【推荐2】Here’s a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly.

Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods --- even if you also exercise regularly --- could be bad for your health. And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.

In an article published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to stress the dangers of sitting.

While health officials have recommended minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.

“After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals,” said Ekblom-Bak. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucose (葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.

Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day --- but still spend a lot of time sitting --- might get more benefit if that exercise was spread across the day, rather than in a single bout (一回).

Still, in a study published in 2015 that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, whether or not they exercised.

“We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad,” said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. “But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary (久坐的) behavior, the better.”

Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.

“People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” Ekblom-Bak said. “But when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible,” she said.

1. What is the best title for the text?

A．Not Sitting Too Much While Working.

B．How to Avoid Sitting Too Much.

C．Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly.

D．More and More People Sit Too Much.

2. According to the research, ________.

A．the more time you spend in exercising in a single bout, the healthier you will be

B．those who often sit too much are sure to grow fat or suffer from a heart attack

C．regular exercise is effective in getting rid of the side effects of sitting too much

D．you had better not sit for more than four hours in a single bout

3. How does the danger of sitting too much affect the human body?

A．It results in a higher death risk.

B．It increases glucose and fat in the body.

C．It makes a person unable to exercise long enough in a day.

D．It causes the genes to fail to balance the glucose and fat in the body.

4. The underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 9 most probably means ________.

A．improve

B．balance

C．ignore

D．achieve

5. In the opinion of Ekblom-Bak, you’d better have a rest in the office by ________.

A．having a walk around your office

B．sending your friends e-mails

C．chatting online or playing computer games

D．listening to music with your head on the desk

【推荐1】Every day we experienec one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it It is not the amszing complexity of television. Nor the impressive tcchnology of transport The universal wonder we share and
Experience is our ability to make noises with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds. This ability comes so naturally that tend to forget what a miracle（奇迹）it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animals. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing. Birds can fly thousands of miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature’s went show, humans are a species of animal that have deve pod their own special act. If we reduce it to basie ferms, it’s a ability for communicating information to ther by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not the to don’t have other powers of communication. Our facia. expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or jout or disappointment. The way we hold our beads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling(直立的)fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed bead or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologists can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history.
1. According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is_________.

A．our ability to use language

B．the miracle of technology

C．the amazing power of nature

D．our ability to make noises with mouth

2. What feature of “body language”mentioned in the passage is common to both humans and animals?

A．Lifting beads when sad.

B．Keeping long faces when angry.

C．Bristling hair when ready to attack.

D．Bowing heads when willing to obey.

3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Body language is unique to humans.

B．Animals express emotions just as humans do.

C．Humans have other powers of communication.

D．Humans are no different from animals to some degree.

4. This pastge is mainly about________________.

A．the development of body language

B．the special role humans play in nature

C．the power to convey information to others

D．the difference between humans and animals in language use

【推荐2】Memory, they say, is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a conscious (自觉的) effort, then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful, there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.

Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week, for example, I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night, yet I clearly remember locking it carefully the night before.

Memory “tricks” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something, and then find out that you did. One day last month, for example, I was sitting in a barber(理发师) shop waiting for my turn to get a haircut, and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barber shop across the street from my office.

We always seem to find something funny and amusing in incidents caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years, and we never get tired of hearing new ones. Unfortunately, however, absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “tricks” of our memory can cause us great trouble.

1. If we want to have a good memory, _______.

A．we should force ourselves to remember things

B．we should make a conscious effort of practice and exercise

C．we should never stop learning

D．we should try hard to remember things

2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．One night the writer forgot to lock the front door.

B．One night the writer forgot having locked the front door.

C．The writer remembered to lock the door.

D．The writer remembered unlocking the front door.

