Soaping up your hands may do more than just get rid of germs. It may wash away the inner confusion you feel right after being forced to make a choice between two appealing choices, according to a new study. The study builds on the past research into a phenomenon known as “the Macbeth effect” (麦克白效应）.
It turns out that Shakespeare was really onto something when he imagined Lady Macbeth trying to clean her conscience by rubbing invisible bloodstains from her hands.
A few years ago, scientists asked people to describe a past wrong act. If people were then given a chance to clean their hands, they later expressed less guilt than people who hadn't cleaned.
This finding interested W. S. Lee, a researcher. “Anything from the past, any kind of negative emotional experiences, might be washed away,” says Lee.
He decided to test hand washing's effect on one kind of bad feeling：the tension we feel after being forced to choose between two attractive choices, because picking one choice makes us feel that we've lost the other. People usually try to calm this inner conflict by later exaggerating (夸大）the positive aspects of their choice.
He had students rank 10 different music CDs. Then he offered students two of the CDs and told them to select one as a gift. Some students then used liquid soap. Others only looked at the soap or sniffed (闻)it. “Actually, you do not need water and soap,” says Lee.
Later, the students again had to rank all the music CDs. People who didn't wash their hands had the normal response — they scored their take-home CD higher, suggesting that they now saw it as an even more attractive one than before. But this wasn't true for the hand washers. They ranked the music about the same. “They feel no need at all to justify (证明…正确）the choice,” says Lee.
But the effects of it just aren't clear. Schwarz says it’s too soon to know whether people should head for a sink after making a tough choice. He says washing may help decision-makers by cleaning away mental disorder. But perhaps if they don't go through the usual post-decision process of justifying their choice, they might feel more sorrow in the long run.
1.“The Macbeth effect” refers to the fact that ______.
A. Lady Macbeth had a habit of washing hands
B. people feel less ashamed after washing their hands
C. Macbeth knew about the importance of cleaning hands
D. Shakespeare used to wash his hands before writing Macbeth
2.In Lee's experiment, those who didn't wash their hands after making a choice ________.
A. valued their choice more than before
B. felt regretful about their choice
C. wished they had washed their hands
D. didn't care about their choice
3.According to Lee, those hand washers consider justifying their choice ________.
A. scientific B. useful C. unnecessary D. convincing
4.What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?
A. Washing hands is a habit in our daily life.
B. Washing hands is to keep hands clean.
C. Washing hands will help you make a better choice.
D. Washing hands can reduce the stress of decision.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Soaping up your hands may do more than just get rid of germs. It may wash away the inner confusion you feel right after being forced to make a choice between two appealing choices, according to a new study. The study builds on the past research into a phenomenon known as “the Macbeth effect” (麦克白效应）.
It turns out that Shakespeare was really onto something when he imagined Lady Macbeth trying to clean her conscience by rubbing invisible bloodstains from her hands.
A few years ago, scientists asked people to describe a past wrong act. If people were then given a chance to clean their hands, they later expressed less guilt than people who hadn't cleaned.
This finding interested W. S. Lee, a researcher. “Anything from the past, any kind of negative emotional experiences, might be washed away,” says Lee.
He decided to test hand washing's effect on one kind of bad feeling：the tension we feel after being forced to choose between two attractive choices, because picking one choice makes us feel that we've lost the other. People usually try to calm this inner conflict by later exaggerating (夸大）the positive aspects of their choice.
He had students rank 10 different music CDs. Then he offered students two of the CDs and told them to select one as a gift. Some students then used liquid soap. Others only looked at the soap or sniffed (闻)it. “Actually, you do not need water and soap,” says Lee.
Later, the students again had to rank all the music CDs. People who didn't wash their hands had the normal response — they scored their take-home CD higher, suggesting that they now saw it as an even more attractive one than before. But this wasn't true for the hand washers. They ranked the music about the same. “They feel no need at all to justify (证明…正确）the choice,” says Lee.
