As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children." In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is."

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟，姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are that it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event(扫兴的事).”

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

　　A. show the relationship between parents and children

　　B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

　　C. report on the findings of a study

　　D. give information about family problems

2. Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because____.

　　A. they are busy serving food to their children

　　B. they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

　　C. they have to pay more attention to younger children

　　D. they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

3.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children__________.

　　A. have to help their parents to serve dinner

　　B. get the least attention from the family

　　C. are often kept away from the dinner table

　　D. find it hard to keep up with other children

4.Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question_________.

　　A. why TV is important in family life

　　B. why parents should keep good order

　　C. why children in small families seem to be quieter

　　D. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

5.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

　　A. It is important to have the right food for children.

　　B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

　　C. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

　　D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.

 

　Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for yeas. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
　　The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation-for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.
　　The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.
　　Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.
【小题1】How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

A．Talk to friends	B．Just ignore it
C．Go to see a doctor	D．Ask your teachers for guidance

【小题2】"It" in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to _____.
　　A. temporary loneliness                     　　                 B. situational loneliness
　　C. a new place　　                           D sleeplessness
【小题3】The topic of the 4th paragraph is that____.

A．one problem of loneliness is a person's social contacts

B．we depend on various person for different reasons

C．lonely people don't have many social problems

D．lonely people don't have many friends

【小题4】Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems	B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness
C．Chronic loneliness can not be overcome	D．A, B and C are all correct

【小题5】What is the best title for the passage?

A．Three Kinds of Loneliness	B．Loneliness and Diseases
C．Loneliness and Social Contacts	D．Chronic Loneliness

When Debbie Parkhurst choked on a piece of apple at her Maryland home, her dog jumped in, landing hard on her chest and forcing the piece of apple to pop out of her throat. Debbie Parkhurst’s husband, Kevin, was at his job at a Wilmington, Del., chemical firm when she took a midday break from jewelry and bit into an apple. When the Keesling family of Indiana were about to be overcome by carbon monoxide(CO), their cat clawed(抓) at wife Cathy’s hair until she woke up and called for help.
　　For their timely acts, Toby, a golden 2 1/2-year-old dog, and Winnie, a gray-eyed American shorthair, were named Dog and Cat of the Year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Neither Parkhurst nor Keesling could explain their pets’ timely heroics,though Parkhurst suggested it might have been guided by God intervention(干预). “That’s what our veterinarian(兽医) said,”she said. “He wasn’t making a joke; he’s very spiritual, and now I have to agree with him.” 
But both pets were themselves rescued in baby, Toby as a 4-week-old baby thrown into a garbage bin to die, and Winnie as a week-old orphan hiding under a barn, so helpless that Keesling’s husband, Eric, had to feed her milk.
As the Keeslings recalled it, a gas-driven pump spread carbon monoxide through the house. By the time Winnie moved into rescue spot, the couple’s 14-year-old son, Michael, was already unconscious. “Winnie jumped on the bed and was clawing at me, with a kind of angry noise,” Cathy Keesling said. “When I woke up I felt like a T-bar had hit me across the head.”
State police and officers responding to her 911 call said the family was only minutes from death, judging by the amount of poisonous gas in the house.
【小题1】We can know Debbie Parkhurst _________.

A．works in a Wilmington, Del.,chemical firm

B．was making jewelry when she had the accident

C．might have died but for her pet’s help

D．was unconscious when her pet found her

【小题2】Both pet’s heroic acts most probably connected with _________.

A．God arrangements	B．their being once helped
C．their sense of danger	D．their veterinarians’ training

【小题3】Why did Winnie try to wake Cathy Keesling up?

A．Because a T-bar was going to hit him.

B．Because he was hungry and wanted milk.

C．Because Debbie choked something in her throat.

D．Because there was danger in her house.

【小题4】From the passage we can infer that _________.

A．if you love me love my animals

B．all pets are useful to people

C．we can’t never be too careful in our daily life

D．to help others sometimes can get reward

Dog Translation Products Coming to U. S.