3. From the underlined sentence, we can infer that _______.

A．we enjoy hearing new stories about absent-mindedness of professors

B．we don’t want to know anything more about absent-mindedness of professors

C．we will never get tired of listening to new stories about absent-mindedness

D．absent-mindedness happens not only to professors but to many other people

4. In the passage, the writer seems to tell us _______.

A．forgetting things is serious and dangerous	B．always forgetting things is understandable
C．forgetting things at times is natural	D．the way to protect yourself from memory “tricks”

5. The best title for this passage is _______.

A．How to Get a Good Memory	B．“Tricks” of Memory
C．Forgetfulness and Absent-mindedness is Dangerous	D．Get Rid of Absent-mindedness

【推荐3】The feeling of waking up in the middle of the night with a pounding heart and sweaty palms is quite familiar to us. Relax, you say to yourself — it was just a bad dream. Well, it may be that you really should relax, because nightmares might actually be good for you.

Bad dreams can improve your mental health, according to New York magazine. A bad dream tends to be based on a real-life concern, for example, an approaching test or a fear of a person. To eliminate these worries, the brain turns the dream into a story in the form of a bad dream.

A bad dream enables you to distance yourself from your anxieties, and turn something you’re worried about now into a memory. The result is that when you wake up, you’re able to move forward and face the future.

A study, featured in The Atlantic magazine, showed something similar. In a survey of more than 700 French students taking a medical school entrance exam, over 60 percent had negative dreams about the test the night before. These included not finishing on time, leaving a question blank, or being late. Those who reported dreams about the exam, even bad ones, did better on it than those who didn’t, suggesting that nightmares do in fact prepare us for the future.

“We think nightmares are so common that they have some purpose to process stressors,” Anne Germain, director of the Sleep Center at the University of Pittsburgh, said.

So the next time you lie awake at night after a bad dream, remember that it may be the brain’s way of putting your fears behind you and readying you for the future. Although a nightmare may make you afraid in the short term, it might be helping you to move on from the bad stuff you might be facing in the real world. Perhaps we should try to accept our nightmares rather than allow them to keep us awake. After all, lack of sleep causes far more problems than dreams do.

1. Which of the following best explains “eliminate” in Paragraph 2?

A．Reflect.

B．Remove.

C．Satisfy.

D．Strengthen.

2. Why does the author mention the study in the fourth paragraph?

A．To show nightmares help students perform better in an exam.

B．To show medical school entrance exams will cause anxiety.

C．To show those who have nightmares will do worse in an exam.

D．To show most of the students will be stressed before an exam.

3. According to the author, what should we do if we have a bad dream?

A．We should keep ourselves awake.	B．We should study bad dreams carefully.
C．We should relax and go on sleeping.	D．We should prevent it from happening.

4. Where is this text most likely from?

A．A diary.

B．A guidebook.

C．A science magazine.

D．A fiction novel.

【推荐2】In the dead of winter, we don’t typically think about spending time outside, but according to many medical experts, we should. The sun is our greatest source of a vitamin that is essential for good health—vitamin D.

This important nutrient strengthens bones and teeth and is linked to the prevention of heart disease, cancer and many life-threatening diseases. In contrast, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to weak bones and teeth as well as other health problems.

The recommended daily requirement is 400-600 IU. In summer, people with dark brown eyes and darker skin convert sunlight from just 15 minutes outside without sunscreen into adequate of vitamin D.

Even during winter, just a 10-minute walk midday can keep the body’s vitamin D at healthy levels. During brief walks, we receive the greatest benefits when we wear no sunscreen and expose as much skin to the sun as possible.

Vitamin D can also be obtained from foods. Salmon is one of the best sources of the vitamin. Egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms and beef liver contain smaller quantities of it.

To attract consumers, food companies add vitamin D to some of their milk products. The practice of putting the vitamin into milk began in the 1930s. At that time, many children were suffering from rickets, an illness that is caused by vitamin D deficiency. It made the children’s bones soft and weak. Adding Vitamin D to milk helped to solve the problem, and it has been available ever since.

For people who still need more vitamin D, there is another option: take vitamin D supplements. These products are widely sold in stores. However, anyone considering taking supplements should consult a doctor first.

1. What does this article imply about people during the winter months?

A．They aren’t able to do enough exercise.

