题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
Phantom vibrations-the phenomenon where you think your phone is vibrating but itˈs not-have been around since the mobile age．Today, they’re so common that researchers have devoted studies to them．
For Valerie Kusler , who works on a cattle farm, the feeling is complicated by the cows “The cows’ moo is very muffled, it kind sounds like…errrr ,”she says.“So thatˈs very similar to what my phone sounds like when it vibrates on my desk or in my purse.”
Other people may not confuse cows for their phones, but research shows phantom vibration symptom is a near-universal experience for people with smart phones
Nearly 90 percent of college undergraduates in a 2012 study said they felt phantom vibrations. The number was just as high for a survey of hospital workers, who reported feeling phantom vibrations on either a weekly or monthly basis．
“Something in your brain is being triggered（触发）thatˈs different than what was triggered just a few short years ago,” says Dr Larry Rosen, a research psychologist who studies how technology affects our minds.
“If youˈd asked me 10 years ago, or maybe even five years. ago if I- felt an itch beneath where my pocket of my jeans was, and asked me what I would do, Iˈd reach down and scratch it because it was probably a little itch caused by the neurons firing（神经元刺激），”he says. Now, of course, the itch triggers him to reach for his phone. Rosen says itˈs an example of how our devices are changing how our brains process information．
“we’re seeing a lot of what looks like obsessive behavior. People who are constantly picking up their phone look like they have an obsession. They donˈt look much different from someone whoˈs constantly washing their hands. I’m not saying that it is an obsession, but I’m saying that it could turn into one, very easily," Rosen says.
While 9 out of 10 participants in the study of college students said the vibration feeling bothered them only a little or not at all, Rosen still recommends backing away from our phones
every once in a while to keep our anxiety levels down
“One of the things I’m really adamant about in spite of being very pro-technology, is just away from the technology for short periods," Rosen says．"And by short periods．I mean; maybe just 30 minutes or an hour.”
B. affect people mostly working on farms
C. help our brains better process information
D. started troubling people in recent years
B. the use of smart phones has completely changed the way our minds work
C. most people feel uncomfortable when they experience phantom vibrations
D. hospital workers are more likely to suffer from phantom vibrations than students
B. stop using smart phones in poor condition
C. take a break from using smart phones occasionally
D. keep a close watch on your anxiety levels
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
D
If you love reading, you’re living in the right century. The web offers you more copies than anyone could read in a lifetime. It also gives you access to whole libraries of rare books at Gutenberg.org and Google Books. And since you live in the age of electric books, the e-book lets you carry your library in a little notebook, and buy new books online anywhere, at any time.
The real bookstore is disappearing from America. Borders Books, the national chain(连锁店) with 642 stores, will close about 200 stores this year and dismiss 6,000 workers. It will mean a great deal to devoted bibliophiles. For them, the online bookstore will never replace the pleasure of walking along bookshelves.
Bookstores appeared in the 18th century, when printers began turning out books in large numbers to create a reading public. One of America’s earliest booksellers, Leary’s Book Store in Philadelphia, was a happy hunting ground for book lovers between 1850 and 1968. As Pete Martin described in “House of a Million Books”, Leary’s was the opposite of the modern chain bookstore. It was old, dark and dirty. Though Leary’s closed in 1968, it is still fondly remembered by former customers(顾客). Will anyone remember the website Amazon.com that sells books so warmly 40 years after it closes?
B. Readers have more access to reading materials.
C. E-books are more interesting to read than paper books.
D. Reading is becoming more and more important.
B. is forced to be closed in America
C. will start its business in other countries
D. is unable to win the fierce competition
B. those who like reading
C. those who like writing
D. those who buy books online
B. Amazon. com is an online bookstore
C. Leary’s Book Store has been remembered for a long time
D. Leary’s Book Store will be open again one day
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
C
Why not write in a foreign language? If people feel free to choose their profession, their religion, and even their sex, why not just decide which language you want to write in? Ever since Jhumpa published In Other Words in Italian, people have been asking me, “Why don’t you write in Italian, Tim? After all, you’ve been in the country 35 years. What keeps you tied to English?” Is it just a question of economic convenience?
