If you give something to someone for free, will that person value it and use it?

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If you give something to someone for free, will that person value it and use it? Development experts have debated this question for decades. Some think the act of paying causes people to value something and use it more.
Selling necessary health treatments, others argue, may deny them to the people who need them the most.
Consider, for example, chemically treated bed nets, which kill mosquitoes anti protect people against malaria(疟疾)while they are sleeping. William Easterly, an economist at New York University, believes this is one example of development having gone wrong. In a recent book, Professor Easterly suggests bed nets given free in Africa are often used for the wrong purpose. Yet, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends bed nets be given out free and used by whole communities. The success of a large free bed net campaign in Kenya led the WHO to announce this recommendation
This debate will likely influence social programs in the developing world. Many non-governmental organizations support the creation of self-supporting programs in poor countries. Goods and services are sold for a price to help these programs survive.
According to Rachel Glenerster, who runs a research lab doing development and poverty studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, her several studies have proven that small price changes have a big influence on the number of people who use a product. A price change will reduce the total amount of use of the product as well, she says. She has also found no evidence that the very act of paying for something changes how people use it.
As for a particular product among special populations, some development experts argue that pricing is useful. When it comes to bed nets, Miss Glenerster says research shows no evidence of this. People are just as likely to use a bed net whether they paid for it or not.
小题1: The debate among experts focuses on .

A．a special use of bed nets in Africa

B．the use of assistance-related products

C．the importance of social programs for the poor

D．a popular way to help the poor

小题2: According to some experts, certain health treatments .

A．can only be sold to the rich	B．should be completely free
C．are too expensive	D．are not needed by the poor

小题3:What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

A．The WHO"s advice may not be always practical.

B．Many Africans don"t know the function of bed nets.

C．The case of Kenya is doubtful.

D．Bed nets given to Africans are poor in quality.

小题4: What may be the possible change in the social program according to the third paragraph?

A．Some of them may become financially independent.

B．Many of them will not be organized by the government.

C．Some of them will go to developed countries.

D．Most of them will be free of charge.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:A

解析

略

举一反三

Not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep is not a disorder in itself but a sign of some other problems, often a physical one.
If you have trouble sleeping, the American Sleep Disorders Association suggests that, for a week or two, you put down the time you go to bed, get up, exercise, and drink coffee, tea or wine. The purpose is to find the habits that may affect your sleep.
Then:
a.      Don’t drink coffee in the six hours before going to bed.
b.      Stop smoking and drinking at bedtime.
c.      Don’t sleep during the day.
d.      Go to bed at the same time every night. Set your alarm clock for the same time every morning and get up at that time, whether or not you sleep well.
e.      Use the bedroom only for sleep. Read, watch TV, eat and talk elsewhere.
f.       Take sleeping pills according to your doctor’s directions and don’t take them for longer than three weeks at a time.
g.      If you haven’t fallen asleep within 15 minutes of going to bed, don’t turn over worrying about it. Get up and read or watch TV until you are sleepy, then return to bed.
If you continue to have trouble sleeping, ask your doctor for help or go to a sleep-disorders center.
小题1: According to the passage, there is probably        if you are not able to fall
asleep or stay asleep.

A．a bad way of sleeping	B．a disorder in sleep
C．a physical reason	D．a problem caused by the brain

小题2:If you have trouble sleeping, you should try to ______.

A．ask a doctor for help or go to a sleep-disorders center

B．p

ut down the time you do things every day

C．do more physical exercise

D．find out the cause first

小题3:According to the passage, which of the following would be the best way to help you sleep well?

A．Taking some sleeping pills every day.

B．Reading books before you go to bed.

C．Setting your alarm clock at night.

D．Forming good living habits.

小题4:The author writes this article in order to ______.

