【推荐1】What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question，you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-­technology（生物技术）. With the help of new medicine，the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents，murder and war. Today’s leading killers，such as heart disease，cancer，and aging itself，will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes，the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells（细胞） are the basic units of all living things，and until recently，scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells，such as those of brain cells，would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100，medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so，people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs（器官）. The medicine，made up of the basic building materials of life，will build new brain cells，heart cells，and so on－in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence，but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
1. According to the passage，human death is now mainly caused by ________.

A．diseases and aging	B．accidents and war
C．accidents and aging	D．heart disease and war

2. In the author’s opinion，today’s most important advance in technology lies in（在于） ________.

A．the Internet	B．medicine
C．brain cells	D．human organs

3. Humans may live longer in the future because ________.

A．heart disease will be far away from us

B．human brains can decide the final death

C．the basic materials of cells will last forever

D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine

4. How long can humans live in the future according to the passage?

A．Over 100 years.

B．More than 120 years.

C．About 150 years.

D．The passage doesn’t tell us.

【推荐2】Drug problems

If you're worried about your own or someone else's drug taking or misuse, it's good to know the facts.

Why take drugs?

Drug users don't start using drugs with the intention of becoming addicted. But many drugs contain addictive substances(物质) and even people who use them occasionally can become dependent and need to use them regularly.

Reasons why people start using drugs can include: to escape problems they may be having in other parts of their life, peer pressure and fitting in with another group of people, being curious about the effects of drugs.

If you start to use drugs on a regular basis, or if you become dependent on them, it can affect your family and friends as well as having a serious impact on your own physical and mental well-being.

Drug overdoses can be fatal. You can die instantly from misusing substances and drugs that you can buy over the counters.

Signs of drug abuse and misuse

There is not a common list of symptoms that you can use to tell if you or someone you know is misusing drugs. That's because drug use affects different people in different ways, depending on the type of drugs they're using.

Although anxiety, tiredness and a change in sleeping habits can be signs of drug use, they can also be caused by changes in your body, stress or other problems.

_____________________

Drugs are categorised into three classes based on their overall level of harm. Class A drugs are the most dangerous, however, all the drugs in all three classes are harmful and addictive.

Remember that all drugs are illegal, even Class C drugs like cannabis(大麻烟). If you're caught selling them to other people, or carrying a small amount in your pocket, it's likely that the police will get involved.

If you're found guilty of any of these offences, you may face a fine or time in custody(拘留), with Class A drugs carrying the most severe sentences.

Worried about a friend?

If you think that one of your friends or relatives is misusing drugs, you may want to approach them and talk about it. It's not your responsibility to make them stop, but you can tell them about how their behaviour is affecting your relationship.

If they ask for help with their problem, then it's important to listen and help them find the right information and treatment.

National Drugs Helpline

If you're worried about drug abuse and addiction you can call the National Drugs Helpline on 0800 776 600 for confidential advice—lines are open seven days a week. Calls are free and they won't show up on your phone bill, but you may be charged if you use a mobile.

More useful links

Information about addictions from need to know

Information about drugs, the law and human rights

1. Who is the article for?

A．Parents of drug takers

B．People who are interested in taking drugs

C．The police who deal with drug sellers

D．People who are concerned about drug misusing

2. Which of the following is true according to Part II?

A．All those who abuse or misuse drugs have something in common in symptoms.

B．People who take the same drug are affected in the way alike.

C．Anxiety, tiredness and a change in sleeping habits result from drug use only.

D．You can’t tell exactly whether a person is misusing drugs by symptoms like anxiety.

3. What is the subtitle of Part III?

A．Three classes of drugs.	B．Drugs and the law
C．The impacts of taking drugs.	D．Illegal drugs

4. What can you do if you are addicted to drug use?

A．You can tell your trouble to your friends and find the right treatment.

B．It’s your responsibility to tell your friends so that it will not spread.

C．Pay only a small amount of money to turn to National Drugs Helpline for help.

D．Dial 0800 776 600 to find the information about drugs, the law and human rights.

【推荐3】It is OK not to be OK

This is the simple encouragement people often use for themselves or others. But for professional athletes, this can be the hardest sentence to say.

On March 6, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love posted an article titled “Everyone is Going Through Something” on the website The Players’ Tribune. In the article, the 29-year-old showed how he suffered from his first panic attack on Nov 5 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks and why he was so worried about sharing his story with the public.

Love identified that what keeps people from speaking up about their mental health challenges is the fear that many people see them as a weakness. “Growing up, you figure out really quickly how a boy is supposed to act. You learn what it takes to ‘be a man’. It’s like a play book: Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own,” he wrote.

And being an NBA player made his situation even more difficult. Love was afraid to share his struggles because he didn’t want his Cavaliers teammates to think that he was unreliable.

However, as it turned out, Love’s teammates understood and supported him. Cleveland superstar LeBron James even wrote on social media that Love is “even more powerful now than ever before”.

For Love, it was a journey of empowerment to accept and address his mental illness and share his experience with millions of people who face the same problems. In fact, he was inspired to talk about his situation by Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, who had also opened up about his mental health issues.

