Facebook (臉譜網(wǎng)) friends cannot replace the real thing, say psychologists(心理學(xué)家).
People are happier and laugh 50% more when they talk face to face with friends or via webcam (web camera) than when they use social networking sites, a study has found.
Dr. Roberts, a famous lecture at the University of Chester, said such websites don't appear to help make true friendships. Based on two questionnaires(調(diào)查表), he found there was no link between Facebook use and people with larger groups of friends.
Dr. Roberts, whose work will be presented at the British Psychological Society conference in Harrogate, said, "The bottom lime conclusion is that our relationships are not dependent on the quantity of communication. They depend on quality, and even Skype(一種網(wǎng)絡(luò)即時(shí)語(yǔ)音溝通工具) is better at increasing the quality of our communication than time on Facebook." Even talking on the phone or texting does not make people feel as good as sharing a smile, the research says. The studies suggest quality, not quantity, of communication is the most important for keeping friends for life.
People find the most satisfying relationships come from a small number of close friends, with an outer "ring" of 10 significant others. With these people, it doesn't matter what type of social media you use for communication. But people who want to "contact the world at large" using Facebook can be disappointed because they spread themselves too thinly, claim researchers.
In a third study, Dr. Roberts asked people to communicate with friends face to face or via Skype and keep a 14-day diary. This was compared with communicating via phone, text messages or social networking sites. People communicating face to face on Skype were 50% more likely to laugh, and they rated themselves as significantly happier.
小題1: Dr. Roberts's finding that there was no connection between Facebook use and people with many friends was         .

A．based on questionnaires	B．based on conversations
C．through instant messages	D．through social media

小題2: What is the idea of the fourth paragraph?

A．Most people contact each other online.

B．Keeping a friend for life is not easy.

C．The quality of communication is important.

D．Skype is better at understanding us than Facebook.

小題3: What does the underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph probably suggest?

A．They are too excited to express themselves.

B．They limit their social circle to a small range.

C．They spread their information at a low speed.

D．They lack information to introduce themselves.

小題4: What is Dr. Roberts's attitude towards the use of Facebook?

A．Positive.

B．Casual.

C．Responsible.

D．Unsupportive.

We’re always looking for well-written reviews of books, music, movies, television shows, websites, video games and other products. When writing a review, concentrate on exactly what you liked or didn’t like. Give examples of strengths and weaknesses, be descriptive and provide background information on an author, director, actor or musician, if possible. Find professional reviews in magazines or newspapers and see how reviewers deal with their topic, but be sure to express your own voice in your review.
Grammar Hint for Reviews: When describing a book, movie, album or anything else, use the present tense.
Book Reviews
Discuss an author’s technique, strengths and weaknesses instead of focusing on the plot. Does the story flow? Is there a strong sense of character and place? Did you stay up until dawn to finish it? Is it good reading for teenagers? What influence did it have on you and why? If you’ve read other books by the same author, discuss how this book compares.
Movie Reviews
Think of the major Oscar categories and consider the performances, music, lighting and setting, etc. Do these work together? Did some hold up while others didn’t? If the movie is based on a book, discuss whether one is better than the other and why. If the movie is a remake, compare the film to its original.
Remember that a well-written movie review should discuss strengths and weaknesses. Some readers may not have seen a movie yet, so don’t give away an exciting scene or the ending!
College Reviews
Begin by providing an overview of the college, including location, size and a description of the campus and/or dorm life. Think about all aspects of your college visit. What academic, athletic and after-class programs are available? What are the students like? What makes the college different from others? Every school has strengths and weaknesses. Be objective. Consider what the school has to offer and who might enjoy or benefit the most from attending there.  
小題1:When writing a review, you ________.
cannot refer to any previous review
must express your own views and opinions
must provide some information about the author
needn’t give any examples to support your views
小題2:Which aspects should be included in all three reviews?

A．Strengths and weaknesses.	B．Plot and character.
C．Programs and scenes.	D．Location and description.

