【推荐1】Many of you may know that Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia.     1     In September, Indonesia announced that the country will move its capital from Jakarta, on the island of Java, to Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo. This is big news for Indonesia. Indeed, it would be for any country.

The word ''capital'' comes from the Latin word ''caput'', meaning ''head''. Government institutions (机构), such as legislative (立法) and judicial (司法) bodies, are located in capital cities.     2    

In English-language news reports, when you read ''relations between Beijing and Moscow'', it actually means ''relations between the Chinese and Russian governments''.     3     In many countries, the capital is the richest city. This is because when a city becomes a major business center, it takes a more important place on the world stage. London, for example, has been the economic center of Britain for nearly 2,000 years, so it's naturally been the capital for much of that time.

    4     Brazil's capital used to be Rio de Janeiro, a coastal city. Later the capital moved to the inland city of Brasilia. Part of the reason is that coastal cities can be attacked (攻击) more easily. In the case of Indonesia, the new capital was chosen in order to achieve balanced development in different areas. Kalimantan is an underdeveloped area.     5    

A．This will soon change.

B．Sometimes, capitals are chosen for safety reasons.

C．Some new capitals are planned and built in undeveloped areas.

D．Countries sometimes move their capitals from one city to another.

E．Therefore, it is important to choose a good spot for one's capital.

F．By becoming the new capital, it can expect faster economic growth.

G．The leaders of a country usually work and live in the capital as well.

【推荐3】“Let the world know China and let China know the world.” I can’t remember exactly where I have seen this slogan(口号) in Beijing. Considering the simple fact of the wish people have for learning foreign languages and the number of people going abroad each year, everyone can tell how hard China and Chinese people are trying to know the world. But I didn’t know how equally important and urgent(迫切的) it is for the world to know China until I came to the UK.
In the self-introduction during our first class in a PhD course, when I told them I wanted to finish the degree as soon as I could and then go back to China, the British students looked at me in both surprise and disbelief. Their idea is that everybody who comes to the UK, including the Chinese, will stay here to look for a better life and that this is the only place where one can find a better life.
When I asked my friend for advice about buying a new car, she looked at me, asking in surprise, “A new car?” Later I found out that her surprise was because of the popular image of Chinese students: either too poor or too economical.
When we Chinese students for the first time joined the monthly performance hour of the department and sang some traditional songs and gave a short humorous introduction, all the teachers and students were surprised. To them, Chinese students are so serious and shy. These ideas have been because of the fact that Chinese students are sometimes not seen among the students.
So “let the world know China” should no longer remain an empty slogan. It is something we all should do, home and abroad, and something we should do with confidence and openness.
1. In British students’ opinion, Chinese students come to the UK mainly because       .

A．they want to get a British degree

B．the education in UK is the best in the world

C．they want to know more about British

D．they want to look for a better life in Britain

2. The general image of Chinese students in British students’ mind is_____.

A．very rich	B．very common
C．very humorous	D．very poor or economical

3. The British students think Chinese students were serious and shy because Chinese students_____.

A．always spoke poor English

B．didn’t show themselves bravely in public

C．didn’t have much money

D．had problem communicating with them

4. By writing the passage, the writer wants the reader _____.

A．to be as humorous as possible

B．to take away the empty slogan

C．not to be too poor or too economical

D．to show ourselves with confidence

【推荐2】Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home, proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression. According to a US expert, Emily Post, “All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness.”

While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict, he points out that mostly their purpose is protective — they turn our natural warrior like selves into more elegant ones.

So where did table manners come from? In medieval England, a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full. And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (减除).

Disappointingly, that idea never caught on. It was during the Renaissance that there were real technical developments, and opinions of correct behavior changed for good. “None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings. “Gradually, as forks became popular, they brought the new way of eating, making it possible, for instance, to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty.”

Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later, the first table fork reached America. Yet while most of the essentials are the same on both sides of the Atlantic, there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK. For example, in the US, when food needs cutting with a knife, people generally cut a bite, then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand. Then they pick up one bite at a time. By contrast, Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down.

Though globalization has developed a new, simpler international standard of table manners, some people still stick with the American cut and switch method. The Los Angeles Times noted, “They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency.”

1. According to the article, which of the following factors has the greatest impact on people’s table manners?

A．The beginning of Renaissance.	B．The introduction of forks.
C．The adoption of a tax deduction.	D．The campaign led by Petrus Alfonsi.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “consume”?

A．Manufacture something.	B．Make use of something.
C．Entertain oneself with something.	D．Eat or drink something.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Americans generally cut a bite and then lay aside the knife.

