Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help?
Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.
Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision-making, but in fact they are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional centre is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasia, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains, and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasia thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choice, which we use to help the present decision-making.
However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.
All emotions affect our thinking and motivation，so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there is one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “central” mean?
| A．in the middle | B．easy to reach | C．important | D．having power |
| A．emotions are the enemy of decision-making. |
| B．our brain has nothing to do with decision-making. |
| C．people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds. |
| D．our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions. |
| A．To think about happy times. | B．To make many decisions at a time. |
| C．To stop feeling regretful about the past. | D．To learn about the process of decision-making. |
| A．They often forget their past choices. | B．They make decisions without much thinking. |
| C．They tend to save time when shopping. | D．They are too angry to bargain. |
| A．Emotions are a part of decision-making. |
| B．Sad people always make worse choices. |
| C．No emotion seems to help us make good choices. |
| D．Only sad feelings affect our thinking and motivation. |
【小题1】C
【小题2】D
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
【小题5】A
解析试题分析：本文讲述了影响人做出决定的多种因素，以及人的心理因素的对做决定的影响。
【小题1】C 推理题。根据文章第一段前3行Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret.可知这里的central是指做决定对每个人都很重要。故C正确。
【小题2】D 推理题。根据第二段前3行Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision-making, but in fact they are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional centre is active.可知D项正确，接下来所列举之例子正是为了解释这个理论。
【小题3】D 推理题。根据文章4,5,6行Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.可知了解做决定的心理发展过程是非常重要的，所以我们才要去了解这方面的内容。故D正确。
【小题4】B 细节题。根据文章倒数第二段最后一句It seems that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.可知他们没有做太多的思考就做出了决定，B正确。
【小题5】A 细节题。根据第二段前2行You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision-making, but in fact they are a part of it.说明A正确。
考点：考查科普类短文阅读
点评：本文讲述了影响人做出决定的多种因素，以及人的心理因素的对做决定的影响。本文主要考查推理题。在解题时要立足已知，推断未知。立足现在，猜测未来。不能主观臆想，凭空想象，随意揣测，更不能以自己的观点代替作者的观点;要把握句、段之间的逻辑关系，了解语篇的结构。要体会文章的基调，揣摸作者的态度，摸准逻辑发展的方向，悟出作者的弦外之音。
科目：高中英语 来源：福建省2009-2010学年高二下学期期中考试英语试题 题型：阅读理解
第三部分 阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。三百六十
An allowance(零用钱) is an important tool for teaching kids how to budget, save and make their own decisions. Children remember and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.
How large is an allowance appropriate? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from area to area, and from family to family.
To set an appropriate allowance for your child, work out a weekly budget. Allow for entertainment expenditures (花费) such as movie and snack. Next include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare and school supplies. “If you make the child responsible for these bills, ”says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, “he or she will learn to budget for necessary expenditures.”
Finally add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can, keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends, a child whose purchasing power falls away below his peers can feel left out.
It can be tough but avoid excusing your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Stephens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week. $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch. “ If you lose money” Brooke’s mother told her, “you walk home.”
One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, and then she called home for a ride, “Mom made me walk home,” recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brooklyn. “At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson.”
Experts advise an allowance should not be tied directly to a child’s daily chore (琐事). Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home. That can develop his or her initiative (主动性).
1. What does the text mainly discuss?
A. How to develop a child’s initiative.
B. How to work up a budget.
C. How to teach a child to save money.
D. How to teach a child to manage money matters.
2. It can be inferred from the text that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may_____.
A. spend all the money very soon
B. be spoiled and finally ruined
C. lose the money and can not return home
D. feel responsible and be careful about money
3. The underlined part “his peers”(in Para.4)probably refers to ______.
A. his friends B. his brothers C. his parents D. his teachers
4 Why does the author mention Brooke Stephens?
A. To question the opinion about pocket money.
B. To compare Stephens with other experts.
C. To explain the parents should be strict when children are developing habits about money.
D. To suggest that pocket money is useless in developing a child’s sense of responsibility.
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科目：高中英语 来源：全国通用2010届高考阅读理解专项练习 题型：阅读理解
Babies are not just passing idle time when they stare goggle-eyed at the television—they are actually learning about the world, U.S. researchers said. Parents may want t limit what their babies see on television , based on the study, said Donna Mumme, assistant professor of psychology at Tufts University in Boston, who led the research. “Children as young as 12 months are making decisions based n the emotional(情感的)reactions of adults around them,” Mumme said in a statement. “It turns out they can also use emotional information they pick up from television. This means that adults might want to think twice before they speak in a loud and harsh voice or let a baby see television programs meant for information about the world. A mother urging her baby to eat some “yummy” soup on a brother crying in fear when a dog approaches can influence a baby’s reaction. Mumme’s team tested babies to determine. If television has the same influence, showing actors reacting on a videotape to objects such as red spiral letter holder, a blue humpy ball, and a yellow garden hose attachment. Babies aged 10 months or 12 months were later given the same objects to play with. Ten-month-olds did not seem to e influenced by the video buy the 1-year-olds were. When the actors acted neutrally or positively to an object, the babies happily played with them. But if the actor had seemed afraid or disgusted, the babies would avoid the object.
72．Psychology is the study of .
A．human’s society and its growth
B．human’s hopes had dreams
C．human’s mind and behaviors
D．human’s languages and cultures
73．Which of the following is Mumme’s conclusion?
A．Small babies should not be allowed to watch television programs.
B．Adults need to think twice before they act in front of small babies.
