2024年1月19日发(作者：)

Unit1

Have you ever heard people say that they tend to be more of a right-brain or left-brain

thinker? From books to television programs, you have probably heard the term

1)(mentioned) numerous times, or perhaps you have even taken an online test to

2)(determine) which type best describes you.

Do different parts of the brain really control different bodily and mental functions? Over the

years, a theory that has 3)(gained) in popularity is that the right brain and the left brain are

4)(responsible) for different modes of thought and that the way in which a person thinks will

depend on which side of his brain works more actively.

People who rely more 5)(heavily) on the right half of their brain tend to be more imaginative

and spontaneous. They are interested in patterns, shapes and sizes, for the right brain is

associated with 6)(artistic) ability like singing, painting, writing poetry, etc. Left-brain

dominated people are quite 7)(opposite) in the way they think. They tend to be more logical

and 8)(analytical) in their thinking and usually stand out in mathematics and word skills.

While the different functions of the two brain parts may have been 9)(distorted) and

exaggerated by popular psychology, understanding your strengths and weaknesses in certain

areas can help you develop better ways to learn and study. For example, if you are usually

10)(stumped) in trying to follow verbal instructions, an activity often cited as a right-brain

characteristic, you can benefit from writing down directions and developing better

organizational skills.

Unit2

I was once in a relationship with a woman who was the most brilliant, creative and driven

person I'd ever known. I told her these things often because she didn't see herself this way,

despite 1)(achieving) great success and acclaim (称赞) in her professional field. She was also

2)(gorgeous) and sexy, though she seemed not to realize this either, so I told her these things

too. But while I thought it was more important to praise her brilliance, it seemed to mean

more to her that she was 3)(considered) attractive.

My experience with this girlfriend exemplifies a common phenomenon in life – when it

comes to complimenting a woman, men often walk a very difficult line. Of course, 4)(context)

matters. In a professional setting, talking about appearance is often inappropriate, but at a

singles club, it may be important. She will be very pleased if a man thinks her clothes and

5)(accessories) are pretty, or her hair looks wonderful. However, things in between these

two cases are unclear. Women have every right to be recognized and 6)(appreciated) for

their intelligence and creativity. But at the same time, they want to be admired for their looks

as well, for example, their perfect skin 7)(complexion) and elegant outfits.

Unfortunately, most guys don't understand this. If we receive compliments from women,

they're usually about our achievements, not our looks. Most of us don't expect a woman to

tell us how 8)(handsome) or sexy we are, and some of us would find it hard to regard such

a(n) 9)(comment) as sincere.

I'm not saying it's very hard to be a guy these days. It is important for every man to

understand how to treat women with both respect and 10)(admiration). But as far as the

right balance of these two is concerned, we really have no frame of reference, especially

when it comes to looks.

Unit3

In some urban centers, workaholism (工作狂) is so common that people do not consider it

unusual: They accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D.C., for

example, 1)(frequently) work 60 to 70 hours a week. They don't do this because they have to;

they do it because they want to.

Workaholism can be a serious problem. True workaholics, being deeply 2)(immersed) in

their work, allow themselves little or no time to take breaks. They like to work without being

3)(disrupted), and they probably don't know how to relax.

But is workaholism always bad? Perhaps not. There are people who work well under

4)(stress). Besides, some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest

in their own 5)(sphere). Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For

most workaholics, work and entertainment are the same thing. Their work 6)(challenges)

them, keeping them busy and genuinely engaged.

Why do workaholics enjoy doing their jobs so much? Of course they get paychecks from it,

but it is hard to 7)(quantify) the pleasure with money. It offers more than 8)(financial)

security. Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity and provides them with

self-confidence. People have a feeling of satisfaction when they 9)(administrate) a business

well or complete a challenging piece of work. In addition, most jobs provide a socially

acceptable way for people to meet others. So, though some people are compulsive (强迫性的)

about their work, their 10)(addiction) seems to be a safe or even an advantageous one. They

feel empty and incomplete when they are involved in activities not related to work.

Unit4

Farming invariably interferes with the habitats of plants and animals. However, this does not

necessarily mean that agriculture and biodiversity are 1)(incompatible). In fact, quite the

opposite is true. The sustainable cultivation of plants for food and feed actually enables us to

2)(preserve) biodiversity.

By 2007, there were more than twice as many people living on the planet as there were in

1961. Over the same period, the total amount of 3)(available) arable (可耕的) land grew by

just 10 percent. In comparison with population growth, the expansion of arable land was

small. And there are limits to further expansion. A large 4)(proportion) of the earth's surface

– like deserts – is not suitable for cultivation, and other areas are 5) (utilized) by humans for

roads and buildings. Some land that is rich in biodiversity needs to be preserved and thus

should not be 6)(converted) into arable land. The tropical rain forests, for example, have the

highest species density in the world, and changing this land for crop cultivation would be

7)(dreadful) to these species' habitats and, indeed, existence.

By 2050, global demand for food will have risen by 70 percent. But the expansion of land

available for cultivation has its limits. This is one of the greatest challenges facing agriculture

today: How do we 8)(balance) the increased demand for food with the need to maintain

biological diversity, now and in the future?

Efficient and 9)(sane) use of land will be key to preserving natural animal and plant habitats.

To achieve this aim will depend to a(n) 10)(considerable) extent on the use of modern

agricultural methods. If these methods are successfully applied, we believe that agriculture

and biodiversity can coexist in harmony.

