B. short
C. turn
D. essence
28. A. survived
B. noticed
C. undertaken
D. experienced
29. A. contrarily
B. consequently
C. similarly
D. simultaneously
30. A. than
B. that
C. which
D. for
31. A. system
B. structure
C. concept
D. heritage
32. A. assessable
B. identifiable
C. negligible
D. incredible
33. A. expense
B. restriction
C. allocation
D. availability
34. A. incidence
B. awareness
C. exposure
D. popularity
35. A. provided
B. since
C. although
D. supposing
Ⅲ.閱讀理解/Reading c6mprehension(40分)
A
In meditation (冥想), people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath. As they breathe in and out, they attend to their feelings. As thoughts go through their minds, they let them go. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Let go.
According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a marked change in how the brain allocates( 分配) attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli(刺激), like facial expressions.
The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day. A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period. Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both groups looked for the numbers, their brain activity was recorded.
Everyone could catch the first number. But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number. Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number, as if letting it go, which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number. This shows that attention can change with practice.
Just ask Daniel Levision, who meditated for three months as part of the study. "I am a much better listener," he said, "I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying. "
36. The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 1 refers to _________.
A. feelings
B. minds
C. people
D. thoughts
37. Meditators manage their daily tasks better because they _________.
A. are given less pressure
B. allocate their attention better
C. have more stimuli for life
D. practice them more frequently
38. In the experiment, volunteers doing meditation for longer hours _________.
A. were more likely to catch both of the members
B. were used to memorizing numbers in groups
C. usually ignored the first number observed
D. paid more attention to numbers than to letters
39. The study proves that _________.
A. meditation improves one's health
B. brain activity can be recorded
C. human attention can be trained
D. mediators have a good sense of hearing
B
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You e an have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will rtm away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability.
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor,he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!
40. Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?
A. Understanding.
B. Honesty.
C. Reliability.
D. A sense of humor.
41. If you have fair weather friends, _________.
A. they will give you all that they have when you need help
B. you will be refused when you get into trouble
C. you will become rich
D. you can be sure that you get real friends