Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help?

Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists(心理学家)are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.

Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision making, but in fact they are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional centre is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasio, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains , and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasia thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choice, which we use to help the present decision-making.

However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger, for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.

All emotions affect our thinking and motivation（动机），so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there is one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.

51. According to the text, what may help us make better decisions?

　 A. To think about happy times.　　　　　　　　　　

B. To make many decisions at a time.

　 C. To stop feeling regretful about the past.　　　　 　

D. To learn about the process of decision-making.

52. What does the underlined word “central” mean?

　 A. 中心的　　　 B.中央的　　 C.起决定作用的　 D.后悔的

53.Damasia’s study suggests that ________.

　 A. emotions are the enemy of decision making.

　 B. our brain has nothing to do with decision making.

　 C. people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds.

　 D. our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions.

54.Why are angry shoppers more likely to choose the first thing they are offered?

　 A. They often forget their past choices.　　 　　　　　

B. They make decisions without much thinking.

　 C. They tend to save time when shopping.　　 　　　

D. They are too angry to bargain.

55. What do we learn from the text?

　 A. Emotions are a part of decision-making.

　 B. Sad people always make worse choices.

　 C. No emotion seems to help us make good choices.

　 D. Only sad feeling affect our thinking and motivation.

Jamal’s science teacher asked students to research a type of renewable energy and then writes something about their findings for class. Jamal talked about wind power.

 Renewable energy is a resource that can be created faster than

 it is consumed. (消耗)

     Using wind power is not a new idea. Sailboats have used wind

power for thousands of years. Another example of wind power is the

windmill (风车). Windmills used blades（叶片）to catch the wind while

a sailboat uses its tails. As the wind turns the blades, power is created.

Windmills use this power to get water from lakes or rivers.

     Today, wind turbines (风轮机) make electrical power for us. Wind turbines are made after the windmill. Wind turbines are made of strong durable materials that won’t wear out over time. To get large amounts of power, hundreds of wind turbines are placed in one location called a wind farm.

     In Texas, some landowners in windy areas build their own wind system or lease their land to wind companies. This industry created many new jobs. In fact, the state of Texas is one of the largest wind energy producers in the country.

However, one of the biggest disadvantages of wind power is that its output cannot be always gained because not every day is windy. Researchers are looking for effective ways to store enough energy for later use. Cities and towns cannot only rely on wind. Coy Harris, Executive director of Texas Wind Power Center, says "We are going to still have to have coal-fired plants and everything else because people still want to have electricity even when the wind is not blowing,"

51. We know from the text that ________ make electrical power for people.

A. sailboats                                B. windmills

C. wind turbines                                     D. blades

52. What does Coy Harris mean by saying cities and towns cannot only rely on wind?

A. wind power is not so important                     B. people don’t like windy days

C. wind is not always blowing             D. people build their own wind system

53. What does the underlined word durable probably mean?

A. 耐用的                                      B.坚固的    

C. 实在的                                  D. 干燥的

54. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A. Renewable energy can be consumed faster than it is created.

B. Wind turbines are made before windmills.

C. Wind power can be used to get water from lakes or rivers

D. Wind companies build their own wind system.

55. It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.

A. Wind power is renewable energy           B. Wind power is durable energy

C. Wind power depends much on weather   D. Wind power depends on electricity

Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help?

Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists(心理学家)are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.

Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision making, but in fact they are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional centre is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasio, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains , and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasia thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choice, which we use to help the present decision-making.

However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger, for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.

All emotions affect our thinking and motivation（动机），so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there is one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.

51. According to the text, what may help us make better decisions?

　 A. To think about happy times.　　　　　

　 B. To make many decisions at a time.

　 C. To stop feeling regretful about the past.　　　　 　

　 D. To learn about the process of decision-making.

52. What does the underlined word “central” mean?

　 A. 中心的　　　 B.中央的　 　C.起决定作用的　 　 D.后悔的

53.Damasia’s study suggests that ________.

　 A. emotions are the enemy of decision making.

　 B. our brain has nothing to do with decision making.

　 C. people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds.

　 D. our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions.

54.Why are angry shoppers more likely to choose the first thing they are offered?

　 A. They often forget their past choices.　　 　　　

　 B. They make decisions without much thinking.

　 C. They tend to save time when shopping.　　 　　　

　 D. They are too angry to bargain.

55. What do we learn from the text?

　 A. Emotions are a part of decision-making.

　 B. Sad people always make worse choices.

　 C. No emotion seems to help us make good choices.

　 D. Only sad feeling affect our thinking and motivation.

依据表格内容，完成下列各题。

51.______ like drawing pictures very much.

A. Lonnie and Byrne                  B. Alan and Lonnie

C. Megan and Alan                       D. Lonnie and Megan

52.What does Alan like doing in addition（除……之外）to boxing and playing soccer?

A. Playing video games and learning foreign languages.

B. Skiing and learning new languages .

C. Cooking and learning new languages .  

D. Playing video games and cooking .

53.Where was Megan born?

A. In France      B. In Japan.      C. In Britain.   D. In America.

54.How long have Julia and Byrne been married?

A. For about one year.   B. For about five years.

C. For about seven years.     D. For about eight years.

55. Which of the following is TRUE？

A. Byrne went to Japan to learn painting.     B. Alan does boxing once a week.

C. Megan wanted to be a teacher.          D. Lonnie is good at cooking.

The story starts in a German classroom. A teacher gives an exciting speech to his students about the glory of war. He encourages his students to join the war, so that they could bring honour to Germany. So the whole class of students join the war and leave together.

They are brought to a training camp and then are sent to a post with some soldiers that have been on the front for quite some time. The soldiers try to gather food up to satisfy their hunger. More and more young boys die of hunger.

Most of the soldiers wonder about why the war is happening and why they cannot just go home. They wonder why they can't just throw all of the kings into a large field and let them fight it out among themselves. It is not long before only one of the young men from the start of the movie is left. All of the other young men have died. Paul (the last young man) is wounded（受伤） badly. He returns home to see his mother. He goes around town and it seems like nothing there has changed. The people are still talking about the glory of war. Paul can't help feeling sorry for them, because those people who never go to the war field cannot understand how terrible the war is.

When he returns back to the front, his friends all have died. The film ends with the death of Paul. A gun shoots him when Paul is catching butterflies. On the newspaper there is only A// Quiet on the Western Front.

50. What does the underlined word "glory" mean in Chinese?

51. Why do more and more boys die?

A. Because of coldness.                      B. Because of hunger.

C. Because of fighting.                         D. Because of environment.

52. What does the film talk about?

A. It shows the terrible truth of the war.     B. It tells a story of a young man.

C. It speaks highly of the glory of war.      D. It encourages young people to join the war,