The personal computer has overtaken (赶上)the family dog as man's best friend, according to a study.
Researchers found that just 6 per cent of us believe that" most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC", while 67 percent think the opposite to be true.
Even 38 percent of dog owners admitted to relying more on their PC than on their dog, although 36 percent disagreed. And 71 percent of 18 to 24-year-old dog owners said they relied more on their computer.
Paul Allen, editor of Computer-active magazine said, "These days you can even take your PC lor a walk, if you have a laptop or tablet." "It's only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers."
Researchers questioned 2,000 British adults to find out the change modern technology has brought to their home life. They found that male dog owners are almost twice as likely as female owners to rely on their computer than acaninecompanion.
Mr Allen said, "With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling, the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner. " But it's not all had news for obedient（顺从的）dogs. "The family PC has given dog owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs, " Mr Allen said.
1. Who are most likely to rely on computers?| A．Teenagers | B．People in their early twenties. |
| C．People in their early thirties. | D．People in their early forties. |
| A．The personal computer has replaced the dog as man's best friend. |
| B．The computer and the dog are man's best friends. |
| C．Modem technology has brought changes to people's home life. |
| D．The dog as a pet will disappear completely from people's life. |
| A．The dog can go out for a walk with people. | B．The dog can bring people more pleasure. |
| C．The dog can help people fetch something. | D．The dog is more likely to follow its owner's orders. |
| A．Human. | B．Pet. | C．Family. | D．Dog. |
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【推荐1】GE Money has recently done a study. It shows that women spend over 8 years of their life shopping. According to the study, women spend about 400 hours each year shopping. Almost a quarter of that time is spent doing some shopping for food.
Luckily, Million Looks magazine says that shopping can be a good thing, and they give some interesting facts about women and shopping. The magazine says that women who shop for more than 17 hours a week are thinner and healthier than those who spend less time shopping. The magazine also says that women who shop more often look and feel much younger than those who dislike shopping. Finally, they say that most women who enjoy shopping are more confident and happier.
We cannot be sure if these things are true, but one thing that is really true is that shopping is big business. There are now about 50,000 shopping malls in the United States alone, and each person spends $ 75 each time they visit a mall.
The shopping malls also try their best to encourage people to spend as much as possible, and stay in the mall as long as possible. Escalators are placed in so that people can use them to pass many different stores. You may have also noticed that places to sit are hard to find in malls. This is because people can’t spend money when they are sitting!
1. How long does each woman spend shopping for food in a year?| A．100 hours. | B．200 hours. | C．300 hours. | D．400 hours. |
| A．shopping makes women happier |
| B．shopping makes women healthier |
| C．shopping takes women too much time |
| D．shopping is really good for women |
| A．GE Money |
| B．Million Looks magazine |
| C．women who enjoy shopping |
| D．women who dislike shopping |
| A．Shopping makes women look younger. |
| B．Shopping makes women more confident. |
| C．Shopping is really big business. |
| D．Shopping is really interesting. |
| A．there are too many people in malls |
| B．malls want to save money |
| C．malls want people to walk and buy |
| D．there are not enough places to sit |
【推荐2】When did you last write a letter? Properly write one—by hand? In a digital world, where sending a text or email is far more convenient, is the writing on the wall for traditional pen and paper? Well, some people claim that writing still has many benefits, so maybe it’s not time to ditch your ballpoint or fountain pen yet.
These days, when people request things in writing, a typed, electronic document will be accepted. Doing this on a computer means it could be saved, edited, duplicated and sent via email. But crafting a handwritten document is unique: It requires planning and thought, and, as well as practising your handwriting, it helps you to remember spelling and punctuation.
Some experts believe your brain benefits from using old-fashioned pen and paper. This is particularly relevant for students, where typing notes into a laptop is thought to lack the tactile (触觉的) feedback to the brain that contact between pen and paper does. Hetty Roessingh from the University of Calgary says that “taking notes by hand involves cognitive engagement in summarizing, paraphrasing, organizing, concept and vocabulary mapping.” Others agree that handwriting may boost fine motor skills in your hands and fingers.
