【推荐1】How to protect your ears

You and your friends are leaving a concert on a Friday night. When you get outside, your ears are ringing. You have to shout to be heard.     1     So no harm done…right?

Not quite. Temporary buzzing may be easy to ignore, but repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually cause serious--- and irreversible(无法治愈的)--- hearing loss. A new study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston shows that one in five people between the ages of 12 and 19 are experiencing slight hearing loss, and one in 20 have mild hearing loss.     2    But the good news is that there plenty of ways you can protect your ears from further damage — and still listen to the music you love:

Ask around. Put your earbuds in or your headphones on, and then ask a friend next to you whether or not he or she can hear what you’re listening to.     3    Turn it down.

Buy noise-canceling headphones. A pair of earbuds or headphones that fits comfortably will limit outside noise so that you can hear your music better at lower volumes.

Take breaks.       4     So when listening to music, take your headphones off for 15 or 20 minutes and let your ears enjoy the quiet.

    5    You can buy a cheap pair at any drugstore as an easy way to lower volume at concerts — or while playing or practicing your own music — without changing the quality of the sound.

A．Use earplugs.

B．Keep the volume below 70 percent.

C．If the answer is yes, your music is too loud.

D．But by morning, your hearing is totally back to normal.

E．Like every other part of your body, your ears need rest.

F．Unfortunately, there’s no way to get back hearing you’ve already lost.

G．The exposure to noise is louder and longer than in any previous generation.

【推荐2】When we found him, he was a sorry sight. His clothes were torn, his hands bleeding. Before we reached him, we saw him fall. He lay a moment. Then he pulled himself to his feet, walked unsteadily a few yards through the woods and fell again. After we got him out, we went back to find the gun that he had thrown down. His tracks showed that for two days he had circled in the forest, within 200 yards of the road. His senses were so dulled by fear and tiredness that he did not hear the cars going by or see the lights at night. We found him just in time.

This man, like others before him, had simply been frightened when he knew he was lost. What had been a near disaster might have turned out as only a pleasant walk, if he had made a few preparations before he stepped from the highway or off a known path.

Whatever sense of direction that a man may have, it’s still largely a question of observation. A skilled woodsman always keeps an eye on his surroundings. He notes the shape of a mountain, the direction water flows through a swamp (沼泽), and the way a tree leans across a path. With these in mind, he is still likely to turn around many times, but he is seldom lost.

There are exceptions, of course, and once in a while a man does come across some strange problem that puts him into the “lost” situation. A rainstorm may catch him without a compass in his pocket. Darkness may find him in a rough area, where travel is dangerous without a light.

When this happens, the normal first reaction is the fear of being laughed at as a result of his poor knowledge in the woods. He may also be concerned about the inconvenience that he will cause his friends when he doesn’t show up. This false pride may lead him to keep on the move in a false effort to find his way against all difficulties.

The person who thinks ahead is seldom in great danger. He’ll be safe if he observes carefully, thinks ahead, and remains calm.

1. The writer suggested that if the man had not been found, ________ .

A．he would have been shot by a gun	B．he would have become confused
C．he would have been attacked by wild animals	D．he would have been in great danger

2. What is the most important when a person tries to find his way in the woods?

A．Intelligence.	B．Observation.
C．Direction.	D．Chance.

3. According to the text, if a person gets lost in the forest, at the very beginning, ________.

A．he will worry about being laughed at

B．he will push himself to find his way out

C．he will feel sorry that he didn’t prepare well enough

D．he will feel it is convenient to ask for help from his friends

4. The writer tells the story of the lost man as an example of people who ________.

A．go into the woods by themselves

B．keep their head when they are in trouble

C．are frightened when they think they are lost

D．don’t know how to signal for help properly

【推荐2】I was quite angry with my professor last week when he gave us an assignment to “tell someone we love them”. It has to be someone we have never said those words to before or at least haven’t shared those words with for a long time.

But as I began driving home my conscience started talking to me. It was telling me that I knew exactly who I needed to say I love you to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and really never settled it since that time. We avoided seeing each other unless we absolutely had to at Christmas or other family gatherings.

So last Tuesday by the time I got home I had convinced myself I was going to tell my father I loved him. The next morning I was up bright and early. I could hardly sleep with excitement, nor did my wife.

At 9:00, I called my dad to see if I could come over after work. When he answered the phone, I just said, “Dad, can I come over after work tonight? I have something to tell you.” My dad responded with a grumpy face, “Now what?” I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.

At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell, praying that Dad would answer the door. Dad did answer the door. I didn’t waste any time and took one step in the door and said, “Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you.” His face softened and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, “I love you too, son.” Mom walked by with tears in her eyes.