A．tell us not being able to fall asleep is a serious disease

B．provide us with some suggestions on sleep problem

C．persuade us not to go to see the doctors when we are ill

D．help the American Sleep Disorders Association to find the causes of not being able to fall sleep

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Dieters are often advised to stop drinking alcohol to avoid the extra calories lurking in a glass of wine or a favorite cocktail. But new research suggests that women who regularly consume moderate(适度的) amounts of alcohol are

less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers and are at lower risk for obesity (fatness).
The findings, reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on a study of 19,220 United States women aged 30 to 40 who fall into the “normal weight” based on their body mass index. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston tracked the women’s drinking habits over 13 years. About 60 percent of the women were light or regular drinkers, while about 40 percent reported drinking no alcohol.
Over the course of the study, 41 percent of the women became overweight. Although alcohol is packed with calories, the nondrinkers in the study actually gained more weight over time: nine pounds, on average, compared with an average gain of about three pounds among regular moderate drinkers. The risk of becoming overweight was almost 30 percent lower for women who consumed one or two alcohol drinks a day, compared with nondrinkers.
The findings are certain to be confusing for women who continue to receive conflicting messages about the health benefits and risks of alcohol. Although moderate drinking is associated with better heart health, regular drinking also increases breast cancer risk.
The trend toward les

s weight gain among drinkers doesn’t appear to hold true for men. A 2003 study of Briti

sh men showed that regular drinkers gained more weight than nondrinkers. Studies suggest that drinking alcohol has different effects on eating habits among men and women. Men typically add alcohol to their daily caloric intake, whereas women are more likely to substitute（替代）alcohol for food. In addition, there may be differences in how men and women metabolize（代谢）alcohol. Metabolic studies show that after men drink alcohol, they experience little if any metabolic change. But alcohol appears to slightly speed up a woman’s metabolism.
The findings don’t mean women should rush to drink alcohol to lose weight. Other research shows that once a person is already overweight, her alcohol metabolism is more efficient, and so an overweight woman may gain more weight from alcohol than a lean(瘦的) woman. The data do, however, suggest that for many women facing weight problems, the extra calories are probably not coming from alcoholic drinks.
小题1: According to the study, which of the following regular drinker is less likely to gain weight than nondrinkers?

A B C D
小题2:That men regular drinkers gained more weight than women regular drinkers is due to the following except ______.

A．women are more likely to substitute alcohol for food.

B．men drink alcohol much faster than women.

C．men and women metabolize alcohol differently.

D．men have different effects on eating habits with women.

小题3: The underlined word “whereas” may probably mean _______.

A．so

B．in order that

C．but

D．and then

小题4:What can a dieter probably do before reading this passage?

A．Rush to drink alcohol to lose weight

B．Add alcohol to his or her daily caloric intake.

C．Face the weight problems alone.

D．Try to stop drinking any alcohol or wine.

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In terms of history, Australian cuisine（烹饪）was on the basis of traditional British cooking brought to the country by the first settlers．Modern Australian cuisine，however．has been heavily influenced by Australia’ s Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors．The trend，encouraged by long-term government health programs，is towards low-fat healthy cookery including low-fat meat and lightly cooked，colorful，steamed or fried vegetables．Besides，1ike many English families，in many Australian homes，a widespread tradition of having roast turkey，chicken，and ham for Christmas 1unch or dinner still remains．
Generally breakfast is light in most parts of Australia．but in the colder regions porridge or meals similar to the full English breakfast may be consumed．In recent years，however，most Australian people prefer light breakfast in order to control their weight．The 1ight breakfast commonly consists of cereals（谷类），toast and fruit．A heavier breakfast will frequently include fried bacon，eggs，mushrooms，etc．Drinks taken at breakfast include tea，coffee，milk or juice．
The evening meal is the main meal of the day for most Australians，and when consumed at home，it is often eaten with members of the immediate family．The dishes served will vary widely according to the tastes and background of the family．A typical Australian restaurant might offer sandwiches，chicken or other meat-based dishes and cakes．
In recent years，take—away food is becoming popular in Australia．American-style chain restaurants are common including Subway，KFC，and Mcdonald’s．They a11 come from America．Most of these restaurants sell high quality food at reasonable prices．
With the high 1evels of immigration（移民）from the Middle East．South and Southeast Asia．Korea．China and other countries from a11 over the world to Australia．many authentic（正宗的）and high-quality restaurants are run by first-and second-generation immigrants from these areas．
小题1:According to the first paragraph，what does the Australian government encourage its people to do?

