2024年中考英语（阅读理解之说明文）题型预测（北京专用）（含解析）

2024年中考英语（阅读理解之说明文）题型预测（北京专用）
（2024·北京丰台·一模）Some time ago, I came to realize that I wasn’t improving much at the things I cared most about even though I put in a lot of effort. Through talking to others and doing some research, I found this stagnation (停滞) is actually quite common and that the most effective people and teams in any field do something we can all emulate (模仿). They go through life back and forth between two zones (区域): the learning zone and the performance zone.
In the learning zone, our focus (焦点) is on getting better. We try new things and practice things we’re not quite perfect at yet. Making mistakes is expected, even welcomed, because that’s how we learn and grow. This is different from the performance zone. When we’re performing, we want to do our best. We focus on the skills we’ve already mastered and try to reduce mistakes.
The reason many of us don’t improve much despite our hard work is that we tend to spend almost all of our time in the performance zone. This gets in the way of our growth over the long term, also our performance. So what does the learning zone look like Let’s take Demosthenes as an example. He was a political leader and the greatest lawyer in ancient Greece. To become great, he didn’t spend all his time just being a lawyer, which would be his performance zone. But instead, he did activities designed for improvement. He studied law with guidance from mentors, but he also realized that being a lawyer involved persuading (说服) other people, so he also studied great speeches and acting. And since courts at the time were very noisy, he also practiced by the ocean, projecting his voice above the roar of the waves. It is this type of practice in the learning zone that leads to real improvement, not just time on task performing.
Now, this is not to say that the performance zone has no value. It very much does. Being in the performance zone allows us to get things done as best as we can. It can also be motivating, and it provides us with information to know what to focus on next when we go back to the learning zone.
So the way to high performance is to alternate between the learning zone and the performance zone, purposefully building our skills in the learning zone, then applying (应用) those skills in the performance zone. This way, we keep getting better and better. Remember, it’s important to know when to focus on learning and when to focus on performing. While we need both, the more time we spend in the learning zone, the more we’ll improve.
1．You are probably in the learning zone when you ________.
A．try to learn new things for improvement
B．practice things you’re perfect at already
C．try your best to avoid making mistakes
D．focus on the skills you have mastered
2．Why does the writer talk about Demosthenes in Paragraph 3
A．To explain why many of us don’t improve much.
B．To suggest some ways of changing learning habits.
C．To stress the importance of being in the learning zone.
D．To show how people improve skills in the learning zone.
3．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage
A．Working Hard Helps Make Improvement
B．The Real Value of Learning and Performing
C．The Way to Get Better at Things You Care about
D．Focusing on Skills Development Helps You Grow
（2024·北京丰台·一模）If you are on a bus or train, you’ve probably noticed that most people spend the ride looking at their cell phones. No doubt, they think doing nothing but sit there would be boring, so they prefer distracting themselves. This squares (一致) with past research showing people will do almost anything to avoid boredom.
But results from new research suggest we should rethink that choice. We are probably underestimating (低估) how enjoyable and interesting it is to do nothing but pay attention to wherever our thoughts take us.
In a series of experiments, researchers brought Japanese university students into a lab and told them that they would soon go into a room without their belongings to wait and do nothing but sit for 20 minutes. While waiting, they could think about anything, but were not allowed to sleep, walk, or exercise; look at a smartphone; or check a watch. Before entering the room, they were asked to predict how much they’d enjoy waiting and thinking, how interesting or boring it would be, and how much it would engage them so that they would lose themselves in it and forget the time. Then, they went in the room to wait. Afterward, they reported how waiting actually felt—how engaging, pleasurable, interesting, or boring it was. In some variations of the experiment, they waited in a dark room without any stimulation (刺激). Either way, researchers found that the participants (参与者) were not good at
predicting how much they’d enjoy doing nothing but think. Even in a dark room with no stimulation, they ended up being more engaged and interested than they’d expected.
“People don’t recognize the real value of waiting/thinking,” says researcher Kou Murayama of the Motivation Science Lab at the University of Tübingen in Germany and coauthor of the study. “Once they engage in it, though, they appreciate it.” Spontaneous (自发的) thinking often involves mind-wandering, daydreaming, thinking about the future, or recollecting memories, all of which can have upsides. For example, daydreaming and mind-wandering have been found to improve our mood, creativity, goal-setting, and job performance.
Though it’s hard to know if these results with students would apply (适用) to the rest of us, Murayama did at least compare German students to Japanese students and found both groups underestimated the pleasure of waiting to a similar degree. This suggests that it’s not necessarily a culturally-driven phenomenon (现象), though more research would need to be done to check that.
Overall, says Murayama, the results suggest we rethink whipping out our cell phones every time we are waiting or bored. Instead, we might benefit from having a moment to think freely about whatever catches our fancy—and enjoy ourselves just as much.
4．What can we learn from the experiments mentioned in the passage
A．Participants could sleep when they stayed in the lab.
B．Participants felt more interested than they had expected.
C．Participants could enter the dark room with their watches.
D．Participants predicted they would enjoy waiting and thinking.
5．The word “engage” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.
A．upset B．surprise C．confuse D．attract
6．What does Paragraph 5 mainly tell us
A．More studies are needed to support the findings.
B．Both Germans and Japanese undervalued the pleasure of waiting
C．Underestimating the pleasure of waiting may not be related to culture.
D．The study results with students would be able to apply to the rest of us.
7．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To present the results of new research.
B．To introduce a culturally-driven phenomenon.
C．To discuss the true meaning of waiting and thinking.
D．To advise us to think freely when we have nothing to do.
（2024·北京顺义·一模）We rely on our memory for sharing stories with friends or learning from our past experiences. Yet evidence shows that our memory isn’t as consistent as we’d like to believe.
There are countless reasons why tiny mistakes might happen each time we recall past events. And whenever these mistakes happen, they can have long-term effects on how we’ll recall that memory in the future.
Take storytelling for example. When we describe our memories to other people, we might ask ourselves whether it’s important to get the facts straight, or whether we only want to make the listener laugh. And we might change the story’s details depending on the listener’s attitudes. It isn’t only the message that changes, but sometimes it’s also the memory itself. This is known as the “audience-tuning effect”, showing us how our memories can change automatically over time, as a product of how, when, and why we access them.
