相关试卷
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1、If a stranger offered you a free cookie, you might well eat it. But what if they offered to also give you $2? You might politely decline and walk away thinking, "Something smells fishy." In a study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, researchers found that people tend to turn down offers of "free money" (as well as unusually high salaries or suspiciously cheap services) because they seem "too good to be true". The research bridges economics and psychology to explain why financial attraction can backfire.
In the initial experiment, nearly 40 percent of participants ate a cookie offered freely, compared with about 20 percent of those offered $2 as well. "People typically imagine things like that someone did something disgusting to the cookie," says study lead author Andrew J. Vonasch, a psychological scientist at University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Nine further experiments, involving more than 4,000 participants, used online questionnaires to present other cases. These included being offered money to accept a ride home, incredibly high construction-job wages and surprisingly cheap flights. In each case, past a certain threshold (门槛), higher financial profit reduced participants' potential of accepting the offer.
If someone seems to go against accepted norms such as self-interest without explanation, we assume they have hidden motives and infer there will be "phantom costs": imagined consequences that reduce what Vonasch calls an offer's "psychological value".
Factors beyond the present moment may come into play. "Understanding that others' perceived over generosity may put us in their debt could also help explain people's reluctance," says Rachel McCloy, a psychologist studying decision-making at England's University of Reading. "The old saying ‘there's no such thing as a free lunch' is clearly alive and well."
Another experiment found that high scorers on measures of distrust inferred more phantom costs. The researchers also showed how to alleviate the effect: simply provide a reason for the deal. The "cheap flights" experiment included a condition where the seats were revealed to be very uncomfortable. "Uncomfortable seats aren't typically a selling point," Vonasch says. "But telling people the seats were uncomfortable made them more willing to take them because it was sufficient explanation."
(1)、What does the underlined word "backfire" in Para. 1 mean?A、Result in an opposite effect. B、Boost the success of an offer. C、Increase the appeal of a proposal. D、Cause a positive outcome unexpectedly.(2)、Why is the quote "there's no such thing as a free lunch" mentioned by the author?A、To prove the phantom costs. B、To promote generosity in society. C、To doubt hidden costs of generous offers. D、To remind people to be cautious of free items.(3)、What helps make the "cheap flights" more acceptable according to the experiment?A、Offering more flight credits. B、Discounting the price further. C、Providing additional unrelated gifts. D、Giving a seemingly reasonable explanation.(4)、Which could be the best title for the text?A、Why People Embrace High-Value Offers B、Why People Reject Free Money and Offers C、Why Some Deals Seem Too Good to Be True D、How Offers of Money Increase Acceptance Rates -
2、Water shortage is one of the world's biggest challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) thinks one in three people globally do not have easy access to clean water. Desalinating (给……脱盐) ocean water could help. But currently-available desalination units typically require high-pressure pumps to push water through filters (过滤器), which makes it difficult to reduce their size without influencing the energy-efficiency of the device. Meanwhile, they are too expensive to set up widely.
Now, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers have developed a convenient desalination machine. Unlike traditional desalination units, the MIT machine uses electricity to remove the salt and other small things from the ocean water. More importantly, the suitcase-sized device needs less power to run. It can also be powered by a small solar panel that costs less than $50. The lack of filters and the low electricity requirements make the machine extremely cheap to set up. "Ease of use was one of the main motivations for creating the device." said one researcher.
After running lab experiments using water with different salinity (盐度) levels, they field-tested the device at Boston's Carson Beach. The researchers set the box near the shore and put the tube into the water. In about half an hour, the device had filled a plastic cup with clear, drinkable water.
The researchers believe their invention can deliver drinking water meeting WHO quality standards with a push of a button. Meanwhile, a smartphone app allows the user to control the unit wirelessly and receive real-time data on power consumption and water salinity. It also sends out information when the water is drinkable.
The MIT team is now exploring ways to bring their machine to market. They believe it will benefit residents of small islands or those running away from natural disasters in the future.