Unit5

Stereotypes have some truth mixed in with a few generalizations. Sometimes these

generalizations can be misleading as they are often based on observation of the 1)(exterior)

behavior of people in a certain culture. Spaghetti, pasta, mafia (黑手党), gestures, fashion –

these are some words commonly used to describe Italians. How much truth is there in the

stereotype? As an Italian myself, I will give you some 2)(insights) into the Italian soul and

clarify some misunderstandings that foreigners have about us.

Spaghetti and pasta are sacred. You can't take pasta away from an Italian meal; otherwise it

won't be 3)(complete). A typical Italian meal generally includes pasta as a starter, fish or

meat with salad as the main 4)(course), followed by fruit or dessert, and then coffee. But

there are considerable regional differences in Italy, and hence 5)(inconsistencies) exist

between the stereotype and reality. For instance, you might find risotto (加有肉、鱼或蔬菜的调味饭) replacing pasta in some places!

The Mafia is real: We are not proud of it, but it does exist, especially in the South and on the

island of Sicily. Obviously, not every Italian is a member of the Mafia, and most will be

6)(offended) if you use the term, even if you are just joking.

Yes, the way we speak is unique. Italians use 7)(gestures) a lot in communication. We simply

cannot talk without our hands. If the hands are busy doing something else, we start moving

shoulders or other parts of the body.

We are also fashion victims. You can recognize Italians by the way they dress from head to

toe. We wear stylish clothes and 8)(ornaments) for every possible occasion. You won't ever

see an Italian wearing running shorts combined with long socks: It's simply against our

9)(sense) of style!

Italy is made up of many regions and provinces which are similar in some ways and

10)(distinctive) in others. The stereotype contains some truth, but being Italian takes a lot

more than that.

Unit6

To invest in women's education and health is important for the overall welfare of the human

society. The 1)(reason) for saying so is obvious, that is, women are playing important roles in

modern society. The politicians who 2)(levy) taxes should know that women contribute to

40 percent of the world's production in agriculture, a quarter in industry, and a third in

services. Women farmers in the developing countries grow at least 50 percent of the world's

food. In addition to 3)(generating) income, women continue to take responsibilities for

household activities such as childcare, cleaning and preparing food, which are sometimes not

as 4)(lightweight) and easy as generally thought.

Yet women's productivity remains low. Improving women's productivity can greatly benefit

economic growth and poverty 5)(reduction), which are key development goals around the

world. Hence, to 6)(enhance) women's status is a vital part of the World Bank's strategy for

broadly based economic and human resource development.

To improve women's welfare calls for the efforts of both women and men. If long-term

change in the conditions of women is to be 7)(achieved), the actions and attitudes of men

must change, rather than simply to 8)(emancipate) women from old conventions. Problems

affecting women are often closely related to the social 9)(relationships) between men and

women. For example, it is impossible to deal with women's health problems effectively

through 10)(approaches) that involve only women. Many women's health problems are

embedded in unequal gender relation in work loads, responsibilities for family welfare, as

well as access to resources and decision-making.

Unit7

With environmental damage from coal- and gas-derived power already at crisis levels, even alternatives that

are currently limitedly available are looking great. Wind power, an energy source that costs far less than

nuclear and coal power and contributes no toxic 1)(particulates) to the environment, seems to many of us

highly 2)(viable) and ideal.

But there are people who 3)(disagree) and are fighting the installation of new wind turbines. They 4)(cite)

bird deaths as an unacceptable side-effect of wind-generated power. Through various forms of protests, they

hope to save huge numbers of birds from death at the 5)(rotary) blades of massive wind turbines.

No one really knows how many birds die each year as a result of the growing wind power industry. Most

studies focus on only one or two wind farms. Yet, published studies suggest that wind farms 6)(vary)

considerably in the risk they pose to birds. Some wind turbines don't appear to kill any birds, while others

are believed to kill as many as 40 birds per turbine per year. Though these reports tell us 7)(little) about the

total number of birds killed, they do tell us that steps can be taken when constructing wind power turbines

to 8)(minimize) their impact on birds. For example, wind farms should not be built on bird migration routes.

Wind turbines should be erected in ways to avoid 9)(locating) blades at a height where birds tend to fly.

Wind towers should be 10)(designed) carefully to prevent birds from sitting or resting on them. Some

reports even argue that well-planned wind power can actually save many birds if it is used increasingly to

replace power generation from fossil fuels.

Unit8

Karen was a young mother working as a clerk at a court in North Carolina. Though she had been

trained in criminal justice, she quickly found prisons and courts to be 1)(depressing) places to

work. When her daughter was born, she had to stay at home and be a full-time mother. At that

point, she decided to 2)(figure) out what she really wanted to do with her life. She knew that she

liked office jobs and didn't intend to give up her own career development, but she also enjoyed

the 3)(flexibility) of staying home and raising her daughter. Therefore, it seemed that she just

couldn't find anything that could satisfy these two 4)(seemingly) conflicting conditions.

One day, Karen read in the newspapers that a couple 5)(sued) their babysitter for abusing their

child. It turned out that the babysitter had a long criminal record. Karen couldn't 6)(imagine)

hiring someone to watch her child without doing a thorough investigation about that person's

background. This 7)(sparked) a brilliant idea. Karen decided to do something to save other

parents' children from 8)(suffering) the same fate. And this job didn't require her to leave her

home. The next day she got her hometown paper and looked at the ads placed by parents seeking

babysitters. She called them and sent them 9)(leaflets) to offer her baby-sitting services. Several

of them jumped at it. Her business was born and has continued to grow.

That was 15 years ago. Karen was recently named one of the top 10 business women in North

Carolina and has even appeared on Oprah's talk show. Asked about the secret of her success, she

emphasized that it was because she was 10)(passionate) about what she really wanted to do. In

addition, Karen mentioned that patience and persistence were vital to her achievements.