In fact, sometimes simply the act of repeating a memory can be exactly what makes it easy to change. This is known as “retrieval-enhanced suggestibility”. In a typical study of this effect, participants watched a short film, then took a memory test a few days later. But during the days between watching the film and taking the final test, two other things happened. First, half of the participants took a practice memory test. Second, all of the participants were given a description of the film to read, which contained some false details. Participants who took a practice memory test shortly before reading the false information were more likely to reproduce this false information in the final memory test.
Why might this be One theory is that repeating our memories of past events can temporarily make those memories malleable. In other words, retrieving（找回）a memory might be a bit like taking ice-cream out of the freezer and leaving it in direct sunlight for a while. By the time our memory goes back into the freezer, it might have naturally become a little misshapen, especially if someone has influenced it purposely in the meantime.
These findings lead us to wonder how much our most treasured memories have changed since the very first time we remembered them. Remembering is an act of storytelling, after all. And our memories are only ever as reliable as the most recent story we told ourselves.
8．The writer takes storytelling for example to prove that ______.
A．it is impossible to change the listener’s attitudes
B．it is important to describe our memories directly
C．we can make other people laugh by telling stories
D．we may change our memories according to the listener
9．What do you know about memory from the passage
A．Our memories can change our personalities.
B．Our memories can correct mistakes on their own.
C．We can take a practice memory test to strengthen our memories.
D．We can reproduce the information while repeating our memories.
10．The word “malleable” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ______.
A．reasonable B．valuable C．changeable D．controllable
（2024·北京门头沟·一模）What is your understanding of self-control How do you think it works Do you think your self-control ability is limited or unlimited Do you believe that after a long day you run out of energy, and you need to rest to get it refueled (补充燃料) If this is the case, then you have a limited theory (理论) of self-control.
Do you think that challenging activities don’t easily lose your energy In that case you have a non-limited theory.
In an experiment, researchers divided students into two groups based on their self-control theory and followed them during a term. Outside the exam period, there were no differences between the two groups. However, when requirements were high, students with a limited theory procrastinated (拖延) more, achieved a lower GPA (grade-point average) and ate more unhealthy food.
Theories about self-control become a self-fulfilling prediction. If you think that self-control is limited, then you will give in to temptations (诱惑) more easily and find it harder to realize your goals. On the other hand, if you have a non-limited theory, you will be more successful with your goals.
Interestingly, both ‘non-limited’ and ‘limited’ theorists feel just as tired immediately after exercising self-control. However, ‘non-limited’ theorists don’t take their feelings as a sign that they have depleted a limited resource and need to rest. In fact, they believe that a day full of challenging tasks ‘activates’ their self-control skills, which leaves them refreshed and more willing to make effort the next day.
It seems that there’s a clear benefit to having the ‘right’ beliefs about self-control. How can you change your self-control theory
If you’re willing towards a ‘limited’ theory, we suggest that you try to persuade yourself or a friend that if they
use effortless strategies, then self-control is not easily run out. Researchers have managed to experimentally control students’ self-control theories.
There’s another, probably more powerful way to change your self-control theory. In a series of experiments, researchers asked participants to do an easy (e.g. keeping a diary) or a difficult (e.g. not eating sweets) task for 2 weeks. Before and after this period, they measured their self-control theories and self-control strength. Interestingly, the participants who did the more effortful task changed their beliefs toward the ‘limited’ theory by the end of the experiment. As a result, they made less effort in the final self-control task.
This study shows that when we experience a lot of effort, it may act as a signal telling us that our self-control ability is limited. This in turn makes it more difficult for us to exercise self-control in the future. Therefore, if you use the more effortless strategies, you can automatically shape your self-control theory to be more non-limited, naturally improving your self-control.
11．If you believe your self-control ability is unlimited, you’ll feel ________.
A．calm after the experiments B．satisfied after long-distance race
C．confused by self-control activities D．energetic after self-control tasks
12．In the first experiment, the writer wants to tell us ________.
A．the two groups of students got the same scores in the experiments
B．beliefs about self-control changed the ability to avoid temptations
C．students with a limited theory achieved more confidence and trusts
D．students with a non-limited theory easily succeeded in the experiment
13．The word “depleted” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．created B．saved C．collected D．emptied
14．The writer may agree that ________.
A．you can change your beliefs to become more unlimited
B．there’s a clear benefit to improve your skills and abilities
C．you can use the effortless strategies to realize your goals
D．you should persuade yourself to change the learning strategies
（2024·北京东城·一模）Short videos have become increasingly popular in recent years. These videos are typically short in length, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, and offer a quick supply of entertainment (娱
乐) or information. While these videos may seem harmless, there are worries about the effect they can have on the human brain and attention span (持续时间).
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (神经递质) that is connected with the reward (奖励) center of the brain. When we experience something pleasurable or rewarding, such as eating a delicious meal or receiving praise, our brains release (释放) dopamine. This release of dopamine strengthens the behavior that led to the reward, making us more likely to do that behavior again.
Short videos can also make our brains release dopamine. The quick and easy-to-understand nature of these videos provides an immediate satisfaction that can be addictive (上瘾的). Each time we watch a video and experience the pleasure of entertainment or information, our brains release dopamine, strengthening the behavior of watching more videos.
Over time, this continuous release of dopamine can lead to a decrease in dopamine receptors in the brain. This means that it takes more and more dopamine to create the same pleasurable sensation, making it even more difficult to stop watching short videos.
Studies have shown that too much use of social media can lead to a decrease in attention span, and short videos may be even more harmful. The never-ending excitement provided by these videos can make it difficult for people to focus on tasks that require lasting attention. This can lead to a decrease in productivity and a reduced interest in activities that don’t offer immediate rewards.
Additionally, these videos can have a bad influence on mental health. Watching an endless stream of short videos can lead to feelings of anxiety and stress. You might also start to feel bad about yourself because you think you’re not as good as the people in the videos.
Not all short videos are harmful, and they can be a valuable tool for entertainment and education. However, it is important to be mindful of how long you watch these videos and focus on activities that require full attention and provide long-term rewards.
15．What do you know about dopamine from the passage
A．Dopamine makes people more attentive.
B．Dopamine keeps us from repeating things we like.
C．Dopamine influences emotions instead of behaviors.
D．Dopamine is released as a result of pleasurable experiences.