But the effects of it just aren't clear. Schwarz says it’s too soon to know whether people should head for a sink after making a tough choice. He says washing may help decision-makers by cleaning away mental disorder. But perhaps if they don't go through the usual post-decision process of justifying their choice, they might feel more sorrow in the long run.
1.“The Macbeth effect” refers to the fact that ______.
A. Lady Macbeth had a habit of washing hands
B. people feel less ashamed after washing their hands
C. Macbeth knew about the importance of cleaning hands
D. Shakespeare used to wash his hands before writing Macbeth
2.In Lee's experiment, those who didn't wash their hands after making a choice ________.
A. valued their choice more than before
B. felt regretful about their choice
C. wished they had washed their hands
D. didn't care about their choice
3.According to Lee, those hand washers consider justifying their choice ________.
A. scientific B. useful C. unnecessary D. convincing
4.What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?
A. Washing hands is a habit in our daily life.
B. Washing hands is to keep hands clean.
C. Washing hands will help you make a better choice.
D. Washing hands can reduce the stress of decision.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Kindness and kids just seem to go hand in hand. But 62% of more than 2,600 participants in the NBC News State of Kindness Poll believe that today’s kids are less kind than those in the past. Women(66%) feel about this kindness fall more strongly than men(58%). Most of the participants who feel that way(77%) thank parents caused the seeming lack of kindness among today’s children, with a few thinking that society, schools, or friends caused it.
At the same time, Americans say they don’t put kindness first when it comes to teaching kids values. Among all participants, honesty is taught more than kindness as well as other things like courage, leadership and storing work ethic(道德). But the younger generation—those aged 18-24—think highly of kindness rules. They choose kindness by 10% over honesty as the most important quality to teach kids.
The question of whether kindness is learned or taught—or somewhere in between —causes different opinions. According to the study, Americans have different opinions on whether kindness in something one is born with or needs to be learned and nurtured over time. Slightly more than half(52%) of the participants believe that all of us are born with the ability to show kindness, while 48% believe kindness must be developed.
Parenthood(父母身份) makes a difference to your thoughts on the causes of kindness. Those without kids(56%) are more likely to think that people are born to be kind, while 50% of the participants with kids think kindness is developed.
Also, 51% of dads and 54% of men with no kids believe kindness is something time is born with. Slightly more than half of the moms say kindness must be learned, while 48% believe it is what one is born with.
1.62% of the participants believe that today’s kids are ________.
A. born to be kind
B. taught to be less kind
C. not well educated at school
D. not so kind as kids in the past
2.What do participants aged 18-24 consider the most important for kids?
A. Honesty. B. Leadership. C. Kindness. D. Courage.
3.The underlined word “nurtured” in Paragraph 3 means “_________”.
A. kept B. developed
C. replaced D. protected
4.How many moms in the study believe kindness is what one is born with?
A. 48% B. 51% C. 52% D. 54%
5.What is the test mainly about?
A. causes of today’s kids being less kind.
B. The important qualities of today’s kids.
C. Different peoples opinions on kindness.
D. findings of research on today’s kids’ kindness
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may not realize it, but you are doing much more than just studying when you are at school．School is also the place where you learn to get along well with people．But this is not always easy．What can you do if you just don't like one of your classmates?
If you discover that you have problems getting along with your classmates or friends, the most important thing to learn is tolerance．Tolerance is the ability to realize and respect the differences in others．We cannot change the way that other people do, so it is important to learn to live happily with them．
Tolerance will make everyone get on better with each other．Knowing others constantly makes us understand others' differences．
Something different does not exactly mean that it is bad．Tolerance teaches us to keep an even temper and an open mind．
You need to remember an old saying ,“Treat others how you want to be treated．”You would like to be treated kindly by your classmates, so ________. If you tolerate something, it does not mean that you have to like it．No one is asking you to change who you are or what you believe in．Tolerance just means that you should respect the differences in others and not try to make them change．
It is important to practice tolerance, because it will make everyone's life easier．Learn to accept people for their different abilities and interests．The world is very different, and practicing tolerance in your own school and city can help make a difference．
1.What is the passage mainly about?（No more than 10 words）
.
2.Why is it not always easy to get along with people around you?（No more than 10 words）
.
