外刊阅读理解测试7-2025届高三英语上学期一轮复习专项

In some situations, don’t pay so much attention. “Be present.” This is the mantra of mindfulness meditation and a supposed key to self-awareness and acceptance. In one type of mindfulness exercise, the goal is to perform routine activities with a heightened sense of attention. “Try to take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses—touch, sound, sight, smell and taste. For example, when you eat a favorite food, take the time to smell, taste and truly enjoy it,” recommends one Mayo Clinic article." Mindfulness may indeed have psychological benefits.Earlier this year, a synthesis of randomized controlled trials revealed that mindfulness-based interventions had small to moderate benefits for a number of health outcomes, including stress, anxiety and depression. That said, the effects of mindfulness were smaller and less consistent when compared with those of other therapies, and some effects appeared to fade months after the intervention. Taken together, the results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions may be better than nothing for some outcomes but that more research is needed to compare mindfulness with other therapies. One thing the mindfulness-based interventions had in common is that they all attempted to cultivate focus on the present moment via multiple sessions of meditation practice. Although mindfulness has its merits, psychological research has also revealed that in some circumstances it’s important to be mindless. That is, as we develop skill in complex tasks, we can perform them with increasing facility until attention seems to be unnecessary. Everyday examples range from riding a bike to chopping cucumbers to brushing your teeth. Underlying this state of “automaticity” (as cognitive psychologists call it) are mental processes that can be executed without paying attention to them. These processes run off without conscious awareness—a chain reaction of mental events. We don’t perform all tasks automatically, but many can be performed this way once they are well practiced. To be clear, paying attention is important when learning a new skill. In a study of our own, we found that measures of cognitive ability that tapped the capacity to focus attention predicted novice pianists’ ability to learn and play “Happy Birthday to You.” But expertise research has also revealed that paying too much attention to what you’re doing can have damaging effects, particularly when you perform well-practiced skills. In fact, this is one reason why some experts appear to “choke under pressure”: they think too much about the mechanics of the task at hand. In a classic study, cognitive scientist Sian Beilock and her colleagues had skilled golfers attempt to sink putts under different experimental conditions. In one scenario, the golfers were simply instructed to pay attention to the swing of their club and say “stop” when they finished their swing. In another condition, they were instructed to listen for a target sound while ignoring other noises and say the word “tone” when they heard the target sound. Counterintuitively, the skilled golfers performed substantially worse when they focused on their swing than when they paid attention to irrelevant sounds. The effect of paying attention to their swing was so damaging that the golfers actually did better when they were warming up before the experiment began. More recently, psychologist Yannick Balk and his colleagues had golfers try different interventions designed to mitigate the effects of performance pressure. The researchers induced performance pressure by videotaping the participants, telling them that their score sheets would be posted publicly at the clubhouse and incentivizing ****strong performance with coupons to the golf shop. Without an intervention, the golfers performed significantly worse under pressure. Yet participants who were encouraged to think about something else—specifically, a song they knew by heart—improved when the stakes were high. It is worth cautioning that these results should be replicated in larger samples and across different contexts. Nevertheless, the important message from this research is that focusing too carefully on the execution of well-practiced motor sequences ****can cause mistakes. Of course, we should not resign to go through life on autopilot, missing opportunities to make deeper connections with ourselves, one another and our environment. But there are situations where we should let automaticity take over. The next time you ride a bike, don’t overthink it. What does mindfulness meditation aim to do? A. Ignore the present moment. B. Perform tasks without thinking. C. Cultivate focus on the present moment. D. Avoid all routine activities. What did the synthesis of randomized controlled trials reveal about mindfulness-based interventions? A. They have no benefits. B. They have large and consistent effects. C. They have small to moderate benefits for some