【推荐1】Wearing a headset to play a virtual-reality game is fun. As you move your head around, you can see the scene from different angles. You’re in a fake environment that seems so real. But the power of VR may go well beyond entertainment. It just might help people who suffer from long time of pain, a new study finds.

“If VR can reduce some types of pain, it could become a new cure with fewer side effects than drugs,” says Sam Hughes, a psychologist at Imperial College London. “And it would be 1ess expensive.”

Hughes’ group studies bone and muscle pain. One example is sciatica. Sciatica is a form of pain doctors call chronic pain, which is different from the hurt you feel when you hit your knee against a table or put your hand in very hot water. It is fairly long-1ived pain and may even spread from an initial site to other body parts.

The researchers tested the pain-altering effect of virtual reality. Each volunteer accepted some form of temporary pain. The pain came from a special cream applied to the skin. The cream contained capsaicin. It’s the chemical in hot peppers that burns your mouth.

They then showed the volunteers a movie. Each volunteer would see the movie twice-once in 3D, while wearing a VR headset, and once on a normal 2 D screen. The researchers randomly decided for each volunteer whether they watched the 2D or 3D version first. Using the 2D movie as the comparison allowed them to isolate the effect of VR. Watching the movie in VR reduced the pain in the skin area better than did viewing the movie in 2D. VR helped them tolerate more pain in the area of the creamed skin. However, that pain reduction ended a few minutes after removing the VR headsets. The researchers wondered how well VR might reduce other types of pain.

1. What’s one of the advantages of VR to reduce pain?

A．It’s much safer.	B．It’s more convenient.
C．It’s much faster.	D．It’s more efficient.

2. What does the underlined word “chronic” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．sudden	B．long-term
C．1ight	D．sharp

3. Why was the special cream used in the experiment?

A．To find chemicals in hot peppers.	B．To bring comfort to volunteers.
C．To burns the volunteers’ mouth.	D．To cause some temporary pain.

4. How was the test carried out?

A．By giving numbers.	B．By using examples.
C．By making a comparison.	D．By presenting research findings.

【推荐2】The current Ebola (埃博拉病毒) outbreak in western and central Africa has infected at least 3,069 people, including 1,552 dead, making it the largest outbreak in history. Ebola is a deadly virus-about 60 percent of people infected with it have died.

How is Ebola doing its harm?

When a person becomes infected with Ebola, the virus damages the body’s immune (免疫的) cells, which defend against infection, said a researcher at Lancaster University. But if a person’s immune system can stand up to this attack, then he is more likely to survive the disease.

The patients that survive it best are those who don’t get such a bad disadvantage in immune system. But if the body isn’t able to get rid of this attack, then the immune system becomes less able to regulate (调节) itself. This means the immune system is more likely to run out of control, leading to a drop in blood pressure, multi-organ failure and eventually death.

What are the common symptoms of the disease?

Fever. Headache. Joint and muscle aches. Weakness. Diarrhea. Vomiting. Stomach pain. Lack of appetite. Chills. Rash. Redness in the eyes. Hiccups. Cough. Sore throat. Chest pain. Difficult breathing or swallowing. Bleeding inside and outside of the body.

How to prevent the spread of Ebola?

Ebola can be spread primarily via direct contact with patients, specifically the blood and fluids of an infected patient.

We should avoid contact with infected patients and objects such as clothing, bedding, and needles used by them. Avoid areas where infections have been reported. For now, the disease has only been confirmed in central and West Africa, four cases in America and Europe. Avoid eating wild-caught bush meat. Researchers have suspected that the disease came to humans via animals, probably through the meat of primates (灵长类) . If you’re in an area where the disease has been reported, avoid purchasing, eating, or handling wild game to stay on the safe side.

Wear protective medical clothing if you’re around infected patients. Extreme caution is necessary. Hospital workers must use masks, gloves, goggles, and gowns, which needed to be worn at all times if you’re around infected patients.

How Do People Survive Ebola?

Doctors don’t know for certain who will survive Ebola, and there is no specific treatment or cure for the disease. Although in the minority, some people do recover from infection.

Our suggestions include:

Maintain your electrolytes (电解质) and body liquid. Sports drinks can be used. Monitor your blood pressure and control it if necessary. Dropping blood pressure may be a serious sign of infection. Breathe in an oxygen-rich environment. Quickly address any symptoms of infection. Be honest about when and where you’re feeling pain.

