【推荐2】There are some sounds most of us acknowledge are annoying — the chewing of chips, the low noise of air conditioning or a screaming baby. These noises, for many people, act as a mere inconvenience that can distract them from the task at hand. However, there are some amongst us who have a much more severe response to these noises. Has a noise ever made you feel so angry that you could explode with rage? If the answer is yes, you may be suffering from misophonia (恐音症).

The word “misophonia” literally means “a hatred of sound” and is sometimes called Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome. There are some experts who doubt the existence of the condition. However, for those who claim to suffer from it, the experience can be painful. Certain sounds could set off intense emotional or psychological responses that may seem over the top compared with a non-sufferer’s complaints.

The sound of people chewing their food could trigger sufferers’ anxiety, or make them feel panic. It may even activate their fight-or-flight response, making them want to run away. In extreme cases, that feeling of panic may result in intense anger and even end up expressing rage physically.

Sadly, there’s no known cure. But tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive (认知的) behavioural therapy and counselling could help sufferers tolerate noises and manage the condition. According to James Cartreine, a clinical psychiatrist, the condition can lead to separation. Sufferers use coping strategies that include avoiding places with lots of noises, like restaurants, or moving away when they feel like raging against someone due to their breathing.

So, the next time you see someone fly into a rage because of a sound that is driving them crazy, it may be due to a difficult condition they are trying to manage, and not just because they hate a certain sound.

1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the topic of misophonia.

B．To introduce different annoying sounds.

C．To show ways of preventing a severe disease.

D．To present the harm of noises to human health.

2. Who is most likely to suffer from misophonia?

A．Jane who usually has lunch alone.

B．Nancy who often screams at her baby.

C．Peter who is always worried about his studies.

D．Henry who is annoyed at the sound of book pages turning.

3. What does the underlined word “trigger” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Control.

B．Cause.

C．Predict.

D．Relieve.

4. What can be inferred about misophonia from the last two paragraphs?

A．It happens mostly in restaurants.

B．Any sound around can drive sufferers crazy.

C．Staying away from noises is a potential solution.

D．It may greatly influence sufferers’ cognitive ability.

【推荐3】E-cigarettes began as a way to stop people from smoking tobacco. But a new study among teens suggests a scary effect: E-cigarettes are now appealing to non-smokers as well. In a survey of over 2 ,000 California high school juniors and seniors, researchers from the University of Southern California discovered that over 40 percent of teen e-cigarette smokers have never smoked traditional cigarettes.

The National Youth Tobacco Survey reports a nearly 9 percent increase in the number of high school students using e-cigarettes from 2013 to 2014,more than enough to stifle (掩盖) the 3. 5 percent decrease in teen cigarette use, as recorded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While 9 percent may not sound like a ton, the amount of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes has actually tripled(增至三倍) .

How, despite decades of anti-smoking advocacy efforts, have e-cigarettes gained such massive popularity in such a short time? Scientists say that the “renormalization” of teen smoking may not be entirely self-inflicted(自己造成的) .A study found that 34 percent of adolescent e-smokers are exposed to electronic cigarettes via a member of their family or friend groups.

Advertising also makes e-cigarettes look cool. E-cigarettes, which are not very expensive, are marketed as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes, and teens are buying the message. In a recent study in North Carolina, high schoolers easily made a list of the dangers of smoking tobacco, but when asked to do the same with regard to e-cigarettes, the teens were unsure whether the devices could be considered safe. Some weren't even aware that e-cigarettes contain nicotine. But e-cigarettes do contain nicotine. It is highly addictive, which is why some consider e-cigarettes a gateway drug.

If stressing the dangers of tobacco helped make cigarettes uncool, we can do the same to destroy e-cigarettes.

1. From 2013 to 2014 student e-cigarette smokers in high school increased by about ____.

A．3. 5%

B．9%

C．27%

D．40%

2. About one third of teen e-smokers use e-cigarettes because of ____ .

A．e-cigarettes’ low prices	B．cool designs of e-cigarettes
C．the influence of people around them.	D．their dislike of traditional cigarettes

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?

A．E-cigarettes are different from drugs.

B．Teens are unsure whether e-cigarettes can be considered safe.

C．E-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes.

D．Teens are misled by e-cigarette advertisements.

