【推荐1】Not all think laughter is the best medicine, but it seems to help. So scientists carried on a new study of diabetes (糖尿病) patients who were given a good dose of humor for a year to prove it.

Researchers divided 20 high­risk diabetic patients into two groups. Both groups were given standard diabetes medicine. Group L viewed 30 minutes of humor of their choice，while Group C，the control group，did not. This went on for a year of treatments.

By two months into the study，the patients in the laughter group had lower level of the hormones epinephrine (肾上腺素)，considered to cause stress，which is known to be deadly. After the 12 months，HDL cholesterol rises 26 percent in Group L but only 3 percent in Group C．In another measure，C­reactive proteins，a maker of heart disease，drop 66 percent in the laughter group but only 26 percent in the control group.

“The best doctors believe that there is a physical good brought about by the positive emotion，happy laughter，”said study leader Lee Berk of Loma Linda University. And other research has found that humor makes us more hopeful. Still，more study is needed，Berk said. The research by Berk found that   humor can bring about similar changes in body chemistry，which was proved in the new study. The research result will be presented this month at the meeting in the US. Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows that laughter causes the inner lining of blood vessels to expand，increasing blood flow in a way thought to be healthy.

“Lifestyle choices have an important effect on health and these are choices which we and patients should pay attention to，rather than prevention and treatment,”Berk said in a statement this week.

1. Why did the scientists carry on the new research?

A．To find out if laughter was good to health.

B．To discover the best medicine to cure diabetes.

C．Because the number of diabetic patients is the largest in the world.

D．Because diabetic patients need more laughter than other patients.

2. After 12 months into the study，________.

A．C­reactive proteins increase 66 percent in Group C

B．the level of the hormones epinephrine stays the same in both groups

C．the level of the hormones epinephrine has dropped

D．C­reactive proteins reduced 66 percent in Group L

3. The underlined part “HDL cholesterol” in Paragraph 3 must be ______.

A．something bad to our health	B．something good to our health
C．a kind of wonderful medicine	D．a kind of dangerous disease

4. In what way does laughter benefit people’s health?

A．Blood is made thick by laughter.

B．Laughter makes blood vessels thin.

C．Laughter increases blood pressure.

D．Laughter makes blood flow fast.

【推荐3】Winter is often quite cold, which often makes us stay indoors more instead of heading out to exercise. Worse still, there are many viruses(病毒) doing their best to make you sick. And sneezing, coughing and nose blowing make the rooms a habitat for viruses.     1    Touching a doorknob or shaking a hand may make you get sick. Although it may sound terrible, there are still some things you can do to avoid viruses. Here are several simple tips to stay healthy in winters.

Wash your hands. You pick up viruses everywhere and they live on your hands, so wash your hands and do it often.     2    . But if that’s not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (消毒杀菌剂).

    3    :Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands. That’s one way viruses can get into your body.

Get the flu shot(疫苗).     4    , but getting the flu shot lowers your chances of getting the flu. For example, getting the flu shot last year resulted in a 34% lower risk of coming down with the flu.

Avoid sick people.     5     Viruses spread very easily through the air, so keep at least six feet between you and the sneezing, sniffling and coughing person.

A．It is easy for viruses to spread from person to person

B．Take care of your face

C．It’s not absolutely safe

D．Keep your hands away from your face

E．If someone around you is sick, then keep your distance

F．The best way is to use regular soap and water

G．Because there are always some unexpected things in life

【推荐1】Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be “the easy subject” at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don’t just want material things anymore, they want to experience life—the arts are a perfect crossover between culture and commerce.

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation’s experience.

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people’s well-being. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.

1. Art products differ from most other commercial products because ________.

A．most people purchase them for collection	B．they are more expensive and less accessible
C．they have both commercial and cultural values	D．their prices may climb up as time passes

2. By sharing their arts experiences, community members can ________.

A．keep the community safe from illnesses	B．develop a stronger tie between them
C．learn to appreciate their own works of art	D．offer honourable solutions to their problems

3. What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?

A．They enjoy better living conditions.

B．They like to compare themselves with others.

C．They are particularly good at both music and art.

D．They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.

4. How does kids’ engagement with the arts benefit them?

A．It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.