1. Ebola causes the death of a human being by ______.

A．attacking him with high fever	B．regulating his immune system
C．damaging his immune cells	D．harming all his organs directly

2. What is NOT mentioned as the symptom of Ebola?

A．Fever and chills	B．Swallowing difficulty
C．Lack of appetite	D．High blood pressure

3. In order not to be infected by Ebola, we should ______.

A．have the clothing of the infected cleaned

B．avoid eating wild animals like monkeys

C．not travel to Africa, America or Europe

D．stay at home without going anywhere

4. It is true that ______.

A．a certain number of people survive Ebola

B．human has found a special cure for Ebola

C．oxygen can save infected people’s lives

D．low blood pressure is surely caused by Ebola

【推荐3】China's health and education authorities on Monday required the country's schools to establish systems to report HIV/AIDS infection cases in students．

The National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Ministry of Education said in a joint circular that infections of the virus among young students saw a marked rise in recent years， a sign of problems in education and students' awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention．

The two authorities required local health and education agencies to improve awareness at schools and called for establishment of an infection reporting system and regular consultation mechanism to analyze the cause of infections and formulate countermeasures．

The circular also urged proper protection of infected students' privacy．

Students in secondary schools and older should attend special classes on HIV/AIDS prevention focused on prevention of unsafe behavior as well as sexual responsibility and morality， the circular said．

It also pledged financial support for volunteer services．

The circular said HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing services should be improved and schools should encourage students with risky behaviors to use the services．

1. what does the underlined word "circular" in the second paragraph mean？ ______

A．round．	B．notice
C．advertisements	D．news

2. From the passage， we can infer that ______ ．

A．Students have fully realized the meaning of HIV/AIDS．

B．China's health and education authorities pay little attention to HIV/AIDS issues in Chinese students．

C．students' awareness about HIV/AIDS should be greatly improved．

D．HIV/AIDS infection cases in students have drawn no concern among students．

3. What can be the best title for the text？ ______

A．call for reports on students with HIV．

B．public concerns about HIV/AIDS infection．

C．volunteer services for HIV/AIDS infection cases．

D．to ignore HIV/AIDS infection cases is wrong．

【推荐1】A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression. The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.

The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.

Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.

Parents should watch for signs of depression — eating or mood changes — and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity (成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.

1. Which of the following is more likely to have depression?

A．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.

B．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.

C．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.

D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.

B．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.

C．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.

D．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?

A．Confused.

B．Disinterested.

C．Scared.

D．Disapproving.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Puppy love may bring young people depression.

B．Parents should forbid their children’s love.

C．Romance is a two-edged sword for adults.

D．Romance is good for young people.

【推荐2】Through history, children have played with toys and they help to prepare children for adult life. But the toys are changing all the time. As science and technology have changed the way adults live, the toys children play with have changed as well. Development in science and technology has had a big effect on the toys that children play with. Today trains and mobile phones are popular toys for young children, but there were no toys of this kind before real trains and mobile phones were invented. The materials that toys are made of have also changed. Today lots of toys are made of plastic. Plastic is a modern, man-made material that did not exist in the past. On the other hand, some other toys that you have might not be all that different from the ones children played with 1,000 years ago. Scientists have found some bone dice（骰子）in Aberdeen. In medieval（中世纪的）times dice were used for playing games as much as they are today.

A recent survey found that half of all the children aged from 4 to 6 have played video games, a quarter of them regularly. The increasing use of electronic toys troubles Dr Singer, a professor at Yale. “One thing we know is that kids in early years need to be in touch with the real world,” he said, “no matter how brilliant they are, they’re not going to learn to walk, to move or to talk to others unless their hands or feet have a direct role in such activities.”

Some toy experts argue that the best toys are the ones that increase a child’s creativity and imagination. Traditional toys can be used for different kinds of purposes and be used in group settings, individually（单独地）, and one-to-one. They are also used differently depending on the child’s age and skill level. And these toys made of natural materials are valuable for children because they teach children what the world is made of.

1. In how many ways do toys change according to the first paragraph?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. The author used the example of “dice” to show that ______.

A．the toys are changing all the time

B．some toys are made of different materials

C．some toys don’t change over time

D．some toys’ materials don’t change over time

3. From the article, we can know that ______.

A．only children like to play with toys

B．toys have nothing to do with children’s future life

C．the development of toys is related to science and technology

D．plastic is the best material for making toys

4. According to Dr Singer, ______.

A．the electronic toys are good for children if they play often enough

B．the electronic toys prevent children keeping in touch with the real world

C．children should play with electronic toys instead of the traditional ones

D．children should be stopped from being hurt by the danger coming from the outside world

【推荐2】Lying in bed, you command yourself to sleep, eyes fixed on the ceiling. You shut your eyes tight, force your body to relax, and wait for the pleasant sleep to come. But nothing happens. It’s 3 a.m., and you’re still staring at the ceiling.