Two days after that visit, my dad became unconscious. I don’t know if he’ll make it. What if I had waited to tell my dad? Maybe I will never get the chance again!

1. What problem did the author decide to solve?

A．His heavy office work load.	B．His hardly-finished assignment.
C．His disagreement with his father.	D．His unpleasant family gatherings.

2. What does the underlined phrase “a grumpy face” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Soft tone.	B．Bad temper.
C．Good mood.	D．Great doubt.

3. How did the father feel when the author said “I love you” to him?

A．Confused.	B．Shocked.
C．Moved.	D．Indifferent.

4. Which sentence may be the best ending for the text?

A．So don’t wait to do the things that you know ought to be done.

B．So don’t believe there will be a problem without a solution.

C．So don’t complain when your teacher gives you assignments.

D．So don’t forget to visit your family even if you are very busy.

【推荐3】My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. “Grandma, you are an antique（古董）,” she said. "You are old. Antiques are old. So, you are my antique.”

I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the dictionary and read the definition（定义）to Jenny. I explained, “An antique is not only old, it's an object from earlier times. a work of art…a piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured," I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. "They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. An antique is usually at least 100 years old." "I'm only 67," I reminded Jenny.

We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from Rone aunt to another and finally to our family. "It's very old," I told Jenny. “I try to keep it clean and I show it off whenever I can."

There was a picture on the wall bought at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. "Now that's an antique,” I said with pride. "Over 100 years old.” Of course it was marked（留痕迹）up and not in very good condition. "Sometimes age does that," I told Jenny. "But the marks are good marks. They are something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become." I                                 believed this was important for my own self-worth.

Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn't buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They'd been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They had survived through years and years.

For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. "I don't have any antiques but you," she said. Then her face brightened. "Could I take you to school for show and tell?"

"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answered. And then Jenny's antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.

1. Grandma read the definition of "antique" to Jenny in order to ________.

A．express her excitement at being called "antique"

B．change Jenny's narrow understanding of antiques

C．tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques

D．list all the important characteristics of antiques

2. Which of the following information did grandma express to Jenny?

A．The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.

B．There was usually a sad story behind each antique.

C．The marks on the picture showed its age and value.

D．She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.

B．Jenny was too young to know grandma's humor.

C．Jenny had a strong desire for grandma's love.

D．Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Jenny's Antique	B．Grandma's Antique
C．A Collection of Antiques	D．A Story of Antiques

【推荐1】Global warming is the increase of the earth’s average surface temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases, for example, carbon dioxide, which traps heat that would otherwise escape from the earth. After the trees are cut down and more greenhouse gases are released. the “blanket” around the earth called the ozone layer（臭氧层）, will get thicker. This catches more heat and makes the earth hotter. Luckily, there are many things that every citizen of the earth can do to help reduce the effects of global warming, and it’s never too late or too early for children to take action.

The children should learn what a carbon footprint is. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon and greenhouse gases people make as they lead the daily life and go about the normal activities. In other words, the carbon footprint is a measure of the environmental impact（冲击）the life has. To live an environmentally friendly life that doesn’t contribute to global warming, people-want to have the smallest carbon footprint possible.

Almost everything people do contributes to global warming and is related to fossil fuel consumption. These can be direct uses of fossil fuels, like riding in a gasoline-powered car, or indirect contributions to greenhouse gases, such as eating fruits or vegetables that have to be shipped from far way to reach their tables.

If a child wants to make a contribution to reducing global warming, he should ride a bicycle to the near park, school, his friend’s house, or anywhere else instead of taking the car. Or he may try to walk or jog, which is also helpful. In addition, although trains and buses often run on fossil fuels, on average, each person uses less energy and produces less pollution to run. Next time if children with their parents have to get around town or it’s too far to walk or bike, take the bus or other public transportation instead of asking for a ride.

1. What is the main reason for global warming?

A．Too much greenhouse gases are released.

B．The ozone layer has caught more heat.

C．Much more ozone layer has been released.

D．The increase of the earth’s inner temperature results in the global warming.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Life has an impact on carbon footprint.

B．The definition of a carbon footprint.

C．People should live an environmental friendly life.

D．People make a huge amount of carbon and greenhouse gases.

3. The author wants to write the passage for_________

A．children

B．parents

C．children educators

D．adults

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．What Can People Do To Use Less Energy?

B．Why Global Warming Affects Humans’ Life?

C．How Can Kids Help Reduce Global Warming?

D．How Does Carbon Footprints Measure Pollution?

