【推荐1】Cheese and red wine are basic diets over the festive period, and if you love red wine and cheese, a new study will come as music to your ears. Researchers from Iowa State University have found that drinking red wine and eating cheese can help to reduce cognitive (认知的) decline.

In the study, the researchers analyzed data from 1,787 adults aged 46 to 77, and asked them to complete questionnaires about their food and alcohol consumption (摄取). The results showed that cheese was the most protective food against age-related cognitive problems, even into late life. Daily consumption of red wine was also shown to improve cognitive function, while weekly consumption of lamb was shown to improve long-term cognitive skills. However, over-consumption of salt was found to increase the risk of cognitive decline.

Dr. Auriel Willette, who led the study, said: “I was pleasantly surprised that our results suggest that appropriately (合适地) eating cheese and drinking red wine daily are not just good for helping us cope with some diseases, but perhaps also dealing with an increasingly complex world. Although we considered whether this was just due to what rich people eat and drink, clinical trials (临床试验) at random are needed to determine if making easy changes in our diet could help our brains in great ways.”

While the reason for the link remains unclear, the researchers believe that cheese and red wine may protect some people from the effects of Alzheimer’s (阿尔兹海默症).

Brandon Klinedinst, an author of the study, added: “Depending on the genetic factors you carry, some individuals seem to be more protected from the effects of Alzheimer’s, while others seem to beat greater risk. Perhaps the silver bullet we’re looking for is improving how we eat. Knowing what that involves contributes to a better understanding of Alzheimer’s and putting this disease in an opposite path.”

1. Which of the following increases the risk of cognitive problems?

A．Taking in too much salt.	B．Eating cheese properly.
C．Drinking red wine daily.	D．Consuming lamb weekly.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Changes in our diet help our brains in significant ways.

B．The diets of wealthy people were not taken into account.

C．The study results need to be proved by more clinical trials.

D．Some diseases make our world increasingly complex.

3. What does the underlined phrase “silver bullet” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Genetic factor.	B．Easy solution.
C．Special metal.	D．Certain food.

4. What is the study mainly about?

A．Basic diets over the festive period.

B．Possible reasons for cognitive decline.

C．Feelings of pleasant music to people’s ears.

D．Effects of certain diets on cognitive decline.

【推荐3】We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively. We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning.

We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else. Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom is passive, and so is the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines. Conditioned (习惯) as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers.

Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem. It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than hearsay (传闻) and rumor (谣言).

Did you ever play the game Rumor? It begins when one person writes down a message but doesn’t show it to anyone. Then the person whispers it, word for word, to another person. That person, in turn, whispers it to still another, and so on, through all the people playing the game. The last person writes down the message word for word as he or she hears it. Then the two written statements are compared. Typically, the original message has changed.

That’s what happens in daily life. The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story. Then, too, most people listen imperfectly. And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it, stamping (打上标记) it with their own personal style. Yet those who hear it think they know.

This process is also found among scholars and authors: A statement of opinion by one writer may be restated as a fact by another, who may in turn be quoted by yet another; and this process may continue, unless it occurs to someone to question the facts on which the original writer based his opinion or to challenge the interpretation he placed upon those facts.

1. What is the meaning of the words in Para.1 “experience”?

A．经历

B．环境

C．专家

D．苦难

2. According to the passage, ________ belongs to passive learning.

A．doing a medical experiment	B．solving a math problem
C．visiting an exhibition	D．doing scientific reasoning

3. The author mentions the game rumor to show that ________.

A．a message may be changed when being passed on

B．a message should be delivered in different ways

C．people may have problems with their sense of hearing

D．people tend not to believe in what they know as rumor

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Active learning is less important	B．Passive learning may not be reliable
C．Active learning occurs more frequently	D．Passive learning is not found among scholars

5. Through the passage, the author intends mainly to ________.

A．introduce the advantages of passive learning	B．persuade us to adopt active learning
C．explain why passive learning can be bad	D．compare active learning and passive learning

【推荐3】A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.

Using the same technology as a dehumidifier (除湿器), the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source — the air.

The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage.

The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter (过滤器) and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets. It can produce up to 12 liters a day. The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.

Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”

The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20p to produce.

Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.

The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.

