Most people agree that it’s important to have a sense of humour. Having the ability to laugh can help one overcome anxiety, and make better decisions in difficult situations. People with a well-developed sense of humour appear to be happier, and some are healthier as well. This suggests that having a sense of humour is good for you. Humourless people may find themselves being treated as a fool, and become anxious and upset.
A sense of humour also plays an important role in human relationships. However, not everyone has a sense of humour. People with developmental disabilities (发展性能力丧失) can sometimes have no sense of humour, or have a very strange one.
A number of factors affect a person’s sense of humour, with the age probably being the main one. Young children are often highly amused by simple jokes or shows, while teenagers prefer to enjoy the ironic (讽刺的) events. Educational level, culture, and religious faith also affect one’s sense of humour. While Christians, for example, may have a deep appreciation of jokes about the Bible, others may find them disrespectful.
Many people believe that a sense of humour is something that develops on its own, and that you cannot teach someone to understand why jokes, certain comments, situations or events are funny. However, things can be done to enhance one’s sense of humour. Children, for example, benefit from being told jokes and encouraged to laugh, although some children’s jokes might seem rather strange to adults. If you have children, try to encourage them to tell jokes and think about what makes things funny. And it will help them develop a sense of humour.
【小题1】The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．explain what influences a person’s sense of humour

B．tell readers the importance of being healthy

C．explain how to make better decisions

D．tell readers how to understand jokes

【小题2】What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 "enhance" probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Reduce.

C．Improve.

D．Prevent.

【小题3】According to the passage, which of the following doesn’t influence one’s sense of humour?

A．Culture.	B．Age.
C．Educational level.	D．Family backgrounds.

Are you tired of looking for love in all the usual places? Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead．The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker．With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and Match．com are helping singles find that special someone．Around the world, from America to China, love is now very much online．

       Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other．Using dating sites is quick and convenient．They can “meet” a lot more people online than they could by hanging out at a club．Besides , many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else．They also appreciate the first distance of online dating, which allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face．Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in．In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be awkward．

       Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems．People aren’t always who they claim to be in their online profiles．For instance, someone who tells you he is “handsome, successful and single” might turn out to be homely, unemployed and married．Safety is another concern．You are just as likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr or Miss Right．

       Even so, supporters of online dating see things in a positive way．In their opinion, singles can safely play the online dating game with a little common sense．Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:

       Guard your personal information．Never give out your personal information online．This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work．

       Watch for red flags．Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!

       Meet in a safe place．When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around．

       Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams．

1.According to the passage, many lonely singles don’t appreciate the regular dating scene because it is ___．

       A．unpopular　　　    B．troublesome    C．convenient　    D．forgettable

2.This passage is mainly about 　　．

       A．getting tired of falling in love in a usual way

       B．people with false information on the Internet

       C．new technology to find love through the Interent

       D．web sites such as Yahoo Personals and Match．com

3.Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time according to the text?

       A．At his/her house．　　　　　      B．At a museum．

       C．At McDonald’s．　　    D．At a bookstore．

4.From this passage ,we can infer that 　　．

       A．there are mostly homely and unemployed people online

       B．the police had better find criminals online

       C．we can find love only through the dating sites

       D．following safety tips ensure a safe online dating experience

 

As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partly because most people who set realistic goals actually work more efficiently, and put more effort, to achieve those goals.
What’s far less understood by scientists, however, are the potentially harmful effects of goal-setting. Newspapers convey daily accounts of goal-setting widespread in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on how the long-advocated practice of setting goals may have contributed to the current economic crisis, and immoral behavior in general.
“Goals are widely used and promoted as having really beneficial effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to put more effort in a constructive way could also motivate people to be more likely to engage in immoral behaviors,” says Maurice Schweitzer, an associate professor at Penn’s Wharton School. His paper, titled “Goals Gone Wild: The Systematic Side Effects of Over-Praised Goal Setting,” appears in the February issue of the Academy of Management Perspectives.
“It turns out there’s no financial benefit to just having a goal---you just get a psychological benefit” Schweitzer says. “But in many cases, goals have financial rewards that make them more powerful.”
A major example Schweitzer and his colleagues give is the 2004 breakdown of energy-trading giant Enron( 德国安然公司), where managers used financial rewards to motivate salesmen to meet specific goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is that the actual trades were not profitable. 
Other studies have shown that burdening employees with unrealistic goals can force them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears（西尔斯公司）placed a sales quota (销售限额) on its auto repair staff. It inspired employees to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs on a companywide basis.
Schweitzer admits his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that praises the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have argued with his team’s use of such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-praised.
In a rebuttal (反驳) paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes: “Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot grow without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can grow without goals to provide a sense of purpose.”
But Schweitzer argues the “evidence” linking goal-setting and harmful behavior should be studied to help draw attention to issues that deserve attention and further investigation. “Even a few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh many positive effects,” he says.
The debate is likely to get heated on in future papers, and the practice of setting goals no doubt will continue. For now, though, the lesson seems to be to put more thought into setting goals.
“Goal-setting does help motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful management, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harmful to the organization,” Schweitzer says.
【小题1】What does Maurice Schweitzer want to show by mentioning the example of Enron?

A．Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success.

B．Businesses are likely to succeed without realistic goals.

C．Companies are certain to meet specific goals with financial rewards.

D．Goals with financial rewards have strong motivational power.

【小题2】How did Sears’ goal-setting affect its employees?

A．They had to work more hours to increase their sales.