小題3: Where can you probably find the passage?

A．In a personal diary.

B．In an official report.

C．In a tourist guidebook.

D．In a popular magazine.

Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武術(shù)).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空閑的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.
小題1: The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.

A．a(chǎn) child’s schedule is too complex

B．a(chǎn)ctivities suitable for kids are limited

C．parents are stuck in numerous choices

D．children always say no to parents’ advice

小題2: What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.

A．children love to stay at school

B．they are popular with children

C．children dislike after-school classes

D．a(chǎn)fter-school classes are of poor quality

小題3: According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?

A．Parents want to make up for their own regrets.

B．After-school classes develop children’s potential.

C．Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children.

D．After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent.

小題4:Which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A．For children’s benefits, the earlier the better.

B．Children’s spare time should be carefully designed.

C．Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past.

D．Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason.,

      A decades-old tradition, illustrated in a modem children's book, links the sweetness of honey with the joy of learning to read.
The grandpa held a jar of honey so that all the family could see. He then dipped a spoon into it and put some honey on the cover of a small book.
The little girl had just turned five. Stand up, little one, "he asked the girl softly.  "I did this for your mother, your uncles, your
old brother,  and now you ! "
Then, he handed the book to her.  "Taste f "
She touched the honey with her finger and put it into her mouth.
" What  is  the  taste?" the  grandpa  asked.
The little girl answered,  " Sweet ! "
Then all. the family said in a single voice, "Yes, and so is knowledge, but knowledge is from the bee that made that sweet honey,  you have to go after it through the pages of a book ! " The little girl knew that the promise to read was at last hers. Soon she was going to learn to read.
This is the beginning of a profoundly moving children's book entitled Thank You, Mr. Falker.
In this book, Patricia Polacco writes of her own passion to read, inspired by the honey on the book. It wasn't until fifth grade that she met her beloved teacher who provided the help that she needed to finally unlock the magic of the written world.
The child learning to read is admitted into a collective memory by way of books. And with the printed words that are active with. meaning,  the child bees acquainted(熟悉的) with a common past which he or she renews, to a greater or lesser degree, in every reading. Much as the author of the book Thank You,  Mr. Falker puts it,  " Almost as if it were magic,  or as if light poured into her brain, the words and sentences started to take shape on the page as they never had before-And she understood the whole thing---Then she went into the living room and found the book on a shelf, the very book that her grandpa had shown her so many years ago. She spooned  honey on the cover and tasted the sweetness---Then she held the book, honey and all, close to her chest.  She could feel tears roll down her cheeks, but they weren't tears of sadness- she way happy, so very happy. "
小題1:The girl who tasted the honey on the book was ______.

A． nearly six years old	B．less than five years old
C．a(chǎn) little more than five years old	D．more than six years old

小題2:It can be inferred from this passage that_______.

A．the girl's mother and uncles were good scholars

B．Mr. Falker helped Patricia Polacco write her book for children.

C．the girl who tasted the honey on the book grew into an artist

D．the honey-on- book tradition has been practiced for many generations

小題3:The book entitled Thank You, Mr. Falker is about

A．the early life of Mr. Falker

B．the magic power of oral words on children

C．Polacco's early experience with reading

D．how the honey on the book makes children feel happy

小題4:The last paragraph implies that the happiness of the little girl came from _______.