B．They often don’t dress warmly enough.

C．They leave lots of work for others to do.

D．They generally tend to remain indoors.

2. The underlined word “convert” in Paragraph 3 probably means"__________".

A．absorb

B．remove

C．transform

D．apply

3. Why is salmon mentioned in this article?

A．It’s seldom prepared in the correct way.

B．Its impact on the environment is huge.

C．It’s a useful addition to a person’s diet.

D．Its advantages need to be discovered.

【推荐3】Everyone knows that the population of the world is the largest ever. As more and more people are born and grow to an older average age than previous generations, everyone on the earth has a responsibility to feed this ever-growing population.

One possible solution to this is vertical (垂直的) farming. While humans have farmed and worked the land as long as history has recorded events, how much humans’ farming has changed! From hands to ancient tools to animals to advanced machinery, the agricultural scenes have changed greatly over the centuries.

Now new and improved farming methods have been considered and studied to keep up with demand. With vertical farming, food is grown vertically by using existing buildings or shipping containers.

Unlike traditional farming that relies on Mother Nature, vertical farming often relies on CEA technology, also known as Controlled Environment Agriculture. With this approach, humans affect light, temperature, gases and more, thus controlling the environment in which plants grow.

The technology used in vertical farming is just expanding into greenhouses, where light and temperature are man-controlled. The final goal of vertical farming is to produce the most possible crops with the least possible space.

Vertical farming has many advantages. There are some other benefits as well.

With more and more humans living in heavily populated areas, vertical farming allows humans to be prepared for the future with continued population growth and increased movements to cities.

In vertical farming, since the environment in which plants grow is controlled by humans, farming can happen all the year round and is not dependent on seasons and weather. It can possibly use 95% less water than traditional farming. Besides, it is easier to produce organic crops in such a controlled environment, and farm chemicals will not be needed to protect the plants. This means less pollution in the environment.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly show?

A．The struggle to control the population.	B．The responsibility of previous generations.
C．The need to feed an increasing population.	D．The importance of protecting the earth.

2. What makes vertical farming possible?

A．The birth of CEA technology.	B．The change of weather.
C．More favorable air conditions in higher places.	D．New advances in research on high-quality soils.

3. What is special about vertical farming compared to traditional farming?

A．It uses much less water.	B．It relies more on the seasons.
C．It needs more farm chemicals.	D．It needs no light.

4. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．An advertisement.	B．An agricultural magazine.
C．A heath journal.	D．A news report.

5. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Traditional Farming’s Methods and Measures

B．Vertical Farming Is the Future

C．Traditional Farming Comes to an End

D．Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Farming

【推荐1】Some people have a very poor sense of direction.Unluckily，I am one of them.I have visited a place many times but I may still get lost there the next time.

When I was a little girl，I never dared to ask strangers the way.And so I used to walk around in circles and hope that by chance I would get to the place I was going to.

Now，I am no longer too shy to ask people for directions，but I often receive helpless or even wrong information.So I try to avoid giving people wrong directions.If anyone ever asks me the way somewhere，I would say，“Sorry，I am a stranger here.”

Once on my way to work I was stopped by a man.He asked me if I could tell him the way to the Friendship Building.I gave him my usual reply.But just as I walked on only a few steps，I realized that he had asked the way to my office building.However，I had no time to turn back and look for him.I was rushing to meet with someone at my office and I didn't want to keep him waiting.

When I just got to my office，the secretary(秘书) showed in the man who had asked me for directions.Imagine how embarrassed I was and how surprised he was when we saw each other at the first sight!

1. The writer always refuses to give people directions because ________．

A．she's a stranger to the city

B．she doesn't know the people

C．she has no time to help others

D．she's afraid of giving wrong directions

2. A man stopped the writer on the way to ________．

A．sell her something	B．ask her the time
C．make friends with her	D．ask for the direction

3. The Friendship Building is the place where the writer ________．

A．lives	B．studies
C．works	D．teaches

4. The words “embarrassed” in the paragraph means “________” in Chinese.

A．尴尬的	B．困惑的
C．激动的	D．拮据的

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer is too shy to give others directions.

