If your recurring(經(jīng)常性的)dreams are worrying you，you can rest assured and needn’t worry.Psychologists say in the vast majority of these cases，this is just the mind’s way of dealing with stress and conflicts，problems and concerns.It’s a good thing. They call be surprisingly vivid and real，or fragmented and weird.They can be comforting or frightening.Our dreams can tell us a lot about what we are really thinking.Dreams give us an x-ray of our unconsciousness(潛意識).They tell us，particularly when we are at life’s passages or turning points. Lisa Oppenheim had the same dream whenever she was about to move to a new home or a new city.It’s always just a feeling of needing to stay safe.Experts say disturbing dreams often occur around major life events.For Lisa，it was moving.For others，it can be marriage or divorce，the death of a loved one or pressure at work. Doctor Siegel has studied the meaning of dream for nearly 30 years.He believes stressful or upsetting dreams can be a sign of what’s buried deep inside our minds. He said.“Dreams are important to survival.They are crucial to the balance of our psyche(心靈).They help us work out problems that we’re having every single day.They go to the cutting edge of what’s stressful，what’s bothering us and what we’re working out in our lives.Dreams can guide us and in order to find that guidance，to find that deep source of wisdom that’s in our dreams every night，we need to pay attention to our dreams.” But many dreams are scary and horrible.How can we understand these nightmares? Doctor Siegel says they are reflecting especially intense emotion or unresolved conflict.The stronger the emotion in the dream，whether it’s pleasure or fear，the likelier the dream is to be important. Knowing what your recurring dreams or nightmares mean can be liberating.Some nightmares can be a sign of serious psychological problems，such as post-dramatic stress disorder.If they are extremely disturbing or violent or the cause of severe anxiety，you should see a professional therapist(治療專家).
1.
By saying “Dreams give US an x-ray of our unconsciousness,” the author means that dreams
A.
do harm to our mind
B.
show us our real mind
C.
solve our stress in mind
D.
give us a turning point in mind
2.
People will have recurring dreams when they_______________.
A.
1ive with great pressure or have great events
B.
do the same things all their lives
C.
move to a new home or a new city
D.
are comforted or frightened
3.
Which of the following is true according to Doctor Siegel?
A.
Dreams play a very important role in the world’s balance.
B.
Dreams help us find out the problems we need to solve.
C.
We should pay attention to every dream we have.
D.
Only the dreams with pleasure are important to us.
4.
How should we deal with the recurring nightmares?
A.
We should remember them because they are important to us.
B.
We can ignore them since they are just reflecting our emotions.
C.
We need to take some sleeping pills to stop this serious problem.
D.
We should see a psychological doctor if they are seriously disturbing
Today, traditional opinions about men still exist. A man has to be strong, brave, sports loving and manly. Anything less would not be considered manly. Sports such as football, basketball and boxing all tend (往往是) to be men’s sports. However, the dance of ballet is considered feminine because it requires nice movements. This tradition is shown in the movie, Billy Elliot. Billy Elliot is a movie that protests against this traditional view of men. Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy that has a natural talent for ballet dancing, but his father will not allow it. Billy’s father wants him to take up boxing and become stronger, but Billy goes against his father’s wishes and takes up ballet dancing. This difference of opinion makes Billy sad. What’s more, his friends also laugh at him. After saving enough money, his father sends Billy to a weekly boxing course; however, Billy doesn’t enjoy boxing because he always loses in matches and is often hurt. His ballet teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson thinks that men or women should not be judged by the activities they like to do, so she tells Billy’s father that although he wants his son to make a good living, he should let his son do what he loves to do because he has a talent for it. When his father finally realizes the truth, Billy is surprised. In the end, with the help of his father, brother and all the people around him, Billy goes to the Royal Ballet Academy in London and becomes a very successful ballet dancer.
1.
The underlined word “feminine” in the first paragraph most probably means ______
A.
of men
B.
of children
C.
of women
D.
of students
2.
Why is Billy laughed at by other children?
A.
He always loses in boxing matches.
B.
He isn’t strong.
C.
He looks like a girl.
D.
He loves ballet.
3.
What do we know about Billy?
A.
His teacher encourages him to take up ballet dancing.
B.
He does well in ballet dancing and boxing.
C.
He does what his father wants him to do.
D.
He has never taken up any men’s sports.
4.
From Billy’s story, we can see that _______.