(1)、What do we know about the current desalination units?A、They cannot work efficiently. B、They are usually large in size. C、They were developed by MIT. D、They cannot stand high pressure.(2)、Which aspect of the new desalination device is Paragraph 2 mainly about?A、The original purpose. B、The working process. C、The practical advantages. D、The major components.(3)、What makes the researchers confident in their invention?A、That it is user-friendly and effective. B、That it can provide lots of real-time data. C、That it can be supported by several smartphone apps. D、That it has successfully passed many lab experiments. -
3、For generations, the name Milton Hershey has been a well-known word closely connected with fine chocolate products throughout the country and around the world. He was born in 1857 on a farm near Derry Church, a small Pennsylvania community. Frequent family moves interrupted his schooling and left him with limited education. He only completed the fourth grade.
Following a four-year apprenticeship (学徒期) with a Lancaster candy maker, he established his first candy-making business in Philadelphia. That initial effort failed, so did his next two attempts in Chicago and New York. Returning to Lancaster in 1883, Hershey persevered in his dream and finally established the Lancaster Caramel Company, which quickly became an outstanding success.
Hershey became fascinated with the German chocolate-making machinery exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. He bought the equipment for his Lancaster plant and soon began producing various chocolate creations. Hershey sold the Lancaster Company in 1900 in order to focus entirely on his chocolate business.
Three years later, he returned to Derry Church to build a new factory. Through trial and error, he created his own formula (配方) for milk chocolate. In 1903 he began construction on what was to become the world's largest chocolate plant. After its completion, Hershey's milk chocolate quickly became the first nationally marketed product of its kind.
With Milton Hershey's success came a great sense of social responsibility. Hershey created a complete new community around his factory. He built a model town for his employees that included comfortable homes, an inexpensive public transportation system, a quality public school system and broad cultural opportunities. The town of Hershey continues to be a special place for its residents and a popular attraction for millions of visitors each year. Indeed, Milton Hershey's achievements do speak for themselves.
(1)、What stopped Hershey from having systematic school education?A、His lack of interest in study. B、His family's continual relocation. C、His failure to meet school requirements. D、His parents' attaching little value to education.(2)、Why did Hershey sell his Lancaster plant?A、The chocolate creation were of low quality. B、The plant had suffered a great financial loss. C、His chocolate business required a lot of money. D、He decided to fully concentrate on his business.(3)、Which of the following best describes Hershey?A、Generous and open-minded. B、Strict and well-behaved. C、Determined and public-spirited. D、Humorous and ambitious. -
4、假定你是新华中学的李华，将参加主题为"My Amazing ______（节日）Experience"的英语演讲比赛。请你就此主题写一篇演讲稿，内容包括：
1．此节日的简介（时间和意义）；2．你的节日经历和感受。
注意：1．词数80左右；2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5、阅读下面句子，根据句意从方框内选择合适的单词，在空白处填入其适当形式。
set up fall in love with take advantage of go off
in memory of get through pass away trip over
(1)、They built a monument(纪念) the soldiers who died in the war.(2)、She(利用) her free time to volunteer at the local hospital last summer.(3)、A new security system(安装) in the building last week.(4)、He(爱上) writing since he read that book.(5)、After many attempts, he finally(通过) this significant exam yesterday.(6)、She usually(离开) for work at 8:00 every morning.(7)、The famous writer(去世) two years ago, leaving behind many great works. -
6、With the summer holidays (approach), the students are beginning to talk about their plans. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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7、The question (discuss) now has something important to do with our daily life. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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8、According to the new rules, anybody (swim) in this river will be punished. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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9、He looked (interest) in the idea that I put forward in the meeting. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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10、It is (amaze) that the crowds gathered on the street to celebrate Christmas. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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11、Everyone was silent, (wait) to see who would be asked to read the passage. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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12、 (compare) with my brother, I should make greater efforts to study English. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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13、In (respond) to your question, we have provided the relevant information. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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14、He worked (energetic) all day long and finally finished the difficult task. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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15、The club offered (congratulate) to D. Brown on her appointment as president. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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16、I would like to express my (grateful) to everyone for their hard work. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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17、The wetlands are home to a large (various) of wildlife. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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18、Due to the high rate of (employ), thousands of people in the country are out of work. (所给词的适当形式填空)
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19、If you don't use it, you lose it. At least, that's how the old saying goes. It refers to the idea that something that does not get used regularly quickly falls into a state of decline. For example, a hobby that you haven't done for a few years, like playing the piano. The next time you pick it up, maybe you've forgotten altogether! In order to prevent this, people take regular exercise to keep their skills sharp.