16．What causes people to increase their behaviors of watching short videos
A．The strong wish to learn new things.
B．The convenience of getting short videos.
C．The necessity of having social communication.
D．The need to keep the same level of satisfaction.
17．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To introduce how dopamine works in our brains.
B．To encourage people to improve their attention span.
C．To remind people to limit their time of watching short videos.
D．To explain why short videos have become increasingly popular.
（2024·北京通州·一模）Sharing your opinions is fun when everyone else agrees with you. But what about when they don’t No one likes feeling like the strange one out, and these days it seems like people with unpopular opinions are more likely to get shunned (回避). Does that mean you should change your opinions to conform (符合) to the majority’s beliefs Of course not. Here’s what you should do.
Say it, but don’t push it
We all have ideas that we want to share. But don’t try to convince (说服) other people that your opinion is the best idea or the only idea they should have. Stand your ground, but don’t be condescending (居高临下的).
Be respectful of other people’s opinions, too
It’s not only you who need to express an opinion. Everyone should have the chance, and you should give them that chance. When people share their thoughts, be open to them and don’t bring them down for unpopular opinions.
Agree to disagree
Sometimes, we have to accept the fact that we won’t agree on everything. When your opinions clash (冲突), make sure that it ends there. Don’t have any arguments or negative feelings. Agree to disagree when there’s no other way for you.
Unpopular opinions can rock the boat when it comes to conversations. But they can be the best conversation topics. Having an unpopular opinion is hard, but it doesn’t have to ruin your relationships or your self-esteem (自尊). With the right way, you can stand firm (坚定地) in your beliefs, even when you feel like others don’t share them.
You can share a different idea on the topic. Be sure not to be so surprised when someone doesn’t agree with you. It is an unpopular opinion, after all. Learning how to handle having an unpopular opinion is important if you
want to be able to share your opinion respectfully and effectively, and you don’t want to feel emotionally isolated (孤立的) because of your opinion.
18．What can we learn from the passage
A．We should use our opinions to challenge others’ opinions.
B．We should try our best to make our friends accept our ideas.
C．When we share our opinions, we should stop others from talking.
D．When it’s hard to accept different opinions, we should set them aside.
19．The words “rock the boat” in Paragraph 5 probably mean “______”.
A．bring benefits B．draw away attention C．make trouble D．win support
20．What is the passage mainly about
A．The collection of unpopular opinions. B．Ways to deal with unpopular opinions.
C．The importance of unpopular opinions. D．Benefits of having unpopular opinions.
（2024·北京通州·一模）We all experience different levels of stress, and we can manage a certain amount of it while still feeling comfortable and fulfilled. But everywhere you look today, some people are stressed out. Why do people seem to have more stress
Many researchers agree that stress comes down to the larger number of tasks and our higher expectations.
But we believe there is more to consider. The attitudes towards the tasks can also influence the level of stress. An attitude is the way that you think and feel about things. Bad attitudes towards the tasks can slow down the management of the tasks. Some people may be overwhelmed (压倒) by their growing list of to-do items. This can lead to anxiety. For many, anxiety can be painful. For some, anxiety can be so painful that they may avoid tasks big and small. Avoidance can lead to an expanding list of unfinished tasks. When some one reminds us to face what we have not completed or when a new pressure has been added, the burden (负担) becomes too much. For example, if someone tells us tomorrow is the deadline of our projects or a new one is given to us, we are facing the accumulation (积累) of stress.
One of the elements that influence attitudes is emotions. Emotions are powerful internal (内部的) experiences that influence attitudes and behaviors by shaping ideas, evaluations, and decision-making processes. Pleasant emotions tend to promote positive attitudes, while unpleasant emotions can lead to negative attitudes. Furthermore, negative emotions will reduce the thinking process that is necessary to handle stress. For example, shame over
unfinished projects or unmet expectations can push us down, and negative judgment can create a lack of self-belief, which can affect performance and the overall management of stress.
When you’re stressed out and have a bad attitude on top of that stress, you will feel that even the simplest tasks are boring and impossible to do, which can increase your stress level. But if we want to have less stress on our tasks, it’s time to have proper attitudes.
21．You will most probably experience the accumulation of stress when you ______.
A．leave your tasks to the last minute
B．have comfortable feelings at school
C．have positive attitudes towards your work
D．are able to finish your homework correctly every day
22．Why does the writer talk about anxiety in Paragraph 3
A．To provide examples of the growing list.
B．To show a new way to face the stress.
C．To help us know the importance of the tasks.
D．To explain the relationship between attitudes and stress.
23．What do you know about the attitudes and emotions from the passage
A．Emotions are a kind of behaviors guided by attitudes.
B．Pleasant emotions can lead to negative attitudes.
C．Emotions are easier to change than attitudes.
D．Attitudes are affected by emotions.
24．The writer probably agrees that ______.
A．positive attitudes can help people feel less stressed
B．people can change attitudes by observing people around them
C．high expectation is a key part of effective stress management
D．people have pleasant emotions when they fall behind on tasks
（2024·北京大兴·一模）Clean electricity is the power of the future, but engineers are facing a big challenge. How can we store electricity to be used at times when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining In some cases, the answer will be batteries; but in other cases, it could come from a variety of different solutions—
starting with gravity.
Gravity is the most abundant source of power on Earth. It’s always been everywhere since the beginning of time. Nobody knew about it until around 1700, when Isaac Newton saw an apple fall from a tree in his garden. Newton asked himself the question: “Why did that apple fall to the ground ” And he soon worked out the answer. Everything will fall to the ground if it can do so, because there is a massive force that pulls things towards the center of the earth. Newton decided to call this force “gravity”, a word that then just meant “weight”.
Engineers have used gravity as a source of power for centuries, long before Newton first explained it. In particular, they used gravity to move water from one place to another to irrigate (灌溉) fields and bring water to cities. They knew that water would flow downhill, but never uphill, so they built structures to use the force of gravity most effectively.
In 1907, engineers in Switzerland first used gravity for a new purpose: to store energy. They pumped (用泵抽送) water up a hill, where they stored it in a lake. Then when they needed more electricity, they let the water come back down the hill, driving electric turbines (涡轮机) as it fell. The idea was just so simple, and it is now used in many parts of the world. However, the problem is that “pumped storage” hydro schemes (抽水蓄能水电方案) can’t be built just anywhere, as they need lots of water and big hills or mountains.