A.
children should accept their parents’ opinions
B.
we should try to fight against traditional opinions
C.
men and women play different sports
D.
parents should let their children do what they are interested in
For better eyesight, doctors advise limiting the hours of screen time and encourage having enough eye resting time. However, another study shows that sitting in front of computer or TV screens for long hours is not the only reason for myopia（近視）. An Australian research team studied young children in Sydney and Singapore to find the reasons for myopia. The research team found that the prevalence（流行）of myopia among children in Sydney was lower than children in Singapore, even though they spent more time in front of computer and TV screens. The major finding is that children in Sydney spend longer hours on outdoor activities than those in Singapore. Indoor and outdoor sports activities both make the eyes focus on more distant objects, which prevents the eyes from changing shape. But outdoor activities may better help avoid myopia than indoor sports activities. Jane Gwiazda, who does research in sight problems, says: “Natural light is good for eye growth. And extra vitamin D from the sun might contribute to eye growth.” Many doctors suggest that every child get its first eye test done when he/she is about two and half years old, and even if his/her sight seems perfect. It is necessary for myopic children to wear glasses to prevent headaches, trouble reading or injuries. It is also important that schools invite doctors to test their students’ eyes. If that is not possible, school teachers should at least encourage parents and children to have regular eye examinations and wear glasses. And parents should remember not only to limit the total screen time for their children, but also to encourage them to spend time outdoors.
1.
What’s the aim of the study by the Australian research team ?
A.
To find the reasons for myopia.
B.
To find the ways to treat myopia.
C.
To prove the bad effects of myopia.
D.
To prove the prevalence of myopia.
2.
Why are there fewer children with myopia in Sydney than in Singapore ?
A.
Because Sydney children watch less TV.
B.
Because Sydney children have more eye resting time.
C.
Because Sydney children use computers less.
D.
Because Sydney children do more outdoor sports.
3.
What conclusion can we draw from the passage ?
A.
Sydney children don’t study hard.
B.
Singapore children do few exercises.
C.
Outdoor activities do more good to eyes.
D.
Room light does harm to children’s eyes.
4.
Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
A.
Children should have eye tests as soon as they reach school age.
B.
Doing outdoor activities with no glasses is good for myopia children.
C.
Focusing on distant objects can help the eyes keep their original shape.
D.
Children should limit their time in the sun in order to protect their eyes.
There are four types of persons who go to work part-time. These include retirees who want a bit more income or socialization, parents who want to spend more time with their children, college and high school students and temporary agency workers who want more experience. Many people enjoy the advantages of working part-time, but benefits are rarely offered to part-time employees. Most people are hoping for health insurance and retirement benefits when taking a job. Traditionally, companies only offer benefits to employees who work 30 hours or more a week. This is only a 25% reduction in hours, so it doesn’t free up a lot of time for the employee who needs part-time hours. Even when a part-timer is offered health benefits, he is rarely offered paid time off and retirement benefits. Dental benefits are almost never offered to part-time employees. Many businesses hire part-time employees for the simple reason of saving money. If they work less than a certain number of hours, the employers don’t need to pay for benefits. There are companies, however, that are beginning to offer benefits to part-time employees. This includes benefits for health, paid time off and retirement plans. Some companies have begun to offer this in order to take in high quality, trained professionals who just want part-time hours. If a company wants a qualified employee, it will have to compete with other companies. People who may only want to work part-time may be forced to take a full-time job to get the benefits. Companies who offer benefits to part-timers have an advantage by offering more choices to their employees in terms of hours. Conducting an Internet search is probably the quickest way to find companies that provide benefits for part-time employees. Many large corporations like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods offer benefits to part-time employees among other things. Look for companies that offer a team approach to their employees. Employees are given choices and part of decision-making in the business. Businesses that allow employee input are more likely to offer benefits to part-timers.
1.
People prefer to work part-time mainly because they __________.
A.
don’t want to spend more time on work
B.
have so many household and social affairs
C.
hope to have more money, time and experience
D.
only expect to make more friends
2.
From the second paragraph we can learn that part-timers _______.
A.
can enjoy as many benefits as full-timers
B.
prefer retirement benefits to health insurance
C.
often retire without enjoying any benefit
D.
often enjoy fewer benefits than full-timers
3.
What’s the advantage of hiring part-time employees?
A.
They don’t need the insurance.
B.
They can save employers some money.
C.
They have no choice but to work hard.
D.
They can be also changed into full-timers.
4.
We can infer from the last paragraph that _________.
A.
it’s easy to find companies providing benefits
B.
companies not allowing employee input don’t offer any benefit to part-timers
C.
Starbucks in England doesn’t provide benefits to full-timers