C．TV programs provide small babies with all the information they need.
D．One-year-olds can be emotionally influenced by TV programs.
74．Mumme reached his conclusion by .
A．measuring the time babies spent in front of TV.
B．making TV programs and advertisements for kids.
C．showing actors how to react to blue bumpy balls
D．observing small babies’ reactions to TV programs
75．Which of the following may the study lead to according to the researchers?
A．Parents may want to limit what their babies see on television.
B．Actors may try to behave themselves well in front of babies.
C．Babies may be allowed to choose what they see on TV.
D．Scientists may stop ignoring babies’ emotional world.
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科目：高中英语 来源：东北三省三校2010届高三下学期第三次联合模拟考试英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Upon reaching an appropriate age, usually between 18 and 21 years, children are encouraged, but not forced, to “leave the nest” and begin an independent life. After children leave home they often find social relationships and financial support outside the family. Parents do not arrange marriages for their children, nor do children usually ask permission of their parents to get married, Romantic love is most often the basis for marriage in the United States; young adults meet their future spousesthrough other friends, at jobs, and in organizations and religious institutions, Although children choose their own spouses, they still hope their parents will approve of their choices.
In many families, parents feel that children should make major life decisions by themselves. A parent may try to influence a child to follow a particular profession but the child is free to choose another career. Sometimes children do precisely the opposite of what their parents wish in order to assert their independence. A son may deliberately decide not to go into his father’s business because of a fear that he will lose his autonomy in his father’s workplace. This independence from parents is not an indication that parents and children do not love each other. Strong love between parents and children is universal and this is no exception in the American family Coexisting with such love in the American family are cultural values of self – reliance and independence.
1．The writer discusses the marriage of young adults in order to show .
A．they choose their spouses according to their own wishes only
B．they want to win the permission of their parents
C．they have a strong desire to become independent
D．they want to challenge the authority of their parents
2．Most young adults in the U.S. get married for the sake of __ __.
A．love B．financial concern
C．their parents D．family background
3．Based on the passage, it can be assumed that ______.
A．American young adults are likely to follow the suit of their parents
B．most American people never make major decisions for their children
C．American young adults posses cultural values of independence
D．once a young person steps into his twenties, he will leave his home permanently
4．A son is unwilling to work in his father’s business mainly because .
A．he wishes to make full use of what he has learnt in school
B．he wants to prove his independence
C．he wishes to do the opposite of what his parents approve of
D．he wants to show his love for his parents
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011年辽宁省高三第六次模拟考试英语卷 题型：阅读理解
Preparing for a medical emergency involving your pet is always best accomplished before the event takes place. This series is designed to help guide you through the important decisions about first aid, as well as how and when to transport your pet quickly and safely to a veterinary hospital or emergency ability．
VeterinaryPartner．com has provided this
complete reference book online for you to skim through, expanding your
knowledge of dog and cat first aid；however, we
encourage you to buy the book to keep in your home or car as a quick reference
during an emergency．
This book is an emergency preparedness ready-reference for dogs and cats．Wise preventive measures, intelligent use of first aid principles, coupled with recognition of abnormal symptoms and treatment of disorders, diseases, and problems, lead to effective health care．
A working knowledge of this information will help you get rid of some potentially dangerous circumstances and help you prepare for emergency situations．
It includes information on what to do and what not to do in specific emergency situations．The authors encourage careful reading and occasional rereading．We have tried to make this book easy to understand, avoiding technical terms as often as possible, but defining（下定义）them in context when they are necessary．
1.What does the underlined word “veterinary” in paragraph 1 mean?
A．Immediate B．For animals C．Urgent D．For humans
2.Why are we advised to buy the book?
A．Because it's very cheap and may be useful to all the people．
B．Because it contains a working knowledge of information about dogs and cats．
C．Because it contains information on specific emergency situations．
D．Because it is convenient to know things dealing with dog or cat in an emergency．
3.Which is NOT true about the book?
A．It can enlarge the readers' knowledge of dog and cat first aid．
B．It contains the knowledge of recognition of abnormal symptoms of dogs and cats．
C．Although it contains many technical terms, it is easy to understand．
D．You can read it on VetrinaryParmer．com free of charge．
4.What's the purpose of the passage?
A．To introduce a book． B．To introduce a website．
C．To introduce a working knowledge． D．To encourage careful reading．
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科目：高中英语 来源：2010-2011学年湖南省长沙市高三第三次月考英语卷 题型：阅读理解
It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
1.The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.
A. show that he was ready to defend the subject he enjoyed
B. lead up his argument that the sciences-humanities divide is harmful
C. prove that doing something meaningful is better than having a lot of money
D. describe how fierce students of different majors can be when arguing with each other
2.What was C. P. Snow’s attitude towards the sciences-humanities divide?
A. Indifferent. B. Uncertain. C. Positive. D. Negative.
3.In the sixth paragraph, an example mentioning middle-aged people is used to show that ________.
A. students should not make decisions too early
B. not all people have a talent for or are interested in the sciences
C. these people did not have the chance to make a choice earlier in life
D. the earlier young people make a decision, the better it will be for them
4.According to the text, it is safe to say that ________.
A. sciences are more practical in the modern world
B. C. P. Snow was a novelist who became a physicist
C. future generations will be able to get more out of education
D. a command of both the sciences and humanities is important to society
5.What’s the best title for the article?
A. The sciences or the humanities, which to choose?
B. High school education in China
C. Isn’t it better to delay the choice of the career direction?
D. A better time to decide what to study
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