Certainly economics can be important. It was the factor that pushed Conrad to abandon his Polish mother tongue. If it is not possible to publish at home, or to publish there as one would wish to publish, then one is likely to go elsewhere. And if to publish elsewhere one has to change language, then some authors are willing to take that step.
Something of the same logic has driven many writers from Africa, Asia to write in French and English in recent years. There is also the fact that people in Europe and the West are interested in the countries they grew up in. Just as in the nineteenth century, novelists like Thomas Hardy could “sell” their familiarity with peasant life to a middle-class metropolitan public, so these writers have interested us with stories that might seem common in their home countries.
There is also a real internationalism in the decision to change language. If you have “a message” and if English is the language that offers maximum spread, then it would seem appropriate to use it.
All these make sense. Critics tend to pay attention only to those who have made a success of writing in a new language. In April 2014, a New York Times article essentially listed young literary stars who had switched to writing in the main Western languages. At this point, the native English speaker almost begins to feel at a disadvantage for having been born into the dominant culture. Should we perhaps head for Paris, like Beckett or Jonathan Littell, just to be between two worlds? Or look for something more exotic (异国的) and have ourselves translated back into English afterward? However, one fact is that changing languages doesn’t always work.
I did write a novel in Italian. But after rereading it, I decided against it. My work lost power with the switch of language. My real subject matter still had to do with England and it was to my home culture that my books were addressed. The second language never seems to mean quite as much as the first. In any event, after my early experiment, I never went back to write in Italian. Changing language is not the only way to bring energy to your writing.
C. stress the importance of English D. introduce the topic of this passage
B. Native English writers are at a disadvantage for writing in English.
C. Writers should write in a foreign language to draw critics’ attention.
D. Any writer can succeed with the switch of a new language.
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
Mother's Day is coming up. Maybe your gift is wrapped and your dinner plans booked for mom, step-mom, grandmother-whoever the person is who fed, cared for, taught and loved you. But there are other people who said their most special Mother's Day memories rarely dealt with beautifully wrapped objects, but rather, the ways people showed they cared.
Mother's Day 2012 was the last one Jannet Walsh was able to celebrate with her mother, Margaret, who had a stroke (中风) in 2009. In her last few years, Walsh always shot photos and videos of their visits together, and with Walsh's West Highland White Terrier, Andrew.
"My mother had a dog just like him, so I would tell her it was her dog, and she would hold onto his leash, even in bed up to the last few weeks before she passed away," Walsh said.
As Mother's Day approached, Walsh wanted a way to remember her mother and "best friend". She decided to build the memories she captured during those last few years into a video memorial-images of her mother with Andrew or quiet moments at her gravesite.
"I thought it good to tell the story with few words, just show my mother as she was-happy, and loved till the end," Walsh said.
Mother's Day was not a light-hearted subject for Wendy Bowers in the past. Her mom had walked out when she was 18, and Bowers had tried for years to become pregnant without success. She had almost convinced herself she wasn't meant to be a parent.
But three years after she gave up on having a baby, Bowers discovered that she was pregnant. Six weeks earlier than expected, little Nathan arrived.
That first year, Nathan, only 10 months old, was sick with a stomach bug. Bowers said she spent the day holding him between loads of laundry. "I would not have been anywhere else in the world that day," she said. "I wouldn't trade that first Mother's Day for anything, and I'm pretty sure Mother's Day will always be a reminder to me of just how lucky I am to even
be a mom. "
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
Volunteering abroad is great. Not only do you travel to an exotic country, you also meet like-minded people, and at the end of it all you have something to put on your CV to impress employers with．But did you ever stop to think about how great it is for the people on the receiving end?
In this context, Daniela Papi has a point-foreigners rushing heroically to volunteer in a country they’ve never heard of are unlikely to make a difference. But turning volunteering camps into classrooms, as Papi seems to advocate in her article, risks throwing the baby out with the bath water by putting people off of volunteering.
