life depends on fate.
B.There are more pessimists among women than among men.
C.Most pessimists will end up committing suicide.
D.All pessimists will eventually die from accidents.
4.The Terman Life-Cycle Study is a research program that studies________.
A.people over 70 years old.
B.people since their childhood.
C.pessimistic people over 80 years old.
D.only younger people.
5.The analysis made by Christopher Peterson and his colleagues shows that pessimistic people________
A.will die from violence if they learn to be optimistic.
B.will more likely die from violence than optimistic people.
C.will die from violence because their IQs are low.
D.will die untimely if they are not able to learn to be cheerful and optimistic.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s generally considered that being named as Time’s Person of the Year is a(n)________of one’s success.
A.recognition B.realization C.contribution D.achievement
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.
Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.
The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.
Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.
Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.
In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.
1.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .
A. the number of children born alive
B. the kinds of behavior typical of very young children
C. the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday
D. the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children
2.Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .
A. it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality
B. it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general
C. the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years
D. the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared
3.One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .
A. people live longer in the state of Florida
B. a long life is a burden rather than a blessing
C. it is possible to find a way to live for centuries
D. life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors
4.One can conclude that ________ .
A. the aging process can be stopped.
B. the aging process is inevitable.
C. life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years.
D. the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Studying abroad seems to be a global trend these days. A study suggests that more than two thirds of the students studying abroad 1.(influence) by movies in choosing their universities over the past decade. American movies such as A Beautiful Mind set in Princeton. The Social Network in Harvard, and The Graduate in Berkeley, California are playing 2. important part in attracting foreign students to America. The global3.(succeed) of the Harry potter films is considered as a factor in 4.(encourage) overseas students to come to England. Universities in New Zealand have benefited from The Lord of the Rings effect since it was first released.
Films can also be5.(help) to get through difficult situation. In 2009 there was a sharp decline in Indian students choosing Australian universities 6.some reasons So Prateek Chakravorty, a Bollywood director, 7. graduated from Universities of Technology Sydney, made From Sydney With Love about two Indian students falling in love with some of the 8.(building) of Sydney University. By 2014,the number of Indian students in Australia was rising again.
When universities are competing 9.(fierce) for the attention of overseas students, the cinema screen could be a 10.(recognize) way to attract overseas students. Will you pick universities because of Movies?
高三英语短文填空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
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.
1.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
A. the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered
B. the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise
C. the good enough data has been collected from only one country
D. the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree
2.According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
A. have little time to exercise
B. hate to get regular exercise
C. take more exercise to lose weight
D. exercise more than men in their country
3.The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
A. powerful B. rich C. lazy D. unpopular
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise
B. New Health Discovery
C. Evolvement of Human Beings
D. Benefits of Taking Exercise
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.
1.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
A. the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered
B. the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise
C. the good enough data has been collected from only one country
D. the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree
2. According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
A. have little time to exercise
B. hate to get regular exercise
C. take more exercise to lose weight
D. exercise more than men in their country
3.The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
A. powerful B. rich C. lazy D. unpopular
4. What can be the best title for the text?
A. Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise
B. New Health Discovery
C. Evolvement of Human Beings
D. Benefits of Taking Exercise
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Recently a study,led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University,suggests that nearly a third of adults,31%,are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution,technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr. Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly,people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones,and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously,women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive,compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia,Finland,Iraq and Luxembourg,for example,move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country,with 72% of adults getting too little exercise,and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind,with 69%. In Bangladesh,just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly,six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr. Hallal’s study,compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span as smoking.
1.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
A. the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered
B. the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise
C. the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree
D. the good enough data has been collected from only one country
2.According to the study, women of Luxembourg ________.
A. have little time to exercise
B. hate to get regular exercise
C. take more exercise to lose weight
D. exercise more than men in their country
3.The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”.
A. lazy B. rich
C. powerful D. unpopular
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Benefits of Taking Exercise
B. New Health Discovery
C. Evolvement of Human Beings
D. Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
B
Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners.
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine. Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot.
Researchers from the JKM Technologies Company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study.
They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels.
The study appeared in the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine.
The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running.
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel.
Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come
down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings.
60. How many organizations are involved in the two studies?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six.
61. What can we learn from the text?
A. Most running shoes are designed improperly.
B. The design of high heels is better than that of running shoes.
C. No one will run with running shoes in the future.
D. Both of the studies are done in America.
62. Why do running shoes increase the risk of injuries to runners?
A. They could create stress.
B. They’re too big and heavy.
C. They can affect the way the runners land.
D. Their heels can soften landings.
63. How did the researchers do the two studies?
A. By practising. B. By comparing. C. By questioning. D. By reasoning.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners.
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine (跑步机). Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot (赤脚).
Researchers from the JKM Technologies company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study.
They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels.
The study appeared in the official scientific journal of The American Academy of Physical Medicine.
The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running.
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel.
Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings.
But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot. They say it takes some training. And there can be risks, like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured.
The study was partly supported by Vibram, which makes a kind of footwear that it says is like running barefoot. The findings have gotten a lot of attention. But the researchers say there are many problems in the way the press has reported in their paper. So they have tried to explain their findings on a Harvard Website.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Walking in high heels could cause less serious effects than running barefoot.
B. Two new discoveries encourage people to run in high heels.
C. Running in shoes is partly good to runners.
D. Two new studies prove running without shoes is beneficial to runners in most cases.
2.Which part of our body could be injured if we run in running shoes?
A. Toes. B. Hips. C. Feet. D. Legs.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. The way that we run by landing on the front or middle of our foot could avoid damaging our heel.
B. We should start running barefoot in no time.
C. Running in modern running shoes could cause more serious effects than running in high heels.
D. We won’t be injured if we run barefoot.
4.What is the writer’s attitude towards the use of the modern running shoes?
A. Persuasive. B. Negative. C. Objective. D. Supportive.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析