1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Water Mill.	B．Invention.
C．Microwave.	D．Drinking water.

2. What do we learn about the machine?

A．It absorbs steam and turns it into water.

B．It is very expensive for families to afford.

C．It works in the same way as microwaves.

D．It helps to make the water clean to drink.

3. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem	B．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water
C．A Machine to Make Water out of Air	D．An Absolutely New Invention

【推荐3】There is good reason to believe that emerging digital technologies can improve the functioning of agriculture markets at a very low cost per farmer.

Mobile phones, particularly GPS-enabled smartphones, make the provision of tailored information much easier than before. Recommendations for agrochemical inputs that address specific soil conditions can improve yields while reducing environmentally harmful and wasteful use. Farmers can tailor their investment decisions to expected weather patterns and benefit from improvements in weather forecasting. As smartphone use continues to expand, farmers will increasingly have the means to watch videos demonstrating new agricultural techniques or take pictures of pests affecting their crops and either request automatic identification and recommendations or raise questions with agronomists. Finally, digital agricultural services can improve the functioning of agricultural supply chains. For example, these services could make it easier for farmers to check and compare input or output prices ; and facilitate coordination among farmers in an area and with traders.

However, despite the potential of digital agriculture, reasons for skepticism remain. Overcoming informational restrictions may not result in substantially increased agricultural productivity, given the existence of other barriers such as input shortages at local markets, and missing insurance markets. Informational barriers are also important, and mobile phone messages may not overcome them: some farmers ignore messages, especially from unknown sources. Some farmers are illiterate and have difficulty using voice menus. Senders may design obscure and confusing messages or may provide messages designed to target objectives at odds with farmer interests. Effective communication may require pictures or video. Smartphones are thus required to receive these messages, but few farmers currently have access to this technology in the poorest countries. Finally, farmers may begin to ignore reminders they are repeated too often, or they may be annoyed by unwanted messages,   which could lead to reduced trust in the messaging system.

1. According to Para 2, what can farmers do in digital agriculture?

A．They can use agrochemical to handle environmental problems.

B．They can adjust investment decisions based on weather forecasts.

C．They can identify pests on their crops by watching videos.

D．They can compete with others in prices in an efficient way.

2. What does the underlined phrase“at odds with”in the last paragraph mean?

A．In disagreement with.	B．By means of.
C．In line with.	D．Apart from.

3. Which of the following is NOT considered as an informational barrier?

A．Shortages of input in local markets and lack of insurance markets.

B．No access to digital technology in poorest countries.

C．Failure to read or use the voice menu on mobile phones.

D．Loss of interest and ignorance of the intended messages.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards digital agriculture?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Objective.

D．Negative.

【推荐1】The sun appears to experience far fewer changes in brightness and intensity than other stars like it. Researchers reported last week on their examination of 369 stars. They compared each one to the sun in terms of surface temperature, size and rotation. They found that on average, the other stars had five times more brightness variability than our sun.

The lead author was Timo Reinhold, an astronomer with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany. He told the Reuters news agency that the variability in brightness results from dark spots on the surface of the star moving in and out of view.

“A direct measure of solar activity is the number of sunspots on the surface,” Reinhold said. “Finding such stars with very similar parameters as our sun but being five times more variable was surprising.”

The sun —made up mainly of hydrogen and helium—is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. It stretches about 1.4 million kilometers across and has a surface temperature of 5,500 degrees Celsius.

The researchers compared scientific data on the similar stars to historical records of the sun’s activity. The records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots. The researchers also studied about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice buildup tied to solar activity. These records show the sun has not been much more active than it is now.

The researchers said increased magnetic activity related to sunspots can lead to electromagnetic events that effect Earth. For example, large releases of plasma—a collection of charged particles—from outer areas of the sun’s atmosphere could cause problems for satellites and other communications equipment.

The discovery may be good news for life on Earth A much more active sun might have had more major effects on Earth’s geology and ancient climate. “A ‘too active’ star would definitively change the conditions for life on the planet, so living with a quite boring star is not the worst option,” Reinhold said.

The findings, he noted, do not rule out the possibility that the sun may be in a quiet period and could become more variable in the future. However, the researchers say there are no signs that solar activity will be increasing any time soon.