Some experts believe that gravity systems are the cheapest way to store electricity. Gravity-stored electricity is maybe half the price of battery-stored electricity, but even so it is not cheap. In order to make gravity more effective, we would need to increase its force—and that, of course, is quite impossible. Yet gravity is not the only way of storing energy, and engineers are working on systems that store it using water pressure or compressed air... and even sand!
Storage is one of the big scientific challenges of our time, as storage is the essential partner of wind power and solar power. We need clean electricity 24 hours a day, not just when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.
25．The word “abundant” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
A．expensive B．environmental C．famous D．plentiful
26．From the passage, we can know that ________.
A．gravity systems are the cheapest way to store electricity
B．“pumped storage” hydro schemes can be built on small hills
C．engineers in Switzerland first stored energy by using gravity creatively
D．experts have already made gravity more effective by increasing its force
27．Why does the author write this passage
A．To tell the story of finding gravity.
B．To show the importance of gravity.
C．To call on people to use clean electricity.
D．To introduce a good way to store electricity.
（2024·北京海淀·一模）Every time I look at the many recent orders on my online shopping account, or I receive a new package on my doorstep, I get a feeling of happiness that is hard to give up. Although I know that my shopping habits are bad for the planet, I just can’t stop.
But Ann-Christine Duhaime’s new book, Minding the Climate: How Neuroscience Can Help Solve Our Environmental Crisis, has helped me understand that my desire (渴望) to keep buying things isn’t necessarily a personal weakness—it’s the way our brains have developed.
According to Duhaime, we managed to stay alive even when things were hard because our brains learned to repeat decisions like moving towards a tasty treat or backing away from danger. Today, we have some 86 billion neurons (神经元) in the brain continuously working to strengthen rewarding behavior—a kind of action that results in a positive outcome, which makes a person want to do it again. As the neurons work, they produce dopamine (多巴胺), which makes our rewarding behavior feel even better than usual. We actively look for more dopamine, and at the same time, learn to repeat the actions that lead to it.
However, Duhaime stresses that our brains are not programmed to keep buying more and more. All humans are different, and our brains work differently depending on our genetics (遗传性) and our life experiences. The challenge is that our brain systems are designed for short-term decision-making. When we buy something new, we get rewarded immediately. But the long-term worsening of the planet is harder for the reward centers of our brains to understand, even if we know about it.
And there may be some ways to break the cycle. The best is not to stop buying things completely; a better solution may be to substitute the old rewards that we know aren’t good in the long run with new ones. For example, you can have a glass of milk, which gives you fewer calories, instead of eating chocolate just before bed for comfort. Once you start losing weight, the reward of being able to fit into your old clothes feels as good as what the chocolate would do. We need that same substitution for shopping.
Buying used things could also help satisfy our desire to get more things without using more natural resources. Additionally, creating social rewards, like encouragement and support from a community with similar goals, can inspire positive changes. Humans naturally like to connect with others, and this social support can lead to more eco-friendly choices.
28．What do you know about human brains from the passage
A．The way brains work won’t be influenced by life experiences.
B．Neurons play a role in people’s repeating rewarding behavior.
C．Less dopamine is produced when people get positive outcomes.
D．Brains don’t care about the short-term effects of people’s actions.
29．The word “substitute” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
A．take the place of B．look forward to C．get ready for D．make up for
30．The writer probably agrees that ________.
A．over-shopping harms the development of the human brain
B．keeping buying gets in the way of people finding happiness
C．the planet is free from the influence of people’s buying behavior
D．creating social rewards can help people reduce the desire to over-shop
31．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To explain why over-shopping is not a personal weakness.
B．To show how dopamine makes people crazy about shopping.
C．To guide people to make eco-friendly choices when shopping.
D．To encourage people to buy used things to protect the environment.
（2024·北京顺义·一模）When Helen Keller was nineteen months old, a brief illness made her both deaf and blind. With such limitations, how could Keller ever be expected to find happiness
Because happiness has been considered a personal concept, it is difficult to define (定义). Many people throughout history have tried. Greek scientist and philosopher Aristotle wrote, “Happiness depends upon ourselves,” which is not a definition but an observation that individuals are responsible for their own happiness. Roman statesman and philosopher Lucius Seneca wrote of a particular quality of happiness, saying, “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.”
Is there a scientific basis (基础) for happiness Researcher suggests happiness is a matter of perspective: “Truly happy individuals construe life events and daily situations in ways that seem to maintain their happiness, while unhappy individuals construe (理解) experiences in ways that seem to reinforce unhappiness”. Basically, this means the way you choose to remember events and situations affects your happiness.
Some research concludes happiness is made up of three parts: pleasure, engagement and meaning. Pleasure involves things that give physical and emotional joy, such as playing a sport or seeing beautiful art. Engagement involves positive interactions (互动) with other people, such as studying or working with people whose company you enjoy. Meaning relates to feeling that your work is useful and important to others.
Even with scientific rationalization (合理化), questions remain. For example, are younger people happier than older people In fact, the opposite seems to be true. This may be because younger people tend to experience higher levels of negative emotions, such as anxiety and anger. The young also have less control over their lives because they lack both independence and the ability to make many of their own decisions.
Perhaps the most important question is whether you can change how happy you are. Studies of identical twins suggest that genetics forms about half of your happiness level. Your quality of life influences about 10 percent of your happiness. That means about 40 percent of your happiness is determined by your choices and actions.
From this explanation we can see that one way you can make yourself happier is to set goals. Keller had a definition of happiness in keeping with this idea. She felt happiness did not come from simply trying to satisfy your own desires but rather by contributing your time and skills to improve the world in some way.
Even if you are unable to achieve a goal that makes the world better in some small way, simply trying will likely give your life meaning and, at the same time, happiness.
32．Why does the writer mention the words of Aristotle and Seneca
A．To show what is the definition of happiness.
B．To suggest that we should enjoy the present.
C．To explain why we can choose to be happy or not.
D．To stress that people have different ideas about happiness.
33．What can you learn from the passage
A．People should communicate with others positively.
B．The young may prefer to make decisions on their own.
C．Your happiness influences the way to understand your life.
D．Your happiness largely depends on your situation of your life.
34．According to Helen Keller, you may feel happier when you ______.