B．It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.

C．It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.

D．It helps to make responsible people out of them.

【推荐3】Andean Condors(秃鹰），weighing up to 13 kilograms with a 10-foot wingspan, are one of the world's heaviest and largest flying birds. Spending their days circling the Andes mountains and nearby Pacific coasts in search of food, they manage to stay afloat (悬浮） for hours.

Though researchers have long suspected that the massive creatures conserved energy by using rising air currents to surf the skies, nobody had ever documented how infrequently the birds used their wings afloat. Now, a new study has found that the incredibly energy-efficient condors use their wings just 1 percent of their time - mostly during takeoff and landing.

The extensive research, conducted in Patagonia from 2013 to 2018, involved attaching high-tech flight recorders to the birds' 'wings. The collected information was too much to send back via the phone or satellite network. Hence, the researchers had to physically take back the devices, which were designed to fall off the birds after a week. While a GPS tracker allowed the scientists to confirm the recorders' exact locations, getting to them was no easy task given Patagonia's rough surface features.

After losing seven recorders for every one they took back,the team shifted their focus to younger condors, who tend to fly over gently rolling hills rather than the mountain tops frequented by adults. The 250 hours of collected flight data revealed that the birds flew for an average of three hours but flapped(拍打）their wings for less than two minutes of the time.

One efficient pilot managed to cover 172 kilometers over five hours without a single flap! The researchers say the large fliers consume the most energy during takeoff. However, once in the air, they can fly for long periods of time without turning on their “engines". The scientists suppose that adult condors may demonstrate an even more impressive flight record than the younger.

1. What's the new study mainly about?

A．Feeding habits of condors.

B．Function of condors' wings.

C．Frequency of condors flapping wings.

D．Ways of condors' drawing on air currents.

2. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 3?

A．Indicate difficulty of getting recorders back.

B．Highlight condors' ability to fly high.

C．Present a research outcome.

D．Introduce condors' habitats.

3. Where did the researchers usually find the recorders afterwards?

A．Mountain peaks.

B．Gentle hillsides.

C．Wide valley.

D．Rough sea.

4. In which column of a website can we read the text?

A．Environment.

B．Nature.

C．Education.

D．Geography.

【推荐1】Children who spend more time playing adventurously have lower symptoms of anxiety and depression, and were happier over the first COVID-19 lockdown, according to new research.

A study led by the University of Exeter asked parents how often their children engaged in play that was “thrilling and exciting”, where they might experience some fear and uncertainty.

The study, published in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, comes at a time when today’ s children have fewer opportunities for adventurous play out of sight of adults, such as climbing trees, riding bikes or jumping from high surfaces. The study sought to test theories that adventurous play offers learning opportunities that help build resilience(韧性) in children, thereby helping to prevent mental health problems.

The research team surveyed nearly 2,500 parents of children aged 5-11 years. Parents completed questions about their child’s play, their general mental health ( pre- COVID) and their mood during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

The research was carried out with two groups of parents: a group of 427parents living in Northern Ireland and a nationally representative group of 1, 919 parents living in Great Britain ( England, Wales and Scotland).

Researchers found that children who spend more time playing outside had fewer “internalizing problems”-- characterized as anxiety and depression. The study in the Great Britain group also found that the effect was more pronounced( 显著的 ) in children from lower-income families than those growing up in higher-income households.

Helen Dodd, a professor of Child Psychology at the University of Exeter, who led the study, said: “We now urgently need to invest in and protect natural spaces, well-designed parks and adventure playgrounds, to support the mental health of our children.”

Welcoming the findings, Jacqueline O’Loughlin, Chief Executive of PlayBoard NI, said: “ It is clear from the research findings that playing, taking risks and experiencing excitement outdoors make positive contributions to children’s mental health and emotional well-being. The rewards of allowing children to self-regulate and manage challenge in their play are widespread and far-reaching. Adventurous play helps children to build the resilience needed to cope with and manage stress in challenging circumstances.”

1. What did the researchers intend to study about adventurous play?

A．How it improves children’s learning ability.

B．How it influences children’ s mental health.

C．Why some children are fascinated by it.