Last month, the 28-year-old told the Toronto Sun that despite being a top-performing and wealthy NBA player, he still deals with constant blues. “It’s one of the things that no matter how indestructible (坚不可摧的) we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day, ”he said. “Sometimes…it gets the best of you, when everything in the whole world’s on top of you, ” But other times, by admitting who we are, we can get what we want. As Love told Advance Ohio Media, “You have to let some of that stuff bleed out in order to fully recover from it.”

1. What problem did Love have?

A．He faced pressure communicating with public.

B．He was troubled by mental health issues.

C．He had a bad relationship with his teammates.

D．His injuries prevented him from playing well.

2. According to Love, why was it more difficult for him to speak up about his problem?

A．He thought he should get through it on his own.

B．He didn’t want others to know his weaknesses.

C．He was afraid to lose the trust of his teammates.

D．He needed to keep a good public image.

3. What happened after Love shared his story?

A．DeRozan was inspired to talk about his mental problems.

B．Love was asked by his team to take a long break.

C．Love received many letters from people with the same problem.

D．Love’s teammates showed their support for him.

4. Which of the following would Love probably agree with?

A．We should be strong when facing problems.

B．It is very difficult to recover from mental illness.

C．Facing bad feelings can help you get over them.

D．NBA players are more likely to suffer from mental illness.

【推荐1】Like other penguins, African penguins have white feathers covering their chests and black feathers covering their backs. They have lifelong mates, and they live in huge numbers —so, scientists wondered how the birds were able to identify their partners among a sea of black-and-white birds. To find it out, they studied 12 African penguins at a marine park called Zoomarine Italia.

In one test, they hung two life-size photographs of the African penguins. One is selected randomly(随机选择地), while the other is the test subject’s mate. The scientists recorded their interactions with the photos: How long did they spend looking at each photo, as well as how much time did they spend standing near each one? The penguins spent more time looking at the photo of their partners—about 23 seconds longer, on average —than looking at the other photo. They also stood next to the mate’s photo for twice as long. Then, the researchers covered up the heads of the birds in the photographs, and the penguins still stayed near their partners’ photos.

In another experiment, the researchers hung up two photos of a bird’s mate —but, in one, they had digitally removed its spots(点). In this case, the penguin again spent more time looking at the photo with the spots. In the third experiment, the researchers hung two penguin photos with digitally removed spots—one of the test subject’s mate and the other: a random penguin. In this case, the penguins did not appear to recognize their partners—they spent almost the same time looking at or standing near both photos.

Together, the research results suggest African penguins are zeroing in on their partners’ spots and using them like name tags. Scientists say: “Our results prove birds recognize their mates by specific visual patterns and all sensory modalities(模态)should be considered in the study of animal communication.”

1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A．African penguins live independently.

B．African penguins have special ability to recognize partners.

C．African penguins have when feathers covering their backs.

D．Scientists studied 12 African penguins from the wild.

2. What plays a key role in African penguins’ identifying their partners?

A．Their partners’ voice.	B．Their partners’ heads.
C．Their partners’ back feathers.	D．Their partners’ spotted bodies.

3. What does the underlined phrase “zeroing in on” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Losing sight of.	B．Taking delight in.
C．Paying attention to.	D．Speaking highly of.

4. Where might you find the passage?

A．In a science report.	B．In a travel brochure.
C．In a biology textbook.	D．In a fashion magazine.

【推荐3】If you're like most kids, you've probably heard at least one parent say, "Don't forget to take your vitamin(维他命)!" or "Eat your salad — it's packed with vitamins!" But what exactly are vitamins?

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example:Vitamin D in milk and fish helps your bones. Vitamin A in orange fruits and vegetables,liver and milk helps you see at night. Vitamin C in oranges and some green vegetables helps your body heal if you get a cut. Vitamin E in nuts, seeds, whole grains and green, leafy vegetables protects your lungs from becoming damaged by polluted air. B vitamins in green leafy vegetables help your body make energy from food.

When you eat foods that contain fat-soluble(脂溶性的) vitamins, the vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in your body and in your liver. They wait around in your body fat until your body needs them.

Fat-soluble vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for a while — some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it's time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to where they're needed. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins.

Water-soluble vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have water-soluble vitamins, the vitamins don't get stored as much in your body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. Whatever your body doesn't use comes out of your body. So these kinds of vitamins need to be replaced often because they don't stick around! This crowd of vitamins includes vitamin C and the big group of B vitamins — B1 , B2 , B6 , B12 and so on.

1. The first paragraph of the passage is used to ________.

A．tell us the special use of salad

B．lead to the topic of the passage

C．advise kids to take more vitamins

D．show readers the value of vitamins

2. If a man suffers from night blindness, he’d better take more ____.

A．vitamin D	B．vitamin A
C．vitamin E	D．vitamin C

3. What is special about fat-soluble vitamins?

A．They can stay stored in our bodies for some time.

B．They are needed in our bodies every minute.

C．They can be easily produced in our bodies.

