Uh­oh, the new year's just begun and already you're finding it hard to keep those resolutions to junk the junk food，get off the couch or kick smoking. There's a biological reason why a lot of our bad habits are so hard to break—they get deep­rooted in our brains.

That's not an excuse to give up. Understanding how unhealthy behaviors become deep­rooted has scientists learning some tricks that may help good habits replace the bad.“Why are bad habits stronger? You're fighting against the power of an immediate reward. We all as creatures give greater value to an immediate reward than something that's delayed，” says Dr Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Just how that bit of happiness turns into a habit involves a pleasure­sensing chemical named dopamine(多巴胺). It trains the brain to want that reward again and again—increasing the connection each time—especially when it gets the right cue(暗示) from your environment.

People tend to overestimate their ability to resist temptations around them, thus destroying attempts to get rid of bad habits. Even scientists who recognize it find it hard to resist.“I don't like popcorn. But every time I go to the cinema, I have to eat it，” Volkow says.“It's fascinating.”

A movement to pay people for behavior changes may make use of that connection, as some companies offer employees immediate payments for adopting better habits. However paying for behavior turns out, researchers say there are some steps that may help counter your brain's hold on bad habits: repeat，repeat，repeat the new behavior—the same routine at the same time of day. Determined to exercise？Doing it at the same time of the morning makes the brain recognize the habit eventually. If you don't do it, you feel awful. Exercise itself raises dopamine levels, so eventually your brain will get a feel­good hit even if your muscles protest. Reward yourself with something you really desire, Volkow stresses. You exercised all week? Stuck to your diet? Buy a book, a great pair of jeans, or try a fancy restaurant.

20．What's the subjective reason for being hard to break bad behaviors?

A．Some behaviors get deep­rooted in our brains.

B．We prefer an immediate reward.

C．We value delayed gifts.

D．We are all creatures of nature.

21．What does the underlined word “connection” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Pleasure and behavior.  　B．Brain and reward.

C．Happiness and dopamine.  　D．Cue and environment.

22．It can be inferred that the higher the dopamine level is，________．

A．the harder it is for you to break the bad habit

B．the less pleasure you will get

C．the stronger bad habits will become

D．the more you'll want to get a reward

23．Why does Volkow eat popcorn even though he doesn't like it?

A．Because he recognizes the importance of him.

B．Because it is needed for normal growth of the body.

C．Because he can't resist the temptation of it.

D．Because it makes him relaxed to eat popcorn while seeing films.

Some people believe that a Robin Hood is at work, others that a wealthy person simply wants to distribute his or her fortune before dying. But the donator who started sending envelopes with cash to deserving causes, accompanied by an article from the local paper, has made a northern German city believe in fairytales(童話(huà))．

The first envelope was sent to a victim support group. It contained 10，000 with a cutting from the Braunschweiger Zeitung about how the group supported a woman who was robbed of her handbag; similar plain white anonymous(匿名) envelopes, each containing 10，000, then arrived at a kindergarten and a church.

The envelops keep coming, and so far at least 190，000 has been distributed. Last month, one of them was sent to the newspaper's own office. It came after a story it published about Tom, a 14­year­old boy who was severely disabled in a swimming accident. The receptionist at the Braunschweiger Zeitung opened an anonymous white envelope to find 20 notes of 500 inside, with a copy of the article.The name of the family was underlined.

“I was driving when I heard the news，”Claudia Neumann, the boy's mother, told Der Spiegel magazine.“I had to park on the side of the road; I was speechless.”

The money will be used to make the entrance to their house wheelchair­accessible and for a course of treatment that their insurance company refused to pay for.

“For someone to act so selflessly, for this to happen in such a society in which everyone thinks of himself, was astonishing，” Mrs Neumann said. Her family wonder whether the donator is a Robin Hood character, taking from banks to give to the needy.

Henning Noske, the editor of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, said：“Maybe it is an old person who is about to die. We just do not know.”However, he has told his reporters not to look for the city's hero, for fear that discovery may stop the donations.

16．The Braunschweiger Zeitung is the name of ________．

A．a(chǎn) church  B．a(chǎn) bank

C．a(chǎn) newspaper  D．a(chǎn) magazine

17．Which of the following is TRUE about the donation to Tom?

A．The donation amounted to 190，000.

B．The donation was sent directly to his house.

C．The money will be used for his education.

D．His mother felt astonished at the donation.

18．It can be inferred from the passage that ________．

A．the donator is a rich old man

B．the donation will continue to come

C．the donation comes from the newspaper

D．the donator will soon be found out

19．What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Money Is Raised by the Newspaper

B．Newspaper Distributes Money to the Needy

C．Unknown Hero Spreads Love in Envelopes

D．Robin Hood Returns to the City

—John is said to have learned Italian in Italy for five years.

—________ he speaks it like a native speaker.

A．No doubt  B．No problem

C．No wonder  D．No reason

With the aid of the most advanced equipment, new facts about the ancient pyramids in Egypt have recently ________．

A．brought to light  B．made known

C．come to an end  D．come to light

________by the beauty of nature，the girl from London decided to spend another two days on the farm.

A．Attracting  B．Attracted

C．To be attracted  D．Having attracted

—Where shall we have dinner?

—At ________ restaurant has a free table.

A．whichever  B．wherever

C．which  D．what

You shouldn't stay at your office all day；________ nature is good for your health.

A．getting close to  B．getting away from

C．getting along with  D．getting together with

Police can easily recognize your fingerprints by machine，because every person's fingerprints are ________．

A．outstanding  B．regular

C．ordinary  D．unique

Not only________the activity________public awareness of world hunger，but raised a lot of money for the poor children.

A．/; has increased  B．is; increased

C．has; increased  D．/; increased

While our city tries impatiently to change its appearance by tearing down old buildings, more and more citizens are suggesting ways to ________ the historically important architecture.

A．decorate  B．develop  C．preserve  D．a(chǎn)dvocate