A．the ability to read books

B．the honey she tasted

C．the book her grandpa had shown her

D．the collective memory that accepted her

I was standing in the kitchen helping with dinner, asking my mom about my brother's doctor ' s  appointment. They  were  testing  him for  autism(自閉癥 ) .  My  brother, Captain, four  years old at the time, had always been my best friend. We would wrestle, play games and have the best of times together, even though we were far apart in age. My mom told me about the appointment, but ,when she got to the point about the test, she  stopped. I turned around  and  she had tears  in her eyes. I  stared  at her, wishing she would say  something , when  I realized what that  silence meant. My eyes  got blurry (模糊的 )  and  my  breathing  got  very  ragged.  " The  test was positive , sweetheart , "  she said. I broke down, crying.
My mom was trying to cool me down, saying that Captain couldn't see me like this and I had to be a big girl , when the front door opened, and Captain, our three-year-old sister Cali, and  my father came in. I walked out of the kitchen. I couldn't look at him. Everything had just  changed. He was no longer that little baby brother who was just a normal little boy.
We had to move a while later because Captain needed treatment. One day ,I was standing  in the bus line waiting when the " short bus"  came and picked some kids up. The children in  the other line started making jokes about the " retards(智力遲鈍者) "  on that bus and I felt a  strange feeling in my stomach, ,which I had never felt before.
During a band class, my teacher, Mrs. Young, stopped our playing to give us some feed-  back. " Guys ,we ' re playing like the kids on the short bus !  Come on!"  I felt that same feeling I had in the bus line. The entire room was laughing when I raised my hand.  " Yes , Alexis?"  Mrs. Young asked. "I don't think we should make fun of the short bus, because there are a lot of people on  that bus who have great personalities and have the same feelings as we do. And also ,I know  some people on those buses and they are some of the most caring, sweetest, and smartest people , so I would appreciate it if you didn't make fun of them. "
Everyone stared at me. Mrs. Young apologized for the comment and then started the song again.
小題1: What did Alexis think her mother' s silence mean in Paragraph One?

A．There was no chance for Alexis to play games with Captain.

B．Captain was likely to miss the appointment.

C．Captain really suffered from autism.

D．Alexis had to prepare dinner quickly.

小題2: Why did Alexis go out of the kitchen?

A．Because she didn't want to help with dinner.

B．Because she would be much sadder looking at Captain.

C．Because she wanted to play with Captain outside.

D．Because she wasn't willing to meet a sick brother.

小題3:What Alexis said to her teacher can be seen as a kind of         .

A．threat

B．a(chǎn)pproval

C．a(chǎn)pology

D．condemnation

小題4: Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Speaking up.

B．Giving up.

C．Looking .up.

D．Taking up.

     Say you're in the wine store and you want to buy something new. You have nothing to go by outside of the label. Will the label tell you anything you should know? Here's some general advice:
Vintage. This is the first thing we look for ourselves. You don't need to care whether 2001 or 2002 was a better year in the Sierra Foothills. The vast majority of wines at the store are meant to be drunk right away, so you make sure the wine isn't too old, particularly if you're buying it expecting lively, fresh fruitiness. We often see five-year-old Pinot Grigio and two-year-old Beaujolais Nouveau at stores, for example, so as soon as we see that kind of age on wines like those, we know we can skip them and move on(and possibly not shop there again).
Alcohol content. Too many wines have too much alcohol, which leaves them unbalanced. Sure, there are some classic wines with high alcohol levels, but many of today's regular table wines--Merlot, Chardonnay--have levels at 15% or above. Some of those might be terrific, but if we had nothing else to go on, we'd look for alcohol content at about 14% and below.
The more specific the better. A wine that says it's from Napa is probably a better bet than a wine that simply says it's from California. Unfortunately, this will also probably be reflected in the price, so this might not tell you much about value, If you care enough to know a few of famous vineyards for producing high-quality grapes, they might help you make an educated guess about quality.
Old vines. Theoretically, older vines produce fewer, but more flavorful grapes, but the problem is that no one has defined what an "old vine" is, so anyone can put this on the label. Just ignore it.
A phone number. You'd be surprised many small-production wines these days include a phone number on the back and an invitation to call the winerY, which is a sign of a highly personal winerY. We have called those numbers many times over the years and it's amazing how often the winemaker or winerY owner answers the phone.
小題1: The underlined word "Vintage" in the second paragraph probably means "________ " .