D．They contain all kinds of vitamins.

4. After reading the passage, we learn that ____.

A．kids need a lot more vitamins than adults

B．water-soluble vitamins stay long in our bodies

C．fat-soluble vitamins need to be replaced very often

D．vitamins play a great role in the development of our bodies

【推荐1】Among the more practical advice that can be offered to international travelers is wisdom of the toilet. I do not mean those squats (下蹲) you see at the gym. No, strong glutes (臀肌) will not save you here. I mean the deep squat. This position is so stable that people in China can hold it for minutes and perhaps even hours…

Of course, squat toilet is not unique to Asia, nor is the deep-squatting position. But so common is the position in Asia and so rare it is in the West that it’s been nicknamed the “Asian squat”. Bryan Ausinheiler, a physician in California said, “The squat is a great model for a multi-segmental movement pattern. You have to fold everything up underneath you.” There’s a lot going on.

But the key factor seems to be ankle flexibility. This is also in part. Ausinheiler says, why kids have no problem squatting. “I measured my daughter’s ankle flexibility when she was one day old,” says Ausinheiler. “She has 70 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion (背屈)! Normal in the West is like 30.” So humans are born squatters; some of us lose it when we stop trying. Body shape also seems to play a role. People with the longest legs have the worst squat.

Believe it or not, no one appears to have actually studied born ability in deep squatting across ethnic groups. “You would have to take kids from the time they’re born in China and never let them do any squats to be a control group, and it’ll never happen,” says Matt Hundson, a physiologist at the University of Delaware, humorously. And finally, it may not matter. Practice and training make the bigger difference.

Some believe America’s squat problems can be blamed on toilet seats. Yet this ability that comes so naturally has been lost ----- and it’s not so easy to get it back. But the position, while doable, is not very comfortable for me.

1. Why has the deep-squatting position been named “Asian squat” ?

A．It came from Asia	B．It is widely adopted by Asians
C．It can be performed only by Asians	D．It is completely invisible in the West

2. What is the most important factor for performing “Asian squat” ?

A．Flexible ankles.	B．Strong glutes.
C．Body shape.	D．Ethnic groups.

3. What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?

A．Studying deep squatting is not practical.

B．Asians have born ability in deep squatting.

C．It’s necessary to study newborn babies in China.

D．Everyone can do deep squatting through practice.

4. Why have Americans lost the ability of deep squatting?

A．Because it comes so naturally.

B．Because it is never got back once lost.

C．Because they rely on toilet seats too much.

D．Because they feel it impossible and uncomfortable.

【推荐2】There are two main types of office layouts used by most companies around the world: Landscape Office and Enclosed Office. A landscape office lacks privacy, however, this office layout is more beneficial than an enclosed office for employees to improve work efficiency and productivity.

Some people might desire an undisturbed workplace. According to the survey collected from a company with the two kinds of office layouts, most of managers prefer a workplace where they can concentrate on their work and make a clear thinking. However, managers that possess their own enclosed offices might have the feeling of being distant from their clerks, which leads to high pressure. Meanwhile, employees tend to be nervous when they have conversations with their managers in an obviously hierarchical(等级制的) environment. In contrast, a landscape office makes it easier and more pleasant for employees to communicate with their managers or their colleagues; this would result in speeding up work efficiency and productivity.

Besides, greater interaction is beneficial for employees to build up friendship in a landscape office. This can be proved by the experiment of Brookes and Kaplan. They recorded the attitudes and opinions of 120 employees toward their enclosed office before they moved to the landscape office, and then after nine months they were tested again. The researchers discovered that those employees performed positive changes in group sociability. When people have better group sociability, they experience a better team work and efficient cooperation, which surely promotes work productivity.

Some opponents claim that a landscape office would lead to the decline of the value of work satisfaction and motivation from employees. However, the result from other researchers remained controversial; in their opinion there are several factors which affect job satisfaction and motivation. 600 Canadian federal government department workers who were housed at a modern landscape office and were surveyed gave both negative and positive feedback. They admitted that they felt the sense of belonging to a team or a working community, which mainly contributes to job satisfaction. Motivation is also increased by a sense of responsibility for and loyalty to a team.

Admittedly, there are some advantages that only enclosed offices possess. However, a landscape office can combine the features of the traditional enclosed office, for example, designing the independent meeting room to decrease noise from discussion. Although the benefits of a landscape office outweigh those of an enclosed office, which layout is better should be decided by the characteristics of the people and the type of work they do.

1. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．Colleague cooperation and its motivation.

B．Group sociability and its productivity.

C．Working environment and its effect.

D．Office privacy and its atmosphere.

2. What has the significant effect on productivity according to Paragraph 2?

A．Job satisfaction.	B．Relaxed atmosphere.
C．Group sociability.	D．Undisturbed workplace.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Enclosed office leads to individual creativity.

B．Different working styles in enclosed office is encouraged.

C．Landscape office contributes to effective conversations.

D．Frequent communication in landscape office results in high pressure.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards office layouts?

A．Objective.

B．Casual.

C．Optimistic.

D．Sceptical.