WHEN there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust?
According to a new study in the online PLOS One, people make their decisions to trust others largely based on their faces. Your appearance can do a lot for you, especially if you are in the financial industry. The more trustworthy you look, the more likely people will buy what you’re selling.
Researchers from Britain’s University of Warwick Business School, University College London, and Dartmouth College, US, did a number of experiments.
The research team used computer software to make 40 faces, from the least to the most trustworthy-looking.
The study said that the difference between a trustworthy face and one that isn’t as trustworthy comes from features that look slightly angry or slightly happy, even when the face is at rest. However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted.
Researchers gave participants some money and asked them which face they trusted to invest the money for them. Then researchers gave some good and bad information about the people with these faces, and asked the participants again whom they trusted.
The results showed that even if they got different information, the participants didn’t change their choices. They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces.
Chris Olivola, one of the study’s authors, said in the University of Warwick’s press release: “It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts (本能) about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them. The temptation (誘惑) to judge strangers by their faces is hard to resist.”
【小題1】Which of the following can be a proper title for this passage?

A．What kind of face do you trust?

B．Who did the experiments?

C．Why do you trust him or her?

D．Why did they do the experiments?

【小題2】According to the study, which of the following faces is most likely to be trusted?

A．A sad face.	B．A smiling face.
C．A crying face.	D．An angry face.

【小題3】Which of the following about the experiment is TRUE?

A．The trustworthy faces were given good information.

B．Researchers took photos of the 40 people’s faces in college.

C．Most participants gave their money to the trustworthy-looking faces.

D．Participants liked to choose the faces with good information.

【小題4】What did the researchers learn from their experiment?

A．People can’t refuse temptations.

B．People always do things with their instincts.

C．People often judge strangers by their faces.

D．People don’t trust strangers with sad faces.

A survey reveals that employees in China say they are not engaged in their jobs. Judging by the survey data, many Chinese workplaces are black holes of misery and despair.
Only 6% of Chinese employees said they are "engaged" in their jobs, according to a global Gallup survey released this month. China's numbers equal the numbers out of war-weary（厭戰(zhàn)的） Iraq.
Workers across all income levels and industries were surveyed by Gallup in China, defined by Gallup to mean they were "psychologically committed to their jobs and likely to be making positive contributions to their organizations".
Out of 94 countries polled, only six countries scored lower rates of job engagement than China, including Tunisia, Israel and Syria. Unsurprisingly, 0% of Syrians admitted to being engaged at work.
In a related survey, China ranked near the bottom in a poll measuring job satisfaction among 22 Asian countries. Only 49% of Chinese respondents said they were happy in their jobs.
Part of the problem, I suspect, is that very few in China have the luxury to pursue a career that truly interests them.
Even university graduates often feel they have no choice but to choose the positions with the government or state-run enterprises, since those jobs are thought to be stable.
That makes those who are happy at work in China a rare find indeed.
【小題1】What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．The people in Israel are not engaged in their jobs.

B．People in Syria are more engaged at work than the Chinese.

C．Most Chinese people are happy in work.

D．China ranked the top in the job engagement.

【小題2】What is the meaning of the underlined word “l(fā)uxury” in Paragraph 6?

A．happiness

B．dream

C．willing

D．courage

【小題3】According to the author, why most Chinese dislike their jobs?

A．Because they don’t take the jobs they really like

B．Because many Chinese workplaces are full of misery and despair.

C．Because they have no choice but to choose the stable jobs.

D．Because they are not psychologically committed to their jobs.

【小題4】Which of the following jobs are the university graduates nowadays more likely to choose?