B．The writer has a very poor sense of direction.

C．The writer never got lost when she was young.

D．The man was quite nervous when he saw the writer.

【推荐2】“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and joy to life and to everything,” the ancient Greek philosopher Plato said.

This is one of Don Spencer’s favorite mottos that he firmly believes. “We know that music brings joy and comfort, and makes us feel happy,” Spencer says, “But research has also discovered music plays a powerful role in the mental development of children. Music inspires creativity, imagination and self-expression. It also builds self-respect and is good for memory skills.”

The power of music

Much research supports both Spencer and Plato. A Stanford University study found that musical training improves the way the brain processes the spoken word.

Research from Canada found that children aged four to six years old who had music lessons had better memories, as well as higher ability to read and write and math’s levels.

Not in the curriculum

Research from Australia shows it’s not that smart kids play music; it’s that music makes kids smarter. It supports Spencer’s call for music to be a standard part of the school curriculum, like English and Math.

“Music is everywhere, but not at 75 percent of public schools around Australia who don't have a devoted music teacher,” Spencer says. “It's sad that many children don’t have access to formal musical education, particularly when it has such an effect on a child’s development.”

Ideally, Spencer would like every child to learn an instrument. “Kids can access cheap instruments like a ukulele, recorder or harmonica,” Spencer says. He says the Internet has a lot of free videos which teach you how to play instruments.

“I can't stress enough how important music is,” he says. “It builds relationships, unites people and, most importantly, it is fun.”

1. Plato’s words are mentioned at the beginning of the text to show that ________.

A．music was important in ancient time	B．everything is based on music
C．Spencer admires Plato	D．music has magic power

2. From the research from Australia mentioned in the passage, we can learn ________.

A．music can make children smarter

B．children aged four to six have better memories

C．there are no professional music teachers in Australia

D．music is a standard part of the school curriculum in most schools

3. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．When Music is taught	B．Why Music Matters
C．Why We Learn Instruments	D．How Children Learn Music

【推荐3】The following are some of the most unique celebrations from all around the world.

Songkran—Thailand

If you’re in Thailand between April 13th and 15th, get ready for the world’s biggest water fight. The celebration marks the beginning of the Thai New Year, where cleansing with water is meant to purify and renew. In Bangkok or Chang Mai, the water fights can last up to six days. While this is the most popular activity, Songkran is also a time when people visit elders and monks to pay their respects to the New Year.

La Batalla del Vino—Haro, Spain

June 29th is a good day to visit Haro, Spain. Bring a bottle of red wine and prepare to be drenched (湿透) in red wine in the heart of Spain’s grape-growing region. After a church ceremony, a large number of people get gathered for the battle, where white shirts will be made bright purple by the end of the day.     

Bay to Breakers—San Francisco, California

Created after the terrible 1906 earthquake as a way of lifting people’s spirits, the race has become one of the region’s most important events. Hosted every year on the third Sunday of May, the race runs approximately 12km through the city. The real highlight, however, is the thousands of people dressed up in a show. Wear whatever you want: Batman suits, purple wigs (假发)...

Koninginnedag—The Netherlands

Although their Queen’s birthday is actually during the winter, she celebrates it on April 30—the country’s official “Queen’s Day” since 1949. Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of shining wigs and body paints, as crowds gather in the squares. Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.

1. If a tourist enjoys water sports most, we can recommend _____________.

A．Songkran	B．La Batalla del Vino
C．Bay to Breakers	D．Koninginnedag

2. What can we learn about Bay to Breakers?

A．The race began hundreds of years ago.

B．The most exciting part is the 12km race.

C．It’s celebrated by people all over the country.

D．It was to encourage people after the disaster.

3. According to the passage, on Koninginnedag ___________.

A．people should wear formal clothes

B．people should get together at home

C．people attend the church ceremony

D．people can paint themselves orange