A Japanese toy maker declares that they have developed a gadget that translates dog barks into human language and plans to begin selling the gadget——under the name of Bowlingual——in U. S. pet stores and gift shops this summer.

Tokyo-based Takara Co. Ltd. says about 300, 000 of the dog translator gadgets have been sold since it was on sale in Japan late last year. It is forecasting far bigger sales once an English language translation for dogs comes to America in August. The United States is home to about 67 million dogs, more than six times the number in Japan.

"We know that the Americans love their dogs so much, so we don't think they will mind spending $ 120 on this product," the Takara marketing manager said during an interview at a recent pet products conference in Atlanta.

Regarded as one of the coolest inventions of 2002 by Time magazine, Bowlingual is made up of a 3 - inch long wireless microphone that is fastened to a dog collar and sends out sounds to a small console (控制台) that is connected to a database (数据库). The console divides each bark into six emotional types——happiness, sadness, disappointment, anger, threat and desire——and shows common phrases, such as "You're ticking me off," that fit the dog's emotional state.

Takara says it has spent millions of dollars developing the gadget in cooperation with famous sound experts and animal behaviorists.

One thing that does appear certain is that the markets for animal translation products will likely remain a dog's world since Takara has no plans to develop a similar gadget for cats. "They are too unpredictable (反复无常) , " the marketing manager said.

1.This passage mainly tells us that Bowlingual ___________.

A. was invented in Japan 　　　　　　　 B. has developed quickly

C. will be sold in America 　　　　　　 D. sells well for its price

2.The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to ___________.

A. markets 　　　B. products 　　　 C. plans 　　 　　D. cats

3.When was this passage most probably published?

A. In the winter of 2002. 　　　　　　B. In the spring of 2003.

C. In the summer of 2002. 　　　　　 D. In the autumn of 2003.

4.From the passage, we can see that Takara Co. Ltd. is ___________ the sale of its new product.

A. proud of 　　　　　 　　　　　　B. satisfied with

C. confident of 　　　　　　　　　　D. worried about

 

Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered by using the information from the passage.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Learning to improve your focus is difficult, because you are talking long hours a day. However, if you break down your day into manageable time sections, it would be much easier to learn to improve your focus.

Focus, or concentration, is a skill that can be taught, so there are some exercises you can do to improve your focus.

Start with easy exercises like staring a picture on the wall for a few minutes without moving or talking. Once you learn how to block out your surroundings, your focus will improve.

Other mind exercises are internalizing (内化). This is when you imagine yourself in a desired situation, and then you work around your imagination. Actors and singers do this to block all distractions.

If this sounds a little strange, you could try making lists? List the things you need to accomplish for the morning, for the afternoon, and finally for the evening. For instance, if you have a dinner that evening, don’t arrange everything in the afternoon, and give yourself some time to relax before the guests arrive.

Another way to improve your focus is to take breaks. During your breaks, you should allow yourselves a drink or 30 minutes on TV. If you are having coffee breaks in your office, use this time wisely. Don’t spend it with your co-worker talking about problems. Your breaks should be as quiet as possible.

The reason why you lose focus so easily is that you have too much on your minds. Of course, it could also be because you are bored with nothing to do all day. A good balance between a too relaxed brain and an overly active brain is a desirable situation. Improving your focus also mean knowing what you can do and being confident about doing it well.

1.   to improve your focus	●Staring at a picture	Staring at a wall picture for a few minutes    2.    to learn to block out surroundings
●Internalizing	Concentrating on imagining a potentially stressful work place to block    3.
●    4.	Dividing a day into    5.    , and arranging time for relaxation as well
●Taking breaks	Wisely using time to have a drink, watch TV instead of 　 　6.
7.    for losing focus	●   8.   on minds
­­­­●Doing nothing all day
Conclusion	●Being    9.    between extremely relaxed brain and too active brain ●Improving your focus means knowing    10.    and being confident about doing it well.