A．Lawyers	B．Civil Servants (公務(wù)員)
C．self-made men	D．Doctors

It is pretty much a one-way street．While it may“be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world，there is very little traffic in the opposite direction．Pay has always been the biggest deterrent，as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job．For some industrial scientists，however, the attractions of academia（學(xué)術(shù)界）outweigh any financial considerations．
Helen Lee took a 70％cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge．Her main reason for returning to academia halfway was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions．Some areas of research have few chances of a commercial return，and Lee’s is one of them．
The powerful effect of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of an occupation．Guy Grant，now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge，spent two years working for a medicine company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher．He took a 30％salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities．
Higher up the ladder，where a pay cut is usually more significant，the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition（轉(zhuǎn)換）to academia more attractive，according to Lee．Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not，such as how to build a multidisciplinary team，manage budgets and negotiate contracts（合同）．They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate，says Lee，perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development．“Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic occupation．So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent a11 their time on a narrow research project．”
【小題1】The underlined word“deterrent”in Paragraph 1 most probably refers to something that

A．helps to move the traffic	B．a(chǎn)ttracts people’s attention
C．keeps someone from taking action	D．brings someone a financtal burden

【小題2】What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her j ob halfway?

A．Flexible work hours．	B．Her research interests．
C．Chances of academic accomplishments	D．Her preference for the lifestyle at university

【小題3】Why did Guy Grant choose to work as a researcher at Cambridge?

A．To do financially more rewarding work．

B．To raise his status in the academic world．

C．To enjoy better intellectual opportunities．

D．To gain more experience in medical research．

【小題4】What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?

A．Suit its research to practical applications．

B．Develop its students’potential in research．

C．Help it obtain financial support from industry．

D．Increase its graduates’competitiveness in the j ob market．

Online grocery shopping was counted as the next great innovation to make our lives easier. In China more than 3,000 websites offer the service, but none have turned a profit.
Xiang Nian has had a hard day at the office but at least she can skip the trip to the grocery store. A text message on her phone lets her know the order she placed earlier in the day has been delivered to a locker outside her apartment.
"It’s really convenient for an office worker like me. My fresh products are waiting for me when I get home and can start cooking. No need to go to the supermarket any more," Xiang says.
One of the largest online supermarkets in Wuhan is Just-easy Fresh Produce. Over the past 3 years, the company has developed its online retail grocery business by guaranteeing fresh produce and an innovative delivery system. They've installed thousands of lockers in communitieshttp:// / around downtown Wuhan.
"We get an average of 8,000 orders per day. That's the most in China, I'm proud of it. We have placed over 20 thousand lockers in more than half of the communities in Wuhan and we plan to expand to all of them. Many e-commerce giants, like Taobao, are talking about cooperation with us," Jie Xiaofeng, manager of Wuhan Just-easy Agricultural Science & Technology Co., says.
While Just-easy may have thousands of customers, a staff of almost 300 and 40 delivery trucks, it's still operating in the red.
"There are over 3,000 companies selling fresh products online in China. But none is making a profit. It will take them at least 3 years before they make a profit. The major challenge is the cost of delivery. But they do have many advantages. The price of their goods is lower than the supermarkets," professor He Dehua at Huazhong Agricultural University, says.
A number of China's e-commerce giants are making moves into online grocery sales, with Taobao opening an online platform it calls "Cainiao". And traditional retailers(零售店) including Wal-Mart and Carrefour are also looking to start selling their produce online.
Many big B2C e-commerce players usually take fresh farm produce as the last category to add to their offerings. But now more and more large businesses have set their eyes on the industry. They want to prove the fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.
【小題1】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The online grocery shopping is making our life easier.

B．Just-easy Fresh Produce is a pioneer of the online retail grocery business.

C．Conventional retailers are facing challenges.

D．None of the online grocery supermarkets has made a profit.

【小題2】The underlined part “it's still operating in the red” probably means _______.

A．the present situation of the company makes them angry

B．the company is not making a profit

C．the company is very popular with customers

D．the staff of the company are aggressive

【小題3】What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．The fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.

B．Fresh farm produce is the last category that people will buy online.

C．Online grocery sales have drawn the attention of e-commerce giants.

D．Traditional retailers choose to sell their produce on Cainiao.

【小題4】What’s the author’s attitude towards online grocery shopping?

A．Pessimistic.

B．Indifferent.

C．Objective.

D．Supportive.