3.Complete the following statement in paragraph 5 with proper words（No more than 3 words）
You would like to be treated kindly by your classmates, so ________.
4.Why is tolerance important to people according to the passage?（No more than 10 words）
.
5.What does “it” refer to in the last paragraph?（No more than 3 words）
.
高二英语其他题简单题查看答案及解析
Do you find yourself reaching for just one more cup of coffee to get through the day? Are you tired of being tired ? Instead of relying on things like coffee or sugar for energy, get happy by eating more foods that give you energy through nourishment. Here are four foods that can help improve your energy levels.
Hemp Seed
A complete protein, rich in fiber and omega-3s, hemp is a great low-glycemic (低胰岛素) addition to any diet. The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how fast the carbohydrates in food are broken down into glucose (葡萄糖) and how much it will affect your blood sugar. Fiber, fat and protein all lower the GI of a food, which is why hemp seeds (along with nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes)are low-glycemic. Look for hemp seed oil for salad dressing, and hemp seeds to be added into salads.
Soaked Almonds
Raw almonds are nutrient dense, and soaking them releases（释放） higher nutrition potential. Soaking increases vitamin levels and removes the enzyme (酶) inhibitors that slow down digestion. I soak my almonds in water overnight (at least eight hours) and then dry them.
Quinoa
It is 20-percent protein, making it a balanced source of carbohydrates. Even though you feel like you're too busy to make home-made meals, quinoa is a fast food that cooks in less than 15 minutes.
Green Tea
Caffeine from green tea feels steadier and less sharp than the spike and crash with caffeine from coffee. This is likely because green tea contains L-theanine, a kind of acid found in tea that helps promote relaxation.
1.The writer wrote the passage in order to______.
A. introduce four foods making people energetic
B. find reasons why people need some coffee
C. reach for something to get through the day
D. tell people way of keeping fit
2.Why did the almonds get soaked?
A. It helped increase the enzyme. B. It helped unlock the nutrition.
C. It helped make digestion slow. D. It helped lock nutrient dense.
3.From the fourth paragraph we can know quinoa_______.
A. is rich in protein B. includes much fiber
C. can be served quickly D. has less sharp flavor
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tips to Increase Your Productivity
Want to get more done in your day? Of course you do. 1.The good news is that everyone can increase the amount of tasks they accomplish in a day. Here are some tips to help you have a more productive day.
Make a plan for your day. Make sure you know how you want your day to go in advance, even before you start. 2. To work best, create the next day’s plan the night before so that every morning you spend time performing, not planning.
Break large tasks down into bits accomplished easily. Do you have a large project that’s just so big that you keep putting it off? Or maybe you’re just unsure of where to begin, so you put it off. 3.Therefore, you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you check the items of your list.
Always set your priorities (优先事项). 4. Figure out what must be done, do that first and rank the rest of your work according to importance. If you don’t get to the items at the end of your list, it won’t be a big problem, and you can do them another time.
5. If you are the most productive in the morning, that’s when you should hit it hard and do as much as you can. If you work better in the afternoon, take care of some things like emails in the morning and then accomplish the important projects in the afternoon. Keep on top of your work habits, and you’ll be more productive.
A. Reward yourself if you are productive.
B. This can provide you a roadmap for the day.
C. Be aware of when you are the most productive.
D. It’s tough to meet depressed people who are productive.
E. It’s important to accomplish the most important tasks first.
F. A good way is to break the project down into more manageable ones.
G. To stay competitive in any industry, you need to improve your productivity.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Less is more. This is why we say: reduce things by half instead of doubling them, get rid of junk instead of piling it up, slow down instead of . Apply these in your everyday life, and you will find yourself being on your journey to simplification.
When you concentrate on one task, you find you have that you didn’t even know you had. Just imagine: you are at a fair and you have to carry two heavy pigs over 100 yards. If you keep one and then the other, it will take a long time, because one of them will keep slipping out of your hand and . But if you tie one pig in a place, pick up the other, gather all your , make a dash for the finish line, pause for a moment, run back, get the other one, and with great determination, carry the second pig to the finish line, and then you can be sure of success.