A．the place where the wine was made	B．the year when the wine was made
C．the freshness of the wine	D．the label of the wine

小題2:It's better to buy

A．five-year-old Pinot Grigio	B．the wine labeled from older vines
C．the wine from famous vineyards	D．two-year-old Beaujolais Nouveau

小題3: From the passage we Can infer that

A．the wine with high alcohol levels is definitely terrific

B．most wines at the store are intended to be drunk right away

C．older vines have lower production

D．some winemakers keep the promise all the time

小題4: What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Geography.

B．Price

C．Quality.

D．Grapes.

      Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you are a thin  14-year-old boy. That was me in 1940-the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City's Pennsylvania Railway Station.
After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging  passengers. I'd like to join them, thinking, "Everyone else is doing it."
When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. "You give an honest day's   work," he said, looking at me straight in his eye. "They are paying you. If they want to do that,   you let them do that."
I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.
Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possession. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.
Whether you're on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family. if you can't trust one another, there is going to be trouble.
小題1: What can be inferred about the baggage boys?

A．They could earn much, but they had to work hard.

B．Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.

C．They were all from poor families.

D．They were thin, young boys.

小題2: What does the father's advice imply?

A．It is wrong to give more to the passengers.

B．Don't believe them if they are paying you more.

C．Don't follow others to overcharge the passengers.

D．It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy.

小題3: The underlined word "it" (in Paragraph 2) refers to______

A．overcharging passengers

B．pulling heavy suitcases all day

C．paying passengers money

D．working in an honest way

小題4:The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that _______

A．it is a total shared experience

B．it is considered as the most dangerous

C．it does great harm to human relationship

D．it may led to the loss of his sports team.

小題5: It can be concluded from the text that _______

A．his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up

B．working in the sports team was his most important experience

C．he learned much from his shared experience with his team members

D．his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his late life

     What exactly is a Dream Career? I am sure it means different things to different people. You could presently be unsure about what your final job would be. If you have any doubts about what your dream career is, you may know which careers you definitely would not like to do. For example, if you have an interest in art, and do not like math, you most certainly would not be an engineer .If you love art. and have no artist talent ,maybe you would like to be around art instead, as an art curator (館長(zhǎng))
A career related to your passion, bobby, or special interest, is the path to follow in finding your dream job. Try thinking about what things you like to do in your spare time. Many are attracted toward turning what they love to do in their off work hours into a full time job. For example, if you like to put together model cars, maybe you would like opening your own hobby shop, or work for someone who owns one.
Once you find what you arc interested in doing, you can then match this to a career which will be similar to what you are passionate about. What you consider a dream career has to centre around what kind of person you actually are. This is called your Career Personality. What type of person do you consider yourself to be? People are naturally attracted to those things which reflect  who they are as unique individuals. For example, if you are slightly on the shy side, maybe you would like a job where you work on your own. relatively unsupervised ,behind a computer. If you are outgoing, maybe you would like to work with others, and be the supervisor.
All it may take to find our dream career is to know ourselves a little better, trust in our own judgment, and be realistic about what we can attain occupationally: This is how I found what I am doing now.
小題1:What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain what a dream career really is.

B．To offer tips on finding a dream career.

C．To tell us what Career Personality means.

D．To give examples of different personalities.

小題2: Which of the following about Career Personality is TRUE?

A．One should choose a dream career by his/her personality.

B．Choosing a dream career depends on a person's ability.

C．One should choose a dream career according to the reality.

D．One should try different types of careers by his/her ability.

小題3: Which of the following is what we need to find a dream career?
a. Realizing our ability.
b. Believing in ourselves.
c. Having a better understanding of ourselves.
d. Considering the background of our family.

A．a(chǎn), c, d

B．a(chǎn), b, c

C．b, c, d

D．a(chǎn), c, d

小題4:From the second paragraph we learn your dream career has something to do with the
following EXCEPT ______.