A．choose your dream school B．do clean-up in your neighborhood
C．watch your favorite movie D．talk with your closest friends
35．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage
A．A Special Quality of Happiness B．The Positive Effect of Happiness
C．The True Meaning of Happiness D．A Scientific Basis of Happiness
（2024·北京房山·一模）Can you see the glass as half full, rather than half empty Are you always looking on the bright side of life If so, you might be an optimist.
An optimist is someone who is hopeful about the future and tends to expect that good things will happen. A number of studies have shown that optimists enjoy higher levels of happiness, better sleep, lower stress and even better cardiovascular (心血管的) health and immune (免疫的) function. And now, a study connects being an optimist with a longer life.
Researchers followed the lifespan (寿命) of some 160, 000 women aged 50 to 79 for 26 years. They were divided into two groups by completing a self-report measure of optimism. Women with the highest scores were considered optimists. Those with the lowest scores were considered pessimists. Then, the researchers followed up with the study. They found that those who had the highest levels of optimism were more likely to live longer. So why is it that optimists live longer
One possible reason is that it could be related with their healthier lifestyles. For example, research from several studies has found that optimism is related with eating a healthy diet, staying physically active and being less likely to smoke cigarettes. These healthy behaviors are well known to improve heart health and reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Accepting a healthy lifestyle is also important for reducing the risk of other potentially deadly diseases, such as cancer.
Another possible reason could be the way optimists manage stress. When faced with a stressful situation, optimists will reduce stress levels and boost the power to take steps. They use methods to solve the source of the stress, or look at the situation in a less stressful way. For example, optimists will plan ways to deal with the matter, call on others for support or try to find hope in the stressful situation.
In short, the ways optimists deal with stress might help protect them somewhat against its harmful effects. Be the person who looks at the glass half full. Appreciate the little things in your life and face your problems with a smile and a take-charge attitude. Optimism is the best tool when it comes to changing your outlook on life.
36．According to the passage, who is probably an optimist
A．Tom is upset on rainy or snowy days.
B．Lucy is unwilling to ask others for support.
C．Chris keeps volunteering at the Nursing Home.
D．Marry believes she can solve the problem she meets.
37．What can we learn from the passage
A．People who see half-empty glass are more hopeful.
B．Healthy lifestyle will help treat cardiovascular disease.
C．Optimism is related with being likely to smoke cigarettes.
D．Optimists may enjoy longer lifespan than the less optimistic ones.
38．The word “boost” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “________”.
A．share B．increase C．lose D．limit
39．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To call on people to be optimistic towards life.
B．To give suggestions on how to deal with stress.
C．To show the results of a study on healthy lifestyles.
D．To tell the effects of being optimistic among women.
（2024·北京房山·一模）Microplastics (微塑料) are in our soil, our water, our air, getting into our bodies and causing health problems. Plastics are everywhere, and they’re not going away. Now, that may be changing.
A new environmentally-friendly shopping model was created. For example, in this model, you are able to buy ice cream in a reusable container (容器). When you’re done eating the ice cream, you’ll throw the container in your personal reuse bin. The containers are then picked up by a delivery service, cleaned and refilled, and shipped out to consumers again. In other words, it’s the 21st century milkman to save the world from single-use plastics. This shopping model is called Loop. Already, two large retailers (零售商) are Loop partners and more may join the project.
While recycling is very important, it is not going to solve waste at the root (根本的) cause. “Our company collects the ocean plastics and puts them into products making,” says Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, a company that is known for recycling hard-to-recycle materials. “But every day, more and more gets put in the ocean, so no matter how much we clean the ocean, we’re never going to solve the problem. That’s really where Loop came out. To us, the root cause of waste is not plastic, it’s using things once, and that’s really what Loop tries to change as much as possible.”
For customers, the process is designed to be as easy as possible. “The goal isn’t as much to get you to change, it’s instead to create systems that don’t make you change—but have you then solve the problem in the process,” Szaky says. “Making customers change is difficult. So the first question we asked in developing the model was ‘Why did throwing rubbish win ’ I think it did because throwing rubbish is convenient and affordable.” If the solutions are not convenient, people will not accept them. Loop aims to be as convenient as throwing something in the bin. You don’t even need to wash the container, so it’s simpler than recycling.
Jennifer Morgan from the environmental non-profit organization Greenpeace said, “Greenpeace welcomes the aim of the Loop to move away from throwaway culture.” But Morgan questioned whether companies worldwide are ready to change their business models. Anyway, this is an effort to change the problem of plastics and hopefully this model will work.
40．The second paragraph is mainly about ________.
A．what customers should do to solve waste problem
B．what benefits the retailers can get from Loop
C．how the new shopping model Loop works
D．how the milkman picks up the containers
41．What can we learn from the passage
A．Loop is designed to be convenient for customers to accept.
B．Companies worldwide are using the shopping model Loop.
C．Ocean plastics can be cleaned up by the shopping model Loop.
D．Customers have to clean the containers under the new model Loop.
42．What is the best title of the passage
A．Making Plastics into Products B．Recycling: A Falling Industry
C．From Throwing Away to Reusing D．Plastics: Hard-to-recycle Materials
（2024·北京·一模）The sun is setting, brightening your kids’ faces as they play in the waves. You reach for your phone for this perfect moment. But before you do, here’s a bit of surprising science: Taking photos is not the perfect way to keep memory as you think.
Taking too many pictures could actually harm the brain’s ability to keep memories, says Elizabeth Loftus, a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine. So we get the photo but kind of lose the memory.
Photos may outsource memories. It works in two ways: We either shake off the responsibility of remembering moments when taking pictures, or we’re so distracted (分心的) by the process that we miss the moment altogether.
The first explanation is the loss of memory. People know that their camera is recording that moment, so they don’t try to remember. Similarly, if you write down someone’s phone number, you’re less likely to remember it offhand because your brain tells you there’s just no need. That’s all well and good—until that piece of paper goes missing.
The other is distraction. We’re distracted by the process of taking a photo—how we hold our phone, composing the photo, such as smiling faces, the background to our liking and clear image, all of which uses up our attention that could otherwise help us memorize.
However, taking photos can benefit memory—when done mindfully. While taking a photo may be distracting, the act of preparation by focusing on visual (视觉的) details around has some upsides.
When people take the time to zoom in (拉近镜头) on specific things, memories become strengthened.
