Many of us use them several times a day without really noticing. And yet the way we behave in lifts, or elevators as they are known in the US, reveals a hidden anxiety. Passengers seem to know instinctively how to arrange themselves in an elevator, like the dots on a die. With each additional passenger, the bodies shift, going into the open spaces. On your own, you can do whatever you want--it's your own little box. If there are two of you, you take different corners, creating the greatest distance. When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a square, with someone in every corner, a fifth person is probable going to have to stand in the middle. Why are we so awkward in lifts? "You don't have enough space," says Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin. "Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm's length of distance between us. And that's not possible in most elevators, so it's a very unusual setting. It's unnatural." But perhaps there is more to it than just social awkwardness. "In the back of our minds we are a little anxious," says Nick White, an officer in New York who was unfortunate enough to be trapped in a lift for 41 hours. "We don't like to be locked into a place. We want to get out of the elevator as soon as possible, you know, it's a frightening place to be." During his terrible experience, he began to think of another enclosed space--a tomb. Dr. Lee Gray agrees that a sense of powerlessness is the main cause of lift anxiety. "You're in a machine that's moving, over which you have no control. You cannot see the elevator engine, you don't know how it's working." he says. What does the text mainly talk about? A) People's behavior in lifts. B) Accidents in lifts. C) The function of lifts. D) Differences between lifts and elevators.
A
I teach geography at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then asked me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. "I choose to be cheerful." I said. Then I told them a story. In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died and wouldn't start again. So I left my car there and marched down the road to the college. As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the office asked me what had happened. "This is my lucky day." I replied, smiling. "Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?" She was puzzled. "What do you mean?" "My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway but it didn't." I replied, "Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance from here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class." The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class. So ended my story. I scanned the sixty faces in my class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe _ In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful. An Indian wise man once said, "Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." I suppose it must be so. Why did the author tell his students the story? A) To share his lucky experience. B) To make his class more lively. C) To draw all students' attention. D) To encourage his students to be positive.
D
Q: Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. "Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students," said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States. One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China's boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2009, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange. International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies . Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2007-2008, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2006. Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year's fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying to enroll Chinese students. Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two... Which of the following statements is true? A) There are fewer family-funded Chinese students studying abroad in 2008 than in 2009. B) Chinese students are able to study abroad for their relatives overseas. C) In 2009 there will be 200,000 state-funded Chinese students studying overseas. D) In 2009 there will be 200,000 Chinese students studying in the US.
A: A
NASDAQ, acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation system, is one of the largest markets in the world for the trading of stocks. The number of companies listed on NASDAQ is more than that on any of the other stock exchange in the United States, including the New York Stock Exchange(NYSE) and the American Stock Exchange (AMSE). The majority of companies listed on NASDAQ are smaller than most of those on the NYSE and AMSX. NASDAQ has become known as the home of new technology companies, particularly computer and computer-related businesses. Trading on NASDAQ is started by stock brokers acting on behalf of their clients. The brokers negotiate with market makers who concentrate on trading specific stocks to reach a price for the stock. Unlike other stock exchange, NASDAQ has no central location where trading takes place. Instead, its market makers are located all over the country and make trades by telephone and via the Internet. Because brokers and market makers trade stocks directly instead of on the floor of a stock exchange, NASDAQ is called an over-the-counter market. The term over-the -counter refers to the direct nature of the trading, as in a store where goods are handed over a counter. Since its inception in 1971, the NASDAQ Stock Market has been the innovator . As the world's first electronic stock market, NASDAQ long ago set a precedent for technological trading innovation that is unrivaled . Now ready to become the world's first truly global market, the NASDAQ Stock Market is the market of choice for business industry leaders worldwide. By providing an efficient environment for raising capital NASDAQ has helped thousands of companies achieve their desired growth and successfully make the leap into public ownership. Since its founding in 1971, NASDAQ has contributed to _ . A) raising money for many companies B) creating an efficient environment for many companies C) the expected development of many companies D) the unexpected development of many companies
C