There are everyday benefits to using pen and paper too. Scribbling notes, shopping lists or messages on the back of an envelope can still be useful, quick and portable. But putting pen to paper in a letter to a friend or loved one can probably have the most impact. Pen pal writer Katherine Moller told the BBC: “In a world where it is so easy to hop online to email or to send a fast text, it is so personal and so precious to know someone chose to turn off the virtual world to spend some time with you.”
So, while digital skills remain important, don’t write off your pens and pencils yet— especially if your smartphone, tablet or laptop runs out of power!
1. What does the underlined word “ditch” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Pick up. | B．Get rid of. |
| C．Put back. | D．Take advantage of. |
| A．By raising questions. | B．By presenting figures. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．It helps you to practise your handwriting. |
| B．It boosts motor skills in hands and fingers. |
| C．It strengthens the contact between humans. |
| D．It develops your comprehensive cognitive abilities. |
| A．Handwriting helps make friends easily. |
| B．Digital skills remain important nowadays. |
| C．Writing a letter adds a personal touch to communication. |
| D．Online communication has become a must in our daily life. |
【推荐3】Social media allow teenagers to create online identities, communicate with others and build social networks. These networks can provide teenagers with valuable support. Teenagers also use social media for entertainment and self-expression. And the platforms can expose teenagers to current events, allow them to communicate across geographic barriers and teach them about different kinds of subjects, including healthy behaviors. However, social media use can also negatively affect teenagers, distracting them, influencing their sleep, and exposing them to bullying (恐吓), rumor (谣言) spreading, untrue views of other people’s lives and peer pressure.
There are steps you can take to encourage responsible use of social media and limit some of its negative effects.
Set reasonable limits. Talk to your teenager about how to avoid letting social media affect his or her activities, sleep, meals or homework. Encourage a bedtime routine that avoids electronic media use, and keep cellphones and iPads out of teenagers’ bedrooms. Set an example by following these rules yourself.
Monitor your teenager’s accounts. Let your teenager know that you’ll be regularly checking his or her social media accounts. You might aim to do so once a week or more. And make sure you follow through.
Explain what’s not OK. Discourage your teenager from gossiping, spreading rumors, bullying or damaging someone’s reputation—online or otherwise. Talk to your teenager about what is appropriate and safe to share on social media.
Encourage face-to-face contact with friends. This is particularly important for teenagers who are vulnerable to social anxiety disorder.
Talk about social media. Talk about your own social media habits. Ask your teenager how he or she is using social media and how it makes him or her feel. Remind your teenager that social media is full of unrealistic images.
If you think your teenager is experiencing signs or symptoms of anxiety or depression related to social media use, talk to your child’s health care provider immediately.
1. How does the author mainly develop the first paragraph?| A．By providing reasons. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By following the order of importance. | D．By raising questions. |
| A．Powering them off. | B．Putting them in the schoolbag. |
| C．Keeping them out of bedroom. | D．Listening to them instead of watching. |
| A．Warm-hearted. | B．Easily hurt. | C．Deeply moved. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．Teenagers. | B．Officials. | C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
Do you love running? It is a good exercise, yet many people find it boring. But what if making your morning jog a creative one? Like jumping from walls and over gaps, and ground rolls? Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond's wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.
Yes, that's parkour, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Parkour is considered an extreme sport. As its participants（参与者）dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from roof top to roof top.
Parkour can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds, but its participants see parkour much more than that.
Overcoming all the obstacles on the course and in life is part of the philosophy(理念) behind parkour. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, jump over all the barriers as if in parkour and never fall back from them in your life to reach the destination successfully. A parkour lover said, “I love parkour because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything.”
Another philosophy we've learnt from parkour is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself. It is only a state of mind. It is when you trust yourself that you earn energy.
