【推荐2】According to body language expert Robert Phipps, the way people sleep at night actually determines a lot about the type of personality they have. Phipps has identified four sleeping positions that affect personality.

Phipps found that worriers, those who stress the most, tend to sleep in the fetal(胎儿的)position. He found that this is the most common bedtime position, with nearly 58 percent of people sleeping on their side with knees up and head down. The more we curl up(蜷曲), the more comfort we are seeking, according to Phipps.

The second most common position is the log. Sleeping with a straight body, with arms at each side, as if they are standing guard at Buckingham Palace, indicates stubbornness, and these people(the 28 percent who sleep this way)often wake up stiffer than when they went to sleep.

“The longer you sleep like this, the more rigid your thinking is and you can become inflexible, which means you make things harder for yourself,” according to Phipps.

Yearner(向往型)sleepers are next on the list. About 25 percent of people sleep in this style—on their side with arms stretched out in front, looking as if they are either chasing a dream or perhaps being chased themselves.Yearners are typically their own worst critics, always expecting the best results, explained Phipps. These people often wake up refreshed and eager to face the challenges of the day ahead.

Perhaps the most peculiar(奇怪的)of sleep styles is the freefaller position. This sleep style makes up 17 percent of the population. They sleep face down with arms stretched out. These people, according to Phipps, feel like they have little control over their life. Not only is this the strangest of sleep styles, but also the least comfortable, and people may wake up feeling tired and have no energy.

In conclusion, Phipps has only one more thing to add: “A good night's sleep sets you up for the following day and our sleeping positions can determine how we feel when we wake.”

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．A good night's sleep sets you up for the following day.

B．Your personality depends a lot on how you sleep at night.

C．How you sleep at night affects what you do the next day.

D．Which sleeping position helps you sleep comfortably.

2. Which of the following pictures is the fetal position?

A．	B．
C．	D．

3. The underlined word “rigid” is closest in meaning to “________”．

A．stubborn

B．flexible

C．comfortable

D．strange

4. Which sleeping position indicates that the sleeper tends to seek perfection?

A．The fetal position.	B．The log position.
C．The freefaller position.	D．The yearner position.

【推荐3】Career criminals begin their antisocial behavior during their toddler (学步的儿童) years and may go on with a life of crime if their behavior isn’t challenged, scientists have discovered. While most children grow out of their bad behavior by adulthood, a study found those who had “callous unemotional (冷漠无情的) characteristics” could grow up to have problems with the law later in life. Behavior characteristics such as a lack of sympathy and lying in childhood could have an impact years on.

Luke Hyde, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, said, “These are signs for parents and doctors to watch out for, as they may signal more than just the terrible twos.” He said, “Parents both take care of their child and provide their child’s genes so it’s been difficult to know if we’re seeing that parenting causes callous unemotional behaviors, or if it is just a sign of the genes being passed to the child.”

The research also discovered that strict parenting is linked to the development of antisocial behavior. Scientists looked at 561 families in an adoption study that examined biological mothers’ antisocial behavior. The scientists found children of antisocial mothers were also more likely to exhibit the same behavior characteristics, despite having limited or no touch with them as they were adopted as babies.

“The really exciting take-home message from this study is that small, day-to-day positive interactions (互动) that parents have with their young children can make a huge difference in children’s development,’’ said Leslie Leve, a professor at the University of Oregon who co-led the data collection.

“Even when children have inherited (遗传) a very challenging set of behaviors, hearing ‘good job’ or receiving encouragement can help protect them from developing serious problems coming from their inherited difficulties,” he added. The study, worked on by scientists from the University of Michigan, Penn State University and the University of Oregon has been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers will follow the group of children through early adolescence to determine if these behaviors still continue to exist from the toddler years.

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

A．Kids’ social behaviors are related to crime.

B．Criminals begin their crimes during adolescence.

C．Antisocial behaviors of kids could be on their way to a life of crime.

D．Warmhearted kids are more likely to be criminals in the future.

2. What conclusion might the scientists draw from the study?

A．Antisocial behaviors might be inherited.

B．The genes decide kids’ antisocial behaviors.

C．Antisocial behaviors have nothing to do with crimes.

D．Adopted babies surely have antisocial behaviors when they grow up.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Parenting is the main reason that causes kids’ antisocial behaviors.

B．What causes career criminals to begin their crimes is their parents’ characteristics.

C．Leslie Leve has a doubtful attitude to adoptive mothers’ active interactions with kids.

D．Inherited antisocial behaviors of kids can be lightened by positive parenting.

4. Why will researchers track kids’ process of growing?

A．To make sure if kids’ behaviors will last.

B．To make sure if praise will change kids.

C．To determine if kids’ behaviors will be inherited.

D．To determine if parents’ comfort will protect kids.

【推荐1】Lawns（草坪）are some of the most common things in the world until you really start thinking about them. That’s when you realize that they make no sense. Why do people keep these uninteresting, pointless little plants outside their homes? They’re not beautiful like flowers, they don’t provide food and you have to take care of them constantly.

Israeli bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari thought these deeds were weird too. He looked into their history and ended up with an interesting story.

No one considered putting patches of grass outside their homes in ancient times. That changed in the Middle Ages, when French and English kings and nobles started putting patches of grass at their castle entrances.

“Well-kept lawns demand land and a lot of work,” wrote Harari in his book. “In exchange, they produce nothing of value.” Peasants could never afford to waste their time or land on lawns, so these lawns were a perfect status symbol（身份的象征）for nobility（高贵）.

When the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th and 19th centuries, the middle classes started being able to afford their own suburban（郊区的）houses. And guess what became the suburban status symbol? A perfectly kept lawn.

The popularity of lawns continued to grow, taking over public event spaces and sports. In the past, people played sports on all kinds of surfaces—dirt, ice, sand. But in the last couple centuries, they made the switch to green grass.

“Grass is nowadays the most widespread crop in the USA after corn and wheat,” Harari continued. Lawns spread beyond Europe and the U.S, and they’re now status symbols around the world.

Suburban people may not realize it, but they care for lawns just because centuries ago, French and English kings wanted to show off by intentionally planting something useless. It’s strange that people should continue to spend so much time and money on what’s really a leftover（遗留物）from the Middle Ages. When you plan your house, you can shake off（摆脱）the cultural leftover and imagine for yourself a rock garden or some other new creation.

1. What does the underlined word “weird” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．strange	B．ordinary
C．beneficial	D．attractive

2. What could lawns indicate in the 19th century?

A．Environmental awareness.	B．People’s taste.
C．Cultural background.	D．Personal wealth.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards keeping lawns?

A．Uncaring.	B．Disapproving.
C．Favorable.	D．unclear.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．The Function of Lawns	B．The Value of Lawns
C．The History of Lawns	D．The Management of Lawns

【推荐2】Chinese people love food made of flour, whether it be dumplings, or flatbread. In the hands of sill artisans (手艺人), flour is made into lovely models of people or animals to be enjoyed and played with, which brings a unique kind of pleasure. This art form is called dough figurine (面塑). Among the various at styles of dough figurines, Beijing’s Dough Figurine Lang is a unique folk art, which is filled with the rich history and customs of the capital city. Their delicate and lovely handicrafts are storytellers of old and new Beijing. In 2008, it was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.

It was created by Lang Shao’an. Most of the dough figurines are animals and characters from legends, historical stories, and local operas. The finished product is either put at the end of a thin stick, or on a table for display. Some are mostly for children to eat or play with, with simple forms and vivid decorations, while some are delicate pieces of artwork for display only. For this reason, during the making process they are often mixed with additives (添加剂) to prevent them from breaking up, being eaten by insects or growing moldy. Over the course of his long career, Lang Shao’an developed a set of sill fingers with an elegant artistic sense.

Lang Jiaziyu, born in 1995, is the third-generation inheritor of Dough Figurine Lang. When he was 15, he created Beijing Olympic Mascot shaped dough figurines which were highly praised. He looks a bit more fashionable than other folk artisans. In his skilled hands, pop culture icons such as figures based on Marvel comics characters and Chinese mythological figure Nezha with smoky makeup, are resonating with young people.

Like most of the other intangible cultural heritage handicrafts in China, Dough Figurine Lang does not get as much attention from the public. Few young people are willing to take the time to master a skill that does not make money, which has led to a decline in the number of those who are devoted to the handicraft. Good handicrafts need the devotion of artisans from one generation to another.

1. What is special about Dough Figurine Lang?

A．It reflects Beijing’s culture.

B．It is created by many famous artists.

C．It shows people’s lifestyles and beliefs.

D．It is popular with both tourists and the locals.

2. Why do artisans add additives to dough figurines?

A．To make dough figurines taste good.

B．To keep colors brighter and last longer.

C．To help shape dough into various forms.

D．To better preserve the finished products.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Suggestions for other folk artisans.

B．Different art styles of dough figurines.

C．Lang Jiaziyu’s achievements as an artisan.

D．The popularity of modern dough figurines.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To call on people to master a skill.

B．To appeal to people to value this folk art.

C．To teach people ways to appreciate the handicraft.

D．To persuade people to protect national cultural heritage.

【推荐1】When Adora Svitak was twelve years old, she spoke on the TED stage, saying she hates the word "childish" if it's being used to describe irrational （不合理的）demands or irresponsible behavior. She said she has seen enough of that in the adult world, so she knows irrational demands and irresponsible behavior aren't limited to children. In fact, she made the point that adults could learn a thing or two if they'd only open their mind to the possibility that kids have a lot to offer the world.

Even as a kid, Svitak often spoke to educators, making the point that there should be more of a reciprocal （互惠的）relationship between teachers and students. "It shouldn't just be teachers at the head of the classroom telling them to do this or that. The students should teach their teachers," she said.

But she wasn't naive（幼稚的）, and she knew that isn't how many classrooms and schools operate in that way. Her theory is that it's all about trust. Adults always seem to have a restrictive （约束的）attitude towards kids. "Kids have no or very little say in making the rules," Svitak joked.

As a young child, Svitak loved to write. When her mom gave her a computer she wrote over 300 short stories on it. She wanted to get them published, and she was lucky because her parents were on her side. Even though she was turned down by many publishers, eventually she did have a book of short stories published. She was only seven years old then.

After that first success, Svitak has gone on to do more impressive things, something she wishes more kids had the support to do. She says it's important for kids to be heard and contribute when they're young, so they grow up to become a better kind of adult. "The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adults, but rather better adults than you guys have been. Progress happens because new generations and new eras grow and develop, and they become better than the previous ones. It's the reason we aren't in the Dark Ages anymore," she said.

1. What does Svitak think of using "childish" to describe irrational demands?

A．It is unfair for children.	B．It can lead to positive effects.
C．It takes no account of adults' needs.	D．It can result in irresponsible behavior.

2. What is a good reciprocal relationship between teachers and students according to Svitak?

A．Students get along with teachers.	B．Students teach instead of learning.
C．Teachers keep telling students what to do.	D．Teachers and students learn from each other.

3. How did Svitak's parents react to her dream?

A．They supported her.	B．They had doubt about it.
C．They were greatly shocked.	D．They hardly took it seriously.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Children need to stick to their dreams.

B．Parents should satisfy their children's needs.

C．Children are advised to imitate their parents.

D．Parents should support and expect more from children.

【推荐2】Parties and social gatherings no longer excite us the same way they once did. This is not due to a lack of desire to socialize, but the smartphone.

At parties, people focus more on their smartphones than on their drinks. According to a recent study from International Data Corporation，over half of all Americans have a smartphone and reach it the moment they wake up, keeping it in hand all day. In addition, too many people are using smartphones while driving and as a result, they get into car crashes. 34 percent of teens admit to text while driving，and they confirm that texting messages are the major interruption while driving. People’s attachment (依恋) to their smartphones is unbelievably becoming more important than the lives of themselves and others.

Just as drivers dismiss the importance of focusing while on the road, many people also fail to recognize the significance of human interaction. When with their friends, some people pointlessly (无谓地) check or send messages in the presence of their friends., which means that their friends are less important. In addition, relying on our smartphones to make friends does not give us the same advantages as making new friends in the real world. Face-to-face conversations will give us the chance to improve our communication skills in the long run.

As many people risk their lives and the lives of people around them just to send a text or mindlessly check their messages, smartphones are in many ways more dangerous to people. The technology shows the achievement weaken the value of communication. Not only is the smartphone affecting our desire to interact face to face, but it is also lowering people’s ability to communicate.

1. The purpose of this text is to _______________.

A．express a concern about the overuse of the smartphone.

B．appeal to us to pay attention to communication skills.

C．call for an end to the use of the smartphone while driving.

D．advise us to be cautious about the addiction to the smartphone.

2. The second paragraph is developed by _______________.

A．analyzing the effects.	B．listing figures.
C．giving examples.	D．comparing facts.

3. The author advocates making new friends _______________.

A．under a free circumstance.	B．in different ways.
C．in a face-to-face way.	D．by using smartphones.

4. Too much dependence on the smartphone leads to the fact that _______________.

A．people are more and more narrow-minded.

B．parties and gatherings limit people’s social circle.

C．face-to-face communication becomes less important.

D．people’s communication skills are weakened.

【推荐3】Research published in the journal High Temperature found that an hour-long soak in hot water produced similar blood sugar responses to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity.

Sound too good to be true? While the research on these effects is still initial (初步)，there is a plausible explanation for this.

"It seems that activities that increase heat shock proteins (热体克蛋) may help to improve blood sugar control and offer an alternative to exercise," the lead study author Steve Faulkner wrote. “These activities—such as soaking in a hot tub or taking a sauna (桑拿) — may have health benefits to people who are unable to exercise regularly. to an hour- long session of cycling or an hour-long session in a 40℃bath.

The scientists discovered that both groups were better able to control their blood sugar levels in the 24 hours following their soak were approximately 10 percent lower than those of the participants who exercised.

Researchers say this implies that “passive heating" (a means of rising your body temperature) could assist in lowering blood sugar levels. Passive heating can affect proteins in the body called heat shock proteins, which helps regulate blood sugar. People with diabetes (糖尿病) tend to have lower levels of heat shock proteins. Passive heating can raise these levels.

It's critical to point out a few limitations of the study. For starters, the experiment only monitored men, so it's difficult to say if the same effect would happen in women. It also only included 14 volunteers, which was an extremely small sample size. More research needs to be conducted before scientists can come to any official conclusion. And, of course, you should still continue exercising regularly.

That being said, the study does offer some more promising insights (见解) into the healing effects of hot water.

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

A．Strange.	B．Ridiculous.
C．Reasonable.	D．Confusing.

2. What can we know about the research by the U. K.'s team?

A．Cycling made no difference to blood sugar levels.

B．People with diabetes usually have higher levels of heat shock proteins.

C．14 lean and 14 overweight men were involved in the research.

D．A 24-hour tracking and monitoring was carried out after the one-hour activities.

3. How should scientists improve this study?

A．By extending the study period.

B．By changing the research method.

C．By including women in the research.

D．By adding more scientists involved in the investigation.

4. Which of the following best expresses the author's main point of view?

A．When you run a fever you get passive heating.

B．Passive heating can raise levels of heat shock proteins.

C．The research is of significance in spite of some imperfection.

D．You need either a hot bath or regular exercise to keep healthy.

【推荐1】As cars have gotten fancier, tiny computers, called microprocessors — commonly known as chips(芯片) — have been added to control many different parts of a car. Modern cars may have as many as 150 microprocessors.

Last year, many car makers had to close their factories because of COVID-19. Since they weren’t making cars, they canceled many of their orders with chip makers, which forced the companies that make microprocessors to stop making so many chips for cars. They began selling lots of chips to other kinds of companies. For example, during the lockdown many people bought computers and video game systems to help pass the time while they were stuck at home. This meant that companies which made computers and video game systems needed a lot of chips for their products. So now demand for new vehicles has returned, but there aren’t enough microprocessors.

One company that studies the car business says that the chip shortage has already caused car makers to produce 500,000 fewer cars. The company expects that number to drop by 300,000 more cars this year. Ford stopped making cars at its Kentucky factory in December, and has slowed up work at a factory in Germany. General Motors has decided to make fewer cars at its factories in Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and the United States. Honda and Nissan have stopped making cars at some of their factories. However, the problem has not affected the entire auto industry equally. Toyota says it diversified its supply chain and stored a huge number of components after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. And Hyundai didn’t cancel any of its chip orders in 2020 due to COVID-19, so it is almost not affected. But the hit to the industry has been reported at $61 billion.

Another reason for the shortage is that there just aren’t many companies that make chips. Most of the large chip-making companies are in China.

Most experts think the bottleneck is expected to last for months.

1. Why does the author mention computers and video game systems in Paragraph 2?

A．To explain why car makers lack chips.

B．To show they can help people kill time.

C．To warn they’ll do harm to car making.

D．To prove how important chips are to cars.

2. What can be inferred about Toyota?

A．It produced new types of cars.	B．It cancelled many chip orders.
C．It prepared for supply chain failures.	D．It united Hyundai for chip shortage.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the present chip supply?

A．Anxious.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

4. What is the suitable title for the text?

A．Automakers Promote Chip Production	B．Chip Shortage Becomes Common
C．Chip Development Is on the Way	D．Chip Shortage Hurts Car Makers

【推荐2】There was once a jar(广口瓶) of fresh, clean water. Every drop of water in the jar felt immensely proud of being so clean and pure. Day after day they would congratulate each other on how clean and beautiful they were. That was until one day when one of the drops got bored with his clean existence. He wanted to try what it was like being a dirty drop.

The other drops tried to talk to him out of it, but he stuck to his guns. Hardly realizing, when the drop came back all dirty, he turned all the other drops in the jar into dirty drops, too.

They tried to get clean again, but they couldn’t. They tried everything to shake off the dirtiness. Finally, much later, someone dipped the jar in a fountain, and only when a lot of clean water entered the jar did the drops regain their old transparency and purity. Now they all know that if they all want to be nice clean drops, then each and every one of them has to stay clean, even if they find it difficult. That drop that succeeded in being dirty has realized that correcting the mistake of one single drop needs a lot of work for everyone else.

The same happens to us and our friends. If we want to live in a jar of clean water, each of us will have to be a clean drop. How about you? What are you? A clean drop?

1. One of the drops made a change because he .

A．was less beautiful than other drops	B．got tired of his state of existing
C．was too proud a drop	D．wanted to dirty others

2. We can infer from Para. 2 that the drop was .

A．brave

B．confident

C．stubborn

D．dangerous

3. Realizing the trouble he caused, the drop that succeeded in being dirty must have felt very

A．important

B．pleased

C．proud

D．sorry

4. What's the writer's purpose of writing this article?

A．To advise readers to be “a clean drop”.	B．To blame the drop for his foolish mistake.
C．To tell readers the way to be “a clean drop”.	D．To tell readers how to work together effectively.

【推荐3】A few years ago, my sister-in-law started to feel concerned about her teenage daughter. What was she doing after school? Where was she spending her time? My niece was an excellent student, and took part in all kinds of after-class activities. Even so, her mom decided to put a tracking app (跟踪应用程序) on the kid's phone.

At first, this made my sister-in-law ''feel better''. Then the good situation suddenly ended. She recalled, ''I found out that she was someplace that she said she wasn't. I went out in the middle of the night and found her walking without shoes in the middle of the street with some friends. '' Things went quickly downhill for the mother and the daughter after that.

With 73% of teens having their own smartphones now, according to a 2015 Pew study, more and more of their parents are facing the question: To watch or not?

Ana Homayoun, founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, has advised many parents and their kids about this. ''I've found teens are more acceptable to tracking apps when it is included as part of a family agreement to improve safety than when it is placed as a secret tool to watch them, '' she said.

Mark Bell, a father of a teenage girl, said, ''We don't have tracking apps, but we have set some ground rules that my daughter must follow in exchange for us providing a smart phone, ''he said. For example, his daughter must ''friend'' him on social media so that he can read posts, and must share all passwords.

When you're trying to build trust, you need to create an environment that encourages it. So, to win their trust, you always need to be straight with your children. ''Parents must let children know how and when they'll be watching them, '' said Doctor Pauleh Weigle. If they're not open about it, he warns, it can ''greatly damage the parent and child relationship''.

1. What’s result of the author's sister-in-law using the app?

A．She felt good with knowing her daughter's after school activities.

B．She wasn't worried about her daughter any more.

C．She had more communication with her daughter.

D．She had more conflicts with her daughter.

2. What can we learn about today's teens from Homayoun?

A．They doubt family agreements.

B．They are worried about online safety.

C．They dislike being watched secretly with tracking apps.

D．They welcome the use of tracking apps.

3. Why are Mark Bell and his daughter mentioned in Paragraph 5?

A．To show how to use smart phone safely.

B．To give an example of being straight with children.

C．To teach how to put tracking app on phones.

D．To tell the importance of being children's friend.

4. What should be done before using a tracking app according to Weigle?

A．Teach the kid how to use it.	B．Check the kid's phone.
C．Tell the kid about it.	D．Advise the kid to use his phone less.