4. What is the author’s attitude to e-cigarettes?

A．favorable

B．objective

C．opposed

D．indifferent

【推荐3】There is an old saying in English: "Laughter is the best medicine." Until recently, few people took the saying very seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to investigate laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found evidence that laughter really can improve people's health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films, while doctors checked their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart rate and the rate of breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be capable of reducing the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group, which tolerated the pain for the longest time, was the group, which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce endorphins(内啡肽) in the brain. These are natural chemicals that diminish both stress and pain.

There is also some evidence to suggest that laughter helps the body's immune(免疫的) system, that is, the system which fights infection. In an experiment, one group of students watched a funny video while another group served as the control group—in other words, a group with which to compare the first group. Doctors checked the blood of the students in both groups and found that the people in the group that watched the video had an increase in the activity of their blood cells, that is, the cells which fight infection.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors and psychiatrists(精神病学家) in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they try to improve their patients' conditions by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Laughter is good for one's health.

B．Laughter is related to some illness.

C．Laughter has been investigated long since.

D．Laughter has no effect on the body.

2. Doctors have found that laughter _____.

A．keeps down blood pressure	B．has similar effects to physical exercise
C．decreases the heart rate	D．increases stress

3. Which of the following statements of laughter is NOT true, according to the passage?

A．It reduces pain.	B．It exercises the body.
C．It improves the body's immune system.	D．It can cure cancer.

4. What do doctors in a laughter clinic do?

A．They laugh at their patients.

B．They encourage their patients to laugh.

C．They smile when they don't feel like laughing.

D．They never stop laughing.

【推荐1】If you enjoy reading, don’t miss Shakespeare and Company when you visit the city of Paris. It is a famous English-language bookstore on the left bank of the river Seine. The first Shakespeare and Company in history was opened in 1919 by an American, Sylvia Beach. Ms. Beach did more than sell books. Her bookstore was also a library, and she even prepared beds for writers visiting there. Ms. Beach was not only kind to people but also good at choosing books, so her bookstore was often visited by writers like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. But in 1941, after the Germans took power in Paris, Ms. Beach was told to close her bookstore.

In 1951, another American, George Whitman, opened in Paris another English-language bookstore, Librairie Mistral. Since then, just as Ms. Beach did, Mr Whitman has also made his bookstore a library for people to borrow books, and a free hotel for writers to stay in. To remember Ms. Beach, Mr Whitman changed the name of his bookstore to Shakespeare and Company in 1964, two years after Ms. Beach died.

Next time when you are in Paris, don’t forget to visit this friendly bookstore, and see if you can spend a night there!

1. When was Shakespeare and Company first opened?

A．In 1919.

B．In 1941.

C．In 1951.

D．In 1964.

2. What does Shakespeare and Company do?
a. It sells books.                              b. It lends books.
c. It offers food to readers.             d. It prepares beds for writers.

A．a, b, c

B．a, c, d

C．a, b, d

D．b, c, d

3. Ms. Beach closed her business because _______.

A．she died	B．she was made to do it
C．she left Paris	D．she didn’t manage it well

4. What do we know about Mr. Whitman?

A．He was Ms. Beach’s neighbor.

B．He used to work at Ms. Beach’s bookstore.

C．He opened a bookstore to remember Ms. Beach.

D．He has followed Ms. Beach’s ways of doing business.

【推荐2】Each May since 1956 people from across Europe and around the world have gathered around their televisions with friends and family for an evening of international entertainment(娱乐)：The Eurovision Song Contest. It may well be a fun event but perhaps it’s not the shared celebration of European language that it could be. In the first ten years of Eurovision, the UK and Ireland were the only two countries to sing in English. Now English is what we expect. Is it that English is becoming, or has become the official language of music?

From high streets in Hungary to supermarkets in Sweden, from bus stops in Bulgaria to parks in Poland, people listen to English-language music everywhere. And people don't just listen, they sing it too! From sporting events in Spain to nightclubs in Norway, from concerts in Croatia to fitness classes in France, people sing along to popular songs in their everyday lives, in English. But why?

For one evening each year Eurovision is the dinner party of Europe. A dinner party to which each guest brings something special. Their clothing, tradition and food show their culture and their language shows the character of a nation. Although there are 50 nations with 83 languages, for Eurovision, English is the only language. Does Eurovision really represent Europe?

English is an international language spoken by over 1 billion people worldwide. It is no surprise that so many musicians make music in English. Of course, music makes money and more listeners make more money. According to Ragnar Thorhallsson, singer and guitarist with the Icelandic indie band (乐队)“Of Monsters and Men”, English is simpler and is easier to make rhythms(节奏). Could this be true?