“How to Train Your Dragon” by British author Cressida Cowell is one of the best pieces of children’s literature. A child can make a whole alternative universe with a vivid imagination and Toothless, the hero’s hunting dragon, thus turning a rainy day into an adventure of a lifetime. However, if you have never read the book but instead choose to see the film version, you might think you were seeing a new-age war movie meant for adults rather than children.
Let’s look at “Where the Wild Things Are” for further discussion. The story centers around a lonely eight-year-old boy named Max, who sails away to an island. Creatures living there declare Max their king.
What an amazing piece of children’s literature! A treasure for every child’s library. Yet, children were crying in the movie theatre. Owls were falling from the sky, chicken’s arms were being torn off, and a child was running around a dark abandoned world fighting evil as the only human. It was almost as if Hollywood could not imagine children enjoying a movie for its basic literature content. Hollywood might be right. But more and more its audiences are complaining that there is an increased amount of violence in children’s stories today than in the past.
While there appears to be a trend in our society to make more violence more accessible to younger children, books and literature are generally an exception. I truly believe that children’s literature has become more vivid, and more colorful. This is a great treasure for the children, and is certainly not violent. What has changed the children’s stories of today is not the writers, but the film industry. In some way, children’s literature is just being strangely twisted. I wonder how much influence the author have over this.
【小題1】The Text is mainly about ________.

A．two good books for children

B．how a book is adapted into a film

C．whether children should go to movies

D．whether children’s literature is getting more violent

【小題2】It can be inferred that the film “Where the Wild Things Are” is _______.

A．moving

B．frightening

C．interesting

D．a(chǎn)mazing

【小題3】According to the text, the author thinks that ________.

A．the film industry’s treatment of children’s literature is wrong

B．writers should provide more colorful works for children

C．there is an increase in violence in children’s literature

D．children should read books rather than see films.

【小題4】How does the text mainly develop?

A．By inferring.	B．By giving explanations.
C．By providing examples.	D．By making comparisons.

If you live in America in the 21^st century you'll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. It's become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing: “Busy!” “Crazy busy!”. It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:“ That's a good problem to have, ”or“ Better than the opposite.”
Notice it isn't generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs who tell you how busy they are. What those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted! Dead on their feet. It's almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed work and obligations they've taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they've “encouraged” their kids to participate in. They're busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they're addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence.
Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren't either working or doing something to promote their work. It's something they have chosen. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保證），a measure against emptiness, obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.
Idleness is not just a vacation. It is as necessary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration.” Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do”, wrote Thomas Pynchon. Archimedes' “Eureka” in the bath, Newton's apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.
【小題1】When many Americans say “Crazy busy”, they mean______.

A．they are really tired of their present situation

B．they are really proud of their present life

C．they are complaining about their current work

D．their life are full of all kinds of problems

【小題2】The writer mentions Archimedes'“Eureka” and Newton's apple to show that________.

A．history is full of interesting stories

B．Archimedes and Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveries

C．people may get inspiration when they are idle

D．inspirations come from hard work

【小題3】The word “its” in the second paragraph refers to_________________.
ambition      B. anxiety         C. busyness        D. dread
【小題4】From the article, we can infer that ___________________.

A．generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busy

B．“Dead on their feet” means “being tired out”

C．a(chǎn)ll the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivation

D．The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness

Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras, DVD players and laptops. Teachers can e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin(公告，告示) boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse.
Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism classes, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive(富有哲理的) essays, but we also discuss college basketball, the war in Iraq and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the necessary link between teachers and students that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace.
A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply, “It doesn't matter because I'm quitting school anyway.” Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my different opinion and my “value of a high school education” lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We’d cared about him finishing school.
Recently, I saw this former student working at a local Italian restaurant. I told him again how proud I was of him. He said that he was hoping to go back to school to become a certified electrician. I encouraged him to get that training.
Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process—the human one.
【小題1】The first paragraph mainly talks about _____________.

A．the variety of modern teaching methods.

B．the wide use of modern technology in education

C．the importance of teacher-parent relationship.

D．the importance of using modern technology.

【小題2】The underlined word “ compassionate” in Para 5 means ____________.

A．a(chǎn)mbitious

B．knowledgeable

C．sympathetic

D．generous

【小題3】According to the text, the most important element in education is _________.

