A篇
A new report says living in a city makes it harder for people to concentrate(集中) on some tasks. The research found that people who live in rural areas can focus better than people in urban areas. The study is from Goldsmiths College, which is part of the University of London. Head researcher Dr Karina Linnell and her team made great contributions. They studied how two groups of people did the same “thinking tasks”. The team went to a remote(偏远的) part of Namibia, southwest Africa, to study the Himba tribe. Himba people live a very basic life in the desert. They are still doing traditional farming. The team also studied members of the same tribe who had moved to the nearest town. Dr Linnell said the tribe who lived in the desert did much better on the tests than those in the town. It’s really interesting and shocking.
Dr Linnell said their research may lead to changes in the way companies operate. In the future, workers may move from cities to live and work in the countryside. Linnell said there are too many things around us in the city that stop us from thinking about one thing for a long time. This means we do not work at our best. She asked, “What if, for example, companies realized certain tasks would be better carried out by employees based outside of the urban environment? There their concentration ability is better.” The past century has seen billions of people move from the countryside to big cities. In the future, the trend may not continue. If Dr Linnell’s research is true, this century might see many of those people return to the great outdoors, Let’s wait to see what will happen.
1. What did Dr.Linnell and her team conclude from the study on the Himba tribe?
A. Himba people are cleverer than others.
B. Himba people aren’t used to the life in city.
C. Himba people focus better in the desert.
D. Himba people give up traditional farming.
2. The underlined word “outdoors” in the last paragraph probably refers to “________”.
A. villages B. cities C. towns D. countries
3. What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To remind people to focus better. B. To advise people to live in countryside.
C. To share a recent study with readers. D. To show the bright future to readers.
B篇
When I was in my first year of high school, I had a terrible time when every area of my life was a disaster. I felt so hopeless and alone that I thought everything was impossible.
On one such day, I was walking from class across the school to catch the school bus home, with my head down, fighting tears of total hopelessness, when a young man came down the sidewalk toward me. Though I had never seen him before, I did not want him to see that I was in such low spirits, so I turned my head away and hoped to hurry past. I thought he’d walk on by, but he moved until he was directly in front of me, waited until I looked up, and then smiled.
Looking into my eyes, this stranger spoke in a quiet voice: “Whatever is wrong will pass. You’re going to be OK, just hang on.” He then smiled again and walked away.
I can’t explain the effect of that man’s unexpected kindness and caring! He gave me the one thing that I’d lost completely—hope. I looked for him in our school to thank him, but never saw him again.
That was thirty years ago. And I've never forgotten that moment. Over the years, whenever I see someone who is in trouble, I will always think of that young man and try to give a flash of hope in the dark wherever I can. I carry things for people when they are too heavy for them, sit with naughty babies in the waiting room while their mothers are busy, or talk to tired couples at the checkout line or it could be anything. If you keep your head up, your heart will show you the place that needs hope.
4. Where did the writer meet with the young man？
A. In the school. B. In the school bus. C. In the classroom. D. In the library.
5. From the passage we may infer that the author ________．
A. had known the young man for a long time
B. made friends with the young man afterwards
C. was grateful to that young man very much
D. avoided meeting the young man since then
6. The author has given a lot of help to others in order to ________．
A. show his sympathy to those who are badly ill
B. give others hope of life when they are in trouble
C. realize his promise made to the young man
D. get respect from those who were helped by him
7. It can be known from the passage that ________．
A. the young man always tried his best to help those who were in trouble
B. it was the young man’s smile and words that made the author feel hopeful
C. the author had never been praised by others before he met with the young man
D. the author traveled to a lot of places to look for the young man but failed