D．How it helps children during lockdown

2. How was the research conducted?

A．By doing interviews.	B．By conducting experiments.
C．By making questionnaire surveys.	D．By analyzing data from related studies.

3. What did researchers find out about children who spend more time on adventurous play?

A．They were more positive.	B．They had better social skills.
C．They were more depressed.	D．They were mostly from lower-income families.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The features of adventurous play.

B．The purpose of adventurous play.

C．The popularity of adventurous play.

D．The importance of adventurous play.

【推荐2】There’s a lot of anxiety around how young people, particularly teenagers, use the internet but new research by Talk Talk suggests some of these fears may be emphasized too much.

In a recent study, 2,000 young people aged 13-16 year olds and the parents of the same teenagers, were interviewed about their attitudes to technology and loneliness. The teens were mainly optimistic about technology and its uses. Over half (71 percent) said that during times when they felt lonely, tech provided a solution to their loneliness such as enabling them to make new friends, receive support and advice, as well as read positive comments online.

However, social media was regarded as a cause for feeling lonely by 12 percent of teens, who said they felt lonely because they didn’t have many friends on social media.

When it comes to the parents, on the other hand, it demonstrated that there is an education gap between worrying about the internet, and knowing what to do about it.

For instance, 70 percent of parents worry bout their teens using the internet, but 65 percent said they did not limit the hours their teen spends using social media and tech, and 70 percent reported they don’t use parent protection controls and software. Around 37 percent said they feel ill-equipped or unsure about how to manage their teens online.

It seems like when it comes to teens on the internet, the main issue is with the parents not understanding what they’re doing. Research by Oxford University academics found there was little evidence between screen time and mental health in teenagers. The study used a mixture of self-reporting techniques as well as time-use diaries.

The research reflected another study earlier this year by the same academics that found technology use explains at most 40 percent of adolescent wellbeing (幸福安乐).

We’re still learning about how things like social media impact our health and wellbeing, but at least in this instance, it demonstrates that the Generation Z’s digital understanding nature means they may have more of a hold on tech and its effects than their parents do.

If you are a parent and worrying about your child’s screentime use, security company Norton has put together a handy guide on how to manage it, such as setting limits on screen time, and talk about the risks of sharing private information on social media.

1. What does the author want to illustrate with the example in Paragraph 5?

A．Parents are concerned about their teens using the Internet.

B．Parents are irresponsible for not controlling their teens’ using the Internet.

C．Parents should have a stronger control over the management of their teens using the internet.

D．Parents lack the strategies of handling their teens using the Internet despite their deep concerns.

2. The author refers to another earlier study in order to ________.

A．show that the finding of this earlier study is contrary to that of the recent one

B．prove that at least two studies are needed before drawing a sound conclusion

C．support that technology use doesn’t have so much to do with teens’ wellbeing

D．illustrate that technology use has a significant influence on teens’ wellbeing

3. Which shares the closest meaning to the words underlined?

A．Control	B．Weakness.
C．Affection.	D．Addiction.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Technology, a hell for teens!	B．Technology, a must for teens!
C．Technology, a help to teens!	D．Technology, a two-edged sword for teens!

【推荐3】One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might someday get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors.

Each of us has a place in nature where we go sometimes, even if it is torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decrease in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment (蚕食)?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.

Without having a nature experience, kids can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (认知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents — and a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature exposure. Even a small outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world.   

Kids are not responsible. They are just over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous outdoors from time to time, but when repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite (仪式) during the children’s growth, it can be more dangerous.

We should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring nature and taking friendship in fields and woods that cement love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.

1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2?

A．To show the great damage done to nature.

B．To recommend a popular book to the public.

C．To stress the necessity of kid’s going outdoors.

D．To raise the awareness of environmental protection.

2. What may happen to children without a nature experience?

A．They’ll surely become a failure.

B．They’ll keep a high sense of wonder.

C．They may suffer physically and mentally.

D．They can develop better social skills.

3. What does the author think of children’s breaking an arm?

A．It is not a bad thing in a sense.	B．It is caused by the careless parents.
C．It should be taken seriously.	D．It could be prevented from happening.

4. What does the underlined word “cement” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Lack.

B．Strengthen.

C．Prove.

D．Require.