阅读理解

　　Attitude is an internal(内在的)state that influences the choices of personal action made by the individual(个人)．Some researchers consider that attitudes come from differences between beliefs and ideas; others believe that attitudes come from emotional states．Here, we focus on the effects of attitudes upon behavior, that is, upon the choices of action made by the individual．

　　The kinds of actions taken by human beings are obviously influenced greatly by attitudes．Whether one listens to classical music or rock, whether one obeys the speed limit while driving, whether one encourages one’s husband or wife to express his or her own ideas－all are influenced by attitudes．These internal states are acquired(获得)throughout life from situations one is faced with in the home, in the streets, and in the school．

　　Of course, the course of action chosen by an individual in any situation will be largely determined by the particulars of that situation．An individual who has a strong attitude of obeying laws may drive too fast when he is in a hurry and no police cars in sight．A child who has a strong attitude of honesty may steal a penny when she thinks no one will notice．But the internal state which remains unchanged over a period of time, and which makes the individual behave regularly in a variety of situations, is what is meant by an attitude．

　　Attitudes are learned in a variety of ways．They can result from single incidents, as when an attitude toward snakes is acquired by an experience in childhood at the sudden movement of a snake．They can result from the individual’s experiences of success and pleasure, as when someone acquires a positive attitude toward doing crossword puzzles by being able to complete some of them．And frequently, they are learned by copying other people’s behavior, as when a child learns how to behave toward foreigners by observing the actions of his parents．Regardless of these differences, there is something in common in the learning and modification(修正)of attitudes．

阅读理解

　　Researchers are placing robotic dogs(机器狗)in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans．Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction．“No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated(刺激), ”Edwards points out．“The problem is how we promote(使……成为现实)that, especially for those without friends or help．A robotic dog could be a solution．”

　　In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone．Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks．These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO．Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner．

　　“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice, ” says a seventy-year-old lady．“When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down．He has a mind of his own．”

　　The AIBOs respond to certain orders．The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people．Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it．A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns．

　　“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry, ” Beck says．“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief．”

　　“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper．They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms．AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds．”

阅读理解

　　His teacher thought he was dumb(愚笨的)．Talent spotters(星探)thought he was ugly．But Jay Chou, 24, is now one of Asia’s hottest pop stars．

　　Last week he had the honour of being the first Asian male singer to make the cover of Time, a popular magazine based in the US．He has won more than 30 entertainment awards over the past two years．

　　Chou released(发行)his first album Jay in November 2000, and with two follow up albums－Fantasy and Eight Dimensions－his music has come to rule the Asian pop world．

　　The entertainment industry has nicknamed him “a small heavenly king”．But Chou says, he is not a king, at least he wasn’t before he shot to stardom．As a boy, he was called “stupid”．His high school English teacher said young Chou had a learning disability．“He had very few facial expressions(面部表情)．I thought he was dumb．”

　　Chou did poorly at maths, science and English．But his mother noticed the quiet, shy boy was sensitive to music：when he heard western pop music, he seemed to vibrate(摇摆)．So she took Chou to a piano school at four years old．He practiced all the time, focusing on the keys the way other children focus on ice-cream．At the end of the high school, he failed his exams and didn’t go to university．

　　In a show he was seen playing the piano by a major Taiwanese entertainer, Jacky Wu．The 18-year-old Chou became a contract(签约)song writer for Wu’s music studio．There he spent one and a half years writing songs for famed artists such as a Valen Hsu and Coco Lee．

　　He proved that he could be more than a songwriter．His catchy tunes have mainstreamed(成为主流)rap and R&B in the Mando-pop world(华语音乐)．And his success proves that the music still matters more than looks and image．

阅读理解

　　At a few minutes past five, Dave noted that the blanket of darkness was lifting．He was just able to make out the heavier masses that eventually appeared as the familiar trees that lined the road at the base of the hill．The upper reaches of the sky showed lighter shades of gray．

　　Dave got out of bed quietly and dressed quickly．He mixed a spoonful of instant chocolate into a glass of cold water, and his impatience forced him to finish the drink in gulps．

　　As he walked down toward the lake, Dave paused to reach for the fishing pole and gear box on the bench where he had left them the night before．

　　By the time he reached the small boat, a thick white mist(雾气)had spread over the surface of the water．He stepped into the boat, sat down, and rowed out of the weed beds that lined the edge of the shore．

　　The outer fringe(边缘)of the lake disappeared as the boat moved forward noiselessly．All he could see was the enveloping whiteness．He could not tell where the boat and the surrounding air met the surface of the lake．

　　Dave rowed steadily ahead, relying on a mental picture of the surroundings．Then the mist began to rise, slowly．It soon rested inches above the still surface of the lake．The heavy silence was now being broken by the fish breaking through the surface as they leaped out of the water for low-flying insects．

　　The magic time had arrived．Dave raised his pole．Dawn was broken．He was excited with expectancy．

阅读理解

　　If you are lost in the mountains, stay calm in the face of darkness, loneliness, and the unknown．It will greatly increase your chances of survival(生存)．Many people think that preparing necessary equipment and knowing how to use it are very important, but actually eighty percent of mountain survival is your reaction to fear．

　　Find a hiding place．

　　Unnecessary labor will make you sweat and make you cold．Find a hiding place around you before trying to start your own construction．If you are in a snow-covered area, you may be able to dig a cave in deep snow for protection from the wind．You should try to hide yourself in the middle of the mountain if possible．Stay out of the valleys－cold air falls, and the valley floor can be the coldest area on the mountain．

　　Signal rescuers for help．

　　The best time to signal rescuers is during the day．Signal for help from the highest point possible－it will be easier for rescuers to see you, and any sound you make will travel farther．If you take a box of matches and a space blanked(a special blanket for traveling), build three smoky fires and put your blanket-gold side facing out－on the ground．

　　Do not walk away．

　　It will make finding you more difficult, as search teams will be trying to follow your path and may miss you if you have gone off in a different direction．Searchers often end up finding a car with no one in it．

　　If you get frostbite(冻伤), do not rewarm the affected area until you’re out of danger．

　　You can walk on frostbitten feet, but once you warm the area and can feel the pain, you will not want to walk anywhere．Try to protect the frostbitten area and keep it dry until you are rescued．