【推荐2】The biggest house of cards, the longest tongue, and of course, the tallest man: these are among the thousands of records logged in the famous Guinness Book of Records. Created in 1955 after a debate concerning Europe's fastest game bird, what began as a marketing tool sold to pub landlords to promote Guinness, an Irish drink, became the bestselling copyright title of all time (a category that excludes books such as the Bible and the Koran). In time, the book would sell 120 million copies in over 100 countries— quite a leap from its humble beginnings.

In its early years, the book set its sights on satisfying man's inborn curiosity about the natural world around him. Its two principal fact finders, twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, moved wildly around the globe to collect facts. It was their task to find and document aspects of life that can be sensed or observed, things that can be quantified or measured. But not just any things. They were only interested in superlatives: the biggest and the best. It was during this period that some of the remarkable Guinness Records were documented, answering such questions as "What is the brightest star?" and "What is the biggest spider?"

Once aware of the public's thirst for such knowledge, the book's authors began to branch out to cover increasingly doubtful, little-known facts. They started documenting human achievements as well. A forerunner for reality television, the Guinness Book gave people a chance to become famous for accomplishing odd, often pointless tasks. Records were set in 1955 for consuming 24 raw eggs in 14 minutes and in 1981 for the fastest solving of a Rubik's Cube (which took a mere 38 seconds). In 1979 a man yodeled non-stop for ten and a quarter hours.

In its latest appearance, the book has found a new home on the internet. No longer restricted to the limits of physical paper, the Guinness World Records website contains seemingly innumerable facts concerning such topics as the most powerful combustion engine, or the world's longest train. What is striking, however, is that such facts are found sharing a page with the record of the heaviest train to be pulled with a beard. While there is no denying that each of these facts has its own, individual temptation, the latter represents a significant deviation from the education-oriented facts of earlier editions. Perhaps there is useful knowledge to be obtained regarding the tensile strength of a bread, but this seems to cater to an audience more interested in seeking entertainment than education.

Originating as a simple bar book, the Guinness Book of Records has evolved over decades to provide insight into the full range of modern life. And although one may be more likely now to learn about the widest human mouth than the highest number of casualties in a single battle of the Civil War, the Guinness World Records website offers a telling glimpse into the future of fact-finding and record-recording.

1. As used in paragraph 2, which is the best definition for empirical?

A．able to catch attention	B．derived from experience
C．recorded for nature	D．easy to gain

2. According to the author, the most significant difference between older editions of the Guinness Book of Records and the new Guinness World Records website involves________.

A．a departure from book sales a promotion tool to the local bars

B．an end to the use of facts as a means to promote Guinness

C．a shift in focus from educational to entertaining material

D．a move from fact-finding to the recording of achievements

3. It can be inferred that the author most likely believes reality television to be________.

A．Sympathetic	B．idiotic
C．invaluable	D．shallow

4. Which of the following statements would best serve as the headline for this passage?

A．The encyclopedia of the extremes reflects the changing interests of modern society.

B．A book of simple origins makes it to the top as sales total a staggering 120 million copies.

C．The Guinness World Records website proves itself a valuable resource for insight into the full spectrum of modern life.

D．Where other books fall short, the index of superlative sciences never ceases to amaze.

【推荐1】As reported in JAMA Surgery, the researchers discovered that e-scooter(电动摩托车) injury rates had increased dramatically in just four years, rising from 6 per 100,000 in the population to 19 per 100,000. Of the estimated 14,651 e-scooter-related injuries in 2018, 4,658, or 32%, involved the head. “While most people recover from head injuries, there is going to be a subset with long-term disability and life changes,” said Dr. Benjamin Breyer.

Dr. Benjamin Breyer of the University of California, Los Angeles, pointed to a 2019 analysis of the data from two hospitals in Southern California, which found just 4.8% of injured e-scooter riders were wearing helmets.

Dr. Joann Elmore, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, believed that most e-scooter users are probably unaware of the risks. To make the point, she described a photo taken by a colleague. “There were two riders on an e-scooter,” she said. “No one had shoes on. There were no helmets. And the woman in front had a baby in a baby carrier.”

The new report highlights the need for more research on new technologies, said Dr. Guohua Li, a professor of epidemiology(流行病学).

“Just as there is a global network of experts working on infectious diseases, there needs to be a similar program devoted to the surveillance(监视，监察) and prevention of injuries caused by merging technologies products and lifestyles, such as e-scooters, e-sports, etc.,” Li said in an email.

“The challenge for researchers and policymakers is to keep up with the ever-changing society and protect the public from unnecessary harm caused by new technologies and products without hindering innovation,” he added.

1. What can we know from the passage?

A．E-scooter injury rates had increased due to speeding.

B．32% of injured e-scooter riders weren’t wearing helmets.

C．There is a program devoted to the prevention of injuries caused by advanced technologies.

D．Protection and innovation are of equal importance.

2. What can we infer from Dr. Joann Elmore’s comments?

A．She is an anti-scooter.

B．The woman in front was pregnant.

C．She is concerned about the e-scooter users.

D．Most e-scooter riders often drive at high speed.

3. What does the underlined word “hindering” probably mean?

A．Preventing.	B．Limiting.
C．Developing.	D．Making progress.

4. What’s the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To arouse people’s awareness of the risks and self-protection.

B．To introduce a new way of transport — e-scooters.

C．To ask people not to ride e-scooters any more.

D．To urge policymakers to make laws as soon as possible.

【推荐2】As 17-year-old Norwood drove through St. Petersburg, Florida, last February, the laughter and chatter from the four teenage girls inside her car quickly gave way to sharp cries. A car behind heavily hit them, sending their black car into a tree five meters away. As smoke rose from the other car, a bystander (旁观者) shouted, “It’s about to blow up! Get out!”