Such a situation is familiar to us all. Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to consciously will yourself to sleep. Sleep comes to those who let their mind wander and focus on anything other than sleep itself. Count sheep, control your breathing, listen to an audio book, or whatever-so long as it turns your mind from wanting to sleep. This is a common example of “the law of reversed effort”.

The Law of Reversed Effort was first created by Aldous Huxley. “The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less likely we are to succeed.” Suppose, for instance, that you are learning how to ride a bike. You are instructed to hold the handlebars, to push off with this foot, to pedal at a certain speed, to hold your balance here, and so on. When riding, we know all these instructions, but we do not try to do them. They just happen. In Huxley’s words, it’s “combining relaxation with activity”.

There’s a spiritual way of viewing “the law of reversed effort” as well. It’s something that has a much longer history than Aldous Huxley — it’s the Daoist idea of “Wu Wei”. It is to walk the path that opens up and push the door that gives. Call it fate, divine (神圣的) calling, or whatever, but Wu Wei is to stop doing what you think is right, and to let yourself be pulled by some other power. Wu Wei is the grass bending in the wind. It’s the stick riding down the river.

There are many moments in life when trying harder makes things worse. When you have a mosquito bite, a broken bone, or a nosebleed, you leave it be. Picking and tapping only worsen the problem. So, too, with a lot of life’s major moments.

1. Why is the example of the failure to falling asleep mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To show how common sleep loss is.

B．To introduce the Law of Reversed Effort.

C．To recommend effective ways to get to sleep.

D．To prove the impossibility of willing ourselves to sleep.

2. What might help us learn riding a bike according paragraph 3?

A．Making reversed effort.	B．Trying our best to practice.
C．Riding in a relaxed manner.	D．Remembering to follow instructions.

3. Which might be an example of “Wu Wei” according to the text?

A．Ignore a mosquito bite.	B．Sail against a strong wind.
C．Will yourself to sleep when suffering sleep loss.	D．Remind yourself of instructions when riding a bike.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Science of Falling Asleep	B．The Ways of Handling Sleep Loss
C．The Law of Reversed Effort in Daily Life	D．The Art of Letting Go: Wu Wei in Action

【推荐3】The publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843 ensured that Charles Dickens’ name would forever be linked with Christmas. However, it is more than a timeless Christmas story. It’s a very Victorian story of urban circumstances: extremes of wealth and poverty, industry and inability. It helped change Victorian society, and that’s why Dickens wrote it.

Aside from raising people’s awareness of the plight of the poor in Victorian England, though, Dickens was also in great need of cash to support his large family. “Thinking creatively, he wrote himself out of his predicament,” says historian Catherine Golden.

The already well-known writer’s solution worked, to a degree. By the end of the next year, the book had sold more than 15,000 copies. But due to the book’s relatively low price, much of that money didn’t make it back to the author. “What a wonderful thing it is that such a great success should bring me such intolerable anxiety and disappointment!” Dickens wrote.

The book did have the cultural impact Dickens was hoping for, though. The writer came from a poor family and is remembered as a friend to the poor throughout his life. In the fall of that year, the author had visited a Samuel Starey’s Field School, which taught poor children. “Dickens easily empathized with children living in poverty, coming, as he did, from a poor childhood himself — a fact that set him apart from many other English authors,” writes Golden.

“Even if economics motivated Dickens to write, his story encouraged charity,” writes Golden. “Like Scrooge, a character in his story, Dickens himself was a charitable man. He used his wealth and influence to help those less fortunate.”

Dickens may not have gotten rich off of the publication of A Christmas Carol, but he did make the world a little richer.

1. Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol _________.

A．to make enough money to support his big family

B．to celebrate Christmas with children living in poverty

C．to share his poor childhood with other English authors

D．to help change the urban circumstances in Victorian society

2. What does the underlined word “plight” probably mean?

A．Identification.

B．Assumption.

C．Dilemma.

D．Compromise.

3. How did Dickens actually feel about the sling of the book?

A．It was wonderful.

B．It was discouraging

C．It was satisfying.

D．It was unnecessary.

4. What is the author’s tone when he talks about Dickens?

A．Sharp.

B．Admiring.

C．Ridiculous.

D．Humorous.

【推荐1】When she was studying to become a scientist, Megan Strauss rode in a small airplane to study giraffes. While a pilot flew over the Serengeti in Tanzania, Africa, the researchers looked down carefully and counted giraffes.

"I am always amazed how easily we can spot warthogs and other small animals, yet we sometimes have trouble seeing giraffes. Giraffes are slender in shape, and they may not throw a good shadow, " says Dr. Strauss, who has since become a wildlife scientist.