The stress of work is now great almost in all occupations. In the modern nuclear family, the stress that would have been shared among all the relatives is now on the individual partner.
If you have the feeling that 24 hours per day is not , then it’s not because the day has too few hours, but because you have too many activities. A simple fact is that people tend to forget. The is equally simple: refuse to accept so many assignments.
“I can handle stress” is regarded as a positive statement. People who can handle stress are given more --- until one day they . Pay careful attention to the that tell you that you are under more stress than you can deal with. These signs come from various of life. You become ill, or your work efficiency .
If you have any of these symptoms, change your life goals and decrease your tolerance of stress. Say openly, “I can’t manage that.”
1.A. bringing up B. taking up C. giving up D. speeding up
2.A. operations B. advantages C. principles D. relations
3.A. appetite B. gift C. energy D. excuse
4.A. grabbing B. pushing C. enjoying D. exchanging
5.A. running off B. turning off C. catching up D. lying down
6.A. labor B. strength C. power D. force
7.A. equally B. largely C. formerly D. mainly
8.A. contracted B. concentrated C. congratulated D. constructed
9.A. proper B. short C. important D. enough
10.A. overloaded B. overdeveloped C. overcrowded D. overslept
11.A. answer B. solution C. problem D. destination
12.A. break up B. break off C. break out D. break down
13.A. phenomena B. signs C. problems D. parts
14.A. qualities B. directions C. aspects D. stages
15.A. improves B. decreases C. increases D. changes
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
October 15th is Global Hand Washing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Hand Washing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for hand washing with soap. The goal, they say, is to create a culture of hand washing with soap. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs. They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas including under the fingernails. Then, rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the chances that people will wash again. It also says that washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea（痢疾）, which is the second leading cause of children deaths. Do remember October 15th-Global Hand Washing Day!
1.What's the best title for this passage?
A.Say no to washing hands.
B.Hand washing: so important—it gets a day of its own.
C.Find out why washing hands carefully is so important.
D.Want to live a longer life?—wash your hands.
2.The underlined word "rinse" in Paragraph 3 probably means .
A.to dry your hands B.to clean your fingers
C.to rub your hands carefully D.to wash away the soap
3.The last paragraph mainly tells us .
A.why washing hand with soap is so important
B.how to wash your hands correctly
C.the dangers of washing hands without soap
D.when we should especially wash our hands with soap
4.In which part of newspaper would you most probably read this passage?
A.Entertainment B.Health report
C.Public service D.Advertisement
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We high school students do have some growing pains, but we can get rid of them 1. (correct) and wisely.2., some of us are upset 3. our body styles and looks. It’s unnecessary and it’s not important at all. We needn’t care about it. It is one’s inner beauty 4. matters. Second, we sometimes seem to be misunderstood by our teachers, parents and classmates.5. (face) with this, we can find a proper time to have a heart-to-heart talk with them, trying 6. (remove) the misunderstanding. Some of us have fewer friends. I think being open-minded and friendly will do you good. Third, we may fall behind others,7. makes us stressed. Actually we can encourage 8. to work efficiently, full of 9. (determine). At last, some of us don’t have much pocket money, so they feel unhappy. Isn’t it strange? So long as we have some, that’s enough. And we can learn 10. to spend money.
高二英语短文填空困难题查看答案及解析
Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks daily in middle-age may raise your stroke(中风) risk more than traditional factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes（糖尿病）, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
In a study of 11,644 middle-aged Swedish twins who were followed for 43 years, researchers compared the effects of an average of more than two drinks daily ("heavy drinking") to less than half a drink daily ("light drinking").
The study showed that:
·Heavy drinkers had about a 34 percent higher risk of stroke compared to light drinkers.
·Mid-life heavy drinkers (in their 50s and 60s) were likely to have a stroke five years earlier in life irrespective of genetic and early-life factors.
·Heavy drinkers had increased stroke risk in their mid-life compared to well-known risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes.