1. According to Timo Reinhold, what causes the variability in brightness of the sun?

A．Hydrogen and helium in the sun.

B．The surface temperature of the sun.

C．The diameter (直径) of the sun.

D．Dark spots on its outer part.

2. Which of the following helped researchers prove the sun’s inactivity?

A．Scientific data of all the other stars.

B．Data of sunspots observed in the past 400 years.

C．9,000 years of data of the activities of the sun.

D．Data of chemical element variants in icy trees.

3. What will probably happen if the sun becomes very active?

A．There will be a decreased magnetic activity.

B．The geology and climate of the Earth will be different.

C．Satellites and other communications equipment will work better.

D．People on the Earth have to live with the quite boring star.

4. What is the best title of this article?

A．The sun: less active than similar stars

B．The sun: less bright and intense than before

C．Sun spots: a direct measure of solar activity

D．Sun spots: the cause of electromagnetic events on Earth

【推荐2】Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone makers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters.

If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. According to Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, brain cancer is a concern. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20—29 age group and a drop for the older population.

“Most cancers have many causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.

Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out: Radiation that penetrates（穿透）only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls（头骨）are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive（易吸收的）fluid.

Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.

Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the belly（腹部）.

1. Why is the warning in the small print?

A．They think people will not mind it.	B．The warning is not important at all.
C．They don’t want the users to notice it.	D．There is too little space for the warning.

2. What does the underlined word “vulnerable” in the 4th paragraph probably mean?

A．elegant	B．sensitive
C．dynamic	D．relevant

3. Why do children easily be affected by radiation?

A．Because they don’t know about such dangerous radiation.

B．Because they enjoy using cell phones more often than adults.

C．Because they are not strong enough to fight against radiation.

D．Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt.

【推荐3】Once I told someone I wanted to get a master’s degree of fine arts in creative writing and they told me it was the second-to-worst post-graduation plan they’d ever heard from a student.Arts degrees — especially fine arts degrees, which usually come in the form of music, studio art, creative writing and theater — have been, over the years, labeled (称为) useless.

It’s true that for the most part, STEM degrees give rise to higher paying jobs than liberal and fine arts degrees, and it’s understandable why young people care about a higher starting salary and financial security.Student loan debt is playing a role in the physical and mental stress of young people.

And while STEM majors usually have starting salaries that are $20,000 higher than those of liberal arts majors, by the time people reach the age of 40, the salaries between those who majored in the liberal arts and those who majored in STEM are virtually the same.For example, women who major in STEM earned nearly 50% more than social science and history majors at ages 23-25, but only 10% more by ages 38-40, a New York Times analysis reported.So even in terms of salary, which doesn’t solely determine whether or not a degree is useful, liberal arts degrees aren’t all that far behind STEM.

It seems too that since people nowadays are going to have to work longer, it’s more important than ever that we actually like and care about what we’re doing.Pursuing (追求) something enjoyable, or else a passion, is continuously found to be a key factor in maintaining healthy relationships, mental health, physical health and energy.In other words, not useless.

And just because someone’s primary job isn’t in their field of study — a writer who teaches high school for example— doesn’t make the degree useless.It just means that their way of finding a stable income is different.The same goes for artists who have to work multiple jobs to support themselves.They might have to find other means of supporting themselves and their artistry.It might be copy editing or it might be tutoring.

So I am going to graduate school, and I am going to graduate school for writing.I might be paying rent by way of overnight restaurant shifts — there’s so much I’m not sure of.But one thing I am sure of is this — I would rather be a writer working two jobs to pay my bills than be no writer at all.

1. A New York Times analysis report is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to ______.

A．analyse the value of different majors	B．prove the argument against arts wrong
C．raise the opinion on majors by example	D．present the link between majors and incomes

2. Why does the author think learning arts is useful?

A．Following art dreams keeps one in good condition.

B．Doing what one loves builds up one’s confidence.

C．Arts improves one’s understanding of different jobs.

D．A love for arts helps one maintain passion for work.

3. The author thinks that doing multiple jobs is _______.

A．unavoidable

B．common

C．acceptable

D．traditional

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Arts students concern more about the value of life.

B．The man not loving his work won’t stick with a job.

C．Income often comes first when people choose majors.

D．Graduates in arts can find possible development.