The Serengeti is about the size of Vermont, a state in the northeastern US, so the scientists could not study the entire area. Instead, they surveyed three areas where giraffes were studied in the 1970s. As they expected, they saw far fewer of these animals.

To find out if lions had been killing more giraffes in recent years, the team looked at the survival of young giraffes. Lions kill more young giraffes than adults, but the team found no decrease in young giraffes' survival after they are born, compared with the 1970s.

The team then looked at whether too many giraffes were being killed by parasites(寄生虫).The researchers counted parasite eggs in giraffe droppings, and they found too few to harm the giraffe population.

They looked into whether poachers (盗猎者)were killing too many giraffes. Two of the areas they studied are where giraffe meat is sometimes sold in local markets. Poachers catch more adult males than other giraffes. Researchers spotted too few males compared with females in those two areas, a sign of poaching.

When the food supply is short, the environment supports fewer giraffes and the females have fewer young giraffes. A lot of new trees have grown in the Serengeti, but many are a type that giraffes do not like to eat. The researchers found fewer young giraffes today than in the 1970s compared with the number of adult females, a sign that food was in short supply.

Dr. Strauss is working on an environmental education program for Tanzania including books for students. These materials will educate Tanzanians and help them to help giraffes. As knowledge grows and changes are made, they hope the giraffe population will increase.

1. What did Dr. Strauss find while studying giraffes in the Serengeti?

A．It was too costly to study giraffes.

B．It was hard to spot giraffes from the air.

C．The number of giraffes had increased slowly.

D．Giraffes lived in smaller areas than in the 1970s.

2. How did the team study the lion-giraffe relationship?

A．By analyzing giraffe droppings.

B．By comparing young giraffes with adults.

C．By comparing male giraffes and females.

D．By surveying the survival of young giraffes.

3. What is Dr. Strauss doing to help giraffes?

A．She is founding a national park in Tanzania.

B．She is counting giraffes in the entire Serengeti.

C．She is educating students to write about giraffes.

D．She is raising environmental awareness in local people.

【推荐2】Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
1. Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.

A．cultural values	B．commercial purposes
C．personal experiences	D．physical reactions to the color

2. Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?

A．To relax people physically.

B．To increase people’s appetites.

C．To encourage people to make a purchase.

D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

3. What color might help lose weight according to the text?

A．Red.

B．Green.

C．Blue.

D．Purple.

4. Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．Colors and Human Beings

B．The Cultural Meaning of Color

C．The Meaning and Function of Color

D．Colors and Personal Experiences

【推荐3】Staying-at-home proves to be effective in slowing the spread of the virus, but loneliness can be tough for many. Luckily, in the age of social media, we are never truly alone. And with the extra time spent indoors, artists are stepping up to help us all with the following clubs.

Drawing from Distance by Sarah Beth Morgan

Let’s shine some light during this trying time and encourage social distancing! I’m starting this tomorrow myself -but from what I offer, take whatever you please. No rules! Just have fun!

Stayathome Art Club by Carson Ellis

Hello! I’ll be posting art homework here every weekday morning when I can. They’ll be designed for kids and grownups alike. Here is your first homework: Draw a picture of yourself from the shoulders up. You can follow some useful examples. If you want to share or see other people’s self-picture, use these hashtags: #Stayathomeartclub# QACselfportrait

30-Day indoor Art by Danielle Krysa

One month of avoiding crowds? I’m in! I challenge you to use this time inside to make one piece every day from now until mid April. Please join me in playing around with some painting ideas that have been rolling around in my head but haven’t found their way onto paper yet. Stay at home, make art, save someone’s life.

DIY from Illustoria Magazine

We have been so inspired to see our community come together to provide easy art projects for families during this stay-at-home-time! DIY is actually a fantastic way to spark your imagination without breaking a sweat. A video every day will teach you how to DIY something.

1. What do we know about Sarah Beth Morgan?

A．She is a strict artist.	B．She aims at training more artists.
C．She prefers to work at home office.	D．She will provide a wide range of choices.

2. What are you expected to do if you join Stayathome Art Club?

A．Hand in homework every day.	B．Share other people’s pictures.
C．Draw a picture of yourself.	D．Show up in person occasionally.

3. What does “spark” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．set off

B．set down

C．set aside

D．set about

4. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A．All the artists are in support of the stay-at-home policy.

B．Carson Ellis asks the members to draw a picture of her.

C．Danielle Krysa invites artists to put her ideas on paper.

D．People in a community will come their DIYs.

5. What do these online art clubs intend to do?

A．To provide chances for people to learn arts.

B．To advertise their clubs to attract more members.

C．To help people stay creative and connected while at home.

D．To help people learn more skills to enrich their lives in their spare time.