【推荐2】While human achievements in mathematics continue to reach new levels of complexity, many of us who aren't mathematicians at heart (or engineers) may struggle to remember the last time we used calculus.

It's a fact not lost on American educators, who amid rising math failure rates are debating how math can better meet the real-life needs of students. Should we change the way math is taught in schools, or eliminate some courses entirely?

Andrew Hacker, Queens College political science professor, thinks that advanced algebra and other higher-level math should be cut from curricula in favor of courses with more routine usefulness, like statistics.

"We hear on all sides that we're not teaching enough mathematics, and the Chinese are way ahead of us," Hacker says. "I'm suggesting we're teaching too much mathematics to too many people. Not everybody has to know calculus. If you're going to become an aeronautical engineer, fine. But most of us aren't."

Instead, Hacker is pushing for more courses like the one he teaches at Queens College: Numeracy 101. There, his students of "citizen statistics" learn to analyze public information like the federal budget and corporate reports. Such courses, Hacker argues, are a remedy for the numerical illiteracy of adults who have completed high-level math like algebra but are unable to calculate the price of, say, a carpet by area.

Hacker's argument has met with opposition from other math educators who say what's needed is to help students develop a better relationship with math earlier, rather than teaching them less math altogether.

Maria Droujkova is a founder of Natural Math, and has taught basic calculus concepts to 5-year-olds. For Droujkova, high-level math is important, and what it could use in American classrooms is an injection of childlike wonder.

"Make mathematics more available," Droujkova says. "Redesign it so it's more accessible to more kinds of people: young children, adults who worry about it, adults who may have had bad experiences."

Pamela Harris, a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin, has a similar perspective. Harris says that American education is suffering from an epidemic of "fake math"—an emphasis on rote memorization of formulas and steps, rather than an understanding of how math can influence the ways we see the world.

Andrew Hacker, for the record, remains skeptical.

"I'm going to leave it to those who are in mathematics to work out the ways to make their subject interesting and exciting so students want to take it," Hacker says. "All that I ask is that alternatives be offered instead of putting all of us on the road to calculus."

1. What is the general complaint about America's math education according to Hacker?

A．America is not doing as well as China.	B．Math professors are not doing a good job.
C．It doesn't help students develop their literacy.	D．There has hardly been any innovation for years.

2. What does Andrew Hacker's Numeracy 101 aim to do?

A．Allow students to learn high-level math step by step.

B．Enable students to make practical use of basic math.

C．Lay a solid foundation for advanced math studies.

D．Help students to develop their analytical abilities.

3. What does Maria Droujkova suggest math teachers do in class?

A．Make complex concepts easy to understand.	B．Start teaching children math at an early age.
C．Help children work wonders with calculus.	D．Try to arouse students' curiosity in math.

4. What does Pamela Harris think should be the goal of math education?

A．To enable learners to understand the world better.	B．To help learners to tell fake math from real math.
C．To broaden Americans' perspectives on math.	D．To exert influence on world development.

【推荐3】Young mums shopping in the Copley Mall in downtown Boston-month found themselves being questioned about their use of soap by students from Harvard Business School usually known as HBS. The students were not doing odd jobs to earn beer money. They were preparing to help a firm in Brazil launch an antibacterial cleanser.

The 900 students arriving in Boston this summer for their two-year course were told that they wouldbe subjects. The new practical addition to HBS’s curriculum is known as “FIELD” that stands for Field Immersion Experiences for Leadership Development. Fieldwork — ie, going out and talking to people — is a big change for HBS.

Not all the staff and students were overjoyed to be experimented on. But the man responsible, Nitin Nohria, head of HBS, says that “If it works, the FIELD method could become an equal partner to the case method.”

What happens in the second year of the new course is still being worked out. But the first year has three elements.First, team-building exercises. Students take turns to lead a group engaged in a project. They learn to cooperate and to give and take feedback.Second, students will be sent to work for a week with one of more than 140 firms in 11 countries. In the third part of the course, students will be given eight weeks, and seed money of ＄3,000 each, to launch a small company. The most successful, as voted by their fellow students, will get more funding. The experiment does not come cheap, adding 5-10% to the course’s cost, which HBS will bear while it figures out what works.

1. Why were the students questioning those young mums, according to the first paragraph?

A．To promote an antibacterial cleanser.	B．To earn some money.
C．To prepare to help a firm to launch a product.	D．To make a study about soap.

2. According to the plan for the first year course, the students_________.

A．will be led by a group and learn to give and take feedback.

B．will have to set up a small company and earn at least $3,000 within eight weeks.

