Romantic comedies have long been regarded as the perfect movie for a first date
题型：不详难度：来源：
Romantic comedies have long been regarded as the perfect movie for a first date. But according to a study, romantic comedies such as Bridget Jones"s Diary and Notting Hill could be bad for your love life.
Rather than being harmless entertainment, "rom-coms" give people unrealistic and potentially unhealthy expectations about real-life relationships, scientists say.
Researchers found that those who watched romantic comedies were more likely to believe in predestined love (缘份) than those who preferred other kinds of movie.
They were also more likely to believe that perfect relationships happen instantly, and were less likely to believe that couples need to work at relationships.
Watching just one romantic comedy is enough to sway people"s attitudes to romantic love, they found.
Dr Bjarne Holmes, who led the research, said: "We are not killing joys -- we are not saying that people shouldn"t watch these movies. But we are saying that it would be helpful if people were more aware and more critical of the messages in these films. The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced than we realize."
For the first part of the study, Dr Holmes and colleagues at the Family and Personal Relationships Laboratory at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, studied 40 box office hits from 1995 to 2005.
Most of those comedies described couples falling instantly in love and promoted the idea of fate --the belief that there is just one perfect companion out there, they found.
"There"s a belief of destiny and couples in romantic comedies immediately understand each other," said Dr Holmes. "If you think that"s how things are, you are setting yourself up to be disappointed."
In a second study, Dr Holmes asked around 100 student volunteers to watch Serendipity -- the 2001 romantic comedy starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack, while 100 watched a David Lynch drama.
In a questionnaire after the film ended, students watching the rom-com were far more likely to believe in fate and destiny than those who had watched the "straight" film.
72. According to the passage if you are fond of watching romantic comedies, you ____.
A. are more likely to believe in future love
B. must be influenced by films
C. may expect a perfect relationship in your love life
D. may fall instantly in love with one of your classmates
73. The underlined word "destiny" most probably means __ .
A. fate B. love C. beauty D. romance
74. The purpose of Dr Bjame Hohnes" research is __ .
A. to promote the idea of fate
B. to ask us to keep away from romantic comedies
C. to show how romantic comedies have influence on our life
D. to remind us of the negative effect of watching romantic comedies
75. It is implied in the passage that .
A. watching comedies is harmful to a stable marriage
B. it is necessary for couples to work at their relationship
C. couples falling instantly in love end up with an unhappy marriage
D. we should watch more "straight" films instead of romantic comedies |
答案
小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:D
小题4:B |
解析
| |
举一反三
What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course. I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America and it’s readily apparent no one lives there. Earlier this year in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’s bed—a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released book-- The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, “ This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances (环境) are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar.”
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years--the loose windows that make noise in the wind, the fireplace so shallow it holds only one log, the kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by. It is where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, “ Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith.”
69. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Home means everything B. What’s inside makes us feel at home
C. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives D. The importance of Houses
70. The purpose of the second paragraph is to _________.
A. mean the author likes living in grandest houses
B. prove the author got along with the hostess
C. mean the feeling of a home isn’t related to the size
D. show the author’s different feelings about houses
71. We know that The Blueprints of Our Lives ________
A. is the description of Edwards’s houses
B. is mainly about houses
C. helps us to understand the concept of home
D. is written by the author of the text
72. According to the text, which of the following can make a house a home?
A. The atmosphere you feel B. The color of the walls
C. The number of family members D. The position of the home |
四、阅读理解（40分）
Learning online should make use of a number of Internet tools: e-mail lets you exchange letters between continents very cheaply and almost immediately. Large groups of people can share their discussions by using electronic lists to send every letter to everyone on the list. Electronic magazines bring you up-to-date topics, such as news, arts, and sports. Search engines allow you to look for anything you want on the Internet, including the holdings of major libraries. In a chat room you can have a real-time written talk. Audio and video bring the world to your computer -— you can listen to the world"s radio stations, watch the evening news from another continent. And in an online conference you can even talk to your teacher and fellow students abroad.
Do you have e-mail? How much do you communicate with your friends over the Internet? Internet, the newest child in technology, is like a modern communication highway. It"s also a kind of super-shop, almost anything you can buy in a store -— you can get it through Internet, without leaving home at all.
56. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Internet B. Radio stations C. Magazines D. Libraries
57. What is the quickest and cheapest way of getting in touch with your friend abroad?
A. By telegraph B. By air-mail
C. By e-mail D. By telephone
58. Which of the following will you choose if you want to hold a meeting over the Internet?
A. Chat room B. Search engines
C. Online conference D. Electronic lists
59. In the writer’s opinion, it can be inferred that we might work _____ in the future.
A. in the office B. at home
C. at the library D. in the store |
Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone(克隆) their beloved animals, the answers were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents (被调查的人) who liked the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism(英勇精神), cleverness and selfless devotion.
“People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.
71. So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
A. a lot more of them are for it
B. a lot more of them are against it
C. very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
D. about half of them are for it and the other half against it
72. While talking about the respondents from the readers, the underlined expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ___________.