health outcomes. D. They are better than all other therapies. What is "automaticity"? A. Performing tasks with full attention. B. Needing to learn new skills all the time. C. Executing mental processes without attention. D. Avoiding complex tasks. Why do some experts "choke under pressure"? A. They don't pay enough attention. B. They think too much about the task. C. They lack practice. D. They are not skilled. What did the study with golfers show? A. Focusing on the swing always helps. B. Paying attention to irrelevant sounds is harmful. C. Thinking about something else can improve performance under pressure. D. Performance pressure has no effect on golfers. Nestle, the world's largest food company, will raise prices Nestlé pushed up prices for its products by more than 5 per cent in the first three months of the year, in the latest sign of steep commodity inflation feeding through to consumer prices for branded goods. The world’s largest food company said on Thursday it had increased pricing by 5.2 per cent in the quarter, helping to produce organic sales growth of 7.6 per cent, ahead of analysts’ expectations. “We stepped up pricing in a responsible manner and saw sustained consumer demand,” said Mark Schneider, Nestlé chief executive. “Cost inflation continues to increase sharply, which will require further pricing and mitigating actions over the course of the year.” The price rises were largest in North and Latin America, where Nestlé drove up pricing by 8.5 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively. The maker of Maggi noodles, Purina pet food and KitKats confirmed its outlook for the full year despite the cost pressures, saying it expected organic sales growth of about 5 per cent and underlying trading operating profit margin between 17 and 17.5 per cent. “As seen at other food and beverage companies, it appears that high inflation has not (yet) had an impact on consumer appetite for strong branded products,” said Jean-Philippe Bertschy, analyst at Vontobel. Nestlé’s update follows news from Procter & Gamble that it had also increased prices by 5 per cent in the three months, helping it to achieve its strongest sales growth in two decades. Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer, on Wednesday reported price rises of 5.2 per cent. By how much did Nestlé increase prices in the first quarter? A. Less than 5 per cent. B. Exactly 5 per cent. C. More than 5 per cent. D. 10 per cent. In which regions were the price rises largest? A. Asia and Africa. B. North and Latin America. C. Europe and Australia. D. Middle East and South America. What did Nestlé confirm despite cost pressures? A. Lower sales growth. B. Its outlook for the full year. C. Reduced profit margin. D. Changes in product lineup. What did Procter & Gamble do in the three months? A. Decreased prices. B. Kept prices the same. C. Increased prices by 5 per cent. D. Doubled prices. What did Heineken report? A. Price falls. B. Price rises of 5.2 per cent. C. No change in prices. D. Uncertain price changes. Smartphones Make You Tired and Unproductive, Study Says For a productive day at work tomorrow, give the smartphone a rest tonight. Reading and sending work email on a smartphone late into the evening doesn't just make it harder to get a decent night's sleep. New research findings show it also exhausts workers by morning and leaves them disengaged by the next afternoon. That means the way most knowledge workers do their jobs-monitoring their iPhones for notes from the boss long after the office day is done and responding to colleagues at all hours-ultimately makes them less effective, posit researchers from University of Florida, Michigan State University and University of Washington. The scholars conducted two studies of workers' nighttime technology habits, sleep duration and quality, energy and workplace engagement. In the first study, 82 mid- to high-level managers were asked every morning how many minutes they used their smartphone after 9:00 pm the night before and how many hours they slept. Then, they were asked to rate their agreement with statements like 'I feel drained' and 'Right now, it would take a lot of effort for me to concentrate on something.' In the afternoon, they had to assess statements about work engagement, such as 'Today while working, I forgot everything else around me.' Prior studies have shown that staying focused and resisting distractions takes a lot of effort, so when smartphone use interferes with sleep, it takes a toll the next day. 