Another benefit is that we recall moments more accurately with the photos. Memory has been reshaped with the help of new information and new experiences. Thus, photos or videos help us recall moments as if they really
happened.
Memories die away without a visual record backing them up. Therefore, a photo is an excellent tool to help remember when done purposefully, which is worth exploring further.
43．What does Professor Elizabeth Loftus think of taking too many photos
A．It can benefit our memories.
B．It could be harmful to keep memories.
C．It could be helpful to recall the perfect moment.
D．It will use up our attention to remember the beautiful moments.
44．What can we learn from the passage
A．Memories will disappear when we back up a visual record.
B．We may not pay full attention to the moment when taking pictures.
C．Take photos if you want to get new information or new experiences.
D．It is useless to remember someone’s phone number by writing it down.
45．Which of the following could be the best title for the passage
A．Photography or Memories
B．Fewer Photos, More Memories
C．Photography Does Good to Memories
D．Remember the Moment and Take Photos Properly
（2024·北京平谷·一模）
A café in Toronto refuses to offer Wi-Fi to its customers. Its president, Jimson Biensenstock, explains his purpose is to get customers to talk with one another instead of being buried in their portable devices.
What a brilliant idea! Perhaps Mr. Biensenstock knows what medical science has been increasingly proving: Social interaction is an extremely important contributor to good health and long life.
In a study begun in 1965, the researchers found that people who were disconnected from others were about three times more likely to die during the nine-year study than people with strong social ties. In fact, they found that
those with close social ties and unhealthful lifestyles actually lived longer than those with poor social ties but more healthful living habits.
Another study in 1988 showed people who are continually lacking in social contacts are more likely to experience higher levels of stress and inflammation (炎症). These, in turn, can weaken the health of nearly every bodily system, including the brain. Absent social interactions, blood flowing to important organs (重要器官) is likely to be reduced and immune function (免疫功能) may be destroyed. Even how genes are expressed can be affected, damaging the body’s ability to turn off inflammation.
In a 2010 report, sociology researchers at the University of Texas reported similar findings. The Texas researchers also pointed out that social interactions can boost good health through a positive influence on people’s living habits. For example, if none of your friends smoke, you’ll be less likely to smoke.
Lack of social interactions also damages mental health. The emotional support provided by social connection helps to reduce the damaging effects of stress and can help develop “a sense of meaning and purpose in life”, the Texas researchers wrote.
Emma Seppala of the Stanford Center wrote, “People who feel more connected to others have lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, studies show they also have higher self-esteem (自尊), greater empathy for others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a result, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with them.”
“In other words,” Dr. Seppala explained, “social connection leads to a positive feedback circle of social, emotional and physical well-being.”
For those seeking a health-improving lifestyle, it’s not enough to focus on eating your vegetables and getting regular exercise. Don’t forget to connect.
46．What is the finding of the first two studies
A．Usual connection to others helps one live longer.
B．Blood flowing in our body needs social interactions.
C．Poor social ties lead to weak bodily system directly.
D．Healthful living habits can be developed in social ties.
47．The underlined word “boost” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
A．reduce B．improve C．change D．harm
48．The writer probably agrees that ________.
A．mental health connects to less purposeful life
B．a meaningful life has nothing to do with social ties
C．people having more social interactions are likely to be trusted
D．social, emotional and physical well-being have the same value in their circle
49．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the passage
A．To encourage people to develop social ties.
B．To explain the benefits of social interaction.
C．To discuss the bad effects of social interaction.
D．To compare the close social ties with poor social ties.
（2024·北京朝阳·一模）Should I worry about skipping breakfast (不吃早饭)
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day It probably depends on what you’re doing for the rest of it. Before the industrial revolution (工业革命), most people had leftovers or nothing for breakfast. Edward Bernays created a marketing project in the 1920s that made eggs and bacon a common breakfast choice. But in today’s world, fewer people work physically challenging jobs, so is it still necessary to begin the day with a protein-rich (富含蛋白质的) meal or a bowl of porridge Does it matter if you don’t and might there actually be health benefits to breaking your fast later in the day
First, let’s hear from the breakfast supporters. Some studies suggest that breakfast-skippers have a risk of heart disease and high blood sugar, across a range of populations around the world. At the same time, other studies show breakfast-skippers are more likely to choose poorer foods throughout the day which makes sense, as skipping breakfast seems to keep levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (饥饿激素) high, while the satiety hormone leptin (饱腹感激素瘦素) stays suppressed.
Breakfast eaters often have healthier habits, but not always.What if some people really care about their health but choose to skip breakfast Well, actually...
“Skipping breakfast can be described as a kind of ‘time-restricted feeding (限时进食)’, as you reduce the ‘window’ when you can eat, ” says the nutritionist (营养学家) Drew Price. “If I was working with someone who wanted a breakfast-skipping-type plan, then I would be paying more attention than ever to what they are eating to make sure they get enough protein, healthy fats and other beneficial nutrients. However, skipping breakfast isn’t suitable for everyone, especially those people with disordered eating, certain health conditions, and those who are young or elderly, for whom balanced energy intake is important.”
What should you do then Just eat in the way that lets you make the most healthy choices, most long-lastingly. If that means a couple of fried eggs and some vegetables at 7 a.m., great, but if all you need to make it to 11 a.m. is a strong cup of coffee, don’t worry about it too much. Oh, and if a bowl of porridge can help guide you away from your basic needs, then go for it—we can all use a bit of help in the morning, after all.
50．According to the passage, which health risk is connected with skipping breakfast
A．Cancer. B．Stomachache. C．Cold. D．Heart disease.
51．The word “suppressed” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．controlled B．organized C．balanced D．recorded
52．The writer probably agrees that ________.
A．the best breakfast habit depends on yourself
B．disordered eating is a good idea for children
C．balanced energy intake is the key to a healthy life
D．skipping breakfast brings people more food choices
53．What is the writer’s main purpose of writing this passage
A．To introduce the history and development of breakfast.
B．To provide breakfast meal suggestions for improving health.
C．To highlight how the marketing influences breakfast choices.
D．To discuss whether you need to worry about breakfast skipping or not.
（2024·北京平谷·一模）Laughter is a social emotion, so we’re 30 times more likely to laugh if there is somebody else with us than if we’re on our own.