1. Parkour has become popular throughout the world because of ________.
| A．its founder, David Belle |
| B．the varieties of participants |
| C．its risks and tricks |
| D．the film, Casino Royale |
| A．streets | B．buildings |
| C．barriers | D．roofs |
| A．It needs special training. |
| B．It is a good but boring sport. |
| C．It challenges human abilities. |
| D．It is a team sport. |
| A．they should run to extremes |
| B．they may choose to escape |
| C．they can ask for help |
| D．they must learn to survive |
| A．Sports and extremes. |
| B．Excitement and freedom. |
| C．Determination and freedom. |
| D．Dreams and success. |
【推荐2】Israeli and Russian astronaut scientists grew the small piece of beef from cells while going aboard the International Space Station, 400 km above the Earth's surface. Cells from cattle were harvested on our planet and brought to the space station where they were grown into meat using a special 3D printer.
The experiment was run on September 26 within the Russian part of the space station and organized by Aleph Farms, a beef company on Earth.
Researchers said the project was aimed to show how lab-grown meat can be cultivated （培养）in hard conditions with minimal equipment. The technique they developed could be used to provide astronauts with hamburgers in the future.
“We are proving that cultivated meat can be produced anytime, anywhere and in any conditions said Aleph Farms' boss Didier Toubia. “We can provide a powerful solution to produce the food closer to the population's needs, at the exact and right time it is needed.
To grow the meat, scientists copied the natural process of muscle cells' regeneration occurring inside the body of cattle. It required the use of a 3D bioprinter, which sticks live cells together to create something looking like real meat.
Lab-grown meat looks and tastes like the real thing, but it is produced without the need for lots of water, feed or land for animals and without the need to kill them.
“In space, we don't have 10, 000 or 15, 000 liters of water to produce I kg of beef," Mr Toubia said. “This joint experiment marks an important step toward realizing our dream of making food safe for generations to come, while protecting our natural resources.
1. What is the purpose of the project of growing beef in space?| A．To invent a 3D printer. |
| B．To show hard conditions in space. |
| C．To grow more plants in space. |
| D．To cultivate lab-grown meat for astronauts. |
| A．Its taste is better. | B．It is healthier. |
| C．It comes from best animals. | D．It consumes less energy. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Worried. |
| A．How do astronauts eat in space? |
| B．Do plants need less water in space? |
| C．Are space hamburgers becoming real? |
| D．Is beef easier to store in space? |
【推荐3】Each country has its own set of national stereotypes (刻板印象), but perhaps the most famous is Britain’s love of tea.
According to the BBC, they drink over 60 billion cups each year. The most popular tea type in the UK is black tea. It’s a simple recipe: You find a mug, add a tea bag, pour boiling water, add milk and sugar (according to your taste) and finish by stirring.
Usually, the only debate is whether milk should be added before or after the boiling water. But a recent popular video has outraged (使愤怒) Britons after completely changing this long-established method.
American TikTok user, Sophie, posted her version of “British tea”, which involved microwaving cold water, then adding milk, sugar and an instant teabag containing powdered lemonade, cinnamon and clove (丁香) leaves.
Mainstream media called the method “profoundly disturbed”, and a Twitter user even wrote, “I would rather see tea dumped (倾倒) into the Boston harbor than drink this abomination (可恶的东西).”
As you can tell, tea is a precious part of British life, whether you’re having afternoon tea at a fancy hotel or drinking it in a takeaway cup.
“Rosie Lee” – a common slang term for tea – first came to Britain in the mid-1600s from China. Since then, the country’s love for it has not declined.
Types of tea can even indicate someone’s social class, according to anthropologist (人类学家) Kate Fox. In her book, she notes that “teas get progressively weaker as one goes up the social ladder”, like black tea served during afternoon tea. At the opposite end, you have “builder’s teas”, which are standard black teas that are brewed (煮) stronger and include more milk and sugar.
Fox added, “Taking sugar in your tea is a lower-class indicator: More than one and you are lower-middle at best; more than two and you are definitely working class.”
Despite the disputes (争论) on what makes a perfect “cuppa”, Britons can at least agree on the saying, “No matter what is happening in your life, you always offer tea.”
