Decision-making under Stress
　　A new review based on a research shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative (负面的) consequences of a decision.
　　The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.
　　“Stress affects how people learn,” says Professor Mara Mather. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”
　　For example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images(影像) with either rewards or punishments. In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by having to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those who hadn’t gone through the stress.
　　This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress –at those moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bring about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.
　　The research also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.
　　Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when caution weighs more, however, women will win.
　　This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into addiction.
【小题1】We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend to ______.

A．keep rewards better in their memory

B．recall consequences more effortlessly

C．make risky decisions more frequently

D．learn a subject more effectively

【小题2】According to the research, stress affects people most probably in their ______.

A．ways of making choices	B．preference for pleasure
C．tolerance of punishments	D．responses to suggestions

【小题3】The research has proved that in a stressful situation, ______.

A．women find it easier to fall into certain habits

B．men have a greater tendency to slow down

C．women focus more on outcomes

D．men are more likely to take risks

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Mary had her own special kind of joy, and she knew exactly how to spread it around. She lifted children from 　31　 into laughter, love, and belonging. Each time she found a new 　32　 for a child, she gave the family one of her little homemade paper roses. It had become a 　33　 for her, and the families didn't ever forget it.

One evening, Mary was 　34　 a meeting for adoptive parents. One of the 　35　 fathers stood up to introduce himself. But before he spoke, he reached into his coat pocket and held up a 　36　, red paper rose.

“Twenty years ago today, I felt alone and 　37　. I didn't know the talents inside me or what was possible for me.

Then Mary 　38　 two wonderful people into my life. They taught me what it was like to feel 　39　. They not only loved me 　40　. They opened a world of 　41　 that I didn't know existed. My new parents told me, ‘Reach for your dreams!’

I did, and today I'm 　42　 to be giving that chance to a child who 　43　 just like me. My mother gave me this little rose. By now, all of you 　44　 where she got it so long ago.

Mary sent me a new rose just yesterday. And my new rose 　45　 a new spring, a beautiful new 　46　 for my own little girl. It 　47　 me to show her what unconditional love is, and to teach her to reach for her own beautiful dreams.

Thank you, Mary, for the special little things like roses that 　48　 our lives together. And thank you for all you've done for me and so many families over the years!”

One brief even can send our spirits soaring or 　49　 us in quiet to ponder a new beginning.　50　 it is also the very small things, like Mary's roses, that tie together the meaningful things.

A. poverty                B. loneliness               C. misery                    D. suffering

A. home           B. place               C. school              D. life

A. glory            B. favor               C. habit               D. tradition

A. organizing        B. planning                 C. hosting              D. attending

A. new              B. grateful                  C. kind                D. active

A. broken          B. faded                    C. treasured            D. dried

A. tasteless         B. powerless                 C. priceless              D. worthless

A. directed         B. introduced               C. brought             D. accepted

A. loved           B. protected            C. cared              D. cheered

A. silently        B. continuously          C. unintentionally   D. unconditionally

A. necessities      B. possibilities                C. beauties             D. riches

A. eager          B. willing                     C. proud              D. lucky

A. started out      B. came up                   C. turned out           D. grew up

A. understand      B. guess                      C. tell               D. know  

A. replaces        B. symbolizes                C. equals            D. creates

A. chance         B. mystery               C. challenge            D. beginning

A. reminds            B. helps                        C. accompanies         D. drives

A. fix             B. close                 C. tie                   D. gather

A. cause            B. push                        C. put                            D. leave

A. Yet            B. Besides                    C. Otherwise           D. Therefore

阅读理解

　　A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world's people may not have enough water by the year 2025.

　　A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three－hundred－thirty－five－million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty－eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.

　　P－A－I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three－thousand－million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same.

　　Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.

　　The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.

　　The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.

　　The report also says long－term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have.

1．According to the author's opinion, the first serious problem caused by lack of water is ________.

[　　]

2．Robert Engelman may be ________.

[　　]

3．________ may have severe water problem among the following countries.