A．your hobby	B．your special interest
C．your part-time job	D．your passion

小題5:55. It can be inferred from the passage that

A．a(chǎn) dream job is one that most people are fond of

B．people all want to turn their part-time jobs into full-time ones

C．finding our dream career should follow different suggestions

D．the author's present dream job is chosen by his personality

Recordings of angry bees are enough to send big, tough African elephants running away, a new study says. Beehives (蜂窩)-either recorded or real-may even prevent elephants from damaging farmer's crops.
In 2002, scientist Lucy King and her team found that elephants avoid certain trees with bees living in them. Today,  Lucy wants to see if African honeybees might discourage elephants from eating crops. But before she asked farmer to go to the trouble of setting up beehives on their farms, she needed to find out if the bees would scare elephants away.
Lucy found a wild beehive inside a tree in northern Kenya and set up a recorder. Then she threw a stone into the beehive, which burst into life. Lucy and her assistant hid in their car until the angry bees had calmed down. Next，Lucy searched out elephant families in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya and put a speaker in a close to each family.
From a distance, Lucy switched on the pre-recorded sound of angry bees while at the same time recording the elephants with a video camera. Half the elephant groups left the area within ten seconds. Out of a total of 17 groups, only one group ignored the sound of the angry bees. Lucy reported that all the young elephants immediately ran to their mothers to hide under them. When Lucy Played the sound of a waterfall (瀑布) instead of the angry bees to many of the same elephant families, the animals were undisturbed. Even after four minutes, most of the groups stayed in one place.
Lucy is now studying whether the elephants will continue to avoid the sound of angry bees after hearing it several times. She hasn't tested enough groups yet to know, but her initial (最初的) results were promising enough to begin trials with farmers. She has now begun placing speakers in the fields to see if elephants are frightened away.
小題1:We know from the passage that elephants may be frightened of         .

A．loud noises	B．some crops
C．video cameras	D．a(chǎn)ngry bees

小題2:As mentioned in the passage, Lucy

A．works by herself in Africa

B．needs to test more elephant groups

C．has stopped elephants eating crops

D．has got farmers to set up beehives on their farms

小題3:Why did Lucy throw a stone into a wild beehive?

A．To record the sound of bees.

B．To make a video of elephants.

C．To see if elephants would run away.

D．To find out more about the behavior of bees.

小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Young elephants ignore African honeybees.

B．Waterfalls can make elephants stay in one place.

C．Elephants do not go near trees with bees living in them.

D．Farmers do not allow Lucy to conduct tests in their fields.

Choosing the Right Resolution (決定)
Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.
To reach our goal of losing weight --- the output, we need to control what we eat --- the input ( 輸入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to construce goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I’ll stop having desert for lunch,” or “I’ll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a well-specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.
Recently a new science behind incentives (激勵(lì)) , including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect on output. Fryer’s conclusion was that the intensives for inputs might be more effective because do not knoe how to do better on exam, aside from general rules like “study harder.” Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.
As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it’s easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.
If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a well-specified action-based goal for which you can measure your success easily. Spending less money isn’t a goal because it’s too general. Similarly, if you want to spend more time with your family, don’t stop with this general wish. Think bout an actionable habit that you could adopt and stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.
In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.
小題1:The writer thinks that setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake because _______ .

A．it is hard to achieve for most Americans

B．it is focused too much on the result

C．it is dependent on too many things

D．it is based on actionable decisions

小題2:In Roland Fryer’s research, some students did better than the others because ______ .

A．they obeyed all the general rules

B．they paid more attention to exams

C．they were motivated by their classmates

D．they were rewarded for reading some books

小題3:According to the writer, which of the following statements is a good goal?

A．“I’ll give up desert.”

B．“I’ll study harder.”

C．“I’ll cut down my expense”

D．“I’ll spend more time with my family”

小題4:The writer strongly believes that we should ________ .

A．develop good habits and focus on the outcome

B．be optimistic about final goals and stick to them

C．pick specific actions that can be turned into good habits

D．set ambitious goals that can balance the input ang output