1. What do we know about tea drinking in the UK?| A．They drink over 60 billion cups each month. |
| B．They pour boiling water over the tea bag. |
| C．“Rosie Lee” is Britons’ favorite tea type. |
| D．Its history dates back to the 16th century. |
| A．She criticized the way Britons drink tea. |
| B．She added milk after the boiling water. |
| C．Her way of making tea was against their tradition. |
| D．She used a strange tea bag. |
| A．no | B．one |
| C．two | D．three |
| A．British tea traditions among different social classes. |
| B．The debate on how to make perfect tea. |
| C．The influence of tea drinking on Britons’ lives. |
| D．Tea drinking culture in the UK. |
【推荐1】For decades, doctors have warned patients that too much salt can be bad for the heart. Heat attack has long been considered a grown-up problem, but a new research suggests that salt is starting to affect children. Eating too much salty food when you're young can lead to health problems later.
Salt is made up of two elements: sodium and chlorine. Dietary guidelines recommend that adults and kids aged 9 — 13 shouldn't consume more than about a teaspoon of salt daily. The average American eats twice this amount. This worries doctors because too much sodium results in the body producing more blood. To pump the extra blood, the heart has to work harder. This causes a rise in blood pressure a measurement of how stressed the heart is. High blood pressure often leads to heart disease.
A kid with high blood pressure is more likely to become a grown-up with high blood pressure. Reducing salt might also help stop childhood obesity (肥胖). British researchers recently found that kids who eat less salt also drink fewer sugary soft drinks. Drinking fewer fizzy drinks makes kids less likely to gain weight, become obese and develop high blood pressure.
Salt can affect more than just your heart and weight. A recent study found that a growing number of kids in the US are suffering from kidney stones. This painful condition usually affects people aged over 40. Now, kids as young as five are getting it.
Cutting down on salt can be hard, but you can retrain yourself to prefer less salty food. The best way to reduce the amount of sodium you eat is to make changes gradually. Start by adding half as much salt to your dinner as you normally do. Switch to fresh foods instead of canned and bottled versions. And go easy on the condiments (调味品). You might also want to start reading nutrition labels. You may be surprised to learn that there are 1,150 mg of sodium in a double cheeseburger, and over 2 ,000 mg in many frozen meals.
1. What is the author's major concern?| A．Children eat too much salty food. | B．Many adults suffer from heart attack. |
| C．Americans consume too much salt. | D．Heart attack is now a youth problem. |
| A．Eating more salty food. | B．Lack of physical exercise. |
| C．Drinking many sugary soft drinks. | D．Eating the same food as the adults. |
| A．Obesity. | B．Kidney stone. |
| C．Blood disease. | D．Heart attack. |
| A．The laws of health. | B．How to cut down on salt. |
| C．Healthy diet. | D．The amount of salt we need. |
【推荐2】A new study by researchers at Yale and George Washington University is examining the human threats to the amphibian (两栖动物) family tree and calls for a rethinking of conservation priorities (优先) to preserve species diversity and- evolutionary heritage.
Amphibians represent an important sign of global change, scientists say, due to their particularly high sensitivity to disturbances in their environment. There are more than 7000 amphibian species on Earth, including frogs. “Amphibians are a globally endangered group for which threats from global change are outpacing our ability to safeguard species,” said Walter Jetz, lead author of a paper published online in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Jetz is an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale. Jetz and co-corresponding author R. Alexander Pyron of George Washington constructed the first comprehensive family tree for nearly all amphibious species alive today. The researchers used the data to examine historical diversification patterns of amphibians as well as levels of isolation on the family tree, also called evolutionary distinctness.
Amphibians are the most ancient group of terrestrial vertebrates(陆生脊椎动物) surviving today, with origins reaching back more than 300 million years. The authors found that select members of this group alive today carry more than 100 million years of evolutionary history distinct to only them. The long, separate path of these species may have resulted in the evolution of key functions for varied ecosystems. Thanks to the early origin of the group, such highly distinct species are found in all parts of the world.
