Many of us feel uneasy when someone stands too close to us, talks to us too loudly or makes eye contact with us for too long. But have you ever wondered why those things make you uncomfortable? It's all about personal peace, which means not only an imaginary space around the body, but also the space around all the senses. People feel that their space is being violated when they meet with an unwelcome sound, smell or look. This is probably why a man on a crowded bus shouting into his mobile phone or a woman next to you putting on strong perfume makes you feel angry. Whether people have had a stronger wish to protect their personal space in recent times is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show that people have a strong desire to have space to themselves. In a survey by Trip Advisor, a travel website, people said that if they had to pay more for some extra service, they would rather have larger seats than extra food. Although people may need their personal space, some hardly realize it. For example, people on a bus who hold newspapers in front of their faces to read in fact keep a distance from strangers. Go and watch a library table. You will notice that one of the corner seats will usually be taken first, because they are the farthest way. What if someone sits opposite to you? Maybe you will pile up books as if to make a wall. Preference for personal space are different from culture to culture. Scientists have found that Americans generally prefer more personal space than people from other cultures. In Latin cultures, however, people are more comfortable standing close to each other. Who might feel his personal space is safe according to the passage? A) A person who has to sit next to a lady putting on strong perfume. B) A person who has been watched by a stranger for a long time. C) A person who hears strange noises when reading at home. D) A Latin boy who is chatting with a friend sitting close to him.
D
(Question)
Pepito the Brave By Scott Beck, Dutton, ISBN 0-525-46524-3, $12.99 Ah, the time in life when one has to leave home. No one seems to have as hard a time with it as Pepito. Pepito is a little bird who needs to leave the nest, but the problems is, he's afraid of heights. This makes flying away a bit of a problem, so like most people (or birds in this case) he avoids it, when he finds himself in a new situation, someone happens to give him some advice. A fox suggests he run to where he's going (I got nervous when he came across a fox, _ , a frog tells him to hop, a gopher to burrow . After his various attempts not to fly, he makes it to his brothers' and sister's new tree, and realizes that what he's done is much harder than actually trying to fly. It's a charming story with a good message--often facing up to our fears is much easier than running from them. The Stray Dog By Marc Simont, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-028933-3, $15.95 As someone who has taken in his share of stray animals, I can totally relate to the family in The Stray Dog. While picnicking one day, they befriend a dog that wanders by. Everyone immediately falls in love, but they leave him behind, figuring he belongs to someone else. But as the week goes by, none of them can get the dog, which they've named Willy, off their mind. So naturally the next Saturday they go back to that same place to see if Willy's still there. They find that not only does he not have an owner, but they've arrived just in time to prevent a catastrophe. Kids who love animals will definitely _ in the action, and even those who don't will appreciate the quick thinking children who save the day. Who are these two books written for? A) One for children and the other for parents. B) They are both for parents. C) They are both for children. D) They are for people who have pets.
(Answer)
C
Let's do some sleep math.You lost two hours of sleep every night last week because of a big project due on Friday.On Saturday and Sunday,you slept in,getting four extra hours.On Monday morning, you were feeling so bright-eyed that you only had one cup of coffee, instead of your usual two.But don't be cheated by your energy.You're still carrying around a heavy load of sleepiness, or what experts call"sleep debt"----in this case something like six hours,almost a full nights' sleep. Sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get.It's a deficit that grows every time we skim some extra minutes off our nightly sleep."People accumulate sleep debt gradually without being noticed,"says William C.Dement,founder of the Stanford University Sleep Clinic.Studies show that such short--term sleep deprivation leads to a foggy brain,worsened vision,and trouble remembering. Long-term effects include obesity,insulin resistance, and heart disease. A survey by the National Sleep Foundation reports that we're losing one hour of sleep each night----more than two full weeks of sleep every year. The good news is that,like all debt, with some work,sleep debt can be repaid. Adding an extra hour or two of sleep a night is the way to catch up.For the long--term lack of sleep,take it easy for a few months to get back into a natural sleep pattern. Go to bed when you are tired,and allow your body to wake you in the morning(no alarm clock allowed).You may find yourself catatonic in the beginning of the recovery cycle:expect to have ten hours shut-eye per night. As the days pass, however,the amount of sleeping time will gradually decrease. So earn back that lost sleep----and follow the dictates of your innate sleep needs. You'll feel better."When you put away sleep debt, you become a superman,"says Stanford's Dement, talking about the improved mental and physical capabilities that come with being well rested. If you have short--term sleep deprivation,_. A) you can think and remember things clearly B) you can still see everything very clearly C) you can drive your car easily D) you may have a poor sight
D