B．They competed with one another to attract more customers.

C．They turned to immoral practice to reach their goals.

D．They improved their customer service on a companywide basis.

【小题3】The underlined words “runs counter to” (Paragraph 7) can be replaced by ________.

A．agrees with

B．goes against

C．fits in with

D．applies to

【小题4】What is Edwin Locke’s argument against Schweitzer?

A．The practice of setting goals only helps people to develop.

B．Goal-setting is of no use motivating people to accomplish their tasks.

C．The positive effects of goal-setting outweigh its negative effects.

D．Studying goal-setting can contribute to successful business practices.

【小题5】According to the passage, the author tries to convey ___________.

A．the goals that most people set are unrealistic.

B．all people can improve their work quality by setting goals.

C．setting goals can provide people with a sense of purpose.

D．people should not ignore the negative effects of goal-setting.

In some cities , workaholism（废寝忘食工作）is so common that people don’t consider it unusual . They accept the lifestyle as      36     . Government workers in Washington , D. C. , 37      , frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week . They don’t do this because they have to ; they do it because they       38    to . Workaholism can be a     39      problem . Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else , they      40     have no idea of how to relax ; that is , they might not     41      movies , sports , or other types of entertainment . Most of all , they     42      to sit and do nothing . The lives of workaholics are usually stressful , and this tension（紧张）and worry can cause      43     problems such as heart attacks and stomach diseases .     44     , typical workaholics don’t pay much attention to their families . Their marriages may end in      45     as they spend little time with their families .

Is workaholism      46     dangerous ? Perhaps not . There are , certainly , people who work      47     under stress . Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in work . They feel     48      is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy . For most workaholics , work and entertainment are the same thing . Their jobs      49     them with a challenge ; this keeps them busy and creative .

     50     do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much ? There are several      51     to work . Of course , it provides people with paychecks , and this is important . But it offers     52      financial security . It provides people with self-confidence（自信心）; they have a feeling of satisfaction       53    they have produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say “I      54     it” . Psychologists （心理学家）claim that their work gives people an identity （自身价值）. After they take part in work , they     55      a sense of self and individualism .

36．A．strange                  B．boring                   C．pleasant                 D．normal

37．A．for example           B．on the other hand    C．what’s more           D．after all

38．A．agree                     B．promise                 C．dare                      D．want

39．A．slight                     B．serious                   C．obvious                  D．difficult

40．A．still                        B．probably               C．certainly               D．mostly

41．A．afford                    B．enjoy                     C．watch                    D．allow

42．A．dream                    B．decide                    C．intend                    D．hate

43．A．physical                 B．cultural                  C．social                     D．mental

44．A．Therefore               B．However               C．Anyway                 D．Besides

45．A．happiness               B．silence                   C．failure                   D．surprise

46．A．sometimes              B．always                   C．seldom                   D．hardly

47．A．sadly                     B．differently              C．efficiently              D．slowly

48．A．study                     B．family                   C．life                        D．work

49．A．equip                     B．pack                      C．provide                  D．fill

50．A．When                    B．Why                      C．How                      D．Where

51．A．factors                   B．advantages             C．steps                      D．ways

52．A．no more                 B．more or less            C．no more than          D．more than

53．A．when                     B．before                    C．unless                    D．until

54．A．valued                   B．failed                     C．caught                   D．made

55．A．give                             B．lose                      C．get                        D．need

There are many colors in nature. But do you know if a color has weight? I think you’ll say “no”. But I am afraid you are wrong. If you don’t believe, you may do a small experiment.
　　First, put two objects with the same weight into two boxes. Then cover the box. Third, wrap one box with a red piece of paper, the other with a white piece of paper. OK. Now hold the boxes with your hand one by one. It is certain that you will think the red one is a little heavier.
　　Why do you think so? A scientist found that different colors have different weight in a man’s mind. So he did man tests and at last he got the result. That is to say, every color has its own weight in our mind and their order is the same. The heaviest color is red, then blue, green, orange, yellow and white.
　　The scientist told us that colors also have smell. Can you smell the color? Of course not. Then why did the scientist say so? That is because every color stands for a kind of light with a certain wavelength. It reaches our brain through sense organs (感觉器官).
According to this discovery, scientists say that people accept the colors they like, and refuse the colors they hate. So your body and mind will be healthy by using the colors you like. Or you’ll be nervous or even get ill. For example, if you stay in a room with red windows, wallpapers and furniture for two hours, you’ll feel you have been there for four hours. But if the room is blue, you’ll feel you have been there for only an hour. Another example, if a person walks out of a red room and into a blue room, his temperature will fall. That means our body temperature will change with different colors.
【小题1】The purpose of the second paragraph is to tell us ___________.

A．a red box is heavier than a white one

B．a color has weight in one’s mind

C．white paper is lighter than red paper

D．you can know the weight of a color by holding it

【小题2】 Why did the scientist say colors have smell?

A．Because people can sense the light from colors.

B．Because we can smell colors with our nose.

C．Because every color has its own sweet smell.

D．Because every color can give off light of the same length.

【小题3】 If a person walks from a blue room to a red room, his body temperature will ___________.

A．rise

B．fall

C．stay the same

D．change now and then

【小题4】It can be implied from the text that ___________.

A．colors have orders in weight

B．colors can change the weight of an object

C．people would stay longer in a room with red windows

D．colors can affect our mood and health

【小题5】This passage is probably a ___________.

A．book review

B．fiction novel

C．fairy tale

D．science report