·At around age 75, blood pressure and diabetes appeared to take over as one of the main influences on having a stroke.
Past studies have shown that alcohol affects stroke risk, but this is the first study to pinpoint differences with age. "We now have a clearer picture about these risk factors----how they change with age and how the influence of drinking alcohol shifts as we get older," said Pavla Kadlecová, M.Sc., a statistician at St. Anne's University Hospital's International Clinical Research Center in the Czech Republic.
Researchers analyzed results from the Swedish Twin Registry of same-sex twins who answered questionnaires in 1967-1970. All twins were under age 60 at the start. By 2010, the Registry had provided 43 years of follow-up, including hospital discharge(出院) and cause of death data.
Researchers then sorted(整理) the data based on strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes and other cardiovascular (心血管)incidents. Almost 30 percent of participants had a stroke. They were categorized(将……分类) as light, moderate, heavy or non-drinkers based on the questionnaires. Researchers compared the risk from drinking and health risks like high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. Among identical twin pairs, siblings(兄弟姐妹) who had a stroke drank more than their siblings who hadn't had a stroke, suggesting that mid-life drinking raises stroke risks regardless of genetics and early lifestyle.
The study is consistent (一致)with the American Heart Association's recommended limit of two drinks a day for men and one for women. That's about 8 ounces of wine for a man and 4 ounces for a woman.
Regular heavy drinking of any kind of alcohol can raise blood pressure and cause heart failure or irregular heartbeats over time, in addition to stroke and other risks. "For mid-aged adults, avoiding more than two drinks a day could be a way to prevent stroke in later productive age ," Kadlecová said.
1.Who might be the target readers of the passage?
A. People who have suffered a stroke
B. People who like drinking
C. People who have high blood pressure
D. People who have twin siblings
2.What do we know about the study in the passage?
A. It revealed five related results
B. It lasted for a period of over 50 years
C. It involved the age factor in the causes of strokes
D. It included 11,644 Australian twins as participants
3. The underlined part “irrespective of” in the passage can best be replaced by “_________”.
A. in favor of B. in terms of
C. instead of D. regardless of
4. What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. People without a stroke can drink more alcohol than those having a stroke in middle age
B. There is a higher possibility that heavy drinkers will have a stroke in middle age
C. Drinking alcohol has been regarded as the most dangerous factor in strokes
D. The amount of alcohol taken by men should be twice than that taken by women.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Your friends' lives may look more exciting than yours on Facebook，but new research shows that is because they are faking(伪造)it.
A recent survey has found around twothirds of people on social media post images(图像) to their personal information to make their lives seem more adventurous.And more than three quarters of those asked said they judged their peers(同龄人)based on what they saw on their Instagram，Snapchat or Facebook pages.
The British survey，by smartphone maker HTC，found that，in order to make our own pages and lives appear more exciting，six percent also said they had borrowed items to include in the images in order to pass them off as their own. More than half of those surveyed said they posted images of items and places purely to show off，causing_jealousy among friends and family.
Behavioural psychologist Hemmings said the trend was unsurprising due to the rise of social media.“We're living in a world of instant communication.”she said.“Fashion and style used to live and die in magazines；now people are in search of authentic （真实的），peertopeer recommendations as well，making social media an equal power house to magazines and newspapers.”
“With images being shared in an instant we desire to know what our friends are wearing，or what super stars are buying, as soon as they have got them.” Such is the influence of social media sites like Instagram,76 percent of those asked also said seeing items on social media influences them to buy them，with men more likely to take style advice and buy what they see.
1.How do some people make their lives appear more exciting?
A. By buying pictures.
B. By posting images.
C. By making up stories.
D. By risking their lives.
2.What does the word “jealousy” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A．Envy. B．Conflict. C．Adventure. D．Misunderstanding.
3.What can we learn from Jo Hemmings?
A．The trend reflects the development of social media.
B．Fashion and style no longer exist in magazines.
C．Magazines and newspapers are less important.
D．The trend is beyond people's expectation.
4.Which of the following best describes social media like Instagram?
A．Persuasive. B．Creative. C．Positive. D．Honest.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析