Rather, learning should be a natural part of the. experience, and the key to creating such an environment is positioning everyone as equals. In order for that to happen, volunteers need competent leaders who create an environment of equality:
When, a few years ago, I joined a group of international volunteers to help a small farming community in the Swiss Alps, we were all quite ignorant about the local conditions. But thanks to our group leader, it was both a helpful project for the locals and a fun and eye-opening experience for us．Before we had even traveled (at our own expense) to the mountaintop village, our group leader had spent time with the villagers preparing the project to make sure it would be of benefit to them．She. arranged for us to help in different areas, ensuring that we always worked alongside locals rather than for them．It was never "us" and "them", but always. "we", like a big family. As a result, conversation flowed and we learned a great deal just by casually talking to the locals as we worked．At the end, we left with a deep appreciation for the labor of love that goes into producing the food we eat every day一一an appreciation we could treasure ourselves and share with our peers．
Volunteering isnˈt about saving someoneˈs life, or even about changing it. Itˈs about touching a different world and reminding ourselves that there is much, much more to life than the daily routines we take for granted．With that knowledge, maybe, just maybe, we can go on to really change the world．
By Lukas Thibaut
B. blind enthusiasm fails to make the experience rewarding
C. the author agrees with Daniela Papiˈs opinions
D. international volunteering is actually a poor approach to education
C. creating such an environment D. positioning everyone as equals
B. The volunteers worked in areas separated from the locals.
C. The group leader ensured that the project would be beneficial to both sides.
D. The group leader ensured that the volunteers got to know the local conditions．
C. Disrespecting othersˈ labor. D. Being proud of volunteering.
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
Dear Alan,
Guess what? I have a chance to choose my new place to live in! I'm excited and a little nervous. Could you please give me some help?
I'm not sure whether I will live in a house or in an apartment. On the one hand, a house will be too big for just one person, so maybe I should rent an apartment. On the other hand, if I rent a house, I could find someone else to share with me. The only problem is that a house full of people might be too noisy for me. I prefer to have my own space. The city has some nice apartments, but they are also too expensive. However, if I could find a two-bedroom apartment and get a roommate, that would make it more affordable (付得起的). I just need to search for a roommate who is neat and quiet. You know I can’t live with someone who is loud and messy. I don’t have a car, so I also need to think carefully about the location (位置). I probably need to look for somewhere near a bus stop or an underground station. That way I will have more time to study and spend less time traveling .
I'm looking forward to your reply.
Love, Victor
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
WHAT is it that sets Spain apart from the rest of Europe? It might be “siestas”, the three-hour lunch break that is customary (惯例的) in the country.
The Spanish start work at 8 or 9 am, but in the early afternoon they usually take a three-hour break. After lunch, people can be seen napping in cars or on benches. During hot summer afternoons, Spanish village streets are often totally deserted .
When they return to their offices at 4 pm, Spanish workers often have to make up for the lost time by working until 8 or 9 pm. So, while most other Europeans are sound asleep, Spaniards are still having dinner or watching television.
“Everything in Spain happens later, from meal times to broadcast entertainment,” described AP.
“This work schedule is a Spanish cultural vice,” said Nuria Chinchilla, head of the International Center on Work and Family at the University of Navarra in Barcelona. “Changing to the European schedule should be the most urgent (紧急的) project for the government.”
Many Spanish people complain about their never-ending workdays, and some even think the issue has affected the country’s development.
“In Spain we sleep almost an hour less than the World Health Organization recommends,” lawmakers in the Spanish parliament wrote in a proposal. “This has a negative effect on productivity, stress, accidents and school dropout rates.”
That’s why, last September, they recommended that the government turn back the clocks by one hour, then the lunchtime break would be cut to an hour or less. And a regular eight-hour workday would be introduced.
However, some doubt that changing the time zone would reverse low productivity, which comes more from the country’s service-oriented economy (服务型经济), according to Maria Angeles Durant, a sociologist with the Spanish National Research Council.