'The benefit of smartphone use may-be offset by the inability of employees to fully recover from work activities while away from the office,' the researchers write. After accounting for sleep quality, the researchers found that work-related smartphone use in the evening was associated with fewer hours of sleep. The subjects who recorded shorter nights also reported depleted reserves of self-control, and those who felt morning exhaustion also indicated they were less engaged during the day, a domino effect that shows how an unending workday ultimately leads to poorer work. The second study, which involved 161 workers, measured how late-night tech use-on smartphones, laptops, tablets and TV-can disrupt sleep and next-day work engagement. In her book, 'Sleeping With Your Smartphone,' Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow studied executives at Boston Consulting Group who were given a chance to disconnect on a regular basis. The executives became more excited about their work, felt more satisfied about their professional and personal lives and even became more collaborative and efficient. Using any kind of electronic device affects sleep quantity and focus the following day, but smartphones are especially draining. That's partly because the always-on, always-handy phone the first device we turn to, says Christopher M. Barnes, an assistant professor of management at University of Washington's Michael G. Foster School of Business and a co-author of the paper. Having a screen so close to our faces probably doesn't help us prepare for sleep, he adds. The fix, researchers say, is to put down the phone and enjoy the evening. But that's easier said than done, so long as managers send emails at 10:30 p.m. and expect responses by 10:31 pm. Barnes says real change will have to come from the top, with managers setting an example by not sending those messages in the first place, or at least toning down expectations on response time. What does the new study say about using smartphones late at night? A. It helps you sleep better. B. It makes you more productive the next day. C. It exhausts you by morning and leaves you disengaged by afternoon. D. It has no effect on your work or sleep. In the first study, what were the mid- to high-level managers asked about? A. Their smartphone use after 9:00 pm and sleep hours. B. Their favorite apps. C. Their morning exercise routine. D. Their hobbies. What did the second study measure? A. The impact of late-night TV watching on sleep. B. How late-night tech use on various devices disrupts sleep and work engagement. C. The popularity of different smartphones. D. The best time to use laptops. According to the article, what is one reason smartphones are especially draining? A. They have large screens. B. They are always on and handy. C. They are too expensive. D. They are difficult to use. What is the suggested solution to the problem? A. Use smartphones more during the day. B. Keep managers from sending late-night emails. C. Buy more expensive smartphones. D. Watch more TV at night. Study reveals how cellphones and other gadgets wear down your retina over time We all know that the blue light that emits from our smartphones isn't good for our eyes, but a new study has discovered just how much damage it can cause. Researchers say that this light is absorbed by vital molecules in our retina and triggers the production of a toxic chemical that kill cells. This damage can lead to large blind spots in our vision that are the hallmark of macular degeneration, a disease that leads to blindness. The team from the University of Toledo in Ohio says it is urging the public to not use phones in the dark because this can dilate pupils and lead to even more harmful blue light entering our eyes. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for those aged 50 or older, according to the National Eye Institute. The condition occurs when the macula, an oval area near the center of the retina that allows for sharp vision, becomes damaged. Sufferers will experience blurred vision or even 'blind spots' in their central vision that may grow larger as the retina dies. Treatments include medications that stop new blood vessels from forming in the eye as well as laser therapies that destroy abnormal blood vessels. For this study, the team decided to focus on retinal, a form of vitamin A found in the retina that coverts light into metabolic energy. Photoreceptor cells, known more commonly as rods and cones, use retinal to covert light into signals that are sent to the brain. 'The human eye reflects UV light (such as from the sun) very well but it allows blue light to enter and the retinal can absorb blue light very well,' lead author Dr Ajith Karunarathne, an assistant professor in the UT department of chemistry and biochemistry, told Daily Mail Online. Dr Karunarathne noted that blue light alone or retinal that hadn't absorbed blue light did not have any effect on the cells. He added that there was no activity when retinal was exposed to other light colors such as green, red or yellow. The team did find a molecule, a vitamin E derivative known as alpha tocopherol, that can stop the cells from dying. 'When you damage the photoreceptor cells, they’re damaged for good, so the vitamin E derivative currently just mitigates damage,' said Dr Karunarathne. 