Terrified but not hurt, she got out through the window. Along with two of her friends, who’d also managed to free themselves, she ran for her life. But halfway down the street, she realized that her best friend, Simmons, wasn’t with them. Norwood ran back and found Simmons stuck in the back seat. “She wasn’t moving,” Norwood told Inside Edition. She threw open the back door and pulled her friend out, trying to avoid the broken glass.

She dragged Simmons to safety and placed her on the ground. “I put my head against her chest. No sign of life. That’s when I started CPR (心肺复苏术).” Norwood, who longed to have a career in medicine, had passed the national CPR test just the day before.

Looking down at her dying friend, Norwood knew she had only a little time to practice what she’d learned. She started pumping Simmons’s chest and breathing into her friend’s mouth. No response. She tried again and again. Slowly, Simmons began coughing and opening her mouth for air. The CPR worked! Soon, doctors arrived and rushed Simmons to the hospital. And then she heard how her best friend had saved her life. “I wasn’t shocked,” Simmons told CNN. “She will always help any way she can.”

1. What is the best title for the text?

A．Breath of Life	B．A career in medicine
C．A Car Accident	D．Practice what one learns

2. Why did a bystander shout to the teenagers?

A．Their car broke down.

B．They sat by a smoking flat.

C．Their lives were in danger.

D．They blocked the traffic.

3. What happened to Simmons in the accident?

A．She fell out of the car and struck her head.

B．She became unaware of the surroundings.

C．She was unable to move in the front seat.

D．She got seriously hurt but wide awake.

4. How can we describe Norwood’s CPR practice?

A．Unskilled but practical.	B．Typical but useless.
C．Strange but successful.	D．Repeated but effective.

【推荐3】New York factories in the early 1900s were busy and dangerous places to work. Most factories were housed in brick buildings that were overly hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. Workers at the time often worked more than 12 hours each day, receiving few breaks and no overtime pay. The floors were crowded with people and equipment, and the doors were often locked to prevent employees from leaving early. In fact, most factory owners and managers mistreated those who asked for changes or directly fired them. The people in charge believed that they did not owe anything more than a paycheck to their workers.

Everything changed when a fire broke out at the Triangle shirtwaist factory in 1911. During that tragic event, about a quarter of the workers (mostly young immigrant women) lost their lives. The factory workers, located on the ninth floor of the building, could not get the door open. The fire escape led only to flames below. The fire truck ladders were not long enough, nor were the water hoses (水管). Fire nets were inadequate.

After the fire, people marched and protested in order to change conditions in factories. Many large protests took place in New York. Eventually, politicians took up the cause, and legislators (立法者) passed workplace laws regulating child labor and the number of workers allowed on a floor. They also called for sprinkler systems (自动喷水系统) to be placed in all factories. The rights of workers were important and valuable.

Today, working in a factory is still a demanding, difficult, and often dangerous job. The victims of the Triangle shirtwaist factory did not die in vain, however. Because of their experience, the workplace was forever changed for the better.

1. Which best explains the cause of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire?

A．The quality of the factory building.

B．The lack of worker safety at the factory.

C．The involvement of politicians.

D．The inexperience of the workers.

2. Because of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, _______.

A．employers were given more control

B．sprinkler systems were invented

C．many laws were passed to protect workers

D．factories in New York closed

3. Why did people most likely protest after the fire?

A．The women who died were wealthy.

B．Factories were the best places to work.

C．Shirtwaists were hard to find after the fire.

D．The tragedy could have been avoided.

4. It can be learnt from the text that the fire_______.

A．brought the reform in the working conditions

B．caused little damage to the factory

C．became a turning point for politicians

D．took place on the ninth floor of the building

【推荐2】Paintings and sculptures can be a feast for the eyes of visitors to art museums, but today their viewing is also an unconventional treatment for people with mental illness.

Last month, a group of Canadian doctors started to write a new kind of prescription（处方）,which gives patients free access to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts（MMFA）. There, they will have a "relaxing, revitalizing experience" looking at the museum's collections, according to MMFA.

Nathalie Bondil, the museum's director general, believes that being in contact with culture and arts can help with wellbeing. "In the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century," she said.

Each prescription will allow not only the patients but also their families or friends to go with them. In the museum, the visitor can appreciate the artworks, and take part in a wide range of activities including drawing, sewing（缝纫）and making a sculpture with recycled materials.

The new treatment is said to be the first of its kind in the world. But there's increasing evidence that the display of visual art, especially art depicting（描绘）nature, can have positive effects on people with depression, anxiety and self-esteem（自尊）problems.

In 2017, the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing（APPGAHW）also released a report stating that "the time has come to recognise the powerful contribution the arts can make to our health and wellbeing".

Is it possible for art to improve overall health? We may not know the answer yet. But one thing is certain, more and more people today are persuaded by the idea that "art is good medicine".

1. What prescription did the group of Canadian doctors give to mental patients?

A．Get conventional treatment.

B．Relax by experiencing nature.

C．Join in some physical activities.

D．Appreciate paintings and sculptures.

2. What might Nathalie agree with?

A．Contacting culture and arts can make people rich.

B．Visiting art museums can help keep people healthy.

C．Culture will replace physical activities in the 21st century

D．Mental patients should go to museums with their families.

3. What do we know about the new treatment?

A．It can help with mental problems.

B．Nothing has proved it right so far.

C．It was used before by visual artists.

D．APPGAHW doubted its value.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Will MMFA be open to patients?

B．Is there a new treatment for artists?

C．Will fine arts improve mental health?

D．Is there a better medicine than art?