With many species still insufficiently (不够地) studied in the wild to appreciate their risk of extinction or potential functions for the ecosystem, the researchers said, knowing their evolutionary distinctness and place on the family tree can provide invaluable insights. A worldwide focus on all species allows us to link threats and evolutionary history across regions in a way that was not possible previously”, Pyron said.
The researchers found that neither the type nor intensity(强度) of human threats to amphibian species was associated with their evolutionary distinctness. This means there is significant potential for conservation action to mitigate the effect human activities have the amphibian tree of life, Jetz said. “Our evaluation provides key baseline information for all amphibians surviving today that may help identification of threats and prioritization of research and conservation,” Jetz added. “We expect this information to be widely helpful for the large community of scientists and conservationists interested in amphibians and to empower national and local conservation efforts.” (The research is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.)
1. What can we learn about amphibians from Paragraph 2?| A．They are threatening the surroundings they live in. |
| B．They are endangered due to their rapid evolution. |
| C．They are transforming their roles in the ecosystem. |
| D．The study of their family tree was neglected. |
| A．Critical | B．Minor | C．Creative | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．recognize | B．add | C．lessen | D．remove |
| A．To explain how amphibians adjust to the environment quickly. |
| B．To inform the public of the significance of protecting amphibians. |
| C．To gain more financial support for the National Science Foundation. |
| D．To share his experience in constructing amphibians’ family tree. |
Forgive the accidental. A sudden fall is humorous not because we like to see people fall, but because it surprises. From a spilled（溢出）water glass in a meeting to Aunt Rae’s teeth coming off in the Thanksgiving turkey, the embarrassment of accidents can be relieved by humor and a helping hand. After making sure that nobody’s hurt, forgive accidents with a chuckle（咯咯地笑）rather than a scolding.
Look for the unexpected. The kid who used to look at you with his eyes closed during a test had the idea. Parents who serve green eggs and ham to their children on graduation day get the idea. Unexpected actions lighten an atmosphere and relax people.
Learn to laugh with your kids. Most of what children say and do is funny. Help them learn that accidents are sometimes funny and sometimes occasions for joining in and helping another human being. By sharing laughs and attempting to explain humor, you develop your sense of humor, as well as help kids develop their own sense of humor.
1. If you’ve ever been told to “lighten up” or “chill out”, it means ______.
| A．you are humorous | B．you are blue |
| C．you lack humor | D．you are funny |
| A．laugh at him | B．chuckle |
| C．scold him | D．feel embarrassed |
| A．boring | B．serious | C．considerate | D．humorous |
| A．How to Develop a Sense of Humor |
| B．Ways to Become a Healthy Individual |
| C．The Function of Humor |
| D．Proper Attitudes Toward Humor |
【推荐1】My husband Wade and I run Southern Koala Rescue and are committed to saving as many koalas as we can. One day, we were called out to rescue a koala that was stuck in a burning tree; but when the flames died down, we decided to return, thinking there could be other koalas that needed our help.
Wade and I were walking through the blackened bushland with our team of volunteers when I spotted a koala on a burnt tree with a swollen and infected wound the size of a 20-cent piece on its neck. Using rings on the end of poles, we coaxed（哄诱）the koala down and put it in a carrier before having it examined. The wound needed a minor operation and, afterwards, the koala, who we named Claire, had to stay indoors to keep flies off the injury. Claire was frightened of me at first, but after four weeks I gained her trust.
Finally, it was time for Claire to get ready to go outside and build up enough muscle movement to be released back into the wild. This was the most satisfying part of my job because not all koalas can be saved. I did miss them when they were gone, but I knew they were not meant to be pets.
After the Black Summer fires destroyed so much of the country from 2019 to 2020, extinction for koalas is a very real possibility. For individuals, one of the easiest ways you can help koalas is leaving a dish of water in your backyard. It can save a life and that counts.