'We're currently screening for more molecules to see if they can quench this damaging reaction.' He explained that as we get older, the ability to prevent attacks from retinal that has absorbed blue light became weaker, which leads to macular degeneration. Dr Karunarathne says some of the ways we can protect ourselves include wearing sunglasses that can filter both UV and blue light, using blue light filters on our phones, and not looking at cell phones or tablets in the dark. 'Looking at cell phones in the dark can be very harmful because the pupils are dilated so more blue light can get in and cause damage,' he said. What does the new study find about the blue light from smartphones? A. It is beneficial for our eyes. B. It can cause large blind spots in our vision. C. It has no effect on our retina. D. It only damages people over 50. What is age-related macular degeneration? A. A disease that makes people see better. B. A condition that damages the macula and leads to vision loss. C. A reaction to blue light that is only temporary. D. A problem that can be cured easily. What did the team focus on in their study? A. The effects of green light on the retina. B. A form of vitamin A called retinal. C. The way the brain processes light signals. D. The production of blue light by smartphones. What can stop the cells from dying? A. Blue light alone. B. Retinal that hasn't absorbed blue light. C. A vitamin E derivative. D. Looking at phones in the light. What is one way to protect our eyes from blue light damage? A. Looking at phones in the dark. B. Not wearing sunglasses. C. Using blue light filters on our phones. D. Exposing our eyes to more blue light. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ In some situations, don’t pay so much attention. 答案： C。解析：文中提到“One thing the mindfulness-based interventions had in common is that they all attempted to cultivate focus on the present moment via multiple sessions of meditation practice.”。 C。解析：文中提到“Earlier this year, a synthesis of randomized controlled trials revealed that mindfulness-based interventions had small to moderate benefits for a number of health outcomes, including stress, anxiety and depression.”。 C。解析：文中提到“Underlying this state of “automaticity” (as cognitive psychologists call it) are mental processes that can be executed without paying attention to them.”。 B。解析：文中提到“In fact, this is one reason why some experts appear to “choke under pressure”: they think too much about the mechanics of the task at hand.”。 C。解析：文中提到“Yet participants who were encouraged to think about something else—specifically, a song they knew by heart—improved when the stakes were high.”。 Nestle, the world's largest food company, will raise prices 答案： C。解析：文中提到“Nestlé pushed up prices for its products by more than 5 per cent in the first three months of the year.”。 B。解析：文中提到“The price rises were largest in North and Latin America.”。 B。解析：文中提到“The maker of Maggi noodles, Purina pet food and KitKats confirmed its outlook for the full year despite the cost pressures.”。 C。解析：文中提到“Nestlé’s update follows news from Procter & Gamble that it had also increased prices by 5 per cent in the three months.”。 B。解析：文中提到“Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer, on Wednesday reported price rises of 5.2 per cent.”。 Smartphones Make You Tired and Unproductive, Study Says 答案： C。解析：文中提到“New research findings show it also exhausts workers by morning and leaves them disengaged by the next afternoon.”。 A。解析：文中提到“In the first study, 82 mid- to high-level managers were asked every morning how many minutes they used their smartphone after 9:00 pm the night before and how many hours they slept.”。 B。解析：文中提到“The second study, which involved 161 workers, measured how late-night tech use-on smartphones, laptops, tablets and TV-can disrupt sleep and next-day work engagement.”。 B。解析：文中提到“That's partly because the always-on, always-handy phone the first device we turn to.”。 B。解析：文中提到“Barnes says real change will have to come from the top, with managers setting an example by not sending those messages in the first place, or at least toning down expectations on response time.”。 Study reveals how cellphones and other gadgets wear down your retina over time 答案： B。解析：文中提到“This damage can lead to large blind spots in our vision that are the hallmark of macular degeneration.”。 B。解析：文中提到“Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for those aged 50 or older...The condition occurs when the macula...becomes damaged.”。 B。解析：文中提到“For this study, the team decided to focus on retinal, a form of vitamin A found in the retina that coverts light into metabolic energy.”。 C。解析：文中提到“The team did find a molecule, a vitamin E derivative known as alpha tocopherol, that can stop the cells from dying.”。 C。解析：文中提到“Dr Karunarathne says some of the ways we can protect ourselves include wearing sunglasses that can filter both UV and blue light, using blue light filters on our phones, and not looking at cell phones or tablets in the dark.”。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$