C．will get more funding if his/her company is considered to be most successful by the fellow students.

D．will be sent to work with one of more than 140 firms throughout the country.

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

A．A New Course.	B．Ways of Learning.
C．Learning Business in Practice.	D．Launching a New Business.

【推荐1】Compared with the obvious environmental issues, littering often takes a backseat—but it’s more pressing than we may think.

If you were to throw a banana peel out of your car while driving, that would be completely harmless action, because it’s part of a fruit-right? Actually, no. A banana peel can take up to two years to break down, and with third of motorists admitting to littering while driving, that’s a whole lot of deserted banana peels, or much worse. An orange peel and cigarette end has similar biodegrading(生物递降分解) term to that of a banana, but tin and aluminum(铝) cans last up to 100 years; and plastic bottles last forever, as do glass bottles, and plastic bags.

Despite the fact that longer-lasting materials will serve to damage the environment and its animals for longer, we can’t solely measure the severity of a certain type of rubbish by its lifetime. For example, despite having a fairly short biodegrading span, more than120 tons of cigarette-related litter is deserted in the UK every day. Similarly, our regular littering here and there has caused the UK’s rat population to increase by 60 million.

It’s not a cheap habit either: UK taxpayers set back £500 million in order to keep our streets clean. So, it’s not surprising that if caught fly-tipping you could face a £20,000 fine or even jail time and, if you disposed of something unsafe, the court could give you five years to serve Regardless of how severe these punishments might seem, however, among the reported cases only2,000 were declared guilty out of 825,000, so we still have some way to go in making sure people obey the rules.

To take back our beautiful countryside and cities we need to do more than simply not leaving rubbish where it ought not to be. We need a pride makeover, we need to truly care more about the world around us.

1. The writer mentions a banana peel in paragraph 2 to tell people “_________”.

A．a little leak will sink a great ship

B．God helps those who help themselves

C．the longest journey begins with the first step

D．practice makes perfect

2. What can we know about the effects of littering everywhere?

A．Aluminum cans are harder to biodegrade.

B．Fewer people desert cigarette ends.

C．Rat population increases rapidly.

D．Clearing the streets brings much income.

3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 imply?

A．Punishments are not severe enough.

B．Some cases are wrongly punished.

C．People don’t know the way to obey the rules.

D．Punishment is not the solution to littering habits.

4. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce some harmful materials.

B．To call on people to care about the world.

C．To warn people against littering.

D．To remind people of littering punishment.

【推荐2】Researchers have recently discovered that gut bacteria (肠道细菌) that grow within our body helps the brain build important social skills.

According to a paper published in PLOS Biology in November, zebra fish were used as research subjects to test how a lack of bacteria could affect social skills. Zebra fish are social animals as even 2-week-old fish start to hang out in groups of four to twelve.

The experiment started with making a group of fish “bacteria-free” through their diet. The other group were injected with a healthy mix of gut bacteria after they were hatched. About 15 days later, the second group began swimming in groups while the “bacteria-free” group “shockingly, didn’t,” Judith Eisen, a co-author of the new research, said to Quanta Magazine.

The team then examined the fish’s brains, discovering obvious differences between the two groups. The ones who lacked the gut bacteria had more interconnections among the neurons (神经元) in their brains in charge of social behavior, and social neurons were seen to have overgrown. This made the fish more cautious in social situations.

Scientists said that the bacteria might release a special chemical that crosses the bloodbrain barrier to reach the brain directly. Although the experiments were only on fish, the findings can theoretically be applied to humans. The team wishes to explore how gut bacteria affects the human brain in the future, which may lead to solutions to mental health problems.

Perhaps many people who claim that they have “social phobia (社交恐惧症)” can blame their guts. However, social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, can be a serious illness if overlooked. According to the National Health Service in the UK it is more than shyness but instead a constant fear of social situations. Patients may experience panic attacks which are an overwhelming fear and anxiety that last for a few minutes.

1. What does the research focus on?

A．The growth of gut bacteria.

B．The way zebra fish build social skills.

C．The influencing factors of social behavior.

D．The link between gut bacteria and social behavior.

2. What was found in the experiment?

A．The two groups of zebra fish became different in size.

B．The bacteria-free zebra fish swam in groups.

C．The zebra fish injected with gut bacteria were quieter.

D．The zebra fish with gut bacteria swam in groups.

3. How do scientists feel about their findings?

A．Positive.

B．Disappointed.

C．Doubtful.

D．Concerned.

4. Which is true about “social phobia” according to the last paragraph?

A．It will result in gut problems.	B．It is a severe illness.
C．It may cause panic.	D．It is all about shyness.