But Ignacio Buqueras, the president of the Association for the Rationalization of Spanish Working Hours, told The New York Times that “changing the Spanish schedule would allow families more free time together and boost Spain’s economy.”
The Spanish government is treating the campaign seriously, but it hasn’t taken any action yet, reported The New York Times.
Spain’s siesta is not actually a product of its relaxed Mediterranean (地中海的) culture. At the start of the 20th century, Spain had the same working hours as many parts of Europe. It was during World War II that the country moved the clocks forward to align (结盟) them with those of Nazi Germany.
The same thing happened in Portugal. After the defeat of Hitler, Portugal returned to Greenwich Mean Time, but Spain did not.
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
It is not easy to borrow to start a business. Getting a bank loan, particularly for a new small business, is like going through the eye of a needle.
Banks favor established-business people with a solid credit rating and a large bank account. They should also have experience in the business they propose to enter, and offer well-prepared business plans that show the ability to repay the loans. If you are not such a person, then you need to double your preparations to convince the banker to lend you that much needed start-up capital（资金）. If your business is new and small, bankers will need to know as much as possible about you and your business.
However, many small business owners often make the mistake of not being well prepared when going to the bank to apply for the loan. Surprisingly, many loan applicants don't even have the slightest idea how or when they intend to repay the money they request. Often they don't even know how much money they need. When asked how much money they want to borrow, many people give these two common responses: “How much money can I get?” and “As much as possible.” Is it any wonder that lenders say no?
So the most important thing is do your homework before you ask for a loan.
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
I grew up with a fat dad—450 pounds at his heaviest. Every week he would try a new diet, and my family ended up eating whatever strange food he was trying at that moment.
After my third grade year, my dad landed a life changing job in Manhattan. My mom, my little sister and I had to move away from our hometown, Chicago, and leave my grandmother and her beautiful food behind.
Leaving my grandmother was far more frightening than the move to New York City. There would be no more special weekends at my grandmother's house, the only place I can remember feeling happy, safe and nourished. It was what I desired. In this new city, I felt extremely alone and lost, and I missed my grandmother terribly.
My grandmother knew just how I felt—and she knew the cure. Every week, she would send me a card with a $20 bill, a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market. It kept us bonded, and her recipes filled my body and soul.
Over the years, I have grown to better understand my father's struggles with weight and the toll (代价) it took on him and those who love him. I have come to realize he was driven not by vanity (自负) or selfishness as much as by a deep pain. And in spite of growing up in such an unhealthy eating environment (or perhaps because of it), as an adult I found a passion and a career as a nutrition consultant.
Today, my father weighs 220 pounds and is a vegan (素食者). How he got there is a story I hope to share in the coming weeks. More importantly, food is no longer a barrier that keeps us apart, but a bridge that keeps us connected. There is nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weight loss victories. And now I am the one regularly sending recipe cards to my father's house, just as my grandmother did for me.
题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
年份：2016
There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family. All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time set aside for fun. And the best part is that these are the kind of memories a child will remember for a lifetime.
Family game night
Find out any of the games that are already around the house. Kids often get computer games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family. Or, make up some games of your own. “Charades” is a fun game to play that will challenge a child to use his/her imagination. Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words that the other has to act out.
________________
Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own masterpiece. It doesnˈt need to be just a drawing --- take some old magazines sitting around the house, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own montage. Or, use items from nature. Let them use leaves, pine cones, twigs and whatever else they can find to create something from their imaginations.
Family Picnic
Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesnˈt cost any money. If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let the kids have a day of playing. Or, if it is the middle of winter and a foot of snow is on the ground, set up a picnic in the living room.
Family Field Trip
A family field trip doesnˈt have to cost a dime. Ask a nearby farm if it would be alright to bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals. Or take them to a park and make a scavenger hunt where they need to find certain items from nature. Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work -- you might be surprised at the number of people who would be thrilled to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for the kids.