We laugh to show that we agree with what someone says; that we remember the same thing that we’re talking about. People will also use laughter to try and mask other emotions. People will laugh to try and pretend they’re not upset, or embarrassed or in pain. People will use laughter to get other people to do things. If you get someone laughing, they will tell you more about themselves.
Laughter can sometimes feel contagious (有感染力的). You can probably think of occasions when you’ve been watching television or listening to the radio, maybe it’s been broadcast live, and the presenter or presenters start to get the giggles (咯咯的笑). If you chuckle, the contagion is working. And it’s called behaviourally contagious phenomena (现象), which are things you can catch from somebody else just because they’re doing them. You might
have noticed this happens with yawning, it happens a lot with laughter.
As you know, there are lots of health benefits from laughing. You are more relaxed when you laugh. So as soon as you start laughing, you get a reduction in adrenaline (肾上腺素). You also get an increased uptake of the body’s naturally circulating endorphin (内啡肽). Now, that is because you do quite a lot of exercise at your ribcage (胸腔) when you laugh. It’s exactly the same as a runner’s high or the good feeling you get after exercising. And interestingly, that’s true of laughter even if you’ve completely pretended to laugh.
Unluckily, laughter can also have a darker side. When we laugh ha-ha-ha, breathing out, we do squeezes with ribcage. These big squeezes, particularly if you’re laughing really hard, are quite stressful for your heart and your lungs and that can mean if you have some sort of problem with your heart or your lungs or your blood vessels, you can put them under more strain. And throughout history, there are examples of people who have died of laughing.
So if you want to get your endorphin going, you can start by laughing out loud.
54．You laugh to ________ while your friend states his team beat your favourite one excitedly.
A．feel much comfortable B．ask for more information
C．pretend you’re not upset D．show your congratulations
55．The second paragraph is mainly about ________.
A．why humans laugh B．what laughter means
C．when humans need to laugh D．how laughter affects one’s emotion
56．What do we know from the passage
A．Real laughing influences one’s health much more.
B．You’re likely to keep calm while a TV presenter is laughing.
C．Laughing hard is possibly harmful to patients with heart illness.
D．You're hardly able to get the same feeling from laughing as exercising.
（2024·北京朝阳·一模）In a culture that focuses so strongly on success, it’s easy to feel like a failure. But according to the organizational psychologist Adam Grant, that might be because we’re thinking about achievements all wrong.
Many people think that achievements are tied closely to innate (天生的) ability, so they give up on activities they find challenging. That’s a mistake. Dr. Grant writes in his new book, Hidden Potential(潜能): The Science of Achieving Greater Things. The following are the three key points from his book that could help you unlock your own
hidden potential.
Accept discomfort. Dr. Grant argues that success is more about gradual (逐渐的) growth than achieving immediate victories. And one of the most effective methods for skill development is to challenge oneself. “The discomfort we feel offers a chance for new learning,” Dr. Grant explained in an interview and he also stressed the importance of welcoming such moments. According to him, stepping outside our comfort zones (区域) may actually encourage greater growth. He also suggests accepting mistakes as a natural part of the learning process. Besides, he stresses that making mistakes is necessary for progress. Without enough efforts and mistakes, development becomes challenging.
Keep things interesting. Dr. Grant warns us about burnout, which happens when we work too much. But he also talks about “bore out”, which is feeling tired from not having enough to do. He suggests adding fun activities and new things to learn to our daily life. In his book, he says basketball player Stephen Curry got rapid improvement after college because of a coach who focused on different activities and games in his training periods, rather than repetitive (重复的) practice. Dr. Grant mentions that trying out different skills helps people improve faster. If you’re stuck, he advises taking a break and doing something enjoyable. This can improve your confidence and skills, helping you make progress.
Ask for advice and give it, too. Dr. Grant points to Harvard Business School research that found it’s more helpful to ask for advice, which focuses on what you can do better in the future. Furthermore, advice has positive effect, changing your mindset to what you can do right. We often perform better after we give other people advice, too, in what Dr.Grant refers to as the “coach effect”. That’s because we are more likely to focus on advice that we have already given to others, he says. One study he mentions discovered that high school students who were chosen by chance to offer encouragement to younger students went on to get better grades.
57．Dr. Grant would suggest ________ to unlock your own hidden potential.
A．accepting mistakes B．having repetitive practice
C．shortening learning process D．achieving immediate victories
58．Why does Dr. Grant mention the Harvard Business School research in Paragraph 5
A．To point out the importance of asking for advice among students.
B．To show the connection between coach effect and encouragement.
C．To present examples of high school students’ educational achievements.
D．To stress the benefits of giving and receiving advice on better performance.
59．What is the passage mainly about
A．The effects of keeping things interesting.
B．The reasons of keeping things interesting.
C．The ways to unlock your own hidden potential.
D．The difficulties in unlocking your own hidden potential.
（2024·北京门头沟·一模）Some of us like to keep some things private—maybe we don’t want people to know about our relationship status (状况), our age or where we live—because these details are personal. The problem is, everywhere we go online, we seem to leave a “digital footprint”.
On our social media accounts (账户), we often show things like our opinions, connections and holiday photos. The matter is, how do we stop everybody seeing everything Maybe we don’t want a stranger knowing our favourite type of coffee. And cookies—there was a time they were just something nice to eat. Now they seem to appear on websites. So how can you stay more private
There are some steps you can take. First, on your social media accounts, check your privacy settings. Many social media platforms automatically (自动地) show everything to everyone unless you change the settings, so it’s up to you to decide what other people can see. And limiting how much information you share isn’t just something you should do on social media. There are many sites out there that help you to share documents, so a good tip may be to not put anything too private, like passwords, on there. One wrong click (点击) may send it to the wrong person.
Finally, cookies are designed to improve your browsing (浏览) experience by tracking (追踪) and saving information about your visits to a site, helping to personalize your time on these sites. Erasing your browsing history may help, but there are certain apps which can block them if you don’t feel comfortable.
So, if you want to keep your privacy online, maybe only share things you’d be happy with a stranger seeing—and if you don’t feel comfortable with cookies, you might decide to use some tech to block them. If that’s not enough, just don’t accept them and visit another site—and why not have a yummy cookie to eat instead
60．According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a “digital footprint”
A．A paper book. B．A holiday photo. C．A personal opinion. D．A home address.