A．teachers’ good instruction	B．a(chǎn)dvanced technology
C．teachers’ encouragement	D．personal connection

【小題4】The author states his view of education by __________.

A．example

B．description

C．figure

D．Comparison

Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
【小題1】More than 215 million people call America “home” because          .

A．they buy their houses there	B．they settle there now
C．they get married there	D．they were born there

【小題2】“Side-by-side” living style means       .

A．making friends with native people

B．the groups of people who live nearby

C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas

D．that they get closer to American society

【小題3】According to the passage, people in the USA       .

A．share American customs and culture

B．1ive in a kind of “side-by-side'' society

C．keep their own customs and habits firmly

D．make no choice to accept American customs

【小題4】Which of the following statements is true?

A．They always stick to their own customs and habits.

B．“Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable.

C．They face the society they are not familiar with.

D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.

【小題5】Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?

A．Advantages and Disadvantages.

B．Different Customs and Habits.

C．Home for the People

D．“Side—by—side”Living Style in America.

If you haven’t seen or heard anything about Road Rage in the last few months, you’ve probably been avoiding the media. There have been countless stories about this new and scary phenomenon, considered a type of aggressive driving. You have most likely encountered aggressive dnriving or Road Rage recently if you drive at all.
While drunk driving remains a critical problem，the facts about aggressive driving are surely as disturbing. For instance，according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, 41，907 people died on the highway last year．of those deaths,the agency estimates that about two-thirds were caused at least in part by aggressive driving behavior．
Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now and why is it something that seemed almost nonexistent a few short years ago?Experts have certain theories，and all are probably partially correct．One suggestion is over crowding．In the last decade，the number of the cars on the roads has increased by more than 11 percent，and the number of miles driven has increased by 35 percent．However,the number of new road miles has only increased by 1 percent．That means more cars in the same amount of space；and the problem is even serious in urban areas．Also，people have less time and more things to do．With people working and trying to fit extra chores and activities into the day，street levels have never been higher．Stress creates anxiety,which leads to short tempers．These factors，when combined in certain situations，Can induce Road Rage.
You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively，but you might be surprised．For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a slower driver,sounded the horn long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing?If you recognize yourself in any of these situations，watch out!
Whether you are getting angry at other drivers，or another driver is visibly upset with you，there are things you can do to avoid any major conflict.If you are easily influenced to Road Rage，the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way.If You are the target of another driver’s rage，do everything possible to get away from me other drive safely，including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way． www.sdzxlm.com
【小題1】What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Most people are angry at media reports and want to avoid them

B．Most drivers have bad manners

C．Road Rage has received much media attention in the past few months

D．People showing no interest in the media know little about recent happenings

【小題2】According to the passage，what are the causes of overcrowding?

A．Stress，anxiety and short tempers．

B．People working together in a big city．

C．More cars stopping in the same amount of space

D．Quickly increasing cars and slowly increasing new road miles

【小題3】The underlined“induce”in Paragraph3 Call be replaced by“

A．relax

B．cause

C．reduce

D．destroy

【小題4】Which of the following is“aggressive driving”?

A．Phoning while driving．

B．Driving at a low speed．

C．Shouting loud at another driver．

D．Sounding the horn when driving．

【小題5】What does the writer want to tell US by writing the last paragraph?
A．Flow to control our anger
B．How to deal with Road Rage．
C，How to recognize aggressive drivers．
D．How to avoid eye contact with other drivers．

In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
　　The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士氣). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補(bǔ)地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
【小題1】In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A．tear many troubled families apart

B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C．contribute to enduring family ties

D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family

【小題2】In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.

A．starting a new family would be hard

B．they expected things would turn better

C．they wanted to better protect their kids

D．living separately would be too costly

【小題3】In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A．Mounting family debts

B．A sense of insecurity

C．Falling housing prices

D．Difficulty in getting a loan

【小題4】What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A．It will irreparably damage their relationship

B．It will undermine their mutual understanding

C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds

D．It will force them to pull their efforts together

【小題5】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships

C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage