【推荐1】When you are lying in bed, every single noise-from the creak(嘎吱声) of the bed to a whistle in your partner’s nose-may keep you awake. You may find it hard to get a good night’s sleep. Actually, you may just need more noise. While it may sound strange, it is scientifically proven that certain types of noise can help you sleep well. Specially white, pink and Brown noise can mask(掩饰) these sounds, creating a more harmonious background.

White noise contains sounds of all frequencies(频率) that humans can hear. But it comes across as a high-pitched buzz(声调高的嗡嗡声). That’s because of the way your ears hear it. Basically, your brain strengthens sounds in higher-pitched frequencies. So while you are hearing sounds from a variety of frequencies, the highest frequencies tend to drown(淹没) the lower-pitched ones.

The pink noise balanced out the noise so that sounds of all frequencies are heard equally. The higher the frequency, the more its volume is decreased. To your ears, the sound is deeper and softer than white noise. Think of rain falling on the sidewalk or a gentle wind in the trees.

In a study at China’s Peking University, researchers found that when people hear either pink noise or no noise during the sleep, 75 % reported more restful sleep with the pink noise. Brain activity monitors proved that people had 23 % more restful brain activity at night with pink noise and 45 % more restful sleep during naps.

Brown noise takes this concept to the next level, further weakening higher frequency noise to produce an even deeper and richer sound.

The color of noise that will help you get more sleep is the one you like the best. While pink and brown noises are deeper and more balanced than white noise, your personal sleep preferences will decide which one gives you the best sleep.

1. According to the passage, we know that the white noise ________

A．removes low-frequency sounds.

B．protects ears from high-pitched sounds.

C．makes sounds of all frequencies heard equally.

D．contains sounds of all frequencies of people can hear.

2. Why does the author mention the study at China’s Peking University?

A．To show the need for silence during sleep.

B．To prove pink noise’s positive influence on sleep.

C．To stress the importance of restful sleep.

D．To give the reason for more noise for sleep.

3. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Some types of noise may help people sleep better.	B．Our brain is always kept active.
C．Many people have difficulty sleeping well.	D．Noise has different colors and frequencies.

4. In which section of newspaper may this passage appear?

A．Environment.

B．Education.

C．Science.

D．Travel.

【推荐2】Most people will tell you that without a cup of coffee in the morning, they cannot function. Coffee is a good drink when consumed in right amount.       1    

Legend says that Kaldi, an Ethiopian, discovered his goats enjoy eating coffee plants. Curious, he tasted the leaves and began to dance around. A passing monk (僧侣) witnessed the scene and took some back to his fellow monks. Later that night, the monks experienced extreme inspiration.     2    Soon Arabia was roasting coffee beans. By 1000 A. D. , Muslims were drinking coffee to stay awake. A merchant from Venice introduced coffee to Europe in 1615. By 1696, the Dutch started growing the coffee bush in Java. By 1723, coffee plants were introduced to the Americas. Today, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.

Caffeine (咖啡因) is the major chemical in coffee. Caffeine poisoning can occur if more than 400 milligrams of caffeine is drunk in a short period, which is about four to five cups of coffee.     3    So it should be avoided before bed.

    4     Studies have shown that it helps cognitive (感知) skills in elderly women. Women who drank three cups of coffee daily scored higher on memory tests than women who drank one cup of coffee.

Large amounts of coffee can cause nervousness, worries and heartburn. However, if mixed with milk, it is fine.     5    The more you drink, the more you depend on it. For some people, just one cup of coffee a day is OK.

A．Coffee also has many benefits.

B．Coffee can be addictive like any drug.

C．Caffeine will also cause sleep difficulty.

D．The caffeine in coffee can actually help fight disease.

E．However, it is considered harmful if taken in large amount.

F．Drinking coffee while you have this kind of disease will make it worse.

G．Whether the legend is true or not, the discovery of coffee dates back to 800 A. D.

【推荐3】Whether rich or poor, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans.

For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor（预测指标）of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, the study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as the difference between having parents who are barely literate（有文化的）and having parents who have a university education.

Being a sociologist, Evans was particularly interested to find that children of lesser-educated parents benefit the most from having books in the home. What kinds of investments should we make to help these kids get ahead? The results of this study indicate that getting some books into their homes is an inexpensive way that we can help these children succeed. Evans said, “Even a little bit goes a long way. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on motivating a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater benefit the children get.”

The researchers were struck by the strong effect having books in the home had on children’s educational attainment even above and beyond such factors as education level of the parents, the father’s occupation or the economic level of the country.

Having books in the home is twice as important as the father’s education level, and more important than whether a child was brought up in a developing country or a developed country. Surprisingly, the difference in educational attainment for children born in developed country and children born in developing country was just 2 years, less than two-thirds of the effect that having 500 or more books in the home had on children.

1. In the past educators held a point of view that ______.

A．parents’ level of education had nothing to do with their children’s levels of education

B．children whose family had a library would possibly attain high levels of education

C．children who were born in poor families studied harder than those in rich families

D．children whose parents are highly educated would attain high levels of education

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

A．Helping somebody to finish something.

B．Making somebody want to do something.

C．Making somebody pretend to do something.

D．Preventing somebody from achieving something.

3. Which of the following has the most important effect on the level of education a child will gain?

A．The economic level of the country.	B．The father’s occupation.
C．Having books in the home.	D．Education levels of parents.

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Reading books is good for the development of children.

B．Books in home have a great effect on children’s education levels.

C．Getting books into homes is good investment （投资）parents can make.

D．Children who get a higher level of education must have many books in their homes.

【推荐1】Lily went to London with her parents for a two-week vacation, She sent postcards to her friends.

Dear Lei Fang, London is a busy city and so many people are living here. There are always a lot of things to do. However, the subway can take you to travel all over the city. Today we went to visit Buckingham Palace and the Tower of Bridge. I will be very tired when I get home. See you soon. Love， Lily

Dear Tan Xiao, I’m having a great vacation. This is an amazing city. There are lots of interest in gold buildings and famous museums to visit. The people here are friendly and helpful when we get lost, The only thing that I don’t like is the weather. It rains every day and it’s still cold. Wish you were here! Love， Lily

Dear Wang Lin, This is a beautiful city and I like it very much. You can see parks here and there. The River Thames runs in the middle of the city. My mother and I have been busy shopping. Restaurants can offer you all types of food, I’ve got lots of photos to show you when I get back. Love, Lily

1. How long did Lily stay in London?

A．One week.

B．Two weeks.

C．Three weeks.

2. What does Lily think of London?

A．Busy and unfriendly.

B．Amazing and busy.

C．Beautiful but unfriendly.

3. What is the weather like in London?

A．Sunny and hot.

B．Rainy and windy.

C．Cold and rainy.

【推荐3】No matter what type of top free Android app you are searching for, there are many similar apps that can puzzle you when it comes to choosing the best one. Here are some apps you should give a try in 2020.

Zomato

Zomato lets you discover restaurants near you to go and eat out or order food online and get it delivered. This Android app has multiple other unique features that address customer needs like a takeaway, table booking and discoveries. You can also find many discounts and offers on the restaurants.

CamScanner

CamScanner is a great app for students and we know that life can get rather busy as college students especially if they are holding a part-time job. This platform uses your phones camera to scan documents and provides assistance in the form of proofreading and editing your work.

Spotify

Spotify is one of the best music apps for Android that you shouldn’t be missing out on. It helps you to access world music－both streaming and downloading music of high quality. You would be able to listen to all your music favorites, albums, and also create your own playlists.

Groupon

Groupon is a platform that finds available deals in varied categories like electronics, entertainment, fashion, and many more. The physical store deals are displayed on an interactive map for an easier-to-see selection, online store deals also included. Extra discounts for students.

1. What can students do with CamScanner?

A．Record their college life.	B．Learn editing skills.
C．Find a part-time job.	D．Correct their work.

2. Which app will attract a shop-goer?

A．Zomato.

B．Spotify.

C．Groupon.

D．CamScanner.

3. What's the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce some free Android apps.	B．To provide guidance on choosing apps.
C．To stress the popularity of Android apps.	D．To show the advantages of Android apps.