A．To try to eat 10w—fat healthy foods．

B．To have roast turkey for Christmas dinner．

C．To use traditional British cooking methods．

D．To 1earn from Asian neighbors to cook foods．

小题2:The main idea of the second paragraph is ．

A．what breakfast is 1ike in Australia

B．w hat Australian people drink at breakfast

C．that Australians often have a heavy breakfast

D．that most Australian people don’ t have breakfast to lose weight

小题3:The underlined part the immediate family in Paragraph 3 probably mean people who .

A．have the same family names

B．do some cooking together at times

C．live next to one another in the same area

D．are very directly – related members of a family

小题4:From the passage, we learn that .

A．fewer and fewer immigrants enter Australia every year

B．Subway is a chain restaurant and it is from the USA

C．home cooking is becoming more and more popular in Australia

D．a typical restaurant mainly offers porridge and noodles for supper

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Our spiritual intelligence quotient (精神智商)，or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.
Though we"re all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don"t have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude (独处) and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume (强度) in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"
But don"t expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail. "Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. “But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度) I never considered before.”
Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut(本能的) feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.
68. The passage is mainly about           .
A. what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life
B. what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved
C. the relationship between your SQ and your life
D. advantages and disadvantages of SQ
69. The underlined phrase "tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to _____.
A. get your spirit relaxed                  B. keep up your spirit
C. keep seated quietly                      D. change your spirit
70. The author mentions the example of Reverend Joan Carter to show that            .
A. there are no immediate answers to your questions
B. e-mails can"t keep working out a problem
C. the more questions you ask, the better answers you"ll get
D. changing your way of thinking might help you solve a problem
71. From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is      .
A. a peaceful mind    B. deep thought   C. spare time and hobbies   D. good spirits

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Your chair is your enemy. That is the conclusion of several recent studies. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t.
So what’s wrong with sitting? The answer seems to have two parts. The first is that sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.
You may think you have no choice about how much you sit. But this isn’t true. Suppose you sleep for eight hours each day, and exercise for one. That still leaves 15 hours of activities. Even if you exercise, most of the energy you burn will be burnt during these 15 hours, so weight gain is often the cumulative(累积的) effect of a series of small decisions: Do you take the stairs or the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store, or drive?
But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting. Some evidence suggests that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you.
Lipoprotein lipase(蛋白脂酶) is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being moved. The result is that when you sit, an important part of your metabolism(新陈代谢) slows down. You may also have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes(糖尿病).
Some people have advanced radical solutions to the sitting syndrome(综合症): replace your sit-down desk with a stand-up desk, or watch television in a rocking chair. But whatever you choose, know this. The data is clear; look out for your chair.
小题1:What would be the best title of this passage?

A．Become an Athlete to Be Healthy.

B．Choose a Better Chair for You.

C．How to Speed Up Your Metabolism.

D．Stand Up While You Read This.

小题2:Paragraphs 2 and 3 tell us that .

A．taking too much exercise harms people’s health

B．sitting a lot reduces the benefits of taking exercise

C．people needn’t depend on exercise to keep healthy

D．healthy people are those who sit less and stand more

小题3:Which of the following is the best advice on how to control our weight?

A．Exercising at least an hour a day.

B．Standing as long as possible.

C．Using our energy actively in daily life.

D．watching TV in a rocking chair.

小题4:The author mentions lipoprotein lipase mainly to .

A．show that it plays a big part in keeping us healthy

B．tell us that it isn’t produced while we are sitting

C．suggest that we should take less exercise to be healthy

D．prove sitting for long is bad for our body

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