61．What can we learn from the passage
A．Visitors can help you to share documents online.
B．Cookies can track users’ behavior on the sites.
C．It’s impossible to stop everybody seeing everything.
D．Some tech can stop strangers erasing your footprints.
62．What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage
A．To explain the importance of online privacy. B．To tell people how to protect privacy online.
C．To warn people against the social media. D．To encourage people to share ideas online.
（2024·北京石景山·一模）What do table football, a Barbie’s house and a toy car all have in common They are all much smaller than real things. Humans have long been interested in miniature (微小) things. The fashion, marketing, and the design industry all use miniature one way or another, and the public seems to love it. This is the effect of cuteness psychology (心理).
The psychology of cuteness is the idea that seeing something small and cute encourages connecting behaviors and the need to take care of it and protect it. However, our attraction to small objects isn’t fully a result of a strong hope to act as a parent. More recent research has shown that our feeling to cuteness isn’t necessarily related to some kind of inborn need to be taken care of, but rather more of a general, positive feeling that can influence how we socially interact with other people.
Seeing tiny things, humans or animals gives off dopamine (多巴胺), which is involved with forming emotional connections. When the body gives off dopamine, it makes us feel in love with the object we are attracted to. “The human brain is designed to love cute, small things by awarding us with dopamine to make sure we will love our tiny babies. This protects their survival and, in turn, the survival of we humans,” says Sam Von Reiche, a psychologist in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, small things bring back the comfort of childhood. In times of stress, we return to things that gave us comfort at an early age. It doesn’t need to be the exact toy we played with as a child, or even a toy at all. It could be a miniature model of a thing. We connect tiny objects with the safety and comfort they brought us in an earlier time in our lives.
Some people may be interested in miniatures because they don’t have the money to get real-life ones. While we might not be able to own an expensive race car, a miniature copy can offer unbelievable emotional awards. Certain tiny objects from one’s travels, for example, a tiny Eiffel Tower can bring a sense of connection to important life stories and the people who have shared our journey.
Depending on one’s needs, a miniature object can bring a sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and even emotional
comfort.
63．What can we learn from the passage
A．The fashion leads to the cuteness psychology.
B．People prefer real objects when they grow up.
C．Our attraction to tiny things brings positive feelings.
D．Expensive race cars bring back the comfort of childhood.
64．According to Sam Von Reiche, ________.
A．dopamine can save humans in a natural way
B．cuteness preference helps with human survival
C．the human brain is designed to love real-life things
D．dopamine can mislead human emotion to feel in love
65．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage
A．Why are we really into small things
B．What do all small things have in common
C．Where does cuteness psychology come from
D．Why are our brains designed to love miniatures
（2024·北京西城·一模）Have you ever wondered why you are good at noticing things in your environment that are possibly dangerous Defensive circuits, one of our brain systems, detect (察觉) signs that might suggest threats (威胁) and prepare the body to take quick action, therefore increasing our chances of staying alive.
Our defensive circuits are always on the lookout for things that might be threats.
They look for certain features of objects (物体) that make those objects stand out from the other things around them. Objects with these features are given priority in our brains; that is, we pay attention to them before other things. So, how exactly does our threat detection work
First, the presence of a feature that could suggest a threat grabs, or catches, our attention very quickly—it is an automatic (自动的) process. Threat detection happens so quickly because the threat information does not have to go all the way around the cortex (大脑皮层). You can think of this as a shortcut through the brain, which gives us more time to avoid possible threats.
Once we look at something that might be a threat, we often find looking away to be very difficult—the
threatening object holds our attention. This process is also automatic, and its advantage is that it gives us more time to collect additional details about the possible threat. Those details are important for understanding whether we are facing a real threat and deciding how to best deal with the situation.
After we have recognized the possible threat, our brains must often make up for the time we’ve spent examining it-we need to avoid paying attention to the threat, and then we can look around and process the rest of the environment. This can help us find additional threats, or find a way out.
Once we detect a threat, the defensive circuits prepare our body to take action. We make changes to our emotions (for example, feeling fear) and body functions (such as speeding up our heartbeat). Together, these changes allow us to act properly in threatening situations, increasing the likelihood that we will get away without being harmed.
There are differences between people on how easily the defensive system is activated. Some of us are frightened more easily than others, and it takes less to activate the defensive circuits. This, however, can be problematic. Overly sensitive defensive circuits might stop working as they should when overused.
66．What can we learn about the defensive circuits
A．They watch out for possible danger.
B．They help us remember threat features.
C．They promise us a happy and healthy life.
D．They easily stand out from other brain systems.
67．What do our brains do to make up for the time spent examining possible danger
A．Create additional details immediately.
B．Activate a shortcut through the cortex.
C．Push our body to make lasting changes.
D．Redirect our attention to the rest of the environment.
68．Which would be the best title for the passage
A．How does your brain work in various situations
B．What makes us different when it comes to facing threats
C．Why are we overly sensitive to certain threatening objects
D．What happens in your brain when you notice something frightening
参考答案：
1．A 2．D 3．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了学习区和表现区是我们生活的一部分，但是要清楚地知道我们什么时候进入它们，有什么目标和期望，这样才有助于我们更好地表现和提高。
1．细节理解题。根据“In the learning zone, our focus (焦点) is on getting better. We try new things and practice things we’re not quite perfect at yet.”可知，在学习区时，我们尝试新事物并且让自己变得更好。选项A“尝试学习新事物来提高”符合题意。故选A。
2．细节理解题。根据“It is this type of practice in the learning zone that leads to real improvement, not just time on task performing.”可知，通过用Demosthenes的事情举例，告诉我们在学习区的练习带来了真正的进步。选项D“展示人们如何在学习区提高技能。”符合题意。故选D。
3．最佳标题题。根据“I came to realize that I wasn’t improving much at the things I cared most about even though I put in a lot of effort.”以及文章最后一段，可知文章主要介绍了如何在学习区和表现区之间交替，来达到持续获得更多进步的目的。选项C“如何在你关心的事情上做得更好”符合题意。故选C。
4．B 5．D 6．C 7．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要通过一系列实验表明，当人们在等待或无聊的时候应该给予自己时间自由思考任何吸引我们眼球的事情——并同样享受自己。
4．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Even in a dark room with no stimulation, they ended up being more engaged and interested than they’d expect