B．Britons keep the fork in their right hands.

C．Americans always don’t lay their knives down.

D．Britons transfer the fork to their left hand.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The similarities and differences of table manners between US and UK.

B．The importance of dining etiquette and table manners.

C．The origin and evolution of table manners and tableware.

D．The development of table manners in America.

【推荐3】Chinese ancient poetry was the heart and soul of Chinese ancient literature. Poems and songs have been the means of entertainment of men from the earliest times. Chinese ancient poetry was primarily written to be chanted or sung.

The poetic persona (表面形象) is a feature of classical Chinese poetry. The persona appears when the poem is written from the viewpoint of some other person. Some poems are comments on the contemporary society and life. Chinese ancient poems, although apparently simple in the first reading, have deeper and greater meanings when read intensively.

The earliest Chinese ancient poetry begins with The Book of Songs which is a collection of 305 poems. It was the first comprehensive compilation(辑)of Chinese ancient poems. Each poem in The Book of Songs was set to music and could be sung. Folk songs made up the most part of the book! Confucius, the great ancient philosopher, was fond of this book. It was also the accepted textbook of the Confucian school.

Chinese poetic history is extremely long and colorful. The Tang dynasty, the golden age of Chinese ancient poetry, produced many famous poems. Three Hundred Poems of the Tang Dynasty, was compiled by Heng Tang Tui Shi(蘅塘退士) of the Qing dynasty. This was used for very many years to teach primary students.

Almost everything is the subject of Chinese ancient poetry including marriage, agriculture, courtship(求爱), sorrow and joys, romance, heroic deeds and so on. Generally, each poem is usually composed of lines of four, five or seven syllables. Translations of Chinese ancient poems are available in books and also online. Now these beautiful poems have attracted readers all over the world.

1. What’s the earliest Chinese poetry intended to do?

A．To record history.	B．To spread knowledge.
C．To entertain people.	D．To state people’s thoughts.

2. Which can describe the obvious characteristics of Chinese ancient poetry according to the text?

A．Modern and symbolic.	B．Simple but meaningful.
C．Difficult and figurative.	D．Imaginative but unreal.

3. What can we learn about The Book of Songs from the text?

A．It is compiled by Heng Tang Tui Shi.

B．It includes more folk songs than other kinds of poems.

C．It was the textbook for kids during Confucius’s childhood.

D．It was produced during the golden age of Chinese ancient poetry.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Chinese ancient poetry has limited subjects.

B．Chinese ancient poems win popularity overseas.

C．Every Chinese ancient poem is made up of four lines.

D．Something in Chinese ancient poems is lost in translation.

【推荐1】For most caffeine(咖啡因)consumers, its main benefit is that it helps you get more done. This is what makes it unusual, says Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine.
“Its appeal is that it helps us earn more money,” he adds. “What makes it different from other drugs is that it’s used as a productivity tool –– not for pleasure.”
Many of history’s creative minds have also been connected with a large amount of caffeine consumption (消耗).
According to one biographer, the French novelist and playwright Balzac drank as many as 50 cups of coffee a day. “Were it not for coffee one could not write, which is to say one could not live,” he once insisted.
For seven years, the film-maker David Lynch ate at the same Los Angeles diner every day, drinking up to seven sweetened cups of coffee “with lots of sugar” in one sitting, which he said would guarantee that “lots of ideas” arrived.
Ludwig van Beethoven was said to have painstakingly counted out exactly 60 coffee beans per cup when he brewed(煮)coffee.
Perhaps recent tales of caffeine excess (过量) featured the singer Robbie Williams, who reportedly consumed 36 cups of black coffee and 20 cans of Red Bull a day.
It is the routine task itself, as much as the stimulating(刺激的)effects of caffeine, that makes the process so important, says Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. “A lot of artists use the process of making coffee as a gateway to the creative process,” he adds. “You need to get into the right mindset to do that sort of work, and the preparation process provides a focus.”
One problem with attempting to control caffeine, says Braun, is that it affects everyone differently –– it is impossible to work out a “safe” limit that works for everyone. “Eventually, you have to become your own scientist –– there isn’t an alternative to careful self-experimentation,” he says.
1. The examples of some famous people are given to show that _______.

A．most artists like drinking coffee

B．drinking coffee helps artists make more money

C．there’s a link between drinking coffee and creating ideas

D．drinking coffee makes artists become more successful

2. What leads to the artists’ creative process according to Mason Currey?

A．Being lost in thought.	B．Drinking the coffee.
C．Brewing the coffee.	D．Getting a good mindset.