Well, what about the brain? As we age, our brains can naturally begin to decline (衰退). In some cases, this can lead to certain mental conditions such as dementia (痴呆). However, all is not lost because these days it's relatively easy to train your brain. Smartphones and apps have put programmes that can test, keep and even improve our memories and a number of other mental abilities. With a little practice every day, we can keep our brains sharp, right?
Well, no, actually. According to a report from the Global Council on Brain Health, even though many people think it is beneficial to play some online games that are designed to improve brain health, the evidence of the benefits is "weak to non-existent". Playing a "brain game" may lead to improvements in game performance, but this has yet to show a convincing result in people's daily cognitive (认知的) abilities.
Don't lose heart, though. There are other ways to develop the brain. It recommends trying new activities that challenge the way you think and are socially engaging, while leading to a healthy lifestyle. Among their suggestions are practising tai chi, taking photography classes, learning new technologies, gardening, art projects or volunteering.
There's more good news, too. James Goodwin, chief scientist at Age UK, has said that brain decline is not unavoidable. As long as the activities are "new to you and require your concentrated attention", they can provide benefits for brain health. So, hurry up, get out there and try something new. Maybe it's time to try that hobby you've always wanted to do.
(1)、Why is playing the piano mentioned in paragraph 1?A、To introduce the topic of brain decline. B、To explain how to keep physically healthy. C、To show the importance of regular exercise. D、To illustrate the meaning of an old saying.(2)、What can we infer about the effectiveness of playing online brain games from paragraph 3?A、The benefits are not obvious in terms of daily cognitive abilities. B、Both game performance and cognitive functions are greatly improved. C、Strong and continuous benefits have been proved. D、The evidence of the benefits is weak to non-existent.(3)、According to James Goodwin, which of the following does NOT help prevent brain decline?A、Taking part in a new cooking class that teaches techniques unknown before. B、Playing a familiar game that does not demand much thought. C、Participating in a photography course that challenges one's creative skills. D、Learning a new musical instrument that requires concentration.(4)、What is the main idea of the text?A、Regular exercise and healthy lifestyle are key to keeping the brain healthy. B、Brain decline is natural and unavoidable as people age. C、Online brain games can improve people's cognitive abilities. D、Engaging in new and challenging activities can benefit brain health. -
20、阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
On New Year's Eve 2022, Heginbotham, 86, was spending the holiday by herself for the first time. Her husband died in June.
Heginbotham was feeling blue. The silence was almost unbearable and made the room feel colder than it was.
To cheer herself up, she decided to work on her holiday cards and send them to her friends and relatives. She carefully selected each card, thinking of the joy they would bring to them. That afternoon, she drove to Bethesda's post office to drop off the cards.
When Heginbotham was dropping off her cards, a kind-hearted man called Zein saw her and thought she was too old to handle so many cards. Zein approached her with a warm smile.
"Ma'am, do you need any help?" he asked gently. Heginbotham hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed, but she was grateful for the offer.
Zein helped her fill in the addresses, chatting about holidays. Heginbotham felt a sense of connection, and she showed great gratitude to Zein by sending a holiday card to him as well.
When Heginbotham returned to her car, though, it wouldn't start because of the battery, a problem she had encountered before. There were two jumper cables (跨接线) in her car. She just needed to connect the positive and negative terminals (正负极) of the batteries of two cars. After the connection was made, she kept the other car's engine running, and then started her car with a dead battery. But she was too old to manage it herself. Her heart sank.
It was cold outside, and she realized that calling roadside assistance would likely take a long time, especially on a holiday. It was getting dark, and the thought of waiting alone in the cold made her scared. So she went back inside the post office.
The post office was nearly empty, with Zein and only a few workers finishing up their shifts. Heginbotham felt a bit embarrassed, but she knew she had to try.
"Does anyone know how to jumpstart a car?" Heginbotham asked.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Without hesitation, Zein said right away, "I do."
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Heginbotham warmly invited Zein into the house for a drink.
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