Let’s remember that although English-language music is everywhere, music is not everything. As long as we continue to learn, to speak，to love, diversity(多样性)shall be valued. After all, what fun is a dinner party if the guests can’t communicate(交流) or express themselves in the way they choose?

1. What do we know about Eurovision?

A．Singers sing English songs.	B．It helps protect European cultures.
C．It is the most popular contest in the world.	D．Singers mainly come from the UK and Ireland.

2. How does the writer show the popularity(广泛性) of English music in Paragraph 2?

A．By asking questions.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By following the order of space.

3. What's Ragnar ThorhaIlsson^’s opinion of English?

A．It is easy and beautiful.	B．It should be used in all music.
C．It is the best language in the world.	D．It helps musicians make money easily.

4. What is mainly discussed in the text?

A．Why we should protect language diversity.

B．How language and music affect each other.

C．Whether English is the official language of music.

D．Why Eurovision is becoming more and more popular.

【推荐3】It is not rare in China that many seniors take advantage of their retirement years to please their grandchildren.

Some are good at sugar figure blowing art-the maker uses sugar as its basic material to boil and blow into various figures. Some can weave, using even the most unexpected materials such as leaves, and some excel in carpentry, using wood to carve lifelike dolls and toys.

Recently, in a small village in Fujian province, one — and — a — half — year — old Dandan became the most enviable child. His grandfather made a wooden " mantis cart （螳螂车）"for him. The wooden components on both sides of the cart would rise and fall with the metal wheels, resembling a mantis. This one-of-a-kind toy was filmed by the child's parents and posted online, immediately arousing curiosity.

The grandfather, Li Shishui, 70, who has been a carpenter for more than 50 years, retired in 2018. In his spare time, he picks up his old craftsmanship and uses the scrap （小块）wood from his old house to make the "mantis cart" with long legs. He also makes pure wooden toys such as robots , birds and even an   "Iron Man".

When Dandan goes out in the “ mantis cart"，   it never fails to turn heads and children of the neighbors next door shout and cry to their parents for one too.

Full of childlike fun, fatherly love and delicate design, the wooden toy, not merely catches the heart of children in his neighbourhood, some netizens also express their envy after watching online videos. "I want a grandpa like him too. " ^"Does grandpa want a granddaughter?" Some also recollect that although their grandfather is not a carpenter, these videos have brought back their fond memories when they were young — their grandfather also made some gadgets （小物件）for them.

Therefore, many believe, parents should stress the importance of the education of their children's interpersonal communication skills at an early age. Children who grow up in the love of their elders can expect to be more brave, positive, optimistic and confident than other children.

1. What does the author mean by the underlined part "This one-of-a-kind toy”?

A．The toy is hard-won.	B．The toy is specially made.
C．The toy is of high quality.	D．The toy is the only one made by Grandpa Li.

2. Which of the following is right about "mantis cart”?

A．All the components of it are made of wood.

B．Its online videos were not immediately accepted.

C．Its insect-like features attract both children and adults.

D．It was hand-made by Grandpa Li, a craftsman of sugar figures.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Much importance should be attached to children's behavior.

B．Children under the care of their elders may have better personalities.

C．Some netizens envy Dandan as their grandparents are not carpenters.

D．Some children of the neighbors cry as Dandan doesn't share the toy with them.

4. Which section of a web page can this passage be taken from?

A．Fashion.	B．Entertainment・
C．Lifestyle.	D．Transportation.

【推荐1】The San Diego Splash senior women’s basketball team plays three-on-three in 30-minute half-court games — looking at the score-board and it doesn’t take long to realize that there’s nothing “senior” about these athletes.

The Splash may be the oldest team under the San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association (players must be 80 or over to join), but its members play to win and have won two championships (冠军称号) at the National Senior Games. Nine women are on the record, including Meg Skinner and Grace Larson — both of whom are 91.

Born in the 1920s and 1930s, Larson and the rest of her teammates are making up for the lost time and missed chances. “I was 80 when I got my first basketball shoes, and I was excited,” Larson said. Players in the Splash didn’t just wake up on their 80th birthdays and decide to join the team, and many of them have been playing basketball for many years, both as players in the San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association and other organizations.