A. the death of one’s pet
B. the high cost of owning a pet
C. the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D. the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
73. In spite of(尽管) their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
A. all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
B. all pet owners love their pets very much
C. people who support cloning love their pets more
D. people who dislike cloning love their pets more
74. From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A. has never thought about the problem of cloning
B. is going to write another book on pets
C. support the idea of cloning pets
D. is all against the cloning of pets
75. What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
A. Can cloning make one suffers less pain when a pet dies?
B. Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning?
C. Does cloning go against the law of nature?
D. Can cloning really produce an exact copy of one’s pet? |
Here are some of the most common causes of fatigue, and what you can do about them.
Inadequate Sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep you’ll be tired but it’s rare that busy people get enough sleep. When there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything, something has to give, and that’s usually sleep. Don’t fool yourself that you can get by on five or six hours of sleep a night. Most people need at least eight hours and some even more.
Hormone Imbalances. Thyroid disease is extremely common today, especially among young women and the elderly. As common as thyroid disease is, its symptoms are so similar to so many other ailments that it often goes unnoticed by both doctors and patients. If you’re suffering from fatigue, get your thyroid hormone levels checked.
Food Allergies. You may be allergic to common foods like dairy, eggs, nuts, wheat, corn, chocolate, or coffee. If you suffer from coughing or wheezing, digestive problems, headaches, muscle aches or joint pain, itching and skin problems, in addition to fatigue, try cutting out each of these foods for a week to see if you feel better without it. Also, don’t eat excessive amounts of any particular food during any one day.
Environmental Toxins. Fatigue may result from our polluted environment. If, in addition to fatigue, you suffer from headaches, allergies or respiratory problems, you may be absorbing airborne toxins. Check the ventilation system in your home and office. Buy houseplants, air filters, and water filters for your home. If you’re working in a “sick” building you may have to look for another job.
Couch Potato Syndrome. Fifty percent of depression and fatigue can be caused by inactivity. For an energy boost, do anything that gets you moving for 20 to 30 minutes a day.
Anemia. Anemia can be a hidden disease in women. If you’re tired for no known reason, have your total iron count taken. Sometimes, even though your blood count may show a normal level of red blood cells, you may still be deficient in iron. If your iron count is low, you may need supplements.
Cigarette Smoking. Cigarettes are an enormous energy drain. They rob the body’s cells of oxygen and produce carbon monoxide poisoning.
Too Much Coffee. If you drink a lot of coffee in the effort to beat fatigue, in the long run you’ll be even more tired. Coffee gives you a temporary lift at the cost of long-term energy.
Poor Nutrition. The typical American diet, high in refined foods and animal fat, supplies inadequate nutrients and drains energy. Switch to a diet low in animal protein and saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Cut out highly processed foods. Take vitamins.
62. What does the underlined word “fatigue” mean?
A. tiredness B. weakness C. sickness D. laziness
63. Couch potato syndrome has something to do with ______.
A. potato B. couch C. energy D. inactivity
64. According to the passage, you can infer that ______.
A. you can always do with five or six hours of sleep a night.
B. fifty percent of depression and fatigue can be caused by inactivity.
C. it’s easier for women to catch thyroid disease or anemia.
D. the more coffee you drink, the less tired you are.
65. Which of the following is NOT one of the causes of fatigue according to the passage?
A. Polluted environment. B. Cigarette smoking. C. Low iron count.
D. A diet low in animal protein and saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. |
Do you forget to turn off the lights and heaters when you go out of a room? In 2040 it will not matter. They will turn themselves off—and on again when you return. You will choose the temperature for each room, the lighting and the humidity. A sensor will find the presence of a human (and, with luck, ignore the dog!) and turn the systems on, and when the humans leave it will turn them off again.
The sensors will work through the central home computer, and they will do much more than just turn the fires and lights on and off for you. They will find faulty electrical appliances, plugs or switches, separate them so that they cannot harm anyone, and then warn you that they need repair. They will detect(发现) fire and if you are out of the house, the computer will call the fire brigade. It will not be too difficult because the locks on the outside doors will be electronic. You will open them using your personal card—the one you use for shopping—maybe using a number known only to you.
It will be impossible to lose the key, and a housebreaker will have to tamper(拨弄) with the lock or with a window. It is not very difficult to make such tampering send a signal to the computer.
The computer will be more than a fireman-policeman-servant. It will be an entertainer, and most of your entertainment will come right into your home. It does now, of course, but by 2040 “entertainment” will mean much more. For one thing, you will be able to take part actively, rather than just watching.
46. The author intends to tell us that _____.
A. in 2040 we will live without lights and heaters
B. in 2040 we will use much more lights and heaters
C. in 2040 there will be no switches of lights and heaters
D. in 2040 lights and heaters will be on and off automatically
47. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
The sensor is multi-functional.
Without a computer, the sensor cannot do much.
The sensor will detect fire and make an emergency call.
You can be taken for a housebreaker if you tamper with the lock or with a window.
48. According to the author, in 2040, new technology _____.
A. will free us from the keys we use today
B. will turn everything into sensors
C. will make the locks out of date
D. will get rid of all crimes
49. Thanks to computers, in 2040 people _____.
A. will have no entertainment outside
B. will replace TV with computers
C. will be controlled by computers
D. will have more fun at home
50. The best title for the passage might be _____.
A. Sensors and Computers
B. Life at Home in the Year 2040
C. The Development of Science and Technology
D. Lights and Heaters in the Year 2040 |
最新试题
热门考点