[　　]

4．Which of the following is not the way to solve the water problem?

[　　]

A．To control population growth.

B．To teach people not to waste water.

C．To find ways to use water for only one purpose.

D．To use less water of agriculture.

5．Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

[　　]

A．How to get more water in the future.

B．Problems caused by water.

C．World water shortage.

D．A new study on water.

第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Mary had her own special kind of joy, and she knew exactly how to spread it around. She lifted children from 　31　 into laughter, love, and belonging. Each time she found a new 　32　 for a child, she gave the family one of her little homemade paper roses. It had become a 　33　 for her, and the families didn't ever forget it.

One evening, Mary was 　34　a meeting for adoptive parents. One of the 　35　 fathers stood up to introduce himself. But before he spoke, he reached into his coat pocket and held up a 　36　, red paper rose.

“Twenty years ago today, I felt alone and 　37　. I didn't know the talents inside me or what was possible for me.

Then Mary 　38　 two wonderful people into my life. They taught me what it was like to feel 　39　. They not only loved me 　40　. They opened a world of 　41　 that I didn't know existed. My new parents told me, ‘Reach for your dreams!’

I did, and today I'm 　42　 to be giving that chance to a child who 　43　 just like me. My mother gave me this little rose. By now, all of you 　44　 where she got it so long ago.

Mary sent me a new rose just yesterday. And my new rose 　45　a new spring, a beautiful new 　46　 for my own little girl. It 　47　 me to show her what unconditional love is, and to teach her to reach for her own beautiful dreams.

Thank you, Mary, for the special little things like roses that 　48　 our lives together. And thank you for all you've done for me and so many families over the years!”

One brief even can send our spirits soaring or 　49　 us in quiet to ponder a new beginning.　50　 it is also the very small things, like Mary's roses, that tie together the meaningful things.

31.A. poverty                    B. loneliness              C. misery                   D. suffering

32.A. home               B. place             C. school             D. life

33.A. glory                B. favor              C. habit              D. tradition

34.A. organizing      B. planning                C. hosting             D. attending

35. A. new                 B. grateful                 C. kind               D. active

36. A. broken              B. faded                         C. treasured           D. dried

37.A. tasteless             B. powerless                C. priceless             D. worthless

38.A. directed             B. introduced             C. brought            D. accepted

39.A. loved            B. protected          C. cared             D. cheered

40.A. silently              B. continuously             C. unintentionally      D. unconditionally

41.A. necessities         B. possibilities                     C. beauties            D. riches

42.A. eager            B. willing                  C. proud             D. lucky

43.A. started out        B. came up                 C. turned out          D. grew up

44.A. understand         B. guess                     C. tell               D. know  

45.A. replaces           B. symbolizes               C. equals            D. creates

46.A. chance           B. mystery                    C. challenge           D. beginning

47.A. reminds              B. helps                        C. accompanies        D. drives

48.A. fix              B. close                C. tie                  D. gather

49.A. cause              B. push                        C. put                           D. leave

50.A. Yet               B. Besides                    C. Otherwise          D. Therefore

 

Decision-making under Stress

　　A new review based on a research shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative (负面的) consequences of a decision.

　　The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.

　　“Stress affects how people learn,” says Professor Mara Mather. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”

　　For example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images(影像) with either rewards or punishments. In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by having to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those who hadn’t gone through the stress.

　　This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress –at those moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bring about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.

　　The research also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.

　　Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when caution weighs more, however, women will win.

　　This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into addiction.

1.We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend to ______.

A．keep rewards better in their memory

B．recall consequences more effortlessly

C．make risky decisions more frequently

D．learn a subject more effectively

2.According to the research, stress affects people most probably in their ______.

A．ways of making choices                   B．preference for pleasure

C．tolerance of punishments                 D．responses to suggestions

3.The research has proved that in a stressful situation, ______.

A．women find it easier to fall into certain habits

B．men have a greater tendency to slow down

C．women focus more on outcomes

D．men are more likely to take risks