Since it’s medically proved that seniors’ sports can lead to a longer and livelier life, it comes as no surprise that many Splash players have lived longer. “A lot of my childhood friends thought I was crazy to play basketball at 66,” explained 87-year-old Marge Carl. “They thought I’ll break an arm or a leg, but I’m the only one surviving of my childhood friends. They’re all gone, every one of them.”

“Seniors have to join us,” Carl told a San Diego newspaper. “They can’t sit in a room watching TV. That’s a death warning.” With over 6 million views, the videos about the Splash are very popular. “A friendship, a sisterhood, a family” is how Larson describes her team —“It’s the nicest group of people from all walks of life.”

1. What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph mean?

A．The athletes are not as experienced as they look.

B．The athletes can’t wait to have another game.

C．The athletes play as well as young players.

D．The athletes are actually very young.

2. What do we know about the Splash?

A．It is the oldest team in the world.

B．It has won two games in the finals.

C．The players must be less than 80.

D．Members don’t have basketball experience.

3. What will probably happen if senior people play basketball?

A．They will live a healthier life.

B．They will be very excited every day.

C．They are sure to break arms and legs.

D．They will live longer than anyone else.

4. What could be the best title for the text?

A．Age is just a number

B．Everyone should do more exercise

C．Playing basketball makes us healthy

D．Old people should be taken good care of

【推荐2】French lessons in France
Whatever your level is, choosing to take French lessons in France is the best way to learn French. Place yourself in the local culture and practice your newly found skills in your free time.
You will be taught by native (本地的) French speakers who have a love for teaching and use excellent teaching techniques. Lessons are interesting and you will speak French on the first day both inside and outside the classroom.
Learners
● Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced (高级的)
● Over 18 years old
Class Schedule (课表)
● Classes start on Mondays and run throughout the summer.
● Please arrive at the school by 8:15 am on your first day for a short level test. It will help to place you in the right class.
● Classes run from Monday to Friday each week.
● Classes start at 8:45 am each day depending on your level.
● You will have 3 classes per day lasting 55 minutes each.
● You will have a short break between classes.
Free Time and Tours
● The school offers a lot of cultural activities throughout the week. These activities can include cooking lessons, wine and cheese tasting, visits to Paris, cycling, movies and much more.
● You will have plenty of free time to explore (探索) the local area and practice your newly found language skills or just relax on this learning holiday with a difference.
Other Information
● You should bring a small dictionary, pens and paper with you.
Get more from your holiday, have fun, meet new people and take home a new language skill that will stay with you forever.
1. What is special about the French courses?

A．They are taught in small groups.

B．The teachers are young French speakers.

C．People learn French in and out of class.

D．They will offer a wine tasting license.(执照)

2. On the first day, the students should ______.

A．take a language test	B．pay for their study
C．do a survey	D．introduce themselves to the class

3. How many lessons are there in a week?

A．21.

B．30.

C．15.

D．12.

4. We can learn from the text that the course ______.

A．is not suitable for teenagers

B．offers cooking classes as well

C．provides dictionaries for students

D．has a short game between classes

【推荐3】In every school there is a "top" crowd that sets the pace, while the others follow their lead. For example, the top crowd decides that it is smart to wear bright red sweaters.   Very soon everybody is wearing a bright red sweater.   There is nothing wrong with that, except the fact that bright red is not suitable on some people at all.

The situation can even become dangerous, if the top crowd decides that it is smart to drink or to drive cars at 70 miles an hour.   Then the people who follow the lead are causing danger to people's lives. They are like sheep being led to the slaughterhouse (屠宰场）

Perhaps you have come across situations like these more than once in your life. In fact, at one time or another you probably did something you knew to be wrong.   You may have excused yourself by saying, "The crowd does it. " Well, let the crowd do it, but don't do it yourself.   Learn to say, "No"

Make your own judge.   If you know the crowd is planning something with which you disagree, please have the courage to leave them politely.   You'll have the satisfaction of standing on your own feet.

1. he writer disagree to wear red sweaters if ___ .

A．the crowd is wearing them	B．you can't afford them
C．your parents disapprove	D．you don't look good in red

2. The writer encourages the readers to ___.

A．follow the crowd	B．be independent
C．obey their parents	D．take the advice of their elders

3. People who blindly follow the "top" crowd __ .

A．will lose friends

B．will make themselves happy

C．sometimes do things against their better judgment

D．finally become pace-setters (领跑者) in their own right

4. Which is the best title for this passage?

A．Rules for Teens.	B．The "Top" Crowd.
C．On Being Yourself.	D．Follow the Leader