1. Why were the volunteer team called out？| A．To put out a big fire. | B．To save a trapped koala. |
| C．To search for missing animals. | D．To clear the blackened bushland. |
| A．It was afraid of flies. | B．It got hurt by hunters. |
| C．It needed a major operation. | D．It developed trust in humans. |
| A．Sending rescued animals back to nature. | B．Providing a shelter for wild animal. |
| C．Curing the injured animals. | D．Petting many wild animals. |
| A．Humans are responsible for the big fire. | B．Nothing can stop wildlife dying out. |
| C．Small acts can make a big difference. | D．Animals are human’s best friends. |
【推荐2】Space travel is definitely bad for astronauts' bones, reducing their bone density (密度) after only a month of weightlessness, according to French research published on Friday.
Laurence Vico and his fellow workers at St Etienne University called for more research into the effects of microgravity, after their study of 15 astronauts from the Russian MIR station showed bone loss continued throughout space flights.
"Bone loss was especially striking in four astronauts," the scientists reported in the Lancet Medical Journal.
They measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of the bones in the forearm (前臂) and lower leg of the astronauts who had spent one to six months in space.
The BMD loss was significant in the tibia (胫骨) of the lower leg, a weight-bearing bone, but barely changed in the radius (桡骨) of the forearm. "Our results indicate the need to investigate not only different bones, but also different areas of the same bone since not all sites of the skeleton (骨架) are similarly affected by space conditions," they added.
Without gravity the body isn't bearing any weight so there is no need for calcium (钙) which makes bones strong, and it begins to empty into the bloodstream.
The research team suggested in future scientists should try to determine if the loss of bone density was only on weight-bearing bones on longer flights.
1. French scientists did their research on Russian astronauts, because ________.| A．they only cared for the Russian astronauts |
| B．they were not interested in their own astronauts |
| C．the Russian government invited them to do their research |
| D．the Russian astronauts worked in space for a long time |
| A．the BMD loss may cause serious illness for astronauts |
| B．the BMD loss may cause some change in astronauts' bodies |
| C．astronauts shouldn't care about the BMD loss |
| D．astronauts should take some calcium before space travel |
| A．The food they ate in space. |
| B．The drinks they took in space. |
| C．The temperature in space. |
| D．Gravity in space. |
| A．unusual | B．simple | C．weak | D．slow |
【推荐3】Ya Ting had taken me under her wing after hearing me speaking Chinese in a hotel in Lijiang. She had been hitchhiking(搭便车旅行) around China for months. She invited me to travel with her, which was how we ended up on the side of the road looking for a ride to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Within 20 minutes, we had our first ride. The driver couldn’t take us all the way and ended up dropping us at a freeway crossroads. As a new hitchhiker, I thought that would be the end of our luck, but almost immediately we got another ride.
Our most forgettable ride was when a twenty-something kid picked us up. He couldn’t take us the whole way so his uncle bought us lunch and a bus ticket for the rest of the journey. He felt it was his duty to help us find a way to complete our trip. It brought tears of joy and thankfulness to my eyes. This was the first time I understood how guests are respected in China.
A few weeks later, we said goodbye. I thought we had been so lucky because we had been a local(本地人) and a foreigner travelling together. But now Ya Ting was no longer around to do the talking, nor did I have someone to depend on if something went wrong. When I stood by a highway in Sichuan, I knew all about the difficulties before me. Now I was just a strange foreigner on her own who suddenly had to manage to talk with Chinese.
After about 30 minutes, a couple picked me up and took me the whole eight hours to Chengdu. We ate lunch on the way, and they refused to allow me to pay for any of it, which I had come to learn was typical(特有的) of Chinese culture. This made me believe the hospitality(好客)in Chinese culture that we don’t often see in the west.
1. What do the author and Ya Ting have in common?| A．They both live in Lijiang. | B．They both are hitchhikers. |
| C．They both are foreigners. | D．They both speak Chinese well. |
| A．It was rather tiring. | B．It was full of danger. |
| C．It was very smooth. | D．It was heart-breaking. |
| A．They dropped her halfway. | B．They lent her some money. |
| C．They taught her about Chinese culture. | D．They offered her a free lunch. |
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．not mentioned |