3. What does Braun advise us to do in the end?

A．To drink less coffee.

B．Never to limit caffeine use.

C．To work out a safe level of caffeine use.

D．Never to take more coffee than you need.

【推荐2】Put your car keys away and forget about your travel pass-it's time to do a bit of walking. National Walking Month is organized every May by Living Streets, an organization that campaigns for the rights and the needs of pedestrians, so the organization is previously known as the Pedestrians' Association. The association's aim is to make streets safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces for people to live, work, shop and play. By putting people (rather than vehicles) first, Living Streets wants to create streets and spaces where people feel happier, healthier and more sociable.

The annual campaign gives participants a great opportunity to experience the many virtues of walking. These include the physical health benefits of becoming fitter, he environmental advantages of not using vehicles: the delight of local discoveries-seeing more of your local areas on foot; the enjoyment of walking with other people, whether family, friends or work colleagues and finally the stress relief that comes from walking -walking can clear your head.

Walk to School Week, 18 to 22 May, is part of the month’s activities and its aim is to encourage parents to send children to school on foot, rather than take them in the car or let them use public transport. The movement was started in 1995 with only five participating schools and now two decades later, more than one million children take part.

Similarly, there is Walk to Work Week, 11to 15 May, where grown-ups are encouraged to walk. In the morning, getting off the bus a stop early or parking a few streets away is a good way to add more steps to the daily total. And during the working day, after having lunch at the desks or in the canteen, take a walk and get some fresh air. Walk home with your workmates and chat away about everything under the sun but work!

1. What's the purpose of Living Streets?

A．To let people keep away from vehicles.

B．To build safer walkways for pedestrians.

C．To help people enjoy walking in the street and enjoy life.

D．To make people aware of environmental pollution.

2. What can we learn from Walk to School Week?

A．It is organized by the government.

B．It is held before Walk to Work Week.

C．It encourages students to walk to school alone.

D．It has developed rapidly over the last 20 years

3. What's the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．An introduction to Walk to Work Week.

B．A nationwide health movement.

C．The influence of working day.

D．National Walking Month’s history.

【推荐3】Losing your ability to think and remember is pretty scary. We know the risk of dementia (痴呆) increases with age. But if you have memory slips, you probably needn’t worry. There are pretty clear differences between signs of dementia and age-related memory loss.

After age 50, it’s quite common to have trouble remembering the names of people, places and thing quickly, says Dr. Smith of Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston.

The brain ages just like the rest of the body. Certain parts shrink (萎缩), especially areas in the brain that are important to learning, memory and planning. Changes in brain cells can affect communication between different regions of the brain. And blood flow can be reduced as blood vessels (血管) narrow.

Forgetting the name of an actor in a favorite movie, for example, is nothing to worry about. But if you forget the plot of the movie or don’t re member even seeing it, that’s far more concerning, Smith says.

When you forget entire experiences, he says, that’s “a red flag that something more serious may be involved.” Forgetting how to operate a familiar object like a microwave oven, or forgetting how to drive to the house of a friend you’ve visited many times before can also be signs of something going wrong.

But even then, Dr. Smith says, people shouldn’t panic. There are many things that can cause confusion and memory loss, including health problems like temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, high blood pressure, or depression, as well as medications like antidepressants.

You don’t have to figure this out on your own. Dr. Smith suggests going to your doctor to check on medications, health problems and other issues that could be affecting memory. And the best defense against memory loss is to try to prevent it by building up your brain’s cognitive (认知的) reserve, Dr. Smith says.

“Read books, go to movies, take on new hobbies or activities that force one to think in novel ways,” he says. In other words, keep your brain busy and working. And also get physically active, because exercise is a known brain booster (助推器).

1. Why is it common for the aged to experience memory loss?

A．The related parts of brain get aged and smaller.

B．The communication of brain regions is stopped.

C．The brain cells of memory change their positions.

D．The slow blood flows result in narrow blood vessels.

2. What can we do to fight against the memory loss?

A．Check health problems in the hospital.

B．Take medicine to regain your brain cells.

C．Take part in physical and mental activities.

D．Build up a completely new cognitive region.

3. Which of the situation warns us to see a doctor?

A．John doesn’t know how to operate a new printer.

B．Anne has forgotten her usual way to the park near home.

C．Jack can’t remember the name of an actor in a soup opera.

D．Ammy is confused with her friends’ addresses occasionally.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．What Causes Memory Loss	B．Have You Lost Thinking Ability
C．How Does Brain Booster Work	D．Have You Really Got Dementia